The Know-Nothing Party Opposed Immigration to America

The Know-Nothing Party Opposed Immigration to America Of all the American political parties in existence in the 19th century, perhaps none generated more controversy than the Know-Nothing Party, or the Know-Nothings. Officially known as the American Party, it originally emerged from secret societies organized to violently oppose immigration to America. Its shadowy beginnings, and popular nickname, meant it would eventually go down  in history as something of a joke. Yet in their time, the Know-Nothings made their dangerous presence known- and no one was laughing. The party unsuccessfully ran candidates for president, including, in one disastrous effort, former president Millard Fillmore. While the party failed at the national level, in local races the anti-immigrant message was often very popular. Adherents to the Know-Nothings strident message also served in Congress and at various local levels of government. Nativism in America As immigration from Europe increased in the early 1800s, citizens who had been born in the United States began to feel resentment at the new arrivals. Those opposed to immigrants became known as nativists. Violent encounters between immigrants and native-born Americans would occasionally occur in American cities in the 1830s and early 1840s. In July 1844, riots broke out in the city of Philadelphia. Nativists battled Irish immigrants, and two Catholic churches and a Catholic school were burned by mobs. At least 20 people were killed in the mayhem. In New York City, Archbishop John Hughes called upon the Irish to defend the original St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Mott Street. Irish parishioners, rumored to be heavily armed, occupied the churchyard, and the anti-immigrant mobs that had paraded in the city were scared off from attacking the cathedral. No Catholic churches were burned in New York. The catalyst for this upsurge in the nativist movement was an increase in immigration in the 1840s, especially the great numbers of Irish immigrants who flooded East Coast cities during the years of the Great Famine in the late 1840s. The  fear at the time sounded much like fears expressed about immigrants today: outsiders will come in and take jobs or perhaps even seize political power. Emergence of the Know-Nothing Party Several small political parties espousing nativist doctrine existed in the early 1800s, among them the American Republican Party and the Nativist Party. At the same time, secret societies, such as the Order of United Americans and the Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, sprang up in American cities. Their members were sworn to keep immigrants out of America, or at least to keep them segregated from mainstream society once they arrived. Members of established political parties were at times baffled by these organizations, as their leaders would not publicly reveal themselves. And members, when asked about the organizations, were instructed to answer, â€Å"I know nothing.† Hence, the nickname for the political party that grew out of these organizations, the American Party, formed in 1849. Know-Nothing Followers The Know-Nothings and their anti-immigrant and anti-Irish fervor became a popular movement for a time. Lithographs sold in the 1850s depict a young man described in a caption as Uncle Sams Youngest Son, Citizen Know Nothing. The Library of Congress, which holds a copy of such a print, describes it by noting the portrait is representing the nativist ideal of the Know Nothing Party. Many Americans, of course, were appalled by the Know-Nothings. Abraham Lincoln expressed his own disgust with the political party in a letter written in 1855. Lincoln noted that if the Know-Nothings ever took power, the Declaration of Independence would have to be amended to say that all men are created equal except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics. Lincoln went on to say he would rather emigrate to Russia, where despotism is out in the open, than live in such an America. The Partys Platform The basic premise of the party was a strong, if not virulent, stand against immigration and immigrants. Know-Nothing candidates had to be born in the United States. And there was also a concerted effort to agitate to change the laws so that only immigrants who had lived in the U.S. for 25 years could become citizens. Such a lengthy residency requirement for citizenship had a deliberate purpose: it would mean that recent arrivals, especially the Irish Catholics coming to the U.S. in great numbers, would not be able to vote for many years. Performance in Elections The Know-Nothings organized nationally throughout the early 1850s, under the leadership of James W. Barker, a New York City merchant and political leader. They ran candidates for office in 1854, and had some success in local elections in the northeast. In New York City, a notorious bare-knuckles boxer named Bill Poole, also known as Bill the Butcher, led gangs of enforcers who would fan out on election days, intimidating voters.   In 1856 former president Millard Fillmore ran as the Know-Nothing candidate for president. The campaign was a disaster. Fillmore, who had originally been a Whig, refused to subscribe to the Know-Nothing’s obvious prejudice against Catholics and immigrants. His stumbling campaign ended, not surprisingly, in a crushing defeat (James Buchanan won on the Democratic ticket, beating Fillmore as well as Republican candidate John C. Fremont). End of the Party In the mid-1850s, the American Party, which had been neutral on the slavery issue, came to align itself with the pro-slavery position. As the power base of Know-Nothings was in the northeast, that proved to be the wrong position to take. The stance on slavery probably hastened the decline of the Know-Nothings. In 1855, Poole, the partys main enforcer, was shot in a barroom confrontation by a rival from another political faction. He lingered for nearly two weeks before dying, and  tens of thousands of spectators gathered as his body was carried through the streets of lower Manhattan during his funeral. Despite such shows of public support, the party was fracturing. According to an  1869 obituary of Know-Nothing leader James W. Barker in the New York Times, Barker had essentially left the party in the late 1850s and threw his support behind Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln in the election of 1860.  By 1860, the Know-Nothings Party was essentially a relic, and it  joined the list of  extinct political parties  in America. Legacy   The nativist movement in America did not begin with the Know-Nothings, and it certainly didn’t end with them. Prejudice against new immigrants continued throughout the 19th century. And, of course, it has never ended completely.

5 Action Verbs That Will Energize Your Resume

5 Action Verbs That Will Energize Your Resume For a long time, conventional wisdom held that resumes should be super-templated, super-formal affairs, complete with stiff language that no one would use in actual conversation:  I was responsible weekly for the procurement of sales figures and expenditure reports. These days, things have gotten less formal in general, and with so many distractions, people look for attention-grabbing words and concepts. Resumes are no different in that respect. The easiest way to make your resume more exciting and engaging is to redo the verbs. Specifically, using strong action verbs is the way to go.Your resume probably already has plenty of verbs like â€Å"managed,† â€Å"was responsible for,† â€Å"innovated,† or â€Å"communicated.† All of these are totally legitimate verbs- they’re also totally overused in the job sphere. Anyone who reviews resumes sees these same words over and over, every day. If you want to stand out from the pile of other communicating innovative managers, you can start by choosing other verbs that convey the same concepts, but in a more interesting way. These verbs are known as â€Å"action verbs,† and when placed strategically, they can re-energize your whole resume.1. Managing verbsIf you’re looking to show your leadership skills, consider using words like, â€Å"orchestrated,† â€Å"spear-headed,† â€Å"headed,† or â€Å"developed.†2. Problem-solving verbsSkip verbs like â€Å"saved† or â€Å"improved.† Show, don’t tell, with words like, â€Å"resolved,† â€Å"negotiated,† â€Å"strengthened,† â€Å"revamped,† or â€Å"enhanced.†3. Serving verbsIf you’re trying to convey your client skills, avoid â€Å"supported† or â€Å"dealt with.† Instead, use â€Å"facilitated,† â€Å"enabled,† â€Å"mediated,† â€Å"bridged,† or, if you’re feeling fancy, â€Å"liaised with.†4. Communicating verbsHere, the basics like â€Å"wrote,† â€Å"spoke,† or â€Å"communicated† are old hat. Try varieties like â€Å"corresponded,† â€Å"lobbied,† â€Å"publicized,† or â€Å"synthesized.†5. Innovating verbsEveryone’s an innovator these days, so try to find a different way to approach â€Å"organized† or â€Å"streamlined.† Instead, you could say â€Å"integrated,† â€Å"modified,† â€Å"updated,† â€Å"revamped,† â€Å"transformed,† or â€Å"remodeled.†You don’t need to go through and replace all the verbs in your resume, just for the sake of doing it. Rather, review what you already have, and at each verb you come to, ask if there’s a clearer or more exciting way to frame that bullet point. You want to show movement in your history (accomplishment! Action! Romance! Maybe not the last one). Find the words to show how you’r e a do-er extraordinaire, and that may vault your doc to the top of the list.

