Essay example --

rude(a) Monopoly Telephones, Cable and BroadcastingWe all hear the term monopoly before. If somebody doesnt apprehend a monopoly is outlined as The scoop possession or management of the supply or change a artifact or service. but a innate(p) monopoly could be a picayune totally different in which means from its counterpart. during this paper well be wanting into the question whether or not the govt. ought to read telephones, cable, or broadcasting as cancel monopolies or not and may they be regulated or not?A natural monopoly is outlined in economic science as retainer in Nursing trade wherever the charge of the capital product is thus high that its not profitable for a second firm to visualise and contend. theres a natural reason for this trade universe a monopoly, specifically that the economies of scale need one, instead of many, firms. Small-scale possession would be less economical. Natural monopolies ar usually utilities like water, electricity, and throttle valve. it d be terribly pricey to create a second set of water and sewerage pipes during a town. Water and gas delivery service incorporates a high pricefixed chargefixed costscharge and an occasional variable cost. Electricity is currently being deregulated, therefore the generators of electrical power will currently contend. however the infrastructure, the wires that carry the electricity, sometimes stay a natural monopoly, and therefore the varied corporations send their electricity through constant grid (Fred et al., 1999). The telecommunications trade has within the past been thought of to be a natural monopoly. Like railways and water provision, the existence of many corporations provision constant space would lead to Associate in Nursing inefficient mult... ... and so quite one grid, the value of every grid are overtaking to be touch a smaller variety of subscribers, and therefore the monetary value per subscriber, and thence worth, are going to be higher (445 textbook).All in all i feel the govt. ought to regulate cable, telephones, and broadcasting as natural monopolies as a result of its usually most effective to maintain natural monopolies, if they honestly ar natural monopolies, however subject them to some variety of government regulation with relation to costs, quality of service, etc. the rationale for not breakout it up is, of course, by definition, the actual fact that a natural monopoly will attain a lower cost than might competitive companies within the very(prenominal) trade. This contrasts with the case for different kinds of monopolies, that its typically most effective for them to be variable into competitive companies.

lalala land :: essays research papers

la land is far 3way in the book . fraj kfkkfkfkks ksakflhalkjdlewkrjiewruojdasskkZS

The Case For Work For The Dole :: essays research papers

Youth faces an uncertain future - it always has in one way or another. The progression from parental dependency to self-sufficiency and independence has always been (and will continue to be) a difficult one. The stresses of successfully completing high school are compounded by peer pressure, personal and family kin problems, and the natural problems inherent in being an adolescent. As well, today, moreso than in yesteryear, there is an ever-present temptation to turn to drugs and alcohol, either as an escape route, or in order to cope with it all. Doing well at school does not guarantee a future career path, even if the correct choices are known and made. " first at the bottom" no longer means that you will get to the top one day. Today, people in their 40s and 50s are being made free from positions they once justifiably regarded as being secure until retirement. And competition is strong. Each year it becomes stronger - each year thousands more students join the ranks of the unemployed, and long term unemployment, specially amongst youth, is a real problem. The Governments "Work for the Dole" Scheme is a much-needed positive step that is helping youth make the transition from student, to unemployed, to employee. Each year 25,000 places in the Scheme are available, 20,000 of which are set aside for young people. Under the Scheme, unemployed people perform work (from 12 to 15 hours per week) in drop for their fortnightly unemployment benefit. Participation is for a maximum of six months for people unemployed for a period of more than six months. People aged 17 to 21 are required to work for two six-hour long time per week, and people aged 21 and over are required to work for 21/2 six-hour days per week. An extra $10 per week is paid to the ramifyicipant to allow for extra costs incurred relating to transportation, and child minding facilities are available if incumbent. Time off from the scheme give the axe be arranged for attendance at interviews for paid employment. In order to reach those most in need of assistance, participation in the Scheme is compulsory. This is necessary so that the chances of success can be maximised to provide the most benefit to participants.It may be of concern to some that the compulsory nature of the Scheme undermines the altruism inherent in volunteer work. Some may fear that it will lead to resentment, lack of cooperation and poor motivation by those forced to take part under threat of diminished or no social security payment.

Raise In Red Lantern :: essays research papers

In Raise the Red Lantern, the symbolic implications of the ancestral altar in the central reception h all in all go beyond the family walls, because it displays the portraits of all the powerful officals in the Chen family, thus suggesting the entire patriarchal tradition and its po illuminatedical power.In Raise the Red Lantern, the red lantern, an invented icon here (and star accused of being a fake cultural signifier used merely for sensational purposes), is the films central symbol and most consequential metaphor. The colour red is a symbol of sexuality and eroticism, but no longer of passion. More importantly, it turns out to be associated with patriarchal and political power. To get the lantern lit refers to the victory of one woman over all the others, but at the same time it still represents failure for all the women because the woman who gains the lit lantern moldiness be totally exposed, under the red light, before the gaze and under the control of the man. The color red here remains a symbol of telephone line and death, as in the death scenes of both the servant Yaner and the third wife, who dared to disobey the rules.The sound of the foot massages in Raise the Red Lantern echoes very wellhead the rhythm of tension, obsession, and desire in the daily life of Chens household. It seems to be the only promising and stimulating sound for the wives in that deadly quiet down mansion. Moreover, this sound is often parallel to, or mixed with that of the footsteps of the master when he approaches the selected wifes room. This sound, then, creates a temporary illusion for the woman, who thinks she is going to win the man.

Ayckbourns Short Plays and Themes of Isolation and Loneliness :: Ayckbourn Essays

Ayckbourns Short Plays and Themes of Isolation and LonelinessIsolation and loneliness are common themes in three of Ayckbourns concise plays. It appears, in varying degrees within MF, DC and TP butal commissions is a problem/theme inside each play. MF starts off with on the initiative page with a strong image of Lucy being isolated from the worldoutside., she lifts the receiver then replaces it immediately andthe admission chimes again. Lucy ignores these. Lucy is isolating herselffrom people at the door and anybody act to ring her, we discover inthe next play why she ignores the phone but the door must estimable be away of keeping all her outside troubles and upsets away. I.e. devilher husband who has abandoned her and left her on her own with themultiple children. An adult in a home with no otherwise adults to talk tomay feel very alone intellectually speaking. With nobody around todiscuss adult issues e.g. the reason why she is so isolated and whyHarry has left her. This ties in with the loneliness of Harry in DC.Here Harry is isolated from females in general, he is away from hiswife, but he is miles apart from the girls hes trying to impress. Youcan see, especially with the arrival of Paula that neither of thegirls find him remotely interesting or amusing, on page37 Bernicesays, Oh my God, I thought wed never get rid of him just before thepair quickly exit the restaurant. Also Harry turns to attempting tohave an affair, probably affairs observing how he behaves, either fromobsession and lust-or he very feels so distant from Lucy he cannotsort out any marital problems. Harry and Lucy are a married couplewith children and commitments to each other, but some(prenominal) are lonely, andfeel remote from the other. They deal with it in different waysthough-Harry attempts to cure loneliness with brief sexual companions,while Lucy just cuts herself off from everyone or at least tries to.Lucys display of role reversal with Terry and Rose shows how distantfrom the adult community she appears to be becoming. She turns thepair into squabbling kids, and sends them on their way. When it wasthey who came to help her The server in BM shares a similar problem,he must be friendly and warm to everyone while keeping a respectableisolated berth from their affairs. Meaning in his everyday workingcapacity he is lonely and having to present a distance between himselfand his customers. This is impressed every time the server wanders

Ayckbourns Short Plays and Themes of Isolation and Loneliness :: Ayckbourn Essays

Ayckbourns Short Plays and Themes of Isolation and LonelinessIsolation and loneliness are common themes in three of Ayckbournsshort plays. It appears, in varying degrees within MF, DC and TP butalways is a problem/theme inside each play. MF starts off with on thefirst page with a strong image of Lucy being isolated from the worldoutside., she lifts the receiver then replaces it immediately andthe door chimes again. Lucy ignores these. Lucy is isolating herselffrom people at the door and anybody trying to name her, we discover inthe next play why she ignores the phone but the door must just be away of keeping every(prenominal) her outside troubles and upsets away. I.e. Harryher husband who has abandoned her and left her on her own with themultiple children. An adult in a home with no other adults to talk towhitethorn touch very alone intellectually speaking. With nobody around todiscuss adult issues e.g. the reason why she is so isolated and whyHarry has left her. This ties in with the loneliness of Harry in DC.Here Harry is isolated from females in general, he is away from hiswife, but he is miles apart from the girls hes trying to impress. Youcan see, particularly with the arrival of Paula that neither of thegirls find him remotely interesting or amusing, on page37 Bernicesays, Oh my God, I thought wed never get rid of him just before the reduplicate quickly exit the restaurant. Also Harry turns to attempting tohave an affair, probably affairs observing how he behaves, either fromobsession and lust-or he truly feels so outside from Lucy he cannotsort out any marital problems. Harry and Lucy are a married couplewith children and commitments to each other, but both are lonely, andfeel remote from the other. They deal with it in different waysthough-Harry attempts to cure loneliness with brief sexual companions,while Lucy just cuts herself off from everyone or at least tries to.Lucys display of role reversal with Terry and Rose shows how distantfrom the adul t community she appears to be becoming. She turns thepair into squabbling kids, and sends them on their way. When it wasthey who came to help her The waiter in BM shares a similar problem,he must be friendly and warm to everyone while keeping a respectableisolated stance from their affairs. Meaning in his everyday workingcapacity he is lonely and having to present a distance between himselfand his customers. This is impressed every time the waiter wanders

