Forensic Science Proper Crime Scene Techniques. Essays

Forensic Science: Proper Crime Scene Techniques. The word "Forensic" is derived from the Latin forensus, meaning "of the forum."1 In ancient Rome, the forum was where governmental debates were held, but it was also where trials were held -- the court house. From that, forensic science has come to mean the application of the natural and physical science to the resolution of matters within a legal context2. Forensic Science can be viewed as a tripartite structure consisting of 1. Collection: which pertains to the science investigation, 2. Examination: which pertains to the medical investigation and 3. Presentation: which pertains to the courts. A forensic case will involve all aspects of each of the three structured elements, each being as important as the other. It is obvious that there needs to be a collaborative approach for the successful completion of each case. Each step in forensic science must be done in an exact order, therefor it can be assured that the investigation can have few doubts about what is being debated. In this paper I will focus my attention on the first aspect of the three step structure, Collections and Scientific Investigation. I will show what should be done at crimes scenes, how crime scenes should be handled and what steps must be followed to ensure that all evidence is pure as when the crime was committed. The purpose of crime scene investigation is to help establish what happened at the crime and to identify the responsible person(s). This is done by carefully documenting the condition at a crime scene and recognizing all relevant physical evidence. The ability to recognize and properly collect physical evidence is often times critical to both solving and prosecuting violent crimes. It is no exaggeration to say that in the majority of cases, the law enforcement officer who protects and searches a crime scene plays a critical role in determining whether physical evidence will be used in solving or prosecuting violent crimes. In a personal interview, Lt. Micheal Hritz of the Edison Township Police Department explained, "An investigator must not leap to an immediate conclusion as to what happened based upon limited information, but must generate several different theories of the crime, keeping the ones that are not eliminated by incoming information at the scene. The crime scene is the only link between the crime and its victim, if any or all evidence is destroyed or lost, the crime may never be solved. It is imparative that the officer know what, how and where to look for key evidence." Documenting and Examining a Crime Scene Documenting a crime scene and its conditions can include immediately recording transient details such as lighting, furniture, fingerprints, and other valuable information. Certain evidence if not collected immediately can easily be lost, destroyed or tainted. The scope of investigations can also extend to the fact of argument in such cases as suicide or self defense. It is also important to be able to recognize what should be present at a crime scene, what to look for at a crime scene and what might appear out of place. A crime scene often does not pertain to the immediate area in which a victim or actual crime has occurred, but the possibility of escape or access routes should also be checked. Anything which can be used to connect a victim to a suspect or a suspect to a victim or a crime scene is relevent physical evidence. Richard Saferstein explains, "Physical evidence encompasses any and all objects that can establish that a crime has been committed or can provide a link between a crime scene and its victim or a crime and its perpetrator" (31). I will now explain the proper techniques and ways a crime scene and physical evidence should be handled and examined. One of the first things an officer should do once he approaches a crime scene is to take control and secure the scene as quickly as possible. This is to prevent anyone from tainting evidence and to keep unauthorized person(s) out of the area such as the press, the public or anyone who doesn't belong. While this is being done, an officer should also be alert for discarded evidence and note if there are any possible approach or escape routes. After an officer does this, he should determine the extent in which the scene has been protected and make sure there is adequate security in the area. All persons entering and exiting the crime scene should be logged and kept down to a bare minimum to ensure

A Look at Shakespeares 154 Sonnets

A Look at Shakespeare's 154 Sonnets Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, which were collected and published posthumously in 1609. Many critics segment the sonnets into three groups: The Fair Youth Sonnets (Sonnets 1 – 126)The first group of sonnets are addressed to a young man with whom the poet has a deep friendship.The Dark Lady Sonnets (Sonnets 127 – 152)In the second sequence, the poet becomes infatuated with a mysterious woman. Her relationship with the young man is unclear.The Greek Sonnets (Sonnets 153 and 154)The final two sonnets are very different and draw upon the Roman myth of Cupid, to whom the poet has already compared his muses. Other Groupings Other scholars lump the Greek Sonnets with the Dark Lady Sonnets  and call out a different cluster (Nos. 78 to 86) as the Rival Poet Sonnets. This approach treats the subjects of the sonnets as characters  and invites ongoing questions among scholars about the degree to which the sonnets may or may not have been autobiographical. Controversies Although its generally accepted that Shakespeare wrote the sonnets, historians question certain aspects of how the sonnets came to print. In 1609, Thomas Thorpe published  Shakes-Peares Sonnets; the book, however, contains a dedication by T.T. (presumably Thorpe) that confounds scholars as to the identity of whom the book was dedicated, and whether the Mr. W.H. in the dedication may be the muse for the Fair Youth Sonnets. The dedication in Thorpes book, if it had been written by the publisher, may imply that Shakespeare himself did not authorize their publication. If this theory is true, its possible that the 154 sonnets we know today dont constitute the totality of Shakespeares work.

