End of Feudalism essays

End of Feudalism essays In Medieval Europe, politics were organized into a religious hierarchy knows as feudalism. This system dominated Europe for many years. Many factors contributed to breakdown of the feudal system. When this order finally ended it was replaced by an era known as the Renaissance, which would lead to modern Europe. Feudalism was based on two main concepts. One was the divine right to rule, where everyone believed that the leader ruled in the power of God. Therefore if someone went against them, then he or she was committing blasphemy and should be put to death. The second concept, known as absolutism, meant that there were no appeals for arguments with the leaders or their decisions. When these concepts began to be questioned and even proven wrong feudalism began to fail. Feudalism ended for many reasons, many of them relating to a change in economy. In order for feudalism to succeed it needed to be in a strictly agricultural society. Therefore its fall began with the rise of commerce. Many things aided commerce in its rise, such as religion. The cathedrals encouraged people, who would not normally leave their home villages, to venture out on pilgrimages. While on these journeys people had to spend money. They needed food and a place to stay, preferably near the cathedrals. From this created cities around the cathedrals. With the cities came trade, commerce, and a business class of people. Under these conditions there was no economic reason for feudalism to continue. This trading encouraged small villages to trade with one another. Eventually people were traveling often and constantly interacting with other villages. This raised the idea of regionalism and eventually nationalism. Along with the trading of money came the sharing of cultu res, art, music, and ideas with the Islamic world, Mongol Empire, and other foreign places. From these cultures Europeans picked up ideas like, the alphabet, and ide...

What Clothes to Bring to College

What Clothes to Bring to College Figuring out what to bring to college is challenging enough before you even start thinking about clothes. (And, lets be honest, its especially challenging if youre a girl.) How can you decide what clothes to bring to college and what to leave at home? While your own fashion sense and clothing needs might differ a bit, there are some guidelines to consider when it comes to bringing clothes to college: Ditch Your High School Garb Dont bring anything that refers to high school or has a high school logo on it. Youll feel like a dork as soon as you realize no one wears anything that has to do  with  high school once they hit college. Bring All the Basics Definitely bring the basics to cover the following: class (jeans, t-shirts, etc.)date/dinner out with friends (guys: nice top/pants, girls: dresses/cute skirts/etc.)something niceguys: not necessarily a suit but a button-down, tie, and nice pantsgirls: little black dress for sure, but leave the prom dress at home Youll need other basics like jackets, sweaters, gym clothes, pajamas, robe (not everyone likes to walk from the bathroom to their room in a little towel), and a swimsuit. Stock Up on Underwear Bring a lot of underwear. This may sound strange, but many students only do laundry when their underwear runs out. Do you want to be doing it every week or every 2 to 3 weeks? Think Seasonally, Not Annually Think about the weather and when youll be seeing your family next. You can always bring summer/fall stuff and then do a clothes swap for winter when you come home a few weeks after classes start, over Thanksgiving  or for the holidays. If you really want to bring everything you wear but dont want to worry about bringing everything you own, focus on what youll wear over the next 6-8 weeks. At that point, you will be better able to gauge what youll want/need/have space for and possibly do a swap as the weather cools down. Pack a Just in Case Box You can always bring what youll need for the next 6 to 8 weeks but leave a just in case box back home, i.e., a box of stuff you may want but arent sure until you know how much space youll have. Then, if you end up wanting it, you can just ask your folks to ship it. You can also use that box for warmer-weather stuff that you can ship as the weather cools down. Pack Light and Save Room for New Stuff Keep in mind, too, that you should err on the side of not bringing too much instead of overdoing it. Once you get to campus, chances are youll sport for a new sweatshirt when theyre on sale in the bookstore, go shopping around town with some friends one weekend, end up with tons of t-shirts from events or clubs on campus, and even swap clothes with other people in your residence hall. Clothes have a tendency of multiplying suddenly on college campuses, so as long as you have some basics with you when you arrive you should be set.

HR0376 - Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

HR0376 - Leadership - Essay Example For 18 years, I have been working as a soldier in the infantry as Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2). Based at Fort George, the Black Watch is the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) (Army 2011). Serving the Black Watch as a Company Sergeant Major, I handle a total of 120 soldiers under my command. To become successful in each of the military mission, the Army as a group needs good leadership. Considering my role and responsibilities as Company Sergeant Major, this report will focus on applying leadership theories, principles and techniques in my chosen profession. Prior to conclusion, factors that make a good leader will be thoroughly discussed. Application of Leadership Theories, Principles and Techniques in My Profession Leadership Definition Unlike the role of managers who are managing business organizations, leadership in military is not about organizational hierarchy, top-down management, or even the use of positional or authoritative power in terms of controll ing a group of soldiers. Likewise, it is a myth that military officers within the army is all about following the chain of command since soldiers who are in the military service treat one another as members of a large family. Even though effective commanders are expected to possess command skills and practice good leadership, the true concept of leadership is not about commanding a group of soldiers who are under the control of the commanders Yukl (2002, p. 2) defined leadership as â€Å"a process whereby intentional influence is exerted by one person over other people to guide, structure, and facilitate activities and relationships in a group or organization†. On the other hand, McNamara (2008) defined leadership as â€Å"a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent†. In relation to these definitions, Taylor, Rosenbach and Rosenbach (2009, p. 1) explained that ef fective leadership â€Å"is all about getting people to work together to make things happen that might not otherwise occur or to prevent things from happening that would ordinarily take place†. It simply means that effective military leaders include those individuals who are capable not only in influencing other soldiers to strictly follow what is being commanded to them but also motivate, inspire and empower a group of soldiers as unique individuals under my guidance. Formal and Informal Leadership Training As defined by Winstanley (2005), â€Å"a team is composed of a social unit or group of people who interact and communicate with each other and are willing to exert effort to seek common goals and objectives†. As a leader, I spend time and effort trying to motivate and inspire my soldiers to become achievers and self-directed. Because of my ability to develop a strong working relationship with them, I can easily work together with my subordinates as a team each time we need to complete a mission. According to Brungardt (1997), leadership can be taught either by receiving formal or informal leadership training. In line with this, formal leadership training program or seminars can be delivered within the four-corners of a classroom or inside an auditorium whereas informal leadership training program includes each person’s decision to read a book about leadership, leadership learned from on-the-job training activities, discussing the importance