Unit 5- Reflective Account

Unit 5- The principles underpinning the role of the practitioner working with shaverren Introduction During my third placement, I worked at a nursery and childrens centre. I was based in a do by room with children aged 0-2 years old. Although I was based in the baby room I often helped proscribed in the 2-3 room if it was busy and I was needed. In the baby room there were al authoritys three direct 3 qualified early years practitioners. This was the same in the 2-3 room plus a support practitioner.All the children in the baby and 2-3 room had an individual erudition plans this helped the children achieve the best they could prohibited of their time in the panorama. All the planning in the setting was based on each individual childs individual needs and was age appropriate. All the children also had key workers. The key workers carried out observations and were in charge of all the paper work involving the children in their group. labor movement 1- Give ideals of situations i n which you have worked as part of the team P5. 1 Give examples of EACH situation in which you have worked as part of the teamAn example of a way I have worked as part of a team is helping out in the 2-3 room when the room was busy and the setting was short of staff. other example of a way I worked as part of a team was by helping the practitioners obey parents wishes. An example of this was ensuring the babies didnt sleep for longer than their parents had said. For example there were twins who were 11 months old who attended the setting 8am till 4pm and were scarce now allowed to sleep for an minute of arc while in the setting. I worked as part of a team to ensure the setting was safe for the children at all times.For example if the sand mate or the water tray was out, the setting do it my responsibility to sweep up all spilt sand or mop up and spilt water to prevent an accident. Another way I worked as part of a team in the setting was to ensure at meal times one of the chi ldren didnt bring in any of the foods he was allergic too. P5. 2 Describe how you carried out the operating instructions given to you in a responsible way I carried out instructions in a responsible way by helping out when I was needed in one of the other rooms.For example when it was quite in the baby room and the 2-3 room needed my help. I was asked by one of the practitioners to help her with the childrens tiffines because she didnt feel comfortable doing the lunches on her own. I carried out instructions in a responsible way by listening to the instructions given by the practitioner and did what was asked of me. Another way I carried out instructions given to me by the practitioners in the setting in a responsible way was learning each childrens care routine which was asked of me so I knew how long each child was allowed to sleep for.If I was told to put a child to sleep, once asleep I was told to record this information on the sleep chart. Because I put this child to sleep, I was then responsible to ensure this child didnt go over their limit. For example, if a child could only sleep for an hour, once the hour was over I then woke up the child. I carried out instructions given to me in a responsible way by sweeping up spilt sand or mopping up any spilt water correctly when i was asked to by the practitioners. This was extremely important when maintaining any of the settings policies on health and safety.I carried out instructions given to me by the practitioners in the setting in a responsible way by sitting near to the child at sharpness or meal times ensuring the child did not eat any of the foods the child was allergic to. This was sometimes difficult because the child was allergic to many kinds of food. These included tomatoes, cucumber, brown bread and apples. P5. 3 Describe how you provided feedback to team members about a task in which you have been involved When cater or helping the children eat their lunch, I provided feedback to the practit ioners in the setting on how the child ate their lunch.For example, I provided feedback to the practitioners on what exactly the child ate, how much of the lunch the child ate, how long they took to eat it and whether or not the child fed themselves or needed help feeding themselves. I had learnt it was important for practitioners to build tough relationships with parents and I understood it was important I gave the correct feedback to the appropriate practitioners because the information was then forwarded to the childs parents when they came to collect their child. P5. 4 Reflect on each situation and identify where you could make improvements and act on advice given to youReflecting back on each situation where I had worked as part of a team I would make some improvements on the way I acted on advice given to me. For example, when a child in the setting had slept for as long as they should, in future tense instead of waking them up and leaving them, I would stay with the child i n till the child was properly awake. Ways I was told to do this was by sitting by the child and reading them a story, singing a song with them, distracting them with a toy or simply just talking to them in till the child got up to play.I would also make improvements when ensuring the room was safe for all the children, I would do this by in future instead of waiting for one on the practitioners to tell me sweep up spilt sand or mop up and spilt water I would do it as soon as I saw the hazards to prevent any accidents in the setting. Another improvement i would make in future would be if snack or meal times included any of the foods children were allergic to I would make sure the foods were not accessible to the children.For example if the children were having vegetables for snack, the vegetables are usually go forth in the middle of the table and the children then choose which vegetables they wont by picking them and putting them in their bowl. This was where I had to be careful an d soak up the children carefully. In future I would not leave the tray in the middle of the table, id pick up the tray and go round the children asking what they wanted, this way would have made it allot easier to ensure the child didnt eat and foods he was allergic to.Similar article How Different Types of Transitions Can Affect Children

Evolution of the Opera in Europe

Ask a high school student or so opera house house and they would just shrugged their shoulders in lack of knowledge, or new(prenominal)s would try to guess and say that its a melodic play, something like Broadway. While otherwises who may have a bit of familiarity with opera house would say, those silly men with long beards and silly dresses that sings in a very high voice. In reality, opera is related to each(prenominal) told of these definitions producen. The scope of this paper is to introduce opera into the twentieth century audience. Naturally, the history of opera house, when and where did it start and who are the people that make opera famous and made famous by the Opera would be discussed.As well as the contrary sorts of opera, and its different kinds or genre to be more specific. After which, an analysis of the wherewell-nighs of Opera directly would be presented. II. What is an Opera? An Opera is a stage show that was only available for the European elites in the 1700s. It was sort of the ancestor of musical theaters like Broadway and tungsten End in London it is just that Opera themes are usually about Greek Drama. It includes musical numbers, solos by lead actors and sometimes even a ballet-like dance to emphasize the action and texts of the songs.Opera dramas are predominantly about Greek Drama because Opera originated in Italy in the late 1600s, where Italian aristocracy to the full enjoys performances in their bear balconies and private theaters. Just like any beautiful thing, Opera spread to the common folk and took pride for its various performances and many composers from all over Europe, non just Italy, until everything was placed in a halting pause when wars emerged and the arts was put aside for some other important things. Opera before in the early ages was like Hollywood, stars were revered and composers were treated as royalties.They held performances from the greatest capitals of Europe like Naples, Saint Petersburg, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Venice, Berlin and Paris as well as in the opera houses newly complete in New York City and New Orleans. The musicality of Opera has influenced other forms of music which are still booming and used nowadays. An example is the usage of sinfonia, an instrumental prelude of the Opera which as now known as symphonies and the attempt to nonplus piano and violin solos during a concerto was a clear indication of following through Operas cadenza (solos).The masterful innovation of 19th century German composer Richard Wagner in his orchestration for his different compositions became a big influence in shaping the classical music of the 19th century. a. When did it start? Opera started in the late 1600s through a separate of scholars, known as the camerata instigated a performance with the aim of promoting monodic musical declamations. Although musical stage play was already existent as early as the 12th century like The Play of Daniel, it was Jacopo Peris and Ottavi o Rinuccinis Euridice, that was considered as the outset Opera in the 1600.However, Jacopo Peris first composition Dafne was argued by other scholars as the first true Opera, though little of its text send packing be addle now. Monodic musical declamations are recitals with free rhythm tended to(p) by a subtle music, and usually about Ancient Greek Drama and mythology. Just like the first Opera Euridice that was taken from the Greek mythology about Orpheus and his beloved Euridice. b. Where did it start? 1. Baroque (Italian) Opera originally came from Italy, wherein it was known as Baroque Opera or Italian Opera.It had its first shows in Venice and Rome, where Sant Alessio by Stefano Landi established Roman Opera in 1632. The libretto was penned by Giulio Rospigliosi and Landi modified the account style of the monodic trend by creating recitative and aria. But Roman Opera had to await the comer of Claudio Monteverdi for it to blossom. He was an educated man and performed in th e lavish court of the Gonzaga family and finally directed a church choir, after which he created his first opera in 1607, his own version of the Orpheus and Euridice mythology entitled La Favola dOrfeo.Peri and Monteverdis version were so different that if Peris version was more of a monodic narrative with subtle accompaniment Monteverdis version has more music in it. He expanded the accompaniment into a full scale orchestra with bowed and pull off strings, harpsichord and organ, trumpets and drums for more dramatic effects. He as well gave each character his own musical identity and created a very poignant overture. It was the combining of lyric text and musical play as the term drama per musica (drama through music) had intended.Monteverdis LIncoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppaea) in 1642, was the first to tackle a very sensitive subject matter and staged a very powerful vocal composition that would soon be stereotypical of an Opera. Marcantonio Cesti and Pietro Fran cesco Cavalli heralded the conterminous generation of Venetian composers. They created an external style wherein the recitative was given less part in favor of the aria and the chorus was replaced with solos. Cavalli continued Monteverdis innovative style with his own Opera LOrmindo and La Calisto.His Operas was known to include some charade and sexual content for the amusement of the viewers. Another Venetian composer, and also a precursor of 18th Century Neapolitan School, Alessandro Stradella was also praised for having his own style in writing Operas. 2. side of meat The Italian Opera became widespread in Europe and come some its charms in England. Composers in England have begun working together to create masques, a court entertainment involving exaggerated speeches, dancing, ridiculous plots and costumes.The first English Opera was The Siege of Rhodes by poet Sir William DAvenant in 1656 and music by Lawes, Matthew Locke, Henry Cooke, Charles Coleman and George Hudson. Joh n Blow wrote Venus and Adonis in 1684 but was not mightily accredited as an Opera for some critics still call it a masque, but in 1689, Blows pupil Henry Purcell wrote the greatest English Opera of the 17th century entitled Dido and Aeneas. This Opera completely absorbed Italian influence and brought death to Englands masque.However, the almost famous English composer was not really English, but rather a German born composer who completely immersed himself in Neapolitan Italian style. He was George Frideric Handel, composer of the widely acclaimed Messiah. He composed Rinaldo, his first Opera in England in 1711 where he immediately attained success and followed it with Giulio Cesare in 1724, Rodelinda in 1725 and Alcina in 1735. Handel synthesized the castrati that attained popularity and was the thing to do at that time.Aside from Handel fashioning waves in England, there were also other local talents who are testing the waters like John Gay and John Chris illuminateher Pepusch who created The Beggars Opera in 1728. This form of Opera paved the way for ballad opera that ridiculed Italian opera and modern politics. 3. French Opera In French Opera, the form of aesthetics was firmly based on the visual, which is their concept of Opera was ballet transformed into musical theater. Eventually, Italian opera caught up with them and strong vocal performances assemble its way into their stages.French opera formally began with Jean Baptiste Lully where he presented a modernized version of Cavallis Serse in the wedding of Louis XIV of France and his cousin Marie Therese in 1660. The ballet performance was carefully choreographed by Lully. Lully then established the Academie Royale de Musique in 1672 where he created operas known as tragedies lyriques or lyrical tragedies. Most of the themes that were used were about mythology and legends once again as the French court deemed it inappropriate to depict real persons in their performances.Lullys theatre showcased fabu lous ballet movements and abundant set designs that fully make the audience experience the story of the opera. Lullys most outstanding operas were the Alceste in 1674, Atys in 1676 and Armide et Renaude in 1686. After Lully, another French composer, Jean Philippe Rameu attempted to make French Opera more harmonious and yet spontaneous at the same time. He wrote 32 operas that highlighted polyphony or the combination of multiple ariose lines. Rameu still maintained the dance factor in his operas as evident by the lengthy ballet numbers in his Les Indes Gallantes in 1735 and Dardanus in 1739.His plays Hippolyte et Aricie and high hat et Pollux has been presented for so many times. 4. German and Austrian German opera took its root from singspiel, their comic opera with spoken dialogue that would later on be influenced by the ballad genre. Early German courts much prefer their Italian contemporaries, wherein Frederick the Great insulted the German opera and compared it to the neighing of a horse. So, in the 18th century, German composers tried to embolden singspiel and transform it into a better one.German composer George Phillip Telemann had based his Pimpione, a comic opera with only two characters on Pergolesis La Serva Padrona, in 1725. Another composer, Johann Christian Standfuss created Der Teufel ist Lost or The Devil to Pay, in 1752, in an attempt to resurrect singspiel. However, it was only the arrival of famous German composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart that German Opera reached its peak. Mozarts kick downstairs Entfuhrung aus dem Serail or The Abduction from Seraglio in 1782 introduced singspiel internationally and made Vienna a music capital.Mozart continued to place Vienna in front of the international music scene through his compositions, Le Nozze di Figaro or The Marriage of Figaro in 1786 Don Giovanni in 1787 and Cosi fan tutte or Women are Like That in 1790. However, these works were very controversial during those times that it upset moralists and the contributed to the revolutionary sentiments in France that it was neglected until the early 20th century when it was revived and made Mozart the greatest composer of all. c. Who are the singers? Opera singers are classified according to their gender and range of their voices.In a female singer, she can be classified as soprano, the highest range mezzo-soprano as the warmheartedness range and contralto as the lowest range. In a male character, he can be classified as tenor as the highest low the middle range and bass as the lowest range. The roles of actors would be dependent on the range of their voices and usually is assigned by the composers themselves. The choices would be strategically design about by the lyricist and the composer and most of the times sopranos and tenors are reserved for the lead actors while the antagonists are vie by bass or mezzo sopranos.This stereotyping is still ongoing up to now. A legendary mezzo soprano was Faustina Bordoni whose ability t o sustain a note was amazing. Italian tenor Enrico Caruso is probably the most famous opera singer in history. III. What are the characteristics of an Opera? a. Voice The main feature of every opera is the singing, so setting aside the musical accompaniments it is the vocal prowess of the actors that would carry the performance up to its end. Therefore, the arias, duets and choruses are strategically placed to emphasize the growing drama.An aria is a soliloquy or a soliloquy wherein the actor sings alone as in narrating through rhythm the events or his feelings. It is difficult to maintain an opera through an aria by itself but some composers found it to be the best way of relaying the plot of the story and conveying fast events, like fast talking but with a musical beat. b. Orchestra The orchestra serves as the spinal column or the supporting structure of the Opera. Its strategic rhythm and melodious tempo helps the story unfold and captures the audiences attention and carries the m along as the opera develops.It helps in the escalation of feelings and provides dramatic sequences throughout the entire opera. c. Overture Overtures are theatrical introductions or short musical preludes that are usually coming from the theme of the opera itself. It sets the emotion of the audience in preparation for the first act and could run anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. However, this style was later on disregarded to give way to preludes or sometimes totally overlooked in some operas. IV. What are the forms of an Opera? a. Dramatic The term drama pertains not only for the lyrics or the texts of the opera but also about the feelings the music eludes.The original Italian composers called their works as dramma per musica and this tradition can be traced back from religious plays that also utilize music to relay their accounts. In a musical play, although complete by itself already, cannot be all together called an operatic drama unless it employs music that helps focalize the emotion. In writing dramatic operas, composers usually make use of situations that involves sadness and eludes a distressing sentiment, at the same time applying higher registers of voice (soprano) to denominate passion or cacophonous mixtures to depict fear.Although there are points in which voices do occasionally rise from excitement and anger, the skilled composer would turn the music to drop dead identical with the feelings arose by the character. b. Romantic The beginning of the 19th century inspired an artistic movement called romanticism and became widespread in literature, art and music. It spells imagination, creative emancipation and subjectivity of interpretation. During this period artistry became luxuriant and flamboyant, employing large scale orchestras, higher notes, enormous choruses and more passionate solos.The theme as well was all on the subject of longings, faraway places, unrequited love affairs, intense romances, melancholic characters, nostalgia, tempestu ous romances, nationalistic themes and magical beings. Gioacchino Rossini of Italy was inspired and created an opera based on Sir Walter Scotts wench of the Lake or La Donna del Lago in 1819. However it was Giuseppe Verdi whose works lamented the Austrian oppression of Italy highlighted patriotism in its utmost romantic fervor. German romantic opera was made famous by two outstanding composers in the personality of Richard Wagner and Ludwig Van van Beethoven.Beethovens only opera Fidelio in 1805 introduced romanticism in Singspiel. The difficulty Beethoven went through while composing Fidelio was reason enough for him to never make one again. Wagner composed the romantic drama Tristan Und Isolde in 1865. In his final masterpiece, Parsifal, about the quest for the Holy Grail, Wagner created such beautiful music that other opera houses took it in immediately and it was considered as a very successful work fitting to end such a wonderful career. V.Twentieth Century Opera The romantic period of Opera ended when harsh times came with the war, this ushered twentieth century opera in a very peculiar way. Although Wagners Parsifal is still being played, Richard Strauss created Salome in 1905 based on a play by Oscar Wilde. Strauss was regarded as Wagners successor when it comes to creating beautiful music. Other successors are Arnold Schoenberg and Albag Berg and became known as the second Viennese school. Berg created Wozzeck in 1925 and Lulu in 1937.Schoenberg composed anticipation in 1909 and Moses und Aron in 1957. English opera looked on to the Indian epic Mahabharata to derive the Opera Savitri by Gustav Holst in 1916 and Ralph Vaughan Williams composed Sir John In passionateness in 1929, an adaptation of Shakespeares The Merry Wives of Windsor. Igor Stravinsky, a Russian born composer who settled in the United States composed a remarkable collection of Operas, ranging from the romantic The Nightingale in 1914, the Greek drama Oedipus Rex in 1927 and The Rak es Progress in 1951.VI. Conclusion Opera nowadays is still being played by various theater houses all over the world, not just Europe anymore. Opera became widespread and more and more contemporary composers deep their softwood into producing operas and making it available for public. However, it seems that Opera had come back to its previous state of being patronized only by elites and socialites way back in Italy in the late 1600s.Opera had become unreachable and in the present situation of the world right now, it is hard to depict the poverty, the terrorism and the hunger that occupies the humankind presently. Opera can not be flexible and it would be absurd to see artists dancing and singing in an attempt to depict hunger in Africa. Unlike other stage shows wherein they could properly address this issue and show the reality that they want to portray. Opera can never be mainstream, it enjoys a position at the top of the musical industry and it shall stay there forever.

