Wills, Trusts, and Probate Week CD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wills, Trusts, and Probate Week CD - Essay Example method of valuation with which one can find the total profit by subtracting purchases from the calculated amount of the organizations earnings, which is further divided into two parts, for the renter and the landowner. Hence through this renters profits, one will be able to determine the property’s value (Lamance, 2011). This method of valuation is used for determining the value of those properties that are not yet developed or such structure that possibly upgraded or have no value, and expected replacement and destruction (Lamance, 2011). Article three of the constitution prescribes the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts, according to which the jurisdiction mainly regarding Federal queries and variety of cases that are brought between citizens of different states. As probate matters are not frequently involved in federal law that is why federal court do not have jurisdiction over probate matters (Thomas, 2012). Lamance, K. (2011).  Alternative Valuation Method For Gross Estate | LegalMatch Law Library. Retrieved from: http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/alternative-valuation-method-for-gross-estate.html Singaporeprimedistricts.com (2012).  Importance of real estate valuation and the different methods of valuation. Retrieved from: http://www.singaporeprimedistricts.com/importance-of-real-estate-valuation-and-the-different-methods-of-valuation/ Thomas, A.P. (2012).  Florida Probate Lawyer | Florida Probate Blog: Probate, Guardianship & Trust Litigation. Retrieved from:

Diet & Hypertension Essay Example for Free

Diet Hypertension Essay Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, as it is commonly called, is a condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is chronically elevated. With each heart beat, heart pumps blood through the arteries to the body. Blood pressure is the pressure or force with which blood is pushed against the walls of the blood vessels. If the pressure is too high, the heart has to pump harder which in turn can damage the body organ and cause illnesses like stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or renal failure. Hypertension in India is emerging as a major health problem, that is more prevalent in urban than in rural India. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80, where 120 represents systolic measure (highest pressure in arteries) and 80 represents diastolic measure (lowest pressure in arteries). A pressure of 140/90 and above is considered hypertension. Hypertension can be due to many factors namely- 1. Sedentary lifestyle 2. Lack of physical activity 3. Obesity or overweight 4. High salt intake 5. High intake of processed food items like- chips, bakery products, cheese etc. 6. Stress 7. Aging 8. Excessive alcohol consumption 9. Genetics and family history of hypertension However, hypertension can be easy to control if diagnosed at an early stage and with lifestyle modifications. Changes in diet and increase in physical activity levels can have a great impact on controlling high blood pressure Reducing salt intake: Salt is known to be an important cause of hypertension. Therefore, a diet low in sodium, viz. recommended sodium intake- 1500mg, which is equivalent to 6gm salt or 1 leveled teaspoon of salt, is suitable for body and heart. DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diet that recommends 1500mg sodium intake, along with high intake of fruits and vegetables is known to have beneficial effects in controlling blood pressure. Though the market is flooded with processed foods, they are a complete NO for hypertension or heart patients. Processed foods like- breads, chips, nachos, processed cheese, ready-made soups, cookies, etc. are high in sodium in the form of salt or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Now-a-days many food companies are producing salts with â€Å"low sodium content†. However, they are excessively high in potassium, and excess of any mineral is deleterious for the body. Fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have a positive impact in controlling and maintaining blood pressure within the recommended level. Fruits are primarily a source of minerals and most important amongst them is potassium. Besides minerals, the high fiber content is healthy for the heart. Watching your weight: Diet rich in carbohydrates and fats is calorie dense. Excessive calorie intake and eventual weight gain is harmful to individuals with blood pressure. A diet with more complex carbohydrates, proteins from pulses or lean meat, high fruit and vegetable intake helps not just to maintain weight but is also heart healthy. Products like- chips, processed juices, cookies, instant noodles, cakes, achars, papad, namkeens, nachos are high in salt/sodium and are not suitable for hypertensive individuals. However, food without salt is difficult to sustain for long period of time. But, there are substitute that can be added to your daily meal that will help make the food palatable and interesting. Salt can be substituted with lemon juice, vinegar, mint chutney (with raw mango and less salt), imli chutney to add taste to your meal. Eating in moderation and physical exercise are mantra for healthy life!

modems :: essays research papers

Does the humble telephone lines play a major role in shaping the third millennium? Can a mere pair of thin copper wires twisted around each other transmit Internet data reliably and securely at blazing fast speed, making it possible to view high-quality moving images, sound and vast amounts of data on your personal computer screen or television? The answer is yes, as the growing success of DSL (digital subscriber line) technology abundantly demonstrates. The capacity of a communications channel depends on its bandwidth and its signal-to-noise ratio. A voice connection through a conventional phone network uses a bandwidth of about 3,000 hertz (Hz): from about 300 Hz to 3,300 Hz. An analog modem operating at 33.6 kilobits per second (kbps) requires a slightly wider bandwidth 3,200 Hz and needs a very good connection, one with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Modems operating at 56 kbps achieve their rates by taking advantage of digital connections that circumvent some sources of noise in transmissions toward the end user. But these bit rates are far from the maximum possible on a twisted pair alone. One process that limits bandwidth and signal strength is the steady attenuation of the signal as it travels down the line, with the higher frequencies being affected more severely. Greater capacity is therefore available if the lines are kept short. Originally, the Discrete Multitone approach was intended for sending entertainment video over telephone wires. Because such use relies principally on one-way transmission, most of the subchannels were devoted to the \\"downstream\\" signal, carrying about 6 Mbps, with about 0.6 Mbps available in the other direction. This asymmetric form of DSL has become known as ADSL, and the signal coding is now a worldwide standard. Although the video application has not yet borne fruit, asymmetric transmission fortuitously lends itself to browsing on the World Wide Web. Over the past year ADSL has begun to be widely installed in telephon e networks for always-on Internet access, typically operating at several hundreds of kbps or higher over phone wires up to about 5.5 kilometers in length. The beauty of ADSL, unlike the multilevel coding used in HDSL, is that the data can use channels operating above the voice frequency band, so a single phone line can simultaneously transmit voice and high-speed data. The newest standard of ADSL is G lite which is just for home users, a global standard that limits the data rates to 1.

The Last Spin by Evan Hunter

The Last Spin by Evan Hunter Short Story Analysis How does the author position the reader towards the major theme using the narrative elements? Gangs affect everyone lives especially the people in the gang because other members make you do things that you don’t want to do or that is dangerous towards you or yourself. ‘The Last Spin’ by Evan Hunter is a short story about two boys from opposite gangs that were forced to settle an argument over territory. They did this by playing an extremely dangerous game (Russian roulette).What they didn’t expect though was that they would become closer by having conversations in between shots and finding things that they have in common. They don’t realise this for long however because there was a sudden end to one of their lives. I’ll be analysing how the reader is position by using the narrative elements. The setting for this short story is in the early 1960’s when gangs were common in America. Gangs were usually identified by the colour of their jackets (Dave wore a blue and gold jacket, and Tigo wore a green and orange one) and each had their own territory which the other was not allowed to cross into.When one gang would venture into another gangs territory the night before it would be decided how one member from each gang would settle the score. The author has placed Dave and Tigo in an enclosed basement to play the game; this creates a powerful and intense environment for the reader. The boys also try not to show any sign of fear because if they do it would make them feel incapable and powerless in the game. â€Å"’We going to sit and talk all night, or we going to get this thing rolling’ Dave asked†This quote shows that Dave is showing no sign of dread to Tigo, so that he looks and feels aggressive. The last spin gave descriptions of the two main and only characters in the story, which were Dave and Tigo. Tigo has large brown eyes and thick black hair. He also wears his gang’s jacket which is a green silk jacket with an orange stripe down each of the sleeves. Dave is a nervous, paled faced boy with dirty lips. His gang’s jacket is blue and gold. The author has described the jackets because it emphasizes that they are enemies. The jacket told Dave that Tigo was his enemy. The jacket Shrieked ‘Enemy, Enemy! ’ This quote shows how Dave knew Tigo was an enemy because of the colour of his jacket. This story keeps the reader in suspense as they don’t know when the gun will go off. They should also feel horrified at how the gangs in America used to settle arguments and that the boys kept adding bullets into the gun, putting their life at risk just so that they wouldn’t let the other gang members down. â€Å"He broke open the gun again, and slipped the second cartridge into the cylinder. Now we got two cartridges in here,’ he said† This quote reinforces how the gangs brainwash people to think that they have to take these kinds of risks just so they can be popular. The length of this sentence is used so that the reader can fear for the boys because they know the dangers of this game. The main theme in the short story ‘The Last Spin’ by Evan Hunter is gang culture. The gangs in the story make the careless decision of putting one of their fellow member’s lives at danger.The boys didn’t seem to care that they were going to play this game at first, then as the game went on they realised what a bad mistake it was so they make a deal. They would have one last spin before they end this terrible game. Unfortunately this last spin was the one that ended Dave’s life. â€Å"The explosion rocked the small basement room, ripping away half of Dave’s head, shattering his face. A sharp cry escaped Tigo’s throat, and a look of incredulous shock knifed his eyes.He then put his head on the table and began weeping. † This quote shows us that the intense atmosphere in the basement and the hope that the gun would click one last time made the sound of the shot become so real and the outcome unbearable for Tigo. It was also very powerful emotionally when you picture how Tigo reacted to realising he had just lost a friend. Tigo was devastated and knew that all of the plans that they had promised they would do together after the game, he would never be able to do with Dave.

Concept of Education in Islam and Its Objectives Essay

The Arabic language has three terms for education, representing the various dimensions of the educational process as perceived by Islam. The most widely used word for education in a formal sense is ta’lÄ «m, from the root ‘alima (to know, to be aware, to perceive, to learn), which is used to denote knowledge being sought or imparted through instruction and teaching. Tarbiyah, from the root raba (to increase, to grow, to rear), implies a state of spiritual and ethical nurturing in accordance with the will of God. Ta’dÄ «b, from the root aduba (to be cultured, refined, well-mannered), suggests a person’s development of sound social behavior. What is meant by sound requires a deeper understanding of the Islamic conception of the human being. 1) Importance of Education Education in the context of Islam is regarded as a process that involves the complete person, including the rational, spiritual, and social dimensions. As noted by Syed Muhammad al-Naquib al-Attas in 1979, the comprehensive and integrated approach to education in Islam is directed toward the â€Å"balanced growth of the total personality†¦through training Man’s spirit, intellect, rational self, feelings and bodily senses†¦such that faith is infused into the whole of his personality† (p. 158). Educational theory in Islam: In Islam educational theory knowledge is gained in order to actualize and perfect all dimensions of the human being. From an Islamic perspective the highest and most useful model of perfection is the prophet Muhammad, and the goal of Islamic education is that people be able to live as he lived. Syed Hussein Nasr wrote in 1984 that while education does prepare humankind for happiness in this life, â€Å"its ultimate goal is the abode of permanence and all education points to the permanent world of eternity† (p. 7). To ascertain truth by reason alone is restrictive, according to Islam, because spiritual and temporal reality are two sides of the same sphere. Many Muslim educationists argue that favoring reason at the expense of spirituality interferes with balanced growth. Exclusive training of the intellect, for example, is inadequate in developing and refining elements of love,  kindness, compassion, and selflessness, which have an altogether spir itual ambiance and can be engaged only by processes of spiritual training. Education in Islam is twofold: 1. Acquiring intellectual knowledge (through the application of reason and logic) 2. Developing spiritual knowledge (derived from divine revelation and spiritual experience) According to the worldview of Islam, provision in education must be made equally for both. Acquiring knowledge in Islam is not intended as an end but as a means to stimulate a more elevated moral and spiritual consciousness, leading to faith and righteous action. 1. Emphasis on Acquiring Education in Qura’an: In a society where religion and knowledge in general and science in particular do not go hand in hand, it seems necessary to briefly describe the position of Islam vis-à  -vis knowledge, Islam, in theory as well as in practice, has always promoted knowledge. Distinctive mark of human beings over the angels is knowledge: â€Å"And Allah taught Adam all the names†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2:31) The first verses of the Quran began with the word: â€Å"Read. Read in the name of thy Lord who created; [He] created the human being from blood clot. Read in the name of thy Lord who taught by the pen: [He] taught the human being what he did not know.† (96: 1-5). The Qur’an says. â€Å"Are those who have knowledge equal to those who do not have knowledge?!†(39:9). 2. Emphasis on Acquiring Education in Hadith: The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his progeny) has also emphasized the importance of seeking knowledge in different ways: (a) Time: â€Å"Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.† (b) Place: â€Å"Seek knowledge even if it is far as China.† (c) Gender: â€Å"Seeking of knowledge is a duty of every Muslim† (d) Source: â€Å"Wisdom is the lost property of the believer, he should take it even if finds it in the mouth of a mushrik.† The Prophet did not only preach about importance of knowledge, he also gave examples of promoting knowledge. In the very first battle between the Muslims and unbelievers or Mecca, known as the war of Badr, the Muslims gain victory and caught seventy kuffars as prisoners of war. One of the criteria of releasing the prisoners devised by the Prophet was that those who were literate among the prisoners could go free if they teach ten Muslim children how to read and write. 2) Aims and Objectives of Education in Islam The aim of education in Islam is to produce a good man. What is meant by good in our concept of â€Å"good man†? The fundamental element inherent in the concept of education in Islam is the inculcation of adab (ta‘dib), for it is adab in the all-inclusive sense I mean, as encompassing the spiritual and material life of a man that instills the quality of goodness that is sought after. Education is what the Prophet, Peace be upon him, meant by adab when he said: â€Å"My Lord, educate (addaba) me and make my education (ta`dib) most excellent.† There is a general tendency among Muslims who are aware of the dilemma that is now pressing upon the Community to see its causes as external, as coming from the outside, originating from influences exerted by Western culture and civilization. That its causes are attributed to external elements is of course based upon correct observation, but it is also only partly true. It is true that the Muslim mind is now undergoing profound infiltration of cultural and intellectual elements alien to Islam; but to say that the causes are derived from external sources is only partly true. How has it been possible in the first place for Muslims to succumb to such infiltration to the extent that their predicament has now assumed the proportions of a dilemma? We will at once realize that the external causes referred to are not the only ones responsible for throwing us into a state of general crisis, and we must see that the full truth of our answer to the question lies undeniably in the prevalence of a certain anomaly within our Community; an anomaly that has with increasing persistence plagued our world and our intellectual history, and that has been left uncorrected and unchecked, now to spread like a raging contagion in our midst. Only by our consciousness and recognition and acknowledgement that serious internal causes have infact contributed considerably to our general disarray will we be able to discern the full truth that lies at the core of the dilemma we suffer today. The secular scholars and intellectuals among the Muslims derive their inspiration mainly from the West. Ideologically they belong to the same line of descent as the modernist ‘reformers’ and their followers; and some of them cleave to the views of the traditionalist ‘reformers’ and their followers. The majority of them do not possess the intellectual, spiritual, and linguistic prerequisites of Islamic knowledge and epistemology so that they are severed from the cognitive and methodological approaches to the original sources of Islam and Islamic learning. In this way their knowledge of Islam is at the barest minimal level. Because they occupy a strategic position in the midst of the community and unless they drastically change their ways of thinking and believing, they pose a grave danger to the Islamic welfare of the Community. They have no adab, for they do not recognize and acknowledge the legitimate authorities in the true hierarchical order, and they demonstrate by example and teach and advocate confusion and error. This is in fact the main reason why, as demonstrated in the course of Western intellectual history throughout the ages and the rise of secular philosophy and science in Western  civilization, the Western conception of knowledge based upon its experience and consciousness must invariably lead to secularization. There can be no doubt, therefore, that if the secular Muslim scholars and intellectuals allow themselves, or are allowed to confuse the Muslim youth in knowledge, the delslamization of the Muslim mind will continue to take effect with greater persistence and intensity, and will follow the same kind of secularizing course in future generations. Large numbers among them do not fully understand the nature of Western culture and civilization whence they draw their inspiration and before which they stand agape in reverential awe and servile humility portraying the attitude of the inferior. They do not even completely grasp the contents and implications of the teachings of their alien masters, being content only to repeat them in vulgarized versions and so cheat the Muslim audience of their true worth.

