Two Articles on the Motives and Mind of a Serial Killer

The mind of a serial killer can be very interesting in being able to find out what makes them want to do what they do. Knowing if someone was abused as a child and if this makes them more likely to become a serial killer or not become a serial killer is something I was very curious to learn about. Something that happens in a person’s childhood can affect the way they act when they become adults. I found two sources talking about childhood abuse and serial killers. The first source was an internet article entitled â€Å"Serial Killer Motives† found on the website How Stuff Works and was written by Shanna Freeman. The second source I found was a video entitled â€Å"Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer† which is found off of the website Big Think. This†¦show more content†¦When I read this text I do not have any emotional connection, which is why I believe this article does not use pathos. Both sources state the facts as to why someone would become a serial killer based on their childhood abuse or neglect. The video talks about specific serial killers that demonstrated this affect. An example exhibiting this affect is Tommy Lynn Sells. The speaker in the video was able to have a conversation with Sells to find out if this really was his motive for â€Å"killing about 70 people† (YouTube). From there, the speaker was able to draw conclusions that people can kill based on childhood experiences. The article states more facts and does not really give examples of serial killers that killed because of abuse or neglect as a child. Providing examples of people who did kill because of this motive gives an advantage to the video. From knowing this information, a person is then able to look up more articles regarding a specific person and find out the background of what occurred to them as a child. Showing what could have trigged them to have done what they did. The video talked about if a person was abused as a child, they would be more l ikely to choose their victims to get back at a parent who abused them. If you were constantly abused by your mother, the video says,† you would be more likely to kill women than men to get back at your mother symbolically† (YouTube). In the example used, Tommy LynnShow MoreRelatedEssay The Making of a Serial Killer, An Annotated Bibliography1410 Words   |  6 PagesAnnotated Bibliography: Brogaard, Berit. The Making of a Serial Killer. Psychology Today. Sussex Directories, Inc., 7 Dec. 2012. Web. 03 May 2014. Berit Brogaard, D.M.Sci., Ph.D., is a Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Brogaard Lab for Multisensory Research at the University of Miami. She earned a medical degree in neuroscience and a doctorate in philosophy. This article explained the traits of a psychopath, such as their callous, manipulative, and cunning behavior, along withRead MoreThe Murder Of Serial Killers1703 Words   |  7 PagesA grieving mother drapes herself over the casket of her deceased son. The 14 year old had fallen victim to one of the most infamous serial killers in history, Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer killed a total of 17 known victims, all between the ages of 14 and 33. In his most recent murders, he often resorted to necrophilia, cannibalism, and permanent preservation of body parts (â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer Biography†). The mother looks at what is left of her son’s face, the face that once smiled to her every morning beforeRead MoreInside The Mind Of A Serial Killer852 Words   |  4 PagesThe title of my proposed topic is: Inside The Mind of a Serial Killer. 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The world would not be the same without these vile people. Yes, serial killers are awful human beings but there is something about them that has, and will continue, to be a topic of interest to the innocent. Serial killers are always talked about; in fictional movies, documentaries, books, speeches, dinner topics, the list goes on. The average, day by day people in society have always cravedRead MoreThoughtful Planners : Richard Trenton Chase1565 Words   |  7 PagesMoreover, visionary killers are said to be act focused because the act of killing itself is their immediate goal. Some visionary killers come to believe that they are someone else while others feel compelled to murder at the behest of entities such as the Devil or God. Both God mandated and demon mandated serial killers are fairly common and well documented (Bonn, para. 3-4). Richard Trenton Chase is a serial killer who is described as a disorganized visionary killer. He murdered six peopleRead MoreA Psychoanalytical View of Crime and Punishment and American Psycho 2256 Words   |  10 PagesMurderer Next Door: Why the Mind is Designed to Kill, According to our findings, 91 percent of men and 84 percent of women have had at least one such vivid fantasy about killing someone...the human mind has developed adaptations for killing—deeply ingrained patterns of thought, often accompanied by internal dialogue, anchored in powerful emotions-that motivate us to murder. (Chapter 1) Buss’ point is simple: people experience the thought of killing someone and the mind has adapted to do so. In fiction

Art As A Subjective Term - 1949 Words

Art to many seems to be a subjective term, from a skill done at the highest level to a painting in a museum, society and the nature of our upbringings create nostalgia in all realms of art. It is by human nature that we judge by personal experience before applying reasoning. The definition of nostalgia itself is â€Å"pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again†.(Merriam-Webster, Nostalgia) Art itself can be noted as an experience. Artwork, if done well, should inspire a memory or maybe a feeling. Perhaps one of the scariest parts of art is that it can inspire nostalgia in a sad or happy way. It is able to control your emotions submitting you to the hand of the artist. Nostalgia is the equivalent of dangling your past in front of you without a way of returning while simultaneously, not allowing you to move on. It is this feeling that is the cruelest tool that an artist can use and can lead a viewer t o censor the world. Nostalgia is the reopening of emotional scars, painful yet eye opening even while invoking happiness. How important is nostalgia in the way we perceive art? In a quick answer, it can be said that it is the most important and the most sinister tool an artist can wield (â€Å"The Future of Nostalgia†). Nostalgia, although it can feel good, is ultimately bad. Nostalgia can be negative because, of its experience on culture and the intention of its use. The experience of art is dangerous. ArtShow MoreRelatedThe Subjective Nature Of Love999 Words   |  4 PagesIf beauty is subjective, then anything that I believe is beautiful is indeed beautiful. This implies that there is no standard definition of the word â€Å"beauty.† Its definition is tied to my attitude. Using the subjective nature of love leads us to a judgment of taste, which has no logic. 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The Theories that Withhold Normative Ethics Free Essays

Normative Ethics is a theory of ethics that is based on what ought to be morally right. Most ethical theories are based from a normative base. Normative ethics are based on what ought to be good or bad, right or wrong, and just or unjust. We will write a custom essay sample on The Theories that Withhold Normative Ethics or any similar topic only for you Order Now The ethical principles are ways to describe the actions and behaviors that we perform. There are several theories that apply to normative ethics like utilitarianism, pluralism, and rights based ethics. Utilitarianism is a principle, which approves or disapproves of every action according to whether it increases or diminishes the amount of happiness or good of the interested party. This issue is deeply imbedded in the ever-expanding world of information technology. New technologies like personnel monitoring hit this issue directly. Employers may see short-term benefits of monitoring employees, such as insider trading, efficiency, or performance. But, employers must consider what effect that the monitoring will have on the employees. The overall happiness or good for all the parties involved are not always addressed. The company may see results from their end but the employees may receive an adverse effect. To successfully make a utility-based decision managers must take in to consideration who is going to be influenced by the decision to be made. Pluralism or duty based ethical principles outline some different ideas. Immanuael Kant say the worth of an action is not found in what the person is trying to accomplish but rather the intention that they had. People must perform actions as a function of duty regardless of the consequences. Duty is an obligation to follow universal moral laws. These moral laws are outlined to make sure that projects or objectives do not superceded the worth of human beings. An important IT example would be the use of private customer information in a negative manner. Managers have a right to ensure that customer information especially financial information like credit cards or asset holdings. The managers have a duty to the customers to respect their privacy of information. Companies that provide hardware and software solutions to companies have a duty to provide a quality product. Reliant companies need those systems to run the companies. Manufacturers have a duty to balance profit maximization and quality to ensure that the product is functional for everyone. Rights based ethics focuses on the rights of individuals and respect of people†s rights. There are two different types of rights in this theory. Negative rights are rights that are free from outside interference. Therefore these rights allow people to have certain rights without someone interfering. Positive rights on the other hand are rights that people are entitled to. Examining ethical aspects using this theory people consider whether the action will impede on human or legal rights. Information management has great rights implications. Consumer†s information is located on many databases throughout the nation. Companies have to ensure that consumer†s rights to privacy maintained. Companies often sell information to marketing organizations who put you on other lists that they may sell. Many organizations make a point of telling consumers that their information will remain private. Consumers also want their information to be current and accurate. Information about peoples credit histories and financial information need to be accurate otherwise the customer may be negatively impacted. People make ethical and moral decisions every day. But, what really influences people when they are making decisions. Family has a large part to play in the way that a person views the world. Values and moral are instituted in children by their parents as they grow. The structure of the family may influence the way that children view the actions of their parents and others. Also integrated with the aspect of family are the areas of religion and culture. There are certain practices in different religions that may shape the way an individual view a decision as either moral or ethical. Subjects like sex or drugs may be accepted in various forms from one religion or culture but not another. This may determine how a person may view a decision in the future. Practices vary from country to country. Therefore, a practice like corporate spying my be acceptable in one culture but is frowned upon in ours. Companies may endorse sweatshops in other countries but it is not ethical to do it in the US. Other factors that may influence how someone makes a decision may be based on their socio-economic position in life. A person desperate for money or food my have a different outlook on some moral or ethical decisions. Personal crises alter a persons view on the world and what should be done. Age also plays an important part of how situations are solved. Younger people may view moral and ethical issues lightly because they don†t understand the consequences of the actions. As people grow older their outlook on life becomes altered. Experience makes a person view the whole picture when a decision needs to be made. People†s values change making their moral and ethical instincts stronger. While people age education level varies. Educated people have a different outlook on life than an uneducated person. Having more tools to access allow people to make a more informed decision. All of these different ideas shape the outlook that people have on the world. Individual views of society shape the moral and ethical decision-making process. The factors outlined above and some of the ethical theories we can speculate how ethical dilemmas might be resolved. Ethical dilemmas need to be examined in various steps. First of all you need to assess the ethical issues in the problem. Determine what issues will become a factor in your decision making process. Decide what your moral intuition says on the issue. How do your own personal views shape the issue? Once you have determined your personal stance on the issue, you must examine the ethical frameworks to decide how the issue can be applied. What course of action do the theories point you to? You must decide what conclusions should you follow as well as considering public policy implications. The actual decision needs to be a very informed one. Every side of the issue needs to be addressed from the different ethical theories. The informed decision will create a better outcome because the pros and cons have been addressed before a solution is designed. How to cite The Theories that Withhold Normative Ethics, Essay examples