Interview of a Legal Professional Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview of a Legal Professional - Essay Example iates of legal staff will be less†¦few and few rather in the years to come, and there is a glad of attorneys as well, and the laws schools are graduating too many attorneys who find that there are no good employments when they come out of school. The interview reveals that many professionals develop interest in certain occupations during their childhood and dedicate efforts to living their dreams. The interviewee prefer the kind of jobs that give them the opportunity to grow professionally and attain personal or rather professional satisfaction. Attorneys interact with people of different kinds making their work flexible (Fede, 2012). People who want to pursue a career in this profession are required to have a degree in legal studies, attend law school and pass a bar exam in the state they chose to practice law in. Their educational qualification must also be bolstered by professional ethics including ability to act honorably, good faith, as well as work in the best interests of the grantor in any legal case. The American law is extensive, a factor that makes Malilo accentuate the ability to read and communicate effectively for any one intending to be an attorney. An expansive review of literatures from the law field and reviewing of vindicated legal cases acquaints one with information required in arguing for the positive and negative sides of a case. The aptitude and capability to interact and relate with people is also essential to an attorney considering the sheer fact that they incessantly interact with professional and non-professional individuals in the course of their professional duties (Lisnek, 2010). Their duties range from researching laws and case studies the legal service field to preparing and presenting cases to a juge in the court system. Moreover, an attorney has the duty and supposition to observe and preserve the interests of the adversary, client, and legal system. Workers in this field require a law degree and to pass a bar exam to

Cultural and Communication Self-Assessment Paper Essay

Cultural and Communication Self-Assessment Paper - Essay Example In this case, it is justified to argue that the culture of Indonesia is an amalgamation of varying cultures, ranging from Hinduism, to Islam. On another point of view, Purdey (pp.6) indicates that the origin of the Indonesians is from China. The people of Indonesia migrated from China; thus, the origin of Indonesia is attributed to China. Others have been indicated to have migrated from the Indies and eastern part of Asia. The number of immigrants into the country, from the Chinese origin as a result of population increase indicated an escalating trend. The studies carried out by Suryadinata (pp.125) and Sneddon (pp.37) indicate that in the course of imperialism, the number of persons from China to the country increased. In fast statistics from the census carried out in the year 2010 portray that the number of Chinese citizens from the country are above eight million. The population of the country that is purely Indonesian stands at 3.7 million. This is an elucidation of the fact that the country is made up many Chinese citizens (Tong, pp.147). Belief, in simple terms, can be described as the acceptance of something or a practice as factual (Blackburn, pp.39). Beliefs have in one way or another been indicated to hold a very important place in the minds of individuals. Through these beliefs, human beings have been made to claim a position in the societies they live in, through their conceptions. With mental conception and conviction on the values and beliefs of the truth, the population is bound to develop a routine that governs their way of life. In Indonesia, serving a meal to numerous guests is a symbol of hospitality and status in the family (Brouwer, Hartog & Staveren, pp.27).This is evident most specifically during the month of Ramadan when relations and friends converge for feasts. This symbolizes compassion and virtues of sharing in the society. The relations are

How did the interest rate affect the housing prices What drives Essay

How did the interest rate affect the housing prices What drives overseas investors to invest in UK housing market - Essay Example These rates determine the volume of economic activities within the different sectors of the economy Let’s take the example of housing market and understand what the impact of interest rates is over the housing market. In general perspective, the interest rates varies indirectly with housing prices. Any rise in the interest rates makes the market unattractive for the buyer buying the house and therefore demand falls which ultimately leads to falling house prices. On the other hand, any increase in interest rates will increase the monthly payments on a variable mortgage over the house Interest rates and housing prices Interest rate affects the value of income-producing real estate mostly as compared to any investment parameter/factor in the economy. Due to such greater degree of impact of interest rates on an individual's ability to purchase housing properties many people incorrectly assume that the only deciding factor in real estate valuation is the mortgage rate. However, mor tgage rates are only one interest-related factor that influence the property values In developing countries US and UK, the rising interest rates have a big impact over the housing prices. Few years ago, the world has witnessed the global economic turmoil due to the high failures in relation to sub prime mortgages. This means that many homeowners have got a mortgage by borrowing a greater portion of their disposable income The relation between interest rates and housing prices is stronger at lower real interest rates, but even at low real rates, when time trend is included, prices seem to rise by x% as interest rates fall by much lower at y% point. The most common reason with regard to rising housing prices is the availability of easy credit, which took the form of high loan-to-value ratios, low interest rates and permissive approvals. These variables certainly affect housing prices Some of the exceptions to the case i.e. cases where the rising interest rates may not cause fall in ho use prices: Due to time lags: Suppose, someone have a house but any rise in interest rates is unlikely to make him/her sell the house, unless it becomes very serious. Generally a rise in interest rates will not reduce demand straight away Due to confidence: Suppose if the confidence level over the market is high, people may continue to spend money and respond to rising interest rates. This would lead to a fall in the savings ratio while the demand for housing doesn’t fall Due to real interest rates: The affordability of housing is majorly affected by the real interest rates. Suppose, if the interest rates are 9% but the inflation is 8%, the real interest rate is only 1%. In other terms, though the interest rates seem high, but in practices the real cost of borrowing is low Due to Other factors: Many a times, it depends on basic supply and demand analysis as well. Suppose, if there are severe supply constraints (like in the Great Britain) house prices may continue to rise, eve n though interest rates are higher Many a times some of the small developers and second-hand house owners may first reduce housing prices: Any increase in the down payment for the first house would also lead to increase in bank interest rates. This would lead to rise in the down payment pressure and interest costs on buyers Interest rates and impact on capital flows over housing market Since interest rates affects the capital flows, the demand and the supply for capital and investors' required rates of ROI,

