QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR BUSINESS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR BUSINESS - Assignment Example Lastly, Epstein in his research tries to oppose Hooton, by implying that there is no clear connection in intelligence compared to the head size but found a slight connection in the two. The main purpose for the research paper is to establish the intelligence measure. It studies on how ones intelligence can be measured and by use of what methodology. If the measure of intelligence can be established, then an individual’s cognitive level can help in various ways. For instance, cognitive level of an individual, can be used in the area of education to rate the level of a particular grader and the capability. The main purpose of this study is to clarify the exact means through which intelligence levels can be rated. It tries to compare various aspects of life in relation to intelligence or the brain capacity. As stated in the abstract there many school of thoughts and arguments about the research problem. Therefore, the core issue of the research is establishing the most appropriate of testing for one’s intelligence. Normally, there is always a specific question that does arise in the physical development of human and the cognitive level. It is believed by many development conscious people that there is a relation between cognitive level and physical level. Though both journalists and scientists have rushed to claims that are unjustified on cognitive development, they have left interesting findings on this. Research on this has shown pitfalls and essentials of the study. Epsteins in his studies found out that as a child grow into another level the growth is accelerated than when w ithin the stage itself. Although it’s rare to have the measures on how the brain grows, studies have data on how the brain grows its circumference that closely relates to size of the brain. The data analysis confirmed Epsteins hypothesis. Children began to show head growths at

The framing of the church settlement of 1559 Essay Example for Free

The framing of the church settlement of 1559 Essay Elizabeth faced numerous obstacles following her accession as Queen of England, but the main sector of concern was the religious aspect of society. England was at war against the France, as they sided with the Spanish, and also the Parliament was a key constituent of Elizabethan religious settlement. The Parliament was a hindrance to Elizabeth’s progress as many of the Parliament members were religious conservatives, which implied difficulty when presenting and passing the bill to the House of Commons. Presenting the bill to the House of Lords would prove toughest to Elizabeth and her ministers. It cannot be denied that her personal preference and her Counsel’s decisions respectively played a large role in making sure the bill was passed, although it must be acknowledged that she and her councilors had to compromise to achieve their main religious aims. Susan Doran believes that Queen Elizabeth had successfully fulfilled her goal in terms of religious settlement, while her councilors thought the general outcome fell short of her primary plans. The complicated international affairs that England was stuck in after Mary’s reign put Elizabeth in a troublesome position. As Edmund Grindal, Bishop of London, proposed, plans for religious settlement were heavily delayed to the desperate search for peace. Elizabeth had to deviate from her main plans for religious settlement has she had to be involved in he ongoing war against Spain, which England had entered in 1557, later into Mary’s reign. Furthermore, to make matters worse, she had to prevent any potential threat to the throne from Mary Stuart, who was in alliance with France. In order to prevent Catholic nations from turning against England and to avoid any large-scale domestic uprising amongst English Catholics, Elizabeth was keen on not infuriating Catholics. She pursued this plan by retaining certain aspects of the traditional Catholic Church. On the other hand, she still showed signs of Protestant settlement, as she had recalled her papal ambassador and had formed alliance with strongly Protestant German princes. The Peace of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559 would emphasise on the link between Elizabethan religious settlement and England’s international affair. Even though, this would result in the loss of Calais, the borders neighbouring Scotland would be soothed and English settlement could be spread more quickly. In addition, retaining hope in Philip II to potentially marry Elizabeth in the nearer future would enable Philip II to make sure the Pope did not take any action against Elizabeth. Although, she does eventually get excommunicated, this is much later on in the reign where Philip II’s hopes have dried up. After international affairs were gradually settled through the peace treaty, it was her personal preference that played a key role in the religious settlement. It is crystal clear that Elizabeth desired a Protestant settlement but not a radical one. She rejected papal authority unsurprisingly and also denied the concept of transubstantiation, which caused tremors amongst the more conservatives of Elizabeth’s reign. Even with clear motives of Protestant settlement, she was still keen on sustaining certain traditional and conservative aspects of the Church. She was very fond of Catholic ornaments in the Royal Chapel and had Catholic musicians and choir in her presence. Even though she rejected the doctrine of transubstantiation, she still partially accepted the concept that there was some sort of presence in the communion bread and wine, which was a common though amongst Lutherans. Such personal preference were reflected directly in her proposal to Parliament as she wanted to reintroduce the 1552 Book of Common Prayer and break away from papal authority. However, the House of Lords did not allow the bill to be passed, which is why Elizabeth and her ministers had to take a different approach to religious settlement. Furthermore, Elizabeth’s counsel could be considered another large body to have influenced religious settlement. She had appointed members who had previously served Edward VI, which would imply an already-Protestant mindset. It is acknowledged that there were many members of her Privy Council who were strong Catholics for international affairs of not having Catholic states turn against England. However, as her appointment of Francis Knollys, earl of Bedford, and William Cecil, she was still keen on having the fundamental protestant foundation even within her councilors. For instance, William Cecil and Nicholas Bacon were key members of the Privy Council who were able to advise and guide the Queen before and during initial rejections and failures of passing the Bill. Such failures including Winchester and Shrewsbury voting against the Bill still emphasise the influence the members had on Elizabeth’s decision and the Bill itself. The last large consideration that influenced religious settlement was the Parliament itself. It had rejected the first bill proposed by Elizabeth until they made amendments for the final settlement. Elizabeth tried to discredit and Marian bishops before the amended bills were to be re-proposed to Parliament. Although Elizabeth was indeed able to hinder the Catholic bishop, there were key amendements made in the bill. For instance, Elizabeth was given the title â€Å"Supreme Governor† not â€Å"Supreme Head†. It is unclear whether or not this change in title name was for conservative reasons or to calm political stirs of a woman naming herself superior to laymen. However, it still ensured her to have as much authority as Henry VIII or her brother. Amendements in the Uniformity Bill targeted the concept of transubstantiation as people were not in favour of the complete denial and rejection of this doctrine. Therefore, priests modified the words used in the Uniformity Bill to create deliberate ambiguity. This would allow diverse interpretations to be made by peers allowing less opposition. Last, the â€Å"Ornaments Rubric† allowed traditional vestments and ornaments to be sustained in Church. It can be argued that the Catholics Bishops in the House of Lords had finally been given the upper hand; however, it must also be taken into consideration that this could simply have been part of Elizabeth’s personal preference as she was keen on keeping traditional ornaments in her Royal Chapel. In conclusion, the framing of the religious settlement of 1559 was based on numerous factors. The main influence on the settlement was her personal religious preferences such as the traditional ornaments and a not-so-radical Protestant movement. The international dilemma she was stuck in had indeed hindered her progress of Protestant settlement. However, as this tribulation cleared up, her council members could help her construct her bill to be passed. However, the Parliament’s involvement or influence must also be considered largely as it rejected the first Bill and allowed important amendments to be made.

Air France Marketing Strategy

Air France Marketing Strategy Air France, one of the worlds largest airlines, has a history in aviation going back nearly a century. As part of the Air France KLM Group and a member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance, they are able to offer the best in-flight service and widest choice of travel routes to customers (Staniland, 2003, p.262). As a service organisation, Air France must necessarily offer high quality service at all levels to its customers, and this report considers both the current state of the organisation and how it achieves this level of service quality. The 7Ps of marketing is the main framework used and consideration is also given to the benefits of relationship marketing for the organisation. 7Ps of Marketing in Relation to Air France Its Partnerships The 7Ps of marketing are an extension of the traditional four Ps of marketing, i.e. product, price, place and promotion, to take account of changes in approach that incorporate service delivery and thus adds in people, process and physical evidence to provide an overall service marketing mix(Nargundkar, 2006, p.45). 1) Product Air France has two main strands of product offering on the ground services and in-flight services. The first relates to access to major airports with appropriate parking, duty free shopping facilities and safe and efficient baggage handling as well as good quality customer service at reservation counters, booking in desks, online booking services etc. Inflight services are less tangible and more prone to customer perception, and include areas such as cabin crew approachability and comfortable seating as well as in-flight shopping and entertainment/ refreshment. For Air France, delivery of a quality product in both aspects is a major element of business offering as they realise the importance of this to customers (Alamdari, 1999). 2) Price For many leisure travellers, price is one of the major considerations when choosing an airline, along with accessibility to airports, and flight times (Doganis, 2006, p.211). For Air France, their price structure is based on basic fares, both leisure and business plus additional costs such as taxes, and the service provided by the airline. As a strategy they have selected value for money pricing (Taneja, 2004 p.166), charging the average price when compared with their competitors. 3) Place Place in this context refers to how, where, why and when consumers purchase (Crane, 1993, p.19). For Air France this may be direct through the airline, either online or by phone, as part of a holiday package or through a third party travel agent. 4) Promotion Encouraging awareness of the value provided by an airline is done through promotion. In the case of Air France this is done through a combination of joint promotions with their strategic partners, both airline and non-airline based as well as direct advertising and promotion through magazines and TV advertising and in holiday brochures. The companys promotional stance is heavily based in promoting its French basis, with a brand image based on style, colour (blue) and positioning themselves as the representation of France in the air (Kaynak Kucukemiroglu, 1993). In addition, the companys partnerships with organisations such as Hertz Rent a Car, who are able to offer discounts and special deals to Air France customers and Allianz, who offer a digital safe-box to Air France customers, offer a further route to raising customer awareness of the brand and its offers. 5) People As a service provider, the people employed by Air France are its representatives and their attitude and service delivery can be a major factor in customer loyalty (Ostrowsky et al, 1993). As such the company invests heavily in ongoing training to ensure that their values and attention to customer care are demonstrated at all times, including ensuring their staff are trained in the latest medical procedures to provide care for patients in an emergency (Bertrand, 2004) 6) Process As a result of the numerous ways that flights can be booked, there are various different distribution channels for Air France, such as travel agents, their own direct booking service, which is either by telephone or online, as well as their affiliations and partnerships with other airlines and flight related organisations (Shaw, 2007, p.225). These include Hertz car rental and the RATP (Regional operators of local transport in Paris) who will recommend the airline to its customers in a reciprocal arrangement. 7) Physical Evidence This aspect of the 7Ps relates to the overall operating environment and the interaction between this and consumers. For Air France this means the physical aeroplanes, their seating layout and refreshment offerings are the physical evidence of their ability, or not, to deliver to the customers satisfaction. In addition, even before take-off the physical environment for booking in baggage, dealing with queries and customer service desk need to be visually appealing to customers to ensure that they do not have a negative experience with the airline, its staff or its partners. Air France staff have a distinctive uniform, designed by Christian Lacroix in 2005, (Lerpold, 2007, p.174) which they share with other Skyteam Alliance partners, to encourage customers to recognise the solidarity within the industry and to engender the feeling that the service will be standardised to the highest quality throughout their interaction with Air France. Relationship Marketing and Air France For Air France, relationship marketing means ensuring that customers feel that their needs are paramount throughout the whole travel experience, from the initial booking right through to their leaving the airport with their baggage intact as well as encouraging customer feedback with surveys and questionnaires. By developing relationships with frequent flyers and offering them promotions and discounts Air France can ensure that they will return to the airline again and again (Gilbert, 1996). A further benefit of this approach, which should include incorporating opportunities for customer feedback on their flight experience with Air France and demonstrating that the feedback is listened to and acted on is the use of word of mouth (Farrugia Quigley, 2009). In a world of social networking, consumers who have had a positive experience with the airline will encourage friends and colleagues to fly with Air France rather than a cheaper, budget airline, due to the premium service offered which includes the Planete Bleue package, a service specially designed to cater for families with young children and teenagers (www.airfrance.com, 2010) Summary Air Frances strategic partnerships and high commitment to service quality has meant that they have a good reputation with consumers and as such are able to demonstrate high levels of customer loyalty. All of these factors have contributed to make it one of the worlds largest airlines and an attractive partnership option for other airlines and customers.

American Transformation, 1800-1890 Essays -- collapse of colonialism, n

Overview What major political changes did Western Hemisphere nations face in the nineteenth century? (The Earth and Its Peoples, 633) The collapse of colonialism created various challenges for the newly free nations of the Western Hemisphere, in the 19th century. The rise of Personalist leaders, resurgence of Native American resistance, and immigration all affected the political environments of North and South America during that time. Young nations like The United States, Argentina, and Brazil found it difficult to manage themselves under their new constitutions. Regional separations and movements for women’s and black rights added to this difficulty, creating new political groups and questioning national identity. Perhaps the most significant political change in the 19th century, the regionalization of western states challenged the growth of their respective identities. As Bulliet says, â€Å"after independence, new national governments were generally weaker than the colonial governments they replaced.† In Spanish America, initiatives like Gran Columbia failed because of debate over economic policy, power struggles, and other interprovincial conflict. The lands of New Spain (1521-1821) were wide and varied, and many of the natives never desired to live under such a flag to begin with. This was illustrated with the Caste War, a string of many battles that were waged between the Maya and the Spanish over rights and land in the Yucatà ¡n area of Mexico, starting in 1847. Regionalism also affected the United States. The size and composition of states influenced the drafting of the constitution. The smaller states, along the East Coast, feared that their say would be repressed by lar ger states. The states and western territori... ...ves are as responsible for their oppression as those who oppress them. The third resolution voices, â€Å"the servile submission and quiet indifference of the Women of this country †¦ are the fruit either of ignorance or degradation.† This seems quite logical, although, from what I’ve read, I think it was a combination of the two. Through the words of these resolutions, I can see the precursors to the feminist movement of the 60’s. When learning about the reception of these resolutions by the constitutional convention, part of me isn’t surprised, given the prevailing views at the time; another part of me is shocked that these men can simply ignore the wrongs that have been so clearly laid out in front of them. It reminds me that we have wrongs that are allowed in today’s society, which may be more subtle, but no less important, and are ignored by our representatives.