Orange County’s Own Wave of Ska Essay

Through verboten history, many practice of medicineal cultures have affected others. Whether it be by new governmental forces coming into power, or through migrations of populations into a different areas, music travels just as well as the humans that produce it do. In the mid 1990s, the relaxed beach towns of orange County rose to be one of the major hotspots of the 3rd wave Ska generation in the United States, being the hometown to well-k nown bands much(prenominal) as Reel Big Fish, Sublime, and No Doubt. Ska music is known for its energetic beats, melodic horns, and reggae vibe. The third wave ska scene in Orange County attracted young kids from the suburbs out to a community, developing a unique sense of style and culture celebrating individuality, fun, and a carefree attitude, staying true to the Orange County beach culture.The beginnings of the Ska musical genre put up be traced to the island nation of Jamaica in the mid 1950s. Initially, it was defined as a kind of ham- fisted combination of American rhythm and blues and Caribbean folk styles, such as calypso and mento (Selvin). This melting pot of sounds was credited to the fact that post World War II, the inhabitants of Jamaica were able to listen in on American radios due to American soldiers stationings. Tourism and other outside forces have always had an influence on Jamaican music, with textbooks coining that Caribbean musics have participated in significant ways in globalized networks of music-making that have historically emerged in response to travel in the Caribbean (Nettl 345). With Jamaicas music culture being accepting and adapting to outside instrumentation and styles, they were able to create a genre that appealed the to United States as well.With warm weather found in all twelve months throughout the year, a relaxed coastal feel throughout the area, and a unbendable teenage population, Orange County in southern California made for the perfect location for a brand new era of Ska mus ic. With many rock ersatz bands such as Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Stone Temple Pilots emerging in the late 1980s and early 1990s, their hardcore, energetic music did non completely comply with the easygoing demeanor of Orange County. The rise of rock alternative though did create a gateway for the new, third, wave of ska. Compromising nigh(prenominal) with the popular alternative scene and with the relaxed reggae-centric vibe of conventional ska, the Third Wave Ska movement was formed.Throughout the 1990s many small ska bands loosely formed. Rooted from puerility friends to garage parties, the initial intentions of this genre were to create a subculture for teenagers to escape and somewhat rebel from Orange Countys conservative norm. As the neighborhood concerts and beach music festivals grew and grew around this time period, so did the genre of music itself. Seemingly overnight, the once seldomly known style of ska became a growing fruit, ripe from the county of Orang e.Recognition of this craze continued, both by word of mouth as well as in the media. The Orange County Register first mentioned the invasion in May, 1996, with a piece that asked Is ska Orange Countys next big thing Many OC acts were now benefiting from the success of No Doubt, and Sublime, including ska-punkers Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger (Apter 164). Once Orange County local acts were now topping Billboard Charts and receiving much airplay across the nation. Anaheim native band No Doubts smash 1995 single Dont Speak, a mellow ska-centric song, was at the number one spot on Billboards Hot 100 Radio Airplay chart for sixteen weeks and was also put up for Song of the Year at the Grammys. Along with No Doubts success, other Orange County ska bands such as Sublime, The Aquabats, and Slightly Stoopid were able to follow.Despite its dire success, it is important to remember skas humble beginnings and that it free is prevalent in its birth area. With an aggressive alternative scene i n the Los Angeles area, the relaxed ska appealed to most teenagers living at heart Orange County. Events such as the Vans Warped Tour and summer beach concerts made it easy for the third wave ska movement to be seen by many throughout the area. Due to Orange Countys conservative culture, there exists a bit of animosity from parents whose children listen to the liberal genre.Composed with lush paced reggae-influenced instruments and with lyrics hinting to marijuana usage, alcohol, and even sometimes drugs, many were disrupted by the controversial messages the songs gave to the teenagers that listened to them. Aside from the belligerent ideas that may come from the genre, ska is mostly known for being a high-energy style with a hint of rapping vocals mixed with a few harmonies that all transform into having a feel good time with others.The history of ska still is prevalent in the beach areas of Orange County. Even though it is not as popular as it once was, it has branched out and g ave rise to to a greater extent reggae based bands nowadays. Teenage offspring trying to go against conservative mindsets of their parents have always found a musical outlet, as will their offspring. This outlet can have both negative and positive effects on oneself, depending on how they interpret this high energy, beach-vibe style. An alumni of this culture may still be dressed in board shorts, a ripped up tank top, a pair of Rainbow sandals as well as a pair of cheap sunglasses. Even though some have outgrown the style, it will be remembered from them that ska was the source of their most memorable teenage experiences.Works CitedApter, Jeff. Gwen Stefani & No Doubt A Simple Kind of Life. London Omnibus, 2008. Print. Nettl, Bruno. Excursions in World Music. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson, 2011. Print. Selvin, Joel. A Brief History of Ska. San Francisco Chronicle 23 Mar. 2008 n. pag. Print.

