Saturday, August 31, 2019

Being a nursing home administrator Essay

Being a nursing home administrator with in a nursing home, excellent communication is a necessity. Communication is how care providers determine the quality of care that is given and needed for the patients. By being a nursing home administrator, it is my job to make sure that the HIPPA rules and regulations are being used by all employees. By making sure that HIPPA rules and regulations are being upheld, the nursing home is providing quality care to the patients. When a change happens at a nursing home there can be confusion and conflict with everyone involved. While following the chain of command can be long and even boring, it is needed to keep the communication process smooth and effective. The chain of command does help reduce the risk of a communication breakdown. If a communication breakdown is developed it can cause commotion in any health care facility which could jeopardize everyone involved. With being the nursing home administrator, the first job that I would need to do i s have a full understanding of the new policies and procedures. I would need to know how the policies and procedures were put into place and how exactly this will affect the patient’s in the nursing home. In order to do this I would want to speak with the board members so my concerns could be addressed. In order to address these issues I could meet with the board members face to face, use social media, or by electronic communication. There are advantages to having traditional face to face meetings. The members are able to see my body language, facial expressions, and hear the tone of my voice while communicating my concerns. With the traditional meetings, it will also allow the board members to respond to my concerns right away with a limited amount of interruptions. While there are some advantages to having traditional meetings there are also some disadvantages. One issue could be misinterpretation on some of the available cues. Traditional meetings can be expensive and time consuming this is a disadvantage when the time and/or finances a re not available. Having a conference by electronic method is another way to communicate. The biggest advantage to electronic conferencing is the fact that it can be done on a global basis, no matter where a person is everyone can join together. Electronic conferences are best when all members attend at the same time but because it’s electronic the members can attend conferences at different times but during a certain time frame. With all members attending an electronic conference at the same time is known as  the synchronous method. When members attend conference at different times but within a certain time frame is known as the asynchronous method. The synchronous method allows real time communication and the asynchronous method does communication through emails. The synchronous method is best because it is real time and more effective. Electronic conferences are also less expensive and not as time consuming. Electronic conferences can also be recorded so they are available for future use. While emails and phone calls are good forms of communication it is not t he best for a conference. Communicating through computers and the internet has become a popular way for health care members. When it is done properly this way of communication can provide clear straight information that is understood by everyone. If it is not used properly, there can be a breakdown in communication and cause many problems. When social media is used properly it can provide many advantages and opportunities. Social media can reach a large amount of people, which means a wide connection within the community. Social media also allows a great way to support collaboration, better communication, and will also people around the globe to share and generate information. Facilities can also have an identity beyond the name and standard of care through social media. It also helps health care facilities reach out to the people of the community. A disadvantage of social media has been looked blindly upon by most members of the health care industry. When it comes to a patient’s privacy, HIPPA rules and regulations require proper procedures to be followed anytime a patient’s information is released. By being the nursing home administrator my job is to make sure that all of the patients who will be discharged have signed a consent form. The consent form would give our facility permission to release the patient’s health care information to other facilities with the hope of finding placement for that patient. HIPPA has very strict rules and guidelines to follow; the patient’s privacy must always be the priority and always be protected. It is the staff member’s responsibility to protect a patient’s information regardless on how the information is being transferred. The staff member can only allow the information to reach who it is meant for and only provide enough information to make proper accommodations for the patient. HIPPA has placed policies and procedures to protect patient’s information, when these rules are not strictly followed a privacy breach can occur. Also, when the HIPPA rules are  not followed patient’s information can get misplaced which will result in a patient not receiving proper quality care. It is a health care staff member’s job to make sure that every patient remains protected at all times. Today’s health care industry has many rules and regulations that have to be followed in order to protect the privacy of the patients. It is a facility’s responsibility to follow these rules and regulations to ensure a patient’s health and well-being. It is a high priority for immediate action to take place if the rules and regulations are not being followed to make sure that the patients are not at any risk. References: Sarringhuas, M. M. (Jul/Aug 2011). THE Great Divide: Social Media’s Role in Bridging Healthcare. Journal of Helathcare Management, 56(4), 235-244. Du Pre, A. (2005). Communication about health: Current Issues and perspectives (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Anne: Reaction Paper on Basketball Diaries Movie Essay

On this story, upon reading the title, I thought it will focus on basketball game and competitions but I think I am wrong because it was really about a young man who had bad experiences and struggled to survive. Early in the film, it shows a good friendship of Jim and his friends and where they studied in a Catholic School and a scholar through playing basketball together. It also shows how intelligent Jim is on writing which is great. Unfortunately, young Jim fell into the cruel world of life on the street and heavy drug abuse, smoking, and even stealing others things and money which many students and youth do the same thing in present as we see on televisions and in our society that many young people engage their selves to drugs. I have also witness on how they talk was really disrespectful and awful to hear for a reason that they are using some bad or negative words like motherfucker, fuck you etc. Furthermore, the movie also shows some immoral or wrong doings like the coach who is a gay that like to have sex with his student and also Jim who uses his body to be able to get money to buy drugs. The young characters in the film do lack moral compasses resulting from their poor decision-making. He even leave home because they are already addicted to drugs and doesn’t hear his mother’s advise which is not good to a young students like us. On this film, I have remember the verse in the bible that, ‘’you should honour your mother and father and you will have a long life’’ because of the wrong behaviour of Jim towards his mother that he doesn’t listen to. On the last part of the story, it shows the effects of the drugs like hallucinating and even out of control of their selves. But because of Reggie and his mother, Jim was saved. Overall, it was a mature movie and every young individuals should watch it because it shows how bad drugs, smoking that all of us should not try or let go. Lastly, I think the filmmaker wants us to recognize that this is not all Jim’s fault but it focuses on the various effects of the drugs because in the first place it was really fine, his life and even his career.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Molar Mass of Oxygen Essay

Applying the individual % of elements in Water to the molar mass Conclusion____________________________________________________________ In conclusion the experimental value of the molar mass of oxygen is. To achieve this result, we wrote the chemical reaction, compared the ratio of mole between and, find the mole produced by water using the formula, calculate the molar mass from the mol value, calculate the % of individual elements in water, and finding oxygen’s molar mass from the overall molar mass. Analysis & Evaluation ___________________________________________________ -In analysis, our results show an unreasonable result. The majority of the failure is from the volume result. From Avogrado’s law we know that. As such, because the average volume (0.051 L) was low, the mol resulting from it is also low. A small mol results in a large Mr value, or in our case the Mr of Oxygen is too high. -Another point to that is that if the experiment was assuming r.t.p, our results prove to be incorrect again. If we compared the mol, the actual mol results of andusing the ideal gas laws is different than if we calculated using normal Stoichiometry. From Stoichiometry, the actual mol of is, and if we compared it to a ratio of 2:2, the actual mol value of is also 0.138 mol. However in our experiment using the gas law, our mol result was. Again this is due to the fact of the low amount of volume recorded. -In addition to that point, from the section to: Calculate molar mass of Water using the mass of Hydrogen Peroxide , another flaw to the experiment was the amount of uncertainty in the result. From the section we apply the ‘law of conservation of mass’ stating that no mass is created or destroyed. Or in this experiment’s case, most of the mass decomposes into Oxygen gas and finally results in the volume of water displaced from the process. However as shown from the low amount of volume our group collected, this can result in two conclusions. The first conclusion is that most of the oxygen gas that eventually turns into the volume of water left is lost to the surroundings (from the test tube openings) OR the second conclusion is that our group did not wait long enough and thus lost some potential volume results. -To evaluate, the major flaw to the experiment was the value of the data collected. Part of the reason was because we used Vaseline as a tool to reduce the amount of energy (in the form of the Oxygen gas) to the surroundings. Vaseline is a good measure to do so, however a better alternative is probably to increase the number of trials, to have a more close system that may significantly reduce the uncertainties, and to maybe reduce the length of rubber tube (by reducing the length of rubber tube the amount of water left is reduced). References IB- Foundation books. Raymond Chang (pg: 87, 181, 182, 191.etc)

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Use of IT in the Construction Industry Research Paper

Use of IT in the Construction Industry - Research Paper Example Most businesses have switched over to IT enabled communication and sharing of Information and taken advantage of the new software available through IT for managing their work. Relatively, the Construction Industry had been lagging behind others in adopting these innovations in management. However the industry is making up for its late entry by accelerating the rate of adoption of IT in their work. 1.1 Statement of purpose This paper aims at exploring of importance of IT in the construction industry, and for this purpose, the significant applications of IT utilized by the construction industry are reviewed. Further, the challenges posed by the adoption of these IT technologies are studied in brief followed by suggestions for the future. 1.2 Importance of IT in the Construction Industry The association between design and construction in the industry is of significant interest to the study. Design and Construction personnel’s in an integrated team rely heavily on real time and ra pid exchange of information during the execution phase. Also, the project construction team available on-site faces many challenges with regards to proper information management, like documentation and record keeping. Many I.T. innovations have become available which facilitate such rapid exchange of information. These technologies can: Provide current updated drawings and related documents to every member of the team, thus reducing the chances of errors and eliminating the need for re-working. Reduce the time involved in the consultation and approval process through real time transmission of drawings and documents Facilitate communication of changes on real-time basis during design and construction phases of the Project. Maintain all past and current drawings and files in chronological... Today Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Facilities Management are heavily dependent upon I.T. for their mutual interaction as well as for own functions. Innovations in technology that helps sharing and transmitting data have brought about major changes in the industry through research and development in the areas of linking and sharing of information, (Pena-Mora, Vadhavkar, Perkins, and Weber, 1999). Interoperability is defined as the capacity for making the information flow from one point to other. Development and use of standardized information structure form the foundation on which Interoperability is based. For a highly fragmented industry like Construction (AEC/FM), the emerging inter-operability will hinge on web-based collaboration. The following section presents a study on the topic of web based systems and their utility in the industry. Most of the evolution of Electronic Data Interchange had emerged from internal needs of organizations. Naturally, the software pos ed problems and lacked effectiveness when applied to inter—organizational exchange needs of the Construction Projects. The advances in Web-based exchange of information, currently applied to the Industry, facilitates the exchange of documents as also the sharing of construction data among participants. Its versatility allows documents to be created, dispatched and received, stored and removed through the medium of the Web. Web based systems offer the use and application of XML for documentation requirements.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Compares three broad themes found in the film The Atomic Cafe and the Essay

