Colonialism in Africa - 911 Words

Ladonya Gatling World Civilizations II Mr. Mitchell 10:00-10:50 (MWF) Colonialism in Africa Neither imperialism nor colonialism is a simple act of accumulation nor acquisition†¦ Out of imperialism, notions about culture were classified, reinforced, criticized or rejected† (BBC World Service). The nineteenth century saw massive changes in Africa. Some were driven by famine and disease (BBC World Service). Some changes were the result of the territorial ambitions of African rulers. As the century progressed alliances with merchants and missionaries from Europe began increasingly to have a bearing on how African leaders achieved their goals (BBC World Service). At the beginning of the century, Europeans were still extremely ignorant†¦show more content†¦Apart from the above the introduction of the principal and the laws of obtaining the cheap labor in the plantation would made Africans to be more exploited, this is that the working class were provided the card so as to be identified if they worked and those who are not they worked yet, a good example is Kenya which was called Kipande system this system was introduced by the British (Gan) . The Scramble for Africa took place between 1886 and 1914 [ (The Colonization of Modern Africa) ]. During this time, European countries colonized all of Africa, with the exception of Ethiopia and Liberia. As is shown the following map, Britain, France, and Portugal were the main colonial powers in Africa, but Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Spain also had colonies [ (The Colonization of Modern Africa) ]. Most colonial economies in Africa are called mono-economies by economists. This indicates that the colonial economies were dependent on mining, settler agriculture, or the small scale production of a single cash crop. There were a few exceptions to this trend. By the end of colonialism in South Africa (1994), the country had a very vibrant and diversified economy boasting mineral, agricultural, and manufacturing industries, and an advanced commerce sector. Another example of a mixed economy is Nigeria [ (TheShow MoreRelatedImapct of Colonialism on Africa889 Words   |  4 PagesIMPACT OF COLONIALISM ON AFRICA In this view of the circumstances that existed during history in regards to colonial Africa. I venture to examine how colonialism is viewed, introducing you to a variety of texts which expose you to different views and debates about what Africa may well have been like today, had the colonization never taken place. The African resistance to colonialism put another perspective on the colonization of Africa by the Europeans and the Western influence Africa faced. EachRead MoreColonialism And Its Impact On Africa1206 Words   |  5 PagesColonialism is the establishment of the political and economic control of one state over another state. This establishment had one of the biggest impacts on Africa. This experience of colonialism began to take effect between the 1400s and 1800s. It started when the Europeans arrived to Africa and set up trading posts. In the late 1800s and early 1900s the increase of European power took over most of the continent. The legacy of the colonial experience will influence the history of the continent.Read MoreThe Colonialism Effect Of Africa1002 Words   |  5 PagesThe Colonialism Effect of Africa As the world races for its place in history, many continents excel on their mark on the map. It is because Africa was in the right place, but in a different time they were taken advantage of their glory. Although it is difficult for Africa to retrace and reclaim its memoirs, it has an origin that had existed before colonialism. The attempt of challenging modern history has desperately provided an economical realm that extracts and injects into Africa resources. Read MoreThe Imposition of Colonialism on Africa1233 Words   |  5 PagesAfrican Colonialism The imposition of colonialism on Africa drastically reconstructed the continent. All over, European powers attempted to â€Å"assimilate† countries into their own, all the while exploiting and victimizing their people, culture, and resources. However, if there was one aspect of colonialism that provided a fertile ground for conflict, it was the unknowingly insidious method of introducing religion, specifically Christianity, into African families. This is particularly exemplified inRead More Colonialism and Africa Essays1687 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Modern African states have several problems ranging from corruption, to armed conflict, to stunted structural development. The effects of colonialism have been offered as a starting point for much of the analysis on African states, but the question of why African states are particularly dysfunctional needs to be examined, given the extent to which they have lagged behind other former European colonies in many aspects. In the first section, I will consider the problems with AfricanRead MoreAfrican Colonialism And Its Effects On Africa1669 Words   |  7 Pagesinto, this happened to many places including Africa. Colonialism was a time when countries took control of another land, which they then governed through direct or indirect rule depending on the country. During this time, Africa was most sought after due to its resources and its uninhabited land. Due to this, all colonial powers scrambled to get their hands on a piece of Africa in order to expand their areas of rule. As a resul t of the scramble for Africa the Berlin Conference was held. At this conferenceRead MoreColonialism in Africa Essay example2840 Words   |  12 PagesCOLONIALISM IN AFRICA How does the legacy of colonialism affect contemporary African international relations? If questioned today about Africa in general the first reactions I would have are poor governance, poverty, conflict, economic instability and hunger. These are the major characteristics that dominate most of the states within the continent as a whole. The question would be has it always been this way? Different debates and differences have been focused on the colonial legacy forRead More Colonialism and Imperialism in Africa Essay1158 Words   |  5 PagesDisease and Imperialism in Africa      Ã‚  Ã‚   Diseases were prevalent in Africa during the time of European Imperialism. Disease affected both natives and European peoples in Africa. African diseases affected both natives and European explorers and soldiers as well as diseases brought by the Europeans that affected the Africans.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Numerouks diseases impadcted the Europeans in Africa during the time of Imperialism.   During the time of Imperialism many explorers and soldiers died of diseaseRead MoreThe Effects Of Colonialism And Western Powers On Africa890 Words   |  4 PagesAfrica has a complex history that has contributed to its current state, that to some seems hopeless and for others an opportunity for rebuilding and renewal in the continent. With the influences of colonialism and western powers the complete system of African cultures have been restructured and globalized. This has had negative and positive effects on the people of Africa, its economy and government. After colonialism, relationships between states have still remained and Western powers are a dominateRead MoreThe Economic And Economic Impacts Of European Colonialism In Africa780 Words   |  4 Pagesthe coasts of Africa. These forts and colonies began to nibble at the continent bit by bit; within thirty years, almost the e ntire continent had been claimed by colonial powers. Since there was a rise in nationalism among European countries, Africa provided these colonizers with their own market to produce raw materials and goods that would be used to benefit Europe’s Industrial Revolution. And so, with the increasing need for raw materials and a new market the ‘Scramble for Africa’ brought political

Enter Antigone and Ismene from the Palace - 10899 Words

Antigone Enter ANTIGONE and Ismene from the palace. ANTIGONE: Ismene, my dear sister through common blood, do you know of any evil from Oedipus Zeus will not perform on us who still live? For I have seen nothing—nothing painful, nothing mad or shameful or dishonorable—(5) that is not among your or my sorrows. And now what do they say? The general has just put an edict over the whole city. Have you heard it? Or have you avoided learning how our friends suffer the fate of foes?(10) ISMENE: No word of friends, Antigone, either sweet or painful, has come to me since we two sisters were robbed of our two brothers, both dying the same day by doubled hand. But since the army of the Argives departed last night, I ve seen†¦show more content†¦I will hate you the more if you don t tell these things to everyone. ISMENE: You have a hot heart for chilling matters. ANTIGONE: But I know I ll please those I should please most. ISMENE: If you can—you want the impossible.(90) ANTIGONE: Well, then, I shall stop whenever my strength fails. ISMENE: You should not start an impossible quest. ANTIGONE: If you say this, you will be hateful to me, and the dead will hate you always–justly. But let me and my foolish plans suffer(95) this terrible thing, for I shall succumb to nothing so awful as a shameful death. ISMENE: Then go, if this seems best to you, but know that your friends truly love you, however foolish. Exit ANTIGONE off stage, ISMENE into the palace, after which the CHORUS marches onto the stage. CHORUS: Str. 1 Ray of the sun,(100) fairest light of all those shining on seven-gated Thebes, at last you appeared, O eyes of golden day, coming over the streams of Dirce,(105) you sent away the white-shielded warrior from Argos, running from here, with your piercing bridle. He set forth against our land because of the contentious claims of Polynices,(110) like a sharply crying eagle flying into our land, covered with a wing white as snow, descending with many shields and crested with horse-hair.(115) Ant. 1 He perched on the roof, gaping wide with bloody spears around our seven gates, but then he went away, before his jaws were filled with ourShow MoreRelatedOedipus and Chorus Leader8958 Words   |  36 PagesAntigone By Sophocles; translated by Ian Johnston Dramatis Personae (Fill in relationship information for each character listed.) ANTIGONE: ________________________ ISMENE: ______________________________ CREON: ____________________________ EURYDICE: ___________________________ HAEMON: __________________________ TEIRESIAS: ___________________________ Polynieces: __________________________ Eteocles: ______________________________ Oedipus: Father of Antigone, Ismene, Polynices Read MoreAntigone6411 Words   |  26 PagesIntroduction The story behind Antigone is well-known. Antigone’s father was Oedipus. When he was born, it was prophesied that he would kill his own father and marry his mother. To avoid this, his parents had him sent out to be killed. The servant tasked with this, however, could not kill him and left him on a hillside to die of natural causes. He was discovered and raised by a poor family, and then later he returned and unknowingly fulfilled the prophesy, becoming in the process the king ofRead MoreThe Themes And Summary Of Antigone By Sophocles1318 Words   |  6 PagesSummary of Antigone â€Å"Antigone† is a tragedy made by the author Sophocles. Antigone starts out in Thebes in a post-war atmosphere. There was a war between two brothers for the crown of Thebes. The two brothers kill each other on the battle field resulting in one of the brothers receiving the people’s love and the other being labeled as a traitor to Thebes â€Å"Both brothers were killed in Battle.† Creon, the new king of Thebes, has decided because of Polyneices betrayal he shall not receive a soldier’sRead MoreThe, And Influences From Antonin Artaud s First Manifesto1302 Words   |  6 PagesBy using Don Taylor’s translation of the Sophocles’ written Antigone, and influences from Antonin Artaud’s First Manifesto, I hope to create a directorial concept which is interesting from both a visual and auditory perspective. My set will be the most important visual aspect of my production, and will be done on a proscenium arch, however, the stage will need to be incredibly tall (around 7m), but can be on the same level as the audience. On the stage, there will be four separate horizontal levelsRead Moretheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesï » ¿ANTIGONE KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING This tragedy is set against the background of the Oedipus legend. It illustrates how the curse on the House of Labdacus (who is the grandson of Cadmus, founder of Thebes, and the father of Laius, whose son is Oedipus) brought about the deaths of Oedipus and his wife-mother, Jocasta, as well as the double fratricide of Eteocles and Polynices. Furthermore, Antigone dies after defying King Creon. The play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of Read MoreThe Tragedy Of Sophocles Antigone Essay1808 Words   |  8 Pages Antigone is the main character of the homonymous tragedy of Sophocles. The play follows the formal conventions of Greek tragedy and it is composed of seven scenes (opening scene, prologos), five scenes and a final scene (exodus), which are divided noticeably by six choral songs (opening lyric, parodos) and five choral songs (stasima) which have some relevance to the dramatic situation. As Aristotle distinguishes in his work of literary criticism, Poetics, part of the excitement of a tragic performanceRead MoreThe Moral Heroism Of Antigone By Susan B. Anthony1891 Words   |  8 Pagesembrace the courage to stand up for their ethical principles and to challenge the existing social standards that are organized under strict leadership. Famous figures—from Susan B. Anthony to Rosa Parks—drew their moral heroism from the heroic action of characters in Greek literature such as Sophocles’s Antigone. The protagonist, Antigone, creates a conflict between her allegiances to political law and morals when the Theban king Creon decrees that the body of his nephew, Polyneices, remains unburiedRead MoreThe Oedipus Trials1090 Words   |  5 PagesA plague has stricken Thebes. The citizens gather outside the palace of their king, Oedipus, asking him to take action. Oedipus replies that he already sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle at Delphi to learn how to help the city. Creon returns with a message from the oracle: the plague will end when the murderer of Laius, former king of Thebes, is caught and expelled; the murderer is within the city. Oedipus questions Creon about the murder of Laius, who was killed by thieves on his wayRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus Rex 2527 Words   |  11 PagesAri Victor Honors English 28 July, 2015 Summer Reading Oedipus Rex 1. The people of Thebes are suffering from a god attacking their city. 2. The Priest asks Oedipus to save Thebes and the people living there. 3. The Thebans plead Oedipus for his help because 1) they think that Oedipus has help from the gods, and 2) they know that he already saved their town before, so he can save it again. 4. Oedipus has already taken the step of sending Creon to Apollo’s temple to ask how to save the city. 5. TheRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Part That the City or State (Polis) Plays in Antigone and Oedipus the King.1539 Words   |  7 PagesIn both Antigone and Oedipus the King the city plays an important part with the majority of the action in both plays taking place in public in front of a chorus of Theban citizens. Personal conflict/crises take place in public, and when personal events take place off stage, they are relied to the chorus (and the audience) through messengers. The city also helps to move the plot of the plays along, as well providing dramatic tension. In addition the city helps to give us greater understanding of

