Insanity and the Necessity of Madness in King Lear Essay -- King Lear

The Necessity of Madness in King Lear At the beginning of â€Å"King Lear,† an authoritative and willful protagonist dominates his court, making a fateful decision by rewarding his two treacherous daughters and banishing his faithful one in an effort to preserve his own pride. However, it becomes evident during the course of the tragedy that this protagonist, Lear, uses his power only as a means of projecting a persona, which he hides behind as he struggles to maintain confidence in himself. This poses a problem, since the audience is prevented from feeling sympathy for the king. Shakespeare’s ironic solution is to allow Lear’s progressing madness to be paired with his recognition of truth, thereby forcing Lear to shed his persona, and simultaneously persuading the audience that Lear is worthy of pity. Lear is initially consumed by what Burton would refer to as the human appetite,[1] and exhibits traits indicative of someone dominated by the choleric humor: he is prideful, yearns for authority, and bullies others when he doesn’t get his way. After Cordelia refuses to dote on him in the first scene, he goes into a fit of rage: Let it be so; the truth then be thy dower†¦ Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever. (I, i, 110-118) [2] Lear’s fury, however, only masks the fact that he is really a very needy person, consumed by an insatiable appetite for power and attention. As Bloom says, â€Å"Lear always demands more love than can be given.†[3] Lear proves this to be true when he repeatedly rejects those who love him most, banishing both Cordelia and Kent, who would protect him from his other two daughters’ impending betrayal. D... ...say (Trans.). The Republic of Plato: The Wisdom of Socrates as Recounted by His Pupil Plato. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1957. p.171. 6-Bloom, p. 482. 7-James Hutton (Trans.). Aristotle’s Poetics. New York: Norton & Company, Inc., 1982. p. 51. 8- Bruccoli, Clark, Layman â€Å"Aristotle,† in Bood, (ed.). Dictionary of Literary Biography: Ancient Greek Authors. Vol. 176 (1997), pp. 55-76. 9-Wilson Knight. â€Å"The Lear Universe† in The Wheel of Fire. London: Oxford University Press, 1930. p. 201 10- A.C. Bradley. Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1961. p. 239. 11- Knight, p. 203. 12-William Shakespeare. As You Like It. New York: Signet Classic, 1998. p. 44. 13- T.S. Eliot. â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol. II (New York, WW.Norton, 19860. pp. 2174 ff. 14-Bradley, p. 242.

The Role of Men in Adrienne Richs Of Woman Born Essay -- Adrienne Ric

The Role of Men in Of Woman Born  Ã‚   Adrienne Rich, via Of Woman Born, has created a wonderfully complex description and analysis of the condition of being a woman in our patriarchal American culture, or at least in the middle-class, white portion of it, as she acknowledges in the introduction to the 1986 edition of the book. Since I happen to fit into this category, I find this book to be very personally satisfying, although I can certainly imagine that Rich's writings wouldn't be completely applicable to all women in America. Rich examines the various issues surrounding multiple aspects of being a woman -- motherhood, relations with men, relations with children, relations with the patriarchy at large, etc. -- with a thoroughness that I find enlightening, honest-yet-hopeful, and refreshing. There were passages throughout the book that I found exciting because they confirmed or bolstered many of the ideas I've had about being a woman in this culture. I have long suspected that women and children are often fearful simply because they are the vulnerable members in a mal...

Brain Drain :: essays research papers

Brain Drain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The topic I have chosen is the â€Å"Brain Drain†. Is this a brain drain or a brain gain for Canada? Canadians believe it is a brain drain for them. The United States is also losing some of their students to Canada. This is a real issue facing Canadians; they are losing many of their highly educated students each year. â€Å"The issue of â€Å"brain drain† is a political hot potato in Canada†. (Quoted by Wayne Kondro). Many of these students are moving to the United States because they are being paid a lot better. This so called â€Å"brain drain† south was particularly dramatic in the mid- 1990’s. There are many knowledgeable Canadians heading South of the border. Our low Canadian dollar is part of the reason why people chose to move to the States. Canadian’s are being paid much more working in the US than they are being paid in Canada. High taxes are another reason Canada is driving people into the states. Another main reason why so many Canadians are leaving to live in the U.S. is the North American Free Trade Agreement. The so called brain drain is actually a brain gain. The ratio is 1:4, for every Canadian going to the U.S., Canada is gaining four U.S. educated students. Immigrants are three times more likely to hold a master’s degree, doctoral or medical degree than the Canadian born population is. Therefore, this says that people who are immigrating into Canada are keeping more of their degrees, than people immigrating to the states. In the end not all the people moving to the states stay there, there is a small percentage of them moving back. Maybe because in the states they aren’t getting all the benefits Canadians are getting. For example medical care. The facts state that this is a brain drain. There are more than one hundred thousand skilled Canadians moving out of Canada each year. This includes graduates and people who are being offered better paying job. A recent poll said that eight out of ten Canadian’s have considered moving to the U.S. Eighty one percent say that the biggest lure is the higher pay. â€Å"Just over 4,600 post-secondary graduates from the class of 1995 were living in the United States as of the summer of 1997. By the time of the survey in March 1999, about 830 (18%) of these graduates had moved back to Canada†.

