Identity In Raymond Carvers Everything Stuck To Him

Analysis of Everything Stuck to Him – Written by Raymond Carver In the many works of Raymond Carver, there are always a vast amount of themes that can be found in all of his stories. While there are several that can be found in his short story, Everything Stuck to Him, there will be only one that this paper will focus on. That theme is identity. Out of all of themes that are present in this story, the theme of identity sticks out more than the others; at least to this reader. The theme identity starts out as something that is barely there, if it can be seen at all, to being able to see identity being formed as the story progresses, with the story ending with identity finally being realized. This is a process that occurs during three†¦show more content†¦This is important as it also symbolizes the change that has come into the boy and girls life, the birth of their daughter. This has once again completely changed the boy and girls life†¦they have now become parents and at such a young age as well. Before the birth of their daughter, the boy and girl would discuss their dreams and pretty much go about their lives as they were before they got married. This is clearly seen as the boy is still more than happy to go out hunting, even after the birth of his daughter. This makes it clear that he is not ready to accept his identity as a father and by extension his identity as a husband. It is unknown if the girl takes to her role as a mother or not, as the story seems to focus mainly on the boy so it is left up to the reader to decide. The boys claim to his husband identity is brought to question as it comes to light that he seems to care more for his wifes two sisters than he does his own wife. So now the boy is not only battling against his identity as a father but as a husband as well. This causes the boy to have to come to a decision one cold morning. The night before was filled with the cries of the baby that no matter what the boy or girl did simply would not stop crying; as such the girl was trying desperately t o figure out what is wrong with her baby while the boy curses out of sheer frustration and stress for not being able to stop the baby from crying. The night passes with

Factors That Affect Student Motivation Essay - 2969 Words

Factors That Affect Student Motivation Student motivation can be affected by several factors. These elements include parent involvement, teacher enthusiasm, rewards, peers, the learner’s environment, personal experiences, personal interests of the student, and self-esteem and self-image. Components such as these weigh heavily on the understanding and importance of learning to the student. These aspects aid in creating lifelong learners. Parent involvement is one of the most influential aspects of student motivation. The parents are the initial teachers of the child before the child goes to school and encounters education through a teacher. If a parent is completely engaged in the learning process with a child, there can be†¦show more content†¦According to Patrick, Hisley, and Kempler, the â€Å"†¦ results clearly demonstrate that a lesson that is given in a high-energy, dynamic fashion suggestive of enthusiasm leads students to experience greater interest in and enjoyment of the material and higher levels of energy and vigor† (p.226). The authors also acknowledge that motivation is reciprocal. The teacher’s enthusiasm may lead to more highly motivated students, but the energy presented by a group of inspired students also encourages the teacher. Although the pool of participants only consisted of college students, the results are universal. The attitude of the teacher has direct ef fects on the way of thinking and learning of the students. The extrinsically motivated child feeds off rewards. They are a true incentive to succeed under sometimes less than favorable circumstances. The rewards reinforce the good work that they have accomplished and stir the learner to continue those efforts. However, the reward system becomes a problem when the child only performs well to receive a reward or when the reward is a material object. Another pitfall of the reward system is that it does not afford the student with a chance to see their work pay off, or a chance to develop an inner sense of pride. For example, Logan (1970) reports, â€Å"Although larger rewards lead to better performance, they do not lead to better learning† (p.193). An interview with Michelle Y.Show MoreRelatedThe Motivation Of Student Online Learning Affect Student Learning Satisfaction Using Self Determination Theory877 Words   |  4 Pagesstudy is to determine how the motivation of student in online learning affect student learning satisfaction using self-determination theory of motivation of graduate students of technology management program at the department of polytechnic studies of Southeast Missouri State University. Self-motivation is a necessary factor in both online and face to face classes. It is more important for online classes because there is no second person available in front of a student as in face to face classes.Read MoreResearch On Educational Psychology Assignment1585 Words   |  7 Pagestested. Different students unknowingly, or sometimes knowingly, utilize different theories since no two students are alike. Many teachers acknowledge that different students are motivated by different things, whether it be intrinsic e xtrinsic, self-efficacy or interest. Not only can gender and age differences affect motivation, but the student s self-efficacy and level of goal setting also affect the student s motivation. As a teacher, it has been noted that certain students are motivated to doRead MoreThe Role of the Teacher: Motivating the Learner Essay946 Words   |  4 Pageshis students with valuable and worthy lessons that would produce a favorable change in the life of the students. In order for the instruction to be effective, and in order for the change in the life of the students to be lifelong, the teacher must instill discipline and â€Å"make disciples† out of students. Since the law of apperception dictates that all learning depends on skills that were previously acquired, should a teacher succeed in instilling discipline in his students, then his students willRead MoreGoals Of An Educational Environment Essay1483 Words   |  6 Pagesan educational environment is to motivate students tow ard environmentally friendly behavior change. The need for student motivation in the high school setting is attributed to the fact that motivation creates positive experience, which helps in improving learning outcomes. Actually, students with positive experiences usually report better attitudes and increasingly positive expectations in their learning process. Through effective motivation of students, teachers and school administrators can closeRead MoreEffects Of Classroom On Student s Academic Performance1191 Words   |  5 Pages12C October 7,2014 Research Paper Title Introduction Students in college often state that they have boring or entertaining classes throughout their college experience. Although students take different classes and are in different faculties, there is always a common factor between classes that are boring. These boring classes often affect student’s academic performances in their respective specific classes. It is natural to assume that students are at fault for their poor academic performances, andRead MoreThe Importance Of Motivation On Education And Student Learning976 Words   |  4 PagesThe importance of motivation in education and student learning. No matter who you are, or your age, there is a desire housed within that seeks motivation, which in turn makes an individual work tirelessly to fulfill or satisfy that desire. Individuals possess the need to feel good about themselves which enhances their confidence in order to flourish. Not only do individuals possess motivation, they also have a desire to learn, but this can only be accomplished if an individual applies themselvesRead MoreRelationship Between The Big Five Personality Traits And Academic Motivation1136 Words   |  5 PagesPersonality Traits and Academic Motivation 13366876 School of Psychology Bond University THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY 2 The Relationship Between the Big Five Personality Traits and Academic Motivation: A Review of Personality and Individual Differences In this article, much is explained about the different learning styles, ways of achievement, and thinking patterns each individual has, but the main focus of it is on the academic motivation of the individual in predictingRead MoreIntroduction. In Contemporary Science Education, There1555 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction In contemporary science education, there are numerous issues presently faced by educators, students and science professionals. These include the misuse of information and communication technology, the depth of disciplinary action, the image of science pedagogy, student attitudes, the science curriculum ‘belonging to the past’, and the hardships of focusing on science as ‘an art’, rather than as an objective, logical method of pedagogy. (Appleton, 2013; McFarlane, 2013; Tytler, 2007)Read MoreFactors Affecting The Classroom Environment Essay1534 Words   |  7 Pagesidentify and discuss factors, which contribute to poor engagement in classrooms, drawing from the work of Wallace (2014). Galbraith (1990) (see Sogurno, 2015) perceives motivation as a concept that helps us to understand human behaviour and performance and as an unstable construct that cannot be directly measured or validated through the physical or natural sciences. Viewing motivation within the Further Education (FE) sector McMillan and Forsyth (1991 pg.39) define motivation as â€Å"purposeful engagementRead MoreThe Self-Determination Theory by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan1720 Words   |  7 PagesThe motivation of different individuals can vary for many reasons, two of those reasons can be internal and external factors. The internal factors are referred to as intrinsic motivators and the external factors are signified as extrinsic motivators. The Self-Determination Theory developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan is constructed on the basis of three distinctive psychological essentials, which include competence, relatedness, and autonomy (self-determination) (Moneta, 2004, p. 181). In order

King tuts tomb Free Essays

Egypt appointed pharaoh age 9 in 1334-1323 BC during period of â€Å"New Kingdom† Died at around 18 or 19 in 1352 B. C. Death unknown Located in the Valley of the Kings (upper Egypt west of Nile) – contains many tomb of kings from the New kingdom Howard Carter – worked In Egypt for 31 years before discovery, started at 17 copying wall scenes and inscriptions. We will write a custom essay sample on King tuts tomb or any similar topic only for you Order Now In 1907, George Herbert the 5th was the Earl of Canaan place in England (Lord Canaan) hired Howard Carter after his first season f searching for sites was unsuccessful. Canaan funded Carter’s whole excavation, and if it wasn’t for Lord Canaan, he would not have been able to fund it himself. They Discovered the Tomb on November 4th 1922. The tomb was Incredibly well Intact, which was quite astounding for them to see, because most others found were pretty well destroyed. It had over 3,500 objects in it and took around ten years to excavate and unveil because he took a photo, Drawer it, and catalogued it every single artifact Layout – antechamber largest room, found 6 dismantled chariots, animal couches, chests, bows and arrows, 2 large statues of the king guarding a sealed doorway everything was stored messily which indicated robbery probably by the guards Annex (like a storeroom) – smallest room contained more than half of tombs contents. Hundreds of reed baskets and pottery Jars, elaborate urns intricate designs and some royal furniture such as couches Burial chamber – only room with wall paintings. Here the kings sarcophagus (coffin) lay. There were 3 coffins making up the sarcophagus they all had faces on them. ND the lid alone weighed over 1 and a quarter tone. 4 shrines, took 4 months to dismantle, very brittle some parts weight almost a tone. He put off working on them for 4 years so he could work on the mummy. The mummy h ad over 143 Jewels and amulets on It or In the wrappings, gold mask, headdress, fake beard and gold hands. The body remains were actually burned away from the scented oils that were placed upon the body during burial Treasury – this was dominated by Tutankhamen canonic shrine which held all of his organs. A successful navigation of the Underworld will allow Tutankhamen to be welcomed into the Afterlife as an immortal. South Wall – The God-King welcomed to the Afterlife by Anabas god of embalming Hath, goddess of the west. Tutankhamen, who is now immortal, will begin the life-giving daily ritual. These paintings are significant because they show that TUTU as a Pharaoh and the society at the time were very religious and obviously had very strong beliefs in death and the underworld and they were very committed addressing death in the correct way. How to cite King tuts tomb, Papers

Croatia The Most Beautiful Place Ive Been To free essay sample

With the first breaths of spring, everyone heads to their favourite outdoor cafe to soak up the midday sun. On weekends, Maksimir Park in the east is a major destination for bikers, strollers and joggers. In the summer, everyone who doesn’t go to the coast scurries to Jarun Lake in the southwest to swim, boating and dance the night away in a lakeside disco. We booked in at a small accomodation for two nights not far from the airport and rented a car. In those two days we explored the city a little bit. We went to the unique blend of medieval towers, 19th century palaces, open-air markets, and ancient cathedrals . We then drove to Pula were my mom and I rarely survived. Rules on Croatian roads are the same as in the rest of Europe. Ride the right side. We got a little paranoid with my dads driving. We stayed in Pula for only one night because we could get on the yacht the next day. We will write a custom essay sample on Croatia: The Most Beautiful Place Ive Been To or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Pula we only went to see the amphitheatre called Pula Arena. Finally when we got on the yacht, we made our self at home and set corse to an island called Cres, stopping at small unknown towns along the way. At the island Cres I noticed the town has many shops where tourists can buy local specialties such as homemade olive oil and wine. The town is not made for cars, it is a walking city with narrow streets. Cres also has a marina nearby, which has been awarded the blue flag status, with many boats in it. Right next to Cres is an island called Krk. It is very similar to the island Cres, Except the fact that the nightlife at Cres is better, fun, and more alive. Before I knew it, we were back at Pula driving back to Zagreb. But I asked my father very politely to make two more stop before we go home. One of them is known for the smallest town in the world! called Hum. Not much going on there. The second stop was plitvice lakes national park. Most beautiful place ive ever seen! I havnt seen all the beauty of the amazing country, but I wish to return.