Mental Health Problems in the Workplace Essay Sample free essay sample

Low intervention rates imperil workers’ callings and companies’ productiveness. Mental wellness jobs affect many employees — a fact that is normally overlooked because these upsets tend to be hidden at work. Research workers analysing consequences from the U. S. National Comorbidity Survey. a nationally representative survey of Americans ages 15 to 54. reported that 18 % of those who were employed said they experienced symptoms of a mental wellness upset in the old month. But the stigma attached to holding a psychiatric upset is such that employees may be loath to seek intervention — particularly in the current economic clime — out of fright that they might endanger their occupations. At the same clip. directors may desire to assist but aren’t certain how to make so. And clinicians may happen themselves in unfamiliar district. at the same time seeking to handle a patient while supplying advice about covering with the unwellness at work. As a consequence. mental wellness upsets frequently go unrecognised and untreated — non merely damaging an individual’s wellness and calling. but besides cut downing productiveness at work. Adequate intervention. on the other manus. can relieve symptoms for the employee and better occupation public presentation. But carry throughing these purposes requires a displacement in attitudes about the nature of mental upsets and the acknowledgment that such a worthwhile accomplishment takes attempt and clip. Here’s a speedy usher to the most common mental wellness jobs in the workplace. and how they affect both employees and employers. Key points * Symptoms of mental wellness upsets may be different at work than in other state of affairss. * Although these upsets may do absenteeism. the biggest impact is in lost productiveness. * Studies suggest that intervention improves work public presentation. but is non a speedy hole. | Stealth symptoms. touchable impact Symptoms of common jobs — such as depression. bipolar upset. attending shortage hyperactivity upset ( ADHD ) . and anxiousness — are all described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fourth Edition ( DSM-IV ) . But symptoms tend to attest otherwise at work than they do at place or in other scenes. Although symptoms may travel unnoticed. the economic effects are touchable. Studies measuring the full work impact of mental wellness upsets frequently use the World Health Organization ( WHO ) Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. which non merely asks employees to describe how many yearss they called in sick. but besides asks them to measure. on a ranked graduated table. how productive they were on the yearss they really were at work. The consequences are measured in yearss out of work ( absenteeism ) and lost productiveness ( â€Å"presenteeism† ) . In one survey analyzing the fiscal impact of 25 chronic physical and mental wellness job s. research workers polled 34. 622 employees at 10 companies. The research workers tabulated the sum of money the companies spent on medical and pharmaceutics costs for employees. every bit good as employees’ self-reported absenteeism and lost productiveness. utilizing the WHO questionnaire. When research workers ranked the most dearly-won wellness conditions ( including direct and indirect costs ) . depression ranked first. and anxiousness ranked 5th — with fleshiness. arthritis. and back and cervix hurting in between. Many of the surveies in this field have concluded that the indirect costs of mental wellness upsets — peculiarly lost productiveness — exceed companies’ disbursement on direct costs. such as wellness insurance parts and pharmaceutics disbursals. Given the by and large low rates of intervention. the research workers suggest that companies should put in the mental wellness of workers — non merely for the interest of the employees but to better their ain underside line. Depression is the me ntal wellness upset that has been best studied in the workplace. partially because it is so common in the general population. One study of a nationally representative sample reported that about 6 % of employees experience symptoms of depression in any given twelvemonth. Although the DSM-IV lists low temper as the specifying symptom of depression. in the workplace this upset is more likely to attest in behaviours — such as jitteriness. restlessness. or crossness — and in physical ailments. such as a preoccupation with achings and strivings. In add-on. employees may go inactive. withdrawn. aimless. and unproductive. They besides may be fatigued at work. partially as a consequence of the temper upset or because they are holding problem kiping at dark. Depression may besides impair judgement or cloud determination devising. Research workers who analyzed employee responses to the WHO questionnaire found that workers with depression reported the equivalent of 27 lost work yearss per twelvemonth — nine of them because of ill yearss or other clip taken out of work. and another 18 reflecting lost productiveness. Other research has found that employees with depression are more likely than others to lose their occupations and to alter occu pations often. Part of the job may be deficiency of intervention. In one survey. merely 57 % of employees with symptoms of major depression said they had received mental wellness intervention in the old 12 months. Of those in intervention. fewer than half — about 42 % — were having intervention considered equal. on the footing of how consistent it was with published guidelines about minimum criterions of attention. The research workers estimated that over all. when deficiency of intervention or unequal intervention was taken into history. merely about one in four employees with major depression received equal intervention for the upset. Bipolar upset is typically characterized by cycling between elevated ( frenzied ) and down tempers. In a frenzied stage. employees may look extremely energetic and originative. but existent productiveness may endure. And during matured passion. a individual may go self-aggrandising or riotous. flout workplace regulations. be excessively aggressive. and do errors in judgement ( such as overspending a budget ) . During the depressive stage. an employee may exhibit depressive symptoms as described above. Although passion may be more noticeable at wor k. the research suggests that the depressive stage of bipolar upset can impair public presentation more than the frenzied stage. One nationally representative survey estimated that about 1 % of American employees suffer from bipolar upset in any twelvemonth. Based on employee responses to the WHO questionnaire. the research workers estimated that employees with bipolar upset lost the equivalent of about 28 work yearss per twelvemonth from ill clip and other absences. and another 35 in lost productiveness. The writers note that although bipolar upset may be more disenabling to employees on an single degree. the cost to employers is still less than that attributed to depression. because the latter is more common in the population. In a going from findings about intervention rates for other mental wellness upsets. about two-thirds of employees with bipolar upset said they had received intervention for it. But the likeliness of having equal attention depended on the type of clinician they saw. Merely approximately 9 % of those who sought attention from general practicians received attention in maintaining with published guidelines for bipolar upset. compared with 45 % of those who sought attention from mental wellness professionals. Anxiety upsets in the workplace may attest as restlessness. weariness. trouble concentrating. and extra badgering. Employees may necessitate changeless reassurance about public presentation. Sometimes. as with depression. physical symptoms or crossness may be noticeable. Anxiety upsets affect about 6 % of the population at some point in life. but typically go undiagnosed for 5 to 10 old ages. And merely about one in three persons with a diagnosed upset receives intervention for it. At the same clip. the surveies suggest that people with anxiousness upsets are more likely than others to seek out medical attention — but for jobs like GI hurt. sleep perturbations. or bosom problem instead than for anxiousness. It is likely non surprising. so. that anxiousness upsets cause important work damage. Generalized anxiousness upset. for illustration. consequences in work damage ( as measured by ill yearss and lost productiveness ) similar to that attributed to major depression. ADHD is frequently considered a job merely in childhood. but it besides affects grownups. An international study in 10 states ( including the United States ) estimated that 3. 5 % of employees have ADHD. In the workplace. symptoms of ADHD may attest as disorganisation. failure to run into deadlines. inability to pull off work loads. jobs following instructions from supervisors. and statements with colleagues. Workplace public presentation — and the employee’s calling — may endure. Surveies estimate that people with ADHD may lose 22 yearss per twelvemonth ( a combination of ill yearss and lost productiveness ) . compared with people without the upset. In add-on. people with ADHD are 18 times every bit likely to be disciplined for behaviour or other work jobs. and likely to gain 20 % to 40 % less money than others. They are besides two to four times every bit likely as other employees to be terminated from a occupation. Treatment rates among employees with ADHD are particularly low. In the United States. for illustration. merely 13 % of workers with ADH D reported being treated for this status in the old 12 months. An investing in wellness The literature on mental wellness jobs in the workplace suggests that the personal toll on employees — and the fiscal cost to companies — could be eased if a greater proportion of workers who need intervention were able to have it. The writers of such surveies advise employees and employers to believe of mental wellness attention as an investing — one that’s worth the up-front clip and cost. Most of the research on the costs and benefits of intervention has been done on employees with depression. The surveies have found that when depression is adequately treated. companies cut down job-related accidents. ill yearss. and employee turnover. every bit good as better the figure of hours worked and employee productiveness. But the research besides suggests that intervention for depression is non a speedy hole. Although equal intervention alleviates symptoms and improves productiveness. one survey found that in the short term. employees may necessitate to take c lip off to go to clinical assignments or cut down their hours in order to retrieve. To get the better of barriers to accessing attention. and to do it more low-cost to companies. the National Institute of Mental Health is patronizing the Work Outcomes Research and Cost Effectiveness Study at Harvard Medical School. The research workers have published consequences from a randomized. controlled test of telephone showing and depression attention direction for workers at 16 big companies. stand foring a assortment of industries. During the two-phase survey. mental wellness clinicians employed by an insurance company identified workers who might necessitate intervention. provided information about how to entree it. monitored attachment to intervention. and provided telephone psychotherapeutics to those workers who did non desire to see a healer in individual. The results of 304 workers assigned to the intercession were compared with 300 controls. who were referred to clinicians for intervention but did non have telephone support. The research workers found that workers assigned to the telephone intercession reported significantly improved temper and were more likely to maintain their occupations when compared with those in the control group. They besides improved their productiveness. equivalent to about 2. 6 hours of excess work per hebdomad. worth about $ 1. 800 per twelvemonth ( based on mean rewards ) — while the intercession cost the employers an estimated $ 100 to $ 400 per treated employee. The research workers are carry oning extra research on how to better entree to mental wellness attention in the workplace. and to quantify costs and benefits for employers. Surveies such as these suggest that. in the long term. costs spent on mental wellness attention may stand for an investing that will pay off — non merely in healthier employees. but besides for the company’s fiscal wellness.

