You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 23~24

Chapter Twenty-three Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: The Hunted Apparently I am the Hunted, which, I want to note here, I am totally not qualified for. Here I sit, perched in the rafters (I think these things are rafters) of the Oakland Bay Bridge like a crippled night bird, waiting for doom to descend on me in the form of an ancient, undead thing, to wrench the very limbs from my delicate body. So that sucks. Fortunately I have some sustenance until my Dark Lord and Lady rise from their diurnal slumber to kick some fucking ass. I know I should be eating bugs and spiders and stuff to facilitate my vampyrism, but as a vegetarian, I haven't developed the hunting skills, so I've started with some Gummi Bears I got at the theater. (Supposedly they are made out of beef pectin or extract of horse hooves or something, so I think they make a good transition to the nosferatu diet. And I like biting off their tiny heads.) Here, high above the City – well, actually, we're about ten feet above some homeless people who live under the bridge – I feel like the guardian of an ancient tomb, willing to face any attacker to protect my master and mistress, who are wrapped in tarps, lying on the next beam or rafter or whatever. OMFG, there are fucking pigeons everywhere! Sorry, one just pooped on my notebook. Never mind. Move along. I'm over it. But ewwww! Jared has gone to his dad's house in the Noe Valley to get the lawn cart and minivan so we can transport my masters to safety. He left me his dagger, which I've only had to brandish once, against a woman who wanted to take the tarp from over my Dark Lord. Then I used it to scrape off my old nail polish, which was totally chipped and stuff from doing minion manual labor. So, my masters like met up with us outside the Museum of Modern Art and they were all, â€Å"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?† And they were being all secretive around Jared, like he didn't know we were vampyres. And I was all, â€Å"Just chill, he's assistant minion.† So they relaxed. Then Flood pulls this bronze hand out of his bag and he's all, â€Å"Abby, do you know what this is?† And I was all, â€Å"Why yes, Lord Flood,† because I speak obvious as a second language. â€Å"It's a bronze hand, correct?† So the Countess took the hand from him. â€Å"Abby, this is what's left of the shell of the vampyre who turned me.† So I'm all, â€Å"Begging your pardon and whatnot, Countess, but that's a statue hand.† And she's all, â€Å"That's what I'm saying.† Which is not what the fuck she was saying at all. So it turns out that the bronze statue that used to be in the loft was actually the vampyre who turned the Countess, and then the Countess turned the vampyre Flood, except he was just Flood then. So the old vampyre, whose name is Elijah, got all PMS and started fucking with the Countess by leaving dead bodies all over town with evidence pointing toward her, and threatening to kill her minion, who was Flood at the time, and it got completely out of hand, with some cops and the geeks from the Safeway blowing up Elijah's yacht and really pissing him off, and then the Countess pretending to save Elijah when in fact she was extracting his ancient vampyry secrets, and Flood bronzing them both, but letting the Countess out because she is the love of his life and whatnot. So Flood, who is not a mysterious and ancient creature of the night at all, but has been a vampyre like a week longer than I have, took the statue down to the waterfront to drop it in the Bay, so it wouldn't remind the Coun tess of her heart being torn asunder by the yearning for two lovers and stuff. But the sun came up and Flood left the statue on the Embarcadero, and when they went back it was gone, and it turns out that Elijah is loose and he was the crusty vampyre in the yellow tracksuit I saw shaking the huge cat guy and he is now stalking me to get back at the Countess for being a duplicitous ho. So Jared was all, â€Å"Fuck. That's awesome.† And I was all, â€Å"You lied to me.† And the Countess was all, â€Å"Yeah, sunshine, that's why I'm telling you this now.† Which was completely unnecessary sarcasm on her part. And Jared was like, â€Å"This is the best Christmas ever.† And I was all, â€Å"Shut up, gay-bait. I've been betrayed.† And the Countess was all, â€Å"You'll get over it. We have to go see if William is okay.† And I see now that she was right, but I brooded as we went back to the loft, just to make a point, because I hate it when people take me for granted. When we got to the Countess's block, there was an ambulance there and cops all over the place, so Flood and the Countess hung back and sent me over to get the 411. I could see that the huge cat guy was on a stretcher and they were strapping oxygen on him. And I was all, â€Å"Let me through, this man is my father.† And the EMTs were all, â€Å"No way.† And I was all, â€Å"Who called you, anyway?† And they were like, â€Å"The guy in the building. A sculptor or something.† And then the cat guy was all, â€Å"Let her through.† So they let me through. So I blew by the EMT to the huge cat guy, and I was all, â€Å"Are you okay?† And he was like, â€Å"Well, my head hurts like hell, and I think my leg is broke.† And I was all, â€Å"Is there anything I can do?† Because I was under orders of the Countess to gain information and offer assistance. And he was like, â€Å"If you could take care of Chet. He's in the stairwell. He'll be hungry.† And I was all, â€Å"You got it.† So then he like pulled the oxygen mask off and had me bend over so he could whisper, and I was all, â€Å"Yes, Dad,† for the EMTs who were watching. And he whispered like, â€Å"Before they take me away, could I see your tits.† So I kicked him in the ribs. And the EMTs went all byzerk and shit, and told me to get away, but they were totally overreacting, because I had on my red Converse All Stars, which will hardly even bruise you. So they loaded him into the ambulance, and just as they were shutting the doors, he reached out his hand, like he was a drowning man reaching for the last spark of his mortality before the inky waves of death swept him away – so I flashed my boobs for him, just a quick lift of my bra and top at the same time, because I don't think we do enough to help the homeless, and I wanted him to die a happy man. And besides, they're small and I don't get that many requests. So I got Chet out of the stairway of the old loft and was carrying him kid-style when I saw the two cops from before – the ones the Countess said helped blow up Elijah – so I went up to the Hispano-cop and I was all, â€Å"So, what's up, cop?† And he was all, â€Å"You need to get home, and you have no business out at this hour, and we should take you to the station and call your parents and blah, blah, blah, threat, threat, disapproval, and fascist dogma all up in your darkly delicious grille.† (I'm paraphrasing. Although I do have a delicious grille as I had to wear braces for three years when I was a kid, and now my teeth are like my most acceptable feature. I hope my fangs come in straight.) And the big gay cop was all, â€Å"What are you doing here?† And I was all, â€Å"I live here, bone-smoker, what are you doing here? Aren't you guys homicide cops?† And he was all, â€Å"Let's see some ID blah, blah, bluster, bluster, Oh My God I am so full of shit.† And I was like, â€Å"I guess you wouldn't have to deal with this shit if you had properly blowed up that old vampyre when you stole his art collection.† So all of a sudden the Hispano-cop and his big gay partner were all, â€Å"Whaaa – ?† And I'm like, â€Å"Just so we know where we stand. How long you bitches going to be here?† And they were like, â€Å"Just a half hour or so longer, miss. We need to interview some witnesses and go clean out our boxers where we have just completely shit ourselves. Do you need a ride somewhere?† (Again paraphrasing.) So I walked off, while they were still stunned, let Chet into the new loft down the street like it was mine, then ran around the block and reported to the Countess and Flood. Jared was just staring at them like he was hypnotized or something. I was like, â€Å"Hey, Boo,† to remind him what a tard he was being and Jared snapped out. (Lily and Jared and I watched the To Kill a Mockingbird DVD like six times together and our favorite part is when Scout sees Boo Radley behind the door and goes, â€Å"Hey, Boo.† It's like thanking the universe for sending you a benevolent retard to help you out, which is how I often feel about Jared.) So I was like, â€Å"Buy me a coffee.† And the Countess and Flood look at each other and shake their heads. No money. So I was like, â€Å"You guys are so fucking lame. You have piles of cash and you roll with no money. You are no longer the Dark Lord and Lady of me.† Which I totally didn't mean, but I was stressed and starting to get a low-on-caffeine headache. But Jared goes, â€Å"Hey, Boo† at me, and he's holding a ten-dollar bill. And I pretended to find a snag in my fishnets so everyone would quit looking at me. The Countess said she knew of a Chinese diner off Freemont Street that was open all night on Christmas and we could hang out there until the cops left. Jared and I had cups of coffee and an order of fries, which FYI, taste a little like shrimp in a Chinese diner. And Flood and the Countess are watching us, looking all sad. So I'm like, â€Å"What? What? What?† And the Countess is all, â€Å"Nothing.† Which I know is totally something, because I say it all the time. And I watch her eyes follow Jared's cup as he sips his coffee and I'm all, â€Å"Oh, fucksocks, Countess, cowboy the fuck up, would you?† Then I slipped Jared's dagger out of his boot, grabbed his hand, and poked him in the thumb. I'd like to say right here that the screaming was totally unnecessary. And whatever the Chinese guy was saying at me from behind the counter was a total overreaction and how does he expect me to understand him when he's talking that fast AND in Chinese? Anyway, after I squeezed Jared's thumb into his cup, then a little into my own and gave it to Flood, everyone calmed down, even the Chinese guy after Jared paid him for two more coffees – and the meeting of the Immortal SOMA Drama Queens officially came to order. It seemed like we waited forever, and the Countess and Flood wouldn't answer any of my questions about the way of the nosferatu. It was like they had no idea what they were doing. Like last year I took Advanced Foods class (which is like cooking for nerds) after lunch, and so I usually took a nap. Which was fine, because I'm not even thrilled about regular foods, so, you know, what do I need with like advanced digital HD wi-fi foods and whatnot – so I took the course pass-fail and slept. But then, at the end of the semester, my mom springs this trap on me, like – â€Å"Oh, Allison, I've bought ingredients and you can prepare dinner for Ronnie and me to show what you learned in your Advanced Foods class. It'll be fun.† You can pretty much bet that anytime Mom uses the phrase â€Å"it'll be fun,† she is about to drive a stake in fun's heart so that it may never rise again. Which is what happened. Artichokes? Who eats something like that? I thought it was a weapon. So anyway, after nine eternities in the diner, we went back to the loft, where the Countess said she had my Christmas present waiting. When we got to the block, the cops and EMTs were gone and it looked like the coast was clear, but when the Countess opened the security door to the loft, there, sitting on the steps, was the old vampyre, naked. Well, the Countess and Flood jumped about eighteen feet in the air and I'm pretty sure I peed a little. Yes, I definitely peed. Jared just started an asthma attack, not the whole attack, just the first gasp. He just stopped breathing after that. So Elijah is all, â€Å"I needed to do some laundry.† Let me say right here, if I haven't made it clear, that I have seen as many pale, naked old-man parts in the last twenty-four hours to bruise my delicate psyche for a lifetime, so don't be surprised if you someday find me wandering the moors at midnight, a crazed look in my eye, babbling about albino Tater Tots nesting in Brillo pads and being pursued by sagging man ass, because that shit can happen when you've been traumatized. Then Flood threw himself against the door and screamed for us to run as he bravely held the door against our ancient vampyre ancestor's assaults. I was beginning to doubt Flood's ability to fulfill his duties as my Dark Lord until he stepped up and saved us – valiant vampyre hero that he is – because I was starting to think he was just a geek with a passing knowledge of poetry. As we ran I could hear Elijah saying, â€Å"He peed on my tracksuit,† as he threw himself against the door, or I guessed he did, because I didn't turn around until we were two blocks away. The Countess was all, â€Å"I've got to go back for him.† But before she even turned around, my Dark Lord came running around the corner. And he was all, â€Å"Go, go, go!† waving at us. And we were all, â€Å"Where? Where? Where?† And then as the Countess threw her arms around Flood and started to squeeze the bejeezus out of him, and Jared was all, â€Å"Gasp, get a room, gasp,† her watch started beeping. Then Flood's watch was beeping, too. And they were all, â€Å"Uh-oh.† So we had like ten minutes to find someplace dark to hide them, and no one had any money for a hotel, even if we had the time to check in and whatnot. So they ran toward a big construction site under the Bay Bridge. And I was thinking, I do not want to bury my masters in the construction site. What if they got paved? It would totally freak them out to get paved. And the Countess was all, â€Å"How did you get away?† And the vampyre Flood was all, â€Å"The dryer buzzer went off.† And she was all, â€Å"He let you live because his laundry was done?† And Flood goes, â€Å"Lucky, huh?† Totally not out of breath, even with the running. So when we got to the construction site, everything was either open or would be when everyone came to work. And the Countess looked up into the rafters or whatever of the bridge and goes, â€Å"There.† So there is where we went. I grabbed some tarps that were covering this generator thing by the construction site and Jared and I climbed up into the rafters with our vampyre sires and helped tuck them in just in time for them to go out. But as it got lighter, and we saw all the homeless people around, Jared and I realized that our masters would not be safe here when all the homeless people who lived under the bridge noticed the tarps and our delicate youth or smelled my Gummi Bears and came after us. So Jared went to get the garden cart, some trash bags and duct tape, and hopefully his stepmom's minivan so we can move our masters to a safer realm. Oh, check it, before the Countess passed into the inky sleep of the undead, I was like, â€Å"So what did you get me for Christmas?† And she was all, â€Å"Ten thousand dollars.† And I was like, â€Å"I didn't get you guys anything.† And she was like, â€Å"That's okay. You are our most special favorite minion and it's all good.