(SHIISM AND SUNNISM) Compare and contrast the authority of the Sunni Essay

(SHIISM AND SUNNISM) Compare and contrast the authority of the Sunni CALIPH and the Shii IMAM in their respective communities - Essay Example (632 A.D) in respect of his real successor. The followers of Islam explicitly split after the Battle of Karbala (AP/HUMA 289-90), where Hussain Ben Ali and his companions and family members were brutally martyred, and the House of the Holy Prophet was plundered by the cruel Umayyad ruler yazid. The paper looks for comparing and contrasting the authority acclaimed by the two, which has been constructed in an absolutely different way and maintaining completely divergent approaches in their nature and scope. The Sunni caliphs, according to the Sunni doctrine, are elected by consensus of community called ijma, in the light of which the first caliph Abu Bakr was elected; whereas the Shiite claim that the imams are appointed from Almighty Lord and explicit designation made by his predecessor through the statutes of holy sayings or statements called nass from the House of the Prophet; it is therefore Hazrat Ummey Salma was not included under the mantle, and only the progeny of Ali and Fatim a was entitled to be the members of the House of the Holy Prophet (AP/HUMA 297). In order to illustrate these differences in authorities, 1) the paper will discuss the issues of succession to the Prophet; 2) the election of caliphs as political elected leader and the imam as divinely guided leader, 3) and lastly, the scope of their religious knowledge. The succession of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) serves as one of the most contradictory issues of Islamic history, which has divided its followers into two major sects. Hence, like its predecessor Abrahamic faiths, i.e. Judaism and Christianity, Islam has also witnessed division of its followers into groups and factions in the name of religion. The majority Sunni sect of Muslims, views the four righteous caliphs as the successors of the Holy Prophet, which appeared at the helm of the governmental affairs turn by turn after the departure of the Holy Prophet from the world. On the contrary, the Shiite

Cognitive Learning Theory Lecture Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Learning Theory Lecture Essay Cognitive Learning developed by theorist Edward C. Tolman, explains the way our brain processes and interprets information that we learn. The biological basis of cognitive learning style is grounded in brain theory. .(Different Cognitive Learning Styles, 2003-2013) It’s the relationship that occurs between two stimuli, but even though the stimulus is the same our brains react in different ways. However, each person process information at different rates. This type of learning style is basically defined as a personality aspect which affects attitudes, beliefs, and social communication. An example of Cognitive learning style can be how a person develops skills and familiarity, and how they establish and recall information. Some people need to picture the task before starting; others organize learning and teaching successively or casually and some work rapidly or purposefully. Cognitive Learning: Latent Learning Cognitive learning is internal and is broken down into thought processes. One important cognitive process is called latent learning. Latent literally means ‘hidden†, and occurs without any reinforcement, but is only demonstrated when some type of incentive is given for doing it. Basically, you learn thru shear repetitiveness. Unknowingly, our brain absorbs the information which is stored deep in our subconscious, and is only brought out when faced with a situation when the information is necessary. For example, say you car pool with someone to work every day, but she/he drives. Although you’re not driving you may still learn the route to your job, but have no reason to demonstrate your knowledge of this. However, if the person you car pool with gets ill you may need to drive yourself. By doing so, subconsciously you realize you’ve learned the same route that the usual driver would take, this is considered latent learning. Cognitive Learning: Observational Learning According to Albert Bandura and his colleagues, observational learning is also a major part of the learning process. Observational learning is just that, learning by observing what they see and then demonstrating it themselves. Basically, observational learning happens in a way that someone must notice something someone else is doing. Then record it in their mind, and finally imitate the actions. These actions may or may not happen again, and the choice to continue emulating these actions depends on the outcome. The intelligence level does determine whether someone is limited to or has the ability to mimic the person. Examples of this process would be someone observing someone tying their shoes and imitating it themselves with the reward of not tripping when they walk. Or perhaps, watching someone commit a crime and then getting punished for it shows the observer that imitating is not always ideal. Because each person acquires diverse cognitive learning styles, it is not only challenging but perhaps impossible to reach every person in a particular way. Numerous researchers have made an effort to deliver ways in which the learning process can take effect. Individuals are affected by components in their surroundings like sound, light, and feelings as well as incentive, diligence, obligation and the need for organization. There are some sociological needs that can be challenging and also affect you like peers, certain groups and adults as well as physical desires, like perceptual fortes, aperture, time and freedom of movement. References Different Cognitive Learning Styles. (2003-2013). Retrieved from http://www.learningrx.com/different-cognitive-learning-styles-faq.htm Feldman, R. S. (Ed.). (2011). Cognitive Approach to learning. Essentials of Understanding Psychology (9th ed., pp. 188-194). Retrieved from

Cows On Parade :: essays research papers fc

Cows in the City.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chicago – the Windy City†¦ Famous for its skyscrapers and the Magnificent Mile, this summer Chicago was embellished by a new landmark, or landmarks to be more exact. Nearly 300 cows have found a temporary home in the streets of downtown and its buildings. This extensive public art project, organized by the Chicago Public Art Program , commemorates the city’s industrial history, while bringing a sense of community and beauty to Chicago’s citizens and tourists. In this â€Å"parade†, every cow is full of meaning as well as artistic value. Although many might argue, I, to the contrary, would like to applaud the City of Chicago for the implementation of this great project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This project’s idea was brought to Chicago by Peter Hanig, after he saw a similar project in Zurich. From the North Michigan Avenue Business Association, the â€Å"cow† idea found its way to the Department of Cultural Affairs . This is how it all started. Sponsors commissioned artists, and the cows were on their way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is difficult to make a clear statement of whether the sponsors were trying to advertise using the cows or just participate selflessly in this magnificent â€Å"parade†. Some cows, such as â€Å"Give the Lady what She Wants† with shopping bags on its back is obviously nothing other than advertising for the Marshall Field’s & Co., the cow’s sponsor. The same can be said for the â€Å"Mooving Eli†, near the Eli’s Cheesecake, which also doesn’t disguise its advertising nature. Some people are disgusted to call this form of advertising a public art program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, it is not completely fair to blame sponsors for wanting to use the cows for their own benefit. If cows were bought with tax money, then this issue would become really controversial. Many people, with whom I will tend to agree, understand that although some cows are used for advertising, there are many cows that actually beautify and enrich the city of Chicago by their presence. One of the examples is the â€Å"Stampede† cow, near the historic Water Tower. This cow achieves an incredible much in terms of promoting the city and is a true example of a public art figure that celebrates the city’s diversity of events. This cow is painted with images of Chicago’s celebrations, such as the â€Å"Taste of Chicago†, the â€Å"Venetian Night† and the air show. It is mostly delightful to see a smile on little children’s faces as well as the faces of adults. Cows On Parade :: essays research papers fc Cows in the City.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chicago – the Windy City†¦ Famous for its skyscrapers and the Magnificent Mile, this summer Chicago was embellished by a new landmark, or landmarks to be more exact. Nearly 300 cows have found a temporary home in the streets of downtown and its buildings. This extensive public art project, organized by the Chicago Public Art Program , commemorates the city’s industrial history, while bringing a sense of community and beauty to Chicago’s citizens and tourists. In this â€Å"parade†, every cow is full of meaning as well as artistic value. Although many might argue, I, to the contrary, would like to applaud the City of Chicago for the implementation of this great project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This project’s idea was brought to Chicago by Peter Hanig, after he saw a similar project in Zurich. From the North Michigan Avenue Business Association, the â€Å"cow† idea found its way to the Department of Cultural Affairs . This is how it all started. Sponsors commissioned artists, and the cows were on their way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is difficult to make a clear statement of whether the sponsors were trying to advertise using the cows or just participate selflessly in this magnificent â€Å"parade†. Some cows, such as â€Å"Give the Lady what She Wants† with shopping bags on its back is obviously nothing other than advertising for the Marshall Field’s & Co., the cow’s sponsor. The same can be said for the â€Å"Mooving Eli†, near the Eli’s Cheesecake, which also doesn’t disguise its advertising nature. Some people are disgusted to call this form of advertising a public art program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, it is not completely fair to blame sponsors for wanting to use the cows for their own benefit. If cows were bought with tax money, then this issue would become really controversial. Many people, with whom I will tend to agree, understand that although some cows are used for advertising, there are many cows that actually beautify and enrich the city of Chicago by their presence. One of the examples is the â€Å"Stampede† cow, near the historic Water Tower. This cow achieves an incredible much in terms of promoting the city and is a true example of a public art figure that celebrates the city’s diversity of events. This cow is painted with images of Chicago’s celebrations, such as the â€Å"Taste of Chicago†, the â€Å"Venetian Night† and the air show. It is mostly delightful to see a smile on little children’s faces as well as the faces of adults.