How to Import RSS Feeds Into WordPress as Posts

Need to import RSS feeds into WordPress as posts? There are tons of reasons you might need to bring in external RSS feeds to your WordPress site. Just to name a few:With RSS feeds, you can do neat stuff like create a news aggregator, import YouTube videos or Instagram photos, showcase upcoming events from different sources, and lots more.But all of those possibilities are only open to you if you have the ability to import RSS feeds into WordPress as actual WordPress posts. Plenty of plugins let you create a list of RSS feeds but thats no good for more advanced uses.Theres no way around it to get the most from external RSS feeds, you need to be able to import RSS feeds into WordPress as posts. And Im going to show you exactly how you can do that using our very own Feedzy plugin. While the free version of our Feedzy plugin is helpful for displaying basic RSS feeds via shortcodes and widgets, youll need the Business version of Feedzy to actually import RSS feeds into WordPress as post s.The Business version costs $149 and allows you to do everything you need. Beyond that, Im also assuming you have a working WordPress blog to install the plugin on.As long as you have those two things, youre ready to get started!Step 1: Install Feedzy and activate your licenseTo get started, you need to install both Feedzy Lite and Feedzy Pro. Feedzy Pro actually functions as an add-on, so it needs the free version to operate.Once you have both plugins installed and activated, head to Settings → General and scroll down to the Feedzy RSS Feeds Premium license box to activate your Feedzy Pro version (you can find your license key in your ThemeIsle account).Step 2: Enter your RSS feed source(s)Next up, youre ready to specify the RSS feeds youd like to import WordPress posts from.Need help finding an RSS feed? Here are a few tips:For WordPress blogs, you can almost always append /feed to the end of a URL to get the RSS feed.Many sites with RSS feeds display the RSS feed icon (yo u can see an example of the RSS icon in the Feedzy graphic from the previous section).You can view a sites source code with your browsers developer tools and search for rss in the code.Then, to make sure youve found a working RSS feed, you can use this free RSS feed validation tool.Once you have the feed(s) that youd like to import, head to Feedzy RSS → Import Posts. Give it a name so that you can remember what youre importing and paste the RSS feed URL into the box. You can separate multiple feed URLs with commas:Then click Next.Step 3: Add filters to your feedOne neat thing about Feedzy is that it lets you add keyword filters to your RSS feeds. With these filters, you can either:Only import posts that include certain keywordsImport all posts EXCEPT those that contain certain keywordsYou dont need to use these filters, but theyre a good way to get some control over exactly when to import RSS feeds into WordPress as posts.Enter your keywords as desired. For example, with the example configuration I created below, Feedzy will not import any posts that contain the phrases for sale or buy now:Then click Next.Step 4: Assign feed imports to post elementsNow its time for the final, and most time-consuming, step. You need to map the information from your RSS feed to the information in your WordPress post.For example, you can pick what information to use as the title of your WordPress post, among other options.As part of this process, you can use tags to import dynamic information. For example, if you make your Post Title equal to the [#item_title] tag, Feedzy will automatically insert the title of the RSS feed entry as your WordPress posts title.Lets look at a more detailed example. Say you want to import the RSS feed to WordPress:As a normal WordPress postIn the category of News AggregationWith the RSS feed entry title as the WordPress post titleWith the original RSS feed date as the WordPress publish dateAnd the original RSS content as the WordPress post con tentWith the same featured image as the RSS feed image (if available)To do that, youd set things up like this:Note that you can use the Insert Tag dropdown to easily add dynamic tags. You dont need to try to manually type them in.And you can also Add custom fields at the bottom, though thats an advanced feature that you dont need to touch unless youre already familiar with what custom fields are.Once youve got everything configured, just click Save Activate at the bottom to start importing posts.Note Feedzy runs every hour. So youll need to wait one hour before Feedzy will begin to import your posts.After an hour, you should start to see posts that meet your requirements start to show up on your blog.Wrapping things upWith Feedzy Pro, its easy to import RSS feeds into WordPress as posts. All you need to do is:Choose the RSS feed(s) you want to pull content fromSet up keyword filtering (optional)Map the content from your RSS feed to your WordPress posts detailsAnd then Feedzy Pro w ill automatically check for new posts every hour and import them to your blog. Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.

John Napier essays

John Napier essays John Napier was born at Merchiston Castle near Edinburgh, Scotland in the year of 1550 and died in 1617. He was born into a family that had influential landed nobility. Johns mother was Janet Bothwell and his father Sir Archibald Napier, who was only sixteen years old when his son was born. When John was young, his education was stationed mostly at his house. However, he may have spent some time at the Edinburgh High School, and some little time studying in France. At the age of only thirteen, John was sent to St. Salvators College, which was in the University of St. Andrews. He studied mostly theology and philosophy there, but left without taking his degree. John built a castle at Gartnes, located on the banks of the Endrick, and then lived there with his wife, Elizabeth Stirling, which he married in 1572. Ironically, Elizabeths father was a Scottish mathematician. Elizabeth died in 1579 and so John later married Agnes Chisholm and conceived ten children and earlier had two with Elizabeth. Johns father died in 1608, so John and his family moved into Merchiston castle, which he inherited upon his fathers death. Napier lived here until he died. John was very interested in astronomy. He not only liked to look at the stars, but he did a lot of research on getting calculations of very large numbers. Napier thought there could be a simpler way to perform calculations that involved large numbers, so he spent twenty years trying to show his idea. Finally the logarithmic tables came into his mind. The word logarithm comes from the Greek words logos for expression and arithmos for number. Napier also has a claim as being the inventor of the first mechanical calculator, even though it was a wholly primitive kind of calculator. His discovery of logarithms first became known in 1614 when he wrote his book called A Description of the Wonderful...

Traditional male heterosexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Traditional male heterosexuality - Essay Example At the same time they were expected to be emotionally insensitive especially to intimate issues. Women were regarded as sex objects to bear children and serve the men while remaining to take care of the home. Role distribution between males and females was clear cut. As it is evident, changes have been first and swift. From the hardened and burly figure, the modern heterosexual has taken the level of manhood to the next level. Areas of operation originally seen as women zones have become a dominant resting place for the modern heterosexual man. To begin with, the present day man has shifted from the hardened burly to a soft sponge that is available for only pleasurable ventures. Men form the advertising sought after images, they do household chores, they intimately relate with both females and males, and they abuse drugs among other things that were detested by the traditional man. This leads to the position that man has changed from his rough nature to the soft one that is on show at present. Heterosexuality reflects sexual behavior, identity, and practices that indicate a desire or preference for the opposite gender. In terms of sexual orientation, heterosexuality is used in reference to a lasting mode of or character to practice affection, physical, sexual, or romantic attractions chiefly to people of the opposite sex. It can also refer to an individual sagacity of social and personal identity on the basis of those attractions, behaviors, and association in a group of people who subscribe them. The term typically applies to human beings. But it is also observed in respect to all mammals. There have arisen changes that have altered male behavior as reflected by the works of Palahniuk and Hollinghurst. The bodily deed of heterosexual fertilization is the only way of sexual reproductive potential in humans devoid of the use of recent guided reproductive technologies. The relations with romantic love plus