† Which is why I love her and will guard her to the death. Then she like kissed the vampyre Flood and passed out. I'm sure their love will span the ages, if Jared and I don't fuck up and fry them during transport. OMG! I just remembered, we forgot to feed Chet! Chapter Twenty-four The Half-Life of American Cheese The Cheddar Princess of Fond du Lac was toasted. It wasn't just the bursting into flames that had crispied her up more than somewhat physically, it was that Drew's blood tasted like bong water, and she was still a little mentally baked from feeding on him. She'd made the mistake of trying to get the taste out of her mouth with some orange juice and had been rewarded with five minutes of the dry heaves. She brushed at her arms and great black flakes of burned skin came away, revealing fresh, unscarred skin below. Drew's blood was healing her, but it appeared that the process was going to take time and, like life in general, was going to be messy. Maybe a bath. She padded naked into the bathroom, which was done all in slabs of granite and green glass, and ran her bath. While the tub filled, she picked the last few burned tatters of her dress away from her skin and dropped them into the toilet. There was a swath of gray dust across the black tile, the remains of the original owner, and she was tracking him all over the bathroom and bedroom suite, so she stopped to sweep him into the corner with a towel. That had sort of been a surprise (in what was turning out to be a long line of surprises) when her first victim had disintegrated in her arms two nights ago, just as she was getting the hang of blood drinking. â€Å"Oops.† He had been so nice, too. Had picked her up in his Mercedes not two minutes after she'd stumbled out of Lash's apartment building wearing nothing but a leather bustier and thigh-high platform boots. It wasn't the first time she'd been on the street with her ass hanging out – that wasn't what had thrown her. It was waking up feeling like her tits were on fire to see her body rejecting the giant silicone globes she had spent so much money having implanted. Even as she tried to push them back in with her hands, the implants pushed through her skin, opening her up like they were aliens hatching out of her. She screamed as they broke through and rolled to the floor, then lay there, quivering on the carpet. As she watched, her skin mended, her breasts tightened and lifted, the pain had turned to a tingling, but now she felt a squirming in her face – her lips specifically, and she wiped her mouth and came away with two sluglike lines of silicone that had been injected years ag o. It was only then, in looking at the grotesque globs of lip filler on her hand, that Blue realized she wasn't blue at all. Her palms were baby white. Her arms, her legs – she ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. An old familiar stranger looked back at her – the Cheddar Princess of Fond du Lac. She hadn't seen this person since high school; the milky-white skin, hair almost white blond, still in the severe cut of the blue call girl, but looking somewhat like a pageboy cut now. Even the tattoos she'd had done in her early days in Vegas were gone. I'm alive, she thought. Then: And I'm going to be alive forever. Then: And I'm going to need some fucking money. She ran to Lash's bedroom to where she'd left her makeup case. It was gone. Her money was gone! She ran out of the apartment and down the steps like she might see a green trail of bills blowing in the wind in the direction her money had escaped, but once on the street, she headed for the only place she knew, toward the Marina Safeway. She got half a block before the Mercedes pulled up and the electric window rolled down. â€Å"Hey, you need a ride? It's a little chilly out here for that outfit.† His name had been David, and he did something that had to do with moving money around. Whatever it was, it must have paid well. He was wearing a two-thousand-dollar suit and his penthouse apartment on Russian Hill looked out on Golden Gate Bridge and the massive dome at the Palace of Fine Arts. He'd given her his coat to wear up in the elevator. It was in the elevator that the hunger had come upon her. Poor David. They hadn't even talked price before she'd had him bent over the green glass vanity in the bathroom, drinking his life away. â€Å"Oops.† The difference, she realized, between what had happened to her and what had happened to David had been the bloody kiss she'd taken from Tommy. But for a kiss, she, too, would be a pile of dust. There should be a song like that, she thought. At least she'd learned before she took her victims. Now she swept the last of David into the corner, then scraped him up with a piece of cardboard from his shirt drawer and dumped him into the wastebasket. Then she slipped into the tub full of bubbles and began to scrub off her charred skin. She wouldn't be able to stay long. David had been married or had a girlfriend. Blue had found a whole closet full of women's clothes – expensive clothes, and the woman would probably be back. Of course, this would make a great base of operations, maybe she could just wait for the wife to return and sweep her into the wastebasket with David. Blue leaned back and closed her eyes, listened to the bubbles popping, the wires humming through the building, the traffic out on the streets, to fishing boats leaving the wharf – then a sudden intake of breath from the living room, then another, deeper gasp as the second one found life, then a long man-scream. The dead Animals she'd collected were coming back to life. â€Å"Sit tight, boys,† Blue said. â€Å"Mama's just going to get cleaned up and put on a new dress, then we'll go get you something to eat and pick up my money.† She ran a sponge over her arm and smiled. She really could be Snow White now. One dwarf at a time, she thought. Elijah Ben Sapir had roamed the planet for eight hundred and seventeen years. In that time he had seen empires rise and fall, miracles and massacres, ages of ignorance and ages of enlightenment: the full spectrum of mankind's cruelty and kindness. He had seen all manner of freakishness, from the perversions of nature to the perversions of mind, twisted, beautiful, terrifying: he thought he had seen it all. But for all of his years, and all the acuity of perception enabled by his vampire senses, he had never seen a huge shaved cat in a red sweater, and sitting there in his newly washed yellow tracksuit, still warm from the dryer and smelling of soap and fabric softener, he smiled. â€Å"Hey, kitty,† the old vampire said. The huge cat eyed him suspiciously from across the loft. The cat could sense that he was a predator, just as Elijah could sense that the cat had been prey to a vampire. Kitty treat. â€Å"I'm not going to eat you, kitty. I've fed quite enough.† It was true. Elijah was feeling a little bloated from trying to keep the body count up. Perhaps he should just kill the next few, not feed. But no, the police wouldn't know it was a vampire then, and there'd be no joy in terrorizing the fledgling. He just wasn't ready to feed yet. There was someone in the stairwell right now, he could hear her breathing and smell patchouli and clove cigarette odor wafting under the door. Soon enough, he thought. â€Å"Perhaps we'll find something for you to eat, hey, kitty?† Elijah vaulted off the bar stool and began opening cupboards. In the third one he found pouches of Tender Vittles. He took a bowl from the cupboard that looked as if it had never been used, dumped in the meatish nuggets, and shook them around. â€Å"Come, kitty.† Chet padded a few steps toward the kitchenette, then stopped. Elijah put the bowl down and stepped away. â€Å"I understand, kitty. I don't like to eat in front of witnesses either. But sometimes – â€Å" The vampire heard a car pull up outside, a car that hadn't been tuned in a while. He cocked his head and listened as the doors opened and slammed. Four got out. He heard their steps on the concrete, a female voice, hissing at the other three. In an instant he was at the window looking down, and in spite of himself, he smiled again. There was no vivid life aura around the four down on the sidewalk. No healthy pink glow, no black shadow of death. The visitors below were not human. Vampires. On one hand, an indication of an enormous problem – one that just might attract attention that he could ill afford – but on the other, exciting in a way that he hadn't felt in a hundred years. â€Å"Four against one. Oh my, kitty, how ever will I prevail?† The old vampire ran his tongue over his fangs. For all the rage, frustration, and discomfort he'd endured since choosing the redhead as his fledgling, he was, for the first time in decades, not bored. He was having the time of his very long life. â€Å"Killing time, kitty,† he said, slipping into a pair of Tommy's Nikes. Jody awoke to the smell of clove cigarettes and the crunching of Cheese Newts. There was music screeching, too – a whiny guy singing about some girl named Ligeia, who apparently he missed a great deal because he was talking about dragging her worm-worn corpse from the earth and caressing her cheek on a cliff above the sea before throwing himself off, with her in his arms. The singer sounded a little down, and like he could have used a throat lozenge. She opened her eyes and was initially blinded until she adjusted to the black light, then she yelped. Jared White Wolf was sitting on the bed about two feet away from her, shoving handfuls of crunchy Cheese Newts into his mouth. There was a brown rat on his shoulder. â€Å"Hi.† Newt crumbs sprayed and fluoresced on the black sheets and clothing. â€Å"Hi,† Jody said, turning her head to avoid the crumbs. â€Å"This is my room. Do you like it?† Jody looked around, for once not really that thrilled with her vampire night-vision abilities. There were disturbing stains glowing on the sheets, and almost everything else in the room was black with a patina of vibrant blacklight-enhanced dust or lint – there was even lint on the rat. â€Å"It's swell,† she said. Interesting, she thought. She was no longer afraid of gang members and street criminals, and would even throw down with an eight-hundred-year-old vampire if need be, but rodents still sort of gave her the willies. The rat's eyes were glowing silver in the black light. â€Å"This is Lucifer Two.† Jared scooped the animal off his shoulder and held him out. Despite an attempt at self-control, Jody climbed backwards halfway up the wall, shredding a Marilyn Manson poster with her nails in the process. â€Å"Lucifer One went on to his dark reward when I tried to dye him black.† â€Å"Sad,† Jody said. â€Å"Yeah.† Jared turned the rat and rubbed noses with him. â€Å"I was hoping we could turn him to nosferatu when you bring Abby and me into the fold.† â€Å"Yeah, sure, that'll happen. Why am I in your room, Jared?† â€Å"It was the only place we could think to bring you. It wasn't safe under the bridge. Abby had to go, so I'm in charge.† â€Å"Good for you. Where's Tommy?† â€Å"Under the bed.† She would have known that – would have heard him breathing if the music wasn't cranked up to coffin-splitting volume. â€Å"Could you turn the music down a little, please?† † ‘Kay,† Jared said. He tucked Lucifer Two in his pocket and spidered across the bed, getting a little tangled in his black duster, then rolled to the floor and across the room in a commando-under-fire move until he got to the stereo, where he twisted the dial, putting the keening Emo singer out of his misery, or at least shutting him the fuck up. â€Å"Where are we?† Tommy's voice from under the bed. â€Å"It smells like gym socks stuffed with ground-up hippies.† â€Å"We're in Jared's room,† Jody said. She let a hand drop off the edge of the bed. Tommy took it and she pulled him out. He was still partially wrapped in duct tape and garbage bags. â€Å"Was I a hostage again?† â€Å"We had to cover you up to keep you from burning in the sun.† â€Å"Well, thanks.† Tommy looked at Jody, who shrugged. â€Å"I was unwrapped when I woke up,† she said. â€Å"That's because Abby says you're the Alpha vamp. Do you guys want to play Xbox or watch a DVD? I have The Crow Special Collector's Edition.† â€Å"Gee,† Jody said, â€Å"that would be great, Jared, but we'd better be going.† Tommy had already picked up the Xbox controller, but set it down with marked disapproval, as if he'd notice a little botulism there on the trigger button. â€Å"Oh, you can't go until the ‘rents go to bed.† Jared giggled, high and girlish. â€Å"The door is right by where they watch TV.† â€Å"We'll go out a window,† Jody said. Jared giggled again, then snorted a little, then started to honk, then took a hit from the inhaler that hung around his neck before he went on. â€Å"There's no window. This basement is totally windowless. Like we've been walled up in here with our own grotesque despair. Isn't it sweet?† â€Å"We could go to mist,† Tommy said. â€Å"Go out under the door.† â€Å"That would be so cool,† Jared said, â€Å"but my dad put rubber gaskets around the door to contain my disgusting Goth stench. That's what he calls it: my ‘disgusting Goth stench. Although I don't think I'm really Goth, more like death punk. He just doesn't like cloves. Or pot. Or patchouli. Or gay people.† â€Å"Philistine,† Tommy said. â€Å"Oh, would you guys like some Cheese Newts?† Jared picked the box up off the floor and held it out. â€Å"I can open a vein on them if you need me to.† He waved the thumb Abby had stabbed to prepare their coffee the night before, now wrapped in a ragged ball of gauze and medical tape the size of a racquetball. â€Å"I'm good,† Tommy said. Jody nodded in agreement; although she would love a cup of coffee, she didn't think she should ask the kid to stab himself quite so soon. She checked her watch. â€Å"What time do your parents go to bed?† â€Å"Oh, around ten. You'll have plenty of time to stalk the night and whatnot. Would you like to wash up or something? There's a bathroom down here. And a washing machine. My room was the wine cellar, then my dad crashed his car and started twelve-stepping, so I got this sweet room for my own. Abby says it's dank and disgusting – and she says it like it's a bad thing! I think it's just her perky side manifesting. I love her, but she really can be perky sometimes – don't tell her I said so.† Jody shook her head, then nudged Tommy, who shook his head in agreement. â€Å"We won't tell.† The kid was sort of giving her the creeps. She thought she might have lost that ability with blood drinking and the sleep of the undead and all, but nope, she was getting completely creeped out. â€Å"Jared, when is Abby coming back?† â€Å"Oh, she should be here any minute. She went to your loft to feed the cat.† â€Å"She went to our loft? The loft where Elijah was?† â€Å"No, it's okay. She went during daylight so he couldn't hurt her.† â€Å"It's not daylight anymore,† Jody said. â€Å"How do you know?† Jared said â€Å"No windows, duh.† Tommy Stooge-smacked his forehead with enough force to render a mortal man unconscious. â€Å"Because we're awake, you fucking moron!† â€Å"Oh yeah, ha,† Jared said. The trilling giggle again. â€Å"That's bad, huh?†