Market Entry Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Market Entry Project - Research Paper Example Considering this strategy in mind Target has planned to expand in the market of their neighboring country Mexico. We choose to enter Mexico, with the idea to expand our business base obviously, to cater to their competitor Wal-Mart who is doing great business in Mexico by providing the experience of ‘Like shopping in the US’ (Luhnow, David), with similar purchasing trends observed in US, Low Land and Central Mexico it was easy to understand consumer’s psychology (Portilla, Fabiola de la), people in Pacific, North and Southeast tend to spend more (Portilla, Fabiola de la). If we look at the Nielsen’s survey results closes we’ll come across the fact that Big Supermarkets still capture a very small proportion of the retail universe in Mexico-Pacific, 26%, Valley of Mexico 30%, (Portilla, Fabiola de la), which is extremely low and reflects the fact that markets displays huge blue spaces for expansion by large retailers like Target. Consumers tend to visi t markets in weekdays in Pacific and on weekends, Sunday etc in Low Land, Central Region and Valley of Mexico (Portilla, Fabiola de la). Negligible tariffs on trade between US and Mexico is acting as a major incentive for businesses to expand across borders and become transnational in nature. Target also has the advantage of learning and getting insights from Wal-Mart’s experience (Luhnow, David) so far in the Mexican market. Hence all the factors mentioned above drove us to the conclusion of tapping into Mexican market as our host country. The environmental opportunities which the host country offers are as follows; Economic factors, the country’s economy is back on track with a GDP of 3.8% in 2011 (6 Reasons why US retailers should enter Mexico), and shows good signs of growth with huge margins of blue spaces left to be exploited by the retailers with retail sales of 5.4% by may 2011 (6 Reasons why US retailers should enter Mexico), this increased economic stability has also impacted the purchasing power of Mexicans resulting in growing confidence in retail; Legal factors, like there are very low trade tariffs in Mexico as compared to the US, the act named NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) made in 1994 and renewed in 2008 created the world’s largest free market with almost negligible trade tariffs between US, Mexico and Canada (6 Reasons why US retailers should enter Mexico), hence very low legal restrictions act as an opportunity; Social Factor of emerging middle class in Mexico (6 Reasons why US retailers should enter Mexico) has given foreign retailers a hope that more people now have the power to experience a purchase in huge retail stores and with the emerging and still weak middle class discount stores can actually help the people and strengthen their own presence in the market as well. Cultural factors changes and flexibilities (Hernandez, Mariana) also act as an opportunity an opening for foreign retailers to jump into the market, thought it took time but now Mexicans have accepted and encourage foreign brands specially those manufactured or originated from US because of their own growing aspirations. Upon further analysis I would not exactly put this as a threat but a disadvantage faced by the retailers in Mexico’s trade environment could be of the huge power distance (Hernandez, Mariana) amongst the people living in the same region, existing large amount of

TO WHAT EXTENT MBA DEGREE MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR Essay

TO WHAT EXTENT MBA DEGREE MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR - Essay Example Professional courses in management and administration provide the requisite knowledge based curricula that are intended to meet the challenges of the changing times. MBA or masters in business administration is the professional course that imparts and helps to develop and understand the pros and cons of the business so that people pursuing this course are able to manage it with more proficiency and creativity. With the whole range of modules, covering the various core areas of business, the highly demanding professional degree is designed to motivate the professionals to be creative and improvise and improve the business processes to compete effectively with the changing business trends. Therefore, it is important to know whether the MBA degree, provided by the different universities are indeed able to meet with their pre-meditated goals of equipping the students with the requisite skill and knowledge that would meet the wider implications of the business acumen needed to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing times? The purpose of the study is to gauge the impact of the professional course on the creative inputs of the students in the real life situations and evaluate the extent of motivating factors which would influence his business decisions. In the era of globalization, the emerging trends in business are crucial to understand and therefore, it becomes imperative to know whether MBA produces the professionals who are not only good administrators but also develop the traits of entrepreneur and intrapreneurs who are equipped to improve and improvise the business processes to optimise the intended output, within the parameters of organizational goals and objectives. It is also important to know whether the graduates of the MBA are able to meet the criteria within the defined parameters or are sufficiently motivated to exploit their entrepreneurial skills to further improve their aims and objectives. The universities facilitate higher studies in the

Alcohol - Underage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Alcohol Underage Drinking Essay Did you know that approximately one teenager between the ages of 14 and 17 die each week as a result of underage drinking? If that’s not alarming, research is saying that teenagers who frequently binge drink, are more likely to use drugs like cocaine and have sex with six or more partners and receive very poor grades at school. Good morning / afternoon and fellow students, I’m here today to convince you that alcohol consumption amongst teenagers should be reduced in order to eliminate serious injuries and deaths, reduce unsafe sexual activity and violent behaviour particularly in male teens. Despite being educated about alcohol consumption, binge drinking amongst teenagers is increasing at an alarming rate. Statistics show that teenagers who drink alcohol will take risks and put themselves in dangerous situations. As a result, more than sixty teenagers are hospitalised each weekend in Australia from alcohol related injuries. In the short term binge drinking can cause harm such as vomiting, hangovers and alcohol poisoning; however over a long period of time it may lead to more serious health issues such as alcohol dependence, brain and liver damage. Did you know the human brain is not fully developed until we reach the age of 25? What many of you don’t understand is that at this age, your brain is still forming critical parts needed for learning, memory, planning, emotional stability and thinking. Teenage binge drinking prevents the brain from developing properly and can cause permanent damage. In addition to the health risks, drinking alcohol impairs your judgement and the ability to make correct or safe decisions. Recent studies show there is a link between teenage drinking and high risk sexual activity. For example, teenagers who drink alcohol are more likely to have multiple sexual partners and unprotected sex, resulting in unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. A recent survey also showed that approximately 10 percent of female high school students had reported being raped. Plain and simple, alcohol alters your ability to think clearly. A study conducted in Great Britain revealed that: After drinking alcohol, one in seven 16-to-24-year-olds have had unprotected sex, while one in five have had sex that they regretted and one in 10 said they had been unable to remember if they had sex the night before. Do you want to be one of these statistics? When young males tend to drink some start to become violent and aggressive and try to create fights. The worst case scenario is someone getting killed. Aggressive, delinquent behaviours, especially amongst male teenagers often result in hospitalisation. Assaults such as king hits, glassings, stabbings and physical abuse are on the increase. Recently on a Saturday night, St Vincents hospital in Sydney recorded no less than 65 people being admitted with bloodied faces, teenagers passed out on stretchers and many innocent victims of alcohol fuelled violence. Seriously, could you live with yourself knowing you had injured a good friend? I know I couldn’t. Underage drinking, even so-called light drinking is dangerous, illegal, and must not be tolerated. Everyone including parents, schools, sporting clubs and anywhere young people gather should work together to deliver the message that underage drinking is not OK. Teens that drink alcohol run the risk of being seriously injured, they engage in unsafe sexual practices and boys can become extremely violent. I urge you not to binge drink.

Frankenstein: Who is the victim? :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Frankenstein, the monster and Victor are both put through many depressing and hurtful situations. I think that the monster was the true victim. He was rejected by everyone he came across from the day he entered life. His creator was never there to teach him right from wrong or responsibility. And also, the monster's soon-to-be wife was killed before his eyes. These agonies are what make the monster more of a victim than Victor Frankenstein does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, the monster was abandoned by his creator Victor, the only man he's ever had a relationship with. He was made eight feet tall and very grotesque. At first sight, his creator rejects him. The monster tries to integrate himself into society, only to be shunned universally. When the creature goes to the village, he is attacked because of his horrifying appearance. He assists a group of poor peasants and saves a girl from drowning, but because of his outward looks, he is rewarded only with beatings and disgust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The monster is left to live his life with no help from his creator after being abandoned. While having the mind of a newborn, this is not easy for him. By not knowing right from wrong, he murdered Victor's loved ones in order to get attention. He never had anyone to teach him how to live life with dignity and respect. This is a major loss for a living being. The creator is at fault here because the monster does not know better. Victor should have taken responsibility by accepting, raising, and controlling the monster.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Victor destroys his work on the female monster meant to ease the monster's solitude, the monster is overcome with suffering and sadness. These feelings affected his state of mind and caused him to do wrong things. He did not deserve to see his one and only mate be destroyed.

