Guillermo Furniture Store Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Guillermo Furniture Store Scenario - Essay Example This contextual analysis concerns the vital difficulties looked by a moderately little however effective neighborhood furniture producer notwithstanding an enormous outside contender with prevalent innovation and lower costs. The notable realities are as per the following. a. Another contender entered from abroad, with cutting edge techniques and low costs. The plant in Norway was profoundly computerized, utilized almost no work (utilized apply autonomy). Creation could move between items rapidly, and runs on a 24-hour premise (move differentials could be more than counterbalance by decrease in labor). 1. Guillermo may tie up with a Norwegian contender which would not like to work retail outlets locally however wanted to depend on chain wholesalers. Guillermo, while holding the top of the line custom work, plans to speak to the Norwegian organization, changing over his company’s essential concentration from assembling to conveyance. 2. Guillermo had a protected procedure for making a covering for his furniture which was fire resistant and, with further handling, stain safe. There was advertise for the fire resistant yet not the got done with covering. Spending plans speak to transient money related figure, especially of expected incomes, in view of the field-tested strategies drawn by the organization, to check whether estimated money surges and their planning could be adequately secured with money inflows (incomes and liabilities), and if not, to dispense for future financing at the time they would be required. Past execution reports to see the historical backdrop of expenses and deals, and to attract bits of knowledge with respect to the conduct of expenses and incomes given the natural markers. Proportions, patterns and affectability examinations of expenses and incomes contrasted with one another and to monetary markers is significant in deciding how the organization will be influenced by an imminent choice. Proportion examination of authentic and cross-sectional records are useful

Marketing 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Advertising 1 - Essay Example This program is intuitive in nature, and the organization can gather any data that can assist it with improving on their administrations for reasons for fulfilling the different needs of its clients. Clients of the association can likewise utilize the company’s site to book for carrier tickets, check for any data concerning their flights, and furthermore connect with the key accomplices of Virgin Atlantic, for example, the Alamo vehicle employ firm. The carrier organization has additionally presented the mechanical portable App that makes it feasible for the clients of the association to track and keep an eye on any data that relate to their voyaging (Crane, 2010). Through these showcasing systems, the carrier organization has made heading out to be fun, straightforward, and helpful. They have additionally assisted with making a connection between the organization, and its clients. This is one of the methods of reasoning contained in new-period direction, and promoting idea. Denote that the worth that the aircraft organization has made for its clients is the capacity of its clients to go in comfort, while likewise having a fabulous time. The carrier organization has figured out how to make this worth, using successful correspondence, between the organization, and its objective clients. The channels of correspondence happen through the company’s site, which is intuitive in nature. One of the moral issues confronting the organization is the protection of nature, through decrease of green house gases. Understand that the carrier organization adds, as it were, on the emanation of carbon green house gases. This thusly adds, as it were, on the idea of an unnatural weather change, and climatic change. The administration of Virgin Atlantic understands this issue, and they have contributed vigorously on inquire about, for motivations behind discovering elective fills, that can assist the organization with reducing the discharge of these gases. A social issue that the organization faces is its

Why Constructive Anger Is Healing, Not Upsetting

Why Constructive Anger Is Healing, Not Upsetting PTSD Coping Print The Value of Constructive Anger Turn a negative emotion into a healing opportunity By Matthew Tull, PhD twitter Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn about our editorial policy Matthew Tull, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on June 25, 2019 Justin Lewis / Getty Images More in PTSD Coping Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Related Conditions PTSD and the Military The phrase constructive anger may sound like an oxymoron, but in fact, learning to use negative feelings in positive ways can go a long way toward helping with healing, forward movement, and recovery. For instance, for someone whos dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a cluster of often-debilitating symptoms that result from a terrifying situation or experience, destructive anger  is a common emotion, one that can cause them to act aggressively toward other people or engage in substance abuse or self-harm. In fact, anger is a valid emotion, one that doesnt always have to be negative and harmful. It can have bad or good outcomes, depending on how you handle it. Heres why learning to use anger constructively can be a useful life skill and how to do so.   The Importance of Constructive Anger Anger is often the emotion that will push you to let other people know what you need in a given situation. And generally speaking, its good to speak up for yourself. But think about it: How likely is it that yelling, criticizing, and fighting with others will actually get you what you want?   When you channel anger into these kinds of actions, another person will hear only that youre mad, not the message youre trying to communicate. Their natural response is to get mad, too, and so no ones message is likely to get across. Worse, the same argument may happen again and again, with the same frustrating result. When you use your anger in constructive ways, however, there are a multitude of potential benefits. Expressing constructive anger: Shows respect for yourself and the person youre in conflict withAllows you to be heard as you want to be heardâ€"as someone who is considerate, fair-minded, and interested in another point of view, rather than a person whos upset, critical, and unwilling to hear the thoughts or opinions of others, no matter how valid they may be Over time, as you hone the skill of transforming anger from a potentially destructive force to a constructive asset, you can expect to gain a new understanding of your own and others feelings. As a result, you may find your relationships improving and lasting longer. Time Is on Your Side A destructive expression of anger is almost always one that erupts spontaneously. You lash out in the moment, either at another person or at yourself. Lets say youve been given the impression that a colleague at work has been criticizing you unfairly. Before you shoot off a harshly worded email or storm into your co-workers office, take five. Think before you act:  Remind yourself that by expressing your anger in a confrontational way youre using it destructively and its unlikely youll get what youre hoping toâ€"such as an explanation (there may be a reasonable one) or an apology (that you may well deserve). Or suppose a friend cancels an important lunch date with you at the very last minute, and not for an especially good reason. Your first reaction is anger: You had blocked out the time, you were ready to go, and you were looking forward to catching up and enjoying a meal. Rather than give your friend a hard time when he scraps your plans, give yourself time to think about how best to react. This will allow you to express your anger and disappointment in ways that might help to heal your hurt feelings and mend any riffs your friends behavior has caused in your relationship. One option, for example, would be to make new plans with your friend to meet another time soon. At that meeting, you can calmly and without criticism explain that the last-minute cancellation was upsetting to you and why. Your friend should be able to hear you clearly, without feeling shamed or judged. In this way you will have expressed your anger but not in a way that might cause more problems and, thanks to your careful use of constructive anger, the two of you will be able to resume your relationship with a greater understanding of each other.   The 7 Best Online Anger Management Classes

Hugh O Flaherty A Positive Force During World War II

Unbeknownst to most of the people in Rome at that time, Hugh O’Flaherty was one of the biggest advocates of the people being persecuted by the German Nazis. Hugh O’Flaherty saved thousands of lives during World War II by hiding many of the runaway Jews. He used the powers of his position at the Vatican to aid himself in his mission of helping the victims of the Holocaust even though the church was neutral. It is unclear the exact number of people he helped, but it is estimated to be anywhere from 3,000 to 8,000(Fleming 5). Hugh O’Flaherty was a positive force during the sad times surrounding World War II by saving thousands of lives and helping prisoners of war. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty Source: UnknownHugh O’Flaherty was born in Kiskeam,†¦show more content†¦The Headmaster called the police and they got there before any harm had been done. â€Å"Day after day from November to December in 1921, men, women, and children were butchered by the Black and Tans† (Gallagher 20). Many British officers resigned during the war because they were ashamed at what the Black and Tans were doing. Later that year in 1921, the Irish War for Independence would come to an end, and Hugh could focus more on his studies. The same year the war ended Hugh got his bachelor degree in theology in only one year. In the year 1925 at the age of 27, Hugh O’Flaherty was ordained. In 1926, Hugh was appointed vice rector of Mungret College. Over the next two years, Hugh would go on to earn triple doctorates in Philosophy, Ministry, and Church Law. In 1934, Hugh was given the title Monsignor. Hugh was eager and ready to start his new duties as a member of the Vatican. With his new position in the Vatican staff, Hugh accompanied a church diplomat to Egypt as his assistant. When the diplomat suddenly died, Hugh was forced to take over most of his duties. These new functions would be serving as a missionary in several countries including Egypt, Haiti, San Domingo, and Czechoslovakia. After serving in these countries for four years, he was recalled to Rome and appointed to Holy Office. â€Å"Hugh loved helping the people in these countries, but he was happy to be home† (Gallagher 23). Soon everything would change for Hugh O’Flaherty asShow MoreRelatedMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 PagesCONTENTS A Note on the Translation by Bertrand Augst, ix Preface, xi A Note on Terminology, xiii I Phenomenological Approaches to Film Chapter I. On the Impression of Reality in the Cinema, 3 Chapter 2. Notes Toward a Phenomenology of the Narrative, 16 II Problems of Film Semiotics Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. The Cinema: Language or Language System? 31 Some Points in the Semiotics of the Cinema, 92 Problems of Denotation in the Fiction Film, 108 III Syntagmatic Analysis of the Image Track ChapterRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 PagesEDITION - PROJECT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES, SECOND EDITION HAROLD KERZNER, Ph.D. Division of Business Administration Baldwin-Wallace College Berea, Ohio John Wiley Sons, Inc. This book is printed on acid-free paper. @ Copyright O 2006 by John Wiley Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form