Compares three broad themes found in the film The Atomic Cafe and the book Lost Girls by (kolker) - Essay Example The prominent themes found in both the pieces of work are violence, social callousness, and the deceptiveness of the government authorities. The callosity of few social institutions and the deceptive nature of the governmental authorities affect the public welfare leading to calamities that have some long-lasting impact on the society. These acts of violence tend to show the vulnerability of the society and are clearly evidenced in the incidents discussed in both the novel and the film. Kolker’s book recounts the traumatic life of five young sex workers, Shannan Gilbert, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Overstreet Costello, who were gone missing and later found to be murdered by unidentified serial killer. It takes place from 1996 to 2012. This represents a sad cycle of poor families raised in declining towns. Their poor choices and economic problems lead to child neglect, child abuse, behavior disorders, and drug habits. Those are the partial cause of prostitution today. In the book, the author focuses on this sensitive case, compiling all the known facts along with the biographies of the victims. On the other hand, the documentary film titled The Atomic Cafà © talks about misleading political propagandas and its consequences on the society. The film discusses the emergence of nuclear threats and the misinformation doled out to the public by the governmental authorities, with a view to manipulate the reality of the situ ation. This is an era rife with paranoia, anxiety and misapprehension, while the film also exhibits a genuine nostalgia for an earlier and more innocent nation. The footages used in the film clearly capture the effects of the political pressures of war as well as the impact resulting from these destructive weapons, since the World War II to the Cold War years. The callousness of the American authorities who were responsible for the atom bomb calamity is well portrayed in the film. The

The effects of the 2008 financial crisis on the investment in the Gulf Research Paper - 1

The effects of the 2008 financial crisis on the investment in the Gulf area and Qatar - Research Paper Example While closely evaluating the investment activities of Gulf countries including Qatar during 2008 financial crisis and post-recession period, it seems that the global financial crisis did not affect the Gulf region’s investment sector much when compared to other regions. Recession 2008: Impact on the Arab Region The crisis affected most of the Arab region also causing a significant decline in financial markets. Despite the region’s potential economic sources like oil revenue, real estate investment, tourism, and housing, countries in the region became vulnerable to an economic slowdown albeit at a slower pace. The main reason was that the region’s economic activities did not involve productive actions which could reroute the wealth surplus into establishing strong industrial and human skill bases. Also, the region as a whole failed to absorb income and investment on a multiple basis. The results of the downturn were visible in the form of declining living standard s, increasing inequality, growing unemployment rate etc. Migrant workers were the most affected segment in almost every GCC country. The main investors in the region included but not limited to The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Singapore GIC, the Saudi prince al-Waleed Bin Talal, Kuwait, and Qatar. The outcome for their investment in Corporates like Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, Barclays, and Credit Suisse was not satisfactory or even inflicted great loss on the investors. The crashes in the UK, U.S financial markets affected the Middle Eastern stock markets as well. On September 15th 2008, the Saudi Arabian stock market fell by 6.5%, Doha 7%, Kuwait 3% and Abu Dabi 4.35% (Casa Arabe). However, since the gulf region had already learned lessons from the recession of the 1980s and the oil price fall, they were prepared to confront the new downturn unlike many other developed nations. Evidently, the impacts of the 1980s’ price fall were more intense and rapid than the recent one. The bitter experiences of 1980s taught the GCC countries to respond more flexibly to the new crisis. The difference was that the strategic decisions taken recently were of long-term significance whereas the first ones involved rapid actions. Better fiscal policies and the private sectors’ less dependence on state spending also contributed to the relatively sustainable position of the region. The direct result of this strategy was that all rich GCC countries namely Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi had sufficient overseas assets to carry out their annual programs at least for a short term. Post-Recession Scenario One of the post-recession trends in the Gulf investment sector is the boom of real estate market. When compared other sectors, investing in developed market real estate seemed secure and profitable for many Arab investors, among which Qatar held the prominent position. As Roubini reports, Qatar unlike its Emirati or Kuwaiti counterparts s ustained with lower loan growth, lower profitability and thereby weakening balance sheets (â€Å"Are there..†). The government bought â€Å"stakes in local banks, as well as property and equity holdings on the balance sheets of local banks† and the nation’s â€Å"sovereign wealth fund was among the first to return to significant foreign investment† (Roubini). In fact, the world overcame the issues of the 2008 recession, mainly led by Asian and Middle East countries. For instance, subsequent to the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Summarise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summarise - Assignment Example His argument is based mainly on children on fourth grade where introduction of academic language tampers with most children’s willingness to enjoy the studies due to lack of understanding complex language used in key subjects like mathematics, science and business (Gee, 2004). The lack of understanding academic language tends to ensure the child always lags behind in his entire reading development. This continued lagging makes it hard for even adults to use academic language. Gee identifies that academic language, thus difficult needs a strong foundation. In his book, Gee (2004) identifies different ways that can boost the understanding and ability to use academic language. He claims that it is necessary for parents to support their children to play video games as they help in the kids’ ability to visualize and identify ways to use complex language. He uses the example of kids using Pokà ©mon learn to use polysyllabic names that boost their vocabularies (Gee, 2004). The kids also generate their skills to use algebraic expressions. This notion portrays that kids from low-income families will suffer more in their ability to use academic language due to lack of experiences with people using academic language. Their parent’s inability to purchase video games for them makes them suffer from gaining exposure to academic language. The author continues his support of the use of media and digital technology by claiming that the internet is the main source of information and interaction is simpler. The interaction on the internet is not biased as it brings connection with different age groups, social classes, and people who have similar ideologies and needs. This makes it easy for the children to gather enough information and skills to use in academic language. Gee (2004) identifies that the best way for kids to develop understanding in academic language is to ensure that the education system should identify ways to limit and prevent the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

MICROECONOMIC REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MICROECONOMIC REPORT - Essay Example It is in this context that mergers, diversifications and rapid expansion at the industrial level are often argued as the symbolic representation of capitalism as a measure for economic development (Pacione, 1985). Notably, this particular understanding has been considered when selecting articles for this assignment. In this regard, it has been observed from the articles reviewed that the government can also play a vital role in terms of formulating adequate guidelines and deregulation systems in order to develop the country’s economic position. Article 1: â€Å"America's Big Banks are Back on Top† As revealed in the article by The Economist (2013), after a remarkable invasion of financial crisis in the year 2008, the American banks have re-established their real role in the Wall Street’s financial environment in the current year. The banking institutions of the US have faced dramatic alterations owing to incessant instability on investments since the last five ye ars. The volatility within the financial performance has also been observed in the financial institutions due to the rapid pace of fluctuation on the global financial movements and variations in the financial portfolio of the global banking institutions (The Economist, 2013). ... overnment have occupied a number of steps in the midst of the financial crisis in the year 2008 with the intention to deal with the financial crisis faced by the country. The crisis initiated in America’s real estates and banking as well as the other financial institutions expansion to the world economy deciphering greater sustainability (Poole & William, 2010). Few of the major decisions of the Federal Government focusing on considerable changes and development of the financial rules by the banking institutions have made the great recession to an end at a much earlier phase than the expected stipulated period. For instance, the Emergency legislation passed by the U.S. assembly in the year 2008 and in the early quarter of 2009 focused on assisting the financially declining phase of various industries in the economy. Additionally, few of the other major initiatives that developed by the federal government as explained in the article The Economist (2013) have been illustrated he reunder. Avoiding breakdown of the major financial institutions Reducing the impact of the limitations of US financial institutions Providing instant incentives to consumer spending through raising after-tax household income Providing temporary funds to the state and the local government in order to reduce the needs and the spending during the recession period Looking after the newly laid off workers and members of other economically vulnerable populations taking anti-poverty measures Making available of federal endorse for infrastructure investment Source: (Poole & William, 2010) Furthermore, as noted in the article, The Economist (2013), in accordance with the recessionary effects in the global financial position, along with the US, the UK financial institutions have also faced severe

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Environmental Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Environmental Ethics - Essay Example The lives of many citizens are still difficult trying to make ends meet satisfaction is yet to be achieved through technology (Mander 29). The people who are in support of technology claim that the concept has brought a standardized lifestyle characterized with speed meaning that transportation enhanced and information retrieved easily (Mander 30). People offered with the freedom, to make preferences this encompasses the skill to jobs and items of choice. Leisure time and spending has also been promoted since technology has improved the weight of work and has enabled people to have time for rest and pleasure times, but Mander argues that none of these advantages inform more about human contentment, delight, safety or the power to prolong life in the world. Mander does not agree that having lots of choices of products in the market makes life satisfactory as judge against friendship, affection and a reasonable work. He further says that choice cannot be equated; to freedom since the technology development controls a person’s mind and influences new experience that eventually make the choices of commodities in the market (Rhodes 35). He also argued on the subject of leisure, watching television and going for shopping considered by the modern man as leisure, but with the increased automation and robotics leisure, time will change used in searching for items over the internet ad employment opportunities that are scarce in nature (Mander 31). In contrast, in the Stone Age period people then had more time for leisure which they used for meditation and contemplating about life. The modern man uses technology to find solutions, and many have abandoned their spiritual background. Furthermore, critics have noticed that the modern man spends lots of time and money to cater for technological gadgets lacking time for pleasure and rest (Braziller 55). Moreover,