Religion Is The Opium Of The People Philosophy Essay

Religion Is The Opium Of The People Philosophy Essay Religion is the opium of the people Karl Marx, Critique of Hegels Philosophy of Right, 1844 The construct of two uniquely different terms being used together often raises the eyes of persons who focus on strategies to influence the thinking and actions of many persons. In this case, religion represents those persons around the globe who hold strongly held beliefs. Opium, conversely, often represents an addictive substance that shifts the ability of individuals to maintain control of their own faculties, abilities, or behaviors. Each term provides numerous images in the minds of people who value either religion or the use of substances. In this case, however, the terms are used in a statement of emphasis that demands that one see the critical direction that Karl Marx was approaching in 1844. According to Oxford Dictionaries (2009), Religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods. Opium is a reddish -brown heavy-scented addictive drug prepared from the juice of the opium poppy, used illicitly as a narcotic and occasionally in medicine as an analgesic. The opium of the people is a thought and action-reaction regarded as inducing a false and unrealistic sense of contentment among people. In this case, it is Religion, according to Marx. History reports that the majority of people believe that Marx criticizes religion as being a relief for the masses, in the way that it creates an illusory fantasy to the poor, assuring them that even if they are living in misery in this life, they will find true happiness in the afterlife, thus only masking the problem and not solving it. However, based on the sudden change in the 19th century (period in which Marx lived) of how opium is perceived, the quote can be assessed in two way s; positively and negatively. This makes it interesting for us to analyze it since history plays a big part on how it should be understood. Since prehistoric times, opium has been used worldwide. From Egypt to China, it was highly regarded and used for many things, such as to relieve pain, to bring courage and strength to soldiers, to reach a feeling of ecstasy or to get in touch with the divine. These practices continued and spread, until the 19th century, when its negative effects were being detected. At this point, opium was found to be addictive, sometimes lethal and had started to be regulated. The impact and harm that was done through the use of opium caused societies to consider changing the perspective held on the use of the drug. Eventually, the use of opium became illegal because its damage was significant to the members of every society where it was used. Parenthetically, it was and sometimes still is being used for medical experiments and pain-reduction, delusional practices to this day and remains the most efficient pain-killer. However, despite the illegalization of opium and its derivatives, it was and is still being used by a wide variety of people in all parts of the world, most commonly in the form of heroin, in order to achieve a feeling of pleasure and to escape from reality. In the 19th century, opium was responsible for two wars that took place between the United Kingdom and China. The Opium Wars occurred because China illegalized the drug though the United Kingdom continued to traffic it in China, through India. After having had an overview on the history of opium, we can now deduce the different possible meanings that Marx conveys in his quote. In a first perspective, Marx could imply that religion is the opium of the people in a positive manner. This being the case, Marx meant that opium provides comfort and relief. Since Marx was a big supporter of the proletarian movement, which in his time was working in horrible conditions and leading miserable lives in cities, Marx might have insinuated that religions purpose was to create illusory fantasies for the poor as opium did for drug abusers and addicts. Economic realities often prevented the poor and to a large extent, even the aristocrats, from finding true happiness in this life; so religion tells them that this is OK because through a belief in God, through accepting the power and authority of God; through dying and going to heaven, one will find true happiness in the next life. Additionally, religion might bring comfort to people in hard times, for example during times of war, when people would pray for God to protect them, or after the death of a loved one, thinking thi s person would go to heaven and be at peace. Another argument would be that religion and opium give courage to people. Christians and Muslims believe that God Allah is always with them, protecting them and loving them, which could boost their confidence and make them feel they can do anything with God on their side. Lastly, religion can give, for some, a purpose to life based on the principles and tenets of God suggesting that God has a plan for each human being. Moreover, it explains all that science is unable to explain, for example the creation of the Human race. Effectually, what is not scientific is created by faith often unchallengeable in the eyes of rational thought. To conclude, Marx could be stating by his quote that people are in distress and religion provides solace, just as people who are physically injured receive relief from opiate-based drugs. On the other hand, Marx could very well be criticizing religion. First of all, opiates do not fix a physical injury, they merely make you forget pain for a limited time; this is a good thing only if you work on solving the underlying roots of the pain. Equivalently, religion doesnt fix peoples pain, it simply conceals their reasons of suffering and causes them to look ahead to an illusory future when the pain will cease, instead of working on changing their present condition. In other words, Religion as opium creates an imaginary world that prevents people from being accountable for their own lives and their own futures since they believe their path is traced and controlled by a certain God. They are thus led to let things happen and not be responsible for the situation in which they are. Moreover, religion is used as a control mechanism that gives power and authority of some over the masses. The desire to create a collective unconscious that diminishes the power of man to an acquies cing to the power and authority of a higher power often unseen and unknown. Because of the unknown nature -there is a concern that the higher power is infinite; man is finite, and in that finite nature, man can never be in control of his own destiny. Thus, man must acquiesce to the power of the higher authority, and its emissary on earth the Church. However, the church is the work of man and is bound to be flawed. For example, regarding Christianity, Jesus advocated helping the poor, but the Christian church merged with the oppressive Roman state, taking part in the enslavement of people for centuries. In the Middle-Ages the Catholic Church preached about heaven, but acquired as much property and power as possible. Finally, religion, just like opium, is a cause of war. Opium was the cause of two wars between the United Kingdom and China in the 19th century. Similarly, religion was the cause of the crusades, a war between Christians and Muslims that lasted nearly two centuries. This could be one of the reasons why Marx associated the word opium with religion. The quote Religion is the opium of the people can apply to the two major religions: Christianity and Islam. Both religions believe in one God, and both believe in a final judgment, where a person is judged according to their actions on earth, and then sent to either Heaven, place of joy and bliss where they will be happy, either in Hell where they will spend an eternity of misery. On the other hand, other religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism believe in reincarnation of the spirit, which means the person might or might not be happy in his new life, and this excludes Marxs theory of religion being a comfort to the people.