The 19th Centuary Essay - 800 Words

In the first half of the 19th century the processes known as Industrialization and Urbanization started to transform Europe. It affected and changed every aspect of life of every citizen of every European nation. The notorious results of these changes were the horrible living and working conditions of the working class, who made up the majority of the society. Great Britain was involved most profoundly in this Industrial Revolution as it led the way in the development of railroads and factories. We find a lot of documents from that time period describing working conditions in Britain during that era. As a response to those changes created by Industrial Revolution many sought reforms to confront those social problems. Karl Marx was†¦show more content†¦They complain how this new instruments of production will replace workers and leave eight thousand hands deprived of the opportunity of getting a livelihood . According to Marx: The bourgeoisie cannot exist without const antly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. As we can see revolutionazing the production was distinguishing trait of the bourgeois and of the Industrial Revolution, that had a devastating effect on the working class as they were replaced and pushed into powerty by the machines and new methods of production. The workers are asking for the self interest to be laid aside and appealing to the sensible part of mankind, who are not biased by interest to pay attention to their petition. But as we read in Communist Manifesto: The bourgeoisie left no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous cash payment. It has drowned out the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. In one word, for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substitu ted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation. Just like in Leeds Woolen Workers Petition we saw that Merchants were not really concerned about the workers when they threw thousands out of employ, but were ratherShow MoreRelatedThe Contributions Of 19th-Centuary Digital Filter Designers1036 Words   |  5 PagesThe little-known efforts of some 19th-centuary digital filter designers are reviewed. Their object was to separate a precise curve from added random noise and as such their work is relevant to certain current applications such as inertial navigation. Several classical design method are described, and exemples are given. The work of G.F.Hardy is of particular significance, as it introduces a method which can be extended to the point that, with the aid of a computer, it is capable of designing ModernRead MoreThe Chimney Sweeper : A Little Black Thing Among The Snow1659 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the 18 and 19th century there was new movement among many poets, litrerics and composters. This new movement was named Romanticism (or romantic) was an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement. Literature began to move in channels that were not entirely new but were in strong contrast to the standard literary practice of the eighteenth century. Poets became particular famous for their poems which would often criticize the society of the times, and often give a voice to the marginalisedRead MoreShould Women Be Treated Equal?1247 Words   |  5 PagesI am indepted to the sacrifice and dedication of the suffragette movement, whose tireless work ensured that future generations of women could vote and have better lives and opportunities. The suffragette movement happened in the late 19th and early 20th centuary. Suffragettes were members of women s organization (right to vote) movements, particulary millitants in Great Britain such as members of the Women s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Thanks to those women who endangered their lives,Read MoreFIR Filter Essay1081 Words   |  5 Pages1.2 Literature Overview The little-known efforts of some 19th-centuary digital filter designers are reviewed. Their object was to separate a precise curve from adding random noise and as such their work is relevant to certain current applications such as inertial navigation. Several classical design methods are described, and examples are given. The work of G.F.Hardy [4] is of particular significance, as it introduces a method which can be extended to the point that, with the aid of a computer,Read MoreBreakthroughs in the Evolution of Art Essay1266 Words   |  6 Pagesrealities, and were truly revolutions in the arts. Works Cited http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_artists#Seventeenth_century http://www.ethnicpaintings.com/painting-trivia/19th-centuary-painting.html http://www.artelino.com/articles/modern_art_periods.asp http://www.google.com/images?hl=enq=renaissance+artum=1ie=UTF-8source=univei=Ga7hS-K8HcP88Abwo_DEDAsa=Xoi=image_result_groupct=titleresnum=1ved=0CBgQsAQwAA