The reasons of global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The reasons of global warming - Essay Example Is there global warming Yes, there is global, though not everyone agrees on the fact that is happening, how to deal with it, or what the end results will be.1 In this paper we will discuss global warming The United Nations Climate Change Conference is to be held this week in Copenhagen. There will be 192 nations there. It will be a very significant meeting and the primary aim is to slow global warming. In 1997 this same team organized the Kyoto Protocol which called for a 5.2% change in carbon dioxide emissions from the 1990 levels. The United States refused to ratify it, though they now say they are willing to reduce carbon emissions in the United States by 50%. The treaty expires in 2012. When ask what they hoped to accomplish this time, the United Nations' de Boer says that it needs to include, greenhouse-gas emission goals for industrialized nations, emission free energy goals for developing nations, promises of money and machinery from industrialized nations to meet goals, and agreement on how to meet those goals. If global warming is so important then why did the last treaty not get signed2 The "Identifying Signatures of Natural Climate Variability in Time Series of Global-Mean Surface Temperature:Methodology and Insights" study is an international study done by a team of scientists from Colorado State University, Washington State University, East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom, and Exeter, United Kingdom. They used several models during their study since there has been such controversy over the different models showing different things. All of the models were tested by each group and when the final results came back, it was obvious that the predications of global warming were correct. Those model studies will be presented at the International Conference.3 The three model studies used were CTI, TENSO, and Tdyn. All three studies showed a continual increase in the overall temperature over time. That did not mean that there was not some cooling off done. In fact there were many dips but after each dip, the temperature increased to a new high average. Again the high aver age has been increasing more rapidly over the last 10-20 years. Technology would have to cut back. This would mean a large stain on an already strained world economy. Carbon dioxide emissions would have to be decreased by factories, cars, food manufacturers and many others. This does not appeal to the United States congress or others. The cost in dollars is high. One of the controversial issues is that the richer countries would have to pay for the poorer countries to receive the help they needed; of course global warming did not occur because of the poorer countries but because of the practices of the industrialized countries. Then there is the controversy. Is global warming really happening or is it hype that is created by the scientist to get us to clean up our act4 Recently, there was a disclosure about emails that were stolen from England's University of East Anglia. Those emails included climate researchers "bad-mouthing critics and struggling to explain if global warming is real, why recent years' temperatures didn't exceed 1998 and 2005 levels, the warmest on record."(Vergano, 2009, pg 2). This kind of thing is what is discouraging

Current Economic Problems Facing Our Country Essay

Current Economic Problems Facing Our Country - Essay Example During the last four months of 2008, the financial system was on the verge of a meltdown, many banks in the United States went bankrupt, others had to seek government assistance in order to survive, and yet others had a severe impact on their profitability resulting in mergers and takeovers in the subsequent months. To make things worse, there were rumors that banks would default and people would not be able to recover their life savings. The federal bank had to step in immediately in an attempt to prevent a run on the banks, which could possibly result in every individual queuing on the bank counters to withdraw their savings from their respective accounts (Shiller, pp. 92-94). Otherwise, stable banks can go into default in a matter of hours in this scenario. The federal bank stepped in to guarantee deposits below certain limits preventing a complete meltdown. This was just the beginning of a major change in the lives of millions of Americans who had never anticipated such a situation. In the next few days, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, one of the most renowned global investment banks became apparent. Hundreds of other firms connected to the Lehman Brothers network had to suffer major losses and write-down their loans during the months to follow. One after the other, many banks went into trouble in a matter of just two weeks; the global financial industry had completely changed its dynamics. Bank of America acquired Meryl Lynch and the government had to inject equity into almost all major banks (Soros, pp. 2-4). As a result, in a matter of weeks, the government now owned a majority stake in most financial institutions. Investors lost confidence in the financial system and the number of initial public offerings each month became almost insignificant. The investment banking industry virtually collapsed and went into a wave of downsizing. Many banks terminated their global market operations in order to generate equity injections through sales of their operations elsewhere. The idea of an organization becoming too big to fail became redundant.

