Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 6

After returning from the walk, I found myself being sewn into a brand-new suit while Mrs. Sutherland instructed the tailor on where to pin and prod me. I knew I had to leave, but I also couldn't tear myself away from Mrs. Sutherland quite yet. We spent the entire afternoon chatting about my mother and her French relatives, along with my wish to one day travel to Italy to see the Sistine Chapel. Before I knew it, the tailor had made his final stitch, and night had arrived. Even I had to admit that my suit was fantastic. I looked like an urbane prince of industry in my pleated white shirtfront, silk top hat, and cravat. Winfield loaned me one of his pocket watches on a fob covered with a tasteful number of gold charms and gems, and I wore matching gold studs. I looked the very picture of humanity and was ashamed to be enjoying the part so thoroughly. Bridget simpered when I offered her a hand getting up into the carriage. Her skirts were full and cumbersome, an apricot version of the white gown she wore just the night before. Cream-colored silk netting floated over everything, giving her a look somewhere between a dancer in a European painting and a giant pastry. She giggled and tripped and pretended to fall, throwing an arm around my neck. â€Å"Save me again, kind sir,† she laughed, and I reminded myself that I had only to entertain her for another couple hours. Then, no matter the affection I felt for Mrs. Sutherland, I vowed I would make good on my promise to leave the family to their lives, disappearing into the crowd of the dance and returning to my home in the park. After a short ride, we approached another mansion of considerable size. It was solid stone, like a castle, but filled with windows. I helped Bridget from the coach and we took our places in the receiving line. In my human life I had been to many dances, yet I was not prepared for a New York City ball. There was someone to take my coat and hat – and because this wasn't Mystic Falls, where everyone of renown knew one another, I was given a ticket with a number on it to retrieve my things at the end of the evening. We approached the ballroom through a seemingly endless hallway of silver mirrors lit with candles and chandeliers, sparkling as I imagined it must have been like in Versailles. A thousand silvered reflections of Bridget and myself filled the space behind the glass. A full orchestra of violins, cellos, horns, and flutes played in the corner, the musicians dressed in black suits. The room was filled, wall-to-wall, with dancers in the most amazing array of dress I had ever seen. The young women lifted delicate gloved hands with sparkling diamond bracelets, then twirled in gowns that ranged in color from bloodred to dusty gold. Gauzy skirts swished in time with the high-paced mazurka the orchestra played, netting, tulle, lace, and the finest silk petticoats floating like petals strewn across a lake. If my eyes were dazzled by the sight of the dancers, the scents of the room almost overpowered the rest of my senses: expensive perfumes, huge vases of exotic flowers, sweat, and punch, and somewhere someone was bleeding from a pin left in her dress by a careless maid. â€Å"You're supposed to fetch your lady a dance card,† Lydia murmured into my ear as I stood there, stunned by the opulent and overwhelming scene before me. â€Å"Is that . . . is that Adelina Patti?† I stuttered, pointing at a demure-looking woman standing in the corner and surrounded by admirers. â€Å"The opera singer?† I had seen photographs of her. My father had wanted his sons to have working knowledge of their Italian culture and heritage. â€Å"Yes,† Bridget said, rolling her eyes and stamping a pretty, satin-covered foot. â€Å"And over there is Mayor Gunther, and over there is John D. Rockefeller, and . . . can you take me to my seat now? I want to see who asks me to dance.† Lydia let out a polite cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. â€Å"In the South,† I whispered to her out of the corner of my mouth, â€Å"it's considered impolite to dance with your escort overmuch.