Catherine Smith Essay

Catherine Smith was miss-treated in this situation as she had been to the police numerous times and never was there once a charge laied against Kevin smith. The one time Catherine retaliated she was put on trial and was almost sentenced to 25 years jail for only one offence when Kevin had committed 17 offences which were 3 attempted murders and several sexual assaults. The police did nothing even know Catherine had gone to them and they did nothing at all, that was not fair on Catherine or her family. Catherine was wrongly accused of trying to kill her husband Kevin in self-defence after over 30 years, this is just like she had already been in jail and done nothing wrong. Lucky for once the judge ruled out her case as self-defence and Kevin is still out in the world hurting Catherine. In 1997 Catherine escaped but Kevin came looking for her. He kidnapped their son Duncan and held him at gun point and Kevin was charged for only kidnapping his son not for any of the other 17 crimes he had committed and only sent to jail for a couple of mouths. Catherine could not believe that this had happened on a couple of mouths this is very unfair to Catherine and her kids. During this time Catherine tried to go see all her children. But a week before he was issued on parole. Catherine and her kids had to go into lock down again. Vicky Smith says â€Å"he was obsessive. He had to find her, he had to have her, he had to control her, and he had to own her. (Daughter) Also in the time Catherine and Kevin were married he assaulted 2 police officers, stole their gun and fired at his children who were trying to run and hid, again nothing was done and he wasn’t charged. This is not fair that someone that horrible can get away with so much and thing that are so important. Kevin smith was finally sentenced for up to 10 years jail for 17 offences including rape, assault and attempted murder. His sentence was not rightly done because for attempted murder is jail time for less than 25 years and Kevin is only getting 10 years for what he has done. Also this happened over 30 years ago and Catherine was technically in jail for over 30 years and for all the things Kevin had done to Catherine and what he put his family through all he got was 10 years jail. The jury in her trial only took 25 minutes to reach a unanimous verdict of not guilty. Finally Kevin Smith was convicted for his crimes. However it took another three months for justice to be delivered, with smith repeatedly stymieing the legal process. â€Å"he was trying more stalling tactics†¦ never faced up to what’s happened,† As Catherine quotes â€Å"I can’t believe it, finally, I can tell people my address. Finally I can go and visit my grandchildren without fear. A few years of peace, that’s what this means†. â€Å"With time already served, Kevin will be eligible for parole in 2020†.