Alcoholism Problem Essay

Alcoholism is a chronic problem that includes difficulty in controlling drinking, having to drink consistently to get physical independence, being preoccupied with alcohol, and continually using alcohol regardless of problems it causes (Brick, 2004). Alcohol should not be legal in U.S. because it is impacts negatively on health, family, community and on a person’s education. Alcohol drinking is like taking a drug. It is a form of drug addiction and drug abuse. Alcoholism is a worldwide problem that affects many people. Drinking alcohol has negative short and long term effects. Alcoholism has been associated with adverse effects on health, family, community, and education (Marshall, 2000). However, the effects on a person depends on particular factors such as how often and how much alcohol is taken, a person’s age, gender, when a person begun drinking and how long they have been drinking, their health, and family history (Begleiter & Kissin, 1996). It is in this regard t hat alcohol should not be legal in the United States. Alcohol is addictive, and people become addicts end up spending a lot of money on alcohol. It means that when they spend all the money they have on alcohol, they forget their families, and are not able to support the community in anyway. Some resort to stealing to sustain their drinking habit. Alcohol addicts sometimes engage in robbery acts to get the money for drinks. Community becomes at risk of destruction with excessive alcohol consumption allowed. When many people engage in excessive consumption of alcohol, education becomes at risk. People drop out of school, and illiteracy level increase in the community. In addition, the progress and development of any community depends on the health of its people. Therefore, when alcohol puts the health of its members at risk, community suffers in the long run. Alcohol affects both female and male differently. Men who consume alcohol, daily have an increased risk of health risks. Such men can experience cancer and heart disease in the long-term and  low energy to sexual difficulties in the short-term (Brick, 2004). Men are more likely to suffer from liver cirrhosis, and have higher chances of being diagnosed with high blood pressure. Nearly 26.6% of deaths among men of be tween 16 and 24 years old can be attributed to alcohol consumption. Men tend to be more dependent of alcohol (Marshall, 2000). Drinking too much alcohol damages a person’s body organs such as liver, brain, stomach, heart, and intestines. Brain is adversely affected because the brain cells die leading to loss of memory, learning difficulties, brain disorders, confusion, and problems with attention (Blane & Leonard, 1999). Liver is highly affected because of the great possibility of developing cancer in the liver, throat and mouth. The stomach may also acquire ulcers. Long-term drinking has also been linked to stroke and heart failure. The nervous system can also experience damage leading to behavioral and physical problems (Dasgupta, 2011). These problems affect health, family, community, and education in the long-term because of expenses associated with alcohol consumption, and possible treatment measures. Alcohol poses many effects on the body such as fertility. It reduces levels of testosterone. As a result, it could decline sperm quantity and quality, and lead to loss of libido. Alcohol is toxic to the testicles, and affects hormones. It could hamper production of sperms, hinder them from developing properly, and slow their movement towards the egg. Alcohol can also limit the liver from metabolizing vitamin A properly. It also depresses the nervous system, and could result in difficulty in getting and keeping erection (Peters, 2008). Many young adults do not realize that alcohol has a fattening effect. Alcohol can reduce the amount of fat that the body burns for energy. The human body makes several attempts to eliminate alcohol very fast as it cannot remain in the body for storage. The process takes priority over nutrient absorption and burning of fat. In the long-term, there could be a serious damage in the appearance. Other effects include loss of hair in the body, breast enlargement, and withering of testicles (Dasgupta, 2011). Alcohol has also been associated with worsening of skin disorders such as rosacae. Rosacae skin disorder is responsible for expansion of blood vessels in the face making it redder. Heavy drinking can cause the appearance of pus spots and red bumps. It has also been linked to inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints. The effect is common among men of between 30 and 60 years old  (Hannigan, Spear, Spear & Goodlett, 1999). As mentioned earlier, heavy drinking increases the chances of heart disease, liver damage, bone disease, cancer, anxiety and depression, and type II diabetes. Heavy consumption of alcohol also caused inflammation on the pancreas and irritates stomach. These effects indirectly affect family, community and education (Peters, 2008). Women are not safe from alcohol either. The body of women takes much time to process alcohol compared to men. Women feel more effects of alcohol than men even when they drink the same amount. The fertility of women is at risk with heavy consumption of alcohol. Women are high risk of acquiring breast cancer, and adverse impacts of the menopause. Women are advised in several studies to avoid alcohol when trying to have a baby. Alcohol disrupts menstrual cycle in women, and limits their chances of conceiving. These are bad effects on the body, and not good for family and community in general. Therefore, alcohol should not be legal in the United States (Hannigan, Spear, Spear & Goodlett, 1999). While drinking less alcohol may make one look good, heavy consumption causes bad skin, tired eyes, and weight gain for both f