Gaia Vs Selfish Gene Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Gaia Vs. Selfish Gene Essay, Research Paper Peoples have ever wondered how life evolved on Earth. Richard Dawkins # 8217 ; book The Selfish Gene and James Lovelock # 8217 ; s book The Ages of Gaia effort to cast some visible radiation on this argument. Dawkins # 8217 ; presents a reductionist point of position in that he argues that development takes topographic point wholly through the effects of natural choice on the endurance of selfish cistrons. Lovelock, on the contrary, provides a holistic position of development and argues that the full Earth evolves as a super-organism where the biology controls the abiota. Besides the dissension in the differing scientific positions, the linguistic communication used in both of the books is besides really different. Most of our apprehension of a construct depends, to a certain grade, on the linguistic communication used to depict it. Both Dawkins and Lovelock to a great extent use scientific metaphors in explicating the biological theories presented in their books. We will write a custom essay sample on Gaia Vs Selfish Gene Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, the metaphors used by Dawkins make the reader think beyond the range of the scientific message of his theory, therefore weakening his statement. While, Lovelock # 8217 ; s usage of metaphors stimulates scientific logical thinking and therefore beef uping his statement. John Lovelock in his book The Ages of Gaia presents an statement for a theory regulating the relationship between the Earth # 8217 ; s biology and its physical environment. Lovelock holistic position of nature combines biological science and geoclimatology as one scientific discipline, which he calls geophysiology, # 8220 ; the survey of life and inanimate Earth as a individual system ( Lovelock 11 ) . # 8221 ; Lovelock # 8217 ; s theory provinces that life is necessary to keep the planet # 8217 ; s thermodynamic and chemical composing in its current province of homeostasis ( the inclination of a system to keep stableness even with external breaks ) until some external force interrupts it, at which point it will travel to a new stable province. He footings this theory # 8220 ; Gaia # 8221 ; , after the Grecian goddess of Earth. The Gaia theory delivers two primary deductions: life beings regulate their planet, and the development of species and their physical milieus are a ind ividual inseparable procedure. The hypothesis points to stable conditions, such as O degrees, C dioxide concentrations and clime, as grounds that populating beings maintain a vital environment. The Gaia Hypothesis is a metaphor in itself that helps depict the planet as a life being ; a metaphor for the Earth every bit seen as a individual physiological system. Lovelock describes the planetal ecosystem as alive because it behaves like a life being by modulating its temperature and chemical science at a changeless province favorable for life to develop. Another metaphor used by Lovelock is Daisyworld. Daisyworld is a computer-stimulated theoretical account of an fanciful planet developed by Lovelock to specifically show his Gaia hypothesis. In this theoretical account, Lovelock presents the behaviour of the theoretical planet Daisyworld where the environment consists of a individual entity ( planetal temperature ) , and the biology consists of merely two species: dark daisies that absorb radiation, and hence warming the planet and light daisies that tend to reflect visible radiation, which has a chilling consequence. Like the Earth, Daisyworld maintains a changeless temperature and the conditions for its endurance by following its ain natural procedures. In the yesteryear, when the Sun was non every bit bright as today, dark daisies flourished because they were able to absorb the heat from the sunshine. The dark daisies bit by bit took over most of the planet, increasing the planet # 8217 ; s clime. When the suns strength increased , the lighter daisies began to boom by reflecting visible radiation and chilling the planet. Therefore, the population of the visible radiation and dark daisies adj ust themselves of course to maintain the temperature invariable at the optimum degree for daisy growing. In this manner, Daisyworld is a metaphor for a self-acting system, as predicted by Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis. The Selfish Gene gives a really different position of the development of life. Dawkins presents a reductionist position in his theory that cistrons are the primary manner for natural choice and development. Dawkins looks at the evolutionary procedure, how Deoxyribonucleic acid replicates in organizing human life, and the possibility that there is a societal analogue to genetics where human traits can be culturally transmitted. Dawkins # 8217 ; book besides delivers two primary deductions: that development takes topographic point wholly through the effects of natural choice and extension of cistrons and that cistrons are selfish, non selfless. Dawkins provinces that development began in the ancient seas. He uses the metaphor # 8220 ; aboriginal soup # 8221 ; to depict the contents of the seas before living things came approximately. In this # 8220 ; aboriginal soup, # 8221 ; protein molecules indiscriminately bonded together to organize # 8220 ; replicators, # 8221 ; DNA. Dawkins provinces that there was an unconscious battle for endurance amongst the replicators. He so goes on to associate the behaviour of cistrons to human behaviour and personality by presenting the construct of a # 8220 ; selfish cistron, # 8221 ; where he defines # 8220 ; selfish # 8221 ; as a cistron scheme to guarantee its survive over its rival allelomorphs. His usage of the term # 8220 ; selfish # 8221 ; personifies cistrons as an person, capable of doing determinations for its ain good. In his gap statement, Dawkins provinces, # 8220 ; we are survival machines-robot vehicles blindly programmed to continue the selfish molecules known as cistrons # 8221 ; ( Dawkins seven ) . By naming human existences # 8220 ; survival machines # 8221 ; and # 8220 ; automatons, # 8221 ; Dawkins implies that we are non in control for our ain actions. Again, his metaphors takes the reader off from his scientific logical thinking and do them believe of a distinguishable person that is drawing the strings of development for its ain good. This statement besides conjures up moral deductions that suggest that we are non in control of our lives and there is no point for our ain being. The point Dawkins wants to do is that metaphorically cistrons do possess a selfish ability. However, Dawkins # 8217 ; metaphors make it hard to take the selfish cistron theory from its moral deductions. In decision, Dawkins explains development non in footings of the larger image like that of life things or species development, but alternatively changes the position to the smallest possible unit, the cistron. Lovelock explains development in footings of a larger image ; his Gaia hypothesis provinces that life on Earth controls the physical and chemical conditions of the environment. Both Dawkins and Lovelock use metaphoric linguistic communication to depict the scientific constructs they want to present. These metaphors are cardinal to our apprehension of their thoughts. However, Dawkins usage of metaphors weakens his statement. His cardinal metaphor, # 8220 ; selfish cistrons, # 8221 ; makes one imagine a image of a automaton being inside us, who built us entirely for its benefit and has control over our being. Dawkins # 8217 ; metaphors are first-class in acquiring us to believe, but I believe it turns our ideas in a way Dawkins would non hold wanted, off from the scientific ba se. On the other manus, Lovelock # 8217 ; s Gaia theory is able to direct its metaphors towards scientific discipline, and promote farther research. Lovelock # 8217 ; s book helps his readers and scientists now realize that organisms adapt to environment every bit good as carbon monoxide adapt with the environment. Bibliography Dawkins, Richard. # 8220 ; The Selfish Gene. # 8221 ; Oxfod University Press, 1989. Lovelock, James. # 8220 ; The Ages of Gaia. # 8221 ; Norton Paperback, 1988.

