Evaluation of a Study Involving Faculty Development Essay

Evaluation of a Study Involving Faculty Development - Essay Example This paper evaluates a scholarly journal article in which 17 participants involved in nursing education were interviewed in relation to their opinion regarding knowledge, skills development, and the variety of teaching directly related to their in-house professional environment. There are many challenges involved with coordinating an effective EPR program that are largely due to the type of educational facility structure and current level of skills acquisition by teaching staff. The Study’s Intention The research study consisted of qualitative interviews after the researchers selected a sample population of 17 different educators with varying skills acquisition and level of nursing education experience. A portion of the sample consisted of full-time educators, part-time educators, and those categorized as clinical faculty members. The majority of participants maintained what was considered to be higher-level skills accessibility and were thus mostly considered experts in their field of education. The sample chosen was designed to offer a cross-section of skills application to understand whether needs associated with faculty development were diverse or whether needs in faculty development were similar. ... An objective of this qualitative methodology was to ensure that individual respondents could define their opinion of what constituted a peer in the EPR process as well as their belief regarding what tools would be best effective when designing a future EPR program. The goal of this interview structure was to identify what practices might be ineffective for future EPR programs and also highlight what systems or processes might be most beneficial in a real-time teaching environment. As previously identified, by using expert respondents in the sample chosen, practice versus theory in EPR could be more appropriately identified. Thibault (2011) identifies that if faculty development programs are not structured in a way that is meaningful to the educator, they are not likely to be sustainable over the long-term. â€Å"If the interprofessional teaching is regarded as ‘extra’ or as something that faculty do on a volunteer basis on their own time, it is not likely to be sustaina ble† (Thibault, 2011, p.314). This assessment by Thibault is supported by the selected research article as the participants in the study identified many different systems-based challenges that frustrated their educator development goals. Two of these challenges included frustration over not understanding how they fit within the system and â€Å"lack of stability in courses being taught† (Toth & McKey, 2010, p.56). The article provided results that clearly indicated that there must be a sense of regularity regarding educational peer review programs with marginal room for flexibility in order to gain support or for the educator to find long-term value in the program structure. In general, short of a few exceptions in the chosen sample group, there was a

Congo River In Heart of Darkness Essay Example for Free

Congo River In Heart of Darkness Essay The Meaning of the Congo River for Marlow, the journey on the Congo River is one of the most difficult and ominous journeys he will ever take. The fact that it takes him around and not completely into the jungle is significant of Marlows psychological journey as well. He never really goes on land but watches the shore from the outside. The only time he goes on shore he finds a wasteland. For Marlow the jungle of the Congo is representative of evil that man is capable of. In Heart of Darkness, it seems that the further Marlow travels into the jungle, the deeper he looks into himself. All this time is spent on the Congo River as he looks from the outside. This is symbolic as he is looking at his soul from the outside but never really sees himself until he goes on land to get Kurtz. When he arrives on land is symbolic of when he looks the deepest into himself. He goes to find Kurtz on his deathbed and is given he choice to take over for him as a god among an African tribe. Marlow is faced with the ultimate choice between good and evil. For a moment it is uncertain what choice Marlow will make. But, unlike Kurtz, Marlow picks the good over evil, as he rescues Kurtz back to the steamer. The fact that Marlow sailed along the Congo River, around the jungle, and not actually into the jungle is an important symbol also. Marlow never walks the path that Kurtz did to self-destruction. He went around the jungle to avoid getting captured by evil. Kurtz was a decent Englishman until he gave into the desires of his heart of darkness. Kurtz spent all his time in the jungle and eventually forgot all of his self-control, manners, and upbringing. He truly looked in the deepest part of himself and found that his evil desires would reign. This is symbolic because he was deep inside the jungle. In this respect Conrad uses to men to show the reader both the good and bad of humankind. He shows the true evil and good that man is capable of If proper restraints had been there would Kurtz have done things differently? The fact that no one was around to keep Kurtz in check helped him succeed in becoming capable of the immense evil he became. Marlow had his shipmates there to keep him responsible. When he left the steamboat there wasnt anyone to restrain Marlow. He was face to face with himself and his human desires, but as he looked at Kurtz and what the evil had done to him he saw the consequences of choosing evil. If Marlow hadnt seen the consequences would he have acted differently? In the beginning of the novel, Marlow talks of things as if they are happening far away from him and not actually happening close by which represents that he is on the outside looking in. He also talks about a fog that settles over the river. This fog represents a distortion of what lies ahead. As he makes his decisions based on what he thinks is right but really he has no idea of what will happen to him or his crew. As the novel progresses the reader will start to understand all of these themes and symbols that the Congo River represents. It represents the shedding of layers of the soul and taking a look into the desires of the heart. By the end it seams as though the reader has taken a look into their own soul to find out what ultimately dominates them. Will they find themselves to be a Marlow; a person who exercises their capacity for good, or will they find themselves to be a Kurtz; a person capable of an immense heart of darkness?