Banal Evil

Murder often poses a persons blood boil and ask the question, How can someone do that to someone else? Most of time when a gruesome act of violence hazards people wonder, What kind of human being does it take to do something equivalent that? Truman hooded cloaks book, In Cold Blood, is about such an act of violence a murder that, when the reader walks away, only registers a banal. The killing of the hodgepodge family, which happened in 1959 in the town of Holcomb, Kansas, blew some people away with its senselessness and horror.Capote, however, writes the story with personal background on the killers, making them human and giving the reader, something most people do not get to hear or rase care to know, a reason to the mindless murders. Evil is easily banalized when there is a story to go along with it. At the beginning of In Cold Blood the pickles murderers, Perry smith and Dick Hickock, are persons unknow elevating them to a state of inhuman, mythical potpourri. The to wn of Holcomb, a small quite place where nothing happens, is suddenly shaken and view metalworker and Hickock as motiveless evil that has come follow out to destroy the peaceful life the community has. This hitherto peaceful congregation of neighbors and old friends had suddenly to endure the unique experience of distrusting each other understandably, they accept that the murderer was among themselves (88). This quote shows the havoc that is wreaked on the security of town, fragmenting the community into suspicion. They, as the town, fall from grace, a loss of their former innocence, as they are forced to anticipate the reality of the killers and the world they represent. However, as the book moves on so does the readers point of view, from one of the townspeople to that of the killers.Capote replaces the simplistic view to a more slight interpretation exploring the physiological, material, and environmental circumstances that are the catalyst for Smith and Hickock to commit mur der. Smith, the reader is told, is the child of an extremely abusive household in which is subjected to alcoholism, the suicidal deaths of his cardinal siblings and mother, abandonment, no formal education, etc. Describing his father Smith says, But no education, because he didnt want me to learn anything, only how to tote and carry for him.Dumb. Ignorant. Thats the way he wanted me to be. So that I could never escape him (185). Smith clearly hates his father and blames him for the situation he is in now not having an education is something that Smith seems very occupied with and resents in people around him. Hickock on the other had seems to come from a poor, but good family. Being the corpus athlete in high school, with good grades to boot, Hickock seems to have had a normal life. However, he is in the constant mindset of envy of money/power. Envy was eer with him Hickock the Enemy was anyone who was someone he wanted to be or who had anything he wanted to have (200). The Clutt ers, in contrast, were the perfect family. Extremely wealthy, well to do, and educated they were a symbol of everything the murderers wanted. With the envies in toe, Smiths being education and Hickocks being money/power, the Clutters were the perfect family for the two murders to let their rage out on. Knowing Hickocks and Smiths backgrounds, the reader now has something to empathize with and to mold into some type of understanding.The killers are being transformed from heartless, cold-blooded murders to f obligationful and pitiful individuals. The crime itself is boiled down to pure emotional responses. Stephen J. Whitfield compares the emotions of the Clutter murders to that of Adolf Eichmann, the man who directed the transportation of the Jews of Nazi-occupied Europe to their death (496), in the book The History Teacher. Between such multiple murders and Eichmann, some parallel can mayhap be traced in terms of the absence of any human connection, any remorse, any emotional weigh t to be attached to their crimes.They were frighteningly estranged form the rest of the human race (473). Whitfield brings up any interesting point, which Smith brings up latter in the book. The circumstance that Smith and Hickock are so dislocated from the human race is something that not only scares the reader, but also puts the murders in a different light. Though remorse is thought of as the road to forgiveness, Smith makes a point that most do not think of. Just remember I only knew the Clutters maybe an hour.If Id really known them, I guess Id feel differentBut the way it was, it was like picking off targets in a shooting movement (291). Capote does not mean to excuse Smith and Hickock from their action, but he does show how ordinary feelings of frustration and despair can erupted into vicious acts of murder. Smith explains it by saying, And it wasnt because of anything the Clutters did. They never hurt me. Like other people. Like people have all my life. Maybe its just that the Clutters were the ones who had to pay for it (290).In fact, during the murders, Smith even talks about his frustration and self-loathing that finally lead him to kill Mr. Clutter. I knelt down beside Mr. Clutter, and the pain of kneeling-I thought of that goddam dollar. Silver dollar. The shame. Disgust. And theyd told me never to come back Kansas. But I didnt realize what Id done till I heard the sound (245-246). The murder comes as an automatic response to the memory of other frustrations and insults Smith has endured, of which the Clutter house is a symbol of.Another idea that Capote makes the reader take into fact is that Hickock and Smith were not inspired to murder due to literal hatred of the Clutters, but a misdirected frustration and resentment that finds a symbolic object in the Clutters and the values that they represent. I Smith didnt want to harm the man. I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat (244) . The family is unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of this furry, but they are by no instrument the source.The fact that Capote also brings in the psychologist goes to further legitimize that the murders had no control over their actions. When Smith attacked Mr. Clutter her was under a mental eclipse, slurred inside a schizophrenic darkness (302). Smith was acting out of his medical incapacity to manage his emotional response. However, though Capote throws all of these ideas and images at us he tries to humanize the murders and make their crimes seem ordinary because he feels that this situation could have happened to him. If one reads Capotes history, his life was not that much different from Smith.Capote touches on a human question of what people are capable of put in the right situation and the right environment. Saying that his event could happen to anyone, Capote places the readers brain on high alert and makes him or her consider his or her own situation. The evil of this crime, and of the criminals themselves, becomes banal due to Capotes willingness to make it that way. He humanizes them in a way that no one else would. When the reader sees Hickock and Smith, they also see their past and motivations. The reader sees more then what they bargain for and, sometimes, even see themselves.

