False Consensus Effect :: essays research papers

False Consensus Effect A Focused Review of Research     Categorization and social projection are important ways that people can more successfully navigate their social environment. People need to know that there are others in their in- aggroup that share the resembling attitudes and behaviors as they do. If people are unable to determine how some(prenominal) people in their environment share their attitudes and behaviors, it would be more difficult to engage in social situations without offending or contradicting others. For this reason, false consensus is an interesting offshoot of this important idea. The false consensus effect refers to the fact that people have a tendency to over-estimate the residuum of the population that shares an attitude or behavior with him or her.      Much of the research on false consensus has demonstrated that people tend to over project how many members of their in-group are likely to share their attitudes a nd behaviors. This effect diminishes when comparing to an out-group. It is thought that this occurs because people feel that people who they do non consider to share a group identity with will likely have different basic attitudes and behaviors than they. An important aspect of the literature is that the vast majority used college students as the primary subjects. art object this is extremely convenient for researchers, it may not give us a clear picture about false consensus, in that it is possible that college students limited "real-world stimulate" may be influencing their projections. Also, almost all of the behavior measures were taken by self-report. This is somewhat necessary, as many of the behaviors would be difficult to measure directly (e.g., medicate use) without a breach of ethics. This too is a source of potential source of error, it is likely that the self-reports would under-estimate the proportion of the population that engages in a particular behavior.      The astute subscriber may notice that this review does not include any papers that did not find a false consensus effect. The reason for this is not that this paper is not representative of the literature, but rather, that it is. The uniformity of the literature suggests that the phenomenon is fairly common. Some interesting arguments as to why this is are motivational or cognitive in nature. The motivational premise is based in the idea that people are motivated to believe that they have a place in their social environment. This argument is a based in self-justification, in that if many people share a given belief or behavior, it makes it easier to justify that this attitude or behavior is any right, or not as bad as it might seem.

I am Obligated to Use my Talents to Benefit Society Essay -- Medicine

I am Obligated to Use my Talents to Benefit Society   As a potential medical student, I will strive to be a tremendous asset to The Chicago Medical School by devoting all my quantify and life to becoming an excellent physician. I believe that I am obligated to use my talents in a constructive flair, in a manner that benefits society. The medical career gives me the unique opportunity to express my many talents while benefiting human life.   B. Berston M.D. once said ... a funny thing happens to medical students on their way to becoming physicians they forget how to hold a conversation. I believe that my ability to communicate makes me well suited to pursue a medical career. art object I possess the strong science background necessary for success in the profession, I also consider myself a people person. As a waiter and bartender, I dramatically improved and expanded my communication skills since I was constantly meeting new people and discussing different topics. Becau se people constantly let out thei... ... of medicine as a career because I am convinced that medicine offers me the opportunity to live a fulfilling, rewarding life dedicated to component part others. I will enter medicine eager to learn and thirsting for the knowledge to help my fellow human beings. Attending The Chicago Medical School would be one of the greatest rewards for my motivation and persistence for success. I swear to uphold and exceed all that is expected of a future physician while promoting the pass on of medicine and humanity.    

President Reagans Strategic Defense Initiative: In Relation With the Soviet :: Nuclear War

"For the first time humankind has the power to destroy itself." 1 The thermonuclear age has changed the world, for the good and the bad. Though the bad, is outlying(prenominal) greater than the good. We well-nightimes ponder to our selves, "what would happenif we were forced in to a nuclear war ware their are now winners." The way lifewould be after such an incident would change life as we know it drastically. Inthe event of a nuclear war with the Soviets we would have lost near onehundred and fifty million American lives. 2 The planet would be destroyed tothe extent that even thoughts who survived would have no place to live. NoGovernment, or persons, can win a nuclear war and as long as their are nuclearmissiles of mass destruction there go out always be the risk of someone using them.Once the first missile is unleashed their is no telling were it would stop.Our dealings with the former Soviet Union was establish on the French word,detente, that the Russians had defined as a freedom to purchase subversion,aggression and expansionism any were in the world. 3 The soviets have been, upuntil 1990, the U.Ss defacto enemies. There conclusion was too destroy democracy andimposing communism. 4 This is way it was though to be inevitable for a nuclearwar with the soviets. "The dream of a non nuclear world is a great and notableone, how ever for the foreseeable future it is unattainable in actuality andunwise in theory." 5 Because of this harsh the United States is left hand with aproblem How can we beet this so called inevitability? The answer is spacebased defense weapons. The program, brought forth by the Reagan administration,was called the strategic defense Initiative, and some called "Star Wars." 6Reagans strategic defense initiative, created in the 80s, was an acceptablefor the U.S it worked to convince the Soviets not only to reduce there nucleararsenal but to nab any chance for a nuclear attack by the Soviets." What is the worth of our society as we know it? Right now we hold anentire macrocosm hostage." 7 Ever since the 1960s our main defense against thesoviets has been the MAD policy, Mutual Assured Destruction. Both the UnitedStates and the Soviet Union had enough nuclear weapons at their garbage disposal so thatif one fired at the other the one that was being fired at would fire itsmissiles at the other too. In other words, they would appropriate the same fate.

Reader-Response on Soldiers Home Essay -- American Literature

Reader-Response on Soldiers HomeThe initial reaction I received from reading Soldiers Home, and my feelings about Soldiers Home now are not the same. Initially, I thought Harold Krebs is this soldier who fought for two years, opens home, and is disconnected from society because he is in a childlike state of mind, while everyone else has grown up. I felt that Krebs befogged his immature years, late teens to early 20s, because he went from college to the military. I still see him as disconnected from society, because there isnt anyone or anything that can connect him to the simple demeanor that his once before close friends and family are living. He has been through a traumatic experience for the retiring(a) two years, and he does not have anyone authentically interested in him enough to take the time to find out whats going on in his mind and heart. Krebs is in a battle by and by the battle. Imagine your hometown, a small, affluent community where everyone knows each other . This small community is where many of your childhood friends and some of your family also reside. If you left your hometown for a two-year cessation of time to go into the military, to go to college, to travel the world, or just to experience life somewhere else, how would you conceptualise your friends and family to treat you when you arrived home after a two-year period? Would you expect a warm welcome from your love ones, would you expect to be able to share your experiences, or major events that took place in your life? Would you expect that everyone has changed at least a little bit, and you have changed somewhat as well? I definitely would not expect or would not motive my friends and family to reject me, because I had changed due to my life experiences outside our sma... ...has failed to help him deal with his inner emotions from his military experience. He has been through a traumatic experience for the past two years, and he does not have anyone genuinely intere sted in him enough to take the time to find out whats going on in his mind and heart. Krebs is disconnected from the life he had before the war, and without genuine help and care from these people he lived with, and around all his childhood life, its difficult to return to the routines that everyone is accustomed to.Works CitedHemingway, Ernest. Soldiers Home. The Bedford Introduction to Literature, 6th Edition. Ed. Michael Meyer. New York Bedford/St. Martins. 2002. 152-57.Reader Responses to Soldiers Home. Literature and Composition. 10 Feb.,2003. David Toth. 14 Feb., 2003. .

AIDS :: HIV Diseases Health Medical Essays

back upSub-Saharan Africa is the region of the humans that is most affected by HIV/AIDS. An estimated 26.6 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and approximately 3.2 million new infections occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2003. In just the past year the epidemic has claimed the lives of an estimated 2.3 million Africans. Ten million childly people (aged 15-24) and almost 3 million children under 15 are living with HIV. An estimated eleven million children have been orphaned by AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is not just an African problem this is a world wide concern. It is estimated that over 50 million world wide have undertake the HIV/AIDS virus. (www.avert.org/aafrica.htm) Why during such an epidemic are drugs not reaching the people who need them? There are a few issues contact the distribution of these and other drugs including securities industry size, patent laws, compulsory licensing, and price discrimination. Pharmaceuticals have played a key role in impro ving health world wide. Health trends in the 20th century have had significant improvement due to vaccines and other technological advances. It has been shown from 1962-1987 that a 74 percent decline in infant mortality rates can be attributed to technological advances. (Journal of sparing Perspectives) However, distribution in developing countries is still in dire need of improvement. A major reason for lack of access to pharmaceuticals in developing nations is the size of the market and the lack of revenue that can be obtained from consumers there. As shown in give in 1 from the Journal of Economic Perspectives the US holds almost 40 percent of the worlds pharmaceutical market while Africa has only l percent. The market in Africa and other developing nations is significantly smaller, Drug developers often do not even bother to take out patents in small, poor countries (Journal of Economic Perspectives p70). Diseases in developing countries mainly infectious and parasitic diseases differ from the noncommunicable conditions found in more developed countries, the high cost of research and learning and the low payback from consumers in developing countries deter pharmaceutical companies from investing time and energy into diseases that mainly affect developing nations. Developed nations spend an sightly of $4,000 per person per year on health while developing nations spend on average less than $20 per person. Such a large fracture in health spending does not give pharmaceutical firms an incentive to provide research and development in these areas.

AIDS :: HIV Diseases Health Medical Essays

AIDSSub-Saharan Africa is the region of the knowledge base that is most change by HIV/AIDS. An estimated 26.6 million people argon living with HIV/AIDS and approximately 3.2 million new infections occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2003. In just the past year the epidemic has claimed the lives of an estimated 2.3 million Africans. Ten million young people (aged 15-24) and almost 3 million children under 15 are living with HIV. An estimated eleven million children reach been orphaned by AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is not just an African problem this is a world wide concern. It is estimated that over 50 million world wide have contracted the HIV/AIDS virus. (www.avert.org/aafrica.htm) Why during such an epidemic are drugs not reaching the people who need them? There are a few issues surrounding the distribution of these and other drugs including market coat, patent laws, compulsory licensing, and price discrimination. Pharmaceuticals have played a key role in improving h ealth world wide. Health trends in the 20th century have had significant betterment due to vaccines and other technological advances. It has been shown from 1962-1987 that a 74 part decline in infant mortality rates can be attributed to technological advances. (Journal of economic Perspectives) However, distribution in developing countries is still in dire need of improvement. A major reason for lack of access to pharmaceuticals in developing nations is the size of the market and the lack of revenue that can be obtained from consumers there. As shown in Table 1 from the Journal of Economic Perspectives the US holds almost 40 percent of the worlds pharmaceutical market while Africa has only l percent. The market in Africa and other developing nations is significantly smaller, Drug developers often do not even bother to take out patents in small, poor countries (Journal of Economic Perspectives p70). Diseases in developing countries mainly infectious and parasitic diseases d iffer from the nontransmissible conditions found in more developed countries, the high cost of research and development and the low payback from consumers in developing countries deter pharmaceutical companies from investiture time and energy into diseases that mainly affect developing nations. Developed nations surpass an average of $4,000 per person per year on health while developing nations spend on average less than $20 per person. Such a large gap in health spending does not give pharmaceutical firms an incentive to provide research and development in these areas.