Ethical Decision Making Model analysis Essay

What is the ethical decision making model? What is critical thinking? In this paper I will discuss the ethical decision making model and how critical thinking impacts ethical decisions. Personal experiences will be used as examples. When we are faced with making an ethical decision we are usually faced with an ethical dilemma. To make a good decision we need to use â€Å"Logical thinking that draws conclusions from facts and evidence† which according to www.ncrel.com is the definition of critical thinking. Recently I was personally faced with an ethical dilemma that has to do with work and school. I’m currently on a tuition reimbursement program though my company and there are certain criteria that will make my paid education taxable or nontaxable. Of course if my tuition is nontaxable I don’t have to pay taxes and I’ll be saving lots of money. One of the criteria for making my tuition taxable is if my educational program qualifies me for a new position at work. If I answer no, the tuition is not taxable and I’ll save some money but, in my situation the answer would be yes so my tuition should be taxed but, If I answer no, no one will find out and I’ll be cheating my company or the government out of some money. I’m now stuck with an ethical dilemma. In the end I choose to answer yes and pay the taxes, following an ethical decision making model helped me do the right thing. The ethical decision making model I followed and will break down is from the Josephson institute of ethics. The model follows 7 simple steps to finally come to a conclusion and make a decision. 1. STOP AND THINK One of the most important steps to better decisions is the oldest advice in the world: think ahead. To do so it’s necessary to first stop the momentum of events long enough to permit calm analysis. Stop and think won’t always be used if you are faced with a decision that needs to be made very quickly but, if you’re permitted the time to think about the situation you should. In my case I though about what could happen if I were to avoid paying taxes. I could get in trouble with the law and even my  company. Would it be worth getting fired? No I don’t think so. â€Å"Stopping to think provides several benefits. It prevents rash decisions. It prepares us for more thoughtful discernment. And it can allow us to mobilize our discipline† (1). 2. CLARIFY GOALS Before you choose, clarify your short- and long-term aims. Determine which of your many wants and don’t-wants affected by the decision are the most important. The big danger is that decisions that fulfill immediate wants and needs can prevent the achievement of our more important life goals. If I were to break the law it would definitely affect my goal of getting my BS in business management. I could also loose my job if I didn’t pay taxes and I wouldn’t have the resources to pay for school. 3. DETERMINE FACTS Be sure you have adequate information to support an intelligent choice. You can’t make good decisions if you don’t know the facts. To determine the facts, first resolve what you know and, then, what you need to know. If you don’t have enough facts then go find out more about it. Once we know more facts we then see that more decision factors come into play and it’s easier to make a decision. Here are some guidelines provide by Josephson institute: Consider the reliability and credibility of the people providing the facts. Consider the basis of the supposed facts. If the person giving you the information says he or she personally heard or saw something, evaluate that person in terms of honesty, accuracy and memory. Remember that assumptions, gossip and hearsay are not the same as facts. Consider all perspectives, but be careful to consider whether the source of the information has values different than yours or has a personal interest that could affect perception of the facts. Where possible seek out the opinions of people whose judgment and character  you respect, but be careful to distinguish the well-grounded opinions of well-informed people from casual speculation, conjecture and guesswork. Finally, evaluate the information you have in terms of completeness and reliability so you have a sense of the certainty and fallibility of your decisions. To find out the facts about my tax evasion I ask my friend Megan Kau who’s a tax attorney what she thought I should do. Let’s just say that the punishment is worse than the crime and that’s all the facts that I needed. 4. DEVELOP OPTIONS â€Å"Now that you know what you want to achieve and have made your best judgment as to the relevant facts, make a list of options, a set of actions you can take to accomplish your goals† (2). If it’s an especially important decision, talk to someone you trust so you can broaden your perspective and think of new choices. If you can think of only one or two choices, you’re probably not thinking hard enough but, in my case I would be breaking the law so actually there were no other choices. I was either breaking the law or not breaking the law. 5. CONSIDER CONSEQUENCES Two techniques help reveal the potential consequences also provided by Josephson Institute: â€Å"Pillar-ize† your options. Filter your choices through each of the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Will the action violate any of the core ethical principles? For instance, does it involve lying or breaking a promise, is it disrespectful to anyone, is it irresponsible, unfair or uncaring, does it involve breaking laws or rules? Eliminate unethical options. Identify the stakeholders and how the decision is likely to affect them. Consider your choices from the point of view of the major stakeholders. Identify whom the decision will help and hurt. In this case, I’ve said before, I would have been breaking the law and if I  anyone were to find out about it I would be very ashamed of what I did. In prior readings I remember a quote that said â€Å"to make a ethical decision ask yourself, would you be ok with it if it was posted on the front page of your local news paper†, If the answer is no, then don’t do it. 6. CHOOSE It’s time to make a decision. If the choice is not immediately clear, use on of the following strategies to make the decision: Talk to people whose judgment you respect. Seek out friends and mentors, but, once you’ve gathered opinions and advice, the ultimate responsibility is still yours. What would the most ethical person you know do? Think of the person you know or know of who has the strongest character and best ethical judgment. Then ask yourself: what would that person do in your situation? Think of that person as your decision-making role model and try to behave the way he or she would. I choose to do the right thing which is to pay taxes. 7. MONITOR AND MODIFY Since most hard decisions use imperfect information and â€Å"best effort† predictions, some of them will inevitably be wrong. â€Å"Ethical decision-makers monitor the effects of their choices. If they are not producing the intended results or are causing additional unintended and undesirable results, they re-assess the situation and make new decisions† (3). In my case I think I’ll live with the decision I’ve made. No one will be hurt by my decision and the law won’t be broken on my part. As you can see making an ethical decision can be broken down with the 7 steps provided and if the steps are followed, an ethical decision should be made. Critical thinking plays a big part in making my decision even when following the 7 steps listed. Again critical thinking is â€Å"Logical thinking that draws conclusions from facts and evidence†. Critical thinking plays a huge role in step 3 of the model that I used. I think step 3 is one of the most important steps in the process. Sometimes I still have the urge to save some money and skip out on paying taxes but, because I’ve used critical thinking as part of my decision, I’ve learned to know that facts are important and in the end making the right decision will better me in the future and also help me reach my goals with less obstacles. Works Cited The seven step path to better decisions http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/MED/MED-4sevensteppath.htm Web definitions www.ncrel.com

Speech to the Young, Speech to the Progress-Toward

Bryce Donahue Professor Harsh English 102 16 March 2013 Speech to the Young. Speech to the Progress-Toward The poem â€Å"Speech to the Young, Speech to the Progress- Toward† by Gwendolyn Brooks is about keeping your head up and living each day to the fullest. The poem, given the time period, is most likely aimed towards African American people, but can now be related to anyone who may be having a rough day.Gwendolyn starts off the poem with four specific epithets. Gwendolyn states, â€Å"Say to the down-keepers, the sun-slappers, the self-soilers, the harmony-hushers† (398)†¦ All of these epithets are used to describe negative people or someone who will try and get you down. She is trying to say don’t listen to what people say just go and live your life. Gwendolyn continues with, â€Å"’Even if you are not ready for day it cannot always be night† (398). Related article: Having Children While YoungShe tries to use night as a symbol of unhappiness and says if you are not ready to get over what has happened or whatever is making you feel down, you will have to at some point because the day, or happiness, will have to come at some point. Gwendolyn writes, â€Å"You will be right. For that is the hard home-run† (398). Gwendolyn uses a home-run to describe something that is hard to obtain, meaning that it will not always be easy to be happy, but you have to fight for it.Gwendolyn ends her poem with, â€Å"Live not for battles won. Live not for the-end-of-the-song. Live in the along† (398). In these final three lines Gwendolyn tries to tell people not to be stuck in the past, but do not try to rush through life, instead live in the moment and enjoy life and all the great things life has to offer. Work Cited Pearson. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Fourth ed. New Jersey: Kennedy Gio ia, 2010. Print.

010 Evaluation and Peer Review Professor Ramos Blog

010 Evaluation and Peer Review Points to Consider Quick Write An elegy is a sad mournful lament. Why do you think Vance called his book Hillbilly Elegy? How does his own story relate to the title? Points to Consider Mission: Explain your mission early on. Hook us with a good reason to continue reading. Background: Include the conversation on the subject. Focal Point: Evaluate a specific text or product. Compare and Contrast: Examine the differences. Compare the strengths and weaknesses. Keep it Simple: Choose a simple or predictable structure, criteria, and grading/evaluation. Judgment: How does text meet the criteria for evaluation? Purpose: Most evaluations provide usable information and beneficial criticism. After   reading your essay, we should have a better understanding of the text or product. Peer Workshop Peer edit the same way you revise your own work.  Pay attention to global issues first. Don’t worry about grammar or sentence structure yet. Focus on improving and clarifying the ideas. Be specific in identifying problems or opportunities.  Explain what the problem you see if. Avoid vague language like â€Å"awkward.† Explain what it is that is awkward and give suggestions for how to improve. Offer suggestions for improvement.  If they are not mentioning a major counterargument, suggest it for them to address. If a point is unclear, explain how they can clarify it. Praise what is genuinely good in the paper.  No false praise. If you like a particular point or passage, let them know.

4 Ways to Impress Any Hiring Manager

4 Ways to Impress Any Hiring Manager No matter how great your resume, how extensive your skills, how thorough your qualifications, if you don’t have that â€Å"know it when you see it† something special, you may not be able to convince the hiring manager that you’re the one. Here are four traits you can work on showcasing in the interview process that just might get you the job.Practice your playground 101Scheduled for a lunch or coffee interview, rather than an appointment in the office? The hiring manager might be trying to suss out how well you play with others. Can you make small talk? Can you put people, including and especially yourself, at ease? Are you pleasant and personable? You may not realize how important people skills are, even for jobs that don’t require a lot of client or customer interface. Remember, your coworkers have to interact with you every day. Show them they won’t regret taking you on board! Politeness and self-awareness will go a long way here.Don’t be shyDon’t overdo it and come across as an overzealous lunatic, but do try and let your enthusiasm shine through. Love this kind of work? Have tons of passion? Be yourself and show how hungry you are to succeed. You might just have the kind of spark your hiring manager is searching for.Do diligenceThink of the interview as your first assignment and do your homework. Learn everything you can about the company and the team you’d be working on, and go in with a few intelligent, insightful questions. This will be a great way to â€Å"show, not tell† the truth of that â€Å"hard worker† line in your cover letter. Also have a story or two on hand about times when you went above and beyond- just to sink the point.Be niceWe’re back on the playground again. Try and show your interviewer you’d be the kind of colleague they’d want to go to happy hour with to cheers over a big win. Be solicitous and easygoing. If the team likes you, that will go a long way in decision making.The bottom line is: be yourself, but go the extra mile to make sure your best self is shining through in interview situations, even when you’re nervous and concentrating on selling your skills. It can make all the difference.

Biography of T. S. Eliot

Elliot is a man known for his devotion to literature, a poet who decides to overcome all obstacles and to occupy a higher position in the world of literature. Eliot's poetry addressed his more uneasy life experience, not for cowards, but depression, illness, a complex society of the First World War. These trials and hardships collapsed Elliott, which was driven by his wife, Vivian's illness, and began publishing at night. As Eikin said, Eliot is notorious for leaving his reader in a notorious way (T.S. In a wonderful biography of Peter Ackroyd, this is one of the pleasant episodes. T. S. Elliott was really striving hard and he succeeded. In the publication of The Waste Land, Eliot broke the pattern of poetry and broke the pattern in the novel like Joyce's Ulysses (the same year that was published in 1922). There is Thomas Sterns Elliot before and after the history of poetry. Who is he, did this person create a new literary movement, in fact the language of the new poetry, the ability to open our consciousness with the sharpness of diamonds (AndersÃâ€"sterling, 1948 Swedish Academy permanent secretary). Ted Hughes said what he likes is There is a straight line that goes from Virgil to Dante, from Dante to Milton, from Milton to Elliot, and there are over 300 years of a great poet. Hamlet and his problem is one of T. S. Eliot's most important and influential papers. It was first published in 1919. In Hamlet and his problem, Elliott boldly declared that Shakespeare play Hamlet was an artistic failure, not a victory. why? Elliott is provocative about this statement, but he provides several reasons for this position. In this article we will analyze Eliot articles that can be read here. Overall, Elliott's claim in Hamlet and his problem is that the theater of Shakespeare is failure, but the drama is very familiar as a work of art everywhere. It is not more than that defect. This bold revisionist's claim is based on several aspects, in particular the fact that Shakes peare inherited Hamlet's original script from other writers (probably Thomas Kid who wrote the Spanish tragedy). In his book Defense T. Eliot (2001) and T. S. Eliot (2006), Craygrain is trying to defend Eliot from anti-Semitism accusations. Looking back on the book in 2006, Paul Dean said he does not believe Rennes' assertions. Still he said, In the final analysis, it is argued that Eliot might have been compromised as a person, just like Rennes in justice.In another comment published by Rain in 2006, Literature Critic Terry Eagleton also questioned Ryan's Elliott's defense against the character deficits as well as Ryan's books: Critics why they wrote like affectionate parents Do not you listen to the criticisms of children you dislike, thinking that you need to protect the writers, Elliott's reputation has no profit as much as the established archangel Gabriel? Biography of T. S. Eliot Elliot is a man known for his devotion to literature, a poet who decides to overcome all obstacles and to occupy a higher position in the world of literature. Eliot's poetry addressed his more uneasy life experience, not for cowards, but depression, illness, a complex society of the First World War. These trials and hardships collapsed Elliott, which was driven by his wife, Vivian's illness, and began publishing at night. As Eikin said, Eliot is notorious for leaving his reader in a notorious way (T.S. In a wonderful biography of Peter Ackroyd, this is one of the pleasant episodes. T. S. Elliott was really striving hard and he succeeded. In the publication of The Waste Land, Eliot broke the pattern of poetry and broke the pattern in the novel like Joyce's Ulysses (the same year that was published in 1922). There is Thomas Sterns Elliot before and after the history of poetry. Who is he, did this person create a new literary movement, in fact the language of the new poetry, the ability to open our consciousness with the sharpness of diamonds (AndersÃâ€"sterling, 1948 Swedish Academy permanent secretary). Ted Hughes said what he likes is There is a straight line that goes from Virgil to Dante, from Dante to Milton, from Milton to Elliot, and there are over 300 years of a great poet. Hamlet and his problem is one of T. S. Eliot's most important and influential papers. It was first published in 1919. In Hamlet and his problem, Elliott boldly declared that Shakespeare play Hamlet was an artistic failure, not a victory. why? Elliott is provocative about this statement, but he provides several reasons for this position. In this article we will analyze Eliot articles that can be read here. Overall, Elliott's claim in Hamlet and his problem is that the theater of Shakespeare is failure, but the drama is very familiar as a work of art everywhere. It is not more than that defect. This bold revisionist's claim is based on several aspects, in particular the fact that Shakes peare inherited Hamlet's original script from other writers (probably Thomas Kid who wrote the Spanish tragedy). In his book Defense T. Eliot (2001) and T. S. Eliot (2006), Craygrain is trying to defend Eliot from anti-Semitism accusations. Looking back on the book in 2006, Paul Dean said he does not believe Rennes' assertions. Still he said, In the final analysis, it is argued that Eliot might have been compromised as a person, just like Rennes in justice.In another comment published by Rain in 2006, Literature Critic Terry Eagleton also questioned Ryan's Elliott's defense against the character deficits as well as Ryan's books: Critics why they wrote like affectionate parents Do not you listen to the criticisms of children you dislike, thinking that you need to protect the writers, Elliott's reputation has no profit as much as the established archangel Gabriel?

