Essay on Data Mining Benefits and Drawbacks - 2702 Words

Data Mining Benefits and Drawbacks Introduction In a world where computers are becoming as essential to daily life as the cars we drive or the telephones we use to communicate, it is difficult to find a person who doesn’t have some particular use for computers. Computers have become the information stores of the world. If you take a moment to think about all the kinds of information a person can and does hold on their computer it is staggering. I myself have all the passwords to my email and bank accounts, the history of every web page I’ve visited in the last 3 weeks, my credit card numbers, the complete history of all my banking transactions for the last three years stored on my computer. Additionally, think about all the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"A number of healthcare advocacy, provider and consumer groups fear changes to new medical privacy rules could give a green light to banks and other financial institutions to access sensitive, personal medical information.†3 Consider for a moment the impact of a bank denying a person a loan because they are considered to be â€Å"not healthy† enough. Let’s say the person is getting over a drug addiction or has a history of smoking, the bank just might deny the loan based the on belief that the person will use the money to either buy drugs or the person will simply die too early to be able to pay off the loan. It seems far fetched, but is it really? The Dark Side of Data Mining The seemingly innocuous practice of data mining has a less reputable and more aggressive side to it. Some people and companies â€Å"mine† for data by subtly installing applications on users systems to monitor their activity. These applications are know as spyware and they range from simple pop-up advertisements to viruses which search out, record, and report back vital information such as passwords, email addresses, and account numbers. â€Å"Spyware is embedded in many programs without the knowledge of users. It is used to monitor the activities of computer users and report them to the spyware publisher.†4 In most cases â€Å"personal data is collected and distributed for re-sale to marketing enterprises†¦ many of the programs are hidden as downloads on computer games for children.†5Show MoreRelatedClustering Methods747 Words   |  3 Pagesin clustering massive data sets. The final clustering result of the k-mean clustering algorithm greatly depends upon the correctness of the initial centroids, which are selected randomly. This research will be followed by a serious of researches targeting the main objective which is an efficient DSS which will be applied on customer banking data. In this research a new method is proposed for finding the better initial centroids to provide an efficient way of assigning the data points to suitable clustersRead MoreSearch Engine Advertising : Keyword Advertising Essay1139 Words   |  5 Pagespage. It happens some search engines rank the ads for their popularity instead of money. Merchants must group their keyword efficiently to receive a maximum return on investment. However, a study states that keyword advertising has no short-term benefits and a statistically insignificant effect on sales. Thus, the search engine’s efficacy is weak. Finally, the contextual advertising is also a search engine that is based on the keyword of the searcher. It occurs on the banner pop-up ad that targetsRead MoreData Mining And Machine Learning1631 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Nowadays, data mining and machine learning become rapidly growing topics in both industry and academic areas. Companies, government laborites and top universities are all contributing in knowledge discovery of pattern recognition, text categorization, data clustering, classification prediction and more. In general, data mining is the technique used to analyze data from multi perspectives and reveal the hidden gem behind the enormous amount of data. With the explosive growth of data collectionsRead MoreMOTIVATION Organizations spend large capital to establish and maintain customer relationship. The1400 Words   |  6 Pagestechnique of data mining will not only solve the issue but also the policies and the strategies so designed could be more effective and competent. Thus the money spent on the customer retention programs/schemes can be saved by being more direct and specific. SCOPE In the present growing economy the market is full of cut throat competition. Acquiring new customers is manifolds more costly than retaining an old one. It is important to target those customers that could return maximum benefit. Thus thisRead MoreThe Importance Of Big Data871 Words   |  4 PagesBig Data keeps an eye out for the two open passages and bugs for affiliations. Investigating the veritable fixation to remove a prompting power from epic data, it must be regulated and assessed luckily, and the results ought to be required with can affect positive change or effect business decisions. The likelihood other than relies on an affiliation together having the right blend of people, process and movement. By unadulterated definition, examination is the introduction and correspondence ofRead MoreSocio-Economic Analysis Of Renewable Energy : The Economics Of Renewable Energy734 Words   |  3 Pagesgenerators. As they create unbalance during the times of less electricity cost, thes e VRE technologies have comparatively low value. ‘Market value’ aids as the weighting factor in correspondence with socio-economic value of power. If there are no drawbacks of wind power market value, it might have benefited the society. With more VRE invasion lessening of value is big, which results in decrease in wind power worth when compared to constant power resources. There are some measures called ‘mitigationRead MoreA Research Study On Machine Learning Community, The Decision Tree Algorithms, Quinlan s Id3 And Its Successor Essay1462 Words   |  6 PagesKrishnaswamy. Illustrated that the theoretical foundations of data stream analysis discussed. Mining data stream systems, techniques are critically reviewed. Finally, the research problems in streaming mining field of study are discussed. These research issues should be addressed in order to realize robust systems that are capable of fulfilling the needs of data stream mining applications. The ma in aim is to explore the data for testing a specific hypothesis. The machine learning fieldRead MoreBenefits Of Using Sap For Business1462 Words   |  6 Pagesintegrates all prospects of operating enterprise and that is why SAP software is also known as business integration and predictive software (Bennett, 2013). Business integration simplifies collaboration from one area or industry level to another, improving data stream within an enterprise and makes sure that its stream has a straight, progressive influence on business s productivity (Beyleveld, Schurink, 2005). It also makes better consumer amenity and product excellence, reduces product time to marketplaceRead MoreTypes Of Band Payment982 Words   |  4 PagesOut of Band Payment: Here the adversary directly pays the owners of a mining pool to mine a block for the adversary, the payment required can be made either in Bitcoins or any other acceptable currency. The main drawback of this method is that a owner may accept pa yment but still mine but for its own benefit. A mutual trust between the two parties and a trusted third party (in order to compel the terms of agreement), is required which makes it difficult for the adversary to bribe someone anonymouslyRead MoreThe Importance of Crowd Funding in Financing a Project or Business1001 Words   |  4 Pagesproject to the people with videos or description to reach the funding goal. Crowd funding is based on the close cooperation between investors, intermediaries and entrepreneurs (Loreta Valanciene and Sima Jegeleviciute, Valuation of crowd funding benefits and drawbacks, 2013). Crowd funding goes beyond online community participation and adopts a proactive role to the crowd who act as customers as well investors in both supporting and providing financial assistance for the projects (Ordanini

Public Land Of Public Lands - 959 Words

Public lands that allow us to easily access natural amenities have received more attention recently in the sense that they provide quality of life for residents and recreational opportunities for tourists. These characteristics of public lands provide economic benefits for communities adjacent to public lands. These communities refer to gateway communities, which have economic ties to public lands and provide necessary services for visitors to public lands (Kurtz, 2010; U.S. House of Representatives, 2005). Examples include towns abut to national and state forests, monuments, parks, wildlife refuge, lakeshores, scenic riverway, and recreation area (Kurtz, 2010). These communities generally have a smaller population base and yet are â€Å"hotspots† that experience rapid population and economic growth (Hester, 2013). In addition, they have characteristically relied on relatively few or even a single source to drive the local economy (Kurtz, 2003). Traditionally, most gateway communities have economically depended on resource extraction industries. However, advocates of the preservation of public lands, incited through a rise in environmental awareness and movement, urged elected officials to establish strong resources protection laws (Foresta, 1984; Wirth, 1980). From the 1960s through 1980, congress responded and passed a variety of acts such as the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Public Law 91-135; 16 U.S.C 1531-1544, 87 Stat. 884), Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976Show MoreRelatedProblem Statement Versus Needs Assesment1384 Words   |  6 Pageswill be stated either as a reduction of what is currently a problem or an enhancement of a need to be added to a current situation. For example, let’s look at a fictitious rural community facing a particular environmental situation. The federal public land manager in charge of a watershed surrounding the small, rural community of Cottonwood Creek brings a partnership of local stakeholders together worried about the namesake stream that flowed through their town of 4,000 people. The meeting includesRead MoreThe Loss Of Public Farming Land741 Words   |  3 PagesIn addition to the loss of public farming land, the opportunity arose for far wealthier citizens to expand the Roman latifundia (large plantation estates) as prices declined. This expansion also increased the already existing practice of slavery and drove smaller subsistence farmers off of the land, both by legal and illegal means. â€Å"The rich began to offer larger rents and drove out the poor. Then the poor, who had been ejected from the land, no longer showed themselves eager for military serviceRead MoreEssay about Public Grazing Lands1857 W ords   |  8 Pagesgrazing of public lands has become a very controversial issue over the last couple of decades. This is due to the fact that there are some people who believe that grazing the land is beneficial to the wildlife and the different plant species there. Then there are other people who have the belief that the grazing of livestock on public lands is detrimental to wildlife and plant health. Therefore, they believe that it is actually doing more harm than good. What are Public Grazing Lands? Public landsRead MoreAdvantages of Grazing Cattle on Public Lands782 Words   |  3 Pages Grazing cattle on public lands can have many advantages. Monetary gain is a large reason why lands are utilized (Council for Agricultural Science, Livestock Grazing on Federal Land). However grazing may be used as a tool for managing rangelands. Grazing could have possibly been the first form of rangeland management other than fire (Frost, Prescription Grazing). With this method, weeds and other undesirable vegetation were targeted to reduce numbers. However, if prescribed incorrectly it couldRead MoreProject Report731 Words   |  3 PagesPurifying Public Plots I will volunteer at the National Public Lands Day event at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. This event involves repairing fences, trails, and signs at the preserve. The preserves volunteer coordinator, Leslie Burkhardt, will coordinate the event. The reason why this project is important is that it gives me a chance to work with land that I have access to, but have not done any work to deserve access. First, I need to take to complete this project, is to get all of the waiverRead MorePublic Land Policy, And The Wilderness Act Of 1964845 Words   |  4 Pages1. Introduction For the past decades, public land policy debates have intensified among scholars, planners, and policy makers. The root of the debates is a question of which types of public lands management can provide better economic benefits to adjacent regions that are referred to gateway communities. For a long time, resource extractive industries – such as mineral, oil, coal, and timber development sectors - have been a primary growth engine for the economic growth in those communities. HoweverRead MoreThe Land Is Public Property In Ethiopia Case Analysis741 Words   |  3 PagesThe land is public property in Ethiopia [Gebreselassie 2006]; both rural and urban lands are made available to the investors at a competitive price on a Lease-Hold basis. The Lease or Rental value of land and fixed assets may transfer to the third party, but not the land. Incidentally, about the capital requirement, to assist investors to decide to invest on their own or jointly with the domestic investors the m inimum capital required for a single project has been apprehended. Under the InvestmentRead MoreThe Control of Public Land and the Consequences of Global Climate811 Words   |  3 Pagesworld’s largest known concentrations of oil shale and tar sands. More than 70 percent of oil shale in America can be found within federal lands in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. There are 50 confirmed tar sands deposits found in eastern Utah, with more suspected to be in the area. The Bureau of Land Management has already approved the lease of over 800,000 acres of land for tar sand and shale oil development across what is known as the Green River Formation. The combined oil reserve is estimated to beRead MoreA Research Study On The School Fire Occurred On Public Land1455 Words   |  6 Pagesdifference in the tree seedling densities as compared to unlogged sites? My hypothesis for this question is that there will be a greater density of tree species in the salvage logged site than the unl ogged site. Methods The School Fire occurred on public land in Washington’s Umatilla National Forest in August, 2005. It burned approximately 21,000 ha of grassland and mixed conifer forest (Figure 1). Pre-disturbance stand structure of the mixed conifer forest in the area was dominated by ponderosa pineRead MoreAboriginal Reservation Land Be Compulsorily Acquired For The Purpose Of Public Works1215 Words   |  5 PagesMaori reservation land be compulsorily acquired for the purpose of public works by the Minister of Land Information? No, according to legislation to primary legislation Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 and the Public Works Act 1981 and a recent decision from the New Zealand Environment Court. In Grace .v. Minister for Land Information (2014), a New Zealand Environment Court (NZEnvC) case, the primary legal considerations regarding compulsory public works acquisitions of Maori land were brought to the