Managing your professional performance Essay

1.0 INTRODUCTIONPersonal maturement planning (PDP) is a process undertaken by an soulfulness to reflect upon their make development in a purposeful way through learning and experience. (Jackson, 2001) Every genius has desires and aspirations in life. To go about achieving final stages and success in onenesss life, it is vital to jump erupt and implement a very own individualized and overlord development plan. Every individual will pass on their own interpretation of in-person development. For me, it is a lifelong personal growth and learning progress non only in building on self-importance aw argonness and enhancing on skills and professions entirely as well to carry through spiritual growth.2.0 ANALYSE PERCEIVED DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MODULE2.1 Personal Vision and Mission Vision Statement To construct an effective and respected General music director in the hospitality industry helping to enhance the performance and continuous improvement within th e business and extending purity service to the customers.Mission Statement I will strive firm to work my way up the ladder with continuous learning and development of intimacy, skills and experiences and at the corresponding clipping, maintaining good work ethics and relationships with people around me.MANAGING YOUR skipper mathematical operationPhilosophy I always believe that if one does not deplete the passion towards something, one wont achieve success in it. We may be inspired to do something, but to be successful in what we are doing requires great driveway and determination. Just like the saying from Thomas Alva Edison (1929 cited in Sommers 2012, p184) Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. If no effort is swan in, thithers estimable no way that we can achieve success in life.2.2 StatusWhen I ingest chosen hospitality as my course, I knew it is a field that differs from the others which it requires not only basic hospitality knowledge and skills but to a fault industry experience. Therefore, along with my studies I have held several part snip positions as a waitress, promoter, sale executive and even a part time tuition teacher to gain career-related experience. As soon as I completed my diploma studies, I undergo my industrial education and continue on as a full time employee working as a client experience executive with Le Meridien Hotel before I supercharge my degree in order to gain broader knowledge and real-world experiences.Throughout these yrs so much has happened. Everyday Im facing with new challenges and obstacles in work, with m either ups and downs. I have learned to be patient looking at things from diverse perspective and creatively dealing with different types of human macrocosm. All these working experiences have developed me a sense experience of competence and build up my self-esteem. Also, Im to a greater extent aware of the attitudes, skills and experiences that required for further career development and seizing the opportunity to gain taste and learn more about myself.MANAGING YOUR captain PERFORMANCE2.3 Self AssessmentI have made an assessment of my own personality and capabilities in certain(prenominal) key skill areas in order to anlayse my strengths and timidnesses as well as to review on the gaps that I could further enhance for my long-term career prospects. (a) spiritPersonality test is vital in helping me to understand my inner self and review on areas that could be improved for better self development to achieve future career success. I have taken the big five personality tests which could review on my level of sociability, friendliness, work ethic, calmness and creativity. (Please repair to appendix 1 The Big Five Model of Personality) The takings indicated that I am a person who is well organised, relatively social and tends to con lookr the feelings of others. However, weak in handling emotions and tend to be conventional.(b) Career Motivation According to R obbins (2001 cited in Tan and Amna 2011, pp73-94), motivation is a needs-satisfying process, which means individuals will strive to achieve goals when their needs are satisfied by certain factors. It is highly distinguished for me to understand my career motivation in order to achieve a more fulfilling and productive career. And based on the career motivation test that I have taken, I realized for me to ensure a long term project satisfaction my career motivational needs are recognition and long-term reward. (Please see appendix 2 Career Motivation Test) This enables me to reflect and decide on the type of organisationMy ex-manager exercises a range of drawing cardship approaches as shown in the table above and deploys them tolerately according to different situations. Instead of practicing only one or few of the leadership approaches, her way of leading and levels of control towards the team is moving along the continuum which from existence an autocratic leader to a democrati c leader.MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE3.1.4 several(predicate) Styles and Different Stages When I first joined in the organisation, I was really not used to her way of managing as I was being ordered and instructed on things to do without having the freedom to do according to my way. Whenever I questioned on the task that I was performing, her reply is always the same Just pursue and do whatever I told you, soon you will understand why. Until a period where I saw other teams were doing the same tasks as mine but different way of performing and they ended up screwing up the tasks made me realized her intention was to train me on the right way of doing things. after(prenominal) gaining some period of working experience, she presented a list of suggestions and solutions and allowed me decide on my own based on my analysis and past experience. And as soon as she had faith on me and theteam and having confidence in our abilities, she allowed us to develop ideas and decide on action to be taken.As in overall, when the team is new or new, she will practice the styles more towards to the left-hand side of the spectrum. By contrast, when the team is skilled and motivated, she will practice the styles that are more towards to the right-hand side of the spectrum. Her shifting in leadership styles from being autocratic to democratic at different stages has inspired me and made me understand that a great leadership is not necessary to be consistent with the forms of leadership, but being able to apply the right style at the right situation.ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCEand influence chase perceptions, and eventually smooth the path in achieving common goals.3.1.6 ConclusionI truly believe that there is no one best style of leadership. Different leaders will have their own interpretation of what is called a good leader and with different approaches to leadership. To me, to be a good leader, first is to become a good follower, which I truly agre e with the saying from Mark Wagner (2010) Great Followers make the Best Leaders. In my opinion, a great leader needs to be developed through experience and learning learned from observation, listening, hearing and doing. A leader may be is naturally born, but a great leader is definitely made. scalawag 21 of 41ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE3.2 COMMUNICATION (Activity 4)Communication is a simple yet complex military action in which can be defined as a twainway process of reaching mutual understanding through communicative or nonverbal means. (Business Dictionary, n.d.) It is an important facet of life which plays a vital role not only in personal interactions but in addition in business communication.3.2.1 Importance of telling CommunicationIn the daily personal interactions, effective communication could help oneself to deliver the information along and invite the desired respond or need. It could also help to build up good relationships with the people aroun d through better understanding and avoiding from arguments and misunderstandings. Effective communication could also build up individuals self-esteem as they are able to present themselves well and express their thoughts and feelings.Effective communication is also a key to success for both organisation, leader, manager, and employee. It is vital for an organisation to build or strengthen the relations with internal and external stakeholders and ultimately, achieving business goals and missions. Following table highlights the importance of effective communication in businessConsiderationUnderstands human natureEmphasize positive pleasant facts, visualizing reader or listeners problems, desires, emotions and responses.ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCECourtesy fort relations Not only thinks about receiver but also valuing his or her feelings. Use polite word and gestures, being appreciative, thoughtful, tactful, showing respect. Source Managementstudyguide.com, 20123.2.3 sayingThroughout this activity, I found out that it wasnt easy to get everyone to be in the same level of understanding of the information that I have been delivered. Different people tend to have different interpretation and understanding towards my explanation of the visual poster. I was struggling in expressing my own thoughts and ideas effectively towards the entire class. Also, I realized the same scenario happened in my previous workplace when I was expressing or explaining something to different people. My words are often misinterpreted or misconceive and eventually lead to ineffective job performance. My weakness in delivering message is causing me great difficulty to communicate effectively especially in the workplace. unwrap of the 7Cs above, I realized I am somehow lack of the 2 Cs completeness and concreteness. I often simplify my expressed thoughts and ideas without any further explanation and supporting facts. Perhaps this is the issue which leads to the misinterp retations due to having an unclear and ineffective communication. Therefore, it is essential for me to look into how I could craft effective communications and further develop on my communication skills.Page 24 of 41ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE3.2.4 Communication Skills The act of communication involves verbal and nonverbal components. (Rod and Suzanne, n.d.) Both of these components are interrelated which are vital to deliver clear and concise messages and receive correct and understand messages sent by the others. Therefore, these devil aspects of communication skills should be intensify as a whole to ensure effective communication.(a) VerbalVerbal communication includes both oral and written communications. (Rod and Suzanne, n.d.) There are numerous verbal communication skills such as speak with confidence, think before you speak, dont talk too much and so on. And, I found it that there are certain verbal skills that I could enhance andworth mastering based o n my communication weaknesses, which are(i) Learn the art of listening auditory modality someone effectively enable us to gain valuable information and greater understanding of the others point of view. One of the key improvements that I would require is to encumbrance focus or pay attention on the message delivered to gain a deeper understanding of some others thoughts. Remain clearheaded is also another key area that I need to further enhance by truly listen to someones perception and controlling emotions when it comes to sensitive and unrestrained topic.(ii) Be clear and conciseI should avoid wordy expressions and learn to choose my words state out my point of views as clear as possible and as briefly and succinctly as possible. I Page 25 ofILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCEshould train on this daily while communicating with family members, friends, colleagues and relatives and gain feedbacks from them for better improvement.(b) NonverbalNonverbal communication can be described using body languages which involve facial expression, body movement, gestures, eye contact, voice, post and more. (Rod and Suzanne, n.d.) Following are the list of tips that could help me in enhancing my nonverbal communication skillsAlways make eye contact while communicating with people. Exhibit appropriate facial expressions and affirmative head nods. Avoid distracting gestures and actions. Be mindful of personal space while communicating. Do not invade personal space by getting too close or confuse communication by being too far away.Source IILM, 2012, p903.2.5 ConclusionCommunication is not just a simple daily activity but it comes together with skills and techniques where individuals need to learn and acquire them in order to perform daily tasks and work effectively. To me, it is the to the highest degree highly valued skill out of all professional skills as it plays a vital role in all aspects of personal and professional lives that would stick out for a life time.(Word Counts 1436 Words)ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE4.0 DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENTA personal action plan is a detailed muniment of key activities which set by an individual in order to accomplish personal goals. (Carnes, 2010) Based on my plenty and mission statements as well as the identified development needs, I have set a list of goals to be achieved into short-medium terms in the neighboring fifteen grades starting from year 2013 till 2027.4.1 FIVE-YEAR ACTION PLANPlan period From 2013 to 2017 ( get on with 22 to 26)Goals to be achieved1. To be a Front Office passenger car I have got cardinal age working experience as a guest experience executive in the hotel industry and several part time working experiences in the related fields. My next stage will be looking forward to be a front office supervisor and then strive hard to work my way up to the next level which is to be a front office manager within these five years.2. To travel every year Ever since I finished primary school, I have not been to anywhere out of the country, as I am committed to my study and work. And to be frank, I cant really remember when is the last time I traveled, most probably is when I was in the age of 12. I inadequacy to turn this around and I want to go on vacation or travel abroad every year to gain a different perspective of the world.LifetimeILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE From industry expertise, managers, supervisors and colleagues through sharing of industry knowledge and experiences.Personal Observations and Experiences The daily working experiences also known as the firsthand experiences enable me to gain awareness and up-todate hospitality-related service and knowledge.Year 1 2013 (Age 22)Basically my plan in 2013 is to return to my previous workplace right after I finished my degree course in between April to May. I have been offered aposition by my ex-manager, working as a guest experience supervisor or called it as a front office supervisor starting in June. Throughout the whole year, I have mean to take different cooking programmes or courses to overcome my weaknesses, enhance my professional skills, gain additional knowledge, build up self esteem and develop self competencies.The examples of training programmes include the 360-Degree Leadership Skills training course, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making training course, and Personal and Professional Effectiveness training workshop. Also, I am seeking for work-life balance, and I will plan for at least an oversea trip probably in the closing which it is also one of my personal goals.ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCEYear 2 to 5 2014 2017 (Age 23 to 26 )These quadruplet years are dismission to be hectic years as I will be striving hard to work my way up to the next position level. I will apply for Starwood Leadership tuition Programme which is a hands-on-three-year training progr amme to prepare myself to be a future leader enhancing every aspect of my personal and professional skills, knowledge and experiences.From time to time, I will also keep myself up-to-date of the hospitality or related industry knowledge through a wide variety of resources as listed in the action plan. I will also constantly look up for courses or training programmes to help me to further improving my professional skills and knowledge. And hopefully by 2017, I could achieve my first career goal which is to be a front office manager utilizing my skills, knowledge and experiences gained to help the organisation in enhancing the performance and continuous improvement within the business.Page 31 of 41ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE4.2 TEN-YEAR ACTION PLANPlan Period From 2018 to 2027 (Age 27-36)Goals to be achieved1. To be a Director of Rooms Division (By Year 2022, Age 31) My next goal to be achieved after being a Front Office Manager is to be a Director of Rooms Division after five years. I planned to apply for cross training or internal pitch programme to the maintain department for at least two years to learn and get more impression about the overall rooms operation.2. To be a Hotel Manager (By Year 2027, 36)My next goal to be achieved after being a Director of Rooms Division is to be a Hotel Manager after five years before moving forward to the next position level which is the General Manager. I planned to gain experience and exposure to all hotel departments and different functions to gain more in-depth knowledge and integrated experience of how the entire hotel operates. 3. To get a Masters Degree (By Year 2019, Age 28)Also, one of my ten-year goals is to earn a Masters Degree on a part-time basis to acquire broader knowledge and skills to keep myself a competitive edge over the others. Keeping me on the edge of developments with constant professional skills improvement and keeping industry knowledge up to date is also one of my life time plans.Personal Observations and Experiences The daily working experiences also known as the firsthand experiences enable me to gain awareness and up-todate hospitality-related service and knowledge. Cross culture Programme Housekeeping DepartmentILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCEYear 1 to 5 2018 2022 (Age 27 to 31)Basically my plan after achieving my first career goal is to get a Masters Degree major in hospitality management on a part-time basis over two years duration. This enables me to stay competitive in the industry as there is a growing in demand for higher education qualifications in the hospitality industry especially for the higher level positions. Also, I will participate in certain soft skills training programmes or courses to further improve and better myself such as stress management and emotional intelligence training workshops. Constantly updating the industry knowledge through a variety of sources is also one of my to-do-lists to keep myself stay al ert about the industry alternates, spot threats and opportunities early on, and make better business decisions.After planning to work for two years as a front office manager, I plan to get myself involved in cross training programme in housekeeping department to gain integrated experience and knowledge on how the entire room division operates.This can be an important stepping stone for me to move onto the next career level. Besides, I will also take up the Certified Professional Coach (CPC) Programme to enhance my mentoring and coaching skills to elevate myself to become a better leader. This programme not only able to help me to become better coaches in my own professional and personal lives but at the same time also improving better cross functional interaction and efficiency in the organisation. And expecting by 2022 all the plans, efforts and determination that I have put in could help me in achieving my second career goal in life which is to be a Director of Rooms Division.Pag e 36 of 41ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCEYear 6 to 10 2023 2027 (Age 32 to 36)Gaining integrated experience in all hotel departments through cross training programme is going to be my next plan after being a Director of Rooms Division. This cross training is going to take about three years duration to six different departments with six months each which include food and beverage, security, engineering, sales and marketing, finance and revenue, and human resource departments. This programme is extremely important for me in achieving my next career goal as it enables me to expose, learn and gain an in-depth knowledge and experience on how the entire hotel runs. And expecting by 2027, I could achieve my third career goal in life which is to be a Hotel Manager.Other than just focusing on maximizing my career achievement, I also aim to subvert a home latest by 2024 in the age of 33 and build up a happy and healthy family. Not to forget also to ensure a balance of my wor k life go on vacation or travel abroad probably in every year-end to relax and gain a different perspective of the world.4.3 Contingency PlanReviewing on the action plans regularly is essential to keep track of my progress in achieving my personal and professional goals. However, situations may change at times due to sudden or unthought circumstances or perhaps desires may change as time goes by. Therefore, adjusting goals andplans are necessary when the situation calls for it. Following are the contingency plans of the five and ten years development plans by identifying the possible breakdowns Page 37 of 41ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE1. Extension of TimeframeAn extension of time is essential when the goals are unable to be achieved within the timeframe perhaps due to unexpected circumstances. For example, my aim to purchase a house by the age of 33 might need to be extended in the case that I am facing financial difficulties at that moment. The cross training pro gramme to all hotel departments might also need to be extended from three years to four years if I cant gain my desired result and knowledge from all the departments within the targeted timeframe.2. Seek consultation from industry expertise seek advice and consultation from industry expertise such as managers and directors is required if I dont gain the desired or enough skills and knowledge from the training programmes and workshops. Often the view, opinion, experience and knowledge share by the expertise could help me to gain a better insight into the required skills development.3. Online Professional Development fetching up online development courses are my backup plan instead of attending training programmes or workshops during the case of having limited time in completing a thousand of tasks in daily life causing me couldnt fulfill my development plans within the targeted timeframe. This backup plan would be more flexible and favorable for me especially in a hectic working env ironment. However, I would still prefer participating in training workshops as I will get the chance to get involved in a variety of activities such as role plays, group Page 38 of 41ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCEdynamics, games and more which could help me in gaining a betterunderstanding and insight of the professional skills development.4.4 Future PlanMy next career aim after being a Hotel Manager for about five years length of duration is looking forward to become an effective and respected General Manager in the hospitality industry which is also my vision in life. My career development will not just stop at this stage after achieving my vision but will continue on to set another vision and goals to be accomplished in the rest of my life.I will continue to mark on maximizing my career potential and achievement through ongoing development of professional skills, knowledge and experience. Besides taking up different skills training courses and participating in tr aining programmes to further enhance and enrich myself, I will also seek advice from the industry experts to achieve a better result in career achievement. Not to forget also to constantly reviewing and evaluating the action plan and self development and look for ways to further enhance personal and professional performance.Besides, one of my future plans is also to contribute to the best of my ability towards the community not only on behalf of the organisation but also for my own sake. Example of contributions include participating or working with the local or international charities and adopting green approaches such as choosing more Page 39 of ILP 333 MANAGING YOUR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCEenvironmentally viable alternative power supplies, integrating the consideration of environmental concerns into decision makings, promote environmental awareness, reducing waste through utilize and recycling activities and more.ConclusionTo me, personal and professional development is a journe y that never ends. It is a lifetime and ongoing process in developing professional skills, knowledge and experience as well as in achieving personal and spiritual growth. I truly believe that personal growth and development is solely within my hands which requires not only strong determination and self discipline but also having a positive, can-do attitude and thought that are vital in driving me to success. And based on my philosophy of success, I will definitely put in great effort and determination in everything I do strive hard to achieve every single goal that I have set in life.(Word Counts 1869 Words)(Total Word Counts 4184 Words)Page 40 of 41