10 Facts About Carbon

10 Facts About Carbon One of the most important elements for all living things is carbon. Carbon is the element with atomic number 6 and element symbol C. Here are 10 interesting carbon facts for you: Carbon is the basis for organic chemistry, as it occurs in all living organisms. The simplest organic molecules consist of carbon chemically bonded to hydrogen. Many other common organics also include oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.Carbon is a nonmetal that can bond with itself and many other chemical elements, forming over ten million compounds. Because it forms more compounds than any other element, it is sometimes called the King of the Elements.Elemental carbon can take the form of one of the hardest substances (diamond) or one of the softest (graphite).Carbon is made in the interiors of stars, although it was not produced in the Big Bang. Carbon is made in giant and supergiant stars via the triple-alpha process. In this process, three helium nuclei fuse. When a massive star turns into a supernova, carbon scatters and can be incorporated into next-generation stars and planets.Carbon compounds have limitless uses. In its elemental form, diamond is a gemstone and used for drilling/cutting; graphite is used in pencils, as a lubricant, and to protect against rust; while charcoal is used to remove toxins, tastes, and odors. The isotope Carbon-14 is used in radiocarbon dating. Carbon has the highest melting/sublimation point of the elements. The melting point of diamond is ~3550 °C, with the sublimation point of carbon around 3800 °C. If you baked a diamond in an oven or cooked it in a frying pan, it would survive unscathed.Pure carbon exists free in nature and has been known since prehistoric time. While most elements known since ancient time only exist in one allotrope, pure carbon forms graphite, diamond, and amorphous carbon (soot). The forms look very different from each other and display dissimilar properties. For example, graphite is an electrical conductor while diamond is an insulator. Other forms of carbon include fullerenes, graphene, carbon nanofoam, glassy carbon, and Q-carbon (which is magnetic and fluorescent).The origin of the name carbon comes from the Latin word carbo, for charcoal. The German and French words for charcoal are similar.Pure carbon is considered non-toxic, although inhalation of fine particles, such as soot, can damage lung tissue. Graphite and charcoal are considered safe enough to eat. While non-toxic to humans, carbon nanoparticles are deadly to fruit flies. Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe (hydrogen, helium, and oxygen are found in higher amounts, by mass). It is the 15th most abundant element in the Earths crust. More Carbon Facts Carbon usually has a valence of 4, which means each carbon atom can form covalent bonds with four other atoms. The 2 oxidation state is also seen in compounds such as carbon monoxide.Three isotopes of carbon occur naturally. Carbon-12 and carbon-13 are stable, while carbon-14 is radioactive, with a half-life of around 5730 years. Carbon-14 is formed in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with nitrogen. While carbon-14 occurs in the atmosphere and living organisms, it is almost completely absent from rocks. There are 15 known carbon isotopes.Inorganic carbon sources include carbon dioxide, limestone, and dolomite. Organic sources include coal, oil, peat, and methane clathrates.Carbon black was the first pigment used for tattooing. Ãâ€"tzi the Iceman has carbon tattoos that endured through his life and are still visible 5200 years later.The amount of carbon on Earth is fairly constant. It is transformed from one form to another via the carbon cycle. In the carbon cycle, pho tosynthetic plants take carbon from air or seawater and convert it into glucose and other organic compounds via the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis. Animals eat some of the biomass and exhale carbon dioxide, returning carbon to the atmosphere. Sources Deming, Anna (2010). King of the elements?. Nanotechnology. 21 (30): 300201. doi:10.1088/0957-4484/21/30/300201Lide, D. R., ed. (2005). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (86th ed.). Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-0486-5.Smith, T. M.; Cramer, W. P.; Dixon, R. K.; Leemans, R.; Neilson, R. P.; Solomon, A. M. (1993). The global terrestrial carbon cycle. Water, Air, Soil Pollution. 70: 19–37. doi:10.1007/BF01104986Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

Systems Engineering Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 108

Systems Engineering Management - Case Study Example The G-Soft was the riskiest function that the program could embrace. Precisely, this is because it had a poor managerial structure and duty stipulation making it ineffective. Additionally, the workers in the program were resentful because of their withdrawal from the previous workstation without prior knowledge. Consequently, their morale is low, resulting in poor team cohesion. The Techno State University has the most impact on the program as a whole (Case Study, 2015). Specifically, this is because the university professor had sufficient experience in developing devices for use in similar research. In addition, the Direct Broadcast mode used with the SASS program met the specification required in the transfer of data to support field measurements. In spite of that, the major shortcoming of the Techno University subcontractor was the high cost of the SASS function needed in the primary program. The ethical concern facing Jim is the rational of proceeding with the project amidst the threats facing the program and the lack of an adequate solution for the same. Specifically, this concerns the absence of both human and financial resources, as well as information to make sound decisions. Bob should approach the head of the Spacecraft IPT and discuss the importance of collaboration in executing the program projects. In doing so, he should inform him that the information required by his team is critical for the completion of other parts of the program (Case Study, 2015). In addition, he should emphasize that a delay in one of the projects can lead to a failure of the whole program. Furthermore, he should consult external officers such as the head of the program to intervene and find a permanent solution to the problem.

A literature review on Capital Investment Decisions Essay

A literature review on Capital Investment Decisions - Essay Example Some experienced investors feel that while making investments decisions it is very important to have a personal involvement rather than admitting a broker. The Global Investment Institute [2007] observes that relying on brokers will lack attention towards the account section, which seems to help a lot in increasing the returns of investments. In addition to that it says, â€Å"You need to become familiar with each stock you have in your portfolio so that you can make decisions on your own in the short-term, while still relying upon your financial advisor to structure your portfolio with a mix of the right instruments (stocks, bonds, money market, etc.) to help you make money in the long run†.Global-Investment-institute.com [2007]. Investment decision making is not an easy job, as the people involved in decision-making process have to calculate the previous income statements of the company or business is addition to evaluating all the accounts report and statistical details of the profit and loss of the company. Capital investments decisions have to be prepared relying on the returns and analysing whether the investment would be profitable. However, they are found to be useful in terms of â€Å"formulating long term goals†, â€Å"recognition of statistically dependent proposals†, â€Å"estimation and forecasting of current and future cash flows† etc observes [fao.org 2007] in addition to this fao.org initiates the economic evaluation of the investment proposals as another important aspect of investment decision making. The investment alternatives also have to be considered in order to make the decision in a profitable way. The investment analysis plays a very important role as a precautionary step in decision-making as there appears to be risks in returns, which would be acting as a major drawback in the financial conditions of a business or a company. There are instances of wrong decision-making in which there might be either lack of organised

Recruit Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Recruit - Case Study Example The questions are designed to get complete information about the job since sections like background cover requirements such as travel, licensing needs and seasonal changes. The contacts section covers 62 questions on the level of supervision and the level of contacts with employees/clients. Similarly, the physical requirements section cover things like tools which are to be used on the job and other physical activities demanded by the position. Once the questionnaire has been filled, it can be used with reasonable accuracy to judge the type of position and the requirements for the position (HR Guide, 2001). Functional Job Analysis Scales have been used in America since the 1940s to deduce what exactly the requirements are for a particular job. Essentially, this is seen as a representative of what workers do in a job by analyzing the equipment used, the data needed, the people interaction, the instructions given and by analyzing their abilities of reasoning, math and verbal skills. Using these scales it is possible to analyze what the requirements for a cinema manager should be and how the cinema would employ his/her skills for a more efficient delivery of services (HR Guide, 2001). Another method which can be used is the OAI (Occupational Analysis Inventory) that locates and evaluates a person's performance on more than 600 responsibilities and duties which are part of any given job. This inventory looks at the goals of the job, the behaviour of the individual at the job, the mental activities required, the information handled by the person and the context in which the work is done. This inventory is then ranked against the rating scales defined for the task which includes the four elements of extent, application, and functions of the job or specific element of the job. While this method has been applied to many different types of work, it is less reliable then than the PAQ (HR Guide, 2001). The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) was developed in the 70s as a structured job analysis tool which connects the characteristics of a job to human characteristics found in individuals. The PAQ considers 195 components of work which are divided into five categories to understand where information comes from, the reasoning abilities used by the workers, the output created, relationships with other individuals and the context of the job in social and physical terms (HR Guide, 2001). As discussed earlier, there are several other methods for analyzing the requirements of a job and understanding what kind of individual would be best suited to fill a particular role. Clearly the application of experimentation and scientific analysis to the field of HR has had positive results since these surveys and questionnaires have had better than average success in predicting the requirements for a position in the work force. 2. Job Analysis for Cinema Manager Knowing about the activities of a cinema and the process of running of a cinema