Wider Professional Practice Essay Example For Students

Wider Professional Practice Essay ASSIGNMENT UNIT 7 Wider professional practice 1 Write a critical reflection on the extent to which learning can contribute to the personal development, economic growth and community regeneration of your learners. 2 Write an analysis of how relevant government policies and initiatives impact on own role and teaching and learning within the Lifelong Learning Sector. 3 Provide extracts from their ongoing reflective journal to analyse and evaluate: Their understanding of the principles and processes of evaluation including its role in quality assurance. Their own application of evaluation processes, working with others and their use of data and other feedback for evaluation. 4 Have embedded equality of opportunity and respect for diversity within your teaching and learning practice. 5 Examine the impact of their own professional values and judgements on teaching and learning. INTRODUCTION This assignment will explore the ever expanding growth of government’s initiatives, programmes, and policies focusing attention on involving, engaging field of the post compulsory education sector, in particular the assignment shall focus on the key issues of government policies, core professional values and accountability within the Lifelong Learning Sector and how this impacts on the teachers, students and the community. We will write a custom essay on Wider Professional Practice specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Application and evaluation of quality assurance, quality improvement systems and improvement of one’s own professional practice shall be explored. Government’s policies have always and will always impact on the Lifelong Learning Sector (LLS). In 2003, Office for Standards in Education Children’s Services and Skills (OfSTED) highlighted a weakness and the government set about implementing a package of reforms. It noted that much of it was inappropriate for the particular skills that FE teachers were transmitting. Following this, the Foster and Leitch reviews both emphasised the need to improve the reputation of further education colleges and, by extension, the need to raise the reputation of their teaching forces. One such reform ‘Equipping our Teachers for the Future’ was to change the quality of teacher training and introduce a new offer for trainee teachers, leading to a new QTLS award – Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills. The QTLS, a level 5 qualification, will be awarded by the Institute for Learning (IFL). Diploma in Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) was born. Until this point in the Further Education (FE) history no qualification needed to be attained. Although the majority of people teaching in further education colleges have been qualified, there has been an absence of qualifications among people teaching vocational skills. The application of the above reform means that anyone delivering further education provision through a contract with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) must ensure all trainers, tutors and teachers are registered with the IFL. The IFL has issued a ‘Code of Practice’, the code has seven parts: professional integrity; respecting the rights of learners and colleagues (prohibiting discrimination in areas such as race, disability, gender); taking reasonable care to ensure safety and welfare of learners; professional practice (individuals must prove theyre conforming to IfLs requirement for continuous professional development); disclosure of criminal offences; showing responsibility during any investigation; and abiding by IfL membership conditions (http://www. fl. ac. uk/professional-standards/code-of-professional-practice, 2009) Within the code there is an obligation for QTLS to complete professional practice in the remit of Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The online record will provide evidence that the QTLS is coping positively with change by constantly updating their skill set, thus, the QTLS shall be more productive and efficient. The expectation is that all teachers registered with the IFL shall carry out at least 30 hours a year of CPD. By reflection the CPD will help teachers to consciously apply learning to their role. CPD can be time exhaustive and an expensive outlay. For many teachers that are self-employed teachers/trainers they don’t have the luxury of being able to send their CPD invoices to someone else to pay. We may even see in the future employed teachers picking up the tab for their continued training expenses in the future. What ways might there be to lighten the financial burden on individuals prepared to invest in developing their professional skills? Currently, self-employed individuals can claim tax relief on training expenses provided they can demonstrate that the courses they have attended are pertinent to the business they are in. However, a self-employed teacher/trainer can not invoice ones self for time spent completing the IFL on-line REfLECT to support their professional practice. Within the remit of providing an educational service to companies, customers are putting an emphasis on needing a more skilled workforce which will hopefully meet the ever-higher skills demands of business. To stay marketable in the climate of an economic crisis that England is faced with, achieving the QTLS is imperative for self employed teachers. Prospective customers that receive funding from the Learning Skills Council (LSC) are now expected to have a QTLS to deliver the educational needs. The LSC are highlighting the importance of qualified teachers delivering the training needs, there focus is about employers’ needs, driving up quality, reforming funding and improving efficiency. The LSC believe that students deserve teachers and trainers who are both expert in their subject(s) and skilled at teaching. .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b , .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .postImageUrl , .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b , .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b:hover , .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b:visited , .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b:active { border:0!important; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b:active , .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u11992a4529d6f2375f40f5c1d5550f7b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Summary and Critique of â€Å"Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem†The Department for Education and Schools (DfES) strategy Success for All recognises that professional, skilled and qualified teachers are essential and that the learning and skills sector must attract, motivate and retain teachers. With the implication that companies will now have to put their trainers/teachers through the qualification in order to secure funding via the LSC will organisations deterred from contracting to deliver learning? A recent article in the IFL (issue 1) touches on the subject of professionalism and professional bodies. The article invited thought on the distinction between the name of a thing and the description of an approach. The question: ‘Are you professional? ’ Ironically, there has been call that teachers in FE attain the ‘license to practice’ so that they are on a par with school teachers. The introduction of new standards, quality assurance and planning arrangements for initial teacher training were set out after OfSTED highlighted ‘insufficient initial assessment, monitoring and specialist support for college teaching staff’. To achieve the golden kudos of QTLS means either two to three years of studying. It feels all too fascicle in the next breath that the Labour government initiative, which is part of Labours public service reforms, will from September halve the minimum time it takes to train as a qualified teacher in England from a year to six months. Is this not insulting to teachers in FE whom have studied hard and reflected on the world of LLS and that are still not remunerated to school teacher’s pay packets? MP Jim Knight stated in the Times newspaper (http://www. timesonline. co. k) that ‘bankers would probably be excellent mathematicians’ and in light of the economic crisis in the banking world the news of fast track teaching is a fantastic opportunity. No wonder teachers and their union leaders are slamming down their pencils in a hissy fit. Who can blame us? In one breath the government is striving for professionalism in the education sector and in the next, well, are they hell bent on the erosion of the credibility of teachers and all they stand for? Also, what happens when failed bankers that are fast-tracked into teaching if the financial market picks up again in a few years time. Bankers do not always have the skills, personality or values for a career in teaching. Although there are obviously exceptions, these brilliant whizz kids should be judged on the same standards and have the same opportunities as everyone else. Legislation, legislation, legislation or was that Education, education, education? Many aspects of health and social care are subject to legislation. New legal requirements emerge constantly and the government seeks to improve health and social care, often through the introduction of ystems to set standards and to control or modify service provision. Legislation also affects service provision through legislation relating to employment, health and safety and use of public funding through related services such as education. Political factors also influence the ways that which services are offered. The legal framework for the social care sector has changed considerably since 2000, and there are now specific minimum requirements for qualifications and training in all areas. Current legal requirements for training in social care stem primarily from the introduction of the Care Standards Act 2000(http://www. cqc. org. uk/). This was introduced in response to many concerns about the quality of care being provided in all types of organisations. More detailed legislation was then introduced in a number of related sector-specific Regulations, after which National Minimum Standards (NMSs) were published by the Department of Health and it is these that contain the details of the training and quality assurance, systems and procedures. Sociological factors in the Health and Social industry, demographic and lifestyle elements can alter the needs of the community and successful employment into the industry. As the population ages, this impacts enormously on this sector, both in terms of the workforce and the services provided. Recruitment to the sector has proven difficult of a variety of reasons, but for young people in particular, the lack of ‘work readiness’ skills are a common issue. The Leitch review of skills predicted that the number of low-skilled jobs would decline dramatically over the next few years, thus, reducing the number of young people who are NEET (not in any form of education). Employment or training is about making sure that young people particularly 16- and 17-year-olds remain in education and training to get the skills and qualifications they need to thrive in the  economy, and that they make a successful transition to further education or employment at age 18. 4-19 Education is a huge area of ever growing interest fortunately. The White Paper ’14-19 Education and Skills, which was the government’s response of 2004 to the Tomlinson Report implemented the young people should be leaving full time education with competency in English and Maths, that vocational options are improved, that academic qualifications offer a suitable stretch to motivate learners. The diplomas re designed with input from employers; the qualification combi nes theoretical study with real work situations and develops skills highly valued by employers and universities. It has been designed to develop future employees for the children and young people’s workforce, health, community justice and adult social care sectors, giving the students an insight into the world of work and helping them to make informed decisions about their future careers. .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b , .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .postImageUrl , .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b , .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b:hover , .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b:visited , .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b:active { border:0!important; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b:active , .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u90ccf23cfffd3a7e2156554d5003420b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: XDSL Technology EssayThe demand on healthcare professionals will continue to be very strong, particularly at support worker level. It is anticipated that 200,000 additional jobs will be created by 2014 (UKHCA). The skills gained from completing a 14-19 diploma within the sector are transferrable: Literacy, numeracy, languages, ICT, good listening skills, non judgemental attitudes, team working, ability to communicate complex information, empathy and the ability to put people at ease, customer focus and handling, leadership and problem solving. One of the foreseeable problems in the Care Sector with the 14-19 diplomas is age limitations. For example, the General Social Care Council (GSCC) states that personal care should only be performed by 18 years old plus. So that in mind, will the diploma encompass the full package, especially the intrinsic personal care? However it is important that young people have some exposure to the real work place and develop a basic understanding of what is required of them in that environment. Teachers/trainers working with this age group will now have be more creative, especially as most have come into the industry to teach adults as opposed to teenagers. The pressure is on to evaluate the possible impact on one’s teaching ability. Evaluation normally focuses around the training room and normally the perception of what the student has learnt and their experience of the teaching. Within the social care sector the evaluation has become more structured and accountable. External evaluation and auditing of teaching is now a common place, with governing bodies such as Care Quality Commission (CQC), Health and Safety Executives (HSE) and OfSTED. The bodies are examining the training in terms of how it is equipping the workforce with required knowledge, values and skills that will attribute to the goals of the organisation. The teachers/trainers are now under more scrutiny, which can only be a positive, to see if they are facilitating effect learning and engaging all learners. The process of evaluation brings quality to an organisation. Establishing a clear evaluation process is a catalyst for change. An easy example is Kolb Experimental Cycle; that is, to identify needs or experience, reflect on them, analyse them, and decide on future action. Future action leads to a teacher/trainer improving their own professional practice, the power of reflective practice is important to the development of all professionals not just teachers as it enables us to learn from our experiences. Developing reflective practice means developing ways of reviewing our own teachings so that it becomes a routine and a process by which we might continuously develop. An implication of this is that the professional values and personal commitment of a teacher should have an integral relationship and understanding and professional skills and abilities. But entering the profession now requires a level of dedication. As a teacher entering the LLS accountability needs to be applied when teaching to ensure equal support is given to all learners. Conclusion I have come to realise that through the requirement of the IFL to complete a annual CPD of 30 hours can only be have a positive impact on the world of post compulsory education. There must be accountability on the part of the teachers of the future and an obligation to the students. It is evident that a comprehensive knowledge of one’s subject is not enough to get by in the world of teaching anymore. Teachers, like doctors, should be accountable and should have a public duty. I have always thought that a good teacher/trainer is someone who can impart information onto their learners but I now see that it takes a lot more than just that. I also think just as I’ll get my head around an aspect or legislation and it will change as does the seasons! But after all it’s all about development and education, education, education! I think the way forward is to; combine vocational and academic qualifications, gains as many qualifications as possible throughout their career as some only have a short shelf life with the exception of the degrees of course. Continuous professional development is here to stay!! Word 2445 Bibliography http://www. timesonline. co. uk (accessed 1/05/09) http://www. ifl. ac. uk/professional-standards/code-of-professional-practice, (Accessed 30/05/2009) http://www. lsc. gov. uk (accessed 1/06/09) http://www. ofsted. gov. uk (accessed 3/06/09) http://publications. dcsf. gov. uk (accessed 5/06/09) http://www. cqc. org. uk/guidanceforprofessionals/socialcare/careproviders/guidance. (accessed 5/06/09) http://www. ukhca. co. uk/pdfs/homecarer_previous. pdf(accessed 6/06/09)