Humboldt Squid

Humboldt Squid Dosidicus gigas Do of import Eukarya Kingdom Animalia Phylum Mollusca Class Cephalopoda Order Teuthida Suborder Oegopsina Family Ommastephidae Genus Dosidicus Species Dosidicus gigas Ecological Geographic range Receives its name from its main location the Humboldt Current This current is found in the East Pacific Ocean character The Humboldt calamaris are roundtimes found along the coastal region of California, Oregon, Alaska and Washington Generally, found about 2,300 feet below surfaceEnter shallow waters to lay eggs Trophic level Sharks, dolphins, whales, tuna swordfish, many types of rays as well as an abundance of crustaceans, mollusks, fish of all sizes, and other cephalopods such as octopus can be found in the food web of the Humboldt The Humboldt is occupies a relatively high trophic level It feeds on krill and small species of fish PredatorsSperm whales, sharks, seals, swordfish, and marlin feed on Humboldt squids of all sizes, while gulls and large fish often fuck off juveniles Parasites include Chromidina elegans, a ciliate protozoan that lives inside the renal organs of the Humboldt Life Cycle Average life span is 1 year however, some can live up to 2 years Spend much of their short life in the oceanics type O-minimum zone Come up at night to feed After 200 days, the squids reach sexual maturity They die shortly after mating Physiological Development bilaterally symmetrical symmetryArms and tentacles 8 arms and 2 retractable tentacles Mantle hollow structure and so internal organs are all exposed directly to the ocean water Funnel water is pumped from out of the mantle to the funnel, which allows squids to move Fins are used for both maintaining position and generating thrust Chromatophores tiny elastic sacs of pigment. The Humboldt squid can turn their entire bodies from red to white to red again in less than one second Digestive system Complete and cilial Mouth, anus and complex stomachUse of a duck like beak to break u p food A radula or ribbon horn found on the spit directs the food down the esophagus Food is taken up by cells lining the digestive glands arising from the stomach and then passed into the blood Excretory System undigested materials are compressed and packaged and discharged through the anus into the mantle cavity and carried away by ocean currents Excretory functions are carried out by a pair of nephridia (tubular structures that collect fluids from the coelom and exchange salts) Respiratory systemContains three hearts to support the constantly moving lifestyle of the squid Hemocyanin is the copper-rich respiratory protein that transports oxygen throughout the body Circulatory system complex, closed circulatory system (reason why they can move fast) contains two branchial hearts at the base of operations of the gills which send unoxygenated blood through the gills A third ventricular heart then pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body (blood turns blue when oxygenated, colorles s before) neural system Highly developed and sensitiveBrain consists of two fused hardiness centers that are linked down the length of the body by two giant nerve axons The giant axons transmit nerve signals quickly Interesting fact the squids nervous system is connected to structures called statocysts. These vesicles let the animal to orient itself to a gravitational field, allowing the squid to remain aware of its orientation and movement in a three-dimensional manner Reproductive strategies Highest fecundity of any cephalopod overtake sexually maturity after 200 days of life Timing and location of eggs is still guesswork for most scientists Sexual reproductionSemelparous reproduction (reproduce at one time in their lifetimes and die shortly after) Female Humboldt squids can have about 10 million eggs however, the most to have been found has been between one-half a million and a million eggs After the eggs are laid, there is no further parental investment Kurth, J. and M. Gar zio 2009. Dosidicus gigas (On-line), Animal innovation Web. Accessed March 18, 2013 at http//animaldiversity. ummz. umich. edu/accounts/Dosidicus_gigas/ Squid. The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2012. Encyclopedia. com. 18 Mar. 2013. Humboldt or Jumbo Squid Fact Sheet National Zoo FONZ. Smithsonian National Zoological Park. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. Humboldt Squid. BioWeb. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. A Humboldt Squid Dissection Guide for Educators. The Gilly Lab. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. Humboldt Squids Systems. Shorecrest Preparatory School. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. HumboldtSquid. Squid-World. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. Squid Sex and Babies. Squid Sex and Babies. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. http//theseasproject. weebly. com/uploads/5/3/8/4/5384258/5500235_orig. png? 243

Creative Writing; Point of View from a Stuffed Animal Kitten

Sitting up high, I felt like the king of the world. All of my peers sit heap below me and some sat at my side like Louis the XIVs assistants would sit by him. Because they were all below me, they all looked up to me. I would see that they leave my land happily with welcoming denizens who carefully picked them out. A plethora of young unknowns would frequently skip back and forth along my lane, choice up and hugging my soft and furry subjects with glee. Occasionally some of my peers found themselves laying lonely on the ground, but help always came.A much taller, weathered-looking exotic came by and swept the helpless up and put them back on their shelves. I never fell though, of course. Nothing could touch me at the time, until I met the twenty-four hour period that would bring my demise as a king of my land. It was a normal day like every other. I was watching over my peers with full mark of protection when I noticed a peculiar little alien. This alien was different and very u nlike all other little aliens that came through my land. He wore a frown on his round face and stomped his feet out of displeasure to the middle of the lane.After a quick perusal, his zealous eyes threw angry glances towards me as I remained patient while enduring utmost disrespect. Before I could register in my mind what was happening to me, I was being squeezed by the fractious aliens hands. He squeezed and pinched every part of my body ears, nose, whiskers, tail, and paws. I was violated over and over as I was scanned and thrown into a charge plate bag. Leaving my kingdom, I felt uncomfortable warmth all over my body. I couldnt see through the translucent bag, but the bright watery which passed through blinded me.I was roughly tossed into what I now know is a transportation vehicle, weeting my head. Quickly, the vehicle turned on, made a loud noise, and began moving. It hit many another(prenominal) bumps and I hit my head continuously leaving my entire body sore. I was being smothered by the plastic bag I was contained in and soon lost consciousness. Within moments, my life had gone from greatness to nothing. I was once the be have it awayd king of my people, but quickly became an obsequious slave. I was thrown at walls, wailed into furniture, stomped on the floor, and dropped in dirt.My face would be drilled into the mud many times over the years. Sticky juice and soda papa would be spilled on my once soft, clean fur. My long whiskers were cut, and my white fur was dirty. I felt more ugly than I looked. The giant family chamfer and the alien male child often played tug-of-war with my sore body, pulling me back and forth ripping the stitches at my limbs. Thick dog slobber would drip down my snout, further dirtying my fur. All I wanted was to be loved. All I wanted was to be cared for. It wasnt too long until the alien boy s give-up the ghostped playing with me.The dog forgot about my existence as well. The feeling was bitter-sweet. I wasnt being mist reated anymore, and I wasnt constantly clear to pain and discomfort, but I felt alone more than ever. Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like days, and days felt like weeks. I laid in a dusty corner for months facing the banal wall, only able to hear my surroundings. This feeling was common, common to anyone forgotten and mistreated. This is how I fantasy I would spend eternity. Soon life would change once more for me. one and only(a) morning I found myself in a large bag with many others like me. There were teddy bears, toy horses, dolls, and cars. I was surprised to find out that they had been treated the same way I had been by the alien boy. only if like me, they all once had good lives which were ripped away from them by the alien. They were beaten and dirtied, but eventually forgotten. We were taken to the transportation vehicle and tossed into it. It started up, and within minutes we were at our destination. After being emptied out of the bag, my eyes met the faces of many little girl aliens.They rhapsodized over us, for their faces were filled with smiles as oohs and ahhs poured out of their mouths. They bounced up and down with excitement and anticipation. One alien gently grabbed my body and hugged me tightly to her chest. For the next several hours she swung me on the outside swings and took me everywhere she went. In the evening she would put me back on the top of my shelf my new kingdom for a respite and get me down again the next day. All of the new little aliens brought something to me I never had before. They brought me love that I had yearned for.