Ethical behavior in an organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical behavior in an organization - Essay Example In other words it acts as the road map or set of guidelines to help the firm in acting and conducting itself in a socially and commercially acceptable manner. A well designed code of ethics will help highlight the resources available to achieve various goals set at the personal and corporate levels. A good code of ethics document will inspire confidence in all associates – like suppliers, clients and employees. Equally important is liaising with regulators, which is often overlooked amidst other pressing priorities. It is understood that a regulatory atmosphere conducive to fair and competitive business can help raise ethical standards of all parties involved. It is important that the code of ethics document exhibits a keen awareness of this reality. This would imply foresight and visionary thinking on part of its planners. (Blackburn, 2001) But it is crucial to understand that the entrenched profit-motive of many business organizations make ethical behavior hard to implement. A case in point is the Public Relations industry which offers its services to other manufacturing and service industries. The concept of marketing commodities in a consumer market had long drawn the criticism of ethicists. On a broader perspective, the inherently weak moral imperative of capitalist culture makes this outcome inevitable.

Investment policy statement Essay Example for Free

Investment policy statement Essay Return Requirements: * Tax minimization – a continuing collateral goal * Inflation adjustment enhancement of investments- real growth of capital with possible extra return if possible. Risk Tolerance: * Investment risk – very low risk 1. The Muellers have been managing their own investments and are familiar with risk but may not understand volotiliity completely due to their high portion of volatile stocks within the portfolio 2. Want to provide for their daughter’s college education 3. Very high tax bracket (30% on income and 20% on net realized gains) Constraints: Time Horizon: The Muellers are relatively young and have still a lot of time to work and likely saving for retirement is in their agenda. The main goal is to provide for their daughter’s education and expenses associated with it. This goal would be considered long-term but is relatively short in comparison to possible saving for retirement. Liquidity Requirement: There is an ongoing stream of income available. Their may still be some liquidity needs in order to provide for the expenses of the college education along with life expenses associated with both The Muller’s and their daughter. Taxes: The family is in the highest of brackets. Future investments should take that into account on an indefinite basis. Tax-sheltered investments should be considered and will likely benefit the family more than high yields that are taxable. Legal and Regulatory: The Muellers would like to monitor their own investments, so their investments are generally only governed by state law. Unique Circumstances: Past unsuccessful investments of $100,000 can be used to offset tax distributions on net realized gains. Most important aspect and is unique to the saturation, Incoming expenses of $90,000 for the first year of college and then consistent four more years of $40,000 of college expenses.

Ralph Waldo Emerson :: essays research papers

As one of the most important authors in American history, Ralph Waldo Emerson is well known as the prominent as the leader of the transcendentalism movement. Also a distinguished American essayist and poet, Emerson was the first distinctively American author to influence European thought. Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 25, 1803. Seven of his ancestors were ministers, and his father, William Emerson, was minister of the First Church (Unitarian) of Boston. Emerson graduated from Harvard University at the age of 18 and for the next three years taught school in Boston. In 1825 he entered Harvard Divinity School and in 1826 was â€Å"approbated to preach† by the Middlesex Association of Ministers. Despite ill health, he delivered occasional sermons in churches of the Boston area. In 1829 he became minister of the Second Church (Unitarian) of Boston. In that same year he married Ellen Tucker, who died 17 months later. In 1832 Emerson resigned from his pastoral appointment after declaring that he had ceased to regard the Lord's Supper as a permanent sacrament and could not continue to administer it. On Christmas Day, 1832, he left the U.S. for a tour of Europe and stayed for some time in England, where he made the acquaintance of such literary notabl es as Walter Savage Landor, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Thomas Carlyle, and William Wordsworth. His meeting with Carlyle was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. On his return in 1833, Emerson settled in Concord, Massachusetts, and became active as a lecturer in Boston. His addresses, on such subjects as â€Å"The Philosophy of History,† â€Å"Human Culture,† â€Å"Human Life,† and â€Å"The Present Age,† were based on material in his Journals (published posthumously, 1909-14), a collection of observations and notes that he had begun while a student at Harvard. His most detailed statement of belief was reserved for his first published book, Nature (1836), which appeared anonymously, but was soon correctly attributed to him. The volume received little notice, but it has come to be regarded as Emerson's most original and significant work, offering the essence of his philosophy of transcendentalism. This idealist doctrine opposed the popular materialist and Calvinist views of life and at the same time voiced a plea for freedom of the individual from artificial restraints. The next year Emerson applied these ideas to cultural and intellectual problems in his lecture â€Å"The American Scholar,† delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 22