Summer Word List for Writing Prompts or Worksheets

Summer Word List for Writing Prompts or Worksheets Children can forget a lot over the long summer vacation, which can last up to three months. To keep their skills fresh, help them retain what they have learned, and get them ready for the next school year, give them over-the-summer assignments containing summer-related words. Matching vocabulary to the fun summer vacation activities and topics will heighten student interest. Use this summer word list to create many summer activities such as worksheets, writing prompts, word walls, word searches, journal writing, and mini lists for students to memorize, either as sight words or using flashcards. The words are grouped in sections by alphabetical order to make it easier to find just the vocabulary you are seeking. Air Conditioning to Cooler Summer months tend to be hot, so terms like air conditioning and cooler are sure to be on students minds. But, there are also fun words associated with the season, such as amusement parks, baseball, beach, and berries- which are all prevalent during the summer.   Use these terms to create a  summer word search or crossword puzzle. The linked example printables can give you ideas and help get you started, or use the free worksheets, which contain some of the words on this list as well as other summer-related terms. Air ConditioningAmusement ParkApplesAugustBackpackBallBaseballBeachBerriesBucketCampingCarnivalCooler Daisy to Grasshoppers Kids love plants and insects, so tie these words in to  free science printables, which cover those topics as well as oceanography-related terms. Or use patriotic words, such as Fourth of July and flag, as writing prompts. Instruct students to write a short paragraph or essay (depending on their ages and ability levels) on what they plan to do on the Fourth of July or what the American flag represents and why they think its important. Alternatively, have students maintain a small garden (with their parents help) and keep a daily or weekly journal about their experiences. Who knows? They may even see a grasshopper or two along the way. DaisyDivingFamilyFarmFerris wheelFlagFlowersFourth of JulyFriendsFrisbeeGamesGardenGatheringsGrassGrasshoppers Hat to Shovel Use any or all of the words in this section to create a word wall. Type or print the words in big, bold letters on sheets of construction paper, and hang the words at various locations throughout the class, or create a bulletin board dedicated to these terms. Have each student draw a picture related to an assigned word, or have each of your older students write a paragraph about an assigned word or two. HatHikingHolidayHotHumidIce CreamJoyJulyJuly FourthJuneLightningOceanOutdoorsOutsideParkPicnicPlayingPopsicleRelaxRoseSandalsSandcastleSeaSeashoreSeasonShortsShovel Sidewalk Chalk to Zoo Buy some sidewalk chalk; then have students go outside and draw a picture of one of the assigned words or a scene featuring several words. (Make sure you get the principals permission first.) You can have students do this individually or in groups. Then, take pictures using smartphones, go back inside (or find a nice shady spot), and discuss the scenes or images students have drawn. Send the list of words in this section home with students and ask them to write a short paragraph over the summer using some of the words, based on the activities they participated in during the season. Students are sure to come back in the fall, excited to share their stories, which include their summer words. Sidewalk ChalkSnorkelSportsStarsStrawberriesSummerSunSunburnSundressSunflowerSunglassesSunhatSunnySunscreenSwimSwim TrunksSwimsuitTanThunderThunderstormTravelTripTubeVacationVisitWater ParkWater skiWatermelonWavesZoo

Book Report The Corona Project by Curtis Peebles

CORONA Project: Curtis Peebles, the first US spy satellite, provides readers with new decoding information on how the first American satellite was used for information gathering. Through his book Corona Project: America 's First Spy Satellite, the author provides details on the birth of the satellite program by observing the Corona project from the late 1940' s until project declassification and project exhibition. information. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Curtis Peebles starts with the basics and makes it easier to understand somewhat complicated programs by building readers' knowledge about what is currently shown in the text. It is not just a corona project. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Peebles led readers to the government sector to undertake an internal review of the decision-making process of the President and other major public directors. One of the most impressive parts of this book is reference to Peebles' long-standing personal memos and dialogue by project personnel. A hand-held snapshot collected by the author, depicting individual engineers and other persons involved in the project. More personalized accessories for project related personnel Curtis Peebles provides readers with new decryption information on how to use the first US satellites for information gathering. Through his book Corona Project: America 's First Spy Satellite, the author provides details on the birth of the satellite program by observing the Corona project from the late 1940' s until project declassification and project exhibition. information. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The main driving force of the project came from the launch of Sputnik I. As the Soviet Union seems to be far away, the authors explain how the project was robbed by the Air Force. They did not use WS - 117L for the development of corona satellites and handed the duties to the CIA It was. The goal that Peebles break the history of Corona project was achieved. I have foun d that this information is very rich and sometimes a bit overwhelming, but it is not difficult to understand. From various camera lenses to the overall success of the Corona project, the author has successfully demonstrated the detailed history of the project and the tasks performed by the satellite. As an image analyst, I found that the information provided by the satellite function is completely attractive. Only one runway can be identified from the start of the plan, and just ten years later you can count the aircraft on the runway. The big achievement of this project over the 12 years is definitely improved resolution from 40 feet to 6 feet (though it will be 2 feet). This kind of progress, nearly 300% improvement has never been experienced in such a short time.

American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

American Revolution - Essay Example Ramsay feels that the power of constitutional amendment is a great political innovation because through it people are able to make changes in the laws enshrined in the Constitution. The power of constitutional amendment in America will also help in ending all sorts of oppression.2) Why does Winthrop believe that a bill of rights is in the Constitution? Winthrop argues that the bill of rights is important in constitution making. He believes that the bill of rights helps in proper and efficient legislation since civil rights and freedom are respected during legislation. The bill of rights ensures the protection of minority in a republic. The protection also ensures equity in power sharing and inclusion of minorities in decision-making.3) How do Ramsay and Winthrop differ concerning how the principle of representation operates in the United States?Ramsay and Winthrop tend to differ regarding the operation of the American principle of presentation. Ramsay argues that the people determine the activities of the arms of the legislative body (Ramsay 176). The people elect the representatives who have good interests, while Winthrop argues that it is not possible for different states to come together and allow administration by one legislative system. He says this may lead to an oppressive rule (Tyranny) since large states will want to dominate the administrative system. Many states have suffered negative impact such as the Spanish provinces that collapsed due to improper administration.

Web Accessibility Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Web Accessibility Standards - Essay Example These standards provide the parameter, to make a place, website etc more easily accessible to people with disabilities. However, the standards are not same for every aspect of life that is to be made more accessible. The accessibility standards are different for physical structure and for the electronic structure like websites because the accessibility need for both is different. The focus of web accessibility is primarily on two issues first being the means of assessing electronic information by disabled users and the second being the good collaborative function of assistive devices on the web pages (Moss, pp. 23-25). In this regard, â€Å"Web Accessibility Initiative† provides guidelines known as â€Å"Web Content Accessibility Guidelines† (Moss, pp. 22-23). To date, two guidelines have been published known as â€Å"WCAG 1.0† in 1999 and â€Å"WCAG 2.0† in 2008 (Moss, pp. 24-26). The latest set of guidelines i.e. â€Å"WCAG 2.0† is an improved version, which unlike the previous version uses simple language and real-world examples so that the guidelines are simple to understand. This document has eliminated some previous out of date version guidelines like: Although no development has been made in term of accessibility, considerations and they represent old issues. However, the five most important accessibility considerations, which the web developer is to keep in his mind while designing and modifying any website are: Rich media content accessibility: Rich media like audio and video content is to be made accessible to all. Addition of transcripts and separate narrative track to the rich media help in it to be more accessible. Navigation: As mostly navigation system is based on graphics, making the image accessible will make navigation assessable right away. Use of access key and table index helps improve keyboard navigation.

Early Childhood Website Critique Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Website Critique Essay Earlychildhood. com is a website that provides an ample amount of information on providing the proper care and educating young kids at a low cost. This site offers teachers, caregivers and parents ideas and concepts related to child development. Moreover, the early development stages are the most crucial time for children because this is the point when they get a chance to explore the things that surround them. More so, the guardians of these children must be responsible and knowledgeable enough to gear them towards the right direction. There is a comprehensive collection of date incorporated in this website which is comprised of tips on where to buy discounted school supplies, sources for childcare, forum about enhancing the learning environment and many others. Overall, this site is like a one-stop shop for those who want to know everything about child development from learning materials to scholarly resources to the opinions or words of wisdom from fellow teachers, caregivers and parents. Among all the sections featured in the site, the Discount School Supply was the one that caught my attention. It contains a list of equipment and materials needed in educating children. Additionally, it is a 500 pages online catalogue of â€Å"arts and crafts materials for early learners with a single focus which is to offer the highest quality products at the lowest possible cost supported by an extraordinary level of service. † Also, another aspect of this section that suggests high-quality products and services is the inclusion of â€Å"e-commerce websites, a news magazine and thousands of arts and crafts materials, school supplies, educational toys and instructional materials† wherein most of these were designed for earlychildhood. com (Earlychildhood. com, 2008). I believe that this part of the website can really help in giving teachers, caregivers and parents awareness on the variety of learning products out in the market. More so, it provides free delivery to all the products that will be ordered making it an inexpensive and yet practical way of acquiring resources which are usually expensively priced, to enhance the development and progress of children. Meanwhile, in terms of strengths and weaknesses of the site, there are features that have advanced the objective of website and there were also missing elements that would have made the look of the site more professional and more interesting. For the strengths, the site had tackled the different aspects needed to properly and successfully teach adults about the significance child development for the welfare of the children. Also, the websites or the sections embedded within Earlychildhood. com were well-structured and the contents were highly-informative and very helpful to the readers. Meanwhile, for the weakness of the site, the layout of the main page was not systematically arranged and some vital information was excluded such as the background information about the site and the people behind it. In addition, it should have a site map in order for the readers or viewers to easily navigate the entire website. If these things are addressed by the website coordinator or designer, Earlychildhood. com can provide a trouble-free access to all those who want to see and obtain helpful information about proper childcare. Furthermore, this website can serve as a reliable source for a research that involves childcare and child development. It has all the necessary facts and information including current news, teaching modules, learning materials, scholarly articles and recommendations from professional or people working within the field. Through all of these, collection and dissemination of information will be uncomplicated which is very beneficial when doing research. References Earlychildhood. com. (2008). Discount School Supply. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from http://www. discountschoolsupply. com/Help/HelpFAQTopic. aspx? help_faq_id=25

Shakespeare :: essays research papers

SCENE II. Paris. The KING's palace. Flourish of cornets. Enter the KING of France, with letters, and divers Attendants KING The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears; Have fought with equal fortune and continue A braving war. First Lord So 'tis reported, sir. KING Nay, 'tis most credible; we here received it A certainty, vouch'd from our cousin Austria, With caution that the Florentine will move us For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend Prejudicates the business and would seem To have us make denial. First Lord His love and wisdom, Approved so to your majesty, may plead For amplest credence. KING He hath arm'd our answer, And Florence is denied before he comes: Yet, for our gentlemen that mean to see The Tuscan service, freely have they leave To stand on either part. Second Lord It well may serve A nursery to our gentry, who are sick For breathing and exploit. KING What's he comes here? Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES First Lord It is the Count Rousillon, my good lord, Young Bertram. KING Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face; Frank nature, rather curious than in haste, Hath well composed thee. Thy father's moral parts Mayst thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris. BERTRAM My thanks and duty are your majesty's. KING I would I had that corporal soundness now, As when thy father and myself in friendship First tried our soldiership! He did look far Into the service of the time and was Discipled of the bravest: he lasted long; But on us both did haggish age steal on And wore us out of act. It much repairs me To talk of your good father. In his youth He had the wit which I can well observe To-day in our young lords; but they may jest Till their own scorn return to them unnoted Ere they can hide their levity in honour; So like a courtier, contempt nor bitterness Were in his pride or sharpness; if they were, His equal had awaked them, and his honour, Clock to itself, knew the true minute when Exception bid him speak, and at this time His tongue obey'd his hand: who were below him He used as creatures of another place And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks, Making them proud of his humility, In their poor praise he humbled. Such a man Might be a copy to these younger times; Which, follow'd well, would demonstrate them now But goers backward. BERTRAM His good remembrance, sir, Lies richer in your thoughts than on his tomb; So in approof lives not his epitaph As in your royal speech. KING Would I were with him! He would always say-- Methinks I hear him now; his plausive words He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them,