Aluminum foam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aluminum foam - Essay Example The tortuous path and the controlled pressure drop across the foam ensure that the necessary micro-turbulent mixing required for proper mixing of gases is achieved. Thus aluminum foam is used as gas diffusers and mixers. In addition, these foams have found application as liquid/gas separator as a result of the three-dimensional continuous ligament, which facilitate the complete removal of entrained liquids. The continuously connected aluminum structure ensures that particles are not generated within the liquid/gas generator. As energy and impact absorbent (ERG; MIT) Aluminum foam can act as energy and impact absorbent when the density and alloy of the foam are varied, provided the foam’s isotropic properties gives identical response without regards to impact angle. Indeed, it has been found that a high strength-to-weight ratio performs better and provides greater shear strength than honeycomb of the same density. As compact heat exchangers (ERG) The excellent heat conducting p roperty of aluminum combined with the high surface area to volume ratio as well as the ligament structure of the foam makes aluminum foam good compact heat exchangers. Indeed, the high surface area to volume ratio makes for more compact designs, while thorough mixing and efficient scrubbing of the heat exchange surfaces is provided by the ligament structure. ... Other applications of aluminum foams (ERG) Their cellular nature mimics those of cancerous bone materials found in the body. Thus aluminum foam is used in bio-mimicking in orthopedic research and testing. In addition, the foams can be incorporated into systems as spark and flame arrestor as a result of their low-pressure drops properties. Furthermore, these foams are highly desirable for fuel cell applications due to their open structures. Indeed, the foams have being used in this regards by military, emergency, industrial and recreational personnel. As mentioned above, aluminum is reputed for its excellent heat as well as electricity conducting properties. These properties combined with the foam’s cellular nature has made it an excellent heat exchange media and chemical support matrix for atmospheric carbon (IV) oxide control system on the space shuttle and International Space Station. Unlike the amine powder granules that can also provide similar chemical support for atmosph eric carbon (IV) oxide, but require heat to initiate the process, the aluminum foam does not require any heat to kick off the reaction. Thus the foam is more efficient and has faster response rate. Works Cited ERG. ERG Materials and Aerospace Corp. 2011. 08 May 2011 . MIT. Technology Review. 11 July 2006. 08 May 2011

Obama and Romney 2012 campaigns Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obama and Romney 2012 campaigns - Assignment Example The author states that using social media to gain attention of the general public is similar to knocking at the doors of the voters. He states that a speech that President Obama conducted in the region of Romnesia was well advertised on social media outlets including Twitter and Facebook and due to this the video of the speech was able to gain more than 0.5 million views. Furthermore, the author states that mostly after the end of the elections those who are with the losing side end up losing their appearance in the eyes of the public. But social media has helped such individuals including Richard Grenell remain relevant even after the elections. The third lesson that the author learned through the Presidential social media campaigns of 2012 was that on the internet political news regarding events and other political stories spread at a very fast pace and people are thirsty to talk politics over the internet. Furthermore, social media marketing has even benefited the candidates of third party. This is because even after the elections the candidate of the Libertarian party can continue to gain attention of the general public and remain engaged with them. The fifth point that the author noted is that it is very difficult to measure which of the political party or the candidate has an upper hand in social media at the time of the campaign. The author states that various metrics used to measure victory on social media have failed. For example, if the number of followers is taken into account to measure victory then the individual making the analysis misses the sentiments and other factors involved. Another important point to note is that social media has the ability to spread any mistakes made by the candidate during the campaign at a very fast pace. These mistakes are highlighted in quite a sarcastic manner. The seventh learning outcome of the campaigns was that the use of GIF images during debates that were used by

Operations manager & project management tools Essay

Operations manager & project management tools - Essay Example The methodology of a project enables a project manager to finish the project as early as possible, whether the manager is a novice or an expert (MPMM). A project manager makes use of a methodology in order to keep the projects going as per the schedule and conforming to the standards of quality required by the client. Methodology also helps a project manager structure the project in a way that it becomes more manageable. Methodology applied on a particular project can be used for many projects of similar nature, thus becoming a process as more and more projects are executed. Methodologies involved in a project include but are not limited to conduction of feasibility studies, cost-benefit analysis, designing, risk assessment, cost assessment, obtainment of insurance coverage, selection of staff, space management, organization, project execution, leading and controlling. All of these are a necessary part of the management of any project. There is also a whole range of project management tools including basic project management applications, wiki-based project management, ticket and bug tracking, conferencing and collaboration, invoic ing and time tracking (Chapman). Likewise, an operations manager needs to use all these methodologies to conduct the operation. In fact, execution of a project of any nature is an operation in itself. Thus, a project manager and operations manager can be used interchangeably. A task does not necessarily have to be called a project in order for project management methods to be very useful in its planning and implementation. Even the smallest task can benefit from the use of a well-chosen project management technique or tool, especially in the planning stage. (Chapman). In order to make the operation cost effective, an operations manager needs to assess the risks involved in the work prior to the commencement of the work. Taking

The Volcker rule Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Volcker rule - Research Paper Example This rule was named after the Chairman of President’s economic recovery advisory board (USA) Paul Volcker. This rule brought stability in the US financial sector by limiting the size of financial institutions by market size. This rule is applicable for deposit taking banks, federally insured, institution owning deposit taking banks. The most important point of this rule is that nation largest bank can’t trade or invest in any property on their whims. According an estimation done by American bankers association it will take 6.6 million hours of work, more 3000 employees and 1.8 million hour per year for implementing this rule. This rule is largely meant for the large banks. All financial experts around the world are not convinced with this model. By virtue of this rule banks can continue underwriting, market making, hedging, insurance company’s activities, trading of Government securities, offering private equity funds and hedge funds. The most important reason fo r choosing this topic is modern world is facing a huge threat from uncertain financial atmosphere around the world. Most of the countries are facing problems to keep their growth rate up. Implications of Volcker rules in the UAE market is the matter of the subject. It will create a system in such a way that, it will prevent unnecessary property trading. This rule would have great implications on the UAE banks which are related with US companies. It would help financial institutions of UAE to avoid taking too many risks in their investments. In this way Volcker rules can be proved to be very helpful in case of insulating the UAE stock market from any financial disasters. It will be an effective proactive step taken by the SCA to control the UAE stock market properly. In this ever changing world, each and every country is related with the other countries

Qasr Al Hosn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Qasr Al Hosn - Essay Example In attempt to preserve it, the building has undergone a number of structural changes, although it remains to show the original and indigenous architecture of the Emiratis, depicting how the past can live through the present.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite its long-standing history and rich past, research has been limited on the preservation trance of Qasr Al Hosn. Generally, Qars Al Hosn has not been accorded the level of research that it deserves, resulting in limited attention for the iconic building. It is however clear that historic buildings are vulnerable, and Qasr Al Hosn as well deserves extra care and preservation if it is to last longer than it has. Consequently, this study explores and suggests a blueprint for the preservation Qasr Al Hosn as cultural monument in UAE. The study probes and discusses how the future identity of Qasr Al Hosn should be preserved, and how it will feed into the next generations (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 4). The Abu Dhabi’s story begins from the Qasr Al Hosn, a name that signifies its twin role: â€Å"Hosn† meaning fort, and â€Å"Qasra’ meaning castle. It is imperative to note Abu Dhabi was a region that was ruled by a tribe known as Bani Yas, who inhabited the oasis of Liwa. The Bani Yas tribe visited the island â€Å"Abu Dhabi’ for the purposes of collecting salt and fishing. The tribe did not inhabit the island because it lacked water. However, a wide area of drinking water was discovered in the island in 1760. Sheikh Dhiyab Al Nahyan later built a watchtower in the area to conserve the precious resource, when he discovered the significance of fresh water. This prompted influx of small settlement into the region. Later, the tower was expanded as the settlement in the region increased. It is significant to note the Sheikh Dhiyab Al Nahyan fortified the castle in the 18th century to protect from any form of invasion. This

Operations manager & project management tools Essay

Operations manager & project management tools - Essay Example The methodology of a project enables a project manager to finish the project as early as possible, whether the manager is a novice or an expert (MPMM). A project manager makes use of a methodology in order to keep the projects going as per the schedule and conforming to the standards of quality required by the client. Methodology also helps a project manager structure the project in a way that it becomes more manageable. Methodology applied on a particular project can be used for many projects of similar nature, thus becoming a process as more and more projects are executed. Methodologies involved in a project include but are not limited to conduction of feasibility studies, cost-benefit analysis, designing, risk assessment, cost assessment, obtainment of insurance coverage, selection of staff, space management, organization, project execution, leading and controlling. All of these are a necessary part of the management of any project. There is also a whole range of project management tools including basic project management applications, wiki-based project management, ticket and bug tracking, conferencing and collaboration, invoic ing and time tracking (Chapman). Likewise, an operations manager needs to use all these methodologies to conduct the operation. In fact, execution of a project of any nature is an operation in itself. Thus, a project manager and operations manager can be used interchangeably. A task does not necessarily have to be called a project in order for project management methods to be very useful in its planning and implementation. Even the smallest task can benefit from the use of a well-chosen project management technique or tool, especially in the planning stage. (Chapman). In order to make the operation cost effective, an operations manager needs to assess the risks involved in the work prior to the commencement of the work. Taking

Qasr Al Hosn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Qasr Al Hosn - Essay Example In attempt to preserve it, the building has undergone a number of structural changes, although it remains to show the original and indigenous architecture of the Emiratis, depicting how the past can live through the present.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite its long-standing history and rich past, research has been limited on the preservation trance of Qasr Al Hosn. Generally, Qars Al Hosn has not been accorded the level of research that it deserves, resulting in limited attention for the iconic building. It is however clear that historic buildings are vulnerable, and Qasr Al Hosn as well deserves extra care and preservation if it is to last longer than it has. Consequently, this study explores and suggests a blueprint for the preservation Qasr Al Hosn as cultural monument in UAE. The study probes and discusses how the future identity of Qasr Al Hosn should be preserved, and how it will feed into the next generations (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 4). The Abu Dhabi’s story begins from the Qasr Al Hosn, a name that signifies its twin role: â€Å"Hosn† meaning fort, and â€Å"Qasra’ meaning castle. It is imperative to note Abu Dhabi was a region that was ruled by a tribe known as Bani Yas, who inhabited the oasis of Liwa. The Bani Yas tribe visited the island â€Å"Abu Dhabi’ for the purposes of collecting salt and fishing. The tribe did not inhabit the island because it lacked water. However, a wide area of drinking water was discovered in the island in 1760. Sheikh Dhiyab Al Nahyan later built a watchtower in the area to conserve the precious resource, when he discovered the significance of fresh water. This prompted influx of small settlement into the region. Later, the tower was expanded as the settlement in the region increased. It is significant to note the Sheikh Dhiyab Al Nahyan fortified the castle in the 18th century to protect from any form of invasion. This

