Leadership Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership Development - Essay Example The mode of leadership will to a significant extent influence organizational activities, operations, and performance. Management is critical to the welfare of shareholders and the stakeholders in general, who at times suffer the consequences of poor leadership and management in organizations. It is the managers that come up with critical decisions, and their main function is to plan, control, direct and make strategic plans and address issues affecting the firm (Kouzes & Posner 168). The production chain, distribution activities and final consumption of products by the consumer all fall under management, leadership, and operational functions of the firm. Should one chain break down, then the others begin to fall apart, and the eventuality is a disaster in organizational stability. Different departments within the organizational setting are run by various managers, whose duties will include the surveillance of their departments to ensure that everything is functional. That means shoul d any inconveniences occur, then the managers should be held accountable. For instance, the finance manager has a role to play in decision making regarding the financial activities of the firm and how the current and long term projects have to be managed with the limits of available funds. In this case, the manager has to be extra keen and store relevant data to eliminate any confusion and poor claims of mismanagement. Organizations in the twenty first century should strive to emulate the five Porter forces so as to make an organization expansion easy and become even more industrialized. Managers need to put an extra effort towards attaining any organizational set goals and objectives. It is vital that managers in the twenty first century focus more on their visions and those of the organization, as well as develop creativity and critical thinking tools for effective leadership. Leadership entails having a vision that should be in line with the corporate strategy and objectives of t he firm. Managers with visions will view and see the position of the firm in the future. They develop a positive attitude towards the vision, and it is such focus that drives them towards attaining the respective visions for their enterprises. Leaders with vision do not let anything get in the way of their dreams and will go an extra mile to ensure that they realize successful outcomes irrespective of all the challenges they face. They have in mind that nothing comes by easily and work hard to obtain what they want. Not only are they consistent in their work, they also work with teams of people towards a common goal. A leader with a vision will work with a team, create a positive attitude towards the subordinates, enhance a sense of transformational and transactional leadership, and encourage them to attain the set goals. Managers ought to have visions that guide them to attaining set targets and organizational objectives. Visions create desire and targets that need to be accomplish ed, and require hard work and consistency to attain them. Visionary leadership ensures that work and the paths through which leaders are treading are safe and clear, as well as impart the same to the subordinates. For effective and efficient leadership they have to see and know what they want and where they are going so as to lead the employees to the