Gender, Consumption and the Media

Gender, Consumption and the Media Consumption is a social practice which subconsciously communicates ideas about gender. In turn, gender intersects with the realm of consumer behaviour as a cognitive, cultural and political construct (Ross, 2010, pp.13-39). In this instance, the media provides an important sphere to observe the social constructions of gender that, through routine, substantiates certain performances of gender (Hirschman Stern, 1994, pp. 576-81). Within the context of Home Box Office’s television series, Sex and the City (1998-2004, hereafter ‘SATC’), this paper will analyse contemporary depictions of femininity and demonstrate how these interpretations coincide with consumption. It will further discuss how gender fluidity allow the characters of SATC the liberty to transpire and transition between the essentialist attributes of feminine versus masculine, distorting the conventional boundaries and constructions of femininity when they consume homes, engage in consumption related to sex, and struggle with true love and marriage in their search for authenticity. Each character discovers approaches to simultaneously reconstruct and reinforce their gendered identities as they construct contemporary roles with the assistance of consumption. However, it is this consumption that can generate new tensions. The home is often associated with the gendered notions of the domestic sphere. Within the home, production and consumption are conventionally defined, with men buying the home and women buying for the home. This shapes the home as a site of patriarchal oppression and control (Schroeder Borgerson, 1998, pp. 105-231). However, Caldwell and Kleppe (2006, pp. 22-40) argue that household members can subvert, conform to, or negotiate ideas about gender. While discourses on home ownership are traditionally related to the marriage of a man and woman, SATC represents home ownership as allowing the female characters freedom to explore the expectations that are associated with conventional gender roles in the home and their personal desire to demarcate new gender roles as single women, without children, consuming living spaces. For Miranda, gender fluidity is communicated to encompass the power roles of men and women as professionals, lovers and homeowners. In light of this, Miranda experiences tensions when she confronts the vestiges of conventional gender roles when buying her home. Initially, Miranda had visualised that her acquirement of a home would satisfy her identity as an independent yet professionally accomplished single woman. However, the possession of a home for Miranda is shown to become imbued with sexism. This reflects the cultural assumption that a woman without children or a husband would simply not possess sufficient financial funds or knowledge to invest in real estate and would not consider purchasing her home ‘alone’. In effect, the challenge a woman’s achievement in the conventionally masculine, public sphere of work as a corporate lawyer poses leaves Miranda’s character insecure about her performance of femininity. Here, SATC communicates how the subversion of traditional feminine ideals will inevitably involve a negotiation of the gains of feminism. By purchasing a house without a man, Miranda is portrayed to challenge the norm which results in a self-reflective debate regarding her performance of femininity. Miranda’s experiences of tension demonstrate that changes to gender norms come slowly. The consumption related to domesticity and the home is therefore denoted in SATC as simultaneously liberating yet replete with tensions of the gender norms in everyday life. Another theme of gender that SATC communicates is how gender and consumption discourses are interlinked with the confines of sexuality. Gender is argued to be interlinked with sexuality as an individual’s gender guides their sexuality while at the same time an individual’s sexuality validates their gender (Fracher Kimmel 1995, p. 367). Schroeder and Zwick (2004, p. 34) argue that consumer behaviour regarding everyday products reflects on the messages of ‘sexuality, lifestyle and identity’. In SATC, themes of sexuality are intently interlinked with gender and consumption discourses although the cultural messages imbued in the consumption choices are neither essentialist nor direct. The women of SATC represent a contemporary adaptation of the single girl. This new standard for contemporary women is less fixed on chasing marriage as a fundamental end, but more focused on career and relationships. While stereotypical media representations of women primarily ex hibit traits of femininity as that of passivity and helplessness (Stole 2003, pp. 65-80), the narrative of single girls in SATC mirror the changes in the norms of femininity over time. For Samantha, her gender status as a single female and being the eldest of the four women, welcomes her attempts to control and preserve her youth through the performance of aesthetic labour (Pettinger, 2004, pp. 165-84). However, this narrative of Samantha struggling and worrying about her changing sexuality because of aging is