Hebrew Wisdom Essay Example for Free

Hebrew Wisdom Essay This is my introduction to describe the teachings of Hebrew wisdom on diligence and laziness and how does this correspond with the contrast between wisdom and folly? I first want to give the definition of each of the words that I will be addressing during this essay. Diligence means â€Å"the attention and care legally expected or required of a person†. Laziness means â€Å"resistant to work or exertion; slow-moving; sluggish†. Wisdom means â€Å"the ability to discern or judge what is true, right or lasting; insight:. Folly means â€Å"a lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight. Now that we have the definition of the important words that I will be focusing on, lets beginning the discussion of Hebrew wisdom regarding these attributes. The Book of Proverbs was written mostly by Solomon. Solomon asked God and received the wisdom of The Lord and Solomon teaches us about the importance of diligence and not being lazy. Solomon states in Proverbs 13:4 â€Å"The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich†. When we continually seek after wisdom it will enable us to not become lazy. If we continue to be diligent we reap the rewards by  obtaining the knowledge we need to help us in our daily walk and every aspect of our life. Solomon states in Proverbs 4:13 â€Å"Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life†. The Word of God is our foundation to live a diligent life. The Book of Proverbs emphasizes the fear of the Lord as the key to wisdom and knowledge. His wisdom is available to those of us who trust Him and keep His commandments (Proverbs 2:7-10). The Book of Proverbs gives you the lifestyle to follow, the life of diligence or the life of laziness. The choice is ours to make in what path we will follow. The lazy person is one that does not count up the costs, one that want something for nothing, one that will sleep during the day instead of working (Proverbs 13:4; 24:30). As believers we must understand the importance of being diligent and not lazy. We must apply the knowledge given to us through the Word of God and apply it to our lives so that we will not be as a folly person. Folly is one that is lead by the pleasure of this world. According to The Essence of the Old Testament â€Å"under the sun† indicates an earthly perspective, in other words, a life without God. In Proverbs 14, Solomon describes the difference between wisdom and folly. Solomon states that foolishness destroys his own, willfully avoids fearing the Lord, speaks words that are undependable and immature and the fool has no harvest for lack of spiritual strength. The fool leaves no room for accountability to God. Then in Proverbs 15, Solomon speaks of the wise person. He will build his own, maintain integrity because of the fear of the Lord, he produces a harvest, he tells the truth, he maintains a teach spirit and finds gracious favor from the Lord. In my conclusion, I will sum up the teaching of the Hebrew wisdom. We have a choice to obtain wisdom and be diligent or be foolish and lazy. Our reward will be greater if we choose to follow God and use the wisdom that God has given us and be diligent in everything that we do for God so that we will not be like the foolish person and head towards destruction due to self indulgence and doing and speaking evil against God. Those that have the wisdom and diligent, need to be careful that they do not rejoice when their enemy falls (Proverbs 24:17). As stated in Ecclesiastes 12:13, Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. Let’s all seek to be like Solomon and ask God for wisdom, daily so that we can do and say those things that are pleasing to our Heavenly Father. Wisdom is meant to be applied, not just studied or memorized (The Essence of the Old Testament). BIBLIOGRAPHY Edward Hindson and Gary Yates,,The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey, Nashville, 2012 Broadman Holman Publishers, The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Nashville, 1996 Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition principal copyright 1993

Features Of Grices Cooperative Principle

Features Of Grices Cooperative Principle It was in 1975 when Herbert Paul Grice announced one of his most famous and influential papers Logic and Conversation including the Cooperative Principle with its Conversational Maxims. This paper targets at introducing the Cooperative Principle as well as alternative principles which have been developed as a response to Grices efforts. Even if the founders of these alternative principles take Grices Principle as a basis they have been criticizing it in order to refine his notions and ideas of how human communication works (Herbst 2010: 268). Taking the Cooperative Principle as the initial point of this paper there will be an introduction of Grices principle at first. In a further step the paper will provide an outline of the alternative principles in a chronological order as they were published. The final chapter is concerned with a conclusion based on current research as well there will follow an evaluation by taking into account how the views on Grices Cooperative principle change d over time. 2. Main features of Grices Cooperative Principle According to Grice human talk exchanges are rational because while speaking we connect our remarks and if we would not do so they would not be rational (cf. Grice 1975: 45). Consequently talk exchanges are not usually just a collection of context-free and separate sentences (cf. Grice 1975: 45). Grice describes them further as cooperative efforts in which each participant can recognize to some extent a common purpose or a set of purposes or rather a mutually accepted direction (Grice 1975: 45). Furthermore he mentions that this purpose or direction may be fixed from the start, or it may evolve during the exchange (Grice 1975: 45). Here it is not necessary if the direction of the talk exchange is established from the beginning on or if it is developing during the conversation because at each stage of the conversation there will be some possible conversational moves which would be excluded as conversationally unsuitable (Grice 1975:45). Due to these conversationally unsuitable moves Gr ice (1975: 45) was the first who tried to delineate in a general principle the mechanisms by which people interpret conversational implicature (Thomas 1995: 61). This general principle is called the Cooperative Principle and it is expected to be observed by all participants of a talk exchange (cf. Grice 1975: 45). The Cooperative Principle according to Grice (1975: 45) is defined in the following way: Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged. The Cooperative Principle is followed by four Conversational Maxims which are divided into the categories: Quantity, Quality, Relation and Manner (Grice 1975: 45).  [1]  These Conversational Maxims roughly put the guidelines in words on which we orientate our communicative behavior or rather as Levinson rephrases them in his work Pragmatics as the maxims specify what participants have to do in order to conver se in a maximally efficient, rational, co-operative way: they should speak sincerely, relevantly and clearly, while providing sufficient information (Levinson 1983: 102). In Logic and Conversation Grice (cf. 1975: 45-f.) lists the maxims in the following way: The Maxim of Quantity- relates to the quantity of information to be provided, and under it fall the following maxims: 1. Make your contribution as informative as required (for the current purposes of the exchange). 2. Do not make your contribution more informative than is required. The Maxim of Quality- under the category of Quality fall a supermaxim -Try to make your contribution one that is true- and two more specific maxims:1. Do not say what you believe to be false. 2. Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence. The Maxim of Relation under the category of Relation Grice places a single maxim, namely: Be relevant. The Maxim of Manner under the category of Manner Grice understands them as relating not (like the previous categories) to what is said but rather, to HOW what is said to be said. The Maxim of Manner includes the supermaxim Be perspicuous and various maxims such as: 1. Avoid obscurity of expression. 2. Avoid ambiguity. 3. Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity). 4. Be orderly. As Grice indicates further in his paper a participant in a talk exchange may fail to fulfill a maxim (Grice 1975: 49). Thus, there are situations in which a participant is not able to stick to the maxims listed above. The four possible ways of non-observing the maxims mentioned by Grice (cf. Grice 1975: 49) will be listed in the following and after that there will follow one example for each type of non-observance in order to examine the failure: (1) A participant in a talk exchange may quietly and unostentatiously VIOLATE a maxim; if so, in some cases he will be liable to mislead. (2) A speaker may OPT OUT from the operation both of the maxim and the CP; he may say, indicate, or allow it to become plain that he is unwilling to cooperate in the way the maxims requires. (3) A speaker may be faced by a CLASH: He may be unable, for example, to fulfill the first maxim of Quantity (Be as informative as is required) without violating the second maxim of Quality (Have adequate evidence for what you say). (4) A participant may FLOUT a maxim; that is, he may blatantly fail to fulfill it. On the assumption that the speaker is able to fulfill the maxim and to do so without violating another maxim [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦], is not opting out, and is not, in view of the blatancy of his performance, trying to mislead [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] This situation is one that characteristically gives rise to a conversational implicature; and when a conversational implicature is generated in this way, I shall say that a maxim is being exploited. According to the first type of non-observance (1) it might be useful to add as it is pointed out in Meaning in Interaction that many commentators incorrectly use the term violate for all forms of non-observance of the maxims (Thomas 1995: 72). But nevertheless Grice defines violation very specifically as the unostentatious non-observance of a maxim (Thomas 1995: 72). To clarify the phenomena of violating a maxim the following example as it is mentioned by Thomas might be helpful: An English athlete was pulled out of her race and returned to England. A press officer for the England team said: She has a family bereavement; her grandmother has died. (1995: 73). The following day it was proclaimed that the athlete had to leave because of a positive drug test (cf. Thomas 1995: 73). Nevertheless the statement of the press officer was true, but the implicature which was the reason of the English athletes returning home was not true as it is explained in Thomas (cf. 1995: 73). The second ty pe of non-observing (2) means that a participant of talk exchange opts out of the conversation because he does not behave in the way as it is prescribed by the Conversational Maxims or rather the participant does so to express unwillingness (Thomas 1995: 74). Therefore Thomas elaborates these kinds of non-observing are typically for public figures as they cannot, perhaps for legal or ethical reason, reply in the way expected (Thomas 1995: 74). Relating to this Grice introduces the following example: I cannot say more; my lips are sealed (Grice 1975: 49) or an instance for a public figures response would be: No comment. The third possible type in falling to fulfill the maxims is given when the speaker is faced by a clash (3) due to a conflict of two or rather of more maxims. Consequently in this situation a speaker is not able to observe the maxims. Aiming at illustrating this specific situation of incompatibility the instance given by Grice (cf. 1975: 51-f.) in his work might be hel pful: For their vacation in France A is planning with B a route considering the fact that both of them are aware of that A wants to meet his friend C. Furthermore Grice mentions that the meeting would not entail too great prolongation of their journey (cf. Grice 1975: 51) and additionally to these background information he introduces that A is asking: Where does C live? and B answers: Somewhere in the South of France. (Grice 1975: 51). This clash can be explained by taking into account that B does not provide too much information as A wishes to get (cf. Grice 1975: 51). By providing too little information B is obviously not observing the first maxim of Quantity (cf. Grice 1975: 51) and this explains Grice by supposing that B is aware that to be more informative would be to say something that infringed the maxim of Quality, Dont say what you lack adequate evidence for (Grice 1975: 51-f.). Thus, B acts as if he does not know exactly where C lives (cf. Grice 1975: 52). The fourth type of an infringement of a maxim is expressed by flouting a maxim (4) as stated in Thomas the most important category by far because it generates an implicature (1995: 64). By generating an implicature on purpose the speaker is aware of doing so. Plausible reasons therefore might be that the speaker does not want to provide too little or rather too much information than the situation demands (Thomas 1995: 65). The latter is given in the subsequent example as in Thomas (1995: 66): A is asking B about a mutual friends new boyfriend: A: Is he nice? B: She seems to like him. In the foregoing example B does not observe the maxim of Quantity by providing a less informative response to As question as it is described in Thomas (1995: 66). 3. Alternative Principles to the Cooperative Principle As the introduction of this paper previously indicated the Cooperative Principle has not been set free from critiques and thus it is not surprising that there exist suggestions for improvement or rather that there are alternative principles which will be presented in this chapter. 3.1 The Politeness Principle by Geoffrey Leech According to Geoffrey Leech there is a lack in Grices Cooperative Principle relating to the level of relationship while communicating because as the CP only refers to the content level as it is described in Bublitz (2009: 209). Moreover one could infer that the aspect of politeness is missing. Especially politeness is absolutely obligatory for Leech to answer the question why people are often so indirect in conveying what they mean and in addition he is convinced that the Politeness Principle is not just another principle to be added to the CP, but is a necessary complement, which rescues the CP from serious trouble (Leech 1983: 80). The Politeness Principle is expressed in Principles of Pragmatics as follows: Minimize (other things being equal) the expression of impolite beliefs; Maximzie (other things being equal) the expression of polite beliefs (Leech 1983: 81). To the Politeness Principle are six maxims added which tend to go in pairs (Leech 1983: 132). In the following these si x maxims (cf. Leech 1983: 132-36) will be listed and will be explained briefly below.  [2]   (1) The Tact Maxim: Minimize cost to other; maximize benefit to other. (2) The Generosity Maxim: Minimize benefit to self: Maximize cost to self. (3) The Approbation Maxim: Minimize dispraise of other; maximize praise of other. (4) The Modesty Maxim: Minimize praise of self; maximize dispraise of self. (5) The Agreement Maxim: Minimize disagreement between self and other; maximize agreement between self and other. (6) The Sympathy Maxim: Minimize antipathy between self and other; maximize sympathy between self and other. In accordance with Thomas the Tact Maxim (1) contains three different components (1995: 160-f.). Firstly the size of imposition, secondly the mitigation of the effort of a request by offering optionality and finally the cost/benefit scale (cf. Thomas 1995:160-f.). The size of imposition refers to the way of how a speaker can make use of minimizer in order to diminish the implied cost to the hearer as it is in the example: Ive got a bit of problem (Thomas 1995: 161). By the second component Leech means that the speaker should always give options or at least giving the appearance of allowing options (Thomas 1995: 161). As the last aspect is the cost/benefit scale, it implies the speaker is able to express an utterance politely without employing indirectness if it is to the hearers benefit as shown in the following example: Have a chocolate! (Thomas 1995: 161). Instancing the Generosity Maxim (2) by the sentences You must come and have dinner with us and We must come and have dinner wit h you Leech (1983: 133) states that the first is regarded as polite whereas the latter sentence is more impolite. To the Approbation Maxim (3) Leech predicates that the speaker should avoid saying unpleasant things about others (1983: 135) and thus it would be considered as very impolite to remark: What an awful meal you cooked! whereas What a marvelous meal you cooked would be regarded as very polite manners (Leech 1983: 135). Varying extremely in its application from culture to culture one has to take into account that the Modesty Maxim (4) in Japan is more powerful than it is as a rule in English-speaking societies (Thomas 1995: 163). For instance the reaction to a compliment differs as English would accept it pleasantly whereas Japanese would deny it in a modest way (cf. Leech 1983: 137). Second last the Agreement Maxim (5) implies that it is natural to emphasize agreement directly whereas people tend to diminish disagreement by expressing regret (Leech 1983: 138). With the Symp athy Maxim (6) Leech examines why congratulations and condolences are courteous speech acts, even though condolences express beliefs which are negative (138). As it was mentioned at the beginning of the chapter Leech takes the view that the Politeness Principle is supposed to collaborate with, and even rescue, the Cooperative Principle and its associated maxims (Mey 207:81). If this supposition can vindicate will be shown in the conclusion chapter. 3.2 The Q- and R- Principle by Laurence Horn Horn rethinks Grices Cooperative Principle but nevertheless his model keeps relevance within the general framework of Gricean theory (Mey 2007: 82). Horns Q- and R-Principle consists of two principles. Namely, the Q- Principle (Q for quantity), telling us to say as much as we can; and the R-Principle (R for relation), which says that we should say no more than we must' (Mey 2007: 84). Additionally the Q-Principle is hearer-based and it compromises the first half of the Gricean maxim of Quantity (Mey 2007: 84) whereas the speaker-based R-principle includes the second half of the quantity maxim plus the maxims of manner and relation (Mey 2007: 84). Furthermore the Q- and R- principle is concerned with the problem that there exist two kinds of utterances. On the one hand there are utterances which have a clear and unambiguous meaning (Mey 2007: 83) whereas on the other hand there are utterances which need to be interpreted by the hearer. Taking the following sentence as an example for o bserving the R-principle: I cut a finger yesterday (Mey 2007: 83). Thus one can come to the conclusion that the finger is mine and not a finger of someone else. Contrary to this is the sentence: Wilfred is meeting a woman tonight for dinner (Mey 2007: 83). The previous phrase invoke the Q-Principle in order to establish the fact that it is not his wife or regular girlfriend hes seeing (Mey 2007: 84). Basically as Grundy states Horn argues that Grices maxims can be subsumed within two principles (Grundy 2008: 110) and deductive he tries to simplify Grices maxim by reducing them. 3.3 Relevance Theory by Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson The Relevance Theory by Dan Sperber and Deidre Wilson is considered to be a cognitive theory of human communication (Yus 2006: 512) as well as a minimalist theory of communication (Mey 2007: 85). Namely their Relevance Theory is based exclusively on the Principle of Relevance (Mey 2007: 85) which operates as follows (cf. Bublitz 2009: 211): Every act of ostensive communication communicates a presumption of its own optimal relevance. (a) The set of assumptions {I} which the communicator intends to make manifest to the addressee is relevant enough to make it worth the addressees while to process the ostensive stimulus. (b) The ostensive stimulus is the most relevant one the communicator could have used to communicate {I}. Thus in order to communicate successfully relevance is obligatory (Mey 2007: 85). The former term of Relevance is explicated by Sperber and Wilson as assumption is relevant in a context if and only if it has some contextual effect in that context (1995: 122). As Relevance Theory was first published in 1986 there exist many updated versions of it. The following description of Relevance Theory refers to the one given by Bublitz (2009: 211-f.). Contrary to Mey Bublitz depicts Relevance Theory as a new approach than rather as a shortened adaption to Grices Cooperative Principle (cf. Bublitz 2009: 211). Furthermore the Relevance Theory operates on a cost-benefit-principle which implies that human beings are trying to achieve a great increase of knowledge by avoiding too big effort in interpreting their talk exchange partners utterance (cf. Bublitz 2009: 211). Consequently it is important that there is a balance between the given information and act of interpreting it (cf. Bublitz 2009: 21 1). 4. Conclusion based on current research 5. Bibliographical References Bublitz, Wolfram. 2009. Englische Pragmatik: Eine Einfà ¼hrung. 2nd edition. Berlin: Schmidt. Grice, Herbert P. 1975. Logic and Conversation. In Syntax and Semantics 3: Speech Acts, Peter Cole and Jerry L. Morgan (eds), 41-58. New York: Academic Press. Grundy, Peter. 2008. Doing Pragmatics. 3rd edition. London: Hodder Education. Herbst, Thomas. 2010. English Linguistics: A Coursebook for Students of English. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. Leech, Geoffrey. 1983. Principles of Pragmatics. London: Longman. Levinson, Stephen C. 1983. Pragmatics. Cambridge: CUP. Lindblom, Kenneth. 2006. Cooperative Principle Encyclopedia of Language Linguistics 2nd edition, 176-183. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Lumsden, David. 2008. Kinds of Conversational Cooperation. Journal of Pragmatics 40: 1896-1908. (Seiten stimmen nicht, authors manuscript, da nicht verfà ¼gbar!) Mey, Jacbob L. 2007. Pragmatics: An Introduction. 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell. Pfister, Jonas. 2010. Is there a need for a maxim of politeness? Journal of Pragmatics 42 (Issue 5): 1266-1282. Sperber, Dan; Deidre Wilson. 1995. Relevance: Communication and Cognition. 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell. Tannen, Deborah. 2011. Thats not what I meant: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships. New York: Harper. Thomas, Jenny. 1995. Meaning in Interaction: An Introduction to Pragmatics. London: Longman. Yus, F. 2006. Relevance Theory. In Encyclopedia of Language Linguistics 2nd edition, 512-523. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Narrative- Viola Lesson Essay example -- Personal Narrative Writing