The Forbidden Game The Kill Chapter 14 Free Essays

string(40) " trying to play this Game by the rules\." Jenny spun. Julian was standing beside a ticket booth with a brass telescope on top. He was surrounded by ferns and fake palms. We will write a custom essay sample on The Forbidden Game: The Kill Chapter 14 or any similar topic only for you Order Now And he looked-tired? He was wearing the duster jacket again, and he had his hands in his pockets. His hair was as white as a winter moon. It was up to her to face him, Jenny knew. She was the only one who could do this. She stepped forward. She tried to look him directly in the eyes, but it was hard. His gaze seemed curiously veiled-as if he wasn’t exactly looking at her, but through her. â€Å"We’ve won,† she said with more confidence than she felt. â€Å"Finally. It’s the last Game, and this time there’s no way you can bend the rules. You have to let us go.† What was the look in those eyes? They were midnight-colored and full of shadows-but there was something else, something Jenny only recognized when she felt a presence beside her. Tom was there, looking devilishly handsome and full of cold, protective fury. He wasn’t going to let her face Julian alone. His hand rested on her shoulder, lightly, not possessively. As if to say he was there to back her up, whatever happened. â€Å"I ought to try to kill you,† he said to Julian. â€Å"I can’t, but I sure ought to try. I will, if you pull anything this time.† Julian ignored him completely. Wistfulness, Jenny thought. That was it. Julian wasn’t exactly looking at Tom, but for a moment he’d glanced at Tom’s hand on her shoulder-and there was wistfulness in his eyes. The Shadow Man seeing the one thing he could never have, she thought. Human love. â€Å"Are you going to pull anything?† Tom asked tightly. It was a good question. Jenny was braced for some kind of a trick, too-ready to fight Julian, to argue him out of it. Every other time they’d won a Game, Julian had unveiled some weird twist at the last minute, had found some way to crush them and laugh at them. Jenny had fully expected him to try it again this time-so why hadn’t he? Why hadn’t he appeared before they got Tom and Zach untied? Why wasn’t he dressed as a pirate, fending them off with a cutlass, smiling and pointing out that they had to get to Tom and Zach to rescue them? Why wasn’t he playing the Game? Probably because he has something worse up his sleeve, she told herself. That painted volcano will erupt. Real lightning will strike. Or maybe–or maybe he was just tired of playing. â€Å"We have won, haven’t we?† she said, suddenly uncertain. She would have thought she would enjoy announcing her victory more than this. â€Å"You’ve won,† Julian said, and there was no emotion in his voice. He still wasn’t really looking at her. And he did seem tired-his whole body looked tired. He looked-defeated. â€Å"So-I can leave.† â€Å"Yes.† Jenny was still looking for the catch. â€Å"And take everyone with me.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Even Tom. I can take Tom with me.† â€Å"Let’s go,† Tom said abruptly, his fingers closing around her upper arm. Jenny almost-not quite-shook him off. This wasn’t like Julian at all. â€Å"I can go and I can take Tom,† she persisted. â€Å"And everyone. It’s the last Game, and it’s over now.† For the first time Julian looked at her. His eyes were fully dilated, with the look Jenny had seen in the cave. An inward look, as if nothing mattered. It was too brittle to be bitter. A look like blue ice about to break up and fall into dark water. A-shattering. â€Å"It’s the last Game,† he said. â€Å"It’s over now. I won’t bother you again.† The corner of his mouth jerked as if he were about to say something more-or maybe it was involuntary. Then, without speaking, he whirled around. â€Å"Get out. Get her out.† Without looking at Tom, he spoke in a distorted voice, thick with restraint. â€Å"Get her out of here! Before I do-something-â€Å" â€Å"Julian-† Jenny said. â€Å"-we’ll all be sorry for-â€Å" He gave a shudder of suppressed emotion. Tom grabbed Jenny’s other arm and wheeled her in the opposite direction. There was a rough wooden door standing on the far side of the building. It was set between two enormous stones, like a gate. But there was no fence or wall, just the door standing in space and looking tremendously solid, as if it had always been there. It was partly open, and inside Jenny could see her grandfather’s hallway, including the small telephone table with the white doily on it. The phone was lying on the floor where it had fallen, receiver off the hook. â€Å"Home,† Audrey said, in a voice of such startled longing that Jenny almost yielded to Tom’s steering hands. But then she twisted away. Insanely, inexplicably, she wanted to stay and talk to Julian. Julian didn’t want to talk to her. â€Å"Leave. Just go-now!† Even without seeing his face, she could tell that his control was breaking. She tried to turn him around. â€Å"Jenny, are you crazy?† Dee said. Dee and Tom were both pulling at Jenny now, trying to get her away from Julian. â€Å"Just give me one minute!† â€Å"Will you get her out of here!† Julian snarled. Everyone was shouting. Summer was crying. And Jenny was having to fight off the two people she loved best-Tom and Dee-for a reason she couldn’t even explain clearly to herself. She knew the risk; she understood why Summer was crying. She could feel the storm building in Julian. The air was hot and electric, as if heat lightning were about to explode. He could do anything to them. But she couldn’t let it go. â€Å"Julian, please listen-â€Å" He turned, then, whirling so fast that Jenny stepped back. She was frightened by what she saw in his face. â€Å"You cannot save me from myself,† he hissed, saying each word distinctly, biting it off. Then he looked Tom straight in the face. â€Å"Get her out of here. I am trying to play this Game by the rules. You read "The Forbidden Game: The Kill Chapter 14" in category "Essay examples" But if you don’t have her out in thirty seconds, all bets are off.† â€Å"I’m sorry, Thorny,† Tom said and picked her up. â€Å"No!† Jenny was furious at the indignity, at being made to go where she didn’t want to go, like a child. And she was furious because she had just discovered the reason that she wanted to stay. Julian had said it for her. She wanted to save him. It was like the sign on Aba’s mirror. Do no harm. Help when you can. Return good for evil. That was what she wanted, to help if she could. To return good for evil where it had the chance of making a difference. But Tom wasn’t the only one she’d have to fight. Dee was marching along beside him, eyes fixed grimly on Jenny. And Michael and Audrey, Zach and Summer were surrounding them, forming a tight little knot to escort Jenny home. â€Å"We’re gonna drag you through that door by your hair, if we have to, Sunshine,† Dee said, just in case this wasn’t sufficiently clear. â€Å"There are times when you can be too good, and this is one of them,† Audrey added. They all started for the door-but they never got there. The mist was different from the fog that had risen around Jenny on the bridge. It was thick, interspersed with dark tendrils, and it moved fast. Ice and shadows. A whirling, seething mixture of white and black. Jenny remembered it very well-she’d seen it twice before. Once when she was five years old, in a memory so terrible that she had repressed it completely, giving herself amnesia. And once a month ago, when she’d relived the memory in Julian’s paper house. Tom was turning, enraged, to shout at Julian. Jenny slid from his arms. She could see by Julian’s face that he had nothing to do with this. Looking around was like being plunged into a nightmare-a recurring nightmare. Frost was forming on every surface. It was creeping up the wooden poles with rusty lanterns that stood throughout the golf course. It was coating the barrels labeled xxx and the boxes labeled black powder. Icicles were growing on the tarred ropes linking the wharf pillars. Freezing wind blew Jenny’s hair straight back from her face, then whipped it stingingly across her cheeks. â€Å"What’s happening?† Audrey screamed. â€Å"What’s happening?† Summer was just screaming. It was so cold-as cold as the water that had drowned her in the mine shaft. So cold that it hurt. It hurt to breathe and it hurt to stand still. Tom was shouting in her ear, trying to lift her and stagger toward the door. He’d made it through the fire†¦ . But not now. The ice storm was blinding. The white light was painfully brilliant, and the dark tendrils lashed through it like whips, like supple reaching arms. They were holding Tom still. They were trapping everyone. Slowly the wind died down. The blinding brightness faded. Jenny could see again, and she saw that the dark mist was gathering itself, coalescing. Forming figures. Figures with malevolent, ancient eyes. The other Shadow Men had come. â€Å"Oh, God,† Audrey whispered. She drew in closer to Jenny. There were ice crystals in her spiky copper bangs. â€Å"Oh, God-I didn’t know†¦ .† Jenny hadn’t known, either. She didn’t understand. She recognized the cruel and ravenous eyes-she couldn’t be wrong about them. But the forms that went with the eyes †¦ Michael wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, placing himself in front of Audrey. Summer was making small clotted sounds of fear. Zach’s eyes glazed, then he shook his head and pulled Summer nearer to the group. Those-things-can’t be Shadow Men, Jenny thought. The Shadow Men are beautiful. Heartbreakingly beautiful. These creatures were terrible. They were hideously twisted and deformed. It would have been easier if they hadn’t looked at all like humans, but they did. They were like dreadful, obscene parodies of human people. Some of them had skin like leather-real leather, like something that had been smoked and cured. Yellowish-brown, so hard that their faces could never change expression. Others had skin like toadstool flesh-corpse-white and frilled, with dangling wattles. It wasn’t just the skin. Their bodies were distorted and maimed, and their faces were terrible. One had no nose, just an empty black hole. Another had no facial orifices of any kind. Nothing-only blank, stretched skin where eyes and nose and mouth should be. Another had a horn growing out of the back of its head. And the smell-they smelled like decay, and like brimstone. Jenny’s nostrils stung, and she felt bile rise in her throat. Beside her, Tom was breathing hard. She looked at him, saw the open horror in his green-flecked eyes. Dee’s nostrils were flared, and she was holding herself ready for an attack. It came suddenly-one of the creatures scuttling across the tiled floor, to stop right in front of Jenny. Jenny gasped-and recognized it. It was the gray and withered fetus they’d seen in the park, the one that had scampered into the Whip. Now that she saw it more closely, it didn’t look young like a fetus at all. It looked old, impossibly old, so old that it had shrunk and caved in on itself. â€Å"Oh, God †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Audrey whispered again. Summer was keening. Dee had fallen into the Cat stance, perfectly balanced, ready to initiate any action. â€Å"Should I do it?† she said through clenched teeth. Jenny opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the withered fetus spoke. â€Å"Can we take you? We can carry you,† it said, looking at Jenny with eyes that glowed like a tiger’s. Then it giggled, wildly and obscenely, and scuttled away. I never asked Julian what the little creatures were, Jenny remembered. She had been certain they weren’t Shadow Men because they were so hideous. Now she looked toward him, hoping that he would have some explanation, that he would tell her what she was thinking was wrong. He had stepped forward. There was a dusting of ice on his black jacket, and his hair glimmered as if it were made from frost. His beautifully sculpted face and mouth had never looked more perfect. â€Å"What are they?† Jenny whispered. â€Å"My ancestors,† he said, introducing them to her, and destroying her last hope. â€Å"Those-things?† She still couldn’t connect them to Julian. Without any emotion that she could discern he said, â€Å"That’s what we become. That’s what I’ll become. It’s inevitable.† Jenny shook her head. â€Å"How?† Zach said sharply. He was probably the least repulsed, Jenny thought vaguely-that photographer’s mind of his. He found grotesque things interesting. But Jenny didn’t. Not things like this, oh, never things like this. â€Å"Is that-what they really look like? Or is it to scare us?† she heard her own voice saying. Julian’s strangely veiled gaze met hers. â€Å"Those are their true forms.† He looked them over expressionlessly. â€Å"We’re born in perfection,† he said, without either modesty or arrogance-without any feeling that Jenny could see. â€Å"But as we age, we become grotesque. It’s inevitable-the outer form changes to reflect our inner nature.† He shrugged. â€Å"We become monsters.† The poem. The poem on her grandfather’s desk, Jenny thought. She understood it at last, the line about them fingering old bones. These were the kind of creatures who would sit in a pit and do that. From Julian’s beauty she would never have guessed, could never have pictured him that way. Now she tried to keep it out of her mind, the picture of Julian looking like them, so distorted, so debased. It couldn’t happen to him-but he’d said it was inevitable. â€Å"But I don’t know what they’re doing here now,† Julian continued, as if unaware of her reaction. â€Å"This isn’t their Game; they have nothing to do with it.† â€Å"You’re wrong,† a tall Shadow Man said. It had the eyes of a crocodile. Its voice, though, was shockingly beautiful, distant and lonely as wind chimes of ice. â€Å"It became our Game when she stole our prey,† said another one, this one in the voice of somebody who’d eaten ground glass and fishhooks. â€Å"Who stole your prey?† Tom shouted. But Jenny felt as if the floor had suddenly dropped away beneath her. Her little fingers and the sides of her hands were prickling as if small shocks were going through them. She looked at Julian. Julian had frozen, hands in pockets, staring hard at the other Shadow Men. Then his eyebrows lifted minutely and his head tilted back slightly. He’d got it. His eyes, still expressionless, shifted to Jenny. â€Å"She took the old man,† a third Shadow Man explained, in a whispering voice like snow blowing. â€Å"And the two boys, those were our prey, too. We hunted them. They belonged to us.† Suddenly voices joined in from all around Jenny. â€Å"The old man was ours by right,† a voice like a brass gong said. â€Å"Blood right,† a thick and muddy voice croaked. â€Å"He made the bargain-his life was ours,† a voice like a cat-o’-nine-tails added. Julian looked the way Audrey’s mother had once, when she had suggested Michael give his filthy sneakers to Goodwill. â€Å"But you were done with the old man-surely,† he said fastidiously. â€Å"We hadn’t finished enjoying him.† â€Å"He was ours-forever.† â€Å"And the boys,† a voice like cold wind put in, â€Å"we’d just started with the boys.† â€Å"Never got a tooth in them†¦ .† I’m glad, Jenny thought fiercely. She was glad she’d saved her grandfather, too, saved him from an eternity with these monsters. But she was still frightened. The tall Shadow Man was moving forward. It looked down at Jenny with its crocodile eyes: ancient, pitiless, and endlessly malevolent. â€Å"She stole their souls from us,† it said formally, making the claim. â€Å"And now her life is forfeit. She is our rightful prey.† There was a burst of noise, rising and swelling from every corner of the room. It got louder and louder. It was composed of beautiful sounds and strident ones intermixed, wailing and yelping and pure tones like music. The Shadow Men were laughing. â€Å"Get out of here, you crazy bastards! Go away!† Dee shouted over the cacophony. She ran toward the assembled monsters, punching straight out from the shoulder, snapping her arm forward to hit with a flattened hand. She kicked, her legs flashing out too fast for the eye to follow, striking with devastating force. â€Å"No!† Jenny screamed, plunging after her. â€Å"Dee!† She did it without thinking, and Tom was beside her, ready to stop Dee or help her fight, depending on what the Shadow Men did. Jenny was afraid they’d kill Dee. Julian had been able to throw Dee across the room without effort. But the Shadow Men just laughed more and more uproariously-and faded wherever Dee kicked. Dee’s hands and feet never struck anything solid; the monsters melted like shadows whenever she touched them. She was panting and exhausted when Jenny and Tom reached her. The action had cleared Jenny’s head. She glanced at Julian, who was still standing where he had been, apparently unaffected by the sight of Dee going crazy. He looked-remote. Not tired, as he had before, but-disconnected. As if this were all a moderately interesting play. Maybe he was sympathizing with the other Shadow Men. Jenny looked at the one with the crocodile eyes. She nerved herself to speak to it. â€Å"You’re saying that because I released my grandfather’s soul, you have some right to me.† â€Å"By law, you’re now ours,† the tall Shadow Man said. â€Å"We can take you-embrace you-do what we like with you.† Unexpectedly it looked at Julian. â€Å"The law can’t be changed.† â€Å"I know the law can’t be changed,† Julian said flatly. â€Å"She cheated us ten years ago-kept us from tasting her flesh-but now she belongs to us,† the chilling, musical voice said. And then, as quickly as that, it was happening. The dark mist was closing around Jenny, separating her from Tom and Dee. She heard Tom cry out. The mist was like cold hands touching her body. The freezing wind was howling in her ears. She was being dragged away, just as they had dragged her grandfather into the closet years ago. How to cite The Forbidden Game: The Kill Chapter 14, Essay examples

Where 18 Meets 358 free essay sample

The town is interesting. There is a sprawling metropolis present where PA state Route 18 meets 258, complete with a Wl-mart, MacDonalds, and Giant Eagle. The school is a few brief miles from the intersection. If you go fifteen miles in the opposite direction of the school, all of this disappears. It is replaced by farmland and green pastures. I grew up on this farmland. Honestly, it was the middle of Amish country. Oftentimes you saw more horses on the road than cars. I call a small dairy farm home, along with my parents, siblings and seventy head of cows. Being the only farm kid in my school made it difficult. Nobody understood what I or my family did. I was constantly forced to explain, defend, and clarify what my family did. THis meant I did not have the time to put on make-up and do my hair in the morning, but no one took that into consideration when judging me. We will write a custom essay sample on Where 18 Meets 358 or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was always the awkward farm girl. Despite not always fitting in twith my peers or having the time to participate in sports, I excelled. Writing is a natural skill for me and science is always interesting becuase I use it every day on the farm either by mixing feed or choosing what bull to breed a cow to. I was determined to puruse science only (most likely to become a large animal veterinarian), but a teacher informed me that I had great potential in public speaking and speech writing. I laughed at the idea. That would mean dressing up every day! At the young age of thirteen, I was a jeans and cowboy boots girl. I was introduced to the world of glittery crowns and satin sashes found within the Dairy Princess Promotion Program. In this, I was forced to deal with everything from skeptical consumers, angry consumers, and uninformed politians. It was a role I happily (although skeptically) undertook. Now a business suit, dress, or skirt is second nature to me. I gained a professional edge that my classmates could no longer lauh at. In fact, it was so noticeable that they no longer called me farm girl. I became the farm girl who was actually cool. It is this unique combination that I offer. As one of my classmates proudly declared a down-home girl with an uptown sass. In other words, the transformation from farm girl to princess has given me a unique personality, blended from the viewpoints of both the consumer and the producer.