Friday, August 23, 2019

Math Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Math - Essay Example Therefore, conjecture, the graphs of the sine function and its derivative cosine function are sinusoids of different phases i.e. the derivative is also a sine function with a phase-shift of (or) is true. For making graph of above sine function and its derivative functions, there will be need of taking value of constant ‘a’. In general, the ‘a’ is called as amplitude of the function. Figure 3 shows the different graphs of sine function and its derivative function for different values of ‘a’ (i.e. 2, 3, and 5). From above figure 3, it is obvious that the graphs of the sine and it derivative cosine functions (for different values of ‘a’) are sinusoids of different phases. The derivative is also a sine function with a phase-shift of (or). Here, the constant ‘a’ (amplitude) different values only change the shape of the sine and cosine functions. As the value of ‘a’ (either positive or negative) increases the shape of the curve will also changes and it goes far from x-axis. The above conjecture for can be verified by graphing similarly as verified for earlier, as shown in figure 2. For same values of constant ‘a’, all the graphs of function, and will be similar and will follows the same path. Therefore, it can be said that all the functions represent the same function, which is derivative of function. From table 2 it is obvious that all values for derivative functions are same (3rd, 4th and 5th column). Therefore, conjecture, the graphs of the sine function and its derivative cosine function are sinusoids of different phases i.e. the derivative is also a sine function with a phase-shift of (or) is true. From figure 1 and figure 4, it can be seen that as the value of b increases, the number of cycle for and for, also increases. For b = 1 the number of cycle is 2, and for b = 2, 3, and 5 the number of cycle is 4, 6 and 10 respectively. In addition, for derivative functions the amplitude

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Best Dining Experience Essay Example for Free

Best Dining Experience Essay Although my favorite Mexican food to eat here is from my grandmother’s kitchen; there are a few restaurants my friends and I enjoy eating at. A few of my girlfriends and I have made Margarita Wednesdays a tradition in the summer time at La Casa. My brother, sister and I go to Los Cabos at least once a month in West Des Moines, which is an amazing delicious Mexican restaurant. I also like Monterrey in Altoona because it’s so close to my house, but no restaurant can compare to Tiki Tok in Mexico. My best friend and I were feeling spontaneous so we took a week off work and went on a cruise. We both found it difficult to eat on the ship because we were continually getting sea sick. I’ll never forget the fishy, chewy, and crunchy taste of the little shrimp and cocktail sauce going down my throat, or the unpleasant feeling I had when it was coming up. The only bad memory of my trip was praying that my legs would stop shaking and that my journey would hopefully reach an end so I could stand on solid ground. Other than being sea sick for the first day; I had a blast on the cruise! I got the opportunity to see many things and visit quite a few places. One of the ports of call was Cozumel, Mexico, and my friend Alexandra and I decided we wanted to try some real Mexican food. Of course, we were a little concerned about getting sick, but Im glad to say that didnt happen. We asked on the ship where the best place for Mexican food was, but they said that anywhere along the main shopping strip would be good. We then found a place called the Tiki Tok. The place was on the second level of a building. We sat out on the little balcony that they had. They had covered it with sand. The view from the restaurant was amazing. I was hypnotized by the vibrant colors and the employees’ of the restaurants equally vibrant lifestyles. I remember feeling jealous of the workers because they would get to go back to Tiki Tok tomorrow and the day after that, but I wouldn’t. The walls were an explosion of colorful textiles and every color of paint one could think of that was as bold as can be. Vases were on every table with burnt orange and deep yellow dried peppers inside. The chairs at the dining tables were made of a Mexican Serape material. The colors, the fringe, and the feel of it gave the restaurant even a stronger Mexican energy. My favorite part of the restaurants decor was the little cactus lights that strung amongst all the walls connecting each bulb to the wrought iron chandelier in the middle of the room. When one first enters the restaurant the Mariachi band is one of the most noticeable features. Three men were dressed in black with button up shirts and decorative sombreros all standing in the corner of the room. Two men had violins and the third was handling a guitar. As we took our seats the band started playing lively music and a few older couples got up and danced fearlessly. Everything in the restaurant was bold excluding my bashful personality; otherwise I would have danced too. I was in a trance watching the people dance with one another until the Mariachi band shouted in sync, â€Å"AY! † causing me to be brought back to the present. It was then that I had realized how hungry I was. The menu prices were in pesos, so it looked like everything was really expensive, but it wasnt. We ordered the hot and spicy red enchiladas which were about 60 pesos, and they also brought us chips and salsa. The chips were a little bit thicker than you would get here in the US, and there were three different types of salsas. There was a regular pico de gallo, then there was one made with tomatillos, and the last was a pineapple cilantro salsa that was actually really tasteful. Lexi and I have never had pineapple cilantro salsa before, so we weren’t sure whether it was going to be appetizing or not. After stuffing myself with chips our food finally arrived. It was just about the yummiest thing Ive ever had. The red sauce for the enchiladas was a little bit different than what Ive had here, but I cant tell you how. It was more delicious over there though. There was chicken inside the enchiladas and a touch of sour cream on top. We took the extra salsa we hadn’t demolished with the chips and smothered our enchiladas with it. I ate every last bite of it and was so full afterwards! The amazing food I had in Mexico was the best Mexican food I have ever had. I remember the smell of the ocean and sweet salsa at the same time. The bright colored sombreros and the ocean front view was an amazing sight to see while enjoying the food as well. Anytime I think about Mexico I think about the short beach chairs, sand between my toes, all the smells of the restaurant, laughing with my best friend and delicious enchiladas. This will be a memory that would be difficult to forget because we took so many pictures of the restaurant and it was the best eating experience I’ve had yet. Im really glad that my friend and I were able to have this dining experience together. Alexandra and I enjoyed it very much!

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

An Analysis of Elvis Presley’s Popularity Essay Example for Free

An Analysis of Elvis Presley’s Popularity Essay The article points three of the most salient reasons behind the huge success and enormous impact of Elvis Presley to the American society the unique personality of Elvis, the way his manager has handled him, and the right timing when he emerged. Although these factors apparently shows direct effects on Presley’s popularity and impact, it should still be noted that his success would not be possible if he sticks to bigotry and conservatism. According to the article, Presley’s singing like a Black man primarily attracts people’s interest. However, it should be emphasized that Presley’s popularity could be contributed as well to his rich background in music. Presley’s music was considered having the combined elements of Gospel, Country, and Blues. (Saffle, 2009). In fact, he was a church singer when he was just young, explaining his exposure to gospel songs. However, just like what the author of the article has pointed out, Presley was not the sole artist who is like that during the time. In fact, he was not the first White American to sing blues. (Gilmore 1998). To make things worse, when Presley started to perform songs of that particular genre, he was even accused of stealing it from the Black Americans (Bertrand 2000). Amidst controversies like these, Presley somehow managed to continuously attract the eye of the public not only through his flamboyant costumes, teasing movements, and energetic performances but through his unique and charismatic personality. It could also be argued that part of this huge success came from the effective handling of his manager—Colonel Tom Parker. The presence of Presley’s manager was also considered a great help for the King’s success. Identifying the potentials and the unique gift of his talent, Colonel was able to utilize the man’s gift to transform into a name that would be forever engraved in the history of American music. It could be true that Presley would have never achieved such success without the partnership with Colonel. Though this could be primarily attributed to Colonel’s outstanding management, the treatment of the two for each other also helped. Their relationship has surpassed that of a manager and a talent. There came a time that people were joking that they were like a married couple (Nash, 2003). They spent most of their time together that is why Colonel has successfully crafted Elvis’ career. However, when Colonel decided to stop Presley’s world tours and accepted television and movie projects instead, critics considered it a wrong move and death of Presley’s music career. They accused Colonel of being too greedy by accepting lucrative projects for his client, thus sacrificing the true talent of Presley. Nonetheless, Colonel has managed to regain his glory when Presley had his successful comeback in the music scene. There is also no doubt with the article’s argument regarding the emergence of Presley at the right time in the American history. However, in this particular situation, time is not the factor. Presley’s enormous impact to the American society could be accounted for his liberal ideas and decisions. He opted not to conform to bigotry. Instead, he used his music to propagate liberating ideas to his audience, who were mainly adolescents looking for freedom. Presley also paved way for the introduction of the Black music into the music mainstream. That would undeniably resolve the question as to why he is worthy for the title King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Works Cited Gilmore, Mikal. Night Beat: A Shadow History of Rock Roll. USA: University of Michigan, 1998 Nash, Alanna. The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley. USA: Simon and Schuster, 2003 Saffle, Michael. The Musical Characteristics of Elvis Presley. Published by The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Education Bureau, 2009