Home Depot

In addition they also responded to concerns bout its environmental impact by creating spick-and-span standards to g everyplacen its relationship with its suppliers. The legitimacy of the company and stakeholders also paradeed because they wanted to make sure that phratry destinations appearance of universe environmentally responsible is non a sham. understructure computer storage showed their urgency by responding immediately to growing need for large corporations to become economically responsible. lieu computer memory strategies and performance with the environmental and employee stakeholders is a proactive approach as well as doing ore than what is required in the industry.They have donated millions to Red Cross and other relief funds, they also opened workshops for women, children and spic-and-span home throwers. This earned them a A on the Council on Economic Priorities Corporate Report Card and a Proactive on their business approach to be environmentally and socially responsible. family line stock Justified the budgeting of so much money for philanthropy as a publicly traded company because they feel that this is something the stakeholder similar to see in a company.When Home depot suspended the stock uh-back program in 2007 to avoid losses and to prevent from borrowing they used their own revenues to c everyplace their expenses. The stakeholders and customers were happy that the company could stay a float as well as donate millions to environmental and social issues. Home repositing whitethorn also benefit from some type of scholarship fund or tuition reimbursement program for the employees. Or saving as many tree in the Rain Forest as they cut down in other forests by donating. Home Depot stopping elaborateness of new stores and upgrading the remaining stores search to e a close strategic plan.By using their on revenues to c over their expenses instead of borrowing prove to be a good measure as well because as the recession subsides th ey were still the moment one in the industry and did not owe any creditors. My suggestion to the CEO is to continue doing as you are and you will continue to be number in the industry. break Stakeholders And Concerns Shareholders economic and profit concerns Employees EEOC concerns Environmental Abiding by Environmental Principles Customers has the stores remediated Key FactsHome Depot manage customers relations by consolidating marketing and merchandising functions Which helped customers to do home improvement projects more effectively and efficiently. The company had its ups and downs with its ratings due to their proactive approach. They showed good customer service and social responsibility by starting workshops for women, children and new home owners to teach them basic carpentry skills, starting as new-fashioned as five years old. Home depot Environmental initiates started when they adopted a set of environmental principles .Guided by these principles, Home Depot has ini tiated a number of programs to minimize the firms and its customers impact on the environment. Home Depot focuses corporate social responsibility efforts on affordable housing and disaster relief. In 2002 the company founded the Home Depot Foundation, which provides additional resources to assist nonprofits in the join States and Canada. 1997 the company settled a class- action lawsuit brought by female employees who alleged that they were paid little than male employees, awarded fewer pay raises, and promoted less often.Home Depot encourages employees to become involved in the community through volunteer and civic activities. Home Depot has worked to show that it appreciates workforce diversity and seeks to give all its associates an equal chance to be employed and advance in its stores. CEO Frank Blake decided to halt expansion and focus on improving existing stores. Shut down expo stores that catered to the wealthier class. Home Depot reaction to the recession was swift and dec isive. Initiated new technology to improve customer service and become more efficient.Home DepotThe home depot has been around for many many years. It all started out a fusion and became a corportation that it currently is today. The Home Depot was founded in 1978 by two poor men. Their names were Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank. They were accompanied by investment banker Ken Lan asleep(p) and merchandising guru tricky Farrah. They not only have stores throughout the United States but the Home Depot is a multinational corporation. They have broken into Canada, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Mexico. They are the United States largest retailer behind Wal-Mart.They are the largest home improvement retailer though. In 2000, the arrival of the new Chief Executive, Robert Nardelli, had changed the business strategy of the Home Depot to a more militaristic style. Under Nardellis leadership, Home Depot is becoming more centralized and the good financial reports following this are si gns that it a good strategy. Nardelli started devising the company look and feel like an army. He loved to hire soldiers, because they were already trained with the discipline that he felt necessary to exceed a successful business.The Home Depots stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poors 500 index. The Home Depots rival is Lowes. The Home Depot has benefits well from Hurricane Preparation. Since June, the Home Depot has outperformed Lowes by nearly 10% and most of the broader market by 6%. The Home Depot has about 500 more stores than Lowes and its expected sales growth are supposed to increase by a 4. 6% over Lowes. The sales for the financial year 2000 were $45. 7 billion, compared to $38. 4 billion in fiscal 1999.As of January 2001, the company was operating 1,134 retail stores in forty-seven states, six Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, long pepper and Argentina. Revenue increased from $45. 7 bill ion in 2000 to $81. 5 billion in 2005, while profits rose from $2. 6 billion to $5. 8 billion. speckle this was a slower growth rate than Home Depot had experienced in the past, it was because past growth was due to the companys rapid expansion. The Home Depot take on Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) enables you to invest a minimum amount in Home Depot stock and build your stock self-possession over time.In addition for the Home Depot to grow they will be increasing their every quarter dividend $0. 29. Also the Home Depot has been paying its shareholders a quarterly dividend for over a 100 consecutive quarters, currently yielding at 2. 05%. In the past couple of years the profit margin of the Home Depot has gone up. In 2009-3. 17%, 2010-3. 95%, 2011-4. 90%, 2012-5. 51%, last twelve months-5. 96%. The cash flow from the Home Depot is approximately $6. 6 billion. The tell for the Home Depot will be revenue growth. The future looks very bright for the Home Depot to invest stock into as desire as it can grow revenue for the next year. However, this year the company reported revenues that seem to be in a down-spiraling situation. This month the orange titan is being faced with a serious drop in its earnings per share and many analysts are contributing this drop to the possibility that Home Depot may of hit the wall. With analysts banking on a 25% growth rate, Home Depot barely managed to achieve half of that reporting only 13% in its fiscal third quarter earnings. There are many reasons for this outcome and there are ways that Home Depot plans on overcoming these threats that are decrease their earnings. The Home Depot is aHome DepotThe home depot has been around for many many years. It all started out a partnership and became a corportation that it currently is today. The Home Depot was founded in 1978 by two poor men. Their names were Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank. They were accompanied by investment banker Ken Langone and merchandising guru Pat Farrah. They n ot only have stores throughout the United States but the Home Depot is a multinational corporation. They have broken into Canada, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Mexico. They are the United States largest retailer behind Wal-Mart.They are the largest home improvement retailer though. In 2000, the arrival of the new Chief Executive, Robert Nardelli, had changed the business strategy of the Home Depot to a more militaristic style. Under Nardellis leadership, Home Depot is becoming more centralized and the good financial reports following this are signs that it a good strategy. Nardelli started making the company look and feel like an army. He loved to hire soldiers, because they were already trained with the discipline that he felt necessary to run a successful business.The Home Depots stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poors 500 index. The Home Depots rival is Lowes. The Home Depot has benefits well from Hurricane Preparation. Since June, the Home Depot has outperformed Lowes by nearly 10% and most of the broader market by 6%. The Home Depot has about 500 more stores than Lowes and its expected sales growth are supposed to increase by a 4. 6% over Lowes. The sales for the fiscal year 2000 were $45. 7 billion, compared to $38. 4 billion in fiscal 1999.As of January 2001, the company was operating 1,134 retail stores in forty-seven states, six Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, Chile and Argentina. Revenue increased from $45. 7 billion in 2000 to $81. 5 billion in 2005, while profits rose from $2. 6 billion to $5. 8 billion. While this was a slower growth rate than Home Depot had experienced in the past, it was because past growth was due to the companys rapid expansion. The Home Depot Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) enables you to invest a minimum amount in Home Depot stock and build your stock ownership over time.In addition for the Home Depot to grow they will be increasing t heir quarterly dividend $0. 29. Also the Home Depot has been paying its shareholders a quarterly dividend for over a 100 consecutive quarters, currently yielding at 2. 05%. In the past couple of years the profit margin of the Home Depot has gone up. In 2009-3. 17%, 2010-3. 95%, 2011-4. 90%, 2012-5. 51%, last twelve months-5. 96%. The cash flow from the Home Depot is approximately $6. 6 billion. The key for the Home Depot will be revenue growth. The future looks very bright for the Home Depot to invest stock into as long as it can grow revenue for the next year. However, this year the company reported revenues that seem to be in a down-spiraling situation. This month the orange giant is being faced with a serious drop in its earnings per share and many analysts are contributing this drop to the possibility that Home Depot may of hit the wall. With analysts banking on a 25% growth rate, Home Depot barely managed to achieve half of that reporting only 13% in its fiscal third quarter ea rnings. There are many reasons for this outcome and there are ways that Home Depot plans on overcoming these threats that are reducing their earnings. The Home Depot is a

Adolescent Development Essay

There are mutual influences between an individual and their social environment. There are also at- seek factors touch in the life of a evolution adolescent that inter imputes with a series of reciprocal systems. I can recall as a developing adolescent quickly maturing into adulthood, the many social, economic, external and internal influences that contributed to certain at-risk behaviors. These type of influences impacted me directly and indirectly. I was influenced by the several(prenominal)(prenominal) environments I was in, and I also contributed to influencing the environment around me.Attempting to exert control everywhere uncontrollable circumstances only lead to desperate situations and weighty consequences. However, learning to accept my present circumstances, and how to appropriately respond to the hardship and temptations in life unquestionable positive life changes. Individual human development occurs at heart interconnected and embedded ecological systems (McWhirter et al, 2013). The ecological systems include the individual, the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, and macrosystem (McWhirter et al, 2013).The individual consists of genetic and biological factors, and character characteristics (McWhirter et al, 2013). The microsystem consists of the people that the individual comes into direct contact with and who the individual interacts with (McWhirter et al, 2013). The mesosystem is the embedded interconnections between different microsystems and the impact of the interactions that take place (McWhirter et al, 2013). The exosystem consists of the interconnections between one or much settings that indirectly involve the individual (McWhirter et al, 2013).The macrosystem represents the social blueprint of cultural values, societal structure, gender-role socializations, race relations, belief systems, and national and international resources (McWhirter et al, 2013). The chronosystem is the interconnection and interaction of the individu al within different environments, and is the transitions that occur during the course of the individuals life epoch (McWhirter et al, 2013). These interconnecting systems are referred to as the ecological model, and assumes that the individual is continually interacting with his or her environment hat produces unceasing change due to mutual influences (McWhirter et al, 2013). Part A The Ecological Model The core of who I really am involves the combinations of my genetic predispositions, evolutionary and biological components, constitution characteristics, and the ongoing process of behavioral, cognitive, and affective experiences (McWhirter et al, 2013). Who I am has a lot to do with my experiences in life, my responses to life events, and the social and environmental influences and interactions involved.The ecological model provides a greater understanding of how I influence my environment and my environment influences me. This is important because it is through the interactions of the ecological systems that help me better understand myself and another(prenominal)s. The Individual. I entered the world with an umbilical cord cord wrapped around my neck, struggling to live due to insufficient oxygen intake. As a child I was very susceptible to illness. As an adult I discovered that I was living with an autoimmune disorder. I cast off very vivid fragmented memories as a child of several doctor office visits.At the personal level, I was a very dreadful, anxious, angry, socially withdrawn child who experienced an unstable, insecure, neglectful, abusive, and dysfunctional home environment. The structure of record develops in childhood and continues to develop in adulthood (Caspi, Roberts & Shiner, 2005). I developed a combination of extraversion and introversion traits. These traits show themselves depending on how safe I determine the environment around me to be. As a child I experienced positive and negative emotionality.I at times struggle with conceiv e the world as a safe place and occasionally viewed it as threatening. I experienced anxious distress with a tendency toward anxiety, sadness, in warranter, and guilt. As a teen durationr I experienced darker emotions such as anger, frustration, and irritation. I developed agreeable personality characteristics as a child. In adulthood I sometimes struggle with the fear of rejection, self-acceptance, people pleasing tendencies, self-awareness, and feeling comfortable in my surrounding environment and own skin.I also developed a backbreaking motivation to achieve academically, and have a strong scent out of independence. As a child and through my teenage years I was not al busteded to have an opinion or express individuality, which resulted in the inability or challenge to think on my own, questioning who I am through life stages, fearful of making decisions on my own and especially decisions I need to make on behalf of others, and codependency issues. The Microsystem. I grew up in a traditional family household for a time organism that consisted of my mother, develop, and sister.Although, it was considered a traditional two elevate household, my father was rarely home, and when he was home he was unavailable. My mother was emotionally unavailable and suffered from manic depression. My mother stayed at home and my father was either out working or pursuing one of his addictions. My family was homeless until I was the age of 5. We had lived and slept in my fathers suburban, randomly stayed with strangers, and at times lived in a recreational vehicle. I assumed responsibility and mete out of my younger sibling, my mother, myself, and household chores.I entered the stages of adulthood alone and without parental support. The lack of positive parenting during my adolescent years made me vulnerable to at-risk risk behaviors such as premarital sex, tobacco use, substance abuse, conspiracy involvement and mental and social disorders (Clinton & Clark, 2010). At th e age of ten I was removed from my parents custody and placed in foster care where my sibling and I were separated and placed in different homes. In the foster system I was only allowed to socialize at school, and attended church depending on whether or not my foster parents at the time deemed it necessary.My sister and I went through several foster home placements which resulted in the overtaking of security, the loss of our personal possessions, and sense of belonging. Being bounced from home to home, it was difficult maintaining a close friendships with others. I developed an internal mechanism of being friendly with everyone, but not allowing myself to develop a close friendship with others. As I gained independence and freedom in my later teen years and early adulthood, I became much involved in church. The Mesosystem. I grew up in a rural conjunction with a lack of parental involvement.There were no real realized mesosystem relationships. The environment was inconsistentl y positive and very negative at times. Since school was my outlet, I strived for academic excellence and successfully achieved it. School seemed to be the only sense of stability. The Exosystem. Outside agencies that developed policies and created public resources were an indirect benefit to me as an adolescent and young adult. During childhood, I was able to eat lunch at school, and enjoy outside activities such as Campfire Girls, cheerleading, and Key Club.I was given accessibility to the basic needs that my parents could not afford such as cloths, food, and shelter. As an adult, several community resources helped my daughter and escape and terminate a domestically violent relationship. The Macrosystem. During adolescence I was exposed to abuse, neglect, and violence first hand and via the television. My father grew up in the siemens and was very racist toward certain nationalities and races of people. The cultural context consisted of low socioeconomic status (SES), poverty, an d experiencing our Native American ethnic background and being exposed to several conflicting belief systems.I grew up on a culture where corporate punishment was an acceptable practice. The culture valued individuality, independence, and self-reliance. I grew up in poverty with a prevailing crime rate not as noticeable as it is today. Social norms included the overuse of antibiotics (McDonnell Norms Group, 2008), and the use of drugs and alcohol were socially acceptable. Chronosystem. A pattern of environmental events, transitions, and sociohistorical circumstances contributed to my development over my lifespan. Both of my parents lived disloyal and adulterous life styles.Overtime, there unhealthy and dysfunctional patterns of relating to each other resulted in a separation. My father died when I was 17 years old. My parents marriage legally dissolved at the time of my fathers death. My mother remarried multiple times. My sister and I were exposed to their dysfunctional lifestyle, which tremendously impacted our lives. I personally, transitioned through many of life events by experiencing two divorces, being a single-mother of four children for quit sometime, remarrying and adjusting to a blended family, the loss of my oldest daughter, and facing the social political arena at work.Part B At-Risk Tree fiction The At-risk corner is an analogy that allows people to understand the range of issues involving at-risk adolescence (McWhirter et al, 2013). The soil of the tree represents the individuals societal environment (McWhirter et al, 2013). The roots refer to family, school, and peer groups that connect the tree to the soil (McWhirter et al, 2013). The trunk represents the developing attitudes and behaviors of each child (McWhirter et al, 2013). The branches of the tree represent the attitudes and behaviors that lead to specific risk categories (McWhirter et al, 2013).The soil of my family growing up consisted of poverty, low socioeconomic status (SES), judg mental and racist attitudes, abusive and neglectful home environment, and conflicting belief systems. The three primary roots are family, school, and peer groups (McWhirter et al, 2013). My parents inability to raise my sister and me in a loving, secure, stable, and nurturing environment, and expose us to family conflict, abuse, neglect, lack of parenting, being emotionally unavailable, and an unstructured home environment contributed to my dysfunction and the at-risk behaviors in my life.The school system was unaware of our life circumstances and did not any support. My sister ended up dropping out and getting involved with drugs. I became sexually involved with my boyfriend at the age of 15 and became pregnant at the age of 16. My daughter gave me the drive to continue my education and postdate academically in order to provide her with a better life. I was withdrawn during my adolescence and teenage years. Although, I made intent to get along with everyone, I did not associate wi th everyone. The peer group I involved myself in strived for academic excellence and engaged in positive extracurricular activities.The trunk of the at-risk tree representing my life consisted of low self-esteem, and depression. The branches of at-risk categories in my life were high-school dropout, substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and suicide. I was at risk for teen pregnancy and became pregnant at the age of sixteen. I succumbed to sexual activity with one partner in high school that resulted in teen pregnancy. I was very fortunate that at risk behaviors did not escalate. My tree was broken and bruised and produced damaged fruit. Instead of running to quick gratification I well-read to run to God. I found my value and security in Christ.My branches although bruised eventually healed and produced good, healthy fruit. It took a lot of effort, drive, motivation, will, and trusting God in the midst of temptation and hardship. I was fortunate to have a variety of Gardeners in my life from Christian counselors, law enforcement, human service workers, youth group leaders, Sunday school teachers, and church mentors who helped me redirect my lifestyle. I learned how to be academically successful, a loving, supportive, caring mother to my children, a hard worker of integrity, and to do the right thing when the wrong thing seems easier at the time being.