brought to a halt when she realises the power her gender status provides her over the notions of beauty and youth. Samantha is characterised as empowering when she withstands the influence of the stereotypical images of female sexuality she is enveloped by as an exuberant consumer of fashion and executive-owner of a public relations firm. Through the characterisation of Samantha, the performance of female sexuality is suggested to involve an aesthetic that changes as a woman physically and emotionally matures. The aesthetic of femininity links female sexuality and power as SATC frames the aesthetic and its associated power to be about Samantha’s power to create and use it. In essence, Samantha embodies the tensions that emerge when a female must let go of youth and acknowledge her own power to determine her own beauty with age. In turn, the performance of female sexuality is highlighted to relate to consuming pleasure which may or may not involve sharing that pleasure with a man, either because men cannot provide it, or women prefer to experience the pleasure alone. Nonetheless, views of masculine power and predatory sexuality, the correlation sexual performance has with marriage and dating that will eventually result in marriage remain evident notions in SATC. This stresses gender as a social construct and how consumers will require time before being able to perform a more fluid notion of gender, without the anxiety, despite the idea of gender equality. SATC therefore communicates the tensions experienced by females that relate to these norms during their consumption of goods (for Samantha, the consideration of plastic surgery) which, in turn, affect the females’ performance of their sexuality and creating their desired gender identity. The final theme of gender communicated in SATC is the tension between an ongoing ambivalence for an authentic gender identity and the stereotyped female longing for true love and marriage. Potter (2010, p. 4) holds that authenticity and the consumption of true love and marriage is about individualism and a movement way from the masses to seek an individual gender status. However, consumption can never lead to an authentic gender identity because of what is consumed is considered to be inauthentic. As gender is a ‘natural and pre-cultural’ social construct (McCracken, 2008, p.186), the pursuit of an authentic gender identity and the performance of gender fluidity that may offer self-transformation and opportunities by being enacted through consumption may require the shelving of the authentic gender along the way. In SATC, the real self and the real love are framed as the female authenticity. By consuming to pursue authenticity, the female characters alter the power struc ture traditional gender roles have established through femininity’s contemporary self-sufficiency as the women of SATC discern between the fakes and real of love and self-knowledge. In Season 3, Charlotte escapes from the authenticity of New York City to experience the superficiality of Los Angeles. The change in setting allows Charlotte to reconsider the authenticity of the conservative gender messages she embodied in New York City. In effect, Charlotte is shown to become frustrated by her pursuits of authentic love and marriage as following the conventions of how to get married and pursue her views of true love and marriage to establish an authentic gender identity have been unsuccessful. Through the characterisation of Charlotte, SATC communicates the view of a conservative, gender identity where unmarried women should not have sex with their unmarried partner until after marriage. In effect, work, sexuality and consumption are conveyed as gender roles to be performed for the goal of true love, marriage and a gender identity. However, Charlotte’s later frustrations over her marriage with an impotent husband indicate that her pursuit of true love and ma rriage through following conventions may have, in itself, been inauthentic. This expresses the contemporary idea that gender identities in relationships are unstable and unscripted. Tensions between the conventional and contemporary norms are conveyed in SATC to be part of new gender performances yet the ending of fixed models or frames of references for true love, marriage and gender identity inherently creates anxiety. Constructions of gender in the media influence the understandings of gender in reality. These constructions provide points of analysis as they legitimise certain performances of gender and reflect broader discourses in society. The themes of gender in SATC focus on questions of the freedom of femininity and the changing notions of female sexuality in a dynamic social landscape. By examining SATC, insight is provided into the contemporary performativity of femininity in relation to consumption in public and traditionally masculine spheres. With the notions of family and work having changed in society, it has brought simultaneous changes in the understanding of gender roles. SATC provides a new independent woman, who despite subverts their traditional gender role, still struggles with similar issues prevalent in