The Influence of British/Celtic Myths and Figures in Haydn Middletons Lie of the Land :: Middleton Lie of the Land Essays

The Influence of British/Celtic Myths and Figures in Haydn Middleton's Lie of the Land The following is a list of explications pointing towards British and Celtic myths and figures. While pursuing the Celtic influences of Middleton's novel, I found myself searching for the meaning of other present mysteries. This author's twist of two cultures creates a spectrum for possible explication. It seems that the Celtic material melds into British society throughout this novel. In search of specific markers I found myself concentrating mostly on Haydn Middleton's use of names. Textual Explications: 1. First of all it is necessary to work with the cover pictures inside of the novel which exhibit Blake's "Dance of Albion" or "Glad Day." This art work is important because Blake, in his literary work, "personified Albion as a giant." Following the physical descriptions of David Nennius in the book, one grasps a mental picture of a large and giant like man. An early description of him found on page 15 connects him to the image of Albion. (15) "I'm large aren't I?" he said as he came to rest. "Six eight and a half in my stockinged feet." ( http://www.ealaghol.demon.co.uk/celtenc/celt_a1.htm) 2. Next of course is the reference to Albion itself. Albion is visible through Blake but also through David's story. On page 99, Emrys tells Nennius a story which confirms the name of Britain. Albion is described as "the primal archetype of the Celtic world." This name is a symbol for "all that flowed into creation of the unique and magnificent wonder known as the Celtic spirit. - The Otherworld (Albion) did not have historical foundation, but the historical world (the Britons of old called their island Alba) had an Otherworldly foundation." ( http://www.ealaghol.demon.co.uk/celtenc/celt_a1.htm) 3. Another important "mention" is Brutus. Nennius speaks of Brutus' conquests to Quinn on page 41. Brutus is said to have "founded a second Troy- Troia Nova (Trinovantum) on the banks of the Thames" where he "defeated an army of giants and chained their leaders, Gog and Magog, to be his porters." Basically Brutus is the crude Abraham or Moses of the Britons as far as ancestry is concerned. It is also important to quote that Brutus is the "great-grandson of Aeneas," who killed his dear father. 4. As long as I am examining names I must make a note on "Nennius." On page 77 of the book, Mary Machin (David's mother) buys a wedding ring and renames herself Mary Nennius after reading about Historia Brittonum. The Influence of British/Celtic Myths and Figures in Haydn Middleton's Lie of the Land :: Middleton Lie of the Land Essays The Influence of British/Celtic Myths and Figures in Haydn Middleton's Lie of the Land The following is a list of explications pointing towards British and Celtic myths and figures. While pursuing the Celtic influences of Middleton's novel, I found myself searching for the meaning of other present mysteries. This author's twist of two cultures creates a spectrum for possible explication. It seems that the Celtic material melds into British society throughout this novel. In search of specific markers I found myself concentrating mostly on Haydn Middleton's use of names. Textual Explications: 1. First of all it is necessary to work with the cover pictures inside of the novel which exhibit Blake's "Dance of Albion" or "Glad Day." This art work is important because Blake, in his literary work, "personified Albion as a giant." Following the physical descriptions of David Nennius in the book, one grasps a mental picture of a large and giant like man. An early description of him found on page 15 connects him to the image of Albion. (15) "I'm large aren't I?" he said as he came to rest. "Six eight and a half in my stockinged feet." ( http://www.ealaghol.demon.co.uk/celtenc/celt_a1.htm) 2. Next of course is the reference to Albion itself. Albion is visible through Blake but also through David's story. On page 99, Emrys tells Nennius a story which confirms the name of Britain. Albion is described as "the primal archetype of the Celtic world." This name is a symbol for "all that flowed into creation of the unique and magnificent wonder known as the Celtic spirit. - The Otherworld (Albion) did not have historical foundation, but the historical world (the Britons of old called their island Alba) had an Otherworldly foundation." ( http://www.ealaghol.demon.co.uk/celtenc/celt_a1.htm) 3. Another important "mention" is Brutus. Nennius speaks of Brutus' conquests to Quinn on page 41. Brutus is said to have "founded a second Troy- Troia Nova (Trinovantum) on the banks of the Thames" where he "defeated an army of giants and chained their leaders, Gog and Magog, to be his porters." Basically Brutus is the crude Abraham or Moses of the Britons as far as ancestry is concerned. It is also important to quote that Brutus is the "great-grandson of Aeneas," who killed his dear father. 4. As long as I am examining names I must make a note on "Nennius." On page 77 of the book, Mary Machin (David's mother) buys a wedding ring and renames herself Mary Nennius after reading about Historia Brittonum.

A Synopsis of the Movie: The Social Network

The document is a movie. It is a comedy drama produced by David Fincher. The title is The Social Network. This film was produced on 2010 and last 2 hours. By the title, we may assume that this movie talks about Network in our generation. Indeed, this film relates about the creation of Facebook which is the most famous social network. Facebook allows all people to have their own account to publish their information. So this document shows the improvement of new technologies. The main character is Mark Zuckerberg. He is a student at the University of Havard and he is also the one who invent the system of Facebook. Im my opinion, I think the character of Mark Zuckerberg in the movie looks like him. By this film, we may assume that Mark is geek since he spends a lot of time with his computer. Nevertheless ,it is difficult to say that he is a geek, even though he is always with his computer during the film. Because he would like to be a brilliant computer scientist. During the film, the scene take place the most of the time at the University of Havard. Indeed, Havard is an private American university situated at Cambridge in Massachusetts. Mark who is a student at this university, was accused to break with volunteers the security, the right of the reproduction and the respect of the private life. In reality, after his breaking with his girlfriend, he decides to create a blog which allows the student in his university to vote the most beautiful girl. Then this system has had a big success and becomes the most well-known social network from all around the world : Facebook. Actually the director criticizes the geek who spend their time with the social network in order to learn about the private life of someone else. So, it's an illegal act. Thus Facebook symbolizes the influence of the media in our society. It makes me ask myself if I should or shouldn't involve in the social network. And I also wonder how strong the impact of new technologies. Can new technologies break our private life. I'm very sorry that I send you this email so late because I had some problem with Internet in country. Indeed, I can access to the Inthernet only at night that's why I can send only now. I hope that you don't mind with this issu. Thank advance.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 1