Narrative- Viola Lesson I strolled towards the double glass doors, deliberately kicking at a large, spiky, chestnut pod as I went. It skidded across the concrete and sent three more spike-balls rolling before toppling over the edge of the ramp. Gazing upward through the branches, which were camouflaged by green and brown splotched clumps of large, tear-drop shaped leaves, I could see bits of crisp, blue, autumn sky. I repositioned the strap of my viola case on my shoulder. It's too bad I can't stay out here to enjoy the weather. At that thought, I slowed my walk. Why am I nervous? I'm more prepared for my lesson this week than I have been in a long time. The set of doors now loomed ahead of me, and I tugged one of them open, making my way up to the second floor of the building. I knew there was no reason for me to be nervous, but the butterflies flitting around in my stomach didn't seem to care. As I approached Dr. Sternbern's office, his door came clearly into view--I always enjoyed looking at it. The dark wood could barely be seen beneath the dozens of humorous cartoons pasted all over it. There was even a picture of Dr. Sternbern himself, with a carrot protruding from his mouth, and a sign below asking, "Do you know this man?" I smiled and could feel my anxiety floating away. Poking my head through the door, I spotted him working at his computer. Dr. Sternbern was in his mid-thirties, with dark hair, and a beard, which he had just started growing over the summer. He looked up and smiled a greeting, motioning for me to come in. "So how are you doing, Miss Marie?" "I'm fine," I replied, closing the door and looking for a spot to set my case. The chair where I normally put it was stacked with papers, and there were orc... ...embered something Dr. Sternbern had told me before. He said he had seen lots of students try to excel at too many things. It usually resulted in them being unable to do their best at anything. So, my thoughts continued, I should pick one thing to do my very best at, and then work hard in the other areas with the time and energy I have left. A smile of understanding slowly spread across my face. Through my lessons, Dr. Sternbern had taught me many things about playing the viola, but what I had just begun to understand was, perhaps, of even greater importance. I realized now that this truth, more than any technique, would allow me to reach my goal of playing the viola to the best of my ability. Sighing happily, I tilted my head upward, breathed in the refreshing fall air, and, with a well-aimed, departing kick, sent half a dozen more spike-balls shooting off the ramp.

Revisiting Childhood in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe :: Lion Witch and the Wardrobe Essays

Revisiting Childhood in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe    When I was young, it was hard to understand the bigger picture. I knew not what I did; I only acted. Aggressive action came spontaneously, and in rapid response to whatever situation befell me. I frequently fought and argued with my brothers. While we were good around other people, at home, my brothers and I were not pleasant to deal with. At the time, it was impossible for me to foretell the ramifications of my mother. It was not until much later before I realized the gift that my mom had managed to give my brothers and me in her remarkable grace under the pressures. She was taking on four pre-teenaged boys on a hectic schedule, while juggling a part-time job and continuing college level education.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I was no more than ten years old when my mother began reading to us. It was a difficult enough undertaking, shuffling us between our father's house and hers and the many extracurricular activities involved with bringing up four young men. Somehow, three or four days a week, she enticed us all to sit down before bedtime for the retelling of a classic story. We started out with the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series by author C. S. Lewis, titled The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this fairy tale, a magical lion returns to the mysterious land of Narnia in a quest to put an end to the evil reign of the wicked White Witch. The story simply captivated my younger brothers and me. The strange part was that it was never about the animals that talked, the fauns, unicorns, giants, dwarfs, wolves, centaurs, beavers, and birds. Truthfully, I did not remember much about a witch in the story, much less the existence of a lion. I did not recall any morals, messages, or even a plotline. What struck me most was part of the tale that engulfed the four siblings in the adventure of their lifetime. A few times a week, my brothers and I followed Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy into the enchanted wardrobe and through to the other side. As we circled around my mother in our living room, we were careful, just as Peter was, in closing the door.

Explore Joe Gargery’s role in Great Expectations Essay

In Great Expectations, Joe acts as a father figure to Pip, when he is in fact his brother-in-law, as Joe married Pip’s sister, Mrs Joe Gargery. We are introduced to Joe as a â€Å"mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow†. Pip describes him as a kind and gentle man, making the reader immediately like him. â€Å"Good-natured† and â€Å"sweet-tempered† give Joe an endearing quality, so the reader is drawn to him. However, â€Å"foolish† introduces a potentially negative side to his character, like he is stupid, although this too could be considered endearing. Perhaps Dickens does this so that we can understand Joe’s actions better, or at least don’t view him too negatively when he can’t protect Pip from Mrs Joe. In contrast to his gentle personality, he is a blacksmith, and therefore a strong man. Pip thinks of him â€Å"like the steam-hammer, that can crush a man or pat an egg shell†. He is likening Joe to a machine in the forge, giving Joe a sense of power. Although, â€Å"crush† is quite a violent word, suggesting Joe to be violent, which he definitely is not. Perhaps Dickens included this detail to make us respect Joe, which is important for later on in the novel, so we don’t just view him as a â€Å"sweet-tempered† man. But there is a sense of this good natured man in the word â€Å"pat†, it could potentially have paternal connotations. Perhaps this links to the image of the egg shell as well, as it is a fragile protector of life. Furthermore Joe could almost be seen as the protector of Pip’s life, as he saves him several times. Also egg shells can be strong, but have weak sides if they are put under stress, just like Joe has a weak side – he can’t protect Joe from Mrs Joe Gargery. As well as this, there is the idea that Joe is in control, in the words â€Å"can† and â€Å"or†, he can choose which side of himself to be, strong or gentle. This is a very adult concept, but Joe can sometimes be very childlike. Joe can’t deal with the idea of death, despite being a strong blacksmith. When Pip asks Joe if Miss Havisham died, he eventually replies â€Å"she ain’t living†. This is a very backward way of saying it, a way we don’t normally use, showing Joe’s childish innocence. He avoids the subject of death again, when Pip asks him if he had heard of Magwitch’s death. Even though Joe never knew him personally, he avoids saying the words, instead he says he heard â€Å"something or another in a general way in that direction†. The vagueness of this statement is almost humorous, he can’t even just say â€Å"yes†. Joe is unable to confirm a person’s death, he just brushes over the subject, not fully acknowledging or possibly understanding it, like a child would. Another way Dickens portrays this childishness is through making Joe illiterate. Pip writes him a letter, and all he can read is his name: â€Å"Why, here’s three Js, and three Os, and three J-O, Joes, in it, Pip! † The exclamation mark at the end implies he is excited and proud that he has managed to read, and that he is wanting Pip to recognise his achievement, like a child would want their father too. This childishness makes Joe a lovable character, the reader wants to see him do well. Perhaps it also makes Pip’s behaviour towards him seem worse, from the reader’s perspective, as Joe is such an innocent character. Whilst Joe may not have great knowledge or academic skills, he possesses something most of the other characters don’t have, self-knowledge, he recognises he is illiterate and ‘stupid’. He tells Pip on two separate occasions that he is â€Å"most awful dull†. He is accepting of himself, he knows he is not the cleverest, in fact â€Å"awful† suggests that he thinks he is very stupid. Moreover, â€Å"dull† could imply many things, not only that he is stupid, but also that he isn’t sharp. Perhaps this is a reference to him being a black smith, that he is like one of his hammers, only good for physically things, he’s not sharp witted or clever. â€Å"Dull† could also intimate that he thinks he is boring, perhaps why he struggles to talk to, or be in the presence of people in a higher class to himself, because he considers himself boring and unworthy. But this ‘dullness’ does not stop him from being wise. Throughout the novel, Joe gives Pip many pieces of advice, for example â€Å"if you can’t get to be oncommon through going straight, you’ll never get to do it through going crooked†. Joe, even though he is perhaps the most uneducated character (shown in the wording of the sentence) he can sometimes be the most wise and honourable. Because of this he acts as a hidden role model for Pip. Not only is he honourable and wise, he understands his place: â€Å"I am wrong out of the forge† he tells Pip at their awkward reunion. Dickens suggests (through Joe) that people should stay in their class, and not aspire or try to move up; he argues for social immobility. Joe tells Pip that if he ever came back to the forge he’d â€Å"see Joe the blacksmith, there, at the old anvil, in the old burnt apron, sticking to the old work. † Joe labels himself â€Å"the blacksmith† implying that he believes it is all he is good at. The repetition of â€Å"old† makes him seem experienced, as he has been doing it a long time. There is also the idea that he clings or latches onto his work, in the word â€Å"sticking†, he fixes himself onto it so much that it has become how he defines himself. The fact that he feels himself â€Å"wrong† when not in the forge could be the reason why he can’t talk to Miss Havisham: â€Å"Joe†¦ persisted in addressing me. † It is like he cannot deal with the formality of he occasion, as he feels he doesn’t belong there. Dickens humiliates Joe here, presenting him as a shy and awkward character, making the reader sympathise with him. This is another negative quality, helping to balance out the character of Joe.