China in the Twentieth Century Essay

The Long March took place from October 1934 – October 1935. It meant that communism was not completely wiped out by the Kuomintang, that the people of China learnt about communism and supported the communists, that the Kuomintang got control of the south of china and most of the communists died from illness, exposure and Kuomintang attacks. At the time it was significant because otherwise all the communists would have been annihilated. Its effects were not seen immediately but in the short term still it allowed the communist army to gather their strength and troops and meant that when they tried to take back the country the ordinary people of China knew about communism and its benefits and would support them over the Kuomintang. This also meant that when the Japanese invaded in 1936 they were strong enough and had enough support to fight and defeat them. In the Long term however, after 1949 when China was declared communist the Long March did not really have many effects. It was used in propaganda, as an example of the strength and determination of the communists but other than that it had no direct effects. The Revolution of the Double Tenth in 1911 was another event in the history of China. As a short-term cause it meant that China was free of imperial rule and became a democracy. It also led to the setting up of the Kuomintang and freedom from the tyranny of the Emperors. However, like the Long March for ordinary people it did not make much difference. Instead of being oppressed by the Emperors they were still living in poverty, oppressed by the Warlords. In the long term the Revolution of the Double Tenth meant that different political parties could be formed, including the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. It opened the way for change so that different ruling parties could have the chance to make a difference to China and gave more importance to the ordinary people of China, not just the Aristocracy. In 1949 Communist China was formed. In the short term this was very significant. Whereas the Long March and the Revolution of the Double Tenth  did not really improve the lives of the ordinary people in the short term, this event lead quickly to land being divided between the peasants and the old cruel landlords being persecuted and punished. The communists helped the country recover from the damage the civil war had caused enough that extra food grown could be sold and government controlled factories could produce goods to sell in the first of Mao Zedong’s ‘5 Year Plan’s. However the communists wanted everyone to be equal so everyone was paid the same, whether they worked or not. This meant everyone did as little work as possible and were all equally poor instead of equally rich. Also, unlike the Long March and the Revolution of the Double Tenth where different political parties were set up or protected as part of the effects the creation of Communist China meant all other political parties were banned. The remaining Kuomintang members fled to the island of Taiwan. In the long term the creation of Communist China lead to the Cultural Revolution where schools and universities were shut down and teachers and intellectuals were persecuted. This was because Chairman Mao, the leader of Communist China decided that China was not communist enough, and that people were turning back to the old capitalist ways. It also meant that after Chairman Mao’s death in 1976 there was a struggle between different political leaders in the Chinese Communist Party to decide who would be the next leader of China. Deng Xiaoping won and became the next leader of China. Deng’s reforms from 1979-1980 had a lot of short-term effects like the formation of Communist China and were very significant in the short term. Deng restored the capitalist economy system, opened up China to foreign trade and allowed farmers to sell their food for private profit. He set up Special Economic Zones and developed them to improve industry, which lead to the growth of Chinese exports by 500% and introduced wage incentives to encourage workers to work hard. He also brought back universities so that young people could study again and overall modernised the whole of China. Nevertheless Deng kept many of the communist ideas, including the anti-democracy stand that lead to the Tiananmen Square demonstrations and  the massacre of the protesters by the army at Deng’s orders. In the long term China continues to modernise and expand economically in the capitalist way that Deng introduced. However it is still not that long since Deng’s reforms took place so we cannot be sure what other long-term effects they may have. I do believe that the Long March was significant in the history of China in the Twentieth Century because it meant the communists survived to defend the country against the Japanese and win back the country from the Kuomintang as well as gaining the support of the people to be able to do this. However I think that the most significant event in the history of China in the Twentieth Century was the formation of Communist China. This is because it affected everyone in the country, unlike the Long March and the Revolution of the Double Tenth which did not really effect the ordinary people in China or change their lives that much. Also it brought an end to the Civil war that led to a period of peace that meant modernisation and social and economic changes could occur, unlike the Long March and the Revolution of the Double Tenth, which lead to more Civil war and rebellions. It also had many short-term and long-term effects, more so than any of the other events I have covered here and lead to political, social and economic change, whereas Deng’s reforms only really lead to economic change and modernisation.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 11