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Confucianism

Confucianism Many intellectual thinkers took birth in china that reformed politics, religion, and philosophy. To this day their impact can be felt in modern china. Confucianism became the dominant school of thought during the Han dynasty, but as we know, other ideologies, such as Daoism and Legalism became prevalent as well. Each ideology consisted of its own ideas of what a political and social society should be like. They all looked to determine solutions for problems people faced in their lives daily. All three of these philosophies differed vastly from each other but at the same time, they had some similarities as well. Confucianism and Daoism particularly share several beliefs and values, namely: idealizing the society somewhere in the past and belief in reform of society through self-cultivation. Whereas legalism can said to be totally different from both these philosophies in various aspects. Confucianism was founded by Confucius(680-740 B.C.). Confucius stated that his ideas were not completely new but only a restatement of the values from the early days of the Western Zhou. He believed that this period was, the lost golden age and should be recovered.(Dr. Wright 21). The society at the time of Confucius was not operating according to his ideals, therefore there was a great need for change. This change he advocated would not be to some new ideology but rather, society would revert back to the ideals of the early Zhou society, which in his mind was perfect. He further stated that specific qualities from this period had been lost. The most essential of these qualities was the performance of rituals, which he called Li. He further stated that Ritual must regulate all your conduct.(Analects 1:12) Confucius further stated that if Li was performed correctly, its constant practitioners would then learn to abide by the morals of society. This was attributed to the fact that just as a person performing a ritual had a certain position and role assigned to them, similarly a member of society had   moral expectations and obligations. Confucius also stressed that in order for a person to completely comprehend the importance of Li, one needed to posses Ren. This is described as benevolence or humaneness. Conficius believed that Ren was an inward quality as opposed to something one could acquire from outside. Taoism was found by Laotzu do a basic summary of the beliefs. Similarities between the two- One thing that Confucianism and Taoism have in common is that both ideologies believe in reforming the society through reforming the self first. In Confucianism,   one improved himself through becoming an adequate practitioner of Li, and becoming virtuous  Ã‚   Although Confucius stated that education played an important role in self-cultivation, it was not compulsory, as one could be considered virtuous by simply possessing nature qualities like: obedience, humility, loyalty and trustworthiness. Confucius further argued that one who possessed virtue or Ren and had practiced Li as well would be best fit to run a government as well as benefit society in general. Confucius belief that one must reform himself before he can change the society can be seen in the following quote from his analects. In serving ones ruler one deals reverently with the tasks involved and makes the livelihood involved a secondary consideration ( Analects 15:38). In Taoism, the individual improved himself by comprehending the meaning of the Tao intuitively. If one could get in touch with this Tao and understand it, this would lead to a immense transformation of society and government Another similarity between the two philosophies is that they both believed that society and government was perfect in the past and that those lost values must be brought back in order to achieve bliss. Confucius obviously believed the reign of the Western Zhou to be pretty well flawless. He sought to bring back social order and morality which had been lost after the fall of the Western Zhou. He argued that this social order and morality were achieved by the Western Zhou through understanding the importance of rituals (Dr. Wright 22-23). Much of the rituals performed during this time were borrowed from the Shang dynasty. An example of such a ritual is the usage of inscribed bones known as Oracle bones, in divination and posing questions to supernatural gods and deities.   This fact is also demonstrated in the following passage from The Analects, If by keeping the old warm one can provide understanding of the new, one is fit to be a teacher (2:11, Analects)(what Confucius thought) : http://www.heptune.com/confuciu.html) . In this passage Confucius basically states his understanding that in order to be successful in the present one must have an understanding of what other successful states had practiced in the past. Where Confucianism considered the past to be perfect, Taoism also idealized the past. Taoism believed that humans had once known the Tao and had lived their lives in accordance with it. It further stated that this understanding of the Tao had been lost somewhere in history and that peoples hearts no longer felt the Tao, which gave birth to intellectual thought rather than   intuition, causing all the disorder and the problems of society in general. This golden age was believed to be immediately following the discovery of agriculture by humans. At this time people lived in small homes, were greatly content and therefore were much detached from material things. Because simplicity and contentment filled peoples hearts, they were in intuitive rather than intellectual, therefore being in touch with the Tao. Taoism then claims that all this was shattered by ambition. Ambition caused people to do unnatural things like constructing large buildings, thereby causing people to lose the Tao(Dr . Wright 28) Both Confucians and Taoists assumed that the world should have a human ruler, and that he should live by, and promote, the ideals propounded by the thinker in question. While Zhuang Zhou may have considered government irrelevant, he did not condemn its existence. So while Taoists may have been less interested in existing Chinese social and political institutions than Confucians, none denounced monarchy or aristocracy, none would have understood or condoned modern ideals of egalitarianism or radical individualism. To all of them, no one is encouraged to discover or practice any new truth. Rather, one is to live the ideal life by finding and accepting ones real place within the existing world. Where Confucians and Taoists parted ways is that the former viewed the world primarily in terms of inherited socio-political norms, while the latter focused on humans continuities With the invisible dimensions of reality that Confucians were often reluctant to discuss. While both philosophies Confucianism and Taoism addressed questions about the inner self, Legalism was more concerned with ways to keep the ruler in power.   A major difference between Legalism and the philosophies previously discussed was that Legalism sought to control human behavior through the law of the state rather than changing ones self through discovering the Tao or by practicing Li and becoming moral. Han Fei, founder of Legalism, stated that there was no such thing as virtue or goodness, instead obedience was the most necessary quality a person had to possess (Legalism ,http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/china/legal.html). This was because the Legalists believed that human nature was innately bad, and that humans had to put under a system of punishment and reward. This system would be a way of controlling human behavior, which was believed to be unchangeable, as they would fear punishment from the state and cherish reward (Dr Wright 34).. Legalists also differed from Confucianism and Taoism because they did not believe in a golden age, but instead believed that no such ideal or perfect society ever existed in the past and that Legalism itself was trying to achieve that for the first time. The ideal Legalist ruler was then described as one that did not need to practicing Ren or be in touch with the Tao when dealing with society, as this would only spoil the public.   Legalism was then strictly a way of governing the people so that they may conform to the laws of ruler, as this was always right.Therefore Legalism did not focus much on finding morality and virtue within oneself as whatever the ruler considered right was considered virtuous and moral. Confucianism and Taoism were two philosophies that differed greatly in many regards but at the same time share many similarities. One such similarity was based on the fact that both believed that in order to bring social bliss, one had to change themselves first. Taoism looked to reform the individual by getting in touch with ones inner self, whereas Confucianism believed in learning from history and also from other virtuous beings around us as well as practice their rituals and ceremonies. Both philosophies also believed in a golden age and answer questions as to how one may revert back to it. Taoism stated that we should give up ambition and practice qualities such as non-action and simplicity of the past, and that this would lead to one getting in intuitive touch with the Tao. Confucianism on the other hand simply argued that one must practice ritualism and simply bring back values of successful states in the past. The third major school of thought in ancient china was known as Le galism. Legalism can be said to be completely different from the aforementioned ideologies. The single biggest difference was that Legalism was not much of a philosophy as it did not believe that a person could even be reformed. They held that ones behavior could only be temporarily controlled by laws, in particular a punishment and reward system. This was based on their belief that a person is innately evil in nature. Legalism was basically described as a technique in which would lead to conformity of the public to the rulers law. Whether these laws were just, moral or good, was irrelevant, as Legalists held the belief that whatever the ruler willed was justified and right. While it would be undeniable that Confucianism and Taoism vary vastly, their similar goals and beliefs have allowed them to co-exist successfully for thousands of years in many cultures of the world. In fact, many believe that without incorporating elements of both philosophies, an individual cannot be truly who le. As Taoism applies more to abiding by ones   intuition, it is more personal in nature, whereas Confucianism can apply to society as a whole and used to govern a state.

The Current Status of Health Care Reform :: Health Care Reform, Health Care, Healthcare, USA,

Health Care Reform is a concern for people that have health insurance, for those that can’t afford health insurance and the price of healthcare for all of us. There are the difference views on Health Care Reform: The healthcare view, the public opinion and The House and the Senate. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid will withhold 2% of base payments that would serve as incentive payments to hospital based on their total performance score derived from separate domains. The current domains include process measure, outcome and patient satisfaction. The Senate bill also requires a comprehensive review of the hospital wage index. Our cost problems, affect not only the federal budge deficit, but also individual American businesses and household. Only be aligning payment models across public and private systems will we both address federal spending and make the health care system more affordable for all Americans† (The New England Journal of Medicine) Both House and Senate versions identify â€Å"excess payments† based on performance of risk-adjusted re-admissions rates for AMI, Heart Failure and Pneumonia. The Center for Medicaid and Medicare would recoup excess payments by discounting future payments with cuts capped at a certain percentage of total payments. In effort to go beyond â€Å"fixing† fee-for service payments, the proposed legislation includes alternative models include bundled payments to cover the range of services related to a defined medical condition: global fees to cover the entire cost of care (regardless of the setting) over an extended period for a person with a condition such as cancer; extra payments for patient-center primary care delivered through medical home; and the rewarding of Accountable Care Organizations for achieving the desired performance in caring for a defined population over the course of the year. (Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Reforming the delivery system. Report t o Congress) (Fisher ES) For providing episode of care for services provided three days prior to the admission, during the admission and 30 days after discharge. The service would include acute care, physician services provided inside and outside the hospital, outpatient services, post acute care services, including home health, inpatient rehabilitation, long term care hospital and others. Participating organization would required to submit data and specific measure, including measure of functional improvement, rates of avoidable hospitalization, incidence of hospital acquired infections and efficiency. An independent evaluation would review the extent to which the a pilot the selected quality of measures, improved health outcomes, improved beneficiary access to care and reduced Medicare spending.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Free Essays - Holy Feast and Holy Fast and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Sir Gawain Green Knight Essays

Forbidden Fruit in Holy Feast and Holy Fast and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  Ã‚  Ã‚   The forbidden fruit, its properties, and its affects, has vast ramifications within the ethics of the women in Holy Feast and Holy Fast. as well as those of the characters portrayed in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 2. Perhaps the connection is less obvious with Gawain. It must be realized that this story contains multi-leveled metaphors which approach modern literature in their complexity. Argument will be made that Gawain betrays an isomorphism with Eden's tale. The author's attitude toward the fruit and perhaps toward fasting will become evident. Bynum's incisive argument has been extremely helpful in this analysis of Gawain; but, with respect to medieval women she has surprisingly little to say about Eve and the Tree. Although this neglect is regrettable, it is not fatal. This paper will tend to support the major theses of Holy Fast. The people described by these authors did not dwell inordinately on any essential weakness of women. It is hoped that this refocusing on the forbid den fruit will help us to see more clearly their perspectives. The isomorphism of Gawain with the story of Eden can be demonstrated only after the stage is set. It may be helpful to think of this isomorphism as a kind of image or reflection. This puts it squarely within the realm of neoplatonic forms. Medieval nobility, often well versed in neoplatonic thought, would be quick to point out that Arthur, the king is a lesser image of God and that his court is a reflection of the heavenly host. This assertion is not without textual support. Happiest of mortal kind King noblest famed of will You would now go far to find So hardy a host on a hill. (2) Presently, the Green Knight rides in. He mirrors Lucifer in God's court, and more; He is full of slander (7:315). He is described in titanic imagery (4:140, 9:390), which was commonly attributed to the anti-christ. The Round Table cannot abide this affront to the King so Gawain, with Guenevere's permission, steps in to intercede. Here Gawain is like Christ or Michael, going out to battle the dragon. He severs his head. Gawain is full of reversals and inversions. This is consistent with the neoplatonic model since Arthur's court is a lesser image. Later, we will present Bynum's views on this point.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Merchant Of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