â€Å"What about Seth?† I asked stiffly. I waited then for the shouts, for the accusations. Any of them would have been understandable. What I didn't expect were tears building up in her eyes. â€Å"I think†¦I think something's wrong. I think he's trying to let me down easy or something.† â€Å"Why would you think that?† I channeled Grace and Mei, keeping my face as still and expressionless as theirs. â€Å"He's just†¦I don't know. He's been so distracted lately.† â€Å"Seth's always distracted. You know how he is with his books.† â€Å"Yeah, I know. And it drives me crazy sometimes.† I remembered her disappointment at Casey's party. â€Å"But this is something different, I can feel it. Only, I don't know what it is. He's not around much, and when he is, it's like he's with me but not with me. He always says nothing's wrong, but it doesn't feel right. And we haven't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Haven't what?† I asked, guessing the answer. A deep pink blush blossomed on her cheeks. â€Å"We haven't been having sex. Each time I even kind of suggest it, he's just not†¦well, he doesn't really seem into it.† Talking about their sex life was one of the most painful conversation topics I could imagine, short of her realizing I was to blame for its problems. So, I kept up with my pokerfaced therapist mode. â€Å"How long has it been going on?† â€Å"About a week.† Yup, that made sense. That was right around the time my stasis had begun. Here I'd been expecting Maddie to come after me, to pick up on one of the covert looks Seth and I had shared. But she hadn't. It had never even crossed her mind to suspect me of anything duplicitous. In fact, she'd come to me for help because I was one of the few people she trusted with something like this. And that made it all the worse when I had to lie to her. In any other situation, I would have advised a friend to take control of her relationship, to corner her man and not be used. And maybe†¦maybe I should have. If I advised her to break up with Seth, that would clear the way for us. Did I want that again? I didn't know. I still wasn't thinking past the day I would turn into a succubus again. I was living irresponsibly, focusing on the now, and continued that here with Maddie. My next words were spoken so winningly, so convincingly that there was no way she could ever think I didn't have her best interests at heart. I might have been relying on my succubus abilities to smooth my hair all this time, but charming and persuading people was a core part of my personality. She never stood a chance. â€Å"A week?† I gave her a gentle smile. â€Å"That's not very long. You can't really base a major crisis on that yet-especially when you consider who you're dealing with. I mean, like you said, you've seen him get so busy with work that he cancels or even forgets things, right?† â€Å"Yeah,† she said, sniffling in a continued attempt to keep back her tears. â€Å"It's just never been like this. I don't know. I've never had a serious relationship. I don't know how it's supposed to work.† â€Å"You guys have only been going out for, like, four months. It takes longer than that to really get to know someone's patterns.† With a pang, I realized she and Seth had dated longer than he and I had. â€Å"This may be one you've got to get used to. He's probably stressed, and sex is the last thing on his mind-as hard as that is to believe. Give him some time. If it keeps happening, then it might be time to worry. But it's too soon now.† I could tell by her face that my words had given her hope. â€Å"Yeah†¦you're probably right. But†¦do you think†¦do you think I'm doing something wrong? Should I do something different? Act differently? Dress sexier?† Oh God. I so did not want to be advising Maddie on how to seduce Seth. â€Å"Well†¦I wouldn't worry about any of that quite yet. Overthinking it'll just stress you out more. Just wait a little bit. If something's on his mind, it may take him some time to work through it.† She'd defeated her tears and now adopted a resolute look. â€Å"Sometimes I don't know if I'm fooling myself, like that I'm just caught up in my first big romance. But, seriously, some days, I feel like I've found the one. Like if he wanted to run off right now, I'd do it.† The love on her face was like a bullet through my heart. â€Å"If something's wrong, I want to help him through it.† â€Å"I know, I know, but you still don't know what ‘it' is. If it's a writing thing, he's got to work it out. If it's something else†¦well, I'm sure he'll come talk about it when he's ready.† Her dark eyes were contemplative, looking at me without seeing me while she processed all of this. â€Å"You're probably right,† she said at last. She gave me a small, rueful smile and shook her head. â€Å"God, I feel kind of stupid. Look at me. Some kind of champion for strong women, huh? Did I mess up my makeup? And oh God, did I really just ask that?† â€Å"No, it's fine. And you're not stupid. Your feelings are normal.† I stood up, needing to get out of here. The room was making me claustrophobic. I had to get away from her, away from her trust. â€Å"I'm going to go do a sweep. They should be opening any minute.† She rose as well and ran a hand over her eyes one last time. â€Å"Yeah, I've got things to do too. Thanks for listening to me.† Before I could open the door, she gave me a small, fierce hug. â€Å"I'm glad you're my friend.† With that, she left to tend to her work. Meanwhile, I wished a hole would open on the floor and swallow me up. I almost wished Nanette would show up and end my misery. Thankfully, I only had two hours until I was meeting Roman. Then I'd be free of this misery and self-loathing that Maddie was unknowingly stirring up in me. But if I'd hoped store business would prove a distraction, I was wrong. A half-hour later, an errand to the caf? ¦ brought me face-to-face with Seth. He sat at a table with his laptop and looked up as though he could sense that I was nearby. He smiled, and my heart raced. I smiled back before I could stop myself. He looked like he wanted me to come over, yet I worried about attracting attention or tipping others off. Of course, it might actually look more suspicious if I didn't talk to him, I realized. Long ago, it was perfectly common for me to stop by and chat with him. No one had ever perceived it as anything more than friendly banter. So, after dropping off some books, I strolled over and sat across from him. â€Å"Hey,† I said, feeling warm under his gaze. â€Å"Hey,† he replied. â€Å"You look beautiful today.† I glanced down and laughed. Along with my limited wardrobe, I was also discovering that not doing laundry decreased my clothing options even further. I was in jeans and a plain black T-shirt today, and my hair had been lucky to get a quick brushing, let alone any real styling. I'd overslept and figured beachcombing didn't require much primping anyway. â€Å"Liar,† I said. â€Å"I practically rolled out of bed this morning.† â€Å"You forget that I've seen you in just about every state imaginable. You don't have to have every detail primped and perfect. You're beautiful even when you're disheveled. Sometimes more so.† â€Å"Hey! Are you saying I'm disheveled now?† â€Å"No, you're somewhere in the middle of primped and disheveled. And you still look beautiful.† I received compliments all the time, but from him, they were golden and wonderful. Even the smallest ones. â€Å"And you,† I said, â€Å"seem to try to be disheveled.† He ran a hand over his slightly messy hair. I think his intent was to smooth it, but he only mussed it further. â€Å"People spend fortunes on hair gel to get this look, you know.