Cases & Commentary on Tort-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignment

Question: Advise MacTools Ltd as to its legal position, citing relevant legal authority. Answer: Introduction A tort is the term in law which denotes a civil wrong and one of the forms of tort is negligence. Negligence denotes the contravention of obligation of care by one party which injures or harms the other party (Latimer, 2012, p. 225). In the following parts, an advice has been prepared for MacTools Ltd to make them aware of the liabilities arising out of their negligence and the possibility of reducing the claims by highlighting the contributory negligence of Aurora. The situation which Jessie and the possible case of negligence by her, has also been analyzed. Issue The legal issue in this case revolves around the liability of MacTools arising from their negligence towards Aurora and Jessie. Rule In negligence, the actions of the individual are such that they pose of chance of another getting injured and so a duty of care is owed by them to the other person. When this duty of care is not fulfilled and the other party is injured, a case of negligence is made. In order to establish a case of negligence, there is a need to show the duty of care, the breach, foreseeability, damages, loss not being too remote, and finally the direct causation (Barnett and Harder, 2014, p. 148). For establishing duty of care, the neighbors rule given in the case of Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 proves to be of help. In this case, the court held that due to the close relation amongst the manufacturer and consumer, there was a possibility of the actions of the former affecting the latter. And due to this reason, the former was asked to compensate the latter for the dead snail found in the bottle, which resulted in the latters sickness (E-Law Resources, 2017). Next step is to show that this duty of care was breached. In Paris v Stepney Borough Council [1951] AC 367, the plaintiff was not provided the safety gear when the council knew that the work involved the need of safety gears. Due to the injury caused to the plaintiff, he was blinded and so, the duty was held to be breached by the court as the safety gear was not provided (Swarb, 2017). There is also a need for the damage to be foreseeable for a claim to be made. This means that there had to be a chance of the harm to be caused. The foreseeability of loss depends upon the view of a prudent person (Clark, 2010, p. 306). The damages cannot be too remote and have to be significant for the damages to be awarded to the other party (McKendrick and Liu, 2015, p. 468). This means that the injury has to be such that was predictable and which causes some major loss to the other party. The last requirement is to show that the injury was a direct result of the negligence of the party which owed the duty. Once all of these elements come together, the harmed party can make a claim of negligence and claim compensation for their injuries (Gibson and Fraser, 2014, p. 170). A leading defense in cases of negligence is contributory negligence. Under this defense, the injured party does something which contributes towards the harm sustained by them. In other words, their actions are such which result in the injury being sustained. And in such cases, upon the discretion of the court, the amount of damages ordered to be paid to the plaintiff is brought down by the magnitude of their contribution (Legal Services Commission, 2016). Davies v Swan Motor Co [1949] 2 KB 291 was such a case where the plaintiff was deemed to have been a contributor towards their injuries (Harvey and Marston, 2009, p. 244). Application The facts of the case have to be analyzed to prove the negligence of MacTools Ltd. MacTools Ltd was the manufacturer of the product which was used by the consumer, i.e., Aurora. The purchase of product by Mulan would not evade the liability of MacTools Ltd on the basis of Donoghue v Stevenson. In this case, the relationship of the parties had to be reason for one party owing a duty of care towards another. Here also, the relationship between MacTools Ltd and Aurora was such that the actions of MacTools Ltd could injure Aurora. And due to the proximity of relationship between the two, a duty of care was owed to Aurora by MacTools Ltd. To show the contravention of this duty, the failure of MacTools Ltd would prove to be of help. This is because the company, just to not undergo the cost of recalling the drills, decided not to do anything about the possibility of a short circuit. Even though this chance was very less, it was still a possibility, which made the incident reasonably foreseeable. And a prudent person would have taken steps to avoid such incident. By not taking the requisite step, the duty of care which MacTools Ltd owed to Aurora was breached. The loss of eye is a substantial injury as per Paris v Stepney Borough Council and the breach of duty of care would make MacTools Ltd liable to compensate Aurora. Though, there was a clear contribution in this injury by Aurora. This is evident from her ignoring the safety warning which was issued by the company which was contained on the drill. She failed to read this warning, and this is her fault and not the fault of MacTools Ltd. So, for the damages she suffered, her contributory negligence would result in the amount being decreased on the basis of Davies v Swan Motor Co. A claim of negligence by Jessie also has to be evaluated. In this case, MacTools Ltd could not have foreseen that due to the malfunction of drill, the power would go off and the vase of Jessie would be shattered. There was a lack of foreseeability to take precautions against it. Also, a duty of care was not owed by MacTools Ltd to Jessie as there was no proximity in their relationship. Hence, a duty of care was not owed by MacTools Ltd to Jessie. Conclusion To conclude, MacTools Ltd would be liable to compensate Aurora for her losses arising from their negligence and this amount would be reduced by the amount decided by the court for Auroras contributory negligence. However, MacTools Ltd would not have to compensate Jessie as a case of negligence was not present here. References Barnett, K., and Harder, S. (2014). Remedies in Australian Private Law, Victoria: Cambridge University Press, p. 148. Clark, E. (2010). Cyber Law in Australia, The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International, p. 306. E-Law Resources. (2017). Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 House of Lords. Retrieved from: https://www.e-lawresources.co.uk/Donoghue-v-Stevenson.php Gibson, A., and Fraser, D. (2014). Business Law 2014, 8th ed, Melbourne: Pearson Education Australia, p. 170. Harvey, B., and Marston, J. (2009). Cases and Commentary on Tort, 6th ed, New York: Oxford University Press, p. 244. Latimer, P. (2012). Australian Business Law 2012, 31st ed, Sydney, NSW: CCH Australia Limited, p. 225. Legal Services Commission. (2016). Negligence. Retrieved from: https://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/ch01s05.php McKendrick, W., and Liu, Q. (2015). Contract Law: Australian Edition, London: Palgrave Macmillan, p. 468. Swarb. (2017). Paris v Stepney Borough Council: HL 13 Dec 1950. Retrieved from: https://swarb.co.uk/paris-v-stepney-borough-council-hl-13-dec-1950/