The Merchant of Venice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The playgoers of Shakespeare's times, a successful drama was one that combined a variety of action, along with a mixture of verse and prose in the language used. This variety was achieved, and character and atmosphere was summarized. Modern playwrights tend to describe their characters in detail in the stage directions, leaving very little for the reader to discover. However, Shakespeare's describing of a character is scarce. Usually, when reading Shakespeare's work, the audience has to detect the personality of the character by the character's action in the play, relationship towards other characters in the play , and most of all the character's manner of speech. Most of the times, the passages are of great poetic beauty discussing love, dramatic speeches filled with bombast, humorous speeches, and mischievous wordplays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Passages of great poetic beauty discussing love are very common in all of Shakespeare's texts. For example in The Merchant of Venice, before Bassanio is about to select the correct casket, he is urged by Portia to delay his selection in case he fails. However Bassanio wishes to continue. Portia:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I pray you tarry, pause a day or two   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before you hazard, for in choosing wrong   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I lose your company. Therefore forbear awhile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There's something tells me (but it is not love) I would not lose you, and you know yourself   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hate consels not in such a quality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But lest you should not understand my well-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would detatin you here some month or two   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before you venture for me. I could teach you   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How to choose right, but then I am forsworn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So will I never be; so may you miss me;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They have o'erlooked me and divided me;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One half of me is yours, the other half yours-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mine own, I would say, but if mine, then yours,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And so all yours! O, these naughty times   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Put bars between the owners and their rights!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let Fortune go to hell for it, not I.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I speak too long, but 'tis to piece the time,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To eke it, and to draw it out in length,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To stay you from election. Bassanio:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let me choose,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For as I am , I live upon the rack.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This love dialogue between Bassanio and Portia before he chooses is filled with elegant connotation. They are both respective and responsive to one anothe, and they understand each other instantly.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Us 101 Week 8 Assignment

Associate Level Material Appendix J Reliable Sources Worksheet Locate two sources in the University Library on a topic of your choice. Provide the required information for both sources. Source 1 * Author: Reisch, Michael and Jani, Jayshree S. Date: September 2012 Title: The New Politics of Social Work Practice: Understanding Context to Promote Change. Publication: British Journal of Social Work * Write a 100- to 150-word response to each of the following questions: * Is the source reliable? How do you know?Yes I feel as if this source was reliable simply because it gave facts as well as the truth. This article tells of what type of social work has been done as well as how affective each method was with people. It tells of all the types that they did to fit people’s needs and what it was that happened with each. This being said, it gives us the clear knowledge that we need to see all the different ways it was handled over the past several decades. The authors not only gave thei r opinions on the subject but they also gave us the facts that they had received.Is the information relevant to the topic? Yes the information is relevant to the topic because it did talk about the different types of social work practices that have taken place over the past few decades as well as what the people could do to change what was being done to perform it better as a whole. The article gives you a clear picture of what it is that social work deals with as well as what you need to do to conduct the proper work for the job. I do not think that the article could have been any more relevant to the topic than it was.Does the information reflect a bias on the author’s part? If so, what is the bias? Yes and no. I do not feel as if the authors were too biased on their writing. However they did tell us a little on how they felt about what was being done. The article was more about the practices of social work over the years and how they can be improved with time. It showed us the bad and the good things that social work brings to the table so I feel that all social work topics should and will have peoples personal opinions somehow tied into the mix.The information that the authors gave us was a great amount that really showed us what it was that needed to be done and how things should work. Source 2 * Author: Blomquist, Brooke A. and Giuliano, Traci A. Date: June 2012 Title: Do You Love Me, Too? Perceptions of Responses to I Love You. Publication: North American Journal of Psychology. * Write a 100- to 150-word response to each of the following questions: * Is the source reliable? How do you know? Yes, I feel that the source is reliable with what they said.I know this because the article is all about a study that was taken between men and women to see what they had to say on the matter of one saying I love you and their response if they do not feel the same. The article not only describes in full what the study was about but also there are pictures of t he responses to what was said that corresponds to it. This article was in a Journal of works so it would seem to be more reliable than just a letter from someone or a little paper that was made about it. Is the information relevant to the topic?Yes the information that was given is relevant to the topic because it tells just how people perceive how one feels when being told I love you when they do not feel lit as well. It shows of what people said in the survey as well as why they said what they said. To me, the answers that were given do seem to be reasonable as to what I would expect to be said. Normally when one says I love you it is taken by surprise by the person hearing it and if they are not ready to say it back they are normally more apt to tell them the truth about how they feel; Which is what this article is telling us.Does the information reflect a bias on the author’s part? If so, what is the bias? No, I do not feel that the authors showed bias in the article. I d o not feel as if they did simply because it was more about the survey that was taken rather than their personal thoughts on the matter. They may have put a few points in there on how they felt about the subject but there was not enough to say that they gave too much or that they gave more on how they felt about the I love you, Im not ready scenario that happens to most people. The authors showed the true facts on the cases as well as the majority of truth from both sexes.

Friday, August 16, 2019

In writing Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Stevenson at once creates a statement about the human condition Essay

In writing Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Stevenson at once creates a statement about the human condition, a critique of Victorian society and a gripping mystery. How does he do this? Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, born 1850, grew up in a respectable Victorian middle class household in Edinburgh. His nurse was a fundamentalist Christian who taught Stevenson about good and evil. This teaching gave him nightmares, out of one of which was born ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Victorian Edinburgh had two ‘personalities’: the prosperous middle-class New-Town, where Stevenson lived, and the ‘old black city’ with poverty, disease and over crowding. Men at that time could not play dirty, meet women and get drunk; the darker and more mysterious forces of the personality were suppressed being considered too uncivilised; this was very rude and disrespectful. So men had to do this secretly which meant they were like living two different lives, having two different faces: one which was good and highly respected and the other sneaky and disliked. Experiencing this double standard Stevenson started his plot for his story; to cheat life and become two different people. Stevenson’s novel is about mystery and science. The saying of ‘living two different personalities’ was put to real life in his book; one person having two personalities and becoming a different person. However, Stevenson’s theme seems to be a question just how far scientific development should go before we began to ‘play God’. Some have even suggested that he was drawing attention to the dangers of dabbling with drugs. ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was set in London where then was a creepy quite place, â€Å"The low growl of London from all around† †¦ â€Å"the street was small and what called quiet† †¦ â€Å"street after street†¦ as empty as a church†. Jekyll lived in a respectable place somewhere in London and Hyde lived in Soho which was exactly the opposite life. In Soho the streets were dark, cramped, old and dirty, â€Å"black guardly surroundings† †¦ â€Å"[The] mournful reinvasion of darkness† †¦ â€Å"ragged children huddled in doorways†. This shows that for a good and respected person such as Dr Jekyll, he would live in a good and clean place, â€Å"The street shown out in contrast to the dingy neighbourhood†. However as for Mr Hyde, a dirty and bad person, he would live in â€Å"some city in a nightmare† dark and unpleasant, â€Å"black winter morning† †¦ â€Å"touch of that terror† . Dr Jekyll has some connection with Mr Hyde in some way. We find out in the novel that Hyde could get into Jekyll’s apartment by a secret back door which no one knew about. The door was a secret to most people and where it led to, â€Å"the door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained†. The door had no clue for anyone, it was a mystery. The novel has multiple perspective narratives, which means lots of different narrators, which we, as readers, have to piece together. The first section is narrated by Utterson. Because we see events through his eyes we share the mystery and tension he perceives; he thinks its mysterious and tense, se we feel the same. Utterson doubts and disagrees with Jekyll’s will, â€Å"I thought it was madness†¦ and now I begin to fear it is disgrace.† Utterson thinks that how can Jekyll give all his will to Hyde, a person who tramples over children, it’s not right. This adds to the mystery making us feel suspicious and confused. Utterson suspects that Hyde may be blackmailing Jekyll for his will, â€Å"Blackmail House is what I call that place with the door.† and he even has a nightmare about it, â€Å"dark bed on which he tossed to and fro†. This shows that Utterson is worried about Jekyll and is suspicious about Hyde. This also makes us believe it is blackmail. The Next day after Utterson’s nightmare, Utterson meets Hyde and starts to speak with him and Hyde says, â€Å"It is as well we have met.† and gives Utterson the address to his home in Soho. Utterson, surprised that Hyde gave him his address, thinks maybe Hyde is thinking about the will too, â€Å"Good God!’ thought Mr Utterson, ‘can he too have been thinking of the will?† This shows that Utterson suspects more now then from his nightmare that Hyde could be blackmailing Jekyll. In addition to Utterson’s perspective we learn a lot of important information from others. We meet Enfield in the first chapter. He tells Utterson the story of how he saw a man, Hyde, trample over a young girl. When challenged, Hyde agrees to pay the girl compensation. He goes through an odd door and comes out with a cheque signed by some else, â€Å"a man does not, in real life, walk into a cellar door at four in the morning and come out of it with another man’s cheque for close upon a hundred pounds†. Later on in the novel we find out that the mysterious door goes into Jekyll’s property which connects Hyde and Jekyll for us. Utterson is worried that Hyde is blackmailing Jekyll. He discussed Jekyll with Dr Lanyon and discovers that they have argued over a scientific matter and are no longer friends, â€Å"I see little of him now†¦ But it is more than ten years since Henry Jekyll became too fanciful for me. He began to go wrong, wrong in mind; and tough†. In chapter six Lanyon and Jekyll have a bigger fallout, â€Å"I wish to see or hear no more of Dr Jekyll† and after this we are told Lanyon falls into a fatal shock and dies, which we suspect has to do with Jekyll. Hyde has disappeared in chapter five and Utterson goes to see if he’s at Jekyll’s. We are told the Jekyll has changed; he’s pale and scared. There was no sign of Hyde but Jekyll gives Utterson a letter from Hyde which says Hyde will not return. It turns out Jekyll was lying about the letter; no letter was delivered that morning. Jekyll or Hyde must have written that letter, we suspect Jekyll, otherwise why would he have lied. Utterson consults Guest; a hand writing expert. He compares Hyde’s letter to the writing on an invitation written by Jekyll and notes it’s very similar, â€Å"it’s a very interesting autograph†¦ there’s a rather singular resemblance; the two hands are in many points identical; only differently sloped.† This makes us even more suspicious about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; they’re defiantly both linked somehow. The truth is revealed after Jekyll/Hyde has died through the narratives of Lanyon and Jekyll. Jekyll provides autobiographical details and expresses his views on human personality which help the reader unravel the plot. Hyde, Jekyll and Lanyon change throughout the novel. At the start of the novel Hyde tramples over a child accidentally, â€Å"and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground.† He crashed into her without noticing but he then paid compensation to the child’s parents. In chapter four Hyde behaviour changes and he becomes wild, â€Å"And then all of a sudden he broke out in a great flame of anger, stamping with his foot, brandishing the cane, and carrying on like a madman†¦ with ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim under foot, and hailing down a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered.† He changes from bad to worse and now he’s responsible for a death. Jekyll also changes; his feeling and personality. At the beginning of the novel he his calm and relaxed, â€Å"a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cast perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness†. Getting into the novel in the middle, Jekyll becomes stressed and nervous, â€Å"looking deadly sick. He didn’t rise to meet his visitor†¦ and bade him welcome in a changed voice†¦ [Utterson] did not like his friend’s feverish manner.† After this matter, Jekyll says that Hyde is gone for good and â€Å"a new life began for Dr Jekyll†, â€Å"He came out of his seclusion, renewed relation with his friends†¦ he face seemed to open and brighten†¦ and for more than two months the doctor was at peace.† Getting close to the end Jekyll turned bad again and changed a lot; he doesn’t want anyway visitors, not even his close friend Utterson, â€Å"he’s shut up again in the cabinetâ € ¦ Mr Utterson, sir, asking to see you†¦ Tell him I cannot see anyone.† This shows that Jekyll has changes a lot from good to bad to good again then back to bad. Dr Lanyon changes throughout the novel too. At the start he’s a warm and welcoming man with no problems, â€Å"This was a hearty, healthy, dapper, red-faced gentleman†¦ and a boisterous and decided manner. At sight of Mr Utterson, he sprang up from his chair and welcomed him with both hands.† Dr Lanyon was a good man at first but moving on through the novel he changes; his health and look, â€Å"but when [Utterson] came in, he was shocked at the change which had taken place in the doctor’s appearance. He had his death-warrant written legibly upon his face. The rosy man had grown pale, his flesh had fallen away; he was visibly balder and older†, and becomes slightly aggressive, â€Å"I wish to see or hear no more of Dr Jekyll’†¦ in a loud, unsteady voice, ‘I am quite done with that person†. To the end of the novel we are told Dr Lanyon becomes so sick and shocked that he dies, â€Å"and in something less than a fortnight he was dead†. Lanyon changed a lot from a kind healthy person to a sick shocked person and at the end dies. Another theme seems to be a critique of the repressive Victorian society, which often led to violence and secrecy. The story is full of locked doors, barred windows and windowless structures. The think, muffling fog also contributes to the theme of secrecy, which is also expressed thought the dialogue. There are a lot of different narrators but each one only knows a certain amount of information and some of which is kept secret. Enfield conceals the name of the person who wrote the cheque Hyde gave to the parents of the trampled girl, â€Å"and signed with a name that I can’t mention†¦ a name at least very well known and often printed.† This makes us clueless and to wonder who the cheque owner can be. Jekyll slams shut the window when he’s talking to Utterson and Enfield, â€Å"But the words were hardly uttered, before the smile struck out of his face and succeeded by an expression of such abject terror and despair†¦ They saw it but for a glimpse had been sufficient, and they turned and left the court without a word†¦ They were both pale; and there was an answering horror in their eyes. ‘God forgive us! God forgive us!† Utterson and Enfield saw something they were not meant to and were shocked. We don’t know what they saw so this adds to the mystery and secrecy, but we may suggest it was Jekyll turning into Hyde. Hyde’s body is found, â€Å"Right in the midst there lay the body of a man sorely contorted and still twitching†¦ and beheld the face of Edward Hyde.† and Utterson and Poole keep it secret, â€Å"in that case can we venture to declare this suicide†¦ I would say nothing of this†. They keep it secret so nobody would examine it and find the truth. Jekyll’s drugs are kept locked away, â€Å"to open the glazed press on the left hand, breaking the lock if it be shut.† Jekyll has locked his drugs secretly so no other human shall meddle with them, damage or use the drugs themselves and create something disastrous. In addition to the secrecy, the multiple-perspective narrative contributes to the mystery. We are told the tale through the eyes of Enfield, Utterson, Lanyon and finally Jekyll. By revealing the plot through letters, diaries and finally, a casebook, the author makes us feel that we are involved in an intimate revelation of true feelings and events. Until ‘Dr Lanyon’s Narrative’ we a re only given glimpses of Hyde through the eyes of the other characters, which draws us into the mystery as well as revealing information about those characters themselves. The moral of this story is to not try to play God.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

