Ethics of New Yorks Smoking Ban Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics of New Yorks Smoking Ban - Essay Example The freedom of the smoker is not impinged in balance with the rights of the other patrons, as the smoker can go outside and all are free. Rawls - Ethical. If you are a smoker, you are negatively impacted and would find this unethical. Given the fact that the majority of people are non-smokers, you (PJ) are most likely to be a non-smoker and not want to breathe second-hand smoke; ergo, the ban is ethical because it benefits you. Kant - Ethical. The categorical imperative is the health of the people. It is universally agreed that smoking is harmful to the health of both the smoker and the breather of second-hand smoke. The right thing, or moral principle in keeping the health of the people as the prime objective, is to ban smoking. Egoists - Ethical/Unethical. If you are a smoker, the ban is unethical because it does not allow you to engage in your preferred behavior. If you are a non-smoker, the ban is ethical because you don't have to breathe smoke. The two forms are Act and Rule. In Act Utilitarianism, an action determines what is moral, and general rules can be distilled from the act. For example, if two people were in a burning building-say an elderly man and a small child-and you could only rescue one, you would rescue the child because she would have the higher potential for happiness in the future; the rule being that the higher degree of happiness wins out. In Rule Utilitarianism, a principle determines what is moral, and individual actions follow the general rules of morality. If the rule says that homicide is wrong, for example, killing Hitler in 1933 would still be wrong even though it would lead to the prevention of millions of deaths. 2. What do economists mean by the "declining marginal utility of money" This is a concept which is fairly intuitive. It means that a specific amount of money has proportional importance relative to the wealth of an individual. The amount of $ 5,000.00 given to a specific person would be an unimaginable amount of money for a welfare mother, a nice bonus for a mid-level corporate manager, and completely irrelevant for Warren Buffet. Conversely, the loss of $ 1,000.00 would be very painful for a college student, somewhat annoying to the average attorney, and unnoticed by Bill Gates. 3. Robert Nozick presents his entitlement theory as a function of three basic principles. What are these three basic principles These principles relate to the holdings or possessions of an individual and that person's justifiable right (entitlement) to have them. The Transfer Principle says that, for any particular item, a person is entitled to have it if they properly obtained it from someone who had the right to transfer it. If I purchased a watch from a retail store that had honestly acquired it, the transfer is valid. If I bought the same watch from an individual on the street who had stolen it from its owner, the transfer is invalid. Under the Acquisition Principle, a person who has something that was justly obtained is entitled to that item. In the watch example, my purchase from the retailer is just and I have the right to wear the watch; the street deal is invalid

Gulliver Travel Theme Essay Example for Free

Gulliver Travel Theme Essay Might vs. Right In Jonathon Swift’s Gulliver’s Travel there are many characters who have power over others, some of these characters abuse it other characters do not. Swift gives many details and examples of how the character uses or abuses his or her power. Swift relates many of his characters to real life people of his time The first occurrence of this theme happens when Gulliver washes up on the island of the Lulliputains after his boat was capsized by a huge storm. Gulliver awakens to his arm, legs, and body tied down and is unable to move. He is surrounded by a abundance of miniature like people. Though Gulliver showed no sign of aggression the Lulliputains, despite their small size, still took full advantage over Gulliver and attack him with arrows. The emperor who rules Luptin thinks he can control Gulliver and has him chained and guarded by soldiers. â€Å"The emperor is both a satire of the autocratic ruler and a strangely serious portrait of political power. †(Sparknotes. com). Swift uses The Emperor to represent King George I. Just like King George, The Emperor abuses his power and hires his ministers on how well he likes them rather then their suitability, wisdom, or virtue. The Emperor of Luptin also loves war and wants to use Gulliver’s size to enslave the neighboring island Blefuscu. Although Gulliver refuses to do so, this can be compared to King George I war on Spanish Succession. The Brobdingnagians could dominate with their superior size if they wished but for the must part they do not. Gulliver is taken by a farmer when he lands on the island of Brobdingnag who Gulliver estimates is around seventeen foot tall. The farmer at doesn’t take advantage of his great size but he eventually uses Gulliver as a display around Brobdingnag for money. In General the Brobdingnagians do not abuse their power. The King of Brobdingnag is offered the secret of gunpowder but he refuses to take this, even though gunpowder could vastly increase the power of his nation. The Queen of Brobdingnag finds Gulliver and buys him off the farmer for a thousand pieces of gold. The Queen finds Gulliver quite interesting and thinks of him not as a pet but as fellow Brobdingnagian. Throughout the story Swift likes to draw questions through his characters on why people hold power over others. A key example of this is how The Laputan King thinks he has the right to hold power over the Balnirbarbians simply because he is more devoted to abstract and theoretical knowledge then they are. A more ambiguous example of this power is how the Houyhnhnms control the Yahoos. The Houyhnhnms are intelligent, moral and virtuous people but it is still questionable on whether they should rule the Yahoos. â€Å"The Yahoos are greedy, beastlike humans who will fight over anything valuable and will eat enough food for ten. †(shmoop. com). Even though the Houyhmhnms are great creatures it is still inhuman that they should take control of the Yahoos who are less fortunate than them. Might vs. ight or, abuse or use of power, is a reoccurring theme in Gulliver’s Travels. Swift uses this theme to draw a deeper meaning into the story. The question of why people hold power over others is one that is asked throughout the novel. Swift puts you into each of leaders shoes and gets the reader to think of what they would do if they were in this situation. Would people use to power that was given to them to do great things or would people abuse their power to control and strip freed om from others.

bb king :: essays research papers

B.B. King Back in 1951, a young blues guitarist named Riley King had his first hit song titled "3 O’clock Blues.'' The song was so great, promoters whisked the young man from his Memphis, Tennessee home to the big top of New York City, where he shortened his stage name from Beale Street Blues Boy to "B.B.'' Boogie woogie pianist Robert "H-Bomb'' Ferguson recalls the first time he met B.B. King before the legendary guitarist's first show at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. "When I saw B.B., man, I laughed. This cat came out on stage with a purple suit, red shirt and green tie,'' says Ferguson. King agrees with Ferguson's memory, but notes that the color scheme was different. " It was a red suit with a red tie with red shoes. Red and black sock and black shoes,'' notes King. Over the past forty years, King has established himself as the indisputable king of blues guitarists. His creative style of blending gospel, jazz, and deep Delta blues has influenced two generations of blues and rock guitarists. Unabashedly, King admits that he's an original: "There's a whole lot of things I don't do as well as other people, but I can do and do very well being B.B. King.'' King launched his career as a professional musician on the streets of Memphis during the 1940s. He played gospel and blues on street corners for tips. Standing in-between blues and gospel, King took the path offering the promise of more financial rewards. At 66, King remains indefatigable. He does about 300 concert dates annually. Few artists who have attained the success that King has continue to drive themselves at such a grueling pace. The force pushing King to stay in front of the spotlight is simple. He wanted to be remembered. "If you're out there, people never forget you. That is one of the things I believe in today, never being forgotten. I would like to be remembered as a person that loved people and wanted to be loved by them''. King has wrought a unique style of blues often imitated, but never duplicated. Despite an unorthodox approach to the music, King has helped to shape the blues by bringing it into the mainstream. He hates when people label the blues as sad music. "Blues to me is many things,'' notes the King. "It has to do with people, places and things.

Einstein :: essays research papers

Albert Einstein, a famous scientist. Everyone knows that. But how much do you really know about him. Well, this article is to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albert Einstein was born on March 15, 1879, in the town of Ulm, in Southern Germany. That town was located at the foot of the Swabian Alps. His address was 135 Bahnhofstrasse but that house was later destroyed in a World War II bombing run. His parents were Hermann and Pauline Koch Einstein. Both of them were Jewish, but didn’t strongly practice the religion. Therefore, â€Å"Israelitic† was written on the Religion section of Einstein’s birth certificate. Two years after Einstein’s birth, Einstein’s sister, Maria, was born. Einstein could talk in whole sentences at the age of three. Einstein’s mom, Pauline Einstein, loved music so Einstein took Violin lessons from age six to thirteen. Einstein’s father wasn’t a successful businessman. He then started a plumbing/electrical engineering company with his brother in Munich, hoping that would be a success. Albert spent the next 14 years of his life there. Albert was supposed to go to a Jewish school, but his parents thought that he would get a better education at a Catholic School. He hated the school’s military tradition and atmosphere. Einstein wasn’t very intelligent during this time. At the age of twelve, he went to a gymnasium, Luitpold Gymnasium to be more exact, which is like a middle school and a high school combined. During then, he was starting to read books on science. He met a poor scholar who helped Einstein in his studies. The scholar’s name was Max Talmud. To boost Einstein’s knowledge, he gave Einstein several hard problems. One of them was to prove the Pythagorean theorem. (See Diagram 1.) In 1894, Einstein’s family moved to Milan, Italy, but Einstein had to stay in Munich to finish his studies. Before the end of the school year, which was six months after his parents left, he was told to leave the gymnasium because of his disrespect to his teachers. He then moved to Italy, which was a surprise to his parents because they weren’t expecting him in Italy. When he was 16 ½, he took a test to get into the Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule (ETH). You didn’t need a high school diploma to get into the ETH. Instead, you need to pass a very hard test. The ETH also played another important role in Einstein’s life: it admitted women. Einstein :: essays research papers Albert Einstein, a famous scientist. Everyone knows that. But how much do you really know about him. Well, this article is to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albert Einstein was born on March 15, 1879, in the town of Ulm, in Southern Germany. That town was located at the foot of the Swabian Alps. His address was 135 Bahnhofstrasse but that house was later destroyed in a World War II bombing run. His parents were Hermann and Pauline Koch Einstein. Both of them were Jewish, but didn’t strongly practice the religion. Therefore, â€Å"Israelitic† was written on the Religion section of Einstein’s birth certificate. Two years after Einstein’s birth, Einstein’s sister, Maria, was born. Einstein could talk in whole sentences at the age of three. Einstein’s mom, Pauline Einstein, loved music so Einstein took Violin lessons from age six to thirteen. Einstein’s father wasn’t a successful businessman. He then started a plumbing/electrical engineering company with his brother in Munich, hoping that would be a success. Albert spent the next 14 years of his life there. Albert was supposed to go to a Jewish school, but his parents thought that he would get a better education at a Catholic School. He hated the school’s military tradition and atmosphere. Einstein wasn’t very intelligent during this time. At the age of twelve, he went to a gymnasium, Luitpold Gymnasium to be more exact, which is like a middle school and a high school combined. During then, he was starting to read books on science. He met a poor scholar who helped Einstein in his studies. The scholar’s name was Max Talmud. To boost Einstein’s knowledge, he gave Einstein several hard problems. One of them was to prove the Pythagorean theorem. (See Diagram 1.) In 1894, Einstein’s family moved to Milan, Italy, but Einstein had to stay in Munich to finish his studies. Before the end of the school year, which was six months after his parents left, he was told to leave the gymnasium because of his disrespect to his teachers. He then moved to Italy, which was a surprise to his parents because they weren’t expecting him in Italy. When he was 16 ½, he took a test to get into the Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule (ETH). You didn’t need a high school diploma to get into the ETH. Instead, you need to pass a very hard test. The ETH also played another important role in Einstein’s life: it admitted women.