Mental Illness Analysis of Film Session 9 (2001)

Mental Illness Analysis of Film Session 9 (2001) Erica Moghtader Session 9: Mental Illness Analysis Deemed as one of the major cult films of all time, Session 9 invokes terror in the most realistic way possible- through abnormal psychology. In the end of the story, the character Mary Hobbes’ evil personality alternate, Simon, chillingly states when asked where he lives to the psychologist: â€Å"I live in the weak and the wounded, Doc (Anderson, 2001). Statements such as this lead to the notion that anyone could end up in a situation with, or actually like, the main character Gordon. In this paper I will discuss the various characters’ mental illnesses shown in Session 9 along with their symptoms, portrayal, and treatment amongst peers. This intense psychological horror film, directed by Brad Anderson, is centered on the restoration of a large mental asylum, built in 1871 and closed in 1985. Gordon Fleming (Peter Mullan), owner of an asbestos removal company, agrees to restore the building in an impossible turnaround time of one week. Gordon hires a crew: Phil (David Carusoe), Hank (Josh Lucas), Jeff (Brandon Sexton III), and Mike (Stephen Gevedon). Mike, secretly listens to nine old recorded therapy sessions that he found, which focused on patient #444 Mary Hobbes. Each employee has personal issues that get in the way of the job, and in combination with stress, it leads to the pinnacle of the story. The movie ends with all characters dead except Gordon, who has made patient room #444 his home. Considering the aforementioned synopsis, there are three characters that portray mental illness throughout the movie. Gordon, the main character, seems disturbed from the beginning of the movie. As the scenes unfold, symptoms of schizophrenia begin to arise. In one of the first scenes as Gordon and Phil tour the asylum for an asbestos removal bid, Gordon has his first auditory and visual hallucination. As Gordon intently focuses on a specific room, #444, he sees a shadow move across his face while hearing â€Å"Hello, Gordon† (Anderson, 2001). Both kinds of hallucinations go on throughout the movie, in particular when his hallucination eggs him on to kill his wife and baby: â€Å"Do it, Gordon!† (Anderson, 2001). In the final scenes of the movie, the voice reappears repeating the same statement as he murders all the employees. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (2011) deliberates that schizophrenic auditory hallucination such as these â€Å"often have a negative quality, criticizing or threatening the individuals or telling them to hurt themselves or others† (p. 223). Persecutory delusion for ms towards the end of the movie when Gordon believes that Phil is lying about a certain phone call because he thinks Phil killed/hurt Hank. Catanotic excitement is also displayed as Gordon runs aimlessly throughout the asylum looking for Hank, whom had been missing for days. There were several scenes that contained avolition. Many times Gordon sat â€Å"daydreaming† in the cemetery, room 444, and in front of his home. Gordon also presented a symptom of sleepwalking, or somnambulism, when he gave Hank a frontal lobotomy. Dr. Prakash Masand (1995) associated sleepwalking with schizophrenia: â€Å"The prevalence of somnambulism is 1 to 6 percent in the general adult population, although a higher incidence has been reported in patients with schizophrenia, hysteria and anxiety neuroses.† Not only did Gordon suffer from a mental illness, so did his nephew Jeff. Jeff, a young chap who needed a job, suffered from situational phobia. In particular he suffered from nyctophobia or in layman’s terms, fear of the dark. On his first day in the asylum, the breaker flips and in turn Mike asks Jeff to go down in the basement to turn it on. Jeff directly tells him he has nyctophobia and will not go down. When he is forced to go down in the basement the first time and has to walk through a slightly dark room, he hurriedly remedies the problem. At the end of the movie in the tunnels, as the lights slowly go out putting Jeff in complete darkness, he has a severe panic attack. The DSM-5 states that Specific Phobia disorder can be diagnosed if the individual shows immediate fear, avoidance and out of proportion reaction to the phobic situation (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011, p. 119). By the same token, patient Mary Hobbes also displays mental illness in the film. Although former, deceased patient Mary Hobbes never physically appears in Session 9, she makes quite an impression. Mary Hobbes was admitted into the asylum and diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. She had been traumatized by her brother Peter after he scared her causing her to fall on her porcelain doll, which in turn severely cut up her chest. At this point Simon took over Mary and killed Peter with his new hunting knife. In the taped sessions of Mary’s therapy, she does not remember anything that happened, even hysterically stating: â€Å"Nothing happened! No! I can’t remember!† (Anderson, 2001). Susan Nolen-Hoeksema (2011) explains that people suffering from dissociative identity disorder usually report significant periods of amnesia when the other personalities are in control (p. 163). Mary displayed three different identities: the Princess as the child alter, which is often associated with the development of dissociative identity disorder; Billy, the protector alter, who protects the individual from trauma; and Simon, the persecutor alter, who often inflicts pain or punishment (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011, p. 162). Subsequently, the treatment amongst the mentally ill characters was different than the sane characters. Depending on the situation, characters Gordon, Jeff and Mary were stigmatized or treated with compassion, At first Phil empathizes with Gordon over his fight with his wife. Phil then quickly takes advantage of the situation to get a bigger bonus; he discusses with Mike that they should force Gordon off the project due to his behavior/health. Phil knows Gordon is not in the state of mind to handle being removed, and even says so when he’s smiling to himself on the roof: â€Å"It’s gonna get ugly† (Anderson, 2001). Jeff is stigmatized from the moment he announced his phobia. Mike was irritated and called him names like â€Å"Mullet Head.† Phil completely disregarded Jeff’s phobia, which forced him to go down into the basement to fix the breaker in the dark. Though Jeff’s mistreatment did exasperate his illness, the mistreatment of Gordon by Phil led the persecutory delusions of Phil hurting Hank. Though I do not condone the mistreatment, there are several other aspects I do enjoy about Session 9. Session 9 is one of the best independent horror movies, winning best director at the Catalonian International Film Festival in 2001. Considering myself a horror buff since my early twenties, this is one of my favorites. In my opinion, movies are the scariest if they could really happen. The realistic production and general plot make this movie even scarier. As I compared the mental illnesses of the characters to factual data, I realized that the symptoms portrayed were very close to being true to form. Every time I have watched Session 9 I find different aspects to debate or admire. Now that I added abnormal psychology to my mental list, there are even more to ponder! In conclusion, various mental illnesses symptoms, portrayal, and treatment amongst peers were shown in Session 9. From Gordon’s schizophrenia to Mary’s dissociative identity disorder, to Jeff’s nyctophobia, Session 9 accurately portrays the symptoms and typical mistreatment of the mentally ill. Many fans of the movie think that Mary Hobbes was possessed by Genius Loci, an ancient ideology that a spirit is attached to a place, and in turn possessed Gordon. And in all actuality, who is to say something like a Genius Loci does not exist? Maybe one day science will mesh with the supernatural, or at least get along with each other. References Anderson, B. (Director). (2001).Session 9[DVD]. Masand, Prakash. (1995). Sleep Walking.American Family Physician. http://www.drplace.com/Sleepwalking_-_includes_patient_notes.16.21241.htm Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2011). Abnormal psychology (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Computer Fanatics - Good or Evil? :: essays papers