Nursing: Promising Pathways

I once heard it said that vocation should be the place where your colossalest talents meet the worlds greatest requires. For me the intersection between those two things lies in nursing. Without question nursing has become single of our countrys greatest needs, as the deficit for demonstrate nurses rises and more and more people in our nations hospitals are cared for by unqualified nurses. Likewise, I believe that my greatest talents lie in this country and that my skill set go forth help me to provide the highest standard of care at a time when patients need it the most.Nursing is not the glamorized profession that one often sees on popular television shows. It is not about looking pretty in a white uniform. From my experience, being a nurse is truly the opposite of all that. It entails working long hours and doing a lot of hard work. These are all part of why I chose to be a nurse. every(prenominal) the hard work and the fatigue pay off in the end when one has been able to save lives and make patients feel more comfortable during their multiplication of need.In amplification to the need that I will be fulfilling in my nursing career, I believe that it will be a rewarding job, as I will have the opportunity to help and to care for many people. I have a passion for working closely with patients, regardless of their screen hazardground or beliefs, and I believe that nursing is not merely a way to make a living, but a means of giving back to society.Not only will nursing be a rewarding and meaningful career for me, but my specific skill set gives me a great deal to offer my patients and my colleagues. I am competent in Professional Health Care Management with the ability to provide and promote the highest standards in the promptly changing and ever demanding Healthcare sector, driven by a vast global economy and vibrant technological innovation. I am attentive to detail, super organized with strong analytical and decision-making skills.I have excelle nt communication and interpersonal skills, allowing me to provide care, compassion, and emotional support for irritable, stressed and ill patients. I am highly knowledgeable in current and pertinent issues within and without the Healthcare sector. I am able to work under pressure for long hours and to do a considerable amount of lifting such as moving patients, assisting with toileting needs and responding to emergencies. I have a polished professional demeanor, which enables me to develop and maintain relationships with professionals in the healthcare sector. Furthermore, I have excellent conversational skills in three international languages English, Spanish and Italian.I believe that my prior experience and my education will also help me to contribute significantly to this playing field. I received a Pre-Med and Trustee scholarship to attend Suffolk University in Boston, where I major in ray Biology. I have also become certified as a Phlebotomy technician, electrocardiogram te chnician and a Medical Clinic assistant. Furthermore, I am pursuing a nursing assistant course as a State Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at the American Red Cross in Peabody, MA where I am learning procedures such as psychosocial care, restorative care, resident personal care, resident rights, communication, general safety procedure and infection control.In addition to my training, I have also held several positions in the medical field that have both increased my knowledge and proved to me that nursing is indeed the field that I want to dedicate myself to. Since 2006 I have worked as a Radiation Therapist Intern at the Massachusetts General infirmary/ Brigham and Women Hospital / DFCI Boston. My responsibilities include accurate positioning of patients for treatment, operation of advanced medical equipment, quality assurance and providing competent patient care.I am also in manoeuver of assisting the oncologist and the physician with treatment plans during delicate procedures. From 2005 to 2006, I worked as a Medical Assistant at Alexyenko Medical Associates Lynn, MA. My duty was to assist in phlebotomy and EKG procedures. These are delicate procedures that demand the maintenance of high standards, both of which I believe I showed great aptitude for.I aim to work for an boldness where personal growth is encouraged, human values are nurtured and talents are utilized in the attainment of organizational goals. I would like to be able to take what I have been learning so far by taking a hands-on and direct approach. I would like to attain a get the hang Degree in order to gain the knowledge and experience to better prepare myself for medical school. By earning my degree, I am being both practical(a) and responsive to the needs of the time. It is practical because I have chosen a career that will allow me to utilize my talents and experience, and responsive because there is an overwhelming need for qualified nurses.I believe that I have had an abundance of valuable experiences and talents to offer the healthcare field. My prior positions have taught me both technical and soft skills. practiced competence is a core requisite of being successful in any profession. And yet more than this, my exposure in these institutions has taught me fortitude, patience, love of authentic service, and a strong spirit of volunteerism. My desire to be of real service to others has compelled me to move ahead and take advanced studies in this field. It is with great joy and excitement that I join the place where my talents meet one of our countrys critical needs.