You’Re a Contract Painkiller

In You Are a Contract Painkiller (1997, p. 111), author Maureen Littlejohn makes extensive use of personification to describe the functioning of Aspirin in our body, its various properties to fight pain, and its evolution over the years. Littlejohn describes how Aspirin claimed celebrity status as one of the world’s most popular, inexpensive painkillers by relieving headaches, sprains, blows, burns, swelling and fever. Furthermore, she added that Aspirin could also be used to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.The author supports the main idea by describing how the aspirin when taken with a modest stream of water or ginger ale, passed to the stomach through the esophagus and undergoes a series of chain reactions to disable the enzyme that converts the acid in cell membranes into prostaglandins (responsible for the pain). In a similar fashion it also helps bring fever down. Moreover, the author gives a brief history about the evolution of the modern day Aspirin from alm ost a thousand years ago when Hippocrates first discovered the property of willow leaves to help relieve pain.The author concludes the essay by highlighting the useful properties of Aspirin and the various ailments it provides relief from. â€Å"You have achieved renown by destroying headaches but you are equally effective in countering sprains, burns, or blows. † (You Are a Contract Painkiller, 1997, p. 112). According to me, this sentence sets the tone for the entire essay. It describes the purpose of using Aspirin and the different ailments that it provides relief from. It basically highlights why and about what the essay is written.It furthermore, sets the stage to write details about the composition and mechanism of Aspirin and also the various ways by which it has meliorated our lives by relieving pain. It puts the entire essay in perspective. â€Å"In the 1800s, two Italian chemists confirmed that willow bark contains one of your main ingredients, the antipyretic (fev er-reducing) salicin. A Swiss pharmacist then found that meadowsweet, a shrub in the spirea family, has ever more of the magic substance than willow bark.In 1893, Felix Hoffmann at the Bayer AG Chemical Works in Germany purified and stabilized you, and that’s when your first claimed celebrity status as one of the world’s most popular, inexpensive pain relievers. † (You Are a Contract Painkiller, 1997, p. 111). The reason I chose this quote is because, it provides a lot of credibility to the essay, by describing how the Aspirin has evolved and also, it gives a perfect example why Aspirin has become so popular all over the world. By describing its formation and development, it gives an overview about what makes Aspirin what it is today.The main idea of this essay revolves around the painkiller called Aspirin. The purpose of this essay is to describe the remarkable properties of Aspirin, to help relieve from different types of pain, and how Aspirin has formed and th e mechanism by which it provides instant relief from the pain. This essay is written for a general audience, to educate them about the useful benefits of aspirin followed by providing detailed information about how an aspirin works to provide relief.This would help people to better understand the pros and cons of aspirin and erase any misconceptions. I really like the way how Littlejohn has written the essay. By using personification method, she has depicted the various aspects of Aspirin in an interesting way rather than just quoting some scientific facts about it. By this, it has really help understand the overall functioning and mechanism of an aspirin in an uncomplicated way.

M. Butterfly, a Play by David Henry Hwang

M. Butterfly, a Play by David Henry Hwang M. Butterfly is a play written by David Henry Hwang. The drama won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1988. The Setting The play is set in a prison in present-day France. (Note: The play was written in the late 1980s.) The audience travels back to 1960s and 1970s Beijing, via the memories and dreams of the main character. The Basic Plot Shamed and imprisoned, 65-year-old Rene Gallimard contemplates the events that led to a shocking and embarrassing international scandal. While working for the French embassy in China, Rene fell in love with a beautiful Chinese performer. For over twenty years, they carried on a sexual relationship, and over the decades, the performer stole secrets on behalf of the Chinese communist party. But heres the shocking part: the performer was a female impersonator, and Gallimard claimed that he never knew he had been living with a man all those years. How could the Frenchman maintain a sexual relationship for over two decades without learning the truth? Based on a True Story? In the playwright notes at the beginning of the published edition of M. Butterfly, it explains that the story was initially inspired by real events: a French diplomat named Bernard Bouriscot fell in love with an opera singer whom he believed for twenty years to be a woman (quoted in Hwang). Both men were convicted of espionage. In Hwangs afterward, he explains that the news article sparked an idea for a story, and from that point the playwright stopped doing research on the actual events, wanting to create his own answers to the questions many had about the diplomat and his lover. In addition to its non-fictional roots, the play is also a clever deconstruction of the Puccini opera, Madama Butterfly. Fast Track to Broadway Most shows make it to Broadway after a long period of development. M. Butterfly had the good fortune of having a true believer and benefactor from the beginning. Producer Stuart Ostrow funded the project early on; he admired the finished process so much that he launched a production in Washington D.C., followed by a Broadway premiere weeks later in March of 1988 - less than two years after Hwang first discovered the international story. When this play was on Broadway, many audiences were fortunate enough to witness the incredible performance of BD Wong starring as Song Liling, the seductive opera singer. Today, the political commentary may fascinate  more than the sexual idiosyncrasies of the characters. Themes of M. Butterfly Hwangs play says much about humanitys propensity for desire, self-deception, betrayal, and regret. According to the playwright, the drama also penetrates the common myths of eastern and western civilization, as well as the myths about gender identity. Myths About the East The character of Song knows that France and the rest of the Western world perceive Asian cultures as submissive, wanting - even hoping - to be dominated by a powerful foreign nation. Gallimard and his superiors grossly underestimate China and Vietnams ability to adapt, defend, and counterattack in the face of adversity. When Song is brought forth to explain his actions to a French judge, the opera singer implies that Gallimard deceived himself about his lovers true sex because Asia is not considered a masculine culture in comparison to Western Civilization. These false beliefs prove detrimental to both the protagonist and the nations he represents. Myths About the West Song is a reluctant member of Chinas communist revolutionaries, who see the westerners as domineering imperialists bent on the moral corruption of the East. However, if Monsieur Gallimard is emblematic of Western Civilization, his despotic tendencies are tempered with a desire to be accepted, even at the cost of supplication. Another myth of the west is that nations in Europe and North America thrive by generating conflict in other countries. Yet, throughout the play, the French characters (and their government) constantly wish to avoid conflict, even if it means they must deny reality in order to attain a facade of peace. Myths About Men and Women Breaking the fourth wall, Gallimard frequently reminds the audience that he has been loved by the perfect woman. Yet, the so-called perfect female turns out to be very male. Song is a clever actor who knows the exact qualities most men desire in an ideal woman. Here are some of the characteristics Song exhibits to ensnare Gallimard: Physical beautyShrewdness which gives way to submissivenessSelf-sacrificeA combination of modesty and sexinessThe ability to produce offspring (specifically a son) By the end of the play, Gallimard comes to terms with the truth. He realizes that Song is just a man and a cold, mentally abusive one at that. Once he identifies the difference between fantasy and reality, the protagonist chooses fantasy, entering into his own private little world where he becomes the tragic Madame Butterfly.

How to Answer Salary Questions in an Interview -TheJobNetwork

How to Answer Salary Questions in an Interview -TheJobNetwork There’s a bunch of things you’re not really supposed to talk about in interviews. Politics, religion, that weird growth you noticed on your arm this morning. Ideally, we could add salary to that list as well; more specifically salary questions. The job application process has a number of separate stages: applying, interviewing, job offer, then salary negotiation and acceptance. Most employers stick to this, and let the money talk wait until things are further along. But if they jump the gun and ask you up front for a) your current salary or b) desired salary, what do you do?DON’T bring up salary firstIt can be tempting to wrap up a great interview with, â€Å"So what would my salary be?† The interview is about selling yourself, and packaging yourself, so keep the emphasis on your awesomeness as a candidate. Putting a dollar figure on that awesomeness comes later, after they decide they want to hire you, so it’s best not to appear too eager. Also, it shifts the focus away from your skills and qualifications, and puts a price tag square on your forehead. And the interviewer just might not be the appropriate person to discuss salary in the first place. Many companies keep the financial negotiation part limited to HR, while your interview might be with someone who has little control over that aspect.DON’T feel obligated to talk numbers.If they ask you what you expect the salary to be for this position, it’s okay to defer by saying, â€Å"I’m sure the company offers a fair range, and I look forward to discussing that in the future.† Answering the question directly can be risky: go too high, and they may stop considering you. Go too low, and you may get low-balled on the salary after you get a job offer, if they know they can get away with a lesser amount.DO keep things vague.If the interviewer asks you what your current salary is, you can estimate a range, and bump it up slightly to include any benefits you might have. Don’t lie- if you tack on $10K to what you’re currently making, the true numbers will likely come up later, making you look look both foolish and shifty.DON’T bust out your W-2 from last year.Even if you’re asked about your current salary, it’s not really appropriate for anyone to ask you for specific documentation at that point.DO shift focus away from money as quickly as possible.Emphasize that while the salary is obviously an important part of any job, you’re more concerned about opportunity and growth. You can say that right now, you’re more interested in talking about how you’d fit in with this position.DO some research up front, and have a number in mind.Even though there shouldn’t be extensive talk about the salary at this point, you should already have a good idea of the range, whether it’s from the initial job description or some basic research about the job title or company. That way, if the subject does come up and you name a number because you feel put on the spot, you’re working with reasonable figures.In an interview, the focus should be on you, not on the financial bottom line. But if it does come up, being prepared to deflect it and move on like the smooth operator that you are will help you get through an awkward moment.

Paulo Freire and Participatory Action Research Research Paper Example

Paulo Freire and Participatory Action Research Research Paper Example Paulo Freire and Participatory Action Research Paper Paulo Freire and Participatory Action Research Paper 2004). Once the filter is engaged, then the student experiences difficulty in acquiring the English language. Upon notice in experiencing difficulty, the student may withdraw from class activities and becomes farther from having a solid school identity. Furthermore, parents and/or teachers may label the student and possibly establish a self-fulfilling prophecy. This may further propel the student in solidifying an identity other than a school identity. The role of the teacher would be to help solidify the school identity by continuously revisiting the projects goals and objectives as well as discussing its activities with students. The teacher would also facilitate discussion, journal writing, and respect among students. Mentors who have previously experienced hardship would also be invited by the teacher to share their experiences with the class. The students would be engaged in a range of activities centered on writing and reading culturally significant texts and issues as well as learning about politics and history. These portions of the curriculum are designed to promote critical thought among students and an environment conducive to learning. The project would also contain a second component to build life and human relationship skills among students. These activities have been created from ideas discussed forth in previous interviews and focus group discussions. Since it has been previously noted that students and parents interests and concerns were never taken into consideration, it is strongly believed that in doing so will create a sense of empowerment among students, parents, and teachers.

Finance simulation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance simulation - Research Paper Example Time and resources will be used meritoriously. Tapering the agency staff reduces cost and saves on premiums paid to the workers. Option 2 was originally used to repay the loan. The interest rate of the option is low (9.0%) and will thus allow EHC to have more funds. However, it was not the preeminent alternative since interests accrued and added onto the principal amount, and everything was to be recompensed after 6 months. Later option 1 was realized to be better since it resolved the cash flow problem and its compensation period was not limited. The US machine, X-ray, and CT scanner, all needed to be replaced. The organization decided to purchase a refurbished CT scanner since its productive life is high and can be upgraded upon its expiry. The X-ray machine was purchased through a capital lease since the machines productive life is 15 years that is comparatively high. The US machine was acquired through an operating lease since the option offers low installments payment, upgrading option, and lower upfront payment. Productivity of the assets was perceived to be more important than ownership. The HUD 242 proved to be better than all the other strategies and was, therefore, chosen. It offered a greater NPV. The simulation indicates that despite the higher insurance cost of HUD 242, the uncertainties associated with the investment are minimal and suitable for the project. A cost-benefit analysis further proved that HUD 242 was indeed appropriate. Tax-exempt bonds were incongruous since the funds were to be used within three years while the planned completion period of the expansion was four years. It could have left a big chunk of WIP (work in progress) (Aiken et al., 2002). All choices were potentially fatal. Management relies on the current available information and the knowledge, exposure, and experience of the