The amazing six sense essays

The amazing six sense essays The 1999 movie, The Sixth Sense, both written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, with its amazing final twist, is one of the best thrillers ever made. Bruce Willis and 10-year-old Haley Joel Osment make an incredible connection that is rarely seen in other movies. It is to Willis credit to allow the little boy to shine in virtually every scene. Bruce Willis plays Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a well-known child psychologist who is living a happy life with his understanding wife (Ollivia Williams). One night a man breaks into their house and claims to be a former patient of Malcolms. He reminds Malcolm that he was always scared and Malcolm failed to help him. He fires a gun at Dr. Crowe and then shoots himself in the head. A few months pass, and Malcolm recovers. But he is not the same person that he used to be. His career is turning into a failure and his marriage seems to be falling apart. Meanwhile, he takes an interest in the case of Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), an 8-year-old boy whose case is a lot like the former patient who shot him. Cole suffers from a mood disorder and spends a lot of his time alone at church. He is called a freak by his classmates at school. Cole asks Dr. Crowe to help him not to be scared. His divorced mom (Toni Collete) often notices scratches on Coles body. Malcolm spends a lot of his time with Cole and tries very hard to help him. Finally, Cole decides to tell Malcolm his secret. He can see the dead. They often come to him and sometimes physically hurt him. But in order to better understand Coles case, Malcolm goes back to study the case of his former patient. What he finds out, and the final twist of the story are things that should be kept secret for people who have yet to see the amazing The Sixth Sense. The Sixth Sense is the movie thats worth sticking with, writes Jay Carr in Boston Globe. He states that everything remains unc ...

Wood vs. Wooden

Wood vs. Wooden Wood vs. Wooden Wood vs. Wooden By Maeve Maddox Some adjectives with two forms often create doubt in native speakers. Take for example these uses of the words wood and wooden: Youll want to budget about $4/square foot for a wood deck Building a wooden deck over a concrete one 68 Wooden Deck Design Ideas Expansive wood deck with low wood railing using diagonal wood floor design Which is correct? â€Å"Wood deck† or â€Å"wooden deck?† Strictly speaking, wood is a noun and wooden is an adjective, as illustrated in this headline: Wood science and how it relates to wooden baseball bats In this example, wood functions as a noun: â€Å"the science of wood†; wooden functions as an adjective: â€Å"bats made of wood.† But although this â€Å"rule† of distinguishing between noun and adjective can be applied to wood and wooden–and possibly to wool and woolen–most of the -en adjectives that describe substances have become relegated to the realm of poetic or figurative language. The following examples show how the -en adjective forms were used in their older, literal senses: ash: ashen â€Å"The city had been one mass of colorOne great crumbling mass of ashen ruins was what we found left of all this.† brass: brazen â€Å"It grew dark, and they put candles on the tablescandles set in bright, new, brazen candlesticks.† flax: flaxen â€Å"the early-modern hemp industry was far more versatile than has been supposed and was capable of producing not only ropes and canvas, but also hempen cloth some of which could rival all but the finest flaxen cloth.† gold: golden â€Å"Three compartments divided the coffer. In the first, blazed piles of golden coin; in the second, were ranged bars of unpolished gold.† lead: leaden â€Å"The water was formerly conveyed by wooden pipes from these basins through all the streets, and a leaden pipe, inserted in the main, supplied each house.† oak: oaken â€Å"Pine lids were not put on oaken chests in England at this early period.† silk: silken â€Å"From an anecdote of Aurelian, who neither used silk himself nor would allow his wife to possess a single silken garment, we learn that silk was worth its weight in gold.† wax: waxen â€Å"One of the wedding presents had been a pair of beautiful white waxen candles.† In modern usage, the noun in each of these pairs serves also as an adjective. For example, brass for brazen and flax for flaxen: these tarnished brass candlesticks looked better suited to a flea-market stall than a dining table.   It was sometimes said that the flax rope was apt to break when a knot was made in the rope. The -en forms do survive in figurative contexts. Here are just a few: She’s a brazen woman and no mistake! (impudent) â€Å"They’ve caught us trespassing; we’ll have to brazen it out. (face the situation impudently) The dead man’s face had a waxen hue. (appearance of wax) The girl had laughing blue eyes and flaxen hair. (any light shade of auburn or pale yellowish brown) Keep an eye out for other examples of these -en adjectives in modern English. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should KnowThat vs. Which3 Types of Essays Are Models for Professional Writing Forms

Integrated STEM Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Integrated STEM Education - Essay Example For the K-12 learners, it is evident that they require approaches that will increase their interest in the subjects. Through the integrated approach, the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council (2014) point out that the learners will be more motivated and encouraged to design their own knowledge of the environment around them. It is, therefore, arguable to conclude that integrated approaches learners are more motivated to learn the STEM subjects. Successful integration of STEM has also seen the teachers be conversant with their roles in the classroom setting. The educators, as seen in the research conducted by National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council (2014), have played the role of encouraging the learners to continually solve problems that emanate from the STEM fields. It is expected that these approaches, will undoubtedly see an integrated STEM

Home monitoring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Home monitoring - Essay Example Electronic home detention is the new trend in our criminal justice system. This is be less costly than to give free living quarters and food to suspects and convicted criminals. But the question is, will not the freed suspects violate more laws of the state when put in home monitoring (Anderson, 2002) This new trend is called electronic home detention or EHD. The procedure is to put the suspect or convicted criminal including burglary, theft, drug abuse and prison escape in the care of the home. An electronic bracelet will be clamped to the convicted felon's ankle so that a private monitoring company can easily track where the person traveled during the entire time the electronic monitoring bracelete is attached to his or her person. Many United States judges and other government bureaucrats who like the idea of cutting food and living quarter costs afforded the criminals have praised the electronic home detention justice procedure and refuse to admit that the disadvantages of the new criminal procedure outweights the advantages of such procedure. Cash-strapped cities and counties can save and earn significant amounts of money by sending lawbreakers to electronic detention rather than jail, avoiding daily incarceration costs of up to $80 per prisoner. Offenders, in turn, pay for the privilege of EHD-as much as $40 a day. Some communit Some communities in the United States that have cash flow problems feel that they can save money if the implement the electronic home detention program because incarcerating the criminals and suspects under litigation will cost the city or country an estimated $80 whereas if the criminals are put on the home monitoring program, the criminals and suspects will have to PAY the city or county $40 per day. Therefore the new trend will instead generate income for the city or county. It is on record that seven out of a total of ten United States crime violators today devote their time in the neighborhoods outside the four walls of the jail. In fact, Anderson says that "Olympia estimates that by comparing the cost of jail in Yakima ($51 per day), the savings to the city is $313,000, and if the value is based on the Olympia jail ($78 per day), the savings value would be $478,000. In addition, Olympia estimates that they will make over $120,000 on their EHD program in 2001." (Anderson, 2002) What type of offenders would be considered for this program Basically, it is the judge who decides who approves the pleadings whether to allow a convicted criminal or suspected criminal under trial will avail of the electronic home detention program. One criteria for allowing the convicted persons or suspects undergoing trial to avail of the electronic home detention program is the ability of the state to collect the $10 to $15 daily income for each person enrolled in the electronic home detention program. If the convicted felon or his relatives and friends cannot come up with the money to pay the state, then the felon or suspected felon undergoing trail will not quality for the electronic home detention program. Drug abusers are not definitely not included in this program. Only minor lawbreakers and unlicensed and drunk drivers or traffic violators are allowed to avail of this program. Another group