Profile of John E. DuPont

Profile of John E. DuPont John E. du Pont was a sports wannabe who inherited millions and bought status into the sporting world that his own physical capabilities could have never achieved. Olympic champion David Schultz, in need of financial sponsoring, lived at du Ponts wrestling camp, a decision that ultimately cost him his life. DuPonts Fortune John E. du Pont, great-grandson of E.I. du Pont, is the heir to the du Pont fortune that was worth over $200 million. After the death of his mother in August 1988, he turned his 800-acre estate in Delaware County, Pennsylvania into a wrestling camp for professional wrestlers. du Pont was also the main benefactor of amateur wrestling in the United States during that time. Paranoid Visions People who spent time around du Pont described his behavior as bizarre. Throughout the years he changed from being odd to increasingly unstable. du Pont was hallucinating that the trees on his property were moving around. He also razor wired his attic because he thought people were going to break in and kill him. His ex-wife complained that during their short marriage from 1982 to 1985, du Pont accused her of being a spy and pointed guns to her head. David Schultz David Schultz was an Olympic champion wrestler who was living on the du Pont property. On January 6, 1996, John du Pont shot several bullets into Schultz, killing him. Reasons for his actions are still unknown. The Stand Off After du Pont killed Schultz he barricaded himself inside his massive mansion. Police negotiated with the 56-year-old du Pont for two days. On the second day, the temperature was extremely cold so the police disabled the homes heating. du Pont exited his home to investigate what was wrong with his heater and the police were able to overcome him and take him into custody, charging him with murder. DuPonts Trial During du Ponts trial, it was determined that he was mentally ill. He was found guilty of third-degree murder and sentenced to up to 30 years in prison or a mental institution; whichever best fits his mental state until he completes his sentence. He was also required to reimburse Delaware $742,107 for trial costs. Personal Information: Born - 1938Birthplace - FranceGender - MaleReligion - UnknownEthnicity - White Criminal Record: 1988 - Sexual Harassment - Lawsuit filed by Andre Metzger.Feb. 26, 1997 - Assault - Pointing his gun at a security consultant.Feb. 26, 1997 - Murder - Shot and killed Olympic wrestler David Schultz.

Gender Biologically Determined Essays

Gender Biologically Determined Essays Gender Biologically Determined Essay Gender Biologically Determined Essay Pulling upon ethnographic illustrations from 2-3 societies. Gender being biologically determined’ agencies that whether gender is inherited or passed down by genetic sciences. If a individual is a adult male or adult female. ( which is normally called The Sex’ ) . that is biologically determined because they inherit the chromosomes to be born a adult male. or to be born as a adult female. In the early 1970’s sex was described by biology as: anatomy. endocrines. and physiology ( West and Zimmerman 1987 ) . Apart from gender being a biological factor. there are other things which are non biologically determined ; Gender was an achieved position. which was constructed through psychological. cultural and societal means ( West and Zimmerman1987 ) . Therefore the reply to the inquiry is gender biologically determined? Is no. Gender is a socially constructed phenomenon. Gender refers to a set of functions people perform in their communities. which are their values and attitudes that people have toward adult male and adult female ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . In this essay. the subjects which would be discussed to back up this statement are Gender Identity with illustrations of how work forces and adult females are expected to move. walk. talk and frock in a certain mode which is suited in their society. Gender and Sexuality with the illustrations of culturally in-built norms of sexual behavior. along with bing issues environing gender. and eventually Gender and Status with an illustration of male laterality in Traditional Chinese society. : Gender individuality is defined in footings of how people ( i. e. work forces and adult females ) are supposed to act in the societal class. Their attitudes and the manner the frock. talk and carry themselves in the populace are encoded in a set of cultural assumptions which are based on the culture’s values and functions and people are expected to larn these as they are a portion of that society ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Each civilization has certain norms’ for gender and these norms’ vary from civilization to civilization. most of these norms have a cosmopolitan common form and people seem to brood on these societal concepts as they make a life based on these political orientations. Cultural concepts are theoretical accounts of behavior and attitudes that a peculiar civilization transmits to its members. These concepts are shared beliefs and values that become taken for given guiding principles ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . There are so many ways that these socially constr ucted behaviors are exhibited in different communities. the messages about how each adult male and adult female should move depends upon several factors such as linguistic communication and spiritual beliefs. Work force and Women were distinguished based on their vesture. what they were allowed to have on as a adult male and adult female. hence publicly signalling their genders. work forces wore bloomerss and had other bodily humanistic disciplines such as tattoos while adult female adorned frocks. jewelry and do up. This made up the really basic construction of Gender Identity. Apart from. the basic illustrations of gender individuality. there are several other instances where adult females and work forces have unequal individualities. one such instance is the. Identity inequality of work forces and adult female in household farms. In today’s universe. Gender revolves around being the fact that adult females are less recognized than work forces. and are subjected to work which are in the shadows of parturiency. That being the generalized factor. the survey of the European household farm’ merely made this issue recognizable to the universe. Farms were considered to be the do minant agricultural production in the capitalist states ( Brandth 2002 ) . The survey used theories of gender function and individuality. explicating the issue in the signifier of discourses. In the 1990’s inquiries were being raised towards individuality of adult females and work forces in the rural farms. these inquiries finally shifted towards feminism ( Brandth 2002 ) . Discourses are signifiers of power. They constitute heads. organic structures. individualities of persons as parts of wider webs of power relations ( Brandth 2002 ) . It was used in the context of giving out a significance towards the differences of work forces and adult females. there were three discourses formulated by Hirschman. called as the issue. voice and trueness. Women. who didn’t want to be subjected to unequal position left the system. some used their voice to protest against it. while others merely were loyal and confined themselves to the family activities. The jurisprudence stated that the family farm’ should be passed on from male parent to boy. since adult females were considered weak and have no entree and cognition of belongings and agribusiness. Women merely came into this. merely by matrimony. Hence. the male leads the household into it. he allocates what occupation has to be done. and he participates in forums determinations. and making so he becomes publicly recognised. Since adult females are adaptable and flexible. their undertakings are confined to household jobs. and these undertakings are unpaid and non recognised as productive end product from them. On the other manus. men’s individualities were tied to their ownership of the farms. their business and the productive result which give them position and economic income. Real work was equated with physical undertakings and women’s self image is based on the absence of such qualities ( Brandth 2002 ) . In recent yearss. with the betterment of farming engineerings. the female work. such as milking cattles. and so on are now being done by these jury-rigged machines. doing adult females less efficient and therefore doing farming a whole masculine activity ( Brandth 2002 ) . Hence with this illustration it is clearly pointed out that the societal concept differentiates and distinguishes work forces and adult females. Apart from gender being differentiated by a societal concept. there are factors which raised inquiries and surveies in the society. one of such being gender and its relation to gender. There is ever a tabu when it comes to sex. and it seems to be a common form in the universe. Even though. we have sexual feelings and we pattern them as it being a portion of nature. it is besides profoundly influenced by civilization ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Culture teaches people what is the right thing to make. in what manner. when. where and so on. There are a batch of illustrations where civilization intervenes and states the norms’ under which the people in that society or community should act sexually. For illustration. sexual relationship between members of a atomic household or distant dealingss is prohibited in most civilizations. There are other states which have the legal age of holding sex. which are normally the Americans and Europeans. where the legal age is 16. so if a individual in dulges in a sexual relationship with a individual who is below 16 it is considered against the jurisprudence and will be filed for statutory colza ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Other parts such as India. sex before matrimony is considered as wickedness based on the cultural beliefs. whereas in American society it is inappropriate to hold sex if you’re non hubby or married woman ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . While in some states where sex could be considered as normal. other societies. like Islamic states for illustration. any criminal conversation committed by a male or by a female is badly punished. or most normally stoned to decease ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . But this isn’t the lone issue sing gender. the most recent yet flooring development. is homosexualism between work forces and adult female. Homosexuality was considered to be a misdemeanor of the natural law ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Peoples were merely meant to prosecute in heterosexual activity ( between adult male and adult female ) to reproduce. During the 1980’s indulgence in homosexual activity was considered in offense. people were imprisoned when caught making so. But in 2003 some parts o f the United States. suspended the jurisprudence. and made homosexualism legal. shortly European states such as Canada. Belgium. and Netherlands passed an act which approved of homosexual nuptialss ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . If one digs deeper into this issue. where these problematic. one can happen that it roots back from faiths. Most religion disapprove of homosexualism but in faiths such as Hindu. for gender. Bibles of homosexual activity merely stated that it was normal and natural. to be attracted to the same sex ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . But in today’s society the chief issue is sing the issue of males being attracted to each other. an illustration of this issue is Homophobia of men’ . Homosexuality is considered to be a cultural concept. which apart from the lesbian identities’ gave rise to the gay identities’ ( Herek 1986 ) . It is common for normal work forces. to avoid act uponing with homosexual work forces. as they fear what the public might believe of them being judged as non masculine’ . where as its more normal for adult female to tie in with tribades or homosexual adult females. as they are non being judged by the remainder of the females ( Herek 1986 ) . Surveies showed. that the societal building of homosexual individualities meant that there was something psychologically incorrect with that individual. it was neer attributed to the fact that homosexualism is more of a societal concept than something being incorrect with the persons mental province ( Herek 1986 ) . Gay work forces are more frightened to come out. or experience comfy about their gender in the populace than cheery adult female. The ground for this is because. work forces look for other men’s blessing to derive the position of being a man’ ( Kimmel ) . We are under the changeless careful examination of other work forces. Other work forces watch us. rank us. and allow our credence into the kingdom of manhood. Manhood is demonstrated of other men’s blessing. It is other work forces who evaluate the performance ( Kimmel ) . As mentioned earlier. work forces look for other men’s blessing. and because of this cheery work forces are subjected to stigma and favoritism ( Herek 1986 ) . As a consequence. they develop defensiveness. ’ an unconscious defense mechanism mechanism ( defined in psychodynamic footings ) . This helps them avoid or quash their homosexual inclinations ( Kimmel ) . To summarize. gender is non biologically determined because people have the free will to take their gender ( i. e. they are non born being homophiles. it is clearly a societal concept ) . Gender functions. is defined as a set of regulations or instead guidelines towards the behavior of work forces and adult female. The rights and responsibilities. attitudes and behaviors of work forces and adult females constitutes of how they are culturally associated with gender ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . The plants of work forces and adult females are separate. as in. work forces carry on making work which they are culturally supposed to be making and adult females do their work. based on what the norms of civilizations tell them to make. When these two norms interact with each other. they reflect a batch of differences and alterations in position. prestigiousness and power of work forces and adult female this is called as gender relations’ ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . It is obvious that work forces are thought to be more superior to adult females as they are more power driven and physically stronger than adult female. While. work forces get more esteemed and leading occupations. adult female are confined to their plain responsibilities of being a house-wife or in other words a care- giver ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . This brings about the inequality of work forces and adult female. There undertakings which categorize what adult female are capable of making such as. caring for kids and their hubbies. cooking nutrient. devising apparels and other homely jobs. while work forces on the other manus do more physical and unsafe undertakings such as. runing animate beings. carry oning warfare etc. this is called division of labor ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Gender and position are the most recent struggle and the most studied subject in today’s society. Gender equality. happens when both the male and female agree to be rights and behaviors. Gender inequality happens when the male and female do non hold to equal rights. attitudes and behavior ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . An illustration of this. is male laterality in China. the male grownup. was the caput of the household and they expressed their laterality over their kids and married womans. Traditional Chinese civilizations had more Patriarchal gender dealingss ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . In decision. the inquiry is gender biologically determined? is wrong. even though gender has a biological definition. gender is largely socially defined in this context. The undertakings or norms which each gender ( i. e. male and female ) is supposed to execute in the society. is based on a societal concept. They are non born to be who there are. alternatively these societal buildings are in-built within them since childhood. Since they taught to move and act in a specific manner which is culturally approved. They choose to be what gender entreaties to them and what each individualistic gender they are taught to be. Hence Gender’ is strongly driven by civilization. Mentions: West. C and Zimmerman. Don. 1987. Making Gender. Sociologists for Women in Society 1 ( 2 ) : 125-155 Herek. Gregory. 1986. on Heterosexual Masculinity. American Behavioural Scientist 29 ( 5 ) : 563-577 Brandth. Berit. 2002. Gender Identity in European Family Farming: A Literature Review. European Society for Rural Sociology 42 ( 3 ) : 181-200 Kimmel. Michael. Masculinity as homophobia: Fear. Shame and Silence in the Constructions of Gender Identity. Bonvillain. Nancy. 2006. Chapter 10. Gender from Cultural Anthropology. Upper Saddle River. New jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Pp. 251-282. ISBN: 0-13-045545-8