The Indigo Spell Chapter Twelve

I FELT LIKE A FAILURE when I delivered Ms. Terwilliger the news before classes the next day. She told me, her face pale and grim, that there was nothing I could've done. But I didn't know if I believed that. I still berated myself with the same questions as last night. What if I hadn't spent the previous day with Marcus? What if I hadn't spent so much time making sure the Mustang was taken care of? What if I hadn't been engaged in a massive public display of affection on the floor with Adrian? I'd let personal matters interfere, and now a girl had paid with her life. I wanted to skip school and warn the others immediately, but Ms. Terwilliger assured me that Veronica wouldn't be able to feed so quickly. She told me waiting until later in the day would be fine. I gave a reluctant nod and returned to my desk, figuring I'd try to read until class started. I didn't expect to have much success. â€Å"Miss Melbourne?† she called. I glanced back and saw that her sad expression had lightened up a little. She almost looked amused, which seemed weird, given the situation. â€Å"Yes, ma'am?† â€Å"You might want to do something about your neck.† I was totally lost. â€Å"My neck?† She reached into her purse and handed me a compact mirror. I opened it and surveyed my neck, still trying to figure out what she could be talking about. Then I saw it. A small, brownish purple bruise on the side of my neck. â€Å"What on earth is that?† I exclaimed. Ms. Terwilliger snorted. â€Å"Although it's been a while for me, I believe the technical term is a hickey† She paused and arched an eyebrow. â€Å"You do know what that is, don't you?† â€Å"Of course I know!† I lowered the mirror. â€Å"But there's no way – I mean, we barely – that is – â€Å" She held up a hand to silence me. â€Å"You don't have to justify your private life to me. But you might want to consider how you can actually keep it private in the next fifteen minutes.† I was practically out of my seat before she finished speaking. When I emerged from the building, I had the amazing fortune to find the campus shuttle just pulling up. I hurried onto it, and although the ride to my dorm only took a few minutes, it felt like forever. All the while, my mind reeled with what had happened. I have a hickey. I let Adrian Ivashkov give me a hickey. How in the world had that happened? The devastating news about Lynne had allowed me to ignore the full impact of my indiscretion, but there was no avoiding that now. Against every principle I possessed, I'd allowed myself to get drawn into kissing Adrian. And not just kissing. Thinking about the way our bodies had been pressed together made me feel as flushed as I had last night. No, no, no! I couldn't think about that. I had to forget it had happened. I needed to make sure it didn't happen again. What had come over me? I didn't feel the way he felt about me. He was Moroi. And even if he hadn't been, he was undoubtedly the most unsuitable guy for me in the world. I needed someone serious, someone with the potential to get a job that had medical benefits. Someone like Brayden. Yeah, how'd that work out for you, Sydney? What happened with Adrian had been wrong. It had obviously been some twisted act of lust, probably brought on because he was so forbidden. That was it. Women fell for that kind of thing. When I'd researched relationship books, I'd seen one called Bad Boys and the Women Who Love Them. I'd ignored it because Brayden was pretty much the opposite of a bad boy. Maybe it would be worth getting that book now. A flame in the dark. I needed to forget that Adrian had ever called me that. I had to. We had another minute before we would reach my dorm, so I sent a quick text to Adrian: I have a hickey! You can't ever kiss me again. I honestly hadn't expected him to be awake this early so I was surprised to get a response: Okay. I won't kiss you on your neck again. So typical of him. No! You can't ever kiss me ANYWHERE. You said you were going to keep your distance. I'm trying, he wrote back. But you won't keep your distance from me. I didn't dignify that with a response. When we reached my dorm, I asked the driver how long she'd wait before returning to main campus. â€Å"I'm leaving right now,† she said. â€Å"Please,† I begged. â€Å"Wait sixty seconds. I'll pay you.† She looked offended. â€Å"I don't take bribes.† But when I sprinted back out of the dorm – in a scarf – she was still there. I made it back to Ms. Terwilliger's class just as the bell rang. She flashed me a knowing look but said nothing about my wardrobe change. While I was in class, I received a text from Marcus. Can you meet today? San Bernardino, 4 p.m. Well, he'd warned me about short notice. San Bernardino was an hour away. I'd given Eddie a heads-up about the meeting happening this week, and he'd agreed to go. I just hoped he didn't have anything planned this afternoon. I texted back that we'd be there, and Marcus sent me an address. When class ended, a girl from my English class caught my attention and asked if she could borrow some notes since she'd been out sick yesterday. Eddie was gone by the time I finished with her, so I didn't get a chance to ask him about San Bernardino until lunch. â€Å"Sure,† he said, snapping into that fierce guardian mode. Jill already knew about our errand because I'd told Adrian about it. I felt a little bad about taking Eddie from Jill. Okay, really bad. Removing Eddie was a serious risk, though I reminded myself that he wasn't always with her every single second. Sometimes it was impossible, which was why we'd acquired Angeline. Still, if anyone in the Alchemists found out I was using her main bodyguard for personal errands, I'd be in big trouble. Well, actually, I'd probably be in big trouble regardless, seeing as I was meeting with a group of rebels. I turned to Angeline, who was trying to decipher some notes about the quadratic equation. â€Å"Angeline, you need to stay with Jill until we're back,† I said. â€Å"And you should both actually just stay in your dorm, to be extra safe. Don't wander campus.† Jill accepted this, but Angeline looked up in dismay. â€Å"I'm supposed to meet Trey for math. How do you expect me to pass?† I was helpless against an academic argument. â€Å"Study in the dorm lobby. That should be safe enough. Jill can just do homework with you.† Angeline didn't seem entirely pleased about that alternative, but she didn't protest it. She started to return to her notes and then did a double take. â€Å"Why are you wearing that scarf?† she asked. â€Å"It's so hot today.† It was true. The unseasonable temperatures had returned. Eddie, to my surprise, said, â€Å"I wondered the same thing.† â€Å"Oh, um . . . † Please don't blush, please don't blush, I ordered myself. â€Å"I've just been cold today.† â€Å"That's weird,† said Jill, perfectly deadpan. â€Å"For someone who always seems to be so cold, you sure can warm up pretty fast.† It was straight out of Adrian's playbook. Jill knew perfectly well why I had on the scarf, and I gave her a warning look. Eddie and Angeline appeared completely mystified. I stood up, even though I'd barely touched my food. Probably none of them would find that weird. â€Å"Well, I've got to go. I'll find you later, Eddie.† I hurried off before any of them could question me further. I'd been a little hesitant to let Eddie in on Marcus. Eddie certainly wasn't going to turn Marcus or me in to the Alchemists for sideline plotting. That being said, I also didn't want Eddie to think the Alchemists were involved in nefarious schemes against the Moroi. That might very well be something Eddie would relay back to his own people, which could in turn cause all sorts of diplomatic problems. Even this hint of the Alchemists potentially being in contact with the Warriors was dangerous. I decided that having Eddie as protection was worth the risk of him hearing something he shouldn't. He was my friend, and I trusted him. Still, I had to give him a little background information as we made the drive to San Bernardino. â€Å"Who are these people exactly?† he asked. â€Å"Ex-Alchemists,† I said. â€Å"They don't like all the procedures and red tape and just want to interact with Moroi and dhampirs on their own terms.† â€Å"That doesn't sound so bad.† I could hear caution in his voice. Eddie was no fool. â€Å"Why do you want me along?† â€Å"I just don't know much about them. I think their intentions are good, but we'll see.† I thought very carefully on how to phrase my next words. I had to give him a heads-up. â€Å"They've got a lot of conspiracy theories. Some even, um, think there might be Alchemists working with Warriors.† â€Å"What?† It was a wonder Eddie's jaw wasn't on the floor. â€Å"They don't have any hard proof,† I added quickly. â€Å"They've got a Warrior girl who spies for them. She thinks she overheard something . . . but it all sounds sketchy to me. They want me to help, but I don't think there's anything to uncover. I mean, the Alchemists helped raid the Warriors, right? Disrupting their crazy execution ritual wouldn't exactly foster good relations.† â€Å"I suppose not,† he admitted, but it was clear he wasn't entirely at ease. I decided to move on to safer territory. No need to worry about Marcus and his Merry Men (I couldn't get Adrian's name out of my head) until we heard them out. â€Å"How is everything?† I asked. â€Å"With Angeline? Jill? I've been so busy with, uh, stuff that I feel like we haven't talked much.† Eddie didn't answer right away. â€Å"Quiet with Jill, which is good. We want things to be as boring as possible for her. Things are better with her and Micah too. At first, a lot of his friends wouldn't talk to her after the breakup. But he's gotten over her enough that they can just be friends . . . so, the others have decided they can too.