Creating a new character for a soap Essay

The TV programme I chose to use as my soap is the American show ‘The O.C’ after watching numerous episodes of it in class and at home. I chose this programme because it was one that I was most familiar with, and a programme that I enjoyed watching. ‘The O.C’ is an American show, aimed at a teenage audience, as it follows the lives of teenagers and their families in Orange County, California. It mainly concentrates on the story of Ryan Atwood, a teenager from a rough town and a run down family who throw him out after a run in with the police. Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, who are part of a wealthy family, adopt him, and they invite him to live in their pool house at their home. They already have a son, Seth Cohen, who is your typical nerdy character, whom Ryan becomes brothers with. They both have to deal with life in Orange County, a place that comes across for the rich and good looking. They also have to deal with their relationships with Marissa Cooper, the girl next door when Ryan moves in, and Summer Roberts, Seth’s dream girl. Summer is portrayed as a stereotypical spoiled rich girl, with some snobiness. This is displayed in the first episode, where Summer is at first attracted to newcomer Ryan Atwood, until she finds out he is from Chino, prompting the response â€Å"Chino, eww.† However, different sides to Summer become evident as she develops. It is during her transformation that Summer falls in love with Seth, the boy who was never popular. Marissa also comes from a rich family, as the girl next door. But has a troubled time as her family falls apart. Ryan is the person who has to help her through this. The character that I have decided to create is called Claire Atwood. Claire is the sister of Ryan, but neither of them know they are related when the character is first introduced, and neither do the audience at first. She is fairly tall and slim, with blonde hair, and good-looking features like most of the other female characters in the show. Her good looks are what make her fit in with the show, as she full-fills the male gaze like many of the other female characters. The first scene that introduces the character, is the first day back at school for Ryan, Seth, Summer and Marissa. Seth and Ryan notice her walking down the hallway of the school, and can’t help but stare, as they are instantly attracted to her. They end up being in the same class, and she has to sit right in the middle of both Ryan and Seth. Nobody talks to her in the scene, and we don’t hear her speak either. The camera shows us a shot of her writing her name on a sheet of paper as she finishes her work, and she writes the name ‘Claire Atwood’. Only the audience sees this, and we instantly know that she is related to Ryan, as we know he has the same surname. I think the character would bring a lot to the show, including a sense of humour and irony. Marissa, who becomes Ryan’s girlfriend, becomes jealous of Ryan’s involvement with the new character as he offers to help her to do a school project. But only the audience knows that she is his sister, creating the irony and humour of the situation. The way in which she fits in, is because of her good looks. But Ryan and Seth become more and more suspicious of her, as she never lets anyone come to her house. They both follow her home one-day and discover that she is living in a trailer park. So we see that she doesn’t completely fit in, as she isn’t from a rich family, living in a big house like most of the other characters in Orange County. Ryan goes and knocks on the door of the trailer, and the door is opened by his biological dad, who has just come out of prison. This is when it is discovered that Claire is the sister of Ryan. Later in the programme, we discover that the father had been treating Claire poorly, and she comes to live with The Cohen family too. The character creates a lot of conflict in the show, something that greatly appeals to a lot of audiences. Ryan is very protective of her, and gets into fights with other boys who seem to take an interest in his sister, until Claire tells Ryan to stop being so protective. She is also a character that will attract more females to the show. We have followed the story of Ryan coming from the wrong side of the tracks and getting a chance to live in Orange County, being something that the male viewers can enjoy to watch as they are relating to another male character. But now we can follow the life of Claire, as she also comes from the wrong side of the tracks, in a very similar situation to Ryan’s. She has an aggressive personality, due to her poor upbringing as a child, and at first does not get along with the Cohen family, as she tells them she doesn’t want their help. She also gets into fights with other girls at the school, as she against most people who have wealth and tells everyone that she doesn’t need it. As her relationship as a sister to Ryan becomes stronger, and she becomes best friends with Marissa and Summer, they eventually convince her to move in with the Cohen family. Jamie Parker The first scene The fist scene involving Claire Atwood very much full-fills the male gaze. We see Ryan and Seth talking near their lockers, and they are instantly struck by Claire walking down the hallway. The camera cuts to her feet walking along, and slowly pans upwards to her face, then a long shot of her walking down the corridor towards the camera. The scene is played in slow motion, not only for the male gaze, but also to emphasize the importance of the scene, and the importance of the new character that is being introduced to the program. Because of the scene, we know she is going to have some importance, and not just a one off showing of a insignificant character. Whilst this is being shown, there is fast paced music playing, But as Claire, Ryan and Seth sit down in the classroom, the music slows and becomes more mysterious. The audience knows because of this, that there is something significant and important to this character. The camera zooms into Claire’s hand as she writes her name on the paper. And it is revealed to the audience that she is related to Ryan.

Research paper of African-American Music Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Of African-American Music - Research Paper Example The Harlem had significant influences over music and dance and introduced the genres of blues, jazz, hip – hop and rap music in America. Two of the types of music are blues and rap which are totally opposite to each other. They have different features and characteristics but are originated from the same race of people; the African Americans. Both the blues and the rap are important types of African American music. The blues was introduced in the hard times of slavery of the Africans in the 19th century, and therefore has a variety of musical expressions and individual styles. This form of music was originated by the spirituals, work songs and rhyming narratives. The blues form is present everywhere in jazz, rock and roll which is characterized through the possession of chords. The blues musical notes are usually for the purpose of throwing expressions and thus they are played on a flattened pitch which is important for the sound. The other characteristics of the blues music genre are the lyrics, bass lines and the instruments. The form can be subdivided in genres like country blues to the urban blues. These became more and more popular in the 20th century when these forms of music became popular in the American culture. Out of all these, Delta, Chicago Blues and jump are the most sung forms. The term blues often refers to sadness or depression. And so it can be analyzed that the form of music represented the period of sadness of the African Americans during the time of slavery and oppression. The lyrics of blues music are most popular for reflecting sorrow and loneliness, although, they do sometimes represent humorous reactions to the common troubles of life (Hamilton, 12). Ever since the blues music has been formed, the singers were known to use expressive lyrics to make some loose narrations. The singer often used a low voice where he tended to convey his

What caused the Revolution of 1911-1912 in China Thesis

What caused the Revolution of 1911-1912 in China - Thesis Example A great percentage of them disliked the kind of ruling by the Qing dynasty that had been existent in the country for a very long time. The otherwise called Xinhai revolution, on a great extent can arguably be caused by be deficient in of able Ching emperors to rule the country. In the work of Ho, the inability of the Ching emperors to rule the country instilled a lot of violence among the citizens1. This work continues to bring out the view that, in as much as the dynasty was the most prominent, the fall of that dynasty created numerous issues for the country’s well being. By the 19th century, the dynasty was completely inflexible which saw the country experience a lot of challenges in terms of rebellions in the country, poor economy, imperialism from the west, poor produce and sales. By the end of 1911, the country had already gone through rebellion from the citizens. In 1912, Henry Pu Yi, the then emperor, stepped down from the leadership position to pave way for more reforms. From the work, it is evident that the emperor was clearly not needed by the citizens and was sapped by the revolution in 19122. A critical analysis of this situation brings out a clear indication of the fact that the major reason behind the revolution is that the Chinese pop ulace did not appreciate the manner in which the country was being run by the Ching dynasty. With poor leadership, it is evident that the misappropriation of funds would have its way, just like in the case of China. This misappropriation of funds led to the country being overtaxed, and the taxes fell in the hands of a few people. With the population growing on a tremendous manner, the dynasty could hardly deal with the demands of the populace, which in turn led to the revolts among the populace. In this work, it is apparent that the Qing dynasty was completely ineffective3. With this in mind, the Chinese citizens could not wait for the providence of the administration to lapse their hopeful

Hospitality marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Hospitality marketing - Essay Example There are different strategies that hotels can utilize to position the firm so that the business can thrive and become profitable. A way for hotels to optimize their usage is by offering lower prices for its idle rooms during weak visiting seasons. This can be achieved by using an online strategy that matches the customer desire price with the offerings of the hotel. The use of various marketing channels such as the written press, online ads, and cellular advertising can help companies ensure that customers visit the facilities of the hotel. Online advertising has become the hottest and most cost effective advertising strategy marketers are using today. To strengthen a company’s position the brand of the firm must be well recognized by the general public. The use of online advertising is a very effective way to get the word out about the services the company offers. It is imperative for companies to have professional websites that have lots of pictures of the hotel, provides the firm’s prices, and enables users to make sales and reservations online. In the United States e-commerce sales are expect ed to reach $269.8 billion by 2015 (Plunkettresearchonline). Companies in the hospitality industry must position its services to take advantage of holidays and special events. The use of cellular advertising can be use to let the local customers know of a special sale event such as half price rooms during Valentine’s Day. Keeping a database of the addresses and phone numbers of customers can be very beneficial in the marketing efforts of the company Based on Pareto’s rule 80% of firm’s business comes from 20% of its customers. Achieving a higher customer retention rate in the hospitality industry is critical to its success. Another way to improve the positioning of a hotel is by having superb customer service and food services. The quality of the food of the restaurant of the hotel must be

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Discussion - Essay Example In health promotion, wherein about 9 other concepts can be identified (Disu, K.M. and Wooden, D.J., 2012) stated in values and beliefs, SDLC has led to the creation of computer systems that give patients the option to tap their skills, resort to their love for freedom and privacy, and their voluntary decision to seek answers for themselves whenever possible. It makes them feel better to call for a nurse only if they don’t understand what to do in various situations. A virtual nurse had been developed. In wanting to know more about the medications they are taking, at what time, dosage, and for what purpose, patients can be taught to simply type the word â€Å"Medicines† after they log into their account, so that they can view more details about their purpose and the contra-indications. Thus, another concept within health promotion is served – the concept of empowerment. In the other meta-concept which is caring, SDLC can be tapped by allowing the patients to voluntarily submit feedback that can be saved in their database. Patients themselves or the authorized relatives may assist in faster recovery by way of reporting favourable or unfavourable feedback which the doctors can view during their visit. Questions can also be raised anytime if patients are allowed to simply communicate their thoughts with the help of a computer. In fact, SDLC can provide doctors with real time biological response and allow them to become more aware about developments with the patients. Such updated awareness can result in providing initiatives that can show better care and