† Lydia put a gloved hand to her own mouth, covering her smile. â€Å"I've heard that they still actually dance the quadrille in the South and have no parlor games at their functions. Good luck, Mr. Salvatore.† And she glided off into the crowd. Margaret gave me a tiny smirk. She was on the arm of her husband, Wally, a short fellow with a pince-nez and a serious bent. But when she whispered to him, a smile broke out and he was radiant. I felt an odd jab of jealousy. I would never know what that was like, the simple rituals of a close-knit couple. The orchestra struck up a waltz. Bridget stuck out her lower lip. â€Å"And me without a dance card yet.† â€Å"My lady,† I said, inwardly sighing. I gave her a slight bow and offered her my hand. Bridget was a fine dancer and it was almost pleasurable twirling her across the floor. I could forget where and who I was for the few minutes of the waltz: just a man in a tailcoat, feet flying, in a room full of beautiful people. She turned her leaf-green eyes up to me, and for one beautiful moment I could pretend she was Callie, alive and well and getting the happy ending she so desperately deserved. The illusion came to an end the moment the music stopped. â€Å"Lead me by the edge of the dancers,† Bridget begged. â€Å"I want everyone to see us!† She dragged me past the refreshment room, where all manner of exotic food was laid out. Delicate ices made from foreign fruit, real Vienna coffee, blancmange, tiny chocolate cakes, and glass upon crystal glass of champagne to wash it down. For the hungrier set there seemed to be every kind of fowl, from quail to goose, neatly carved into small pieces so a dancer could eat quickly and return to the floor. Once again I wished I was hungry for normal human food. But instead I indulged in a glass of champagne. â€Å"Hilda, Hilda,† Bridget called out in a voice that carried well considering how crowded the space was. A beautiful girl in a rose-pink gown turned from her gentleman friend, face lighting up when she saw Bridget. Her eyes traveled up and down me with a quick flick of her eyelashes. â€Å"This is Stefan Salvatore,† Bridget said. â€Å"He is the one who rescued me!† â€Å"Mademoiselle,† I said with a slight bow, taking her fingertips and bringing them to my lips. Bridget gave me a look that was somewhere between jealousy and pleasure that I was so polite. â€Å"Brooklyn Bridgey! Who's your friend?† A dapper young man with a twinkle in his eye and giant grin sidled up to us. He had a sharp nose and curly black hair; rosy dots appeared on his cheeks that made him look vaguely tubercular. â€Å"This is Stefan Salvatore,† Bridget told him, exactly as proudly and carefully as she had with Hilda. â€Å"He rescued me when I was overcome in the park!† â€Å"Pleasure to meet you! Abraham Smith. You can call me Bram.† He grabbed my hand and shook it hard. â€Å"That was terribly naughty of you, leaving the party unescorted like that, Bridgey.† Bram shook a finger at her and she pouted. â€Å"Brooklyn Bridgey?† I asked, my head spinning a little. â€Å"Why, the Brooklyn Bridge is only going to be the biggest, most fantastic suspension bridge ever built!† Bram said, eyes lighting up. â€Å"No more ferries, no sir. We'll drive ourselves back and forth across the mighty East River!† â€Å"Oh look!† Bridget squealed, pointing in a very unladylike manner. â€Å"There's Lydia and her beau! Let's go talk to them!† I gave Hilda and Bram a helpless salute good-bye as Bridget directed me toward her sister with an iron grip. The Italian count was surrounded by admirers, including Lydia. I caught glimpses of him as we walked closer. His raven hair gleamed, and his black formal suit fit him perfectly. He moved with a careless grace waving his arms as he told his story. The glint of a ring shimmered on his hand. The truth hit me only moments before he turned, as if he'd been expecting my arrival. I did my best to hide my shock when I looked into my brother's ice-blue eyes.