emale and male. It also interferes with people’s sleep. Heavy consumers of alcohol often wake up and feel like they have not had enough rest. Alcohol dehydrates the body and skin. It deprives the skin of certain vital nutrients and vitamins. Hence, it is not good for health. Alcohol is also responsible for much divorce among couples due to fights in the family, and lack of finances for family upkeep (Dasgupta, 2011). Alcohol is depressant. It means that alcohol calms people down, and slows down some body organs. With only 0.05% level of blood-alcohol, a person begins getting dulled judgment, and his or her inhibitions get released. They then become clumsy and start having slurred speech with only a 0.10% blood-alcohol level. At 0.30% level of blood-alcohol, one nearly becomes unconscious. Any addition after that becomes extremely dangerous since at 0.45%, one can get into a coma. Brain shuts down from 0.70% and stop controlling the heart, breathing, and one may end up dead. Other short-term effects include blurred vision, blackouts and insomnia. These can lead to injuries, accidents, and even death. Drinking alcohol also causes hangover in the next morning, which is associated with nausea, headaches, heartburn, fatigue, thirst, and dizziness. There are many side effects of alcohol (Peters, 2008).Conclusion In conclusion, consumption of alcohol should be reconsidered in U.S because  of its adverse effects on health, family, community, and education. Alcohol should only be taken when necessary. The side effects are adverse and continue to destroy people across the world. Therefore, alcohol should not be legal in the United States because it is impacts negatively on health, family, community and on a person’s education. References Begleiter, H., & Kissin, B. (1996). The pharmacology of alcohol and alcohol dependence. New York: Oxford University Press. Blane, H. T., & Leonard, K. E. (1999). Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism. New York [u.a.: Guilford Press. Brick, J. (2004). Handbook of the medical consequences of alcohol and drug abuse. New York: Haworth Press. Dasgupta, A. (2011). The science of drinking: How alcohol affects your body and mind. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Hannigan, J. H., Spear, L. P., Spear, N. E., & Goodlett, C. R. (1999). Alcohol and Alcoholism: Effects on Brain and Development. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis. Marshall, R. (2000). Alcoholism: Genetic culpability or social irresponsibility: the challenge of innovative methods to determine final outcomes. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Peters, A. R. (2008). Combined effects of alcohol and nicotine on subjective responses and cognitive functioning, Dissertation Abstracts International, 69-4

My Childhood lost ? Essay

I was a happy go lucky six year old boy staying at St. Peter’s orphanage. The orphanage had about 20 children. The living conditions were not anything fancy, but we had no complaints either. I distinctly remember the morning of 1st May, 1820 when a wealthy looking middle aged gentleman came to our orphanage. He pretended to be a nice but lonely guy who wanted to adopt two healthy children between the age group of 6 to 10. He met all the children and finally selected Berley, the eldest in the group, and myself. We were thrilled! I assumed that my life would be a bed of roses from now on. Both Berley and myself bade good bye to our friends and â€Å"home† beaming with hope and dreams of a better life ahead. Our â€Å"not so lucky† friends wished us best of luck with tears in their eyes. Berley and I would now be brothers living with a wealthy man. We entered his large palatial house with trembling legs. Before long we were taken to the backyard, which, unlike the rest of the house, resembled a slum. There we met a few more children who stared at us blankly. They looked ugly, unkempt and had dark circles under their eyes. One of them had an amputated finger. Though their sight made us feel uneasy, we decided to concentrate on our first meal. Both Berley and I were expecting a treat but to our disappointment it was the worst food we had ever eaten. Soon the truth surfaced and we realized that the wealthy gentleman had â€Å"bought us† as slaves to work in a factory where he was an overseer. We were trapped for life†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The next day started at 4 am. After getting ready we went to a dark and stinking factory where they made cotton. I was assigned to pick up dirty waste material that was being generated almost continuously. After working diligently for almost four hours I felt tired and claustrophobic so I decided go for a stroll and explore the factory with Berley. As we were walking out together, our so called â€Å"father† appeared with a big whip in his hand. Without assigning any reason, he whacked both of us several times. I stupidly sat down on the dusty floor and started howling while Berley ran back to his assignment. The overseer got angrier with me and said, ‘Not happy with one beating, eh? ‘ He gave me two hard shots on my back and harshly told me to go back to work. With big tears and a paining back I returned to complete my job. Thereafter I was then forced to go under a large machine & continue the cleaning. By the time I finished I had blood on my fingers due to a minor accident. Berley, my only friend, rushed to comfort me while I was crying For years thereafter this routine continued. Without Berley by my side I would not have managed to cope. However, we both often wondered that if this was indeed industrial revolution for a better future, someone, somewhere had made a mistake†¦.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 17