traditional notions of gender. The gender fluidity of post-feminism gives the characters of SATC the freedom to be multifaceted in their performances regarding consuming the ho me, experiencing sexuality and maintain and projecting an authentic self. However, this fluidity is often fraught with tensions between traditional models of gender and the gendered performances of the characters. The characters in SATC find ways to simultaneously re-establish and reinforce their gendered identities as they create and occupy new roles (with the aid of consumption) in a world of competing discourses of gender which are grounded in prior notions of femininity. Yet this consumption can lead to a sense of anxiety as well from the complex negotiations of gender expectations. References Caldwell, M. Kleppe, I. A. 2006, ‘Gender identity and perceptions of femininity in everyday life: A multi country study of contemporary young female achievers’, Gender and Consumer Behaviour, vol. 8, pp. 22–40. Fracher, J. Kimmel, M. 1995, ‘Hard issues and soft spots: Counselling men about sexuality’, Men’s Lives, pp. 365–74. Hirschman, E. C. Stern B. B. 1994, ‘Women as commodities: Prostitution as depicted in The Blue Angel, Pretty Baby and Pretty Woman’, Advances in Consumer Research, vol. 21, pp. 576–81. McCracken, G. 2008, Transformations: Identity construction in contemporary culture, Indiana University Press, Bloomington. Pettinger, L. 2004, ‘Brand culture and branded workers: Service work and aesthetic labour in fashion retail’, Consumption Markets Culture, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 165–84. Potter, A. 2010, The authenticity hoax: How we get lost finding ourselves, HarperCollins Publishers, New York. Ross, K. 2010, Gendered media: Women, men and identity politics, Rowman and Littlefield, Plymouth, pp. 13-39. Schroeder, J. E. Borgerson, J. L. 1998, ‘Marketing images of gender: A visual analysis’, Consumption Markets Culture, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 105–231. Schroeder, J. E. Zwick, D. 2004, ‘Mirrors of masculinity: Representation and identity in advertising images’, Consumption Markets Culture, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 21–52. Sex and the City 1998 – 2004, television series, HBO Original Programming, New York. Stole, I. L. 2003, ‘Televised consumption: Women, advertisers and the early daytime television industry’, Consumption Markets Culture, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 65–80.

Essay --

Shakespeare at Othello, used only three female characters in his play, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. Along with the play, Bianca’s boyfriend, Cassio, did not respect her enough to marry her, so he did not get jealous or treat her badly. Opposing to Othello and Iago, they respected Emelia and Desdemona enough to marry them, so jealousy pushed them to treat their wives badly. But on both cases Desdemona, Bianca, and Emelia still share the fact that they are victims and tools for those whom they loved the most. Firstly, Bianca’s boyfriend did not get jealous on her because she was not his wife, so he did not find a reason to treat his prostitute badly. Cassio was almost afraid to hurt Bianca’s feelings during the play. He used to act in front of her that he cares. A good evidence about this is when she shows up while he is waiting for Desdemona to bring him good news from Othello about bringing him back to work. He was not happy to see her. Once he saw her he said, "What make you from home?"(3.1), but after he says this, he recognize that he should not be so rude with her, so he tells her a nice lie, "How is it with you, my most fair Bianca? / I' faith, sweet love, I was coming to your house" (3.4). She answers, "And I was going to your lodging, Cassio. / What, keep a week away? seven days and nights?" (3.4). One equally important evidence shows how Cassio respected her feelings, is that he had never insulted her personally, yet he did it behind her back. When Bianca comes in after Cassio and Iago were talking, Cassio says, "'Tis such another fitchew! marry a perfumed one" (4.1). The word "fitchew" means â€Å"a polecat†, which means a bad smell that is known for people as excessively stink. The phrase "'Tis such another" shows how Cassi... ...did give my husband; /For often with a solemn earnestness /More than indeed belonged to such a trifle/ He begged of me to steal’t. (5.2). Emelia was nothing but a tool for Iago, he manages to kill her once she says the truth without appreciating what she has done to him all over her life. In conclusion, females’ position in Othello, clarifies that unmarried women would have a higher level of respect from the men they love because there is no jealousy nor commitments, or in other words, they do not care enough about them, but they only care about what they take from them, which is sex. Unlike married women, who were respected enough to be married from men, but jealousy turns their relationship into a life where respect does not take a place. Though, In all cases women are subjected to be victims and tools to men who do not appreciate their love and caring enough.