Jury Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jury - Research Paper Example Justification of the reforms to a state legislature There have been various reforms initiated with the objective of promoting racial diversity in the composition of juries, so that effective decisions and proper, unbiased judgments can be made in the courtroom. However, the construction of the jurisdiction is also not without the criticism of racial diversity. In the American society, the minority class people are often allegedly ascertained to be treated in a bias manner, which further restrict justice on the basis of their rights and privileges as a US citizen. In this respect, the alleged discrimination amid minority and majority people has raised various ethical issues which include assaults and movements against the State (Minow, 1992). There are instances where the representatives of the juries have been witnessed to evolve their judgment with elusive goals. This raises significant concern with regard to the rationality of the judgment offered in the courtroom, where jurors bel onging to the same race as that of the defendant have been alleged to act with sympathy; while on the other hand, jurors belonging to other races tend to implement harsh treatments for punishing the convicts. Hence, it can be argued that the failures of appropriate jurisdiction processes are caused mainly due to lack of diversity in the configuration of jurors. Thus, maintaining a higher degree of racial diversity amid juries is most likely to contribute towards making effective and racially unbiased judgment in the courtroom. Subsequently, with the involvement of minorities and women as jurors, the judgment process may also obtain an enhanced efficiency in dealing with equality of rights and mitigating biasness to a substantial extent (SAGE Publications, 2013). An opponent’s response to the reform There is need for racial diversity in the jury system so that effective decisions can be made with equality and in an unbiased manner. However, from an opponent’s point of v iew, with majorities and minorities, as representatives of the jury, the defendants must not to be offered with the opportunity of selecting as well as composing juries in accordance with their races and communal backgrounds. As in the case of Swain v. Alabama - 380 U.S. 202 (1965) (Justia, 1965) and Batson v. Kentucky (No. 84-6263) (LII, 1985), the judiciary composed in the trials of these cases included majority of jurors belonging from the petitioners respective racial backgrounds and communities, which led to biasness in the process decision making. The defendants, with this facility of composing juries on the basis of their choices, will certainly lead to inappropriate legal decisions and procedures. In this concern, the provisions stipulated by the Supreme Court of the US should firmly prohibit defendants from allocating rights of selecting jury members for the execution of judgment with equality and appropriateness. Furthermore, it stresses that the juries should be selected on the basis of merit system amid majority and minority group of individuals, so that the decisions or judgment are

Why am I Iinterested in MBA Program of GGSB, and How do I See it Essay

Why am I Iinterested in MBA Program of GGSB, and How do I See it Helping Me to Reach My Future Career Goals - Essay Example As the reporter declares "good education as such, helps in enriching the knowledge and broadening the horizon of an individual. Therefore, after discussing the issue with some of my close associates I came to the conclusion that a Master’s degree in Management from a reputed Institution not only helps in learning the techniques of dealing with adverse circumstances, but it will certainly help me in enhancing my confidence level. The Grenoble Graduate School of Business is one of the prime institutions offering a number of academic programs ranging from undergraduate courses to the doctoral and executive education programs. As of now my future plans hinge very much around a Master’s Degree in Management from Grenoble Graduate School of Business. Well, having observed the functioning of the corporate sector, I find it quite a bit of necessity that one must be qualified and knowledgeable enough on how to manage the issues and the resources. I have realized that in order to find an acceptable and desired solution to an issue, it is of utmost importance that the issue is taken up in an appropriate manner. The Grenoble Graduate School is known to keep a balance between theoretical studies and applied learning. This will certainly provide me an opportunity to have practical hands-on training, constantly focused on the real world. Today we are living in a society where competition is all pervasive."

Paper Cash vs. Accrual Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper Cash vs. Accrual Accounting - Essay Example Only cash payments and cash receipts are recorded. The two methods are similar in the sense that their balance sheets include both liabilities and assets. The cash accounting is common among small business owners. For businesses that record annual sales of more than five million dollars or keep an inventory of items they to sell to the public, the accrual method is prescribed (Pinson, 2007). It is easier to grasp the principles of cash accounting as compared to accruals accounting. It is also cheaper to hire accountants for cash accounting as opposed to the accruals method. In planning tax, the cash accounting is preferable by businesses because they are taxed basing on their present cash flow and not accounts receivables (Pinson, 2007). Question Two The benefit of the accrual method is that it is good at matching expenses and revenues. This method also presents a more accurate status of a company’s financial position since its financial statements are more detailed (Bragg, 20 10). The balance sheets also contain more entries because they list non cash entries too. However, the disadvantage is that it is poor at keeping track of cash. Since revenues are recorded when a business transaction takes place, the business statement will indicate that revenue is generated even without the bank account having money. The situation is more made complex by slow paying clients. The accruals method is tedious in the amount of work needed to acquire data. It also needs more resources to operate (Bragg, 2010). Conversely, the benefit of the cash accounting method is that it is good at tracking cash flow. It is also easier to work on data and produce statements in the cash accounting. However, its disadvantage is that it is poor at matching money put out for expenses with earned revenues (Bragg, 2010). This situation poses a difficulty when a company buys items in one month and sells them in a different month. For example, a business buys an item in January intending to s ell it then later pay USD 100 in cash. However, it is sold in February at USD 150 and the cash is also received in February. At the end of January when the books were closed, the USD 100 had to be reflected, although there was no revenue to match it, hence, indicating a loss. February will, therefore, indicate USD 150 as profit, yet the true profit is USD 50. Question Three Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) prescribe the accruals method as opposed to the cash method because accruals method conforms to recognition of revenue, cost and match principles (Pinson, 2007). The accruals method is also practical because it captures financial implications of economic activities in the accounting periods they occur, whether cash is received or not. Accruals method is also the method of choice for GAAP because of the accuracy of its financial reporting in complex business transactions. The accruals method acknowledges that projects and credit sales impact a business’ financ ial status at their time of occurrence, hence the need to reflect such transactions on the financial statements of same period within which they take place. The accruals method recognizes a sale when a client takes up ownership of a product or a service is delivered and increases the company’s revenue at that time even if cash is not yet the account (Pinson, 2007). Question Four The United States Federal

Nursing Education Essay Example for Free

Nursing Education Essay This paper will outline the differences in competencies between Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), and Bachelor in Science of Nursing (BSN) prepared nurses. Then identify a patient care situation describing how nursing care or approaches to decision making may differ based upon the educational preparation of the nurse. The Free online Dictionary (2013) depicts competency as â€Å"The quality of being competent or capable of performing an allotted function.† Here is a comparison of two different pathways to becoming a Registered Nurse: Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), and Bachelor in Science of Nursing (BSN) programs. Born out of the nursing shortage in 1952, the Associate Degree nurse came in to fruition thanks to Mildred Montag. The Associate Degree program for Registered Nurses is two-three years length. This program does hold academic credit based on clinical and general studies preparing these students to be able to function as â€Å"technical† bedside nurses. At the end of the ADN program students are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN (Creasia Reid, 2011). The Bachelors of Science program is four years in length and actually regarded by the American Nurse association as the original entry level requirement to becoming a Registered Nurse (Smith, 2009). This program originated in 1909. The BSN program is based on evidence based practice, Community nursing, and prepares these nurses for leadership roles whereas the ADN programs do not function to prepare nurses in leadership roles (Creasia Reid, 2011). This is due to the program providing education, described by Creasia Reid, 2011, also on â€Å"Information management, health care policy and finance, communication/collaboration, clinical Prevention/population health and professional values.† (p. 25). At the end of the program these Nurses are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN. With differences in the level of education among RN’s this brings up the controversial topic of: Do the difference in educational levels of BSN prepared nurse and ADN nurse make the more educated BSN more prepared for the challenges of nursing today? There is much more research needed on this topic. Online Journals such as Policy Politics Nursing Practice Ellenbecker, 2011 state, â€Å"Today’s environment of expanding knowledge, the call for interdisciplinary healthcare delivery teams, and evidence of the relationship between nurse education and improved patient outcomes strongly indicate the need for nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level.† (115-125). Studies such as Aiken (2003) depict negative outcomes such as failure to rescue and mortality were nineteen percent lower in hospitals post-surgical patients where sixty percent of the nurses had baccalaureate degrees. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2003 provide an entire fact sheet depicting h ow BSN nurses may be more prepared than diploma or ADN to meet the demands of nursing today. They state this is due to the broader span of course work provided in the BSN program. The BSN nurse learns what the diploma and ADN nurse learn but receive a more â€Å"in depth† experience thus allowing them enhanced â€Å"professional development, a greater understating of cultural, political, economic and social issues affecting patients and influencing health care delivery.† (AACN 2003). Nurses holding a BSN education could indeed be more able to provide the approach of looking at the patient as a whole, as well as enhanced critical thinking skills. (AACN 2003). One clinical example that depicts the difference in patient care situation describing how nursing care or approaches to decision-making may differ based upon the educational preparation of the nurse BSN versus a diploma or ADN degree. The issue of â€Å"may† provide different approaches to decision making is appropriate. There are studies that support that BSN prepared nurses are better prepared and studies that suggest that there is no significant difference in care delivered by BSN compared to the care delivered ADN and Diploma nurses. When faced with the evidence that BSN prepared nurses are taught a higher level of education and to utilize evidence based practice (AACN 2003) (Creasia Reid, 2011). The BSN prepared nurse may be better prepared to think more critically and research why they do a task and not just do the task blindly. For instance evidence-based practice provides hospitals with ways to decrease CAUTI from occurring (AJIC 2011). This is â€Å"Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). According to AJIC 2011, â€Å"CAUTI are â€Å"common, morbid, and costly†. â€Å"Nearly 25% of hospitalized patients are catheterized yearly, and 10% develop urinary tract infections. Evidence based guidelines exist for indwelling urinary catheter management but are not consistently followed.† (pp. 1-6). Being educated enough to look up what the evidence based practice guidelines on catheters are can significantly increase positive patient outcomes. Furthermore, AJIC 2011 states also that when nurses where â€Å"re-educated† on a â€Å"basic skill† and† infusing best evidence into current practice were important to raise awareness of simple interventions that positively impacted patient outcomes and infusing best evidence into current practice were important to raise awareness of simple interventions that positively impacted patient outcomes.† (pp. 1-6). Nurses who are more educated on reasons behind evidence based practice understand the importance of implementing it into current nursing practice. So it could be said that a BSN prepared nurse is more likely to utilize the practice guidelines that are evidence based. This provides an example how a BSN nurse could be more likely to make a different judgment call than a diploma or and nurse and take initiative to ask the MD for an order to support an evidence-based decision. To summarize there three pathways to becoming a Registered Nurse: Diploma, ADN, and BSN programs. Each has unique qualities. The program that offers a more â€Å"in-depth† education is the BSN program. All programs lead to the same end point of allowing the student to the NCLEX-RN. There are varying viewpoints on whether or not a BSN versus ADN nurse is better educationally prepared for the nursing workforce today. References American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2013). The impact of education on nursing practice. Retrieved on January 18, 2013 from: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media-relations/fact-sheets/impact-of-education Aiken, L. H. (2003). Educational levels of hospital nurses and surgical patient mortality. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290 , 1617–1623. Retrieved on January 19, 2013 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3077115/ Creasia, J. L., Reid, PHD, RN, K. B. (2011). Conceptual foundations the bridge to professional nursing practice. (5th ed.). Ch. 2, pp.1-39. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby. Retrieved on January 19, 2013 from: http://pageburstls.elsevier.com/books/978-0-323-06869-7 Ellenbecker PhD, RN, C. (2010, 08 30). Policy politics and nursing practice preparing the Nursing Workforce of the Future. vol. 11 no. 2 115-125. Retrieved from on January 19, 2013: http://ppn.sagepub.com/content/11/2/115.abstract Farlex, Inc. (2013). The free dictionary. Retrieved on January 19, 2013 from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/competencies Oman, K. S., Flynn Makic, M. B. (2011). Nurse-directed interventions to reduce catheter associated urinary tract infections. American Journal of Infection Control, 1-6. Retrieved on January 19, 2013 from: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/medicine/hcpr/cauti/documents/TeamPublications/Nurse-Directed Interventions to Reduce Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections.pdf