The Ideal Form Of Government Politics Essay

The Ideal Form Of Government Politics Essay In its most basic essence, democracy refers to a system of government whereby the people of a country place representatives into the role of national administration via the casting of a ballot. In this system, the role of majority rule is complete and unquestionable; Individuals who are selected to represent the country must be willed to do so by a majority of the population. Democracy has often been called the ideal form of government. Of all forms of government that have been utilized by human societies throughout history to organize and protect our kind, democracy is the only one that operates on consensus to create solutions to the problems society faces. In the past, government often operated through directives issued by a ruling elite, often composed of those of noble blood, heritage, or otherwise superior social status as opposed to those selected by the people. Forms of government that used this system include authoritarianism, monarchism, oligarchic government, and tyranny. All nations under the government of elites have proved unstable due to a striking disparity in power between the ruling class and the commoner. The rulers often had too much power, but did not always employ it in the proper channels, which often resulted in the wants of the people left unmet, and flagrant abuse of privilege all too common. This resulted in the dissatisfaction of the people, who existed in the plains, the fields, and in the castle walls, as opposed to the nonchalance of the ruler, who sat alone and vulnerable without their satisfaction. Security was often nonexistent under one-man rule, for small changes in circumstances could destabilize society, and no matter what that one man decided on, there would always be ten thousand others who would oppose him. Should we look at the circumstances under the proper light, government can be seen to be living, breathing, and evolving creature; In the burgeoning stages of its growth, it is not perfect. It is weak, and riddled with flaws. As the flaws are exposed to exploitation by fate over time, adaptation then takes place, and the organism changes in such a way as to better serve the purpose of eliminating, or accommodating these flaws. Monarchism, Authoritarianism, and so on can therefore be seen as neophytes in varying stages of evolution, changing through time to accommodate the necessity of appeasing the people, sometimes violently, sometimes slowly, through gradual, minute shifts in political power and ideals over the vicissitudes of time. Democracy, therefore, would be the apex of this evolution, created for the express purpose of appeasing the people. Though evolution occurs at different rates, evolution itself nonetheless remains inevitable given a change in circumstances. The Greeks, long hailed as the progenitors of Western civilization, were themselves proponents and beneficiaries of the qualities of democratic government, flourishing under its gaze, through fulfillment of wants and needs, which created relative happiness and a general lack of endogenous forces that would effect strife, save for corruption. Japan, America, The United Kingdom, and Australia are today democratic as well, a circumstance manifested by the actions of democratic countries themselves to spread democracy, and therefore what many deem civilization. In the words of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, Democracy is worth dying for, because its the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. Malaysia itself is an example of a democratic country. Every four years, we participate in General Elections to select the parties that will represent our country to the rest of the world, and who will assure our welfare, our health, and our collective happiness. What does it mean, however, to be a democratic country? Rather, what significance does this bear to us, its inhabitants? What is our role in the mechanism that governs the democracy we so enjoy? Is democracy indeed an umbrella form of government that will work with every country? This work will attempt to explore these issues. The significance of democracy Many people choose not to vote, vindicating themselves with the pathetic excuse that their one measly vote would not change anything anyway. Certainly, that is true. One vote will not change the result of an election, but that is precisely the point. The fact that there are millions of votes cast for differing parties during each general election is itself a feature of democracy; If one vote were indeed able to change an outcome, it would not in fact be a vote. It would be a decree, an order, and a directive. Rather than relying on the aggregate measure of societys desire, we would instead be looking at a result that reflects the will of a single person. This would defeat the purpose of democracy. Democracy is not simply a form of government; It is associated with many connotations. Democracy provides us freedom of choice. It empowers us to act, to make decisions to change our own fate, as opposed to remaining silent as if we were made of stone. The vote therefore is an incredibly powerful tool. It signifies liberty. It reflects the personal views and ideals of the voter. It reflects his leanings. Lastly, it reflects the fact that he cares about his country and the direction it will take in the future. People who do not vote therefore not only forfeit the use of this tool, but their own self-respect. Democracy is not simply freedom, or a form of government. Should all the appropriate measures and conditions be appropriate for democracy, democracy itself becomes a responsibility of the people towards themselves. To what greater power should a person heed but him or herself? While the vote may be unable to change anything itself, the synergy of many votes combining together to make a majority is what effects change, and what decides what will happen to the country, and therefore to oneself. If a large segment of the population is equipped with the mindset that voting is pointless, then they will all not vote. The wrong people would then be put in power, and actions taken would then not reflect the consensus of the people, leading to the setbacks embodied in other forms of government as outlined previously. On the other hand, should all parties in a democratic system(voters, political parties) fulfill their roles in the system of democracy correctly and fully, then optimum benefit to society will be rendered. As the government implemented and the actions taken as a result of that government would reflect the consensus of the people, there would be absolutely no reason for controversy, dispute, and fighting that would otherwise detract from the overall productivity and welfare of the population. In the real world, this is clearly not possible, due to the intervening forces of corruption and the sheer fallibility of human nature, which clearly applies to the representatives whom we ourselves place in seats of power. However, if more people are educated and aware of their role and significance in democracy, then we can minimize the effect of these hiccups in what would otherwise be an efficient administration. Democracy: Is it suitable for all? Democracy A political organization wherein the populace exercises control over the matters, which affect, concern, or interest them. Quite frankly, it is power to the people. Logically fair in most senses, democracy seems a far better option than a monarchic or dictatorial rule where a single person or few people hold the fate of the nation in their extravagantly ringed hands. Democracy gives voice to the hundreds, the thousands, and the millions who deserve an equal stake in how their country is run. It is they, after all, that make a nation. Nevertheless, as hard as democracy is to establish, it is harder to maintain. After implementation a successful democracy will have its ample plaudits, but not many nations are lucky enough to hit the nail on the head in terms of providing a democratic rule. Iraq, Congo, Sudan what if these dictatorial nations were suddenly to become democracies? We wouldnt see flourishing architecture, economic stability or social benevolence we would see anarchy. Some nations are just too large and have too much different ethnic diversity to be ruled by anything less than a staunch dictator. How can one hear the voice of the people when everyone shouts for different things? The reason behind why democracy would not work for some countries is often because the country has been artificially cobbled together. Democracy would be possible, but only if these countries are broken down into smaller units capable of supporting a democratic rule. A prime example would be Yugoslavia, once a large dictatorsh ip, now a cluster of individual, contented democratic states consisting the likes of Croatia, Serbia, and Macedonia. Stability is another factor that can be guaranteed by an established democracy. An elected leader has to take in consideration many views when acting upon something, as opposed to a sole view from a dictator that can be brought about my greed, anger, or resentment, and not by what he believes to be in the best choice of the populace. Lets face it; Churchill and Roosevelt made far less mistakes than the dictators Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin. However, democracy has some faults than can be seen far more clearly when in practical usage than when in its theoretical stage. The whole intention of democracy is to give everyone a voice, to make everyones opinion count. But in the end, it is the majority view that counts. And this is how it has to be; there can never be an action made that pleases everyone. The irony within democracy is that governing by majority will always form minorities minorities that are often unconsidered and brushed aside. Arent these the very minorities that democracy was supposed to aid? Democracy is all about giving power to individuals, but this also evokes the belief that self-gain is more important than issues such as patriotism or social problems. This is often the case when democracy mingles with capitalism. As the famous quote goes When you combine democracy with capitalism, the resulting governmental stew becomes an economy of haves and have-nots. As opposed to theories such as communism, when people are told that they must act in the good of the nation, democracy allows people to put what is best for solely themselves first, which can be seen in democratic capitalist nations where self-rivalry is high and not everyone can thrive. Economic success may be common in nations like this, but I assure you the wealth is not evenly spread. It is wrong to assume that democracy is the best option for a nation. There are many nations that are coping fine without bearing a democratic insignia on their mantelpiece. Economic-powerhouse China would be a prime example. And if one were to change to democracy, the act is far from instantaneous. Until today, Russia is still recovering from the economic backlash of their dramatic alteration to become democratic over twenty years ago in the 1990s. There have been many examples of success and failures in implementing democracy in nations across the globe. One successful example of this governing system can be seen in the United Kingdom. Due to the reason that the British previously conquered Malaysia prior to our independence, our democracy structure is also based on United Kingdoms successful democracy structure. The transfer of power after every election is carried out smoothly, without any riot and chaos, which proves the success of the system that has been implemented in the mentioned countries. However, there are also real life examples of the failure to implement the democratic system is some countries. For instance, the failure of democracy in India. Factors such as the parliamentary system of the government, corruption, and unorganized election arrangements and also the lack of democratic culture in the country itself contribute to the failure of the implementation of the system in those countries. The Role of the Citizen in A Democracy The key role of citizens in a democracy is to participate in public life. Citizens have an obligation to become informed about public issues, to watch carefully how their political leaders and representatives use their powers, and to express their own opinions and interests.   Voting in elections is another important civic duty of all citizens. But to vote wisely, each citizen should listen to the views of the different parties and candidates, and then make his or her own decision on whom to support. Participation can also involve campaigning for a political party or candidate, standing as a candidate for political office, debating public issues, attending community meetingsand membership civic meetings, bably best placed in Article 5 on the Judicial Authority.materials are.pecified.il. ency Council, petitioning the government, and even protesting.   A vital form of participation comes through active membership in independent, non-governmental organizations, what we call civil society. These organizations represent a variety of interests and beliefs: farmers, workers, doctors, teachers, business owners, religious believers, women, students, human rights activists. It is important that women participate fully both in politics and in civil society. This requires efforts by civil society organizations to educate women about their democratic rights and responsibilities, improve their political skills, represent their common interests, and involve them in political life. In a democracy, participation in civic groups should be voluntary. No one should be forced to join an organization against their will. Political parties are vital organizations in a democracy, and democracy is stronger when citizens become active members of political parties. However, no one should support a political party because he is pressured or threatened by others. In a democracy, citizens are free to choose which party to support. Democracy depends on citizen participation in all these ways. But participation must be peaceful, respectful of the law, and tolerant of the different views of other groups and individuals. In other forms of government: Form of government Citizens role Monarchy- A form of government in which all political power is passed down to an individual (usually hereditary) known as a monarch1 (single ruler), or king (male), queen (female). No role Oligarchy-A form of government that consists of rule by an elite group who rule in their own interests, especially the accumulation of wealth and privilege. Only certain members of society have a valid voice in the government. This can reflect (but is not limited to) economic interests, a particular religious tradition (theocracy), or familial rule (monarchy). Restricted to the laws, otherwise are counted as crime. Totalitarian-Rule by a single political party.   