Cody asked the obvious question. â€Å"So†¦if he's gone †¦how did that happen?† Hugh rubbed his eyes. â€Å"He was summoned.† â€Å"Oh, shit,† said Peter. His fun-in-the-sun joy disappeared. He looked as grim as Hugh and me. â€Å"That changes everything.† I glanced between him and Hugh, feeling as naà ¯ve as Cody. â€Å"What's that mean exactly? I've heard of summoning, but that's about it. I don't know any specifics. I don't know anyone it's happened to.† Peter nodded. â€Å"Me either, but I know what it is. Basically, a powerful human calls and binds a demon to his or her will. That human can then imprison and control the demon.† â€Å"Like Marlowe's Dr. Faustus .† We all turned to stare at Cody. Citing highbrow literary references was usually my thing, not his. â€Å"What?† he asked, looking uncomfortable under our scrutiny. â€Å"I had to read it in high school.† I looked back at Peter. â€Å"Okay, we're immortal, and we could never even scratch a demon. How could a human control one?† â€Å"Humans who use magic wield a different kind of power than immortals. Besides, from what I've heard, those who summon demons often have help,† explained Peter. He glanced at Hugh for confirmation. â€Å"From another demon,† the imp said. â€Å"Whoa. Let's go back to the part about controlling demons. What exactly is this human making Jerome do?† asked Cody. â€Å"Probably nothing,† said Hugh. â€Å"Or else someone would have found him by now. My guess is he's just being hidden.† Cody frowned. â€Å"Why? If you've got a pet demon, why not use him? Otherwise, what's the point?† It all came together now. â€Å"To get him out of the picture,† I said slowly. â€Å"That's it. The final piece in all this weird demon intrigue. That's what all the misdirection was building toward.† â€Å"Right. Cedric gets rid of Jerome, and suddenly there's an opening in Seattle for a new archdemon. And if Jerome doesn't return soon, they will get a new archdemon and reestablish the hierarchy here.† Hugh gestured to all of us. â€Å"The status quo will resume.† â€Å"Let's stick to ‘when' he returns and not ‘if,'† I said. â€Å"And I don't think Cedric's behind it.† â€Å"Of course Cedric's behind it,† said Hugh. â€Å"They've been fighting over territory, right? You of all people should know that.† I shook my head, recalling Cedric's exasperation and Nanette's smug look. â€Å"No†¦I think Cedric's being set up here. If you ask me, it's Nanette who's behind it.† I gave them a quick recap of my observations of her with both Cedric and Jerome. Hugh arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Portland Nanette? She's hot, I'll give you that, but she's not that strong.† â€Å"All the more reason for her to mess with Jerome and Cedric. She's been worried about them dragging her into their turf war. Besides, if she combined her power with a human capable of a summoning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah,† he admitted. â€Å"She could maybe do it†¦but that doesn't mean she did. My money's still on Cedric.† â€Å"Wouldn't she get in trouble for that?† asked Cody. â€Å"Only if she's caught,† said Peter. I sighed. â€Å"And in the meantime, this is bad for Jerome.† â€Å"Glad to see your powers of stating the obvious didn't disappear with your shape-shifting,† remarked Hugh. I shot him a glare. â€Å"I mean reputation-wise. Nanette told me lots of people have been keeping an eye on Jerome because of all the stuff that's gone down here-particularly with letting nephilim escape. They think he can't keep control. Even if he surfaces tomorrow, I've got to imagine that getting summoned in the first place won't look good.† â€Å"It won't,† agreed Hugh. â€Å"In fact, that's the other reason I stopped by. A bunch of demons are having a meeting tonight to talk about replacing him. Back room of the Cellar at seven.† â€Å"Wow, they move fast,† said Cody. â€Å"It's nothing official. Once word got out that Jerome was gone, every demon maneuvering for power moved in like that.† Hugh snapped his fingers. I refrained from pointing out that all demons were maneuvering for power as a general rule. â€Å"They're mostly just here to assert themselves-show how tough they are, cozy up to Grace and Mei. They might try to schmooze us a little, actually.† â€Å"Why? We don't have any say in this,† said Peter. He glanced between us all. â€Å"Do we?† â€Å"No, but eventually someone from Management will come here to size up the situation and will talk to us in their assessment. Everything plays a part. Those wanting the position will strut around, show how they could keep this place in line, and put their bids in.† â€Å"Is Nanette going to be at this meeting?† I asked suspiciously. â€Å"Yes,† said Hugh, eyeing me. â€Å"And so will Cedric.† I eyed him right back. â€Å"I'm telling you, it's not Cedric. I'm certain of it.† â€Å"What, you have donuts with him for a week, and now you guys are BFF?† â€Å"No, but I know him better than you do. And I think I understand Nanette better than you too,† I shot back. â€Å"So, you guys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Cody, a questioning note in his voice. â€Å"Are you sleeping with Cedric?† Hugh demanded. â€Å"Are you playing both sides now?† â€Å"No!† â€Å"It kind of sounds like it.† â€Å"You guys,† repeated Cody. â€Å"Look,† I said, â€Å"you just want to believe Nanette's innocent because you think she's hot.† â€Å"She is hot. For a demon.† â€Å"You guys!† yelled Cody. We turned to him. â€Å"What about us?† â€Å"What about us?† I asked. â€Å"What are we?† Cody's face was pinched and worried. Like Peter, he no longer seemed that excited about his newfound freedom. â€Å"Are we human?† I opened my mouth to answer and then fell silent. I honestly didn't know. Hugh glanced at me and shrugged. â€Å"Not exactly,† said Peter. â€Å"I think we're kind of†¦in stasis. We're neither mortal nor immortal.† â€Å"We have to be one or the other,† argued Hugh. â€Å"There's no purgatory equivalent to mortality.† Peter shrugged. â€Å"Hell's still got the lease on our souls. That's not going to change, no matter who our archdemon is. Removing him from the equation cuts us off from the abilities we get with immortality, but that's temporary.† â€Å"But does it cut us off from immortality itself?† asked Cody. â€Å"Can we die?† Silence fell. â€Å"Shit,† said Hugh. â€Å"I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Peter bit his lip. I had a feeling he was at the end of his knowledge on this subject. â€Å"I think they'd bring us back if we did.† â€Å"You think ?† asked Cody incredulously. Peter threw up his hands. â€Å"I don't know! This has never happened to me before, okay? Maybe we are human. Maybe we can get sick. Maybe we can lose in a fight. Maybe Georgina'll get her period. I don't know, okay?† â€Å"Whoa,† I said, straightening up. â€Å"What do you mean-â€Å" â€Å"Just stop it, all of you,† exclaimed Hugh. â€Å"We're not going to figure any of this out right now. Just go to the meeting and find out there. Grace and Mei are trying to manage things for now, and they'll know what's up. No point in panicking now.† We sat there, and I knew that despite his words, we were all indeed panicking. My stomach was rolling, but this time, it wasn't a reaction to the severing of my bond with Hell. This was born of pure terror. When things were bad in my life-particularly after Seth and I had broken up-there had been times when I'd hated immortality. Death had sounded appealing. I honestly hadn't been able to fathom how I could endure the centuries to come and had envied the finite life spans of humans. But now? Faced with the idea that I could actually die? Suddenly, desperately, I wanted to cling to my immortality with every scrap of my strength. Death was bleak, dark, and frightening. All the world's dangers descended on me at once, all the things I'd hitherto been able to ignore. Car accidents. Electrocution. Bird flu. The world was no longer safe. If the vampires felt any such fears, they apparently decided it wasn't going to get in the way of their last few days as free men. They rose as one and made motions to leave. â€Å"Well, if Jerome's going to get replaced with or without us, then there's no point sitting and moping,† said Peter. â€Å"We got cut off without warning,† I told him. â€Å"We could get reconnected to Hell's circuit board just as suddenly, you know. Aren't you a little nervous about getting caught out in the sun?† â€Å"They're not going to make any decisions in the next five hours,† said Peter brashly-too brashly, I thought. He paused a moment, his gaze drifting to my window and the blue sky beyond it. There, in his dark eyes, I saw the tiniest, tiniest bit of longing. It occurred to me then just how much he must have missed the sun these last thousand years or so. Like the rest of us, he'd willingly sold his soul for immortality. Along with that, he'd gotten superhuman strength and speed in exchange for a dependency on blood, a denial of sunlight, and a job as a dispenser of fear and nightmares. I certainly had regrets about my hellish deal some days; no doubt he did too. And maybe, despite his lax, overconfident attitude about the sun, he truly was aware of the risk of getting fried-and thought it was worth it after all this time. He and Cody left, leaving me and a still bleak-looking Hugh. I gently touched the imp's shoulder. â€Å"I'm sure this'll work out.† He cut me a wry look. â€Å"Really?† I laughed softly. â€Å"No, not really. I'm just trying to make you feel better. I never realized before how much you liked your†¦what would you call it? Imp vision?† This finally got him to smile. â€Å"You always thought of me as a paper pusher?† â€Å"Nah, no one uses paper anymore. It's all electronic.† â€Å"Not in Hell,† he said, standing up. â€Å"They kind of like cutting down forests.† I followed him to the door. â€Å"Well, hang in there, and I'll see you tonight.† â€Å"What are you going to do with your newfound freedom?† he asked, hand on the doorknob. I frowned. â€Å"What do you mean? This whole thing isn't quite the same for you and me as it is for the vampires.† The look Hugh gave me then was genuinely amused and almost pitying. â€Å"Georgina. Your shape-shifting and other abilities are fueled by human life. If you can't do those things, then you don't need the energy-just like Cody and Hugh don't need blood. Can't you feel it? The whole system's probably shut off.† I froze and almost stopped breathing for a moment-which might not have been so wise in my current state. † What ?† He laughed again. â€Å"How could you have not considered that?† â€Å"Well†¦because I was more focused on the entire fabric of Seattle's demonic hierarchy being unraveled. That and the possibility that we could all die.† Inside, my mind was replaying his words over and over, like a record that kept skipping: You don't need the energy, you don't need the energy†¦ I shook my head. â€Å"I can't believe that. It isn't possible.† I'd wanted it for too long, the ability to be with someone without the dire side effects. It was one of those things you always longed for but knew, deep down inside, could never happen. Like winning the lottery. Or, um, living forever. â€Å"Neither is a vampire going into the sun,† said Hugh. â€Å"Yet here we are.