Computer Fanatics - Good or Evil? Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Charles Manson, and David Koresh were all fanatics of some nature. These fanatics did not have a helpful side effect for people but caused death and one of them a World War. Fanatics don’t all have to be bad though some fanatics helped our way of life or increased it with entertainment. Such fanatics like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird have made basketball a more enjoyable sport to watch. A fanatic is a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal. All of the above mentioned have had or have these qualities. One type of fanatic that has grown larger in numbers is the computer fanatic. With the rise of technology and the Internet kids and adults are becoming fanatical with computers. Some of the traits of a computer fanatic are a need or want to be around a computer most of the time, talks a lot about computers, and there incredible knowledge for them. A computer fanatic always wants to be around a computer and if he isn’t it’s almost like a withdrawal from a drug. To a computer fanatic a computer is almost like a drug and if he doesn’t get a constant supply of it then he gets moody or restless. Programmers and other computer technicians are almost all computer fanatics and they spend at least 40 hours a week on a computer. Computers to these people are basically there life and that is why the coined term computer nerd was created. A good example of a computer fanatic can be seen in the movie Matrix that the main actor is seen next to his computer asleep and it looks as if he hasn’t moved all day. They love computers like someone might love their wife. When a computer fanatic isn’t around their computer they are always talking about them. They will always at some point have to talk about some thing related to computers. They have a difficult time separating their computer from any other part of their life. It’s hard to carry a conversation with a computer fanatic because sooner or later they will mention something related to computers. Sometimes it can be interesting but usually they speak at a level of understanding that a non-computer fanatic would not understand. There level of understanding is above most normal people and that is another way to tell if they are computer fanatics.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 18