† â€Å"And fortunes on shirts like that,† I said, gesturing to his vintage Ovaltine T-shirt. â€Å"There are collectors who'd pay a lot of money for that on eBay.† â€Å"I am one of those people.† I laughed. â€Å"There's a treasure trove of T-shirts waiting for you in Vancouver, you know. I kept seeing them and thinking of you.† With each moment that passed, I fell further and further into that electric, consuming connection between us. Love for him filled me, made me feel complete. Leaving him would have been agonizing just then, and I saw a similar sentiment for me on his face. I'd sat down, feeling guilty and conflicted over Maddie, but once I was with him†¦well, it was selfish and horrible, but I couldn't help but stay. And honestly, it became hard for me to fret too much over her feelings because I was too caught up in my own for him. I wanted him. I wanted him to be mine. I wanted him to love me. And yet, I knew as soon as I left the table, I'd feel bad about her again. There was no way this could end well. â€Å"Do you have any more trips scheduled up there?† He lowered his voice, the flirty look now gone and replaced by concern. â€Å"No, I think I'm done with my international travel. I've just got to figure out things here now†¦or, well, they'll be figured out for me in another day or so. Things are going to return to normal with or without Jerome soon.† His expression grew troubled, and he glanced away from me to stare out the window. We'd both known the inevitable was coming from the beginning, yet neither of us had been able to talk about it then. It looked like we still couldn't talk about it now. There were a million things we should be discussing, but all we could think about was each other. All we wanted was each other. We'd spent so much of our time with boundaries between us that now that there were none, we just wanted to childishly lose ourselves in our longings and not think about the consequences-even though the consequences would be catching up with us any day now. â€Å"Well,† Seth said finally. â€Å"I just hope you stay safe. Are you any closer to finding him?† I hesitated. Roman had told me not to trust anyone. I was pretty sure that Seth wasn't going to go run off to any demons in the area and report what I said. I also suspected, however, that Seth wouldn't be happy to find out Roman was in my life again, no matter how altruistic Roman claimed to be right now. Seth wouldn't trust him. Hell, I didn't trust him. â€Å"I've got a few promising leads,† I said finally. I thought about Grace. â€Å"Some more promising than others†¦I'm just not sure if I can do anything with them.† â€Å"Still traipsing beaches? Do you need me and Kayla again?† â€Å"I thought she had something going on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The look on his face said he would do anything for me. â€Å"Yeah, but if you really needed her, I could try to pull some strings. If you wanted.† Oh, did I. A pleasant, aching yearning gathered in my chest. There was nothing I'd love more than to spend another afternoon with the two of them, even if it was searching for rocks. It had let me indulge in the illusion of being a family. â€Å"No, I'm fine.† Reluctantly, I let the image go. As much as I wanted to be with them again, Roman was the better partner on my hunts now. I would rather put him at risk than Kayla, and anyway, he was more likely to be able to know what to do if we actually found what we were looking for. I glanced at the clock. â€Å"In fact, I need to finish up my work here. My shift's over soon, and I can't be late.† Seth's face was a mixture of worry and disappointment. â€Å"No lunch, huh?† I couldn't be certain, but I suspected lunch with him would have involved both food and sex in some surreptitious location. Damn. I wanted both. Sadly, I shook my head. â€Å"I wish I could†¦but this comes first. I'm sorry.† For half a second, I remembered Maddie in the office, so sad and heartbroken. I even thought about Dante and his compulsive spending. If I had any scrap of morality left in my damned soul, I'd tell Seth that we needed to end this, right now. But like every other time I'd told myself that, I never listened. â€Å"Maybe†¦maybe tonight, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Roman and I would be done searching. Dante might be around, but well†¦I'd deal with that later. I felt confident I could dodge any plans he might want to make. Details like that didn't matter. Only being alone with Seth again did. How could being around him affect me like this? He nodded, as eager as me. â€Å"Call me when you're free.† I started to joke that I'd never be free, but that wasn't what he'd meant. Standing up, I hoped I looked like I was leaving a platonic conversation and that I wasn't actually struggling with the temptation to kiss him good-bye. We stared at each other for a few heavy moments, and with his eyes, Seth said a million things, both sweet and indecent. Walking away, I was certain that anyone who'd seen us would instantly realize what was going on-but no one seemed to be paying attention to us. My shift wound down rapidly after that, and as I walked home afterward, I heard invisible footsteps walking along with me. â€Å"I know you're there,† I said under my breath. I didn't want anyone thinking I was crazy. â€Å"Glad to see your voyeur ways haven't changed.† My car was parked behind my building today, and as I rounded the corner onto a quiet block, Roman materialized beside me. He looked gorgeous, smug, and dangerous. The usual. â€Å"I hope you had an entertaining time following me around.† I took my keys out. â€Å"You should be a reality show,† he said. â€Å"It's that good. And you know, I might be a totally unstable former assassin, but man. You manage to shock even me.† â€Å"Oh, be quiet,† I snapped. I unlocked the car doors and slid into the driver's side. â€Å"Your snarky commentary is neither wanted nor appreciated.† â€Å"It's not commentary. It's me thinking aloud. It has nothing to do with you, really, nor does it require any response on your part.† â€Å"This is it, isn't it?† I asked, pulling out of the parking spot. â€Å"This is why you aren't going to kill me. You're going to just torture me for the rest of eternity. Long suffering, right?† He grinned, flashing perfect white teeth against his tanned skin. It triggered a memory in me, how I'd once found that so attractive. Now, though, my fear and unease blocked any sort of desire. â€Å"I suppose that's one way of looking at it. And besides, don't act like there isn't some part of you that secretly enjoys playing this eternally woeful, tormented role. If you were happy, you wouldn't know what to do with yourself.† â€Å"That's not true.† I was surprised to feel myself blushing. â€Å"Stop trying to fuck with me.† â€Å"I'm just intrigued, that's all. You wear this mask of moral superiority. So does Mortensen. Yet, here you two are, sneaking around.† â€Å"You don't understand. We're in love.† The wry look Roman gave me immediately made me regret my words. â€Å"Oh, I understand. Believe me, I do.† I kept my eyes on the road. He had once told me he loved me, and I'd thrown it back in his face. â€Å"If you guys were so in love, why'd you break up in the first place? You were fawning all over each other the last time I saw you.† â€Å"For a lot of reasons,† I mused. â€Å"It's complicated.† â€Å"It always is.† I sighed. Edmonds was about twenty five minutes away. This was going to be a long drive. â€Å"Well, not that it's any of your business, but I mean, there were a lot of things going on. We were having communication problems, for one thing.† â€Å"How terribly mundane.