Cloud Computing and Security Management †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Cloud Computing and Security Management. Answer: Introduction Cloud computing has been structured to utilize the advantages of economies of scale by using resources that are shared. This technology has made it possible resource sharing and has enhanced security and availability. For this case the clients pay for the services that they want. Either to act as their storage, application server or any other service that is provided by the cloud vendor. Cloud based refers to the services such as data, applications, servers, or other resources that are accessed by clients over the internet. Governments, institution, businesses and companies have implemented cloud based solution strategies so as to increase their service delivery, enhance resource availability, improve data security, enhance functionalities among other benefits. Data ownership in cloud computing has brought about dilemma around the health sector. It is still a complex matter and its solution cannot be determined any time soon. The aspect of data ownership is still one of the factors that is discouraging companies and businesses from shifting to cloud based solutions. Headspace hold a lot of sensitive data and transferring to cloud needs assurance that such data will remain theirs, control by them at all times without any other third party getting hold of these information. Cloud vendor have been working extra hard to resolve this problem that is with them, but until now there is no absolute answer to it. (Antonopoulos Gillam, 2017). When Headspace decides to implement cloud based solutions they are basically transferring their data to be by a third party individual. The biggest riddle that comes up after this is who actually owns the data in the cloud? Generally, the client, for this case Headspace have the thought that because the data originally came from them then it is them who owns it, but also they have to accept the fact that a third party, for this case cloud vendor have some possession of it. but it is important to note that it is the responsibility of the cloud vendor to ensure security of the data at all cost, because that one of the key objective that they have to meet without compromise. (Ruparelia, 2016). Making this issue more complicated is the fact that many countries are still using laws that are outdated regarding data ownership. It is a fact that data ownership laws are catching up with the evolving technology, that is, technology is always advancing while laws remain the same for a long period. The essential take away fact is that this issue is addressed by the agreement between the client and the cloud vendor, this is where it all boils down to. Several contracts states and clearly outlines who is the data owner. For instance, Amazon web services have stipulated that the client reserves the right of data ownership within its terms and conditions. Data Security Data security is a very important aspect when it comes to headspace. The Institution holds very sensitive data about their patients and is important that the cloud vendor that they are selecting stipulate clearly what they plan to do about the security of the data. Headspace will need clear information on the data security. Data security revolves around data integrity, availability, confidentiality and privacy. (Tilley Rosenblatt, 2016). Integrity of data is a very crucial factor that has to be critically considered. The cloud vendor should ensure that headspace data is not fabricated, deleted or modified by unauthorized party. This element can be attained by implementing database constraints and transactions which are normally managed by the database management system. To ensure data integrity any access or transaction by Headspace should depict the ACID properties of a transaction, that is, Atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability. It is the responsibility of the cloud vendor to ensure that data integrity is kept and maintained at all times and no unauthorized party is accessing the data and information. Implementing different level of data by the different levels of Headspace management ensures control access which is key to data integrity. (Fox Riemann, 2012). Headspace is an institution that deals with special people with special needs thus special information that needs high level of confidentiality. To ensure confidentiality of data, the cloud vendor should implement access control and authentication features. Also cloud vendor should increase reliability of its services and trustworthiness so as to gain this factor. Also to enhance this feature of security Headspace can encrypt their data before storing them in the cloud. This will help deal with the potential threats from the inside with bad motive of maybe selling such information. (Wicklund, 2011). For an institution such as headspace to operate normally, it needs data and information, to make decisions and to offer prescriptions to its patients. It is the responsibility of the cloud vendor to ensure that such data and information is available at all times even it times of crisis and downfall. It should have such sophisticate data recovery techniques to ensure that no single data is lost In case of accidents and other disasters. Cloud vendor has a role to share all the concern with Headspace in good time so as to build good relationship. The provider has a duty to make sure that data is safe and outline jurisdiction of the laws governing them to the client. (Kulkarni, 2013). Headspace holds such private data about their patients. It is too private to be leaked out even to non-potential threats. Therefore, to ensure privacy of the patients attended by Headspace, the cloud provider should ensure that their data is kept safe and confidential. If it is to be accessed, then the person accessing it should have proper clearance. When privacy of data is tempered with, this will have direct negative impact on the person associated with the data compromised. To enhance data privacy, the cloud vendor should be able to clearly outline the following; how can user have controlled over their information processed and stored in the cloud, how can data replication be guaranteed consistently, who is concerned with the legal needs of private data and to what level do cloud subcontractors get involved in private data processing. (Jamsa, 2013). Non-Functional Requirements of Cloud Based Solution Headspace opted to cloud based solution because they expect certain institution objective to mbe met. Also the cloud services should have the capabilities to meet their needs and requirements fully. To enhance functionality, cloud providers should make sure that their systems are made up of the latest technology so as to keep up with the fast changing technology. There services should also limit Headspace on what platform to use. It should enable them to access the cloud services from any end device like a mobile phone, laptop, PC regardless of the technology it is built be it IOS, android, MacOS, Windows or any other platform. The cloud provider should also make sure that their systems have abilities to scale and raid provisioning that cannot be provided in different environments. (Tilley Parveen, 2013). This requirement will differ depend on who the client is. In any case the cloud vendor should ensure that the systems are easy to use and with a user friendly interface that assure simple and easy navigation through the system. If possible it should also facilitate Headspace to customize its user interface depending maybe on the department or the level of access. In todays world, effective design of user interface is more critical than ever. (In Chao, 2016). This is measure by the time the cloud vendor offers services continuously including downtimes and scheduled maintenance. Availability should be at 99.99%. this means that the cloud provider should ensure availability of data at all times. Also it should have a mechanism for disaster recovery in case of any accidents. (Hua Wang, 2016). Headspace expect the solution to enhance and improve service delivery and add value. Implementing cloud based solution will help do away with maintenance cost of storage devices, infrastructure and applications. Also the system should conctrate on satisfying the user by meeting their needs and requirements. (Srivastava Kumar, 2015). It is important for the cloud provider to categorically outline the security measure it has in place toward data security and availability. Data integrity, confidentiality, privacy and availability should be key issues that the cloud vendor should answer and state clearly on how to achieve them. (Yang Borg, 2012). Some of the benefits that Headspace institution will receive by implementing cloud based solutions include; Flexibility- through the use of internet connection, users are able to scale services to meet their needs, access cloud services and facilitate customization of applications from anywhere. Efficiency- users can acquire applications to quickly market their services without the worries of infrastructure or maintenance expenses. Strategic value- Cloud services offer innovative technology thus enhancing competitive advantage to enterprises. Reduced hardware and support requirements- as headspace moves more vital applications into the cloud, the likelihood of upgrading computers too often is less. Most employees manage to perform without the use of computers of higher end. This is because there is no occurrence of actual computing. (Wicklund, 2011). Anytime, Anywhere Collaboration- cloud services simplify workload of the headspace institution. Employees are able to carry out their duties anywhere either at home or in the office. Also, there is no need of setting up VPN if the staff members are using a secure or private Wi-Fi. Cloud items simplifies collaboration with fellow staff members from outside the institution. For instance, one can build a basecamp project where everyone is able to view each others jobs. Individuals working in the same institution benefits from collaboration of the team tools such as file sharing, shared calendars, instant messaging and video conferencing. (Kulkarni, 2013). Disadvantages of cloud-based solutions Availability and security- there exist many cases of breaches of security in cloud based services. These breaches are normally caused by human errors. Cloud providers Going Out of Business- Cloud computing is a field that is quickly changing. As such there is threat that a business may deviate from its services. Service sudden change may not affect the organization if it was using the system for a one-time project but can cause problems if it was designed for the whole donor database. (Jamsa, 2013). This is a one of the straightforward methodology of system development life cycle. It is a pre-determined approach where there are stages and for one to move to the next stage the previous stage should have been completed because there is no turning back. This approach is best when the project has limited time and flexibility is not required. Furthermore, Management of this particular approach is easy and simple. However, this approach is slow as it is used to review at every stage before the next stage is started. This approach also as very limited space for corrections and modifications, therefore, corrections are only made at the maintenance phase. In addition, since the requirements are predetermined, if a wrong requirement is purchased or missing, it may not be identified until the late phases of development. (Langer, 2012). This is an iterative approach that development of a product or its component is repeated several times until the best result is obtained. Some advantages attributed to this approach include thorough testing during development, continuous involvement of the user to ensure that the user requirements are made, it stresses on integration through involvement of all the stakeholder, it quickly delivers a working product as compared to predictive approach. In addition is easy to develop the correct system due to continuous involvement o all the stakeholders. However, the project can be headed in the wrong direction if the user doesnt specifically know what s/he want. (Roebuck, 2012). Conclusion When it comes to product development then adaptive approach has always been the best option over predictive. This is because of the certainty of developing a more accurate product and errors are reduced. It may seem costly but actually t is cheap compared to predictive. In predictive, if a wrong system is developed this means that the product has to be developed again. For Adaptive there will be iterative process until an ideal product or components obtained. Recommendation Headspace institution should keep in mind that security and system uptime cant be perfect, and there may lack staff focused to management of information technology. Dedicated and trained experts are the ones who handle management and security issues. When analyzing cloud vendors, it is advisable to look for options available for extracting and backing up data. The best services help the institution download it information in a nonproprietary and standard format. References Antonopoulos, N., Gillam, L. (2017).Cloud computing: Principles, systems and applications. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. Fox, S., Riemann, L. (2012).Professional SharePoint 2010 cloud-based solutions. Indianapolis, Ind: Wrox/John Wiley Sons. Hua, Z. Wang, X. (2016). Cloud Computing and the Essentials of Security Management.Open Access Library Journal,3, 1-4. doi:10.4236/oalib.1102618. In Chao, L. (2016).Handbook of research on cloud-based STEM education for improved learning outcomes. Hershey, Pennsylvania IGI Global Jamsa, K. (2013).Cloud computing: SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, virtualization, business models, mobile, security and more. Burlington, MA: Jones Bartlett Learning. Kulkarni, M. (2013).Gradeboard: A cloud-based solution for a student grading system. M.S. California State University, San Bernardino. Langer, A. M. (2012).Guide to Software Development: Designing and Managing the Life Cycle. London: Springer. Roebuck, K. (2012).Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC): High-impact Strategies - What You Need to Know: Definitions, Adoptions, Impact, Benefits, Maturity, Vendors. Dayboro: Emereo Publishing. Ruparelia, N. (2016).Cloud computing. Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press. Srivastava, H. Kumar, S. (2015) Control Framework for Secure Cloud Computing.Journal of Information Security,6, 12-23. doi:10.4236/jis.2015.61002. Tilley, S. R., Parveen, T. (2013).Software testing in the cloud: Perspectives on an emerging discipline. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Tilley, S., Rosenblatt, H. J. (2016).Systems Analysis and Design. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning US. Wicklund, P. (2011).Deploying cloud-based Microsoft SharePoint 2010 solutions. Place of publication not identified: Microsoft Press. Yang, Y. Borg, K., (2012). "Regulatory Privacy Protection for Biomedical Cloud Computing,"Beijing Law Review, Vol. 3 No. 4, pp. 145-151. doi:10.4236/blr.2012.34020.