Statistics show that most mortals sell their souls for five reasons: sex, money, power, revenge, and love. In that order. I suppose I should have been reassured, then, that I was out here assisting with numero uno, but the whole situation just made me feel†¦ well, sleazy. And coming from me, that was something. Maybe I just can't empathize anymore, I mused. It's been too long. When I was a virgin, people still believed swans could impregnate girls. Nearby, Hugh waited patiently for me to overcome my reticence. He stuffed his hands into well-pressed khakis, leaning his large frame against his Lexus. â€Å"I don't see what the big deal is. You do this all the time.† That wasn't exactly true, but we both knew what he meant. Ignoring him, I instead made a great show of studying my surroundings, not that that improved my mood. The suburbs always dragged me down. Identical houses. Perfect lawns. Far too many SUVs. Somewhere in the night, a dog refused to stop yapping. â€Å"I don't do this, † I said finally. â€Å"Even I have standards.† Hugh snorted, expressing his opinion of my standards. â€Å"Okay, if it makes you feel better, don't think of this in terms of damnation. Think of it as a charity case.† â€Å"A charity case?† â€Å"Sure.† He pulled out his Pocket PC, looking briskly businesslike, despite the unorthodox setting. Not that I should have been surprised. Hugh was a professional imp, a master at getting mortals to sell their souls, an expert in contracts and legal loopholes that would have made any lawyer wince in envy. He was also my friend. It sort of gave new meaning to the With friends like these†¦ adage. â€Å"Listen to these stats,† he continued. â€Å"Martin Miller. Male, of course. Caucasian. Nonpracticing Lutheran. Works over at a game store in the mall. Lives in the basement here – his parents' house.† â€Å"Jesus.† â€Å"Told you.† â€Å"Charity or no, it still seems so†¦ extreme. How old is he again?† â€Å"Thirty-four.† † Ew.† â€Å"Exactly. If you were that old and hadn't gotten any, you might seek desperate measures too.† He glanced down at his watch. â€Å"So are you going to do this or not?† No doubt I was keeping Hugh from a date with some hot woman half his age – by which I meant, of course, the age Hugh looked. In reality, he was pushing a century. I set my purse on the ground and gave him a warning glance. â€Å"You owe me.† â€Å"I do,† he conceded. This wasn't my usual gig, thank goodness. The imp normally â€Å"outsourced† this kind of thing but had run into some kind of scheduling problem tonight. I couldn't imagine who he normally got to do this. I started toward the house, but he stopped me. â€Å"Georgina?† â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"There's†¦ one other thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I turned back around, not liking the tone in his voice. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"He, um, sort of had a special request.† I raised an eyebrow and waited. â€Å"You see, uh, he's really into the whole, like, evil thing. You know, figures if he sold his soul to the devil – so to speak – then he should lose his virginity to a, I don't know, demoness or something.† I swear, even the dog stopped barking at that. â€Å"You're joking.† Hugh didn't respond. â€Å"I'm not a – no. No way am I going to – â€Å" â€Å"Come on, Georgina. It's nothing. A flourish. Smoke and mirrors. Please? Just do this for me?† He turned wistful, cajoling. Hard to resist. Like I said, he was good at his job. â€Å"I'm really in a tight spot†¦ if you could help me out here†¦ it would mean so much†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groaned, unable to refuse the pathetic look on his broad face. â€Å"If anyone finds out about this – â€Å" â€Å"My lips are sealed.† He actually had the audacity to make a sealing motion. Bending down, resigned, I unfastened the straps on my shoes. â€Å"What are you doing?† he asked. â€Å"These are my favorite Bruno Maglis. I don't want them absorbed when I change.† â€Å"Yeah, but†¦ you can just shape-shift them back.† â€Å"They won't be the same.† â€Å"They will. You can make them anything you want. This is just silly.† â€Å"Look,† I demanded, â€Å"do you want to stand out here arguing shoes, or do you want me to go make a man of your virgin?† Hugh clamped his mouth shut and gestured toward the house. I padded away in the grass, the blades tickling my bare feet. The back patio leading to the basement was open, just as Hugh had promised. I let myself into the sleeping house, hoping they didn't have a dog, blearily wondering how I'd reached this low point in my existence. Adjusting to the darkness, my eyes soon discerned the features of a comfortable, middle-class family room: sofa, television, bookshelves. A stairwell rose to the left, and a hallway veered to the right. I turned down the hall, letting my appearance shape-shift as I walked. The sensation was so familiar, so second nature to me, that I didn't even need to see my exterior to know what was happening. My petite frame grew taller, the slim build still staying slim but taking on a leaner, harder edge. My skin paled to death white, leaving no memory of its faint tan. The hair, already to my midback, stayed the same length but darkened to jet black, the fine waviness turning straight and coarse. My breasts – impressive by most standards – became larger still, rivaling those of the comic book heroines this guy had undoubtedly grown up with. As for my outfit†¦ well, away went the cute Banana Republic slacks and blouse. Thigh-high black leather boots appeared on my legs, paired with a matching halter top and a skirt I never could have bent over in. Spiky wings, horns, and a whip completed the package. â€Å"Oh Lord,† I muttered, accidentally taking in the whole effect in a small decorative mirror. I hoped none of the local demonesses ever found about this. They were really quite classy. Turning from the taunting mirror, I stared down the hall at my destination: a closed door with a yellow MEN AT WORK sign attached to it. I thought I could hear the faint sounds of a video game bleeping from beyond, though such noises silenced immediately when I knocked. A moment later, the door opened, and I stood facing a five-foot-eight guy with shoulder-length, dirty blond hair rapidly receding on top. A large, hairy belly peeped out from underneath his Homer Simpson T-shirt, and he held a bag of potato chips in one hand. The bag dropped to the floor when he saw me. â€Å"Martin Miller?