Succubus Revealed Epilogue

We were married at sunset. Some might not consider that an auspicious time, but for me, it was a perfect compromise. I had wanted to be married in the daytime, outdoors, with sunlight streaming everywhere. Seeing as Cody and Peter wanted to attend, however, the sun presented a little difficulty. And since Peter had essentially acted as wedding coordinator for me, it seemed kind of mean to exclude him. So, we held the ceremony at sunset, and the vampires were able to show up for the reception the instant the sun sank below the horizon. The wedding was held on the grounds of a beachfront resort on Puget Sound. We stood on a grassy hill, facing west toward the water. It was high summer, and everything was bathed in orange and gold. The bridesmaids (all Mortensen girls) wore red dresses that looked as though they'd been designed with the sunset in mind and carried white clusters of stephanotis. Our only nod to decorations was an ivy-strewn arch that the officiant stood in front of. With so much beauty around us, nothing else had seemed necessary. I repeated my vows while holding Seth's hands. Each word I spoke was infinitely powerful, and yet I wouldn't really remember any of them until later. For those minutes, my whole world was focused on his face, on the amber gold of his eyes and the way the light played off his hair. Love burned within me and between us, making everything else a fog of indistinct details. There was only Seth and me. Me and Seth. There was a dreamlike quality to it all. The moments seemed suspended in time. And yet, afterward, when I looked back, it was as though the entire ceremony had taken place in the blink of an eye. We had a couple hundred people who had gathered to watch us. They all rose from their folding chairs and clapped when we kissed, and I found myself unable to stop grinning when I looked out into that sea of happy faces. The reception was held on the same grounds, just a little ways from the ceremony. We'd gone to a bit more work with the decorations here. The tables were draped with white linens and bedecked with flowers and candles that created little twinkles of light in the evening shadows. Large torches were set up along the boundaries as well, their flames flicking rapidly as wind picked up from the water. A jazz band set up nearby and began to play, providing background music for dinner. They had a space for dancing afterward too, though I didn't dance nearly as much as I'd expected to at my wedding. There were too many people to see, too many people to thank for their support. So Seth and I walked around hand in hand, going from group to group of those we loved. â€Å"I knew those Asiatic lilies would be a good call,† Peter told us conspiratorially, admiring one of the table arrangements. â€Å"The Oriental ones are bigger, but I feel like these complement the roses so much better.† â€Å"You're a regular flower whisperer,† said Hugh, knocking back a drink. He held up his glass to Seth and me in a mock toast. â€Å"Honestly, your best bit of planning was the open bar.† â€Å"Because it certainly wasn't the band,† remarked Doug, strolling over to where my little group was standing. â€Å"Geez, Kincaid – † He paused and reconsidered. â€Å"Geez, Mortensens, why didn't you hire me? Nocturnal Admission could've totally rocked this place out.† I smiled, happy that Doug had come. I honestly hadn't been sure if he would. â€Å"Because I wouldn't want to burden you guys with the strain of playing family-friendly music for three hours.† â€Å"Very considerate,† he said. He glanced around, nodding grudgingly. â€Å"Aside from that – and the fact that the bridesmaids are all under eighteen – I gotta admit, you put on a pretty good spread.† â€Å"Thank you,† Peter and I said in unison. â€Å"I kind of agree with Doug about the band,† said Cody. â€Å"I asked them if they'd play ‘The Chicken Dance,' and they said no.† â€Å"I could've done a bitchin' cover of that,† said Doug solemnly. â€Å"It's not so much a failing on the band's part as it was a request of ours to not play it,† said Seth. â€Å"Sad,† said Doug. He slung an arm around Cody. â€Å"Want to go make a bar run with me?† When Cody nodded, Doug glanced at the rest of us. â€Å"Refill anyone?† â€Å"No, thanks,† I said. Doug shook his head. â€Å"Married for an hour, and you're already picking up his good habits.† He and Cody walked off, having an intense discussion about â€Å"The Chicken Dance,† judging from their pantomimes. I leaned my head against Seth, content with everything and everyone in the world. â€Å"You did a beautiful job, Peter,† I said. â€Å"Seriously. It all turned out great.