English Writing Assessment

The deep freeze left roads and pavements covered in ice, making driving and conditions for pedestrians extremely dangerous. Salt supplies are ‘stretched', while thousands of schools are shut and air and rail travel are again affected y delays. In Hartley, Essex and Leeds, officials have decided to only grit key routes, leaving many roads untreated. Motorway hard shoulders are no longer being gritted, with the government proportioning salt for the worst- affected regions. There have even been reports of some local councils removing grit bins in certain areas in an attempt to reduce salt usage.Milk deliveries have also been disrupted, with tankers struggling to reach dairy farms. Some farmers have had to dump supplies as few have large storage facilities while, in Scotland, several barn roofs have collapsed under the weight of snow. In Bristol Harbor, the temperature was low enough that the sea began to freeze over. Conditions have been so poor in places that some villages have b een cut off, including Princeton in Dartmouth. Up to 4,000 homes were without water after a main burst outside the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.Thousands of schools remain closed, with exam candidates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland warned they could have to wait five months to sit GEESE and A-level modules if weather prevents them taking them next week. Overnight, temperatures in Manchester fell to -ICC, with Glasgow reaching ICC, Cardiff -ICC and London hovering just below zero. The lowest temperature recorded this week was in the Scottish Highlands, -22. ICC while England's low was -ICC in Woodward, Cheshire. Temperatures are expected to stay around freezing throughout the weekend and forecasters say winds could make it feel even colder.Page 2 of 4 Document 2 – Extract from online forums Suffolk County Council Website Discussion Forum Mike D am furious about the school closures in my area. Wave had 3-4 inches of snow and yet local schools only a mile apart ha ve made different decisions about whether to open or close. The Government should carry out an urgent review of school closure policies. It is absolutely outrageous that teachers are still being paid when they are failing to do their job. Anonymous am a Secondary School Teacher in a school of 1,300 pupils.Unfortunately, when the weather is like it is now, school closures are a necessity. It isn't simply a matter of whether the teaching staff can get to the school or not (though that is a factor), but also how safe it is for them when they get there. Obviously, the same applies for the pupils too, many of whom do not attend he school nearest to them and would be traveling early morning when the roads are at their most dangerous. Not to mention the fact that we're at the mercy of the bus services on top of all this.In fact, only the other day I saw a bus struggling to get up a hill because the road hadn't been gritted. The fact is that its often more sensible to close the school altog ether than to risk teaching a small number of pupils in potentially unsafe conditions. Sarah P My children were at home for two days in the week as their school was closed because of the snow. We had a fantastic time making a snowman, sledging ND having a snowball fight in the park. We don't see weather like this very often; can't we let the kids enjoy it a little bit?My husband has had no real problems getting to work, and I've been walking to the local shops to get our food shopping. Apart from the fact that I've been forced to take annual leave to look after the children, is this weather really all that bad? Michelle M A lot of people seem to be complaining about school closures and teachers not being in work. Let's be honest; the vast majority of you would happily take a ‘snow day' if it was offered to you. I know I would! Having said that, the dads around my way haven't been gritted and I've already seen one accident where a driver lost control and skidded into a parked c ar.My kids' school has been closed for a few days now and my youngest has missed some Of his exams, which he's been working really hard for, but to be perfectly honest, the break has done him good. Page 3 of 4 @ Education Development International ply 201 0 TASK 1 You live on a road that is a main bus route to the local secondary school. During the cold weather, your road did not get gritted. Write a letter to the council persuading them that your road needs to be made a priority road for rioting.

Leadership Approach Paper Ldr 531

Abstract Leadership is an approach taken to guide a significant large group to follow the desired objective of the leader. This paper will explain a leadership approach that has an effect within the organizations today. In addition, explain the strengths and weaknesses of the trait leadership approach. Leadership Approach Dealing with a competitive and diverse global market in today’s society requires a robust Leader. An organization’s success depends on the strength of its leader. The writer will explain trait approach, one of the major approaches to studying leadership. Trait Leadership Approach Leadership comes natural to some people, as if they were born to be leaders. According to Yukl (2010), early leadership theories attributed managerial success to extraordinary abilities such as tiredness energy, penetrating intuition, uncanny foresight, and persuasive powers. This research failed due to futile research. Since then leadership values effectively been identified and trait approach examines leader values that are relevant for explaining ethical leadership. Strengths and Weakness The main strength of the trait approach is that it relies only on attributes that can be identified and with proper research dictate a leader’s effectiveness. This trait approach examines values of a leader relevant for explaining ethical leadership. The main weakness of the trait approach is to assume that one’s attributes simply determine their strength in leadership. One may have the identifiers of a true leader and fail to have the intelligence or character to implement success. The trait approach requires extensive research measuring the correlation between individual leadership attributes and the criteria of a successful leader. Example of Trait Approach An example of trait approach would be an organization hiring for a specific job position and during the interview choosing attributes that identify this particular person as a leader. Conclusion To conclude, a successful leader has great astuteness and knowledge in what approach needed to guide a populace in achievement of the leaders objective. Effective leadership requires understanding of influence process and power. A successful leader ethically influences others to achieve the common goals of an organization. Throughout the times of history leadership has been defines in many ways with several approached. However, the common denominator of an effective leader is success. References Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in organizations. (7th Ed. ) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education

A Look at the Worth of Gold and Silver As Illustrated By Adam Smith in His Book, The Wealth of Nations