Caca pupu

They will record all personal information such address, height, weight, physical characteristics and much more. The next step, after processing the delinquent, is to place a bail or bond on the person. In Ms. Watson case, she will probably have to wait to see the Judge the next morning to determine whether or not placing a bail or bond on her is an alternative. This decision often depends on the severity of the crime. After the bail or bond has been placed, it will be followed by the arraignment. An arraignment is the first appearance an offender will have in court.It is here where they go from being a suspect to being a defendant in a criminal case. During the arraignment, the Judge reads the criminal charges bestowed upon the offender, and makes sure the offender understand them. If at that moment the accused does not have a lawyer, present or hired, the Judge will offer to provide one appointed by the court. In our case of study, during this audience Ms. Watson will be told that s he is being charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent of distribute, and the Judge will ask her if she understands the charges.The arraignment is followed by the plea bargaining. As we studied during the course of this class and, in my case in particular, in my mini paper 2, about 95% of cases are disposed by plea bargaining every year. In this case Ms. Watson has the opportunity to plea bargaining to lesser he charges; however, for the purpose of this paper I will state that Ms. Watson does not wish to plea bargaining and request criminal trial. After plea bargaining, comes the preliminary hearing. In this process, the prosecutor tries to convince the Judge that there is enough evidence to demonstrate that a crime was committed.It is at this stage of the case when the prosecutor will prove to the Judge that Ms. Watson committed the crime of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. A criminal trial follows after the preliminary hearing has taken place. If Ms. Watson is not satisfied with any plea deals offered to her, she would go to a criminal trial where a Jury decides her fate. During the course of this trail the prosecution must prove beyond any reasonable doubt to the Jury that Ms. Watson committed the crime.The last step in the process is the sentencing. If an offender plead guilty or was found guilty by a Jury, he or she will be sentenced according to the severity of the crime committed. Here is where Ms. Watson will be sentenced for committing the crime of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The mandatory minimum sentences pertaining to federal narcotics locations have been object of many criticisms. In 1991 the United States Sentencing Commission released a document with the mandatory minimum requirements.The statutes described in the aforementioned document were widely criticized because they were considered unjustifiable in some cases were the offender had minimum participation a nd were barely over the statutory floor (Lynch, 2001). However, in this particular study case, is demonstrated that Ms. Watson was part of a crime that triggered a five to ten year mandatory minimum because she was in possession of a significant amount of cocaine. The sentence that Ms. Watson will probably receive is institutionalizing. A charge of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute is a very serious offence in all the states of the U.S. We have to consider many factors for this charge and sentence, such as the criminal history of the offender, the possibility of someone getting hurt, the psychological background of the accused and others. Because Ms. Watson already had a warrant for her arrest, which makes us think that she had a criminal history, I believe that she should receive a sentence of seven to ten years in prison without the possibility of parole. Crack cocaine is lassie as a Schedule II drug, which means it is highly addictive. Thousands of Americans d ie each year because of this drug, especially young people.How can we expect someone to reenter society or reduce recidivism if we don't help them gain a helpful skill before they are released from prison? Most of the inmate population originates from the lowest social strata of the country, and have only experienced low quality education, poverty, substance abuse, mental health and many other social issues. If we invest time and reform the educational programs offered in the prison system, we could improve rehabilitation outcomes and as a consequence the number of recidivism cases will drop drastically.Making a mistake is human, rehabilitating someone and preventing them from going back to prison is wise. What's the strongest link in the criminal Justice system? I think that plea bargaining is the strongest link of the criminal Justice system. Because new state and federal laws have hardened sentencing for criminals, prosecutors have gained greater power to get guilty pleas from de fendants, and reduce the number of cases that go to trial. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2003 there were 75,573 cases disposed of in federal district court by trial or plea. Of these, about 95 percent were disposed by plea bargaining.While there are no exact estimates of the proportion of cases that are resolved through plea bargaining, scholars estimate that about 90 to 95 percent of both federal and state court cases are resolved through this process (Divers, 2011, p. 3). It is an effective system when dealing with overcrowded courts, and the lengthy expensive processes. Besides, prosecutorial discretion usually finds a way to avoid dramatic injustices. During the course of this class I learned a lot about the American criminal Justice system. I could understand a little better the complexity of the system as a whole.

Elements Of Irony In Native Son Essay

Elements of Irony in Native Son Native Son paints a disturbing, harsh picture of life within the â€Å"Black Belt† of Chicago in the 1940s. Wright uses irony; sometimes subtly and at other times obviously to shape the view of the reader and as a foreshadowing mechanism. From our initial scene to Bigger’s death, the technique of irony employed by Wright is effective, and devastating. Our initial symbol which foreshadows the fate of our protagonist is the â€Å"huge black rat† (5). The rat represents the feelings which Wright explores within Bigger. The rat is killed right away, before it really has a chance, yet it is able to attack Bigger before it is destroyed. By attacking instead of fleeing, the rat is caught and destroyed, much like Bigger as the novel progresses. Much like the rat, Bigger teeters between the predatory (the initial response to the rat) and the hunted (the rat as killed by Bigger). The fact that the rat is destroyed by Bigger makes this scene even more ironic. The idea of blindness permeates the novel in several ways. We can see the psychological and emotional blindness of Bigger, the blindness to reality by the hyper-religious Ma, and the blindness to the real role and ideals of the Communist party by both Jan and Mary. Perhaps the best use of irony is the physical blindness of Mrs. Dalton. Mrs. Dalton is the epitome of blind; she has very sensitive senses (she notices the smell of alcohol in Mary’s room, saying: â€Å"You’re dead drunk! You stink with whiskey! † (86)) but she is unable to see Bigger killing her daughter. Her extra sensitive hearing and lack of sight give Bigger the reason and opportunity to smother Mary. Yet, the true irony falls into the situation surrounding Mr. and Mrs. Dalton’s participation with groups such as the NAACP. While they believe that contributions of ping pong tables to inner city youth will help, their insulting charity to Bigger, coupled with Mr. Dalton’s excessive rent charges, ultimately causes the death of their daughter. Bigger is the most ironic element of the entire novel. From his name, we expect this character to make something out of himself, to escape from the ghettoes of Chicago and end up rich, successful and important. Wright does not allow this. The idea that Bigger will be destroyed is planted into his own head and into the readers right away. The naming of this character is a clever device utilized by Wright, though it’s irony is bitter. Bigger is not ironic simply due to his name. His actions also represent a sort of sick irony. Perhaps the saddest, sickest display of this is the rape of Bessie. While we are uncertain, and it would be impossible to prove that Bigger raped Mary prior to killing and decapitating her, by raping and murdering Bessie, a portrait of Bigger as the violent monster is created. This is important because it not only shapes the view of the public within the novel, but also that of the reader. Wright changes the tone stating: â€Å"He had done this. He had brought all this about† (239). Wright seems to do this for a reason, to illustrate how easy it is for the opinion of Bigger to shift, but also to show what a man is capable of when it is expected of him. The irony is that Bigger has, in effect, done himself in by murdering and raping Bessie. He believes that by killing her and tossing her body down the air shaft he shall escape, though just the opposite occurs. Ma represents a religious and foreshadowing irony that follows her character throughout Native Son. When she warns Bigger that â€Å"the gallows is at the end of the road [he] is traveling†, she is foreshadowing the fate of her son by the end of the novel (9). She tells Bigger to acknowledge his manhood by killing (the rat), which manifests into his killing Bessie. Through religion, however, we see the most obvious and devastating irony represented by Ma. She attempts to pray for the soul of her son, and gives him a wooden cross to wear around his neck. This cross, particularly due to its construction, appears identical to the burning cross of the Klu Klux Klan which Bigger sees out his jail cell window. Ma has effectively turned Bigger away from Christianity forever, in spite of her desire to do nothing other than save her son’s soul. Bigger ends up feeling that he â€Å"can die without a cross.. . [that he] ain’t got no soul! † (338) Irony follows Bigger throughout his life, and ultimately in his death. The introduction of Boris A. Max in Native Son represents a change; this is the first time Bigger has been able to explore some of his feelings, and with a white Jewish man! It is important to look at Max as a Communist and a Jew, because this makes him suspect in the eyes of popular opinion. Max is able to ask Bigger questions which are uncomfortable, but which make him think, which finally make him a man. Max states: â€Å"You’re human, Bigger† (424). This is the only time that anyone really says anything of this sort to Bigger. Bigger recognizes this and makes point of it, ironically, as he is about to be put to death. It is a difficult and important change which Wright employs at this point. Bigger Thomas was doomed from the beginning of the novel. We could see this foreshadowed by the rat, we could quickly sense the irony in his name and his very being. The world in which Bigger Thomas lived was cruel, unyielding in its destruction. We learn early that Bigger could not beat his fate, and we can see this in David Buckley. The district attorney is able to defeat Bigger and gain public acceptance by putting him to death. There is an ironic twist, if we look back to the beginning of the novel. We can see Bigger reading a sign with Buckley’s picture and the slogan, â€Å"YOU CAN’T WIN! † (13). Sadly, we find this to be true, with Bigger Thomas’s death by the novel’s end. Work Cited Wright, Richard. Native Son.

5 interview questions you shouldn’t ask potential employees

5 interview questions you shouldn’t ask potential employees We talk a lot about what questions interviewees should be prepared to answer, but what if you’re on the other side of that equation? Are there any danger zone questions (or just plain ineffective) questions you shouldn’t ask? There definitely are, and they range from inappropriate to downright illegal. Let’s look at some of them. 1. How old are you?Age is always a no-no in an interview. Even if the interviewee mentions it themselves or you can deduce the age based on their resume, you can’t ask about it or use it as a factor in the hiring decision. Per the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), it’s illegal to use age as a discriminating factor in hiring. So by mentioning age, you’re opening the door to potential legal consequences for your company- whether you’re just making small talk or not.2. Are you married/do you have kids?Again, illegal, even if it’s just small talk. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) forbids using gender or family status as an element in hiring someone for a role. A question about family status could make the interviewee think you’re fishing to see if she is planning to take maternity leave, or a question about marriage could make the interviewee think you’re trying to determine sexual orientation. It’s best to leave it alone and find other ways to make small talk. And you don’t want to risk making the interviewee feel uncomfortable about having to discuss personal issues. It’s better all around to keep discussion limited to professional areas.3. If You Were a [blank], what kind of [blank] would you be?This one isn’t illegal, by any stretch. It’s just not a very useful or effective interview question. Knowing which kind of tree the interviewer identifies with or which former member of One Direction they’d like to be doesn’t tell you much of anything about how they’d approach the job at hand. Whenever possible, you should avoid filler questions like these.4. What’s your salary history?What a candidate made before is largely immaterial to what they’d make at your company, unless you’re trying to take the easy way out and determine how low you can go, salary-wise. Either way, it’s not a terribly appropriate or relevant thing to ask someone who’s applying for a specific job. It could put the interviewee on the defensive and steer the conversation away from the job itself.5. What’s your biggest weakness?If you ask this, you’re not going to get a 100% truthful answer. Candidates are on to this game, so you’re going to get an answer with spin on it. No one is going to say â€Å"Yeah, I’m just not good at motivating myself to get work done in the morning† or â€Å"I make a lot of careless mistakes.† And does the spin answer like â€Å"I am too much of a perfectionist† really help you make this hiring decision?When you’re the interviewer and have all the power, it’s important to make sure you’re making a good faith effort to ask the right questions to get someone hired. The last thing you want to do is open legal cans of worms for your company or ask questions that just don’t tell you much about the person you’re hiring to fill this job. Learning to become a great interviewer is just as much a skill as learning to become a great interviewee, and the more you work on what to avoid, the more effective you’ll be.

IP2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

IP2 - Essay Example It includes use of demographic methods (such as gender or age), socio-economics (such as income levels or social class) and geographic location (often using sophisticated zip code or postal systems). Psychological include using customer attitudes and perceptions, the lifestyles of customers and the types of benefits customers seek from products and brands and their consumption choices (Baines, Fill, and Page 232). Behavioral criteria involve use of behavioral constructs such as product usage, purchase, and ownership to segment consumer markets. With the increasing sophistication of laundry detergent buyers we shall segment our market into two: (1) low-income, playschool parents – who have children younger than four years old, who purchase their laundry detergents at supermarkets or convenience stores. The laundry detergent will be for washing children wear. (2) The second target market shares all attributes with (1) except in this case we will be targeting primary school parents, who have children between ages 5 – 9 years. Young parents are high users of laundry detergents because of the need to keep their children, who change clothes at least twice a day, clean. Though this market segment tends to be loyal to their brands, we are targeting the low-income parents who are much keener than their high-income counterparts to try out new offerings. Though we may have to put a low price on our products to satisfy the low-income market, we anticipate high volumes because this demographic group tends to have more children than the high income counterparts. Our target market (2) will also feed from target market (1) as the children grow and their parents become loyal to our brand. Our biggest competitor shall be Procter & Gamble’s Dreft and Ivory Snow. Dreft’s value proposition is that it â€Å"helps remove tough baby stains, pediatrician recommended and the first choice of mothers

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 50

Ethics - Essay Example One of the common unethical practices in retailing is lack of honesty. Lack of honesty is unethical because when a business man or woman fails to be honest to his/her employees and customers, it will highly affect their trust. Most clients like to trust the people who give them the products they need, and when a retailer fails to be honest, most of them tend to run away from the retailer (Robinson, 2009). Most customers question the ethics of their retailers and, therefore, it is vital for the retailers to be honest to their customers. Dishonesty is an unethical practice in retailing and it comes with consequences. First of all, lack of honesty in a business can lead to the loss of customers. For instance, many customers will run away from a dishonest retailer because they cannot trust him/her anymore. In addition, it can affect the business’ economic stability especially when customers are gone because of lack of honesty. Unethical sales practices such as dishonesty can also cost the employees and the community at large. Most employees will always leave after they realize the management of the employers are not honest with their clients. Employees will be happy if the employer is honest with them because retail business plays a vital role in the lives of the people in the community. Dishonesty in retailing can lead to legal consequences and possible lawsuits. Whysall (2009) highlights a case where a customer was sold a counterfeit electronic product. The retailer had stocked counterfeit Sony items intentionally. Upon realization, the customer filed a law suit that he was deceived prior to the transaction (Whysall, 2000). In the legal proceedings, the retailer was found for guilty for malpractice and counterfeiting. The retailer’s permit to operate was revoked. In addition, the customer was compensated in full for the money spent

The significance of cross-cultural negotiation skills for the success Essay

The significance of cross-cultural negotiation skills for the success of international mergers and alliances - Essay Example This is where the term ’cross-cultural’ acquires significance in discussing negotiating skills essential for the success of international mergers and more specifically for success in acquisitions and alliances. More often than not, mergers and acquisitions are types of corporate businesses which amalgamate to form one single legal entity. The word alliance may cover activities like joint ventures, technology sharing agreements, and (seemingly in danger of violating anti-trust laws by price fixing) cartels, but not necessarily forming a single legal entity. Mergers and acquisitions among business firms have occurred within state boundaries before they became an international phenomenon. It perhaps speaks volumes for the lack of negotiating skills by one party or the other, when it is reported that 60 - 70 percent of M&As failed to deliver on what had been expected financially, as the outcome of the liaison. Less than a fifth of international M&As are said to create added value to the resulting organization. At the least, domestic mergers and acquisitions can expect shared traditions, regulatory laws, and custom and practice, which presumably make it easier for two or more parties to agree on common business aims and work towards achieving them.