In spite of my sorrow over Seth, I was still ready for a storm. It hadn't really registered at the time, but when I woke up on New Year's Day with a wine-induced headache, I accepted the startling truth: I was challenging Hell. Who did that? No one, that's who. My friends had hinted as much, and I certainly had plenty of myths and pop culture to enlighten me about the futile human dream of thwarting Hell's will. I had my own experience to go on too. I'd signed away my soul for all eternity. There wasn't much wiggle room with that. And yet, in spite of all the things I'd seen and all the people Hell had crushed, here I was, daring to say Hell had no claim on either my soul or Seth's. I expected to hear about it immediately. I expected a huge uproar, perhaps in the form of Jerome showing up in my condo in all his brimstone glory, threatening me for my impertinence. At the very least, I expected a letter of acknowledgment from Hell, something along the lines of, Thank you very much for your inquiry. We will respond to you within 4?C6 weeks. Nothing. New Year's Day passed quietly. So did the next. I continued my pattern of packing and making Las Vegas preparations, all the while holding my breath for The Next Big Thing. I thought something would surely happen a week later, when the long-awaited bowling tournament came around. Jerome and Nanette had flipped for it, and he'd won, meaning we got to hold the match here in Seattle. It saved us from making a trip to Portland, but for the sake of fairness, Nanette got to pick the bowling alley. Rather than our dive at Burt's, she chose a more upscale place, not far from the mall I'd worked at. I hadn't seen Jerome since I'd filed the petition and was ready now to face his wrath. I didn't know if Nanette's lesser immortals would know about the request, but I felt certain she would by now. She and Jerome might be rivals of sorts, but at the end of the day, they were both committed to Hell winning. I was trying to thwart that and wouldn't have been surprised to find her sharing in Jerome's outrage. â€Å"Good luck,† Roman told me, as I prepared to leave the condo. â€Å"Remember to watch your footing.† I sighed. â€Å"I wish you were coming with me.† He offered me a small smile. â€Å"Me too. All that work, and I won't even get to see my students' final exam.† Roman could hide his nephilim signature from greater immortals, but considering the way his kind were hunted, we'd decided it would be best if he steered clear of Nanette while she was in town. Jerome's agreement to let Roman stay was both highly unusual and dangerous. If another archdemon discovered the truth, both Roman and Jerome would be in a lot of trouble. â€Å"I'm afraid of what I'll face from Jerome,† I said. â€Å"Don't be.† Roman came forward and rested his hand on my shoulder. â€Å"You're not doing anything wrong. They did. You're strong, Georgina. Stronger than them, stronger than Hell.† I leaned my head against him. â€Å"Why are you so nice to me?† â€Å"Because Carter's not your only fan.† When I looked back up, I saw Roman's green eyes were deadly serious. â€Å"You're a remarkable woman, just by your own nature. Smart. Funny. Compassionate. But what's really great is that you're so easy to underestimate. I did when we first met, you know. And Hell is now. No matter what their reaction to your appeal is, I guarantee most of them doubt you have a chance. You're going to prove them wrong. You're going to break the unbreakable. And I'll be there helping you, as much as I can.† â€Å"You've done enough,† I told him. â€Å"More than enough. More than I could have ever asked. Now you get to sit back and let me do . . . well, whatever I have to do now.† â€Å"Georgina, there's something you need to know. . . .† His face grew troubled. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Oh God. You haven't heard something from Jerome that I haven't, have you?† â€Å"I – † He bit his lip as he paused, then shook his head. His features smoothed out. â€Å"Forget it. I'm just going to worry you over nothing. You focus on bowling tonight, okay? Show those Portlandians that . . . fuck, I don't know. That you're a force to be reckoned with in the bowling alley.† I laughed and gave him a quick hug. â€Å"I'll see what I can do. How about we talk when I get back, okay? We'll grab a drink.† I knew there was something big here he wasn't telling me, no matter how easily he'd tried to brush it off. â€Å"I'd like that. Good luck.† When I arrived at the bowling alley, Peter nearly sank in relief when he saw me. I think he'd been afraid I'd show up without my Unholy Rollers shirt. Through whatever means Hell possessed, all the other patrons in the alley were playing on one side. The other half was empty, save for two lanes occupied by my colleagues. I was the last to arrive and approached with trepidation, unsure of my welcome. Jerome was sprawled comfortably in a chair, and while it was in better shape than the ones at Burt's, I'm not really sure it deserved the thronelike airs he was putting on. Nanette sat across from him, looking equally regal. Her pale blond hair was rolled into an elegant coif, giving her kind of a Grace Kelly look. Her dress was a pale blue shift with a fuzzy gray cardigan over it, the innocence of the look clashing with the unnecessary vampish sunglasses she was wearing. â€Å"Ah, Georgie,† said Jerome. â€Å"Right on time and in team colors.† He favored Nanette with a lazy smile. â€Å"Ready for some humility?† â€Å"Yours?† she asked him. â€Å"Always.