Performance and Talent Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Performance and Talent Management - Essay Example c. Incremental progression - academic staff – unless staff are have reached the maximum point for their salary level, they are eligible for incremental progression after a year’s tenure provided their performance is satisfactory. d. Study support, provision to be released from duties to pursue study and skills development programs that would enhance the capability of the academic staffs. II. Limitations While the remuneration package at UTS seems impressive, a close examination of the parameters of satisfaction of its academic staffs reveal that there are two areas that the university performance system scored dismal. The result of the of UTS academic staff satisfaction rate that can be considered dismal scoring below 50% are the career development opportunity dimesion at 42% and cross-unit cooperation, especially across different areas of UTS scoring a mere 42%. Interpreting this scores meant that UTS academic staff perceives their career development at UTS to be bleak and that they are uncooperative lacking the capacity to do teamwork. This can be considered as a curious case because the dismal figure of 42% in career development is already considered progressive as it already increased by 2% since 2009. This gives no reason to tap the management of UTS at the back because taking this figure objectively meant that it came from a a very negative base that a slight change is already considered an improvement. Cooperation is at 42% which surprisingly is 16% higher compared to other universities. This does not however mean that UTS should already congratulate itself because it still mean that UTS is underderperforming though it is not alarming compared to the career development opportunity dimension which can directly impact the academic staffs stay and performance in the university. Close investigation through the interview details of the survey revealed the reason behind the dismal career development perception of academic staff in UTS. It reveale d that the performance system of UTS is designed for minimum compliance and does not appeal to achievers. An excerpt of the interview revealed; (What kind of elements of UTS performance and development planning are you NOT happy with?) Our system does not mean anything if the performance is NOT poor. Just surface administrative system that in align with compliance. (Specific question) Do you think that UTS performance and development system are in align with UTS strategic goal and vision? Yes, they are on the system. But just focus on implementing. We think the systems is just showing what we should do minimally. From this statement, the dismal figure of UTS career development score is better understood that the academic staffs does not findt the UTS Performance System to be challenging enough to motivate them. Analysis To better understand the case, it has to be understood that UTS is an academe and the subject of analysis are the academic staff who are intellectuals whose jobs req uire cerebral work rather than manual labor. This is important to cite because the nature of work has bearing on performance system implemented that would motivate the workforce. Motivation is important because a motivated workforce â€Å"can handle a variety of assignments, work autonomously,

Law Relating to Payment and Trade Finance Essay

Law Relating to Payment and Trade Finance - Essay Example Hitherto, investors and other traders who wanted to do cross border or international trading (import and export) had to go through stringent bureaucracies and processes that killed the enthusiasm of most of such investors and traders. Today, the situation is quite different as a lot more people are gaining the interest to go into international trading. The need to make cross border trade and commerce as flexible as possible not withstanding, there are certain basic regulations that remain unchanged and would perhaps remain unchanged for a very long time. One of such regulations is the mode of international trade financing and payment. Though the processes are not as stressful as before, international traders are still required to follow basic international trade financing systems that are governed by law. This write-up therefore seeks to examine the role of some of the most common international trade financing and payment methods in addressing the currency global credit crisis. What is international trade finance and payment? Organisation such as the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organisation have devised laid down procedures and structures that need to be followed whenever trade and business transactions have to take place across borders. Such trade that take place across borders are referred to as international trade whereas the funding or financing of all forms of products, good and services that are involved in such international trades are referred to as international trade finance or simply put, trade finance. According to the Business Money (2011), â€Å"Trade Finance is the science that describes the management of money, banking, credit, investments and assets for international trade transactions.† This means that the financing of trade across borders is just more than giving out monies for goods that one wants to buy. Rather it reaches an extent where the entire process is described as management. Instead of just giving out money t o pay for goods and products, one has to device means and follow processes that ensure that the money is managed by taking the payment process through a couple of processes, involving institutions such as banks and insurance. It is therefore in the right direction that the Investopedia (2009) notes that â€Å"trade finance looks at banks, credit agencies, insurers, forfaiters, and any other person or institution who enables importers and exporters to trade across borders.† Discussion on the present Global Credit Crisis Closely related to the issue of international trade finance is the availability and access to flexible credit. This is because as mentioned already, trade finance goes beyond paying money in hand to a company to including the involvement of institutions such as banks and insurances. This means that issues on credit plays an important role on the success of world trade finance. However, it is common knowledge that the world has in times past suffered and even to day suffers from credit crisis that is not limited to any one country but the world as a whole. Broadly speaking, when a particular nation suffers a breakdown with its credit system, we say credit crisis has hit that country but when the situation expands to include almost all nations of the world – especially the giants like America, China and Germany, we say that there is a global credit crisis. Greewood (2011) explains that global credit cri

French Mousse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

French Mousse - Research Paper Example The target market for French Mousse is the people in urban area who prefer to spend on food. The main strength of French mousse is its cost. It is moderately cheap to purchase and thus affordable by many consumers. The other strengths are its rich taste and easy availability. The French Mousse is delicate, fresh and wonderful dessert which is prepared with traditional French ingredients and it can be available at any gourmet restaurants and corner cafes. Customer will never be disappointed in finding French Mousse. The main weakness of French Mousse is its calorie. It is avoided by many young and aged people who are quite health conscious and don’t prefer food having calories. However, there are opportunities for French Mousse in the sense that, if the people of France accept it and the product becomes success in food market, then it can expand in other areas besides France. The biggest threat of French Mousse is the consumer spending on food. People of France had shown less i nterest in spending money on food and beverages, besides there is a probability that certain retailer can sell fake French Mousse in market. This can negatively affect the willingness to purchase French Mousse. Sales Promotion Advertising The advertising through television in France had shown good record. According to statistics of 2005, France spent total 1208.23 Euros for food advertising through television. Thus, advertising through television will be beneficial for French Mousse to promote their products because it is the most preferable advertising technique for food promotion. Advertising Media Television Newspaper Magazine Outdoor Radio Cinema Expenditure (Million Euros) 1208.23 12.37 113.5 21.68 61.83 2.58 Source: (EACA, â€Å"EU Advertising Spend Statistics†). Source: (EACA, â€Å"EU Advertising Spend Statistics†). The advertising for French Mousse will be shown on one popular channels of France which is â€Å"TF1†. TF1 possess the largest audience shar e in France which was accounted as 23.1% in 2011 (Mediametrie, â€Å"Mediamat Weekly†). For television advertising 30 second’s time will be purchased at 8 PM in TF1 at Sunday. The cost of one advertisement in TF1 is 550000 FFR. The advertisement of French Mousse will be shown once in a week for three weeks. Therefore, the budget for advertisement in TF1 channel will be 550000 ? 3 = 1650000 FFR = 369383 USD (approximately) (SBG Companies Limited, â€Å"Tf1 Had 52 Mln FFR Ad Receipts for World Cup Final†). Magazine & Newspaper The magazine contributes second highest portion for advertising in France. The French Mousse product will be shown on the monthly magazine of France for example in ‘France Magazine’. It can increase the awareness of the French Mousse. The reason for choosing this magazine is that it has good audience of about 75,000 readers. The cost for one advertisement in the â€Å"France Magazine† is 4500 USD. French Mousse will be sh own in this magazine for about 3 times in a year which will cost 4500 ? 3 = 13500 USD (Gaebler Ventures, â€Å"France Magazine - Magazine Advertising Costs†). Newspaper is another popular advertising media of France which can contribute to significant brand awareness. For advertising of French Mousse the â€Å"France-Amerique - NY – Newspaper† is chosen. The ad for French Mousse will be shown once in a week for four weeks. The cost for advertising is 23 USD per advertisement. So the budget for newspaper advertisement for French Mousse is calculated as 23 ? 4 = 92 USD (Gaebler Ventures, â€Å"France-Amerique - NY - Newspaper Advertising Costs†) Radio Advertising For advertising French Mousse radio will be used as third medium. The reason for choosing radio as promotional media is that it offers the opportunity to make big splash around an area. Since French Mousse will enter in France, thus the most cost effective method to promote French Mousse will be th rough radio. One radio station had been chosen for advertising in France which is France Inter. The estimated cost of radio advertising is estimated

Organizational behavior - interpersonal skills and managerial roles Essay

Organizational behavior - interpersonal skills and managerial roles - Essay Example The four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Planning implies setting objectives and identifies the actions that must be performed to achieve the objectives (Schermerhorn, et al. 2003). Organizing involves dividing work structures into individual tasks and arranging the organizational resources to accomplish those tasks. Leading refers to the act of creating enthusiasm among the workers so that they work hard to accomplish tasks successfully (Schermerhorn, et al. 2003). Controlling is related to the act of monitoring the performance of the employees and taking corrective action whenever necessary. All the managerial functions are equally important. An important interpersonal skill that a manager must possess is good communication skills. The manager must be good at both written and verbal communication. He must use verbal communication to inspire and motivate the workers to achieve a higher level of performance. Employees that are properly motivated by the manager are more productive. A manager can motivate an employee by using intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. An example of an intrinsic reward is telling an employee he did a good job on a task, while an example of an extrinsic reward is offering a financial incentive such as a bonus. Managers must be good active listeners. â€Å"To listen means we not only understand what you have to say, we can practically apply your thought process back to you† (Nelson, 1995). They must have great writing skills because managers are required to write reports for the different stakeholders group of the company which includes lenders, suppliers, investors, employees, government, and the board of directors. Three essential skills that a manager must possess are technical skill, human skill, and emotional intelligence. Human skills refer to the ability to work well with

French Mousse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

French Mousse - Research Paper Example The target market for French Mousse is the people in urban area who prefer to spend on food. The main strength of French mousse is its cost. It is moderately cheap to purchase and thus affordable by many consumers. The other strengths are its rich taste and easy availability. The French Mousse is delicate, fresh and wonderful dessert which is prepared with traditional French ingredients and it can be available at any gourmet restaurants and corner cafes. Customer will never be disappointed in finding French Mousse. The main weakness of French Mousse is its calorie. It is avoided by many young and aged people who are quite health conscious and don’t prefer food having calories. However, there are opportunities for French Mousse in the sense that, if the people of France accept it and the product becomes success in food market, then it can expand in other areas besides France. The biggest threat of French Mousse is the consumer spending on food. People of France had shown less i nterest in spending money on food and beverages, besides there is a probability that certain retailer can sell fake French Mousse in market. This can negatively affect the willingness to purchase French Mousse. Sales Promotion Advertising The advertising through television in France had shown good record. According to statistics of 2005, France spent total 1208.23 Euros for food advertising through television. Thus, advertising through television will be beneficial for French Mousse to promote their products because it is the most preferable advertising technique for food promotion. Advertising Media Television Newspaper Magazine Outdoor Radio Cinema Expenditure (Million Euros) 1208.23 12.37 113.5 21.68 61.83 2.58 Source: (EACA, â€Å"EU Advertising Spend Statistics†). Source: (EACA, â€Å"EU Advertising Spend Statistics†). The advertising for French Mousse will be shown on one popular channels of France which is â€Å"TF1†. TF1 possess the largest audience shar e in France which was accounted as 23.1% in 2011 (Mediametrie, â€Å"Mediamat Weekly†). For television advertising 30 second’s time will be purchased at 8 PM in TF1 at Sunday. The cost of one advertisement in TF1 is 550000 FFR. The advertisement of French Mousse will be shown once in a week for three weeks. Therefore, the budget for advertisement in TF1 channel will be 550000 ? 3 = 1650000 FFR = 369383 USD (approximately) (SBG Companies Limited, â€Å"Tf1 Had 52 Mln FFR Ad Receipts for World Cup Final†). Magazine & Newspaper The magazine contributes second highest portion for advertising in France. The French Mousse product will be shown on the monthly magazine of France for example in ‘France Magazine’. It can increase the awareness of the French Mousse. The reason for choosing this magazine is that it has good audience of about 75,000 readers. The cost for one advertisement in the â€Å"France Magazine† is 4500 USD. French Mousse will be sh own in this magazine for about 3 times in a year which will cost 4500 ? 3 = 13500 USD (Gaebler Ventures, â€Å"France Magazine - Magazine Advertising Costs†). Newspaper is another popular advertising media of France which can contribute to significant brand awareness. For advertising of French Mousse the â€Å"France-Amerique - NY – Newspaper† is chosen. The ad for French Mousse will be shown once in a week for four weeks. The cost for advertising is 23 USD per advertisement. So the budget for newspaper advertisement for French Mousse is calculated as 23 ? 4 = 92 USD (Gaebler Ventures, â€Å"France-Amerique - NY - Newspaper Advertising Costs†) Radio Advertising For advertising French Mousse radio will be used as third medium. The reason for choosing radio as promotional media is that it offers the opportunity to make big splash around an area. Since French Mousse will enter in France, thus the most cost effective method to promote French Mousse will be th rough radio. One radio station had been chosen for advertising in France which is France Inter. The estimated cost of radio advertising is estimated