Lack of effective communication

When a mountaineer goes up for the mountain’s peak, when a pilot soar high in the sky with his plane and when a treasure hunter goes for the hidden treasure with his map, there are two things they all need to have- a compass and a watch. They are but small, simple gadgets yet their importance cannot be denied. Like a compass, communication gives direction to the players in the organization. As a watch, communication defines the perfect timing of every course of action. Having the best players in a team, the best facilities and enough resources cannot give an organization the assurance of its success. This is simply because, as Keith Denton said, 1â€Å"More often, what is required is the simplest need of all-communication.† What brings all the elements of an organization or a team together is communication. Consider a basketball team who is behind by two points in the last few seconds of the game. If the team has a time-out to utilize, shall the coach call for a time-out or just leave the chance to the players? If not, who will be responsible? It could not be just anyone. Effective communication plays an urgent and essential role in this situation. First, in identifying what the problem is. Communicating factual and accurate information on the nature of the problem is the first step in solving a problem. In the business set-up, the earlier the problem is identified, the more time is provided to the team or the organization to solve it. Consider a manufacturing company which is experiencing a significant decline in its production rate for the past three months. Shift production supervisor A accounts the problem to the old machines they are using. Supervisor B blames it to the shift on the standards of the Quality Control department. Supervisor C thinks the problem is due to the newly imported raw materials from a new supplier. Suppose the production head asked only supervisor A and then agreed to address the problem immediately to the management. So the management decided to buy new production machines in order to cope up with its production. Supervisors B and C did not coordinate their evaluations on the problem because they were not asked. After few months, production increased only by few percentage. Re-evaluation revealed that the problem is due to the newly imported raw materials and not on the old machines. This is just one of the many tragic results of lack of effective communication. If only the production head was able to ask the other supervisors, or the supervisors coordinated their evaluations to the production head, even if they were not asked, then their evaluations could have been considered in the management’s decision in solving the problem. The cost of the new production machines could have been saved and the raw materials supplier could have been immediately reprimanded and replaced. Sad to say, time and effort lost in this situation can no more be saved; they are permanently lost. Communication is a basic requirement in all aspects of the organization. 2â€Å"The absence of good planning and sound communications also causes projects to fail.† (G. Silver) In fact, communication is a vital tool in the planning stage of a project. In identifying the what, where, when, why, who and how of a plan, information has to flow through communication lines in order to be utilized by planners and decision makers. In delegation, controlling and directing functions of the management, communication is a basic tool. This is the reason why leaders have to be good communicators. In problem solving and decision making, one has to learn how to make him understood by others and learn also to understand others. This can only be made possible by developing effective communication skills and process. 3 A case study done at General Electric Company and Cypress Semiconductor Corp. revealed that 88% of its engineers believed that â€Å"lack of communication and cooperation leads to reduced productivity.† Further evaluation of this result will give us the fact that this is because planners and decision makers rely on available, coordinated information in formulating their business activities. If all needed information are properly communicated to the concerned individuals, then problem solving and decision making will most probably have favorable results. Considering the vitality of effective communication in an organization which is working as a team, it is but fair to conclude that communication can make or break an organization. REFERENCES Denton, D. Keith. Business Horizons. September-October 1993. Retrieved from http://www.howtobooks.co.uk/business/networking. retrieved on September 07, 2006 Silver, Gerald and Myrra. Systems Analysis and Design. Chapter 06. page 22. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. Mass. USA. 1992 P and Q Survey 1990. Effective Business Communications. Retrieved from http://www.howtobooks.co.uk/business/networking Retrieved on September 07, 2006

