Bloodlines Chapter Sixteen

I EXPLAINED AWAY my chemistry experiment by saying that it was just a substance I had on hand from when I received my tattoo, in the event I had an allergic reaction. I certainly didn't let on that I'd mixed it myself. I think they would've bought that cover story, if not for the fact that a few days later, I was able to get ahold of a formula that helped treat the chemical burns on Kristin's skin. The mixture did nothing for the ink stain – that seemed to be permanent, barring some tattoo laser removal – but her welts did fade a little bit. After that, word got around that Sydney Melrose was the new on-site pharmacist. Because I had extra left over from Kristin, I gave the remainder of the skin cream to a girl with severe acne since it worked on that as well. That probably didn't do me any favors. People approached me for all sorts of things and even offered to pay me. Some requests were pointless, like cures for headaches. Those people I simply told to buy some aspirin. Other requests were out of my power and nothing I wanted to deal with, like birth control. Aside from the weird requests, I actually didn't mind the increase in my daily social interaction. I was used to people needing things from me, so that was familiar territory. Some people just wanted to know more about me as a person, which was new and more enjoyable than I'd expected. And still others wanted†¦ different things from me. â€Å"Sydney.† I was waiting for my English class to start and was startled to see one of Greg Slade's friends standing over my desk. His name was Bryan, and although I didn't know much about him, he'd never come across as obnoxious as Slade, which was a point in Bryan's favor. â€Å"Yes?† I asked, wondering if he wanted to borrow notes from me. He had shaggy brown hair that seemed to be purposely grown unkempt and was actually kind of cute. He ran a hand over it as he picked his words. â€Å"Do you know anything about silent films?† â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"The first ones were developed in the late nineteenth century and sometimes had live musical accompaniment, though it wasn't until the 1920s that sound become truly incorporated into films, eventually making silent ones obsolete in cinema.† Bryan gaped, as though that was more than he'd been expecting. â€Å"Oh. Okay. Well, um, there's a silent film festival downtown next week. Do you think you'd want to go?† I shook my head. â€Å"No, I don't think so. I respect it as an art form but really don't get much out of watching them.† â€Å"Huh. Okay.† He smoothed his hair back again, and I could almost see him groping for thoughts. Why on earth was he asking me about silent films? â€Å"What about Starship 30? It opens Friday. Do you want to see that?† â€Å"I don't really like sci-fi either,† I said. It was true, I found it completely implausible. Bryan looked ready to rip that shaggy hair out. â€Å"Is there any movie out there you want to see?† I ran through a mental list of current entertainment. â€Å"No. Not really.† The bell rang, and with a shake of his head, Bryan slunk back to his desk. â€Å"That was weird,† I muttered. â€Å"He has bad taste in movies.† Glancing beside me, I was startled to see Julia with her head down on her desk while she shook with silent laughter. â€Å"What?† â€Å"That,† she gasped. â€Å"That was hilarious.† â€Å"What?† I said again. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Sydney, he was asking you out!† I replayed the conversation. â€Å"No, he wasn't. He was asking me about cinema.† She was laughing so hard that she had to wipe away a tear. â€Å"So he could find out what you wanted to see and take you out!† â€Å"Well, why didn't he just say that?† â€Å"You are so adorably oblivious,† she said. â€Å"I hope I'm around the day you actually notice someone is interested in you.† I continued to be mystified, and she spent the rest of class bursting out with spontaneous giggles. While I became an object of fascination, Jill's popularity fell. Part of it was her own shyness. She was still so conscious and worried about being different that she assumed everyone else was aware of her otherness too. She continued holding back from connecting with people out of fear, making her come across as aloof. Surprisingly making this worse, Jill's â€Å"doctor's note† had finally come through from the Alchemists. The school wouldn't put her into a different elective that was already in progress. Freshmen weren't allowed to be teacher's aides like Trey. After consultation with Miss Carson, they'd finally decided that Jill would participate in all indoor PE activities and do â€Å"alternate assignments† when we were outdoors. This usually meant writing reports on things like the history of softball. Unfortunately, sitting out half the time only managed to isolate Jill more. Micah continued to dote on her, even in the face of adversity. â€Å"Lee texted me this morning,† she told me at lunch one day. â€Å"He wants to take me out to dinner this weekend. Do you think†¦ I mean, I know you guys would have to go too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She glanced uncertainly between Eddie and me. â€Å"Who's Lee?† asked Micah. He had just sat down with our group. A few moments of awkward silence fell. â€Å"Oh,† said Jill, averting her eyes. â€Å"He's this, um, guy we know. He doesn't go here. He goes to college. In Los Angeles.† Micah processed this. â€Å"He asked you on a date?† â€Å"Yeah†¦ we actually went out before. I guess we're, well, kind of dating.† â€Å"Not seriously,† piped in Eddie. I wasn't sure if he was saying this to spare Micah's feelings or if it was some protective way to stop Jill from getting too close to anyone. Micah was good at hiding his emotions, I'd give him that. After a bit more thought, he finally gave Jill a smile that only seemed slightly forced. â€Å"Well, that's great. I hope I can meet him.