Alien Invasion

2012 ALIEN INVASION? [pic] Researcher Ian O'Neill said that it’s ridiculous 2012 doomsday theories can get. He also said that according to the Examiner. com (a rather dubious, yet expansive news website), 2012 could be filled with an alien invasion fleet after â€Å"3 very large, very fast moving objects† were spotted in some astronomical images. But there's a problem. The â€Å"UFO Examiner† reporting this nonsense appears to have made the whole thing up, using a fictitious astrophysicist as a source, a dodgy astronomical photograph and a whole truckload of delusional imagination to communicate the fantasy.Researcher said that it’s his first real attempt for some time that he had seen someone trying to indicate there will be an alien invasion in 2012. It's been done before, but the invading aliens involving Zecharia Sitchin's comical â€Å"Annunaki† — are supposed to be traveling aboard a fictional planet called Nibiru (set to arrive on Dec. 21, 2012, of course). Armageddon Planet or Astronomical Baloney? Bad Astronomer Phil Plait clearly points out; the flimsy piece of evidence being used by the â€Å"UFO Examiner† is actually an image defect on the observation plate. It also happens a lot!What makes this particular example (the picture on the top) susceptible to image defects is that the original image was captured on a physical photographic plate and then scanned and digitized (i. e. , copied onto a computer for easy access) through the 2nd Generation Digitized Sky Survey. During the scanning process according to Phil Plait, it is nigh-on impossible to remove all dust and other debris from the plates, so dust and other debris can often be found floating in some digitized images. Also, chips and cracks in the emulsion of the plates will be scanned.But how do you know if what you're looking at is a chip, scratch or coffee stain and not a ginormous alien space ship flying toward Earth? Apart from the simple appl ication of logical thought, astronomers will often photograph the same part of the night sky with several different filters. If the object is in the blue filter, say (as the above photo was lifted from), and not in the red filter, then it is highly likely that the object isn't real and it's just a fleck of dirt on one of the plates. CONCLUSION: HonestIy I really don’t believe in aliens. We might be scraping the bottom of the barrel, come on, aliens?Giant spaceships? Different colored people? Alien invasion in 2012?! I think the explanation above is enough to make us believe that â€Å"alien invasion† is not true. Anyone who wrote about that alien thing is just aiming to earn. They aren't publicizing the end of the world as some helpful public service announcement, obviously we really know that, they're doing it to make money. The writers or researchers who would say that they aren't doing it for money are doing it because they have a dubious grasp on reality. 2012 Phen omenon Myths of the Near Future?The release of the new Roland Emmerich Hollywood blockbuster ‘2012’ has brought fresh fervour to Internet geeks and astrological scholars alike, both of whom might have a keen interest in the prophesies events of December 21, 2012, although most likely for different reasons. The end of the world predictions for 2012 according to some researchers, stem from the belief that at the conclusion of the 5,125 year-long Mayan long count calendar, which coincides with December 21, 2012 in our Gregorian calendar, there will be some sort of earth-shattering event or a series of events that will bring about the destruction of mankind.The modern day interest in all this can be traced back to the late 1950s when Maud Worcester Makemson, an archaeoastronomer (someone that studies ancient astronomy and its sociological implications) noted that the end of this time cycle would have had great significance for the ancient Maya people. This idea was further developed by an American anthropologist, Michael Coe. In his book The Maya Coe claimed that some ancient Mayan writings suggested that the end of the long count calendar on December 21, 2012 marked the end of the world, Armageddon, doomsday!The basis for these doomsday predictions appears to have some slightly thorny origins. The December 2012 date is connected to the conclusion of a time cycle in an ancient Mesoamerican calendar that began its countdown somewhere around 3114 BC. This starting point is when the ancient Maya people believed the previous world ended and a new one (the current one) began. Researchers also found out that there are a number of issues with these theories that should be noted however.Firstly, many scholars argue that in classical Maya literature there are conflicting accounts of what the end of the long count calendar might actually signify, and very few sources suggesting that it might mean an end of world scenario like the one interpreted by Micheal Coe. Secondly, the countdown was calculated differently from one Mayan city-state to another, so the precise date of the conclusion of the Mayan long count calendar is far from clear.It is also interesting that modern decedents of the ancient Maya people place little or no significance on the date December 21, 2012. Also, the ancient Maya scribes wrote about events that were set to take place after the date corresponding to December 21, 2012, so at least some of them did not predict the end of the world to take place on that date. Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that either the end of the long count or its somewhat arbitrary beginning a little over 5000 years ago, have any scientific significance whatsoever.An American author, John Major Jenkins, who has written extensively about the Mayan culture and its relation to New Age mysticism suggests that the ancient Maya knew of this galactic alignment of planets and stars, and that this was part of their calendar coun tdown. However his claims, which relate to where in the sky the zodiacal constellations appear, would have had more credence in 1998 when the alignment he talks about was more precise than it will be in 2012.But there are even more grand things going on in our picture of the end of the world cataclysm predicted for December 2012. Our doomsday prophecy puzzle also incorporates the idea of a significant galactic alignment that just happens to coincide with the 2012 winter solstice in December 2012, meaning the galaxy itself is conspiring against us. It turns out that no end of the world predictions would be complete without a little input from the most famous seer of them all, practically a by-word for futurology, none other than Nostradamus himself.While there are many accounts that can be found floating around the Internet, which say Nostradamus predicted the end of the world in 1997 or was it 1999, or even 2012, none of them are able to say conclusively what the predictions really were, and clearly some of them were just plain wrong, since we are still here. This is mainly because Nostradamus wrote in such an archaic language, mixed with mysticism and metaphor, no one really knows for sure what his precise meaning was in many of his predictions.In any case, most experts agree that if he did set a date for our demise it is somewhere in the late 38th century, so we should be OK for at least our lifetimes. As well as the better known, or at least more talked about end of the world predictions, there is also a theory that a massive geomagnetic reversal is on the cards in 2012 it is according to the researchers. This involves the magnetic poles and the Earth’s magnetic field completely reversing.Scientists in this area do agree that the Earth is long overdue such a reversal, and end of the world theorists have tied this into the predicted peaks in solar flare activity that are due in 2012, which could theoretically affect the Earth’s magnetic field. However experts are keen to point out that geomagnetic reversal is not something that would simply ‘start one day’. The process takes several thousand years and is not necessarily triggered by solar activity.What is more, the original predictions of a peak in solar activity in 2012 have now been put back to 2013. Perhaps the most bizarre end of the world prophecies centers on the mysterious Planet X, which was once thought by scientists to be the tenth outlying planet in the solar system. However, later evidence proved that the perceived gravitational effects of Planet X were actually miscalculations, and that it actually never existed.Not to be put off by mere evidence, New Age thinkers, most notably Nancy Lieder, adopted the planet and re-named it Nibiru, claiming that it she had information that its orbit would take it right by the Earth somewhere around 2010, creating geomagnetic polar shifts that cause absolute devastation across the world, wiping out most of human ity. Incidentally, Lieder’s predictions are based on information she was given through an implant in her brain from aliens living in the Zeta Reticuli star system, honestly. Can Science beat the Doomsday hype?According to Fraser Cain a publisher of the Universe today the world will come to an end. In approximately 4 billion years time, when the sun has depleted its supply of hydrogen in its core, our nearest star will swell like a balloon when it starts to burn heavier elements, swallowing the planets of the inner solar system. Earth will be toast. However, this is the only guaranteed end-date scheduled in our planet's future. Granted, there will undoubtedly be asteroid strikes, â€Å"killer† solar flares, geomagnetic reversals and possibly one or two interstellar gamma-ray bursts, but 4 billion years is Earth's sell-by date.CONCLUSION: During my research about the 2012 phenomenon I have learned that; nothing special is predicted to happen in 2012. Especially that we a re just human and only God knows what will happen in the future. No ancient civilization, prophet or crazed doomsday conspiracy theorist can see into the future. As I have said only God can do it. Indeed, they have never predicted anything of note in the past how could they predict the future. There's also a lot of insanity in the world, there are a lot of people genuinely scared that the world might end in 2012.We already know what are the signs if end of the world like for example, great famine, nations by nations war, fortuitous events that are all acts of God, etc. , not those scientific explanations who doesn’t believe in God. But probably the most frightening thing of all, I think is that many people will blindly believe that the Apocalypse is just around the corner, and no amount of science will convince them otherwise. This often distracts from real-world problems, such as climate change and crisis. Sure, the world will end in 4 billion years time, but we don't need t o worry about that yet.

Araby Essay

In each story being initiated, the writer must always give valuable importance to the point of view being utilized by the narrator in the story. This valuable importance is given because it provides a sufficient impact to the reader in terms of the information occurring in the story and the perceptions that occurs in each and every mind of the character. In the Araby (Irving, 2007), the author utilized a narrator with the first person point of view, who is also a character in the story. In this case, the readers are being limited to the narrator’s/character’s perspective alone. The character acts and makes judgments in the story which shows biases and opinions to what is going in the story. With this type of narrator, the readers would be able to notice a wide range of information being shared from the character of the narrator itself.. The type of narration used in this story can be easily noticed for its usage of â€Å"I†. Having this type of point of view, the readers must be able to grasp the point of view being utilized in order to understand easily what is really happening in the story.

Essay about critical thought

Essay about critical thought Essay about critical thought EXPLORING ISLAMIC INTELLECTUAL TRADTIONS IN AFRICA. -define Islamic intellectual tradtions -classical literature vs modern litertature - Islamic ideology in Africa - Is there room for critical thought within classical Islamic thinking and does modern Islamic thinking have a future within the study of Islam. A critical spirit has been central to Islam from its inception. The Qur'an is generously sprinkled with references to thought and learning, reflection and reason. The Sacred Text denounces those who do not use their critical faculties in strongest terms: "the worse creatures in God's eyes are those who are [willfully] deaf and dumb, who do not reason" (8:22). A cursory look at the life of Muhammad reveals that his strategic decisions were an outcome of critical discussions. The way he decided, for example, to fight the Battle of Badr outside Medina, or, later on, defend the city by digging a trench. The Prophet's basic advice to his followers, in one version of his " Farewell Pilgrimage", was to " reason well"1. The scholarship that evolved around collecting the traditions and sayings of the Prophet was itself based on an innovative and detailed method of criticism. It is widely acknowledged that debate and discussion, argument and counter-argument, literary textual criticism as well as scientific criticism were hallmarks of the classical Muslim civilisation2. Roger Allen traces the Islamic tradition of criticism right back to Abu Tammam (d.846) and ibn Abd Rabbihi (d.940), two poets who also excelled in literary criticism3. Islamic philosophical theology is littered with critical works, such as those of Ibn Hazm (994-–1064) , ibn Sina (990-–1037) and ibn Rushd (1126-1198). Critical discernment is clearly evident in the work of Muslim scientists of classical period such as al-Haytham (965-–1040), who excelled in optics, the natural and social scientist al-Biruni (973-–1048), and the astronomer al-Battani (858-–929). Debate and discussion, as for example the one between al-Ghazzali (1058-–1111) and ibn Rushd, were the norm in classical Islam. Yet, with the exception of a relatively small number of reform oriented scholars, thinkers and activists of all ages, this critical spirit is lacking in the modern Muslim world. The reasons for the evaporation of this critical thought are many and diverse. Perhaps it was all the fault of al-Ghazali, as "a widely held view" has it: he "strongly attacked philosophy in The Incoherence of the Philosophers" and, as a result, "their role was significantly reduced in the Sunni world"4, along with the importance of criticism. Perhaps it was "the well-known decree of al-Qadir in 1017-18 and 1029", that banned the rationalist thought of the Mutazalites, the school of speculative theology that flourished in Baghdad and Andalusia between eighth and twelfth centuries, as the late Mohammad Arkoun suggests. As a consequence, "to this day, the ulama officially devoted to the defence of the orthodoxy, refuse to reactivate the thinkable introduced and developed by original, innovative thinkers in classical period"5. Perhaps it was the closure of "the gates of Ijtihad", the "sustained reasoning" that a jurist had to undertake to critically interrogate Islamic law and reach an independent decision, that sealed the door to criticism. :While no one actually closed the gate, it came to be treated, as Sadakat Kadri notes, "as a historical fact rather than a poetically pleasing way of saying that jurists were no longer as good as they used to be"6. Perhaps it was because Muslim societies could not develop "legally autonomous corporate governance", Arabic thought is "essentially metaphysical" and incapable of developing universalism, and Muslim culture and ethos is just too reverential to religious authorities, as Toby Huff has argued7. Perhaps criticism died out because of a lack of any kind of state support or protection for dissent; or maybe it was the colonization of the Muslim world.