† â€Å"And I was starting to freak out-you know, about how he could die. I didn't think I could handle that.† I waited for Roman's snide response to that, but there was none. â€Å"And, of course†¦I mean, there was always sex. I wouldn't do it. I couldn't stand the thought of stealing part of his life away. Our love wasn't dependent on sex†¦but well, it still muddled things up.† â€Å"And now you have no problem with sex.† â€Å"Because I can't hurt him now! Look, I can't help the timing-or the fact that we still care about each other.† â€Å"Or the fact that each of you have significant others.† Now I stayed silent. Roman tipped his head back against the seat thoughtfully. â€Å"In all my observations this week, I've got to admit, I like Maddie.† â€Å"I like her too,† I said quietly. â€Å"But that guy you're dating? Well, I think you can do better.† â€Å"I'm almost starting to wish you'd kill me.† â€Å"Oh, I've thought about it,† he said. To my dismay, the joking was gone from his voice. Again, I refused to look at him. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦about Helena. I never meant for that to happen.† Roman gave a laugh that sounded like it choked him. â€Å"Oh? What did you think would happen, then? A slap on the wrist? I survived it, and I was still in pretty bad shape.† â€Å"You said you were going to kill Carter. And I didn't know who else you'd go after,† I said quietly. â€Å"I didn't know what else to do. There was no easy option for me.† â€Å"There would have been if you'd really loved me like you said you did,† he replied bitterly. â€Å"And I told you I'd leave the rest of them alone.† â€Å"It was too late when you told me that. By then, I'd already called for help.† I didn't add that in a way, I really had loved him. It had been different from the way I loved Seth, but it had been love nonetheless. â€Å"Well, whatever. It's not relevant now. Finding Jerome is what's important.† Out of the side of my eye, I saw him study my profile. â€Å"Of course, I'm surprised you've been so eager†¦it's going to put an end to your little affair.† â€Å"It's going to come to an end anyway. I'd rather have Jerome in my life afterward than some other demon.† In my mind, I could see Seth's kind eyes and gentle smile. I could almost feel the way his hands touched my body. â€Å"I'll have the memories, at least. They'll stay with me.† â€Å"Memories.† Roman shook his head. â€Å"How the hell can someone who fucks random men for a living be such a romantic idiot?† I didn't answer that, and the rest of our drive contained little conversation. The place we were going to in Edmonds was another park. Funny, I thought, that humans kept sectioning off these magical places and preserving them. I wondered if they sensed that power on some inherent level. I'd read up a little on this park and how it had some significance to Native Americans in the area. Surely that was promising. It was a small beach flanked by a woodsy area with picnic tables. Children ran around while their mothers watched. â€Å"This place isn't very strong,† said Roman, once we were out of the car. â€Å"There's a little magic in the earth but not much. I can't imagine they'd hide Jerome here-they'd want a lot more to mask it.† I refused to let that drag me down. â€Å"We have to look. We don't know anything for sure.† The park wasn't huge. I suspected it would take us less time to search it than it would to drive back. Just as we'd stepped out of the parking lot, my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number. â€Å"Go on without me,† I told Roman. When I answered, the voice was no one I recognized. â€Å"Is this Letha, also known as Georgina Kincaid?† I grimaced. Only high-up hellish employees called me by my original name. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"This is Ephraim, from Internal Affairs.† The demon's voice was clipped and hurried, giving the impression that I was the one who'd called him and interrupted something. I found it amusing that he'd called me rather than speak in person. More efficient, I guessed. I sat down at a picnic table. â€Å"What can I do for you?† â€Å"Nothing, I'm sure. But I've been instructed to interview all lesser immortals in the area about The Jerome Situation.† I could hear the capitalized letters in his voice, kind of like The Manhattan Project. â€Å"First, I'd like to know where you were when Jerome disappeared.† â€Å"On my way to Canada. Jerome had been lending me out to help Cedric.† There was a moment's pause. â€Å"My records say that Cedric was in Seattle when Jerome disappeared.† â€Å"Well, when I left, Cedric was still up there, yeah. But then when the Army of Darkness did their thing on the Space Needle, I called Cedric because I figured he'd want to know. I thought that was when he came down here.† â€Å"Did you say Army of Darkness?† â€Å"Um, yeah. It's this cult in Vancouver that was doing embarrassing things.† â€Å"Ah. The ones with the spray paint.† â€Å"Yup. I'd been helping Cedric with them, and when he heard they were down here, I guess he came to talk to Jerome and do some damage control so Jerome wouldn't think he'd sent them.† â€Å"Your information's incorrect. Cedric never met with Jerome.† â€Å"What?† I frowned, thinking back to my conversation with Kristin. I'd asked if Cedric had come to talk to Jerome, and while she'd confirmed that he'd been down here, she hadn't mentioned them actually speaking. â€Å"When Cedric came, Jerome was already missing. He and Mei attempted to find him, and when the lesser immortals began showing the effects of the summoning, we knew what had happened.† Ephraim's words were still brisk. Clearly, he had no interest in discussing what he already knew. I was close to something here-so, so close. Had Jerome been summoned before Cedric arrived? That would rule him out as the summoner. Of course, if Ephraim had received his information from Cedric, then it could have been a lie. Maybe Cedric was being framed. Maybe he'd actually been here the exact moment Jerome was summoned. Mentioning Mei meant that she had probably corroborated Cedric's story. Which meant what, exactly? Was she in on this too? I knew Grace was involved already. It was possible Mei and Cedric were working with her, but that meant three demons were in the conspiracy now. There was only one reward in Seattle, and I couldn't see how they'd all benefit. Getting a large group of demons to organize was hard. Getting them to do it when it offered no advantage for all of them? Impossible. Ephraim was eager to get back on track. He asked me a few more questions about Jerome's disappearance and a bit about my day-to-day affairs. He never asked for my opinion about who should replace Jerome or what I thought of other demons. That wasn't particularly surprising, however. As my friends and I had discussed, our input probably wouldn't play a large role here. I hung up and went to find Roman. I expected him to have practically finished the search, but instead, I found him playing ball with some kids over in a clearing near the trees. They were pretty little, and there wasn't much to the game. Mostly everyone stood in a circle and tossed the ball back and forth. Roman's throws were gentle and carefully aimed so as to make it easy for the kids to catch the ball. I stood off to the side, watching them in wonder. He actually seemed pretty into it, and the oddity of a sociopathic half-angelic bastard playing with small children wasn't lost on me. Roman caught sight of me watching them and tossed the ball over to a little girl. He left the circle to approach me, much to the dismay of the kids left behind. They entreated him to stay, but he merely waved and told them he had to go. â€Å"Maybe we can come back later,† he said jovially. â€Å"I can't decide if that was cute or creepy,† I told him. â€Å"Maybe a little of both.