† He leaned down and kissed my cheek. â€Å"Think about it. This is a once in a lifetime-er, eternity-chance.† He started to leave, and then something I'd nearly forgotten about popped back into the forefront of my mind. â€Å"Hugh? Did you get my message earlier? About the Canadian Satanists?† After everything else, a few signs on the Space Needle suddenly seemed absurdly unimportant. â€Å"Yeah,† he said, with a grimace. â€Å"They had a huge spectacle there, freaked people out. They made the news and got arrested. Not sure what'll happen now. The international thing makes it all interesting.† â€Å"Were you able to tell Jerome?† â€Å"No, couldn't get a hold of him-not surprising if that was near the time of the summoning. I ended up getting a hold of Mei, and I think she did something to minimize how much the media found out. She was hoping that nobody in Management would notice.† â€Å"Yeah, well, they're all noticing us now.† Hugh's face was hard as he nodded his agreement. â€Å"That's an understatement. Have fun, sweetie.† He departed, leaving me standing there and staring at the door. I was still breathing heavily, my heart thudding in my chest. I needed to calm down and think this through. After all, who knew what could happen if I had a panic attack? Would I go into cardiac arrest or something? All bets were off now. Anything was possible. I sank down to the floor, wrapping my arms around myself, and focused on slowing my breathing. This was all too surreal. I couldn't process it. It wasn't possible that I could be mortal. It wasn't possible that I could die. It wasn't possible that I could actually touch a man without harming him. Over and over I told myself those things. Meanwhile, Aubrey strolled over to me and rubbed her head against my leg. Reaching out, I stroked her back, barely aware of my actions. What was I going to do? We had five hours until the meeting, which couldn't come soon enough as far as I was concerned. I needed answers now . I couldn't live with this uncertainty. My heart started racing again. Fuck. I really was going to have a heart attack. Hugh was a doctor in his day job; maybe I should call him about my blood pressure. Call†¦ An idea hit me then, and I stood up to go find my purse. Producing my cell phone, I dialed Dante. If anyone might know about this, it would be him. He probably wouldn't know the intricacies of how this affected my infernal standing, but he had to know something about demon summoning. Dark magic was his specialty. Besides, I wanted more than just his expertise. I suddenly just wanted†¦well, comfort. I wanted to see him. I wanted him to hold me and reassure me. I needed him to tell me everything was going to be okay. But the phone rang and rang without answer, sending me to his voice mail's friendly message: â€Å"Talk.† So much for that plan. I disconnected and leaned against my counter. Slowly, steadily, I felt my brain waking up, trying to find a scrap of reason through my fear. It wasn't in my nature to be passive. I had to do something about this. I couldn't wait until tonight for answers. â€Å"Let's research this ourselves, Aubrey,† I said. The average human knew nothing about the true nature of Heaven and Hell and how we operated. Yet, every once in a while, if you looked hard enough into arcane writings, you could stumble across a piece of truth that some adept mortal had uncovered. Ninety-nine percent of what I'd find would be inaccurate, but an Internet search could uncover some grain of truth about demon summoning. It was a total long shot, but it was the best I could do for now. Only, when I went to get my laptop, I discovered an unfortunate fact: I'd left it at the bookstore. I groaned. Now what? Another plan shot down. You idiot , a voice inside me chastised. You're a few blocks away. Get off your ass and get it . That logic made perfect sense, of course. Until I looked out the window. The same fear I'd had earlier returned. The cars moving along Queen Anne Avenue seemed too fast, the wind stirring the trees too strong, the people on the sidewalk too dangerous. How could I go out there? How could I put myself at risk? Better to stay in here where it was safe. And yet†¦how could I wait around? I was going to go crazy if I sat here. Glancing down at Aubrey, I saw her watching me with her green eyes. She had that infinitely wise look cats had sometimes. It wasn't exactly encouraging, but it soothed me a little. Okay. I could do this. I found my coat and started to shape-shift my messy hair into a neat arrangement-except, of course, I immediately realized I couldn't shape-shift it. Not a problem, I assured myself. I did my hair all the time when I wasn't in a rush. This was no different. With a quick dash to the restroom, I brushed my hair into a sleek ponytail and prepared to face the world. Stepping outdoors, I was blasted with stimuli. I stood on the steps to my building, shell-shocked and unable to move. This had never happened to me. Never, never had I been afraid of the world. I'd always rejoiced in it and been eager to see what it had to offer. Slipping my hand into my purse, I reached for my cigarettes, seeking them like a safety blanket. When I took them out, I realized something else. I wasn't necessarily immune to them anymore. This stasis probably wouldn't last long†¦but how could I risk it? How could I expose myself to carcinogens when I had no idea how vulnerable I truly was? Putting the cigarettes back, I took a deep breath and plunged forward. The distance to the store was barely three blocks, but it felt like miles. I walked as far away as I could from traffic and flinched each time someone passed me. When I finally reached the intersection to cross over to Emerald City, I was sweating. Queen Anne Avenue is not an overly crazy road. This particular spot had three lanes and steady traffic, with a moderate speed of 30 (which meant people could usually be found going 35?C40). Nonetheless, standing there, I might as well have been trying to cross I-5 itself, with five lanes racing in each direction. The crosswalk was red, giving me time to build up courage and remind myself that I'd crossed here hundreds of times-jaywalking more often than not. I was being irrational, freaking out at things I had no business worrying about. The light dinged and gave me the go-ahead. I set out, each step agony. I'd almost reached the far curb when a Honda turning on red from the cross street suddenly pulled into the intersection, having only checked for cars and not pedestrians. Seeing me, the driver slammed on her brakes a bit more harshly than she probably needed. They squealed, and the car came to a stop about two feet from me. While moderately alarming, this wasn't anything that probably would have scared me too much under ordinary circumstances. The car had stopped, after all, and I was almost across anyway. Yet, I was so on edge already that when I heard the brakes and saw how close she was, I simply froze. I stood there, caught-literally-in the headlights. I couldn't think or move. It was so stupid. Seven more steps, and I would have been safe. The woman's panic over avoiding me turned to annoyance when she realized I was blocking her way. She pressed down on her horn, which was a particularly loud and obnoxious one. Unfortunately for her, it was ineffectual. If anything, the noise simply froze me up more. Suddenly, someone grabbed a hold of my arm and started tugging me to the curb. The bitch in the Honda kept honking, and I think I was nearly as startled by it as I was when Seth yelled to her, â€Å"Oh, shut up already!† His steady hands guided me to the sidewalk where I promptly froze up again, oblivious to the curious cars and pedestrians. Cupping my face, he forced me to look up at him. His eyes were like warm molasses, and something about them spread comfort through me and brought me back to myself. â€Å"Georgina, are you okay?† My whole body trembled, and it took me a moment to gather myself and speak. â€Å"I†¦I think so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was so, so gentle when he spoke. â€Å"What happened there?† I blinked back tears. â€Å"Nothing†¦that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish. I was going to break down, then and there, right on Queen Anne Avenue. I hated myself for being so weak and scared. â€Å"Never mind,† said Seth, taking hold of my arm again. â€Å"It doesn't matter. You're safe. Let's go inside.† If any of my co-workers saw Seth leading me through like an invalid, I didn't notice. In fact, I was barely aware of the trek at all until we were inside my office. Seth sat me down and then shut the door. He leaned down toward me. â€Å"Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?† Slowly, almost robot-like, I shook my head. â€Å"N-no. I†¦I just came for my laptop.† The normal look of timidity he'd worn around me lately had vanished, replaced by something stern and concerned-something that wouldn't rest until he knew I was okay. He was no longer the shy author who feared looking at me and always gave me a wide berth. He was once again the man I'd dated, the man who'd always been able to read my moods and step up to help. â€Å"Georgina, please. Please tell me what happened.† It looked as though my tears were going to stay away, and now that I was indoors, in familiar territory, I allowed myself to feel a little braver. â€Å"Why are you being so nice to me again?† He frowned. â€Å"Why wouldn't I be nice to you?† â€Å"Because†¦because†¦I wasn't very nice to you the last time we talked. Even after you gave me the book.† He made a noise in his throat, almost like a laugh, but not quite. â€Å"You weren't yourself, not after all those drinks. It's fine.† â€Å"I don't know,† I said contrarily, â€Å"maybe I was myself.† He shook his head. â€Å"It wouldn't matter. Now tell me, what happened out there?† The warmth in his voice, the concern†¦it was tearing me apart. There was something so familiar and safe about him that I longed for right now, and I couldn't evade him. â€Å"It's†¦complicated,† I said at last. â€Å"Immortal intrigue?† I nodded, feeling tears well in my eyes again. Fuck. I think half of my emotion now was from the way he was looking at me and had nothing to do with the rest of my life's madness. I stood up and looked away, hoping he wouldn't see my face, but it was no use. â€Å"Georgina, what's happened? You're scaring me.† I dared a glance back. â€Å"You†¦you wouldn't believe me if I told you.† His face was still filled with worry, but the hint of a smile turned up the edges of his lips. â€Å"Can you seriously believe that after half the stuff I've seen you go through? Try me.† â€Å"Fair enough,† I admitted. â€Å"But I don't want to get you involved.† â€Å"I want to help,† he said, moving closer. His voice was like velvet, wrapping me up in softness and security. â€Å"Please. Tell me what's going on.† I wanted to tell him there was nothing he could do, but suddenly, words spilled from my lips. â€Å"Jerome got summoned-which means he's trapped somewhere and-â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, wait. Summoned? Like in Dr. Faustus ?