Health Essays Gender Health Disparities

Health Essays Gender Health Disparities Mens Health: Men Are far from being the Stronger Sex, they are Actually the Opposite Introduction: Gender-based Health Disparities While the study of gender in health has allowed for tremendous strides, there has been little benefit to advancing the understanding of mens health (Habben, 2005). While the majority of social, political, legal, and religious systems favor men, this favoritism has not served to improve mens health status (Lantz, Fullerton Harshburger, 2001, p. 189). Generally, men suffer more life-threatening and chronic illnesses such as heart and cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, certain cancers, and emphysema (Lantz, Fullerton Harshburger, 2001, p. 189). Men have higher age-adjusted mortality rates for the 15 leading causes of death than do women (Williams 2003, p. 724). Furthermore, they have at least two times higher death rates than women for suicide, homicide, accidents and cirrhosis of the liver (p. 724). The two leading causes of death for men in the U.K. are circulatory disease (including heart disease and stroke) and cancer (NSO, 2004a). Numerous health statistics illustrate the increased vulnerability of men to certain illnesses. In 2001, almost half of men were considered overweight compared to one-third of women (NSO, 2004b), men are twice as likely as women to exceed the daily benchmark for alcohol consumption (NSO 2004b), and life expectancy at birth is lower for males than for females at 75.7 vs. 80.4 years (NSO 2004c). In the United States, men have a higher incidence of seven out of the ten most common infectious diseases, and three quarters of deaths from myocardial infarction occur in men (Courtenay, 2000, p. 1385). Cancer is a prime example of the effects of male gender on health (Nicholas, 2000). Cancers of the larynx, oral cavity, pharynx, bladder, and liver occur highly disproportionately in men (Nicholas, 2000, p. 27). Further, men are more likely to die from cancer than are women. Biology vs. Gender Socialization Differences in health between men and women are not merely biological, but also include lifestyle differences and gender socialization factors (Peate, 2004). Gender differences in health and longevity can be explained partly by health behaviors (Courtenay, 2000, p. 1386), and recent discussions of mens health have emphasized the importance of masculine gender role socialization (e.g., Nicholas, 2000, p. 27). Mens concepts of maleness or masculinity guide their decisions about accepted behaviors. For example, risk-taking behaviors such as excessive alcohol or tobacco use are influenced by beliefs about masculinity (Nicholas, 2000, p. 28). The study of mens health goes beyond an emphasis on physiological structure and biological sex to include a broader analysis of social, cultural, and psychological issues pertaining to the traits, norms, stereotypes and roles associated with male gender (Brooks, 2001, p. 285). Men, in their quest to embody a strong masculine role, may predispose them selves to psychological, emotional, and behavioral disorders (Brooks, 2001, p. 287). Gender may be defined as the expectations and behaviors that individuals learn about femininity and masculinity  (Sabo, 2000, p. 133). Gender socialization influences health-risk behavior, mens perceptions of and use of their bodies, and their psychosocial adjustment to illness (Sabo, 2000, p. 133). While establishing his braveness or manliness to others, a man who conforms rigidly to the masculine ideal by ignoring pain and other illness symptoms is at increased risk of developing chronic diseases (Sabo, 2000, pp. 135-136). Beliefs about masculinity play a role in the health of men, and may lead them to engage in harmful behaviors or to refrain from health-protective actions (Williams, 2003, p. 727). Male-like qualities such as individuality, autonomy, stoicism, and physical aggression, as well as avoidance of showing emotion or displaying weakness may combine to lead to poorer health in men (Williams, 2003, p. 726). In addition, gender roles can help explain mens reluctance to seek medical care, their avoidance of expressing emotions, engagement in unsafe sexual behaviors, drug use, crime, and dangerous sports (Lee Owens, 2002). Further, men may be more likely to identify themselves with their work and to spend less time with family (Lee Owens, 2002). While men who are socialized to have more feminine attributes may be more likely to be aware of and concerned about their health and health-compromising behaviors (Kaplan Marks, 1995), men who step outside the gender boundary may be perceived as deviant (Seymour-Smith, Wetherell Pheonix, 2002). Gender socialization may influence the extent to which boys adopt masculine behaviors. Boys are encouraged to play like other boys and discouraged from playing with or like girls. To do otherwise could lead to rejection. Parents often instill in boys that they are strong and that big boys dont cry ideas which help form the boys personality. The masculinization process may make men have difficulty asking for help (Peate, 2004). Society places great value on the stereotypical image of the male as strong and silent, contributing to the idea that men are invulnerable (Fleming, Spiers, McElwee OGorman, 2001, p.337). While women value interdependence (e.g., consulting others and accepting help ), men value independence and avoid acknowledging a need for help (Lantz, Fullerton Harshburger, 2001, p. 190). Strict adherence to idealized masculinity may lead to a number of mental and physical health problems. This may be due not only to strict adherence to a rigid masculine role, but also to a sense of failure when men fail to live up to this role (Nicholas, 2000, p. 31). Such failure may lead to increased anxiety, psychological distress, poor relationships, cardiovascular reactivity, anger, decreased self-esteem, and unwillingness to seek health services (p. 31). Risk-taking Men are more likely than women to engage in risky behaviors and to hold risky beliefs (Courtenay, McCreary Merighi 2002). They are more inclined than women to engage in behaviors that increase morbidity and mortality such as smoking and alcohol abuse (Williams, 2003, p. 727). Men and boys are socially pressured to endorse gendered societal prescriptions such as beliefs that men are strong, independent, self-reliant, and tough (Courtenay, 2000, p. 1387). As a reflection of such gender stereotypes, men often exhibit risk-taking behaviors such as smoking, poor diet and exercise habits, drinking to excess, and overworking (Lantz et al., 2001, p. 191). While men tend to know less about health than women, they also perceive themselves as less vulnerable to illness than do women (Nicholas, 2000, p. 29). As a result, men may be less aware of recommended screening and common symptoms of disease. More men than women smoke cigarettes and use excess alcohol. These behaviors often occur together, thereby increasing the incidence of oral and throat cancers (Nicholas, 2000, p. 28). Excess alcohol and tobacco use is a risk factor in 80% of cases of head and neck cancers (p. 28). The causes of death that affect the most mencompared to womenare those most influenced by behavior or personal choice (e.g., suicide, homicide, accidents, and cirrhosis of the liver; Habben, 2005). Alcohol and illicit drug abuse are largely male problems in which the social construction of masculinity plays a significant role (Brooks, 2001, p. 290). Alcohol abuse is a major contributor to mortality from liver cirrhosis, accidents, suicide, and homicidethese being the four causes of death where men double the rate of women (Williams, 2003, p. 727). Further, men are more likely to believe that high-risk behaviors will not impair their performance (e.g., drinking and driving; Williams, 2003, p. 727). Throughout life, men are at a higher risk of dying than are women. Lifestyle factors related to this include an increased likeliness of having accidents, having a dangerous occupation, and experiencing higher risks when at work (Peate, 2004). Men tend to underestimate the risks involved in physically dangerous activities and may feel that enduring physical punishment and pain are part of being male (Nicholas, 2000, p. 29). Men are more likely than women to work in hazardous occupations such as construction, agriculture, oil, transportation, and forestryoccupations that increase mens exposure to known carcinogens such as asbestos, benzene, chromium, and vinyl chloride (Nicholas, 2000, p. 28). In addition, risk-taking may include playing of dangerous sports (e.g., football or rugby), or engaging in high-risk sexual behavior. Taking risks confirms a mans masculinity to himself and to others. Further, gender is related to power, and the pursuit of power may lead men to engage in harmful behaviors (Courtenay, 2000, p. 1388). Behaviors such as refusing to take sick time off from work, insisting that they need little sleep, and boasting that alcohol or drug use does not impair their driving serve to demonstrate the dominant norms of masculinity (Courtenay, 2000, p. 1389). Under-utilization of Health Care Services Since illness is seen as a threat to masculinity, men are less likely to seek help when ill (Fleming, et al., 2001, p. 337). This may be related to the male tendency to suppress the expression of need and to minimize pain (Williams, 2003 p. 728). Men tend to reinforce social beliefs that they are less vulnerable than women, that their bodies are stronger than those of women, and that caring for ones health is feminine (Courtenay, 2000, p. 1389). In fact, utilization of health care and exhibiting positive health behaviors or beliefs are constructed as part of idealized femininity, and must be resisted in the expression of masculinity (p. 1389). Mens reluctance to discuss personal concerns may extend into the patient-provider relationship, where men may be less likely to fully report their health history and the exact details of their illness symptoms (Lantz, Fullerton Harshburger, 2001, p. 194). Men are less likely to engage in health behaviors such as reporting symptoms, practicing health-promotion, and utilizing health care services (p. 189). Medical encounters also differ between male and female patients, with men receiving less time, fewer services, less information and advice, and less encouragement to change health behaviors (p. 728). Further, when men do receive care, they are less likely to adhere to their medical regimen (p. 728). The socially conditioned suppression of pain by men may lead to delayed help-seeking (Brownhill, Wilhelm, Barclay Parker, 2002). Gender socialization may be responsible for the fact that men value more concrete rather than abstract information (Lantz et al., 2001, p. 194). Thus, men may be more likely to ignore vague somatic symptoms and to wait for more concrete signs of disease, thereby delaying treatment until the more advanced stages of disease (p. 194). Often, when men seek care, their disease process is more advancedleading to higher morbidity and mortality (Lantz et al., 2001, p. 191). While women are more likely to seek care for symptoms, men generally seek medical care for employment or insurance reasons (p. 191). Delaying medical intervention leads to a state of urgency once assistance is finally sought (p. 191). In men, emotional distress in men may be masked by outward symptoms such as chest pain, deliberate self-harm, drug or alcohol abuse (Brownhill et al., 2002). Further, men expect health care professionals to be able to read their signs and symptoms without themselves having to disclose anything (Brownhill, et al., 2002). Other reasons for mens reluctance to seek health care may include a lack of understanding of making appointments, inconvenient opening hours, long waits for appointments, lack of trust, and fear of being judged. Men may feel social pressure to not reveal any weakness that may lessen their masculinity, and thus may not seek care. Solutions might include providing services that men can access anonymously (e.g., via the internet or telephone help-lines), and extending opening hours of services to include evenings and weekends. Conclusion: Possible Solutions for improving Mens Health Health educators and advocates for mens health should encourage men to consider the effects of gender on health behaviors and outcomes (Sabo, 2000, p. 139). Health education for men should address enhancing mens awareness that some of the culturally supported masculinity norms can lead to health-damaging behaviors (Williams, 2003, p. 730). Williams suggests that the meaning of manhood needs to be re-defined in a more positive way along with changes in cultural institutions and social structures, thus reinforcing positive health behaviors in men (Williams, 2003, p. 730). Modification of health behaviors may be one of the most effective ways of preventing disease (Courtenay, 2000, p. 1386). One solution could be to provide earlier socialization of boys and young men that health promoting behavior is positive, that reporting health concerns is not a sign of weakness, and that better health encourages a more positive self-image (Lantz, Fullerton Harshburger, 2001, p. 195). The development of the male gender role should focus less upon the roles of protector and provider, and should emphasize more greatly mens abilities as caregivers and nurturers (Brooks, 2001, p. 293). Such emphasis would enhance the presence of nurturance, attachment, and intimacy in the social construction of masculinity. References Brooks, G. (2001). Masculinity and mens mental health. Journal of American College Health, 49: 285-297. Brownhill, S., Wilhelm, K., Barclay, L., and Parker, G. (2002). Detecting depression in men: A matter of guesswork. International Journal of Mens Health, 1: 259-80. Courtenay, W. (2000). Constructions of masculinity and their influence on mens well-being: a theory of gender and health. Social Science Medicine, 50: 1385-1401. Courtenay, W., McCreary, D., and Merighi, J. (2002). Gender and ethnic differences in health beliefs and behaviors. Journal of Health Psychology, 7: 219-31. Fleming, P., Spiers, A., Mc Elwee, G. and OGorman, M. (2001). Mens perceptions of health education methods used in promoting their health in relation to cancer. The International Electronic Journal of Health Education, 4: 337-344. Habben, C. (2005). Mens health in primary care: Future applications for psychologists. In James, L. and Folen, R. (Eds.); The primary care consultant: The next frontier for psyc hologists in hospitals and clinics, pp. 257-265. Kaplan, M. and Marks, G. (1995). Appraisal of health risks: The roles of masculinity, femininity, and sex. Sociology of Health and Illness, 17: 206-21. Lantz, J., Fullerton, J. and Harshburger, R. (2001). Promoting screening and early detection of cancer in men. Nursing and Health Sciences, 3: 189-196. Lee, C. and Owens, R. (2002). Issues for a psychology of mens health. Journal of Health Psychology, 7: 209-357. Nicholas, D. (2000). Men, masculinity, and cancer: Risk-factor behaviors, early detection, and psychosocial adaptation. Journal of American College Health, 49: 27-33. NSO (2004a). National Statistics; Gender; Health: Women Live almost 5 years longer than men. National Statistics Online. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 23 March, 2005 at http://www.statistics.gov/uk/cci/nugget_print.asp?ID=438 NSO (2004b). National statistics; Gender; Health related behavior: More overweight men than women. National Statistics Online. Retri eved from the World Wide Web on 23 March, 2005 at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget_print.asp?ID=439 NSO (2004c). National statistics; Health; Health expectancy: Living longer, more years in poor health. National Statistics Online. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 23 March, 2005 at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget_print.asp?ID=918 Peate, L. (2004). Mens attitudes towards health and the implications for nursing care. British Journal of Nursing, 13: 13-26. Sabo, D. (2000). Mens health studies: Origins and trends. Journal of American College Health, 49: 133-142. Seymour-Smith, S., Wetherell, M., and Pheonix, A. (2002). My wife ordered me to come: A discursive analysis of doctors and nurses accounts of mens use of general practitioners. Journal of Health Psychology, 7: 253-67. Williams, D. (2003). The health of men: Structured inequalities and opportunities. Public Health Matters, 93: 724-31.