DEALING WITH THE GREAT DIGITAL DIVIDE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DEALING WITH THE GREAT DIGITAL DIVIDE - Essay Example Many Globals feel that gay marriages should not be approved. However, many feel that with society progressing, homosexual marriages should be upheld and should be treated as a typical marriage between a man and wife. The second reason why this statement is true is due to the fact that Global politics is because of the fact that America is a â€Å"melting pot.† The reason why Globals differ in these issues within is because of the wide array of backgrounds, cultures, and adversities that Globals have faced. Thus, diversity is the main factor that serves as a catalyst for this division. For instance, the clash between political groups is a consistent testament of this issue. Democrats and Republicans as fueled by Global opinions represent the two sides of how a government should operate. Politics in public Global policy represent the two egos of the Global public. The initiation of political parties can be traced be back during the 1824 era in which the Republican Party was formed. On one side, the Democrats, who are in the liberating front and continue to call for social progress and challenge the status quo through taxation and more government involvement. Consequently, the Republican Par ty tends to oppose reform by propagation for status quo. These two major parties have dominated the Global politics since many decades. Undoubtedly, the ideological polarization has increased throughout Global society not only amongst individuals, but also amongst government officials. Political parties are groups of individuals that collaborate for the purpose of choosing public candidate in public office. Although the constitution mentions nothing about parties, the Globals have solidified their difference through the channels of political parties. Moreover, the organization of the structure contains no specifications of party formations. As a matter of fact, George Washington, in

Malaysia Is A Multicultural Society Media Essay

Malaysia Is A Multicultural Society Media Essay Introduction Malaysia is a multicultural society of which the population is made up by different types of ethnic groups includes Malays, Chinese, Indian and the Native. In fact, different ethnic groups have their own history, culture, belief system, value and language, there is thus unity among different ethnics is important in Malaysia (Economic Planning Unit, 2011). However, Malaysia has faced racial and ethnic tension due to the socio-economic and cultural differences after the independence of Malaysia in 1957. This racial conflict has lead to the development of several government policies such as the New Economic Policy and National Development Policy. Having realised the importance to maintain and enhance the unity among people of different ethnics, the 1 Malaysian concept was introduced in 2009. Under the notion of 1 Malaysia concept of People First, Performance Now, the government is trying to promote unity in the society by considering fair distribution and access in economic in the country (1Malaysia, 2012). It is therefore very important to promote the 1 Malaysia Concept and encourage the acceptance of the citizens of Malaysia. One way promoting the concept to the public is by means of the mass media. In the past, mainstream media like television, newspaper and radio has played an important role in promoting governments ideology and policies (Hashim, 2011). This thus suggested that media is able to play an important role in promoting the 1 Malaysia concept. It has the capabilities to educate the public on the importance of unity by promoting the understanding and the acceptance of other ethnic culture. . Regardless, the mainstream media in Malaysia always been known as a great contribution on nation-building and social cohesion, rather than on freedom of information (Kenyon Marjoribanks, 2007). It focuses primarily on positive stories reporting that is biased to the political elite (Anuar, 2000). This because most of the mainstream media outlets are basically owned by the government of Malaysia or privately owned by the parties that have close relationship to the Prime Minister or the members of component parties of the Barisan Nasional coalition government (Hassan, 2012). Therefore, the aim of this study is to discuss about the ways of the mainstream media are used to encourage the acceptance of the 1 Malaysia Concept the citizens of Malaysia and whether this approaches will generate the desired outcome. Discussion The mainstream media in Malaysia plays a critical important role in realising 1 Malaysia Concept. The first approach of the mainstream media is used by government as the channel to educate the ideas of 1 Malaysia to the large public. The traditional media such as the television, radio and newspaper have always been the core media of information dissemination (Hashim, 2011). For instances, the largest conglomerate Media Prima as well as a number of television radio channels and Malay, Chinese, English-language newspapers such as Utusan Melayu, The Stars and Sinchew are owned and controlled by the government (Weiss, 2012). As such, the government policies are easily to get any publicity and free space in these mainstream media. The messages of 1 Malaysia Concept from these mainstream media often portrayed the desired images of 1 Malaysia, of which the people of different races live together in harmony (Hassan, 2008). Other than that, mainstream media always has been the supportive bac kbone to the 1 Malaysia Concept as the effort with the government to strengthen peace and harmony in the country. As a supportive argument to the previous discussion, the agenda setting theory explains the powerful influence in the media that able to create public awareness on important issues (Mccombs, 2002). The media cannot tell what the people to think but has the ability to inform the people what to think about (Cohen, 1963). In other words, mainstream media raise the importance of an issue such as 1 Malaysia through the repetition of news (Hashim, 2011). The racial riot that happened in the past has caused Malaysians sensitivity to the issue that is related to ethnicity and races. Thus, national unity has become the top agenda to the public and thus it has become a political discourse in Malaysia. By taking this opportunity, the Malaysia Government has utilised the mainstream media in disseminates the messages and information regarding the 1 Malaysia Concept. Likewise, the government are telling the public the ideas that they wish the public to accept and support. Eventually, 1 Malaysia Co ncept is aims to strengthen the unity and harmony of people from different ethnics. Therefore, the mainstream media has successfully created the perception of the public that unity among differences ethnics as the important agenda in Malaysia which then attract their attention toward the 1 Malaysia Concept. Example in each occasion of the important festival such as Merdeka Day celebration, Hari Raya Festivals, Chinese New Year celebrations and Deepavali, the Prime Minister would deliver the speech with the association with the spirit of 1Malaysia. By that time, every mainstream television channel in Malaysia such as TV1, TV2, TV3, NTV7, 8TV and TV9 will have to broadcast his speech. In another example, we always can see the mainstream newspaper published a full page of advertisement that is related to the 1 Malaysia policies along with the tagline people first, performance now. In addition, mainstream media is being used by government to remind or reinforce 1 Malaysia concept to the public. As we can see, everyday Malaysian citizen and also foreigner have been bombarded by with the messages of 1 Malaysian Concept by the mainstream media. The 1 Malaysia logo is ubiquitous due to mass advertising and commercials in mainstream media (Hashim, 2011). Along with the logo, the tagline people first, performance now has become the identification of 1 Malaysia Concept to the public through the repetition in mainstream media. In fact, mainstream media has help to promote 1 Malaysia by keep emphasise on the tagline since People First, Performance Now in 2009 and the only move on to Generating Transformation in 2010, Transformation Successful People Prosperous in 2010 and till the recent theme Promises Fulfilled in 2012 (1Malaysia, 2012). The purpose is to reinforce perception and behaviours of the public. The repetition of showing the logo and tagline of 1 Malaysia hav e indirectly effect on informing the public what the government is focusing on this concept. The same example can be seen when the public service announcements related to 1 Malaysia are often been aired and published on government and privately owned television, radio and newspaper. The PSA usually related to various ethnic festivals that celebrated in Malaysia and thus signify the meaning that freedom of festival celebration. Nevertheless, mainstream main media has portrayed these different ethnic celebrations the public by showing the Malaysian are celebrating with each other in the festival regardless of race and religion (Hashim, 2011). In addition, we often can see the ministries or any government agencies tied up 1 Malaysia tagline in every program such like 1 Belia, 1 Malaysia by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and other programs such Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia. Thus, the government programs usually connotes with the 1 Malaysia identity by mainstream media. The role of the mainstream media is not just to disseminate the 1 Malaysia Concept but also to advocate and shape the attitudes of the public. In fact, the mainstream media has effectively created bandwagon effect in mass business advertising by using 1 Malaysia Concept. 1 Malaysia has eventually received support from various organisation including profit and non-profit organisation. These organisations usually associate their brands product or service with 1 Malaysia Concept (Hashim, 2011). Television and radio commercials created by businesses organisation would likely to include the message of unity with the presence and the voice of different races and ethnics. The first example of organisation association with the promotion of 1 Malaysia is Petronas Corporation. In fact, Petronas has been famous with their social corporate advertisements with the purpose of promoting national unity. Since 1 Malaysia Concept has been introduced in 2009, Petronas has created the advertisements tha t associate with the 1 Malaysia Concept every year in the major Malaysias festival such as Merdeka Day celebration, Hari Raya Festivals, Chinese New Year celebrations and Deepavali. The messages in the advertisement usually consist of implied meaning and also able to arouse audiences emotion. Furthermore, large national corporations such as Media Prima, Astro, Tenaga Basional Berhad and Telco such as Telekom, Maxis and Celcom have also come up with the commercial that are related to 1 Malaysia Concept. The commercial often tied up with the concept of 1 Malaysia where the messages of unity has been delivered. The commercials are basically known as issue advocacy advertisement which the advertisement is not intended to sell the product or services, but rather to change the publics perception and behaviour through political branding (Barrons Dictionary, n,d). In fact, the commercial by in the mainstream media usually showing Malaysia different races particular Malay, Chinese and Indian interact or either get along with each other. Would it generate the desired outcome? In my opinion, the usage of mainstream media may not able to generate the desired outcome of the 1 Malaysia Concept. By highlighting the mainstream media are used by government to encourage the acceptance of 1 Malaysia Concept, several social science theories have been selected to support on my opinion. According to limited-effect theory, the media rarely have direct influence on the individuals. The theory also explains that an individuals behaviour and attitudes are not easily changed by their reception and people usually tend to ignore political media content. Although mainstream media are used by government to promote 1 Malaysia Concept, it is still not sufficient enough to encourage the acceptance of the citizen of Malaysia. The definition gives an insight that the people in nowadays is no longer passive and vulnerable only to media content. People are able judge the media content according to their own interpretation from what they have perceived. Individual may exposed themselves to mainstream media in their daily routine, but they might not been influence by the 1 Malaysia Concept by merely just looking at it. As indicated in the previous point, the limited-effect theory also explains two-step flow of media influence. Media does not have direct influences to the population which from the mainstream media, the 1 Malaysia Concept are usually affect to the mass population through the dissemination by the opinion leaders. The opinion leaders must be someone that is credible and usually an active media user. People constantly turn to opinion leader for advice particular when come to something that is new in the society like 1 Malaysia Concept instead of getting the source of information from the media. Therefore, mainstream media is less influential compare to the human communication. Moreover, human behaviour attitudes and belief is hard to predict and influences because it may change from time to time. The main factor that determines a person attitude is positive, negative or maybe neutral. A person attitude towards 1 Malaysia Concept might be changed based on the personal experiences, environment and etc. Therefore, the selective exposure explains that people tend to expose themselves to messages that are consistent with their pre-existing attitudes and belief. The mainstream media might be able to influence those who are supportive and have positive perception toward the government policies. However, for those people that tend to have negative attitudes and belief towards the government such as the citizen that support to the opposition political parties, the outcome may be different. If the opinion leader that has been encountered consists of positive or negative beliefs and value towards the government policies, the followers might been influenced by him. Besides, 1 Malaysia Concept has faced up with various challenges including the new media technologies. The uses and gratification theory argued that different people use the media for different purposes (Sheldon, 2007). One of the assumptions of this theory explains that the audiences have the choice to select different kind of media. Thus, the audiences use the media more own their own benefits than the media can manipulate them. The audiences have the right or control to received any information from the media rather than been influenced by it. In fact, people now have much choice of media compare to the past, Mainstream media such television, radio and newspaper has compete with the new media. The internet technologies allow freedom of expression where everyone can write, criticize and comment anything on the internet. The alternative online news organization like Malaysiakini and Malaysia Today who always stand to challenge of the governments effort, aims primarily to present new s, especially from the different perspectives that not already covered by mainstream media (George, 2006). Thus, it has become one of the challenges for 1 Malaysia Concept to be full accepted by public. This is due to the development of internet technologies allow the users closer to the reliable information compare to the other media (Hashim, 2011). Therefore, because of internet, human behaviours changed and mainstream media has been view as a medium to brainwash the audience for the government interest. When 1 Malaysia concept has been shown in the mainstream media, the audiences will tend to doubt about motives behind it. Therefore, the internet has affect the people perception and thus becoming active and sensible media users who do not simply accept and agree with government policies particular has been shown in mainstream media. In addition, most the younger generations are seldom exposed themselves to the mainstream media. On the other hand, mainstream media has become alternative medium for information to some group of people. Internet served as a new inspirational medium of information without barriers. According to Ramasubramaniam (2011) explained people that with minimal interracial direct contact or which their source for information is only the mainstream media are more easily been manipulated by the government policies. The audience that only exposed themselves to only one source of information which had been controlled by the government are more vulnerable to accepting the information from the mainstream media. Conclusion As a conclusion, mainstream media in Malaysia has perceived as an important role in the government policies like 1 Malaysia Concept. This is because most of the mainstream media ownerships are closely tied to the government and ruling political party. Therefore, 1 Malaysia Concept being one of the government policies has the advantage being spread through the mainstream media in the country. The three main approaches of the mainstream media in Malaysia are used by the government are to educate the meaning of 1 Malaysia Concept and thus to reinforce and advocate the acceptance of the concept by citizen of Malaysia. However, these approaches would not bring the desired outcome of 1 Malaysia Concept because only the mean of mainstream media is not sufficient enough to influences the attitudes and beliefs of an individual. Besides, human communication is more effective than mainstream media when particular related to something that is new. The emerging of the new media like internet technologies has also bring a significant impact to the mainstream media, thus it has become one of the greatest challenges for the 1 Malaysia Concept. Therefore, mainstream media is important to educate about 1 Malaysia concept but not to encourage the acceptance of the citizen of Malaysia.

Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman as Epic Tragedy Essay -- Death Sal

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman as Epic Tragedy   Ã‚  Ã‚   Aristotle's Poetics defines the making of a dramatic or epic tragedy and presents the general principles of the construction of this genre. Surprisingly, over the centuries authors have remained remarkably close to Aristotle's guidelines. Arthur Miller's twentieth century tragedy Death of a Salesman is an example of this adherence to Aristotle's prescription for tragedy. It is significant to test Aristotle's definition and requirements of tragedy by comparison and contrast, against a contemporary tragedy and to make observations with regard to what influence society and culture may have on the genre. This discussion however, will be confined to the realm of plot and the more notable aspects of the construction of the incidents in tragedy because of the complexity of this element. Aristotle's attention throughout much of Poetics is directed towards the requirements and expectations of plot.   Plot, 'the soul of tragedy', Aristotle says, must be an imitation of a noble and complete action. In Death of a Salesman, Miller does provide a complete action, that is it has what Aristotle identifies as a beginning, a middle, and an end. These divisible sections must, and do in the case of Death of a Salesman, meet the criterion of their respective placement. Whether Miller provides a nobel action, however, is an issue of culture. Willy Loman ultimately takes his own life so that his son Biff may benefit from the insurance money that he will receive. The question then, is according to our culture is his suicide noble? Since Willy's suicide is perpetrated for Biff's benefit, one could view this act as sacrifice. Sacrifice is in our culture, a pious and admirable quality, one of... ...ath of a Salesman' Twentieth Century Literature.   January, 1972. 19-24.   Rpt. in World Literary Criticism.   Ed. Frank Magill.   'Arthur Miller' Detroit: Gale Research, 1992.   2366-2368. Hayman, Ronald.   Arthur Miller.   New York: Frederick Ungar, 1972. Hoeveler, D. J.   'Ben's Influence.'   Arthur Miller?s Death of a Salesman: Modern Critical Interpretations.   Ed. Harold Blum.   Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1988. 72-81. Magill, Frank.   'Death of a Salesman.'   Master Plots.   Englewood Cliffs: Salem, 1976.   1365-1368. Miller, Arthur.   Death of a Salesman.   New York: Penguin, 1949. ---.   Conversations With Arthur Miller.   Jackson: Mississippi UP, 1987. Parker, Brian.   'Point of View in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.'   Arthur Miller: A Collection of Critical Essays.   Ed. Robert Corrigan.   Englewood Cliffs:   Prentice Hall, 1969.   98-107.