† â€Å"Um, yeah. And so long as he's gone, we're all in this weird state. Peter calls it ‘stasis.' None of us have our pow-abilities anymore. I can't shape-shift. Hugh can't see souls. The only ones who are happy about this are the vampires because they can go in the sun again, which'll probably end up killing them. And if we don't find Jerome soon, someone else is going to take over here, and I really don't want that. And yet†¦I really don't want to go another second like this either, being in this limbo. I want everything to go back to how it was.† Seth's face was unreadable as he regarded me for several heavy seconds. Finally, he said, â€Å"Is it†¦is it so bad going without shape-shifting?† I shook my head and began to ramble further. â€Å"It's not that. It's the fact that I may not be immortal anymore. I can't†¦I can't handle that. Coming here was horrible. The walk from my apartment. I'm afraid of everything. It's stupid. I mean, you guys-humans-get by all the time and don't think about it. But I'm scared to leave the house. Scared of what could happen to me. And when that car didn't see me right away-fuck. I just froze. I was paralyzed. God, I feel like an idiot. I must sound crazy.† At long last, a tear leaked out of the corner of one eye, the final stamp on my weakness. Seth reached out and gently wiped it away. He didn't withdraw his hand when finished, though. He slid it to my shoulder and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his chest, swallowing back more tears as I sank into the protection he offered. â€Å"Georgina, Georgina,† he murmured, running his hand over my back. â€Å"It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay.† Those words†¦there was something so wonderful about them, simple as they were. When people are distressed, others have an instinct to want to actually do something tangible to help-men in particular. And there's nothing wrong with that-often, it's very much desired. But what a lot of people don't get is that sometimes, all that's needed is to hear those words: Everything's going to be okay . It's enough to know that someone's there, that someone cares about you. It isn't always about the next logical course of action. My next words, spoken into his Hong Kong Phooey shirt, came out muffled. â€Å"I don't know what's going to happen. With any of this. I'm so scared. I don't think I've been this afraid since I thought Roman was going to kill me.† â€Å"Nothing will happen to you. You said yourself this won't last more than a few days. Just wait it out.† â€Å"I don't wait very well.† He laughed and leaned his cheek against my forehead. â€Å"I know you don't. Don't worry. Most of us do far more dangerous things than walk two blocks, and we survive just fine. Yeah, that car kind of sucked, but even still, nothing happened.† â€Å"It's two and a half blocks,† I corrected. â€Å"Not two.† â€Å"Right. I forgot that extra half one where the sharks and land mines are.† I pulled away slightly so that I could look into his face. His arms stayed around me. â€Å"I have to find Jerome, Seth.† His smile faded. The worry returned. â€Å"Georgina†¦if you want to stay safe, going after him probably isn't the way to do it. You don't always have to take this stuff on yourself, you know. Let someone else look for him. Stay home.† â€Å"That's the thing†¦I'm not sure anyone will be looking for him. Why would the other demons want him back? They want his territory. They aren't going to be happy if he's found.† Seth sighed. â€Å"Great. Now I'm the one worried about you leaving the house.† â€Å"Hey, I thought you said everything was going to be okay?† â€Å"Gotta be careful what I say.† Eyes thoughtful, he reached up and smoothed some hair on the side of my head. â€Å"Why are you so brave?† I scoffed. â€Å"Are you insane? Didn't you just witness my near breakdown?† â€Å"No,† he said gently. â€Å"That's the thing. You are scared. You don't know what's going on or what could happen to you. Yet, in spite of that fear and uncertainty, you're going to throw yourself out there to hunt him down. No one else would do that, and you do that kind of thing all the time.† Inexplicably, I flushed under his praise. â€Å"I was only going to do a Web search.† â€Å"You know what I mean. I think you've got more courage than anyone I know-and what's truly amazing is that it's so subtle, hardly anyone ever notices. You do so much, and it goes unseen. I wish I was that brave sometimes.† â€Å"You are,† I said, growing increasingly unsettled by our proximity. I also noticed then that he was still smoothing my hair back. â€Å"What are you doing to my hair? Does it look bad or something?† â€Å"Your hair never looks bad.† He dropped his hand sheepishly. â€Å"It's just†¦a little messier than usual.† â€Å"I brushed it fifteen minutes ago!† Seth shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. It's just kind of frizzy, but that's probably normal. There's a little humidity out.† â€Å"Frizzy? My hair's never frizzy.† â€Å"Georgina,† he said wearily. â€Å"Considering everything else going on, I don't think you need to worry about your hair being frizzy.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah. You're right.† I made a face. â€Å"I just feel like I got a raw deal here. The vampires are having a non-stop party. Me? I somehow get bad hair. Not sure the energy break is really worth it.† Seth tilted his head, face puzzled once more. â€Å"Energy break?† â€Å"Yeah. Along with everything else, I lost the need for life energy, so I'm not-â€Å" I stopped. The world stopped. I met Seth's eyes, those beautiful golden-brown eyes that were filled with utter and complete shock as we both realized the full weight of what I had been about to say. His hold on me stiffened. The casual embrace suddenly became so much more. I was acutely aware of every place we were touching and exactly how much distance was between the places we weren't touching. He felt warm, so wonderfully warm, and every place he touched me tingled-not necessarily in a sexual way but in a Oh my God, it's Seth way. My entire body was on full alert, waiting and watching-and hoping-for him to touch me more. He swallowed, eyes still wide. â€Å"So you aren't†¦I mean you can†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah,† I said, my own voice husky. â€Å"That's the theory, at least. I haven't really tested it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My words faded off because they didn't matter. My relationship with Seth had been plagued with a hundred small problems, everything from communication to trust and the myriad details in between. And always, always underneath that had been the knowledge that we could never be physically close. Oh, we'd been able to hug and do some kissing-there was even a fair amount of tongue we could get away with before my succubus hunger started stealing his life. But ultimate intimacy? Sex? Making love? It was totally off-limits, and that denial had tortured both of us, no matter how much we talked about love being the most important part in a relationship. And now†¦here we were. Those barriers were removed. I hadn't tested if my succubus stealing really was gone, but I didn't need to. I could feel it, as Hugh had said. The perpetual craving that always lurked within me was completely dormant. I could touch and kiss anyone without restraint. I could touch and kiss Seth. There was nothing standing between us now. Well, except for one thing. A knock sounded on my door. â€Å"Georgina? Are you in there?† Maddie called. It was like cold water in the face. Seth and I sprang apart. He backed toward the door, and I promptly sat down at my desk. My heart was pounding again. Damn it. I was going to have to talk to Hugh and get an anti-anxiety drug. â€Å"Yeah, come in,† I called. Maddie stuck her head in, surprised to see both of us. â€Å"There you are,† she said to Seth. â€Å"I just got here and couldn't find you.† Seth was still in shock. â€Å"I†¦yeah†¦I saw Georgina was here and stopped by†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maddie peered at me. â€Å"You okay? You look a little worn out.† Her eyes flicked to my hair and then back to my face. â€Å"Did you just wake up?† Apparently, I no longer looked like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, which was something. I hadn't liked the way she eyed my hair. â€Å"Well, not exactly. It's, uh, been a long day.† I stumbled over my words. I was so flustered, I could barely string a coherent response together. Seth's presence was like the sun, blinding me and warming me all over, and Maddie was making me feel guilty and dirty for enjoying that sun. â€Å"Is everything okay with your family?† she asked. â€Å"My-oh, yeah, they're okay. Still just a little crazy, but it'll, um, pass.† I stood and picked up the laptop, hoping I sounded casual and calm. I needed to get out before I said something stupid. As it was, I couldn't even make eye contact with Seth now. â€Å"I really just came by for this.† Maddie studied me a few seconds longer and must have decided I was more or less telling the truth. She relaxed and seemed oblivious to me trying frantically to get to the door. â€Å"Hey,† she said, â€Å"I was thinking you might not need to go to California for beaches.† â€Å"For†¦what?† â€Å"Remember our conversation at Mark's?† â€Å"Er, yeah.† Miraculously, I did. The condo thing, when I told her I had a beach itch. â€Å"I have the perfect solution: Alki.† â€Å"Alki?† asked Seth, confused. â€Å"It's a secret.† She winked at me. â€Å"I thought that might be a good place to start looking. What do you think?† â€Å"Sure. Sounds great.† Alki Beach was a region of West Seattle that stuck out into Puget Sound. While it was a far cry from a Cyprian beach, it was, well, a beach. And if agreeing that it was a good idea would get me to the door†¦ â€Å"Cool! And what about dancing?† â€Å"Huh? What about it?† I probably looked like a deer in the headlights again. This agitated state of mine didn't make for good topic-jumping. â€Å"Teaching salsa. I mentioned it to Beth and Casey, and they were pretty excited.† â€Å"Oh. Yeah. Sure. I can do that.† I was seriously about to agree to anything to escape. Her face lit up. â€Å"Oh, thank you! Is this week too soon? I bet we could get everyone together on, oh, Thursday.† â€Å"Sure, sure, that's fine.† I was almost at the door. â€Å"Oh, thank you! This'll be fun. I'll double-check the day with everyone and e-mail you. If something comes up†¦I mean, I know you're under a lot of stress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I waved it off. â€Å"It's fine, really. Have a good night, okay?† I put on a winning smile and quickly walked past both of them. As I stepped out the door, though, I glanced back and met Seth's eyes. My smile faltered. A thousand messages passed between us, just as they used to when we were dating. Only this time, I wasn't sure what any of them were saying. I kept walking, suddenly realizing I had a lot more than mortality to worry about.