† Neither gave me much more attention than was due for the last person to fill a team spot. No mention of the contract, no mention of my petition. Glancing around and taking in the full roster here, I saw that Mei had also come to watch the spectacle. The demoness was dressed in corporate black, matching her bluntly cut black hair and heavy eyeliner. Only her red lips provided color to the palette. She most certainly knew about my situation, but like her superiors, she barely glanced my way. Carter was there, which I had not expected. Nanette and her cronies were clearly uneasy about this. Although all greater immortals, be they angels or demons, shared a certain world weariness with immortality and the Great Game, few were able to bond over it so well as Carter and Jerome. Their relationship was unique, and Nanette clearly felt no camaraderie with the angel. Whereas I received little of her attention simply because I was an underling, Carter she ignored as though he didn't even exist. He gave me a small smile as I sat down, his gray eyes full of amusement. He was sitting with my friends, perfectly at ease, while Nanette's bowling team regarded him warily. I hoped maybe his presence would throw off their game. There were four of them, just like us, though they'd actually drafted Nanette's lieutenant demon, Malachi, to play for them. Rounding them out were a succubus named Tiara, an imp named Roger, and a vampire named V. â€Å"What's the V stand for?† I asked. He just stared at me, face blank. They were an impressive-looking bunch, with deep red bowling shirts and sparkling black embroidery that read DEVIL MAY CARE on the back. â€Å"That's not even a real team name,† Peter whispered to me disapprovingly. â€Å"And those sparkles are just tacky.† Like ours, their shirts were standard button-ups with their names on the front. Only Malachi's was different, with a small designation declaring him Captain. I guess he needed to make sure his status was asserted over that of the lesser immortals. There was something lean and sinister about them, and in our baby blues, I felt downright cute and cuddly. A waitress came by with drinks, and once Jerome had a glass of scotch in hand, he deemed proceedings fit to start. There was a part of me that wouldn't have minded a gimlet or two, but I didn't think alcohol was the best call just now. It had nothing to do with team solidarity or messing up my game. When surrounded by unknown and possibly untrustworthy immortals, it was always a good idea to keep your wits about you. And when you were possibly on Hell's radar for dissension, it was an excellent idea. In my usual lucky way, I ended up having to go first. With all my worries about Seth and the contracts, my mind wasn't exactly focused on all of Roman's good instructions, but I nonetheless did my best to recall his training. I ended up hitting seven and then two pins. Not the greatest, but certainly not the worst. My teammates cheered me voraciously, both because Peter had sent us all a lengthy e-mail earlier in the day about â€Å"pep† and because with our track record, nine wasn't that bad. Tiara went after me, and as she retrieved her ball, Cody whispered to me how she'd gotten in a fight with management earlier because she'd wanted to wear stilettos on the lanes. She'd apparently conceded to wear proper bowling shoes in the end, but unless there'd been a significant trend change in the industry, she'd ended up using her shape-shifting powers to make the shoes more to her liking. They were gold and encrusted with jewels. Yet those weren't the worst part of her attire. That came in the form of her Devil May Care shirt, which I was pretty sure had shrunk about three sizes since I arrived. The buttons that were still actually fastened looked like they were about to burst. I winced as all that cleavage walked past me, and I wanted to cover my eyes when she reached the lane and bent over unnecessarily far, in order to give everyone a solid view of her ass. Her jeans were nearly as tight as the shirt. â€Å"That is not a regulation stance,† declared Peter. He studied her critically for a few moments. â€Å"I believe she's trying to distract us.† I scoffed. â€Å"Oh, you think?† â€Å"Hey!† Peter elbowed Cody and Hugh who – judging by their gaping mouths – were not catching on to Tiara's ruse as easily as the rest of us. â€Å"Focus. Remember what you're playing for: Jerome's good will.† â€Å"Nothing wrong with looking,† said Hugh. â€Å"Besides, there's no way she can hit anything with that – â€Å" His words cut off as Tiara threw. Her ball blasted into the pins and knocked all ten over. With a little smirk and a lot of hip swaying, she strutted back proudly to her seat. â€Å"Shit,† said Hugh. â€Å"Ready to focus yet?† asked Peter. The imp shook his head, still in awe. â€Å"I don't think it's going to matter, not if they all bowl like that.† â€Å"They can't all bowl like that,† countered Cody. But he didn't sound so sure. Noticing our consternation, Tiara favored us all with a glossy-lipped smile. â€Å"We can call it quits right now if you want. We can go back to my hotel and have a party.† She tossed her highlighted curls over one shoulder, and her gaze rested on me. â€Å"I can also give you some styling advice if you want.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I muttered. â€Å"This is why I hate other succubi.† I could almost give Hell credit for finding me the only appealing one in Vegas, even if it had been part of a more elaborate scheme. Tiara soon became the least of our worries as her teammates took their turns. Strikes and spares all around, quickly surpassing our mix of erratic spares and . . . whatever it was Peter threw. As we moved further into the game, I glanced over at Jerome and saw that his smile had vanished, as had his cocky good mood. At least I could feel confident it had nothing to do with my contract. V proved to be the most startling of the bowlers. Whenever his turn came, he walked up unhesitatingly, didn't even pause or aim, and threw strikes every time. Every time. He also never spoke a single world. â€Å"How is he doing that?† exclaimed Cody. He glanced at Carter, who was watching everything with quiet amusement. â€Å"Is he using some kind of power?† â€Å"No illicit ones,† said Carter. â€Å"Just his own God-given . . . er, Hell-given abilities.