† Considering how underappreciated Peter always felt, I would've expected him to revel in the praise, but he actually turned modest. â€Å"Ah, well. You guys are the main attraction. I just provided the – â€Å" He stopped speaking, and as one, he and Hugh glanced off beyond the edge of the torches, into the darkness. â€Å"What is it?† I asked. They exchanged looks. â€Å"Carter,† said Peter. I followed their gaze, unable to see anything beyond the lit perimeter. It had been very easy to become human again, but there were still a few things I had trouble shaking. The loss of my immortal senses was one. Even now, it was weird to be standing with Peter and Hugh and not feel them. Their night vision was no better than mine – well, actually, I supposed Peter's was – but it wasn't their eyes that had alerted them to Carter's presence. â€Å"I think he wants to see you,† said Hugh gently. I stared off at where they indicated, uncertain what should I do. â€Å"Go,† said Seth softly. â€Å"You should talk to him.† I looked up at him, into those eyes so full of love, and forgot about Carter for the space of heartbeat. It was still too unbelievable to accept sometimes that this was my life, that Seth was my husband. I pressed my lips to his in a quick kiss. â€Å"I'll be right back,† I said. I picked my way through my guests, finding it difficult not to stop and talk to the many well-wishers. When I was out of the safety of the tents and tables, the wind hit me, whipping my hair and veil around and playing with my skirts. My dress had a sweetheart neckline and full skirt with many tiers and layers. I'd wanted a princess dress for my wedding day and had gotten one, though it made this walk a little awkward. I soon spotted Carter, standing so perfectly still among some trees that he might have been one. â€Å"Mrs. Mortensen,† he greeted me, when I reached him. â€Å"Congratulations.† He wore worn gray suit pants, a longsleeved white shirt with the first couple buttons open, and loosely knotted gray and pink silk tie. A jacket matched the pants and looked like it was two sizes too big. I nodded in approval. â€Å"Nice of you to dress up,† I said. â€Å"I don't think I've ever seen you in anything so formal.† â€Å"I should've checked with Peter to find out your colors,† said Carter, running a hand through his hair. It didn't look like it had been brushed for the occasion. â€Å"Sorry if I clash.† I smiled. â€Å"You look great. Thank you for coming.† â€Å"Well,† he said. â€Å"We left off kind of abruptly.† â€Å"That we did,† I murmured. This was the first time I'd seen him since the trial. â€Å"Jerome's not with you?† â€Å"No. You won't be seeing him anymore. Well.† Carter paused a moment. â€Å"Let's just say, I hope you won't be seeing him anymore.† â€Å"I plan on staying off Hell's radar,† I said honestly. He nodded, turning serious. â€Å"That's good. That's kind of why I'm here. I've got two gifts for you. Gifts of information.† â€Å"You were checking my registry,† I said. â€Å"How sweet.† We didn't have much light, but I swore, I could see his gray eyes twinkle. â€Å"You said you'll stay off their radar, but believe me, they're going to still have their eyes on you. Hell doesn't lose many souls the way they lost yours. If they can get it back, they will. They'll try. I know how close you are to them. . . .† His gaze drifted back toward the reception. â€Å"To Hugh, Peter, and Cody. But it'd be better for you – and for them – if you stayed away from them. If you moved away from them, to someplace where you don't know any of the local immortals.† I stared in astonishment. â€Å"Are you saying one of them might try to get my soul? They're my friends.† â€Å"I know, I know. And I don't think they would, exactly, but it's an ugly position for them to be in. You should really think about leaving Seattle. You'll make it easier on everyone if you just remove that temptation.† â€Å"I love Seattle,† I said, turning back to look across the dark water. â€Å"But I love Seth more. I'll talk to him. Andrea's been doing better, so we can go. I don't know where, but we'll figure it out.† I sighed and looked back at him. â€Å"Is your other piece of information less depressing?† The smile reappeared on his lips. â€Å"Yes. It's a big secret.† He leaned toward me and said in a stage whisper, â€Å"You're going to have a baby in December.† A matching smile came over me. â€Å"That's no secret. Not to me, at least.