Interpreting Dreams That Never Occurred The Dream Sequence in The Wife of Baths Prologue and Its Implied Concepts

As history records show, feminism and Middle Ages are not quite compatible; despite the fact that the idea of women’s liberation was started way back in the Ancient Greece (DuBois, 2007), the Dark Ages set the evolution of a feminist movement back to the era of chauvinism and male dominance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Interpreting Dreams That Never Occurred: The Dream Sequence in The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Its Implied Concepts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite men being predominantly satisfied with the given state of affairs at that time, humanist ideas were spawned by Chaucer ‘s The Canterbury tales in the era when women had little to no authority in the society, therefore, posing a number of marriage and relationship related ethical questions to the male part of the audience and encouraging women to pursue their independence in marriage, which The Clerk’s tale and the dream of the fifth wife in The wife of Bath’s prologue show in the most graphic way. The fact that the fifth wife was willingly inclining the man that would later on become her fifth husband to murder her fourth one, whom she accused of beating her and having her will completely trodden under his feet, can also be interpreted as not only the demand for women to be free in their marriage, as well as free to choose their future husband, but also the need for a woman to be equal to her husband. On the one hand, such interpretation seems impossible in the light of the oppression that women were under in the Middle Ages. Indeed, with the chauvinist ideas setting the course for social tendencies, as well as the principles for relationships between a man and a woman, the mere mentioning of equality would be absurd. Nevertheless, the plea – or, perhaps, even a demand – for being treated fair can be easily read into every single phrase uttered by the fifth wife, not to mention the dream story that she crafted: â€Å"You say that just as worms destroy a tree, / Just so a wife destroys her own husband; / Men know this who are bound in marriage band† (Chaucer, n. d., lines 382–384). In this regard, Clerk’s tale by Chaucer should also be mentioned. Also dealing with the subject of a woman’s role in marriage, it might be seen as a major retreat in Chaucer’s feminist endeavors, since the main storyline revolves around a woman being so devoted to her husband that she sacrifices her children and her happiness to serve him: â€Å"O Lord, I am willing  / To do your will† (Chaucer, n. d.). However, Chaucer still manages to state his opinion regarding equality in marriage: â€Å"But bow your neck beneath that blessed yoke  / Of sovereignty and not of hard service,  / The which men call espousal or wedlock† (Chaucer, n. d.).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Griselda, therefore, is a symbol of a wife, who admits her husband to be her master. While being aligned with the contemporary Christian principles of marriage, from a humanist perspective, the given concept is absurd, since in marriage, both a wife and a husband must be provided with equal rights; any other type of relationships can be classified as not marriage, but slavery. In spite of the chauvinist tendencies of the Medieval society, as well as the lack of equality in relationship between a man and a woman in the Middle Ages, Chaucer managed to make a statement concerning the need to provide women with freedoms in their personal life. While not stating the fact that women are equal to men directly, Chaucer conveys the given principle in his Canterbury tales in a very clear manner, making an especially explicit statement in describing the dream of the fifth wife and The Clerk’s tale. The tales that could easily be interpreted as a joke by Chaucer’s contemporaries, they planted the seeds for feminist principles to evolve from. Reference List Chaucer, G. (n. d.). The clerk’s tale. Web. Chaucer, G. (n. d.) The wife of Bath’s prologue. Retrieved from http://www.jsu.edu/depart/english/gates/wifebprt.htm DuBois, E. C. (2007) Plato as a proto-feminist. Web. This essay on Interpreting Dreams That Never Occurred: The Dream Sequence in The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Its Implied Concepts was written and submitted by user Layla Tucker to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Using the Spanish Verb Poner

Using the Spanish Verb Poner The Spanish verb poner is one of those verbs that can be difficult to translate. It has a wide variety of meanings - just as does the English verb put, which is perhaps the verbs most common translation into English. Originally, poner conveyed the idea of placing something somewhere. However, its meaning has expanded over the centuries to include abstract concepts such as the placement of ideas or concepts or bringing about various kinds of changes. It is often used in the reflexive form (ponerse). Keep in mind that poner is conjugated highly irregularly. Irregularities occur in both the stem and the endings. Key Takeaways: Poner Poner  is an irregular verb that most commonly means to put. Poner has multiple definitions. It generally conveys the idea of changing a location or status of something or someone, either literally or figuratively.Poner  can be used reflexively, such as when it means to get dressed. Meanings of Poner Following are some of the meanings of poner, along with sample sentences, that can be ascribed to poner. This list is not complete. Note that many of the English translations could have been made using put; in practice, you often can do the same. Alternative verbs have been used to convey the idea that poner has many meanings. Placing Objects or Arranging Siempre pone las llaves en el escritorio. (He always puts the keys on the desk.)Todos los dà ­as sale de su casa a las 8:30 de la maà ±ana y pone el telà ©fono celular en la consola de su auto. (Every day she leaves her house at 8:30 a.m. and places her cell phone on the console of her car.)Puso la mesa para la maà ±ana siguiente. (He set the table for the next morning.) Putting on Clothing Se pondr la camisa que ms le guste en ese momento. (He will put on the shirt he likes most at the time.)Al llegar a la piscina me puse las gafas. (When I arrived at the swimming pool I put on my goggles.) Investing or Contributing Money Si ponemos 1000 pesos, en un aà ±o recibimos 1030. (If we invest 1,000 pesos, in a year we will receive 1,030.)Puso tres dà ³lares en el juego de La Rueda de la Fortuna en el casino. She gambled $3 on the Wheel of Fortune game at the casino. Effecting Change Puso el coche en revà ©s. (He put the car in reverse.)Las elecciones pusieron fin a la revolucià ³n. (The elections put an end to the revolution.)La lesià ³n del hombro me ponà ­a en un aprieto. (My shoulder injury put me in a bind.)Si hay algo que la ponà ­a de mal humor era el verano, el calor. (If there is something that put her in a bad mood, it was the summer, the heat.)Pusieron la casa en venta cuando se mudaron a Los ngeles. (They put the house up for sale when they moved to Los Angeles.) Becoming Se puso muy triste. (He became very sad.)Akira se puso azul por momentos y casi devuelve lo que habà ­a comido en una semana. (Akira turned blue for a short time and almost threw up what she had eaten during the week.) Designating Sà ­, es verdad que le pusieron Pablo Pingà ¼ino. (Yes, its true they called him Pablo Pingà ¼ino.)El Departamento de Justicia puso dos millones de dà ³lares como precio por la cabeza de Benjamà ­n. (The Justice Department set $2 million as the price for Benjamins capture.) Showing or Displaying  ¿Quà © ponen esta noche en la tele? (What is on TV tonight? Literally, what are they showing on TV tonight?) ¿Tienes una gran foto?  ¡Ponla en tu sitio web! (Do you have a great photo? Show it on your website!) Phrases Using Poner In addition to having a wide variety of meanings on its own,  poner  is part of various phrases and idioms whose meanings arent always obvious. Here are some of the common ones: Poner bien a alguien  (to have a high opinion of someone)  -   Como era el ms inteligente de los tres, me ponà ­an bien.  (Because I was the smartest of the three, they thought highly of me.)Poner en claro  (to make clear)  -   Con su permiso, pondrà © en claro el concepto de inflacià ³n.  (With your permission Ill make the concept of inflation clear.)Poner en marcha  (to start)  - Luego, puse el coche en marcha.  (Later, I started the car.)Poner en juego  (to put in danger)  -   La guerra pone en juego el futuro de la ONU.  (The war puts the future of the U.N. in danger.)Poner en riesgo  (to put at risk)  -   El mal tiempo puso en riesgo el helicà ³ptero en el que viajaba el presidente.  (The bad weather put the helicopter that the president traveled in at risk.)Poner huevo  (to lay an egg)  -   Tengo dos canarias hembra que no ponen huevos.  (I have two female canaries that dont lay eggs.)Poner pegas  (to object)  -   Nunca p onà ­a pegas a nada. Todo lo parecà ­a bien.  (I never objected to anything. Everything seemed fine.) Poner por encima  (to prefer)  -   Ponà ­an el negocio por encima de todo.  (They made business their highest priority.)Ponerse colorado  or  ponerse rojo  (to be embarrassed or ashamed, to blush, to turn red)  -   Era muy tà ­mido. Si alguien me decà ­a algo me ponà ­a rojo y sudaba.  I was very shy. (If someone told me something I would blush and sweat.)Ponerse de pie  (to stand up)  -   Se puso de pie y golpeà ³ el escritorio con el puà ±o.  (He stood up and pounded the desk with his fist.)Ponerse de rodillas  (to kneel, to fall to ones knees)  -   El jardinero se puso de rodillas, implorando el perdà ³n de su imprudencia.  (The gardener fell to his knees, begging forgiveness for his carelessness.)