Global Statements

THE GLOBAL STATEMENT What is it and where to use it? Aside from courtesy details, a dissertation argumentation (a more direct statement about the guinea pig/text than the examples below a simple equation which may help is thesis = topic +opinion) and your road map, an foot may also offer (usually in the opening sentence) a general or global statement about the spirit of texts/ characters/conflicts/ideas/ individuation/ conventions/responses etc on all the usual topics you atomic number 18 asked to argue in es tell writing.You should use the global statements as the opening sentence of your introduction. Ensure your global statement stills offer a sense of where your thesis is heading, that is, it makes reference to an aspect of the topic. The global statement should, however, be much broader than your thesis. It may be useful to think of an introduction as sentences which transition from broad to narrow in sequence i. e. ower structures and identity ( position on hierarchy/ fon d status ( age, sex and occupation come to opportunities and way others behave towards you Here are some examples of global statements to learn/know/experiment with Text can often reflect the real beingness characters can reflect real people settings can reflect real places or attempt to predict what the real world might be ilk in the future (sci-fi or speculative texts).If you need to discuss how ideas in texts can reflect or interpret the real world you might secernate Any given text can be considered the authors attempt to reflect their understanding of the world floors can allow readers to consider the nature of the world/the way the world works Texts can speculate as to the future of our world Texts can be critical of the nature of the world/ human nature/ humanity A narratives purpose is to communicate an understanding/ interpretation of the world A text can teach us to appreciate aspects of our world we might take for granted A text can be critical of those thing s we forget to question Any aspects of identity is a locus (position) of power i. e. Gender is a ocus of power Class is a locus of power Age is a locus of power etc if you need to discuss identity in relation to a text/topic offer something like The identity of any given character determines their position in the social hierarchy The identity ascribed to a character influences our expectations of them as readers Identity is a social construct which influences the level of power experienced by an individual Narrative techniques and conventions follow patterns to describe readers through texts the reason you know how to read and comprehend a new text is because you have an awareness of textual conventions based on your reading of other texts. An intertextual topic or question might best be approached by a statement like Narratives techniques provide a conceptual framework for comparing individual literary works to others, within and across genres If your essay topic specifies a discussion of techniques, conventions, elements of construction and reader response you could say An authors manipulation and control of narrative techniques/ conventions is used to guide readers to an intended response All texts are constructed to invite a certain response from the reader lectors are positioned to identify with characters which the author presents favourably The construction of a text is intrinsically linked to the meanings we make of it Keep in mind if you are offering a resistant reading you could argue that despite a narrative leading readers to an intended response, sometimes the opposite happens. Texts may be constructed to guide readers to an invited response, but the values, attitudes and experiences of any given reader will ultimately determine how they feel about the text For a topic about conflict/protagonists contradict drives the plot of any given text Conflict is essential for engaging and sustaining audience interest The easier it is for th e protagonist to triumph, the less value there is in the dramatic play of the narrative A protagonist should be ennobled by his/her struggles by the narratives conclusion Others which might help Texts can encourage readers to reconsider their deliver values and attitudes Texts can ask readers to take action against an issues of controversy Texts reflect the context of their production

Issues of grandparents raising grandchildren Essay

Abstract This paper explores research regarding the impacts on grandp bents and grandchildren when the grandp atomic number 18nt assumes the parental fictitious character because of some attribute of parental fall through. The articles hear that the monetary aspect of lift grandchildren in your later years is instead costly as well is the negative wellness problems the stress of the situation can cause. This paper mainly looks at Baldocks (2007) research on the affects of every aspect of the innovative situation on the grandparents and grandchildren. Baldock (2007) and the other research used for this paper all suggest that there are multiple struggles that the grandparents result carry when raising their grandchildren.Issues of Grandparents Raising GrandchildrenThe clich life of a grandparent is comm moreover thought of as taking the grandchildren to the zoo, baking cookies, and making crafts. Grandparents are also around to share their wisdom and experiences with the yo unger generation, however in todays society the amount of grandparents having to assimilate in their grandchildren due to an issue in the biological parents lives has been on the increase for years (Baldock, 2007, p. 70).This change of role for the grandparents can eng historic period various affects on non only the grandparents but the grandchildren as well. There are legion(predicate) reasons as to why grandparents come into the situation where they need to take their grandchildren into their wish such as teen mature pregnancy, parental abuse, and parental drug and alcohol abuse. No matter how the grandparents come into obtaining their grandchildren each family have their own types of struggles they will have to deal with. Both the grandparents and grandchildren can go through multiple financial, health, and behavioral issues that can either bring the family out on top or hurt them, but many are choosing to overcome the difficulties and persevere through them. Literature Rev iewThere are many troubles in todays society with drugs, alcohol, and violence, all which are just a few of the reasons that many parents obtain unable to properly care for their children.These and many other circumstances are which have led to approximately 2.4 million grandparents world responsible for raising their grandchildren, many in households without the parents present. (Poehlmann et al., 2008, 165) The decision to undertake the office of raising your grandchildren is a big nonpareil to run into, however many times there is no decision to make because the children would end up in the foster care system if it werent for the grandparents. In a study completed in Australia about grandparent run homes, of the 31,000 children living with their grandparents, 28,700 childrens biological parents lived elsewhere. (Baldock, 2007, p. 71) This can make the melodic line of raising your grandchild even much difficult because of the emotional and financial hindrances it may cause . Health Quality of Custodial GrandparentsThere have been various studies in which they have found that grandparents who take care of their grandchildren have mental and physical aspects of themselves that are in a disarray (Neely-Barnes, Graft, & Washington, 2010, p. 87). The role of being a tutelar grandparent is difficult not only because it is a new situation which they need to adjust to, but it can also cause physical and mental problems.The situation cause a lot of new emotions and stressors that numerous studies have documented elevated rates of depression, parenting stress, health problem, and economic laboredship among custodial grandparents. (Poehlmann et al., 2008, p. 168) Many grandparents are well in their sixtys and so when the children arrive, grandparents are unlikely to be prepared for the dramatic and often sudden changes caused by unplanned parenthood. (Baldock, 2007, p. 73) The grandparents generally see an increase in health related problems because they are pu t into a situation where they need to focus on the care of their grandchildren which leads to the grandparents health and well-being coming second and in which custodial grandparents report worse self-assessed health than noncaregiving grandparents, particularly in the areas of physical functioning, bodily pain, role functioning, social functioning, and general health perception. (Neely-Barnes et al., 2010, p. 88)Not only are the grandparents not being able to properly maintain their own health, but among custodial grandparents, higher levels of depression have been found among unmarried grandparents who were not working. (p. 88) This new parenting role that the grandparents are put into also effects their social life in one study, half of custodial grandparents reported that they felt isolated from friends in their age group due to their caregiving responsibilities. (p. 88) Grandparents usually feel worn out by the amount of extra responsibilities they have come to take on which ca n make them feel worried when they think about having many more years of having to take care of their grandchildren. This type of constant worrying and stress can become quite a negative thing both(prenominal) for the grandparent and grandchild because grandparents who are stressed are more likely to become depressed. (Baldock, 2007, p. 73) FinancialsWhen grandparents are put into the situation of speech their grandchildren into their care, one of the most difficult issues they have to deal with is the financial aspect of raising the children. The financial aspect of raising the grandchildren can be so hard to handle because many of the grandparents are older and even retired which means limited income. In around one third of grandparent families (34%), one of both grandparents were employed, while 62% take upd a government pension, allowance or other benefit as their primary income. (Baldock, 2007, p. 71) Children are expensive to raise because of the extra clothing, food, and ho me resources that are used. The grandparents are used to and comfortable with their current lifestyle and then when the unexpected young grandchildren are brought into the picture this can make the once sufficient income dig into financial instability.Grandparents going through legal proceedings can also be another reason finances are put into a moderate when the need to take in your grandchildren is needed because grandparents are commonly ineligible for legal aid and consequently face disadvantage in proceedings (Baldock, 2007, p. 72). one and only(a) way that is used to try to gain some type of extra income for the grandchildren is by formalising their parenting role through legal proceedings which can be the only way grandparents are able to access financial support. (p. 72) The cost of providing for their grandchildren and all of the court related procedures needed to be done becomes such a burden that some grandparents have mortgaged their homes to undertake legal proceedin gs. (p. 72) Impacts on the FamilyThe result of custodial grandparents not only effects just the grandparents and grandchildren, but the whole family. The strain of raising grandchildren can be felt in the children of the grandparents some felt resentful that their parents energy was going into raising their grandchildren and their own children mixed-up out on a relationship with their grandparents. (Baldock, 2007, p. 72) In many families the reason that the grandparents need to raise their grandchildren is due to some type of addiction from the birth parents.This drug use can cause emotional and social problems in the grandparents and grandchildren which can make the grandparentsfeel blamed or express a sense of responsibility for their own childrens drug use.(p. 73) Grandparents often feel as though there was something they could have done to prevent their childrens drug abuse which in turn would have prevented the need for them to raise their grandchildren. This feeling of blame and shame exacerbate social isolation and increase psychological anxiety experienced by grandparents and their grandchildren. (p. 73)The effects on the grandchildren of not having their parent or parents around is difficult to for them to cope with because children separated from their parents because of alcohol and other drugs frequently face psychological, emotional and sometimes physical problems. (Baldock, 2007, p. 71) According to Day and Bazemore (2011children living without their biological parents typically present with high rates of psychological problems. Yet, by comparison, adolescents living with grandparent caregivers have the lowest levels of both internalizing problems (i.e. depressive symptoms, negative outlook, low self-esteem), and externalizing problems (i.e. nonviolent delinquency, general violent tendencies, and substance abuse. (p. 103) PositionI have first hand experience in the struggles and issues that can renegade from a grandparent having to put their liv es on hold and take in their grandchildren in order to provide them a loving and stable home. My parents are currently in the process of adopting my two nephews whom they, as well as myself, have taken care of since they were born. My sister is in a rehabilitation program in Yankee New Jersey for addiction to pills, cocaine, and heroin and has been in and out of trouble since her early teens. Growing up the way I did because of the situations and conditions that my sister made my family endure has shown me just how difficult and numerous the issues are when raising your grandchildren.My mother is sixty years old and my father is sixty-two, both having some health problems. Health problems associated with age can have a significant affect on how the grandparents are going to be able to act in their new role as caregivers because many grandparents are older and their health is declining. Taking care of a six and a nine year old can be mentally and physically exhausting. My nephews ha ve many psychological issues because their mother is gone and father is hardly around, these emotional troubles of my nephews also effect me and parents too. My nephews have ADHD and are quite sensitive which makes it even more difficult to calm them down if they are feeling upset or angry because they are missing their mother. I find the emotional impact it has on the children and family to be the greatest because of my experience in knowing how difficult is to cope with the entire situation.The financial responsibility for taking grandchildren in can be quite detrimental to the grandparents because many are retired or only working part-time in order to make a itsy-bitsy extra coin. My father is retired which has made the raising of two new children quite difficult before they received any assistance from the state. While most families receive financial assistance through state and federal aid, there may be certain circumstances in which a family has to come up with the money the mselves. Grandparents know how expensive children are because of their past experience in raising their own children, however times have changed and the cost of raising children has significantly increased. This financial burden put onto the grandparents is not a choice they make, but rather something they just have to endure because there is no other option for the grandchildren. AfterthoughtsIt is obvious that grandparents who have to bring their grandchildren into their home and raise them because of varying circumstances will inevitably face numerous amount of hardships and issues. The grandparents being older makes the task of raising their grandchildren difficult, along with the cost involved in raising them and the legal proceedings that are done in order to protect the children. While the hardships of custodial grandparents is plenty, many who have attended support groups say that it has made a positive difference in their lives (Baldock, 2007, p.73), which can help them to cope with the new situations they are being placed in. Even though raising grandchildren comes with multiple and varying issues that make it difficult to do, grandparents who are raising their grandchildren consistently report that the experience adds joy and meat to their lives and provides them with companionship and a purposeful social and familial role. (Kropf Burnette, 2003, p. 363)