Model Law on International Contracting Essay Example for Free

Model Law on International Contracting Essay Introduction E-commerce in commodity goods has existed for decades. Electronic contracts provided a new mechanism to form a relationship via Internet and now we see many commodity products being exchanged daily on the Web. The contract can respond not only to the parties but to changing conditions of some kind and then inform the parties of these new events or conditions. The electronic contract, in other words, connects the parties to each other and, if desired, to other people and to other sources of information in ways that are difficult to imagine with paper. Time, like space, seems to be out of place or even absent in the internet environment. Consequently, different jurisdictions and different laws have challenged some contract issues. Therefore, with the advent of the Web as the new commercial medium, traders and buyers alike should be aware of some basic principles of contract formation and how they apply to Web transactions. Mostly, the approved rules of paper contract continue to hold up in a purely internet exchange between parties to an agreement. The law does, however, draw the line at certain kinds of transactions which must be fulfilled. It is important before considering the particularities of the online world, to take a step back and examine contractual formation via Internet which is the background against which the relevant rules to the online world were established. Today all developed countries try to create a uniform commercial code for business over the Internet. The purpose of this is to design a uniform legal structure for electronic commercial bargains world-wide. Steps in this direction have been taken by the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Contracting, English Law, and the CISG Convention, which has developed a â€Å"model law on electronic commerce† for international contracts in electronic commerce. This work will consider rules and standards for electronic contract performance, define what constitutes valid electronic writing and the acceptability of electronic signatures for legal and commercial purposes under abovementioned laws. It will also discuss the main forms of contracts via Internet and define problems that appeared in the formation of electronic contract today. 3. Formation of contract over Internet 3. 1 The offer 3. 1. 1 Under English Law In English law an internet contract via a website is formed after an offer a determinate indication of the terms on which the offeror is prepared to be legally bound is accepted by the offeree the person to whom the offer has been made . If the email of acceptance does not vary the terms fixed in the email of offer, a contract will be formed by the second email. An offer may be to the world in general in which case anyone may accept it or to a particular person in which case only they can accept it . At English law, a contract is concluded when an offer is accepted. Although this rule appears simple, there have been many conflicts over how to distinguish and identify invitations to treat, offers and acceptances. English common law traditionally classifies an offer as a statement by one party of his or her willingness to enter into a contract on stated terms, provided that these terms are accepted by the party to whom the offer is addressed; whereas an invitation to treat is simply an expression of willingness to enter into discussion which, it is hoped, will lead to the conclusion of a contract at a later date . Therefore advertisement of goods on the website will come only to an invitation to treat. Only when a buyer notifies about his intention to buy something from the site, the offer will only be formed. After this the seller can accept or refuse that offer. Under English Law an offer must be clear and complete and afford a distinct indication of the offeror’s intents . The offer must contemplate acceptance and a consequent obligation or obligations. An advertisement is considered as a mere invitation to do business and it is not an offer. An offeror is legally bound by the terms of the contract once his offer is accepted; while one who makes an invitation to treat is clearly free to accept (and thus form a contract) or to reject any offers that result from it, without any legal consequences.

Leadership Reflection Journal

Leadership Reflection Journal What follows is my leadership journal. 1. My Leadership Role When I was a little girl about five years old, I had my first leadership experience. I was part of a dance group and was the first one in the row, my teacher told me everyday, â€Å"my darling, it is you who will have to make no mistakes, learn all the right steps and then practice them again and again, because everyone else will simply follow you, and your mistake would make not only you but everyone else in the group look bad†. She then told me that only people who were special were given this very important responsibility. Oh! I just can’t express how happy these words made me feel, but little did I know what a burden was put on my shoulders. Later as I grew up and was about 10 years old I was made the class representative , I was very happy with the trust my teachers and classmates showed in me but, at the same time I knew I was accountable and answerable for a lot of things. This phase of my life charted out a lot of my personality .It made me a more confident pers on, it made me an individual who was not afraid of taking responsibilities and tasks, no matter how challenging they might seem. Most importantly it made me realise that sometimes it is accountability that gets out the best in you. But nevertheless I was just a little girl who did not know all the stakes of being the leader. Years passed and my post of the class prefect turned into that of the cultural secretary of my school. As I swore in the responsibility of being the cultural secretary I could not help but be proud, I could not help but experience power. But, also I could not help hearing the echoes in my head, the echoes of my teacher’s voice, â€Å"remember everyone else will simply follow you, and your mistakes affect the entire group†. At that very instant I realised that leadership is not just the capacity to take people to a place they can’t get to on their own†. So, I took up the responsibilities while others made excuses , and made it my goal t o give my school the best of shows, cultural events and gala evenings it had ever witnessed. This task however was not easy but, I also wasn’t an easy quitter. I challenged myself at every step and made it a point to be persistent and have tenacity despite failure at times. I had dreams, everyone does, but I also had the courage to turn it into reality. I knew that power corrupts but, I constantly reminded myself that I was here to bring glamour in my shows rather than being overpowered by the glamour in my post. From the five year old little girl to an eighteen year old young adult in my experience as a leader I’ve realised one thing. Sometimes, it just happens in an instant. We step up. We become a leader. We see a path, and we take it .Even when we have no idea where we are going. 2. The Poster As a king loves his kingdom, all the people in it, every blade of grass that grows on his land, every pebble that resides in its waters. All that is good and all that is bad , all that is strong and all that is not. Such should also be the reign of a leader, who in his reign takes into consideration the needs, desires and goals of all his followers, and at the same time also motivates them to put in all their energies to achieve the common group goal. Also one must always remember a king is not a king without his kingdom and so is true for the leader as well. A leader is nothing without his followers, just like the king, the leader may wear the crown but his actual power resides in the trust invested in him by his followers. It is these ideas that inspire our poster. Our poster depicts the leader as a king like figure who is calm and wise. In the depth of his eyes can be seen years of experience. Our leader wears a crown made out of several people, symbolising his followers. This uni que crown further reflects our main idea of the power of the leader being his follower’s support and trust. Further our poster also depicts beams of lights popping out of each follower’s head, with their individual goal written on it. This was done to put emphasis on the role of a good leader to place importance on individual goals alongside common group goals. Our poster also expresses the individual importance of every member in the group. The slogan says â€Å"Leadership is the initiative of the leader but the voice of the followers†, this too highlights our main idea. To take everyone forward is a leader’s dream, but to work with everyone to achieve this dream, is his challenge. Our poster is also inspired to some extent by the great mughal emperor AKBAR, who in his court had nine special ministers famously called the â€Å" Nav Ratnas†. No policy in the kingdom was implemented without the consensus of these nine people. The â€Å"Nav Ratnasâ €  were King Akbar’s greatest advisors. It is said that king Akbar and his nine ministers would argue for hours together before making the final decision on any important matter in the kingdom. The result of all this, King Akbar was able to promote secularism in a kingdom where muslim’s and hindu’s fought all the time. He was also given the title of â€Å"THE GREAT â€Å", and till today is one of the most loved kings of the Indian sub-continent. Our group after a lot of brainstorming and considering examples of great leaders such as King Akbar, came to the conclusion of basing our poster on the leader –follower relationship. And so our poster shouts out loud our idea, of the power of the leader actually being the trust invested in him by his followers. 3. The Quote Change, we dont like it, we fear it, but cant stop it from coming. We either adapt to change or we get left behind. And it hurts to grow, anybody who tells you it doesnt is lying. But heres the truth: The more things change, the more they stay the same. And sometimes change is good. Oh, sometimes change is everything. I first heard these words on the T.V show Grey’s Anatomy, and ever since they have been like my guiding angel. Right from the time when I was a little girl, I have had this tendency to get greatly attached to people, things and places. I have always resisted change. But â€Å"change† is one of the greatest truths of life and I know I have to learn to deal with it. We all have weaknesses but, courage lies in overcoming them. This task, however difficult it might seem, certain things help make it easier. For me these words became my fairy god mother, and helped me deal with change whenever it stood in front of me ready to shatter me from the inside out. I st ill can’t forget the day of my school farewell, I stood there silent, rewinding all the good memories. Tears filled up my eyes and a sense of great loss filled my heart. I did not want to let go of my friends, my teachers and that school building where I had spent 14 years of my life. I looked around and saw all others also had tears in their eyes, but the difference between them and me was the smile they all wore on their lips. Then it suddenly dawned upon me the smile on their faces was the hope of a new beginning, the hope of a brighter future and a step ahead towards their dreams. I realised at that very moment that my tears were not because of all the good memories I would be leaving behind, but because of the fear of taking on responsibilities of an adult. I did not want to grow up, after all there is nothing better than the life of a child, free from all the shackles of the real adult world. But I had dreams in my heart too and I knew these dreams were bigger than my f ear, I knew I had to challenge my fears and make the move ahead in life. I knew I had to let go of the past in order to live in the present and have wonderful dreams and plans about the future. I wanted to be remembered long after I was gone, and I wanted to make a difference to this world. This was my dream and I knew I only had one life to full fill it. I had to overcome my fears and all the hurdles on my road to success. The biggest one currently was the acceptance of change. It is said the first step to overcome your weakness is to figure it out. I knew my weakness and I had my words of wisdom echoing in my mind again and again. The first step was taken and the rest would surely follow. To conclude I would only say this course has truly been an enlightening experience.