Socialist Critique of Capitalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Socialist Critique of Capitalism - Essay Example Furthermore, socialism argues for the collective ownership of the means of production as this prioritizes the common good against individualistic advantage (A Brief Introduction to Socialism from a Non-Marxist, Democratic Libertarian Perspective, n.d.). One can easily recognize that the socialist argument subordinates individual advantage to collective good as this, it is assumed, will overshadow the inherent selfishness of man. Marx was triumphant in his critique against capitalism (Manifesto of the Communist Party, 1847) which was strongly manifested after the 1950s; nations of the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and Eastern Europe were aptly persuaded to overthrow their existing mode of production and replace it with Marx's communism/socialism that promises a classless society which was rather Utopian at the time and until now. Marx fittingly made use of theories of human nature to cogently deliver his denigration against capitalism. However, Marx did not directly use the term "human nature" but instead applied another concept which was "species-being" or "species-essence". This conception of Marx in relation to human nature was borrowed from the philosophy of Ludwig Feuerbach which submits to both specific human nature and the entire humanity. Marx translated this philosophy as a treatise that declares humans as conscious actors in the unfolding of history and nature itself. In the year 1845, Marx inscribed to the world his belief that the human essence cannot be found in a particular individual but in his association with the larger social relations which he belongs. Logically, this statement points to the insight that the human essence is a fluid concept which is hardwired on the total structure of social relations borne out from a society. He then goes on to assert that the fundamental essence of humans as individuals enmeshed in a particular mode of production is their labor. One of the primary arguments of Marx was that humans are distinguished through their behavior toward production and that this economic activity is their soul. Yet, he did not entirely described "labor" as a perfectly embedded human essence but one that is also the source of oppression, alienation, and private property. He ardently argued that in communism "labor" is an unnecessary human activity and an abhorrent fraction of the material state of societies; whereas in capitalism labor represents the material ex igencies of the few owners of production and the workers themselves were merely caricatures of torment, suffering, and hard work. Moreover, Marx alleged that productive activities which are vital to human nature are only gratifying if executed freely. Under the pretext of capitalism, labor is nothing but a tool of dehumanization and isolation for the providers of the valuable labor. Furthermore, labor performed in capitalism invariably produces alienation of the workers from their own produce. Marx (1932), in his article on historical materialism, used the allegory of a carpenter working on a chair. A carpenter who successfully accomplished an entire chair is more self-fulfilled than the carpenter who only took fractions of work to complete an entire chair. Marx related labor with self-identity thus claiming that in capitalism which is characterized by

Posse Comitatus Act (1878) Essay Example for Free

Posse Comitatus Act (1878) Essay The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law which had been passed on June 16, 1878 as an outcome of two sources, the first being the end of the Reconstruction Period. From the establishment of the Republic till the passing of the act in question it had been standard practice to position federal troops at polling spots in order to avoid inebriates from voting as well as to ascertain that those people who would be entering the polls were sanctioned to do so in a period of restricted suffrage. As the Civil War ended, those federal troops were positioned in the polls in order to assure that worldwide manhood suffrage was allowed, and also that no previous Confederate officers would be allowed to vote since all former Confederate officers were not allowed to vote nor to hold position above the state level and the end of the Civil War Reconstruction Period entails that implementation of the said restrictions are no longer needed (Price, and Rectenwald, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second reason came from the terms on the western frontier in that fort commanders were usually the solitary law and order in a district, the solitary security for pioneers who are on the move to the west. The majority of these frontiers was still beyond the United States proper, and had not been allowed in the statehood. Fort commanders then started to put into effect civilian law enforcement accountabilities, at times in a random manner, to stalk those people they regard as criminals or Indians who are dangerous for the early settlers. The line of reasoning being that criminality and Indian assaults took place swiftly and necessitate swift action from those in powers who happens to be in the same location. They were also far away from Washington D.C. and thus the outcomes were at times infringements of the constitution and stipulations otherwise unsound to chosen civil authorities (Baker, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Act then was passed to veto the army in civilian law enforcement the Act also represents the long-established American dogma of separating civilian from military authorities as well as to currently prohibit the use of Army and Air Forces in order to implement civilian laws. In the past 15 years, the Congress has intentionally worn down this belief by engaging the military in drug prohibition in the United States border. This particular attrition would carry on unless the Congress renovates the Posse Comitatus Act principle to protect the crucial and traditional separation and distinction of civilian and military officials (Isenberg, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The increasing swiftness with which the military is regarded as a universal remedy for domestic difficulties will promptly destabilize the Posse Comitatus Act if it continue as it is – unrestricted. Trivial exemptions to the Posse Comitatus Act could rapidly develop into major exemptions. For an instance, in 1981, Congress made an exemption to the Posse Comitatus Act to sanction military participation in drug outlawing in the United States borders, later on, in 1989, Congress assigned the Department of Defense as the â€Å"single lead agency† in drug banning endeavors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Posse Comitatus Act criminalizes, efficiently prohibiting, the utilization of Army or of the air Forces as a â€Å"posse comitatus† to implement the laws and regulations of US, it states: Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both (Young, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While a criminal law, the Posse Comitatus Act has a more significant function as a declaration of policy which represents the traditional American principle of the division among military and civilian authorities, which also happens o be one of the most vital guidelines of the United States form of government (Rossi, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Major as well as trivial exemptions to the Posse Comitatus Act which permit the utilization of the military in law implementation tasks, distort the line which separates the tasks of the civilians from the military officials, destabilize civilian jurisdiction of the military, injure military alacrity, and ineffectually solve the difficulties that they allegedly deals with (Rossi, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, amplifying the functions of the military would fortify the federal law implementation equipment which is at present, under close inspection for straining its power. While it appears to be kind, such augmentations in military influence renew the terror of past exceeds in limitations which occurred in the late 1960’s (Rossi, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As was mentioned earlier, the Posses Comitatus Act of 1878 occurred as an immediate response to the escalating use of the military for tasks meant for civilians during the Reconstruction period. On numerous instances military troops were called upon to suppress civil commotions, to aid in creating governments in the southern states, as well as to implement civil laws and regulations. This topic came to a start when Rutherford Hayes came triumphant in the questionable presidential election which took place in 1876. Allegations were rapidly made that military troops which were sent to southern states acted as a posse comitatus (power of the people) for federal marshals at the polls played a role in giving the President the required vote he needed to win the election. In 1878, a Democrat controlled house of Representatives approved an army appropriations bill (20 Stat 145, 152) which hold language specifically banning the use of military troops as a posse comitatus, the act as a result, discarded the Mansfield Doctrine that military army could be put into use in civilian roles provided that they were subject to civilian laws and associated the use of the army with martial law. The things included in the said act basically, stayed unchanged save for the addendum of the Air Force in 1956 (70A Stat 626 (1956), however the Congress has made some developments to the some of the constitutional exemptions to the act (ex. 10 USC 331, 10 USC 332, and the like) (Young, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Posse Comitatus act provided two situations in which the Act could be disregarded; when an exemption is specifically approved by the Constitution and when Congress specifically permitted an exemption. The first of the said stipulations has generated much perplexity in the use of the Act especially since the Constitution holds no condition specifically allowing the utilization of the army to implement the law of the land. Majority of the texts discussing the constitutional exemptions of the Posse Comitatus act centers on the clash between the indirect and intrinsic constitutional influence and control of the President. This is mainly because the President also happens to be the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces (Baker, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next condition which permits the exemptions to the Posse Comitatus act is Congressional approval, and it has been put into use in two ways. First is by providing a division of the armed services with civilian law enforcement capacities, and second by setting up rules for detailed kinds of aid, on so doing, modifying explicit constitutional exemptions to correspond to particular situations (Baker, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the 1st case Congress has specifically allowed the coast guard to execute law enforcement tasks during peacetime, most particularly of anti-drug laws (14 USC 2) which had also been mentioned earlier in this paper. During wartimes power for the Coast Guard passes on from the Department of Transportation to the Navy, yet under the constitutional exemptions made by Congress the Coast Guard could still perform its law enforcement tasks, it should also be taken into account that the Navy and Marine corps have been subjected to the Act in question by DoD Directive 5525.5 (1986, as amended in 1989) as well as by Secretary of the Instruction (SECNAVINST) 5820.7B (1988) (Isenberg, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Secondly, congress has passed several sections of legislation allowing the use of the army backing and apparatus in helping civilian law enforcement (10 USC 371-82), majority of this legislation was derived in 1981 following the state of affairs in the â€Å"Wounded Knee†.   These state of affairs stalked from the 1973 occupation of a facility on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and the following blockade, capture, and hearing of the American Indian Movement, throughout the course of the blockade the federal civilian law enforcement officials made widespread use of information, personnel, and apparatus offered by the army. The support offered by the army eventually resulted to the weakening of the indictments against those people who had been seized, and it became apparent that Congress have to deal with the necessity for constitutional prohibitions to the original act, in addition to the legal exemptions regarding offering civil law enforcement with help at times of civil disturbance (10 USC 331, 10 USC 332). The guidelines spread under the decrees offer for the conservation of federal possessions and government roles, and permits the use of army in state of emergency when civil officials are incapable to control the state of affairs, further legislation has been passed including situations when nuclear materials is involved in the emergency (Young, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It may seem that the Posse Comitatus Act 1878 represents the principle of the explicit division between the army and civilian forces, a tenet which had been a fundamental constituent of the US history. However, it is fascinating to take into notice that one has ever been found guilty with infringement of 18 USC 1385, and as could be seen in the first part of this paper, Congress is quick in making exemptions for the sudden intrusion of the army (most notable of which is the campaign against drugs) and this constant use of the army as well as the Congress amendment of the Act to use the military had been constant source of controversy up to this point in time. Works Cited Baker, Bonnie. â€Å"The Origins of the Posse Comitatus.† (1999) December 8, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/home.htm. Isenberg, David. â€Å"Posse Comitatus.† (2002) December 8, 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cdi.org/terrorism/pcomitatus-pr.cfm. Price, Lori R., and Michael D. Rectenwald. â€Å"The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.† (2007)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   December 8, 2007 http://www.legitgov.org/. Rossi, C. T. â€Å"The Posse Comitatus Act: Can We Maintain American Freedom Without It?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2002) December 8, 2007 http://www.enterstageright.com/. Young, Stephen. â€Å"The Posse Comitatus Act.† (2003) December 8, 2007 http://www.llrx.com/.