Aphorisms, Mottos and Sayings

Aphorisms, Mottos and Sayings Aphorisms, Mottos and Sayings Aphorisms, Mottos and Sayings By Maeve Maddox Many depictions of old people on American television–for example, Grandpa Simpson–reflect contempt for the elderly, but the language presents a different picture. The variety of words for â€Å"wisdom passed down the generations† suggests a tradition of respect for the experience of one’s elders. I’ve already written about the words proverb and adage. Here are a few more English words that mean â€Å"an often-repeated wise saying.† The dates in parentheses correspond to the earliest citations in the OED. Because so many of the definitions for these words contain the adjective pithy, I’ll define this word up front: pithy (adjective): of language or style; full of concentrated meaning; conveying meaning forcibly through brevity of expression; concise, succinct; condensed in style; pointed, terse, aphoristic. aphorism (1570) In a scientific context, an aphorism is the statement of a principle, but in general usage, an aphorism is a short pithy sentence containing a truth of general import. For example, â€Å"A living dog is better than a dead lion.† apothegm (1570) Also spelled apophthegm, an apothegm is a terse, pointed saying that embodies an important truth in few words. It will be pithy and may also be sententious, like one of Dr. Johnson’s oft-quoted sayings: â€Å"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.† axiom (1578) This term is from Latin axioma, which in turn comes from a Greek word meaning â€Å"that which is thought worthy or fit, that which commends itself as self-evident.† In a scientific context, an axiom is a self-evident proposition requiring no formal demonstration. For example, it’s an axiom that the Earth revolves around the Sun. dictum (1586) A dictum is an authoritative pronouncement attributed to a particular person or source. For example, Harry Selfridge (1858-1947) is credited with the dictum, â€Å"the customer is always right.† maxim (1450) A maxim states a rule of conduct or action in the form of a proverb: â€Å"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.† motto (1589) Nowadays we use the word motto to mean any maxim that a person tries to follow as a rule of conduct. For example, I once had a kitchen with very little counter- or drawer-space; my motto was, â€Å"If it will hang, hang it.† Motto originally referred to a word or sentence attached to a design, as in heraldry. For example, the emblem of the Prince of Wales is three white ostrich feathers with the German motto Ich dien, â€Å"I serve.† precept 1375 Similar to a maxim, a precept is a general command or injunction; a rule for action or conduct, especially a rule for moral conduct. A precept that has implications for personal privacy and security is, â€Å"A man’s home is his castle.† saw (c. 1000) The sayings of King Alfred (849-899) were known as saws, a word that comes from the verb â€Å"to say.† One of Alfred’s saws that I can recall without looking it up is, â€Å"Tell it to your saddlebow.† That means â€Å"Don’t go sharing your plans or worries with others; keep your own counsel.† saying (1303) Like saw, saying comes from the verb â€Å"to say.† The word can apply to any current or habitual expression of wisdom or truth. For example, â€Å"The experience of many lottery winners tends to prove the truth of the saying that a fool and his money are soon parted.† I’ll let you decide for yourselves which of these nine terms best describes each of the following expressions: A penny saved is a penny earned. A job worth doing is worth doing well. A lie often told becomes the truth. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Actions speak louder than words. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Birds of a feather flock together. Charity begins at home. Curiosity killed the cat. Little drops the mighty ocean make. Love conquers all. No use crying over spilt milk. Opposites attract. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Strike while the iron is hot. Time is money. Two heads are better than one. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesGrammar Quiz #21: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive ClausesA Yes-and-No Answer About Hyphenating Phrases

Homeland security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Homeland security - Research Paper Example Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest storms ever to hit the US coast. It ripped through the Gulf Coast in 2005 and brought with itself not just strong gale of wind but also many unarticulated miseries. The coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama suffered the worst. New Orleans, in Louisiana, was severely affected due to the failure of the levee system. In fact, the levee system failed due to its flaws in designing and poor maintenance. The hurricane had its â€Å"economic†, â€Å"environmental†, â€Å"social†, and â€Å"political† impact. The hurricane was one of the costliest and it required money to restore it. The coastal regions were destroyed and the breeding grounds of the animals were lost. It also once again exposed the inability of the US government to handle such situations. Hurricane Katrina resulted in the loss of a great number of human lives. There was loss of life due to thirst and starvation. This drew a lot of criticisms fo r the government as they failed to save lives due to their lack of prompt action. (Hurricane Katrina: facts and information, n.d). Thousands of people had left the city and they became refugees. Many people found shelter with nearby relatives. On the other hand many restarted their lives in states far away as Massachusetts and Utah. Experts studying the hurricane concluded that it had the impact of four storms. Experts had further pointed out that understanding the previous flaws would be the key to success in future planning. In the wake of the storm, many loopholes within the planning system were exposed (Hurricane Katrina, 2010). Psychological Impact Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is found among those people who had experienced a traumatic event. Those who develop PTSD often have recurring thoughts about the incident and the person feels numb emotionally (What is PTSD, n.d). In case of Hurricane Katrina victims PTSD symptoms have been found even two years after the inciden t (Anderson, 2007). In case of natural disasters pet loss becomes a very common phenomenon. After Hurricane Katrina struck almost 200,000 pets were displaced. Only 5% of those found were reunited with their owners. There seems to be an association between pet loss with depression, posttraumatic stress, and acute stress (Lowe et.al, 2009, p 244). According to a federal mental health agency, those who lived along the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast required help for anger, depression and other problems while they were rebuilding their lives once again. When Hurricane Katrina was ravaging, the people had also witnessed deaths and helplessness, which had affected them. Thus, according to authorities with federal Substances Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the enormity of the disaster and long time in recovery had created a sense of hopelessness for some people (Carley 2006).   Availability of Resources for the Victims When the disaster took place, it also drew a lot of at tention and help from

The Organization of African Unity Known as African Union Research Paper - 1

The Organization of African Unity Known as African Union - Research Paper Example So, the role of African Union within the African context is important because it promotes positive change in the society by empowering the people and solving problems. Thesis statement: The organizational setup, responsibilities and social services provided by the African Union proves to be successful within the scenario of social work in Africa (special references to the social services provided by African Union in Africa and its involvement in current issues).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, almost all the African nations have membership in African Union (AU). For instance, excluding Morocco, present strength of the African Union is 53. African Union, a social work organization for creating unity among the African nations was established in the year 2002. Besides, the Organisation of Africa Unity (AOU) was the mother organization of AU. Okoth (2006) opines that â€Å"Some of the guiding principles of the AU are similar to those of its predecessor, the OAU† (p. 325). The organizational set-up of AU is based on centralization and concentration of power which is fully vested in the center but with equal power to the member states. For instance, the decision-making force of AU is the Assembly of the African Union. Badejo (2008) states that â€Å"The AU carries out its business through many organs, agencies, and non-governmental organizations† (p. 39). The Secretariat (say, African Union Commission) of AU is in Addis Ababa, whi ch is situated in Ethiopia.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The AU is divided into two bodies: political and administrative.  Ã‚   As pointed out, the decision-making process is principally vested upon the Assembly, which consists of members/representatives from member states. The present chairman is Bingu Mutharika, who represents Malawi. Besides, the representative body of AU, namely Pan African Parliament includes 265 members. Idriss Ndele Moussa is the present president of Pan African Parliament.

Research Proposal Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research Proposal - Dissertation Example Solar energy, if harnessed to its fullest, can provide the whole world with more than enough energy for a year, in just a single day. Science and technology is still far from that point. Solar energy harnessing with today’s inventions is still expensive and inefficient, making this a very exploitable research field, with the promise of a better world. Solar energy will soon come out as a multibillion dollar industry, and only those nations will prosper through it, which spend time, efforts and money in this field today. Solar energy harnessing through photovoltaic cells is a very promising field. To enhance the efficiency, increasingly thin films are being prepared. PVs are made out of doped semiconducting materials, which have relatively high resistivity as compared to common good conductors. Thus, photovoltaic cells are coated with conducting materials on their surface. These are thin films themselves, whose sole purpose is to behave as a conducting medium. The coatings are done over the photovoltaic layers, such that they are present between the light source and the photovoltaic layer. This means that the coatings have to be highly transparent for light transmission as well. The materials employed for this purpose are termed as Transparent Conducting Oxides, which are nothing but doped oxides that have very high conductivity and transmission. TCOs may have a variety of functions, such as transparent electrical contacts, antireflection coatings and chemical barriers, in photovoltaic films (Perkins et. al. 20051). It is to be noted that the energy band gap theory suggests that transparency of a material is closely related to the electrical behavior of a material, more specifically its resistivity. Transparency of a material is higher if the band gap between the valence and conduction band is high. If the band gap is high, the resistivity is high too. Thus it is difficult to have both high transparency and low resistivity together. To achieve this, dopin g is done in selected semiconductors, which can modify their properties to give us transparent layers with high conduction (Nave, 20102). A lot of research has been done in this field for over 50 years now and every project has led to the opening of a new chapter rather than closing out different chapters in the research. This is suggestive of the prospects of research in this field. The most important property of TCOs is their conductivity, and a lot of research has been done on that (Minami, 20003; Lewis and Paine, 20004) on aluminum doped zinc oxide, tin doped indium oxide, lead oxides, cadmium oxides, and their combinational oxides. These researches have indicated that there exists potential for engineered transparent conducting oxides to be formed with tailored properties (Freeman et. al. 20015). Transparency and light trapping has also been studied in detail in these papers. The main emphasis of the researches is to study composition-property behaviors. Some endeavors have als o been made for synthesis and characterization of these thin films (Banarjee et. al. 20036; Coutts and Young, 20007; Gurumurugan et. al. 19948; Freeman et. al. 2001). Researchers have also used surface characterization techniques to study how electrical, chemical and transparency properties of TCOs depend on the surface layer. The electronic/defect structure of the surface layers has a huge impact on the electrical properties of the layer