Television Fundamentals Essays - Television Technology, Electronics

Television Fundamentals In this report on television I will discuss television signals, the components the make up a television, and how a television produces the picture and sound for the final output. The sound carrier is at the upper end of the spectrum. Frequency modulation is used to impress the sound on the carrier. The maximum frequency deviation is twenty-five kilohertz, considerably less than the deviation permitted by confessional FM stereo. As a result, a TV sound signal occupies less bandwidth in the spectrum than a standard FM broadcast station. Stereo sound is available in TV, and the multiplexing method used to transmit two channels of sound information is virtually identical to that used in stereo transmission for FM broadcasting. The picture information is transmitted on a separate carrier located 4.5 MHz lower in frequency than the sound carrier. The video signal derived from a camera is used to amplitude modulate the picture carrier. Different methods of modulation are used for both sound and picture information so that there is less interference between the picture and sound signals. The full upper sidebands of the picture information are transmitted, but only a portion of the lower sidebands is suppressed to conserve spectrum space. The color information in a picture is transmitted by way of frequency division multiplexing techniques. Two color signals derived from the camera are used to modulate a subcarrier that, in turn, modulates the picture carrier along with the main voice information. The color subcarriers use double-sideband-suppressed carrier AM. The video signal can contain frequency components up to 4.2 MHz. Therefore, if both sidebands were transmitted simultaneously, the picture signal would occupy 8.4 MHz. The vestigal sideband transmission reduces this excessive bandwidth. Because a TV signal occupies so much bandwidth, it must be transmitted in a very high frequency portion of the spectrum. TV signals are assigned to frequencies in the VHF and UHF range. United States TV stations use the frequencies between 54 and 806 MHz. This portion of the spectrum is divided into sixty-eight 6MHz channels that are assigned frequencies. Channels 2 through 7 occupy the frequency range from 54 to 88 MHz. Additional TV channels occupy the space between 470 and 806 MHz. The video signal is most often generated by a TV camera, a very sophisticated electronic device that incorporates lenses and light-sensitive tranducers to convert the scene or object to be viewed into an electrical signal that can be used to modulate a carrier. To do this, the scene to be transmitted is collected and focused by a lens upon a light-sensitive imaging device. Both vacume tube and semiconductor devices are used for converting the light information in the scene into an electrical signal. The scene is divided into smaller segments that can be transmitted serially over a period of time. It is the job of the camera to subdivide the scene in an orderly manner so that an acceptable signal is developed. This process is called scanning. Scanning is a technique that divides a rectangular scene up into individual lines. The standard TV scene dimensions have an aspect ratio of 4:3; that is, the scene width is four units for every 3 units of height. To create a picture, the scene is subdivided into many fine horizontal lines called scan lines. Each line represents a very narrow portion of light variations in the scene. The greater the number of scan lines, the higher the resolution and the greater the detail that can be observed. United States TV standards call for the scene to be divided into a maximum of 525 horizontal lines. The task of the TV camera is to convert the scene into an electrical signal. The camera accomplishes this by transmitting a voltage of 1 volt for black and 0 volts for white. The scene is divided into 15 scan lines numbered 0 through 14. The scene is focused on the light-sensitive area of a vidicon tube or CCD imaging device that scans the scene one line at time, transmitting the light variations along the lines as voltage levels. Where the white background is being scanned a 0 volt signal occurs. When a black picture element is encountered a 1 volt level is transmitted. The electrical signals derived from each scan line are refereed to as the video signal. They are transmitted serially one after the other until the entire scene has been sent. Since the scene contains colors, there are different levels of light along each scan line. This information is transmitted as different shades of gray between black and white.

Why You Need Binge-Worthy Content

We increasingly live in an on-demand culture. Whether it’s the latest gadget or the biggest music hit, people generally aren’t willing to wait long, if at all, to get what they want. We’re even impatient when it comes to entertainment – who wants to wait for the next episode of a show when you can binge-watch the whole series? Some have called this craving for instant gratification the â€Å"Netflix effect† and it applies to content as well. If someone is looking for information on a topic, they want all it all right away. No one is going to go to the library or locate an expert when they can just whip out their phone. They then expect the content they find to be authoritative, comprehensive and tailored to their preferences. This is why your content needs to be binge-worthy – so that it meets the needs of what people are actually looking for and your content is successful in helping you meet your marketing goals. Embracing the Binge We want to find out everything we can about our interests, right now. That intense, immediate interest is what drives the binge experience and it’s important to take advantage of it. When you’ve captured a reader’s attention, you need to make sure your content is set up for a satisfying binge. Here’s how to do it: Make Your Content Available â€Å"On Demand† Attention spans are shorter than ever so you need to make sure there’s plenty of content available for a potential binge-reader to plow through or you risk losing them to greener online pastures. Instead of doling out your content little by little, consider an â€Å"on-demand† model that makes all your content available to your visitors. This model is the polar opposite of a drip-marketing approach, but can often suit readers better. Create an Easy Consumption Journey Diversify Your Content Formats When it comes to content consumption, people have different styles and preferences. While one reader may enjoy diving into a white paper or in-depth blog post, another reader might prefer the ‘bite-sized’ nature of an infographic or short video. Offering a wide variety of content formats boosts the chances that visitors will find the kind of content they’re looking for and stay engaged with it. Use Data to Plan Your Content Strategy House of Cards garnered tremendous ratings for Netflix and almost singlehandedly spurred the rise of binge-watching. However, Netflix relied on a lot more than luck when they decided to take on this series. The company did some serious data analysis on their existing subscribers and they noticed a few things. Many their subscribers streamed films directed by David Fincher and they also seemed to enjoy movies starring Kevin Spacey. Combine this information with the fact that the British version of House of Cards was already doing well and it’s not hard to see that the political drama was a solid bet. Your company can take a lesson from Netflix and do some number-crunching of its own. Take note of what content your readers gravitate towards and combine that with their known pain points. Using data and analytics to plan your content strategy will make you more likely to hit the mark with your audience. Creating binge-worthy content is a delicate balancing act – you need to provide a deep enough pool of content to satisfy the urge to consume it all in one sitting, but you also need to deliver enough fresh, new content to keep readers coming back for more. House of Cards star Kevin Spacey may have said it best in a talk he gave to TV executives: â€Å"If they want to binge, then we should let them binge.† By ensuring your content is organized and easily accessible to bingers, you’ll be able to do just that and realize more success from your content marketing.

Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay Essay Example

Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay Essay Example Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay Essay Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay Essay Why is the rubric of the verse form â€Å"The cool web† ? Give a ground for your reply. The verse form discusses an adult’s sensitivity to utilize lingual sleight to avoid the effects of utmost emotion. The rubric combines two words. â€Å"cool† and â€Å"web† . each of which evokes a strong feeling. to make a 3rd even more redolent image. There are many English looks which use the word â€Å"cool† to convey quashing emotion. This use is similar to utilizing â€Å"calm† : â€Å"cool down† . â€Å"don’t lose your cool† . â€Å"go and cool off† . â€Å"cool it! † and so on. Even the slang reading of â€Å"cool† in the sense of stylish or sophisticated conjures up the thought of a relaxed and insouciant attitude. In the context of the verse form. â€Å"cool† can be seen as synonymous with a deficiency of passion and an addition of self-denial. â€Å"Web† is used to convey the sense of being enveloped by a bed which inhibits freedom. Graves could hold used â€Å"net† or â€Å"mesh† . nevertheless those words lack the sinister intension of the most common usage of â€Å"web† : that of a â€Å"spider’s web† . In this sense. there is an air of exposure and threat ; the spider’s quarry has non chosen to be caught in the web. but is ensnared however. The combination of â€Å"cool† and â€Å"web† creates an image of forced calm. The â€Å"cool web† is a lingual leukotomy which life imposes on world. What is the consequence of the repeat of ‘hot’ and ‘dreadful’ in the first stanza? The first stanza creates a threatening atmosphere. The adjectives used are intense: the twenty-four hours is non warm. it is hot ; the eventide is non dark. but black ; the soldiers are full of apprehension. non merely dismaying. ( Although now used in the same manner as terrorization. â€Å"dreadful† truly depict a greater degree of terror. ) This development of threat is further emphasised by the repeat of the â€Å"hot† and â€Å"dreadful† . The point is driven place to the reader. If Graves had used equivalent word – vesicating for â€Å"hot† and scaring for â€Å"dreadful† – in the 2nd cases of each. the significance would be basically unchanged. However. the sound and beat of the stanza would be significantly affected. The consequence is besides assisted by reiterating non merely â€Å"hot† . but the vowel rhyme and initial rhyme of the phrase â€Å"how hot† . The repeat and accent of â€Å"hot† in lines 1 and 2 besides provides contrast between the word â€Å"cool† in the rubric and â€Å"chill† in line 5. â€Å"Cool† and â€Å"coldly† are besides used in the organic structure of the verse form in contrast to â€Å"hot† . ( This accent through repeat is used a figure of times: in the 2nd stanza with â€Å"spell† ; in line 10 with â€Å"too much† and in the last stanza with â€Å"facing†. ) Who are ‘we’ in the 2nd stanza ( line 5 ) ? The usage of â€Å"but† at the beginning of line 5 contrasts â€Å"we† from the kids of the first stanza and presumptively Graves hence means grownups. Adults have a more sophisticated bid of linguistic communication with which to construe events. Children are direct in their attack to the universe and do non try to befog world for any ground. On run intoing an fleshy individual. a immature kid will cheerfully inquire them why they are so fat. An grownup would be improbable to initiate the topic at all. Children merely province what they think ; grownups use euphemisms and oblique vocabulary to guard off unwelcome emotions. Remark on the usage of: The adjectives ‘cruel’ to depict the rose’s aroma and ‘overhanging’ to depict the dark ( lines 6 and 7 ) . The reader is jolted as these adjectives are associated with unfamiliar topics. This is a signifier of highlighting to pull attending to the linguistic communication of the verse form. The usage of â€Å"cruel† to depict the aroma of a rose is particularly clashing. Almost without exclusion the rose is a symbol of love affair and love. non one of inhuman treatment. Graves seems to be connoting that anything that intrudes – even something pleasant – is obnoxious and to be â€Å"dulled† . By depicting the dark as â€Å"overhanging† Graves refers to the sense of bullying. of something unexpected looming over us. The poet so tells us that this should – and can be – be spelled off as unwanted. The verb ‘spell’ in the phrase ‘we enchantment away’ ( lines 7 and 8 ) Graves exploits a dual significance of â€Å"spell† to entwine the thoughts of linguistic communication and hocus-pocus. In the lingual context â€Å"spell† means to organize a word by set uping its component letters in the right order. ‘Spell† besides means to act upon person or something by agencies of charming powers. In this manner. the poet concentrates a figure of images into a individual word. An adult’s desire to belie world is a signifier of charming enchantment. but it requires the ability to spell words. ( Graves besides uses this technique in line 1 by depicting kids as â€Å"dumb† . This could intend that they are stupid and hence unable to pull strings and falsify the universe. It could besides intend that kids have no lingual module as in â€Å"deaf and dumb. † Of class. he means both. ) Explain how. in your sentiment. ‘the cool web’ may protect one against ‘too much joy or excessively much fear’ ( lines 5 to 11 ) . â€Å"The cool web† of linguistic communication is used to rationalize utmost emotions. Alternatively of responding instinctively to a state of affairs. we can submerge it in long-winded accounts. From dais to parliament. and from attorney to liar. we use linguistic communication to falsify world to accommodate ourselves. It is done linguistic communication that we can carry ourselves that the noise we hear in the dark is merely the cat and non a violent burglar. This is the footing for Graves’s mention to withdrawing from â€Å"too much fright. † Less obvious is the desire to protect ourselves from â€Å"too much joy† . a status that would look to be desirable. Possibly the poet believes that we are unable to get by adequately with either extreme of luck. There are a figure of superstitious notions in this respect such as labelling something as being â€Å"too good to be true† . It may be that Graves is proposing that we subconsciously know that we can’t prolong a province of delectation for long and that the hurting of the resulting letdown is non deserving the minute of joy. It reflects a low-risk paradigm where we would predate the highs to avoid the subsequent inevitable depressions. What indicants are at that place in stanza 4 to demo us what the speaker’s attitude is towards such protection? The phrases â€Å"self-possession† and â€Å"throwing off† show us that the talker believes that the protection which linguistic communication offers is an infliction and non a natural province of personal businesss. He notes that this implemented state of affairs controls us for our whole life until we die. While connoting that this protection is a load. Graves besides tells us that without it we would travel huffy. In other words. this protection is a necessary immorality. Why do mentions to the twenty-four hours. the rose. the dark and the soldiers recur throughout the verse form? These words occur in the first. 2nd and 4th ( last ) stanzas. The repeat in the 2nd stanza and the 4th stanza fulfil different intents. The mention in the 2nd stanza forms the footing for a contrast with the initial mention in the first stanza. In the first stanza these objects are described via a child’s simple mentality: hot and awful. In the 2nd stanza the same words are described via an adult’s more complex. language-distorted position. The last stanza has a different signifier than the first three ; it breaks a form of 4-line stanzas and. by making so. demands excess attending from the reader. In this last stanza the words â€Å"day† . â€Å"rose† . â€Å"night† and â€Å"drums† are listed merely without adjectives. This neatly reminds the reader of the beginning of the verse form and completes the comparing between kids and grownups. and their differing usage of linguistic communication. Briefly province the speaker’s decision about the function of linguistic communication in our lives ( lines 13 to 18 ) . The talker concludes that we need linguistic communication to protect ourselves from the world of life. Graves provinces that without the capacity for carrying ourselves that state of affairss are non what they appear. we would happen it impossible to get by and would travel huffy. The enunciation ( pick of words ) . construction. beat and tone of the first and last stanzas are markedly different. What do you believe the intent of these differences is? The first three stanzas have a comparatively simple rhyme strategy of A B C C. The consequence of lines 3 and 4 of each of these stanzas rhyming is that each stanza is concluded steadfastly. Three stanzas with the same construction creates a form and an outlook that the following stanza will be the same. The fact that it is non is a surprise and a type of highlighting. The last stanza has a rime of A B C D C D and this difference in construction alerts the reader and demands extra attending. This warning is welcome as the message in the last stanza is far more direct than antecedently where metaphor and allusion are used. The last line provinces unambiguously â€Å"we shall travel huffy no uncertainty. † It is in this last stanza that Graves delivers his opinion on our usage of linguistic communication.