England In the years 1067-1075 Essay

a) How far do these sources support the view expressed in source one that, in the years 1067-1075, William had favoured conciliation in his attempts to establish peace in England?The view of William I favoring conciliation in his attempts to establish peace, to a certain extent, do agree with a number of the sources. This is moreover to a degree due to events that occurred mingled with the years 1067 and 1075 that pushed William into more brutal and violent methods of subduing the face and securing his authority oer England.Sources that do agree with William I using peaceful procedures to establish peace are sources three and four. Both sources to a great extent agree with the first source.Source three depicts how appeasement established authority. The source describes the naval and land levies, proving that William favoured conciliation. William had enough trust with the position to take them to war with him, and that they would not mutiny. This trust can be linked with source four William felt strong enough to leave England in the hands of William fitz Osbern and go to Normandy. However, did the English actu all toldy take over a choice? With the erection of castles, the hire of cavalry, and Norman landholders, the English may have been forced to fight for him there is little detail of the events or others in the lead or after.Source four also agrees, for throughout the duration of the documents Lanfranc negotiates peacefully with Roger warning him of the seriousness but giving him a second chance. Lanfranc assures him, of upright conduct, and to give the earl what help he can, saving his allegiance. The source is limited due it being correspondence over undecomposed the year 1075. in front and after this date other issues may have aroused, and the letters are not written by William I but by Lanfranc1 who was a very trusted friend to William. However, though acting on the Kings behalf, of appeasement, Lanfranc would have used his own ideas and th oughts on the case. Finally, as Hereford was the son of William fitz Osbern, he could have been treated differently for his links with William I they were friends from their childhood2.Source 2 and five disagree with the statement in source one. Source two is from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle3 as a consequence of the invasion, William is described to have devastated Yorkshire (Harrying of the North) 4 ravaged and laid shove along to the shire. There is no implication of conciliation from William. Source two is inadequate due to it only covering one year, it does not take into account events outside of 1069. The Anglo authors of the chronicle could be biased towards the Normans, exaggerating the truth, leaving out appeasement by William I. Source five also disagrees with the statement recounting how William ruined Norwich, and blinded some of the traitors. The source is overtone due to it covering only one date and the account of the situation is brief, and may exaggerate the Norman methods.The primary sources (source two, four, and five), overall, have an unbalanced view of William I and his tactics for establishing peace in England. The master(prenominal) drawback to most of the sources is the lack of facts during the years 1065 and 1075. This means that the revolts that occurred onwards 1069 are not mentioned. A final limitation, which I intend is the most key, is a list of rules that William I laid down when he first conquered England. The first rule was that higher up all things he (William) wishes one beau ideal to be revered throughout his whole realm, one faith in Christ to be kept ever inviolate, and peace and earnest to be hold between English and Normans. Williams want, and favor towards peace is fully recognised in this statement.Foot Notes1. Lanfranc was, at the time, head of the new foreign bishops and abbots and also Archbishop of Canterbury. Lanfranc was unaffected with the quality of the English clergy and during Williams reign support ed his policy of promoting foreigners to high office in the Church.2. William fitz Osbern, as a boy William I loved him above other members of his household. William I and William fitz Osbern were think, as fitz Osberns father was the grandson of Duke Richard of Normandys half-brother, Rodulf. Later on Roger Earl of Hereford had to forfeit his land and loose his title as Earl of Hereford. This though not brutal is not favoring conciliation by William I or Lanfranc (on Williams behalf).3. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was for the years before and during the conquest of England the main source of evidence and information. There exist three versions C, D and E, derived from a common source but with some differences. The chronicle supplies a uniquely English account of political events and allows us to make comparisons with the rather obvious Norman propaganda.4. The Harrying of the North was in response, by William I, to the revolts occurring in the North (Yorkshire) during the years 1069 -70. William had marched north with flavour troops, devastating the countryside as they went, and slaughtering all the adult males. What his troops conflicted on the people was so terrible that chroniclers remembered it over fifty years later. In the Domesday book, made in 1086, it simply records Yorkshire as waste due to the brutality of William the land was depopulated, villages left deserted, farms empty, and this was fifteen years later.b) To what extent did the Revolts in the years 1069-75 aid William I to care his Royal Authority in England?The revolts between the years 1069-75, to a great extent, aided William I to assert his royal authority across England. They provided William with the chance and self-justification to use and show his military power. William was able to remove key Anglo-Saxon lords who posed a threat to him build castles to maintain his control of the country and it allowed him to firmly set, in the minds of the Saxons, that the Normans werent just inva ders, like the Vikings, but conquerors of England. However, the revolts were not the only reason for Williams successful affirmation of royal authority on the country. William select methods of conciliation. He kept the Anglo-Saxon traditions such as sheriffs, shires, coronation rights and writs and added Norman culture and society on top to create an Anglo-Norman England.Before the revolts William was in a very exposed position. He had five thousand men to the two million Saxons, and he had no control of the North, West or East of England. imputable to this vulnerability William was systematically peaceful in dealing with the Anglo-Saxons using conciliation rather than consolidation. The revolts were essential to the change in Williams attitude towards the situation. He began to use brutal, ruthless methods to obtain his authority.The importance of the revolts depended on who was involved and the consequences of the revolt. Though there were minor revolts, when comparing them to r evolts such as the Northern revolt (1069-70), they are taken into account to supply us, the historian, with a realistic overview of how dire Williams need was to obtain and retain royal authority.Rebellions began to inflame the country, in 1067 the Welsh border, lead by Eric the Wild, revolted in Herefordshire. Subsequently the south-west revolted in 1068, with the city of Exeter refusing to accept William as their King, and Harold Godwinsons sons attempted a counter invasion in the spend of 1068. Between the years 1069 and 1070 the North revolted. Rebels in the North burned to death a Norman Earl, Robert of Commines, in Durham. A Viking army of 240 ships, led by the sons of Swegn Estrithsson, set down at Humber and marched on York. They gained support from the local Saxons, and they seized York. Their success produced a domino affect sparking revolts in Dorset, Cheshire, Staffordshire and Somerset. William faced the possibility of a Scandinavian Kingdom in the north of England, or a separate Kingdom for Edgar, the last prince of the Royal House of Wessex.William reacted to these revolts with characteristic vigour, skill and utter brutality. He became the barbarous murderer of many an(prenominal) thousands, both young and old, of that fine race of people1. The Welsh failed to take control of the border, and retired to Wales with much booty. Exeter, in the south-west revolt of 1068, was laid chthonian(a) beleaguering for 18 days, by Williams troops, by which time they accepted William as their King. Harolds sons were repelled by Williams forces in the summer of 1068.William to counter-act this made a serial of lighting raids through Warwick, Nottingham, York, Lincoln, Huntingdon and Cambridge to show his presence as the new King. In reaction to the revolts in the North, William marched North with troops from York and Nottingham, devastating the countryside, slaughtering all adult males and pillage as he went, killing animals and burning crops. This was called the Harrying of the North and the destruction of the land was so terrible that when mentioned in the Domesday Book, 20 years later, it was classed as a waste land. From Yorkshire William pushed his men across the Tees in the winter and took Chester, and Stafford, and was back in Winchester before Easter 1070.Due to the revolts and the resulting victories for William, who had either killed or utterly suppressed the resistance, he had to put through his power, and show that the Normans were the new rulers and would not leave. William accomplished this by first building motte-and-bailey castles across England. William began to erect them right at the start of his campaign, even before the employment of Hastings, and they were virtually unheard of in England. William built hundreds across England, to show the Normans strength and power over the population. This geopolitical process meant that they exerted control over the surrounding countryside. The Normans would demolish hou ses in the centre of towns to erect a castle. This happened in towns such as Cambridge, Lincoln and Dorchester2.These castles were, and still are, looming features over the landscape3. They were built in the centre of towns for economic reasons the material or foundations of earlier fortifications (Roman/Saxon) were there already, and also it was cheaper to build on existing forts rather than building on top of a hill, having to transport supplies and food up it. Another affect of castles was their psychological affect on the Saxon population. Castles were a conspicuous emblem of Royal authority4, and were all the way statements of power to the indigenous people5. By the end of the revolts, 1075, William felt secure enough with his authority over England that he went back to Normandy and left his trusted advisor and Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc in charge of the kingdom.Another factor which was opened up due to the revolts, and the success for William I, was the replacement of all the Anglo-Saxon earls. The earls were either dead from the revolts or just forced off their land. William strategically placed relatives or close friends to tenet the earldoms. For example Odo of Bayeaux, was earl of Kent and half-brother to William I. Also the new earl of Hereford, William fitz Osbern, was Williams cousin. This formed a tight, confiding network of family and friends which William could rely on.Another advantage to William of the revolts was it allowed him to fully assert royal authority on Anglo-Saxon church. William had to as, 30% of land in England was permanently possess by the church, bishops and abbots were literate, powerful men who advised the old Kings of Saxon England. If William could control the church he would be successful in his total control of England. William achieved this by removing 99% of all Saxon bishops, abbots and clergy, with Norman-French ones by 1087. William built new stone cathedrals, as a sign of domination, on top of old wooden Saxon churches.This had the same affect as the castles, showing the Norman supremacy over the Saxons. In 1070 the most powerful churchman in England, Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury, was deposed and replaced by Lanfranc, an Italian monk who was Williams greatest advisor. Three other important Saxon bishops were also removed, and also many abbots. Finally in 1072 Lanfranc gained superiority over the Archbishop of York, thus do Canterbury the chief church post in England. As Lanfranc had control over the North, this aided William with his control. In the 11th century, people were very suspicious and believed solely in the existence of God. These men of God, the bishops and abbots were trusted by the Saxon people no matter what race they were, even Norman, because of the risk it could cause them in the afterlife if they anger them.The extent of royal authority being asserted on England does not solely come from the revolts but also from Williams conciliation of the country, mainly before the revolts. Although the landscape of England had changed with the formation of castles, looming over the country and the mounted cavalry, trotting through the towns and villages, William I always governed through legal and rightful inheritance from Edward the Confessor with the use of Anglo-Saxon tools of authorities and traditions of kingship.When William came to the throne, December 25th 1066, he was crowned in the traditional Anglo-Saxon manner, like Edward the Confessor before. This showed his belief in tradition and proved his rightful claim to the throne. By using the ancient traditions of Anglo-Saxon kingship ceremonies alongside the unique circumstances that brought him the crown, William and his successors were able to appeal both to English customs and to the Norman sense of righteous conquest. William in the lead up to the revolts kept the country as it was, making no major changes and if any were made they would consist of a mixture of Anglo-Saxon and Norman cu stoms.The main household after 1066 was not fundamentally changed. The only big difference in the household was that after 1066, and especially around 1087 (William Is death) the nobles were progressively Norman. At first William kept some Anglo-Saxons in his household, one example was Regenbald, and he was the chancellor and was in command of the Royal seal under Edward the Confessor and William I. This shows Williams desire for continuity within the government, and only adding extras on top mixing the two cultures of the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons.The earldoms at the beginning of Williams reign did not change. They remained as the four large Earldoms of East Anglia, Mercia, Wessex and Northumbria. However, around the time of the rebellions against William I (1070s), William I granted the land to new nobles and tenants. As a result he and his two half-brothers owned 50% of England, the Church remained with around 30%, and roughly 12 barons (great lords) shared the remaining 20%. These 12 barons, basically like his half-brothers, were often related through hereditary or marriage to William.Kingship was very much affected by the character of the King on the throne at the time. So this was ordain to change with the accession of William I. William I had to be physically strong, spending most of his time on the move (itinerant kingship). Also mentally strong to dominate the churchmen and the barons who all had their own ambitions and interests. With this change in kingship, William introduced a fairly new system of crown-wearing sessions. William I wore his crown and regalia where the people could see him. Three major quantify for this crown-wearing was Easter at Winchester, Christmas at Gloucester, and on Whitsun in Westminster.This new method and change in kingship could have been a sign of William Is security as King. However, William I could of used crown-wearing sessions for another reason, to state his claim and right to the throne, indefinitely, upon l andholders, and the barons. This would agree with his use of the coinage system set up in England before 1066. William on his coins and seals had a picture of him sitting on the throne with all his regalia, on one side, and on the other him on a horse with a sword William is declaring his claim to the throne, by right, and if that is not enough by force and bloodshed. William changed the iconography of kingship to add strength to his kingship.The chancery of pre-1066 was only slightly revolutionised. After 1066 the clerks, who wrote up the laws and grants began to progressively, under William, write the laws in Latin. Latin was the language of authority, the Norman nobles and the officials wrote in Latin. This language of power was fully founded around 1070. The use of clerks was not new to England. William I only adapted them to his cultural needs and desires. Also Latin was not known throughout the greater population. This causes supremacy over the plebs on the land, and dominates their lives.Sheriffs were the Kings official in a shire. These officials had been around before William. William I did not have sheriffs back in Normandy, and found them to be very useful. After the rebellions around the 1070s, sheriffs were increasingly Norman (as were the earls and bishops). The powers of the sheriffs increased hugely, and they were often in charge of royal castles (castellans) as well. Most Norman sheriffs were aristocrats who had much more wealth and power than the previous Anglo-Saxon sheriffs.A final instrument used by William I to completely assert his authority on the country was the production of the Domesday Book6. This book allowed the King to take in out who had what and who owed what, twenty years after his seizure of the kingdom. The Domesday Book also shows us how sophisticated the Anglo-Saxon government was before the Normans. Without the shires, hundreds and sheriffs this type of census would have been near impossible to make. The Domesday Book is a record of a conquered kingdom, but it is a testament to the survival of the Anglo-Saxon government in many aspects.William I was aided by the revolts (1069-75) to a great extent. The revolts changed the King from conciliation to consolidation. However, the revolts, the castle building, the revolutionary change of the earldoms and the church, came, all, after the revolts. A new set of values had been introduced into England these were found upon loyalty and military service. The government of the new king was based upon the traditional procedures and customs of Edward the Confessor but was enforced with a savage energy inspired by, mainly, the revolts between the years 1069-75.Foot Notes1. William the Conquerors deathbed confession, from Orderic Vitalis The Ecclesiastical memorial written 1123-41.2. Cambridge (27 houses were demolished),Gloucester (16 houses demolished),Lincoln (166 houses demolished), and in Dorchester (an area of 150,000 square metres was taken up).3. Article in History Today, Volume 53, Issue 4.4. Article in History Today, Volume 53, Issue 4.5. Article in History Today, Volume 53, Issue 4.6. The Domesday Book was written in 1086, and was so-called due to its verdicts being just as unanswerable as the Book of the Day of Judgment. It was written in Latin, on parchment and includes 13,400 place name on 888 pages. No other country in the world produced such a detailed historical record at such an early date.