Around ten the next morning, the phone jolted me out of a dream I'd been having about jellyfish and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Rolling over, I picked it up, discovering in the process that I ached a lot less than I had last night. Immortal healing in action. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey, it's Seth.† Seth! Yesterday's events rushed back to me. The birthday party. The ice cream. The perfume. I again wondered who he'd had to meet after dropping me off at the bookstore. â€Å"Hi,† I gushed, sitting up. â€Å"How are you?† â€Å"Not bad. I'm, uh, over at Emerald City, and I didn't see you†¦ they said it's your day off.† â€Å"Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow.† â€Å"Okay. So, um, do you want to maybe do something today? Lunch? Or a movie maybe? Unless you have other plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No†¦ not exactly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I bit my lip, silencing the immediate acceptance that wanted to spring forth. I still had that strange, inexplicable attraction and sense of comfortable familiarity with Seth. I would have liked to hang out with him more, but I had already tried walking the line of friendship and dating with Roman, only to have that blow up in my face. It would be far better never to get started with Seth, despite my longings. Besides, I hadn't forgotten about my angelic bodyguard; I didn't really want him tagging along. Best to keep Carter indoors as long as possible. â€Å"But I'm sick.† â€Å"Really? I'm sorry.† â€Å"Yeah, you know†¦ just that kind of run-down feeling.† It wasn't entirely a lie. â€Å"I don't really feel up to getting out today.† â€Å"Oh. Okay. Do you need anything? Do you want me to bring you any food maybe?† â€Å"No†¦ no,† I hastily assured him, banishing images of Seth feeding me chicken soup while I lounged around in cute pajamas. Christ. This was going to be harder than I thought. â€Å"I don't want you to have to keep taking care of me. Thanks, though.† â€Å"I don't mind. I mean, no problem.† â€Å"I should be in tomorrow, if this doesn't get worse†¦ so I'll see you then. Maybe we can have coffee. Or rather, I'll have coffee and you can†¦ not have coffee.† â€Å"Okay. I'd like that. Not having coffee, I mean. Would you mind†¦ that is, can I check on you later? Call you again?† â€Å"Sure.† The phone was safe enough. â€Å"Okay. If you need anything before then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know how to reach you.† We said our goodbyes and disconnected, and I clambered out of bed to see what mischief Carter had managed this morning. I found the angel sitting on a stool by my kitchen counter, feeding Aubrey sausage with one hand while he held some sort of breakfast sandwich in the other. An enormous McDonald's bag sat on the counter near him. â€Å"I made breakfast,† he told me, eyes on Aubrey. â€Å"Don't give her that,† I chastised. â€Å"It's bad for her.† â€Å"Cats don't eat kernels of dry food in the wilderness.† â€Å"Aubrey couldn't survive in the wilderness.† I scratched her head, but she was more interested in licking the grease off her chops. Opening the bag, I found a variety of sandwiches and hash brown patties. â€Å"I didn't know what you'd want,† Carter explained as I pulled out a Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit. I bit into it, melting at that scrumptiousness, grateful weight gain and cholesterol were nonevents for me. â€Å"Hey, wait. Did you actually go to McDonald's?† â€Å"Yup.† I swallowed the food. â€Å"You just left? Just now?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"What kind of bodyguard are you? What if the nephilim came back and attacked me?† He eyed me and shrugged. â€Å"You look okay to me.† â€Å"You're not very good at this.† â€Å"Who was on the phone?† â€Å"Seth.† â€Å"The author?† â€Å"Yeah. Wanted to hang out today. I told him I was sick.† â€Å"Poor guy. You're breaking his heart.† â€Å"Better that than something else.† I finished the sandwich and went for a second one. Aubrey watched me hopefully. â€Å"So what are we doing today?† â€Å"Nothing. At least, I'm not going out, if that's what you mean.† â€Å"You aren't going to attract nephilim attention that way.† He glanced around my apartment and grimaced when I didn't respond. â€Å"It's going to be a long day then. I hope you at least have cable.† We spent the rest of the morning more or less staying out of each other's way. I let him use my laptop, and he got caught up in surfing eBay. What he could be looking for, I had no idea. As for me, I stayed in my pajamas after all, tossing a robe over them and deeming that good enough. I attempted to call Roman once, knowing I'd need to face him eventually, but I only managed to leave a voice mail message. I hung up with a sigh, opting to curl up on the couch with a book Seth had recommended in one of his e-mails. Just as I was starting to think I'd recovered from the dense breakfast and needed lunch, Carter suddenly peered over the top of the laptop, like a hound sniffing the wind. â€Å"I have to go,† he told me abruptly, standing up. â€Å"What? What do you mean?† † Nephilim signature.† I bolted upright from my lounging position. â€Å"What? Where?† â€Å"Not here.† With that, he blinked out of sight. I sat there, looking around uneasily. Whereas earlier I'd felt stifled by his presence, his sudden disappearance became a gaping hole in my environment. I was exposed. Vulnerable. When he didn't return in a few minutes, I tried unsuccessfully to pay attention to my book, finally giving up after I'd reread the same sentence five times. Still wanting lunch, I called and ordered a pizza, making sure I included enough for Carter. Doing this wasn't the best of ideas on my part since it meant opening the door eventually. When I did, I expected no less than an army of nephilim outside. Instead, I only found a bored-looking pizza guy, demanding $15.07. I munched on the pizza and tried to watch television with little luck. Turning to the laptop, I checked my e-mail and found that Seth had sent me a funny letter, much more eloquent than our earlier conversation, per usual. It only provided temporary distraction, and I was on the verge of breaking out the paint-by-number kit when Carter blinked back into my living room. â€Å"What the hell was that? Where have you been?† The angel regarded me with a calm, wry smile. â€Å"Easy there, haven't you ever heard of respecting boundaries in a relationship? It was in that book you were so quick to discard.† â€Å"Cut it out. You can't just say ‘ nephilim signature' and then disappear like that.† â€Å"I can actually. I have to.† He found the cold pizza on my counter and bit into a piece. Swallowing, he continued, â€Å"This nephilim's got a real twisted sense of humor. Every once in a while, it likes to unmask†¦ flash us, so to speak. This time it came from West Seattle.† â€Å"You can detect that from this far away?† â€Å"Jerome and I can. We never catch the creep, but we have to check it out anyway. Leads us on a merry chase.† The implications seemed obvious to me. â€Å"So you leave me? What if it's a setup? What if it flashes you over there and then zaps back to me while all the attention's away?† â€Å"It can't just ‘zap' around. Nephilim don't move like higher immortals do; they're constrained by the same limitations as you, fortunately. This one would have to get in a car and drive back over here, just like everyone else, which would hardly be a speedy process. You're protected by miles of traffic congestion.† â€Å"Weird.† â€Å"Like we said, they're unpredictable. They like breaking rules, shaking up the status quo just to see what we'll do.† â€Å"Weird,† I repeated. â€Å"Does it even know you're there? That it's making you drop everything and come?† â€Å"If the nephilim's close enough, it'd be able to sense the teleporting but nothing else past that. As long as we're masked, our identities, strength, and whatever stay hidden. So, if it is lurking, it knows two higher immortals came to check it out, but not much more than that.† â€Å"And it just watches and waits,† I concluded. â€Å"Kind of twisted. Lord, these things are a pain in the ass.† â€Å"Tell me about it. They ‘do not go gently into that good night.' â€Å" I blinked at the poetic reference. â€Å"Wait†¦ that's what's going to happen? You're going to kill†¦ er, destroy it or something?† Carter cocked his head toward me curiously. â€Å"What'd you think would happen? Ten years and parole?† â€Å"I†¦ don't know. I just figured†¦ wow. I don't know. Are you into that? The whole smiting thing? I mean, I suppose you guys vanquish evil on a regular basis, huh?† â€Å"We smite, as you so cutely term it, when we have to. Demons tend to be more into it than we are. In fact, Nanette even offered to come up and take care of this nephilim,† he recalled, referring to Portland's archdemoness. â€Å"But I told Jerome I'd help.† â€Å"Wouldn't Jerome want to do it himself?† â€Å"Do you refuse backup when it's offered?† he asked me, answering my question with a question which, really, was no answer at all. Thinking about it, he laughed softly. â€Å"Of course, I forget, Georgina rushes in where angels fear to tread.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know how that quote really goes.† I stood up and stretched. â€Å"Well, if the excitement's over, I think I'll take a bath.† â€Å"Wow. The harsh lifestyle of a succubus. I wish I had your job.† â€Å"Hey, our side's always recruiting. You might need to be a little prettier to be an incubus, though. And a little more charming.† â€Å"Untrue. Mortal women go for jerks. I see it all the time.† â€Å"Touche.† I left him and took my bath, afterward finally giving up my pajamas for jeans and a T-shirt. I returned to the living room, turned on the television, and found The African-Queen just starting. Carter closed the laptop and watched with me. I'd always liked Katharine Hepburn but couldn't help marvel at what a dull day this was turning out to be. Avoiding going outside wouldn't do me any good in the long term since I'd have to drag Carter around with me tomorrow anyway when I went to work. My self-imposed enclosure today only prolonged the inevitable. In light of this, I considered breaking the cabin fever by seeing if he wanted to go to dinner after the movie. He shot up before I could speak, once more sensing a nephilim signature. â€Å"Twice in one day?† â€Å"It happens.† â€Å"Where now?† â€Å"Lynn wood.† â€Å"This guy gets around.† But I was speaking to empty air; Carter had disappeared. Sighing, I turned back to the movie, feeling a little more at ease after the angel's last explanation. The nephilim was in Lynnwood, trying to be a nuisance to Jerome and Carter. Commuting time was rapidly approaching, and Lynnwood was no small jump away. No nephilim would beat the angel back. As Carter had pointed out, I was safe for the time being. I had no need to panic. Yet, I nearly jumped out of my skin anyway when I heard the phone ring a few minutes later. Nervously, I picked up the receiver, imagining a nephilim blasting out of it. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey. It's me again.† â€Å"Seth. Hi.† â€Å"Hope I'm not bothering you. I just wanted to see how you are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Better,† I told him sincerely. â€Å"I liked your e-mail.† â€Å"Did you? Cool.† Our normal silence fell. â€Å"So†¦ did you get a lot of writing done today?† â€Å"I did actually. About ten pages. That never sounds like a lot, but – â€Å" A knock sounded at the door, and a chill ran down my spine. â€Å"Can-can you hang on?† â€Å"Sure.† Hesitantly, I prowled toward the door like a cat burglar, as though slow and drawn-out movements would actually do something against an insanely powerful supernatural being. Reaching the door, I carefully peered out the peephole. Roman. Exhaling with relief, I opened the door, resisting the urge to throw my arms around him. â€Å"Hi.† â€Å"Are you talking to me?† asked Seth through the phone. â€Å"Hi,† Roman told me, looking just as uncertain as I felt. â€Å"Can†¦ I come in?† † Er, no I'm not, I mean, yes you can, and yes I am talking to you now.† I stepped aside so Roman could enter. â€Å"Look Seth, can I, um, call you back? Or maybe†¦ I'll just see you tomorrow, okay?† â€Å"Uh, yeah. I guess. Everything okay?† â€Å"It's fine. Thanks for calling.† We hung up, and I gave Roman my full attention. â€Å"Seth Mortensen, famous author?† â€Å"I've been sick today,† I explained, using the same excuse I'd given Seth. â€Å"He just wanted to check on me.† â€Å"Terribly considerate of him.† Roman put his hands in his pockets and paced. â€Å"We're just friends.† â€Å"Of course you are. Because you don't date, right?† â€Å"Roman – † I cut off the onslaught that wanted to rush out, switching to safer territory. â€Å"Can I get you anything? Soda? Coffee?† â€Å"I can't stay. I was passing through and got your message. I just thought I'd†¦ I don't know what I was thinking. It was stupid.† He turned as if to leave, and I frantically reached out, grabbing his arm. â€Å"Wait. Don't. Please.† He turned to face me, looking down from his lofty height, the normally good-humored face grave today. Fighting my natural reaction at such proximity, I felt surprised when his expression softened, and he noted, mildly astonished, â€Å"You really aren't feeling well.† â€Å"W-what makes you say that?† I had shape-shifted my bruises away as Jerome had suggested and whatever smarting pain I felt was no longer visible. Gingerly, he reached out and stroked my cheek, fingers becoming bolder. â€Å"I don't know†¦ you're just†¦ kind of pale, I guess.† I started to point out I wasn't wearing makeup and then realized I wanted to appear sick. â€Å"Probably a cold.† He let his hand drop. â€Å"Is there anything I can do for you? I don't like†¦ seeing you like this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lord, how bad did I look? â€Å"I'm fine. I just need rest. Look, about the other night – â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry,† he interrupted. â€Å"I shouldn't have pushed you – â€Å" I stared, amazed. â€Å"You didn't do anything. It was me. I was the nutjob. I'm the one who couldn't handle things.† â€Å"No, it was my fault. I knew how you felt about getting serious, and I still kissed you.† â€Å"I did as much kissing as you. That wasn't the problem. Me freaking out was the problem. I was drunk and stupid. I shouldn't have done that to you.† â€Å"It's no problem. Really. I'm just glad you're okay.