Americas Capitalistic Government essays

Americas Capitalistic Government essays "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." (Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence) When Thomas Jefferson wrote these words, he wrote them with the intent of establishing a new government that would not give anyone favoritism over others. After 224 years, this idea is still believed in by the citizens of America, but not practiced by their government. As the years passed, the values of America have slowly altered to materialism. The people trusted our government to make the best decisions for the entire country, but some decisions seem to favor the wealthiest citizens rather than all of the citizens. Not to say that the government is completely corrupt, but their priorities seem to have a monetary value, and they must pay for it some how. As a country with a capitalist government, one that has the main focus of making profit through free markets, money has an unfortunately big influence on policies that are made by the government. According to the public, which was based on middle-class adults in the US, business editors and college students, the general consensus came out to be that they believed that "capitalism must be altered before any significant improvements in human welfare can be realized." This can be seen throughout history in the positions taken by the government about free markets, unionization, and . ...

Organizational Strategies and Chronological Order

Organizational Strategies and Chronological Order The word chronological comes from two Greek words. Chronos means time. Logikos means reason or order. That is what chronological order is all about. It arranges information according to time. In composition  and speech, chronological order is a method of organization in which actions or events are presented as they occur or occurred in time and can also be called time or linear order. Narratives and process analysis essays commonly rely on chronological order. Morton Miller points out in his 1980 book Reading and Writing Short Essay that the natural order of events - beginning, middle, and end - is narrations simplest and most-used arrangement. From Camping Out by Ernest Hemingway to The Story of an Eyewitness: The San Francisco Earthquake by Jack London, famous authors and student essayists alike have utilized the chronological order form to convey the impact a series of events had on the authors life. Also common in informative speeches because of the simplicity of telling a story as it happened, chronological order differs from other organizational styles in that it is fixed according to the timeframe of events which happened. How Tos and Who-Done-Its Because time order is essential in things like How-To presentations and murder mysteries alike, chronological order is the preferred method for informative speakers. Take for example wanting to explain to a friend how to bake a cake. You could choose another method to explain the process, but putting the steps in order of timing is a much easier method for your audience to follow - and successfully bake the cake. Similarly, a detective or officer presenting a murder or theft case to his or her team of police would want to retrace the known events of the crime as they occurred rather than bouncing around the case - though the detective may decide to go in reverse chronological order from the act of the crime itself to the earlier detail of the crime scene, allowing the team of sleuths to piece together what data is missing (i.e., what happened between midnight and 12:05 am) as well as determine the likely cause-effect play-by-play that led to the crime in the first place. In both of these cases, the speaker presents the earliest known important event or occurrence to happen and proceed to detail the following events, in order. The cake maker will, therefore, start with decide which cake you want to make followed by determine and purchase ingredients while the policeman will start with the crime itself, or the later escape of the criminal, and work backward in time to discover and determine the criminals motive. The Narrative Form The simplest way to tell a story is from the beginning, proceeding in time-sequential order throughout the characters life. Though this may not always be the way a narrative speaker or writer tells the story, it is the most common organizational process used in the narrative form. As a result, most stories about mankind can be told as simply as a person was born, he did X, Y, and Z, and then he died wherein the X, Y, and Z are the sequential events that impacted and affected that persons story after he was born but before he passed away. As X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron put it in the seventh edition of The Bedford Reader, a chronological order is an excellent sequence to follow unless you can see some special advantage in violating it. Interestingly, memoirs and personal narrative essays often deviate from chronological order because this type of writing hinges more upon overarching themes throughout the subjects life rather than the full breadth of his or her experience. That is to say that autobiographical work, largely due to its dependence on memory and recall, relies  not on the sequence of events in ones life but the important events that affected ones personality and mentality, searching for cause and effect relationships to define what made them human. A memoir writer might, therefore, start with a scene where he or she is confronting a fear of heights at age 20, but then flash back to several instances in his or her childhood like falling off a tall horse at five or losing a loved one in a plane crash to infer to the reader the cause of this fear. When to Use Chronological Order Good writing relies on precision and compelling storytelling to entertain and inform audiences, so its important for writers to determine the best method of organization when attempting to explain an event or project. John McPhees article Structure describes a tension between chronology and theme that can help hopeful writers determine the best organizational method for their piece. He posits that chronology typically wins out because themes prove inconvenient due to the sparsity of occurrences that relate thematically. A writer is much better served by the chronological order of events, including flashbacks and flash-forwards, in terms of structure and control.   Still, McPhee also states that theres nothing wrong with a chronological structure, and certainly nothing to suggest its a lesser form than thematic structure. In fact, even as long ago as Babylonian times, most pieces were written that way, and nearly all pieces are written that way now.

Front-end Web Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Front-end Web - Essay Example ne criteria for general organizational conformity, identity proofing services, credential strength, and credential management services against which all CSPs will be evaluated. The LIAF will also establish Credential Assessment Profiles (CAPs) for each level of assurance that will be published and updated as needed to account for technological advances and preferred practice and policy updates. Managing risk in electronic transactions requires authentication and identity information management processes that provide an appropriate level of assurance of identity. Each level describes a different degree of certainty in the identity of the claimant, because different levels of risk are associated with different electronic transactions. For authentication purposes, the claimant is required to prove that he or she controls the token, through a secure authentication protocol. The claimant must also unlock the token first using a biometric or password, and use the password to establish 2-factor authentication in a secure authentication protocol. Whenever Long-term shared authentication secrets used, they are revealed only to the verifiers and claimant operated directly by the CSP (Credentials Service Provider), although temporary or session shared secrets may be disclosed to independent verifiers by the Credentials Service Provider. Approved cryptographic techniques are used for all operations. Assertions issued about claimants as a result of a successful authentication are either cryptographically authenticated by relying parties, or are obtained directly from a trusted party via a secure authentication protocol. (Updated Liberty Identity Assurance Framework (IAF) Based upon Public Review. Retrieved from Level 4 is based on proof of possession of a key through a cryptographic protocol. This Level is like to Level 3 but allows only hard cryptographic tokens, in the form of a physical token that cannot be copied readily. There is requirement of strong cryptographic

Dante, Inferno, Canto II, line 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Dante, Inferno, Canto II, line 7 - Essay Example It is also important to identify the information that is being conveyed. It is important to note that an author needs to identify messages that will answer the social gap within the society. An author needs to identify the problems within the society and try to give a solution through literary work. Dante Inferno has disseminated vibrant information to most readers (Puncher 2012). It is also important to highlight that a literary work must always aim at changing the society. This entails correction of bad behaviors within the society. An author has a vibrant platform to communicate vibrant messages to many people. This is due to high number of readers in the country. Social vices within the society can be corrected vibrantly using literary work. Dante inferno has highlighted numerous vices within the society (Puncher 2012). Empowering the society is a very vibrant factor. Literary needs to have the values to empower the youth in the society. In this case, most youth who are talented in writing will motivated to explore this rich field. Dante inferno has highlighted this aspect (Puncher

Monetary and Fiscal Policies on Recession Research Paper

Monetary and Fiscal Policies on Recession - Research Paper Example As a result, the rate of unemployment goes up reducing the purchasing power of consumers. Consecutively, money supply in the economy becomes significantly low (Navarro, 2009). Fiscal policy is used by governments to stabilize aggregate demand and aggregate supply in the economy by influencing the government spending, borrowing and taxation. The government uses fiscal policy to change the patterns of people’s spending. According to Keynesian school, fiscal policy helps restore employment rates, demand and output where the economy is operating below capacity. Keynesian recommends two types of fiscal policies; expansionary fiscal policy and contractionary fiscal policy. Expansionary fiscal policy is used where the government requires deficit spending in case of recession while contractionary fiscal policy is used when there is an excess expansion which requires a surplus in the budget (Renee, 2009). Monetary policy is another tool used to manage the aggregate demand and supply by controlling the supply of money in the economy. The government uses the central bank to control growth, liquidity, inflation and consumption due to changes in the amount of money in the economy. The Federal Reserve System responds to excessive money supply by raising the interest rate and lowers the interest rates when there is low money supply in the market (Borio & Disyatat, 2010). The Great Recession of 2008 presented severe economic conditions in the US and also in other countries. Furthermore, the recession was associated with elongated economic slumps and slow economic recoveries. After recession, most of the world economies went into depression and this caused a large gap in the recovery of the currency, as the developing countries have weaker currencies compared to the developed countries.