† After that, the conversation turned to the upcoming football game, and no one mentioned Lee again. Finding out about Lee changed how Micah acted around Jill, but he still hung out with us all the time. Maybe it was in the hopes that Lee and Jill would break up. Or it could've simply been because Micah and Eddie spent a lot of time together, and Eddie was one of Jill's few friends. But the problem wasn't Micah. It was Laurel. I didn't think Micah would've been interested in Laurel even if Jill hadn't been in the picture, but Laurel still saw Jill as a threat – and went out of her way to make her miserable. Laurel spread rumors about her and made pointed comments in the halls and during class about Jill's pale skin, height, and skinniness – Jill's biggest insecurities. Once or twice, I heard the name vampire girl whispered in the halls. It made my blood run cold, no matter how many times I reminded myself it was a joke. â€Å"Jill isn't what's keeping Laurel and Micah apart,† I remarked to Julia and Kristin one day. They were amused by my continued efforts to apply logic and rationality to social behaviors in the school. â€Å"I don't understand. He just doesn't like Laurel.† â€Å"Yeah, but it's easier for her to think Jill's the problem, when really, Laurel's just a bitch and Micah knows it,† explained Julia. Ever since the awkward encounter with Bryan, she and Kristin had taken it upon themselves to try to educate me in the ways â€Å"normal† humans behaved. â€Å"Plus, Laurel just likes having someone to pick on,† said Kristin. She rarely spoke about the tattoo but had been serious and sober ever since. â€Å"Okay,† I said, trying to follow the logic, â€Å"but I was the one who called her out about dying her hair. She's hardly said a word to me.† Kristin smiled. â€Å"No fun picking on you. You talk back. Jill doesn't defend herself much and doesn't have many people to stick up for her either. She's an easy target.† One positive thing did happen, at least. Adrian was staying on good behavior after the Los Angeles mishap, though I had to wonder how long it would last. Based on what I gathered from Jill, he was still bored and unhappy. Lee's schedule was erratic, and it wasn't his job to look after Adrian anyway. There didn't seem to be any good solution for her, really. If Adrian gave in to his vices, she suffered the effects of his hangovers and â€Å"romantic interludes.† If he didn't, then he was miserable, and that attitude slowly trickled into her as well. The only hope they had was that Jill would eventually learn the control to block him out of her mind, but from what Rose had told her, that could take a very long time. When the next feeding came around, I was disappointed to see Keith's car parked in Clarence's driveway. If he wasn't going to actually do anything active to help this assignment, I kind of wished he'd just stay away from it altogether. He apparently thought these â€Å"supervising† visits counted as work and continued to justify his presence. Except when we met up with Adrian in the living room, Keith was nowhere in sight. Neither was Clarence. â€Å"Where are they?† I asked Adrian. Adrian was lounging on the couch and put down a book he'd been reading. I had a feeling reading was a rare activity for him and almost felt bad for the interruption. He stifled a yawn. There was no alcohol in sight, but I did see what looked like three empty cans of energy drink. He shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. Off talking somewhere. Your friend's got a sick sense of humor. I think he's feeding Clarence's paranoia about vampire hunters.† I glanced uneasily at Lee, who had immediately begun talking to Jill. Both were so caught up in each other, they didn't even realize what the rest of us were discussing. I knew how much the vampire hunter talk bothered Lee. He wouldn't appreciate Keith encouraging it. â€Å"Does Clarence know about the killing in LA?† asked Eddie. There was no reason Keith wouldn't, since it was open Alchemist knowledge, but I wasn't sure if he would've made the connection to Clarence or not. â€Å"He hasn't mentioned it,† said Adrian. â€Å"I swear Keith's just doing it because he's bored or something. Even I haven't sunk that low.† â€Å"Is that what you've been doing instead?† I asked. I sat down across from him and pointed at the energy drinks. â€Å"Hey, it's not vodka or brandy or†¦ well, anything good.† Adrian sighed and upended one can, drinking the last few drops. â€Å"So give me some credit.† Eddie glanced at the cans. â€Å"Didn't Jill say she had trouble sleeping last night?† â€Å"Adrian,† I said with a groan. Eddie was right. I'd noticed Jill tossing and turning constantly. Vicarious caffeine would certainly explain it. â€Å"Hey, I'm trying,† Adrian said. â€Å"If you could get me out of here, Sage, then I wouldn't be forced to drown my sorrows in taurine and ginseng.† â€Å"She can't, Adrian, and you know it,† said Eddie. â€Å"Can't you†¦ I don't know. Find a hobby or something?† â€Å"Being charming is my hobby,† said Adrian obstinately. â€Å"I'm the life of a party – even without drinking. I wasn't meant to be alone.† â€Å"You could get a job,† said Eddie, settling into a corner chair. He smiled, amused by his own wit. â€Å"Solve both your problems – make some money and be around people.† Adrian scowled. â€Å"Careful, Castile. There's only one comedian in this family.† I straightened up. â€Å"That's actually not a bad idea.† â€Å"It's a terrible idea,† said Adrian, glancing between me and Eddie. â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"Is this the part where you tell us your hands don't do manual labor?† â€Å"It's more like the part where I don't have anything to offer society,† he countered. â€Å"I could help you,† I offered. â€Å"Are you going to do the work and give me the paycheck?† Adrian asked hopefully. â€Å"Because that actually could help.† â€Å"I can give you a ride to your interviews,† I said. â€Å"And I can make you a resume that would get you any job.† I eyed him and reconsidered. â€Å"Well, within reason.† Adrian stretched back out. â€Å"Sorry, Sage. Just not feeling it.† Clarence and Keith entered just then. Clarence's face was exuberant. â€Å"Thank you, thank you,† he was saying. â€Å"It's so nice to talk to someone who understands my concerns about the hunters.