The Federalist Papers, John Jay Essay Example for Free

The Federalist Papers, John Jay Essay John Jay remarks in Federalist Number 3 that â€Å"[t]he safety of the people doubtless has relation to a great variety of circumstances and considerations, and consequently affords great latitude to those who wish to define it precisely and comprehensively   (Jay, 1787).†Ã‚   By this he means that the new government has the ability to define and defend the people against all threats.   Jay also discusses wars.   He says that â€Å"[t]he number of wars which have happened or will happen in the world will always be found to be n proportion to the number and weight of the causes, whether real or pretend (Jay, 1787). † His solution against the threat of war from foreign powers is to have a United America versus a disunited America.   He also feels that it is in the best interests of all concerned to have a national government that will collectively â€Å"observe the laws of nations towards all these powers (Jay 1787).†Ã‚   Under a national government, treaties would be created and observed, because states can be arbitrary and capricious.   Jay carries over his logic for a federal government because he states that â€Å"such violences are more frequently caused by the passions and interests of a part than of the whole; of one or two States than of the Union. Not a single Indian war has yet been occasioned by aggressions of the present federal government (Jay, 1787).†Ã‚   Jay says in Federalist Number 4 that we should not invite hostilities, but in order to assure that hostilities are not invited, we should stand together as a nation.   As he puts it, [a]s the safety of the whole is the interest of the whole, and cannot be provided for without government, either one or more or many, let us inquire whether one good government is not, relative to the object in question, more competent than any other given number whenever (Jay, 1787). Jay also intimates that a strong central government will be able to stand up to the long-established powers of Britain, Spain and France.   He also says in Federalist Number 5 that as a united nation, we would be free of all â€Å"jealousies† and we would be â€Å"joined in affection (Jay, 1787). It is at this point that Alexander Hamilton takes over the argument to discuss â€Å"dangers and dissentions between the states (Hamilton, 1787).†Ã‚   The first problem he sees is the problem of possible territorial disputes.   By having a   strong national government, the prospect of having this kind of dissention is diminished. Another source of dissention would be commerce.   According to Hamilton, â€Å"[t]he states less favorably circumstanced would be desirous of escaping from the disadvantages of local situation, and of sharing in the advantages of their more fortunate neighbors (Hamilton, 1787).†Ã‚   With independent states, there lies the threat of some states holding power over others that have less means.   There would be various duties that would have to be paid among the different states, and would negatively affect the buying power of the receiving state.   By having a unified national government, he argues, these fears would be allayed. Next, Hamilton discusses the public debt of the union.   He discusses the reapportionment of the debt, and how, under a weak federal government it would be impossible to determine each state’s individual liability.   By having a national government, would allow the debt to be paid collectively or discharged collectively, with no one or two states bearing the burden of repayment. Hamilton next addresses the â€Å"union as a safeguard against domestic faction and insurrection (Hamilton, 1787).†Ã‚   He starts out in Federalist Number 9 with a strong statement—â€Å"a firm union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the States, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection (Hamilton 1787).† By having a strong union, there is less likely to be internal strife or problems.   This is not a new idea, according to Hamilton.   This goes back to the days of Montesquieu, and his theories, however, Montesquieu recommended a small republic rather than an expanded one such as the United States.   If we were to go by his theory, according to Hamilton, we would â€Å"be driven to the alternative either of taking refuge at once in the arms of monarchy, or of splitting ourselves into an infinity of little, jealous, clashing, tumultuous commonwealths (Hamilton 1787).†Ã‚   He also says that a larger body of smaller states â€Å"arrive to such a degree of power as to be able to provide for the security of the united body (Hamilton, 1787).† He also states that â€Å"[s]hould a popular insurrection happen in one of the confederate states the others are able to quell it.   Should abuses creep into one part, they are reformed by those that remain sound.   The state may be destroyed on one side, and not on the other; the confederacy may be dissolved, and the confederates preserve their sovereignty (Hamilton, 1787).† In Federalist Number 10, James Madison takes up the fight.   He argues that factions are bad for the country because the majority forces its will on the minority with no consideration for their ideas or thoughts.   He argues affectively that a national government can control factions because the effects can be controlled. The administration of democracy effectively deals with the effects from factions and quells minority dissent.   In a republic, Madison says, â€Å"the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people, will be more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves, convened for the purpose (Hamilton, 1787).†Ã‚   He also notes that in a smaller society, there are fewer factions than in a larger society.   That makes it more probable that fewer people will dominate the society and the will of a few will rule the many.   In a larger society, there   is more of a chance that the will of all the parties will be heard and at some level be represented. Hamilton takes over at this point to talk about state connections and common ties that motivate the adoption of the new United States Constitution.   In Federalist Number 11, Hamilton talks about the â€Å"utility of the union in respect to commercial relations and a Navy (Hamilton, 1787).†Ã‚   He notes that the government is best able to handle the large amount of farming and beginning manufacturing interests.   Additionally, the union will benefit from a navy, and having a national navy will perpetuate the idea of the United States as a player on the world stage.   He also takes on revenue.   He notes that â€Å"[t]he ability of a country to pay taxes must always be proportioned, in great degree, to the quantity of money in circulation (Hamilton, 1787).† Hamilton takes on economy in government next.   This has to do with saving money and spending it wisely.   He talks of territory, stating that â€Å"at the natural limit of a democracy is that distance from the central point which will just permit the most remote citizens to assemble as often as their public functions demand (Hamilton, 1787).†Ã‚   He notes finally that â€Å"nothing can be more evident that the thirteen States will be able to support a national government (Hamilton, 1787).† In many ways, there is a dichotomy in what the Framers had to say about the new constitution.   They discuss many issues, from foreign and domestic threats to the threat of faction to how the new government will help facilitate the fledgling democracy.   The union is also meant to safeguard against domestic faction, help form a Navy, facilitate commerce and trade, and help maintain that democracy over the vast territory of the country.   The Framers had it right, that is, the new form of government was destined to be more complete and beneficial to the new country than the old Articles of Confederation. The Federalist Papers give us a new way to look at our Constitution and see it as a living document and not as a static display of old values and charm.   We must do our part to understand not only the document, but the fundamental readings that surround it, so that we are better able to make this Constitution OUR Constitution, and forever see it as an amazingly crafted document that will live in perpetuity. Works Cited Hamilton, Alexander. Federalist Number 6. The Federalist Papers. 2007. Founding   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fathers.org. 10 Mar 2009 http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/. Hamilton, Alexander. Federalist Number 7. The Federalist Papers. 2007. Founding