International Financial Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

International Financial Markets - Essay Example effected where the surplus funds are invested in the markets through buying of assets, and the deficit is counteracted when investors sell their assets. The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has played a major role in financing investors. The financing from an exchange in the recent decade has been viewed to be more effective compared to other financial institutions. The process applied in extending credit is much easier to undertake. A number of factors have been seen to enhance this process. These include the growing competition, fluctuating interest rates, deregulation and advanced technology that have resulted in the efficiency of operations of the LSE. LSE is among the largest trading market internationally serving 3000 companies in 70 different countries. Integrity, market knowledge and a lot of expertise have been a platform for LSE. It is a leader in providing of services that facilitate raising of capital amongst its participants. It is also among the leading stock exchanges in equity trading. LSE offers both real and virtual stock exchanges. Virtual stock exchange allows its investors to trade online while the real exchange is done offline. Advertently, this allows all manner of investors to trade in this stock exchange. The technological advances allow participants in this market to have the opportunity to trade locally and internationally. The LSE group has in the past decade offered high performance trading platforms, market softwares e.g. sets, crests, for assessment of assets as well as post trading services for its participants (Alexander, 2008, 281; Alexander, 2010, 137). Main markets works together with the LSE and the financial authorities in regulation of trades with big corporations. These are companies who are not only looking for ways of raising capital but also in having a reputation in their liquidity shares profile and international position. It has a combined market capitalisation of  £3.7 trillion. This market serves over 1400 companies. It

A written analysis of the nature of Practitionr research Essay

A written analysis of the nature of Practitionr research - Essay Example Practitioner research has been employed as a means of bridging the gap between practice and theory. Teachers have been urged to use practitioner research, specifically action research in order to improve education and reconstruct knowledge (Berker, 1992). Other areas of practice, including health, agriculture, and the social sciences have also not been left behind in their use of practitioner research, as they are seeking to improve their knowledge base, and eventually bridging the gap between theory and practice (Fox, et.al., 2007). Various discussions on practitioner research have been forwarded, including its nature, values, and underlying activities. This paper seeks to explore the nature of practitioner research. It shall explore various issues pertaining to ethics, especially in relation to practitioner research. Firstly, it shall discuss the youth mentoring and how practitioner research applies to this field. Secondly, the importance of ethical applications in practitioner res earch will also be established. Lastly, an analysis of practitioner and action research will be carried out. Youth mentoring is a process that entails a linking of mentors with the youth, especially those that require the care of responsible adults (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). More often than not, the responsible adults (mentors) are not relatives of the mentored youths. At most, these mentors serve as volunteers under a community-based program catering to the needs of the youth population. Most definitions of the mentoring processes have revolved around the idea that an older and more experienced person would assist a much younger and less experienced individual to go through developmental stages and transition towards bigger responsibilities (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). The motive for the establishment of mentoring programs is primarily on assisting youths in their transition into adulthood. In other cases, mentoring programs have also been established in order to curb and control delin quent behaviours. In the past decades, various mentoring programs have emerged in different parts of the world (Spencer, 2007). Moreover, the number of youths under the mentoring programs has also increased drastically (Spencer, 2007). Mentors have often entered into the mentoring programs with much enthusiasm. However, concerns on the efficacy of the mentoring programs have emerged in recent years. In particular, questions have been seen on whether or not the current state of the mentoring programs is effective and ethical (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). These questions relate to the fact that the mentor has a far greater power over the student. The power differential, in other words can be abused by the mentor. On the other, as the mentor and the student develop a closer relationship, the lines between mentor and student may be blurred (Goudreau, 2010). The National Youth Mentoring Program framework is a booklet that stipulates all that should done to ensure that all the mentoring progr ams attain the desirable goals. In relation to practitioner research, this discussion on the youth mentoring program shall now consider the foundations of the program, as well as the benefits it can bring in improving youth mentoring and in improving the healthy development of the youth. Background of youth mentoring p

Applications of the Scientific Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applications of the Scientific Method - Essay Example From the business perspective, scientific methods help in making decisions, solving problems strategically or even for testing a new idea in the market. The specific problem taken for discussion is about developing a new product that is superior to competitor’s brands. We shall present a detailed analysis of the proposed hypothesis and evaluate the results for understanding the factors influencing the problem and its outcome. Scientific methods help the businesses to deal with the problems in a systematic replicable manner. The process starts with identifying the problem, analyzing the possible factors based on experience, and then forming the hypothesis that would help resolve the problem. The proposed hypothesis has to be testable and it is essential to gather data and information for testing the prediction, and finally it has to be evaluated on the basis of the outcomes generated. The scientific approach indeed requires a valid testing of the hypothesis with the available data, rather than relying solely on intuition and theoretical knowledge. Though scientific methods are successful in various fields, it is not so with the world of business, marketing and policies. The tendency of businesses to deal with the unpredictable human behavior makes the scientific methods to be less plausible. However, adopting the scientific methods for business decision-making can provide a better understanding of the potential market factors as well as the causal effects. â€Å"Product development plans can be best realized by taking the scientific method or at least the scientific temper of analysis and experimentation, which is followed by product decisions.† (Mathur, 2009, p.108). When developing a new product that is superior to competitor’s brands, the business has to analyze the existing demands and needs of the consumer’s market. The hypothesis presented is that the new products in the consumer market

A written analysis of the nature of Practitionr research Essay

A written analysis of the nature of Practitionr research - Essay Example Practitioner research has been employed as a means of bridging the gap between practice and theory. Teachers have been urged to use practitioner research, specifically action research in order to improve education and reconstruct knowledge (Berker, 1992). Other areas of practice, including health, agriculture, and the social sciences have also not been left behind in their use of practitioner research, as they are seeking to improve their knowledge base, and eventually bridging the gap between theory and practice (Fox, et.al., 2007). Various discussions on practitioner research have been forwarded, including its nature, values, and underlying activities. This paper seeks to explore the nature of practitioner research. It shall explore various issues pertaining to ethics, especially in relation to practitioner research. Firstly, it shall discuss the youth mentoring and how practitioner research applies to this field. Secondly, the importance of ethical applications in practitioner res earch will also be established. Lastly, an analysis of practitioner and action research will be carried out. Youth mentoring is a process that entails a linking of mentors with the youth, especially those that require the care of responsible adults (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). More often than not, the responsible adults (mentors) are not relatives of the mentored youths. At most, these mentors serve as volunteers under a community-based program catering to the needs of the youth population. Most definitions of the mentoring processes have revolved around the idea that an older and more experienced person would assist a much younger and less experienced individual to go through developmental stages and transition towards bigger responsibilities (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). The motive for the establishment of mentoring programs is primarily on assisting youths in their transition into adulthood. In other cases, mentoring programs have also been established in order to curb and control delin quent behaviours. In the past decades, various mentoring programs have emerged in different parts of the world (Spencer, 2007). Moreover, the number of youths under the mentoring programs has also increased drastically (Spencer, 2007). Mentors have often entered into the mentoring programs with much enthusiasm. However, concerns on the efficacy of the mentoring programs have emerged in recent years. In particular, questions have been seen on whether or not the current state of the mentoring programs is effective and ethical (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). These questions relate to the fact that the mentor has a far greater power over the student. The power differential, in other words can be abused by the mentor. On the other, as the mentor and the student develop a closer relationship, the lines between mentor and student may be blurred (Goudreau, 2010). The National Youth Mentoring Program framework is a booklet that stipulates all that should done to ensure that all the mentoring progr ams attain the desirable goals. In relation to practitioner research, this discussion on the youth mentoring program shall now consider the foundations of the program, as well as the benefits it can bring in improving youth mentoring and in improving the healthy development of the youth. Background of youth mentoring p

Police work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Police work - Essay Example In addition, the officers have the duty of controlling traffic and executing any other duties as designated by their commanders (Perez, 2011). The process of becoming a police officer varies from one country to the other because the laws of different countries have set different of becoming a police officer. There are four basic requirements to be fulfilled by any person who want to become a police officer. The first requirement is that one must have attained a legal age of 21 years, be a citizen of the United State and have a valid driving licence. Secondly, one must be morally upright. This means that a person who intends to become a police officer should not have been convicted of crime and felonies during his/her teenage life. Therefore, teenagers are urged to shun any form of crime and domestic misdemeanour because it may disqualify them of becoming a police officer. The third step entails having a good credit record. This means that for one to be considered to a position of a police officer one should have clean credit record. This may involve avoiding debts accumulation and paying creditors promptly. It is therefore , vital for a person with a passion of becoming a police officer to have a good credit rating to qualify for a position of a police officer. The forth step involves having a good job experience. This involves having any little experience that may help the recruiters to see that one is responsible person and can be in a position to work both as an individual as well as a team member. The fifth requirement involves being physically feet according to the health standards for all police officers. For example, police officers are expected to have muscle reflex, being able to run short and long g distances as well as being to lift heavy objects. The sixth requirement involves understanding what the work of a police officer is as well as how they should relate with the general public (Northeast Editing,