† I hadn't really been worried about the other team cheating or Nanette helping them. I knew Jerome would keep her in check, and Carter's angelic presence was kind of a safeguard against dishonest activity. But his words struck something within me. â€Å"Of course,† I murmured. â€Å"He's just using what he's got: enhanced reflexes and senses. He's a vampire. He's physically better at everything.† No wonder it didn't seem like he needed to aim. He probably was; he was just doing it really, really fast. I turned to Cody and Peter. â€Å"How come you guys can't do that?† Silence met me. â€Å"Cody's our best player,† pointed out Hugh. â€Å"True,† I admitted. Cody had learned very quickly, and I supposed the difference in his and V's abilities made sense simply because V had been playing a lot longer. â€Å"But how do you explain Peter?† Nobody had an answer for that, least of all Peter. Cody actually seemed to draw inspiration from V and the realization that being a vampire should provide some natural ability. Cody's already solid performance soon improved, and I wished Roman could see him. Still, it wasn't enough to save us in that first game. We lost pretty terribly. Since Jerome and Nanette had agreed to â€Å"best of three,† this meant we had two more chances for redemption. I had mixed feelings about this. Jerome's face was growing stormier, so there was some comfort in thinking we might be able to head off his wrath. On the other hand, I wouldn't have minded ending this as quickly as possible. Maybe the Devil didn't care, but I was growing increasingly sick of the other team. I was pretty sure Tiara's outfit was getting increasingly tighter and more revealing. Although he never spoke, V's smug expressions conveyed condescension levels that words never could. And yet, neither of them was as bad as Roger the imp. Every time he got a strike or a spare, he trumpeted his victory with some sort of money-related expression, such as â€Å"Jackpot !† or â€Å"A penny saved is a penny earned!† Sometimes they didn't even make any sense in the situation, like when he shouted, â€Å"It's like throwing pearls before swine!† When he started inexplicably quoting lyrics to â€Å"Can't Buy Me Love† at the start of the second game, I really thought I was going to lose it. Cody nudged me. â€Å"He's getting tired. So is Tiara.† I glanced up at the scoreboard. It was a slight change, but those two were showing fewer strikes than spares and sometimes not even getting spares. Malachi remained consistently good, and V remained unstoppable. Over on our team, Peter and I hadn't changed, but Cody had continued – and was succeeding – in trying to prove his vampire skills. Hugh was also improving slightly, a phenomenon we'd seen with Roman sometimes. It was as though the imp needed to warm up in order to remember how to avoid his arm's tendency to throw curves. I exchanged glances with Cody. â€Å"I don't know that it's enough.† â€Å"You've done better than this in practice,† he told me gently. â€Å"I know you've got a bunch of stuff going on, but try to think if Roman was here. What he'd say. Then look at Jerome's face and tell me you don't want us to come out on top.† I didn't really care about Jerome keeping his pride around Nanette, but my friends' well-being did concern me. I knew their happiness would be directly influenced by Jerome's unhappiness. Sighing, I answered Cody with a resolute nod and tried to step up my game, racking my brains for all the words of wisdom that Roman had given me over the last couple of weeks. I admit, I hadn't always been paying as much attention as I could have. Nonetheless, something started clicking for me. I was a long way from being a pro anytime soon, but between me, Cody, and Hugh, we slowly began to keep up with Nanette's team. It was so subtle and so gradual that when we won by two points, everyone – including my teammates and me – could hardly believe it had happened. We all stared at the scoreboard in stunned silence. Only Carter was able to get anything out. â€Å"That,† he told Roger exuberantly, â€Å"is how a bird in the hand gets up before the early worm.† â€Å"That doesn't make any sense,† said Roger. Carter pointed at the scoreboard. â€Å"Neither does that, but there you have it.† Nanette's cool composure had vanished. I don't know if beating Jerome meant that much to her or if people in Portland just took bowling really seriously, but she immediately demanded a five-minute break. We watched as she pulled her team to the far side of the alley and gave them a talk. Judging from her wild hand motions and occasional expletives, it didn't sound like a very heartening talk. I glanced over at Jerome, who still kind of seemed to be in disbelief. â€Å"Any words of wisdom for us, boss?† I asked. He considered. â€Å"Yes. Don't lose.† Cody was already clinging to Peter's arm. â€Å"You have to come through for us here. We barely beat them just now, and you know she's putting the fear of God in them. That alone is going to give them some improvement. If you can just . . . I don't know. Get fewer splits. Do something. We can win this, but we need you.† Peter threw up his hands. â€Å"Don't you think I would if I could?† When Nanette and friends returned, they showed us that they were adding a new strategy to their repertoire: catcalling. Every time one of the Unholy Rollers went up to play, we were serenaded with insults about everything from our appearance to our abilities to our bowling shirts. That last one really set Peter on edge, and Tiara picked up on it quickly. â€Å"Did you pick that up at a thrift store? Oh, wait, they screen their items first. They'd never take a piece of shit like that.† â€Å"What's with that color? It's like a reject from a boy's baby shower.† â€Å"If your crappy shirts are going to say ‘Unholy Rollers,' shouldn't you at least be rolling the ball? That was more of a caber toss.