Marriage proposals in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Marriage proposals in Pride and Prejudice Essay The three proposals in Pride and Prejudice to Elizabeth Bennet, or Lizzy, vary greatly in their motivation. They are all involving the upper middle class of the 19th century that Jane Austen had knowledge of. Jane Austen never married, and you can see the kind of person she would have liked to be in Elizabeth. Jane Austen read such books as Mary Wolstencrafts The Rights of Women, and although she does not go as far to criticise womens status, most of her books are about their place in society; this novel being no exception. Pride and Prejudice is about marriage and manners in country society, that women wanted to marry into good fortune, and rich men wanted to marry pretty women. The first sentence in the book sums up the attitude expressed in this book well: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Marriages in the period in time this book is based, between the upper middle classes, were often practical. The women needed security for future life, the men wanted children to continue there family and this was the kind of marriage that Mr Collins proposes. He is not proposing out of love, but that he feels he should, and he is sure of Lizzys acceptance. He does however manage to convince himself he does in fact like her: before I am run away with my feelings is one of his first lines during the proposal. The proposal itself is stated in a very long-winded way, however, as soon as Mr Collins has asked for time alone with Lizzy, she knows what it is for; she thinks, it would be wisest to get it over with as soon and as quietly as possible. This is reflected in how she reacts to Mr Collins repeated pleas. All through it he is still convincing himself and trying to convince Lizzy that he is in love, or making any other excuses he can for marrying her. We know he does not love her, as, however, earlier in the book it is said Mr Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth and it was soon done. The proposal was very formal and long; Mr Collins often seems to be speaking a monologue, emphasized by Elizabeth trying to stop him and the complete use of direct speech. These are all similar to the first proposal by Mr Darcy, even if the motivation behind it was very different. They are both certain they will be accepted because of an advantage to Lizzy. It is clear that Mr Collins and Mr Darcy do not know Elizabeth well enough when they propose, as neither chose to ask her a way that she is likely to accept. The second proposal is different in motive from the first, but its manner is similar in many ways. After his early expression of love, which is surprising and awkward: You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. Darcy regains his confidence and begins a long explanation of why he loves her. However, what he says is misunderstood by Lizzy as she says with so evident a design of offending and insulting me. Mr Darcy is in fact attempting to explain that he loves her despite her position and connections. Lizzy may have accepted, or been more likely to accept if his timing had been better however, he asks her at a time where she has just recently found out that Darcy was to blame for her sisters troubles, and is very angry with him: Mr Darcys shameful boast about what misery he had been able to inflict. It is not only the timing, if he had known Lizzy well enough he could have guessed the reception she would give to the method of his proposal. This is a similarity to the first proposal, from Mr Collins, but very different to the last. It is only after Mr Darcy has left that Elizabeth realises how much she has overreacted to what he has said to her, and also how ready she had been to believe what anyone had said about him. These feeling are then reinforced after she receives his letter explaining how mistaken she has been about many of his accusations. After thinking over and re-reading the letter several time, she starts to realise she does in fact not hate Darcy as much as she first thought, and even starts to have feelings for him, in spite of what he has done to her sister. This is further exaggerated as Elizabeth discovers he has provided for her sister to get married after she ran away with Mr Wickham. His intentions behind this are clear: if he had not, he would not have been able to marry her, as she would be disgraced. Darcy realises that she may have feelings for him still, after Lizzy refuses to tell Lady Catherine de Bough that she will never marry Mr Darcy and decides to return to Netherfield with Mr B ingley, who he has recently convinced to love Lizzys sister, Jane again. Elizabeth was hoping he would come, but was almost scared too and was expecting that he would stay away and send a letter of excuse. The third and final proposal in the book has little in common with either of the others. It is quick, instead of long winded and this is even more emphasized by the use of reported speech instead of direct. It is however the same in motive to the first proposal by Mr Darcy love. The difference being that this time it is felt in both directions. It is also quite unexpected, though hoped for by them both. Darcy is unsure of how to ask Elizabeth, so she encourages him by taking him for his help with her sisters marriage. This probably caused him to finally believe he may stand a real chance with her and so then proposes. He does so in a way which shows how much better he knows her because it is an equal conversation instead of one or the other thinking themselves superior. It is also far more informal and shows us ways in which they both have changed. Lizzy is less confident, and for once not sure of herself whereas Mr Darcy has realised that to be liked he should not act superior and stubborn. The three proposals received by Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice are contrasting in some ways and are similar in others however, there is nothing or very little in common between all three. The progression in the book is from what Jane Austen believed was the worst kind of marriage, of the kind Mr Collins proposes, to what she believed was best and hoped for herself a fair and equal meeting.