The Top 10 Unsolved Questions in Economics

The Top 10 Unsolved Questions in Economics There are many problems in the economic world that have yet to be solved, and fortunately, Wikipedia  has compiled a list of the greatest ones to date - from what caused the Industrial Revolution to whether or not money supply is endogenous. Although great economists like Craig Newmark and members of the AEA have taken a stab at solving these tough issues, the true solution to these problems - that is to say the generally understood and accepted truth of the matter - has yet to come to light. To say a question is unsolved implies that the question potentially has a solution, in the same way 2x 4 8 has a solution. The difficulty is, most of the questions on this list are so vague that they cannot possibly have a solution. Nevertheless, here are the top ten unsolved economic problems. 1. What Caused the Industrial Revolution? Although there are many factors at play in causing the Industrial Revolution, the economic answer to this question has yet to be sussed out. However, no event has a single cause - the Civil War was not wholly caused by slavery and World War I was not wholly caused by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. This is a question without a solution, as events have numerous causes and determining which ones were more important than others naturally involves some subjectivity. While some might argue that a strong middle-class, mercantilism and the development of an empire, and an easily moveable and growing urban population who increasingly believed in materialism led to the Industrial Revolution in England, others might argue the countrys isolation from European continental problems or the nations common market led to this growth. 2. What Is the Proper Size and Scope of Government? This question again has no real objective answer, because people will always have differing views on the argument of efficiency versus equity in governance. Even if a population managed to fully understand the exact trade-off that was being made in each case, the size and scope of a government largely depend on its citizenrys dependence on its influence. New countries, like the United States in its early days, relied on a centralized government to maintain order and oversee rapid growth and expansion. Over time, it has had to decentralize some of its authority to the state and local levels in order to better represent its vastly diverse population. Still, some might argue the government should be larger and control more due to our reliance on it domestically and abroad. 3. What Truly Caused the Great Depression? Much like the first question, the cause of the Great Depression cant be pinpointed because so many factors were at play in the eventual crash of the United States economies in the late 1920s. However, unlike the Industrial Revolution, whose many factors also included advances outside of economy, the Great Depression was primarily caused by a catastrophic intersection of economic factors. Economists commonly believe five factors ultimately resulted in the Great Depression: the stock market crash in 1929, over 3,000 banks failing throughout the 1930s, reduction in purchasing (demand) in the market itself, American policy with Europe, and drought conditions in Americas farmland. 4. Can We Explain the Equity Premium Puzzle? In short, no we have not yet. This puzzle refers to the strange occurrence of returns on stocks being much higher than returns on government bonds over the past century, and economists are still baffled by what could truly be the cause. Some posit that either risk aversion may be at play here, or antithetically that large consumption variability accounted for the discrepancy in return capital. However, the notion that stocks are riskier than bonds isnt enough to account for this risk aversion as a means to alleviate arbitrage opportunities within a countrys economy. 5. How Is It Possible to Provide Causal Explanations Using Mathematical Economics? Because mathematical economics relies on purely logical constructions, some might wonder how an economist might use causal explanations in their theories, but this problem isnt quite that difficult to solve. Like physics, which can provide causal explanations like a projectile traveled 440 feet because it was launched at point x from angle y at velocity z, etc., mathematical economics can explain the correlation between events in a market that follow the logical functions of its core principles. 6. Is There an Equivalent of Black-Scholes for Futures Contract Pricing? The Black-Scholes formula estimates, with relative accuracy, the price of European-style options in a trading market. Its creation led to a newfound legitimacy of the operations of options in markets globally, including the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and is often used by participants of options markets to predict future returns. Although variations of this formula, including notably the Black formula, have been made in financial economic analyses, this still proves to be the most accurate prediction formula for markets around the world, so there is still yet to be an equivalent introduced to the options market. 7. What Is the Microeconomic Foundation of Inflation? If we treat money such as any other commodity in our economy and as such is subject to the same supply and demand forces, reason would suggest it would be just as susceptible to inflation as goods and services are. However, if you consider this question like one considers the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, it may be best left as a rhetorical one. The basis, of course, is that we do treat our currency like a good or service, but where this originates doesnt truly have one answer. 8. Is the Money Supply Endogenous? Wikipedia follows up this question with a simple statement: Mainstream economics claims that it is; post-Keynesian economics claims that it is not. However, the issue isnt uniquely about endogeneity, which, strictly speaking, is a modeling assumption. If the question is properly constructed, I think this could be considered one of the key problems in economics. 9. How Does Price Formation Occur? In any given market, prices are formed by a variety of factors, and just like the question of the microeconomic foundation of inflation, theres no true answer to its origins, though one explanation posits that each seller in a market forms a price depending on probabilities within the market which in turn depends on the probabilities of other sellers, meaning that prices are determined by how these sellers interact with one another and their consumers. However, this idea that prices are determined by the markets overlooks several key factors including that some goods or service markets dont have a set market price as some markets are volatile while others are stable - all depending on the veracity of information available to buyers and sellers. 10. What Causes the Variation of Income Among Ethnic Groups? Much like the causes of the Great Depression and the Industrial Revolution, the exact cause of income disparity between ethnic groups cannot be pinpointed to a single source. Instead, a variety of factors ​are at play depending on where one is observing the data, though it mostly comes down to institutionalized prejudices within the job market, availability of resources to different ethnic and their relative economic groups, and employment opportunities in localities featuring varying degrees of ethnic population density.

A Telemedicine opportunity or a distraction Case Study

A Telemedicine opportunity or a distraction - Case Study Example Additionally, the problems encountered in its processes and operation will be highlighted using porters value chain mode. The study paper concludes by revealing that a telemedicine is an opportunity not a distraction (Gogan & Garfield, 2012). Case Synopsis Telemedicine is the application of medical information communicated from one location to another through electronic communications to enhance a patient’s medical health condition. Telemedicine comprises a growing diversity of services and applications using smart phones, two-way video, wireless tools, email and other kinds of telecommunications techniques. After definition, the case paper seeks to assess whether this application is an opportunity or a distraction. The empirical case study (Falmouth Hospital) enjoys honors for their exemplary TeleStroke services thus confirming benefits of the telemedicine (Gogan & Garfield, 2012). ... Porter’s firm-based value chain model is crucial in the assessing the case paper objective. Assessment involves of identifying a clinically identifiable issues or symptom that can be tested or possibly treated using telemedicine technology. Clinical conditions responsive to telemedicine consist of ailments where data about them, relevant images and a Live Video telemedicine meeting with a doctor provides a feasible and applicable solution that includes an appropriate treatment plan or alternatively meets the medical requirement for on-going management of a non-acute illness (Bulik, 2008). The practice has its challenges thus the questioning whether it is a distraction or an opportunity. It is necessary to assess this during the case study to acknowledge the case objective. Strategy Analysis Telemedicine is not an isolated medical specialty. Services and products associated with telemedicine are frequently part of a larger venture by health care organizations in either the deli very of clinical care or information technology. As such, document telemedicine meetings in the same manner as a patient office visit – through medical records (Gogan & Garfield, 2012). The medical record standard in most clinics is the traditional paper record. Many clinics do not have an electronic medical record system. Introduction or usage of telemedicine is an opportunity for healthcare institutions to enhance their electronic system to enjoy the benefits associated with telemedicine. As evident in Shawn Farrell case, telemedicine is essential in dealing with critical cases that need minimal or no time wastage (Gogan & Garfield, 2012). It is upon clinics not currently using an electronic record need to reflect how they to monitor and maintain the new electronic records created by

Chesed & The Book of Ruth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chesed & The Book of Ruth - Essay Example Chesed term also refers to the first day of God’s creation. The first day is referred to as Torah, which means the day of one. The day is associated with the creation of light. Light is a representation of goodness and loving kindness. The day signifies oneness of God. The first day accompanied all other days. The physical symbol of chesed is man’s reflection in water. Additionally, the concept of chesed is also manifest in man’s reflection of man’s heart to a man. In Hebrew, Chesed is similar to faithfulness born due to a sense of caring and mercy. The book of Ruth is characterized by Ruth. Ruth is the daughter-in-law to Naomi. After, the sons of Naomi die in Moab; Ruth insists that she must leave with Naomi to Bethlehem (Ruth 1:8-22). After, a successive journey back to Bethlehem, Judea, and Naomi orchestrates the meeting of Boaz and Ruth in eh barley field, which belonged to Boaz. Naomi took the initiative out of love and kindness for her daughter-in-law. Additionally, the plans of Naomi worked according to the plan. Naomi advised Ruth to hide until Boaz was asleep in order to lie down near his feet. After, Boaz woke up; Ruth had an easy time convincing him to marry her in order to form a oneness, chesed. Although, Boaz knew that Ruth was already seeing another man, he was willing to wait for the renouncement of Ruth by the other man before accepting Ruth’s offer (Ruth 3:1-18). The plan was in tandem with the traditions of the kinsman-redeemer. The relationship between Boaz and Ruth is sealed when Boaz is satisfied that no others man has claim over Ruth (Ruth 4:1-12). The epilogue explores Naomi’s joy and loving kindness especially when Boaz marries Ruth. Fortunately, Ruth has descendants of King David (Ruth 4:13-18). This implies that the aspect of chesed applies in all areas of life. The unity that Ruth and Naomi maintained led to the oneness between Boaz