† I hadn't been aware that Keith understood anything except his own self-serving nature. Lee's face darkened when he realized Keith was furthering the old man's irrationality. Nonetheless, the Moroi withheld the comments he undoubtedly wanted to make. It was the first time I'd seen any sort of dark emotion on Lee's face. Looked like Keith could bring down even the most cheerful person. Clarence was happy to see us, as was Dorothy. Humans who gave blood to vampires weren't just disgusting because of the act itself. What was also appalling was the addiction that resulted. Vampires released endorphins into those they drank from, endorphins that created a pleasurable sort of high. Human feeders who lived among Moroi spent their entire days in that high, becoming heavily dependent on it. Someone like Dorothy, who had lived only with Clarence for years, hadn't experienced enough bites to really get addicted. Now, with Jill and Adrian around, Dorothy was getting an increased amount of endorphins in her daily life. Her eyes lit up when she saw Jill, showing she was eager for more. â€Å"Hey, Sage,† said Adrian. â€Å"I don't want an interview, but do you think you could give me a ride to get some cigarettes?† I started to tell him I wasn't going to help with such a filthy habit and then noticed him looking meaningfully at Dorothy. Was he trying to get me out of here? I wondered. Give me an excuse to not be around for the feeding? From what I understood, Moroi normally didn't hide their feedings from each other. Jill and Dorothy just usually left the room for my comfort. I knew they'd probably do it again but decided I'd take the opportunity to get away. Of course, I glanced at Keith for confirmation, expecting him to protest. He merely shrugged. It looked like I was the last thing on his mind. â€Å"Okay,† I said, standing up. â€Å"Let's go.† In the car, Adrian turned to me. â€Å"I changed my mind,† he said. â€Å"I'll take you up on helping me get a job.† I almost swerved into oncoming traffic. Few things from him could have surprised me more – and he said pretty surprising things on a regular basis. â€Å"That was fast. Are you serious?† â€Å"As much as I ever am. Will you still help me?† â€Å"I suppose so, though there's only so much I can do. I can't actually get you the job.† I ran down my mental list of what I knew about Adrian. â€Å"I don't suppose you have any idea of what you'd actually like to do?† â€Å"I want something entertaining,† he said. He thought some more. â€Å"And I want to make lots of money – but do as little work as possible.† â€Å"Lovely,† I muttered. â€Å"That narrows it down.† We reached downtown, and I managed a flawless parallel-parking job that didn't impress him nearly as much as it should have. We were right in front of a convenience store, and I stood outside while he went in. Evening shadows were falling. I was off campus all the time, but so far, my trips had all been to Clarence's, mini-golf courses, and fast-food joints. It turned out that the city of Palm Springs was really pretty. Boutiques and restaurants lined the streets, and I could've spent hours people-watching. Retirees in golfing getups strolled alongside young glamorous socialites. I knew a lot of celebrities came here too, but I wasn't in tune enough with the entertainment world to know who was who. â€Å"Man,† said Adrian, emerging from the store. â€Å"They raised the price on my normal brand. I had to buy some crappy one.† â€Å"You know,† I said. â€Å"Quitting would also be a really great way to save some – â€Å" I froze as I spotted something down the street. Three blocks away, through the leaves of some palm trees, I could just barely make out a sign that read Nevermore in ornate Gothic lettering. That was the place. The source of the tattoos running rampant through Amberwood. Ever since Kristin's incident, I'd wanted to delve into this more but hadn't been sure how. Now I had my chance. For a moment, I remembered Keith telling me not to get involved with anything that might raise attention or cause trouble. Then I thought about the way Kristin had looked during her overdose. This was my opportunity to actually do something. I made a decision. â€Å"Adrian,† I said. â€Å"I need your help.† I pulled him toward the tattoo parlor, filling him in on the situation. For a moment, he seemed so interested in high-inducing tattoos that I thought he'd want one. When I told him about Kristin, though, his enthusiasm faded. â€Å"Even if it's not Alchemist technology, they're still doing something dangerous,† I explained. â€Å"Not just to Kristin. What Slade and those guys are doing – using the steroids to be better at football – is just as bad. People are getting hurt.† I thought, suddenly, of Trey's cuts and bruises. A small alley separated the tattoo parlor from a neighboring restaurant, and we stopped just before it. A door opened inside the alley, on the parlor side, and a man stepped out and lit a cigarette. He'd taken only two steps when another man stuck his head out the side door and called, â€Å"How long are you going to be gone?† I could see shelves and tables behind him. â€Å"Just running down to the store,† said the man with the cigarette. â€Å"I'll be back in ten.† The other guy went back inside, shutting the door. A few moments later, we saw him through the window at the front of the store, tidying up something on the counter. â€Å"I have to get back there,† I said to Adrian. â€Å"Into that door.† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"What, like sneaking in? How very black ops of you. And oh, you know – dangerous and foolish.† â€Å"I know,† I said, surprised at how calm I sounded as I admitted that. â€Å"But I have to know something, and this may be my only chance.† â€Å"Then I'll go with you in case that guy comes back,† he said with a sigh. â€Å"Never let it be said Adrian Ivashkov doesn't help damsels in distress. Besides, did you see him? He looked like some insane biker. They both did.† â€Å"I don't want you to – wait.† Inspiration hit. â€Å"You talk to the guy inside.† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Go in the front. Distract him so that I can look around. Talk to him about†¦ I don't know. You'll think of something.