A Look at the Worth of Gold and Silver As Illustrated By Adam Smith in His Book, The Wealth of Nations In the first book of The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith discusses the Variations in the Proportion between the respective Values of Gold and Silver. Throughout history, these two metals have been regarded as mints of significant value. Before mines were found in America, the difference in value between silver and gold was usually seen as proportionate, where one ounce of fine gold was considered equivalent to anywhere from ten to twelve ounces of fine silver. More recently, the values have changed as much as one ounce of fine gold to be equal to as much as fourteen or fifteen ounces of fine silver. Over the years, it is said that both silver and gold have dropped in value, but the drop of silver has come more rapidly, therefore leading to the reason why gold has become proportionately even more valuable than in the past. Smith does claim, however, that both the gold and silver mines of America exceeded in fertility all those which had ever been known before, the fertility of the silve r mines had, it seems, been proportionally still greater than that of the gold ones. As a result of silver being more plentiful in comparison to gold, though it is considered less valuable it is certainly more important in many cases. Adam Smith says that it would be absurd to infer that because an ounce of gold will commonly purchase from fourteen to fifteen ounces silver, that there are commonly in the market only fourteen or fifteen ounces of silver for one ounce of gold. The amount of silver that can be found in the market is in all probability worth more in proportion to gold. Adam Smith feels that the cheaper of the two metals is f both more value and greatness due to the quantity that is accessible. He explains, There are so many more purchasers for the cheap than for the dear commodity that not only a greater quantity of it, but a greater value, can commonly be disposed of. The whole quantity, therefore, of the cheap commodity must commonly be greater in proportion to the whole quantity of the dear one than the value of a certain quantity of the dear one is to the value of an equal quantity of the cheap one. Silver can be seen as more valuable in the sense that it is used more often and more common. Silver even outclasses gold in certain cases, for example in the French coin where silver preponderates. In another instance, it is said that silver plate is more of more worth than gold plates. Another way in which Adam Smith shows the greater importance of silver is through the Spanish Market. Though he does admit that gold will always be more expensive, he feels that it is also cheaper in certain senses. He states that product is claimed cheap or expensive, not only according to the absolute greatness or smallness of its usual price, but according to the absolute greatness or smallness of its usual price, but according as that price is more or less above the lowest for which it is possible to bring it to market for any considerable time together. In Spain during this time, gold is closer to its lowest price than silver is because the tax put upon gold is five percent, whereas the tax put on silver is ten percent. Thus, miners for silver in this country are much more successful. Silver understandably then still takes a big part in monetary system during this time and is more important than gold in many instances. Though the value may differ in favor of gold, other factors come into play which raise the importance of silver. In the European market silver has raised in value a bit because decline in the amount found. With silver becoming scarcer, it adds to the importance of the metal since it is not as available. Smith explains that as mass increases the value of gold and silver diminishes. Smith says that anytime a metal is more used it is less cared for. Silver is a very important part of European monetary system during these times. The outright overall value can sometimes be very deceiving in comparing two precious metals. A rare gem is evidently going to be worth a lot, but silver would be much more handy in comparison. Silver during these times experienced some difficulties as far as price diminishment of a few occasions during the time of Adam Smith. He explains this by saying: The increase of expense must either, first, be compensated altogether by a proportionable increase in the price of the metal; or, secondly, it must be compensated altogether by a proportionable diminution of the tax upon silver; or, thirdly, it must be compensated partly by the one, and partly by the other of those two expedients. This third event is very possible. As gold rose in its price in proportion to silver, notwithstanding a great diminution of the tax upon gold, so silver might rise in its price in proportion to labour and commodities, notwithstanding an equal diminution of the tax upon silver. Thus, a momentary drop in silvers value is not to define the eternal value of the metal by any means, and in fact, a raise in value is probable. Though gold is more expensive than silver, in many senses, silver carries more importance. It is said that, The word VALUE, it is to be observed, has two different meanings, and sometimes expresses the utility of some particular object, and sometimes the power of purchasing other goods which the possession of that object conveys. The value of silver is elevated thanks to the big role it plays in many cases. Adam Smith explains, Though such commodities, therefore, come to exchange for a greater quantity of silver than before, it will not from thence follow that silver has become really cheaper, or will purchase less labour than before, but that such commodities have become really dearer, or will purchase more labour than before. He continues by clarifying, It is not their nominal price only, but their real price which rises in the progress of improvement. The rise of their nominal price is the effect, not of any degradation of the value of silver, but of the rise in their real price. Silver has then equaled the worth of gold in many ways, and had become a fierce competitor of the other precious metal during this time. Thanks to these other factors that played a part in the increase in value of silver, silver has become closer is not equal to the price of gold. Though the difference in literal price has not changed, the use and surplus of silver has made it more important, therefore more useful than gold. Adam Smith felt that silver was a very useful precious metal indeed.