† â€Å"Y-yes,† he gasped out. I cracked the whip. â€Å"You ready to play with me?† Exactly six minutes later, I left the Miller residence. Apparently thirty-four years doesn't do much for one's stamina. â€Å"Whoa, that was fast,† Hugh noted, seeing me walk across the front yard. He was leaning against the car again, smoking a cigarette. â€Å"No shit. Got another one of those?† He grinned and handed over his own cigarette, giving me a once-over. â€Å"Would you be offended if I said the wings kind of get me hot?† I took the cigarette, narrowing my eyes at him as I inhaled. A quick check ascertained no one else was around, and I shape-shifted back to my usual form. â€Å"You owe me big,† I reminded him, putting the shoes back on. â€Å"I know. Of course, some might argue you owe me. You got a nice fix from it. Better than you're used to.† I couldn't deny that, but I didn't have to feel good about it either. Poor Martin. Geek or no, committing his soul to eternal damnation was a helluva price to pay for six minutes. â€Å"You wanna get a drink?† Hugh offered. â€Å"No, it's too late. I'm going home. Got a book to read.† â€Å"Ah, of course. When's the big day?† â€Å"Tomorrow,† I proclaimed. The imp chuckled at my hero worship. â€Å"He just writes mainstream fiction, you know. He's hardly Nietzsche or Thoreau.† â€Å"Hey, one doesn't have to be surreal or transcendental to be a great writer. I should know; I've seen a few over the years.† Hugh grunted at my imperious air, giving me a mock bow. â€Å"Far be it from me to argue with a lady about her age.† I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then walked two blocks to where I had parked. I was unlocking the car door when I felt it: the warm, tingling feeling indicative of another immortal nearby. Vampire, I registered, only a millisecond before he appeared beside me. Damn, they moved fast. â€Å"Georgina, my belle, my sweet succubus, my goddess of delight,† he intoned, placing his hands over his heart dramatically. Great. Just what I needed. Duane was quite possibly the most obnoxious immortal I'd ever met. He kept his blond hair shaved to a close buzz, and as usual, he demonstrated terrible taste in both fashion and deodorant. â€Å"Go away, Duane. I have nothing to say to you.† â€Å"Oh come on,† he crooned, his hand snaking out to hold the door as I tried to open it. â€Å"Even you can't play coy this time. Look at you. You're positively glowing. Good hunting, eh?† I scowled at the reference to Martin's life energy, knowing it must be wreathing me. Obstinately, I tried to pry my door open against Duane's hold. No luck. â€Å"He'll be out for days, from the looks of it,† the vampire added, peering at me closely. â€Å"Still, I imagine whoever he was enjoyed the ride – both on you and to hell.† He gave me a lazy smile, just barely revealing his pointed teeth. â€Å"He must have been someone pretty good for you to look as hot as you do now. What happened? I thought you only fucked the scum of the earth. The real assholes.† â€Å"Change of policy. I didn't want to give you false hope.† He shook his head appreciatively. â€Å"Oh Georgina, you never disappoint – you and your witticisms. But then, I've always found whores know how to make good use of their mouths, on or off the job.† â€Å"Let go,† I snapped, tugging harder at the door. â€Å"Why the hurry? I have a right to know what you and the imp were doing over here. The Eastside is my turf.† â€Å"We don't have to abide by your ‘turf rules, and you know it.† â€Å"Still, common courtesy dictates when you're in the neighborhood – literally, in this case – you at least say hello. Besides, how come we never hang out? You owe me some quality time. You spend enough time with those other losers.† The losers he referred to were my friends and the only decent vampires I'd ever met. Most vampires – like Duane – were arrogant, devoid of social skills, and obsessed with territoriality. Not unlike a lot of mortal men I'd met. â€Å"If you don't let me go, you're going to learn a whole new definition of ‘common courtesy.'† Okay, it was a stupid, faux action-movie line, but it was the best I could come up with on the spot. I made my voice sound as menacing as possible, but it was pure bravado, and he knew it. Succubi were gifted with charisma and shape-shifting; vampires had super strength and speed. What this meant was that one of us mingled better at parties, and the other could break a man's wrist with a handshake. â€Å"Are you actually threatening me?† He ran a playful hand along my cheek, making the hairs on my neck stand on end – in a bad way. I squirmed. â€Å"That's adorable. And kind of arousing. I actually think I'd like to see you on the offensive. Maybe if you'd just behave like a good girl – ow !You little bitch!† With both of his hands occupied, I had seized my window of opportunity. A quick burst of shape-shifting, and sharp, three-inch claws appeared on my right hand. I swiped them across his cheek. His superior reflexes didn't let me get very far with the gesture, but I did draw blood before he gripped my wrist and slammed it against the car. â€Å"What's the matter? Not offensive enough for you?