Votes for alternative candidates and parties are simply not allowed. Citizens are allowed and encouraged to vote, but only for the governments chosen candidates. Capitalism In a capitalist or free-market economy, people own their own businesses and property and must buy services for private use, such as healthcare.   Earn and spend money. 1: Monarchy, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch How Malaysia achieved democracy The act of democracy first started off in 11th of May 1946 when the idea of Malayan Union first came about. The aim of the Malayan Union was to combine all scattered administration into one ruling system, assist administration, save expenditure, prepare the locals for their independence, boost economic recovery and progress, however this plan was later abolished in July 1946 by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) led by Datuk Onn bin Jafar. This was done because Malays were unhappy about the fact that their ruler will lose power which will compensate for loss of Malay power, this was unwanted as the Malays rely on Malaya alone as their mother country however the non-Malay are considered immigrants from other region. After the Malayan Union was abolished a rise of a new system came about; The Federation of Malaya proposal, compiled by the Malay elites, the various sultans and the British. States involved would be the same as in the Malayan Union however there were new conditions proposed, the new conditions are, Malay cultural domination would be established, Malays would wield political power and the following five principles The need for strong central government, the need to maintain individuality of each Malay state, the need for new arrangements leading to self-government, common citizenship for those who regarded Malaya as their home and were loyal to her, recognition of the special position of Malays and their rights, which must be safeguarded Soon, we will learn that the legislation of democracy will began, as what was being recognized in the past was simply steps towards democracy, however they are merely just different political party fighting for their ethnic rights democratically however they have yet to elect any legislative council members. Until, 27th of July 1955, the first national election for legislative council members was held, which resulted the Alliance which is compromised with the UMNO and MCA to win 51 out of 52 seats and consequently became the government that led the country to independence. The following page will show you the result of the election from democracy.   Summary of the 27 July 1955  Legislative Council  election results Votes % of vote Seats % of seats Alliance 818,013 79.6 51 98.1 Parti Negara 78,909 7.6 0 0.0 Pan-Malayan Islamic Party  (PMIP) 40,667 3.9 1 1.9 National Association of Perak  (Parti Kebangsaan Perak, NAP) 20,996 2.0 0 0.0 Perak Malay League (Perikatan Melayu Perak) 5,433 0.5 0 0.0 Perak Progressive Party  (PPP) 1,081 0.1 0 0.0 Labour Party 4,786 0.4 0 0.0 Independents 31,642 3.0 0 0.0 Overall total 1,001,527 100.0 52 100.0 Source:  The Malayan Elections, Francis G. Carnell. One Alliance candidate won unopposed. Democracy In Malaysia Democracy is a form of government in which the policy is decided by the preference of the majority in a decision-making process, usually elections. Democracy as a form of government always has the following characteristics: There is a demos, a group which makes political decisions by some form of collective procedure. In modern democracies the demos is the nation, and citizenship is usually equivalent to membership. There is a territory where the decisions apply, and where the demos are resident. In modern democracies, the territory is the nation-state. There is a decision-making procedure, which is either direct (for instance a referendum) or indirect (for instance election of a parliament). General Election An important aspect of the democratic system is elections. Elections in the practice of democracy constitute a social contract between the people and the candidate or party (that succeeds to form a government). The party that wins the election and forms the government should fulfill the partys promises proclaimed in the election campaign. At the state level, elected representatives of the people sit in the State Legislative Assembly of each state. At the federal or national level, elected Members of Parliament sit in the Dewan Rakyat or House of Representatives. There are two types of general election. First, the general election for the whole country, held once in every five years. The next is the by-elections, also considered a general election because the concept of the election itself constitutes the choosing of a representative by the public citizens for the Parliament and the State Legislative Assembly. There are clear differences between the two types of election. The first type is only held after Parliament or the State Legislative Assembly is dissolved. The by-elections do not involve the dissolution of any of the assembly nor do they follow a fixed schedule. The general election is usually held every 5 years. Prior to carrying out the election, the Yang di-Pertuan Agung must dissolve the Parliament on the advice or at the request of the Prime Minister. This occurs at the federal level. At the State level, a general election is held after the State Legislative Assembly is dissolved by the Ruler or Yang Dipertua Negeri at the request of the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister. As soon as Parliament is dissolved, the elections must be held within 60 days in West Malaysia and within 90 days in Sabah and Sarawak. The time specified is reasonable for the Election Commission, to prepare the election arrangements and the contesting parties to get ready, hold campaigns and construct definite strategies following the regulations or laws that have been fixed from time to time. For a general election, after the Yang di-Pertuan Agung dissolves Parliament at the request of the Prime Minister, the Election Commission will issue an order to the Managing Officer to organize the balloting process (election). The responsibility of the Managing Officer is to issue a statement, through the Government Gazette or newspaper, on the date of nomination of candidate for the said election, the place and the time of election for every electoral constituency. The Election Commission also determines the date and place of balloting. Any candidate who wishes to contest must obtain a nominator, a seconder and at least four other people, whose names are recorded in the nomination paper. They must also be registered voters in the voters register of the constituency where the candidate is contesting. The balloting day can be held after 3 weeks from the date of nomination but cannot exceed 8 weeks. On the balloting day, all voters who qualify to vote can carry out their responsibility by casting their votes in balloting places provided. Before the balloting day arrives, the contesting parties are allowed to carry out election campaigns through political talks. The freedom of speech and assembly during the campaigns also show that the basic freedom as embodied in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution are protected in the country which practices a democratic system of government. However, to ensure public security all political talks whether by the party that had held the reins of the government or the opposition, it is necessary to get police approval or permit. For a general election, every voter is given two sheets of ballot papers of different colours; one for the State Legislative Assembly constituency and the other for the Parliamentary constituency. On each ballot paper are symbols representing the contesting candidates and the space for the voter to make his choice. The responsibility of voting is completed with the voter marking X in the space provided against the symbol representing the candidate of the voters choice. The ballot papers are put into separate ballot boxes for the Parliamentary constituency and the State Legislative Constituency. Media in the democracy of Malaysia Society plays a crucial and the most important role in a democratic system, as they are the ones that hold most power in electing new leaders or political bodies. In Malaysia, there are thousands of self-help groups, society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and so on which actively pursue the enforcement of fundamental rights in todays society which is the foundation for social, economical and cultural activities. Their duty and responsibility is to maintain the balance between politician and citizens. To do so, they would conduct the formal opposition in raising social consciousness of key public issues. However, these self-appointed organizations are often threatened with punishments due to the Internal Security Act and/or other repressive regulations and law. They have thus not yet carved out their own democratic space in the public sphere. Journalists are encountering the same pressure from the same existing repressive acts as other actors of the civil society. Therefore, any printing, newspaper or any other publication firms must have a permit and/or license issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in order to conduct media, tabloids and news activities. However these permits are valid for only a year and require renewal and they are only granted, if the minister does not consider the publication to be prejudicial and offensive to public order. Generally, licenses can be awarded and even obtained by very critical periodicals of the political opposition and human rights organizations. Examples include, Aliran Monthly. However, in 1987, permits of four newspapers were suspended due to breaking of regulation and in 1991; the minister forced the party-affiliated periodicals The Rocket (DAP) and Harakah (DAP) to restrict circulation to only party members. This case did not get any better but even until the beginning of the 21st century. Harakah saw its permit renewed but its output frequency was reduced from eight per month to two. The permit of the weekly tabloid Eksklusif, which reported mostly on opposition parties, was suspended when its publication permit expired. The ministry explained the suspensions are due to imbalanced reporting and non-compliance with publication rules. During the same year, the privately-financed youth magazine Al-Wasilah, as well as its sister publication Detik had their permits cancelled for giving too much coverage on opposition parties. Furthermore, the ministrys committee in charge of monitoring publications issued warnings to the Malay language daily Utusan Malaysia for its coverage on the Suqiu election appeals and to the entertainment magazine FHM for a saucy interview with singer Ning Baizura. In October 2000, 14-member Coalition of Independent Media activists petitioned to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) for a repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Ac t and the abolishment of the practice of awarding permits. Besides these direct and indirect controls, the government promotes the conduct of development journalism which subordinates the media to the concerted efforts of government agencies fostering social stability and economic development. Malaysian newspapers are not uniform in their reporting nor do they express only a single point of view. But they usually abstain from reporting about activities of the political opposition. If they do, then they present these activities in an unfavorable light. Furthermore, there is little critical commentary and analysis of political and economic developments. ANFREL expressed in its observation mission report its concerns about the biased media coverage of the election campaigns before the general elections in 1999: ANFREL observers were struck by the blatant bias seen in both in the print and electronic media, in favor of the ruling coalition. Both Bahasa and English-language newspapers ran full-page ads, some of which used reworked or faked photos, aimed at showing the opposition in a bad light. As well, stories alleging corruption and sexual impropriety were widely circulated in the government- controlled press. Man of these newspapers refused to publish opposition advertisements, or run coverage of its campaign. Similarly, television advertisements and coverage were BN exclusive. The members of the Malaysian middle class especially, are increasingly disappointed with this lack of critical commentary and political analysis. They turn to foreign media as well as the alternative press within Malaysia. Conclusion In summary, a democracy is a political system where the people are placed at utmost importance, and with this being a key factor to drive the country, there is a stronger potential for economic growth and the opportunities for political uprisings are reduced as the people are deciding what happens. Most modern countries are democracies; the prime example is the United States, which has a fixed election system every 4 years and a reigning democratic party. Other countries such as China and India do follow democratic policy, however due to large populations and mixed voting procedures, the reigning party is said to be more controlling and less democratic. In this aspect, whilst most of the world today is democratic (albeit the communist and semi communist countries of North Korea and Chile) still do have some control by the government, which is influenced and selected by the people. In Malaysia, the reigning party is Barisan Nasional, which is considered the more democratic party of the few. Again, there is a general election every 4 years, where the party is elected. Unlike other countries, however, the people do not choose the individual person to win, but the political party. In recent years there has been an increase in support for the republic party, but this is being held of at present. Either way, the fact that there is a general election held every 4 years, unlike in India and China, this proves a democratic government is significant.