Black House Chapter Seven

7 GOD MAY KNOW where Henry Leyden found that astounding suit, but we certainly do not. A costume shop? No, it is too elegant to be a costume; this is the real thing, not an imitation. But what sort of real thing is it? The wide lapels sweep down to an inch below the waist, and the twin flaps of the swallowtail reach nearly to the ankles of the billowing, pleated trousers, which seem, beneath the snowfield expanse of the double-breasted waistcoat, to ride nearly at the level of the sternum. On Henry's feet, white, high-button spats adorn white patent-leather shoes; about his neck, a stiff, high collar turns its pointed peaks over a wide, flowing, white satin bow tie, perfectly knotted. The total effect is of old-fashioned diplomatic finery harmoniously wedded to a zoot suit: the raffishness of the ensemble outweighs its formality, but the dignity of the swallowtail and the waistcoat contribute to the whole a regal quality of a specific kind, the regality often seen in African American e ntertainers and musicians. Escorting Henry to the common room while surly Pete Wexler comes along behind, pushing a handcart loaded with boxes of records, Rebecca Vilas dimly remembers having seen Duke Ellington wearing a white cutaway like this in a clip from some old film . . . or was it Cab Calloway? She recalls an upraised eyebrow, a glittering smile, a seductive face, an upright figure posed before a band, but little more. (If alive, either Mr. Ellington or Mr. Calloway could have informed Rebecca that Henry's outfit, including the â€Å"high-drape† pants with a â€Å"reet pleat,† terms not in her vocabulary, had undoubtedly been handmade by one of four specific tailors located in the black neighborhoods of New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, or Los Angeles, masters of their trade during the thirties and forties, underground tailors, men now alas as dead as their celebrated clients. Henry Leyden knows exactly who tailored his outfit, where it came from, and how it fell into his hands, but when it comes to persons such as Rebecca Vilas, Henry imparts no more information than is already likely to be known.) In the corridor leading to the common room, the white cutaway appears to shine from within, an impression only increased by Henry's oversized, daddy-cool dark glasses with bamboo frames, in which what may be tiny sapphires wink at the corners of the bows. Is there maybe some shop that sells Spiffy Clothes of Great 1930s Bandleaders? Does some museum inherit this stuff and auction it off ? Rebecca cannot contain her curiosity a moment longer. â€Å"Mr. Leyden, where did you get that beautiful outfit?† From the rear and taking care to sound as though he is muttering to himself, Pete Wexler opines that obtaining an outfit like that probably requires chasing a person of an ethnicity beginning with the letter n for at least a couple of miles. Henry ignores Pete and smiles. â€Å"It's all a matter of knowing where to look.† â€Å"Guess you never heard of CDs,† Pete says. â€Å"They're like this big new breakthrough.† â€Å"Shut up and tote them bales, me bucko,† says Ms. Vilas. â€Å"We're almost there.† â€Å"Rebecca, my dear, if I may,† Henry says. â€Å"Mr. Wexler has every right to grouse. After all, there's no way he could know that I own about three thousand CDs, is there? And if the man who originally owned these clothes can be called a nigger, I'd be proud to call myself one, too. That would be an incredible honor. I wish I could claim it.† Henry has come to a halt. Each, in a different way, shocked by his use of the forbidden word, Pete and Rebecca have also stopped moving. â€Å"And,† Henry says, â€Å"we owe respect to those who assist us in the performance of our duties. I asked Mr. Wexler to shake out my suit when he hung it up, and he very kindly obliged me.† â€Å"Yeah,† Pete says. â€Å"Plus I also hung up your light and put your turntable and speakers and shit right where you want 'em.† â€Å"Thank you very much, Mr. Wexler,† Henry says. â€Å"I appreciate your efforts in my behalf.† â€Å"Well, shit,† Pete says, â€Å"I was only doing my job, you know? But anything you want after you're done, I'll give you a hand.† Without benefit of a flash of panties or a glimpse of ass, Pete Wexler has been completely disarmed. Rebecca finds this amazing. All in all, sightless or not, Henry Leyden, it comes to her, is far and away the coolest human being she has ever been privileged to encounter in her entire twenty-six years on the face of the earth. Never mind his clothes where did guys like this come from? â€Å"Do you really think some little boy vanished from the sidewalk out in front of here this afternoon?† Henry asks. â€Å"What?† Rebecca asks. â€Å"Seems like it to me,† Pete says. â€Å"What?† Rebecca asks again, this time to Pete Wexler, not Henry. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"Well, he ast me, and I tol' him,† Pete says. â€Å"That's all.† Simmering dangerously, Rebecca takes a stride toward him. â€Å"This happened on our sidewalk? Another kid, in front of our building? And you didn't say anything to me or Mr. Maxton?† â€Å"There wasn't nothin' to say,† Pete offers in self-defense. â€Å"Maybe you could tell us what actually happened,† Henry says. â€Å"Sure. What happened was, I went outside for a smoke, see?† This is less than strictly truthful. Faced with the choice of walking ten yards to the Daisy corridor men's room to flush his cigarette down a toilet or walking ten feet to the entrance and pitching it into the parking lot, Pete had sensibly elected outdoor disposal. â€Å"So I get outside and that's when I saw it. This police car, parked right out there. So I walked up to the hedge, and there's this cop, a young guy, I think his name is Cheetah, or something like that, and he's loadin' this bike, like a kid's bike, into his trunk. And something else, too, only I couldn't see what it was except it was small. And after he did that, he got a piece a chalk outta his glove compartment and he came back and made like X marks on the sidewalk.† â€Å"Did you talk to him?† Rebecca asks. â€Å"Did you ask him what he was doing?† â€Å"Miz Vilas, I don't talk to cops unless it's like you got no other choice, know what I mean? Cheetah, he never even saw me. The guy wouldn't of said nothing anyhow. He had this expression on his face it was like, Jeez, I hope I get to the crapper before I drop a load in my pants, that kind of expression.† â€Å"Then he just drove away?† â€Å"Just like that. Twenty minutes later, two other cops showed up.† Rebecca raises both hands, closes her eyes, and presses her fingertips to her forehead, giving Pete Wexler an excellent opportunity, of which he does not fail to take full advantage, to admire the shape of her breasts underneath her blouse. It may not be as great as the view from the bottom of the ladder, but it'll do, all right, yes it will. As far as Ebbie's dad is concerned, a sight like Rebecca Vilas's Hottentots pushing out against her dress is like a good fire on a cold night. They are bigger than you'd expect on a slender little thing like her, and you know what? When the arms go up, the Hottentots go up, too! Hey, if he had known she was going to put on a show like this, he would have told her about Cheetah and the bicycle as soon as it happened. â€Å"All right, okay,† she says, still flattening the tips of her fingers against her head. She lifts her chin, raising her arms another few inches, and frowns in concentration, for a moment looking like a figure on a plinth. Hoo-ray and hallelujah, Pete thinks. There's a bright side to everything. If another little snotnose gets grabbed off the sidewalk tomorrow morning, it won't be soon enough for me. Rebecca says, â€Å"Okay, okay, okay,† opens her eyes, and lowers her arms. Pete Wexler is staring firmly at a point over her shoulder, his face blank with a false innocence she immediately comprehends. Good God, what a caveman. â€Å"It's not as bad as I thought. In the first place, all you saw was a policeman picking up a bike. Maybe it was stolen. Maybe some other kid borrowed the bike, dumped it, and ran away. The cop could have been looking for it. Or the kid who owned the bike could have been hit by a car or something. And even if the worst did happen, I don't see any way that it could hurt us. Maxton's isn't responsible for whatever goes on outside the grounds.† She turns to Henry, who looks as though he wishes he were a hundred miles away. â€Å"Sorry, I know that sounded awfully cold. I'm as distressed about this Fisherman business as everyone else, what with those two poor kids and the missing girl. We're all so upset we can hardly think straight. But I'd hate to see us dragged into the mess, don't you see?† â€Å"I see perfectly,† Henry says. â€Å"Being one of those blind men George Rathbun is always yelling about.† â€Å"Hah!† Pete Wexler barks. â€Å"And you agree with me, don't you?† â€Å"I'm a gentleman, I agree with everybody,† Henry says. â€Å"I agree with Pete that another child may well have been abducted by our local monster. Officer Cheetah, or whatever his name is, sounded too anxious to be just picking up a lost bicycle. And I agree with you that Maxton's cannot be blamed for anything that happened.† â€Å"Good,† Rebecca says. â€Å"Unless, of course, someone here is involved in the murders of these children.† â€Å"But that's impossible!† Rebecca says. â€Å"Most of our male clients can't even remember their own names.† â€Å"A ten-year-old girl could take most of these feebs,† Pete says. â€Å"Even the ones who don't have old-timer's disease walk around covered in their own . . . you know.† â€Å"You're forgetting about the staff,† Henry says. â€Å"Oh, now,† Rebecca says, momentarily rendered nearly wordless. â€Å"Come on. That's . . . that's a totally irresponsible thing to say.† â€Å"True. It is. But if this goes on, nobody will be above suspicion. That's my point.† Pete Wexler feels a sudden chill if the town clowns start grilling Maxton's residents, his private amusements might come to light, and wouldn't Wendell Green have a field day with that stuff ? A gleaming new idea comes to him, and he brings it forth, hoping to impress Miz Vilas. â€Å"You know what? The cops should talk to that California guy, the big-time detective who nailed that Kinderling asshole two-three years ago. He lives around here somewhere, don't he? Someone like that, he's the guy we need on this. The cops here, they're way outta their depth. That guy, he's like a whaddayacallit, a goddamn resource.† â€Å"Odd you should say that,† Henry says. â€Å"I couldn't agree with you more. It is about time Jack Sawyer did his thing. I'll work on him again.† â€Å"You know him?† Rebecca asks. â€Å"Oh, yes,† Henry says. â€Å"That I do. But isn't it about time for me to do my own thing?† â€Å"Soon. They're all still outside.† Rebecca leads him down the rest of the corridor and into the common room, where all three of them move across to the big platform. Henry's microphone stands beside a table mounted with his speakers and turntable. With unnerving accuracy, Henry says, â€Å"Lot of space in here.† â€Å"You can tell that?† she asks. â€Å"Piece of cake,† Henry says. â€Å"We must be getting close now.† â€Å"It's right in front of you. Do you need any help?† Henry extends one foot and taps the side of the flat. He glides a hand down the edge of the table, locates the mike stand, says, â€Å"Not at the moment, darlin',† and steps neatly up onto the platform. Guided by touch, he moves to the back of the table and locates the turntable. â€Å"All is co-pacetic,† he says. â€Å"Pete, would you please put the record boxes on the table? The one on top goes here, and the other one right next to it.† â€Å"What's he like, your friend Jack?† Rebecca asks. â€Å"An orphan of the storm. A pussycat, but an extremely difficult pussy-cat. I have to say, he can be a real pain in the bunghole.† Crowd noises, a buzz of conversation interlaced with children's voices and songs thumped out on an old upright piano, have been audible through the windows since they entered the room, and when Pete has placed the record boxes on the table, he says, â€Å"I better get out there, ‘cuz Chipper's probly lookin' for me. Gonna be a shitload of cleanup once they come inside.† Pete shambles out, rolling the handcart before him. Rebecca asks if there is anything more Henry would like her to do for him. â€Å"The overhead lights are on, aren't they? Please turn them off, and wait for the first wave to come in. Then switch on the pink spot, and prepare to jitterbug your heart out.† â€Å"You want me to turn off the lights?† â€Å"You'll see.† Rebecca moves back across to the door, turns off the overhead lights, and does see, just as Henry had promised. A soft, dim illumination from the rank of windows hovers in the air, replacing the former brightness and harshness with a vague mellow haze, as if the room lay behind a scrim. That pink spotlight is going to look pretty good in here, Rebecca thinks. Outside on the lawn, the predance wingding is winding down. Lots of old men and women are busily polishing off their strawberry shortcakes and soda pop at the picnic tables, and the piano-playing gent in the straw boater and red sleeve garters comes to the end of â€Å"Heart and Soul,† ba bump ba bump ba ba bump bump bump, no finesse but plenty of volume, closes the lid of the upright, and stands up to a scattering of applause. Grandchildren who had earlier complained about having to come to the great fest dodge through the tables and wheelchairs, evading their parents' glances and hoping to wheedle a last balloon from the balloon lady in the clown suit and frizzy red wig, oh joy unbounded. Alice Weathers applauds the piano player, as well she might: forty years ago, he reluctantly absorbed the rudiments of pianism at her hands just well enough to pick up a few bucks at occasions like this, when not obliged to perform his usual function, that of selling sweatshirts and baseball caps on Chase Street. Charles Burnside, who, having been scrubbed clean by good-hearted Butch Yerxa, decked himself out in an old white shirt and a pair of loose, filthy trousers, stands slightly apart from the throng in the shade of a large oak, not applauding but sneering. The unbuttoned collar of the shirt droops around his ropy neck. Now and then he wipes his mouth or picks his teeth with a ragged thumbnail, but mainly he does not move at all. He looks as though someone plunked him down by the side of a road and drove off. Whenever the careering grandkids swerve near Burny, they instantly veer away, as if repelled by a force field. Between Alice and Burny, three-fourths of the residents of Maxton's belly up to the tables, stump around on their walkers, sit beneath the trees, occupy their wheelchairs, hobble here and there yakking, dozing, chuckling, farting, dabbing at fresh strawberry-colored stains on their clothing, staring at their relatives, staring at their trembling hands, staring at nothing. Half a dozen of the most vacant among them wear conical party hats of hard, flat red and hard, flat blue, the shades of enforced gaiety. The women from the kitchen have begun to circulate through the tables with big black garbage bags, for soon they must retire to their domain to prepare the evening's great feast of potato salad, mashed potatoes, creamed potatoes, baked beans, Jell-O salad, marshmallow salad, and whipped-cream salad, plus of course more mighty strawberry shortcake! The undisputed and hereditary sovereign of this realm, Chipper Max-ton, whose disposition generally resembles that of a skunk trapped in a muddy hole, has spent the previous ninety minutes ambling about smiling and shaking hands, and he has had enough. â€Å"Pete,† he growls, â€Å"what the hell took you so long? Start racking up the folding chairs, okay? And help shift these people into the common room. Let's get a goddamn move on here. Wagons west.† Pete scurries off, and Chipper claps his hands twice, loudly, then raises his outstretched arms. â€Å"Hey, everybody,† he bellows, â€Å"can you truly believe what a gol-durn gorgeous day the good Lord gave us for this beautiful event? Isn't this something?† Half a dozen feeble voices rise in agreement. â€Å"Come on, people, you can do better than that! I want to hear it for this wonderful day, this wonderful time we're all having, and for all the wonderful help and assistance given us by our volunteers and staff!† A slightly more exuberant clamor rewards his efforts. â€Å"All right! Hey, you know what? As George Rathbun would say, even a blind man could see what a great time we're all having. I know I am, and we're not done yet! We got the greatest deejay you ever heard, a fellow called Symphonic Stan, the Big-Band Man, waiting to put on a great, great show in the common room, music and dancing right up to the big Strawberry Fest dinner, and we got him cheap, too but don't tell him I said that! So, friends and family, it's time to say your good-byes and let your loved ones cut a rug to the golden oldies, just like them, ha ha! Golden oldies one and all, that's all of us here at Maxton's. Even I'm not as young as I used to be, ha ha, so I might take a spin across the floor with some lucky lady. â€Å"Seriously, folks, it's time for us to put on our dancing shoes. Please kiss Dad or Mom, Granddad or Grandma good-bye, and on your way out, you may wish to leave a contribution toward our expenses in the basket on top of Ragtime Willie's piano right over here, ten dollars, five dollars, anything you can spare helps us cover the costs of giving your mom, your dad, a bright, bright day. We do it out of love, but half of that love is your love.† And in what may seem to us a surprisingly short amount of time, but does not to Chipper Maxton, who understands that very few people wish to linger in an elder-care facility any longer than they must, the relatives bestow their final hugs and kisses, round up the exhausted kiddies, and file down the paths and over the grass into the parking lot, along the way a good number depositing bills in the basket atop Ragtime Willie's upright piano. No sooner does this exodus begin than Pete Wexler and Chipper Maxton set about persuading, with all the art available to them, the oldsters back into the building. Chipper says things like, â€Å"Now don't you know how much we all want to see you trip the light fantastic, Mrs. Syverson?