† A faint smile glimmered on his handsome features, and I remembered Seth saying I was easy to forgive. â€Å"Look, since we both feel we're at fault, maybe we can make it up to each other. Go out sometime this week and – â€Å" â€Å"No.† The calm certainty in my voice startled both of us. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"No. Roman, we aren't going out anymore†¦ and I don't think we can really pull off friends either.† I swallowed. â€Å"It'd be better if we just make a clean break – â€Å" â€Å"Georgina,† he exclaimed, eyes widening. â€Å"You can't be serious. You and I – â€Å" â€Å"I know. I know. But I can't do this. Not now.† â€Å"You're breaking up with me.† â€Å"Well, we weren't ever really going out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What happened to you?† he demanded. â€Å"What happened to you at some point in your life that made you so terrified of getting close to another person? What makes you run like this? Who hurt you?† â€Å"Look, it's complicated. And it doesn't matter. That past is gone, remember? I just can't do this with you now, okay?† â€Å"Is there someone else? Doug? Or Seth?† â€Å"No! There's no one. I just can't be with you.† We went around and around, rephrasing the same points in different ways, our emotions growing and growing. It felt like forever, but really only a few minutes passed as he pressed and I refused. He never turned angry or pushy, but his dismay was clearly apparent, and I felt certain I'd cry as soon as he left. Finally, glancing at the time, he ran a hand ruefully through his dark hair, turquoise eyes luminous with regret. â€Å"I have to go. I want to talk to you more – â€Å" â€Å"No. I don't think we should. It's better. I've really liked being with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He laughed harshly, walking toward the door. â€Å"Don't say that. Don't sugar coat things.† â€Å"Roman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I felt horrible. Anger and grief were written all over his face. â€Å"Please understand – â€Å" â€Å"See you around, Georgina. Or maybe not.† He had barely slammed the door when tears spilled down my cheeks. Going to my bedroom, I lay down on my bed, ready for a good cry that never came. No more tears issued forth, in spite of my mixed feelings of despair and relief. Part of me wanted to call Roman back right now, make him return to me; the other part coolly warned I now had clear reason to cut Seth off as soon as possible before things escalated. Good Lord, why did it seem I was always hurting people I cared about? What was it about me that made me repeat this cycle over and over? Roman's devastated face still hovered in my mind, but I took comfort in the fact that he hadn't been traumatized as much as Kyriakos. Not nearly as much. The discovery of my affair with Ariston had led to condemnation from both our families and an impending divorce coupled with the loss of my dowry. I think I might have been able to handle that scorn, even the hateful looks. What I could not handle was the way Kyriakos had been stripped of all life and caring. I almost wished he would turn angry and lash out at me, but there was nothing like that within him. Nothing at all. I had destroyed him. After several days of separation, I found him sitting on one of the rocky outcroppings overlooking the water. I tried to engage him in conversation a number of times, but he wasn't responding to any of it. He would only stare out at that expanse of blue, face dead and expressionless. I stood by him, my own emotions writhing inside me. I had reveled in being a forbidden object of desire with Ariston, but I also wanted to be one of love with Kyriakos. I couldn't have it both ways apparently. I reached out to wipe the tears from his cheeks, and he slapped my hand away. It was the closest he had ever come to hitting me. â€Å"Don't,† he warned, leaping up. â€Å"Don't ever touch me again. You sicken me.† I felt my own tears now, even if his anger meant he was still alive. â€Å"Please†¦ it was a mistake. I don't know what happened.† He laughed hollowly, a terrible, mirthless sound. â€Å"Don't you? You seemed to know perfectly well at the time. So did he.† â€Å"It was a mistake.† He turned his back to me and walked over to the edge of the cliff, staring out at the sea. He spread his arms out and tipped his head back, letting the wind blow over him. Gulls cried nearby. † Wh-what are you doing?† â€Å"I am flying,† he told me. â€Å"If I keep flying†¦ right over this edge, I will be happy again. Or better yet, I won't feel anything at all. I won't think about you anymore. I won't think about your face or your eyes or the way you smile or the way you smell. I won't love you anymore. I won't hurt anymore.† I approached him, half-afraid my presence would make him go over. â€Å"Stop it. You're scaring me. You don't mean any of this.† â€Å"Don't I?† He looked at me, and there was no more anger or cynicism. Only grief. Sorrow. Despair. Depression blacker than a moonless night. It was terrible and frightening. I wanted him to snap at me again, to yell at me. I would have even let him hit me, if only to see some sort of heat in him. There was none of that, though. Only darkness. He gave me a sad, bleak smile. The smile of one already dead. â€Å"I will never forgive you.† â€Å"Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You were my life, Letha†¦ but no more. No more. I have no life now.† He walked away, and even as my heart broke, I exhaled in relief to see him moving away from the cliff. I wanted to run after him but gave him his space instead. Sitting down in his spot, I drew my knees up and buried my face in them, half wishing I was dead. â€Å"He'll come back here, you know,† a voice suddenly said behind me. â€Å"The pull is too strong. And next time, he may go over.† I jerked my head up, startled. I hadn't heard anyone approach. I didn't recognize the man who now stood there, odd in a town where everyone knew everyone else. He was slim and well-groomed, dressed in clothes more elegant than I usually saw around here. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"They call me Niphon,† he said with a small bow. â€Å"And you are Letha, Marthanes ‘ daughter, formerly wife of Kyriakos.† â€Å"I still am his wife.† â€Å"But not for long.† I turned my face away. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"I want to help you, Letha. I'd like to help you with this mess you've gotten yourself into.† â€Å"No one can help me. Not unless you can undo the past.† â€Å"No. No one can undo the past. I can make people forget it, though.† I slowly turned back to him, assessing his bright eyes and dapper manner. â€Å"Stop joking. I'm not in the mood.† â€Å"I assure you, I am most earnest.† Staring at him, I suddenly somehow knew he was telling the truth, as impossible as it was to believe. Later I would learn that Niphon was an imp, but at the time, I had only sensed that he had a strange air about him, the whispering of power that promised he really could do what he said. â€Å"How?† His eyes gleamed, not unlike Hugh's when he was on the edge of a major deal. â€Å"To erase the memory of what you've done is no small feat. It carries a price.† â€Å"Can you make me forget too?† â€Å"No. But I can make everyone else forget. Your family, your friends, the town. Him.† â€Å"I don't know†¦ I don't think I could go back to them then. Even if they didn't remember, I still would. I couldn't face Kyriakos like that. Unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated, wondering if it might not be better never to come in contact with them again. â€Å"Can you make them forget me altogether? Make it like I've never been born?† Niphondrew a sharp, excited breath. â€Å"Yes, oh yes. But a favor like that†¦ a favor like that carries an even higher price†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He'd explained it to me then, what I'd have to give in return to completely blot me from the minds of those I'd known. My soul was a given. I'd carry it as long as I walked the earth, but it would have a lease on it, so to speak. That was the standard price for any hellish deal. But hell wanted more of me: my eternal service in the corruption of souls. I would spend the rest of my days seducing men, fulfilling their fantasies for my own gain and for those whom I served. It was an ironic fate, considering what had brought me to this point. To aid me, I'd gain the ability to take any form I chose, as well as the power to enhance my own charm. And of course, I'd have eternal life. Immortality and invulnerability. For some, that might have been benefit alone. â€Å"You'd be good. One of the best. I can sense it within you.† Imps had the ability to look into a person's soul and nature. â€Å"Most people think desire is only in the body, but it's here too.† He touched my forehead. â€Å"And you would never die. You would stay young and beautiful forever, until the earth perishes.† â€Å"And after that?† He smiled. â€Å"That's a long way off, Letha, whereas your husband's life is at stake now.† That had been what sold me. The knowledge that I could save Kyriakos and give him a new life, a life free of me where he would have a chance to be happy once more. A life where I could slink away from my disgrace and maybe even be rightfully punished. My soul – which I barely understood anyway – seemed a small price. I'd agreed to the bargain, first shaking on it, then putting my mark on paperwork I couldn't read. Niphon left me, and I returned to town. It was eerily simple. When I returned, it was exactly as he had promised. The wish had already been carried out. No one knew me. Passing people – people I'd known my entire life – gave me the glances reserved for strangers. My own sisters walked by me without recognition. I wanted to find Kyriakos, to see if it was the same for him, but I couldn't muster the courage. I didn't want him to see my face, not ever again, even if he didn't recognize it. So I spent the day wandering, trying to accept the fact that I was gone to these people. It was harder than I thought it would be. And sadder. When nightfall came, I retreated again to the outskirts of town. I had nowhere to stay, after all. No family or friends. Instead, I sat in the dark, watching the moon and stars, wondering what I was supposed to do now. The answer came quickly. She rose almost from the ground, at first appearing as nothing more than a shadow, then gradually coalescing into the shape of a woman. The air vibrated with power around her, and suddenly I felt suffocated. I backed up, terror filling every part of me, my lungs unable to take in air. Wind rose from nowhere, whipping my hair and flattening the grass around me. Then, she stood before me, and the night was still again. Lilith. Queen of the Succubi. Lady of the Night. The First Woman. Fear like I had never known swept over me – and lust. I had never been attracted to a woman before, but Lilith has that effect on everyone. It is fixed in her being. No one can resist her. She wore a tall, slim shape that night, willowy and lovely. Her skin was the pale white of the aristocracy of that time – a white never achieved by those of us who worked outside regularly. Her hair was a raven's wing of black, falling in gleaming waves to her ankles. And her eyes†¦ well, let me just say there's a reason the old myths call succubi â€Å"flame-eyed.† Her eyes were beautiful and deadly, promising anything you could ever want or desire if only you would let her help you. I still can't remember what color they were, but I could not look away from them that night. â€Å"Letha,† she crooned, approaching me. The air shimmered around her, and I actually trembled now from my desire. I wanted to run but instead sank to my knees, both from respect and the inability to stand. She came to me and tipped my chin so that I had to look in those eyes again. Sharp, black nails dug painfully into my skin, and it felt wonderful. â€Å"You will be my own daughter now, spreading discord and passion for the rest of your days. You will be both punisher and tester, a creature of both dreams and nightmares. Mortals will do anything for you, just for a touch. You will be loved and desired until the earth is dust.† I whimpered at her proximity, and then she moved closer still, lifting me up so I stood before her. Those glorious lips came to mine, and that kiss shot orgasmic pleasure through my body. My cries were lost, smothered in that kiss. I closed my eyes, unable to look at her and unable to break away. I soaked into that ecstasy pulsing over and over in my body. And yet, as I let that bliss consume me, something else happened too. My mortality was being stripped away. It felt like disintegrating, like I had become ashes in the wind. I wondered if that was how death felt. Like you were nothing. Gone. Then, just as quickly, I was put back together, myself once more. But I could feel the power burning through me now, different from the life that filled humans. My immortality shone like a star in the night, cold and pure. No longer would old age threaten. No longer would sickness haunt me. No longer would my flesh be passionately driven by the knowledge that time was short, that I had to leave my mark on the world. That I had to pass on my blood. I opened my eyes, and the onslaught of pleasure disappeared. So did Lilith. I stood alone in the darkness, quivering with my newfound power. And with that power, I could feel something more: an itch in my flesh. An itch that told me my skin could become anything I wanted it to be with only a thought. I was reborn. I was empowered. And I was hungry†¦ â€Å"What's wrong?† Blinking back tears, I looked up at Carter. He stood in the doorway to my bedroom, pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes, face concerned. â€Å"Nothing,† I muttered, burying my face in my pillow. â€Å"No nephilim ?† â€Å"No nephilim.† An awkward pause followed. â€Å"Look†¦ are you sure you're okay? Because you don't look okay.† â€Å"I'm fine. Didn't you hear me?† He still wouldn't give up, though. â€Å"I know we're not that close, but if you need to talk – â€Å" â€Å"Like you'd understand,† I scoffed, venom in my voice. â€Å"You've never had a heart. You don't know what it's like, so don't even pretend like you do.† â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Go. Away. Please.† I turned back toward my pillow, waiting for another protest, but none came. When I dared a peek, the angel was gone.