Policies issues Essay Example for Free

Policies issues Essay By watching the video for this assignment I agree that these children are getting abuse and by the environment they come from they will grow up and may follow the steps of their parents. The mother had put a restraining order on the boyfriend. Until she had to call the police cause he kept coming to her house. Her small son was scare and child protector services (CPS) had to get on involve and replace him in a foster home. There are different factors. Some kids are taking drugs because they grew up around their parents or friends doing drugs. There some kids that physical abuse is involve in the family. In the video also addresses Policy implications or recommendations of the crime. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also a personal crime. The abuse come from the family itself or someone known by the family. I believe that the abuse effects all young kids. These abuse kids will show depression, anti-social, anger, rebellious, and will lead them to take drugs. Before its misinterpreted wrong it is very important to understand the various kinds of child abuse that does occur. Child abuse is not just rigorously a bodily problem, but it is more than just that. This is what child abuse is; physical violence, verbal abuse, emotional, rape and psychological torment, sexual molestation, and abandonment. It important to see the background of these crimes and see if there is a pattern that were the abuse is coming from. Child abuse is an inexplicable subject to so many people like the courts and child protective service. There is a few children that are found murdered every day from child abuse and nearly millions reports are made every year. REFERENCES: www.futureunlimited.org/pdf/DVintervention.pdf https://www.ncjrs.gov/works/wholedoc.htm

Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

For a person to be able to make a change in their life is a monumental task. To be able to make a change that can be life changing is a true test of a person’s will and desire. In the novel the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne changes from an adulteress that is despised by the community, to an able woman that the community depends on through her repentance of her sin, faith in transcendentalism, and her daughter Pearl.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hester Prynne is cast out as an adulteress from the Puritan society, because she had a baby with another man than her husband. â€Å"She may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!†(Hawthorne 49). The city is shocked by Hester’s embodiment of the scarlet letter on her chest; because the scarlet letter was suppose to represent her punishment for her sin. This was an insult to the community, and it shows how the community despised Hester’s presence of an adulteress. â€Å"Madam Hester absolutely refuseth to speak, and the magistrates have laid their heads together in vain†(58). When Hester mounted the scaffold she refused to speak to the ministry, and she refused to tell them who the father of the baby was. By not telling the ministry who the father was Hester was being defiant and took the burden of the punishment on herself, this is another reason why the community despised H ester when she was considered an adulteress. Her strong will and silence lead the community to hate Hester, because she would not bend to the community and show weakness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The change that Hester experiences occurs through the aid of her daughter Pearl, her strong belief in transcendentalism, and her repentance of her sin through aiding the community. â€Å"†¦that this brook is the boundary between two worlds†(119). Pearl crosses the brook to get away from Hester and Dimmesdale, after they have decided to go to Europe since it is better for his health. The brook and Pearl represent transcendentalism, while Dimmesdale represents the church, which shows how Hester has changed due to her belief in Transcendentalism. â€Å"I have no heavenly father!†(90). Pearl continually questions her mother about her father, and Hester tells her that she came from the heavenly father. By having Pearl, Hester is trying to raise her without having her make the same mistakes that she did, and in the transcendental belief, this is how Pearl is able to have a significant change on Hester.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 12