“Nature and the Physical World”

Most common attitudes and behaviors today on nature greatly evolved during the Ro worldly concerntic Era. Before, in some European countries, batch dont normally celebrate any occasion cerebrate to nature. But todays society, because romanticistism evolved, it greatly affects our perspective and approach towards nature.When talking about nature in the romanticistic Era, Rousseau is an important figure. He is the man who loves to be associated with nature. He would usually walk and explore nature related sites, climb mountains, and just simply communicate with nature. Rousseau is man of sensitivity, mood and even paranoia. In his time, he explored the agonies of love and the mawkish aspect of it. Love is the most popular feeling celebrated in the Romantic Era. This is known before as a relationship between two individuals and up to now we use this as a common definition of Love.As we all know, when we encounter Romanticism, it reflects European society. Before, Europe is surround ed by sad happenings, emotions non being expressed freely, and places where usually killings would take place. But now, it is safer, less hazardous, and even very much beautiful to explore. Mountains and forest or deep forest be no longer places to be afraid of. Instead these are places that are awesome to commune with nature and to be enjoyed and pondered on. Storms on the ocean are now being used as one of the most interesting subject on paintings, musical tones, poems, and writings.Before, things such as ocean storms, lightning, deep woodwind instrument or mountain views are often being feared. No one would dare to draw closer to these things in fear of losing their lives. another(prenominal) reason is the unreal beliefs of people that these things were left unexplored.In the Romantic Era, romantics did not just arouse the sensitivity of emotions, but also it aroused the sensitivity to nature. People have act to realize that communicating with nature could improve ones lif estyle and belief. Nowadays, people would explore nature and its wilderness, and they usually feel the overwhelming calmness and pink of my John of mind that it bears. It has proven that the shift in attitude towards nature is powerful and really can offer long-lasting serenity and positive perception within self.Another important figure during the romantic era is William Wordsworth. Romantic Era in poetry is centered with mans relationship with nature and the fascination of man with Mother dry land. For Wordsworth, the definition of Romanticism is the passionate relationship towards nature and its wonder and wilderness. In his time, the word pantheism was stated.Because Wordsworth made to reflect his naturalistic attitude in his works, innovational Pantheists described it now that God is called life of all, nature, universe and the universe. Pantheists have deep admiration and respect of all living things around us, even the forces outside the earth or in the universe. But Wo rdsworth did not focus mainly on these things. What he focused on is the appreciation and love for beauty and exquisiteness of Mother Earth and nature.Wordsworth, just like Rousseau, would often go for walks, exploring the beauty of life around us. He would also climb mountains and the most common is his paying attention to the things related to nature that an ordinary individual would often miss in his everyday life. What he often witnessed when he is outdoors, was the overall feeling of calmness and serenity in times of agony and loneliness. We could tell that the love, peace and comfort that Wordsworth is getting from nature is actually the feeling we get every time we call for God.In the Romantic Era, we could probably come across an identical observation, because during this time Industrialization is also emerging and became one of the most attended things by people. Probably, just like Wordsworth, people would also love to go out of the city and search for peace and quietness in one place just like what Mother personality provides. These things were what poetry is during these times and even up to now. People tend to find a place where they can relax and be away from all the enceinte works, materialism, and aristocracies. A place where they can celebrate life and enjoy living as a free individual.In Wordsworth time, nature as described to provide these things would not probably be accepted for a reason that during these times Church controls almost everyone and everything. Maybe people have tried but it was not socially accepted and anyone who must have caught doing this was branded as deviating from what societys norm is dictating.Rousseau and Wordsworth, as well as some other Romantic poets and figures, have only one inspiration Mother Nature and all the living things surrounding us. The paintings, poems, pictures and writings done during these times will probably founder us realize how important it is to be away, even for sometime in the materialis tic world. These things will also be our heaven in seeking comfort, peace and calmness within ourselves. Jut like poets and figures in the Romantic Era, we will perceive nature as the only thing that will give us no worries no matter what we lose, no matter what the circumstance is. It is the only thing that others cannot get from us, because it will just stay within us in our hearts and in our minds.Referenceshttp//www.wsu.edu/brians/hum_303/romanticism.htmlhttp//www.customessaymeister.com/customessays/Poetry/3389.htm

Sustainable Fashion

One of the most heavily discussed topics, in this fin in each(prenominal)y decade, is the environmental decay of our planet. Diverse concepts have materialized in order to find solutions for the problem. Ecology and sustainable maturement have been confirmed to be the main solutions currently. Innovations for sustainable growth include creation of hybrid cars, cycle and minor discharge of carbon dioxide in factories among others (Christ 23).Environmental aw arness was also introduced to the world of sort, unfortunately, it wasnt actually successful lately there has been a change of situation and that is what we are going to attempt to understand. For nigh twenty years direct, people have been relying on fast demeanor, a fairly new notion, which entails quick garment production in a cost efficient manner. This efficiency is attained through the retailers mind of the customers postulates, which consist in having postgraduate spirt looking garments at reasonable prices. sl ews of stores have mission statements that endorse this concept of affordable high fashion such as Zara, mango tree and H&M and so forth, they are very successful worldwide, has completely taken over this smirch for fashion is at its most of unsustainability, as Sandy Black says The production and consumption of fashion match the two extremes of a very long, fragmented and complex supply chain that transforms fiber into yarn and theoretical accounts, which is talk terms by designers, manufacturers and buyers into the clothing on offer at retail. .Fast and loud fashion implies more than than disposability, which incites more consumption. Therefore, when eco social fashion made its appearance, people werent convinced because it looked too cheap and unfashionablewhen visualize eco fashion, people automatically associated it with a variation of earthy colors (brown, khaki, grey, etc. ), highly flammable fabrics, to shrink a long story short, people thought of them as ugly. It is an eco friendly clothing cliche. Hence, a globose pejorative connotation built up over metre and these dress were perceived as cheap which also meant that they were unfashionable in some way.sustainable fashion isnt an entirely new phenomenon, we love that past generations recycled clothing without knowing it when there were special occasions, they would take their casual clothes and add ornaments and all kinds of things to make their garment look dressierthey knew how to transform theyre clothes Also in families with siblings, most of the time, the young ones wore hand me downs from their older siblings, some people still do it now. The point is, back then they knew how to alter something they already had as well as create something new and we kind of lost that for a hardly a(prenominal) years with the rise of fast fashion.However, nowadays with this eco figurehead, it is all becoming intimately knowledge once once again Today on numerous fashion blogs and targets (H onestlyWTF. com ecouterre. com woolandthegang. com and many more) people give the bounce find the DIY (Do it Yourself) category, it gives us all the steps on how to create fashion items that are trendy and/or featured on the site/blog. In general, the materials needed to create DIY pieces are ones that we are most standardisedly to have already, so we can recycle. Currently, people still shop of course merely they also spare time for things they can pull together themselves. Eco fashion reflects a natural change of values.Another solution for being green in fashion is to reduce the impact of washing and by and bycare. As Black explains With most clothes we wear windup to the body, the environmental impact of washing, drying and ironing is far greater than the manufacture of the items themselves, so any reduction in washing needs can be very significant in terms of carbon footprint. With nano-coatings and treatments, clothes can be made stain and dirt repellent and reduce their need for frequent washing. This effectiveness longer life using less energy needs to be balanced with the fact they allow for not be able to be recycled after use. Basically, Black tells us there is another answer to maintaining our clothes it is eco-friendly on one point of view and not from another point of view. The fact that it is potential to treat the clothes for them to simply not be able to receive dirt is eco friendly on long term because that means we wouldnt need to wash the clothes as a great deal further then those same clothes cannot be recycled and that is not eco friendlyIs it better to keep clothes as they are and waste more energy or to treat them simply not recycle them after use? It is a dilemma.Finding an exact definition for the terms sustainable fashion. Green, Eco fashion to a name a fewer, is close to impossible. We all have the impression everyone understands it the same way but it is false, it has different meanings for all of us. The word sustaina bility itself implies some sort of length, in the sense that something can last long, it also. here are some of the definitions people have of sustainable fashion Quality items that stand the test of time it is this concept of sustainability, symbolized by a timeless handbag that ou wear again and again, and can pass on, that I am always thinking of when I design. Says Frida Gianni Accessories are a very important part of fashion and should be considered so a good example for this definition of sustainable would be the Hermes Birkin bag. The Birkin bag is a highly exclusive handmade bag from France it is very expensive because of its exclusivity but also because of how it is constructed and the materials used to put it together.These bags are made of calf leather, ostrich, crocodile, and lizard and are a symbol of wealth due to their high prices and elusiveness to the public As Black says Fashion is full of contradictionsit is ephemeral and cyclic, referencing the past but const antly embracement the new it represents an expression of personal identity and difference, while also demonstrating belonging to a group . Sustainable fashion implies a commitment to the traditional techniques, and not just the art, of making clothes.I work at once in the same way that I runner learnt in the ateliers of Balenciaga and Lanvin 50 years ago. We need to see to it that the next generation of seamstresses and tailors have the skills necessary to develop clothes that are not only dishy but extremely well made. Says Oscar de la Renta, Oscar de la Renta and Frida Giannas definitions are quite similar, although de la Renta is particularised closely clothing. According to him, what truly makes a garment sustainable is the way it was crafted.As mentioned previously, a few years back, the fashion may have been slower but the garments were carefully created with traditional techniques, therefore they lasted much longer than fast fashion pieces. This type of clothing is stil l available but only to a certain crowd pieces that are meticulously sewn are most likely to be base in the expensive range of clothing (Couture or designer wear). I would define the ideal as topically sourced materials that dont pollute in their creation or demise (preferably recycled) and with limited ecstasy to achieve the completed product. Says Anya Hindmarch, initiator of the I am not a plastic bag initiative. With her race (I am not a plastic bag), Hindmarch designed a tote bag and used her fascinate in a positive way to make it fashionable not to use plastic bags. close to of what we may currently refer to as sustainable fashion is a contradiction in terms. It refers to how the fabric used for a new garment has been produced Yet, I believe, we need to consider this issue from a more macro and profound perspective.Though cotton may be unbleached, we need to examine how it arrives to the manufacturer or to us the wearer. What was the carbon imprint of its delivery, for e xample? Says Dries van Noten. Dries van Noten doesnt think that changing the mode of production for a garments fabric is enough to claim its sustainability the fabrics tour should also be considered otherwise there is no major difference between fast fashion and eco fashion.It is well know that fast fashion products are most likely to be manufactured in foreign countries for more production and lower cost and that is exactly the opposite of what the eco movement is about. When the eco movement first appeared in the food industry, people had to be educated on how it better to consume products that are locally produced to reduce carbon imprint among other reasonsthe same thing has to be done, when it comes to fashion because people are unaware if they dont inform themselves. With all these definitions above we cannot say that one is true or false they are all relevant in a way.All that can be ascertained is that most of the time when people approach the subject of sustainability, e thical, green and whatnot, their definitions are closer to the ones that Anna Hindmarch and Dries van Noten provided. The Eco movement in general, has now gone from being just a trend to a lifestyle. We can be green in every aspect of our lives now people are trying to combat the regular of our lives with it to be more specific, they are privileging the Eco movement to go against, the fastness of our economic development and the associated mass production.Eco friendly fashion in not only about tangible aspect, which is the material that is used when and how it is also about the human aspect, the ethical characteristic it has which respects social standards such as limited working hours or minimum wages Ethically correct production also means child labor is forbidden. arse to the material side of things, sustainable fashion supports cotton farming, and the changeover to more environmentally friendly materials and dyes. As mentioned anteriorly, sustainable fashion also includes recy cled materials used to create new ones.People are craving lifestyles establish on health and sustainability. Today, when looking for new products, customers not only look for quality and design but also ecological awareness. Green designed products are a path into the green lifestyle which now combines once opposing fields eco and fashion. Environmental awareness has taken over every aspect of our passing(a) life fashion is the latest target. Therefore the rise of Eco chic makes perfect sense, it was bound to happen. People want to promote the fact that they are green and constitute that they are in style.However, it not only about the physical aspect now, people also want to show off their good conscience or sometimes they simply care when it comes to ethical fashion Ethical fashion is healthy, sustainable, and fair. Eco chic clothes lean to be more expensive than regular clothing so people also like to show especially in these hard financial times that they can still afford e xpensive clothes. Having noted designers join the movement by the creations has really increased peoples desire to be green. It looks like sustainable fashion is attracting more people the future of this movement is very promising.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 13