What is Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is Happiness - Essay Example These were declared to be unrelated to true happiness (Schervish and Whitaker 16). In his monumental Nicomachean Ethics, he pointed out that the majority of the people believed true happiness to be derived from material things. Nevertheless, people express dissatisfaction with fleeting pleasure and Aristotle rightly points out the futility of expecting honor, possessions, and pleasures to provide true happiness. The latter is based on a principle that these cannot create. (Schervish and Whitaker 16). There is some ambiguity associated with the term happiness, which has come to denote an emotion that is the opposite of sadness. Happiness, per se, lacks permanency and determining whether a person is happy is the province of the person experiencing that emotion. Moreover, the attitude of a person towards this emotion determines whether that person is happy or not. Furthermore, the same stimulus or events may fail to produce happiness in an individual, on each and every occasion. Such is the subjective nature of this emotion (Miller). Thus, happiness is chiefly psychological. On the other hand, there are some scholars, who believe that happiness is not merely a subjective phenomenon. It is their contention that happiness is the outcome of enjoying a trouble-free life. This state of being has been held to be continuous by these scholars. As the underlying elements of such happiness are general in nature, there is no subjectivity involved(Miller). Consequently, any individual under the same circumstances as a happy person should also be happy. Aristotle was of the firm conviction that happiness was understood differently by the elite of society and the common man. Nevertheless, within a specific class of society, there was the consensus regarding what constituted happiness. Thus, it was presumed that the proletariat would equate happiness with some obvious condition like pleasure, wealth or honor. On the other hand, the elite could be expected to relate happiness to critical reflection and excellence (Miller). With regard to happiness being the result of the possession of money and health, the elite would attach minimal importance. Ancient ethics promoted the idea that the manner in which people derived satisfaction in their life was the subject matter of ethics. Thus, the good life had to perforce dwell upon issues, such as the manner of life that a person wanted to lead, performing acts that would promote the good of others, and actions that would benefit the individual (White 3). Aristotle had been seized with engendering an environment, wherein good human functioning and prosperity could develop apace. He was of the opinion that the utmost happiness was to be aimed for, both at the individual as well as the societal level. Physical existence and moral and intellectual qualities were the distinguishing features of a life that was prosperous and good(Ormeci). The human soul, according to Aristotle, is very precious. As a result, it is of far greater importance to fulfill moral qualities, in comparison to other elements. He firmly believed that the best possible life that a man could lead was one whose virtue was adequately supported by material resources (Ormeci).  

Management finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management finance - Essay Example The reporting system in the company is new and shall be changing the norms and the culture of the company. With the introduction of new processes to the company operations then it is usually faced with resistant from the employees. The change in the processes of the company and the introduction of new process or norm is resisted whether it comes from inside or from outside of the company (Leanne, 2009). The reporting system in the company is resisted as well and employees consider it as the means of under estimating their performances in the company and shall not be able to truly evaluate their performances. The reporting system shall be considered as in just for the employees as the manager shall be taken the advantage of the performance and the employees and/or workers shall not be recognized for their performance (Debra & Bradley, 1999). Thus in order to get a better response and acceptability from the employees the report should be the true reflection of the performance of the em ployees. Budget is the most important part of reporting as the actual performance of the department is compared with the budget and thus the evaluation is done. The involvement of the employees shall be playing an important role in the reports as when the budget is prepared with the input from the employees considered along with the management perceptions then the budget prepared shall be much more realistic and achievable and the reports shall be getting a positive and accepted response by the employees (David, 2003). Budget is an integral part of the report and is utilized throughout the process, which involve planning, implementing and control (Mukdad, 2011), as the company enhances its internal controls and thus progress towards a more effective and controlled procedures. The budget in the report shall be much realistic, which involves the employees and the managers of all the departments of the company can attain and thus prepare a realistic and

What is Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is Happiness - Essay Example These were declared to be unrelated to true happiness (Schervish and Whitaker 16). In his monumental Nicomachean Ethics, he pointed out that the majority of the people believed true happiness to be derived from material things. Nevertheless, people express dissatisfaction with fleeting pleasure and Aristotle rightly points out the futility of expecting honor, possessions, and pleasures to provide true happiness. The latter is based on a principle that these cannot create. (Schervish and Whitaker 16). There is some ambiguity associated with the term happiness, which has come to denote an emotion that is the opposite of sadness. Happiness, per se, lacks permanency and determining whether a person is happy is the province of the person experiencing that emotion. Moreover, the attitude of a person towards this emotion determines whether that person is happy or not. Furthermore, the same stimulus or events may fail to produce happiness in an individual, on each and every occasion. Such is the subjective nature of this emotion (Miller). Thus, happiness is chiefly psychological. On the other hand, there are some scholars, who believe that happiness is not merely a subjective phenomenon. It is their contention that happiness is the outcome of enjoying a trouble-free life. This state of being has been held to be continuous by these scholars. As the underlying elements of such happiness are general in nature, there is no subjectivity involved(Miller). Consequently, any individual under the same circumstances as a happy person should also be happy. Aristotle was of the firm conviction that happiness was understood differently by the elite of society and the common man. Nevertheless, within a specific class of society, there was the consensus regarding what constituted happiness. Thus, it was presumed that the proletariat would equate happiness with some obvious condition like pleasure, wealth or honor. On the other hand, the elite could be expected to relate happiness to critical reflection and excellence (Miller). With regard to happiness being the result of the possession of money and health, the elite would attach minimal importance. Ancient ethics promoted the idea that the manner in which people derived satisfaction in their life was the subject matter of ethics. Thus, the good life had to perforce dwell upon issues, such as the manner of life that a person wanted to lead, performing acts that would promote the good of others, and actions that would benefit the individual (White 3). Aristotle had been seized with engendering an environment, wherein good human functioning and prosperity could develop apace. He was of the opinion that the utmost happiness was to be aimed for, both at the individual as well as the societal level. Physical existence and moral and intellectual qualities were the distinguishing features of a life that was prosperous and good(Ormeci). The human soul, according to Aristotle, is very precious. As a result, it is of far greater importance to fulfill moral qualities, in comparison to other elements. He firmly believed that the best possible life that a man could lead was one whose virtue was adequately supported by material resources (Ormeci).  

Answer the question to 2 page essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer the question to 2 page - Essay Example Interaction between the general public and disabled should not be a taboo based on false perceptions. The first perception for a person with a disability is these people need extra help or assistance from the public. Many in the general public will help a disabled person when asked, but feel pity or disgust. Disabled individuals will ask for help, but generally have a plan for the day. People with disabilities do not wake up and go out in public to depend on assistance from random people. For example, an individual in a wheelchair will have a van that is wheelchair accessible, or even a car that can be driven with hand controls. These people can get in and out of their cars and into their chairs with or without help. If help is needed a paid caregiver, or family member might help. It is rare that a person in a wheelchair will wait in their car to approach the public for assistance. Normally people with disabilities have canes, wheelchairs, service dogs, and other means to help them navigate in public. For an individual that is disabled, they are used to their disability. For example , if a person without a disability does not have a car, but need a ride to work, they plan that ride with family or friends. Disabled people do the same when help is needed. They plan around their disability. The perception of a person can be cured of their disability in order to fix them is a popular one. This can be a helpful approach, but can overlook the needs of the disabled at the moment. For example, a deaf person might benefit from new surgeries. That is a good goal for doctors, but the general public should not wait for this to happen. In order to interact with the deaf individual, the public needs to accept the situation in the here and now. If the disabled person does not feel valued unless being ‘fixed’, then the disability can be depressing and debilitating. Hearing individuals can learn to sign, or learn to look at a deaf

Analyzing Suicide Bombing Essay Example for Free

Analyzing Suicide Bombing Essay According to Robert Pape there have been 188 recorded suicide bombings all over the world from the period of 1980 to 2001. For almost two decades now he believed that it proliferated because it was effective. The perceived connection between suicide terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism also has been somewhat uncertain and also likely to worsen America’s situation. Instead what he observed was that nearly all suicide terrorist campaigns have one specific and strategic goal and that is to compel liberal democratic countries to withdraw military forces from their territorial boundaries. Religion as commonly know was not the sole cause, although it is often used as a tool by terrorist organizations in recruiting members and in other efforts in service of the broader strategic objectives. (Pape, 2003 ) Three patterns summarized his conclusions on the strategic and coercive logic of suicide terrorism. First is timing. Almost all suicide attacks occur in organized manner. Second is nationalist goal. Their campaigns are directed to gain control of their national homeland territory. And thirdly target selection. Suicide terrorist campaigns are directed toward liberal democracies. Suicide terrorist for example were successful to compel American and French forces to abandon Lebanon in 1983. (Pape, 2003) Suicide terrorist learned that the strategy is effective. It is coercive enough to compel a target government to change policy. Suicide terrorist often views democratic countries like United States, France, Israel and India as â€Å"soft† or vulnerable to coercion than authoritarian regimes that is why they are being targeted. (Pape, 2003) Analyzing Suicide Bombing Suicide bombing became one of the prominent strategies of contemporary terrorism. It has been one of the most difficult to understand since it’s difficult to explain how a person could risk his or her life in doing such a crime. It has led some to believe that those willing to sacrifice their own life are â€Å"religious fanatics†. (Pape, 2003)To understand suicide bombers one should also consider different incidences and real motives. One should not be limited on single specific terrorist group and religion. Suicide bombing as defined is any violent, politically motivated attacks, carried out in deliberate state of awareness of a person. (Bloom, 2004 ) Terrorist organizations overwhelmingly claim that violence is a tool of last resort and a sign of desperation. Suicide attacks in some contexts inspire a self perpetuating subculture of â€Å"martyrdom†. (Bloom, 2004) Possible candidate individuals to become suicides bombers are those people produced by the organization or educated outsiders who flock to the organization to volunteer because of personal reasons. (Bloom, 2004) Religious fanaticism cannot answer completely why the world leader in suicide terrorism is the Tamil tigers in Sri Lanka, a group that believes in Marxist/Leninist ideologies. Existing explanations have been also questioned by the widening range of socio-economic backgrounds of suicide terrorist. Terrorism has evolved dramatically over the years which are motivated either with religious ideologies or political convictions. Like other anti-colonialist predecessors of the immediate post-war era, many of the terrorist groups of this period promptly valued and adopted methods that would allow them to publicize their goals and accomplishments locally and internationally. Forerunners in this were the Palestinian groups who pioneered â€Å"hijacking† the modern generation suicide terrorist attack. (Burgess, 2003) Terrorists claim that they are using terror as their last resort. Ehud Sprinzak for example provided the organizational logic of using suicide terrorism. Because the enemy possesses the most sophisticated weapons in the world and its army is trained to very high standards they have nothing which to repel killing and crime against them except the weapon of martyrdom. It is easier and cost only their lives. For the terrorist, human bombs cannot be defeated, not even by nuclear bombs. (Bloom, 2004) Analyzing His Policy Prescription He has some policy prescriptions for containing suicide terrorism. According to Pape offensive military action or concession alone will not benefit for long. It will tend to encourage the terrorist leaders to further their coercive efforts. Homeland security and defensive efforts should be the main part of the solution. Identifying the best method to stop suicide terrorism is a complex task. Most ethnic civil wars can often be resolved by demographic separation because it reduces both means and incentives for both sides to attack. (Pape, 2003) The United States should emphasize instead in improving its domestic security. United States should adopt stronger border controls to make it more difficult for suicide attackers to enter the territory. The United States should also work towards energy independence and thus reduce the need for American troops in the Persian Gulf where their presence has caused greater agitation to their enemies. When one considers the strategic logic of suicide terrorism it becomes clear that America’s war on terrorism is heading in the wrong path. How should a democratic nation like America have responded in the past? They had to react by having heavy military offensives which only provoke more terrorist attacks. Offensive military action or concessions alone will not work for long. Advocates of concessions should also recognize that even if they are successful in disrupting their operations it will encourage terrorist to further their tactics. By limiting of offensive actions and concessions, homeland security and defensive efforts must now be strengthened. What is ironic in his prescription was that he suggests that the US troops in the Persian Gulf and Iraq should leave the territory but also see the move a bad idea to stop suicide terror because it tends to encourage terrorist more to use the tactic. Bloom vs. Pape’s Argument Professor Robert Pape earlier argued that suicide terror is a coercive strategy directed externally or against a more powerful enemy to coerce democratic governments to change policies and evacuate the territory that they control. (Bloom, 2004)Pape argues that liberal democracies can be coerced through the use of sufficient violence. Bloom believes that although Papes explanation is useful for understanding how suicide bombing is directed against the external enemy, it overlook the domestic political dynamics and organizational motivations for â€Å"outbidding†. The outbidding is due to the competition between the rival terrorist organizations. Greater violence will give them recognition from the crowd. Papes model correctly identifies the motivations of nationalist inspired suicide terrorist; however it does not fully explain why the religious groups with goals beyond territorial demands might use it. Papes focus on democratic countries should is debatable. He argues that suicide bombings work best against democratic regimes because of access to the media, freedom of movement and the â€Å"shock value†; however his theory cannot be adequately tested or verified at this point. Lastly Papes model cannot explain why those who share the same ethnicity as the terrorist are targeted. This approach regards the opposite engaged in suicide terror and cannot give an explanation for the competitive environment that emerges in some case and not in others. All of which requires an analysis of domestic and local level study and observation. (Bloom, 2004) Work Cited Pape, Robert â€Å"The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism† August 2003 American Political Science Review, The University Of Chicago 14 October 2008 http://danieldrezner. com/research/guest/Pape1. pdf. Bloom, Mia â€Å"Devising A Theory of Suicide Terror† February 2004 Center For Global Security and Democracy, Rutgers University 14 October 2008