Green Energy Bricks in Construction

Green Energy Bricks in Construction NON – STRUCTURAL MATERIAL  (BRICKS) The General Concept of Green Material The concept of sustainable building incorporates and integrates a variety of strategies during the design, construction and operation of building projects. The use of green building materials and products represents one important strategy in the design of a building. There are many benefits of using green material to the building owner and building occupants which is, it can reduced maintenance or replacement costs over the life of the building, it can supply energy conservation, it can improved occupant health and productivity, it can lower costs associated with changing space configurations, and it has greater design flexibility. Roodman and Lenssen (1995) said that the building and construction activities worldwide consume 3 billion tons of raw materials each year or 40 percent of total global use. Using green building materials and products promotes conservation of dwindling non-renewable resources internationally. In addition, integrating green building materials into building p rojects can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of these building industry source materials. Spiegel and Meadows (1999) said green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than non-renewable resources. Green materials are environmentally responsible because impacts are considered over the life of the product. During construction or at the end of useful building life, construction materials and components are often discarded with construction debris accounting for nearly 28 percent of landfill waste. So, using the green elements to the building can protects environment safely. For bricks, Energy Bricks are made for committed to energy savings. In addition, using the Energy Bricks, a wall can be constructed much faster than conventional brick laying. From the Journal Green Technology and Environmental Conservation (GTEC2011) by Sandasamy D, Govindarajane S, Sundararajan T, sustainability means to minimize usage of energy and resources, thereby reducing waste generation and pollution, as byproduct of construction. Therefore Engineers, Environmentalist, and Architects have been directing their efforts to find ways for using the byproducts of any manufacturing process, as input or source material for manufacturing other items. Sustainable buildings maximize the energy efficiency by using sustainable materials and construction technology, generation of industrial waste by products, through better planning, designing, construction, operation, maintenance and removal, throughout the complete life cycle. So, Energy Bricks are made for energy savings and safe envir onment from pollutions. Besides that, the Energy Brick can save time, cost and gives the maximum energy savings when it comes to building a home. Eco Labeling Eco-label is a method of environmental performance certification and labeling also been practiced throughout world. Eco-label is a label that identifies in overall environmental preference of a product or service proves the particular product or service category. Labeling will be provided by a third party who can be trusted based on consideration by the party that is not biased in relation to the products or services specified independently for environmental leadership criteria .The purpose of eco-label is to guide consumers to choose products and services deemed to be less harmful to the environment than other products in the same category. Eco-label is designed to encourage industry to produce more environmentally friendly product for their consumer. Bricks product selected is Green Energy Brick. Green Energy Bricks introduce the latest innovation, They have been designed with a massive R8+ insulation rating, they cut down on construction time, save on construction costs, are load bearing, require no core filling, are light weight, are easy to install, are fire resistant, can be used in all cyclonic zones. Moreover, wall can be constructed much faster using green energy brick compared to the conventional brick. The Energy Brick fulfills all the criteria to save time and cost yet gives the maximum energy savings when it comes to building a home. Advantages of eco labels are as follows: Inform consumer choice eco-label is an effective way to inform customers about the environmental impact of selected products. Promoting economic efficiency, eco labeling generally cheaper than the controlled rules product .By empowering customers and manufacturers to support environmental decision making. Stimulate market development, when customers are choosing eco-labeled products, they have a direct impact on the supply and demand in the market. This is a signal that the benchmark towards environmental awareness. Encourage continuous improvement, a dynamic market for eco-labeled products promoting corporate commitment to continuous environmental improvement. Encourage certification, environmental certification program is the seal of approval that indicates that the product reaches a certain degree of eco-labels. Assist in monitoring, another benefit of the program is the official eco labeling that environmental claims can be more easily monitored. Function of Green Energy Bricks The Green Energy Brick was developed to avoid adding extra layers of materials and labor, which would add cost to conventional construction. They have been designed with a massive R8+ insulation rating, they cut down on construction time, save on construction costs, are load bearing, require no core filling, are light weight, are easy to install, are fire resistant, can be used in all cyclonic zones and much, much more. Using the Green Energy Bricks, a wall can be constructed much faster than conventional brick laying. First function of Green Energy Brick is to become the external skin and they replace all other forms of standard clay bricks, concrete blocks, weather boards etc. This function were gain by the design criteria of Green Energy Bricks that come with a 9 mm Magnesium Oxide internal and external skin, already bonded ready for paint or texture or other applied finishes. Second function of Green Energy Brick is to replace slab foundation that made of concrete. By using Green Energy Brick, it will save the concrete from providing a rebated base or foundation made of concrete in conventional building processes. Third function of Green Energy Brick is to closed cell foam resists any vapour transfering. By this specialty of Green Energy Brick, there will no requirement for building sislation or a foil vapor barrier for a building to be constructed. Fourth function of Green Energy Brick is to replace the need for any separate structural frame, as the energy brick is load bearing. It means that there will be no needs for load bearing support such as column structure made of reinforced concrete as the Green Energy Brick have the strength to support load. Lastly, the function of Green Energy Brick is to replace the wall with finishes. Applying an interior finish like plaster is not required as it already comes with an interior skin, but is optional and will further increase the walls R rating value of the building walls. Specifications on Functions of Green Energy Bricks The design criteria and objective in the development of the Energy Brick was to make a radical cost effective improvement in the thermal performance of buildings for both concrete slab and above ground construction. Firstly, Green Energy Bricks come with a 9mm Magnesium Oxide internal and external skin, already bonded. With this specification, Green Energy Brick become the external skin and they replace all other forms of standard clay bricks, concrete blocks, weather boards etc. The Energy Brick with its Magnesium Oxide board skin allows for all types of applied finishes, render and painting.So, applying an interior finish like plaster is not required as it already comes with an interior skin, but is optional and will further increase the walls R rating value. Secondly, Green Energy Bricks brings you the ultimate in structural light weight bricks. Even though they are light weight, the bricks from Green Energy Bricks are structural or load bearing. Green Energy Brick unique formulat ion consists of a central core of rigid Polyisocyanurate Foam (PIR) with an external and internal skin of 9mm Magnesium Oxide Board. This makes it both light weight, yet load bearing and with an attractive finish. Thirdly, Green Energy Bricks is a Single wall system, but has superior properties and functions than a double brick wall. The design includes a 80mm diameter hole running vertically every 300mm to allow for running of electrical cabling, telephone lines, TV or sound cabling after the wall has been constructed. This deletes the need to run conduits or install electrical metal boxes during the wall construction process. This also makes it easier to know where electrical cabling can be run if there is a need to add any electrical points at a future time. Fourthly, this Green Energy Bricks is fire-resistant brick product compared to other brick that available nowadays. The Green Energy Brick Magnesium Oxide skins are non-combustible and the foam core self-extinguishing from fire. This makes the Green Energy Brick one of the most fire resistant building materials available on the market. As a conclusion, Green Energy Bricks were made with better specification that brings them the better function compared to the conventional brick on market todays. e)  Development and Erection Process The development of the Energy Brick was to make a radical cost effective improvement in the thermal performance of buildings for both concrete slab and above ground construction. The Energy Brick was developed to avoid adding extra layers of materials and labour, which would add cost to conventional construction. The Energy Brick from Green Energy Bricks achieves four to five times the insulation rating of conventional housing. It designed to reduce the labour content of wall construction. Over five processes, all with different materials and trades can be reduced to one or two processes, with skills that can be learned in a few hours. While the bricks are more expensive at present than the material components of conventional walls, the labour to assemble is considerably reduced, it means Green Energy Bricks increase the insulation rating considerably, while at the same time it can reducing the labour complexity and costs. From the case study (Fritz Moedinger), the environmental impa ct of the production process is mostly due to the consumption of energy for the firing of the bricks and quarrying of raw materials. The average direct energy consumption of the production process is to be found ranging between 1.840 and 2.800 kJ/kg of fired brick (of which about 150 kJ/kg are electrical). f)  Comparison of Convention Material and Green Material in Term of Cost From the case study (Fritz Modinger), all of the energy used is traditionally generated with fossil fuels. At the Gasser brickyard fossil fuels have been substituted successfully with renewable fuels such as biogas and liquefied rendering fat. The biogas is generated in an own plant based upon a process patented internationally by the brickyard itself. Rendering fat is supplied from rendering plants. Renewable fuels have the main advantage over fossil fuels that the resulting flue gases feature a lower content of contaminants such allowing to heat up the brick dryer directly by recycling the flue gases instead of having to have a separate source of heat to run the dryer. The achieved total heat requirement reduction alone by this measure is about 30% of the former total heat requirement. So from this case study, cost can reduce because renewable energy are used during the development of Energy Bricks. We know that convention material usually has more cheaper than modern material, but the reality is Energy Bricks also has their own benefits when we choose it. There can save cost which is no rebate are required as part of the concrete slab and only an outer square edge is required. Energy bricks also is single wall system which replaces the external skin of brickwork or any other type of lining, replaces the need for a structural stud wall as the Energy Brick itself is load bearing, replaces any need for insulation as it is already at a massive R8, replaces any need for sislation, and replaces the need to add other materials to the external wall. It can increase the wall’s energy rating. The Energy Bricks can be laid from inside where it is a flat platform. This also avoids the use of expensive scaffolds to perform the work from the outside and lessens the possi bilities of OSHA issues. It also reduces ongoing utility costs, which equates to continued savings year after year. g)  Impact to use Green Energy Bricks Green building is one of the most important trends in the construction industry today. When build a house it cannot avoid impacting the environment, but it can work towards reducing that environmental impact. Impact to use Green Energy Bricks is to help accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings. Informed choices will help reduce energy bills, while providing a healthier living environment, it also reduce the need to burn fossil fuels and help fight climate change. Besides that, the Green Energy Bricks has taken the initiative through our super energy efficient bricks to assist builders and consumers with a unique environmentally friendly building technique and to lessen the impact on our environment. The foam can be sourced from petroleum oils, coal oils and a series of vegetable based oils like soy, corn, palm oil etc. In all cases the carbon in the materials is sequestered in the bricks for at least the life of the building, as recycling is a realistic probability. Energy Bricks pass all the tests for superior energy efficiency with a massive R8+ energy rating. This makes a dramatic difference in assisting to lessen the impact on the environment. This makes Green Buildings cost less to operate because they will use less energy and water, and require less maintenance Green Building using Green Energy Bricks for the building envelope is the only choice for the future.    APPENDIX Figure 1 : Energy Bricks. Figure 2 : Clay Bricks. Figure 3 : Energy Brick Detail (Side Elevation). Figure 4 : Energy Brick Detail (Front Elevation). REFERENCES Chan, C.-M. (September 2010). Journal of Sustainable Development. Development of a Strength Prediction Model for â€Å"Green† Compressed. Garzoli, K. (2009, June 10). Green Energy Bricks. Retrieved from http://www.greenenergybricks.com/. Moedinger, F. (2003). CASE STUDY. SUSTAINABLE CLAY BRICK PRODUCTION. Mohd Syahrul Hisyam Mohd Sani, F. M. (2012). IEEE Symposium on Humanities, Science and Engineering Research. Comparison Study of Common Brick with. Sandasamy D, G. S. (2011). Green Technology and Environmental Conservation.

The Impact of Charlemagne Upon Europe Essays -- Charles the Great Essa

Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, reigned during a time of much turmoil and upheaval in Europe during middle ages. Charlemagne’s background and family history contributed much to his rise to power. The triumphs of his past lineage prepared him to take on the task of governing the Frankish Empire, and defending it from invaders. Charlemagne accomplished much during his supremacy. He not only brought education back into medieval Europe, but also invented an efficient way to govern his people. His conquests against the many adversaries of the Holy Roman Empire expanded his empire across the majority of Europe. His conquests also formed strong ties between the Catholic Church and the State. Charlemagne’s drive to convert Europe’s primitive and pagan tribes to Christianity nearly effaced the Saxons, whom he battled with for the majority of his reign. The crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor created a turning point in history. Within years after his death, however, his once great empire amounted to nothing. Charlemagne’s reign as King of the Franks and as Holy Roman Emperor greatly influenced the course of Europe during the middle ages. The history of Charlemagne’s family and how they came to power had a large effect on how Charlemagne came to power. In the year 481 A.D, a warrior named Clovis claimed the title of King of the Franks (Abrams 185). He died in the year 511, and each of his four sons received a portion of his small Frankish empire (Abrams 185). Clovis’s death would later allow a clear passage to ensuring Charlemagne’s fate as future ruler of the Franks. Clovis’s sons, not wishing to inherit the task of being a Frankish ruler, then appointed ... ...outh Carolina: BJU, 2007. Print Davis, Jennifer R. Charlemagne's Practice of Empire. Claves, St Ives plc., 2015. Print. Dersin, Denise et al. What Life was Like In the Age of Chivalry. Virginia: Time Life Inc., 1997. Print. Jenkins, Phillips. The Lost History of Christianity. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Print. Phillips, Jonathan. Holy Warriors. New York: Random House, 2009. Print. Online Resources "Charlemagne." UXL Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 5 May 2015. CloudBiography. "Charlemagne Biography." YouTube. YouTube, LLC. 30 May 2012. Web. 12 May 2015. "Charlemagne." DISCovering Biography. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 19 May 2015. "Charlemagne." Myths and Legends of the World. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Web. 19 May 2015.