My brief conversation with Kayla tormented me for the rest of the evening as I corralled kids at the mall. I couldn't shake the image of her eyes as she told me about â€Å"the Darkness.† It was one of those times I both blessed and cursed her psychic abilities. If she hadn't had them at all, I never would've known anything was amiss in the Mortensen household. But with her imprecise understanding of her powers, I was left with too many questions about what she might have sensed. Erik would've known instantly. There was another thing for me to worry about. Erik. Murdered because of me. And if we were operating on the assumption that Hell had directly acted against him, then what was I supposed to think about Kayla? In the past, any unusual supernatural activity in the area had been the result of rogue forces outside of the Heaven and Hell system. After all, Heaven and Hell had certain rules they were supposed to follow. Milton was proof, however, that Hell wasn't above breaking those. So was it possible someone from my own side had been visiting Andrea Mortensen – coincidentally during the times her condition worsened? And if so, why? That, as Roman had pointed out, was a question with an answer that would crack all of this wide open. My only pause in ruminating on immortal affairs came when I tried to coax Walter into doing a house call to the Mortensens. Two mothers had gotten in a fight in line, so we were all on an impromptu break while mall security sorted matters out. â€Å"Santa doesn't do house calls,† Walter told me. â€Å"Last time I checked, that's exactly what Santa does,† I countered. â€Å"Every Christmas Eve.† â€Å"Santa can't just be hired out for entertainment. Children must either wait until Christmas morning or come visit the retail wonderland Santa's gazebo is in. Those are the rules.† â€Å"Of course you can be hired out,† I said. â€Å"It's why you're working here to begin with! Come on, I'll pay you. I'll buy you a drink. Both, if you want. These are little girls who need to see Santa. Their mother has cancer, for God's sake. How can you not be moved by that?† He peered at me through his spectacles. â€Å"I'm very sorry for their plight, but I can't do it. Taking on this role is a commitment for the holiday season, a vow to stay true to the spirit of Santa. If I'm outside this mall while playing this role, and Bob is here playing the same role, then what does that say to the children?† I stared at him incredulously. â€Å"Well, unless these children are capable of breaking the rules of time and space, none of them would know there's a Santa here, in Lake Forest Park, or in any of the other thousands of malls in this country.† â€Å"I would know. I can't be Santa while Bob is playing Santa. It would break our sacred pact.† † ‘Sacred pact?' It's just a job!† I was seriously considering breaking the drinking rule. If I got him tipsy enough, surely he'd agree to what I wanted. â€Å"Not to us, it isn't,† he told me solemnly. Security finished up their intervention, and the line began moving again, bringing the discussion to a halt before I could point out that last I'd checked, liters of whiskey weren't part of the â€Å"spirit of Santa† either. I might as well have been Grumpy for the rest of my shift. I appreciated Walter's dedication to the role, but honestly, it was kind of pushing absurdity. I stayed at Seth's place that night, in spite of my earlier plans to talk to Roman about what Kayla had told me. But when I called Seth on my way home, there was just something so sad and strained in his voice that I knew it was more important to be with him. Andrea's worsening condition had hit him hard. He and I spent the night chastely, but there was a desperation in the way he held me, a sense that I was all that was keeping him going in this madness. â€Å"Oh, Thetis,† he whispered, kissing my cheek as we snuggled in bed. â€Å"What am I going to do without you?† â€Å"Don't worry about it,† I said automatically. â€Å"I'm still here for a while.† â€Å"I know,† he said. â€Å"But then . . .† Silence. My heart lurched. â€Å"I know,† I said at last. â€Å"I know you can't leave them. It's okay.† â€Å"At least until she gets better. . . .† His words faltered for a moment. I could guess his emotions because I shared them. We were both worried about that looming, unspoken fear. That maybe Andrea wouldn't get better. And the really, really awful thing was that if she didn't, then eventually, Seth might be able to come to me in Las Vegas. But how could I live with myself knowing what the price of my happiness was? He finally managed to find his words again. â€Å"I understand why you get so frustrated with the universe,† he said. â€Å"I've never wanted anything so much as I've wanted to be with you. I finally got you . . . and now this happens. People talk about throwing everything away for love, but reality doesn't work out that way. And honestly, if I was the kind of guy who could ignore his family for his own selfish wants . . . well, then, I don't think I'd be worthy of you. So here we are.† â€Å"It's okay,† I repeated, forcing more bravery than I felt. â€Å"We'll be fine. They need you. Do what you have to do.† â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Seth.† I brushed my lips against his. â€Å"This is more important right now.† â€Å"Than us?† he asked. It took me a long time to answer. But I did. â€Å"Yes.† The next day I had an early shift at the mall, working with Bob. I attempted the same bargain I had with Walter, in the hopes of arranging a visit to the Mortensen girls, only to be met with the same response. I'd kind of hoped that since Bob wasn't a blatant alcoholic, he'd be more reasonable. No such luck. He was full of the same nonsense about the magic and integrity of the Santa role. Fortunately, things improved when I found Roman at home afterward. We had bowling practice that night, but I'd wanted to talk to him in private. My other immortal friends could be coaxed on board with a lot, but as Hell's hand became more obvious in all of this, I was hesitant to get them involved. Roman didn't face the same repercussions, and I didn't mind exposing myself to the wrath of my employers. I was less excited about subjecting my immortal friends to that same wrath on my behalf. â€Å"Did she say anything else about this ‘Darkness'?† Roman wanted to know, once I'd recapped everything for him. â€Å"Greater immortal, lesser immortal, outside deity?† â€Å"She doesn't understand what any of that is,† I said. â€Å"She's only four. Five now, I guess.† â€Å"She needs to understand it,† he said darkly. â€Å"You should train her up.† â€Å"With everything else going on in her life? I think that's the last thing she needs.† â€Å"Not if some supernatural creature is making her mom sick!† Roman perched on the edge of the couch, his sea green eyes both thoughtful and angry. â€Å"And let's face it, Georgina. If something is, I really can't imagine it's because the powers that be have singled out that family by random. If something's targeting Andrea Mortensen, it's because of her connection to you.† I felt ill. More consequences, laid at my feet. â€Å"So Andrea suffers because of me,† I said, sinking into a chair. â€Å"Wonderful.† â€Å"It's Hell,† said Roman. â€Å"What do you expect? If they want back at you for something, then they're going to find creative ways to do it.† â€Å"Seems like there are more direct ways to make me ‘pay,' † I noted. â€Å"Especially seeing as they own the contract on my soul. We're assuming a lot that this is Hell.† Roman shrugged. â€Å"Not really. We already know they're interfering with your life. And healing and injuring are specific powers given to angels and demons.† â€Å"Do you think Carter could tell what visited her?† I asked. â€Å"If he looked at Andrea?† â€Å"I think he could.† Roman considered for a few moments. â€Å"The question is if he would get involved with it at all. You know how he is. Heaven, at least, makes a pretense of playing by the rules.† I nodded slowly, remembering my last conversation and how reluctant Carter had been to intervene. â€Å"True,† I murmured. â€Å"Well,† said Roman, straightening. â€Å"You can ask him right now.† â€Å"Huh? How?† â€Å"He's coming to practice. I overheard him and Jerome talking about it yesterday.† Apparently, Seth wasn't the only one with a perverse interest in watching Jerome's misfits bowl for his honor. I stood up as well. â€Å"Then let's go. I'll drive.† As we headed downstairs, I gave Roman a sidelong look. â€Å"Have you ever wondered how you'd look in a white beard and Santa hat?† Roman returned my look warily. â€Å"No, I have not.† I quickly explained how the Mortensen girls hadn't seen Santa yet this year. He was already shaking his head before I finished the story. â€Å"Come on, Roman. They need to see Santa. And I know you don't have any of those hang-ups like Walter does about multiple Santas existing together.† â€Å"Nope,† agreed Roman. â€Å"My hang-up is about preserving my dignity, no matter how good the cause. Besides, I don't feel that guilty. If you really wanted them to see Santa, you could shape-shift and put us all to shame.† I scowled. It was annoying because it was true. Roman and I were the last to arrive at the bowling alley, much to my dismay. I'd hoped to speak with Carter privately, but he and Jerome were already deep in conversation (and in their cups). The rest of the Unholy Rollers were waiting anxiously for their leader and gave me no end of grief for not wearing my shirt. â€Å"I forgot,† I said. â€Å"It's no big deal. I'll wear it for the real game.† Peter sighed. â€Å"But it helps build team solidarity now. And that sense of bonding and closeness will make us better.† â€Å"Actually,† said Jerome, â€Å"hitting more pins would make you better.† â€Å"Look,† I told Peter. â€Å"If I have to use the bathroom at some point, I'll shape-shift the shirt on.† â€Å"It's not the same,† he grumbled. Fortunately, Jerome's impatience allowed little time for further debate on the matter. He hadn't seen how our last practice had ended and was anxious to know if we'd improved. We had, to be fair, but I think Jerome was expecting us to all be throwing strikes every time. When it was clear that wasn't the case, he grew impatient and angry. â€Å"How can you do that?† he demanded, after Cody made an impressive 9-1 spare. â€Å"Why can't you just hit them all the first time?† He glared at Roman. â€Å"Do something.† Roman eyed his father irritably, not liking his teaching skills questioned, especially since Cody was the best of us. â€Å"Why don't you? Why don't you give it a shot, Pop?† Jerome had been up pacing by the lane but wouldn't deign to actually touch a ball himself. â€Å"Because it's not my job,† Jerome retorted. Roman rolled his eyes. â€Å"Then let me do mine.† While they bickered, I leaned over to Carter. â€Å"I need to talk to you. In private. Can you stick around after this?† Carter had been watching the father?Cson exchange, but his eyes flicked briefly toward me when I spoke. He gave a small, barely perceptible nod. And when Jerome returned to his seat a few moments later, saying he wanted to leave and drink off his annoyance at the Cellar, Carter declined the offer. â€Å"Nah,† he said lazily, stretching. â€Å"I think I'll see how this pans out. There's no way Peter can keep throwing splits like that every time. It defies all the rules of physics.† Peter looked torn on whether he should be flattered or not by that. â€Å"Fine,† said Jerome. â€Å"If you've got any miracles you can work to help them, now's the time to cash them in.† â€Å"Noted,† said Carter, waving as Jerome left. My lesser immortal friends were agitated by our boss's disapproval, so I focused on the game and didn't bring anything up with Carter until we finished our practice. Jerome could criticize all he wanted, but Roman really was a good teacher. I think our greatest triumph was when Peter went four frames in a row without a split, thus returning the laws of physics back to their rightful state. True, he didn't get any strikes or spares either, but by that point, we were all so exhausted that we were willing to take what victories we could. Roman, Carter, and I let the others leave ahead of us – once I'd promised I would definitely wear my team shirt next time, of course. As soon as we had relative privacy, I explained my problem to Carter. His face grew graver and graver as he listened. â€Å"Daughter of Lilith,† he said when I was done, â€Å"you know I can't interfere.† â€Å"I'm not asking you to,† I said. â€Å"Not exactly. I just want to know if you could tell if someone – like a demon – had made Andrea Mortensen sick.† Carter's gray eyes were unreadable. â€Å"Yes. I can tell.† â€Å"Will you go see her with me and tell me what you sense? That's it. I'm not asking you to break any rules.† Well, I didn't think I was. Honestly, I didn't understand half of these â€Å"rules† he was always talking about. â€Å"I just need the information.† â€Å"Okay,† he said, after what felt like forever. â€Å"I'll go with you. Giving you that information doesn't violate anything.† â€Å"I don't suppose,† said Roman, â€Å"that telling us why Hell would do this wouldn't violate anything either?† I answered before Carter could. â€Å"We already know. To get to me. I've pissed somebody off, and they're going to make me suffer by making those I love suffer.† â€Å"Yeah, but why Andrea?† asked Roman. â€Å"I mean, no offense, but there are other ways to hurt you more. Why not make Seth suffer?† I couldn't help but scoff. â€Å"Well. With this transfer, I kind of feel like he already – † I came to a screeching halt, once I realized what I'd been about to say. Roman was sitting opposite me in one of the worn leather chairs, and from the rabid look in his eyes, I thought he was going to reach over and shake me. â€Å"What?† he demanded. â€Å"What did you just think of?† â€Å"Andrea's sickness is terrible,† I said slowly. â€Å"A horrible, unfair thing that could hurt her whole family. But there's something else. As long as she's sick, as long as the whole family needs help . . . Seth has to stay with them. He can't go to Las Vegas with me.† â€Å"And there it is,† said Roman, wonder lighting his eyes. â€Å"That's what this transfer is about. To get you out of Seattle, away from Seth, and to make sure he can't follow.† â€Å"Eventually . . .† My stomach was twisting again, just like it always did when I thought of people being affected because of me. â€Å"Eventually he'd be able to. Andrea will either get better, or . . . or she won't.† â€Å"Yes, but how long?† demanded Roman. â€Å"How long will that take? Long enough for you to fall even more in love with your picture-perfect scenario – the one that they handcrafted for you? Long enough for you to move on with some other artsy introverted mortal? By the time he's free, it won't matter.† I was staring off at Roman but not really seeing him. Jerome had always been annoyed at my relationship with Seth, chastising me for being too attached to a mortal and letting it affect my job. Carter himself had said I was doing something that Hell didn't like. Was it possible this was it? That all of these forces were moving to keep Seth and me apart? â€Å"If Hell wants me away from Seth, then why not just forbid it?† I asked. â€Å"Jerome's given me a hard time before. Or why not just drop me somewhere . . . anywhere . . . that isn't here? Why should they care that it's a place I'll fall in love with?† â€Å"So that you'll forget him,† said Roman. â€Å"So that you won't look back. If they ordered you apart, a teenage forbidden romance complex would kick in like that.† He snapped his fingers. â€Å"You'd never stop pining for him. But this . . . this is more subtle. And effective.† â€Å"It is,† I agreed, still reeling. â€Å"Even after all of Jerome's criticism, I never thought . . . I never thought Hell would be this upset over me being with a human.† Roman had no answer for me but lifted his eyes to Carter. â€Å"You're being awfully quiet.† Carter shrugged, face neutral. â€Å"You two have plenty to say. No need for me to chime in.† â€Å"Are we right?† I asked the angel. â€Å"Of course we are,† said Roman. â€Å"You've always known Hell thought you were too distracted by Seth. This explains everything.† â€Å"Doesn't explain Erik,† I said. â€Å"Are you sure you have nothing to add?† asked Roman, gaze still on Carter. â€Å"I think we should get to the Mortensens' before it gets much later,† said Carter mildly. â€Å"I'm sure those girls have respectable bedtimes.† I stood up, knowing we'd get nothing else from him. â€Å"I have to drop Roman off at home first. Then we can go over there.† â€Å"How are you going to get me in to see her?† asked Carter. â€Å"It'll be a little weird bringing in a stranger to a sick woman's bedroom. Do you want me to go invisibly?† I'd been about to suggest that very thing when a new idea struck me. I gave Carter a once-over. â€Å"Have you ever wanted to put on a Santa suit?† â€Å"I have always wanted to do that,† said Carter gravely. Roman groaned. Once I explained the situation to Carter, however, he was totally on board. In fact, he told me not to worry about the costume arrangements and promised to meet me at Terry's in an hour, once I'd had a chance to drop Roman off. As soon as we were in the privacy of the parking lot, Carter vanished into thin air. â€Å"I hope he doesn't get an outfit from wherever it is he normally does his shopping,† I mused to Roman as we drove. â€Å"We don't want a hobo Santa. Although, if Ian's there, he'd probably approve and say we were breaking out of the mainstream's iron grip.