Social Disorganisation Theory of Criminology Essay

Social Disorganisation Theory of Criminology - Essay Example The latter serves to reinforce cohesion in society and curbs crimes or delinquency. Social organisation was limited to small communal groups such as local councils but was later applied to larger groups such as nations, continents and the like. (Kapsis, 1978) Thomas and Znanieki (1918) explain that the social disorganisation theory was initially applied in the City of Chicago by psychologist working for the University of Chicago; this was in the early twentieth century. The City of Chicago was quite conducive for the application and study of this theory because it had been associated with numerous migration cases from different parts of the worlds at that time. The social cohesion that had been witnessed in that City was now a thing of the past because there were numerous changes occurring. The sociologists claimed that arrival of immigrant populations within the City led to a breakdown of some of the well know social rules that had prevented occurrence of crime. Edwin Sutherland (1924) did extensive work in the field of social disorganisation through his book 'Principles of criminology'. In his book, he starts with the values that make peasant societies more stable and less prone to crime or delinquency. Such societies are harmonious and influences are derived from consistent sources. However, with the introduction of western societies, peasant societies were transformed by capitalist idea. Communal values no longer took precedence and instead individualistic tendencies took over. The relationships that initially dispensed cultural values and traditions disintegrated and there was 'disorganisation'. He also believed that systemic (organised and persistent) cases of crime could be overcome if society was rearranged to deal with it. But because society is random and individualistic, cases of crime will continue to occur. Henry Mackay and Clifford Shaw (1929) also collaborated in this filed of criminology. They were also members of the University of Chicago. In their research, they reaffirmed that there were links between the level of social 'organisation' and crime rates. They conducted research and found out that cases of delinquency and crime were more popular in areas nearer to Chicago city than those further away. They also concluded that societies with high rates of delinquency had equal proportions of adult crimes. According to the two, high crime rates were prevalent in areas where there was physical deterioration. They also reported that some location were associated with high crime rates regardless of the fact that their populations were changing. Their explanations for these were that populations were faced with certain social challenges irrespective of their biological predispositions. Consequently, those social challenges would lead to high crime rates even when those societies had minima l cases of immigrant arrival or population changes. The two sociologists put forward the argument that traditional norms were disoriented when there was introduction of commerce. This made social systems weaken and with time, they would eventually disappear. This could eventually lead to higher cases of crime and maybe even permissiveness towards it. Sutherland (1939) argued that there was a direct relationship between two aspects; social disorganisation in society and crime organisation. He asserted that the latter was propagated by the