Bloodlines Chapter Nine

CONSIDERING I WAS ONLY SUPPOSED to visit Clarence's twice a week for feedings, I was kind of amazed that I seemed to be here practically every day. Not only that, this was my first time visiting the estate alone. Before, I'd been with Keith or Jill and had a very well-defined goal. Now, I was on my own. I hadn't realized how much that would freak me out until I was approaching the house, which became even more looming and dark than usual. There's nothing to be afraid of, I told myself. You've been with a vampire and dhampir all week. You should be used to it. Besides, really, the scariest thing about this place was the old house itself. Clarence and Lee weren't all that intimidating, and Adrian†¦ well, Adrian was pretty much the least scary vampire I'd ever met. He was too bratty for me to feel any real fear, and actually†¦ as much as I hated to admit it, I kind of looked forward to seeing him. It made no sense, but something about his infuriating nature made me forget about my other worries. Weirdly, I felt like I could relax around him. Dorothy escorted me in, and I expected to be taken to the sitting room again. Instead, the housekeeper led me through a few twists and turns of the dark halls, finally landing in a billiards room that looked like it could have been straight out of Clue. More dark wood lined the room, and stained glass windows let in filtered sunlight. Most of the room's illumination came from a hanging light centered over a rich green pool table. Adrian was lining up a shot as I shut the door behind me. â€Å"Oh,† he said, knocking a red ball into a hole. â€Å"It's you.† â€Å"You were expecting someone else?† I asked. â€Å"Am I interrupting your social calendar?† I made a big show of glancing around the empty room. â€Å"I don't want to keep you from the mob of fans beating down your door.† â€Å"Hey, a guy can hope. I mean, it's not impossible that a car full of scantily clad sorority girls might break down outside and need my help.† â€Å"That's true,† I said. â€Å"Maybe I can put a sign out front that says, ‘ATTENTION ALL GIRLS: FREE HELP HERE.'† â€Å"‘ATTENTION ALL HOT GIRLS,'† he corrected, straightening up. â€Å"Right,† I said, trying not to roll my eyes. â€Å"That's an important distinction.† He pointed at me with the pool stick. â€Å"Speaking of hot, I like that uniform.† This time, I did roll my eyes. After Adrian had teased me last time about my uniform looking like my normal clothes, I'd made sure to change out of it before coming today. Now I wore dark jeans and a black-and-white printed blouse with a ruffled collar. I should have known the outfit change wouldn't save me from his snark. â€Å"Are you the only one here?† I asked, noting his solo game. â€Å"Nah. Clarence is around doing†¦ I don't know. Old man stuff. And I think Lee's fixing that lock before he heads to LA. It's kind of funny. He seems upset that he needs to use tools. He keeps thinking the strength of his own hands should be more than enough.† I couldn't help a smile. â€Å"I don't suppose you offered to help?† â€Å"Sage,† Adrian declared. â€Å"These hands don't do manual labor.† He knocked another ball into a hole. â€Å"You want to play?† â€Å"What? With you?† â€Å"No, with Clarence.† He sighed at my dumbfounded look. â€Å"Yes, of course with me.† â€Å"No. I need to talk to you about Jill.† He was silent for a few moments and then returned to the game as though nothing had happened. â€Å"She wasn't sick today.† He said that with certainty, though there was a funny, bitter tone to his words. â€Å"No. Well, not in the same way. She got sick out in the sun during PE. I'm going to see Keith after this to see if we can get a medical excuse.† I'd actually tried calling him earlier, with no luck. â€Å"But that's not why I'm here. There's a guy who likes Jill – a human guy.† â€Å"Have Castile rough him up.† I leaned back against the wall and sighed. â€Å"That's the thing. I asked him to. Well, not rough him up, exactly. It's Eddie's roommate. I asked Eddie to tell him to back off and make up some reason for staying away from Jill – like that she's too young.† Fearing Adrian would be as lax as Eddie in this, I asked, â€Å"You understand why it's important, right? No Moroi and human dating?† He was watching the table, not me. â€Å"Yup, I'm with you there, Sage. But I still don't see the problem.† â€Å"Eddie won't do it. He says he doesn't think Jill should be denied the chance to date and go to dances. That it's okay if she and Micah hang out, so long as it doesn't get serious.† Adrian was good at hiding his feelings, but this looked like it'd caught him by surprise. He straightened up and spun the base of the pool stick on the floor as he thought. â€Å"That is weird. I mean, I get the logic, and there's something to it. She shouldn't be forced into isolation while she's here. I'm just surprised Castile came up with it.† â€Å"Yeah, but that's a hard concept to live by. Where do you draw the ‘casual' line? Honestly, I get this feeling Eddie just didn't want to confront Micah – the roommate. Which is crazy, because Eddie doesn't seem like the type to be afraid of anything. What is there about Micah that would make Eddie so uneasy?† â€Å"Is Micah some big, hulking guy?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"He's built, I guess. Good at sports. Really friendly and easygoing – not the type you'd have to be afraid would turn on you if you warned him away from your sister.† â€Å"Then you can talk to him. Or just talk to Jailbait and explain things to her.† Adrian seemed satisfied he'd solved the matter and knocked in the last ball. â€Å"That was my plan. I just wanted to make sure you'd back me. Jill listens to you, and I thought it'd be easier if she knew you agreed with me. Not that I even know how she feels. For all I know, this is all overkill.† â€Å"Can't hurt to be too careful with her,† said Adrian. He stared off, lost in his own thoughts. â€Å"And I'll let her know how I feel about it.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said, kind of surprised at how easy this had been. His green eyes danced mischievously. â€Å"Now will you play a round with me?† â€Å"I don't really – â€Å" The door opened, and Lee walked in, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. He was carrying a screwdriver. â€Å"Hey, Sydney. I thought I saw your car out there.† He glanced around. â€Å"Is, uh, Jill with you?† â€Å"Not today,† I said. New insight struck me as I recalled that Lee attended school in Los Angeles. â€Å"Lee, have you ever dated a human girl at your school?† Adrian arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Are you asking him out, Sage?† I scowled. â€Å"No!† Lee turned thoughtful. â€Å"No, not really. I have some human friends, and we go out as a group and hang out†¦ but I've never done more than that. LA's a big place, though. There are Moroi girls around, if you know where to look.† Adrian perked up. â€Å"Oh?† My hope that Lee might tell Jill he too had to avoid dating faded. â€Å"Well, that would make your dating situation much easier than Jill's.† â€Å"What do you mean?† asked Lee. I recapped everything to him about Micah and Eddie. Lee nodded along thoughtfully. â€Å"That is hard,† he admitted. â€Å"Can we go back to the part about Moroi girls hanging out in LA?† asked Adrian hopefully. â€Å"Can you direct me to some of the†¦ oh, let's say, more open-minded ones?† Lee's attention was on me, however. His easy smile grew uncertain, and he glanced at his feet. â€Å"This might seem kind of weird†¦ but I mean, I wouldn't mind asking Jill out.† Adrian was on that before I could even think of a response. â€Å"What, do you mean like on a date? You son of a bitch! She's only fifteen.† You never would've guessed he'd been talking about easy Moroi girls only moments before. â€Å"Adrian,† I said. â€Å"I'm guessing Lee's definition of a date is a little different than yours.† â€Å"Sorry, Sage. You've got to trust me when it comes to dating definitions. Last I checked, you aren't an expert in social matters. I mean, when was the last time you were even on a date?† It was just another of the witty barbs he tossed around so easily, but it stung a little. Was my lack of social experience that obvious? â€Å"But,† I added, ignoring Adrian's question, â€Å"there is an age difference.† I honestly had no idea how old Lee was. His being in college gave me some clue, but Clarence seemed awfully old. Having a child late in life wasn't that weird, though, for humans or Moroi. â€Å"There is,† said Lee. â€Å"I'm nineteen. Not a huge gap – but big enough. I shouldn't have said anything.† He looked embarrassed, and I felt both sorry for him and confused for myself. Matchmaking wasn't in the Alchemist handbook. â€Å"Why would you want to ask her out?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, she's great. But are you just doing this to distract her from Micah and give her a safe dating alternative? Or do you, um, like her?† â€Å"Of course he likes her,† said Adrian, quick to defend Jill's honor. I had a feeling that there was really no good way for Lee to answer at this point. If he expressed interest in her, Adrian's bizarre chivalric instincts were going to kick in. If Lee wasn't interested, Adrian would no doubt demand to know why Lee didn't want to marry her then and there. It was one of those fascinating – but weird – quirks of Adrian's personality. â€Å"I like her,† said Lee bluntly. â€Å"I've only talked to her a couple of times, but†¦ well, I'd really like to get to know her better.† Adrian scoffed, and I shot him a glare. â€Å"Once again,† I said. â€Å"I think you guys have different definitions for the same words.† â€Å"Not true,† said Adrian. â€Å"All guys mean the same thing when they want to ‘get to know a girl better.' You're a well-bred young lady, so I understand why you'd be too innocent to understand. Good thing you've got me here to interpret.† I turned back to Lee, not even bothering to respond to Adrian. â€Å"I think it's fine if you go out with her.† â€Å"Assuming she'd even be interested,† said Lee, looking uncertain. I remembered her smile when he'd stopped to talk to her yesterday. That had seemed pretty promising. But then, so had her enthusiasm over Micah. â€Å"I bet she would.† â€Å"So you're just going to let her go off alone?† asked Adrian, giving me a look that told me not to question him. This time, his concern was legitimate. I shared it. Jill was in Palm Springs to be safe. She was enrolled at Amberwood because it was also safe. Suddenly going out with a guy we hardly knew would not meet either Alchemist or guardian protocols for safety. â€Å"Well, she can't even leave campus,† I said, thinking aloud. â€Å"Not without me.† â€Å"Whoa,† said Adrian, â€Å"if you get to come along as a chaperone, so do I.† â€Å"If we both do, then Eddie will want to as well,† I pointed out. â€Å"Doesn't sound like much of a date.† â€Å"So?† Adrian's brief moment of seriousness and concern had vanished in the face of what he saw as social fun. How could anyone's mood flip so quickly? â€Å"Think of it as less of a date than a faux-family outing. One that will entertain me while protecting her virtue.† I put my hands on my hips and turned toward him. This seemed to amuse him more. â€Å"Adrian, we're focusing on Jill here. This isn't about your personal entertainment.† â€Å"Not true,† he said, green eyes sparkling. â€Å"Everything's about my personal entertainment. The world is my stage. Keep it up – you're becoming a star performer in the show.† Lee glanced between us with a comically helpless look. â€Å"Do you guys want to be alone?† I flushed. â€Å"Sorry.† Adrian made no apologies, of course. â€Å"Look,† said Lee, who kind of seemed like he was beginning to regret bringing this up at all. â€Å"I like her. If it means bringing your whole group so I can be with her, then that's fine.† â€Å"Maybe it's better this way,† I mused. â€Å"Maybe if we do more things as a group – aside from her feedings – she won't be in danger of wanting to go out with a human guy.† Who we didn't even know for sure that she was interested in. We didn't even know if she was interested in Lee either. We were being awfully heavy-handed with her love life, I realized. â€Å"This is kind of what I wanted before,† Adrian said to me. â€Å"Just more of a social life.