The Fourth Act of The Duchess Essay -- The Duchess Plays Literature Es

The Fourth Act of The Duchess "The first necessity of baroque is that the audience should be gripped, excited, moved" [1] - so says Ralph Berry. The fourth act of The Duchess of Malfi certainly succeeds under all these criteria, being the dramatic crux of the play. The events that occur in the first scene are undoubtedly crucial, but it is the characters' vastly varied reactions to them that are vitally important. Rich imagery is deeply interwoven with the fabric of play - indeed, it is an essential part of its function - and the scene's proceedings are completely overshadowed by the telling relationship between Ferdinand, Bosola and the Duchess that is explored throughout act IV, scene i. Often, it is in the most trying times that the true nature of people is allowed to shine through their veiled everyday existence. In this scene, the Duchess is subjected to imprisonment and cruel tortures by her malevolent twin brother who is still unable to come to terms with his sister's independence and intimate relationship with Antonio. Bosola is beginning to experience emotions he had previously repressed or never had the capacity to experience in court life. He is forced to astatically struggle with inner turmoil and design for himself a new system of morality. Because of these simultaneous occurrences, the three major characters' rà ´les are brought out to the front of the stage for punctilious analysis. "The whole of Act IV is a protracted dying as, step by step, 'by degrees', the Duchess is made to face the utmost pain, misery and evil" [2]. As this happens, the very best and most deplorable characteristics are teased out and, as their relationship develops, the tensions between these three persons cause the... ...voked combines with horrors typical of the period and the complex relationship between the Duchess, Ferdinand and Bosola elicits responses that have a far greater effect on the outcome of the play than any other aspect of the drama or events that have occurred. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Ralph Berry, The Art of John Webster (Clarendon Press, 1972) [2] Jan Kott, A personal essay (1986) [3] Professor John Jump, "The White Devil" and "The Duchess of Malfi" [4] John Webster, The White Devil, (Mermaid, 1996) [5] Peter Murray, A Study of John Webster (Mouton, 1969) [6] Professor John Jump, "The White Devil" and "The Duchess of Malfi" [7] Irving Ribner, Jacobean Tragedy: The Quest For Moral Order (Methuen, 1962) [8] U. M. Ellis Fermor, The Jacobean Drama: An Interpretation (Methuen, 1936)