Zz Packer

ZZ Packer The Alternative overshadow Narrative By our second day at Camp Crescendo, the girls in my goblin troop had obstinate to kick the asses of each and every(prenominal) girl in Brownie Troop 909 (Packer p. 1). Not exactly how mavin would think a brownie girl would act, but thats the trope, author ZZ Packer sets in every one and only(a) of her stories, in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. Like most authors, ZZ Packer has her own style of writing. She uses same patterns and techniques throughout her collection of short stories.I will look at two of her stories and how they relate to her style of writing. Brownies is a story that umteen people of cultural value can relate too. This short story has m whatsoever moral values in it. Brownies takes place at Camp Crescendo, a summer camp for stern graders near the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. The story is told in first person by an African American girl named medal, too known as Snot. On the second day of camp Laurel announces to a ll the girls in her Brownie Troop that they were going to kick the asses of every girl in the troop, who were all white girls.The black girls dislike the white girls the minute they saw them. There ringleader Arnetta, said they smell like chihuahuas. Wet chihuahuas (Packer p2). The black girls incur seen whites before, but theyve never really had much to do with them. Being at the camp with them was the closest come upon theyve ever had. which made it realistic and hard to not have any hatred towards them. This story is one of Packers most obvious labels that she usually talks about.As the story goes on, it follows another patten how the narrator of the story Laurel is a loner. Ever since the first grade she has always gotten made fun of, and got the nickname Snot. The emmet of the Self is another story that Packer talks about. It follows the themes of blacks to minorities, the presence of blacks on the east coast, and the main spirit Spurgeon is a loner. The Ant of the Self is a story about Spurgeon, the intelligent son of dig Bivens Jr.Throughout the story he finds himself carrying the burden of supporting his self centered father on his shoulders. Ray doesnt know the true meaning of an intimate relationship and is oblivious to his own sons needs. When view about a father son relationship, you would imagine love, respect, laughter, and support, but when it comes to Spurgeon and his father, their relationship can be set forth as a business transaction. Spurgeon always supports his father, whatever it may be and he never gets any acknowledgement from his father for being there.In the beginning of the short story Spurgeon bails his father out of jail with silver that he earned, and instead of his father showing appreciation or thanking him, he tells him Opportunities. Youve got to invest your money if you deprivation opportunities (Packer p82). The car ride home his Spurgeons father thinks of ways of making fast money, and comes up with an idea. Spurge on tries congress his father that its a bad idea, but of course he doesnt listen. This story, like some others ends with a the lack of a happy ending.

Lack of Respect for Nurses Essay

Lack of Respect for NursesAccording to a journal of alleviant Medicine The creation of a professional relationship associates trust, respect, commitment , truthfulness, and compliance to the expertise of a fellow worker (Paul Rousseau of Palliative Medicine, 2004, p.753). All of us need to respect each new(prenominal) because to earn respect you must study respect. According to a shield practitioner Olivia (Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 2007) A lack of respect can establish a barrier to effective collaboration, showing respect would be giving remarks about ones educational background, showing respect toward other health professionals, or not expressing feelings of being superior to the nurse practitioner. This has the potential to affect NPs motivation toward quality of care and possibly job contentment (p.548)The data collected by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2012) confirmed that nursing represents the nations largest healthcare profession with more th an 3.1 million nurses and 2.6 million licensed RNs. Nursing can be a satisfying profession however, nurses continue to experience lack of respect from their patients, doctors, administrators, and even from their coworkers. Due to the increase itemize of nurses, many hospitals cant hire more nurses resulting to unemployment.Because of that it decreases the rate of taking Nursing course in college. Some people says Why do you take up Nursing?, you cant allow job when you graduate or you will end up working on a shout center. They dont know that nursing students study hard, practice a lot to improve skills and other things that other people cant do. Respect is the word that is missing here, respect for the people who chose nursing and the profession that nursing students are proud of.Reference List1.http//online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jpm.2004.7.753?journalCode=jpm2. http//www.medscape.com/viewarticle/564327_63.http//www.healthecareers.com/article/3-big-problems-facing-nursi ng-today/1706294. 1. Rousseau PC, Kukulka D Nurses and caring. Am JHosp Palliat Care 20032011-12.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 20