Study of Organizational Culture and the Indian Army

Study of Organizational Culture and the Indian Army THE INDIAN ARMY is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. It came into being in 1947 when India gained independence, and inherited most of the infrastructure of the British Indian Army that was located in post-partition India. It is a voluntary service and though there is a provision for military conscription in the Indian constitution, it has never been imposed. The Indian Army is the worlds second-largest standing army whose primary mission is to ensure the national security and defense of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats and maintaining peace and security within its borders. It also conducts humanitarian rescue operations during natural calamities and other disturbances. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. CULTURE is comprised by the customs, heritage and achievements of a particular segment of society. Organizational culture is the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values of an organization and its employees. In this case, we talk about the army. As an organization, its culture is the sum total of the activities and ideas shared by this group of people with its common requirements, customs, laws and traditions. These are percolated across the Army by the thoughts and feelings of the people concerned and are reinforced by actions of individuals and sub-groups to present a whole picture of a common and shared perception of a uniform blend of ideals working and striving towards the achievement of a common goal. By ultimately working in accordance with and in response to a single will, political and military they attain the objectives laid down for them in peace, and particularly during operations in war. This is how the Army is designed and it is mandatory that this design is followed in the best manner possible for maintaining and preserving the solidarity and cohesion of the force and its professional competence. The two epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata constitute the framework on which the edifice of Army is built. The elements of culture have been imbibed a lot from these two epics. Even in the Indian army just like Mahabharata, the good of the nation is put first rather than the individual. In terms of power distribution just like the Ramayana the Indian Army is a well structured organisation. There is a central authority of power which releases orders, the people at various levels follow orders from the superior and respect them at the same time. There are clear cut guidelines for each and every army personnel to follow and deviations from the same are not appreciated in the Institute. Army as an institute lays special emphasis on attention to details as they need to be sure of everything before going out for war. The armed personnel have both facets in their personality they are aggressive when required and can be stable when required. The Indian army has people orientation also as part of its culture. It believes more than the artillery the men are their biggest strength. They have proper training facilities to inculcate them into the culture of the Indian Army. To further understand the culture of the Indian Army we interviewed three Army personnel. The following is a gist of the three interviews What are key facets of Culture of the Indian Army? The key facets of Indian Army include a sense of bonding, they are a unit which is closely knit, an extremely disciplined bunch of people with high levels of motivation. They have high respect for what they do and their peer group. In practise, a lot of times the Indian Army does not receive its promised share of returns and hence the general moral of the troops takes a dip. This can be attributed to bureaucratic interference. How does the organisation structure impact culture? The organisation structure helps them integrate with the culture, since it clearly defines roles of individuals. At the same time it also brings in a sense of respect towards their seniors. How do the forces men get to know about the culture of Indian Army when they are recruited? Culture is imbibed in the men right from the days of training. It is a rigorous training method followed at the IMA/NDA/OTA to train these bright young individuals to become men of the Indian army. During the training period through their interactions with seniors the recruits learn more than the functionalities of the Indian Army. They say it is one the best ways in which culture is imbibed in the minds of these young individuals. What is sought after in Indian Army the larger Interest or Individual requests? Its the interest of the nation that is the most important thing for any of the armed forces men. He puts the nation before everything in his life. How clearly are roles defined in the Indian Army? Roles are very clearly defined in the Indian Army. A hierarchy structure is in place. The posting of individuals happens on the basis of role requirement and then finding the best fit. Does culture also evolve and is there scope for new traditions? Indian army is an institute which believes in continuous development for the better, at the same it believes in maintaining its rich heritage. In a nutshell it amalgamates the old and new and ensures the best is created. But it likes to hold on to its past a lot. Any knowledge of cross culture impact of the people as they come from various backgrounds? It is probably the best example to understand homogeneity in heterogeneity. The backgrounds which people come from are diverse but at the same time at the centre of their diversity is unity which binds them to guard their nations boundaries. Due to varied backgrounds, individuals learn to appreciate others and also at the same time learn to celebrate differences. How important is detailing as a facet of culture in the Indian Army? The most important facet of Indian Armys culture is detailing. One cannot go to battle field without knowing every detail of war. Special emphasis is laid on detailing right from the training period of each and every personnel. An eye for detailing is extremely important as well as highly appreciated in the Indian Army. How does the Indian army communicate its culture to the outside world? Each army personnel is the brand ambassador of the Indian army. He/She is role model for todays youth and carries himself accordingly. Besides Indian army leads by example in every aspect it gets itself involved in. But in totality the army is a very closed organisation and not appreciative unwarranted interaction with the outside world. How do you deal with someone who does not follow the culture of Indian Army? For somebody who is not in line with the culture, they are various stages of ensuring that the person is brought in line with the culture like warnings and annual reports. But if all the options dont work out then Court Marshall is also an option which is exercised where the armed personnel is made to forfeit his position and honour associated with it. FUNCTIONAL AND DYSFUNCTIONAL ASPECTS The mission statement of the Indian Army is not a very clearly defined one. On a broader perspective the Indian Army stands for the following ideology: The Indian Army doctrine defines it as The Indian Army is the land component of the Indian Armed Forces which exist to uphold the ideals of the Constitution of India. As a major component of national power, along with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the roles of the Indian Army are as follows: Primary: Preserve national interests and safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of India against any external threats by deterrence or by waging war. Secondary: Assist Government agencies to cope with proxy war and other internal threats and provide aid to civil authority when requisitioned for the purpose. Following is the tabulation of the functional and dysfunctional aspects of the Indian Army: Functional Aspects Dysfunctional Aspects It is a highly integrated organization Interference by the bureaucracy. The bureaucracy tries to influence decision making and hence some decisions tend to go haywire, creating confusions for the people around. The motivational levels of the personnel of the Armed Forces are extremely high which is needed for the job profile that they have. Red Tapism. There is a lot of lethargy in some departments to get the things to action. This is quite unacceptable for an institution like the Indian Army. There is immense respect for an individual as well as for the team spirit. Distributed decision making. This causes some crucial decisions to be delayed. The organization has an excellent training programme, which grooms the complete personality of an individual instead of focussing on one aspect. Budget allocations are not defined within the Organization. Hence, the allocation is not even sometimes. They have extremely high standards for selection to the Indian Army, and despite a manpower crunch they have decided not to lower the selection criterion. Indian Army needs to attract the correct talent, which currently it is unable to do. This can be attributed to the lack of proper and correct information to the youth. Very good quality of life for the people who are a part of the Indian Army. Lobbying for promotions. At the senior level, there is a lot of push and pull for getting the coveted positions. This creates an unhealthy environment in the organization. Indian Army ensure a good post retirement life. Low incentive remunerations. Anomalies in the pay structure for the armed forces are a common occurrence. Indian Army provides opportunities to experience various cultures and live in various places as a part of their tenures. ACTION PLAN Based on the derived dysfunctional aspects, we can note that the discrepancies occur on two fronts: External influences Internal functions The issues caused by external influences include: Interference by the bureaucracy The Army should set such high standards that its perceived image is one where it only serves its mission and cannot be influenced. This image will deter all kinds of informal requests and interferences. This can be done by giving more autonomy to the forces in the framework of the organizations serving the country. The issues caused by internal functions include: Red tapism The Army witnesses excessive regulation and rigid conformity to formal rules that at times prevents swift action or decision-making. The organization should allow for flexibility in structure of actions and decision making. Also, it can include cutting of red tape as a policy promise. Hierarchical decision making Orders issued by Army personnel are of critical importance, and thus the decisions to these orders need to be taken on time without any delays. This can be done by empowering officials at different levels so that decisions can be immediately taken and there arises no need to wait for sanctions from the top order when it is urgent. Uneven budget allocations Studying and understanding of every departments needs, will help carry out equal and effective budget distributions. This will ensure availability of all needed resources to all departments. Poor perceived image The armys current image is unable to attract attention of the youth for new recruits. This can be fixed by better communication and public relations exercise. Lobbying for promotions It is crucial for every organization to ensure that there are no unethical practises taking place. To prevent any lobbying for promotions, the Army should give due appraisals based on merit at the right time. It should also devise a protective mechanism for all those who report these unethical practises; this will help report all such malpractices. Unequal remuneration compared to other Government Organizations This brings about lack of motivation in the Army officials. The Government must ensure that the relative appraisals in all its organizations are at par. Acknowledgement We would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Shubhra Gaur for giving us this opportunity to conduct research on the Indian Army and its Culture and to study the various functional and dysfunctional aspects associated with this organization. We would also like to thank Maj.Gen.(Retd) D.V. Kalra, VSM for helping us understand the culture and working style of the Indian Army..

Passivity: A Way of Life. :: Essays Papers

Passivity: A Way of Life. The life of the main character – Rukmani was filled with hardships. Happy times were a rarity, and everyday life was full of work from sunrise to sunset. Yet despite all the work, her family was in utter poverty. Nevertheless Rukmani was always optimistic, and accepted her life the way it was. Kenny, on the other hand, never understood why they accept their poverty and always tried to get them to rise up. It is Indian ideology and the belief in karma with reincarnation that led Rukmani and many other Indian people to a passive life. This passivity is seen throughout the book. However especially in the few instances after major disasters and crises this way of life stands out. At first, Rukmani couldn’t have children after her first daughter. Kenny cured her, and then she bore five sons. Afterwards, she met Kenny and proudly said â€Å"You are my benefactor†¦have I not five sons to prove it?†(p. 36) Kenny answered, â€Å"Am I to blame for your excesses?† This was a half- sarcastic remark. However, only half – sarcastic. Ok, you need sons to work in the field, two sons can manage if Nathan managed alone. You can barely provide for a few people, but the family consists of eight. Yet everything is just fine. Another instance is when the terrible storm hit the village and destroyed the rice paddy. When the storm finished, Rukmani just said that it will grow back and so did Nathan. At the time of the terrible drought the crop was destroyed, and even after cutting a deal of paying half the rent, selling clothes, and a few other things they didn’t have enough money to pay the half, Nathan wanted to sell the seed and a lot of other stuff. Rukmani pleaded with him â€Å"Let us only try,†¦ Let us keep our hope for the next harvest.†(p. 80) Again there is the optimism. Finally, she even confirms this passivity herself. When Kenny showed her the plans for the hospital, and the started to talk about the costs, Rukmani couldn’t understand why people gave so much money to help. Kenny said, â€Å"Because they have means, do no the sick die in the streets because there is no hospital for them? Are not your children born in gutters? Etc.† â€Å"You must cry out if you want help.