† I managed through my pain. More bad movie lines. â€Å"Cute, Georgina. Very cute. We'll see how cute you are by the time I – â€Å" Headlights glimmered in the night as a car turned the corner on the next block and headed toward us. In that split second, I could see the indecision on Duane's face. Our t §?e- §?t §?e would undoubtedly be noticed by the driver. While Duane could easily kill an intervening mortal – hell, it was what he did for a living – having the kill linked to his harassment of me would not look good to our superiors. Even an asshole like Duane would think twice before stirring up that kind of paperwork. â€Å"We aren't finished,† he hissed, releasing my wrist. â€Å"Oh, I think we are.† I could feel braver now that salvation was on the way. â€Å"The next time you come near me's going to be the last.† â€Å"I'm quaking in terror,† he simpered. His eyes gleamed once in the darkness, and then he was gone, moving off into the night just as the car drove past. Thank God for whatever liaison or ice cream run had pulled that driver out tonight. Not wasting any more time, I got into my car and drove off, anxious to be back in the city. I tried to ignore the shaking of my hands on the wheel, but the truth of the matter was, Duane terrified me. I had told him off plenty of times in the presence of my immortal friends, but taking him on alone on a dark street was an entirely different matter, especially since all my threats had been empty ones. I actually abhorred violence in all its forms. I suppose this came from living through periods of history fraught with levels of cruelty and brutality no one in the modern world could even comprehend. People like to say we live in violent times now, but they have no idea. Sure, there had been a certain satisfaction centuries ago in seeing a rapist castrated swiftly and promptly for his crimes, without endless courtroom drama or an early release for â€Å"good behavior.† Unfortunately, those who deal in revenge and vigilantism rarely know where to draw the line, so I'd take the bureaucracy of the modern judicial system any day. Thinking back to how I'd presumed the fortuitous driver was on an ice cream run, I decided a little dessert would do me some good too. Once I was safely back in Seattle, I stopped in a 24-hour grocery store, discovering some marketing mastermind had created tiramisu-flavored ice cream. Tiramisu and ice cream. The ingenuity of mortals never failed to amaze me. As I was about to pay, I passed a display of flowers. They were cheap and a little tattered, but I watched as a young man came in and nervously scanned them over. At last he selected some autumn-colored mums and carried them off. My eyes followed him wistfully, half-jealous of whatever girl would be getting those. As Duane had noted, I usually fed off losers, guys I didn't have to feel guilty about hurting or rendering unconscious for a few days. Those kind did not send flowers and usually avoided most romantic gestures altogether. As for the guys who did send flowers, well, I avoided them. For their own good. That was out of character for a succubus, but I was too jaded to care about propriety anymore. Feeling sad and lonely, I picked up a bouquet of red carnations for myself and paid for it and the ice cream. When I arrived home, my phone was ringing. Setting down my goods, I glanced at the Caller-ID. Caller unknown. â€Å"My lord and master,† I answered. â€Å"What a perfect ending to a perfect night.† â€Å"Save your quips, Georgie. Why were you fucking with Duane?† â€Å"Jerome, I – what?† â€Å"He just called. Said you were unduly hassling him.† â€Å"Hassling? Him?† Outrage surged inside me. â€Å"He started it! He came up to me and – â€Å" â€Å"Did you hit him?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Did you?† I sighed. Jerome was the archdemon of the greater Seattle hierarchy of evil, as well as my supervisor. It was his job to manage all of us, make sure we did our duties, and keep us in line. Like any lazy demon, however, he preferred we create as little work for him as possible. His annoyance was almost palpable through the phone line. â€Å"I did sort of hit him. Actually, it was more of a swipe.† â€Å"I see. A swipe. And did you threaten him too?† â€Å"Well, yes, I guess, if you want to argue semantics, but Jerome, come on! He's a vampire. I can't touch him. You know that.† The archdemon hesitated, apparently considering the outcome of me going head-to-head with Duane. I must have lost in the hypothetical battle because I heard Jerome exhale a moment later. â€Å"Yes. I suppose. But don't provoke him anymore. I've got enough to work on right now without you children having catfights.† â€Å"Since when do you work?† Children indeed. â€Å"Good night, Georgie. Don't tangle with Duane again.† The phone disconnected. Demons weren't big on small talk. I hung up, feeling highly offended. I couldn't believe Duane had tattled on me and then made me out to be the bad guy. Worse, Jerome seemed to have believed it. At least at first. That probably hurt me most of all because, my slacker-succubus habits aside, I'd always enjoyed a kind of indulgent, teacher's pet role with the archdemon. Seeking consolation, I carried the ice cream off to my bedroom, shedding my clothes for a loose nightshirt. Aubrey, my cat, stood up from where she'd been sleeping at the foot of my bed and stretched. Solid white save for some black smudges on her forehead, she squinted green eyes at me in greeting. â€Å"I can't go to bed,† I told her, stifling a yawn. â€Å"I have to read first.† I curled up with the pint and my book, recalling again how I'd finally be meeting my favorite author at the signing tomorrow. Seth Mortensen's writing always spoke to me, awakening something inside I hadn't even known was asleep. His current book, The Glasgow Pact, couldn't ease the guilt I felt over what had happened with Martin, but it filled an aching emptiness in me nonetheless. I marveled that mortals, living so short a time, could create such wonderful things. â€Å"I never created anything when I was a mortal,† I told Aubrey when I'd finished five pages. She rubbed against me, purring sympathetically, and I had just enough presence of mind to put the ice cream away before collapsing back into bed and falling asleep.