† â€Å"Goddamned hipsters,† said Roman. He leaned his head against the car's window. â€Å"You're rolling the dice a little with Carter, but something tells me he won't mess this up, not for a bunch of girls with a sick mother. He's an angel, after all. He's got to earn his keep somehow.† â€Å"And thank goodness he doesn't have any hang-ups about Santa being at more than one place at the same time,† I joked. â€Å"No space?Ctime contradictions there.† Roman jerked up so fast, I nearly slammed on the brakes, thinking I was about to hit something. Half a second later, I realized whatever had startled him was in his own head. â€Å"Oh God,† he said. â€Å"What?† I asked, acting like him earlier. â€Å"What did you just think of?† â€Å"I think . . . I think I've figured this out.† There was awe in his voice. â€Å"What? This mystery we've been beating our heads against? We already figured it out.† Roman shook his head, wide-eyed. â€Å"No . . . oh, Jesus. Georgina, if I'm right . . . how do I even prove if I am?† He leaned back in dismay. â€Å"How do I get proof?† â€Å"Tell me what you're thinking,† I demanded. â€Å"No. Not yet. Just drop me off, and we'll talk when you're done. I have to figure this out.† There wasn't much that was more infuriating than that. I hated having the lure of a secret being dangled before me. I hated the â€Å"I'll tell you later† stance. But no matter how much I badgered him, he refused to say any more. With Carter on his way to Terry's, I couldn't linger long over Roman. I had to get to Lake Forest Park first. With much grumbling, I left Roman to his machinations, after first warning him that he'd better be ready to spill when I got home later. When I arrived at the Mortensens' soon thereafter, I was relieved to see that Seth was around and that all the girls were still awake. Recalling Carter's joke, I'd worried on my drive over that it might be past the littler ones' bedtime. Most of them were in their pajamas, but it was clear from their excited reaction to me that sleep was the farthest thing from their mind. Returning their hugs, I couldn't help but imagine their response when the real act showed up. Only Brandy stayed on the couch when the others hugged me. She still smiled and nodded in greeting, but there was a haunted, hollow look that hadn't been there yesterday during our outing. My heart ached for her. After letting her have her night out, they must have told her the truth today about her mom. I sat down on the other end of the couch. â€Å"Did you have fun last night?† â€Å"Yeah,† she said. â€Å"It was okay.† â€Å"Do you want to see the pictures?† asked Kendall excitedly. She nudged Brandy. â€Å"Show her!† Smiling at her sister's enthusiasm, Brandy produced her cell phone and gave it to me to scroll through. It was filled with the kinds of pictures girls her age like to take, group shots of her and her friends crowded in, some with silly faces. I was pleased to see that it looked like any other school dance. I hadn't been sure what to expect from a church. The shots of her in particular were stunning. Margaret had done a good job with the French twist. One picture showed Brandy grinning next to a cute boy with sandy blond hair. He looked like a smart surfer. I glanced over at her and raised a questioning eyebrow. She nodded. â€Å"Nice,† I said. A knock at the door brought everyone's excited chatter to a halt. Terry looked up in surprise from where he'd been leafing through a picture book with McKenna. â€Å"Who on earth is that?† He glanced around the room, as though doing a head count to make sure anyone who might possibly stop by was already here. I suppose with that many daughters, there was always the risk of losing track of one. Ian, Margaret, Seth, and I were also accounted for. There weren't too many others who would drop in unannounced. â€Å"I don't know,† I said cheerfully. â€Å"Seth, why don't you answer the door and see?† Seth immediately picked up on the tone in my voice. He shot me a questioning look but walked over to the door anyway. He turned the knob and leaped back in astonishment when Carter burst in through the door. Well, I was taking it on faith that it was Carter, based on our earlier conversation. Because really, the man who entered the living room looked nothing like the disreputable angel I knew. In fact, he didn't look like any of the Santas I knew. He looked better. There was magic in the way he moved his round frame. His red suit seemed to shimmer, and his rosy cheeks looked like he'd just come in from the North Pole, not a dreary Seattle winter. He had out-Santa'ed Santa. â€Å"Ho ho ho!† he bellowed, in a voice that filled the entire house. â€Å"Merry Christmas!† Dead silence and wide eyes met him for a few moments. Then Kendall and the twins began squealing in delight as they ran over to him. â€Å"Santa! Santa!† â€Å"What are you doing here?† demanded Kendall. â€Å"You aren't contractually obligated to come here until Christmas Eve.† â€Å"True,† he said in a booming voice that I still couldn't believe was Carter's. â€Å"But I have to find out what you want for Christmas, don't I?† This was met with more oohs and ahhs, and the twins urged him to sit down on the couch. Brandy scrambled out of the way, and Kendall immediately took her turn first, claiming Santa's lap. Margaret and Terry looked like they were going to burst into tears. Ian looked dumbfounded. Seth caught my arm and pulled me to the side. â€Å"Is that one of the guys you work with?† he whispered. I grinned. â€Å"In a manner of speaking. It's Carter.† Seth did a double take, wearing the amazement I'd felt earlier. â€Å"Really? But how . . . I mean . . . even his body . . .† â€Å"Mysterious ways,† I replied. Kendall was rattling off a list of board games and economics books. Nearby, the twins stood quivering with excitement, eager for their turn but too well bred to show bad manners in front of Santa. After a few subscriptions to prominent business magazines and newspapers, Terry gently cut Kendall off and suggested she let her sisters take a turn. Kendall agreed eagerly, but not before throwing her arms around Carter and thanking him. â€Å"Okay,† said Seth, drawing me near. â€Å"This was kind of amazing. Not that I should be surprised by anything you do anymore.† He kissed my forehead. â€Å"We definitely have to make the most out of your last month. If we're going to be apart for a long time, then we have to find a way to work around my schedule here.† I started to protest and tell him not to change his plans with the family because of me but stayed silent instead. Some desperate part of me wondered, what did any of it matter? If Hell wanted us apart, then we couldn't stand against that. â€Å"A long time† would become â€Å"never.† Maybe I really should be trying harder to maximize these last precious days. And yet if I did . . . would that make Hell work harder against us? Glancing up, I saw Morgan had now replaced McKenna on Carter's lap. They were having a discussion on the virtues of two different kinds of pony action figures. Morgan wasn't sure what kind she wanted. â€Å"Princess Ponies come in more colors,† she told him seriously. â€Å"True,† he said. â€Å"But some of the Power Prism Ponies are unicorns. And you can do more stuff with their hair.† Across the room, I saw Kayla curled up in a chair, watching Carter raptly but making no moves to talk to him. Slipping away from Seth, I walked over and knelt beside her. â€Å"Are you going to tell Santa what you want?† I asked in a very soft voice. It took Kayla several moments to tear her gaze from him. â€Å"He's not Santa,† she said. I was grateful she spoke as quietly as me. No one else heard. â€Å"Of course he is,† I said. â€Å"Who else would he be?† â€Å"He's not Santa.† She smiled and studied him again. â€Å"He's beautiful. He's more beautiful than anything.† No human could see an angel in his or her true form, unless the angel revealed it. Even then, a human would be destroyed by it. No, Kayla wasn't seeing Carter's true form, not exactly, but she was seeing something. Some piece of his true nature. I felt a moment of envy, wondering what it was she saw, what her senses allowed her that mine didn't. Whatever it was, I'd never know, but the enchanted look on her face made it clear it was wonderful. â€Å"Beautiful,† she repeated. She looked back at me. â€Å"Can he stop the Darkness?† â€Å"He'll try,† I said. Not the entire truth, but it would have to suffice. â€Å"Can you pretend he's Santa? Tell him what you want for Christmas?† She nodded solemnly, just as Morgan finished and Carter beckoned toward us. I walked Kayla over. I helped her onto his lap, and he glanced up at me with twinkling gray eyes. Those, if nothing else, were definitely Carter's. I stepped back and let them talk. Kayla continued staring adoringly at him, but no one except me knew what truly captivated her. She looked like any other child starstruck by Santa as she related her list, making no mention of his beauty or supernatural creatures prowling through her home at night. Leaving them to it, I quietly went upstairs and peered in Andrea's room. She was awake, reading a book. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her face looked gaunter than last time. She nonetheless gave me a cheery smile. â€Å"Georgina,† she said. â€Å"I should've known you were the source of all that commotion.† I laughed. â€Å"Not all of that. A friend of mine is here, playing Santa for the girls. He's taking their Christmas orders right now.† Her expression softened, resembling the near tears I'd seen on the others' faces. â€Å"That's very sweet of him. And of you.† â€Å"Would you like to meet him before he leaves?† I asked. Andrea grimaced and absentmindedly patted her hair. â€Å"Yes, in theory . . . but Lord. I look terrible.† â€Å"Believe me,† I said. â€Å"He doesn't care.† When I went back downstairs, Kayla had finished, and Carter was trying to get a list out of Brandy who told him point-blank there was no way she was getting on his lap. â€Å"I think you have plenty to work on with their orders,† she told him good-naturedly. â€Å"And there's nothing you want?† he asked in his best echoing Santa voice. â€Å"Nothing you can give, I'm afraid,† she said. Her smile faltered. â€Å"But thanks.† Carter peered at her with that piercing look he sometimes used on me, the one that seemed to look right inside me. â€Å"No,† he agreed. â€Å"You're right. But I can give you all my prayers. And my hopes for the best.† Brandy stared at him, caught up in that gaze, and simply nodded. I don't think she knew what a powerful thing it was, for an angel to offer all of his prayers, but she most certainly sensed the sincerity and intention in his words. â€Å"Thanks,† she repeated. I caught hold of Carter's arm. â€Å"Their mom wants to meet you, Santa.† He stood up and followed me to the stairs. We passed Ian along the way, who watched us condescendingly. â€Å"Aren't you going to ask what I want?† Carter paused and looked him over from head to toe. â€Å"Sorry. My workshop doesn't do shabby chic.† Carter continued following me, despite Ian's protest that his style was â€Å"vintage† and that â€Å"shabby chic is for wannabes.† If Andrea felt insecure at the thought of meeting a stranger, she did a good job of hiding it. Indeed, when Carter walked into her bedroom, a little awe passed over her face, reminding me of Kayla. Andrea couldn't see what her daughter had, but I think she sensed some of Carter's grace. He came to a halt at the foot of her bed and took of his red hat in a genteel style, revealing rows of white curls. â€Å"This is my friend Carter,† I said, after first making sure no one small had followed us. â€Å"Mrs. Mortensen,† he said, dropping the showmanship. â€Å"It's very nice to meet you.† She smiled, and the joy in it made her beautiful, despite her weary state. â€Å"Nice to meet you too. Thank you for coming over and seeing the girls.† Their exchange was brief. He said something nice or funny about each girl, making Andrea's smile grow and grow. She in turn couldn't stop thanking him. When the pleasantries were finally done, I bid her farewell and stepped outside the room with Carter. I closed the door and was about to head downstairs when he caught my hand. â€Å"Did you see what you needed to?† I asked quietly. He nodded, face grave, looking more like Carter than ever. â€Å"You were right. Her condition was made worse – by a demon.† â€Å"Can you tell which demon?† I asked. I knew Jerome didn't have my best interests at heart, but it was a hard thing to think of him purposely harming those I cared about. â€Å"No,† said Carter. â€Å"But it probably wasn't Jerome. It's the kind of dirty work a minor demon would do. I can also tell you that her illness, originally, was natural. Nothing gave this to her.† â€Å"They just made her relapse when she was starting to get better.† To get to me. To keep Seth busy. Carter nodded. â€Å"Okay. Thank you for coming here tonight. I appreciate it.† I started to turn, and he again stopped me. â€Å"Georgina . . .† There was an odd, troubled note in his voice, one I didn't usually associate with confident, laconic Carter. â€Å"Georgina, I've told you over and over that there are rules about what I can and can't do, how much I can be involved. As a general rule, I'm really not supposed to do too much active interference in mortal lives.† â€Å"I understand,† I said. â€Å"But what happened to her . . .† He frowned slightly. â€Å"That was another breaking of the rules, something that shouldn't have happened. And in this situation, two wrongs can make a right.† I stared up at him in amazement. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"I'm saying that I can heal her. I can't completely eradicate the cancer, but I can take it back to the level it was at before she was harmed this week. I can undo what they did to her and clean the slate.† My jaw wanted to drop. â€Å"That . . . that would be amazing !† Carter still looked sad, and I couldn't figure out why. Did he feel like he was violating a rule, even if he was righting a wrong? â€Å"What's the matter?† He sighed. â€Å"What you and Roman said earlier . . . about Hell wanting to keep you and Seth apart? About how her condition keeps him here? Well . . . it's possible, this is exactly what they want. She got better, then they made her worse again. Then, if she gets better on her own – or because of me – then everyone gets hopeful again, until they come back and make her worse. I'm not saying they will come back. But that they could. A limbo state like this ensures Seth stays around. If I heal her now – and I will if you want – I might be perpetuating that.† There were two key things I pulled out of that. One was a very, very subtle acknowledgment that Roman and I were right. Oh, Carter wasn't saying for sure that Hell was after Seth and me, but he certainly wasn't denying it either. It was all part of that careful angel way of his. The other thing – the most startling one – was the implication that thwarting Hell meant keeping Andrea out of the limbo they wanted her in. Seth would always be tied to his family if she moved in and out of health. If she completely recovered, he would be free. And if she died . . . â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It doesn't matter. Heal her. I don't care if he stays here forever, so long as it keeps her alive.† Carter nodded, and something shone in his eyes, something a little like pride . . . and sadness. â€Å"I thought you'd say that.† He knocked gently on Andrea's door before stepping back inside. â€Å"Sorry to bother you,† he said. â€Å"But I forgot to ask what you wanted for Christmas.† Andrea laughed, eventually degenerating into coughing. Reaching for a glass of water beside her bed, she finally recovered herself. â€Å"That's nice of you, but I'm too old.† â€Å"Never,† said Carter. â€Å"There must be something.† Andrea was still smiling, but it grew a little wistful. â€Å"There is something,† she said. I wondered if she'd ask to be cured, which was obviously what Brandy had wanted as well. â€Å"I want . . . I want my girls to be happy. No matter what happens to me, I want them looked after and cared for.† Carter-as-Santa studied her with that soul-searching gaze, and it was as though something passed between them, something I wasn't part of. At long last, he said, â€Å"I swear, it will be so.† He walked over to her bedside and extended his hand to her. A chill ran down my spine as he did. I swear. Those weren't words an angel could say lightly. I'd thought what he'd said earlier to Brandy was powerful, but it was nothing compared to this. Tentatively, Andrea took Carter's hand. I saw nothing blatant, no blinding flash of light or anything like that. I didn't even feel anything with my immortal senses. But Andrea's face transformed, growing radiant and dreamy, as though she were seeing and hearing the most beautiful things in the world. When Carter released her hand, she smiled at him and closed her eyes, drifting into sleep. â€Å"You healed her?† I asked, deciding not to mention the promise. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"She won't remember much of my visit.† â€Å"Probably just as – â€Å" My cell phone rang, and I hurried out of the room to answer it before Andrea woke up. It was Roman. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Hey, are you still with the Mortensens?† â€Å"Yeah, why?† â€Å"Because I think I've figured out how to prove my theory,† he said, voice stern and strained. â€Å"I still don't even know what your theory is,† I said. â€Å"You will soon enough. Ask Seth how he feels about hypnosis.†