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has become a metaphor for 21st-century security concerns. Although nuclear weapons have not been used since the end of World War II, their influence on international security affairs is pervasive, and possession of WMD remains an important divide in international politics today (Norris 61).The nuclear postures of the former Cold War rivals have evolved more slowly than the fast-breaking political developments of the decade or so that has elapsed since the former Soviet Union collapsed. Nevertheless, some important changes have already taken place. By mutual consent, the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty of 1972 was terminated by the United States and Russia, which have agreed to modify their nuclear offensive force posture significantly through a large reduction in the number of deployed delivery systems. Nuclear weapons are no longer at the center of this bilateral relationship.Although the two nations are pursuing divergent d octrines for their residual nuclear weapons posture, neither approach poses a threat to the other. The structure, but not the detailed content, of the future U.S. nuclear posture was expressed in the 2002 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which established a significant doctrinal shift from deterrence to a more complex approach to addressing the problem of proliferated WMD.The Russian doctrinal adaptation to the post-Cold War security environment is somewhat more opaque. The government appears to be focused on developing and fielding low-yield weapons that are more suitable for tactical use, though the current building of new missiles and warheads may be associated with new strategic nuclear payloads as well. Despite the diminished post ­Cold War role of nuclear weapons in the United States, the cumulative deterioration of Russia's conventional military force since 1991 has actually made nuclear weapons more central to that government's defense policy.The end of the adversarial relati onship with the Soviet Union (and later, the Russian Federation) had to be taken into account in the NPR. The current nuclear posture is evolving in a manner parallel to the modernization of the U.S. non-nuclear military establishment. In stark contrast to Cold War ­era military planning, the 21st century is likely to be characterized by circumstances in which the adversary is not well known far in advance of a potential confrontation.The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is adjusting to these new circumstances by developing highly capable and flexible military forces that can adapt to the characteristics of adversaries as they appear. This makes the traditional path to modernization through investment in weapons systems as the threat emerges economically infeasible. Modern information technology lets the military change the characteristics of its flexible weapons and forces in much less time than it would take to develop whole new weapons systems. Thus, DOD is attempting to create a military information system: the integrated effect of command-control-communications-computation-intelligence-surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR). This system is inherently more flexible for adapting to changes in the threat environment.WMD and the means to deliver them are mature technologies, and knowledge of how to create such capabilities is widely distributed. Moreover, the relative cost of these capabilities declined sharply toward the end of the 20th century. Today, the poorest nations on earth (such as North Korea and Pakistan) have found WMD to be the most attractive course available to meet their security needs (Lieggi 2). Proliferation of WMD was stimulated as an unintended consequence of a U.S. failure to invest in technologies such as ballistic missile defense that could have dissuaded nations from investing in such weapons.The United States' preoccupation with deterring the Soviet Union incorporated the erroneous assumption that success in that arena would deter proliferation elsewhere (Barnaby 7). This mistake was compounded by the perverse interaction between defense policy and arms control in the 1990s. Misplaced confidence was lodged in a network of multilateral agreements and practices to prevent proliferation that contributed to obscuring rather than illuminating what was happening. Confidence placed in the inspection provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), for example, obscured efforts to obtain knowledge of clandestine WMD programs. NPT signatories were among those nations with clandestine WMD programs.Without a modernization of defense policy, the ready availability of WMD-related technology will converge with their declining relative cost and a fatally flawed arms control structure to stimulate further proliferation in the 21st century. The process whereby WMD and ballistic missile technology has proliferated among a group of nations that otherwise share no common interests are likely to become the template for 21st-century proliferation.The scope of this problem was recognized in part as a result of a comprehensive review of intelligence data in 1997 ­1998 by the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States (the Rumsfeld Commission). This recognition swiftly evolved into a set of significant policy initiatives that responded to changes in the international security environment. The arms control arrangements most closely identified with the adversarial relationship with the former Soviet Union were passà ©. In 1999 the Senate refused to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; the United States and Russia ended the 1972 ABM Treaty and agreed to jettison the START process, which kept nuclear deployments at Cold War levels in favor of much deeper reductions in offensive forces in 2002.U.S. policy began to evolve in response to these developments. The incompatibility between the Cold War legacy nuclear posture and the 21st-century security environment stimulated a search for approaches to modernize policies pertinent to nuclear weapons. In response to statutory direction, the Bush administration published the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Nuclear Posture Review, the National Defense Strategy of the United States, and the National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction. Taken together, these documents constitute the most profound change in U.S. policy related to nuclear weapons since the Eisenhower administration (Krepon 1).The unique capabilities of nuclear weapons may still be required in some circumstances, but the range of alternatives to them is much greater today. The evolution of technology has created an opportunity to move from a policy that deters through the threat of massive retaliation to one that can reasonably aspire to the more demanding aim–to dissuade.If adversary WMD systems can be held at risk through a combination of precision non-nuclear strike and active defense, nuclear weapons are less necessary (Alb right 2). By developing a military capability that holds a proliferators’ entire WMD posture at risk rather than relying solely on the ability to deter the threat or use of WMD after they have been developed, produced, and deployed, the prospects for reducing the role of WMD in international politics are much improved.The 21st-century proliferation problem creates a set of targets significantly different from those that existed during the Cold War. Few targets can be held at risk only by nuclear weapons, but the ones that are appropriate may require different characteristics and, in many circumstances, different designs than those currently in the nuclear stockpile. The nature of the targets and the scope of the potential threat also alter the character of the underlying scientific, engineering, and industrial infrastructure that supports the nuclear weapons posture.   This research paper will therefore seek to discuss the problem of nuclear devices or WMDs (as they are pre sently termed) and try to address to current policy issues surrounding the matter.RESEARCH OUTLINE:INTRODUCTION:a.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   what is the problem surrounding nuclear threats in the 21st centuryb.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   what are the recent developments surrounding this issuec.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   what solutions have been successful in addressing these problemBODY:a.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   who are nuclear threatsb.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   what has been done to stopc.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   What can be done?d.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   What can the US do? What can the UN do?CONCLUSION:References:Robert Norris and Hans Kristensen, â€Å"Chinese Nuclear Forces, 2006,† Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 62. no. 3 (2006): 61.Stephanie Lieggi, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, â€Å"Going Beyond the Stir: the strategic realities of China's No First Use policy,† Nuclear Threat Initiative, http://www.nti.org/e_research/e3_70.html (accessed June 30, 2006).Frank Barnaby and Shaun Barnie, Thinking the Unthinkable: Japanese nuclear power and proliferation in East Asia (Oxford, UK: Oxford Research Group and Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, 2005): 7†³8.George Perkovich, India’s Nuclear Bomb: The Impact on Global Proliferation, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.)Michael Krepon, Rodney W. Jones & Ziad Haider eds., â€Å"Escalation Control & the Nuclear Option in South Asia,† The Henry L. Stimson Center, September 2004, http://www.stimson.org/pub.cfm?id=191, (May 2005).David Albright and Cory Hinderstein, â€Å"Uncovering the Nuclear Black Market: Working Toward Closing Gaps in the International Nonproliferation Regime,† Institute for Science & International Security, July 2004, http://www.isis-online.org/publications/southasia/ nuclear_black_market.html, (May 2005).Text of â€Å"Export Controls on Goods, Technologies, Material, and Equipment Related to Nuclear and Biological Weapons and their Delivery Systems Act, 2004,† Published in Gazette of Pakistan, 27 September 2004, Cited at, http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/ Infcircs/2004/infcirc636.pdf, (May 2005).Michael Krepon and Chris Gagne eds., â€Å"The Stability-Instability Paradox: Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Brinksmanship in South Asia,† The Henry L. Stimson Center, June 2001, http://www.stimson.org/pubs.cfm?ID=1, (May 2005).Feroz Hassan Khan, â€Å"The Independence-Dependence Paradox: Stability Dilemmas in South Asia,† Arms Control Association, October 2003, http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2003_10/Khan_10.asp, (May 2005).Ashley J. Tellis, India’s Emerging Nuclear Posture: Between Recessed Deterrent and Ready Arsenal, (Santa Monica: Rand, 2001.)