Free Essays on Hospitality In Odyssey

Hospitality in the Odyssey Hospitality has played a large role in ancient Mycenaen society and is even evident in the writings of the time, as witnessed in Homer’s Odyssey. Hospitality reveals itself as a domineering factor in the way characters act and the way characters are treated in the Odyssey. One instance of the role of hospitality in the Odyssey occurs early on in the epic when Telemachus secretly set off to find Nestor. Upon first sight of Telemachus and Athene and without any inquiries about who they were, Nestor’s son Peisistratus invited them to the banquet that was in progress. It was not until after Telemachus and Athene had had their fill of food and gotten comfortable that they were asked who they were and where they came from. It seems to have been a common gesture of courtesy in ancient Greek culture to offer guests food and entertainment before attending to business. A second instance of hospitality at work in the Odyssey came in book six when Nausicaa found Odysseus on the shores of Scherie. Even though Odysseus must have appeared intimidating, or even monstrous, Nausicaa felt obligated to help. As was the case when Telemachus visited Nestor, food and drink was readily given to Odysseus shortly after his arrival at the palace. Even though Odysseus was a total stranger, he was still promised food, shelter, and a ride back to his homeland. These gestures of hospitality in the Odyssey were used as an instrument to tell the reader who were the protagonists and who were the antagonists. All of the good characters immediately took Odysseus or his son Telemachus into their homes and fed them. None of the antagonists in the story ever exhibited any form of hospitality towards Odysseus or Telemachus. In the Odyssey, the good offered hospitality, and the bad fed off of the hospitality of others. Hospitality seemed to play a major role in ancient Greek societies. Social status appears to have been determine... Free Essays on Hospitality In Odyssey Free Essays on Hospitality In Odyssey Hospitality in the Odyssey Hospitality has played a large role in ancient Mycenaen society and is even evident in the writings of the time, as witnessed in Homer’s Odyssey. Hospitality reveals itself as a domineering factor in the way characters act and the way characters are treated in the Odyssey. One instance of the role of hospitality in the Odyssey occurs early on in the epic when Telemachus secretly set off to find Nestor. Upon first sight of Telemachus and Athene and without any inquiries about who they were, Nestor’s son Peisistratus invited them to the banquet that was in progress. It was not until after Telemachus and Athene had had their fill of food and gotten comfortable that they were asked who they were and where they came from. It seems to have been a common gesture of courtesy in ancient Greek culture to offer guests food and entertainment before attending to business. A second instance of hospitality at work in the Odyssey came in book six when Nausicaa found Odysseus on the shores of Scherie. Even though Odysseus must have appeared intimidating, or even monstrous, Nausicaa felt obligated to help. As was the case when Telemachus visited Nestor, food and drink was readily given to Odysseus shortly after his arrival at the palace. Even though Odysseus was a total stranger, he was still promised food, shelter, and a ride back to his homeland. These gestures of hospitality in the Odyssey were used as an instrument to tell the reader who were the protagonists and who were the antagonists. All of the good characters immediately took Odysseus or his son Telemachus into their homes and fed them. None of the antagonists in the story ever exhibited any form of hospitality towards Odysseus or Telemachus. In the Odyssey, the good offered hospitality, and the bad fed off of the hospitality of others. Hospitality seemed to play a major role in ancient Greek societies. Social status appears to have been determine...

The challenges facing kindergarten teachers to deal with children whom Essay

The challenges facing kindergarten teachers to deal with children whom English is an addtional language - Essay Example I preferred these types of questions because they are useful in obtaining in-depth information on the research question. I purposely chose my participants based on two primary characteristics: 1) Were they teachers of kindergartens and 2) do they deal with children whom English is the second language. Upon introducing the research questions to a respondent, I gave out recent experiences of other teachers in other parts of the country along with the structured open-ended questions. The only delimitation in this data collection is that, the open-ended questionnaire did not collect the respondents’ first name, phone number, and the email address. In this case, I am unable to contact the respondents after the interview. Majority of the respondents were females. The females were 17 whereas the males were seven. Studies indicate that many people expect feminine touch from a kindergarten teacher (Rimer, 2003). Men keep away from this job because it offers low pay and continues to tag the profession as women’s work. The few men that teach kindergartens are regarded as insufficiently masculine, gays or even pedophiles! Majority of the respondents had a class size of 16 to 25 children. Four respondents had a class of 1 to 15 pupils, seven respondents had a class of 25 to 35 pupils, and the rest had a class of 16 to 25 pupils. Kindergartens prefer a medium classroom size, of about 20 to 30 students. According to studies, teachers of medium sized classes can increase learning and narrow the achievement gap between ethnic and racial groups (Haimson, 2003). Pupils whom English is an additional language assigned to medium sized classes have been proven to achieve English language proficiency, receive better grades, and exhibit improved attendance (Haimson, 2003). Despite students with EAL benefiting a lot from medium-sized classrooms, most of them are more likely to be enrolled in bigger classes, say over 25 pupils. Experts believe medium sized

Luther the movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Luther the movie - Essay Example ement; "I live in terror of judgment, have you ever dared to think that God is not just threatening us with the fires of hell.† Martin can be viewed to be repulsing God. When you compare this to â€Å"The Recital of the Deceased Egyptian† Martin will be seen as repulsing God because the situation is so strict and that makes it almost impossible for one not to sin. "I have not repulsed the God in his manifestations, I am pure, I am pure, I am pure," is a complex statement for any human being. But Luther tries to live and attain these abnormal standards and that is the main reason he has to live in a Hinduism way of life. He has to live and be fully devoted to God as it is the primary goal. Martin is also obliged to follow the ways of salvation which are clearly shown throughout the movie. The first way is that of good works and is seen when Martin gives back the money the money that had been paid for indulgences to the mother of the girl that could not walk. He tells her that paying indulgences is not the right way to get to God. The way of salvation through knowledge is seen when Martin becomes a preacher and decides to teach differently. When Martin translates the Bible into German language, he was portraying the way of devotion. This was crucial as he was dedicated to letting the people making sure that people had a chance to understand religion by reading the Bible and know what they were getting into. When Martin teaches a young girl how to learn to walk again he was practicing the physical discipline way (Chaffee 36). It is hard to imagine any social being that is pure. Though Martin is seen as a hero by many people who believe that he was a reformer and the greatest one that the religion has ever had, some people see him as one who wrestled with God. In the beginning, we see a tormented Luther that is willing to become a monk if only he is saved d by the heavens from a thunderstorm. We see him wishing there were no God and longed to a God that he that is