† Seth and I had known for a little while and had decided to keep it under wraps until after the wedding. We weren't going to be able to hide it much longer. I was three months pregnant, and without shape-shifting, I was subject to the rules of nature. It was a wonder I still fit in this dress. â€Å"Okay,† said Carter. â€Å"Then try this: it's a girl.† I felt my smile grow. â€Å"That I didn't know.† Or did I? A sudden flashback to the dream Nyx had shown me played through my mind. I hadn't thought about it in a very long time. Why did I need to? I was living my own dream. But in a flash, I saw it again, me holding a small girl as we waited outside for her father to come home. And it was snowing†¦. You should really think about leaving Seattle. â€Å"What are you thinking?† asked Carter, studying me. â€Å"I'm thinking there might be a short list of places I'll be moving to.† I shivered, both from the cold and the memories, and he draped his worn suit jacket over my bare shoulders. â€Å"I'm moving too,† he told me. I blinked away from my memories. â€Å"You are? Where? Why?† He chose to answer the last one. â€Å"Because my job here is done. Time to go on to another.† It took me a moment to follow. â€Å"You don't mean . . . I was your assignment? I'm why you came to Seattle?† He answered with a shrug. â€Å"But . . . no,† I protested. â€Å"There must be other things you do here, right? Other angelic tasks?† â€Å"Weren't you enough?† he teased. I was still in disbelief. Carter had been in Seattle for as many years as me. Surely there must have been more to it. Admittedly, no one in Hell ever really understood how the angels worked on their assignments. They didn't have the same level of micromanaging as my former employees. â€Å"I'm just one person. One soul. All your work and energy . . . I mean, it can't all have been just for one soul. An angel can't be solely dedicated to that.† â€Å"Well,† he said, clearly enjoying my confusion. â€Å"It was actually for two souls, since you and Seth were both saved. But even if it wasn't, it still would've been worth it. Do you know the price of one soul, Georgina? It's beyond rubies and diamonds, beyond any mortal reckoning. If it had taken me centuries, if it had taken a dozen more angels to help me, it all would have been worth it.† I lowered my head, feeling tears come to my eyes. I thought about how often I'd disparaged Carter, how many times I'd scoffed at the silly, hard-drinking persona he put on. Yet, no matter how much I dismissed him, Carter had always been there in the background, always showing interest in Seth and me. He'd protected me and given me advice, and I spent most of my time mocking him. â€Å"I'm not worthy of that,† I said. I might be human now, but I understood how powerful a heavenly creature Carter was. â€Å"I don't deserve that much regard.† He reached out and tipped my chin up. â€Å"You do, Georgina. And if you don't believe me now, then strive to be. Live your life. Be kind. Love those you know. Love those you don't know. Be worthy of your soul.† A tear escaped, rolling down my cheek and probably messing up my mortal mascara. â€Å"Thank you, Carter. Thank you for everything.† â€Å"There's nothing to thank me for,† he replied. With a sigh, he glanced up at the starry night. â€Å"I should be going. And your guests are probably looking for you. I'm sure they've been banging on glasses with their spoons this entire time.† â€Å"Wait – before you go . . .† I hesitated. Carter had already told me so much, but I had to know one other thing. â€Å"What happened to Roman? Is he dead?† Carter's amused expression faded. â€Å"Ah. I don't know.† â€Å"Carter – â€Å" â€Å"I mean it,† he said. â€Å"That's the straightest answer you'll ever get from an angel. I don't know. I don't think his outcome was good, but I don't know for sure.† I swallowed back more tears. â€Å"He shouldn't have gone.† â€Å"It was his choice, Georgina. He wanted to make a point to Heaven and Hell . . . that, and well, there's more. He did it out of love, and that's no small thing. A sacrifice born of love is almost as powerful a thing as a redeemed soul. Both of them are blows to Hell.† â€Å"I wish . . . I wish I could've said good-bye. Told him how grateful I am.† â€Å"I think he knows,† said Carter. â€Å"I think he knew exactly what he was getting into and deemed it worthwhile. The best way to thank him now is to do what I said. Live your life to its fullest. Take care of your husband and daughter, and let your soul shine.† I nodded. â€Å"I will. Thank you.