Free Essays on Hard Times

Hard Times There are many issue’s concerning the story Hard Times, but I want to discuss the topic of money, both new and old between the characters in the story. One other topic of discussion would be the role play of the common women in this period of time. I would also like to discuss the irony in this topic, a sort of poetic justice. The tone of the story has a great deal on the whole story. The stories are all based upon the factories and the life style of the people who ran them. On the topic of new money, we have the character Mr. Bounderby in mind. He is the perfect example of the new aged money maker in this story. Mr. Bounderby makes his money off of the factories; the same way most of the people who lived in the town of Coke had made their money. One could also consider Mr. Bounderby to be apart of the high class. He is a very wealthy man compared to most of the people from Coke Town. Mr. Bounderby was also a very well known and respected person in his community. Yet, don’t let his money fool you, because Mr. Bounderby came from the so called, â€Å"gutter†. He was not from a very wealthy family when growing up as a child, but as he got older and wiser; Mr. Bounderby became a hard working citizen and made his money. On the other side of new money is old money. A perfect example of the old money maker would be Mr. Harthouse. Mr. Harthouse works for Mr. Tom Gradgrind who is a retired grosser. Mr. Harthouse would be considered to be apart of the middle class money maker. He is not the real boss of his job and he makes enough money to be well off. Mr. Harthouse is not a huge role player in the community or wealthy and he does not have a part in Parliament or the city counsel, he is only a middle class person. Mr. Gradgrind who is obviously apart of the higher class also has a daughter named Louisa. Louisa was a very beautiful and charming woman in the eyes of Mr. Bounderby and he also decided to marry... Free Essays on Hard Times Free Essays on Hard Times Hard Times There are many issue’s concerning the story Hard Times, but I want to discuss the topic of money, both new and old between the characters in the story. One other topic of discussion would be the role play of the common women in this period of time. I would also like to discuss the irony in this topic, a sort of poetic justice. The tone of the story has a great deal on the whole story. The stories are all based upon the factories and the life style of the people who ran them. On the topic of new money, we have the character Mr. Bounderby in mind. He is the perfect example of the new aged money maker in this story. Mr. Bounderby makes his money off of the factories; the same way most of the people who lived in the town of Coke had made their money. One could also consider Mr. Bounderby to be apart of the high class. He is a very wealthy man compared to most of the people from Coke Town. Mr. Bounderby was also a very well known and respected person in his community. Yet, don’t let his money fool you, because Mr. Bounderby came from the so called, â€Å"gutter†. He was not from a very wealthy family when growing up as a child, but as he got older and wiser; Mr. Bounderby became a hard working citizen and made his money. On the other side of new money is old money. A perfect example of the old money maker would be Mr. Harthouse. Mr. Harthouse works for Mr. Tom Gradgrind who is a retired grosser. Mr. Harthouse would be considered to be apart of the middle class money maker. He is not the real boss of his job and he makes enough money to be well off. Mr. Harthouse is not a huge role player in the community or wealthy and he does not have a part in Parliament or the city counsel, he is only a middle class person. Mr. Gradgrind who is obviously apart of the higher class also has a daughter named Louisa. Louisa was a very beautiful and charming woman in the eyes of Mr. Bounderby and he also decided to marry... Free Essays on Hard Times Hard Times† and Utilitarianism Coketown, as described in ‘Hard Times’ is a construct of a typical industrial town, many of which were sited around the newly founded factories. It may be a fictional location of the industrial age, but it serves Dickens’ purpose of presenting Utilitarianism at work. Many of the details of Coketown are based on truths about industrial towns, but Dickens slightly exaggerates them to focus the readers’ attention on the points he would like to criticize. It was believed that higher industrial output would increase the wealth of the country and therefore be desirable. Because of this Coketown exists solely for its industrial output and provides no comfort for its working class citizens. Everything inside it is extremely practical; no precious resources are wasted beautifying it, as they do not lead to an increase in industrial output. Dickens’ contempt for Utilitarianism is conveyed through the opening description of the town. The colors of the town are black and red – red brick covered in ash from the factories. Even on the surface, Dickens associates Coketown with â€Å"the painted face of a savage† – the implication is that like a â€Å"savage†, industrialization is cruel, barbaric and uncultured. On a deeper level, this image links to the color symbolism that runs through the novel. Dickens associated richness of color to the preservation of life and individuality; neither black, nor white are considered as colors, and hence, Coketown rejects the idea of individuality and identity. It is robbed of it by the Utilitarianism that is manifested in industrialization. The lack of identity is further emphasized by all public inscriptions in the town being written in â€Å"black and white†. The â€Å"inscriptions† – the voice of the town are devoid of any identity. Everything in the town – a river, a canal is of dark color, firstly, because of pollution, secondly, at symbolic level, because ... Free Essays on Hard Times The novel â€Å"Hard Times† written by Charles Dickens is a reflection of the changing ideas established during his time. Dickens’ characters essentially are personifications of changing ideas in psychology and political thought. Each one of his characters represents a different principle and its relationship to the general public. Both Stephen Blackpool and Thomas Gradgrind, Jr. for the most part characterize ideas of significant philosophers around the time of Dickens. Stephen Blackpool represents the abused worker, suffering under capitalism as expressed by Karl Marx. Blackpool symbolizes the oppressed working class of the 19th century in Dickens’ novel Hard Times. He is exposed as a sincere, hard-working weaver employed by the factory proprietor and proclaimed â€Å"self-made man† Josiah Bounderby. Through the course of the plot, Blackpool is found to have suffered many trials in life together with a matrimony to a drunk and the ill-fated love of a woman he cannot wed. He is even unwanted and disliked by his own class because of his denial to join an union with his fellow factory workers due to his belief that the trade union rebel is a fake prophet. In the end he defends the employees against thoughtless words spoken by Bounderby about them, and ends up losing his occupation for that. Blackpool is Marx’s representation of the fraud of the employee by capitalism. Blackpool is the first wounded of the labor cause. He leads from his beginning a miserable life. â€Å"Stephen looked older, but he had had a hard life. It is said that very life has its roses and thorns; there seemed however, to have been a misadventure of mistake in Stephen’s case, where by somebody else had become possessed of his roses, and he had become possessed of the same somebody else’s thorns in addition to his own.† (Hard Times, pg. 60). Stephen has not known any magnificence in his life. His job is all he has, but that is not his obsession. He ... Free Essays on Hard Times Hard Times There are many issue’s concerning the story Hard Times, but I want to discuss the topic of money, both new and old between the characters in the story. One other topic of discussion would be the role play of the common women in this period of time. I would also like to discuss the irony in this topic, a sort of poetic justice. The tone of the story has a great deal on the whole story. The stories are all based upon the factories and the life style of the people who ran them. On the topic of new money, we have the character Mr. Bounderby in mind. He is the perfect example of the new aged money maker in this story. Mr. Bounderby makes his money off of the factories; the same way most of the people who lived in the town of Coke had made their money. One could also consider Mr. Bounderby to be apart of the high class. He is a very wealthy man compared to most of the people from Coke Town. Mr. Bounderby was also a very well known and respected person in his community. Yet, don’t let his money fool you, because Mr. Bounderby came from the so called, â€Å"gutter†. He was not from a very wealthy family when growing up as a child, but as he got older and wiser; Mr. Bounderby became a hard working citizen and made his money. On the other side of new money is old money. A perfect example of the old money maker would be Mr. Harthouse. Mr. Harthouse works for Mr. Tom Gradgrind who is a retired grosser. Mr. Harthouse would be considered to be apart of the middle class money maker. He is not the real boss of his job and he makes enough money to be well off. Mr. Harthouse is not a huge role player in the community or wealthy and he does not have a part in Parliament or the city counsel, he is only a middle class person. Mr. Gradgrind who is obviously apart of the higher class also has a daughter named Louisa. Louisa was a very beautiful and charming woman in the eyes of Mr. Bounderby and he also decided to marry... Free Essays on Hard Times Hard Times There are many issue’s concerning the story Hard Times, but I want to discuss the topic of money, both new and old between the characters in the story. One other topic of discussion would be the role play of the common women in this period of time. I would also like to discuss the irony in this topic, a sort of poetic justice. The tone of the story has a great deal on the whole story. The stories are all based upon the factories and the life style of the people who ran them. On the topic of new money, we have the character Mr. Bounderby in mind. He is the perfect example of the new aged money maker in this story. Mr. Bounderby makes his money off of the factories; the same way most of the people who lived in the town of Coke had made their money. One could also consider Mr. Bounderby to be apart of the high class. He is a very wealthy man compared to most of the people from Coke Town. Mr. Bounderby was also a very well known and respected person in his community. Yet, don’t let his money fool you, because Mr. Bounderby came from the so called, â€Å"gutter†. He was not from a very wealthy family when growing up as a child, but as he got older and wiser; Mr. Bounderby became a hard working citizen and made his money. On the other side of new money is old money. A perfect example of the old money maker would be Mr. Harthouse. Mr. Harthouse works for Mr. Tom Gradgrind who is a retired grosser. Mr. Harthouse would be considered to be apart of the middle class money maker. He is not the real boss of his job and he makes enough money to be well off. Mr. Harthouse is not a huge role player in the community or wealthy and he does not have a part in Parliament or the city counsel, he is only a middle class person. Mr. Gradgrind who is obviously apart of the higher class also has a daughter named Louisa. Louisa was a very beautiful and charming woman in the eyes of Mr. Bounderby and he also decided to marry... Free Essays on Hard Times jcarrin kw1302 â€Å"Hard Times† and Utilitarianism Coketown, as described in ‘Hard Times’ is a construct of a typical industrial town, many of which were sited around the newly founded factories. It may be a fictional location of the industrial age, but it serves Dickens’ purpose of presenting Utilitarianism at work. Many of the details of Coketown are based on truths about industrial towns, but Dickens slightly exaggerates them to focus the readers’ attention on the points he would like to criticize. It was believed that higher industrial output would increase the wealth of the country and therefore be desirable. Because of this Coketown exists solely for its industrial output and provides no comfort for its working class citizens. Everything inside it is extremely practical; no precious resources are wasted beautifying it, as they do not lead to an increase in industrial output. Dickens’ contempt for Utilitarianism is conveyed through the opening description of the town. The colors of the town are black and red – red brick covered in ash from the factories. Even on the surface, Dickens associates Coketown with â€Å"the painted face of a savage† – the implication is that like a â€Å"savage†, industrialization is cruel, barbaric and uncultured. On a deeper level, this image links to the color symbolism that runs through the novel. Dickens associated richness of color to the preservation of life and individuality; neither black, nor white are considered as colors, and hence, Coketown rejects the idea of individuality and identity. It is robbed of it by the Utilitarianism that is manifested in industrialization. The lack of identity is further emphasized by all public inscriptions in the town being written in â€Å"black and white†. The â€Å"inscriptions† – the voice of the town are devoid of any identity. Everything in the town – a river,... Free Essays on Hard Times Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, was a representation of his time. Times were hard for children and adults alike. People who questioned what they were taught, often went through struggles and â€Å"hard times.† Eventually, the people who were looked down were the ones who really helped those in need. Throughout the book, there are many ironic instances. Thomas Gradgrind was a man built on the idea that facts and statistics were the only truth in life and all that was needed to have a healthy and productive life. The only truth to him was his very own vision of the truth. Simple put, Thomas Gradgrind strived for perfection. He strived to be perfect, which is what his philosophy was based on, and he strived to make his children perfect and not to wonder. He raised his children never to wonder, never to doubt facts and to never entertain any vice or fancy. As soon as Gradgrind’s children were old enough to absorb, he was feeding giving more lessons than they could hold. His children were brought up only knowing one way to live and that was the idea that if it is not fact, then it is false. He was emotionaless as were his children because they were brought up only knowing what they were taught by him. Eventually, as Gradgrind’s children became older, what they were taught began to turn sour in their minds. Tom, Grandgrindà ¢â‚¬â„¢s son, ! began to despise his father and all he was taught and thus began to rebel. He took to smoking and gambling, which eventually led to his downfall. Tom had grown up to become a sycophantic, self-absorbed parasite. He had turned out the exact opposite as hoped. Thomas Gradgrind had raised his children never to wonder, but wondering intrigued them. Gradrgind had observed his children peeking into a circus tent because they were curious as to what was inside. The children were scolded for being curious, but seeds were planted into their minds of how there was more to life than what they had been taught. Futher...