An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps Essay Example for Free

An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps Essay The book â€Å"First to Fight: An Inside View of the U. S. Marine Corps† by Marine General Victor H. Krulack is about the life and journey of the marines. The author is a legend in the Marine Corps, and this book is his way of showing the world of the struggles and the fights that the Marines went through and still do today. The author begins by saying that the book contains some parts about history and legend and the other parts about his opinion on certain issues involving the Marines. This book is able to touch the lives of many because the author, using his personal experiences and that of his fellow Marines, conveys the very essence of being in the Marine Corps. The stories of his life serve as inspiration to those in the service. He was a former Lieutenant General and as such, everything that he has written in his book is very appealing to the readers because of its authenticity. People respect his opinion and they want to know his perspective on the controversies that have been around for quite some time. The book successfully shows how the Marines were able to deal with and get past their challenges, and it also explores the potential conflicts that may be encountered in the future. The author reviews intensely the very core foundation of the Marines by examining the war where they participated in. Examples would be the battle of Khe Sanh in Vietnam war and the 1950 Inchon landing that happened in Korea. Gen. Krulak illustrates in the book how the cooperation of both the Corps and the Navy paved the way for one of the most unforgettable operations in the history of battles (Krulak, 1999). He also provides an explanation of why and how the United States Military chain of command works the way it does today. This book is widely read mainly because the author is able to portray the relationship of the Marines with others engaged in the public service especially during trying times like the period of World War II. The author has successfully transferred into words the importance of being a Marine and how it feels like to be one, and he has succeeded in showing the world the reason behind the reputation of the marines, and the reason for their existence is not because of what they can contribute to the country but because the country believes in what they can do. â€Å"First to Fight† not only brings a new insight about marines in action, but it also provides political strategies and tactics because not all battles are won and fought in the field, and the Marine Corps has proven their worth and competence both in and out of the battle field. Gen. Krulak firmly states that what makes the U. S. Marine Corps great is their solidarity. They are more than just military machines; they are a brotherhood of people, and reading this book makes a person appreciate the past and the great men behind it (Krulak, 1999). History shows that the United States has been through a lot of war. Some of them are won and some are lost. In the conclusion of his book, the authors parting words are that the Marines should always be aware of what they stand for and meet the challenges uprightly without making any compromises. These very words are the reason why these noble men should be given utmost respect. The country will not be what it is today if not for their bravery. They fought hard for the country, and reading this book is one way of acknowledging and appreciating them and giving them the recognition that they deserve. Reference Krulak, V. H. (1999). First to Fight: An Inside View of the U. S. Marine Corps. New York: US Naval Institute Press.

The Basic Informational Macromolecules Biology Essay

The Basic Informational Macromolecules Biology Essay Nucleic acids are the basic informational macromolecules that contributes to the most essential characteristic properties of living system, reproduction and genetic conttrols. Lower and higher molecular weight of nucleic acids are utilized in metabolic and catalytic reactions respectively. DNA(deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA(ribonucleic acid) are nucleic acid of polymers composed of nitrogenous base either a double ring of purines and single ring of pyrimidine which is further connected to the phosphorylated sugar to make up the nucleotides.The sugar attached with base without phosphate group is called nucleoside.The DNA molecule has sugar 2-deoxyribose and RNA molecule has ribose and every backbone of DNA or RNA chain are linked by covalent phosphodiester bond between 5and 3carbons of two sugars either from 5>3 or 3>5 directions. Phosphate groups are attached at the end of the sugar at 5-carbon and at the 3end ,the hydroxyl group is added.Most probably all natural DNA or RNA polymer extend in a direction of 5to 3end direction.The structures that join the nulceotides together in DNA and RNA are called phosphodiester bonds due the presence of phosphoric acid linkage between the two sugars(fig.1) Fig.1 RNA nucleotides linked by phosphodiester bonds between 3-OH and 5-C. (RNA structure,n.d) Structures of DNA DNA(deoxyrinucleic acid)is the linear of nucleic acids which is composed of four different building blocks of nucleotides and is lack of one oxygen atom at carbon2(fig.2) and as a result it is named as deoxyribose sugar. Fig.2 Structure of DNA. (DNA Structure,n.d) DNA is commonly found in nucleous and scientist called Erwin Chargaff found that DNA has four nucleotide bases namely pyrimidine(cytosine and thymine)and purine(adenine and guanine) (fig.3) Purines: a)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adenine A  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Guanine G   Pyrimidines: b)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thymine T  Cytosine C   Fig.3.Structure of DNA bases. (DNA and RNA Structures,n.d) The total amount of pyrimidine nucleotide bases thymine+cytosine is always equal to the total amount of purine nucleotide bases adenine+guanine.The amount of thymine is always equal to the amount of adenine(A=T)and the amount of cytosine is always equal to the amount of guanine(G ºC).But the amount of adenine +thymine is not necessarily equal to the amount of guanine+cytosine. ( Gupta ,P.K., 2000) The Double Helix Structure By the study of x-ray diffration, Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkens suggested that DNA has a helical structure with a diameter of 20A and 34A distance in the helix(fig.4a). DNA consists of two helix which the two chains are coiled around the same axis to form a right-handed helix and they can be separated from one another only by uncoiling. The backbone of altertnating deoxyribose and phosphate groups are placed outside the helix facing the surrounding water(hydrophilic) whereas the bases are inside the helix(hydrophobic) and are set in a plane at right angle to the long axis.The right-handed DNA forms are called B-DNA having 3.4A distance between the two base pairs and it has 10 base pairs in each turn. DNA can also exist as left-handed and since left-handed DNA follow a zig-zag way,it is called as Z-DNA.The main difference between Z-DNA and B-DNA is that in Z-DNA,one complete helix has 12 base pairs per turn whereas B-DNA has only 10 base pairs per turn. (Gupta,P.K., 2000) Fig.4)a) Structure of double helix, b) DNA structure showing parallel and anti-parallel, c) double helix showing minor and major grooves. (DNA Structures,n.d) In double helix,the two strands of DNA runs opposite in direction ie,5> 3and 3> 5 which means the two strands should be parallel or anti-parallel to make the stabilized structure and hold the two polynucleotides together.There is an interaction of base-pair between the adenine on one strand and a thymine on the other(A=T) and similarly between cytosine and guanine (G ºC (fig.4b) with hydrogen bond two and three rrespectively.These pairing of this two strands creates minor and major grooves on the surfaces of double helix(fig.4c) . In DNA double helix,one strand act as parent strand and the other new strand as template which synthesize complementary daughter strands(fig.5).The double helix is hold together by H-bonding between complementary base pairs and base stacking interaction. (Voet,D. Et al Fig.5 DNA replication. Each strand of a parental DNA acts as a template for the synthesis of a complementary daughter strand. (Voet,D. et al,2006) Structure of RNA RNA(ribonucleic acid) is the second type of nucleic acid found in throuhtout the cell. In case of RNA , it has a sugar and an -OH group at 2 carbon atom(fig.6). Fig.6 Structure of ribose. (RNA Structure,n.d) Similarly, RNA has also four nucleotide bases as purine and pyrimidine(fig.7) except the thymine is replaced by uracil in pyrimidine. Purines:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adenine A  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Guanine G   Pyrimidines:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Uracil U  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cytosine C   Fig.7 Structures of RNA bases. (RNA and DNA Structures,n.d) Though RNA is single -stranded structure ,when RNA fold back on itself ,by chance or occasional base pairing and hydrogen bonding ,it forms some of a paired helical structure (fig.8) which results in three dimensional structure and they are copmplex and unique. They form intra-strand base pairs from self complementary region along the chain. Fig.8 Base pairing within a single strand of RNA showing a possible folded structure. (RNA Structure,n.d) The information from RNA determines the protein synthesis through the series of translation which involves three types of RNA molecules to perform different functions: 1)Messenger RNA(mRNA)Structure Messenger RNA(mRNA) is a linear sequence of amino acid in polypeptide chain and has longer chain than the reading frame that has to be translated.To begin and end translation , specific start and stop codons are required. Mostly mRNAs has start (initiator) codons AUG that can be served as methionine codon at 5carbon.. Occasionally GUG and CUG can alsobe used as initiator codon in some of the bacterial and eukaryotic mRNA respectively. GUG codes for valine and CUG for leucine to initiate a protein chain. The stop codon are UAA, UGA and UAG and do not code for any amino acid. The stop codon indicates that translation is to be terminated and the ribosome has to be released polypeptide product. The sequence of start and stop codon are called a reading frame. Codon having overlapping information, mRNA can be translated to different reading frames and formed different polypeptides(fig.9). Each genetic code specifies different amino acids and rarely unusual coding occurs. ( Lodish, etal , 1986) Frame 1 5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ GCU UGU UUA CGA AUU A à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ mRNA à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ Ala Cys Leu Arg Ile à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ polypeptide 1 Frame 2 5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ G CUU GUU UAC GAA UUA à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ mRNA à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ Leu Val Tyr Glu Leu à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â€š ¬ polypeptide 2 Figure 9; Multiple reading frames in an mRNA sequence ( Lodish , etal , 1986) 2)Transfer RNA(tRNA) Structure Transfer RNA(tRNA) is an adaptor molecule that serve as a bridge between mRNA and the amino acids leading to the Polypeptide chain.tRNA exists in primary,secondary and tertiary structure. A tRNA molecule is chemically linked to amino acids through a bond forming an aminoacyl-tRNA. The general structure of tRNA is represented by Cloverleaf model(fig.10). The anticodon at the bottom is complementary to the mRNA codon with the pairing of base to it. Due to the presence of mRNA codon and tRNA anticodon, base-pairing is in anti-parallel directions.Amino acids are attached to the acceptor stem at the 3 terminus having sequence CCA and protrudes beyond the 5 end. The dihydrouracil loop(D loop)contained always uracil base and TCG loop has invariant sequence of bases.Variable loop has variation in both nucleotides composition and in length. (Lodish,et al,1986) Fig.10. Structure of tRNA. (RNA-Ribonucleic acid,n.d) 3)Ribosome RNA(rRNA) Sructures Ribosome RNA(rRNA) carries ribosome particles and consists of one small and one large subunit ribosome and protein. The rRNA is the largest structure among the RNAs. Each of the subunits composed of one to three rRNA s types and as many as protein components. Comparing to prokaryotes, eukaryotic cells are larger and more particles whereas the eukaryotes has 40s and 60s with 80s for complete ribosome. Functions of DNA †¢ DNA serve as a storage materials for genetic information in all living cells. †¢ Due to the double helical structure,DNA provides more stability storing more genetic information since the double bond required more force to break up the structures . †¢ DNA is building block of the protein synthesis which takes by the process of Central Dogma relationship.Genetic information from the DNA is transcribed to mRNA carrying the genetic codon and later translated to the polypeptide chain. †¢ DNA provides for long term storage of genetic information due to the presence of deoxyribose sugar at 2carbon,thus preventing the formation of cyclic phosphate ester since hydrogen cannot hydrolysis the phosphodiester bond, whereas 2hydroxyl group in RNA act as a nucleophile attacking the phosphodiester bond and results in less efficiency of storing information. (Lodish, ea al,1986) †¢ DNA act as template or semiconservative.During the replication of double helix,DNA double strsnded DNA that consists of one old (template) strand and one new daughter strand. two ddaughter duced pronew daughter strand.This two new DNA molecules is identical to the parents molecule and this type of conservation of old template strand is called semiconservative. †¢ The major and minor grooves formed during the coiling or wounding of duoble strands provides the reading of protein binding DNA.s ( Lodish, etal, 1986) Function of mRNAs: †¢ mRNA carries genetic information which is transcribed from DNA in a linear sequence of amino acid to a peptide chain. †¢ mRNA carries three codons for a specific amino acids.AUG act as start codon for a specified amino acids at 5 and UAA, UAG and UGA as stop codon or termination of translation. Function of tRNA: †¢ The main function of aminoacyl-tRNA is to recognise the specific codon for the activation of correct amino acids. †¢ tRNA make sure that the amino acid are placed in correct sequence to the growing peptide chain during the interaction of codon with the specific anticodon. †¢ Helps in Abinding the growing peptide chain to the ribosome during translation process. ( Conn, E.E.,1987) Function of rRNA: †¢ rRNA could serve as template RNA . †¢ rRNA with ribosome particles provides shapes and structure during protein synthesis. It also helps in speeding or catalysing the chemical reaction by enzyme called ribozymes. The main difference between the DNA and RNA structures are that DNA has deoxyribose sugar and lack one oxygen at carbon 2,wheraes in RNA has ribose sugar and one -OH group attached at carbon 2. DNA is double stranded in nature ,providing more stability than single stranded RNA. Again one big difference is that the presence of thymine in DNA and uracil in RNA srtucture. The main difference in the function of DNA and RNA is that the DNA functions mainly for the storage of genetic informations and the RNA as transcription and translation of genetic informations. Since the DNA is double helix that wound around the plane of the helix hiding the base -paired inside the helix that prevents from contacting with water(hydrophobic) this base pairing interaction provides more stability to the nucleic acids storing more genetic information.In both DNA and RNA base pairing between G ºC provides more stronger and stable bond than the A=T since it requires more force to break up the three H-bonding of G ºC than the A=T. In DNA , thymine is present and instead of thymine uracil is replaced in RNA .Since thymine contain methyl group , this base act as a protection and moreover methyl is strongly neutral. It is methylated group and methylation newly suppresses the migration of DNA segments. These all reasons provides that DNA is strongly stable than RNA nucleic acid. Again methylation can help in identifying the parental (template) strands from newly synthesized strands in DNA strands. Each of the 3end of the sugar are used to initiate the genetic exchange and this point act as primer for DNA replication. The attachment of more ribosome on mRNA provides high sedimentation rate than the unattached ribosomes which means the polyribosome or polysome complexes are actively synthesizing protein than single ribosomes. (Strickberger,M.W.,1976)