† â€Å"Why creepy? I only kill immortal beings. Not kids.† â€Å"The fact that you just said all that with a straight face is proof enough.† I gestured around. â€Å"Did you check this place out?† â€Å"Nope. Didn't want to steal the fun from you. Who was on the phone?† We started walking along the beach, and I recapped what Ephraim had told me. â€Å"I almost told him what I knew about Grace,† I admitted. â€Å"No, better that you didn't,† said Roman. â€Å"We still need more information.† â€Å"We're running out of time,† I grumbled. â€Å"There's not much more info we can get. And there's something there†¦something weird about the day Jerome was summoned. I just can't-† I froze, staring off down the beach. â€Å"Roman. Look.† He followed my gaze. There, near a trash can, was a patch of small, rough rocks mixed in with the sand. Gray and white. I ran off down the beach, ignoring the sand filling my shoes. Holy shit. After all these fruitless searches, after relying on all these sketchy half-assed clues, we'd actually found something. We'd found Jerome, and not a moment too soon. Ignoring the looks of some startled kids, I knelt down near the rocks and began pushing them aside, digging through the sand. I realized then I should have brought a spade or something. A few moments later, Roman arrived and stood over me. â€Å"Well, what are you doing?† I demanded. â€Å"Help me.† â€Å"He's not here, Georgina.† â€Å"He has to be! We're near salt water. There's sand. There's white stones. For the rest of the seal's camouflage to work, he's buried here somewhere.† â€Å"I can't sense anything. He's not here.† The rocks were cutting my hands as I dug, and I felt tears stinging my eyes. Until that moment, I didn't realize just how horribly and truly afraid I'd been of Jerome not returning. My time as a succubus had been filled with upheaval. I liked the small piece of tranquility I'd carved out here in Seattle. I didn't want that to change. I couldn't let it change, not after everything else I'd been through recently. â€Å"The whole point of the seal imprinting its magic was to mask Jerome's prison! Of course you wouldn't feel it.† â€Å"The seal hides it from anyone not actively seeking it. I am, and I'm telling you it's not here.† â€Å"Maybe it's because you're not strong enough.† With a sigh, Roman knelt down behind me. â€Å"Georgina, stop.† â€Å"Damn it! He has to be here!† Roman reached from behind me and grabbed my arms. I struggled, but he was too strong. â€Å"Georgina, enough. Jerome isn't here. The only thing unusual about this spot is the smell from the garbage can. I'm sorry.† I struggled against him a little bit more and finally gave up. Apparently feeling certain I wouldn't fight anymore, Roman released me. I turned and looked at him, swallowing back my tears. â€Å"This was our last chance,† I said softly. â€Å"We don't have any time left.† Roman studied me with his sea-green eyes. I saw no anger or threat on his face, only compassion. â€Å"I'm sorry. And you don't know for sure that it's too late.† â€Å"Ephraim will finish his assessment anytime now. And where are we going to go next? The Olympic Peninsula? Wenatchee? Hitting places at random was one thing when they were in our backyard. These others are too far away. We choose the wrong one, and that's it. Game over. We won't have time for anything else.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† he repeated. From his face, I could see that he spoke the truth. â€Å"I want to find him as much as you do.† I stared beyond him out at the blue-gray water and the circling gulls. â€Å"Why? Why do you want to find someone who tried to kill you?† Roman smiled. â€Å"Why do you cling to a romantic ideal when everything in your life has pretty much shown you that it's impossible?† I think he'd spoken rhetorically and seemed surprised when I dragged my eyes from the water to look at him and answer. â€Å"Because of a dream.† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"What dream?† I took a deep breath, and like that, the images flashed through my mind, just as vivid and real as they'd been the first time. â€Å"Awhile ago†¦Nyx was here.† He looked startled. â€Å"What, the mother of time and chaos?† â€Å"Yeah. Long story.† â€Å"What is it about this city?† â€Å"Beats me. Anyway, she was preying on my energy and distracting me by sending me these dreams. They were so real, Roman. You can't even imagine.† My voice was small as I spoke. â€Å"I was washing dishes in a kitchen, and ‘Sweet Home Alabama' was playing. In the other room, there was this little girl sitting on a blanket. She hurt herself, and I came in there to comfort her. She was maybe two or three, and she was mine . My daughter. Not someone else's. Not adopted. The daughter of my body. Aubrey was there too and this tortie and-â€Å" â€Å"A what?† â€Å"A tortie. A tortoiseshell cat.† I waited, but his expression was still blank. â€Å"It's like a calico, but without any white. Just brown and orange patches. How can you be millennia old and not know that?† â€Å"Because I don't subscribe to Cat Fancy magazine. And I can't believe you remember things like cat breed and background music.† â€Å"It was so real,† I said quietly. â€Å"More real than my own life. I remember everything.† Whatever snarky retort was on his lips disappeared, and he turned serious again. â€Å"I'm sorry I interrupted. So, what happened then? With you, the girl, and the cattery?† â€Å"We were just all there together, warm and happy. Then a car pulled up outside, and I carried the girl out to look. A man was getting out, and he was the one . My lover, my husband, her father. The one my life centered around.† â€Å"Who was he?† Roman asked, face intent. I shook my head. â€Å"I don't know. I couldn't see his face. It was dark out, and it was snowing. I just know that I loved him, and that he and the girl completed my life.† Roman didn't answer right away as he turned my words over. â€Å"But it was a dream.† â€Å"I don't know. Nyx can show the future†¦she showed others theirs. She claimed this was mine, but it's impossible. I can't have any of that. And yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦and yet, you secretly hope it might be true.† â€Å"Yeah. And when this whole stasis thing happened, I thought maybe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again, Roman completed my words. â€Å"†¦maybe it could be true. After all, you could suddenly touch Seth. Maybe you could have a kid too?† He'd guessed my secret hope. â€Å"I didn't know. I still don't. Maybe I can get pregnant. I mean, my body is kinda sorta human, right?† â€Å"Yes. But not enough. I don't know every detail of this whole demonic hierarchy and the way they channel their powers, but I know you can't have kids. Even if you seem human, you're still immortal. You still belong to Hell. I'm sorry.† I held his eyes for a moment and then looked down. â€Å"Well. I guess I can't really be surprised by that, huh? And I have no reason to trust Nyx anyway. Not after what she did.† There it was. No kids. Another piece of the dream had slipped away from me. All I had left was the faceless man, the man I wanted to be Seth, and even that seemed unlikely now. Roman tugged me up. â€Å"Come on. Let's head back before the rain comes. We'll get some ice cream. Maybe that'll cheer you up.† â€Å"I'm not really sure ice cream can fix my failed hopes and dreams or an impending demonic takeover.† â€Å"Probably not. But it'll help.†