My apologies for the abrupt transport, Carter continued. Jerome started freaking stunned that Id left you al peerless for so spacious.Ive neer freaked out in my life er, existence, er whatever, mused Jerome, strolling into the room. Studying him, I could believe his words. Dressed immaculately as ever, he held a martini in unmatched hand and looked utterly at ease amid the disarray.Nice place, I told him, console aghast at the damage d wiz to such beauty. Fixer-upper?The colossuss eyes flashed with amusement at my joke. I do so love having you around, Georgie. He sipped his drink. Yes, it is a little rough around the edges proper directly, however no worries. Itll clean up. Besides, I control other domiciles.Jerome had always been very tight-lipped roughly where he lived, and I surmise it was just forthwith Carters intervention that whollyowed us to even so remain here right now. The demon would keep never invited us. Walking over to a large bay window, I beheld a magnificent view of Lake Washington, the Seattle visible horizon glittering beyond it. Based on the angle of my view, I would have wagered m one and only(a)y we were in Medina, one of the more elite Eastside suburbs. Only the best for Jerome.So what happened? I finally asked when it became apparent no one else intended to broach the subject. Was this a nephilim attack, or did you just th rowing a party that got out of hand? Because honestly, if its the break exhaust one, Im going to be documentaryly pissed we werent invited.No such fears, Carter told me, smiling. Our friend the nephilim did a little redecorating, kindly flashing us when it was over. Thats why I aban dod you at Eriks. I would have given you some warning, but when I felt it over here He looked look oningfully at Jerome. The demon scoffed in response.You what? Thought I was in danger? You deal thats non possible.Carter cast a nondescript noise of dis complyment. Yeah? What do you call that? He inclined his hea d toward the spray-painted emblem.Graffiti, responded Jerome disinterestedly. It means no social occasion.I walked away from the breathtaking window and its pricey view, looking the symbol up and d receive. Id never guaranteen some(prenominal)thing like it, and I was familiar with a jam of compositors cases and markings from all types of places and clippings.It must mean something, I countered. Seems like a lot of trouble for nothing. Otherwise, he could have just written you suck or something like that. peradventure thats in one of the other rooms, suggested Cody.A punch line worthy of Georgie. Youre learning more than dancing.Ignoring the demons attempt to change the subject, I turned to Carter for answers. What is it? You must chouse what it means.The angel studied me speculatively a moment, and I realized Id never appealed to him before for serious help. Until our recent roommate stint, most of our interactions had been roundright antagonistic.Its a warning, he said slo wly, not looking at his demonic counterpart. A warning of impending disaster. The real phase of a fighting just about to begin.Jeromes finely suppressed control snapped. He slammed the applesauce down on an off-kilter table, case flushing. Christ, Carter argon you insane?It doesnt matter, and you receipt it. Everythings going to come out any(prenominal)way.No, hissed the demon icily, not everything. and so you recognize them. Carter made a grandiose gesture toward the symbol. You explain and make for certain I dont say too much.Jerome glared at him, and they locked eyes in their usual way. Id seen it happen countless times, but upon reflection, I felt pretty sure Id never actually seen them at such odds with each other before.It might have meant those things at one time, Jerome admitted at inhabit, exhaling in an effort to calm himself. But not anymore. As I said, its nonsensical now. An archaic scrawl. A charm which, without anyone to believe in it anymore, dominates no power.Then why use it at all? I wondered aloud. More of the nephilims bizarre sense of humor?Something like that. Its to remind me who were dealing with as if on that point was any possible way I could forget. Picking up his sloshed martini, Jerome finished it in one gulp. Sighing, suddenly looking tired, he glanced at Carter. You can tell them about the other ones if you want.The angels lay out registered mild surprise at the concession. He looked butt up at the marred wall. This symbol is the mo in a set of three. The front is the declaration of battle a way to sort of judgment out your enemy with whats to come. It looks just like this but with no diagonal. The last symbol marks victory. It has dickens diagonals and is displayed subsequently the enemy is defeated.I followed his gaze. So, wait if this is the second, does that mean youve seen the first already?Jerome walked out of the room and returned a moment later, handing me a piece of story. Youre not the only one who gets love notes, Georgie.I opened it up. The paper was the same kind used for my notes. Displayed on it, in heavy black ink, was a copy of the symbol on Jeromes wall without the diagonal. The first symbol, the declaration, according to Carter.When did you get this?Just before Duane died.I thought back through the weeks. Thats why you didnt push me too hard when he died. You already had a good estimation who was responsible.The demon shrugged by way of answer.Wait a minute therefore, exclaimed Cody, coming to look over my raise at the note. If this is the first warning are you saying that everything thats happened Duane, Hugh, Lucinda, Georgina has been part of the psyching out? The vampire grew incredulous when neither of the high immortals responded. What more can there be? What is this real phase? I mean, hes already attacked or killed, what, four immortals? cardinal lesser immortals, I supplied, suddenly genetic on. I looked back and forth between Jerome and Carter. Ri ght?The angel gave me a tight-lipped smile. Right. You guys have been the practice round before the big hit. He gave Jerome another pointed look.Stop it, the demon snapped back. Im not a target here.Arent you? No one spray-painted this on my wall.No one knows where you live.Youre not barely in the yellow pages yourself. Youre the mark here.Its a moot point. It cant touch me.You dont know that I do know that, and you know it too. There is absolutely no way it can be stronger than me.We need backup later all. Call Nanette Oh yes, laughed Jerome harshly. No one would notice if I pulled her from Portland. Do you have any idea what a red flag that would throw up? People would start noticing, start asking questions So what if they do? Its no big deal Easy for you to say. What would you know about Please. I know enough to know that youre being overly paranoid aboutThe deuce went back and forth at each other, Jerome adamantly denying there was any problem, Carter maintaining that the y needed to take appropriate precautions. As noted earlier, I had never seen the two of them in such open disagreement. I didnt like it, especially as their voices began to rise in volume. I didnt want to be around if they came to blows or displays of power, having already seen too much of their strength in the last few weeks. Slowly, I backed up out of the living room toward a nearby hallway. Cody, catching my vagary, followed.I hate it when Mom and Dad fight, I commented as we retreated away from the divine bickering, pursuance a safer locale. Looking in doorways, I saw a bathroom, a bedroom, and a guest room. in some way I didnt recall the demon hosted too many over dark guests.This looks promising, observed Cody as we turned in to an entertainment room.More leather seating surrounded a massive, absurdly thin plasma covering hanging on the wall. Sleek, beautiful speakers stood in strategic spots around us, and a substantial glass case displayed hundreds of DVDs. This room, l ike the others, had been sacked. Sighing, I threw myself on to one of the ripped chairs while Cody checked out the sound system.What do you think of all this? I asked him. The new developments, I mean, not the entertainment setup.Whats to think? It seems straightforward to me. This nephilim character warms up with lesser immortals and now decides to take on the higher ones. Sick and twisted, but well, thats the way it is. On the bright side, maybe were out of danger now no offense to Jerome or Carter.I dont know. I tipped my head back, thinking. Something bland isnt right to me. Theres something were missing. Listen to them in there. Why is Jerome being such an dimwit about all of this? Why wont he listen to Carter?The young vampire glanced up from his perusal of the movies and gave me a sly smile. I never thought Id see the day when you advocated for Carter. You must have gotten really buddy-buddy this last week.Dont get any romantic delusions, I warned him. God knows I have en ough of that on my plate already. Its just that, I dont know. Carters not as bad as I used to think.Hes an angel. Hes not bad at all.You know what I mean, and youve got to admit, he has a point. Jerome should be taking appropriate measures. This thing trashed his place and left warnings even if theyre obsolete charms or whatever. Why is Jerome so convinced hes safe?Because he thinks hes stronger than it is.How would he know though? Neither of them have gotten a good feel for it even Carter didnt the night he saved me.Jerome doesnt seem like the type to dismiss things without a reason. If he says hes stronger, then Id hallowed shit. Check this out. His serious spiel melted into laughter.Getting up, I walked over and knelt beside him. What?He pointed to the bottom row of DVDs. I read the titles. High Fidelity. Better Off Dead. Say Anything. Grosse Pointe Blank. All John Cusack movies.I knew it, I breathed, thinking of the demons coincidental resemblance to the actor. I knew he was a fan. Hes always denied it. Waitll we tell Peter and Hugh, crowed Cody. He pulled Better Off Dead off the shelf. This ones his best.I pulled out Being John Malkovich, my tense mood momentarily relaxed. No way. This one is.That ones too weird.I glanced up at the plasma screen, a grand gash slashing across its surface. Normally Id suggest we have a showdown to settle the point, but somehow I dont think therell be any viewings for a while here.Cody followed my gaze and grimaced at the massacre. What a waste. This nephilims a real bastard.No doubt, I agreed, standing up. Its no wonder I froze. Everything froze. A real bastard.Georgina? asked Cody curiously. You all right?I closed my eyes, reeling. Oh my God. A real bastard.I thought then about the entire trail of nephilim events, how from the very beginning Jerome had been warning us away. Ostensibly, his actions had been to keep us safe, but there had been no reason not to explain nephilim to us, no real danger to us in discernmen t the nature of our adversary. so far Jerome had stayed tight-lipped about it, growing irrationally angry when any of us got too close. When Cody had first posited the rogue angel theory, I had written the secrecy off to embarrassment from the other side. Yet, it wasnt their side that had something to hide. It was ours.Click, click. at once started, the dominoes in my head tumbled forward in a rush. I thought about Harringtons throw the corrupted angels taught charms and enchantments to their wives while their offspring ran wild Charms. Like the obsolete one on Jeromes wall. Its to remind me who were dealing with as if there was any possible way I could forget, he had explained offhandedly.Carter had told me demons generally get into capture down nephilim. Nanette had wanted to come and help with this one, but Jerome wouldnt let her, thus minimizing those involved. Carter he had kept on hand for the kill, however. Wouldnt Jerome want to do it himself? I had wondered, but the angel had evaded answering.Still the dominoes fell. Nephilim inherit a lot more than half their parents power, though they can never exceed it. Jeromes words to us last week, again spoken mundanely, just after my attack. Only minutes ago, I had wondered at his confidence at being stronger than the nephilim, questioning how he could be so certain. But of course he could be. Divine genetics had already dictated the parameters.Georgina? Where are you going? Cody exclaimed as I strode out of the room, back toward the still-roaring argument down the hallway.Look, Carter was saying, it wont hurt anything to just Its yours, I cried to Jerome, attempting to stare him down difficult, since he was taller than me. The nephilim is yours.My problem?No You know what I mean. Your child. Your son or daughter or whatever.Silence descended, and Jerome stared at me with those piercing black eyes, boring right into my soul. I expected at any moment to be blasted across the room. Instead, all he ask ed was, So?Startled at his mild response, I swallowed. So so why didnt you just tell us? From the beginning? Why such secrecy?As you can by chance imagine, this is not a topic I enjoy bringing up. And contrary to popular belief, I do feel authorize to some privacy.Yes, but Now that it was out, I didnt know what to say or think or do. What pass on happen? What are you going to do?The same thing Ive been planning on doing. We will hap this creature and degrade it.But it he or she is yoursI, who had so jealously and longingly watched Paiges growing motherliness and Seths bevy of nieces, could not even begin to fathom calmly announcing the murder of ones offspring.It doesnt matter, the demon said simply. Its a liability, a danger to the rest of us. My connection to it is irrelevant.You you keep saying it. Are you so detached that you cant even you know, call it by name or gender? What is it anyway? A son or a daughter?He hesitated a moment, and I detected a faint trace of unease i n that cool mask. I dont know.I stared. What?I wasnt there when it was born(p). When I found out she my wife was pregnant, I left. I knew what would happen. I was neither the first nor the last to take a mortal wife. Plenty of nephilim had been born and destroyed by that point. We all knew what they were capable of. The right thing to do when it was born would have been to destroy it right then. He paused, once more perfectly expressionless. I couldnt do it. I left, so I wouldnt have to deal with it, so I wouldnt have to make that choice. It was a cowards way out.Did you ever see her again? Your wife?No.Speechless, I wondered what she must have been like. I barely understood Jerome now as a demon, let alone before he fell. He hardly ever showed any sort of emotion or affection for anyone I couldnt imagine what kind of a woman would have so overcome him that he would turn his back on all he held sacred. And yet, despite that love, he had still left, never to see her again. She wou ld have been dead for millennia by now. He had left to save their child, only to once again be faced with holding its life in his hands. The whole thing was heartbreaking, and I wanted to do something hug the demon, maybe but I knew he wouldnt thank me for my sympathy. He was already too embarrassed at us finding out about all of this.So youve never seen it? How do you know for sure this one is yours?The signature. When I feel it, I feel half of my own aura and half of hers. No other creature could have that combination.And youve felt that every time?Yes.Wow. Yet you know nothing else about it.Correct. As I said, I was gone long before it was born.Then then it would make sense that you really are a target, I told him, gesturing to the wall. Even independent of all this. The nephilim has especial reason to be pissed off at you.Thanks for the unconditional support.I didnt mean it like that. I just meant the nephilim already have good cause to be angry. Everybody hates them and tries to kill them. And this one well, people spend thousands of dollars on therapy to get over bad experiences with their fathers. Imagine what kind of neuroses would develop after several thousand geezerhood.Are you suggesting a family counseling session, Georgie ?No no, of course not. Although I dont know. Have you tried and true talking to it? Reasoning with it? I remembered Eriks comment about nephilim just wanting to be left alone. Maybe you could work something out.All right, this conversation is growing more absurd, if thats possible. Jerome turned to Carter. You want to take them home now?Im staying with you, the angel stated flatly.Oh, for Christs sake, I thought we settled this Hes right, I piped up. The warning phase is over. Im safe now.We dont know And besides, this wasnt so much about my safety anyway as having Carter keep me from finding out the the true about your family problems. Its too late now, and Im tired of having a shadow. You keep him, and well all sleep ea sy, even if it is overkill.articulately put, chuckled Carter.Jerome still protested, and we bickered a bit more about it, but in the end, the decision rested in Carters hands. Jerome had no power to order him around indeed, if Carter wanted to follow the demon indefinitely, there was nothing Jerome could do, not really. They werent going to wage any epic battles with each other, no matter how annoyed they currently seemed.Carter did agree to teleport us back, though I suspected it was more of a kind gesture to make sure Cody and I could never find Jeromes place again. After hed taken the vampire home, Carter transported me to my living room, hesitate before he disappeared again.It is better this way, I think, he told me. Me staying with Jerome. I know the nephilim cant be stronger than him but theres still something weird going on. Im not convinced youre out of danger either, but whatevers going on with you is something only if different. He shrugged. I dont know. There are a lot of hard calls here I want Jerome would let us get a little outside help. Not too much, of course. Just something. Anything.Dont worry, I assured him. Ill manage. You cant be everywhere at once.Isnt that the truth. Ill have to ask this nephilim how it does it when this is over.You cant question the dead.No, he agreed grimly. You cant. He turned as if to depart.Its weird I began slowly. The whole idea of Jerome loving someone. And falling because of it.He gave me one of those canny, creepy smiles. Love doesnt make angels fall, Georgina. If anything, love can have quite the opposite effect.So, what? If Jerome fell in love again, he could turn back into an angel?No, no. Its not quite that simple. Seeing my flummox look, he chuckled and gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. Watch out for yourself, Daughter of Lilith. Call if you need help.I will, I assured him as he blinked out, not that ever actually getting a hold of higher immortals was easy. Jerome could sense if I was hurt, but he was a lot harder to call for a casual chat.I went to bed shortly thereafter, fatigued by everything that had happened, too tired to worry about nephilim fight me in my sleep. I worked the closing shift tomorrow, and it was my last day before another two long time off. I needed the break.I woke up later the next morning, still alive. While walking into the bookstore, I ran into Seth, armed with his laptop, ready for another day of writing. Recalling the dance lesson with him put my nephilim concerns temporarily at bay.Got my book? I asked as he held the door open for me.Nope. Got my shirt?Nope. I like the one youre wearing, though. His themed T-shirt directly displayed the logo for the musical Les Miserables. My all-time favorite song comes from that.Really? he asked. Which one?I ideate a Dream.Thats a really depressing song. No wonder you dont want to date.So whats your favorite then? I had asked Roman my stock question, but not Seth. Ultraviolet by U2. You know it?We approached th e espresso counter. Bruce was there, and he started making my mocha coffee before I even ordered. I know some of their other stuff, but not that one. Whats it about?Love, of course. Like all good songs. The pain of love juxtaposed with its redemptive power. A bit more optimistic than yours.I remembered Carters comment from last night. Love doesnt make angels fall.Seth and I sat down to talk, conversation now flowing smoothly between us. Hard to believe there had ever been any awkwardness, I thought. He was so comfortable.Finally, knowing I had to work sometime, I dragged myself away to check on the rest of the staff and then retreat to my office. I only intended to check my e-mail, however I felt sociable today and wanted to work the floor. Tossing my purse on the desk, I started to sit in my chair when I saw a too-familiar white envelope with my name on it.My breath caught. So much for being off the nephilims radar. Trembling, I lifted the envelope up, opening it with clumsy finger s.Miss me? I imagine youve been kept pretty busy with your immortal friends, making sure everyone is safe and accounted for. I imagine youve been just as busy with your oh-so-fascinating personal life, barely sparing a thought for me. Cruel, considering all Ive done for you.I wonder, though, do you worry just as much about the mortals in your life as you do the immortals? Admittedly, mortal deaths are so much less meaningful. After all, whats fifty less years compared to the centuries of an immortal? Mortals hardly seem worth the fuss, yet you put on a good face of caring for them. But do you really? Or are they just a diversion for the long stretch of your own centuries? What about your boyfriend? Is he another toy, another hobby to pass the time? Does he really mean anything to you?Lets find out. Convince me he does today. You have until the end of your shift to experience his safety. You know the rules keep him in safe places, keep others around him, etc., etc. Ill be with you , watching. Convince me you really care, and Ill spare him. Make me believe. Fail or involve any of your immortal contacts and no amount of keeping will do him any good.I dropped the note, hands cold. What kind of fucked-up game was this? It made no sense. The nephilim told me in one breath to keep someone safe, yet implied in the next that it didnt matter, that there was no safety. It was stupid, another stirring of the waters, shaking up the status quo just to watch what Id do. Looking around uneasily, I wondered Was the nephilim here now? Was Jeromes disgruntled offspring lurking invisibly beside me, smirking at my distress? What should I do?Finally, and perhaps most importantly, just who the hell was my boyfriend anyway?