† â€Å"That's a relief.† When we'd first come to Amberwood, Jill had had trouble fitting in. Dating Micah had opened up a lot of social circles for her, and I'd worried about what would happen after they split up. Things had worsened when I'd forbidden her from modeling for a local and very assertive fashion designer, Lia DiStefano, who risked exposing Jill. Jill had felt like she'd lost everything, so I was glad to see things were coming together for her again. â€Å"Jill's easy to like,† I added. â€Å"I bet most of them were happy to stay friends with her.† â€Å"Yeah.† It was all he said, but there was a lot of emotion in that one word. I glanced over and saw a dreamy look on his face. So. Micah might be over Jill, but Eddie wasn't. I wondered if he even knew it. â€Å"How's Angeline?† The dreaminess became a frown. â€Å"Confusing.† I laughed. â€Å"That's pretty accurate.† â€Å"She goes from one extreme to another. When we first started going out, she, uh, couldn't stay away from me.† I didn't entirely know what that entailed, and I really didn't want to think about it. â€Å"Now I can hardly get five minutes alone with her. She's started going to basketball games for some reason. I think she's just kind of dumbstruck at a game that's got so many rules, compared to whatever insanity the Keepers do for fun. And she's really into fixing that math grade too. I guess that's a good thing.† He didn't sound too sure. I, however, was thrilled. â€Å"I think the idea of getting kicked out really scared her. Despite all the tough adjustments she's had here, she doesn't want to go back home.† When Rose had been on the run, I'd hidden Dimitri and her with the Keepers. That was where we'd first met Angeline, and even back then, she'd begged Rose to take her away from that rural world. â€Å"Give her time. This'll settle down, and her, uh, enthusiasm will come back.† We reached the address in San Bernardino, a hardware shop that seemed like a strange location for a secret meeting. I pulled into the parking lot and texted Marcus that we were here. No response came. â€Å"That's weird,† I said. â€Å"I hope he didn't change his mind.† Eddie was over his girl troubles and had that sharp guardian look in his eyes again. â€Å"I bet we're being watched. If they're as paranoid as you say, this probably isn't the place we're meeting. They've sent you here and are looking for signs to see if you were followed.† I turned to him in amazement. â€Å"I never would've thought of that.† â€Å"That's why you've got me along,† he said with a smile. Sure enough. Ten minutes later, Marcus texted with another address. We must have passed the test. This new location was in another loud, busy place: a family-friendly restaurant with actors walking around in giant animal costumes. It was, if possible, more absurd than the arcade. â€Å"He picks the weirdest places,† I said. Eddie's eyes were everywhere. â€Å"It's brilliant actually. Too loud to be overheard. One exit in the back, one in the front. And if the Alchemists did show up, I'm guessing they wouldn't create a scene around this many children?† â€Å"I guess.† Marcus met us in the lobby and waved us forward. â€Å"Hey, gorgeous. Come on, we've got a table.† He paused to shake Eddie's hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you. We can always use more for the cause.† I'm not sure what I'd expected of the Merry Men. Maybe a bunch of rough-and-tumble outcasts with battle scars and eye patches, like Wolfe. Instead, what we found were a guy and girl sharing a plate of chicken fingers. They had golden lilies on their cheeks. Marcus directed us to two chairs. â€Å"Sydney, Eddie. This is Amelia and Wade.† We shook hands. â€Å"Sabrina's not with you?† I asked. â€Å"Oh, she's here,† said Marcus, an enigmatic note in his voice. I picked up on the subtext and glanced around. I wasn't the only one who'd brought protection. Sabrina was hidden somewhere in the crowd, watching and waiting. Maybe in an animal costume. I wondered if she'd brought her gun in here. Amelia slid the plate toward us. â€Å"Want some? We've got mozzarella sticks on the way.† I declined. Even with my resolution to eat more, I drew the line at deep fryers. â€Å"Let's talk,† I said. â€Å"You're supposed to tell me about the tattoos and this mysterious task you have for me.† Wade chuckled. â€Å"She gets down to business.† â€Å"That's my girl,† said Marcus. I could almost hear an unspoken That's why we need her for the cause. He waited for our waitress, who was dressed like a cat, to bring the mozzarella sticks and take our drink orders. At least, I think it was a waitress. Gender was a little hard to determine under the mask. â€Å"The tattoo process is simple,† Marcus said, once our privacy was back. â€Å"I told you that the Alchemists are able to put Moroi compulsion in it, right? To limit communication . . . and other things, if needed.† I still didn't know if I bought the idea of mind control in the tattoos, but I let him go on. â€Å"When Moroi help make the blood ink, the earth users put in the compulsion that prevents you from discussing vampires. That earth magic is in harmony with the other three physical elements: air, water, and fire. That harmony gives the tattoo its power. Now, if you can get a hold of charmed ink and have a Moroi undo the earth magic in it, that'll shatter the bond with the other elements and kill any compulsion locked in. Inject that ‘broken' ink into your tattoo, and it breaks the harmony of your elements as well – which in turn breaks any suggestions the Alchemists put in.† Eddie and I stared. â€Å"That's ‘all' I have to do?† I asked in disbelief. â€Å"It's easier than you might think,† said Amelia. â€Å"The hard part is . . . well, Marcus added another part to the process. Not technically necessary . . . but helpful.† We'd been here ten minutes, and I was already getting a headache. â€Å"You decided to do some improvisation?† The laughter that elicited from Marcus was just as infectious as before . . . except, once again, the scene didn't really warrant laughing. He paused, like he was waiting for us to join in, and continued when we didn't. â€Å"That's one way of looking at it. But she's right – it's helpful. Before I'll let anyone do it, they have to perform a task. Some task that involves directly going against the Alchemists.† Eddie couldn't hold back anymore. â€Å"What, like an initiation ritual?† â€Å"More than that,† said Marcus. â€Å"I have a theory that doing something like that, something that challenges all the training you've had, will weaken the compulsion a little. Usually it's something that involves infiltration and helps our cause. That weakening makes it easier for the other ink to take effect. It's also a good test. Deactivating the tattoo doesn't mean you're ready to walk away. It doesn't undo years of mental conditioning. I try to find people who think they're ready to rebel, but sometimes, when they're faced with actually taking action, they crack. Better to know sooner rather than later, before we interfere with the tattoo.† I turned toward Amelia and Wade. â€Å"And you've both done this? You did some dare, and then your tattoos were deactivated?† They nodded in unison. â€Å"We just have to seal it with indigo now.† Seeing my confusion, Wade explained, â€Å"Even after breaking the elements in the tattoo, it can still be repaired. Someone could forcibly re-ink and compel you. Tattooing over it with indigo ink makes sure you can never be controlled again.† â€Å"And here I thought yours was just a style choice,† I said to Marcus. He absentmindedly traced the crescent pattern. â€Å"Oh, the design was. But the ink was mandatory. It's a special concoction that's hard to get a hold of, and I have to go down to a guy in Mexico to get it. I'm taking Amelia and Wade there in a couple weeks to seal theirs. You could come too.† I didn't even acknowledge that crazy idea. â€Å"Seems like that blue ink would kind of be a tip-off to the other Alchemists that something's up.† â€Å"Oh, we ran away from the Alchemists,† said Amelia. â€Å"We're not part of them anymore.† Once again, Eddie jumped in. â€Å"But you were just talking about infiltration. Why not keep doing other covert tasks once you've broken the elements? Especially if it frees you? Your tattoos look the same as Sydney's right now. If you really think there's something suspicious going on, then work from the inside and hold off on sealing with the indigo ink.† â€Å"Too risky,† said Marcus. â€Å"You could slip up and say something that the tattoo wouldn't have let you before. Or, if you're not cautious, they might catch you going off to meet with others. Then you've got a date with re-education – where they could repair the tattoo.† â€Å"Seems like it'd be worth the risk for more information,† I said. â€Å"If you're careful enough.† Marcus shook his head, no longer flippant. â€Å"I've known others who tried that. They thought no one was on to them. They were wrong. We don't make that mistake anymore.† He touched his tattoo again. â€Å"This is the way we do it now. Complete your mission, break the tattoo, leave the Alchemists, and get sealed. Then we work from the outside. Also saves us from getting caught up in all the Alchemist routine and menial tasks.† â€Å"So there are others?† I asked, picking up on what he'd said. â€Å"Of course.† That amusement returned. â€Å"You didn't think it was just the three of us, did you?† I honestly hadn't known. â€Å"So this is what you're offering me. A fairy tale about my tattoo, if I just complete some traitorous mission for you.† â€Å"I'm offering you freedom,† Marcus corrected. â€Å"And the ability to help Moroi and dhampirs in a way that's not part of some larger conspiracy. You can do it on your own terms.