Black House Chapter Seven

7 GOD MAY KNOW where Henry Leyden found that astounding suit, but we certainly do not. A costume shop? No, it is too elegant to be a costume; this is the real thing, not an imitation. But what sort of real thing is it? The wide lapels sweep down to an inch below the waist, and the twin flaps of the swallowtail reach nearly to the ankles of the billowing, pleated trousers, which seem, beneath the snowfield expanse of the double-breasted waistcoat, to ride nearly at the level of the sternum. On Henry's feet, white, high-button spats adorn white patent-leather shoes; about his neck, a stiff, high collar turns its pointed peaks over a wide, flowing, white satin bow tie, perfectly knotted. The total effect is of old-fashioned diplomatic finery harmoniously wedded to a zoot suit: the raffishness of the ensemble outweighs its formality, but the dignity of the swallowtail and the waistcoat contribute to the whole a regal quality of a specific kind, the regality often seen in African American e ntertainers and musicians. Escorting Henry to the common room while surly Pete Wexler comes along behind, pushing a handcart loaded with boxes of records, Rebecca Vilas dimly remembers having seen Duke Ellington wearing a white cutaway like this in a clip from some old film . . . or was it Cab Calloway? She recalls an upraised eyebrow, a glittering smile, a seductive face, an upright figure posed before a band, but little more. (If alive, either Mr. Ellington or Mr. Calloway could have informed Rebecca that Henry's outfit, including the â€Å"high-drape† pants with a â€Å"reet pleat,† terms not in her vocabulary, had undoubtedly been handmade by one of four specific tailors located in the black neighborhoods of New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, or Los Angeles, masters of their trade during the thirties and forties, underground tailors, men now alas as dead as their celebrated clients. Henry Leyden knows exactly who tailored his outfit, where it came from, and how it fell into his hands, but when it comes to persons such as Rebecca Vilas, Henry imparts no more information than is already likely to be known.) In the corridor leading to the common room, the white cutaway appears to shine from within, an impression only increased by Henry's oversized, daddy-cool dark glasses with bamboo frames, in which what may be tiny sapphires wink at the corners of the bows. Is there maybe some shop that sells Spiffy Clothes of Great 1930s Bandleaders? Does some museum inherit this stuff and auction it off ? Rebecca cannot contain her curiosity a moment longer. â€Å"Mr. Leyden, where did you get that beautiful outfit?† From the rear and taking care to sound as though he is muttering to himself, Pete Wexler opines that obtaining an outfit like that probably requires chasing a person of an ethnicity beginning with the letter n for at least a couple of miles. Henry ignores Pete and smiles. â€Å"It's all a matter of knowing where to look.† â€Å"Guess you never heard of CDs,† Pete says. â€Å"They're like this big new breakthrough.† â€Å"Shut up and tote them bales, me bucko,† says Ms. Vilas. â€Å"We're almost there.† â€Å"Rebecca, my dear, if I may,† Henry says. â€Å"Mr. Wexler has every right to grouse. After all, there's no way he could know that I own about three thousand CDs, is there? And if the man who originally owned these clothes can be called a nigger, I'd be proud to call myself one, too. That would be an incredible honor. I wish I could claim it.† Henry has come to a halt. Each, in a different way, shocked by his use of the forbidden word, Pete and Rebecca have also stopped moving. â€Å"And,† Henry says, â€Å"we owe respect to those who assist us in the performance of our duties. I asked Mr. Wexler to shake out my suit when he hung it up, and he very kindly obliged me.† â€Å"Yeah,† Pete says. â€Å"Plus I also hung up your light and put your turntable and speakers and shit right where you want 'em.† â€Å"Thank you very much, Mr. Wexler,† Henry says. â€Å"I appreciate your efforts in my behalf.† â€Å"Well, shit,† Pete says, â€Å"I was only doing my job, you know? But anything you want after you're done, I'll give you a hand.† Without benefit of a flash of panties or a glimpse of ass, Pete Wexler has been completely disarmed. Rebecca finds this amazing. All in all, sightless or not, Henry Leyden, it comes to her, is far and away the coolest human being she has ever been privileged to encounter in her entire twenty-six years on the face of the earth. Never mind his clothes where did guys like this come from? â€Å"Do you really think some little boy vanished from the sidewalk out in front of here this afternoon?† Henry asks. â€Å"What?† Rebecca asks. â€Å"Seems like it to me,† Pete says. â€Å"What?† Rebecca asks again, this time to Pete Wexler, not Henry. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"Well, he ast me, and I tol' him,† Pete says. â€Å"That's all.† Simmering dangerously, Rebecca takes a stride toward him. â€Å"This happened on our sidewalk? Another kid, in front of our building? And you didn't say anything to me or Mr. Maxton?† â€Å"There wasn't nothin' to say,† Pete offers in self-defense. â€Å"Maybe you could tell us what actually happened,† Henry says. â€Å"Sure. What happened was, I went outside for a smoke, see?† This is less than strictly truthful. Faced with the choice of walking ten yards to the Daisy corridor men's room to flush his cigarette down a toilet or walking ten feet to the entrance and pitching it into the parking lot, Pete had sensibly elected outdoor disposal. â€Å"So I get outside and that's when I saw it. This police car, parked right out there. So I walked up to the hedge, and there's this cop, a young guy, I think his name is Cheetah, or something like that, and he's loadin' this bike, like a kid's bike, into his trunk. And something else, too, only I couldn't see what it was except it was small. And after he did that, he got a piece a chalk outta his glove compartment and he came back and made like X marks on the sidewalk.† â€Å"Did you talk to him?† Rebecca asks. â€Å"Did you ask him what he was doing?† â€Å"Miz Vilas, I don't talk to cops unless it's like you got no other choice, know what I mean? Cheetah, he never even saw me. The guy wouldn't of said nothing anyhow. He had this expression on his face it was like, Jeez, I hope I get to the crapper before I drop a load in my pants, that kind of expression.† â€Å"Then he just drove away?† â€Å"Just like that. Twenty minutes later, two other cops showed up.† Rebecca raises both hands, closes her eyes, and presses her fingertips to her forehead, giving Pete Wexler an excellent opportunity, of which he does not fail to take full advantage, to admire the shape of her breasts underneath her blouse. It may not be as great as the view from the bottom of the ladder, but it'll do, all right, yes it will. As far as Ebbie's dad is concerned, a sight like Rebecca Vilas's Hottentots pushing out against her dress is like a good fire on a cold night. They are bigger than you'd expect on a slender little thing like her, and you know what? When the arms go up, the Hottentots go up, too! Hey, if he had known she was going to put on a show like this, he would have told her about Cheetah and the bicycle as soon as it happened. â€Å"All right, okay,† she says, still flattening the tips of her fingers against her head. She lifts her chin, raising her arms another few inches, and frowns in concentration, for a moment looking like a figure on a plinth. Hoo-ray and hallelujah, Pete thinks. There's a bright side to everything. If another little snotnose gets grabbed off the sidewalk tomorrow morning, it won't be soon enough for me. Rebecca says, â€Å"Okay, okay, okay,† opens her eyes, and lowers her arms. Pete Wexler is staring firmly at a point over her shoulder, his face blank with a false innocence she immediately comprehends. Good God, what a caveman. â€Å"It's not as bad as I thought. In the first place, all you saw was a policeman picking up a bike. Maybe it was stolen. Maybe some other kid borrowed the bike, dumped it, and ran away. The cop could have been looking for it. Or the kid who owned the bike could have been hit by a car or something. And even if the worst did happen, I don't see any way that it could hurt us. Maxton's isn't responsible for whatever goes on outside the grounds.† She turns to Henry, who looks as though he wishes he were a hundred miles away. â€Å"Sorry, I know that sounded awfully cold. I'm as distressed about this Fisherman business as everyone else, what with those two poor kids and the missing girl. We're all so upset we can hardly think straight. But I'd hate to see us dragged into the mess, don't you see?† â€Å"I see perfectly,† Henry says. â€Å"Being one of those blind men George Rathbun is always yelling about.† â€Å"Hah!† Pete Wexler barks. â€Å"And you agree with me, don't you?† â€Å"I'm a gentleman, I agree with everybody,† Henry says. â€Å"I agree with Pete that another child may well have been abducted by our local monster. Officer Cheetah, or whatever his name is, sounded too anxious to be just picking up a lost bicycle. And I agree with you that Maxton's cannot be blamed for anything that happened.† â€Å"Good,† Rebecca says. â€Å"Unless, of course, someone here is involved in the murders of these children.† â€Å"But that's impossible!† Rebecca says. â€Å"Most of our male clients can't even remember their own names.† â€Å"A ten-year-old girl could take most of these feebs,† Pete says. â€Å"Even the ones who don't have old-timer's disease walk around covered in their own . . . you know.† â€Å"You're forgetting about the staff,† Henry says. â€Å"Oh, now,† Rebecca says, momentarily rendered nearly wordless. â€Å"Come on. That's . . . that's a totally irresponsible thing to say.† â€Å"True. It is. But if this goes on, nobody will be above suspicion. That's my point.† Pete Wexler feels a sudden chill if the town clowns start grilling Maxton's residents, his private amusements might come to light, and wouldn't Wendell Green have a field day with that stuff ? A gleaming new idea comes to him, and he brings it forth, hoping to impress Miz Vilas. â€Å"You know what? The cops should talk to that California guy, the big-time detective who nailed that Kinderling asshole two-three years ago. He lives around here somewhere, don't he? Someone like that, he's the guy we need on this. The cops here, they're way outta their depth. That guy, he's like a whaddayacallit, a goddamn resource.† â€Å"Odd you should say that,† Henry says. â€Å"I couldn't agree with you more. It is about time Jack Sawyer did his thing. I'll work on him again.† â€Å"You know him?† Rebecca asks. â€Å"Oh, yes,† Henry says. â€Å"That I do. But isn't it about time for me to do my own thing?† â€Å"Soon. They're all still outside.† Rebecca leads him down the rest of the corridor and into the common room, where all three of them move across to the big platform. Henry's microphone stands beside a table mounted with his speakers and turntable. With unnerving accuracy, Henry says, â€Å"Lot of space in here.† â€Å"You can tell that?† she asks. â€Å"Piece of cake,† Henry says. â€Å"We must be getting close now.† â€Å"It's right in front of you. Do you need any help?† Henry extends one foot and taps the side of the flat. He glides a hand down the edge of the table, locates the mike stand, says, â€Å"Not at the moment, darlin',† and steps neatly up onto the platform. Guided by touch, he moves to the back of the table and locates the turntable. â€Å"All is co-pacetic,† he says. â€Å"Pete, would you please put the record boxes on the table? The one on top goes here, and the other one right next to it.† â€Å"What's he like, your friend Jack?† Rebecca asks. â€Å"An orphan of the storm. A pussycat, but an extremely difficult pussy-cat. I have to say, he can be a real pain in the bunghole.† Crowd noises, a buzz of conversation interlaced with children's voices and songs thumped out on an old upright piano, have been audible through the windows since they entered the room, and when Pete has placed the record boxes on the table, he says, â€Å"I better get out there, ‘cuz Chipper's probly lookin' for me. Gonna be a shitload of cleanup once they come inside.† Pete shambles out, rolling the handcart before him. Rebecca asks if there is anything more Henry would like her to do for him. â€Å"The overhead lights are on, aren't they? Please turn them off, and wait for the first wave to come in. Then switch on the pink spot, and prepare to jitterbug your heart out.† â€Å"You want me to turn off the lights?† â€Å"You'll see.† Rebecca moves back across to the door, turns off the overhead lights, and does see, just as Henry had promised. A soft, dim illumination from the rank of windows hovers in the air, replacing the former brightness and harshness with a vague mellow haze, as if the room lay behind a scrim. That pink spotlight is going to look pretty good in here, Rebecca thinks. Outside on the lawn, the predance wingding is winding down. Lots of old men and women are busily polishing off their strawberry shortcakes and soda pop at the picnic tables, and the piano-playing gent in the straw boater and red sleeve garters comes to the end of â€Å"Heart and Soul,† ba bump ba bump ba ba bump bump bump, no finesse but plenty of volume, closes the lid of the upright, and stands up to a scattering of applause. Grandchildren who had earlier complained about having to come to the great fest dodge through the tables and wheelchairs, evading their parents' glances and hoping to wheedle a last balloon from the balloon lady in the clown suit and frizzy red wig, oh joy unbounded. Alice Weathers applauds the piano player, as well she might: forty years ago, he reluctantly absorbed the rudiments of pianism at her hands just well enough to pick up a few bucks at occasions like this, when not obliged to perform his usual function, that of selling sweatshirts and baseball caps on Chase Street. Charles Burnside, who, having been scrubbed clean by good-hearted Butch Yerxa, decked himself out in an old white shirt and a pair of loose, filthy trousers, stands slightly apart from the throng in the shade of a large oak, not applauding but sneering. The unbuttoned collar of the shirt droops around his ropy neck. Now and then he wipes his mouth or picks his teeth with a ragged thumbnail, but mainly he does not move at all. He looks as though someone plunked him down by the side of a road and drove off. Whenever the careering grandkids swerve near Burny, they instantly veer away, as if repelled by a force field. Between Alice and Burny, three-fourths of the residents of Maxton's belly up to the tables, stump around on their walkers, sit beneath the trees, occupy their wheelchairs, hobble here and there yakking, dozing, chuckling, farting, dabbing at fresh strawberry-colored stains on their clothing, staring at their relatives, staring at their trembling hands, staring at nothing. Half a dozen of the most vacant among them wear conical party hats of hard, flat red and hard, flat blue, the shades of enforced gaiety. The women from the kitchen have begun to circulate through the tables with big black garbage bags, for soon they must retire to their domain to prepare the evening's great feast of potato salad, mashed potatoes, creamed potatoes, baked beans, Jell-O salad, marshmallow salad, and whipped-cream salad, plus of course more mighty strawberry shortcake! The undisputed and hereditary sovereign of this realm, Chipper Max-ton, whose disposition generally resembles that of a skunk trapped in a muddy hole, has spent the previous ninety minutes ambling about smiling and shaking hands, and he has had enough. â€Å"Pete,† he growls, â€Å"what the hell took you so long? Start racking up the folding chairs, okay? And help shift these people into the common room. Let's get a goddamn move on here. Wagons west.† Pete scurries off, and Chipper claps his hands twice, loudly, then raises his outstretched arms. â€Å"Hey, everybody,† he bellows, â€Å"can you truly believe what a gol-durn gorgeous day the good Lord gave us for this beautiful event? Isn't this something?† Half a dozen feeble voices rise in agreement. â€Å"Come on, people, you can do better than that! I want to hear it for this wonderful day, this wonderful time we're all having, and for all the wonderful help and assistance given us by our volunteers and staff!† A slightly more exuberant clamor rewards his efforts. â€Å"All right! Hey, you know what? As George Rathbun would say, even a blind man could see what a great time we're all having. I know I am, and we're not done yet! We got the greatest deejay you ever heard, a fellow called Symphonic Stan, the Big-Band Man, waiting to put on a great, great show in the common room, music and dancing right up to the big Strawberry Fest dinner, and we got him cheap, too but don't tell him I said that! So, friends and family, it's time to say your good-byes and let your loved ones cut a rug to the golden oldies, just like them, ha ha! Golden oldies one and all, that's all of us here at Maxton's. Even I'm not as young as I used to be, ha ha, so I might take a spin across the floor with some lucky lady. â€Å"Seriously, folks, it's time for us to put on our dancing shoes. Please kiss Dad or Mom, Granddad or Grandma good-bye, and on your way out, you may wish to leave a contribution toward our expenses in the basket on top of Ragtime Willie's piano right over here, ten dollars, five dollars, anything you can spare helps us cover the costs of giving your mom, your dad, a bright, bright day. We do it out of love, but half of that love is your love.† And in what may seem to us a surprisingly short amount of time, but does not to Chipper Maxton, who understands that very few people wish to linger in an elder-care facility any longer than they must, the relatives bestow their final hugs and kisses, round up the exhausted kiddies, and file down the paths and over the grass into the parking lot, along the way a good number depositing bills in the basket atop Ragtime Willie's upright piano. No sooner does this exodus begin than Pete Wexler and Chipper Maxton set about persuading, with all the art available to them, the oldsters back into the building. Chipper says things like, â€Å"Now don't you know how much we all want to see you trip the light fantastic, Mrs. Syverson?