A Dirty Job Chapter 6

He’d worked up a furious appetite because breakfast was running late today. The Emperor had slept on a bench by the Maritime Museum, and during the night his arthritic knee had snaked out of his wool overcoat into the damp cold, making the walk to North Beach and the Italian bakery that gave them free day-old a slow and painful ordeal. The Emperor groaned and sat down on an empty milk crate. He was a great rolling bear of a man, his shoulders broad but a little broken from carrying the weight of the city. A white tangle of hair and beard wreathed his face like a storm cloud. As far as he could remember, he and the troops had patrolled the city streets forever, but upon further consideration, it might have just been since Wednesday. He wasn’t entirely sure. The Emperor decided to make a proclamation to the troops about the importance of compassion in the face of the rising tide of heinous fuckery and political weaselocity in the nearby kingdom of the United States. (He found his audience was most attentive to his proclamations when the meat-laced focaccia were still nuzzled in the larder of his overcoat pockets, and presently a pepperoni and Parmesan reposed fragrant in the woolly depths, so the royal hounds were rapt.) But just as he cleared his throat to begin, a cargo van came screeching around the corner, went up on two wheels as it plowed through a row of garbage cans, and slid to a stop not fifty feet away. The driver’s-side door flew open and a thin man in a suit leapt out, carrying a cane and a woman’s fur coat, and made a beeline for the back door of Asher’s. But before he got two steps the man fell to the concrete as if hit from behind, then rolled on his back and began flailing at the air with the cane an d the coat. The Emperor, who knew most everyone, recognized Charlie Asher. Bummer erupted into a fit of yapping, but the more levelheaded Lazarus growled once and took off toward Charlie. â€Å"Lazarus!† the Emperor shouted, but the retriever charged on, followed now by his bug-eyed brother in arms. Charlie was back on his feet and swinging the cane as if he was fencing with some phantom, using the coat like a shield. Living on the street, the Emperor had seen a lot of people battling with unseen demons, but Charlie Asher was apparently scoring some hits. The cane was making a thwacking noise against what appeared to be thin air – but no, there was something there, a shadow of some sort? The Emperor climbed to his feet and limped into the fray, but before he got two steps Lazarus had leapt and appeared to be attacking Charlie, but he soared over the shopkeeper and snapped at a spot above his head – then hung there, his jaws sunk into the substantial neck of thin air. Charlie took advantage of the distraction, stepped back, and swung the cane above the levitating golden retriever. There was a smack, and Lazarus let go, but now Bummer launched himself at the invisible foe. He missed whatever was there, and ended up performing a doggy swish shot into a garbage can. Charlie made for the steel door of Asher’s again, but found it locked, and as he reached for his keys, something caught him from behind. â€Å"Let go, fuckface,† the shade screeched. The fur coat Charlie was holding appeared to be swept out of his hand and was pulled straight up, over the four-story building and out of sight. Charlie turned and held the cane at ready, but whatever had been there seemed to be gone now. â€Å"Aren’t you just supposed to sit above the door and nevermore and be poetic and stuff?!† he shouted at the sky. Then, for good measure, added, â€Å"You evil fuck!† Lazarus barked, then whined. A sharp and metallic yapping rose from Bummer’s garbage can. â€Å"Well, you don’t see that every day,† said the Emperor as he limped up to Charlie. â€Å"You could see that?† â€Å"Well, no, not really. Merely a shadow, but I could see that something was there. There was something there, wasn’t there, Charlie?† Charlie nodded, trying to catch his breath. â€Å"It will be back. It followed me across the city.† He dug into his pocket for his keys. â€Å"You guys should duck into the store with me, Your Majesty.† Of course Charlie knew the Emperor. Every San Franciscan knew the Emperor. The Emperor smiled. â€Å"That’s very kind of you, but we will be perfectly safe. For now I need to free my charge from his galvanized prison.† The big man tipped the garbage can and Bummer emerged snorting and tossing his head as if ready to tear the ass out of any man or beast foolhardy enough to cross him (and he would have, as long as they were knee-high or shorter). Charlie was still having trouble with the key. He knew he should have had the lock replaced, but it worked, if you finessed it a little, so he’d never made it a priority. Who the hell thought you’d ever have to get in quick to escape a giant bird? Then he heard a screech and turned to see not one, but two huge ravens coming over the roof and diving into the alley. The dogs arfed a frantic barking salvo at the avian intruders and Charlie put so much body English into wiggling the key in the lock that he felt an atrophied dancing muscle tear in his hip. â€Å"They’re back. Cover me.† Charlie threw the cane to the Emperor and braced himself for the impact, but as soon as the cane touched the old man’s hand the birds were gone. You could almost hear the pop of the air replacing the space they had taken up. The dogs caught themselves in mid-ruff; Bummer whimpered. â€Å"What?† the Emperor said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"They’re gone.† The Emperor looked at the sky. â€Å"You’re sure?† â€Å"For now.† â€Å"I saw two shadows. Really saw them this time,† the Emperor said. â€Å"Yes, there were two this time.† â€Å"What are they?† â€Å"I have no idea, but when you took the cane they – well, they disappeared. You really saw them?† â€Å"I’m sure of it. Like smoke with a purpose.† Finally the key turned in the lock and the door to Asher’s back room swung open. â€Å"You should come in. Rest. I’ll order something to eat.† â€Å"No, no, the men and I must be on our rounds. I’ve decided to make a proclamation this morning and we need to see the printer. You’ll be needing this.† The Emperor presented the cane to Charlie like he was turning over a sword of the realm. Charlie started to take it, then thought better of it. â€Å"Your Majesty, I think you’d better keep that. It looks as if you might be able to use it.† Charlie nodded toward the Emperor’s creaky knee. The Emperor held the cane steady. â€Å"I am not a worshiper of the material, you know?† â€Å"I understand that.† â€Å"I am a firm believer that desire is the source of most of human suffering, you’re aware, and no culprit is more heinous than desire for material gain.† â€Å"I run my business based on those very principles. Still, I insist you keep the cane – as a favor to me, if you would?† Charlie found himself affecting the Emperor’s formal speech patterns, as if somehow he had been transported to a royal court where a nobleman was distinguished by bread crumbs in his beard and the royal guard were not above licking their balls. â€Å"Well, as a favor, I will accept. It is a fine piece of craftsmanship.† â€Å"But more importantly, it will permit you to make your rounds in good time.† The Emperor now betrayed the desire in his heart as he let fly a wide grin and hugged the cane to his chest. â€Å"It is fine, indeed. Charlie, I must confess something to you, but I ask you to grant me the credulity due a man who has just shared witness, with a friend, of two giant, raven-shaped shades.† â€Å"Of course.† Charlie smiled, when even a moment before he would have thought his smile lost somewhere in the months past. â€Å"I hope you won’t think me base, but the second I touched this, I felt as if I had been waiting for it my whole life.† Then, for no reason that he could think of, Charlie said, â€Å"I know.† A few minutes before, inside the store, Lily had been brooding. It wasn’t her general brood, the reaction to a world where everyone was stupid and life was meaningless and the mere act of living was futile, especially if your mother forgot to get coffee at the store. This one was a more specific brood, that had started out when she arrived at work and Ray had pointed out that it was her turn to wear the vacuuming tiara, and insisted that if she wore the tiara, she actually vacuum the store. (In fact, she liked wearing the rhinestone tiara that Charlie, in a move of blatant bourgeois sneakiness, had designated be worn by whoever did the vacuuming and sweeping each day, and no other time. It was the vacuuming and sweeping she objected to. She felt manipulated, used, and generally taken advantage of, and not in the fun way.) But today, after she’d put the tiara and the vacuum away and had finally gotten a couple of cups of coffee in her system, the brooding had gone on, bu ilding to full-scale angst, when it began to dawn on her that she was going to have to figure out this college-career thing, because despite what The Great Big Book of Death said, she had not been chosen as a dark minion of destruction. Fuck! She stood in the back room looking at all the items that Charlie had piled there the day before: shoes, lamps, umbrellas, porcelain figures, toys, a couple of books, and an old black-and-white television and a painting of a clown on black velvet. â€Å"He said this stuff was glowing?† she asked Ray, who stood in the doorway to the store. â€Å"Yes. He made me check it all with my Geiger counter.† â€Å"Ray, why the fuck do you have a Geiger counter?† â€Å"Lily, why do you have a nose stud shaped like a bat?† Lily ignored the question and picked up the ceramic frog from the night before, which now had a note taped to it that read DO NOT SELL OR DISPLAY in Charlie’s meticulous block-letter printing. â€Å"This was one of the things? This?† â€Å"That was the first one he freaked out about,† said Ray matter-of-factly. â€Å"The truant officer tried to buy it. That started it all.† Lily was shaken. She backed over to Charlie’s desk and sat in the squeaky oak swivel chair. â€Å"Do you see anything glowing or pulsating, Ray? Have you ever?† Ray shook his head. â€Å"He’s under a lot of stress, losing Rachel and taking care of the baby. I think maybe he needs to get some help. I know after I had to leave the force – † Ray paused. There was a commotion going on out in the alley, dogs barking and people shouting, then someone was working a key in the lock of the back door. A second later, Charlie came in, a little breathless, his clothes smudged here and there with grime, one sleeve of his jacket torn and bloodstained. â€Å"Asher,† Lily said. â€Å"You’re hurt.† She quickly vacated his chair while Ray took Charlie by the shoulders and sat him down. â€Å"I’m fine,† Charlie said. â€Å"No big deal.† â€Å"I’ll get the first-aid kit,† Ray said. â€Å"Get that jacket off of him, Lily.† â€Å"I’m fine,† Charlie said. â€Å"Quit talking about me like I’m not here.† â€Å"He’s delirious,† Lily said, trying to pry Charlie out of his jacket. â€Å"Do you have any painkillers, Ray?† â€Å"I don’t need painkillers,† Charlie said. â€Å"Shut up, Asher, they’re not for you,† Lily said, automatically, then she considered the book, Ray’s story, the notes on all the items in the back room, and she shuddered. It appeared that Charlie Asher might not be the hapless geek she always thought him to be. â€Å"Sorry, boss. Let us help you.† Ray came back from the front with a small plastic first-aid kit. He peeled back Charlie’s sleeve and began to clean the wounds with gauze and peroxide. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"Nothing,† Charlie said. â€Å"I slipped and fell in some gravel.† â€Å"The wound’s pretty clean – no gravel in it. That must have been some fall.† â€Å"Long story.† Charlie sighed. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"What was all the noise in the alley?† Lily asked, needing badly to go smoke, but unable to pull herself away. She just couldn’t imagine that Charlie Asher was the one. How could it be him? He was so, so, unworthy. He didn’t understand the dark underbelly of life the way she did. Yet he was the one seeing the glowing objects. He was it. She was crestfallen. â€Å"Just the Emperor’s dogs after a seagull in the Dumpster. No big deal. I fell off a porch in Pacific Heights.† â€Å"The estate,† Ray said. â€Å"How’d that go?† â€Å"Not well. The husband was grief-stricken and had a heart attack while I was there.† â€Å"You’re kidding.† â€Å"No, he just sort of became overwhelmed thinking about his wife and collapsed. I gave him CPR until the EMTs came and took him off to the hospital.† â€Å"So,† Lily said, â€Å"did you get the – uh – did you get anything special?† â€Å"What?† Charlie’s eyes went wide. â€Å"What do you mean, special? There was nothing special.† â€Å"Chill, boss, I just meant will we get the grandma’s clothes?† He’s it, Lily thought. The fucker. Charlie shook his head. â€Å"I don’t know, it’s so strange. The whole thing is so strange.† He shuddered when he said it. â€Å"Strange how?† Lily said. â€Å"Strange in a cool and dark way, or strange because you’re Asher and you’re out of it most of the time?† â€Å"Lily!† Ray snapped. â€Å"Go out front. Dust something.† â€Å"You’re not the boss of me, Ray. I’m just showing my concern.† â€Å"It’s okay, Ray.† Charlie looked like he was considering how, exactly, to define strange, and not coming up with anything that was working. Finally he said, â€Å"Well, for one thing, this woman’s estate is way out of our league. The husband said he called me because we were the first secondhand store in the phone book, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of man to do something like that.† â€Å"That’s not that strange,† Lily said. Just confess, she thought. â€Å"You said that he was grief-stricken,† Ray said, dabbing antibiotic ointment on Charlie’s cuts. â€Å"Maybe he’s doing things differently.† â€Å"Yes, and he was angry at his wife, too, for the way she died.† â€Å"How?† Lily asked. â€Å"She ate silica gel,† Charlie said. Lily looked at Ray for an explanation, because silica gel sounded techno-geeky, which was Ray’s particular field of geekdom. Ray said, â€Å"It’s the antidesiccant that they pack with electronics and other things that are sensitive to humidity.† â€Å"The ‘Do Not Eat’ stuff?!† Lily said. â€Å"Oh my God, that’s so stupid. Everyone knows you don’t eat the ‘Do Not Eat’ stuff.† Charlie said, â€Å"Mr. Mainheart was pretty broken up.† â€Å"Well, I guess so,† Lily said. â€Å"He married a complete fucktard.† Charlie cringed. â€Å"Lily, that’s not appropriate.† Lily shrugged and rolled her eyes. She hated it when Charlie dropped into Dad mode. â€Å"Okay, okay. I’m going outside to smoke.† â€Å"No!† Charlie jumped out of the chair and put himself between Lily and the back door. â€Å"Out front. From now on if you have to smoke you go out front.† â€Å"But you said that I look like a child hooker when I smoke out front.† â€Å"I’ve reassessed. You’ve matured.† Lily closed one eye to see if she could better glimpse into his soul and thus figure out his true agenda. She smoothed over her black vinyl skirt, which made a tortured, squeaking noise at the touch. â€Å"You’re trying to say I have a big butt, aren’t you?† â€Å"I absolutely am saying no such thing,† Charlie insisted. â€Å"I am simply saying that your presence in front of the store is an asset and will probably attract business from the tourists on the cable car.† â€Å"Oh. Okay.† Lily snatched her box of cloves off the desk and headed out past the counter and outside to brood, grieve really, because as much as she had hoped, she was not Death. The book was Charlie’s. That evening Charlie was watching the store, wondering why he had lied to his employees, when he saw a flash of red passing by the front window. A second later, a strikingly pale redhead came through the door. She was wearing a short, black cocktail dress and black fuck-me pumps. She strode up the aisle like she was auditioning for a music video. Her hair cascaded in long curls around her shoulders and down her back like a great auburn veil. Her eyes were emerald green, and when she saw him looking, she smiled, and stopped, some ten feet away. Charlie felt an almost painful jolt that seemed to emanate from somewhere in the area of his groin, and after a second he recognized it as an autonomic lust response. He hadn’t felt anything like that since Rachel had passed, and he felt vaguely ashamed. She was examining him, looking him over like you would examine a used car. He was sure he must be blushing. â€Å"Hi,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can I help you?† The redhead smiled again, just a little, and reached into a small black bag that he hadn’t noticed she’d been carrying. â€Å"I found this,† she said, holding up a silver cigarette case. Something Charlie didn’t see very often anymore, even in the secondhand business. It was glowing, pulsating like the objects in the back room. â€Å"I was in the neighborhood and something made me think that this belonged here.† She moved to the counter opposite Charlie and set the cigarette case down in front of him. Charlie could barely move. He stared at her, not even conscious that to avoid her eyes he was staring at her cleavage, and she appeared to be looking around his head and shoulders as if following the path of insects that were buzzing around him. â€Å"Touch me,† she said. â€Å"Huh?† He looked up, saw she was serious. She held out her hand; her nails were manicured and painted the same deep red as her lipstick. He took her hand. As soon as she touched him she pulled away. â€Å"You’re warm.† â€Å"Thanks.† In that moment he realized that she wasn’t. Her fingers had been ice-cold. â€Å"Then you’re not one of us?† He tried to think of what â€Å"us† might be? Irish? Low blood pressure? Nymphomaniac? Why did he even think that? â€Å"Us? What do you mean, ‘us’?† She backed away a step. â€Å"No. You don’t just take the weak and the sick, do you? You take anyone.† â€Å"Take? What do you mean, ‘take’?† â€Å"You don’t even know, do you?† â€Å"Know what?† Charlie was getting very nervous. As a Beta Male, he found it difficult enough to function under the attention of a beautiful woman, but she was just plain spooky. â€Å"Wait. Can you see this thing glowing?† He held out the cigarette case. â€Å"No glow. It just felt like it belonged here,† she said. â€Å"What’s your name?† â€Å"Charlie Asher. This is Asher’s.† â€Å"Well, Charlie, you seem like a nice guy, and I don’t know exactly what you are, and it doesn’t seem like you know. You don’t, do you?† â€Å"I’ve been going through some changes,† Charlie said, wondering why he felt compelled to share this at all. The redhead nodded, as if confirming something to herself. â€Å"Okay. I know what it’s like to, uh, to find yourself thrown into a situation where forces beyond your control are changing you into someone, something you don’t have an owner’s manual for. I understand what it is to not know. But someone, somewhere, does know. Someone can tell you what’s going on.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† But he knew what she was talking about. What he didn’t know was how she could possibly know. â€Å"You make people die, don’t you, Charlie?† She said it like she had worked up the courage to tell him that he had some spinach in his teeth. More of a service to him than an accusation. â€Å"How do you – ?† How did she – â€Å"Because it’s what I do. Not like you, but it’s what I do. Find them, Charlie. Backtrack and find whoever was there when your world changed.† Charlie looked at her, then at the cigarette case, then at the redhead again, who was no longer smiling, but was stepping backward toward the door. Trying to stay in touch with normal, he focused on the cigarette case and said, â€Å"I suppose I can do an appraisal – â€Å" He heard the bell over the door jingle, and when he looked up she was gone. He didn’t see her moving by the windows on either side of the door; she was just gone. He ran to the front of the store and out the door onto the sidewalk. The Mason Street cable car was just topping the hill up by California Street and he could hear the bell, there was a thin fog coming up from the Bay that threw colorful halos around the neon signs of the other businesses, but there was no striking redhead on the street. He went to the corner and looked down Vallejo, but again no redhead, just the Emperor, sitting against the building with his dogs. â€Å"Good evening, Charlie.† â€Å"Your Majesty, did you see a redhead go by here just now?† â€Å"Oh yes. Spoke to her. I’m not sure you have a chance there, Charlie, I believe she’s spoken for. And she did warn me to stay away from you.† â€Å"Why? Did she say why?† â€Å"She said that you were Death.† â€Å"I am?† Charlie said. â€Å"Am I?† His breath caught in his throat as the day played back in his head. â€Å"What if I am?† â€Å"You know, son,† the Emperor said, â€Å"I am not an expert in dealing with the fairer sex, but you might want to save that bit of information until the third date or so, after they’ve gotten to know you a little.