Poverty Deduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poverty Deduction - Essay Example In spite of the fact that there is no social environment which does not feature poor people, the issue of poverty is often regarded as the one what must be solved by the government for the benefit of the entire society. This paper will analyze poverty reduction policies. It is quite obvious that governmental policies that were designed to raise the well being of the entire population were initiated since the dawn of the United States. While they may have a varying degree of success, it is obvious that the second half of the previous century is the time when the government decided to make it one of its highest priorities. For example, the scholars often refer to several pieces of legislation that were introduced by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 as War on Poverty (Lerner, 2012, p. 93). Indeed, this is a rather important point in the history of social welfare policy as it features such acts as Social Security Act, Food Stamp Act, The Economic Opportunity Act and Elementary and Secondary Education Act which shaped the development of war on poverty for many decades. To begin with, one might note that there is a special program is that widely known and is developed to help people escape poverty. It used to be known as Food Stamps Program, but the contemporary name of it is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. According to it, any household in the country that is eligible for this program is able to receive additional money in a form alternative to US banknotes that will be used to buy food. One of the major points lies in the fact that a household can include from one to an infinite number of people, so literally anyone is able to apply ("Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program", 2014). Of course, there is a logical restriction: the amount of money that the household make should be reasonably low. Another policy that should be taken into account is called Job Corps. As one can easily guess from the very name of it, this is a program that provides people with job

BMW Entrepreneurial Structure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BMW Entrepreneurial Structure - Case Study Example The BMW Company can attribute most of its success to the strategy and the culture of the company and its orientation towards investing in new innovations. The company is largely based in Germany where a more beauracratic corporate culture is more dominant, but the BMW Company adopts a rare and interesting philosophy for the corporate culture which revolves around entrepreneurship. The company is ready to invest in research and development projects which focus on management as well as physical innovations to support its products and its image in the market. "BMW's 106,000 employees have become a nimble network of true believers with few hierarchical barriers to hinder innovation. From the moment they set foot inside the company, workers are inculcated with a sense of place, history, and mission. Individuals from all strata of the corporation work elbow to elbow, creating informal networks where they can hatch even the most unorthodox ideas for making better Bimmers or boosting profits ." (Edmondson, 2006) Moreover the people at the BMW Company do not have all the answers to the questions, and neither do they claim to do so. Instead they are pound to mention that they work towards determining all the correct questions so that the best possible solutions can be accurately determined. In interview with Laura Mazur, the CEO of BMW Helmut Panke mentioned that "'the most important role of senior management, not just the chief executive, is to understand that the brand isn't just a label that you can put on and take off. A brand is something that has to be authentic and has to be tied into the corporate culture of an organisation,' he explained. Panke discussed the company's unremitting focus on its premium brand approach, and why nothing is allowed to dilute it. He was adamant that success derives from three points: a strong brand, products that live up to what the brand stands for, and a corporate culture that fits into both of them." (Mazur, 2003) 2. Describe the challenges that BMW face in their organisational environment. The challenges that are faced by the BMW Company in their organizational environment pertain to the establishment of the corporate culture in the different regions of operations for the company and training the new recruits and employees to develop as per the corporate culture of the company. BMW has taken significant pointers and strategies from Japanese automobile manufacturers when it comes to managing the company and establishing a kaizen and entrepreneurship based culture and business procedures at the company. The company has been successful in implementing the corporate culture highlighting innovation and entrepreneurship in Germany, but the operations of the company in the UK at oxford and in the US face discrepancies. The US automobile industry is more oriented towards bureaucracy as the beauracratic and classical theories of management derived from the industry as apparent form Henry Fayol and Ford. In such an environment operating with an entrepreneurial and innovation bas ed culture has been a problem for the BMW operations in the US as well as on the UK. Other challenges that the company

The Historical Context of International Communication Essay

The Historical Context of International Communication - Essay Example The developments in film, advertisement and radio ushered a new era in communication and mass culture. Radio as a propaganda tool was first utilized by former USSR and then all the nations of the world followed the suit. Communist and capitalist propaganda used radio all over the world to promote their point of views. Third world countries used communication tools for promoting health care, education and culture. Third World countries genuinely felt the disparity in communication technologies between developed and developing countries and demanded for more just treatment. The MacBride Commission is the result of such efforts by Third World. The commission called for impartial, balanced and responsible reporting. USA opposed the commission as it deemed it more pro Soviet Union. The opponents called the proposals as instrument against freedom of press and information. This opposition came to an end with Soviet disintegration. Opinion The chapter is a detailed look at the role of differ ent communication devices through out history and world. The writer presents different facts and figures from ancient time to colonial era in order to press the point that communication is vital aspect of any empire. The writer then discusses in detail the impact and role of telegraph from 19th Century onwards on different social and political aspects of the world. The writer then relates the development of journalism and radio with telegraph in 20th Century. At the end the writer gives a detailed look at the impact of radio during the Cold War. The chapter is according to the title and it gives a very detailed look at the historical development of international communication. The data regarding length of cables of telegraph and the spread in different areas of the world may confuse the reader but the information is very helpful in understanding the development. The writer has used simple language and starts from ancient time in order to present the main argument. The writer is able to give a cursory look at the ancient history and then focuses on colonial era in order to make argument clear. Overall the reader may find the data presented in the chapter a bit taxing but for scholarly purpose the chapter is very well documented. The logical sequence and development enable the involvement of the reader. The writer overlooks television and internet but still the effort is very good. Summary : The Technology and Society Science has brought many changes in the society. In order to investigate the issue of social changes and scientific discoveries there are two schools of thought. One group attributes all the changes in the society to the scientific inventions. For them scientific discoveries produce change in the society. The other group takes a less radical view by stating that changes in the society are going on the new scientific inventions just contribute in these changes. Both of these views take technology and society in isolation. Military and commercial nee ds forced improvement in communication. These social factors were to great extent satisfied by the development in the field of telegraphy, telephony and early stages of radio. The need of addressing masses in new political world gave power to press but this political urge was satisfied by television. This complex situation set the stage for broadcasting. The use of different broadcasting tools for social communication and political manipulation greatly influenced the rapid technological advancement in the field of communication. Political stimulus and economic benefits made television a popular medium for bringing change.