Explore Shelley’s presentation of the impact of the Creature in the lig

Explore Shelley’s presentation of the impact of the Creature in the light of this comment. The Creature is described as ‘ a fiend of unparalleled barbarity’, yet many modern readers may sympathise with him. Explore Shelley’s presentation of the impact of the Creature in the light of this comment. It is my view, that the Creature may be seen from two main perspectives, on the one hand he may be seen as a â€Å"Monster†, â€Å"a fiend of unparalleled barbarity† and on the other he may be seen as a victim with whom the reader may sympathise. Out of the three narratives in the book, the one which occupies that major part of the book I that of Victor Frankenstein. It is from his perspective that we are imparted most of the evidence which may lead us to consider the Creature as a ‘Fiend of unparalleled barbarity.’ Throughout Frankenstein’s framed narrative, he refer to the Creature as â€Å"daemon†, â€Å"devil† or â€Å"wretch and perhaps (one may consider) with good reason considering the creature’s actions after his creation. Firstly, the Creature murdered Victor’s youngest brother William, an innocent child. However, the Creature’s true intentions when committing the murder remain unclear, as the Creature says, â€Å"I grasped throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet.† This statement, by the Creature, is of course ambiguous, as the Creature could have literally been trying to silence William, whilst on the other hand there is the more sinister aspect, that the Creature could have grasped William’s throat with a mind to silence him permanently. If we take Shelley’s view of her 1831 audience as â€Å"monsters thirsting for each others blood† then we would of course condemn the Creature, as someone who committe... ...cism against Islam, and particularly the Turks as something which was socially acceptable, this prohibiting from any form of empathy with the Creature. In conclusion, despite the Creature’s clearly appalling actions throughout the novel, I assert that these perhaps may be a result of the environment into which the Creature is created, just like a child born into an unstable and abusive household may often grow into an unstable and abusive person the Creature â€Å"born† into an abhorrent, un-accepting, unforgiving and violent world becomes abhorrent and violent himself, acting only the way others have acted towards him, with the utmost hate and unjustifiable violence, and it is because (I believe) the Creature is only a result of the environment into which he is created, a product of nurture as opposed to nature, that many modern readers sympathise with him.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 19