Monopoly †micro Economics Essay

Monopoly is a market structure in which there is a single seller, there are no close substitutes for the commodity it produces and there are barriers to entry in same industry. Characteristics of Monopoly †¢Single Seller: There is only one seller; he can control either price or supply of his product. But he cannot control demand for the product, as there are many buyers. †¢No close Substitutes: there are any close substitutes for the product. The buyers have no alternatives or choice. Either they have to buy the product or go without it. †¢Price: The monopolist has control over the supply so as to increase the price. Sometimes he may adopt price discrimination. He may fix different prices for different sets of consumers. A monopolist can either fix the price or quantity of output; but he cannot do both, at the same time. †¢No Entry: there is any freedom to other producers to enter the market as the monopolist is enjoying monopoly power. There are strong barriers for new firms to enter. There are legal, technological, economic and natural obstacles, which may block the entry of new producers. †¢Firm and Industry: Under monopoly, there is no difference between a firm and an industry. As there is only one firm, that single firm constitutes the whole industry. Causes for Monopoly †¢Natural: A monopoly may arise on account of some natural causes. Some minerals are available only in certain regions. For example, South Africa has the monopoly of diamonds; nickel in the world is mostly available in Canada and oil in Middle East. This is natural monopoly. †¢Technical: Monopoly power may be enjoyed due to technical reasons. A firm may have control over raw materials, technical knowledge, special know-how, scientific secrets and formula that enable a monopolist to produce a commodity. e. g. , Coco Cola. †¢Legal: Monopoly power is achieved through patent rights, copyright and trade marks by the producers. This is called legal monopoly. †¢Large Amount of Capital: The manufacture of some goods requires a large amount of capital or lumpiness of capital. All firms cannot enter the field because they cannot afford to invest such a large amount of capital. This may give rise to monopoly. For example, iron and steel industry, railways, etc. †¢State: Government will have the sole right of producing and selling some goods. They are State monopolies. For example, we have public utilities like electricity and railways. These public utilities are undertaken by the State. Examples of Monopoly in Market In today’s Market monopoly does not exist today there is cut throat competition in all the fields but still there are few industries which have monopoly those are mentioned below. †¢Indian Railways †¢Airlines in India till liberalization. †¢OPEC ( A Group of Oil producing countries come together to form a organization and rule market) †¢Microsoft (An Information Technology Firm) †¢Monopoly can also exist within Pharmaceutical companies where when one gets patent rights they are the only company producing the medicine and no one else can produce. Here above we saw example of Microsoft. Microsoft is a company that produces Operating System for computers which is the only graphical user interface between machine and human. There are other companies also like MAC. But as per patent they only work for Apple. Where as all other computer manufacturer are left with only option as Microsoft and its product. This is how Microsoft is under Monopolistic Condition and Market circumstances. And above mentioned all the characteristic can also be related to the example of monopoly. Today we have seen that Microsoft is a multi Billion Dollar Multinational company. This has grown over a period of time just because of its monopoly and very less competitors. This tells us the Different ways by which a monopoly power of the company can grow. And company can make very good amount of profits.