† A Dirty Job Chapter 6 He’d worked up a furious appetite because breakfast was running late today. The Emperor had slept on a bench by the Maritime Museum, and during the night his arthritic knee had snaked out of his wool overcoat into the damp cold, making the walk to North Beach and the Italian bakery that gave them free day-old a slow and painful ordeal. The Emperor groaned and sat down on an empty milk crate. He was a great rolling bear of a man, his shoulders broad but a little broken from carrying the weight of the city. A white tangle of hair and beard wreathed his face like a storm cloud. As far as he could remember, he and the troops had patrolled the city streets forever, but upon further consideration, it might have just been since Wednesday. He wasn’t entirely sure. The Emperor decided to make a proclamation to the troops about the importance of compassion in the face of the rising tide of heinous fuckery and political weaselocity in the nearby kingdom of the United States. (He found his audience was most attentive to his proclamations when the meat-laced focaccia were still nuzzled in the larder of his overcoat pockets, and presently a pepperoni and Parmesan reposed fragrant in the woolly depths, so the royal hounds were rapt.) But just as he cleared his throat to begin, a cargo van came screeching around the corner, went up on two wheels as it plowed through a row of garbage cans, and slid to a stop not fifty feet away. The driver’s-side door flew open and a thin man in a suit leapt out, carrying a cane and a woman’s fur coat, and made a beeline for the back door of Asher’s. But before he got two steps the man fell to the concrete as if hit from behind, then rolled on his back and began flailing at the air with the cane an d the coat. The Emperor, who knew most everyone, recognized Charlie Asher. Bummer erupted into a fit of yapping, but the more levelheaded Lazarus growled once and took off toward Charlie. â€Å"Lazarus!† the Emperor shouted, but the retriever charged on, followed now by his bug-eyed brother in arms. Charlie was back on his feet and swinging the cane as if he was fencing with some phantom, using the coat like a shield. Living on the street, the Emperor had seen a lot of people battling with unseen demons, but Charlie Asher was apparently scoring some hits. The cane was making a thwacking noise against what appeared to be thin air – but no, there was something there, a shadow of some sort? The Emperor climbed to his feet and limped into the fray, but before he got two steps Lazarus had leapt and appeared to be attacking Charlie, but he soared over the shopkeeper and snapped at a spot above his head – then hung there, his jaws sunk into the substantial neck of thin air. Charlie took advantage of the distraction, stepped back, and swung the cane above the levitating golden retriever. There was a smack, and Lazarus let go, but now Bummer launched himself at the invisible foe. He missed whatever was there, and ended up performing a doggy swish shot into a garbage can. Charlie made for the steel door of Asher’s again, but found it locked, and as he reached for his keys, something caught him from behind. â€Å"Let go, fuckface,† the shade screeched. The fur coat Charlie was holding appeared to be swept out of his hand and was pulled straight up, over the four-story building and out of sight. Charlie turned and held the cane at ready, but whatever had been there seemed to be gone now. â€Å"Aren’t you just supposed to sit above the door and nevermore and be poetic and stuff?!† he shouted at the sky. Then, for good measure, added, â€Å"You evil fuck!† Lazarus barked, then whined. A sharp and metallic yapping rose from Bummer’s garbage can. â€Å"Well, you don’t see that every day,† said the Emperor as he limped up to Charlie. â€Å"You could see that?† â€Å"Well, no, not really. Merely a shadow, but I could see that something was there. There was something there, wasn’t there, Charlie?† Charlie nodded, trying to catch his breath. â€Å"It will be back. It followed me across the city.† He dug into his pocket for his keys. â€Å"You guys should duck into the store with me, Your Majesty.† Of course Charlie knew the Emperor. Every San Franciscan knew the Emperor. The Emperor smiled. â€Å"That’s very kind of you, but we will be perfectly safe. For now I need to free my charge from his galvanized prison.† The big man tipped the garbage can and Bummer emerged snorting and tossing his head as if ready to tear the ass out of any man or beast foolhardy enough to cross him (and he would have, as long as they were knee-high or shorter). Charlie was still having trouble with the key. He knew he should have had the lock replaced, but it worked, if you finessed it a little, so he’d never made it a priority. Who the hell thought you’d ever have to get in quick to escape a giant bird? Then he heard a screech and turned to see not one, but two huge ravens coming over the roof and diving into the alley. The dogs arfed a frantic barking salvo at the avian intruders and Charlie put so much body English into wiggling the key in the lock that he felt an atrophied dancing muscle tear in his hip. â€Å"They’re back. Cover me.† Charlie threw the cane to the Emperor and braced himself for the impact, but as soon as the cane touched the old man’s hand the birds were gone. You could almost hear the pop of the air replacing the space they had taken up. The dogs caught themselves in mid-ruff; Bummer whimpered. â€Å"What?† the Emperor said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"They’re gone.† The Emperor looked at the sky. â€Å"You’re sure?† â€Å"For now.† â€Å"I saw two shadows. Really saw them this time,† the Emperor said. â€Å"Yes, there were two this time.† â€Å"What are they?† â€Å"I have no idea, but when you took the cane they – well, they disappeared. You really saw them?† â€Å"I’m sure of it. Like smoke with a purpose.† Finally the key turned in the lock and the door to Asher’s back room swung open. â€Å"You should come in. Rest. I’ll order something to eat.† â€Å"No, no, the men and I must be on our rounds. I’ve decided to make a proclamation this morning and we need to see the printer. You’ll be needing this.† The Emperor presented the cane to Charlie like he was turning over a sword of the realm. Charlie started to take it, then thought better of it. â€Å"Your Majesty, I think you’d better keep that. It looks as if you might be able to use it.† Charlie nodded toward the Emperor’s creaky knee. The Emperor held the cane steady. â€Å"I am not a worshiper of the material, you know?† â€Å"I understand that.† â€Å"I am a firm believer that desire is the source of most of human suffering, you’re aware, and no culprit is more heinous than desire for material gain.† â€Å"I run my business based on those very principles. Still, I insist you keep the cane – as a favor to me, if you would?† Charlie found himself affecting the Emperor’s formal speech patterns, as if somehow he had been transported to a royal court where a nobleman was distinguished by bread crumbs in his beard and the royal guard were not above licking their balls. â€Å"Well, as a favor, I will accept. It is a fine piece of craftsmanship.† â€Å"But more importantly, it will permit you to make your rounds in good time.† The Emperor now betrayed the desire in his heart as he let fly a wide grin and hugged the cane to his chest. â€Å"It is fine, indeed. Charlie, I must confess something to you, but I ask you to grant me the credulity due a man who has just shared witness, with a friend, of two giant, raven-shaped shades.† â€Å"Of course.† Charlie smiled, when even a moment before he would have thought his smile lost somewhere in the months past. â€Å"I hope you won’t think me base, but the second I touched this, I felt as if I had been waiting for it my whole life.† Then, for no reason that he could think of, Charlie said, â€Å"I know.† A few minutes before, inside the store, Lily had been brooding. It wasn’t her general brood, the reaction to a world where everyone was stupid and life was meaningless and the mere act of living was futile, especially if your mother forgot to get coffee at the store. This one was a more specific brood, that had started out when she arrived at work and Ray had pointed out that it was her turn to wear the vacuuming tiara, and insisted that if she wore the tiara, she actually vacuum the store. (In fact, she liked wearing the rhinestone tiara that Charlie, in a move of blatant bourgeois sneakiness, had designated be worn by whoever did the vacuuming and sweeping each day, and no other time. It was the vacuuming and sweeping she objected to. She felt manipulated, used, and generally taken advantage of, and not in the fun way.) But today, after she’d put the tiara and the vacuum away and had finally gotten a couple of cups of coffee in her system, the brooding had gone on, bu ilding to full-scale angst, when it began to dawn on her that she was going to have to figure out this college-career thing, because despite what The Great Big Book of Death said, she had not been chosen as a dark minion of destruction. Fuck! She stood in the back room looking at all the items that Charlie had piled there the day before: shoes, lamps, umbrellas, porcelain figures, toys, a couple of books, and an old black-and-white television and a painting of a clown on black velvet. â€Å"He said this stuff was glowing?† she asked Ray, who stood in the doorway to the store. â€Å"Yes. He made me check it all with my Geiger counter.† â€Å"Ray, why the fuck do you have a Geiger counter?† â€Å"Lily, why do you have a nose stud shaped like a bat?† Lily ignored the question and picked up the ceramic frog from the night before, which now had a note taped to it that read DO NOT SELL OR DISPLAY in Charlie’s meticulous block-letter printing. â€Å"This was one of the things? This?† â€Å"That was the first one he freaked out about,† said Ray matter-of-factly. â€Å"The truant officer tried to buy it. That started it all.† Lily was shaken. She backed over to Charlie’s desk and sat in the squeaky oak swivel chair. â€Å"Do you see anything glowing or pulsating, Ray? Have you ever?† Ray shook his head. â€Å"He’s under a lot of stress, losing Rachel and taking care of the baby. I think maybe he needs to get some help. I know after I had to leave the force – † Ray paused. There was a commotion going on out in the alley, dogs barking and people shouting, then someone was working a key in the lock of the back door. A second later, Charlie came in, a little breathless, his clothes smudged here and there with grime, one sleeve of his jacket torn and bloodstained. â€Å"Asher,† Lily said. â€Å"You’re hurt.† She quickly vacated his chair while Ray took Charlie by the shoulders and sat him down. â€Å"I’m fine,† Charlie said. â€Å"No big deal.† â€Å"I’ll get the first-aid kit,† Ray said. â€Å"Get that jacket off of him, Lily.† â€Å"I’m fine,† Charlie said. â€Å"Quit talking about me like I’m not here.† â€Å"He’s delirious,† Lily said, trying to pry Charlie out of his jacket. â€Å"Do you have any painkillers, Ray?† â€Å"I don’t need painkillers,† Charlie said. â€Å"Shut up, Asher, they’re not for you,† Lily said, automatically, then she considered the book, Ray’s story, the notes on all the items in the back room, and she shuddered. It appeared that Charlie Asher might not be the hapless geek she always thought him to be. â€Å"Sorry, boss. Let us help you.† Ray came back from the front with a small plastic first-aid kit. He peeled back Charlie’s sleeve and began to clean the wounds with gauze and peroxide. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"Nothing,† Charlie said. â€Å"I slipped and fell in some gravel.† â€Å"The wound’s pretty clean – no gravel in it. That must have been some fall.† â€Å"Long story.† Charlie sighed. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"What was all the noise in the alley?† Lily asked, needing badly to go smoke, but unable to pull herself away. She just couldn’t imagine that Charlie Asher was the one. How could it be him? He was so, so, unworthy. He didn’t understand the dark underbelly of life the way she did. Yet he was the one seeing the glowing objects. He was it. She was crestfallen. â€Å"Just the Emperor’s dogs after a seagull in the Dumpster. No big deal. I fell off a porch in Pacific Heights.† â€Å"The estate,† Ray said. â€Å"How’d that go?† â€Å"Not well. The husband was grief-stricken and had a heart attack while I was there.† â€Å"You’re kidding.† â€Å"No, he just sort of became overwhelmed thinking about his wife and collapsed. I gave him CPR until the EMTs came and took him off to the hospital.† â€Å"So,† Lily said, â€Å"did you get the – uh – did you get anything special?† â€Å"What?† Charlie’s eyes went wide. â€Å"What do you mean, special? There was nothing special.† â€Å"Chill, boss, I just meant will we get the grandma’s clothes?† He’s it, Lily thought. The fucker. Charlie shook his head. â€Å"I don’t know, it’s so strange. The whole thing is so strange.† He shuddered when he said it. â€Å"Strange how?† Lily said. â€Å"Strange in a cool and dark way, or strange because you’re Asher and you’re out of it most of the time?† â€Å"Lily!† Ray snapped. â€Å"Go out front. Dust something.† â€Å"You’re not the boss of me, Ray. I’m just showing my concern.† â€Å"It’s okay, Ray.† Charlie looked like he was considering how, exactly, to define strange, and not coming up with anything that was working. Finally he said, â€Å"Well, for one thing, this woman’s estate is way out of our league. The husband said he called me because we were the first secondhand store in the phone book, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of man to do something like that.† â€Å"That’s not that strange,† Lily said. Just confess, she thought. â€Å"You said that he was grief-stricken,† Ray said, dabbing antibiotic ointment on Charlie’s cuts. â€Å"Maybe he’s doing things differently.† â€Å"Yes, and he was angry at his wife, too, for the way she died.† â€Å"How?† Lily asked. â€Å"She ate silica gel,† Charlie said. Lily looked at Ray for an explanation, because silica gel sounded techno-geeky, which was Ray’s particular field of geekdom. Ray said, â€Å"It’s the antidesiccant that they pack with electronics and other things that are sensitive to humidity.† â€Å"The ‘Do Not Eat’ stuff?!† Lily said. â€Å"Oh my God, that’s so stupid. Everyone knows you don’t eat the ‘Do Not Eat’ stuff.† Charlie said, â€Å"Mr. Mainheart was pretty broken up.† â€Å"Well, I guess so,† Lily said. â€Å"He married a complete fucktard.† Charlie cringed. â€Å"Lily, that’s not appropriate.† Lily shrugged and rolled her eyes. She hated it when Charlie dropped into Dad mode. â€Å"Okay, okay. I’m going outside to smoke.† â€Å"No!† Charlie jumped out of the chair and put himself between Lily and the back door. â€Å"Out front. From now on if you have to smoke you go out front.† â€Å"But you said that I look like a child hooker when I smoke out front.† â€Å"I’ve reassessed. You’ve matured.† Lily closed one eye to see if she could better glimpse into his soul and thus figure out his true agenda. She smoothed over her black vinyl skirt, which made a tortured, squeaking noise at the touch. â€Å"You’re trying to say I have a big butt, aren’t you?† â€Å"I absolutely am saying no such thing,† Charlie insisted. â€Å"I am simply saying that your presence in front of the store is an asset and will probably attract business from the tourists on the cable car.† â€Å"Oh. Okay.† Lily snatched her box of cloves off the desk and headed out past the counter and outside to brood, grieve really, because as much as she had hoped, she was not Death. The book was Charlie’s. That evening Charlie was watching the store, wondering why he had lied to his employees, when he saw a flash of red passing by the front window. A second later, a strikingly pale redhead came through the door. She was wearing a short, black cocktail dress and black fuck-me pumps. She strode up the aisle like she was auditioning for a music video. Her hair cascaded in long curls around her shoulders and down her back like a great auburn veil. Her eyes were emerald green, and when she saw him looking, she smiled, and stopped, some ten feet away. Charlie felt an almost painful jolt that seemed to emanate from somewhere in the area of his groin, and after a second he recognized it as an autonomic lust response. He hadn’t felt anything like that since Rachel had passed, and he felt vaguely ashamed. She was examining him, looking him over like you would examine a used car. He was sure he must be blushing. â€Å"Hi,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can I help you?† The redhead smiled again, just a little, and reached into a small black bag that he hadn’t noticed she’d been carrying. â€Å"I found this,† she said, holding up a silver cigarette case. Something Charlie didn’t see very often anymore, even in the secondhand business. It was glowing, pulsating like the objects in the back room. â€Å"I was in the neighborhood and something made me think that this belonged here.† She moved to the counter opposite Charlie and set the cigarette case down in front of him. Charlie could barely move. He stared at her, not even conscious that to avoid her eyes he was staring at her cleavage, and she appeared to be looking around his head and shoulders as if following the path of insects that were buzzing around him. â€Å"Touch me,† she said. â€Å"Huh?† He looked up, saw she was serious. She held out her hand; her nails were manicured and painted the same deep red as her lipstick. He took her hand. As soon as she touched him she pulled away. â€Å"You’re warm.† â€Å"Thanks.† In that moment he realized that she wasn’t. Her fingers had been ice-cold. â€Å"Then you’re not one of us?† He tried to think of what â€Å"us† might be? Irish? Low blood pressure? Nymphomaniac? Why did he even think that? â€Å"Us? What do you mean, ‘us’?† She backed away a step. â€Å"No. You don’t just take the weak and the sick, do you? You take anyone.† â€Å"Take? What do you mean, ‘take’?† â€Å"You don’t even know, do you?† â€Å"Know what?† Charlie was getting very nervous. As a Beta Male, he found it difficult enough to function under the attention of a beautiful woman, but she was just plain spooky. â€Å"Wait. Can you see this thing glowing?† He held out the cigarette case. â€Å"No glow. It just felt like it belonged here,† she said. â€Å"What’s your name?† â€Å"Charlie Asher. This is Asher’s.† â€Å"Well, Charlie, you seem like a nice guy, and I don’t know exactly what you are, and it doesn’t seem like you know. You don’t, do you?† â€Å"I’ve been going through some changes,† Charlie said, wondering why he felt compelled to share this at all. The redhead nodded, as if confirming something to herself. â€Å"Okay. I know what it’s like to, uh, to find yourself thrown into a situation where forces beyond your control are changing you into someone, something you don’t have an owner’s manual for. I understand what it is to not know. But someone, somewhere, does know. Someone can tell you what’s going on.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† But he knew what she was talking about. What he didn’t know was how she could possibly know. â€Å"You make people die, don’t you, Charlie?† She said it like she had worked up the courage to tell him that he had some spinach in his teeth. More of a service to him than an accusation. â€Å"How do you – ?† How did she – â€Å"Because it’s what I do. Not like you, but it’s what I do. Find them, Charlie. Backtrack and find whoever was there when your world changed.† Charlie looked at her, then at the cigarette case, then at the redhead again, who was no longer smiling, but was stepping backward toward the door. Trying to stay in touch with normal, he focused on the cigarette case and said, â€Å"I suppose I can do an appraisal – â€Å" He heard the bell over the door jingle, and when he looked up she was gone. He didn’t see her moving by the windows on either side of the door; she was just gone. He ran to the front of the store and out the door onto the sidewalk. The Mason Street cable car was just topping the hill up by California Street and he could hear the bell, there was a thin fog coming up from the Bay that threw colorful halos around the neon signs of the other businesses, but there was no striking redhead on the street. He went to the corner and looked down Vallejo, but again no redhead, just the Emperor, sitting against the building with his dogs. â€Å"Good evening, Charlie.† â€Å"Your Majesty, did you see a redhead go by here just now?† â€Å"Oh yes. Spoke to her. I’m not sure you have a chance there, Charlie, I believe she’s spoken for. And she did warn me to stay away from you.† â€Å"Why? Did she say why?† â€Å"She said that you were Death.† â€Å"I am?† Charlie said. â€Å"Am I?† His breath caught in his throat as the day played back in his head. â€Å"What if I am?† â€Å"You know, son,† the Emperor said, â€Å"I am not an expert in dealing with the fairer sex, but you might want to save that bit of information until the third date or so, after they’ve gotten to know you a little.†