Whitmans O Captain! My Captain! And Dickinsons Hope is a Thing with F

Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" And Dickinson's "Hope is a Thing with Feathers" America experienced profound changes during the mid 1800’s. New technologies and ideas helped the nation grow, while the Civil War ripped the nation apart. During this tumultuous period, two great American writers captured their ideas in poetry. Their poems give us insight into the time period, as well as universal insight about life. Although polar opposites in personality, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman created similar poetry. Dickinson’s â€Å"Hope is a Thing with Feathers† and Whitman’s â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!† share many qualities. "Hope is a Thing with Feathers† and â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!† contain a similar scansion. Both have a predominantly iambic meter. The unaccented beat followed by the accented beat creates a rising meter. Each poem also contains notable exceptions to the iambic meter. In "Hope is a Thing with Feathers,† the first line ‘Hope is the thing’ contains a trochee followed by an iamb. â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!† contains even more exceptions to the iambic meter. Line 5, ‘But O heart! heart! heart!’ consists of an imperfect root followed by two spondees, or feet with two equally accented syllables. Both Line 6 ‘O the bleeding drops of red’ and line 8 ‘Fallen cold and dead’ have trochaic meters with an imperfect root at the end. The remainder of the poem has an iambic meter until the last two lines: ‘Walk the deck my Captain lies, /Fallen cold and dead.’ The iambic meter... Whitman's O Captain! My Captain! And Dickinson's Hope is a Thing with F Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" And Dickinson's "Hope is a Thing with Feathers" America experienced profound changes during the mid 1800’s. New technologies and ideas helped the nation grow, while the Civil War ripped the nation apart. During this tumultuous period, two great American writers captured their ideas in poetry. Their poems give us insight into the time period, as well as universal insight about life. Although polar opposites in personality, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman created similar poetry. Dickinson’s â€Å"Hope is a Thing with Feathers† and Whitman’s â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!† share many qualities. "Hope is a Thing with Feathers† and â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!† contain a similar scansion. Both have a predominantly iambic meter. The unaccented beat followed by the accented beat creates a rising meter. Each poem also contains notable exceptions to the iambic meter. In "Hope is a Thing with Feathers,† the first line ‘Hope is the thing’ contains a trochee followed by an iamb. â€Å"O Captain! My Captain!† contains even more exceptions to the iambic meter. Line 5, ‘But O heart! heart! heart!’ consists of an imperfect root followed by two spondees, or feet with two equally accented syllables. Both Line 6 ‘O the bleeding drops of red’ and line 8 ‘Fallen cold and dead’ have trochaic meters with an imperfect root at the end. The remainder of the poem has an iambic meter until the last two lines: ‘Walk the deck my Captain lies, /Fallen cold and dead.’ The iambic meter...

Childrens Testimony Essay -- essays research papers

Over the last thirty years, the idea of children as witnesses and the accuracy of their testimony has been widely debated. People are asking themselves if the memories of young children, specifically between the ages of five and ten, can be accurate and in return trusted. So, can children’s memory and testimony be accurate? Prolific amounts of research have been conducted in an attempt to answer this question. Most of the research suggests that unfortunately we can not rely on their accurate recall in testimony. I would have to say I agree with the findings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The current anxiety about the validity of children’s testimony in court stems mostly from heavily publicized cases of child molestation during the 1980’s (Meyer, 1997). As a result of society’s reaction to dramatic increases in reports of abuse and neglect, children increasingly are being admitted as witnesses in juvenile and criminal proceedings (Ceci & de Bruyn, 1993). Each year hundreds of thousands of children in North America become entangled in the legal system. Often these children testify about the alleged actions of a parent, teacher, baby-sitter, relative or neighbor. And when this happens, the case is often decided on the basis of the relative credibility of the child versus the defendant. Regardless of whether such testimony is made in forensic interviews, during preliminary hearings, or at trial, it may result in life altering decisions for all involved (Ceci & Bruck, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The issue of children’s veracity is not new to the courtroom. There were cases in Puritan times in which youngsters’ testimony was responsible for the imprisonment and execution of a number of individuals accused of being witches (Meyer, 1997). Because of this, for both theoretical and practical reasons, many child psychologists, legal professionals, and others have long sought to understand more fully the extent to which young children are able to recall their experiences and to report on them accurately. As part of this effort, there has also been a great interest in learning more about the developmental course through which young children acquire the capacity (Stern, Stern, & Lamiell, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To thoroughly understand the subject, we must look closely at several aspects and effects of children as witnesses in the lega... ...esses in Court: A Growing Dilemma.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children Today, 22. Franklin, D. (1999). Child Witness Credibility. Retrieved 10-02-01 from Psychology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Information online:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Garry, M., & Palaschek, D. L. (2000). Imagination and Memory. Current Directions in  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychological   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Science, 9, 6-9. Goodman, G. & Levine, M. (1991). Child Witnesses and the Confrontation Clause:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American Psychological Association brief in Maryland v. Graig. Law and Human Behavior, 5, 13-29. Koriat, A., Goldsmith, M., Schneider, W., & Nakash-Dura, M. (2001). The Credibility  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  of Children’s Testimony: Can Children Control the Accuracy of Their Memory   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reports?. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 79, 405-437. Meyer, J. F. (1997). Inaccuracies in Children’s Testimony. United States: Hawthoren Press. Myers, D. (1996). Exploring Psychology (3rd ed.). Michigan

Great Barrier Reef Essay -- Wonders of the World, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is believed to be one of the most incredible places on this earth. This reef is the largest living organism on this planet and the only living thing on earth visible from space (2011). The warm waters of the southwest Pacific Ocean are the perfect environments to create the world's largest system of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is in such pristine condition that it was listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site and is therefore, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ensure that its beauty is maintained for many travelers and sightseers (Edgar 2010). Due to the complexity of this natural phenomenon, human practices have led to ecological problems for the reef, but preservation efforts can provide future generations the ability to learn from and experience one of the largest oceanic coral ecosystems in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is located just off the coast of Australia. This marine park stretches over 1800 miles and is almost parallel to the Queensland coast (2011). The reef spans a distance of 65 km wide and reaches 15 to 150 km off shore (2011). At just 500,000 years old, the Great Barrier Reef is a relatively young structure. Yet even younger is the current reef's structure at less than 8,000 years old (Edgar 2010). The formation of the Great Barrier Reef is very complex. Coral reefs began to form in the region at about 58 to 48 million years ago when the Coral Sea Basin formed (Briney 2010). However, once the Australian continent moved to its present location, sea levels began to change, and coral reefs started to grow fairly quickly, changing climate and sea levels. This consequently caused them to... ...populations, some countries have invested into fish farming or aquaculture, but some controversy has followed from this practice. Studies have shown that fish farms are not helpful in sustaining the native fish, and have actually harmed them instead. There are two main types of aquaculture: onshore and offshore. These farms, often times due to overcrowded tanks, result in outbreaks of deadly diseases. An example is pop eye, an eye infection that causes swelling of the eye. On offshore farms, domesticated fish often escape through faulty and inferior netting, infecting native fish populations. Alternatively, offshore farms pose a different problem. Management of these facilities has been known to filter pure excess waste products of the fish into the ocean. The contaminated water, also full of nutrients, creates algae blooms and starves sea floor of sunlight.

Man and a Woman: A Yin and Yang

It’s still fresh in my memory the answer of 2008 Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza in her question â€Å"Does a man or a woman live and easier life? †- â€Å"actually there’s not much difference about how a woman or man lives but rather they differ on the way they think. Man thinks the easiest way to get to the point is to go straight. Woman, not exactly, they go through many curves and fixed it†. This answer is just one among the many answers on how to differentiate a man between women. In the field of hard sciences, the difference between a man and a woman is far way varied.It is usually differentiated through sex or the possession of certain organs and hormones that make them unique. Man or male is characterized by possessing the male genitalia which composed of the testicles, the penile gland and of course Adams apple. Women or female is otherwise characterized by the possession of uterus, ovary, and vagina. In terms of the Hippocratic eye, there are differ ent hormones and chromosomes that discriminates both sexes- chromosome XY for male and XX for female (York 2008).In the society, one can easily differentiate a man from a woman by the way they act, they dress and they appear in public. A man usually is short haired contented with t-shirts and pants or tuxedo for the elite while women are often long haired, fond of having fancy dresses with playful colors and distinguished by their high pitched voices as contrast to male with a distinguishable baritone voice. During the olden times, in terms of gender and socialization, a masculine is usually viewed to be brave, aggressive, and bread winner while a feminine is usually calm, conservative, and responsible in child rearing.Tracing the history, women in the olden days are considered as one among the lower society wherein they are not allowed to vote and their only profession is to become a plain housewife. In the ancient times in Asia and Europe, women are often the subjects of slavery. In Japan, once a woman has been married to a man, she no longer free. Her work is just centered on family rearing and farewell assistance to the husband. The only way to escape from the marriage is to commit hara-kiri or the virtue of killing themselves.In the Philippines during the sultanate period, only the son of the king or sultan can inherit the land and women are just for marriage rites and are just means to procreate through pregnancy. The worst thing is that they are not allowed to rule the land. In contrast, Egypt is known to have women rulers before man became the ruler. One good example is Cleopatra who ruled the ancient Egypt and who have man as subordinates (timemagazine. com 1972). But with the rise of industrial revolution, feminists became more gender sensitive and gender equality had been on the rise.Now, there had been widespread gender stereotyping such as female police enforcers, pilots, soldiers, and the existence of working moms and even female engineers. In ad dition, there is an increase of women politicians and rulers and believe it or not that the Philippines being a democratic republic had some sort of girl power because they had already to female presidents whom actually won through people power revolution. Tracing the history is likewise one way of differentiating man between women based on their family roles and social responsibility. The existence of pluralism in nature allowed varied responsibilities of a man and a woman.Delving deeper in differentiating man and women is through their matter of feelings. Men are thought to be pride and full of ego. Women are the exact opposite as they are more patient and unruffled. Usually in a family a woman/wife is usually the mother of all chores in the house doing all the laundry, cleaning, and preparing food except if a there is a hired nanny, but still a nanny is a woman. On the other hand, those of the man usually sips coffee while reading the daily news and eats the breakfast and then go to work. Going back to the answer of Miss Universe 2008, it would be nice if we cite some examples.Man thinks that the easiest way to get through a point is to go straight. I might as well agree on that. When a man goes to off a particular thing in the department store, he goes exactly to the rack or place where it is located, grabs it and pays it over the counter immediately. Women don’t, they actually took many more time visiting every lane of the shop and fit all things that she thinks it’s nice for her and grabs unnecessary things forgetting what to buy. This only means that man is more straightforward on everything. When he wants an answer, he wants it immediately. When he takes orders in a restaurant, he wants it in a brisk.Women are more patient and complicated, they are the ones who usually start the husband-wife fight because of their hasty tongue who usually nags and nags until both of them gets pissed off. Among all of these opposite characters, I still vie w man as being a yin and a yang, a perfect opposite but a perfect combination. Every imperfection of a man can be complemented by a woman and every woman’s flaw is complemented by a man. That is why there is the existence of marriage, to unite both the ideals of a man and a woman and to live together as one body and being separate entities.A man and a woman are created complementary to work and help each other. Each sex/gender represents a function in a society. There has been a saying that â€Å"No man is an island†. Truly no man is alone because there is the existence of a woman. Every human beings life is like a puzzle, it will only be completed when the remaining pieces are there. A woman therefore is never complete without a man, which maybe her father or her lover. Likewise a man is never complete without there woman, which is his mother and his lover.