Between Language Art and Language Play

The two articles delve into the contemporary debate of same sex union. The first one presents the conservative orthodox view of the Catholic faith on same sex union while the second article presents an unorthodox view which is more liberal and accepting. Both article advocate a stand on the same issue and aims to spread the good news of their stand. The two articles tackle the issue of same sex union by giving their own definition of marriage.The orthodox view argues that marriage, as instituted by God, is a faithful, exclusive, lifelong union of a man and a woman joined in an intimate community of life and love and that same sex union is an altogether different thing from marriage since it does not fit the definition. They say that it is not based on the natural complementarity of male and female; it cannot cooperate with God to create new life; and the natural purpose of sexual union cannot be achieved by a same-sex union.The liberal view points otherwise saying that Marriage can b e defined as the unique and special form of committed friendship and this does not say that the persons have to be heterosexually attracted, thus people of the same sex can still be married. This contrasting view is an interesting point for further comparison and contrasting. Both authors use the bible as their authoritative source of arguments. The USCCB in sum claims that what is right is what is written in the bible, Prof.Maguire on his part claims that the bible as a historical account is not an account of what is right, it sometimes contain accounts which recommends what should not be done as depicted by the lesson of particular stories like in the stories about slavery. The liberal view purports that many Catholic theologians agree now with Protestant and Jewish theologians that same sex unions can be moral, healthy, and holy and that many Catholic people are living in same sex unions and adopting children and still practicing their Catholic faith however .While the USCCB cont inues to campaign against the equation of same sex unions to marriage and urges followers to keep their opinions in line with the teachings of their faith and of the bible. While using almost the same source, the bible and the interpretation of the word of God, both authors argue in different directions both of which does not directly rebut each other.

Doing Business in Vietnam Essays

Doing Business in Vietnam Essays Doing Business in Vietnam Essay Doing Business in Vietnam Essay Vietnam has had an impressive economic growing over the last two decennaries and continues to turn quickly. Over a short period of clip Vietnam has gone from a hungering state to a major exporter of agricultural goods. Today Vietnam is considered one of the most unfastened economic systems in the universe. with entire import and export value matching to approximately 160 per centum of GDP. In 2007 Vietnam joined WTO and since so legion reforms have helped the investing clime better significantly. ensuing in a turning influx of foreign investings and companies. For foreign investors Vietnam has chiefly been. and continues to be. an attractive pick for set uping labour intensive. low-technology production. However. as the income degrees addition and the consumer behavior alterations. it has become more common to set up concerns orientated towards selling goods on the Vietnamese market. Many companies describe Vietnam as a good complement to the place market. with turning potencies offered by a really immature. dynamic population. It is described as inexpensive to set up new trade names and commerce is still comparatively immature. Advice for get downing a concern in Vietnam. One of the chief jobs for concerns in Vietnam is troubles with predictability. transparence and lucidity in footings of ordinances and dealingss with public governments. The spreads between statute law. execution and enforcement are large in Vietnam. Get downing a company is associated with some disposal ( several signifiers and processs ) and besides associated with strategic considerations in footings of the legal signifier of the company ( e. g. joint stock company. representative office etc ) . So. the first advice is Be prepared to pass a batch of clip taking attention of administrative processs ( e. g. different signifiers. contracts and licences ) . it means: * Try to acquire a good overview of the different ministries. governments and sections you are likely to be in touch with within your concern country. * Make certain to hold person with good webs on the relevant province disposal degree. whom you can confer with on these issues The 2nd advice: Make a throughout research o n Human Resource in Viet Nam. Human resource issues are frequently described as the most hard country when making concern in Vietnam. This is chiefly because of different civilizations. The employee turnover is by and large high in Vietnam. It is hence of import to supply the employees with grounds to remain in the company. Most companies stress the importance of puting in the employees. One of the keys to concern success in Vietnam is understanding that local imposts and behaviors have a important consequence on concern relationships. which means paying more money do non maintain your employees. understand and being friend with them do. The 3rd advice related to Export/Import affair. The Vietnamese authorities has shown itself committed to implement the WTO committednesss. As a consequence. trade ordinances are softening up easy. However. when inexperient. trading can be a hard country in Vietnam. As there are no extended ushers or manuals to trading and no kicking mechanisms at the usage offices. Efficient trading ( import/export ) is frequently a affair of learning-by-doing. Problems can to big extent be avoided by making thorough research on ordinances. in order to guarantee that all paperss are in order and all Torahs are followed.