† while Pete takes the more direct approach of, â€Å"Move along, bud, time to stir your stumps,† but both men employ the techniques of subtle and not-so-subtle nudges, pushes, elbow grasping, and wheelchair rolling to get their doddering charges through the door. At her post, Rebecca Vilas watches the residents enter the hazy common room, some of them traveling at a rate a touch too brisk for their own good. Henry Leyden stands motionless behind his boxes of LPs. His suit shimmers; his head is merely a dark silhouette before the windows. For once too busy to ogle Rebecca's chest, Pete Wexler moves past with one hand on the elbow of Elmer Jesperson, deposits him eight feet inside the room, and whirls around to locate Thorvald Thorvaldson, Elmer's dearest enemy and fellow inhabitant of D12. Alice Weathers wafts in under her own guidance and folds her hands beneath her chin, waiting for the music to begin. Tall, scrawny, hollow-cheeked, at the center of an empty space that is his alone, Charles Burnside slides through the door and quickly moves a good distance off to the side. When his dead eyes indifferently meet hers, Rebecca shivers. The next pair of eyes to meet hers belong to Chipper, who pushes Flora Flostad's wheelchair as if it held a cr ate of oranges and gives her an impatient glare completely at odds with the easy smile on his face. Time is money, you bet, but money is money, too, let's get this show on the road, pronto. The first wave, Henry had told her is that what they have here, the first wave? She glances across the room, wondering how to ask, and sees that the question has already been answered, for as soon as she looks up, Henry flashes her the okay sign. Rebecca flips the switch for the pink spot, and nearly everybody in the room, including a number of old parties who had appeared well beyond response of any kind, utters a soft aaah. His suit, his shirt, his spats blazing in the cone of light, a transformed Henry Leyden glides and dips toward the microphone as a twelve-inch LP, seemingly magicked out of the air, twirls like a top on the palm of his right hand. His teeth shine; his sleek hair gleams; the sapphires wink from the bows of his enchanted sunglasses. Henry seems almost to be dancing himself, with his sweet, clever sidestepping glide . . . only he is no longer Henry Leyden; no way, Renee, as George Rathbun likes to roar. The suit, the spats, the slicked-back hair, the shades, even the wondrously effective pink spot are mere stage dressing. The real magic here is Henry, that uniquely malleable creature. When he is George Rathbun, he is all George. Ditto the Wisconsin Rat; ditto Henry Shake. It has been eighteen months since h e took Symphonic Stan from the closet and fit into him like a hand into a glove to dazzle the crowd at a Madison VFW record hop, but the clothes still fit, oh yes, they fit, and he fits within them, a hipster reborn whole into a past he never saw firsthand. On his extended palm, the spinning LP resembles a solid, unmoving, black beachball. Whenever Symphonic Stan puts on a hop, he always begins with â€Å"In the Mood.† Although he does not detest Glenn Miller as some jazz aficionados do, over the years he has grown tired of this number. But it always does the job. Even if the customers have no choice but to dance with one foot in the grave and the other on the proverbial banana peel, they do dance. Besides, he knows that after Miller was drafted he told the arranger Billy May of his plan to â€Å"come out of this war as some kind of hero,† and, hell, he was as good as his word, wasn't he? Henry reaches the mike and slips the revolving record onto the platter with a negligent gesture of his right hand. The crowd applauds him with an exhaled oooh. â€Å"Welcome, welcome, all you hepcats and hepkitties,† Henry says. The words emerge from the speakers wrapped in the smooth, slightly above-it-all voice of a true broadcaster in 1938 or 1939, one of the men who did live remotes from dance halls and nightclubs located from Boston to Catalina. Honey poured through their throats, these muses of the night, and they never missed a beat. â€Å"Say, tell me this, you gates and gators, can you think of a better way to kick off a swingin' soiree than with Glenn Miller? Come on, brothers and sisters, give me yeahhh.† From the residents of Maxton's some of whom are already out on the floor, others wheelchair-bound on its edges in various postures of confusion or vacuity comes a whispery response, less a party cry than the rustle of an autumn wind through bare branches. Symphonic Stan grins like a shark and holds up his hands as if to still a hopped-up multitude, then twirls and spins like a Savoy Ballroom dancer inspired by Chick Webb. His coattails spread like wings, his sparkling feet fly and land and fly again. The moment evaporates, and two black beachballs appear on the deejay's palms, one of them spinning back into its sleeve, the other down to meet the needle. â€Å"All-reety all-righty all-rooty, you hoppin' hens and boppin' bunnies, here comes the Sentimental Gentleman, Mr. Tommy Dorsey, so get off your money and grab your honey while vocalist Dick Haymes, the pride of Buenos Aires, Argentina, asks the musical question ‘How Am I to Know You?' Frank Sinatra hasn't entered the building yet, brethren and sistren, but life is still fine as mmm-mmm wine.† Rebecca Vilas cannot believe what she is seeing. This guy is getting just about everyone out onto the floor, even some of the wheelchair cases, who are dipping and swirling with the best of them. Dolled up in his exotic, astonishing outfit, Symphonic Stan Henry Leyden, she reminds herself is corny and breathtaking, absurd and convincing, all at once. He's like . . . some kind of time capsule, locked into both his role and what these old people want to hear. He has charmed them back into life, back into whatever youth they had left in them. Unbelievable! No other word will do. People she had written off as shuffling basket cases are blooming right in front of her. As for Symphonic Stan, he's carrying on like an elegant dervish, making her think of words like suave, polished, urbane, unhinged, sexy, graceful, words that do not connect except in him. And that thing he does with the records! How is that possible? She does not realize that she is tapping her foot and swaying in time to the music until Henry puts on Artie Shaw's â€Å"Begin the Beguine,† when she literally begins her own beguine by starting to dance by herself. Henry's hepcat jive-dance, the sight of so many white-haired, blue-haired, and bald-headed people gliding around the floor, Alice Weathers beaming happily in the arms of none other than gloomy Thorvald Thorvaldson, Ada Meyerhoff and â€Å"Tom Tom† Boettcher twirling around each other in their wheelchairs, the sweeping pulse of the music driving everything beneath the molten radiance of Artie Shaw's clarinet, all of these things abruptly, magically coalesce into a vision of earthly beauty that brings tears stinging to her eyes. Smiling, she raises her arms, spins, and finds herself expertly grasped by Tom Tom's twin brother, eighty-six-year-old Hermie Boettcher, the retired geography teacher in A17 formerly considered something of a stick, who without a word fox-trots her right out to the middle of the floor. â€Å"Shame to see a pretty girl dancing all on her lonesome,† Hermie says. â€Å"Hermie, I'd follow you anywhere,† she tells him. â€Å"Let's us get closer to the bandstand,† he says. â€Å"I want a better look at that hotshot in the fancy suit. They say he's blind as a bat, but I don't believe it.† His hand planted firmly at the base of her spine, his hips swerving in time to Artie Shaw, Hermie guides her to within a foot of the platform, where the Symphonic One is already doing his trick with a new record as he waits for the last bar of the present one. Rebecca could swear that Stan/Henry not only senses her presence before him but actually winks at her! But that is truly impossible . . . isn't it? The Symphonic One twirls the Shaw record into its sleeve, the new one onto the platter, and says, â€Å"Can you say ‘Vout'? Can you say ‘Solid'? Now that we're all limbered up, let's get jumpin' and jivin' with Woody Herman and ‘Wild Root.' This tune is dedicated to all you beautiful ladies, especially the lady wearing Calyx.† Rebecca laughs and says, â€Å"Oh, dear.† He could smell her perfume; he recognized it! Undaunted by the steamy tempo of â€Å"Wild Root,† Hermie Boettcher slides into a back step, extends his arm, and spins Rebecca around. On the first beat of the next bar, he catches her in his arms and reverses direction, spinning them both toward the far end of the platform, where Alice Weathers stands next to Mr. Thorvaldson, gazing up at Symphonic Stan. â€Å"The special lady must be you,† Hermie says. â€Å"Because that perfume of yours is worth a dedication.† Rebecca asks, â€Å"Where'd you learn to dance like this?† â€Å"My brother and I, we were town boys. Learned how to dance in front of the jukebox at Alouette's, over by Arden.† Rebecca knows Alouette's, on Arden's Main Street, but what was once a soda fountain is now a lunch counter, and the jukebox disappeared around the time Johnny Mathis dropped off the charts. â€Å"You want a good dancer, you find yourself a town boy. Tom Tom, now he was always the slickest dancer around, and you can plunk him in that chair, but you can't take away his rhythm.† â€Å"Mr. Stan, yoo-hoo, Mr. Stan?† Alice Weathers has tilted her head and cupped her hands around her mouth. â€Å"Do you take requests?† A voice as flat and hard as the sound of two stones grinding together says, â€Å"I was here first, old woman.† This implacable rudeness brings Rebecca to a halt. Hermie's right foot comes gently down atop her left, then swiftly moves off, doing her no more injury than a kiss. Towering over Alice, Charles Burnside glares at Thorvald Thorvaldson. Thorvaldson steps back and tugs at Alice's hand. â€Å"Certainly, my dear,† says Stan, bending down. â€Å"Tell me your name and what you'd like to hear.† â€Å"I am Alice Weathers, and â€Å" â€Å"I was here first,† Burny loudly repeats. Rebecca glances at Hermie, who shakes his head and makes a sour face. Town boy or not, he is as intimidated as Mr. Thorvaldson. † ‘Moonglow,' please. By Benny Goodman.† â€Å"It's my turn, you jackass. I want that Woody Herman number called ‘Lady Magowan's Nightmare.' That one's good.† Hermie leans toward Rebecca's ear. â€Å"Nobody likes that fella, but he gets his own way.† â€Å"Not this time,† Rebecca says. â€Å"Mr. Burnside, I want you to â€Å" Symphonic Stan silences her with a wave of his hand. He turns to face the owner of the remarkably unpleasant voice. â€Å"No can do, mister. The song is called ‘Lady Magowan's Dream,' and I didn't bring that snappy little item with me this afternoon, sorry.† â€Å"Okay, bud, how about ‘I Can't Get Started,' the one Bunny Berigan did?† â€Å"Oh, I love that,† Alice says. â€Å"Yes, play ‘I Can't Get Started.' â€Å" â€Å"Happy to oblige,† Stan says in Henry Leyden's normal voice. Without bothering to jive around or spin the records on his hands, he simply exchanges the LP on the turntable for one from the first box. He seems oddly wilted as he steps to the mike and says, â€Å"I've flown around the world on a plane, I settled revolutions in Spain. Can't get started. Dedicated to the lovely Alice Blue Gown and the One Who Walks by Night.† â€Å"You're no better'n a monkey on a stick,† says Burny. The music begins. Rebecca taps Hermie on the arm and moves up alongside Charles Burnside, for whom she has never felt anything but mild revulsion. Now that she has him in focus, her outrage and disgust cause her to say, â€Å"Mr. Burnside, you are going to apologize to Alice and to our guest here. You're a crude, obnoxious bully, and after you apologize, I want you to get back into your room, where you belong.† Her words have no effect. Burnside's shoulders have slumped. He has a wide, sloppy grin on his face, and he is staring empty-eyed at nothing in particular. He looks too far gone to remember his own name, much less Bunny Berigan's. In any case, Alice Weathers has danced away, and Symphonic Stan, back at the far end of the platform and out of the pink spot, appears to be deep in thought. The elderly couples sway back and forth on the dance floor. Off to the side, Hermie Boettcher pantomimes dancing and quizzes her with a look. â€Å"I'm sorry about that,† she says to Stan/Henry. â€Å"No need to apologize. ‘I Can't Get Started' was my wife's favorite record. I've been thinking about her a lot, the past few days. Sort of took me by surprise.† He runs a hand over his sleek hair and shakes out his arms, visibly getting back into his role. Rebecca decides to leave him alone. In fact, she wants to leave everyone alone for a little while. Signaling regret and the press of duty to Hermie, she makes her way through the crowd and exits the common room. Somehow, old Burny has beaten her to the corridor. He shuffles absently toward Daisy wing, head drooping, feet scuffing the floor. â€Å"Mr. Burnside,† she says, â€Å"your act may fool everyone else, but I want you to know that it doesn't fool me.† Moving by increments, the old man turns around. First one foot shifts, then a knee, the spavined waist, the second foot, finally the cadaverous trunk. The ugly bloom of Burny's head droops on its thin stalk, offering Rebecca a view of his mottled scalp. His long nose protrudes like a warped rudder. With the same dreadful slowness, his head lifts to reveal muddy eyes and a slack mouth. A flash of sheer vindictiveness rises into the dull eyes, and the dead lips writhe. Frightened, Rebecca takes an instinctive step backward. Burny's mouth has moved all the way into a horrible grin. Rebecca wants to escape, but anger at having been humiliated by this miserable jerk lets her hold her ground. â€Å"Lady Magowan had a bad, bad nightmare,† Burny informs her. He sounds drugged, or half asleep. â€Å"And Lady Sophie had a nightmare. Only hers was worse.† He giggles. â€Å"The king was in his countinghouse, counting out his honeys. That's what Sophie saw when she fell asleep.† His giggling rises in pitch, and he says something that might be â€Å"Mr. Munching.† His lips flap, revealing yellow, irregular teeth, and his sunken face undergoes a subtle change. A new kind of intelligence seems to sharpen his features. â€Å"Does you know Mr. Munshun? Mr. Munshun and his li'l friend Gorg? Does you know what happened in Chicago?† â€Å"Stop this right now, Mr. Burnside.† â€Å"Duz you know uff Fridz Haarman, him who wazz zo loff-ly? Dey called him, dey called him, dey called him ‘da Vamp, Vamp, Vamp of Hanover,' yez dey dud, dud, dud. Evveybuddy, evveybuddy, evvey-buddy haz godz nide-marez all da dime, dime, dime, ha ha ho ho.† â€Å"Stop talking like that!† Rebecca shouts.†You're not fooling me!† For a moment, the new intelligence flares within Burny's dim eyes. It almost instantly retreats. He licks his lips and says, â€Å"Way-gup, Burn-Burn.† â€Å"Whatever,† Rebecca says. â€Å"Dinner is downstairs at seven, if you want it. Go take a nap or something, will you?† Burny gives her a peeved, murky look and plops a foot down on the floor, beginning the tedious process that will turn him around again. â€Å"You could write it down. Fritz Haarman. In Hanover.† His mouth twists into a smile of unsettling slyness. â€Å"When the king comes here, maybe we can dance together.† â€Å"No, thanks.† Rebecca turns her back on the old horror and clacks down the hallway on her high heels, uncomfortably aware of his eyes following her. Rebecca's nice little Coach handbag lies flat on her desk in the windowless vestibule to Chipper's office. Before going in, she pauses to rip off a sheet of notepaper, write down Fritz Harmann(?), Hanover(?), and slip the paper into the bag's central compartment. It might be nothing it probably is but who knows? She is furious that she let Burnside frighten her, and if she can find a way to use his nonsense against him, she will do her best to expel him from Maxton's. â€Å"Kiddo, is that you?† Chipper calls out. â€Å"No, it's Lady Magowan and her freakin' nightmare.† She strides into Chipper's office and finds him behind his desk, happily counting out the bills contributed that afternoon by the sons and daughters of his clientele. â€Å"My li'l Becky looks all ticked off,† he says. â€Å"What happened, one of our zombies stomp on your foot?† â€Å"Don't call me Becky.† â€Å"Hey, hey, cheer up. You won't believe how much your silver-tongued boyfriend conned out of the relatives today. A hundred and twenty-six smackers! Free money! Okay, what went wrong, anyhow?† â€Å"Charles Burnside spooked me, that's what. He ought to be in a mental hospital.† â€Å"Are you kidding? That particular zombie is worth his weight in gold. As long as Charles Burnside can draw breath into his body, he will always have a place in my heart.† Grinning, he brandishes a handful of bills. â€Å"And if you have a place in my heart, honey-baby, you'll always have a place at Maxton's.† The memory of Burnside saying, The king was in his countinghouse, counting out his honeys makes her feel unclean. If Chipper were not grinning in that exultant, loose-lipped way, Rebecca supposes, he would not remind her so unpleasantly of his favorite resident. Evveybuddy haz godz nide-marez all da dime, dime, dime that wasn't a bad description of the Fisherman's French Landing. Funny, you wouldn't think Old Burny would take more notice of those murders than Chipper. Rebecca had never heard him mention the Fisherman's crimes, apart from the time he groused that he would not be able to tell anyone he was going fishing until Dale Gilbertson finally got off his big fat butt, and what kind of crappy deal was that?