† Peter took it all in silence, but I could see him becoming increasingly agitated. Hugh grimaced and leaned toward me. â€Å"She's really not that funny. I'd expect better from a succubus.† â€Å"At least Peter isn't doing any worse,† I said. â€Å"He's just getting splits in new and interesting ways.† â€Å"Which aren't going to save us, though,† said Cody grimly. It was true. We were staying even with them, but just barely. And when we were halfway through the game, it became clear we were slipping. Jerome was looking pissed off again, and Nanette's confidence had returned. â€Å"Come on, you guys,† said Carter, whom I hadn't expected to become a cheerleader. â€Å"You can do this. You're better than them.† It wasn't the angel's enthusiasm that changed the course of the game, however. It was when V finally spoke. Peter had just thrown his ball and amazingly knocked down four pins, which left behind a kind of three-way split I'd never even known was possible. We were all taken back. â€Å"You are the worst vampire I've ever seen,† said V, staring at the pins wide-eyed. I don't know what it was about those words that succeeded where our encouragement and Tiara's bad fashion taunts had failed. But suddenly, Peter became a vampire. And not just any vampire. A vampire who could bowl. From that point forward, everything he threw was a strike. And much like V, Peter didn't even deliberate it. He just walked up and threw, letting his vampire reflexes do the work. He quickly surpassed everyone on our team in skill, even Cody. Really, the only person who could match him was V. But it was enough, and somehow, against all odds, we won the third game. Hugh, Cody, and I erupted into cheers and traded high fives with Carter. Peter remained much more stoic, however, and regarded the other team coolly. â€Å"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched,† he told Roger. To Tiara, Peter said, â€Å"That shade of red makes you look like you have jaundice.† He paused. â€Å"And like a whore.† To V, Peter said nothing. Nanette and Jerome promptly got in an argument, most of which involved her making outlandish claims about how unfair it was to have two vampires on one team and how best of five would be the real determining factor. Jerome bantered back with her cheerfully. He was so smug about our victory, you would have thought he had thrown every ball himself. Seeing her consternation was just icing on the cake for him. â€Å"Well,† he said at one point, â€Å"we could do two more games, but your team seems terribly worn out. Perhaps once they have some time to recover mentally and physically, we can – â€Å" Jerome stopped and cocked his head, like he was hearing music the rest of us couldn't. A strange look came over his face. â€Å"Shit,† he said. â€Å"What?† asked Nanette. She seemed to realize something other than bowling had caught his attention. Near me, Carter had gone perfectly still. â€Å"I have to go,† said Jerome. And he went. Just like that, the demon vanished. I glanced around quickly, but no humans seemed to have noticed, thanks largely to our part of the bowling alley being deserted. Still, teleporting out like that in a public place was pretty irregular behavior for a greater immortal. Even irreverent demons generally knew enough to be discreet among humans. â€Å"Well,† said Nanette. â€Å"I guess there's no such thing as good winners. Sportsmanship is a lost art.† I thought that was a stretch coming from her, particularly after her team's verbal tirade. In fact, they soon all degenerated into arguing amongst themselves, each one making a plea to Nanette about how the loss had been someone else's fault. â€Å"Georgina,† said Carter, drawing my attention back. The smile he'd worn at our victory was gone. â€Å"I think it's a good idea if you go home.† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"We should celebrate.† For the first time since the fallout with Seth, I actually felt like having fun with my friends. â€Å"We need to call Roman too.† â€Å"Let's go to my place,† said Peter. â€Å"I can make up a meze platter in no time.† â€Å"Fine, fine,† said Carter, casting a glance over at Mei. She was still in her seat, trying to observe all conversations at once. â€Å"Let's just leave now. I'll teleport you when we're in the parking lot.† I tried to protest that, but Carter was too insistent on simply getting us all out of there. Minutes later, my teammates and I were headed out to the parking lot, still crowing over our victory and how Peter was the undisputed hero of the night. â€Å"Georgina?† I came to a halt. There, standing near my car, was Seth. Even in the harsh light of the parking lamps, everything about him seemed soft and inviting. The messy hair. The way he stood with his hands in his pockets. The Flock of Seagulls shirt that I could just make out underneath his flannel coat. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, taking a few steps forward. My friends had come to an uncertain stop behind me. They all knew about my rocky state of affairs with Seth and watched me nervously. Seth glanced at my backup and then at me. â€Å"I . . . I wanted to talk to you.† â€Å"That's not what you said the last time we talked,† I said. The harsh words were out before I could stop them. I knew I should jump on the chance to talk, on Seth's willingness to talk at last . . . but some hurt place in me responded first. â€Å"I know,† said Seth. â€Å"I probably don't deserve it. But . . . I've been thinking about a lot of things, and then there's all this weirdness going on I don't quite understand . . . like, my mom moving in with you? And do you know why all these toy ponies keep showing up on Terry's doorstep?† â€Å"Why don't you come over to our place and have your heart-to-heart there,† said Peter. â€Å"It'll go better with hummus and wine.