â€Å"Real,† I gasped out. â€Å"That was†¦real. Seth didn't give in to temptation. Seth stayed with Maddie.† â€Å"Maybe,† said One. The instinct to claw his eyes out rose within me, strong and sudden. It was animal and rash – and impossible since I had no form here. It was an urge I'd had on more than one occasion with the Oneroi. â€Å"True. It was true.† This was like a child's game with them, over and over. Or maybe the true/false section on the SAT. Circles. Circles. My life was a circle. â€Å"And Jerome†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The end of the dream came to me where my boss had spirited Seth away. â€Å"He's coming for me. He took Seth. They're going to do that ritual. Erik's going to set it up.† â€Å"Yes. And he's going to fail.† â€Å"No, he won't,† I cried. Every ounce of me had become desperation: voice, mind, soul. â€Å"Jerome will come for me. He'll save me.† â€Å"No one is coming for you,† said Two. â€Å"They will try, but they will fail.† Again, they sent me back to my world, and as much as I yearned for familiar faces, the doubt and uncertainty the Oneroi kept bringing up filled me with a despairing kind of confusion. I was at Erik's. And apparently, so was everyone else. His store had a large back room used for storage that I'd only once caught a glimpse of. It reminded me of a garage, with unfinished cement floors and plain drywall on the sides. A small table held a bowl of burning incense that made the air hazy. The edges of the room were stacked with boxes and crates that appeared to have been shoved to create an empty space around the edge of the room. Also along the edges was the Seattle immortal club: Hugh, Cody, Peter, Carter, and even Mei. Roman was probably there too, hidden because of Mei. In the center of the room, Erik was drawing chalk patterns on the floor. Jerome stood nearby, and Seth hovered uneasily between them and my friends along the wall. I think he was having a hard time deciding who was safest. If not for Mei, he probably would have chosen my friends. Mei watched Erik and Jerome with disapproval, her nearly black eyes narrowed and brick-red lips pursed. At last, she uncrossed her arms and strode toward the center, her stiletto heels clicking loudly against the cement. Seth scurried out of her way, retreating to the safety of my friends. â€Å"This is ridiculous,† Mei said. â€Å"You're wasting everyone's time. Even with all of them† – she gestured to the wall gang – â€Å"it's not enough to bring her back. You need to report it and get another succubus.† â€Å"I report it, and there'll be another archdemon here too.† Jerome cut her a look. â€Å"I'm kind of surprised you haven't done that already.† Good point. As his underling, Mei obeyed him, but she was ambitious. If Jerome got in trouble for losing me, it could be to her advantage. â€Å"I don't need to,† she said flatly. â€Å"You'll be telling them yourself soon. Why do I have to be here? I have no connection to her.† â€Å"Because I told you to! Stop arguing.† Jerome glared at her, and the two demons locked gazes. At last, Mei gave a sharp nod, but it didn't seem like she gave in because of his authority. It was more like he'd communicated something, and she was acknowledging it. She returned to the side of the room, opposite my friends now. Erik had to lean and get on his knees for a lot of his chalk work, something that had to be agony on his back. With a sigh, he finally stood up and examined his design. It showed two large concentric circles, filled and surrounded with a number of arcane symbols. Some I knew; some I didn't. Jerome studied the pattern too, and for the first time ever, my boss looked†¦nervous. â€Å"Is it ready?† he demanded. Erik nodded, one hand absentmindedly rubbing his back. â€Å"Barring the spell itself, yes.† Jerome's eyes fell on Seth, who flinched. â€Å"You,† said the demon. â€Å"Come here.† Seth eyed the pattern almost as uneasily as Jerome had. â€Å"What will happen to me?† â€Å"It won't kill you, if that's what you're worried about. And you can leave the circle whenever you want. Now stop wasting time.† I didn't like hearing Jerome boss Seth around. It stirred up those coals of rage that had been burning within me lately. I even grew angry seeing Seth obey; I kind of wanted him to defy Jerome. A moment later, I tried to banish such thoughts. I needed to save my fury for the Oneroi, not this group. Surely Jerome wasn't lying. Carter, who'd remained quiet throughout all of this, would have called Jerome on it. I hoped. Seth walked over to Jerome's side, careful not to step on any of the chalk lines – like how superstitious people avoid cracks on sidewalks. Erik gave Seth a small smile. â€Å"He's right, Mr. Mortensen. This won't hurt you. Though it will be†¦strange.† Mei suddenly went rigid again. â€Å"Him? That's all you're using? Jerome, one person can't – â€Å" â€Å"Enough!† roared Jerome. â€Å"I'm tired of listening to everyone backtalk me. Can we get on with this?† Erik nodded and walked over to the table with the incense. There was also a small bowl of water and a long, roughly hewn piece of stone. Smoky quartz, I thought. Erik picked it up carefully, reverently. He pushed the tip of the wand into the smoldering incense, and then held it up so the smoke could swathe it. A couple seconds later, he dipped the wand's end into the water. When that was completed, he began carrying the wand to the circle. â€Å"Wait,† Carter suddenly said. He straightened up from where he'd been slouching against some boxes. â€Å"I'm going in too.† â€Å"You're all crazy,† muttered Mei. â€Å"She has a point,† said Jerome. â€Å"If you're in here – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know,† said Carter, stepping over the lines to join Jerome. â€Å"And I also know what might come out.† The two of them looked at each other, more silent messages passing, and then neither spoke again. Erik returned to the circle's center, holding the wand up high. Both Carter and Jerome had moved as far from the humans as possible without crossing the inner circle. As Erik's arms reached heavenward, he suddenly didn't seem like a weak old man. True, his body was frail and growing gaunter every day, but as he stood there and began chanting, he became so much more than human. Dante was a better magician when it came down to it, but Erik wasn't without his own power, even if rarely used. If I'd been there in the flesh, I would have felt the magic he was summoning. Knowing it was there almost made me believe I could see it. He finished his chant, spoken in words I only knew a little of, and then walked around the circle. He touched it in four spots with the wand, all equidistant from each other. The instant his wand touched the fourth spot, every immortal in the room suddenly flinched and looked uncomfortable – even the greater ones. Seth mostly looked confused. As a disconnected observer, my view was like Seth's. I saw nothing happen either. But I realized then that if I'd been there, I would have felt what all the other immortals had as well. Erik had locked the circle, slamming invisible walls into place. All magical circles were different, but he'd told Seth that he could cross out – meaning this was a circle to keep only immortals in. It wasn't exactly like a summoning. Summonings required massive amounts of magic because they were enslaving an immortal against his or her will. This circle was a prison too, but it required less magic because the immortals had entered it by choice. Jerome and Carter had just knowingly allowed themselves to be entrapped. This was why he wanted Mei around. For an unscrupulous magic user – say, like Dante – this was a golden opportunity. Two imprisoned greater immortals? It had infinite possibilities for a magician. Whatever Erik was doing here, I didn't believe he'd abuse this situation. But Jerome, being a demon, didn't trust anyone. Jerome had wanted Mei on hand to do some smiting if Erik wouldn't release his prisoners. Of course, she would be powerless to do anything until Erik left the circle – which he'd have to do eventually. If they were all trying to rescue me, though, Erik couldn't have created this circle with the intent of trapping Jerome and Carter specifically. The angel's words came back to me: I also know what might come out. Erik stood in front of Seth, who was growing more nervous by the second. The strain in Erik's face showed the power he was keeping in check. He couldn't play kindly old man right now, but he did what he could. â€Å"Do you care about Miss Kincaid?† he asked Seth. â€Å"Do you want to save her?† â€Å"Yes,† answered Seth swiftly. â€Å"Then you must think about her. Focus every ounce of your being on her. Imagine her. Cry out for her. There must be no other thoughts in your head – only her.† Seth looked puzzled but nodded. Erik turned to Jerome and Carter. â€Å"And you must stop him from going in entirely. You can't enter yourselves, but you can keep him here. You have to, or you'll lose both of them.† Erik waited for no acknowledgment from the angel and demon. He held up his wand again and touched Seth on his forehead, both cheeks, and chin. Seth shivered. â€Å"Remember,† said Erik. â€Å"When the gate opens, think of her. Only her. Reach for her. And when you find her, do not let go.† â€Å"Gate?† asked Seth. â€Å"What – â€Å" But Erik was chanting again, and a wind emerged out of nowhere, ruffling the hair of those in the circles. His voice grew more and more powerful, and then – I was back with the Oneroi. â€Å"What happened?† I exclaimed. For the millionth time, I wished I could beat on the walls of my prison. I wanted to claw their eyes out again. I wanted to choke them. â€Å"Show me what happens!† â€Å"Failure,† said One. â€Å"They won't succeed,† added Two. â€Å"The demoness was correct. A dozen humans who loved you couldn't reach you, let alone – â€Å" He stopped speaking. His eyes met One's, and then both glanced around as though searching for something. I tried to see what they saw or heard, but there was nothing for me. Only blackness and silence. Then, I felt the stirring of another dream coming over me. The dark world started to go blurry, and both Oneroi jerked their heads toward me. â€Å"No!† exclaimed Two, extending his hand. Everything grew clear again. I didn't dream. I stayed where I was. Georgina. My name. For the first time in – well, I had no idea how many days – I heard something that wasn't the Oneroi. It was so faint, a whisper lost on the wind. My name. One of them, at least. I couldn't tell where it came from, but every part of me tried to focus on it, to figure out its origin. Georgina. â€Å"Yes?† I said aloud. â€Å"I'm here!† The world grew blurry again. I didn't hear my name, but it was like the siren song all over again. Music without sound, colors without description. â€Å"Stop this!† cried One. I had never heard the Oneroi raise their voices. They always spoke in those low, sly tones. But they were pretty upset now. â€Å"Fight it!† This was Two, speaking to One. â€Å"Join me! Don't let it – â€Å" I left them for another dream. Or, well, more like another place. No, it wasn't even a place. It was like I was floating in space, in a nebula. Perhaps a hurricane was a more accurate way to describe it because things were swirling around me and blowing past. Wisps of smoke. Bits of colors. Brilliant stars. Some touched me. Some went through me. And every time I made contact, I felt an emotion – an emotion that wasn't my own. Happiness. Terror. With that emotion came a brief flash of an image. A green field. An airplane. A monster. It was a snowstorm of stimuli. I was lost and adrift, almost more scared than in my prison with the Oneroi. At least that had had some substance, no matter how insignificant. But this†¦what was this? Every once in a while, it would start to dissolve to black, like I might be returning to the box†¦. Then, the darkness would fade, again leaving me helpless in this mad riot of sensation. Georgina. My name again. And with it, that pull. That pull of familiarity. Though I technically had no body here either, I searched for that voice and that pull, looking through the riotous color. Georgina. It was stronger. That sense of summoning. I burned with the need to get to it. It was part of me. It was home. And then, in all that chaos, one light shone brighter than all the others. It was white, pure and pristine amidst the kaleidoscope raining down upon me. I stared at it, reached for it in as much as I could. The world started to fracture to black once again, but it was the last time. I wouldn't return to the box. Not with this light before me. It's hard to say if it became brighter and brighter or if it just grew closer and closer, but suddenly it was before me. It was around me. I was it. Just like when I'd brushed against those other dreams, I had a flash of vision that snapped me briefly from the whirlwind. I was in Seth's arms. Or was I? As he held me, his face seemed to shift over and over to different forms. No, it was him. I would know him anywhere. He was so familiar, and now this close to me, I couldn't let go of him. He was home. Georgina. The voice came again, and it was his. Georgina, don't let go. No. I wasn't letting go. I was never letting go again†¦. That brief moment of human contact gave way to the starry field of dreams, but this time, I had an anchor. I was with the light. I was the light. I felt it pulling me, but I needed no urging. I would go wherever it took me. I released all control. I had the sensation of floating, of being stretched and reaching forward. Behind me, something tugged at me, but it wasn't strong enough. I was moving forward. Forward and forward and – The sound of screaming filled the room. My screaming. Screaming over the pain