† We quickly hashed out a plan. I sent Adrian on his way while I ducked into the alley and approached the door. I pulled the handle and found it – locked. â€Å"Of course,† I muttered. What business would leave a remote door like this exposed and unlocked? My brilliant plan started to crumble until I remembered I had my Alchemist â€Å"essentials† in my purse. My full kit was rarely needed, high school acne crises aside, so it was usually kept at home. But Alchemists were always on call, no matter where they were, to cover up vampire sightings. And so, we always kept a couple of things on us at all times. One was the substance that could dissolve a Strigoi body in under a minute. The other was almost equally efficient at dissolving metal. It was a type of acid, and I kept it in a protected vial in my purse. Quickly, I fished it out and unscrewed the top. A bitter scent hit me and made me wrinkle my nose. With the bottle's glass dropper, I very carefully leaned down and placed a few drops right in the center of the lock. I immediately stepped back as a white mist rose up from the contact. Within thirty seconds, it had all dissipated, and there was a hole in the middle of the door's handle. One of the nice things about this stuff, which we called quickfire, was that its reaction occurred extremely fast. It was now inert and posed no danger to my skin. I pushed down on the handle, and it released. I only opened the door a crack, just to ascertain that there was no one else around. Nope. Empty. I crept inside and quietly shut the door behind me, fastening an inside bolt to make sure it stayed locked. As I'd seen from the outside, the place was a storage room, filled with all sorts of tools of the tattoo trade. Three doorways surrounded me. One led to a bathroom, one to a darkened room, and another to the store's front and main counter. Light spilled in from that doorway, and I could hear Adrian's voice. â€Å"My friend's got one,† he was saying. â€Å"I've seen it, and he said this is the place he got it. Come on, don't play me.† â€Å"Sorry,† came the gruff response. â€Å"No idea what you're talking about.† I slowly began scanning the cupboards and drawers, reading labels and looking for anything suspicious. There were a lot of supplies and not much time. â€Å"Is it a money thing?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Because I've got enough. Just tell me how much it costs.† There was a long pause, and I hoped Adrian wouldn't be asked to show any cash since the last of his money had gone to promoting cancer. â€Å"I don't know,† the guy said at last. â€Å"If I was able to do this copper tattoo you're talking about – and I'm not saying I can – you probably couldn't afford it.† â€Å"I'm telling you,† said Adrian. â€Å"Just name your price.† â€Å"What is it you're interested in exactly?† the man asked slowly. â€Å"Just the color?† â€Å"I think we both know,† said Adrian cunningly. â€Å"I want the color. I want the ‘bonus effects.' And I want it to look badass. You probably can't even do the design I want.† â€Å"That's the least of your worries,† said the guy. â€Å"I've been doing this for years. I can draw anything you want.† â€Å"Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle with flames coming out of it? And I want a pirate hat on the skeleton. And a parrot on his shoulder. A skeleton parrot. Or maybe a ninja skeleton parrot? No, that would be overkill. But it'd be cool if the biker skeleton could be shooting some ninja throwing stars. That are on fire.† Meanwhile, I'd still seen no sign of what I needed, but there were a million nooks and crannies left to explore. Panic began to rise in me. I was going to run out of time. Then, seeing the darkened room, I hurried over to it. With a quick glance toward the store's front, I flipped on the light and held my breath. No one must have noticed anything because the conversation continued where it had left off. â€Å"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard,† said the tattooist. â€Å"That's not what the ladies are going to say,† said Adrian. â€Å"Look, kid,† said the guy. â€Å"It's not even about money. It's about availability. That's a lot of ink you're talking about, and I don't have that much in stock.† â€Å"Well, when will your supplier deliver next?† asked Adrian. I stared in awe at what I had found: I was in the room where the tattooing took place. There was a lounging chair – much more comfortable than the table I'd received my tattoo on – and a small side table covered with what appeared to be freshly used implements. â€Å"I've already got some people wait-listed ahead of you. I don't know when there'll be more.† â€Å"Can you call me when you know?† Adrian asked. â€Å"I'll give you my info. My name's Jet Steele.† If not for my own tense situation, I would've groaned. Jet Steele? Really? Before I could think much more about it, I finally found what I'd been looking for. The tattoo gun on the table had its own ink container, but sitting nearby were several smaller vials. All of them were empty, but some still had enough metallic residue of their former ingredients to tip me off. Without even thinking twice, I quickly began recapping them and putting them in my purse. Nearby, I noticed some sealed vials full of dark liquid. I froze for a moment. Carefully, I picked one up, opened it, and took a sniff. It was what I'd feared. I screwed the lid back on and added those vials to my purse. Just then, I heard a rattling behind me. Someone was trying to open the back door. I'd bolted it behind me, however, and it didn't give. Still, it meant my time for snooping was up. I was just zipping up my purse when I heard the store's front door open. â€Å"Joey, why's the back door locked?† an angry voice demanded. â€Å"It's always locked.† â€Å"No, the bolt was on. From the inside. It wasn't when I left.† Cue my exit. I flipped off the light and began hurrying back through the storage room. â€Å"Wait!† exclaimed Adrian. There was an anxious note to his voice, like he was trying to get someone's attention. I had the uneasy feeling that the two guys who worked here were headed back behind the counter to investigate. â€Å"I need to know something else about the tattoo. Can the parrot also be wearing a pirate's hat? Like a miniature one?† â€Å"In a minute. We have to check something.† The voice was louder than before. Closer. My hands fumbled as I unlatched the bolt. I managed it and opened the door, hurrying out just as I heard voices behind me. Without pausing to glance back, I shut the door and ran out the alley and up the street, back toward where I'd parked. I was pretty sure the guys hadn't gotten a good look at me. I think I'd just been a figure darting out the door. Still, I was grateful for the crowds of people on the street. I was able to blend in as I turned my attention to my car and unlocked the door. My hands were sweaty and shaking as I fumbled with the keys. I wanted badly to look behind me but was afraid of attracting the attention of the two men, if they were out searching the street. As long as they had no reason to suspect me – A hand suddenly grabbed my arm and jerked me away. I gasped. â€Å"It's me,† said a voice. Adrian. I breathed a sigh of relief. â€Å"Don't look back,† he said calmly. â€Å"Just get in the car.† I obeyed. Once we were both safely inside, I took a deep breath, overwhelmed by the pounding of my heart. Fear-born adrenaline surged in my chest, so strongly it hurt. I closed my eyes and leaned back. â€Å"That was too close,† I said. â€Å"And you did good, by the way.† â€Å"I know,† he said proudly. â€Å"And actually, I kind of want that tattoo now. Did you find what you were looking for?† I opened my eyes and sighed. â€Å"I did. And a whole lot more.† â€Å"So, what is it? They're putting drugs in tattoos?† â€Å"Worse,† I said. â€Å"They're using vampire blood.†