coma :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book starts out with a woman, Nancy Greenly, going to the Boston Memorial Hospital because she is having an extra heavy period. After being examined, she is going to have an operation in OR room 8. Something happens during the operation, and Nancy becomes brain dead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Susan Wheeler, a medical student, is waking up for her first day in the field after two years of studying to become a medical doctor. She is very attractive with blond hair. She has blue, brown, and flecks of green in her eyes. When she and five other medical students go the Boston Memorial Hospital, all that the nurses think of them is that they are nuisances. They find Mark Bellows, who will be watching over them while they were staying at the hospital. Bellows plans to give a lecture every morning, and have one of the students give a lecture every afternoon. After they go to an OR room to see a real operation, they see Nancy Greenly and Susan is shocked at what happened to her. Bellows tells her that the chance of something like that happening is one in one hundred thousand. When Bellows is talking to them, Susan gets paged and is needed to start an I.V. The patient, Sean Berman is having a minor knee surgery. When Sean is in surgery, the same thing that happened to Nancy Greenly happens to him too, and Susan decides to research the topic for her third year report and find out why these two things have happened in such a short time when the chances are so slim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is my least favorite part. The first thing that Susan does is go to the hospital library to research coma. She finds out that no one really knows why anyone goes into a coma, and that the subject is so vast it is unbelievable. She writes down everything she finds out in her notebook. She then finds the main computer of the hospital and fills out a request form for all cases of coma occurring to inpatients which were unrelated to the patients known disease. She didn't sign her name, though, and when someone else put their request in the box she put it under his so that the information would be sent to that person who was Henry Schwartz. When he got his information with Susan's on the bottom, she told him that there was a mix-up and her request was put with his, so he gave her the bottom part of the printout. coma :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book starts out with a woman, Nancy Greenly, going to the Boston Memorial Hospital because she is having an extra heavy period. After being examined, she is going to have an operation in OR room 8. Something happens during the operation, and Nancy becomes brain dead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Susan Wheeler, a medical student, is waking up for her first day in the field after two years of studying to become a medical doctor. She is very attractive with blond hair. She has blue, brown, and flecks of green in her eyes. When she and five other medical students go the Boston Memorial Hospital, all that the nurses think of them is that they are nuisances. They find Mark Bellows, who will be watching over them while they were staying at the hospital. Bellows plans to give a lecture every morning, and have one of the students give a lecture every afternoon. After they go to an OR room to see a real operation, they see Nancy Greenly and Susan is shocked at what happened to her. Bellows tells her that the chance of something like that happening is one in one hundred thousand. When Bellows is talking to them, Susan gets paged and is needed to start an I.V. The patient, Sean Berman is having a minor knee surgery. When Sean is in surgery, the same thing that happened to Nancy Greenly happens to him too, and Susan decides to research the topic for her third year report and find out why these two things have happened in such a short time when the chances are so slim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is my least favorite part. The first thing that Susan does is go to the hospital library to research coma. She finds out that no one really knows why anyone goes into a coma, and that the subject is so vast it is unbelievable. She writes down everything she finds out in her notebook. She then finds the main computer of the hospital and fills out a request form for all cases of coma occurring to inpatients which were unrelated to the patients known disease. She didn't sign her name, though, and when someone else put their request in the box she put it under his so that the information would be sent to that person who was Henry Schwartz. When he got his information with Susan's on the bottom, she told him that there was a mix-up and her request was put with his, so he gave her the bottom part of the printout.

Philippines Annexation Essay

Although controversial to some, the Americans made the right decision to annex the Philippines after successfully freeing them from Spanish tyranny and rule. Without American rule and support, the Philippines would have been an easy target to be taken over by Germany, England or Japan who all would have savaged the land and further suppressed the people. The Filipinos were weak, inexperienced and not ready to establish their own government and self rule themselves. During the time of the annexation, the Americans needed a strategic place in that part of the world to protect their interests, expand their trading partners and show the world they were a power to be reckoned with in spreading democracy. So even though the annexation of the Philippines was views by some as doing the same things as some of the other major countries, the Americans always viewed it as a short term solution to educate the people, help them establish themselves to self rule and to allow them time to prepare to protect themselves from other enemies. At the time the decision to annex the Philippines was made, there were other countries waiting and ready to attack and takeover the control that Spain had lost to the Americans. American rule allowed human rights, freedoms and quality of life that would not have been possible had America walked away and allowed the fledgling country try and rule itself. Germany, England, Japan and even Spain would have jumped at the opportunity to take over control of the Philippines and its many resources. Many important and profitable trade routes utilized the Philippines as a gateway to trade their goods and wares. Although it was profitable for the Americans to control this area and have access to the trade routes and resources, they were helping prepare the Filipinos to one day self rule and govern themselves as a free and independent country. Definitely not an opportunity they would have gained under rule of one of the other dominant and brutal governments. As Albert Beveridge so eloquently stated in â€Å"The March of the Flag† speech, â€Å"We can not retreat from any soil where Providence has unfurled our banner, it is ours to save†¦ for liberty and civilization. Having been brutalized  and controlled for so many years under the tyranny control of Spain and its leaders, the Filipinos were ill prepared and ready to set up their own government and rule for themselves. There would not have been any experienced and supported leader that would have gained the support of most Filipinos. This would have led to fractions fighting, internal battles and weakness within the country. These conditions would have made the Philippines an easy target to be retaken and lose their path to independence they had by being annexed by the Americans. The Americans trained their leaders, helped establish an internal military as well as set up a military base that helped to protect their people from outside attacks and takeovers from other coun tries. Even though others like Abraham Lincoln stated â€Å"that no man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent,† leaving the Philippines to be savaged by others would have been much worse for the Filipinos than the temporary annexation by the Americans. During the time the Americans defeated the Spaniards and gained control over Cuba and the Philippines, the world was in constant battle. Many of the powerful countries were trying to expand, conquer and takeover weaker countries and lands. The Americans who believe in democracy and freedom for people knew that they had to show their strength and protect others in the process. The part of the world where the Philippines lies was one of the most volatile and dangerous in the world. That being said, it also had some of the most profitable trade routes, richest resources and was a vital part of the world to have a stronghold. By following through with the annexation of the Philippines, the Americans were able to gain a stronghold on the other side of the world, enrich themselves by gaining access to the valuable resources that were so plentiful and to take the time to help spread freedom and democracy. William McKinley clearly believed and stated that â€Å" we could not turn them over to France and Germany – our commercial rivals in the Orient – that would be bad business and discreditable.† There were many arguments as to the merits of annexing the Philippines or to walk away and grant them their immediate freedom. The Filipinos had been tormented, had their land savaged and destroyed by Spain for so long, there was truly only one humane and correct decision and that was to annex the Philippines. The Americans although financially gained from the decision, never waivered from their long-term commitment to help to train, educate and prepare the Filipinos to  self-rule and govern. Establishing a stronghold in that part of the world helped the Americans establish themselves as a world power and leader in personal freedoms and spreading of democratic governments. With America and its military located on the Philippines they were able to protect the Filipinos from attacks from others with bad intentions such as Germany, England, Japan and Spain. During the time of American annexation, the Filipinos united together, learned the skills necessary to survive and protect themselves from others and over time gained the long-term independence and freedom they never would have secured if not for the annexation of the Americans.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 9