† I thought back to yesterday's conversation, in which he'd demanded I find him lodging. â€Å"That's not quite what you asked for.† â€Å"If you want to get out more,† said Lee, â€Å"you should come back to LA with me tonight. I'll be back here after class tomorrow anyway, so it'd just be a quick trip.† Adrian brightened so much that I wondered if Lee had suggested it to try to smooth over any tension remaining about his interest in Jill. â€Å"Will you introduce me to those girls?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Unbelievable,† I said. Adrian's double standard was ridiculous. I didn't notice the door opening until Keith was completely in the room. I was never exactly happy to see him, but it was good luck that he was suddenly here, right when I needed to talk to him about Jill and her problems with PE. My best plan had been to show up at his apartment and hope to catch him there. He'd saved me the trouble. Keith looked at all three of us – but he didn't share our smiles. No winks or pretty boy charm from him today. â€Å"I saw your car out there, Sydney,† he said sternly, turning to me. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"I had to talk to Adrian,† I said. â€Å"Did you get my message? I tried calling earlier.† â€Å"I've been busy,† he said crisply. His expression was hard, his tone chilling the room. Adrian and Lee had lost their smiles, and both now looked confused as they tried to figure out why Keith was so annoyed. I shared their curiosity. â€Å"Let's talk. In private.† I suddenly felt like a naughty child without knowing why. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"I†¦ I was just leaving anyway.† I moved to join Keith at the door. â€Å"Wait,† said Lee. â€Å"What about – † Adrian nudged him and shook his head, murmuring something I couldn't hear. Lee stayed quiet. â€Å"See you around,† said Adrian cheerfully. â€Å"Don't worry – I'll remember what we talked about.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. â€Å"See you guys later.† Keith left without a word, and I followed him out of the house and into the late-afternoon heat. The temperature had gone down since the ill-fated PE class but not by much. Keith trudged through the gravel driveway, coming to a halt beside Latte. His car was parked nearby. â€Å"That was rude,† I told him. â€Å"You didn't even say goodbye to them.† â€Å"Sorry if I don't bring out my best manners for vampires,† snapped Keith. â€Å"I'm not as close to them as you are.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† I demanded, crossing my arms. Staring him down, I felt all my old animosity bubble up. It was hard to believe that I'd been laughing just a minute ago. Keith sneered. â€Å"Just that you seemed awfully cozy with them in there – hanging out, having a good time. I didn't know this was where you spent your free time after school.† â€Å"How dare you! I came here on business,† I growled. â€Å"Yeah, I could tell.† â€Å"I did. I had to talk to Adrian about Jill.† â€Å"I don't recall him being her guardian.† â€Å"He cares about her,† I argued. â€Å"Just like any of us would for a friend.† â€Å"Friend? They're not like us at all,† said Keith. â€Å"They're godless and unnatural, and you have no business being friends with any of them.† I wanted to shout back that from what I'd observed, Lee was a hundred times more decent of a person than Keith would ever be. Even Adrian was. It was only at the last second that my training kicked in. Don't raise a fuss. Don't contradict your superiors. No matter how much I hated it, Keith was in charge here. I took a deep breath. â€Å"It was hardly fraternizing. I simply came by to talk to Adrian, and Lee happened to be here. It wasn't like we'd all been planning some big party.† Best not to mention the group date plan. â€Å"Why didn't you just call Adrian if you had a question? You called me.† Because being face-to-face with him is less sickening than being around you. â€Å"It was important. And when I couldn't get ahold of you, I figured I'd have to drive over to your place anyway.† Hoping to shift away from my â€Å"bad behavior,† I jumped in and recapped everything that had happened today, including Jill's sun exposure and Micah's attentions. â€Å"Of course she can't date him,† he exclaimed, after I'd explained about Micah. â€Å"You have to put a stop to that.† â€Å"I'm trying. And Adrian and Lee said they'd help.† â€Å"Oh, well, I feel a lot better now.† Keith shook his head. â€Å"Don't be naive, Sydney. I told you. They don't care about this stuff as much as we do.† â€Å"I think they do,† I argued. â€Å"Adrian seemed to get it, and he has a lot of influence over Jill.† â€Å"Well, he's not the one the Alchemists are going to come after and send off to re-education for playing around with vampires when she should be disciplining them.† I could only stare. I wasn't sure which part of what he'd just said was more offensive: the well-worn insinuation that I was a â€Å"vamp lover† or that I was capable of â€Å"disciplining† any of them. I should've known his false friendliness wouldn't last. â€Å"I'm doing my job here,† I said, still keeping my voice level. â€Å"And from what I can see, I'm doing more work than you, since I'm the one who's been putting out fires all week.† I knew it was an illusion, seeing as the glass eye couldn't really stare, but I felt like he was glaring at me with both eyes. â€Å"I'm doing plenty. Don't even think to criticize me.† â€Å"What were you doing here?† I asked, suddenly realizing how weird that was. He'd accused me of â€Å"socializing† but had never explained his motives. â€Å"I had to see Clarence, not that it's any of your business.† I wanted more details but refused to let on how curious I was. He'd been here yesterday too, according to Lee. â€Å"Will you call the school tomorrow and get Jill excused from PE?† Keith gave me a long and heavy look. â€Å"No.† â€Å"What? Why not?† â€Å"Because being out in the sun won't kill her.† Again, I bit down on my anger and tried for the diplomacy I'd been schooled in. â€Å"Keith, you didn't see her. Maybe it won't kill her, but it was miserable for her. She was in agony.† â€Å"I don't really care if they're miserable or not,† Keith said. â€Å"And neither should you. Our job is to keep her alive. There was no mention of making sure she's happy and comfortable.† â€Å"I wouldn't think anyone would have to tell us,† I said, aghast. Why was he so upset? â€Å"I'd think being sensitive human beings, we could just do it.† â€Å"Well, now you can. You can either get someone above us to issue a note to the school or you can give her ice baths after gym class. I really don't care what you do, but maybe it'll keep you busy enough that you'll stop coming over here unannounced and throwing yourself at creatures of darkness. Don't let me hear about this happening again.† â€Å"You are unbelievable,† I said. I was too upset and at a loss for words to manage anything more eloquent. â€Å"I'm looking out for your soul,† he said loftily. â€Å"It's the least I can do for your dad. Too bad you aren't more like your sisters.† Keith turned his back on me and unlocked the car door without another word. He got in and drove off, leaving me staring. Tears threatened my eyes, and I swallowed them back. I felt like an idiot – but not because of his accusations. I didn't believe for an instant that I'd done anything wrong by coming over here. No, I was mad – mad at myself – because I'd let him walk away with the last word and because I hadn't had the nerve to say anything back. I'd stayed silent, just like everyone always told me to. I kicked the gravel in my anger, sending a spray of it into the air. A few small rocks hit my car, and I winced. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Would he accuse you of being evil for talking to an inanimate object?† I spun around, heart racing. Adrian was leaning against the house, smoking. â€Å"Where did you come from?† I demanded. Even though I knew everything there was to know about vampires, it was hard to shake superstitious fears of them appearing out of thin air. â€Å"Other door,† he explained. â€Å"I went out to smoke and overheard the commotion.† â€Å"It's rude to eavesdrop,† I said, knowing I sounded unbearably prim but unable to stop myself. â€Å"It's rude to be an asshole like that.† Adrian nodded toward where Keith had driven away. â€Å"Are you going to be able to get Jill out of class?† I sighed, suddenly feeling tired. â€Å"Yeah, I should be able to. It'll just take a little longer while I get some other Alchemist to be our fake parents. Would've been a lot faster if Keith had done it.† â€Å"Thanks for looking out for her, Sage. You're okay. For a human.† I almost laughed. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"You can say it too, you know.† I walked over to Latte and paused. â€Å"Say what?† â€Å"That I'm okay†¦ for a vampire,† he explained. I shook my head, still smiling. â€Å"You'll have a hard time getting any Alchemist to admit that. But I can say you're okay for an irreverent party boy with occasional moments of brilliance.† â€Å"Brilliant? You think I'm brilliant?† He threw his hands skyward. â€Å"You hear that, world? Sage says I'm brilliant.† â€Å"That's not what I said!† He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out, giving me a devil-may-care grin. â€Å"Thanks for the ego boost. I'm going to go tell Clarence and Lee all about your high opinion.† â€Å"Hey, I didn't – â€Å" But he was already gone. As I drove away, I decided the Alchemists needed an entire department devoted to handling Adrian Ivashkov. When I got back to my dorm room, I found Jill sitting surrounded in textbooks and papers, undoubtedly trying to catch up from yesterday. â€Å"Wow,† I said, thinking of the homework that waited for me too. â€Å"You've got a whole command center set up.† Rather than smile at my joke, Jill looked up with an icy gaze. â€Å"Do you think,† she said, â€Å"that maybe next time you want to mess with my dating life, you could talk to me first?† I was speechless. Adrian had said he'd talk to Jill. I just hadn't realized it'd be so quickly. â€Å"You don't have to go behind my back to keep me away from Micah,† she added. â€Å"I'm not stupid. I know I can't date a human.† So Adrian had apparently told her that much. â€Å"And,† Jill continued, still in that cold tone, â€Å"you don't have to set me up with the only eligible Moroi within a hundred miles in order to keep me out of trouble.† Okay†¦ Adrian had apparently told her everything. I would've expected more discretion from him, especially with the Lee part. â€Å"We†¦ we weren't setting you up,† I said lamely. â€Å"Lee wanted to ask you out anyway.† â€Å"But rather than talk to me, he asked permission from you guys! You don't control my life.† â€Å"I know that,† I said. â€Å"We weren't trying to!† How had this just blown up right in front of me? â€Å"Lee acted on his own.† â€Å"Just like you did when you went to talk to Adrian behind my back.† Her eyes glittered with angry tears, daring me to deny it. I couldn't and only now realized the wrongness of what I'd done. Ever since she found out she was royal, Jill had watched other people dictate her life for her. Maybe my intentions to get Adrian to talk to her about Micah were good, but I'd addressed them in the wrong way. â€Å"You're right,† I said. â€Å"I'm sorry that I – â€Å" â€Å"Forget it,† she said, slipping a pair of headphones on. â€Å"I don't want to hear any more. You made me look stupid in front of both Adrian and Lee. Not that they'll even think twice about me in Los Angeles tonight.† She waved a hand at me and looked down at the book in front of her. â€Å"I'm done with you.† Whether she couldn't hear me because of the music or simply because she'd now chosen to ignore me, I couldn't say. All I knew was that I once again found myself comparing her to Zoe. Just like with Zoe, I'd tried to do something good for Jill, and it had backfired. Just like with Zoe, I'd ended up hurting and humiliating the one I'd tried to protect. Sorry, Sage. Last I checked, you aren't an expert in social matters. That, I thought bitterly, was the saddest part of all – that Adrian Ivashkov was right.