Evidence Based Case Study Social Work Essay

Evidence Based Case Study Social Work Essay Evidence based practice (EBP) refers to integrating professional expertise with the best available external research, and incorporating the views of service users (Beresford, 1996). Evidence based practice has received its reputation by examining the reasons why interventions are necessary (Duffy, Fisher and Munroe, 2008). Within my placement EBP was important for refining my practice so the service user was provided with appropriate support for her individual needs. I used my EBP to carry out research to determine what evidence supported or rejected the use of a specific intervention; within this case I used a counseling approach. The principle of social work intervention is to provide good practice and should be based on a decision-making framework (Preston-Shoot and Braye, 2009). This framework operates on four concepts:- The legislation that informs a decision; Social work ethics and NISCC codes of conduct; Information to ensure a well-informed decision; Knowledge drawn from research, theory, practice and other professionals. In addition to powers and duties of social workers, legislation embeds notions of partnership, respect, rights and anti-discriminatory practice, which are key elements in social work practice (Preston-Shoot and Braye, 2009). My practice learning opportunity involved working with adults with a learning disability in a day care setting. The benefits of the day centre were to provide a service for local people to access support in living with, or caring for someone, with a learning disability. Northern Ireland statistics show that in 2008 there were 9,460 people with a learning disability in contact with Trusts (www.northernireland.gov.uk). From the 9,460 people with a learning disability there were 2,574 benefiting from care management, 42% (1,086) of whom were being supported in their own homes and 35% (898) being cared for in residential homes solely for the use of people with learning disabilities (www.northernireland.gov.uk). This evidence based case study is based on Miss A, a 35 year old woman, who has a learning disability and Spina Bifida resulting in her using a wheel chair for mobility. Within the past few years Miss As family life has changed dramatically. In previous years Miss A had lived in the community with her elderly parents, who cared for her. She is one of three children and has two older brothers. Miss As mother, after being diagnosed with Dementia, was admitted to a residential care home. Her father after having been moved to residential care himself passed away in November 2008 due to his physical health. Miss A now resides in a private nursing home and attends day care three days per week. In March 2008, there were 75 residential homes in Northern Ireland solely for people with a learning disability providing 898 places (www.northernireland.gov.uk). Miss A has been previously diagnosed with MRSA; it is currently located in her toe, having been previously present in her urine. Treatments from the residential care staff have the infection under control, however the infection still remains. The recent death of her father plays a significant role in Miss As life and continues to affect her socially and emotionally. Some of the stereotypical assumptions I had before meeting Miss A were that because she had a physical and learning disability that she would be hard to communicate with, that she would have limited understanding and limited verbal skills. I have challenged this opinion and realised that Miss A is a very competent individual with good communication skills, and can express her likes and dislikes proficiently. As for her physical disability this does not affect her cognitive or cerebral functions. I had also made the assumption that as Miss A had MRSA that it could easily be cross-contracted due to a lack of knowledge and education. After researching the issue and contacting infection control within the Trust I deducted that MRSA is a problem within clinical settings but can be easily controlled with proper preventative procedures. This can be identified as a risk, but should not be a reason to oppress or discriminate Miss A. After having initially met Miss A, liaised with her social worker, accessed her case file and Tuned In to her life issues, I met with Miss A to prepare for the initial assessment and gather information into how best to support her. My role with Miss A was to provide a reassessment since the changes in her circumstances and the death of her father. My role was to determine what support she may need, and to include her wishes and feelings. Assessment: History has shown that there has always been an importance to assessment in social work, but since the 1990s there has been specific importance to a new form assessment to include risk. The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 stresses the importance of inter-agency collaboration and a multi-disciplinary assessment process (Trevithick, 2000). The purpose of an assessment may seem evident; that is, to assess the needs of individuals who may need help and/or support. In recent history however assessment seems to mean a relationship between need and available resources (Whittington, 2007, p23) leading to a question if this is ethical or effective practice? There are many purposes of an assessment, for example to assess risk, to assess need, to act as an advocate for someone and also to implement agency and government policy (Whittington, 2007, p25-26). Coulshed and Orme (2006) explain that assessment is an ongoing process where the purpose is to understand people in relation to their environment; it is a basis for planning what needs to be done to maintain, improve or bring about change with the service users participation. The initial preparation for the assessment with Miss A included visiting her social worker and studying her case file. This enabled me to gather information to dispel any preconceptions I had about meeting this service user. The social worker passed on her knowledge of Miss A, such as medical conditions, family circumstances and finances, and also any previous problems that had occurred. I felt it was important to work in partnership with Miss As social worker so I could keep her up to date with events, and also contact her if I required advice about Miss A. The purpose of Miss As individual assessment was to gather information by interacting and communicating with Miss A and others involved in her care, this was also to gain a holistic perspective to her needs. Her assessment was guided by legislation such as, the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (NI) 1978, which places a duty on health and social services to investigate a level of need, and also the Health and Personal Soc ial Services (NI) Order 1972 which stipulates a responsibility to provide personal social services for the promotion of social welfare for the general public (http://www.understandingindividualneeds.com). As a model of assessment I used Smales (1993) Models of Professional Care which were useful in gathering important information about Miss A. I used the procedural and questioning model to gather information into how Miss A felt about certain issues in her life, such as the bereavement of her father, contact with her other family, and other issues she felt were working or not working. I used these methods of assessment as this followed Trust guidelines. I used The Model of Professional Care to gain a holistic understanding of information. I also included the Exchange model in the assessment as I considered Miss A to be the expert of her own life. I feel the use of the Procedural model was useful in certain aspects of the assessment as it worked in collaboration with the Trusts format of assessment and worked as a form of gathering information, but feel I could have used more of an Exchange model to communicate effectively with Miss A rather than just form filling. I feel Smales method of assessment provided me with tools to help Miss A identify factors that were important for her to maintain, but also issues she would like to change. By working in partnership with her I felt we would have an open and trusting working relationship. I also focused on Person Centred Planning (PCP) in regards to the assessment with Miss A. Person Centred Planning, which evolved from the White Paper; a government policy known as Valuing People, suggested four key principles; Rights, Independence, Choice and Inclusion as a proposal of changing services (Thompson, Kilbane and Sanderson, 2008, p9). This policy also helped inform guidelines for Northern Irelands Equal Lives Policy (2005). Person Centred Planning focused on finding out what is important to and what is important for (health and safety) Miss A. I found PCP a continual process of listening and learning, by focusing on whats important to Miss A now and in the future (Thompson, Kilbane and Sanderson, 2008, p27). By using person centred tools, such as a one page profile, I gained knowledge of what was important to Miss A including her family, her boyfriend and her independence, as well as knowing what was important to keep her safe and healthy. I used a person centred approac h to make others aware of Miss As great personality characteristics as well as the help and support she would like. I feel this was fundamental to demonstrate that Miss A is a person behind her disability. I found by using this approach was an essential skill in understanding Miss A and helped me to be anti oppressive and actively support her needs One particular piece of legislation which I found to be significant in the assessment of Miss A was the Human Rights Act (1998), which identifies Miss As right to family life. Since the death of her father and the institutionalisation of her mother due to her mental health, Miss A has been experiencing disintegration of her family and has lost the support connected to it. The Human Rights Act could have a great significance as Miss A needs emotional and physical support to visit her mother and has not been receiving it; therefore her right to family life is being impeded. The assessment identified that contact with her family and friends are imperative for this right to be upheld. Therefore as a result my role was to facilitate this right, and help to support Miss A in retaining family contact. The main objectives we (Miss A and I) identified within the assessment were; That Miss A had limited support to help discuss the death of her father. That Miss A was not receiving contact with her mother or other family and would like to. From the identification of objectives Miss A and I decided to work towards solutions by preparing a work plan. Planning: After the initial assessment was carried out with Miss A we proceeded to work towards formulating a care plan and targeting her objectives. A care plan provided clear information for everyone involved with Miss A and helped work in partnership with her and the Trust. For a person centred care plan the word ‘support is used in preference to ‘care because the verb implies that support is there to help people achieve their goals and ambitions† (Thompson, Sanderson and Kilbane, 2008). â€Å"A support plan is developed by the person with help where necessary, and it describes how the person intends to be supported in order to live their own life† (Thompson, Sanderson and Kilbane, 2008). I feel the use of a support plan with Miss A, rather than a care plan is an anti-oppressive method, as it incorporates Miss As feelings and opinions into how she wishes to be supported. I used the formulation of a support plan with Miss A to record the objectives she would like to meet and used these to formulate an intervention. It was clear from the assessment and one page profile that limited contact with her mother was an issue, and that the death of her father had a significant impact on her life. I then proceeded to investigate theory of loss and grief as I had never experienced a loss of Miss As magnitude before. I found the Kubler-Ross Model and the 5 responses to grief to be particularly informative. (Goldsworthy, 2005). This theory helped inform my knowledge and in turn helped me be empathetic to Miss A. I was able to identify that Miss A can experience the 5 stages of grief and that they are not necessarily in a specific order. I felt Miss A was at two stages of grief, some days she experiences anger at her father leaving, and other times she has deep feelings of depression of losing him. I was able to use Kubler-Rosss model to identify these stages in Miss A, and also to advise her that these feelings were part of the normal process of grief. The assessment also identified that Miss A had a lack of support in discussing her feelings of grief. Research suggests that people with learning disabilities experience many of the emotions of bereavement but are limited in the opportunities they have to resolve their feelings of grief (Cathcart, 1995; Elliot, 1995; Read, 1996). There are many reasons for this and Murray et al explains that historically, professionals, parents or carers of individuals with learning disabilities believed that those in their care did not understand the concept of death and thus were unable to grieve for the loss of a loved one (McLoughlin, 1986; Elliot, 1995; Read, 1996 cited in Murray et al. 2000). Kitching (1987) and Bradford (1984) highlight that the capacity to grieve is not dependent on a persons intellectual ability, but that a person with learning disability may experience grief in the same way as a child. Therefore research shows that people with a learning disability experience grief and loss but have a limited support network to discuss it with. I used this research to formulate a plan for the intervention with Miss A and we concluded that I could be support for discussing her grief. From the assessment and care plan with Miss A, and following discussions my practice teacher, I discussed that I would use counselling skills to help support Miss A with her feelings of grief. I felt Miss A needed her emotional needs met since the feelings of the death of her father were so dominant. Miss A and I also decided that I would facilitate visits to her mother for emotional and physical support, as her mother was in the latter stages of dementia and Miss A found it hard to communicate with her. Intervention: Rationale for Counselling Intervention: After having conducted an assessment and care plan with Miss A, and building a rapport over numerous meetings, it was decided that a counselling intervention would be