I was starting to envy the teleportation that higher immortals used. I'd always complained about it in the past (it tended to be a bit disorienting), but suddenly, a spot of dizziness seemed trivial compared to doing the Vancouver-Seattle drive yet again. Annoying or not, I was anxious to talk to Jerome, so as soon as Cedric gave me leave to go home the next day, I hit the road back to the States. Isabelle had seemed convincing enough in denying her role in the Army's shenanigans, and both Carter and Cedric seemed certain she wasn't involved either. I couldn't dismiss any leads here, however, not when my permanent return to Seattle was on the line and certainly not when someone was actually messing with Seattle itself. Isabelle might truly be innocent, but I wasn't going to shut the door on this until I'd run it by Jerome. â€Å"It seems like you're here more than you are there,† noted Hugh when I called to tell him I was back in town. â€Å"Doesn't really seem like you're being punished all that much.† â€Å"Punishment's subjective. Do you know where Jerome's at?† â€Å"Last I knew, he was meeting someone.† â€Å"The Cellar?† â€Å"Mmm, no†¦that new bar in Capitol Hill. Clement's.† â€Å"Is he going to be mad if I show up while he's at a lunch meeting?† â€Å"If he doesn't want to be interrupted, you won't be able to find him.† Fair point. Without going home, I drove straight to Capitol Hill, finding street parking that wasn't actually too far from Cody and Peter's apartment. Clement's was a new place that had gone in recently, a bit sleeker and trendier than the Cellar, which was a divey haunt in Pioneer Square we immortals often frequented. Clement's had the same upscale feel and designer drink menu that Mark's had had, and I had a hard time convincing myself that a drink probably wasn't the best idea while I was here in the midst of demonic business. I spotted Jerome right away. He was at a back table, facing the doorway. His eyes met mine as I approached, my signature declaring my presence, just as his came through to me. Only, his wasn't the only immortal aura there. I recognized the bearer's identity before the woman seated across from him even turned around. Nanette. I came to a stop by their table, speechless more from surprise than fear. Jerome and Nanette together? When had this come about? There was a sly smile on her face, like she was in on some joke the rest of us weren't. She had on another cute sundress, lavender silk that looked great with her blond hair, though the spring weather didn't quite seem warm enough for it yet. Of course, when you were a demon, I supposed the fires of Hell kept you warm. â€Å"Georgie,† said Jerome, not unpleasantly, â€Å"it seems like you're here more than you are in Vancouver.† â€Å"Cedric sent me home. He doesn't seem to want me around if I'm not doing something specific.† Nanette chuckled and paused to take a drink of what looked like a Lemon Drop martini. â€Å"I imagine so, after that spectacle yesterday. Brilliant work, I might add.† I grimaced, deciding to out myself and risk losing Jerome's regard. â€Å"I actually didn't have anything to do with that. They did it without telling me.† Jerome didn't seem to mind. â€Å"That footage is all over YouTube. I've watched it a hundred times.† This whole thing was so confusing. Jerome ostensibly wanted me to help Cedric unravel the cult, yet my boss clearly took great pleasure in seeing the progress stall out. Again I felt like I was missing a piece of the picture here, making me even less secure about my position. â€Å"Look,† I said. â€Å"I don't want to interrupt your drinks. I'd just been hoping to chat with Jerome, but I can find you later.† Nanette downed her martini and stood up. â€Å"No, no. We're finished here. Have my seat.† I was hesitant, but she was insistent, and Jerome didn't appear to be too put out at her departure. She walked out of the bar like a normal human, not bothering with any elaborate teleportation-at least not while others could see her. He gestured toward her chair, and I sat down. â€Å"So, what can I do for you, Georgie?† Jerome was drinking brandy, something more suited to a night by the fire than a Sunday afternoon. â€Å"You were hanging out with Nanette?† I asked, momentarily putting Isabelle on hold. â€Å"As you saw.† â€Å"I told you about her meeting with Cedric.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"And, doesn't it seem weird that she's meeting with each of you behind the other's back?† â€Å"It's not behind anyone's back,† he countered. â€Å"I know she met with Cedric, and she knows I know.† Isabelle was moving farther and farther to the back burner of my mind. Suddenly, it all seemed perfectly obvious. Isabelle had denied being the angel because she didn't want her situation to change. Nanette, however, did want change. She wanted to stop feeling like Cedric and Jerome were eyeing her territory and squeezing her between them. She'd claimed her meeting with Cedric was defensive on her part, yet I couldn't help but wonder if she might be more on the offensive than any of us realized. â€Å"Georgie,† said Jerome dryly. â€Å"I can see those wheels in your head spinning. What are you thinking?† Starting with the meeting at Tim Hortons, I gave Jerome a full report of my experiences with the Army and the theories I'd put together about the Angel of Darkness being a literal angel-Isabelle. â€Å"Ridiculous,† said Jerome. â€Å"It's not her.† â€Å"You sound just as certain as Cedric did.† He shrugged, almost looking embarrassed to have agreed with his rival. â€Å"Because she's not running any cult. I've met her. She's not the type.† â€Å"Well, I'm actually starting to agree.† I took a deep breath and pushed forward. â€Å"I don't suppose it's occurred to either of you that Nanette could be the one behind this?† Jerome's face grew even more incredulous. â€Å"Nanette? Georgie, this is out there, even for you.† â€Å"What, demons eyeing each other's territories? Come on, Jerome. That's not out there at all! It's what you and Cedric were-maybe still are-doing for each other. If something blows up, Nanette's in a far better position to benefit from it than Isabelle would. Nanette's running to both of you, claiming she's worried about the other when really, she's playing you both off each other.† Jerome rolled the brandy in his glass. â€Å"And let me guess: she's blond too, like this alleged golden-haired angel.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, took a last swig of the brandy, and set the glass down hard. â€Å"Not that I have any reason to explain our goings-on to you, but here it is. Nanette doesn't have the balls to try something like that. Oh, sure, some of your points are correct. This wouldn't be unreasonable demon behavior, particularly one feeling threatened. But not her. She might want to do something like this, but she won't. She's a lot of talk but not much on action.† I didn't usually get answers that detailed from Jerome and was a bit taken aback. â€Å"You're certain?† â€Å"I am,† he said firmly. A waiter delivered a new glass of brandy. â€Å"Leave her and Isabelle behind. Find some other reason for what this absurd group's doing. Barring that, disband them like you're supposed to. And barring that , do give me some credit that I can take care of my affairs without a succubus' help.† I left not long after that, leaving Jerome to drink alone. As I pushed the door open, I glanced back and studied him. His face was momentarily unguarded, troubled as he stared into the depths of his glass. He seemed very alone, literally and figuratively, despite his bold words. I felt a strange pang in my chest, a bit of sorrow over what was undoubtedly an eternity of torment made worse when complications like our current ones ensued. But then, maybe these bursts of demonic drama helped break up the monotony. I considered errands after that but decided heading straight home sounded best. My phone rang just I stepped into my apartment. I kicked the door closed with my foot while my free hand dug through the depths of my purse. Doug's number showed on the caller ID. â€Å"Is everything okay?† I asked as soon as I answered. â€Å"You know what's sad here, Kincaid? You aren't asking if I'm okay. You saw my number, assumed there was some crisis at work, and want to know if the store's okay.† â€Å"Your point?† â€Å"The store's fine. I wanted to know if you're in town. Maddie made it sound like you can cross time and space now and be everywhere all the time.† â€Å"I wish I could, but yeah, I'm at home. What's up?† â€Å"You going to Casey's party?† â€Å"Casey's what?† Even as I spoke the words, I remembered Casey pulling me aside in the store and asking if I'd attend her graduation party. â€Å"Ugh. That's today, isn't it?† â€Å"Yup. You want me to pick you up?† â€Å"Doug, I don't think I can go. In fact, I even told her I couldn't.† â€Å"Right. Tell me right now, immediately, what you have to do instead.† â€Å"Well, I, uh-â€Å" â€Å"Too slow. You have nothing going on.† â€Å"I'm just not in a party mood.† â€Å"The beauty of that is that when people aren't in party moods, that's actually when they need a party the most.† â€Å"Doug-â€Å" â€Å"Come on! How can you not acknowledge the achievements of some brainiac math major who's graduating early, for fuck's sake?† â€Å"Latvian.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Math and Latvian. Dual majors.† â€Å"You're making my point for me. It would be sad and wrong if we didn't help her celebrate. She overcame a life of adversity, coming to this country in the hopes of making a better life for herself and her family.† â€Å"Doug, she's, like, fourth generation. Her dad's a neurosurgeon.† â€Å"Come on! Maddie's gotta stay and close, so I have no one to go with. That, and it's kind of creepy how I've been going to social events with my sister lately. I need you to make me look like a man again.† â€Å"Doug-â€Å" â€Å"See you in five minutes, Kincaid.† I knew how Doug could be in these moods. He wasn't kidding about showing up in five minutes, and he was also right that I had nothing else to do. With so little time, I simply shape-shifted into a plain gray skirt and black blouse that seemed appropriate for a graduation party. While rustling around for a blank card that I could stick a check into, I dialed Dante to let him know I was in town and to see if he wanted to come with us. Like usual lately, I went to his voice mail. What was it with me and unreliable men? I'd had trouble getting a hold of Seth when we dated because he was always caught up writing. Now I had trouble getting a hold of Dante because†¦well, because he was unreliable. I left Casey's address with the message and hurried to get ready. I'd wanted to wear Dante's watch but couldn't find it before Doug showed up-honestly, it had been more like four minutes-so I ended up just running out the door without accessories. Casey's family lived over in Clyde Hill, a beautiful lakeside suburb befitting a neurosurgeon's family. The party had been going on for about an hour when we arrived, and we found their expansive backyard filled with music, food, and people. Dusk was falling, and the soft glow of lanterns strung along trees and the fence line gave everything a sort of elfin mystique. We paused at the yard's entry, assessing our surroundings and looking for others we knew. â€Å"This is kind of wholesome for me,† Doug noted. â€Å"There are kids here.† â€Å"Of course there are. This is a graduation party, not one of your after-show keggers.† â€Å"Oh, hey,† he said brightly. â€Å"There's a bartender. Looks like this'll be tolerably wholesome.† Casey found us getting drinks and threw her arms around both of us in a massive double hug. â€Å"Oh! You guys came! Thanks so much.† She was aglow with excitement and energy and could barely stay still. She accepted my card with another hug, told us to let her know if we needed anything, and then dashed off when she saw her great aunt from Idaho arrive. â€Å"Wow. All this kind of makes me wish I'd stayed in college,† Doug mused. A few of our coworkers waved at us from the far side of the yard, and we began winding our way toward them. â€Å"Yup. You could have had all this fun waiting for you after school.† He grimaced. â€Å"The problem is, I was having all this fun during school.† The other bookstore staff were happy to see us, and we all fell into comfortable conversation that varied from the party itself to shop talk from work. Casey's family had spared no expense, and waiters came around with various types of finger food. None of us had eaten dinner, so we practically devoured the trays and probably looked like savages in our corner. I was contemplating a second drink when Beth suddenly said, â€Å"Oh, hey. Seth and Maddie are here.† I stiffened. One of the reasons I'd answered the door when Doug came to pick me up was that he'd said Maddie was closing. Knowing I'd get a reprieve from her and Seth had made this prospect bearable, but apparently, there'd been some sort of incorrect intel afoot. I did an immediate 180, hoping I had misheard Beth. Nope. There they were: Seth and Maddie. Worse, Seth's little niece Kayla was with them. She was the youngest of his brother's girls, four years old with blue eyes and a mop of blond curls. I'd recently discovered that Kayla had the makings of a psychic and was able to sense the unseen world, much as Dante or my friend Erik could. She was a long way from having their skills or having any idea what they meant yet. For now, she was just a happy little girl-albeit a very quiet one-and seeing her with Seth and Maddie jerked painfully at my heartstrings. â€Å"I thought you said she was closing,† I hissed to Doug. He didn't notice the upset tone in my voice and read it as surprise. â€Å"I thought so. Maybe she got Janice to do it. I know she's been giving her more and more responsibility. Makes me wonder about my own job security.† The bookstore gang greeted the newcomers with cheering. Kayla broke from her guides and, to my astonishment, ran over to me. â€Å"Georgina!† I scooped her up, and that dark, angry serpent within me settled down a little. Not only had Kayla sought me out, she'd also spoken-a rarity. I hugged her to me, and with her in my arms, it suddenly seemed as though all had to be right in the world. â€Å"You've got a fan, Kincaid,† laughed Doug. He winked at her. She gave him a shy smile in return and then turned back to me and rested her head on my shoulder. â€Å"She spoke,† said Maddie in wonder. Maddie knew I'd been friends with the Mortensens and thought nothing of me knowing the girls. â€Å"An entire soliloquy,† I laughed. â€Å"We're watching her while the others are at a school play,† explained Seth. â€Å"This party's unreal,† said Maddie, gazing around at all the fanfare. â€Å"Does anyone know why she dual-majored in Latvian?† â€Å"Blow-off major?† suggested Beth. â€Å"Anthropology and Women's Studies are blow-off majors,† said Doug. â€Å"Not Latvian.† â€Å"Hey!† said Maddie, elbowing her brother. She often wrote freelance articles for feminist magazines. â€Å"Hey, don't take it out on me. I'll never forget you taking that class called Evolution of the Dress.† â€Å"It was harder than you think!† The rest of us watched the Sato siblings with amusement, and to my dismay, so did Seth. I guess I'd kind of hoped he'd be shooting furtive, longing glances at me. Instead, he watched Maddie almost†¦fondly. Like he found her smart and funny-which she was, of course. He was watching her the way any guy would watch his girlfriend. â€Å"Hey,† I said to Doug. â€Å"Why don't you stop annoying your sister and go get us a refill?† â€Å"You're a bad role model for the kid,† he warned. But he took my cup anyway and headed for the bar. If anything, it seemed me holding Kayla gave Seth and Maddie a chance to be more affectionate. They held hands. So, I paid more attention to Kayla, snagging novel appetizers as they went by and explaining to her what quiche and brie were. Once Doug returned with my drink, I took it down pretty rapidly, still conscious of the fact that I held a child. When I'd finished my third, I knew enough to hand her off. Maddie took her by the hand and led her to look at a koi pond on the far side of the yard. This left me alone with the others, and whether it was alcohol or succubus charisma or just a desire to show up Maddie, I found myself coming to life. I joked and talked to everyone, making sure each person was included in the conversation. I saw them all light up, caught up in the aura of comfort and good cheer I created. Maybe I had ulterior motives, but despite that, I actually enjoyed myself. It had been awhile since I'd been able to just have a fun, effortless social encounter. When Maddie returned, however, I decided it was time for my fourth drink. I headed across the yard, graceful in spite of the alcohol. While waiting in line, the guy behind me struck up conversation. â€Å"I've seen you somewhere.† I glanced up at him. He was tall, late thirties, and had bronzed hair. I gave him a winning smile. â€Å"That's a very bad pick-up line.† â€Å"No, I'm serious.† He frowned. â€Å"In the paper†¦were you in some sort of date auction?