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 11~13

Chapter Eleven Then, When They Woke Up â€Å"Oh my God, that stuff turned me completely orange.† â€Å"Not completely.† â€Å"I look like the Great Pumpkin.† â€Å"Good grief, Tommy, you do not.† Chapter Twelve Blood, Coffee, Sex, Magix – Not necessarily in That Order Just after sundown. They watched the coffee dripping out of the filter like they were distilling nitroglycerine and the slightest bit of inattention might cause an explosion. â€Å"It smells really good,† Jody said. â€Å"It's like I never noticed it before,† Tommy said. â€Å"You'd think it would smell sickening, since it's indigestible,† Jody said. The last time she'd taken a sip of coffee, her vampire system had rejected it so violently that she ended up convulsively dry-heaving on the floor, feeling like forks were twisting inside of her. â€Å"This might work,† Tommy said. â€Å"You ready?† â€Å"Ready.† He poured a tablespoonful or so of coffee into a glass cup. Then he uncapped one of the syringes that held William's blood and squirted a few drops into the coffee. â€Å"You first,† he said, swishing the cup around in front of her. â€Å"No, you,† Jody said. As good as the coffee smelled, the memory of her nausea held her back. Tommy shrugged and threw the coffee back like a tequila shooter, then set the cup down on the counter. Jody stepped back and snatched a tea towel off the fridge handle in preparation for the coffee's return trip. Tommy rolled his eyes, shuddered, then grabbed his throat and fell to the floor, twitching and choking. â€Å"Dying,† he croaked. â€Å"Suffering and dying.† Jody was barefoot and didn't want to stub her toe, so she pulled the kick to his ribs. â€Å"You suck, you know that.† Tommy rolled on the floor giggling, curling himself around her foot. â€Å"It works! It works! It works!† He sort of dog-humped her leg in rhythm and tugged at the hem of her robe. â€Å"You never have to be grumpy again!† Jody grinned. â€Å"Pour cups, grommet! Full cups.† Tommy climbed to his feet. â€Å"We don't even know the blood-to-coffee ratio yet.† â€Å"Pour!† Jody was in the fridge in an instant, grabbing another syringe. â€Å"We'll wing it.† The she heard the downstairs door open and spun on her heel. â€Å"William?† Tommy listened to the footfalls coming up the steps and shook his head. â€Å"Nope, too light.† They could hear the key fitting into the lock. â€Å"You said you didn't give her a key,† Jody said. â€Å"I said I didn't give her a key to the bedroom,† Tommy said. â€Å"Lord Flood, there's a stinky dead guy with a huge cat on your landing,† said Abby Normal as she came through the door. THE CHRONICLES OF ABBY NORMAL: Dedicated Servant of the Vampyre Flood I have been to the lair of the vampyre Flood. I am part of the coven! Kinda. Okay, back up. So I like slept till eleven, because we're on Christmas break, only it's called winter break now because Jesus is AN OPPRESSIVE ZOMBIE BASTARD AND WE DO NOT BOW DOWN TO HIS BIRTHDAY! At least not at Allen Ginsberg High School, we don't. (Go, Fighting Beatniks!) But it's all good, 'cause I'm going to have to get used to getting up later if I'm going to be a creature of the night. So, like first thing, I made some toast, and it burned, as black as my soul, and I was so bummed that my tears of despair fell like cold bits of crystal, to be destroyed on the unforgiving rocks of this miserable life. But then I saw that Mom had left a twenty out on the counter with a note: Allison (Allison is my day-slave name – my mom named me after some song by some Elvis guy, so I totally refuse to accept it), here's your lunch money, and please stop at Walgreens and pick up some RID shampoo for Ronnie's head lice. (Veronica is my sister, who is twelve and a total tumor on the ass of my existence.) So, I was like, Sweet! Starbucks! It took forever to pick what I was going to wear, and not just because I'd never rented an apartment before. The lightbulb burned out in my closet and we didn't have any extras, so I had to take everything out in the living room to look at it in the light. Like the song says, I wear black on the outside to reflect the black I feel on the inside, but OMG, it's impossible to tell one thing from another in a dark closet. Since it was going to be a business thing, I decided on my striped tights with my red PVC mini, my skull-and-crossbones hoodie, and my lime Converse All Stars. I went with just a plain stud in my nose, a barbell in my eyebrow, and a simple silver ring in my lip – understated and elegant. I carried my hot-pink biohazard messenger bag. Ronnie was all, â€Å"I wanna come with you, I wanna come with you,† but I pointed out that she was a scourge on humanity and that if she came along I would tell everyone on the bus she had lice, so she elected to stay home and watch toons. It was then that I ventured into the undiscovered country, and called the number that the vampyre Flood had given me. And the woman was totally a bitch. She was like, â€Å"Hello. Blah Blah Property Management.† And I was like, â€Å"I need to rent an apartment.† And she was all, â€Å"How many bedrooms and did you have an area in mind?† And I was all, â€Å"What's with all the questions, bitch? Are you some kind of thought police or something?† And she was like, â€Å"I'm just trying to help.† â€Å"Right, help. Like tuberculosis.† So she's all, â€Å"I beg your pardon,† like the queen of freakin' France or something. And then I remembered that I was supposed to ask for a specific person, so I was like, â€Å"Oh, I need to speak to Alicia DeVries, Is she there?† And the bitch connected me. So it turns out that Alicia DeVries is this crusty hippie who is like as old as my grandma, but wants to be all Earth Mother and everything, which I'm not against, because old hippies have the best pot and they'll just give it to you if you pretend not to notice that they're crusty and old. So Alicia picks me up in her crust-mobile rainbow peace-and-love Jeep CJ and I give her the requirements of the vampyre Flood, which were bedroom with no windows, a washer and dryer, private entrance with lockout, and, at least above the ground floor, windows looking down on the street. And she's all, â€Å"We have to have a Social Security number and driver's license number for the paperwork – you have to be eighteen.† So I'm, â€Å"My client will provide all the information you need, it's just that he's very busy and can't deal with pissant details during the day.† Then I waved the cash that Flood gave me and she went all spacey, overmeditated,  «namaste » on me, like it's not about the money when it's really about the money. Then she takes me to this loft, which it turns out is only like a half a block from the address where Flood said to meet him at sundown. Sweet! So I'm all, â€Å"Excellent, the master will be pleased.† And she's like, â€Å"I'll make you out a receipt.† Then she starts to lecture me about respecting myself as a woman, and not allowing myself to be subjugated to the desires of an older man and shit – like I'm this corporate fuck-puppet for some creepy businessman or something. I didn't want her to get suspicious and try to rescue me, so I'm like, â€Å"No, you misunderstand, I call him the master because he's the sensei of my jujitsu dojo – he's not boning me or anything.† Luckily I have an extensive martial-arts background from watching anime with Jared and I knew that one must never bone the sensei. So she like reaches over and pats my knee. All, â€Å"That's okay, sweetheart.† And I'm like, â€Å"Step off, rug-muncher!† I mean, I'm as bi as the next person, but not with some crusty old hippie – I need music and some X, and then only if some guy has rejected me and thrown my heart into the gutter like an abandoned vegetarian burrito – and even then I draw the line at making out. So she gave me the keys and took my money and just, like, left me there. So I called Lily, who came over with a two-liter of Diet Green Tea, a bag of Cheese Newts (I still hadn't had breakfast), and some book she found called The Big Book of Death. So we looked at the book, which is this how-to thing with great art, and drank tea and ate Cheese Newts until she had to go to work. I wanted to tell her about the vampyre Flood, but I promised that I would keep his secret, so all I told her was that I had discovered my Dark Lord, and he would soon satisfy my every desire and I couldn't tell her anything else. So she was all, â€Å"whatever, ho,† which is what I like about her – Lily is trs noir. So I walked over to the Sony Metreon and watched the flat-screens until it started to get dark. I was already about ready to pee with nervousness when I got to Flood's door, but then, just as I get my key in the door, this big Hummer limo pulls up, and these three college-age guys climb out followed by this blue woman in a silver dress with ginormous fake boobs. And they're all, â€Å"Where is Flood? We need to find Flood?† And she's all, â€Å"Where did you get the key? You need to let us in before it gets dark.† I'm not intimidated – because I know that her boobs are fake. And it's so obvious that they hunt the nosferatu that it's not even funny. Inside, I was like: â€Å"Ha, suck my spiky rubber strap-on, vampyre hunter!† But on the outside I was totally chill. And I'm like, â€Å"I don't know who you're talking about. This is my apartment.† Then I opened the door and inside, lying on the landing, there's this dead guy with a huge bald cat in a red sweater on his chest. And the cat hissed at me and I screamed just a little bit and slammed the door. â€Å"You have to go,† I said. â€Å"My boyfriend is naked and he gets mad if strangers see his enormous unit.† I looked right at the blue bitch when I said that, like: Oh yeah, some of us are confident enough in our own femininity that we don't need fake tits to get a guy with a huge unit. And the black guy is like, â€Å"I just talked to Flood here last night.† And I was like, â€Å"Yeah, he moved.† Then the Asian guy checked his watch and was like, â€Å"Dude, too late, it's officially sunset.† And it was like it was on cue or something, the cat on the dead guy let out a long scary yowl, and even the blue skank backed away toward the limo. â€Å"You'd better go now,† I said, all ominous and full of foreboding and dread. And she was all, â€Å"We'll be back.† And I was like, â€Å"So?† So they went. But then I had to get past the cat and the dead guy and go up the steps. I have to say, that as much as I'm all about the peace of the grave and the glorious gloomth of the nonliving and all, it's different when there's a real dead guy you have to walk over, not to mention a really big, angry cat in a sweater. NOTE TO SELF: Always carry Kitty Treats for Self-Defense (because evidently they don't like Skittles, which I tried). Since I didn't have any kitty treats, I got by the preternaturally big-ass cat by opening the door wide and yelling, â€Å"Hey, kitty, go away!† Much to my amazement, the cat ran out of the doorway and hid under a parked car. It was like I already had vampyre powers to command the Children of the Night. Then I had to get past the dead guy on the landing, which was sort of like dead-guy hopscotch, but I got up the stairs and managed only to step on one of his arms. I was hoping he really was dead, and not one of the nosferatu, because then he might be pissed off when he rose. He certainly smelled dead, the fetid stench of the charnel house emanated from him like a foul miasma of evil, as they say in the books. So I opened the door, and I go, â€Å"Lord Flood, there's a stinky dead guy with a huge cat on your landing.† Thinking that I would get total loyal-servant brownies. Then I saw her, the ancient vampyre mistress – her skin like alabaster, or you know, no zits at all, and she seemed to glow with inner power. I could see why even a powerful vampyre like Flood might be helpless under her awesome strengths, gathered over the ages by sucking the lifeblood of thousands of helpless victims, probably kids. And she was like, drinking a cup of coffee out of a Garfield mug, as if flaunting her immortality in the face of us petty, insignificant mortals. She had on only a bathrobe, which was partly open in front, so you could see that she had like great cleavage, ancient total skank that she was. So I'm like, â€Å"Hi.† And she's like, â€Å"So, Wednesday, you know Buffy's not a real person, right?† Bitch. â€Å"What do you mean, dead?† Tommy said. He ran to the door and flung it open. â€Å"He's not here.† He bolted down the steps in his bare feet, leaving Jody standing across the breakfast bar from Abby. â€Å"I'm going to look for him,† Tommy called. The downstairs door closed, the lock clicked. Jody pulled her robe closed when she saw Abby Normal staring. She could hear the girl's heart pounding, could see her pulse beating in her neck, could smell nervous sweat, clove cigarettes, and some kind of cheese snack. They stared at each other. â€Å"I found you an apartment, Mistress,† Abby said. She dug into the pocket of her hoodie and came out with a rent receipt. â€Å"Call me Jody,† Jody said. Abby nodded conspiratorially, like she was acknowledging it was only a code name. She was a cute kid, in a scary, will-probably-poison-the-dog-and-then-molest-him kind of way. Jody had never really had a problem with younger women as competition. After all, she was only twenty-six, and with the extreme antiaging treatment she'd gained from her vampirism, right down to her baby toes straightening out and every freckle she'd ever had disappearing, she felt superior, even a tad maternal toward Abby, who was a little knock-kneed in her red plastic skirt and green sneakers. â€Å"I'm Abby,† Abby said, and she curtsied. Jody choked, sprayed coffee out her nose, and turned quickly so as not to laugh in Abby's face. â€Å"Are you okay, Mistress – I mean, Jody?† â€Å"No, I'm fine.† It was strange just how sensitive the vampire sinus is to hot liquids. Jody was sure that she might never smell anything but bloody French roast again, and her eyes were watering, or so she thought, but when she turned back around, Abby jumped back six feet and yelped. â€Å"Holy shit!† Abby had backed against the futon frame and was about to tumble over backwards. Jody was around the breakfast bar, steadying the girl in less than a tenth of a second – which caused Abby to jump straight into the air about three feet. Jody could tell the girl was going to fall. Abby was going to come down with one foot on the back of the futon frame, one in midair, and she was going to tumble over and land on her shoulder and head on the hardwood floor. Jody saw this coming, could have caught Abby and set her gently on her feet, but instead, she felt that maternal instinct kick in – the realization that if the child didn't take a knock or two, she'd never learn – so Jody stepped back into the kitchen, where she picked up her coffee and watched as the kid hit. â€Å"Ouch!