Free All the King’s Men Analysis Essay

Free All the King’s Men Analysis Essay All the King’s Men Analysis Question 1: Which is more effective and powerful, Willies speeches and the crowds reaction as presented in the film, or in the novel? (Pages 135-144, 219-220). Explain your answer providing specific examples from both the film and the novel. Willie Stark is portrayed in both the novel as well as the film as a self-righteous man who fights for the truth and justice. According to Woodell (18), the small town lawyer and an idealist is also family man who does not drink because his wife does not allow him. After Stark realized that he was being engineered to divide votes, he steps down from the governor position. Willy works hard to feed the family. After he steps down from running for governorship, he starts giving speeches which were captivating to the listeners. The public applauds his speeches and expects more from him. Willy is also a farmers son who studies at night to become a lawyer. It is though, after the deaths of three children at a school, due to the faulty construction that he becomes a local hero for the community. The man who tried to warn them, but no one listened to them. Willie like every man who speaks the truth was a lousy candidate for the governor elections. He could not make the crowd listen; his speeches were full of facts and figures and lacking emotion. It was only after Sadie Burke revealed the truth to him that he was set up to split MacMurfees voters that he showed some emotion. Enraged, he drunk a whole bottle of whiskey and passed out. The next day, still drunk and furious over the way he was played, he gave the public his best speech. He told them how he was a foolish hick, like them who had been set up by those in power, suddenly the crowd began to listen. in fact, they could relate to him, and Willie spoke in ordinary words, unlike the rest of the politicians. After Willy decides to run for governorship, Judge Irwin disapproves him and calls him an opportunist. Willy does not give up and is never distracted. He goes straight for the post and wins. He initiates projects to run and asks Dr Santon to run them for him. The projects become popular and make him a man who fulfills his dreams. Willy maintains a pet project and starts to build a hospital for the neighborhood. After being criticized by Judge Irwin, and besieged by the political controversy, Willy demands that Jack should dig more sins from the judge and expose them too. Jack becomes adamant but later reveals the most painful facts that Judge Irwin was corrupt in dispensing his duties as a judge. This not a good experience for the judge and he instead considers committing suicide to shield him from the shame. In the novel, that speech is even more powerful as he states that he withdraws from the race to support MacMurfee: But if MacMurfee does not deliver for the little people, nail him to the door, or he would do it himself. ORDER FOR: $Â  11.99 document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () { $("#miniorder_shorcode form").append($("", { "name": "_token", "value": window.Laravel.csrfToken, "type": "hidden" })); }); Question 2: Which is more effective and powerful, the visit with Judge Irwin and the conflicts presented between Willie, Jack and the Judge in the film version, or in the novel? (Pages 62-73) Explain your answer, providing specific examples from both the film and the novel. Jack Burden is a brash-bound idealist. According to him, idealism is exceedingly straightforward: What you do not know do not hurt you, for it aint real. If you are an idealist it does not matter what you do or what goes on around you because it is not real anyway", But, why would an idealist is working for a man like Willie Stark these days? In his perspective, Willie might have his own methods, but what it comes down to, he is using those methods to help, the best way he can. The first time, however, he does not agree with Willie is in his conflict with Judge Irwin, the man who Jack loved as a father. The same man raised him after his father abandoned him. The man who shared his love for history of warfare and weapons and at the end is proven to be his biological father. When it comes to the Judge, Jack is not sure whether he agrees with Willies methods. Going into the Judges house in the middle of the night, threatening him to retract his endorsement; otherwise they would find some dirt from his past. Jack does not feel comfortable threatening a man he respected this much. This is best presented in the film version, because of the three splendid actors, Sean Penn, Antony Hopkins and Jude Law. They are responsible for the strong emotions in the atmosphere, the anger, the betrayal, the gilt. Question 3:Which works better to show the conflict between Jack and Judge Irwin when Jack threatens to expose the Judges involvement in the scandal (regarding the Littlepaugh family): the scene in the film or the version in the novel. In your answer include the reaction of Jacks mother to Judge Irwins suicide. When Jack discovers that the perfect gentleman who treated him as a son, the eminent Judge Irwin has something hidden in his past, he feels the need to confront the Judge himself. He travels to Burdens Landing and visits the Judge at his house. The Judge seems happy to see him and apologizes for their last conversation. Jack nonetheless, asks the Judge to call MacMurfee