Crooks of Mice and Men

In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck uses descriptive language and diction to explain Crook’s room. After reading the two paragraphs explaining Crooks’s room, a reader can infer that Crooks is caring, lonely and informed about his rights. Crooks’s room is described as â€Å"a little shed† with many personal possessions.† Furthermore, unlike the other men on the ranch he has books which consist of â€Å"a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905† and medicine for the horses. The fact that Crooks carries medicine for both him and the horses shows how caring he is, since he seems to care about the horses. Since Crooks has many personal possessions and his own room, a reader can conclude that Crooks is more permanent than the other men on the ranch. Also unlike the other men on the ranch, Crooks owns tattered books. Since they are tattered, it can be inferred that Crooks enjoys reading these books. Reading is a very solitary form of entertainment. Crooks probably reads because he has no one else to keep him entertained. Given that, it can be inferred that he is very informed about his rights as a working class, African American man. A description of a setting can tell a reader much about its inhabitants. John Steinbeck illustrates many different descriptive settings throughout the course of the story Of Mice and Men. After reading the two paragraphs describing Crooks’s room, a reader can conclude that Crooks is caring, lonely and informed about his rights.

Charles Dickens’ Diary for Writing Great Expectations Essay

I cannot but thoroughly criticize the lackadaisical social and moral abuses in this country. The will to take action has urged me to write Great Expectations in order to assail the abominable conditions that exist in England. In this novel, my dear characters are idealized in order to heavily contrast with the ugly social truths that I reveal. For it is fully my intent to raise the awareness of these corrupting and unjust conditions that we so nonchalantly live with. Oh what a pity! A grief indeed, that the once innocuous and simple Pip may be transformed into the snobbish and opinionated character he becomes. For what was the reason for Pip’s unexpected transformation? Of course, it is naught but the social-class division that feeds the desire of selfish ambition. Here in England, the social-class determines how a person is treated and his access to education. This most discriminatory attitude is displayed when the otherwise indifferent tailor servilely attends to Pip after hearing of his fortune despite turning a cold shoulder to him earlier. Is money enough to turn a man into a mouse? Why is it that charisma does not command respect but pounds and shillings? After attaining a vast amount of wealth, Pip even begins to treat his closest friend and protector, Joe, with a superior air. Was Joe not plenty a’ gentle and fair to Pip? Had Joe been an inadequate friend? Absolutely not, twas’ being Pip now belonged to a higher social class. Not only does social standing determine how one was treated daily, but also played an unfair and villainous part in court reasoning in our society. In the case of the two convicts, the main perpetrator, a gentlemen, stated in his defense speech â€Å"†..here you has afore you, side by side, two persons as your eyes can separate wide; one, the younger, well brought up†¦ one; the elder, ill brought up†¦ which is the worst one?† The most incredulous and vile aspect is not the use of an ad hominem, but the court promptly basing the entire decision of the trial strictly on this statement regarding social appearance. I assure you, this is not uncommon at all in this country. Trials and disputes are unfairly biased and integrity comes arm in arm with class and money rather than logic and proof. Ah! Though it is true that social class plays an enormous role in everyone’s lives, it all but affects one’s character. One’s character is still left intact despite the obstructive society divide. An honest but poor man today shall unquestionably hold more truth than a sly rich man. Alas’, sadly this is far from the case today. The secondary reason that had prompted me to write this novel was the physical condition of London. Being a local resident of London, I bore firsthand witness to the effects of industrialization. At the cost of clean air and green living space, London transformed into a merchant city full of jobs and people. O how I do miss the crisp clean fields of the countryside. This sentimentality was the reason that provoked me to write about the descriptive settings and bustling activities within the city. Not to mention the crowded condition people lived in, primitive sewage and poor working conditions. As a result, I am not particularly fond of aristocrats and express this through my characters. Through them, I expose the malignant social norms such as Magistrates courts and the social divide. As well, my reminiscent memories of familiar settings and my want to explore the conditions in the city have compelled me to write this novel. The end product cannot help but evoke a sense of awareness and social conscientiousness from the reader.

Cold Blood’ and Frankenstein Essay

Compare how Capote and Shelley use different techniques for characterisation and their use of emotive, figurative language with the use of repition to show the theme of wasted lives ‘In Cold Blood’ was written in 1966 when screenplays were very common. Authors such as Shakespeare wrote traditional plays so it was unpredictable that the readers of ‘In Cold Blood’ would respond to the novel well as it was the first non fiction novel Capote wrote. Capote wanted to experiment with his writing using narrative techniques of the novel to depict real life events. Capote believed that the narrator should not interrupt in novels; but the characters should tell the story themselves. Capote was able to write a novel which displayed the real events surrounding the murder of the Herb Clutter family and shaped it into a storyline. ‘In Cold Blood’ is based on a true story of the murders of a family- something which would be wrote about in today’s society. The novel is an account of the events but also contains elements of Capote’s creativity therefore it is hard to tell whether it is fictional or factual. ‘Frankenstein’ on the other hand is a non fictional novel which is still read and appreciated today as it is of a gothic genre. ‘Frankenstein’ was written in 1818 when science was seen as exciting but also dangerous as it was trespassing on the territory of God. The early 19th century was a time which generated exceptional events and ideas therefore it must have been quite interesting to read ‘Frankenstein’. The danger of science was a great classic theme and Shelley provided her gothic genre as a framework to tone the horror of failed science- the famous experiment gone wrong. ‘Frankenstein’ is still a very popular novel today because of it’s fascination in science which is still explored. Capote portrays his character Bonnie as being a very timid and shy character. She has a ‘heart faced shape’ which is symbolic to her personality and it suggests that she is a likeable character. The significance of this is that it makes the readers engage with her and they want to know her story in order to feel sympathy for her. Bonnie has ‘bony hands’ and is quite petitie which suggests that she is quite vunerable- like the creature in ‘Frankenstein’. In ‘Frankenstein’, we get the creature’s perspective, ‘and what was I? ‘ this is similar to Capote’s character Bonnie with both the characters looking for reassurance from someone. Both the writers make it easy for the reader to discover new aspects of the characters personalities. Capote uses emotive language in repition to suggest that Bonnie may have had a wasted life which makes the readers have sympathy for her. Capote uses the term ‘spinster aunt’ which is a type of semantic change known for an unmarried woman. Even though the novel was written in 1966, the language is still easily read and understood. Unlike ‘In Cold Blood’, ‘Frankenstein’ contains language which may cause a barrier if read today. Shelley uses words like ‘loathsome’ and ‘squalid’ which would rarely be used today however the novel is still effective at portraying the gothic horror through emotive and figurative language. In the extract of the dialogue between Jolene and Bonnie, Capote portrays the significance of the difference between Bonnie and Jolene. Jolene is a very confident character whereas Bonnie constantly panicks and stutters when she speaks; this shows that she may feel worthless and may feel that she is not noticed by others. Capote emphasizes Bonnie’s wasted life indirectly by comparing her to Jolene’s character who comes across as very confident. The comparison of the two characters is quite significant as it shows the importance of emotion that Bonnie has felt. Capote brings a child like quality to Bonnie through the dialogue between Bonnie and Jolene, ‘They don’t need me,’ this shows that Bonnie may be looking for reassurance from Jolene. Capote makes the reader feel sorry for Bonnie in order to like her character as she may have had a bad past. The repition of ‘they don’t need me’ reinforces the sadness of Bonnie. It is also suggesting how she may not be very close to her family. Capote makes us aware of the sadness and timidness of Bonnie for the readers to sympathise with her and hope that she succeeds later in the novel. The insecurities that Capote brings out in his character can resemble the characters of today’s famous novels. Shelley makes the readers realise that even though the creature is deformed, he is still a character who underneath his flaws should be treated the same as any other person. ‘I was not even of the same nature as man’, this shows that Shelley wants the readers to sympathise with the creature and almost feel his emotion. The creature’s life is empty if not more than Bonnies as all he longs for is companionship. Shelley makes the readers feel quite sad for the creature as he is deprived of love. With the use of figurative and emotive language, ‘I saw and heard of none like me’, Shelley introduces feelings to the reader which can only be seen as human. The readers see that the creature is still an outcast even though he has tried helping people and tried being humane. It’s unfortunate for the creature to have an empty life, one which he didn’t really ask for and like the one Bonnie almost wished she didn’t have.