† â€Å"Oh my God. You do recognize me.† Through Hugh's machinations, I'd participated in a charity date auction last December. I'd ended up going for an obscene amount of money and had made the paper. â€Å"If I remember, you did a lot for that charity.† â€Å"What can I say? I love kids.† Our turns came, and we each got new drinks. Stepping off to the side, we continued our conversation. â€Å"I don't suppose,† he said, â€Å"that I'd have to pay that much for a date?† â€Å"You're asking me out?† â€Å"Seeing you in person? Yeah. I kind of understand the price now.† â€Å"Wow, you don't waste time on formalities.† He shrugged. â€Å"I don't have time to. Too busy with work.† Ah. One of those guys. I didn't have Hugh's ability to see souls, but something told me I wouldn't get an enormous energy fix from this guy. Of course, just then, it didn't matter. I was drunk and distressed and a sleazy guy seemed just like what I needed right then, no matter how inappropriate the setting. In fact, the inappropriateness kind of added to it. â€Å"No, not that much. Though to tell you the truth, I'm kind of busy myself. I don't like to waste time on something that's going to fizzle out. I'm sort of a try-before-you-buy girl.† He studied me very carefully, face serious. â€Å"What exactly do you have in mind?† I inclined my head toward the house. â€Å"They must have a bathroom in there.† As expected, he didn't take much coaxing. The house was wide open to anyone who needed to get in there, and we passed wait staff moving in and out as we sought one of the house's many bathrooms. We finally ended up at a small one on the second floor that was adjacent to a guest room. It didn't look like it saw much use, and as soon as we shut the door, we were all over each other. He'd told me along the way that his name was Wes and that he had some sort of corporate position in a bank downtown. I'm not sure why he was trying to impress me, seeing as I'd made this painfully easy for him, but I appreciated the weak effort anyway. My biggest concern was his relationship to the family, but it turned out he was a friend of a friend of a business associate, so I had little worry about this getting back to Casey. My skirt came off almost immediately, followed by a rapid unbuttoning of my blouse that pulled off a button. It skittered across the floor, lost forever. He left the blouse itself on, simply hanging open, and ran his hands over my body, taking in the black lace bra and matching panties. â€Å"Good God,† he breathed. â€Å"You might be worth more than that auction price.† â€Å"I'm not a call girl,† I snapped, irritated for some reason I couldn't entirely understand. â€Å"And make this fast. My friends are going to be waiting for me.† Wes seemed a little surprised that I wasn't fawning all over him, but he didn't argue. His pants and briefs came off next, and he grabbed a hold of my hips, tilting me so that I sat on the edge of the counter, with my body at an angle and my head and shoulders against the mirror. The counter and his height lined up perfectly, and a moment later, he was in me, neither rough nor gentle, just somewhere in the middle. It was a little boring, actually, like he couldn't quite make up his mind and take a stand. But as he gripped my ankles and held my legs up, the pace steadily increased, and I saw sweat break out along his brow. The life energy seeping into me was moderate, just like everything else about this tryst, but compared to Dante, it was fairly significant. That energy made up for the rest of it, and when he came with a primal sort of grunt, that burst of life coursed into me in its entirety. Like fine tendrils of light, it raced through my body, reinvigorating me and making me strong. He staggered back, and I hopped down off the counter to quickly put my clothes back on. â€Å"Wow,† he gasped. â€Å"That was-â€Å" â€Å"Do not say worth the money,† I warned. â€Å"Particularly since you didn't pay.† He shut up, and I smiled. With a quick kiss on the cheek, I moved over to the door. â€Å"Thanks,† I said. â€Å"It was fun.† He fumbled for his underwear. â€Å"You want to go out sometime?† â€Å"Nope.† I left him to get dressed, discreetly closing the door behind me and remembering to take my drink with me. No one was upstairs, so our encounter had gone unnoticed-or so I thought. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I nearly walked right into Seth. â€Å"Oh my God,† he said, giving me a once over. â€Å"You really did it?† â€Å"Did what?† I asked in a saccharine voice. â€Å"You know what. You've got that-that glow. That, and you're missing a button.† I glanced down at the guilty gap in the blouse and shape-shifted it to its former state. â€Å"There. Good as new.† He shook his head, keeping his voice low so we wouldn't be overheard. â€Å"I didn't really believe you'd do it. I saw you walk off with him and thought, ‘No, she wouldn't. Not here.' So I came over and-â€Å" â€Å"You what? Came to stop me?† I couldn't help an incredulous laugh. â€Å"Seth, what I do or don't do is none of your business.† â€Å"What about Dante? You just cheated on him.† â€Å"I cheat on all my boyfriends. Did you forget? It's what I do.† â€Å"You didn't need the energy fix. I could tell.† â€Å"Yeah, but I wanted the energy fix. What are you, jealous?† â€Å"What happened to you?† he demanded, evading my question. â€Å"How did you change so much? You're better than this.† â€Å"I've always been like this. You were just too starstruck to notice.† I turned and left him, heading back out to our friends, making sure I neatened up my appearance in tiny increments as I walked. The alcohol was really kicking in at this point, but I was pretty sure I still managed to walk without looking obviously drunk. When I reached the group, Kayla gestured to be picked up again. I was a little hesitant, but she seemed so insistent that I handed my drink to Doug and lifted her into my arms again. Mercifully, I didn't fall over. She studied me with those big blue eyes, and I wondered what she sensed. Something about her gaze affected me in a way that Seth's chastising hadn't. I felt bad for what I'd done. Dirty. Cheap. â€Å"She sure does like you,† said Maddie. â€Å"And you're great with her too. You should have kids of your own.† I ran a hand over Kayla's fine hair, recalling the dreams Nyx had sent me while she'd stolen my energy. They'd all shown an impossible future, me with a daughter and husband. â€Å"Can't,† I said. â€Å"Doug would be lousy at child support.† â€Å"Oh, be quiet,† he snapped back good-naturedly. I think he'd been drinking as much as me by now. Seth returned just then and touched Maddie's arm, his expression grim. â€Å"We should head off. Terry and the others will be back, and Kayla's probably getting tired.† Maddie's face fell a little. â€Å"Already?† It was the first time in their idyllic relationship that I'd ever seen signs of clouds. â€Å"We need to get her back,† Seth reiterated mildly. â€Å"And I've got a chapter to write.† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Ah. Now the truth comes out.† Interesting. Maddie had to put up with the same stuff I had. â€Å"Stay,† Doug told her. â€Å"I'll give you a ride.† â€Å"Yeah, like I'd trust you behind a wheel right now.† â€Å"Then you drive me and Kincaid home, and Mortensen can go now.† They all finally decided that was a good idea. As Seth and Kayla were about to go, Maddie suddenly did a double-take. â€Å"Oh! Wait. You have to give Georgina her present.† I blinked. â€Å"Present?† Seth's face turned almost- almost -mischievous, though he was still clearly bothered by what had taken place in the house. â€Å"Uh, yeah. I just got a box of advanced copies of the next Cady and O'Neill book and wondered if you wanted one.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, unsure what to say. Maddie laughed. â€Å"You've been the belle of the ball all night, and this is what makes you speechless?† â€Å"Hey, it's not that easy. I mean†¦this is Cady and O'Neill. You know how I feel about them. I've sort of accepted that I wouldn't get to read their next installment until October. If I get it now, my whole universe will be thrown out of whack.† â€Å"So you don't want it?† asked Seth. â€Å"Oh, I want it. Just seems†¦I don't know. It feels like cheating.† â€Å"They're in the car right now,† teased Maddie in a singsong voice. â€Å"Sure you don't want one?† I looked at Seth's smile, and something weird passed between us. I could hardly believe that minutes ago, we'd been fighting in the house. The looks we exchanged, the way I felt†¦it was almost like it used to be. I hastily turned away. â€Å"Yes,† I groaned. â€Å"Of course I do.† Seth said good-bye to the rest of the bookstore gang and tried to find Casey, but she was surrounded by a throng of relatives. Giving up, he led me out of the yard to where he'd parked a block or so away. Kayla was still in my arms. None of us spoke, and it was just as well because my feelings were all tangled up. Every post-breakup interaction between us had been angry or painfully tense lately. Yet, in these last few moments, things had become almost comfortable again. Was it possible we'd ever move past this phase? Could the pain I'd gone through with him really ease up so quickly? He unlocked the car and got the book for me. I hoped I didn't gape like a schoolgirl when I saw it. All Fools Night . The cover showed the skyline of Washington, DC, blurred like a Renoir painting and overlaid with dark indigo. All sorts of warnings about it being an advanced copy and not for sale were on it, but I paid those no heed. I didn't want to sell it. I wanted to read it. Now. When I dragged my eyes up from the cover, Seth regarded me with happy amusement. â€Å"I can't believe you're really that excited.† â€Å"Why wouldn't I be? And why are you surprised? Lots of people love your books.† He shook his head. â€Å"Yeah†¦but it's still surreal to think that I can write something-create something-that affects people so strongly that they get an emotional involvement with what I've pulled from my head. And to realize that someone I know personally†¦knowing it affects you like that†¦well, like I said, surreal.† The sweet, earnest look in his eyes was making butterflies dance in my stomach, so I hastily looked back at the cover. I almost wished we'd start fighting again. â€Å"Seth†¦why†¦why are you doing this?† â€Å"Giving you the book?† He was puzzled. â€Å"No, I mean†¦being nice. And worrying about me back there.† â€Å"You don't think I'm normally nice?† I looked back up and sighed. â€Å"You know what I mean. We've been avoiding each other since New Year's, and when we have been together, it's been disastrous. Yet, here you are bringing me this†¦I just don't understand it. Was it Maddie's idea?† He stared at me for a long time, or at least it felt like it. A chill ran down my spine, and for a second, I felt disoriented, like I was in this time and another, reliving the same moment over again. â€Å"No. I did it because hate shouldn't last forever,† he said finally, voice soft. â€Å"Because eventually, you have to forgive. You can't just stop caring or†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish the phrase. â€Å"I think we'll always have a connection, no matter where we go or what we do. And if so, I'd like us to be friends.† For the second time that night, I was speechless. There were a hundred things that would have made good responses. Telling him I agreed. Telling him I forgave him. Telling him I wanted us to be friends too. Yet, I couldn't muster those words, and I never had a chance to ponder exactly why because Kayla suddenly jerked in my arms, coming awake with wide-eyed alacrity. â€Å"Hey,† a voice called to us. We turned. Dante was about half a block away and walking toward us. With each step, Kayla recoiled further and further from his approach. Dante's lifetime of power-seeking and wicked deeds had left a taint on him, one that Kayla could sense the way she could sense my aura. I didn't entirely know what it felt like for her, but it couldn't be good. â€Å"Here,† I said to Seth. â€Å"Trade me.† Kayla went to him eagerly, and he handed over the book just as Dante reached us. He put an arm around me and kissed my cheek. â€Å"Got your message and thought I'd come by. Hey,† he said, by way of greeting to Seth. Seth nodded back, and whatever fragile companionship he and I had been rebuilding disappeared. Eager to distract, I employed the conversational gift I allegedly had. â€Å"Seth was leaving and just had to get this book for me.† I held it up as explanation. â€Å"How was work?† Dante kept his arm around me in a way that was almost proprietary. He'd always regarded my past with Seth nonchalantly, but I think me being so deeply involved with someone bothered him sometimes. His eyes lighted on Kayla for a moment. She was trying so hard to keep away from him that she was practically crawling off Seth. Mortal magic and abilities varied considerably, but I imagined Dante must be able to sense her too. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips, and then he turned his attention back to me. â€Å"Slow, as usual. I did get a couple of high teens wanting Tarot.† â€Å"Oh, lord. Your favorite kind of teens.† â€Å"Yup. Never questioned the price. I don't even know if they comprehended the fortune, to be honest.† â€Å"You didn't tell them about tree frogs, did you?† â€Å"Tree frogs?† asked Seth. â€Å"Yeah, Dante had these kids on acid come in once, and as part of their reading, he told them to beware of tree frogs.† Grinning, Dante shook his head at the memory. â€Å"Shit, that freaked them out. You should have seen them when they left the store. They were practically crouching on the ground, looking up everywhere, peering at every window and telephone wire. That would have almost been compensation enough.† The image always made me laugh. â€Å"But not this time?† â€Å"Nah, this group was just sluggish and out of it. On the bright side, they paid me ten dollars for a bag of Doritos I had sitting around. Gotta love kids spending their allowance.† Dante and I were both amused by his clients' antics, but glancing over, I saw that Seth was not. Something cold clenched inside me, and I could suddenly see us through his eyes. He didn't really find taking advantage of teens under the influence of drugs funny, whether it was monetarily or psychologically. When I'd first met Dante, I'd actually been appalled by the charlatan side of his business. When had I come to accept it? When had I come to enjoy it? I felt ashamed all of a sudden and hated what Seth must think of me. Then, I became angry for feeling that way, for letting myself feel judged. He had no power over me anymore. It didn't matter what he thought. The last of the coziness between us shattered, and I felt my icy exterior slip into place. I moved closer to Dante, and Seth's body language told me he'd seen the transformation I'd just undergone. â€Å"Well, you guys probably need to go,† I said abruptly. â€Å"Yeah,† Seth said uncomfortably. â€Å"I guess we'll see you later.† â€Å"Thanks for the book.† He merely nodded and then turned to put Kayla into her car seat. Her eyes met mine and I waved a good-bye, but the look of horror on her face never faltered. I knew it was for Dante, not me, but it hurt nonetheless. Dante wanted to head home and had mostly come to give me a ride. By that point, I felt weary and emotionally disoriented. Home sounded good. We went back inside to drop off my glass and tell Doug I was leaving. Doug looked about as thrilled to see Dante as Seth had, but he said nothing that wasn't in his usual jovial style. On the drive home, I stared vacantly out the window and ran my hands over the book's cover. â€Å"You were kind of chummy back there,† noted Dante. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"With Mortensen. I felt like I was interrupting something.† â€Å"Oh. No. I just got kind of giddy over the book. You know how much I like them.† We came to a red light, and he glanced down at the cover. â€Å"Advanced copy? We could make a lot of money on eBay.† â€Å"Dante!† â€Å"Just a joke, succubus. Well, kind of. If you ever wanted to work your wiles on him and get more books, you could start a little side business.† â€Å"I don't need any extra cash. And my wiles are no good. Things are done. He and Maddie are happy.† â€Å"That doesn't mean anything. You don't think he still wants you? You don't think he'd sleep with you if he could?† â€Å"Why do you assume the worst about everyone?† â€Å"Because it's always true. I'm trying to break you of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.† He paused while we merged onto the freeway and headed back toward the city. â€Å"And he can want you all he wants. I don't care, as long as you don't want him back.† â€Å"There you go again, acting jealous.† I tried to keep my voice teasing in order to deflect how close he'd hit to home. â€Å"I thought you didn't care who else I slept with.† â€Å"I don't. Just so long as you don't like them better than me.† I laughed and left that as my response, indicating how foolish a notion I thought it was. And yet, as we rode back in silence, I found myself hugging the book closer and closer.