off, and when he refuses, he threatens him with the information he found regarding Littlepaughs suicide and the bribe. This annoys the Judge, and consequently Willy is told to keep off. This however, does not leave the judge in peace. He is troubled about his status and his reputation that he has build for many years (Scott 32). It is that same blackmail that led the Judge to commit suicide. The reality was too much to bear. When Jack returns home, he hears a scream from his mothers room and he finds her on the floor crying and screaming that he killed the Judge. He was responsible for his death, the death of his father. That is when Jack finds out the truth about his family. What is more, Judge Irwin took a bullet to the heart to reveal the secret that haunted him all these years the love for his son. Then Jack learns that the bribe that Judge took was for him to have something to inherit and was a blessing in disguise. Him, who blackmailed him using that same information, He was responsible for the death of his father, whose only sin was for him. This feels like a Greek tragedy of modern Democratic politics. However on the film, it is shown on a velvet wallpaper version, where neither the politics nor the family intrigue makes some sense (Steven 37). Stark also comes to embrace various forms of corruption and uses patronage and intimidation to accomplish his mission. Dr. Stanton revealed that the hospital is as a result of the governor's political and personal gain. He waits for Stark at the state capitol to assassinate him, but is shot and murdered by Stark`s bodyguard. Question 4:Which provides more dramatic power and closure for the viewer, the last few scenes in the film when the Boss and Adam Stanton are murdered, or the ending of the novel? On a rainy day, Adam Stanton murders Willie Stark because he found out he had an affair with his sister and thinks that is the reason he was offered the directorship of the hospital. Two funerals, of two righteous men who did not deserve to die. At least that is the way it is portrayed in the film, but it leaves so many things unsaid. It fails to show how Willie changed after his sons accident. How he decided to go back to his wife and ended the affair with Anne. Moreover, it does not show that the reason behind Willie and Adams deaths were Sadie and Tiny and what Tiny told Adam to make him murder Willie at the first place. After the entire book is called the entire Kings Men and it focuses on the ultimate betrayal to the King by his Men, which led to his death. What is more, the film fails to show how Willie became who he was again at the end, a righteous man whom power corrupted. A man who made a mistake and regretted. Nonetheless, the film does not show what happened to the rest of the characters, Jack, Anne, Lucy, Tom, Sadie, Tiny and even Sugar Boy. What is written in the New York Times is the truth especially regarding the ending of the film: All the Kings Men make a lot of promises, but fails to deliver the goods (Steven 12). According to Woodell (28), the film had notable lessons because of its central focus of Sean Penn as Huey Long, the Kingfisher, and the every person governor of the depression-era Louisiana. If ever there existed a role meant for Penn's heated and emotive style of acting, this was it. Faithful to that to that promise, Penn brings colorful scenes with Willie Stark bringing fire and brimstone from the campaign trails.

Military Funeral Honors in the US Navy

Military Funeral Honors in the US Navy I am currently working for the US Navy, and I am in charge of conducting military funeral honors. My main task is referred to as passing of the flag. This is a very demanding job, but fortunately, two persons can accomplish it. There are many military funerals and thus I cannot manage to attend all of them. That is why I need to delegate my authority to someone else. This implies that the task of passing the flag is possible, just as if I was physically present.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Military Funeral Honors in the US Navy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lewis et al. (2007, p.198) argue that the task delegation cannot be successful without clear instructions that explain the manner in which to execute the task. It is in this regard that I have considered documenting the task because it will help in preventing any faults. This is because I am the one expected to account for all happenings encountered in the task and hence, I cannot hold the delegated person accountable. I have therefore created a framework for the person that receives my authority to dictate the appropriate time and manner of executing the task. I have decided to explain to the person to whom I am delegating this task to the importance of this initiative. The benefits are to be experienced by three entities, that is, this other person and the organization in general, and myself. First, delegation will slash my workload and therefore I will not feel overwhelmed because the tasks will be more manageable and I will focus on the most crucial tasks such as planning for flag passing sessions. In this light, the most obvious benefit is the monetary reward, which varies depending on the volunteer’s position. The person to whom authority will be delegated will get an opportunity to exercise his/her skills and abilities and he/she could be my successor when I retire. Saleem (2007, p.1) explains that executing this task on my behalf will provide the other person with the relevant training that will be needed in future for him/her to serve in this position. Moreover, volunteering in this position will yield points, which will be credited into his /her retirement scheme and thus, increase his/her income at that time. Similarly, I will explain to the person to whom I am delegating this task to how I will measure his/her performance and be in a position to tell whether the quality of his/her performance was satisfactory. I will set the goals for this task as recommended by Portny (2010, p.134) and thereafter, refer to them when gauging his/her performance.Advertising Looking for essay on homeland security? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More I expect his/her output to be slightly higher than mine because he/she will not be handling the entire tasks single handedly, as I did previously. Should I get any complains from my superiors I will assum e his/her output is below average and at that juncture, I will have to go back to the drawing board. The person to whom I intend to delegate this task to is very competent because he/she is drawn from the US navy and therefore is familiar with the force’s obligations and thus, knows what is expected of him/her. This implies that I will not have to train this person concerning this task of passing the flag. However, I will evaluate his/her performance in her/his present position so that I can be certain about his/her reliability. This is because this person cannot be expected to deliver an outstanding performance if he/she has failed to do the same in her/his present position. The spirit of volunteering when the need arises especially when we are engaged in a war motivates every officer in the US navy. However, I have a good working relationship with the person receiving may authority, which is based on mutual respect. Besides, if there are any faults in the task there are har dly any monetary costs. There can only be human expenses because this service is usually rendered before the bereaved family commences with grieving (Department of Defense, 2011). Furthermore, I will be able to supervise the performance of this person because in most situations, I am usually present but hardly noticed because I only come in when there is a fault that needs to be corrected. The faults will be corrected swiftly so that the organization does not feel the pinch of accumulated liabilities. In fact, I do not need to consult my boss regarding this initiative. This is because my superior knows that I am a responsible person and our code of ethics has granted me the power of task delegation. If the person performs well, this task will be his/her bridge for advancing his/her career in the US navy. He/she is most likely to be promoted to the position of funeral honor coordinator. The position entails dictating how the honors will be conducted. Moreover, this position involves giving messages of condolences to the bereaved family on behalf of the deceased officer’s branch. I will delegate this task without fear because all officers are trained to be flexible and thus, they are able to work in any position and deliver the desired results. References Department of Defense (2011). Military Funeral Honors. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Military Funeral Honors in the US Navy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lewis, P. S., Goodman, S. H., Fandt, P. M., Michlitsch, J. F. (2007). Management: Challenges for Tomorrows Leaders (5th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Portny, E. S. (2010). Project Management for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing Inc. Saleem, H. (2007, June 23). How to Delegate Effectively. Directory Journal. Retrieved from https://www.dirjournal.com/blogs/how-to-delegate-effectively/

4 Tips for Writing Effectively, Concisely and Truthfully

4 Tips for Writing Effectively, Concisely and Truthfully On November 20, I was featured in the article English Essay Tips from the Experts, a compilation of writing tips from several experts. These tips are valid for anyone writing any type of letter or essay. Remember them as you compile holiday letters and college application essays in the upcoming weeks! #1: Think First. Write Last. Sometimes when people don’t like writing, the actual problem is that they are having trouble thinking. Frequently I’ll work with a client on an essay the person has been struggling with for weeks. One client this past week, for instance, had been through seven revisions of his law school application essay and still wasn’t satisfied with the result. What he needed was not writing help so much as a conversation with a coach who could focus him on a strategy and theme that worked. He needed help thinking. As soon as he had his new outline, he rewrote the essay, completed two revisions, and finalized the essay in just one week. Erin Brenner, a publishing professional, copyediting professor and editor of copyediting.com, makes the important point that writing is the last step in the writing process. First, the writer must gather and organize information; once those steps are taken, writing can be a breeze. #2: Stick to the Point! Another challenge for writers can be going on tangents or including unnecessary details. Test prep expert Alexis Avila cuts to the chase on this issue with his tip that any â€Å"sentence that doesn’t fit under Thesis / Evidence / Transition† can be cut from an essay. Of course, to know whether a sentence fits under Thesis / Evidence / Transition, you need to be clear about what the purpose is of each of your paragraphs! So Tip #1 from Erin Brenner is part and parcel of this one. #3: Active Language Wins Do you ever get the vague feeling that your writing is too wordy but you’re not sure exactly why? I believe the first place to look is at passive vs. active construction (e.g., The car was moving fast down the street vs. The car sped down the street.) Mignon Fogarty, a.k.a. Grammar Girl, points out that the use of â€Å"of†- especially when it follows a â€Å"tion† word- can give you a clue about what to change. If you wrote something like, â€Å"The creation of paper snowflakes took the children hours† you would do well to change it to â€Å"The children spent hours creating paper snowflakes.† See the difference? Feel free to use this trick in your holiday writing! #4: Tell the Truth! This tip from me- Brenda Bernstein, The Essay Expert- makes writing a lot easier for anyone who thinks they need to â€Å"sound good.† If that’s you, stop it! Instead, tell the truth about your struggles and pain if that’s what you’ve been dealing with. And then tell the truth about your victories. No one is interested in how you’ve always known what you know now; we want to know how you grew. When I get to my clients’ real stories, they inevitably express a sense of relief and gain energy to start writing. People who were stuck suddenly can’t wait to start putting words on paper. Did these four tips give you a boost in getting started, or continuing, a writing project that has been stymieing you? Do you think you need a different type of tip to get you on track? Please share below!