the most appropriate form of support for grief. My practice teacher and I felt that if Miss A had the opportunity to discuss her feelings this would help her grieve more effectively and perhaps help her cope better. The two models of counselling that are prominent in social work are the work of Carl Rogers and Gerard Egan, who base their counselling approaches from psychodynamic work around inner thoughts and feelings. Both counselling theories â€Å"reflect the social work values of accepting the individual, using skills in listening to the information that is given, and work towards a joint understanding and decision making about ways forward† (Coulshed and Orme, 2006). I focused on researching counselling theory to help me understand how I could help Miss A through her grief. Trevithick explains that within social work, humanistic approaches to counselling have been particularly influential, specifically with the work of Egan (1990) and Rogers (1961), mainly because they promote personal freedom and are consistent with anti-discriminatory practice and anti-oppressive perspectives† (Trevithick, 2000). I found that the Rogers (1961) Person Centred counselling informed me that I cou ld show unconditional positive regard for Miss A and understand that she is the expert of her own grief. I also analysed Egans (1990) Skilled Helper Model and found it to be an effective theory for an approach to counselling. I found that the structure and framework of the model and the three stages were useful as a guide to follow. I found that although this method of counselling may not be as person centred as Rogers it could be more effective in helping Miss A understand her own grief as it followed a certain framework, could empower her and could be evaluated over time. This theory helped inform my practice by helping me realise that I do not need to be a qualified counsellor to support someone; I just need to be able to actively listen, to use empathy and be reassuring knowing that Miss As agenda is paramount. I consider this in itself to be a person centred way of counselling. I decided to follow a combination of Rogerian method and Egans approach to help support Miss A as an intervention. I decided I would use the structure of Egans model to help build a logical, consistent framework to the intervention, while using the core principles of the Rogerian approach to demonstrate my skills and values, such as working with respect, empathy, genuineness and good active listening (Coulshed and Orme, 2006). Counselling Procedure: Egans Skilled Helper Model form of counselling provides a structured and solution focus basis. It is a three stage model in which each stage consists of specific skills that the helper uses to support the service user move forward (Nelson, 2007). Egans model is described as a three-stage process: identification of the service users current issue(s); identification of the service users desired situation; and the formulation of an action plan to achieve this. This process is facilitated by the â€Å"skilled helper† using the skills outlines by Egan (Nelson, 2007). The goal of using Egans model with Miss A was to help her manage her grief and better understand the â€Å"norms† associated with it, such as anger or depression according to the Kubler-Ross Model. Egan (1998) claims his model is to help people become better at helping themselves in their everyday lives. To provide Miss A with the empowerment to help herself grieve. The use of Egans Skilled Helper Model was to explore how Miss A felt about her bereavement. I used it to ask open questions about how Miss A felt about her father. We explored her past and discussed her relationship with her father before his death. I also used this stage to focus on aspects of her father before he died and what she missed about him, this was to explore and gather information about what her relationship was like with her dad. I was able to use a range of skills to gather information about Miss As grief. Trevithick (2000) explains that social work skills are â€Å"the degree of knowledge, expertise, judgement and experience that is brought into play within any given situation, course of action or intervention† (Trevithick, 2000). Some of the skills I incorporated into Egans counselling were active listening, I used this skill with a range of non verbal cues to indicate to Miss A that I was interested in what she was saying. I concentrated on active listening as Miss A was portraying feelings and knowledge of the death of her father which was a sensitive subject and needed my full concentration. I portrayed active listening by nodding, giving eye contact and facing Miss A which were successful in helping build a rapport with Miss A, thus helping her open up. Another skill I feel I used well with Miss A was empathy. I feel I portrayed my feelings of empathy by responding appropriately to her answers and reassuring her that her thoughts and feelings around grief were normal. I found myself using Empathy a great deal with Miss A as I had never experienced bereavement before and she helped me understand how it felt. Its easy to imagine how someone feels, but when youre faced with helping them I felt I really neede d to place myself in â€Å"her shoes†. I also found I made good use of silences with Miss A, I used these to give her time to reflect on her thoughts and answers. I have found by doing this that the meetings were paced better, and showed that she was the expert of her own grief and I was just there to listen and to reassure her. I found that by using Rogerian person centred skills like genuineness, empathy, communication and active listening I was able to understand Miss A and show her that I was there to support with her agenda. Throughout the discussions of grief I feel Miss A was able to vent a lot of her feelings that she had since her fathers funeral. I feel I was able to support her understand those feelings and help her recognise that anger, depression, or denial are normal feelings that many people in her situation suffer. Throughout Egans Skilled Helper Model and each of the sessions with Miss A I found that she responded well to being able to discuss her feelings with someone. The Rogerian influence on the intervention enabled me to build trust, partnership and a good rapport with her facilitating an open working relationship and providing her with support. Some of the values I tried to incorporate into my counselling and indeed my relationship with Miss A were empowerment and self-advocacy, by letting her know that her agenda was central. I wanted to create a balance of power and to provide a supporting role rather than a dictator role, which I feel I achieved by being able to listen to her views and incorporating PCP. Social work has a distinctive value base with beliefs and principles playing an important role in practice (Thompson, 2005). Challenging my values has helped me to treat Miss A with unconditional positive regard, and with the respect and dignity she deserves. I have challenged my values anti-oppressively by researching MRSA and not making assumptions about the condition; I have challenged my stereotypical attitude around learning disability demonstrating that Miss A is first and foremost a person with feelings and issues before recognising she has a disability. Evaluation: On evaluation of the Egans Skilled Helper Model and my intervention with Miss A have shown that her agenda was central to the sessions, a balance of power was necessary to achieve the trust and respect of one another and that listening is paramount to providing effective counselling. I entered the sessions with Miss A being unaware of what to expect, I was troubled that I would not have enough knowledge about grief to help support her. After the initial session I soon realised that I didnt need to be a qualified counsellor to make a difference to her understanding of grief, I just needed to be able to explain her feelings to her and reassure her that they were normal and not as she phrased it â€Å"being mental†. I found that by working with Miss A using the Skilled Helper Model I was able to apply my skills of listening, communication and empathy to help her understand her feelings. I have never personally had a bereavement of Miss As scale before but feel as a direct result of working with Miss A I have learned that grief is a powerful emotion for anyone to experience and it can take a significant amount of time to recover from. The only regret I have of using the Skilled Helper Model was that I feel I did not have enough time to fully help support Miss A, I feel as I had a placement of only eighty-five days I did not have enough time to fully counsel her for the best outcome. I feel throughout the intervention process I tried to maintain person centred principles with Miss A by providing her with the opportunity to discuss what was important to her. Research shows that the use of Egans model is not person centred as it incorporates the counsellor to ask all the questions, and therefore have the control; but I feel by working in partnership with Miss A to discuss the death of her father was important for her emotional well being and empowered her to help resolve her grief. I also incorporated Rogers core skills of genuineness, respect and trust to achieve this Conclusion Through working with Miss A I have found the experience to be invaluable learning. I have discovered that there is a spectrum of ability with adults and their learning disability. I have found that each person is an individual, and that group care is not necessarily recognising of this. In regards to Miss A I have learned not to make assumptions or stereotypes before meeting the person, as this can lead to oppression and even discrimination. Miss A is an individual, with individual needs, and at this assessment and intervention her emotional needs were prominent. I feel I completed the aims I had intended to by supporting Miss a through her grief using Egans Skilled Helper Model. I incorporated Rogers core skills into this model to help facilitate person centred sessions, and create an understanding that she was the expert, and I was there to listen and support her. If I was to repeat the intervention I would use Egans model again as it provided me with a structured, logical framework to work with and provided me with the identification of the skills I needed to make the sessions successful and effectively counsel Miss A. I feel my future learning needs from working with Miss A are to use more formal language as I identified I talked to her informally using words such as â€Å"wee†. I feel I did this to appear more friendly rather than her social worker, but realise this is not a professional manner to work. Other learning needs I identified were to pace the sessions more appropriately and ensure that Miss A understands the conversation. I feel during the initial sessions with Miss A I spoke more to engage her in the discussion, and feel this was more of a nervous reaction to having to counsel Miss A. During later sessions I was able to take this skill into consideration and settle quicker into sessions to give Miss A the opportunity to discuss what she wished. Overall I feel my relationship with Miss A was good, I feel the assessment and intervention were successful, and I feel I worked in a person centred way incorporating knowledge, skills and values to inform my practice. I feel Miss A felt positively about our work together as her feedback from sessions indicated that she was satisfied with the support I provided. References: 1. Beresford, P. (1996) The Standards we Expect: What Service Users and Carers Want fromSocial Services Workers. London: National Institute of Social Work 2. Bradford, J. (1984) Life after a Death, Parents Voice 34: 6-7 3. Cathcart, F. (1995) Death and People with Learning Disabilities: Interventions to Support Clients and Carers; British Journal of Clinical Psychology 34: 165-75 4. Coulshed, V., and Orme, J. (2006) Social Work Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, Fourth Edition 5. Duffy P, Fisher C, Munroe D (2008). Nursing knowledge, skill, and attitudes related to evidenced based practice: Before or After Organizational Supports. Medsurg Nursing 17 (1): 55-60 6. Egan, G (1990) The Skilled Helper: A Systematic Approach to Effective Helping. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole 7. Elliot, D. (1995) Helping People with Learning Disabilities to Handle Grief, Nursing Times 91 (43): 27-9. 8. Goldsworthy, K. (2005) Grief and loss theory in social work practice: All changes involve loss, just as all losses require change, Australian Social Work, 58:2, 167 — 178 9. Kitching, N. (1987) Helping People with Mental Handicaps Cope with Bereavement, Mental Handicap 15: 60-3. 10. McLoughlin, I . (1986) Bereavement in the Mentally Handicapped, British Journal of Hospital Medicine October: 256-60. 11. Murray, G., McKenzie, K., and Quigley, A. (2000) The Grieving Process in Individuals with a Learning Disability; An Examination of the Knowledge and Understanding of Health and Social Care: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities; 4; 77 12. Nelson, P. (2007) An Easy Introduction to the Egans Skilled Helper Solution Focused Counselling Approach. Palgrave and Macmillan (Online at www.f-e-t-t.co.uk) (Accessed 2 March 2009) 13. Preston-Shoot, M., and Braye, S. (2009) Social work intervention (Online) Available at: http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/elearning/law/law08/index.asp [Accessed 5 May 2009]. 14. Read, S. (1996) Helping People with Learning Disabilities to Grieve, British Journal of Nursing 5 (2). 15. Smale, G and Tuson, G. (1993) Empowerment, Assessment, Care Management and the Skilled Worker. London. HMSO 16. Thompson, N. (2005) Understanding Social Work: Preparation for Practice. Second Edition. Palgrave Macmillan 17. Thompson, J., Kilbane, J., and Sanderson, H. (2008) Person Centred Practice for Professionals. Open University Press. 18. Trevithick, P (2000) Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook. Open University Press. 19. Whittington, C. (2007) Assessment in social work: A guide for learning and teaching; London.Social Care Institute for Excellence 20. Williams, P (2006) Social Work with People with Learning Disabilities. Learning Matters Ltd Other: 21. http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news/news-dhssps/news-dhssps-october-2008/news-dhssps-101008-community-statistics-for.htm (10/10/08) (Accessed on 8 May 2009) 22. http://www.understandingindividualneeds.com/policyandprocedure/statistics.htm (Accessed on 24 April 2009)