The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908

The Mysterious Tunguska Explosion of 1908 At 7:14 a.m. on June 30, 1908, a giant explosion shook central Siberia. Witnesses close to the event described seeing a fireball in the sky, as bright and hot as another sun. Millions of trees fell and the ground shook. Although a number of scientists investigated, it is still a mystery as to what caused the explosion. The Blast The explosion is estimated to have created the effects of a magnitude 5.0 earthquake, causing buildings to shake, windows to break, and people to be knocked off their feet even at 40 miles away. The blast, centered in a desolate and forested area near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia, is estimated to have been a thousand times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The explosion leveled an estimated 80 million trees over an 830 square-mile area in a radial pattern from the blast zone. Dust from the explosion hovered over Europe, reflecting light that was bright enough for Londoners to read at night by it. While many animals were killed in the blast, including hundreds of local reindeer, it is believed that no humans lost their lives in the blast.   Examining the Blast Area The blast zones remote location and the intrusion of worldly affairs (World War I and the Russian Revolution) meant that it wasnt until 1927 19 years after the event that the first scientific expedition was able to examine the blast area. Assuming that the blast had been caused by a falling meteor, the expedition expected to find a huge crater as well as pieces of the meteorite. They found neither. Later expeditions were also unable to find credible evidence to prove the blast was caused by a falling meteor. Cause Of the Explosion In the decades since this huge explosion, scientists and others have attempted to explain the cause of the mysterious Tunguska Event. The most commonly accepted scientific explanation is that either a meteor or a comet entered the Earths atmosphere and exploded a couple of miles above the ground (this explains the lack of impact crater). To cause such a large blast, some scientists determined that the meteor would have weighed around 220 million pounds (110,000 tons) and traveled approximately 33,500 miles per hour before disintegrating. Other scientists say that the meteor would have been much larger, while still others say much smaller. Additional explanations have ranged from the possible to the ludicrous, including a natural gas leak escaped from the ground and exploded, a UFO spaceship crashed, the effects of a meteor destroyed by a UFOs laser in an attempt to save Earth, a black hole that touched Earth, and an explosion caused by scientific tests done by Nikola Tesla. Still a Mystery Over a hundred years later, the Tunguska Event remains a mystery and its causes continue to be debated. The possibility that the blast was caused by a comet or meteor entering the Earths atmosphere creates additional worry. If one meteor could cause this much damage, then there is a serious possibility that in the future, a similar meteor could enter Earths atmosphere and rather than landing in remote Siberia, land on a populated area. The result would be catastrophic.

Exercise in Women with Heart Failure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exercise in Women with Heart Failure - Essay Example A study mentioned by Oka, Demarco & Haskell in 1999 mentioned a study which examined the relationship between observed physical condition, fitness and the levels of activity in 32 men and 8 women. It was observed that higher oxygen uptake occurred with increased self efficacy for stair climbing and increased participation in recreational activity. In the aerobic and resistance acquiring program that was based at home no physical gains were reported in peak oxygen consumption even after the study of 3 months period. But the same studies did not concentrate a maximum on women with HF. Design: The study used a controlled two group experimental method with randomization. Measures were recorded during a 2 week period before the randomization of group Investigators visited homes of the women during randomization. At the end of 12 week period T2 measures were recorded. 32 women participants were made to enter into the study. Half of them were selected in random for combined walking along with education program. The remaining half were selected in random for educatin program only. ... The adherence to the guidelines is 85 percent in first group and 83 percent in the second group. The depression levels were also measured and observed that 40 percent of the women in both the groups observed depression. The main outcome is that the women participated in the walking programs were capable to increase their self efficacy. Those who adhered to the walking guidelines even walked for farther distances in six minute walk test after improved quality of life. But the women with debilitating physical condition did not get that QOL by adhering to walking test guide lines. In another analysis of 52 people who are training trials with a 12 week period demonstrated increase in HDL -C levels. Exercise trial regarding health, risk factors, exercise training and Hereditary study were conducted more carefully. This study even addressed the effect of exercise in persons with lipid problems. 2674 participants with 44 randomized trials were studied and the effect of exercise on resting blood pressure was studied. 1.8mm HG reduction of diastolic blood pressure was observed against 2.4mm Hg reduction which indicates that the exercise will enhance self efficacy. It was observed that the intensity of training, the amount of blood pressure reduction have no relationship between them. This suggests that the dose response curve will be flat if it is plotted between exercise timing for corresponding blood pressure. References: The references were given in the following format Name of the author, year of publication, title, publisher or sponsor, edition information, type of media, date retrieved, website address. In the above mentioned details except website address the other details were given on availability. 1. Author not mentioned, 2006,

Methods of Raise Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Methods of Raise Capital - Essay Example Bonds are the best way to raise capital of large companies. Roughly about 25% of the capital comes through bonds. Companies get benefit greatly from the issuance of bonds because investors pay a lower interest rate than the rates of other types of borrowing. Also, because the interest paid on bonds is exempted from business taxes. Therefore, companies must make interest payments even if profits do not appear. If there is doubt from investors that the company does not have the capability to meet the obligations of interest, or it could refuse to buy bonds or that the demand for interest rate will be higher to compensate them for their increased risk. (U.S.Department, 2009). One of the most common methods of raising capital is through bonds , where we define bonds are loans made to governments and institutions by investors as the investor get a specific interest rate because he invests his money in good investment idea. In return, the borrower gets the money it needed, also the investo r gets the original amount invested (the principal amount or value of the bond issue) and can issue bonds for a long period of up to 20 and 30 years. Bonds are classified according to their quality bonds or prospects for reimbursement. Bonds do not usually find the same attention, such as equity from investors and the media. Since the bonds offer many advantages better than stock. In addition, safety of bonds is over stocks and more confident. (Mohammed, 2005). There are many companies planning to raise their capital. For example, Lloyds Bank announced that it will raise the bank's capital to 7.5 billion pounds, through the exchange of bonds. (Glover, 2009). The bond market can be divided into three parts: Domestic bonds: Shall be handled through the local currency and it is issued by domestic borrowers. Foreign bonds: Shall be handled by the local currency and is also trading in the domestic market but issued from foreign borrower and always common on the comprehensive follow-up of power. Eurobonds: Eurobonds is underwriting by multinational banks and these bonds are not taken by the trading in all markets and specific national or local markets, these bonds are currently has role in the production of some of the major currencies and some small currencies. There are many types of bonds are offered in the market. These bonds can be dividing it as follows: Straight bonds: Can be called fixed-income securities as they have a fixed price and are paid on time. Bonds paid in part: These bonds the same straight bonds, but there is a difference that the investor must pay a certain portion of the capital from 0 to 33 on the closing date and paid the remaining of the capital after 6 months. Zero-coupon bond: These bonds also the same straight bonds, but the difference is that it does not have a fixed time for the payment of benefits, but there is a problem in high-value discounts and must pay the original amou