† while Pete takes the more direct approach of, â€Å"Move along, bud, time to stir your stumps,† but both men employ the techniques of subtle and not-so-subtle nudges, pushes, elbow grasping, and wheelchair rolling to get their doddering charges through the door. At her post, Rebecca Vilas watches the residents enter the hazy common room, some of them traveling at a rate a touch too brisk for their own good. Henry Leyden stands motionless behind his boxes of LPs. His suit shimmers; his head is merely a dark silhouette before the windows. For once too busy to ogle Rebecca's chest, Pete Wexler moves past with one hand on the elbow of Elmer Jesperson, deposits him eight feet inside the room, and whirls around to locate Thorvald Thorvaldson, Elmer's dearest enemy and fellow inhabitant of D12. Alice Weathers wafts in under her own guidance and folds her hands beneath her chin, waiting for the music to begin. Tall, scrawny, hollow-cheeked, at the center of an empty space that is his alone, Charles Burnside slides through the door and quickly moves a good distance off to the side. When his dead eyes indifferently meet hers, Rebecca shivers. The next pair of eyes to meet hers belong to Chipper, who pushes Flora Flostad's wheelchair as if it held a cr ate of oranges and gives her an impatient glare completely at odds with the easy smile on his face. Time is money, you bet, but money is money, too, let's get this show on the road, pronto. The first wave, Henry had told her is that what they have here, the first wave? She glances across the room, wondering how to ask, and sees that the question has already been answered, for as soon as she looks up, Henry flashes her the okay sign. Rebecca flips the switch for the pink spot, and nearly everybody in the room, including a number of old parties who had appeared well beyond response of any kind, utters a soft aaah. His suit, his shirt, his spats blazing in the cone of light, a transformed Henry Leyden glides and dips toward the microphone as a twelve-inch LP, seemingly magicked out of the air, twirls like a top on the palm of his right hand. His teeth shine; his sleek hair gleams; the sapphires wink from the bows of his enchanted sunglasses. Henry seems almost to be dancing himself, with his sweet, clever sidestepping glide . . . only he is no longer Henry Leyden; no way, Renee, as George Rathbun likes to roar. The suit, the spats, the slicked-back hair, the shades, even the wondrously effective pink spot are mere stage dressing. The real magic here is Henry, that uniquely malleable creature. When he is George Rathbun, he is all George. Ditto the Wisconsin Rat; ditto Henry Shake. It has been eighteen months since h e took Symphonic Stan from the closet and fit into him like a hand into a glove to dazzle the crowd at a Madison VFW record hop, but the clothes still fit, oh yes, they fit, and he fits within them, a hipster reborn whole into a past he never saw firsthand. On his extended palm, the spinning LP resembles a solid, unmoving, black beachball. Whenever Symphonic Stan puts on a hop, he always begins with â€Å"In the Mood.† Although he does not detest Glenn Miller as some jazz aficionados do, over the years he has grown tired of this number. But it always does the job. Even if the customers have no choice but to dance with one foot in the grave and the other on the proverbial banana peel, they do dance. Besides, he knows that after Miller was drafted he told the arranger Billy May of his plan to â€Å"come out of this war as some kind of hero,† and, hell, he was as good as his word, wasn't he? Henry reaches the mike and slips the revolving record onto the platter with a negligent gesture of his right hand. The crowd applauds him with an exhaled oooh. â€Å"Welcome, welcome, all you hepcats and hepkitties,† Henry says. The words emerge from the speakers wrapped in the smooth, slightly above-it-all voice of a true broadcaster in 1938 or 1939, one of the men who did live remotes from dance halls and nightclubs located from Boston to Catalina. Honey poured through their throats, these muses of the night, and they never missed a beat. â€Å"Say, tell me this, you gates and gators, can you think of a better way to kick off a swingin' soiree than with Glenn Miller? Come on, brothers and sisters, give me yeahhh.† From the residents of Maxton's some of whom are already out on the floor, others wheelchair-bound on its edges in various postures of confusion or vacuity comes a whispery response, less a party cry than the rustle of an autumn wind through bare branches. Symphonic Stan grins like a shark and holds up his hands as if to still a hopped-up multitude, then twirls and spins like a Savoy Ballroom dancer inspired by Chick Webb. His coattails spread like wings, his sparkling feet fly and land and fly again. The moment evaporates, and two black beachballs appear on the deejay's palms, one of them spinning back into its sleeve, the other down to meet the needle. â€Å"All-reety all-righty all-rooty, you hoppin' hens and boppin' bunnies, here comes the Sentimental Gentleman, Mr. Tommy Dorsey, so get off your money and grab your honey while vocalist Dick Haymes, the pride of Buenos Aires, Argentina, asks the musical question ‘How Am I to Know You?' Frank Sinatra hasn't entered the building yet, brethren and sistren, but life is still fine as mmm-mmm wine.† Rebecca Vilas cannot believe what she is seeing. This guy is getting just about everyone out onto the floor, even some of the wheelchair cases, who are dipping and swirling with the best of them. Dolled up in his exotic, astonishing outfit, Symphonic Stan Henry Leyden, she reminds herself is corny and breathtaking, absurd and convincing, all at once. He's like . . . some kind of time capsule, locked into both his role and what these old people want to hear. He has charmed them back into life, back into whatever youth they had left in them. Unbelievable! No other word will do. People she had written off as shuffling basket cases are blooming right in front of her. As for Symphonic Stan, he's carrying on like an elegant dervish, making her think of words like suave, polished, urbane, unhinged, sexy, graceful, words that do not connect except in him. And that thing he does with the records! How is that possible? She does not realize that she is tapping her foot and swaying in time to the music until Henry puts on Artie Shaw's â€Å"Begin the Beguine,† when she literally begins her own beguine by starting to dance by herself. Henry's hepcat jive-dance, the sight of so many white-haired, blue-haired, and bald-headed people gliding around the floor, Alice Weathers beaming happily in the arms of none other than gloomy Thorvald Thorvaldson, Ada Meyerhoff and â€Å"Tom Tom† Boettcher twirling around each other in their wheelchairs, the sweeping pulse of the music driving everything beneath the molten radiance of Artie Shaw's clarinet, all of these things abruptly, magically coalesce into a vision of earthly beauty that brings tears stinging to her eyes. Smiling, she raises her arms, spins, and finds herself expertly grasped by Tom Tom's twin brother, eighty-six-year-old Hermie Boettcher, the retired geography teacher in A17 formerly considered something of a stick, who without a word fox-trots her right out to the middle of the floor. â€Å"Shame to see a pretty girl dancing all on her lonesome,† Hermie says. â€Å"Hermie, I'd follow you anywhere,† she tells him. â€Å"Let's us get closer to the bandstand,† he says. â€Å"I want a better look at that hotshot in the fancy suit. They say he's blind as a bat, but I don't believe it.† His hand planted firmly at the base of her spine, his hips swerving in time to Artie Shaw, Hermie guides her to within a foot of the platform, where the Symphonic One is already doing his trick with a new record as he waits for the last bar of the present one. Rebecca could swear that Stan/Henry not only senses her presence before him but actually winks at her! But that is truly impossible . . . isn't it? The Symphonic One twirls the Shaw record into its sleeve, the new one onto the platter, and says, â€Å"Can you say ‘Vout'? Can you say ‘Solid'? Now that we're all limbered up, let's get jumpin' and jivin' with Woody Herman and ‘Wild Root.' This tune is dedicated to all you beautiful ladies, especially the lady wearing Calyx.† Rebecca laughs and says, â€Å"Oh, dear.† He could smell her perfume; he recognized it! Undaunted by the steamy tempo of â€Å"Wild Root,† Hermie Boettcher slides into a back step, extends his arm, and spins Rebecca around. On the first beat of the next bar, he catches her in his arms and reverses direction, spinning them both toward the far end of the platform, where Alice Weathers stands next to Mr. Thorvaldson, gazing up at Symphonic Stan. â€Å"The special lady must be you,† Hermie says. â€Å"Because that perfume of yours is worth a dedication.† Rebecca asks, â€Å"Where'd you learn to dance like this?† â€Å"My brother and I, we were town boys. Learned how to dance in front of the jukebox at Alouette's, over by Arden.† Rebecca knows Alouette's, on Arden's Main Street, but what was once a soda fountain is now a lunch counter, and the jukebox disappeared around the time Johnny Mathis dropped off the charts. â€Å"You want a good dancer, you find yourself a town boy. Tom Tom, now he was always the slickest dancer around, and you can plunk him in that chair, but you can't take away his rhythm.† â€Å"Mr. Stan, yoo-hoo, Mr. Stan?† Alice Weathers has tilted her head and cupped her hands around her mouth. â€Å"Do you take requests?† A voice as flat and hard as the sound of two stones grinding together says, â€Å"I was here first, old woman.† This implacable rudeness brings Rebecca to a halt. Hermie's right foot comes gently down atop her left, then swiftly moves off, doing her no more injury than a kiss. Towering over Alice, Charles Burnside glares at Thorvald Thorvaldson. Thorvaldson steps back and tugs at Alice's hand. â€Å"Certainly, my dear,† says Stan, bending down. â€Å"Tell me your name and what you'd like to hear.† â€Å"I am Alice Weathers, and â€Å" â€Å"I was here first,† Burny loudly repeats. Rebecca glances at Hermie, who shakes his head and makes a sour face. Town boy or not, he is as intimidated as Mr. Thorvaldson. † ‘Moonglow,' please. By Benny Goodman.† â€Å"It's my turn, you jackass. I want that Woody Herman number called ‘Lady Magowan's Nightmare.' That one's good.† Hermie leans toward Rebecca's ear. â€Å"Nobody likes that fella, but he gets his own way.† â€Å"Not this time,† Rebecca says. â€Å"Mr. Burnside, I want you to â€Å" Symphonic Stan silences her with a wave of his hand. He turns to face the owner of the remarkably unpleasant voice. â€Å"No can do, mister. The song is called ‘Lady Magowan's Dream,' and I didn't bring that snappy little item with me this afternoon, sorry.† â€Å"Okay, bud, how about ‘I Can't Get Started,' the one Bunny Berigan did?† â€Å"Oh, I love that,† Alice says. â€Å"Yes, play ‘I Can't Get Started.' â€Å" â€Å"Happy to oblige,† Stan says in Henry Leyden's normal voice. Without bothering to jive around or spin the records on his hands, he simply exchanges the LP on the turntable for one from the first box. He seems oddly wilted as he steps to the mike and says, â€Å"I've flown around the world on a plane, I settled revolutions in Spain. Can't get started. Dedicated to the lovely Alice Blue Gown and the One Who Walks by Night.† â€Å"You're no better'n a monkey on a stick,† says Burny. The music begins. Rebecca taps Hermie on the arm and moves up alongside Charles Burnside, for whom she has never felt anything but mild revulsion. Now that she has him in focus, her outrage and disgust cause her to say, â€Å"Mr. Burnside, you are going to apologize to Alice and to our guest here. You're a crude, obnoxious bully, and after you apologize, I want you to get back into your room, where you belong.† Her words have no effect. Burnside's shoulders have slumped. He has a wide, sloppy grin on his face, and he is staring empty-eyed at nothing in particular. He looks too far gone to remember his own name, much less Bunny Berigan's. In any case, Alice Weathers has danced away, and Symphonic Stan, back at the far end of the platform and out of the pink spot, appears to be deep in thought. The elderly couples sway back and forth on the dance floor. Off to the side, Hermie Boettcher pantomimes dancing and quizzes her with a look. â€Å"I'm sorry about that,† she says to Stan/Henry. â€Å"No need to apologize. ‘I Can't Get Started' was my wife's favorite record. I've been thinking about her a lot, the past few days. Sort of took me by surprise.† He runs a hand over his sleek hair and shakes out his arms, visibly getting back into his role. Rebecca decides to leave him alone. In fact, she wants to leave everyone alone for a little while. Signaling regret and the press of duty to Hermie, she makes her way through the crowd and exits the common room. Somehow, old Burny has beaten her to the corridor. He shuffles absently toward Daisy wing, head drooping, feet scuffing the floor. â€Å"Mr. Burnside,† she says, â€Å"your act may fool everyone else, but I want you to know that it doesn't fool me.† Moving by increments, the old man turns around. First one foot shifts, then a knee, the spavined waist, the second foot, finally the cadaverous trunk. The ugly bloom of Burny's head droops on its thin stalk, offering Rebecca a view of his mottled scalp. His long nose protrudes like a warped rudder. With the same dreadful slowness, his head lifts to reveal muddy eyes and a slack mouth. A flash of sheer vindictiveness rises into the dull eyes, and the dead lips writhe. Frightened, Rebecca takes an instinctive step backward. Burny's mouth has moved all the way into a horrible grin. Rebecca wants to escape, but anger at having been humiliated by this miserable jerk lets her hold her ground. â€Å"Lady Magowan had a bad, bad nightmare,† Burny informs her. He sounds drugged, or half asleep. â€Å"And Lady Sophie had a nightmare. Only hers was worse.† He giggles. â€Å"The king was in his countinghouse, counting out his honeys. That's what Sophie saw when she fell asleep.† His giggling rises in pitch, and he says something that might be â€Å"Mr. Munching.† His lips flap, revealing yellow, irregular teeth, and his sunken face undergoes a subtle change. A new kind of intelligence seems to sharpen his features. â€Å"Does you know Mr. Munshun? Mr. Munshun and his li'l friend Gorg? Does you know what happened in Chicago?† â€Å"Stop this right now, Mr. Burnside.† â€Å"Duz you know uff Fridz Haarman, him who wazz zo loff-ly? Dey called him, dey called him, dey called him ‘da Vamp, Vamp, Vamp of Hanover,' yez dey dud, dud, dud. Evveybuddy, evveybuddy, evvey-buddy haz godz nide-marez all da dime, dime, dime, ha ha ho ho.† â€Å"Stop talking like that!† Rebecca shouts.†You're not fooling me!† For a moment, the new intelligence flares within Burny's dim eyes. It almost instantly retreats. He licks his lips and says, â€Å"Way-gup, Burn-Burn.† â€Å"Whatever,† Rebecca says. â€Å"Dinner is downstairs at seven, if you want it. Go take a nap or something, will you?† Burny gives her a peeved, murky look and plops a foot down on the floor, beginning the tedious process that will turn him around again. â€Å"You could write it down. Fritz Haarman. In Hanover.† His mouth twists into a smile of unsettling slyness. â€Å"When the king comes here, maybe we can dance together.† â€Å"No, thanks.† Rebecca turns her back on the old horror and clacks down the hallway on her high heels, uncomfortably aware of his eyes following her. Rebecca's nice little Coach handbag lies flat on her desk in the windowless vestibule to Chipper's office. Before going in, she pauses to rip off a sheet of notepaper, write down Fritz Harmann(?), Hanover(?), and slip the paper into the bag's central compartment. It might be nothing it probably is but who knows? She is furious that she let Burnside frighten her, and if she can find a way to use his nonsense against him, she will do her best to expel him from Maxton's. â€Å"Kiddo, is that you?† Chipper calls out. â€Å"No, it's Lady Magowan and her freakin' nightmare.† She strides into Chipper's office and finds him behind his desk, happily counting out the bills contributed that afternoon by the sons and daughters of his clientele. â€Å"My li'l Becky looks all ticked off,† he says. â€Å"What happened, one of our zombies stomp on your foot?† â€Å"Don't call me Becky.† â€Å"Hey, hey, cheer up. You won't believe how much your silver-tongued boyfriend conned out of the relatives today. A hundred and twenty-six smackers! Free money! Okay, what went wrong, anyhow?† â€Å"Charles Burnside spooked me, that's what. He ought to be in a mental hospital.† â€Å"Are you kidding? That particular zombie is worth his weight in gold. As long as Charles Burnside can draw breath into his body, he will always have a place in my heart.† Grinning, he brandishes a handful of bills. â€Å"And if you have a place in my heart, honey-baby, you'll always have a place at Maxton's.† The memory of Burnside saying, The king was in his countinghouse, counting out his honeys makes her feel unclean. If Chipper were not grinning in that exultant, loose-lipped way, Rebecca supposes, he would not remind her so unpleasantly of his favorite resident. Evveybuddy haz godz nide-marez all da dime, dime, dime that wasn't a bad description of the Fisherman's French Landing. Funny, you wouldn't think Old Burny would take more notice of those murders than Chipper. Rebecca had never heard him mention the Fisherman's crimes, apart from the time he groused that he would not be able to tell anyone he was going fishing until Dale Gilbertson finally got off his big fat butt, and what kind of crappy deal was that?