The Best IB Biology Books Full Expert Reviews

The Best IB Biology Books Full Expert Reviews SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In IB Biology SL/HL, there are so many topics and so little time. Maximize your study time by using the best study materials and best IB Biology textbooks. In this article, I have collected a list of the most recent IB Biology Books and Textbooks (2013 or newer), as I don't recommend you studying with any older books, as they may be out of date. Who Is This Guide For? This guide is for IB Biology students who are serious about success in the classroom and on the IB Biology SL/HL papers.If you only plan on using the material for 5 hours of studying, the choice of book becomes less important. However, if you plan to use the book throughout the year for study help and for the IB Biology exam, you should choose your resource carefully. In this guide, I’ve divided the books into specific categories to help you make a knowledgeable choice. The Best IB Biology SL/HL Books We’re going to divide the best IB Biology books into a few categories: Best Textbook: A must have book as a part of your learning process, no matter your skill level or weaknesses. If you would like more information on otherIB Biology Textbooks, check out our other article. Best Study Resource for Fast Learning Throughout the School Year: The best study material for all students to learn material fast throughout the year and not just to study for the IB exam at the end of the year. Best Study Guide for Average Students:This book provides more in-depth explanations for those who need a little more assistance. Best Study Guide for High Achieving Students:This book has the material to push you over the top, without repeating the details that you have already mastered. Book to Avoid:This book lacks all of the material you need to succeed. Best Textbook IB Biology Course Book: 2014 Edition: Oxford IB Diploma Program Price on Amazon: $58.90 Description:This is the gold standard for IB Biology textbooks. The Oxford University Press is the only company to work directly with the IB to develop their materials, meaning they have a first look at the changing curricula and understand more deeply what the IB wants to test and how. They're also able to write the most realistic practice questions that resemble the real test.Of all books on the list, this is the most standard 'textbook' like book, containing: full instruction on the complete SL/HL syllabus practice questions for each topic instructions on the internal assessment and the extended essay This will be the foundation of your IB Biology prep, containing a thorough overview. Pros: developed directly with the IB high-quality content realistic practice problems organized logically, with practice integrated coherently Cons: like all textbooks, this book is better for thoroughness and less for customized prep. The best way for you to study for IB Biology may not be cover to cover, and this book does not give clear guidance on how best to customize its content for your needs does not contain study strategies or test strategies more expensive than other guides Best Study Resource for Fast Learning Throughout the School Year IB Biology (SL and HL) Examination Flashcard Study System: IB Test Practice Questions Review for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (Cards) Price on Amazon: $59.01 Description: Flashcards are a great way to study for IB Biology because there are so many topics and details to memorize. These flashcards help break the large topics down into small parts so that you can easily commit the details to memory. While this company does not work directly with IB, they use the IB syllabus to ensure they cover all topics on the IB Biology SL and HL exams, making it a great resource. These flashcards are great to use throughout the year for all of your in-class IB Biology tests since you can just study the cards relating to the topic being tested. While there are no practice problems with these flashcards, they are still a great resource for review. Since essentially all of the IB Biology exam questions simply ask you to relay memorized information (such as asking you to describe Cell Theory), these flashcards provide you with all of the reviews you need to ace the test. Pros: developed using the IB Biology syllabus high-quality content review breaks down big topics into small manageable parts organized by topic, making it easy to help you memorize throughout the year, not just for the IB exam. Cons: doesn't give guidance on how best to study the flashcards to improve memory retention. We encourage you to use our 'waterfall method' flashcards only have enough space for light concepts - if you don't know a concept well, you'll have to supplement with a textbook to flesh out your understanding more expensive than other guides Best Study Guide for the Average Student IB Biology Study Guide: 2014 edition: Oxford IB Diploma Program Price on Amazon: $32.40 Description:Also published by The Oxford University Press and written by Andrew Allott, this study guide complementsthe IB Biology Course Book mentioned above. This study guide breaks the large concepts from the course book down into manageable sections, with diagrams and illustrations to cement understanding. Additionally, this study guide integrates more IB Biology exam preparation material than the course book to make sure you excel on the IB Biology exam. Pros: developed directly with the IB high-quality content review using diagrams and illustrations breaks down big topics into small manageable parts realistic practice problems and exam material organized logically, with practice integrated coherently very thorough for those who need a little extra help in addition to their textbook / class lectures. Cons: like the related course book, this book is better for thoroughness and less for customized prep. The best way for you to study for IB Biology may not be cover to cover, and this book does not give clear guidance on how best to customize its content for your needs. more expensive than other guides Best Study Guide for High Achieving Students Barron's IB Biology Price on Amazon: $16.68 Description:Barron's is usually a solid choice for top students, as they're very complete This Barron’s IB Biology review book was developed using the IB Biology syllabus material to ensure that students are fully prepared for the IB Biology exam. Unlike a textbook, this study guide focuses more on exam preparation/review than teaching. The book provides readers with an overview of the IB Biology tests/papers, including an explanation of scoring, command terms, and optional topics based on the brand new 2014 syllabus, study tips and strategies for maximizing scores, and 2 full-length paper 1, 2, and 3 practice exams with fully explained answers. Pros: detailed summary charts. high-quality practice exams with detailed answer explanations. relatively inexpensive compared to other resources. focused study tips and strategies for the IB Biology exam. Cons: The material is reviewed in less detail than in other guides. The focus is on providing you with the practice tests rather than re-teaching you the material from class. This guide is great for the high achieving student, who already understood the class lessons, but is just hoping to lightly review the concepts and take IB Biology practice tests. Book to Avoid Biology for the IB Diploma Coursebook Price on Amazon: $61.95 Description: This edition of the IB Biology Coursebook from Cambridge Press was developed using the newest IB Biology syllabus. It covers all of the core topics of the syllabus including some practice questions. However, it does not cover any of the options (Both IB Biology SL and HL have core topics your teacher must cover as well as 2 additional topics - known as the options - because your teacher gets to choose from 4 options - fora more in-depth explanation of the options, read our other article The Complete IB Biology Syllabus: SL and HL). The core topics are tested on Paper 1 and 2 of the IB Biology SL/HL Exam, and the options are tested on Paper 3. Pros: developed usingthe IB Biology syllabus focused review of IB Biology core topics including some practice questions. Cons: expensive compared to other materials. missing review of the options, which count for ⅓ of the IB Biology exam. This book is too expensive to spend money on when it is missing ⅓ of the material needed to succeed on the IB Biology exam. Other Free Resources Find other free IB Biology study resources in our other articleThe Best IB Biology Study Guide and Notes for SL/HLand Where to Find IB Biology Past Papers - Free and Official. What’s Next? Learn more about IB Biology inthe complete IB Biology syllabus: SL and HLandthe best IB Biology study guide and notes for SL/HL. Trying to figure out what extracurricular you should do? Learn more about participating in Science Olympiad, starting a club, doing volunteer work, andjoining Student Government. Studying for the SAT? Check out our complete guide to the SAT.Taking the SAT in the next month? Check out our guide to cramming. Not sure where you want to go to college? Check out our guide to finding your target school.Also, figure out your target SAT score or target ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Cote restaurant brasserie chain in uk Research Paper

Cote restaurant brasserie chain in uk - Research Paper Example 411). The CRB is a well-established restaurant chain, running different joints across the UK. The different restaurants that make the chain possess different qualities that reveal their dominance in the society. The Cote Restaurant Brasserie Chain has an efficient staff, which depicts high quality services. In addition, the chain is articulately branded through proper marketing and extensive promotion (Reid & Bojanic, 2010, p. 177). Apart from this, the joints have maintained a great exterior, with the maintenance of high levels of hygiene in all aspects (AA, 2010, p. 252). The chain has maintained a uniform style of service; service with appreciation for customers, integrity, and passion. The development of such a service has been developed through the recruitment and maintenance of a motivated workforce. Most importantly, the restaurants serve a variety of fair-priced sumptuous French meals throughout (Steves, 2014, p. 17). Like all other business entities, the UK based Cote Restaurant Brasserie Chain has different weaknesses. These weaknesses limit the development of the chain, its staff, and the achievement of all the set goals/objectives (Hayward, 2013, p. 141). For instance, that the restaurants serve French foods alone limits their customer base. Such food can only attract persons interested in having the food thus blocking a possibly larger population from being CRB customers. In addition, the chain of restaurants are found solely in the UK. As such, people from different areas across the globe interested in visiting might find it costly to do so (Reid & Bojanic, 2010, p. 177). The Cote Restaurant Brasserie Chain is faced with great opportunities that might influence further development of the chain. For instance, that the restaurants are mainly located within the UK, an exploration of the global market in the hospitality industry may