† Eddie and I exchanged glances. â€Å"And speaking of conspiracy,† I said. â€Å"I'm guessing this is the part where you tell me about the alleged Alchemist and Warrior connection – the one you need me to prove.† My sarcasm was lost on the threesome because they all grew excited. â€Å"Exactly,† said Marcus. â€Å"Tell her, Wade.† Wade finished off a chicken finger covered in ranch dressing and then leaned toward us. â€Å"Just before I joined Marcus, I was assigned to the St. Louis facility. I worked in operations, handling a lot of visitor access, giving tours . . . not the most interesting work.† I nodded. This, at least, was familiar territory. Being in the Alchemists meant taking on all sorts of roles. Sometimes you destroyed Strigoi bodies. Sometimes you made coffee for visiting officials. It was all part of the greater cause. â€Å"I saw a lot of things. I mean, you can probably guess.† He looked troubled. â€Å"The harsh attitudes. The rigid rules. Moroi visited, you know. I liked them. I was glad we were helping them, even though everyone around me acted as though helping such ‘evil' creatures was a terrible fate that we'd been forced into. I accepted this because, you know, I figured what we're told is true. Anyway, there was one week . . . I swear, it was just nonstop Strigoi attacks all over the country. Just one of those things. The guardians took out most of them, and field Alchemists were pretty busy covering up. Even though most of it was taken care of, I just kept wondering about why we were always dealing with the aftermath when we have so many resources. I mean, I didn't think we should start going after Strigoi, but it just seemed like there should be a way to help the Moroi and guardians be more proactive. So . . . I mentioned it to my supervisor.† Marcus and Amelia wore deadly earnest expressions, and even I was hooked. â€Å"What happened?† I asked softly. Wade's gaze looked off into the past. â€Å"I was chastised pretty bad. Over and over, all my superiors kept telling me how wrong it was for me to even think things like that about the Moroi, let alone talk about them. They didn't send me to re-education, but they suspended me for two weeks, and each day, I had to listen to lectures about what a terrible person I was and how I was on the verge of corruption. By the end, I believed them . . . until I met Marcus. He made me realize I didn't have to be in that life anymore.† â€Å"So you left,† I said, suddenly feeling a little more kindly toward Marcus. â€Å"Yes. But not before completing the mission Marcus gave me. I got a hold of the classified visitor list.† That surprised me. The Alchemists were always hip deep in secrets. While most of our goings-on were recorded diligently, there were some things that our elite leaders didn't want the rest of the society to know about. Again, all for the greater good. The classified list would detail people allowed access – that the higher-ups wanted kept secret. It wasn't something the average Alchemist could see. â€Å"You're young,† I said. â€Å"You wouldn't be allowed access to something like that.† Wade snorted. â€Å"Of course not. That's what made the task so difficult. Marcus doesn't have us do easy assignments. I had to do a lot of dangerous things – things that made me glad to escape afterward. The list showed us the link to the Warriors.† â€Å"Did it say ‘Top Secret Vampire Hunter Meeting'?† asked Eddie. Things like that, aside from his deadly protective skills, were why I liked having him along. Wade flushed at the jibe. â€Å"No. It was all coded, kind of. It didn't list full names, just initials. Even I couldn't get the actual names. But one of the entries? Z. J.† Marcus and his Merry Men all looked at me expectantly, as though that were supposed to mean something to me. I glanced at Eddie again, but he was just as baffled. â€Å"What's that stand for?† I asked. â€Å"Zebulon Jameson,† said Marcus. Once again, there was an expectation. When I didn't answer, Marcus turned disbelieving. â€Å"You were there with the Warriors. Don't you remember him? Master Jameson?† I did, actually. He was one of the Warriors' high officials, an intimidating man with a salt-and-pepper beard who'd worn old-fashioned golden ceremonial robes. â€Å"I never caught his first name,† I said. â€Å"But isn't it kind of a leap to assume that's who Z. J. was? Maybe it was, I don't know, Zachary Johnson.† â€Å"Or Zeke Jones,† supplied Eddie. The cat came by with a refill for Marcus's lemonade, and I soon had proof that it was a woman. â€Å"Thanks, love,† Marcus said, giving her a smile that nearly made her swoon and drop the tray. When he turned back to us, he was all business. â€Å"That's where Sabrina comes in. Not long before Wade got the list, she overheard Master Jameson talking to one of his cronies about an upcoming trip to St. Louis and how he was going to find out about leads on some missing girl. The timing lines up.† â€Å"It's an awfully big coincidence,† I said. Yet even as I spoke, I was reminded of something Sonya Karp always said about the world of Moroi and Alchemists: There are no coincidences. â€Å"What missing girl were they talking about?† asked Eddie carefully. I met his eyes and immediately understood what he wasn't saying. A missing girl that the Warriors were interested in. There was one missing girl that the Moroi were very, very interested in as well. And whom the Alchemists were determined to keep safe. She was the reason I was stationed in Palm Springs in the first place. In fact, I was pretending to be her sister. Jill. I said nothing and focused on Marcus again. He shrugged. â€Å"I don't know, just that finding her would create a lot of problems for the Moroi. The details aren't important yet. First we have to prove the connection.† Those details were immensely important to Eddie and me, but I wasn't sure how much Marcus and friends knew about Jill. I wasn't about to show too much interest. â€Å"And that's what you want me to do?† I asked, recalling the arcade discussion. â€Å"How would you like me to do that? Go visit Master Jameson and ask him?† â€Å"Every visitor is recorded on video if they're going through the secure access point,† said Wade. â€Å"Even the top secret ones. All you have to do is steal a copy of that footage. They store it all in their computers.† These people had a very different idea than me of what â€Å"all you have to do† meant. â€Å"I'm a field Alchemist in Palm Springs,† I reminded them. â€Å"I'm not a computer hacker. I'm not even in St. Louis! How would I walk in and steal something?† Marcus tilted his head to study me, allowing some of that golden hair to slip forward. â€Å"It's more of that resourceful vibe I get off you. Couldn't you find some way to get to St. Louis? Some reason to visit?† â€Å"No! I'd have no . . .† I trailed off, flashing back to the wedding. Ian, with his lovesick eyes, had invited me to visit him in St. Louis. He'd had the audacity to use church services as a way to further his chances with me. Marcus's eyes sparkled. â€Å"You've already thought of something, haven't you? Brilliant, just like I thought.† Amelia looked mildly put out at hearing me complimented. â€Å"It'd be a long shot,† I said. â€Å"That's kind of how we roll,† said Marcus. I still wasn't on board. â€Å"Look, I know someone there, but I'd have to get permission to even go, which wouldn't be easy.† I stared at each of them in turn. â€Å"You know how it is. You were all in the Alchemists. You know we can't just take vacations whenever we want.† Wade and Amelia actually had the grace to look embarrassed, but Marcus was undaunted. â€Å"Can you let this chance pass? Even if you don't want to join us or alter your tattoo, just think about it. You saw the Warriors. You saw what they're capable of. Can you even imagine what could happen if they had access to Alchemist resources?† â€Å"It's all circumstantial,† argued the scientist in me. â€Å"Sydney,† said Eddie. I turned to him and saw something in his eyes I'd never expected to see: pleading. He didn't care about Alchemist conspiracies or Marcus's Merry Men. What he cared about was Jill, and he'd heard something that made him think she was in danger. That was unacceptable in his world. He would do anything in his power to keep her safe, but even he knew stealing information from the Alchemists was out of his league. It was pretty much out of mine too, but he didn't know that. He believed in me, and he was silently begging me to help. Marcus pushed his advantage. â€Å"You have nothing to lose – I mean, if you aren't caught. If you get the footage and we find nothing . . . well, so be it. False alarm. But if we get hard proof that Jameson was there, then I don't have to tell you how big that is. Either way, you should break your tattoo and join us. Besides, after a stunt like this, would you really want to stick around?† He eyed me. â€Å"But that part's up to you. Just help us for now.† Against my better judgment, my mind was starting to figure out how I could pull this off. â€Å"I'd need a lot more information about operations,† I murmured. â€Å"I can get you that,† said Wade promptly. I didn't answer. This was crazy – a crazy idea from a crazy group. But I looked at Marcus's tattoo and the way the others followed him – the way even Sabrina followed him. There was a dedication, an ardent belief that had nothing to do with Marcus's silly flirting. They might really be on to something. â€Å"Sydney,† said Eddie again. And this time: â€Å"Please.† I could feel my resolve weakening. A missing girl, who could cause lots of trouble if found. If they were really talking about Jill, how could I risk anything happening to her? But what if I was caught? Don't get caught, an inner voice said. With a sigh, I looked back up at Wade. â€Å"All right,† I said. â€Å"Give me the scoop.†