American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Revolution - Essay Example Albeit the British introduced slavery in America, the people who were enslaved in America were not its citizens but rather Africans who were brought into the country through slave trade. Thus, the intention to enslave was not the main driver of the circumstances that led to the events in 1775. Instead, it was the attempts of the British to impose series of high and unjust taxes that led to the events of 1763 to 1775 that formally begun with the shot at Lexington. (Countryman, 2003). It was further fueled by the British attempt to tighten control over the colonies particularly in their respond to the Boston Tea Party incident that led to a clash that resulted to the death of five individuals. These deaths fueled the dormant resentment of the colonies that instead of quelling a rebellion, it broke out into a full scale War of Independence that freed American from the clutches of British colonizers. It is important to understand that before 1763, the British Empire was also embroiled in another costly war which was the French and Indian War of which the British thought that it was reasonable to impose a tax on its thirteen American colonies to help finance and defray the cost of the war. The Americans however saw it to be unjust and excessive. They viewed it as â€Å"Taxation without representation† or a tax imposed and enforced just to raise revenue at the expense of American taxpayers. These â€Å"taxation without representation† was composed of series of Acts which begun with the Stamp Act which was passed by the British Parliament in 1765 to impose stamp duties in the thirteen American colonies occupied by the British empire to compel America to share the burden of cost of the French and Indian War. This measure was heavily petitioned by colonial leaders for the Parliament and King George III to repeal it. This was later repealed but another tax measure followed which is the Townshend Acts which was passed by the British Parliament in January of 1967. This law included Revenue Act of 1767, the Indemnity Act and New York Restraining Act which was again imposed to raise revenue to finance the war and to assert British sovereignty over its colony by taxing them. This law so unpopular that it was met with resistance in Boston prompting the British troops to garrison it led to clash with the mob on on March  5, 1770 where five colonists perished that fueled the impending revolution. There was also another tax measure that was imposed on the American colonies which probably precipitated the War of Independence. This tax measure was called the Tea Act, the precursor of the famous Boston Tea Party, which gave the British company British East India Company to have a virtual monopoly on all teas that were exported to the American colonies (Yale Law Schol, 2008). This revenue measure was so unpopular that businessmen cancelled orders. The Massachusetts governor however was bent in imposing it and forced Boston harbor to receive the tea cargoes and to force payment for such goods. Finally, in the evening of December 16, 1773, sixty men disguised as American Indians boarded the ships that carried tea and threw all the shipment of tea into the waters. We know this event now as the Boston Tea Party which was one of the key events that led to the War of Independence. The method of protest was justifiable from the point of view of the Americans because they are undermining the very goods that are subject of their complaints.

Pearson VUE Corp and Current Information Architecture of the Firm Research Paper

Pearson VUE Corp and Current Information Architecture of the Firm - Research Paper Example Forming a section of Pearson plc., Pearson VUE is a cooperation worth 8 billion making it the largest commercial education publishers and testing company (Rinehart and Sloan, 2010). Its main operation facilities are situated in India, the United States, and the United Kingdom while its satellites cover Japan and China. This has enabled Pearson VUE to stand out as a global leaders when it comes to information technology electronic testing , government, academic and professional clients offering services ranging from data management to test development (Morgan, 2010). Pearson VUE Testing Process Pearson VUE has had great impacts with reference to ICT testing providing skills that are fundamental and offer credentials to start people and all knowledge level in ICT careers. These initiatives have attracted the attention of several entrants to the ICT field as well as partners such as the higher education and government (Pivar, 2008). Pearson VUE incentives on professional development thr ough certification and training programs have led to the realization of ICT workforce that is well equipped with skills that are relevant in this industry. Pearson VUE testing has been observed to lead to proficiency when it comes to SQL queries running and writing ensuring a combined set of skills in data complex database, resolved KPIs queries from candidates and clients, timely reports for SMT/OMT and clients which are effectively completed, doing away with ICT procedures that are outdated and support of the VSS (Hondros, 2005). The Pearson VUE has been designed in such a way that its exams in any classroom setups are standardized , measurable, are taken as frequent as possible while its analyzing and grading process are faster (Hondros, 2005). This has been achieved through a convenient and easy exam rescheduling and registration in its centers across the world, the complete utilization of Internet in the process of securing data and transmitting it to its test centers, making i t possible for its exams to be downloaded and always available as scheduled, having its exam results accurately and promptly presented to agencies who are certified after which they are merged with the test database that already exists, connections and monitoring all Pearson VUE hub and protection of its certifications through the Digital Embosser that cannot be tampered with (Ondrus and Pigneur, 2009). The above testing process ensures complete satisfaction to the clients as it enables a registration that is painless and quick, having its exams readily available when needed, testing results reported promptly to the chosen and certified agency. To improve its testing processes, Pearson VUE has employed different technologies including the use of biometric identification in the authentication of test takers. The PalmSecure and the Camera biometric technologies used in the identification have been employed in over 500 facilities globally. These technologies have ensured that those tak ing tests are in a position to accurately, conveniently and quickly determine their identity before sitting down for a scheduled test. The one to many matching technology offers an enhanced fraud prevention layer making use of biometric acceleration distribution technology. The Sensometrix is an additional technology in support of the biometric acceleration technology that compares the biometrics of each test taker