Succubus Revealed Chapter 2

It took me a moment to really comprehend that in thirty seconds, the conversation had gone from a deeply seriously mystery about my love life to bowling for demonic bragging rights. And yet, this wasn't a particularly unusual pattern in my world. â€Å"And by ‘we,' † added Jerome, â€Å"I mean you four.† He nodded toward Peter, Cody, Hugh, and me. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. â€Å"Let me make sure I'm following this. You've signed us up for some sort of bowling league. One that you aren't even going to participate in. And this is somehow going to prove your employees' ‘evilness' to the world.† â€Å"Don't be silly. I can't participate. Bowling teams only have four people.† He didn't comment on the proving evilness part. â€Å"Well, hey, I'll totally yield my spot to you,† I said. â€Å"I'm not that great a bowler.† â€Å"You'd better become one.† Jerome's voice grew cold. â€Å"All of you had, if you know what's good for you. Nanette will be impossible to live with at the next company meeting if you lot lose.† â€Å"Gee, Jerome. I love bowling,† said Carter. â€Å"How come you never mentioned this to me before?† Jerome and Carter held gazes for several heavy seconds. â€Å"Because, unless you're ready to take a fall for the team, you can't really compete with us.† A funny smile fell over Carter's face. His gray eyes glinted. â€Å"I see.† â€Å"I don't really like your use of ‘us,' seeing as you've already written off any participation on your part,† I pointed out to Jerome, imitating his earlier snide tone. Peter sighed, looking rather woebegone. â€Å"Where on earth am I going to find tasteful bowling shoes?† â€Å"What's our team name going to be?† asked Cody. That immediately degenerated into a conversation of truly terrible suggestions, such as Soulless in Seattle and Split Decision. After almost an hour, I couldn't handle any more. â€Å"I think I'm going to go home,† I said, standing up. I had kind of wanted dessert but was afraid I'd be drafted for beach volleyball and cricket if I stayed much longer. â€Å"I brought the wine. You guys don't really need me anymore.† â€Å"When you get home, tell my wayward offspring that I need him to coach you guys,† said Jerome. â€Å"By ‘home,' I actually meant Seth's,† I said. â€Å"But if I see Roman, I'll let him know you've found a good use for his formidable cosmic powers.† Roman – Jerome's half-human son and my roommate – actually was a pretty good bowler, but I didn't want to encourage Jerome. â€Å"Wait!† Peter sprang up after me. â€Å"You have to draw for Secret Santas first.† â€Å"Oh, come on – â€Å" â€Å"No complaining,† he argued. He hurried to the kitchen and returned with a ceramic cookie jar shaped like a snowman. He thrust it toward me. â€Å"Draw. Whatever name you get is who you're buying for, so don't try to get out of it.† I drew a piece of paper and opened it up. Georgina. â€Å"I can't – â€Å" Peter held up a hand to silence me. â€Å"You drew the name. That's who you've got. No arguments.† His stern look stopped me from any more protests. â€Å"Well,† I pointed out pragmatically, â€Å"at least I have a few ideas.† To his credit, Peter sent me home with some chocolate fondue sauce and a Tupperware bowl filled with fruit and marshmallows. Hugh and Cody were running forward with the bowling team plan, trying to come up with a practice schedule. Jerome and Carter said little and instead kept watching each other in a speculative, knowing way that was typical of them. It was hard to read much on their faces, but for once, Jerome gave off the vibe of having the upper hand. I left Capitol Hill for Seattle's University District and Seth's condo. All the windows were dark when I pulled up, and I couldn't help a smile. It was almost eleven. Seth must have called it an early night, something I'd been urging him to do for a while. Thinking of that, my smile faded as quickly as it had come. A few months ago, Seth's sister-in-law, Andrea, had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The disease had been pretty far advanced when caught, and although she'd almost immediately gone into treatment, the outcome still wasn't promising. Worse, the treatments had taken a huge physical toll on her, one that was testing the family's strength. Seth was frequently helping them out, especially when his brother Terry was working, since it was harder for Andrea to care for their five daughters now. Seth had been sacrificing both sleep and his writing career to look after them. I knew it was necessary. I loved Seth's family and had helped them out as well. But I still hated seeing Seth run himself down and knew that it hurt him to put his work on hold. He claimed his writing was the least of his problems right now and had time before deadlines were an issue, particularly since his next two books were queued for printing next year. I couldn't argue against that, but the sleep issue? Yeah, I was on him a lot about that and glad to see my words had gotten through tonight. I used my key to let myself in and slipped through the condo as silently as possible. I practically lived here lately and had no trouble finding my way around furniture in the darkness. When I reached his bedroom, I could just barely make out his form wrapped up in covers, softly outlined in the light of his alarm clock. I quietly took off my coat and then shape-shifted into a cotton babydoll nightgown. It was sexy but not blatantly so. I planned on sleeping with him tonight, for real. I slid into bed and pressed myself up against his back, lightly tossing an arm over him. He stirred slightly, and I couldn't resist pressing a kiss against his bare shoulder. The scent of cinnamon and musk washed over me as he snuggled closer. Despite sternly chastising myself that he needed to sleep, I lightly ran my fingers along his arm and sneaked in another kiss. â€Å"Mmm,† he murmured, rolling over toward me. â€Å"That feels nice.† A few things hit me at once. First, Seth didn't wear any sort of cologne or aftershave that smelled like cinnamon. Second, Seth's voice didn't sound like that. Third, and perhaps most important, Seth wasn't in bed with me. I didn't mean to scream as loudly as I did. It just kind of happened. I was out of the bed in a flash, groping for the light switch on the wall while the intruder attempted to get up. He ended up getting tangled in the covers and falling off the bed with a loud thump, just as I found the light. I promptly reached for a weapon, but seeing as this was Seth's bedroom, my options were limited. The heaviest, most dangerous object I could readily grab ahold of was Seth's dictionary, a leather-bound monstrosity that he kept on hand because he â€Å"didn't trust the Internet.† I stood poised and ready to literally throw the book at the intruder as he scrambled to his feet. As he did and I got a good look at him, I noticed something crazy. He looked . . . familiar. Not only that, but he kind of looked like Seth. â€Å"Who are you?† I demanded. â€Å"Who are you?† he exclaimed. He seemed more confused than anything else. I don't think he found the threat of a five foot four woman with a dictionary all that frightening. Before I could answer, a hand touched my arm. I yelped and threw the dictionary out of instinct. The guy dodged, letting the book crash harmlessly against the wall. I spun around to see who'd touched me and found myself looking into the eyes of a white-haired woman with gold cat-eye glasses. She was wearing flowered pajama bottoms and a pink sweatshirt with a crossword puzzle on it. She was also wielding a baseball bat, which was pretty astonishing – not just because it was more dangerous than a dictionary but also because I hadn't known Seth owned one. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she asked fiercely. She glanced over at the shirtless, dumbfounded guy. â€Å"Are you okay?† For half a second, I actually toyed with the idea that I had somehow let myself into someone else's condo. Like, maybe I was just one door over. This scene was so ridiculous that a mix-up seemed far more likely. It was only the obvious evidence – like my key and Seth's University of Chicago teddy bear watching this spectacle – that drove home the fact that I was indeed where I was supposed to be. Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening and closing rang through the condo. â€Å"Hello?† came a blessedly familiar voice. â€Å"Seth!† exclaimed all three of us in unison. Moments later, Seth appeared in the doorway. As usual, he looked adorable. His reddish brown hair was typically unkempt, and he was wearing a Dirty Dancing T-shirt that I'd never seen before. Despite my panic and confusion over this current situation, the concerned part of me still noted the little signs of fatigue on Seth's face, the dark circles and lines of weariness. He was thirty-six and usually looked younger than his age. Not today. â€Å"Seth,† said the bat-wielding woman. â€Å"This lady broke into your house.† He looked at each of us in turn before resting his gaze on her. â€Å"Mom,† he said quietly, â€Å"that's my girlfriend. Please don't bludgeon her.† â€Å"Since when do you have a girlfriend?† asked the guy. â€Å"Since when do you have a baseball bat?† I asked, recovering my composure. Seth cut me a wry look before gently trying to remove the bat from the woman's hands. She didn't let go. â€Å"Georgina, this is my mom, Margaret Mortensen. And that's my brother Ian. Guys, this is Georgina.† â€Å"Hi,† I said, feeling surprise of a different sort. I'd heard a lot about Seth's mother and younger brother but hadn't expected to meet them anytime soon. Seth's mother didn't like to fly, and Ian was . . . well, from the stories Seth and Terry told, Ian was just hard to track down in general. He was the wayward Mortensen brother. Margaret relinquished the bat and put on a polite but wary smile. â€Å"It's very nice to meet you.