of being torn apart and reassembled. Pain from being stripped of all energy within me. I was weak. Raw. Nothing. What room was this? I saw faces. Faces near me, faces along the room's wall. They looked at me like they knew me. Did they? Did I know them? My legs buckled underneath me, weak like a colt's. One of the men standing near me reached out, but I scrambled backward, needing to escape. I couldn't let him touch me. Of that, I was certain. My mind had been shredded and ripped open. I didn't want to be touched in any other way. The floor was cold and smooth as I scurried over it, but I was stopped by a wall. At least, it felt like one. I saw nothing there, only a blue line upon the floor. The invisible wall was familiar and triggered fear. It reminded me of the box. I drew my knees up to me, trying to make myself small as I trembled. The men near me – four of them – were speaking in a language I didn't know. They were arguing. One kept trying to come to me, but another stopped him. That one was terrifying. His features were nothing extraordinary – tall, with dark brown eyes and hair – but there was something about him that made me cold all over. There was power in him, power all around him. I could feel it and see it. It reminded me of sulfur. His eyes fell on me as he spoke harshly to the others, and I cringed further. I felt certain I knew him, but he still scared me. Suddenly, another of the men exclaimed something and touched the dark-haired one's arm. This man was blond. I sensed power around him too, but it felt different. It was clean and crystalline. All four turned around, putting their backs to me as they stared at something. Nothing was there at first, then I began to see and feel it. A glowing purple orb appeared before them, becoming larger and larger. As it did, I saw it was more of a spiral, its arms whirling as it grew. The two men who didn't radiate power stepped back. If the unseen wall had let me, I too would have moved away. Out of the purple light, two black forms suddenly materialized and stepped forward. Two black figures who were somehow luminescent at the same time and had brilliant blue eyes. My own eyes widened. I might not know anything else that was going on around me, but I knew them. I knew them, and I was going to kill them. I'm not sure how I did it since there seemed to be no spark of life left within me, yet somehow, I mustered the strength to spring up and run toward them. My shrieked words were incoherent, but it didn't matter. Only their destruction did. I would rip them apart. I would make them suffer the way they'd – Strong arms grabbed me, stopping me as surely as the wall had. It was the blond man, and his grip was like iron. â€Å"Let me go!† I screamed. â€Å"Let me go! I'll kill them! I'll kill them both!† The dark-haired man glanced back toward us. â€Å"Do not let her go,† he said mildly, this time in a language I understood. I fought in vain against the arms but made no progress. The dark-haired man turned to the Oneroi. â€Å"This isn't your world,† he said. â€Å"We've come for what's ours,† said one of the Oneroi. â€Å"You took her.† â€Å"I took back what was mine,† the dark-haired man countered. â€Å"You stole her.† â€Å"We won her. She came to us of her own free will.† The dark-haired man snorted. Jerome, I suddenly remembered. His name was Jerome. â€Å"We have different definitions of ‘free will,'† he said. â€Å"We want her back,† protested the Oneroi. â€Å"You're taking nothing back,† countered Jerome, voice hard. â€Å"Go before I change my mind.† I'd gone slack while they spoke, but now my fury was renewed. I struggled again. â€Å"Let me kill them!† I screamed. â€Å"Jerome, it's my right! Let me destroy them!† Jerome turned back, maybe surprised I'd used his name. â€Å"I don't think you're in any shape to kill anything.† â€Å"It's my right,† I said. â€Å"After what they did – they'll suffer like I did. I will shred them. I'll rip their souls out!† â€Å"They don't have souls,† he said dryly. â€Å"But I like your enthusiasm.† He turned back to the Oneroi. â€Å"So, you stole my succubus and tortured her.† His voice carried that reptilian chill. It froze my blood. It made the air crackle with tension. The Oneroi shifted uncomfortably. They weren't unaffected. â€Å"Because of her, our mother was recaptured,† one of them said. But he didn't sound as confident or outraged as before. â€Å"We are entitled to revenge.† â€Å"You believe insult to another justifies revenge?† asked Jerome. Oh, that voice. That voice made the air grow still. â€Å"Yes,† said the Oneroi as one. â€Å"Me too,† replied Jerome. He didn't even move, but I felt the power flare out from him, like a torch thrown into dry tinder. It exploded – and so did the Oneroi. Well, it was more like they imploded. That power hit them, and then – they were no more. Just like that. â€Å"Oh, Jerome,† said the man holding me. â€Å"Do you know what you've done?† Jerome glanced back at us and shrugged. â€Å"I don't like people taking my things.† The swirling purple gate had never left, and now it began to grow brighter and rotate faster. â€Å"Shit,† said Jerome. â€Å"I was hoping no one would notice.† The man holding me sighed. He looked down at me, and silvery gray eyes pierced my soul. â€Å"Listen to me. Do not move. Do you understand? Stay right here.† When I didn't answer, he sighed again. â€Å"Do you know me?† Did I? Yes. The eyes. I knew the eyes. â€Å"Carter.† The word came out strangely on my tongue. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"You know me. Trust me. Do not move.† He let go of me, waited to see what I'd do, and then walked up to join Jerome when I stayed in place. Nothing could have made me move anyway, not when I saw what came through the gate. It was monstrous. Literally. Yellow-eyed and scaly, mottled purple and gray. It had what looked like a pig's snout, and seven horns ran over its head like points on a crown. It towered over Jerome and Carter as it emerged from the gate, but the two of them stood where they were, regarding it defiantly. â€Å"You destroyed my subjects,† the creature growled. Its voice came from deep within its throat and made the floor vibrate. â€Å"You broke the laws.† â€Å"Your subjects were in our realm,† said Jerome. He was perfectly calm. â€Å"They stole one of my people and abused her. They broke the rules.† â€Å"That doesn't give you the right to do what you did,† came the response. â€Å"They would have destroyed her if they were capable of it. Next time, keep a better watch on your employees so that they don't go causing trouble where they shouldn't.† The monster's nostrils flared. â€Å"I could destroy you for this.† â€Å"Try,† said Jerome. â€Å"Try taking on both of us.† Those yellow eyes flicked over to Carter. A few teeth showed in the creature's mouth. I think he was smiling. â€Å"An angel and a demon fighting together. It would almost be worth seeing.† Heavy silence fell as everyone sized each other up. I had no sense of the monster's strength. Physical size was not proportional to power. Jerome and Carter, however, were burning like small suns, ready to burst at any moment. At last, the monster shrugged. Or did his equivalent of it. â€Å"But it's been enough just to see you defend each other's honor. I will not destroy you†¦today. There will be no more assaults on my people. If there are, I won't be so forgiving.† â€Å"And if your people don't leave mine alone,† said Jerome smoothly, â€Å"I won't be as forgiving either.† The creature snarled, and for a moment, I thought he might very well change his mind. He didn't. Instead, he stepped backward toward the purple light. He merged into it, vanishing to our eyes, and then the gate itself disappeared as well. â€Å"He is such a fucking liar,† said Jerome. â€Å"‘Forgiving' indeed. He knew we'd blast his scaly ass out of here.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I hope we never find if that's true or not,† said Carter. â€Å"Fighting a Morphean demon would generate paperwork even on my side.† Jerome's lips twitched into a smile. â€Å"Now that would be worth seeing.† I looked between both of them, my fear from the near-confrontation fading. With the last of my energy, I lunged for Jerome, beating my fists against his chest. He caught them and stopped me as easily as Carter had. â€Å"You should have let me do it! You should have let me destroy them! It was my right!† â€Å"That's what you're pissed off about? Georgie, I'm not even sure how you're still standing.† â€Å"It was my right,† I repeated. â€Å"You don't know what they did.† â€Å"I can make some good guesses.† I stopped in my struggles, and at last, the full force of everything that had happened descended on me. My being's full depletion hit me. I sagged in his arms, and he caught me. The sights and people around me were still a little muddled, but lots of things were starting to come back. â€Å"You were supposed to keep me safe,† I said in a small voice. I felt my eyes grow wet. â€Å"You shouldn't have let that happen – let them take me. You're supposed to protect me.† Jerome looked truly surprised and didn't respond to me immediately. I was afraid he'd get angry, but instead, he said quietly, â€Å"Yes. I am. I did in the end, but – I was late.† â€Å"Great apology,† said Carter. Now Jerome's anger returned. â€Å"I have nothing to apologize for!† He turned back to me, and again, his voice was calm and patient. Almost gentle. I knew this was uncharacteristic for him. â€Å"I brought you back. You're safe now. They will never harm you again. Do you understand?† I nodded. â€Å"Good. Now it's time to finish this.† Jerome turned toward the humans. One of them was old, very old – with dark brown skin and graying hair. His eyes were compassionate. The other man was younger, with messy hair and brown eyes that turned honey-amber when the light caught them. He was staring at me like he knew me, which wasn't a surprise because I knew him too. I didn't know how, but I did. In fact, I was beginning to realize I knew everyone in this room. Other names were coming back to me. This one man's name eluded me, though, largely because several kept popping into my head. He studied me intently, like he was trying to figure something out, and I found myself falling into those golden brown eyes. Jerome said something to the gray-haired man in that other language. I still couldn't understand it, but there was something familiar about its sounds. The old man didn't answer or move right away, and palpable tension fell over the entire room. At last the old man took a wand he was holding and began touching points on the circle upon the floor, murmuring softly as he did. When he touched the circle a fourth time, it was as though a great pressure – one I hadn't even known was there – was released from the room. Jerome exchanged a few curt words with the man and then turned to me. â€Å"As I was saying, how you're conscious is beyond me – but considering all the other absurd things you do, I shouldn't be surprised.† He stepped toward me and pressed his fingers to my forehead. I gasped as a jolt of†¦something†¦raced through me. At first, it was shocking and prickly. Then, it transformed into something sweeter and more wonderful. The most wonderful thing on earth. It filled me up, energizing me, making me whole. Until this moment, how could I have thought I was alive? The world came into greater focus, the sights grew more familiar. I staggered, not from weakness this time, but from the pure bliss of life Jerome had gifted me with. He said something to me in that other language, and I frowned, not understanding. He spoke again in my own words. â€Å"Change back, Georgina. Time to go.† â€Å"Change to what?† â€Å"Whatever you want. Your current favorite, I'd imagine. Not this.† His hand gestured toward my body. I examined myself for the first time. I wasn't quite as tall as him, a few inches shorter, maybe. My legs and arms were long and lean, my skin tanned from the sun. A plain ivory dress covered me, and I could see the tips of black hair falling onto my chest. I frowned. This was me†¦and yet not me. â€Å"Change back, Georgina,† he repeated. â€Å"That's not my name,† I said. â€Å"Shake off what they've done,† he said, clearly impatient. â€Å"It's over. They've fogged your mind, but you can clear it. Change back, Georgina. Come back to this time.† His next words were in that other language, and I shook my head angrily. â€Å"I don't understand. I shouldn't be here. This is my body, but this isn't my time.† He gave another command that I still didn't comprehend, and I uttered the same response. Three times we went through this, and then on the fourth, his words came through to me, perfectly understandable. I knew what he was speaking. The English language exploded in my mind, and with it, much more. I held out my hands before me, staring long and hard as though seeing them for the first time. â€Å"This is my time,† I murmured in English. I looked down at my long legs. A strange sense of revulsion ran through me. â€Å"This is not my body.† Yet†¦it was. It was, and it wasn't. With no energy, it was what I had reverted to. â€Å"What's your name?† he demanded. Letha. My name is Letha. â€Å"Georgina,† I said. And with that, I summoned the power to make my body's shape change. Slim and short, with light brown hair, and golden green eyes. The off-white homespun shift became a blue cotton dress. A moment later, I changed it to jeans and a blue shirt. Jerome glanced at Carter. â€Å"See? No harm done.† Carter didn't acknowledge that. Instead, he asked, â€Å"So now what?† â€Å"Now?† Jerome's gaze fell on me again. â€Å"Now Georgina sleeps.† â€Å"What?† I cried. â€Å"No! Not after†¦no. I'm never sleeping again.† Jerome almost smiled before touching my forehead again. I slept.