† Staring at Seth, I felt my heart ache. This could be it, just like Carter had said at New Year's, about how Seth and I still managed to come back to each other. I swallowed, both scared and anxious. â€Å"Maybe I should meet you guys later,† I said. â€Å"Seth and I can go somewhere and talk first.† â€Å"Georgina,† said Carter anxiously, â€Å"you really need to – â€Å" The car seemed to come out of nowhere, and, considering the way things worked in my world, it might literally have done so. All I knew is that one moment we were all standing around in the dark parking lot, and the next, a car was speeding toward us. Or rather, toward me. I couldn't discern any make or model and certainly not the driver. I probably wouldn't have known him or her anyway. All I saw were rapidly approaching headlights, heading toward where I stood alone, out in the open between my friends and Seth. When the car hit me, there was an intense moment of pain that radiated through my whole body. Then I felt nothing. My sight shifted, and I had the surreal sense of looking down on my sprawled body while my friends hurried to me and the car sped away. Some were trying to talk to me, some were calling 911. Some were talking to each other. The scene began to dissolve in my vision, fading to black. And not just the scene. Me. I was dissolving. I was losing all substance. I was becoming nothing. But as I faded away, as the world faded away, I heard a few last words from my friends before their voices also faded. â€Å"Georgina! Georgina!† That was Seth, saying my name like a prayer. â€Å"She's not breathing,† said Cody. â€Å"And she doesn't have a pulse. Hugh! Do something. You're a doctor.† â€Å"I can't,† Hugh said softly. â€Å"This is beyond me. Her soul . . . her soul's not here.† â€Å"Of course it is!† said Cody. â€Å"Souls stay with their immortals.† â€Å"Not in this situation,† said Hugh. â€Å"What are you talking about?† exclaimed Seth, voice cracking. â€Å"Carter! You can fix this. You can fix anything. You have to save her.† â€Å"This is beyond me too,† said Carter. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"There's still one thing you can do,† said Hugh. â€Å"One thing you have to do.† â€Å"Yes,† agreed Carter, voice full of sorrow. â€Å"I'll go get Roman. . . .† And then they were all gone. I was gone.

Juvenile Probation Officers Essay

All Juvenile Probation Officers (JPO) are required to complete 40 working hours per week following a flexible work schedule. JPOs are entitled to paid working holidays which includes, but are not limited to, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Please note that in the occasion that the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, another day off may be substituted, upon approval of the employer. JPOs may also be granted a vacation leave after six months of continuous service has been rendered. The number of vacation leave, however, will depend on the number of years in service, with a maximum of 15 days for those having rendered at least one year of continuous service. JPOs are also entitled to family leaves in cases of giving birth or conception-related cases, adoption, care of new-born child, family illness, child’s medical appointment of parent-teacher conference Health Insurance. All employees are entered in a group health insurance under a health maintenance organization (HMO) as approved by two-thirds of the majority during the General Assembly Meeting. The group insurance will cover hospitalization, health, long-tern disability, and accident expenses. Employer contribution starting January 2007 will be $557 per month. As such, premiums required for maintenance of the insurance, in excess of the employers contribution, shall be deducted by the state treasurer on the JPO’s salary on a monthly basis and upon employee’s written order. Retirement/ savings plan. After achieving five years of continuous service, provided that the employee is 50 years of age, a JPO is entitled to a retirement benefit which will be computed based on the employee’s age of retirement, length of service, and pre-retirement earnings. Employees may opt for a normal or early retirement, the latter, however, will deduct the accrued benefits for the years prior to the normal retirement age. The employee may choose to receive payment of benefits on a straight life annuity where the retiree will be paid on a periodic basis; or lump-sum payment where the retiree will receive the full one-time payment and no further benefits will be given to the employee upon receipt of payment. Other options will be joint-and-survivor annuity where benefits are provided for married participants. The amount of survivor annuity shall be between 50-100% of the amount payable for the time the couple is alive. The amount, however, will be lower than that received from straight life annuity. In cases where an employee become totally disabled or ill prior to his eligibility in the retirement plan, but has served the company for 10 consecutive years, he will be entitled for a disability retirement benefit, which he could defer or immediately claim. Life insurance. In cases of death or dismemberment of employees, they will be entitled to a life insurance benefit which will be paid in lump sum following the multiple-of-earnings formula. Using this formula, the length of service and earnings of the employee will be incorporated in the computation and will therefore increase following an increase in employee’s salary. Provisions for the life insurance includes accidental death and dismemberment benefits to the employee or his beneficiary equivalent to the basic life insurance and a percentage of the life benefit for dismemberment; monthly income to surviving family members of the employee; retirement from work; and reduction of life insurance for employees near or above 65 years.