† â€Å"Ditto,† said Ian. I now understood why he looked familiar. Aside from the fact I'd probably seen a picture of him somewhere, he also shared some of Seth's and Terry's features. He was tall like Seth, but with Terry's thinner face. Ian's hair was all brown, with no coppery hint, but it had that same messy look that Seth's did. Except, on closer examination, I had the feeling Ian's had been purposely styled that way with the help of much time and product. Seth suddenly did a double take between Ian and me. He didn't even have to say anything for me to guess the question on his mind. Or questions, perhaps. My nightgown and Ian's shirtlessness undoubtedly raised a number of them. Ian's defense came swift and certain. â€Å"She got into bed with me.† â€Å"I thought he was you,† I said. Seth's mother made a strange noise in her throat. â€Å"You were supposed to be on the couch,† said Seth accusingly. Ian shrugged. â€Å"It's uncomfortable. And you weren't home yet, so I figured there was no harm done. How was I supposed to know some woman was going to come manhandle me in my sleep?† â€Å"I didn't manhandle you!† I cried. Seth rubbed his eyes, again reminding me how exhausted he was. â€Å"Look, what's done is done. Why don't we all just go to bed – where we're supposed to – and then get to know each other in the morning, okay?† Margaret eyed me. â€Å"She's going to sleep in here? With you?† â€Å"Yes, Mom,† he said patiently. â€Å"With me. Because I'm a grown man. And this is my home. And because in thirty-six years, this isn't the first woman to stay over with me.† His mother looked aghast, and I groped for a more comfortable topic. â€Å"Your shirt's great.† Now that she wasn't threatening to strike me, I could see that the crossword spelled out her five granddaughters' names. â€Å"I love the girls.† â€Å"Thank you,† she said. â€Å"Each one of them is a blessing, born within the holy confines of wedlock.† Before I could even fumble a response to that, Ian groaned. â€Å"Lord, Mom. Is that from that Web site I told you not to order from? You know their stuff's made in China. I know this woman who could have made you one out of sustainable organic fabric.† â€Å"Hemp is a drug, not a fabric,† she told him. â€Å"Good night, you guys,† said Seth, pointing his brother to the door. â€Å"We'll talk in the morning.† Margaret and Ian murmured their good nights, and she paused to kiss Seth on the cheek – which I actually thought was pretty cute. When they were gone and the door was closed, Seth sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands. â€Å"So,† I said, coming to sit beside him. â€Å"Exactly how many women have stayed over in thirty-six years?† He looked up. â€Å"None who were caught by my mother in so little clothing.† I plucked at the skirt of the nightgown. â€Å"This? This is tame.† â€Å"I'm sorry about that,† he added, waving vaguely toward the door. â€Å"I should've called and warned you. They just drove into town tonight – unannounced, of course. Ian can't be expected to do what people expect. It would ruin his reputation. They showed up at Terry's, but there's no room for them there, so I sent them on ahead since they were so tired. I had no idea it would result in you trying to sleep with my brother.† â€Å"Seth!† â€Å"Kidding, kidding.† He picked up my hand and kissed the top of it. â€Å"How are you? How was your day?† â€Å"Well, I tried my best to keep Santa from getting drunk and then found out Jerome signed us up for a Hellish bowling league.† â€Å"I see,† said Seth. â€Å"So. The usual.† â€Å"Pretty much. What about you?† The small smile that had been tugging at his lips fell. â€Å"Aside from unexpected family? The usual too. Terry was out late with work stuff, so I was there all night with the girls while Andrea rested. Kendall has to build a papier-mache solar system, so that was fun for everyone.† He held up his hands and wiggled fingers coated in white powder. â€Å"And let me guess. No writing?† He shrugged. â€Å"It's not important.† â€Å"You should've called me. I could've watched them while you wrote.† â€Å"You were working and then . . . what, it was fondue night, right?† He stood up and stripped off his shirt and jeans, getting down to green flannel boxers. â€Å"How did you know that?† I asked. â€Å"I barely knew that.† â€Å"I was on Peter's e-mail list.† â€Å"Well, regardless, it doesn't matter. And that mall job is nothing. I could have been over here in a flash.† He stepped into his bathroom and returned a few moments later with a toothbrush in his mouth. â€Å"That job is nuffing. Haf any of your interfeews panned out?† â€Å"No,† I said, not adding that I hadn't gone on any other interviews. Everything paled compared to Emerald City. The conversation was put on pause while he finished brushing his teeth. â€Å"You should be doing something better,† he said, once he was done. â€Å"I'm fine where I'm at. I don't mind it. But you . . . you can't keep going on like this. You're not getting enough sleep or working.† â€Å"Don't worry about it,† he said. He turned off the light and crawled into bed. In the dimness, I saw him pat the spot beside him. â€Å"Come over here. It's just me, I promise.† I smiled and curled up beside him. â€Å"Ian didn't smell right, you know. I mean, he smelled good, but not like you.† â€Å"I'm sure he spends gratuitous amounts of money to smell good,† muttered Seth through a yawn. â€Å"What's he do for a living?† â€Å"Hard to say. He's always got new jobs. Or no job. Whatever money he's got goes toward carefully maintaining his hard-fought, effortless lifestyle. Have you seen his coat?† â€Å"No. The only clothing of his I've seen is his boxers.† â€Å"Ah. Well, it must be in the living room. It looks like it came from a thrift store but probably cost four figures.† He sighed. â€Å"Although, I shouldn't be too hard on him. I mean, yeah, he'll probably hit me up for money while he's here, but I can't knock him and Mom coming out to help. At the very least, they can help watch the kids now.† I wrapped my arms around Seth and breathed in his scent. It was the right one, and it was intoxicating. â€Å"And you can catch up on some writing.† â€Å"Maybe,† he said. â€Å"We'll see how it goes. I just hope I'm not babysitting Mom and Ian more than the girls.† â€Å"How bad of an impression did I make on her?† I asked. â€Å"Not that bad. I mean, no worse than any woman – scantily clad or otherwise – would've made who was spending the night with me.† He kissed my forehead. â€Å"She's not so bad. Don't be fooled by her conservative Midwest grandma act. I think you guys will get along.† I wanted to ask if Maddie had met Margaret and, if so, how they'd gotten along. I bit my tongue on the question. It didn't matter. It was in the past, and Seth and I were the present. Sometimes, especially staying here as much as I did, I felt a little weird remembering that Maddie had lived with him too. There were still little touches here and there that bore the mark of her influence. For example, Margaret was most likely staying in Seth's office, which had a futon, courtesy of Maddie's ingenuity. She'd been the one to suggest he get it to help make the office double as a guestroom. Maddie had gone; the futon had stayed. I tried not to think about those things very often, though. In the big picture, they didn't matter. Seth and I had come through too much for me to get hung up on something like that. We'd overcome the problems in our relationship. I'd accepted his mortality and his decision to risk his life by being physical with me. True, I still rationed our sex life, but the fact that I allowed it at all was a big concession for me. Meanwhile, he accepted the terrible truth that I was often out sleeping with other men in order to sustain my existence. They were difficult things for us both, but they were worth it for us to be together. Everything we'd gone through was worth it. â€Å"I love you,† I told him. He placed a soft kiss on my lips and pulled me closer. â€Å"I love you too.† Then, in an echo of my thoughts, he added, â€Å"You make it all worthwhile. All this stuff I'm dealing with†¦. I can do it because you're in my life, Thetis.† Thetis. That was his longtime nickname for me, coming from the shape-shifting goddess in Greek mythology who'd been won by a steadfast mortal. He called me that all the time – and Letha, only once. I thought again about that night. The troubled feelings it stirred never seemed to go away, but I once again tried to force them aside. It was another of those little things that I was trying not to let bug me. It was nothing compared to the greatness of our love, and like my friends had said, Seth had probably overheard the name. I fell into a contented sleep, only to be awakened abruptly around dawn. My eyes flew open, and I sat upright. Seth shifted and rolled over but wasn't awakened by my sudden movement. I stared around the room, my heart racing. I'd been jolted out of sleep by an immortal presence, one I didn't know. It had felt demonic. There was nothing here now, visible or invisible, but I knew for a fact some servant of Hell had just been in the room. This wasn't the first time I'd had unwelcome visitors in my sleep, often ones with nefarious intentions. Of course, I'd felt this demon just now, and demons – being higher immortals, not a lesser human-turned-immortal like me – could mask their immortal signature. If he or she had wanted to sneak around or hurt me unannounced, it could have done so. Whoever this was hadn't cared about discovery. I slipped out of bed and continued studying the room, looking for some sign or reason for the demon's passage. I was certain there would be one. There. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of red – in my purse. There was a business envelope sitting on top of it. I hurried over and scooped up the envelope. It was warm to my touch, but as I quietly opened it, I began to feel cold. That feeling intensified as I pulled out a letter printed on official Hell stationery. No good could come of this. Sunset had filtered more than enough light into the room to read by. The letter was addressed to Letha (alias: Georgina Kincaid), from Hell's HR: This is the thirty-day notice for your trans fer. Your new assignment will begin on January 15. Please make travel arrangements to leave Seattle and report to your new location in a timely manner.