† Said Abby, now a black-and-red heap on the floor. â€Å"Boy, that looked like it hurt,† Jody said. Abby was on her feet, limping and rubbing her head. â€Å"What the fuck, Countess? I thought you had my back.† â€Å"Yeah, sorry,† Jody said. â€Å"Why the freak-out?† â€Å"There's blood running down your face. I guess it startled me.† Jody dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe, leaving little red spots on the white terry cloth. â€Å"Well, would you look at that?† She was trying to be casual, trying to act like someone four or five hundred years old might behave, but the blood tears were disturbing her more than a little. Change the subject. â€Å"So, this apartment you found, where is it?† â€Å"Don't you want to wait for Flood?† Abby asked. â€Å"Flood? What Flood?† â€Å"Flood, the orange-colored vampire who just ran out the door.† â€Å"Oh, him,† Jody said. Tommy and his tanning lotion. He was out running around on the street with no shirt or shoes. Orange. â€Å"Was he orange?† Abby threw out her nearly nonexistent hip. â€Å"Hello? You're crying blood and your partner is orange and you didn't notice? Do you guys get senile over the years or what?† Jody set her cup down on the counter, just to make sure that it didn't shatter in her hand. She drew on her experience working in the claims department at Transamerica, where her immediate supervisor was a complete ass-bag, and it took everything she could do, every minute of the day, not to bang the woman's skull repeatedly in a filing drawer. She liked to think of it as her professional face. So instead of snapping Abby's pale little neck, she smiled, counting to ten as she did. At ten, she said, â€Å"Go get him. Bring him back.† Another smile. â€Å"Okay, sweetie?† â€Å"But why is he orange?† â€Å"The shedding is upon him,† Jody said. â€Å"Every hundred years or so, we shed our skin, and a few weeks prior we turn orange. It's a very dangerous time for us. So please, go find him.† Abby nodded furiously and backed away toward the door. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Really,† Jody said, nodding gravely. â€Å"Quick, away with you, the time of the shedding is upon him.† She waved toward the door the way she thought a five-hundred-year-old countess might. (Where did the countess thing come from, anyway?) â€Å"Right,† Abby said, and she took off out the loft door and down the steps after Tommy. Jody went to the bathroom and used a damp washcloth to wash the blood tears off her face. I may actually be evil, she thought. She knew it should bother her more, being evil and all, but after she put on a little mascara and some lipstick and poured herself another cup of blood-laced coffee, she found that she was okay with it. Chapter Thirteen Moving Day Jody sipped her coffee and sighed, satisfied, like she'd just had a gentle coffee orgasm, the sort of pleasurable release you only see people have in commercials for froufrou coffee and hemorrhoid cream. This blood-beverage phenomenon added a whole new twist to their lives. A glass of wine? A diet cola maybe – wait, screw diet – a sugary, teeth-rotting cola. What about solid food? Sure, being a godlike creature of the night was great, but what about a jelly donut? French fries? She was Irish, she felt a deep-seated need for potatoes. She was musing on the idea of heading up to McDonald's on Market Street and spooging a syringe full of William's blood all over a supersized box of deep-fried nirvana when the phone rang. The caller ID number was blocked, it just said mobile. It might be Tommy. He'd activated the disposable mobile phones they'd bought, but he probably hadn't written down the numbers. â€Å"Hey, pumpkin,† Jody said. She heard a clattering at the other end of the line. â€Å"Sorry, I dropped the phone.† Oops. Not Tommy. â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"Uh, it's, uh, it's Steve. I'm the med student who called you about your condition.† He'd found her when she'd gone to a Blood Drinkers Anonymous meeting in Japan Town, which turned out to be a bunch of nerds with problems distinguishing fantasy from reality. Had watched her from a distance and called her on a pay phone from blocks away, ready to jump in his car and bolt if she came near him. He knew what she was. He'd said that he had examined one of the bodies left by the old vampire. Elijah had snapped their necks so the bodies would be found, instead of turning to dust. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Well, like I said, I'm a med student at Berkeley. Actually, I'm in research. Gene therapy.† â€Å"Yeah, next lie, please.† Jody's mind was going ninety miles and hour. Too many people knew about her. Maybe she and Tommy should have left town. â€Å"What lie?† Steve asked. â€Å"Berkeley doesn't have a med school,† Jody said. â€Å"So what do you want?† â€Å"I don't want anything. I've been trying to tell you, I've studied the blood of the victims. I think I may be able to reverse your condition. Turn you back. I just need some time in the lab with your blood.† â€Å"Bullshit, Steve. This isn't biology.† â€Å"Yes it is. I told your boyfriend the night you turned him.† â€Å"How did you know†¦?† â€Å"I was on the phone with him when you told him you were going to be together for a very long time.† â€Å"Well, that was rude, just listening like that.† â€Å"Sorry. I've managed to get cloned cells from the throats of victims to revert to their natural human state.† â€Å"Which is dead,† Jody said. â€Å"No, living cells. I just need to meet with you.† He'd pressed this before, and Jody had been willing to meet with him, but unfortunately, while she was sleeping, Tommy had put her in the freezer for a few days and she'd missed the appointment. â€Å"No meeting, Steve. Forget you know anything about this. You'll have to write your dissertation on something else.† â€Å"Well, take my number if you change your mind, okay?† He gave her the number and Jody wrote it down. â€Å"It's a burner cell phone,† Steve said, â€Å"So you can't find me through it.† â€Å"I don't want to find you, Steve.† â€Å"I promise I won't reveal your – your condition to anyone, so you don't need to find me.† â€Å"Don't worry,† Jody said. â€Å"I don't want to find you.† Get over yourself, she wanted to add. â€Å"What about the other one you warned me about?† Jody looked at the bronze statue that held Elijah Ben Sapir. â€Å"He won't bother you either.† â€Å"Oh, good.† â€Å"Steve?† â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"If you tell anyone, I'll find you, and I'll slowly snap every bone in your body before I kill you.† Jody tried to make it sound cheerful, but the threat sort of cut through the bright, friendly lilt in her voice. â€Å"Okay then. Bye.† â€Å"Yeah,† Jody said. â€Å"You take care.† â€Å"The shedding?† Tommy said as he came through the door. Jody stood at the counter in her new red leather jacket, boots, and mist-tight black jeans. Jody could hear Abby locking the downstairs door, so they had a few seconds alone. â€Å"Look, did you want me to tell her you were just a big orange doofus?† â€Å"I guess not. Hey – â€Å" â€Å"She calls you Flood?† â€Å"I couldn't tell her ‘Tommy. I'm her dark lord. Your dark lord can't be named Tommy. ‘Flood' has an air of power.† â€Å"And dampness.† â€Å"Yeah, it's got the dampness thing going for it, too.† Abby came in, breathing hard. She'd been sweating and her eyeliner was running in two black streaks down her cheeks. â€Å"We didn't find him. I could have sworn he was dead. He smelled like it.† â€Å"You got something against dead people?† Jody said – tough-guy voice. â€Å"Are you saying there's something wrong with dead people? Is that what you're saying? Are you saying you're too good for the dead, is that what you're saying?† Abby stepped behind Tommy and peeked around. The kid was still out of breath from trying to keep up with Tommy, and now she was frightened, too. â€Å"No, Mistress, I think the nonliving are great. I'm all about dead people. I have a ‘I Fuck the Dead' T-shirt even. I can wear it tomorrow if you want. I didn't mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's okay, Abby,† Jody said, waving it off. â€Å"Just fucking with you.† â€Å"Jody!† Tommy said, scolding. â€Å"Don't scare the minion.† â€Å"Sorry,† Jody said, thinking, once again, that she might be evil. â€Å"What about the new apartment. Did you look at it?† â€Å"We went by it. It's only a few doors down. We don't even have to cross the street.† â€Å"You think that's far enough? They won't find us there?† â€Å"Well, at least they won't find us here. I don't think anyone's going to think that we'd only move a few doors down. They'll think we've at least left the City. What kind of idiot would only move a few doors away? It's brilliant.† â€Å"Plus an easy move,† Jody said. â€Å"You guys can do it without a truck.† â€Å"You guys?† â€Å"Well, I've got to find William, and you can't exactly run around until the shedding has subsided. Abby, do you have enough makeup to cover his face and hands?† â€Å"Tons,† Abby said. She held up her messenger bag. â€Å"But I can only help for a little while. I have to get home.† â€Å"Why?† Tommy asked. â€Å"We require your services.† He meant to sound sophisticated and European, but it came out sounding lecherous. â€Å"He means moving,† Jody said. â€Å"I've got his other services covered.† â€Å"I can't,† Abby said. â€Å"My sister has lice.† â€Å"So,† Abby said, â€Å"the countess is kind of a bitch.† â€Å"No, she's just a dark creature of unspeakable evil,† Tommy said. He had the futon on his back and was making his way down the street as Abby followed him with a lamp in one hand and a blender in the other. â€Å"In a nice way,† he added – thinking that maybe he'd already made enough of an impression on Abby. Although it was early in the evening, and it was a little unusual to see a guy walking down the street carrying a futon, followed by a Goth girl carrying a lamp and a blender, it was just unusual enough that people would have felt stupid if they asked what was going on and someone pointed out it was modern dance, or performance art, or people robbing an apartment. San Francisco is a city of sophisticates, and except for a homeless guy who remarked on the tackiness of Tommy's Pier 1 Imports decor, they had moved half of the furniture and clothing without comment. â€Å"Do you need to feed?† Abby asked when they got back to the old loft. They were standing in the living room, where there was little left except some bookcases and the three bronze statues. â€Å"Huh?† Tommy replied. â€Å"I'm guessing that you need to feed,† Abby said, pulling her hoodie aside and offering up her neck. â€Å"And I have to get going. I have to get to Walgreens and catch the bus home before the parental unit goes critical. Go ahead. I'm ready.† She closed her eyes and started breathing hard, as if bracing for the pain. â€Å"Take me, Flood. I'm ready.† â€Å"Really?† Tommy said. Abby opened one eye. â€Å"Well yeah.† â€Å"You're sure?† Tommy hadn't bitten another woman. He wasn't sure if it might not be cheating. What if the whole sex thing went off the way it did with Jody? That kind of activity would kill a normal human woman, plus, he was pretty sure that Jody would not approve. â€Å"Maybe a little from the wrist,† Tommy said. Abby opened her eyes and pulled up her sleeve. â€Å"Of course, so you don't leave the mark of nosferatu.† She said it with a hiss – nasss – sssss – fer-a-too – like she was speaking snake. â€Å"Oh, it won't leave any marks,† Tommy said. â€Å"You'll heal up like instantly.† He was starting to feel the hunger rise in him, he could feel his fangs pressing down from the roof of his mouth. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Oh yeah, Jody bit me almost every night before I changed over, and no one ever noticed down at the store.† â€Å"The store?† Oops. â€Å"The ye olde porridge and leeches store, where I worked, in the ye old days.† â€Å"I thought you were a lord?† â€Å"Well, yeah, I mean, I owned the store, and some serfs, and scullery maids – couldn't get enough of the scullery maids – but I put in a shift now and then. You know, help to stir the porridge and inventory the leeches. Serfs will steal you blind if you don't watch them. Well, enough business, let's get to that feeding.† He took her wrist and pulled it to his mouth, then stopped. She was looking at him, one eyebrow sort of cocked in the air, and there was a silver ring in it, so it felt more incredulous than a normal eyebrow. He dropped her arm. â€Å"You know, maybe you should get home before you get in trouble. I wouldn't want my minion on restriction.† Abby looked hurt now. â€Å"But, Lord Flood, have I offended you? Am I not deserving?† â€Å"You were looking at me like you thought I was fucking with you,† Tommy said. â€Å"Weren't you?† â€Å"Well no. This is a two-way street, Abby. I can't ask for your loyalty if I don't give you trust in return.† He couldn't believe the bullshit that was coming out of his mouth. â€Å"Oh, okay then.† â€Å"Tomorrow night,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll bleed you within an inch of your life, I promise.† The things you never think you'll hear yourself say. Abby rolled down her sleeve. â€Å"Okay then. Will you be able to get the rest by yourself?† â€Å"Sure. Vampire powers. Duh.† He laughed, waving at the heavy bronze statues like they were nothing. â€Å"You know,† Abby said, â€Å"the man and the turtle are cool, but that woman statue, you should get rid of that. She looks kind of skanky.† â€Å"You think?† Abby nodded. â€Å"Yeah. Maybe there's some church or something that you could donate it to. Like, to show how you don't want your daughter to grow up. Oh, sorry, Lord Flood, I didn't mean to say church.† â€Å"No, I'm okay,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll walk you out.† â€Å"Thanks,† Abby said. He followed her downstairs and held the door to the street, then at the last minute, as she was walking away, she turned and kissed him quickly on the cheek. â€Å"I love you, Lord Flood,† she whispered in his ear. Then she turned and ran up the sidewalk. Tommy felt himself blush. Dead as he was, he felt heat rise in his cheeks. He turned and trudged back up the steps, feeling the full weight of his four, maybe five hundred years of life. He needed to talk to Jody. How long could it take to find one drunk guy with a giant cat? He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the number of the phone he'd given Jody. He could hear it ringing on the kitchen counter where she had left it.