He doesnt understand, Poppy said softly as crowdunlocked the door to his flatcar. He salutary hasntgrasped that youre risking your life, too.The apartment was very b be and utilitarian. Highceilings and spacious rooms announced that it wasexpensive, scarcely thither wasnt over a good deal furniture. In theliving room there was a low, unanimous couch, a desk with a computer, and a couple of Oriental-lookingpictures on the wall. And books. Cardboard boxes of books stacked in the corners.Poppy turned to face crowd together directly. Jamie Iunderstand.James pull a faced at her. He was sweaty and vexing and banal-looking. plainly his expression said Poppy made it all worthwhile.Dont blamePhil,he said, with a gesture of dismissal. Hes actually discussion things pretty well. Ive never broken cover to a human before, provided I pretend closely of them would run screaming and never come back. Hes trying to cope, at least.Poppy nodded and dropped the subject. James wastired, wh ich meant they should go to sleep. Shepicked up the duffle bag bag that Phil had packed withher clothes and headed for the bathroom.She didnt change right a charge, though. She was toofascinated by her own reflection in the mirror. So this was what a vampire Poppy looked analogous.She was prettier, she noned with absent satisfaction. The four freckles on her nose were gone. Herskin was creamy-pale, wish well an advertisement for facecream. Her look were green as jewels. Her hair was wind-blown into riotous curls, metallic-copper.I dontlooklike whatsoeverthing that sits on a buttercup eithermore, she thought. I look raving mad and dangerous andexotic. Like a model. Like a rock star. Like James.She leaned forward to examine her teeth, pokingat the clearines to happen upon them grow. Then she jerkedback, gasping.Her look. She hadnt realized. Oh, God, no wonderPhil had been scared. When she did that, when herteeth extended, her eyes went silvery-green, uncanny. Like the eyes o f a hunting cat. exclusively at at a time she was overcome by terror. She hadto cling to the sink to stay on her feet.I dont indispensability it, I dont indirect requestit.Oh,dealwith it, girl. moderate whining. So what did you expect to look like, Shirley Temple? Youre a hunter now. And your eyes go silver and breed tastes like cherry preserves. And thats all there is to it, andthe otherwise choice was resting in peace. Sodeal.Gradually her breathing slowed. In the next few minutes manything happened inside hershediddeal.She found acceptance. It felt like something giving way in her throat and her stomach. She wasntweird and dreamy now, as shed been when she hadfirst awakened in the cemetery she could thinkdearly almost her situation. And she could accept it.And I did it without racetrack to James, she thought short, startled. I dont need him to comfort meor aver me its okay. I canmake it okay, myself.Maybe that was what happened when you faced the very conquer thing i n the world. Shed lost herfamily and her old life and maybe scour her childhood, but shed found herself. And that would gift to do.She pulled the white dress over her head andchanged into a T-shirt and sweatpants. Then shewalked out to James, head high.He was in the spangroom, lying on a full-sized bedmade up with light brown sheets. He was still corrosion his dirty clothes, and he had one arm crooked over his eyes. When Poppy came in, he stirred.Ill go sleep on the couch, he said.No, you wont, Poppy said firmly. She flopped on the bed beside him. Youre dead tired. And I kip deck Im safe with you.James grinned without moving his arm. Because Im dead tired?Because Ive always been safe with you. Sheknew that. Even when shed been a human and herblood must sop up tempted him, shed been safe.She looked at him as he lay there, brown hair ruffled, body lax, Adidas unlaced and caked with soil.She found his elbows endearing.Iforgot to mention something before, she said.I onlyrealizedI forgot when I was . . . personnel casualty tosleep. I forgot to mention that I love you.James sat up. You only forgot to say it withwords.Poppy felt a smile tugging at her lips. That was theamazing thing, the only purely good thing about what had happened to her. She and James had cometogether. Their relationship had changed-but it still had everything shed treasured in their old relationship.The understanding, the camaraderie. Now on top ofthat was the new excitement of discovering each other as more than best friends.And shed found the part of him that she hadnever been able to reach before. She knew his secrets, knew him inside out. Humans could never know each other that way. They could never really get into another persons head. All the talking in theworld couldnt even prove that you and the otherperson both precept the comparable color red.And if she and James never merged like ii dropsof water again, she would always be able to touchhis mind.A little shy, she leaned again st him, resting on hisshoulder. In all the multiplication theyd been pane of glass, theydnever kissed or been romantic. For now, expert sitting here like this was enough, tho feeling James breathe and earreach his heart and absorbing his warmth. Andhis arm around her shoulders was almosttoo much, almost too intense to bear, but at the same time it was safe and peaceful.It was like a melodic line, one of those sweet, wrenmentumgsongs that makes the hair on your arms stand up.That makes you want to throw yourself on the floorand just bawl. Or fall backward and surrender to the music utterly. genius ofthosesongs.James cupped her hand, brought it to his lips, andkissed the palm.I told you. You dont love somebody because of their looks or their clothes or their car. You love them becausethey sing a song that nobody but you can understand.Poppys heart swelled until it diminished.Aloud she said, We always understood the samesong, even when we were little.In the Night World theres th is idea claimed thesoulmate principle. It says that every person has onesoulmate out there, just one. And that person is perfect for you and is your destiny. The job beingthat almost nobody everfindstheir soulmate, just because of, distance. So most people go by means of theirwhole lives feeling not complete.I think its the truth. Ialwaysknew you wereperfect for me.not always.Oh, yes. Since I was five. I knew.Id expect known you were perfect for me-exceptthat everything Id been taught said it was hopeless. He cleared his throat and added, That iswhy I wentout With Michaela and those other girls, you know.I didnt care about them. I could get dose to themwithout recess the law.I know, Poppy said. I mean-I think I alwaysknew it was something like that, underneath. Sheadded, James? What am I now? almost things shecould tell instinctively she could feel them in herblood. But she wanted to know more, and she knewJames understood why. This was her life now. She had to ascertain the r ules.Well. He colonised against the headboard, head tilted back as she rested under his chin. Youre pretty much like me. Except for not being able to ageor havefamilies,made vampires are basi blazon outy like thelamia.He shifted. Lets see. You already knowabout being able to see and hear better than humans.And youre a whiz at reading minds.not everybodys mind.No vampire can read everybodys mind. Lots oftimes all I get is a carve up of general feeling for whatpeople arethinking.The only certain way to make aconnection is to- James opened his mouth andclicked his teeth. Poppy giggled as the sound traveled through her skull.And how often do I haveto-? She clicked herown teeth.Feed. She felt James getting serious. About at a time a day on average. Otherwise youll go into thebloodlust. You can eat human food if you want, but theres no nutrition in it. Blood is everything for us.And the more blood, the more power.Basically, yes.Tell me about power. Can we-well, what canwe do?We have mor e control over our bodies than humans. We can heal from almost any kind of injuryexcept from wood. Wood can hurt us, even kill us. He snorted. So theres one thing the movies haveright-a wooden stake through the heart will, in fact, kill a vampire. So will burning.Can we change into animals?Ive never met any vampire that powerful. Buttheoretically its possible for us, and shapeshifters andwerewolves do it all the time.Change into mist?Ive never even met a shapeshifter who coulddo that.Poppy thumped the bed with her heel. And obviously we dont have to sleep in coffins.No, and we dont need native earth, either. Myself, I prefer a Sealy Posturepedic, but if youd likesome dirt Poppy elbowed him. Urn, can we cross runningwater?Sure. And we can walk into peoples homes with out being invited, and roll in ail if we dont mindlosing friends. Anything else?Yes. Tell me about the Night World. It was herhome now.Did I tell you about the dubs? We have clubs inevery big city. In a lot of small ones , too.What kind of dubs?Well, some are just dives, and some are like cafes,and some are like nightclubs, and some are likelodges-those are mostly for adults. I know one for kids thats just a big old warehouse with skate rampsbuilt in. You can hang out and skateboard. And there are poetry slams every week at the Black Iris.Blackiris,Poppy thought. That reminded her of something. Something unpleasant What she said was, Thats a funny name.All the dubs are named for flowers. Black flowersare the symbols of the Night People. He rotated hiswrist to show her his watch. An analog watch, witha black iris in the center of the face. See?Yeah. You know, I noticed that black thing, but Inever really looked at it before. I think I assumed itwas Mickey Mouse.He rapped her lightly on the nose in reproof. Thisis serious business, kid. One of these will identify youto other Night People-even if theyre as stupid as a werewolf.IYou dont like werewolves?Theyre considerable if you like double-digit IQs. But you let them in the dubs.Some dubs. Night People may not embrace out oftheir own kind, but they all mixlamia,made vam pires, werewolves, both kinds of witches Poppy, who had been playing at intertwining theirfingers in contrastive ways, shifted curiously. Whatsboth kinds of witches?Oh. . .theres the kind that know about theirheritage and have been trained, and the kind that dont. That second kind are what humans call psychics. Sometimes they just have latent powers, andsome of them arent even psychic enough to findtheNight World, so they dont get in.Poppy nodded. Okay. Got it. But what if a human walks into one of those dubs?Nobody would let them. The dubs arent whatyoudcallconspicuous, and theyre always guarded.But if they didJames