Brain Stimulation

The primary aim of this study was to determine the extent to which human MT+/ V5, an extrastriate visual area known to mediate motion processing, is involved in visuomotor coordination. To pursue this, the excitability of MT+/ V5, primary motor, and primary visual cortex was increased or decreased by the application of seven minutes of anodal and cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in healthy human subjects while they were performing a visuomotor tracking task involving hand movements.The percentage of correct tracking movements increased specifically during and immediately after cathodal stimulation, which decreases cortical excitability, only when V5 was stimulated. None of the other stimulation conditions affected visuomotor performance. The researchers propose that the improvement in performance caused by cathodal tDCS of V5 is due to a focusing effect on the complex motion perception conditions involved in this task.This hypothesis was proven by additional ex periments: When testing simple and complex motion perception in dot kinetograms, it was found that a diminution in excitability induced by cathodal stimulation improved the subject’s perception of the direction of the coherent motion only if this was presented among random dots (complex motion perception), and worsened it if only one motion direction was presented (simple movement perception). The data suggest that area V5 is critically involved in complex motion perception and identification processes important for visuomotor coordination.The results also raise the possibility of the usefulness of tDCS in rehabilitation strategies for neurological patients with visuomotor disorders. Article 2 Environmental stimulation, parental nurturance and cognitive development in humans Martha J. Farah, Laura Betancourt, David M. Shera, Jessica H. Savage, Joan M. Giannetta, Nancy L. Brodsky, Elsa K. Malmud and Hallam Hurt 1. Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, USA 2. Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Pediatrics,Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, USA 3. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, USA Developmental Science 11:5 (2008), pp 793-801 The effects of environmental stimulation and parental nurturance on brain development have been studied extensively in animals. Much less is known about the relations between childhood experience and cognitive development in humans.Using a longitudinally collected data set with ecologically valid in-home measures of childhood experience and later in-laboratory behavioral measures of cognitive ability, the researchers were able to test hypotheses concerning the effects of environmental stimulation and parental nurturance. A double dissociation was found: On one hand, there was a selective relation between parental nurturance and memory development, consistent with the animal literature on maternal buffering of stress hormone effects on hippocampus development.On the other hand, there was a selective relation between environmental stimulation and language development. The results primarily suggest that the same general dimensions of early life experience identified as important in animal studies of brain development are also important for humans. In particular, the relation between the composites measuring parental nurturance and later memory ability, which have no common-sense connection, is consistent with studies of experience and brain development in animals. The present findings thus provide an important bridge between the study of neurocognitive development in animals and humans.Secondarily, variation in the childhood experience of healthy humans bears a systematic relationship to cognitive development, and this relationship is more selective and specific than simply better environments predicting better development. Memory development is predicted by parental nurturance but not environmental stimulation, whereas language development is predicted by environmental stimulation, but not parental nurturance. Finally, these effects represent a possible mechanism by which socioeconomic status is associated with intellectual attainment. Article 3 MEG Study of Short-Term Plasticity Following MultipleDigit Frequency Discrimination Training in Humans Lichan Liu and Andreas A. Ioannides Laboratory for Human Brain Dynamics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wakoshi, Saitama, Japan. Brain Topography, Volume 16, Number 4, Summer 2004 The researchers trained four right-handed male subjects to detect small changes in the frequency of 21 Hz electrical stimulation applied to digits 2+3+4 of the right hand for four hours. Before and after the training, magnetoencephalographic (MEG) signals were recorded whe n the stimulation was applied to digit 2-5 separately using a whole-head MEG system.Tomographic analysis was applied to the MEG data to track the evolution of activity over the entire brain every 1. 6 ms and evaluated the change for each digit before and after the training. In summary: (1) subjects improved in discrimination performance with training; (2) activations were identified in the left primary somatosensory (L-SI) and medial parietal precuneus (PCu) areas, but no systematic changes were observed in location and strength of activation of these two areas; (3) after training in L-SI, the 21Hzspectral power increasedfor digits 3 and 4 over the stimulation period, while the 10 Hz spectral power increased for digit 3 around stimulus onset and offset; (4) only digit 3 showed significant change of correlation between L-SI and PCu areas around the stimulus onset and offset, coincident with the increased 10 Hz spectral power. The results suggest that short-term plasticity is associat ed with changes in timing and interaction between cortical areas. DiscussionThe main finding of the first study is that cathodal tDCS applied to the left V5 improved performance in a visuomotor coordination task that encompassed both dynamic, high-resolution perception and selection of motion predetermined by a moving target. Stimulation of the primary visual cortex and the left motor cortex did not result in significant changes in performance, nor were the reaction times in the random dot kinetogram task significantly affected. These results suggest that tDCS indeed modified visual motion perception and motor performance.Common sense says that childhood experience affects cognitive development. Yet common sense does not say which psychological or brain functions will be affected by experience, or which specific aspects of childhood experience will exert an effect. The second study attempts to address these issues empirically with a unique longitudinally collected data set including ecologically valid in-home measures of early childhood experience and later laboratory measures of cognitive function. The effects found were strikingly selective and, in addition to their statistical significance, were substantial in size.In the third study, functional rather than anatomical short-term plastic changes in the brain induced by the frequency discrimination task were identified. After training, no new activated areas or expansion of activated areas or systematic increases in activation strength in any one specific area were observed. Instead, increased spectral power around 21 Hz in L-SI for both trained digits 3 and 4 for all 4 subjects was observed. Furthermore, for digit 3, increased spectrum power at 10 Hz in L-SI for all 4 subjects between map I and II around thestimulus onset and offset was observed. Conclusion After analyzing the above three methods of brain stimulation, one can come to the conclusion that the first study was found to have the maximum results i n term of invoking activity of the stimulated areas. The study stands out among the other two not just for its methodology, but also for its high reliability and accuracy. Hence, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be considered to be the best method of brain stimulation.