Financial Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Innovation - Essay Example Evidence adduced in this paper illustrates various instances of financial innovations that exempted regulation. The consequence has been economic crisis. Introduction The performance of the financial sector is crucial to the economy of the country. Innovation in the financial sector can contribute to the growth or destruction of the economy. The economic growth over the past few centuries demonstrate that effective approach to financial innovation could create prosperity of the nations. However, the issue of financial innovation has drawn criticism from some economists who believe that frequent economic crises experienced in the recent years are due to financial innovation. This paper seeks to debate the question should the potential benefits of financial system innovation deter regulators from imposing restrictions on the activities of financial institutions. Financial regulations serve to regulate the activities of financial institutions against plunging the financial market into c haos. For instance, the Federal Reserve requirement dictates the base lending rate that a financial institution should observe when lending in the public. However, it is evident through the recent financial crisis that financial innovation that led to deregulation exposed the economy to erosion. Economists have observed that banks and other financial institutions in the money market are in constant competition (Anderloni 56). This competition influences the practices that a financial institution would employ in conducting its business. Thus, financial institution practices must observe a given limit in innovation. For instance, studies on the cause of great depression have indicated that financial innovation practices subjected the economy to high-risk behavior whose consequence was the great depression (Calomiris 6). Critics to financial innovation have argued that benefits of financial innovation have failed to yield the anticipated growth because of the risk factors, which the in novation creates in the financial sector (Meessen 199). Most financial innovation leads to excessive risk taking or failure of the financial institutions to predict the financial behavior in the future. For instance, speculation by financial institutions prior to the 2007 US economic crisis led to high risk lending by most financial institutions leading to the collapse of many institutions because of credit defaults. Innovation practices are beneficial to the growth of the economy when the operations are within some control. The Federal Reserve Act 1913 sought to cushion banks from risking foreclosure during financial constraints (Anderloni 156). The idea behind the Federal Reserve is to promote practices that promote the interest of the society. The Commission Inquiry on Financial Crisis report indicated that lack of transparent practice among banks led to unscrupulous lending in the subprime mortgage leading to the financial crisis (A.C.S.1). Lending laws set some base lending whi ch protect the interest of the investors. For instance, the Volcker Rule influenced the banking practices by influencing the operation of the financial institutions within a ring fence. The rule defined the operation of the banks within national and foreign category. The category of these financial institutions enables a given banks within the ring fence to operate a particular financial activities (Calomiris 3). On the contrary, failure to categorize the banks within particular operating spheres exposed the public to risks because large financial institutions collapsed with investment of the majority of the public. Financial innovation should be subject to regulation because some of the innovation practices or proposals fail to reflect the real effects that they would

'Give an account of the main mosques of Samarra' and al-Fustat in the Essay

'Give an account of the main mosques of Samarra' and al-Fustat in the early 'Abbasid period.' - Essay Example Through a discussion that begins with first developing a basic understanding of the function and form of Mosques from the medieval period, then moving through a discussion of specific structures, an exploration of the Mosques from the Abbasid period can be made in order to better understand the importance of these great structures. Function In attempting to study the architecture of the Islamic world, Hillenbrand suggests that one of the primary difficulties lies in the terminology that is used. This is due to the multiplicity of purposes that each building would serve as a function within the culture. He states â€Å"Small wonder that one and the same building could be designated by a string of descriptive terms if each did in truth refer to some aspect of its regular function†.1 In examining the ways in which the buildings of the Islamic middle ages were used it is clear that that mosques were not only used for worship, madrasas were not only used for education, and neither were mausolea used just for burial. The many needs of the culture were fit into the buildings through multiple functionalities, thus the first understanding of such buildings must be made through the idea of function. In discussing function, the first problem that can be seen in studying Islamic buildings is that there is little in the way of written information on the building of these structures. Technical renderings and information about the circumstances of how these buildings came into being are few and far between, allowing for only the buildings themselves to serve as objects of study on their construction.2 Although there is suspicion that the Islamic religious aesthetics influenced the building of Mosques during the medieval period, there is no explicit reference known or accessible to Western cultures that suggest that this is the case. Therefore, in studying the function of such buildings, one must look at the building itself to try and access this aspect and the culture in order to understand the development of needs for which the building served as a solution for cultural needs. According to Meri and Bacharach, however, most Mosques of the medieval period were designed after the creation of house that was build for Mohamed in Medina, which is located in Saudi Arabia. Literary evidence of the form of this house is more relevant than the archaeological as it is described as having a â€Å"large walled courtyard with entrances on three sides and two covered porticos, the larger of which functions as a sanctuary for the faithful where they may find shelter from the sun during prayer†.3 The original orientation of the qibla wall, the wall of the larger portico, was originally facing towards Jerusalem, and then later towards Mecca, thus providing for the importance of orientation when building a Mosque. The small portico was used as a place of shelter for those who were poor, thus setting up the division of classes within the Mosque cultural usag e. The three basic elements developed from this original structure were the courtyard for the gathering of the followers of Islam, the sanctuary for prayer, and the qibla wall.4 Form Hillenbrand lists three distinct areas in which form can be discussed. The first is in hierarchy, the second is in

E-marketing strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

E-marketing strategy - Assignment Example The e marketing differs from traditional marketing in that it involves the use of channels and methods that enable an organization to analyze marketing campaigns and understand what is working and what is not typically in real time. Digital marketers check things like what is being viewed, how often and for how long, sales conversions, what content works and does not work.Normaly, the internet is the channel that is mostly associated with digital marketing.(Csheing, 2010) Ordinarily, digital marketing and its associated channels are important to the existence and the profitability of the company. It is important to know your customers better than anybody else so that you can communicate with them where, when and how they are most receptive to your message. This is done by consolidating views of customer preferences and expectations across all channels – Web, social media, mobile, direct mail and point of sale. Marketers can use this information to create and anticipate consistent, coordinated customer experiences that will move customers along in the buying cycle. The deeper your insight into customer behavior and preferences, the more likely you are to engage them in lucrative interactions thus much sales.(Csheing, 2010) Ordinarily E-marketing involves the use of the Internet and digital media capabilities to assist in increasing the sale of the products or services. The digital technologies use by the hotels contributes to the value addition compared to the traditional marketing approach. This is regardless of the size and type of the hotel or restaurant. Standard hotels have fully applied the e-marketing with the aim of increasing the profitability of the Hotel. (Porta, 2012) Standard hotels have e marketing objectives that are geared towards achieving its mission. Firstly; the Hotel has an objective of achieving about 30% of online sales within the half a year of starting online