Final essay Essays - Pop Ballads, Grenade, Bruno Mars, Free Essays

Final essay Essays - Pop Ballads, Grenade, Bruno Mars, Free Essays 14004 1247555 13words The Poetics of Popular Music December 9, 2014 Final essay Every day a person finds that special someone to love or thought to be love. Relationships are the hardest thing to work on. Many work out but many dont. Most of the times the means is clearly no ones fault. If there were a lyricist that explore most of his songs on the same topic who would it be? A speaker with the same motif in his songs is Bruno Mars, in which some of his are about breakups and betrayals. Songs like Grenade, Natalie and When I Was Your Man are some good example of which it shows Brunos relationship problems with woman. Bruno Mars expresses the consequences of his decisions throughout different concepts such as broken hearth, regrets and betrayal; also they are represented by using symbolism, irony and metaphor, in order to show his depressive mental state. Firstly Grenade by Mars, generalizing about the lyrics of this song, it is about a broken heart guy just got dumped by a girl, who did not love him and made him suffer a lot. The lyrics expressed show that the speaker is very sad and depressed, which are the same to a failure stage in a relationship like every other unhappy couples. The first sentence of this song, which says Easy come, easy go/That's just how you live oohh (1-2), makes you immediately think that this is the type of girl who doesnt view relationship as anything serious, which causes a lot pain and stress for Bruno when he tries to save their failing relationship. The artist says he willingly gave the other person his all in the relationship, he treated her with respect but she instead took advantage of his love. She treated Brunos undying love and devotion like a piece of rubbish and threw it away without thinking. This person that Bruno was really into must have been really something to him because he goes on to des cribe all the ways in which he would be willing to die for his beloved: grenade, blade, train, and bullet. A lyric that illustrates well this situation is Id catch a grenade for ya (11), the word grenade is referred to his ex, for whom he would do everything for the other person, and in this case he would catch a grenade, or die for that person. Although, the writer does not show any anger towards the woman, but instead shows a heart broken man who tells us what he would do for her afterwards, in contrast she wouldnt do anything in return to him. These actions are illustrated by the use of hyperbole, whereas the speaker says Yeah youll smile in my face/Then rip the brakes out my car (21-22). These lyrics are an example of overstatement, as it means that the girl is two faced enough to smile when she with Bruno, then rip out his breaks once he turns his back, knowing very well that could lead to a fatal car crash. Secondly, betrayal is one of the most painful experiences. Natalie, is about Mars telling a story of his speakers revenge against a gold digger named Natalie who took the protagonist for everything and how he wont stop at nothing to make sure she pays even if he ends up spending life time in jail. Not like the previous song was about breakup, this one is focuses more on betrayal, in which the girl stole Mars money and left him broke, for that reason it causes him to go on a vengeance spree. Although Natalie played with his emotions, the speaker describes the situation with a positive tone; for example when he tells us that I spend a lifetime in jail (yeah, thats what Ill do) Ill be smiling in my cell (yeah, thinking about you) (32-33), the composer is admitting that he doesnt care about the consequence of murdering Natalie; as long as he can get his revenge on her, hell be happy to spend the rest of his life in jail, knowing shes long gone. The writer uses a technique in the song, wh ich is the synecdone of lines. The method changes the way you interpret the song, because the

Northeast of England and Scotland economic situation and government Essay

Northeast of England and Scotland economic situation and government measures - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that The recession of 2008 brought enormous impact on the UK economy that affected various macroeconomic variables, especially employment levels in the country. This has initiated intensive discussion about the policies and approaches that can be engaged to help in revitalizing the economy. Several policy makers and socialist have come up with measures like industrial policy, investment in the education, subsidizing particular industries, and among others. However, which of the proposed policies can help the UK to recover from the recession drawbacks.   The problem led to rise of different ideas like that of Adam Smith, Michael porter and David Cameron. Thus, the paper will discuss each idea of the above individuals to ascertain their contribution on revitalizing of the economy.   Meanwhile, the paper will focus on the state affairs on the ground, and the ways the government is using to restore the economy. Northeast of England and Scot land are facing economic problems due to the recession of 2008 that affect societies and the labor market. Joanna claims that the recession led to the reduction in the economic growth that decreased the GDP in these countries because they could not employ significant measures to curtail the impact. The industrial sectors in Scotland and Northeast England have suffered for lengthy periods due to the problems of unemployment and economic restructuring. Joanna (2011, P. 160) indicate that the deindustrialization had made the regional economic situation weak, and the effect was expected to strengthen as the government sought to cut public expenditure. This was to prevent the individual dependence of these regions on public service jobs. The immediate impact of recession in these countries is the labor market that caused unemployment. This was as a result of decline in aggregate demand that caused private sectors to pay their wages decreased wages in order to meet the economic situation in the labor market. The adequacy of demand and increased unemployment has caused crowding out of the private sectors.The reduction of wages in private sectors in these regions has limited the growth of demand and caused problems of relative demand shortage. The regional economies of Scotland are closer to full employment level and decreasing of the public sector wages against that of private sectors can enhance the competitive advantage in the private sector. The Scotland and Northeast England are the regions that suffered the most increases in household financial crisis due to the recession. According to Joanna (2011, P. 147), the comparatively rise in unemployment and economic immobility rates caused the decline in households prices that affected their lifestyle. The Scotland and northeast England have the lowest increases of unemployment because they participate in the traditional manufacturing and heavy industries that have suffered disproportionately before recession.The insta nt problem of the recession in the two regions was the fiscal damage because all powerful politicians agreed on the requirement for public expenditure cuts. This would undermine the use of state expenditure to support the former industrial in these regions and women’s employment. Meanwhile, the new labor increased expenses on health and education did operate due to the type of undisclosed regional policy implemented. The government helped to expand employment right across the national economy in Scotland and northeast England, but it was significant where private sector job creation was weak. The dispersed expenditure on education and health were equally vital in achieving a new necessity for gendered employment in the regions. Joanna (2011, P. 149) indicates that the payment out of the banks undermined the national business environment and challenged the account of national economic transportation. To change the state affairs in the two regions, their governments have tried to encourage a

Using Italic and Abbreviations in Writing Process Essay

Using Italic and Abbreviations in Writing Process - Essay Example Italics can be used in writing when foreign words are discussed in a sentence (Kirszner & Mandell, 2009). Example when using Latin words that are acceptable in writing the italics is applied. Italics also can be used for foreign words or phrases that are not considered fully part of the English language. Also, the use of italics can be when citing English words in writing. Instead of using single quotes you can use italics when citing English words that are being talked about in writing. The italics can also be used to italicize the names of vehicles. Italicize the names of ships, airplanes missiles, and man-made satellites. Italics also can be used when writing the name of the case in legal cases (Foster, 2010). Italics are used in the practice test in the tips section to improve your knowledge of when to italicize text. Titles of full-length books are to be italicized. Even if they are not books as long as they are longer than of a short few types pages these pieces get italicized. Titles of anthologies of pieces such as songs, poems, short stories, and short plays/essays should be italicized. Title of movie and television shows can be italicized in the writing process; individual scenes are to be enclosed in quotes. Another writing process written by Kirszner & Mandell is an abbreviation which is writing of short forms of names. The proper use of abbreviations can help the writer to put clear what is contained in the text. Also, if these abbreviations are used in excess they can bring about confusion. According to the MLA publication manual, it provides some of the effective suggestions concerning the use of abbreviations in writing. These suggestions include the general use of using the abbreviations that are; any expression that will be written in abbreviation form should be in full the first time it is used followed by the abbreviation in the parentheses and abbreviated thereafter.