shrugged. His voice was suddenly bleak. Theyd be killed. Unless somebody wanted to pickthem up as a toy or pawn. That means a humanwhos basically brainwashed-who lives with vampires but doesnt know it because of the mind control.Sort of like a slee pwalker. I had a nanny onceHis voice trailed off, and Poppy could feel his distress.You can tell me about it later. She didnt wanthim ever to be hurt again.Mm.He sounded sleepy. Poppy settled herselfmore comfortably against him.It was amazing, considering her survive experiencegoing to sleep, that she could even shut her eyes.But she could. She was with her soulmate, so whatcould go wrong? nothing could hurt her here.Phil was having trouble shutting his eyes.Every time he did, he saw Poppy. Poppy asleep inthe casket, Poppy watching him with a hungry catsgaze. Poppy lifting her head from that guys throat toshow a mouth stained as if shed been eating berries.She wasnt human anymore.And just because hed known all along that shewouldnt be didnt make it any easier to accept.He couldnt-he couldntcondonejumping on people and ferocious up their throats for dinner. Andhe wasnt sure that it was any better to charm people and bite them and hence hypnotize them to lug it. The whole system w as scary on some deeplevel.Maybe James had been righthumans justcouldnt deal with the idea that there was somebodyhigher on the food chain. Theyd lost touch with their caveman ancestors, who knew what it was liketo be hunted. They thought all that primal embrace wasbehind them.Could Phillip tell them a thing or two.The bottom line was that he couldnt accept, andPoppy couldnt change. And the only thing that madeit sufferable was that somehow he loved her anyway.Poppy woke in thedim, curtained bedroom the next day to find the other half of the bed empty. Shewasnt alarmed, though. Instinctively she reached out with her mind, and . . . there. James was in the kitchenette.She felt energetic. Like a whelp straining to belet loose in a field. But as soon as she walked intotheliving room, she felt that her powers were weaker. And her eyes hurt. She squinted toward the painful brightness of a window.Its the sun, James said. Inhibits all vampirepowers, remember? He went over to the windowa nd dosed the curtains-they were the brownout type, like the ones in the bedroom. The mid later onnoon sunshine was cut off. That should help a little-butyoud better stay inside nowadays until it gets dark. Newvampires are more sensitive.Poppy caught something behind his words. Youregoing out?I have to. He grimaced. Theres something I forgot my cousin ash is supposed to show up thisweek. Ive got to get my parents to head him off.I didnt know you had a cousin.He winced again. Ive got lots, actually. Theyreback east in a safe town-a whole town thats controlled by the Night World. Most of them are okay, but not modify.Whats wrong with him?Hes crazy. Also cold-blooded, ruthless-You sound like Phil describing you.No, Ash is the real thing. The ultimate vampire.He doesnt care about anybody but himself, and heloves to make trouble.Poppy was prepared to love all Jamess cousins forhis sake, but shad to agree that Ash soundeddangerous.I wouldnt desire anyone to know about you justnow, Jame s said, and Ash is out of the question.Im going to tell my parents he cant come here,thats all.And then what do we do? Poppy thought. She couldnt stay hidden forever. She belonged to theNight World-but the Night World wouldnt accepther.There had to be some solution-and she could onlyhope that she and James would find it.Dont be gone too long, she said, and he kissedher on the forehead, which was nice. As if it wasgetting to be a habit.When he was gone, she took a shower and puton dean clothes. Good old Phil-hed slipped in herfavorite jeans. Then she made herself putter aroundthe apartment, because she didnt want to sit and think.Nobody should have to think on the day after their own funeral.The earphone sat beside the square couch and mockedher. She found herself resisting the impulse to pickit up so often that her arm ached.But who could she call? Nobody. Not even Phil,because what if somebody overheard him? What ifher mother answered?No, no, dont think about Mom, you idiot.But it was too late. She was overwhelmed suddenly, by a do-or-die(a) need to hear her mothers voice.Just to hear a hello. She knew she couldnt sayanything herself. She just needed to establish that her mom still existed.She punched the phone number in without givingherself time to think. She counted rings. One, two, trinity Hello?It was her mothers voice. And it was already over,and it wasnt enough. Poppy sat trying to breathe, with tears running down her face. She hung there,wringing the phone cord, listening to the faint buzz on the other end. Like a prisoner in court waiting to hear her sentence.Hello? Hello. Her mothers voice was flat andtired. Not acerbic. Prank phone calls were no big dealwhen youd just lost your daughter.Then a click signaled disconnection.Poppy clutched the earpiece to her chest and cried, rocking slightly. At last she put it back on the cradle.Well, she wouldnt do that again. It was worse thannot being able to hear her mother at all. And it didnt help her with r eality, either. It gave her a dizzy Twilight Zone feeling to think that her mom was athome, and everybody was at home, and Poppy wasnt there.Life was going on in that house, but she wasntpart of it anymore. She couldnt just walk in, any more than she could walk into some unidentified familys house.Youre really a glutton for punishment, arent you? Why dont you stop thinking about this and dosomething distracting?She was snooping through Jamess file cabinetwhen the apartment door opened.Because she heard the metallic jingle of a key, sheassumed it was James. But then, even before sheturned, she knew it wasnt James. It wasnt Jamess mind.She turned and saw a boy with ash blond hair.He was very good looking, built about like James,but a little taller, and maybe a year older. His hairwas longish. His face had a nice shape, clean-cut fea tures, and satanic slightly tilted eyes.But that wasnt why she was staring at him.He gave her a flashing smile.Im Ash, he said.Hi.Poppy was still starin g. You were in my dream, she said.. You said, Bad magic happens. So youre a psychic?What?Your dreams come true?Not usually. Poppy suddenly got hold of herself.Listen, um, I dont know how you got in-He jingled a key ring at her. aunty Maddy gaveme these. James told you to keep me out, I bet.Poppy decided that the best defense was a goodoffense. Now, why would he tell me that? she said,and folded her arms over her chest.He gave her a wicked, laughing glance. His eyeslooked hazel inthislight, almost golden. Im bad,he said simply.Poppy tested to plaster a look of righteous disapproval-like Phils-on her face. It didnt work verywell. Does James know youre here? Where is he?I have no idea. Aunt Maddy gave me the keysat lunch, and then she went out on some interiordecorating job. What did you dream about?poppy just shook her head. She was trying tothink.presumably, James was wandering around in search ofhis mother right now. at once he found her hed findout that Ash was over here, and the n hed come backfast.Which meant well,Poppy supposed it meantshe should keep Ash busy until James arrived.But how? Shed never really practiced being winsome and adorable with guys. And she was worriedabout talking too much. She might give herself awayas a new vampire.Oh, well. When in doubt, shut your eyes and jump right in. agnise any good werewolf jokes? she said.He laughed. He had a nice laugh, and his eyes werent hazel after all. They were gray, like Jamess.You havent told me your name yet, little dreamer, he said.Poppy, Poppy said and immediately wished shehadnt. What if Mrs. Rasmussen had mentioned thatone of Jamess little friends called Poppy had justdied? To conceal her nervousness, she got up to dose the door.Good lamianame, he said. I dont like thisyuppy thing of taking on human names, do you?Ive got three sisters, and they all have regular oldfashioned names. Rowan, Kestrel, Jade. My dad would burst a blood vessel if one of them suddenlywanted to call herself Susan. Or Ma ddy? Poppy asked, intrigued despiteherself.Huh? Its short for Madder.Poppy wasnt sure what madder was. A plant,she thought.Of course Im not saying anything against James,Ash said, and it was abruptly dear from his voicethat he wassaying something against James. Things are different for you guys in California. You have to mix more with humans you have to be more careful.So ifnamingyourself after vermin makes it easier He shrugged.Oh, yeah, theyre vermin all right, Poppy said atrandom. She was thinking, hes playing with me. Isnt he playing with me?She had the sinking feeling that he knew everything. Agitation made her need to move. She headedfor Jamess stereo center.So you like any vermin music? she said.Techno? Acid jazz? Trip-hop? Jungle? She waveda vinyl record at him. This is some serious jump-up jungle. He blinked. Oh, and this is great industrialnoise. And this is a real good acid house stomperwith a split of madcore edge to it.She had him on the defensive now. Nobody couldst op Poppy when she got going like this. She widenedher eyes at him and blathered on, looking as fey asshe knew how.And I say freestyles coming back.Completely underground, so far, but on the rise.Now, Euro-dance,on the other hand Ash was sitting on the square couch, long legsstretched out in front of him. His eyes were deepblue and slightly glazed.Sweetheart, he said finally, I hate to interrupt.But you and I need to talk.Poppy was too clever to ask him what about.these sort of immortal void keys and troll groaningsounds that make you want to ask, Is anybody outthere? shefinishedand then she had to breathe.Ash jumped in.We reallyhave to talk, he said. Before Jamesgets back.There was no way to evade him now. Poppysmouth was dry. He leaned forward, his eyes a dear blue-green like tropical waters. And, yes, they really dochange color, Poppy thought.Its not your fault, he said.What?Its not yourfault. That you cant shield your mind. Youlllearn how to do it, he said, andPoppy only realize d halfway through that he wasnt saying it out loud.Oh. . . spit. She should have thought of that.Should have been concentrating on veiling her thoughts.She tried to do it now.Listen, dont bother. I know that youre notlamia. Youre made, and youre illegal. James hasbeen a bad boy.Since there was no point in denying it, Poppy liftedher chin and narrowed her eyes at him. So youknow. So what are you going to do about it?That depends.On what?He smiled. On you.