† I almost asked about Yasmine too but had a feeling the answer would be the same: she'd made her decision. I could only be responsible for my fate, not everyone else's. â€Å"Bless you, daughter of man,† Carter said, his eyes luminous and almost silver now. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and caught my breath. His lips were both burning hot and icy cold. A sense of peace and power flooded me, and for a moment, it was as though I were right on the edge of comprehending all the beauty in the world. I opened my eyes. He was gone. I stood alone on the windswept hill, with the moon starting to shine on the water. In the distance, I heard the laughter and chatter of those I loved and sensed the warmth they held. Picking up my skirts, still wearing Carter's jacket over my shoulders, I headed off toward my husband and the rest of my life, off to be worthy of my soul.

Human Impact on the Natural Environment Case study: The world’s Tropical rainforests

They are found around the equator between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. They run in a belt from west – east. The landmass of tropical forest is very extensive, it covers 7% of all the worlds land. It is trans continental; it covers 4 continents South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The Rainforest Environment: The Amazon rejoins of South America (Amozonia) Population density is number of people by area of land Population density = number of people/ are of land Brazil population = 150500000 Land area = 8361111 km2 population density =18 people per km2 U.K population = 56000000 Land area = 244602 km2 population density = 229 people per km2 Amazonian population = 6000000 Land area = 2000000 population density = 3 people per km2 A Comparative Analysis of population for the 3 areas? Brazil is a much bigger population and a massive amount of land so there are a lot of people living in a large amount of land that is why the population density is so low. The U.K has a large population but a small amount of lad it is very densely populated that is why the population density is so high. Amazonian has a small population and a large amount of land it is very sparsely population that is why the population density is so very low. You can read also Costco Case Study The Tropical Rainforest climate compared to our own (London and England) The range of temperature is the amount of degrees between the lowest temperature and the highest. (1) The annual rainfall for Manus is 1811mm this is about three times as much rain as London receives 600mm London has a very fixed amount of rainfall over the year and Manus has an extremly varied amount of rainfall over the year. (2) Manus has a very high average temperature at about 28oc this is about three times the temperature of londons at 11oc. (3) Manus has a very small range of temperature 2oc this shows no fixed seasons with temperature because there is very little change London's is seven times bigger a 11oc this shows that the temperature is not fixed this is show by the four seasons winter spring autumn and summer, in June, July and August the temperasture is at its highest showing summer. (4) Manus has only 2 distinct seasons the wet and the dry season because the temperature is the same all year round from November to May it rains very hevily about 200 mm from june to april it is relitivly dry about 50mm. (5) The rainfall in Manus is very heavy most of the year except of 3 months it is not fixed; in London the rain is a similar amount all year round. Vegetation and Daily Weather Conditions Read this Ch. 22 Respiratory System In the rain forest the water is evaporated during the day and by 3 o'clock it starts to rain this is covectional rainfall. This make the forest vegitation very dense and not much light reaches the forest floor, becase it is some warm and wet if anything fall to the floor it starts to decompose quickly, There are 4 layers in a rain forest the top layer is the Emergents these are 45 meters high they are close together and stop some light passing through the there is the main canopy at 30 meters this stops more light and then at 25 meters there is the under canopy this stops more light then there are the shrubs at 5 meters this stops more light, so there is not very much light at the floor. The trees in the tropical rainforest are deciduous but the forest remains evergreen. Why? There are constant high temperatures, this means that there are no seasons like winter when the tress lose there leaves, the tress lose their leaves at different times in the year so it looks like the forest is evergreen.