Truth vs. Lie Essay :: essays research papers

I agree with the statement "honesty is the best policy". People will be able to trust people who are honest, liars will have rumors spread around about them, and it's just plain easier to tell the truth. Nobody likes people who lie all the time and won't know whether to trust them or not. People get annoyed by people who lie a lot. Being honest and having a reputation of never lying makes people trust them more. People are more likely to come up to a person who tells the truth and ask them a question. They are more likely to get the right answer and not a lie. People who tell the truth are more respected and aren't looked down at for being a liar. People can be trusted more when they constantly tell the truth. When they ask if they can go out and do something, they are more likely to be able to because others trust them and they don't have to worry. Liars have rumors spread around about how they lie all the time. Nobody wants to talk to them because they won't know if they are lying to them or not. They aren't trusted as much as people who don't lie. Liars never get very far in life and always have a reputation of lying. It's much better to tell the truth and have friends who trust them, rather than lying and having rumors spread around making no one like them. It's actually easier to just tell the truth. There are many reasons for this. One reason is, people don't have to think of lame excuses, making it much faster. Another reason is, people who tell the truth won't get in as much trouble when someone finds out that they lied to them.

A Dirty Job Chapter 22

22 RECONSIDERING A CAREER IN SECONDHAND RETAIL Anton Dubois, the owner of Book 'em Danno in the Mission, had been a Death Merchant longer than anyone else in San Francisco. Of course he hadn't called himself a Death Merchant at first, but when that Minty Fresh fellow who opened the record store in the Castro coined the term, he could never think of himself as anything else. He was sixty-five years old and not in the best health, having never used his body for much more than to carry his head around, which is where he lived most of the time. He had, however, in his years of reading, acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of the science and mythology of death. So, on that Tuesday evening, just after sundown, when the windows of his store went black, as if all the light had been sucked suddenly out of the universe, and the three female figures moved toward him through the store, as he sat under his little reading light at the counter in the back, like a tiny yellow island in the vast pitch of space, he was the first man in fifteen hundr ed years to know exactly what – who – they were. â€Å"Morrigan,† Anton said, with no particular note of fear in his voice. He set his book down, but didn't bother to mark the page. He took off his glasses and cleaned them on his flannel shirt, then put them back on so as not to miss any detail. Just now they were only blue-black highlights moving among the deep shadows in the store, but he could see them. They stopped when he spoke. One of them hissed – not the hiss of a cat, a long, steady tone – more like the hiss of air escaping the rubber raft that is all that lies between you and a dark sea full of sharks, the hiss of your life leaking out at the seams. â€Å"I thought something might be happening,† Anton said, a little anxious now. â€Å"With all the signs, and the prophecy about the Luminatus, I knew something was happening, but I didn't think it would be you – in person – so to speak. This is very exciting.† â€Å"A devotee?† said Nemain. â€Å"A fan,† said Babd. â€Å"A sacrifice,† said Macha. They moved around him, just outside his circle of light. â€Å"I moved the soul vessels,† Anton said. â€Å"I guessed that something had happened to the others.† â€Å"Aw, are you disappointed because you're not the first?† said Babd. â€Å"It will be just like the first time, pumpkin,† said Nemain. â€Å"For you, anyway.† She giggled. Anton reached under his counter and pushed a button. Steel shutters began to roll in the front of the store over the windows and door. â€Å"You afraid we'll get away, turtle man,† said Macha. â€Å"Don't you think he looks like a turtle?† â€Å"Oh, I know the shutters won't keep you in, that's not what they're for. The books say that you're immortal, but I suspect that that's not exactly true. Too many tales of warriors injuring you and watching you heal yourself on the battlefield.† â€Å"We will be here ten thousand years after your death, which starts pretty soon, I might add,† said Nemain. â€Å"The souls, turtle man. Where did you put them?† She extended her claws and reached out so they caught the light from Anton's reading lamp. Venom dripped from their tips and sizzled when it hit the floor. â€Å"You'd be Nemain, then,† Anton said. The Morrigan smiled, he could just see her teeth in the dark. Anton felt a strange peace fall over him. For thirty years he had, in some way or another, been preparing for this moment. What was it that the Buddhists said? Only by being prepared for your death can you ever truly live. If collecting souls and seeing people pass for thirty years didn't prepare you, what would? Under the counter he carefully unscrewed a stainless-steel cap that concealed a red button. â€Å"I installed those four speakers at the back of the store a few months ago. I'm sure you can see them, even if I can't,† Anton said. â€Å"The souls!† Macha barked. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"Of course I didn't know it would be you. I thought it might be those little creatures I've seen wandering the neighborhood. But I think you'll enjoy the music, nonetheless.† The Morrigan looked at each other. Macha growled. â€Å"Who says things like ‘nonetheless'?† â€Å"He's babbling,† said Babd. â€Å"Let's torture him. Take his eyes, Nemain.† â€Å"Do you remember what a claymore looks like?† Anton asked. â€Å"A great, two-handed broadsword,† said Nemain. â€Å"Good for the taking of heads.† â€Å"I knew that, I knew that,† said Babd. â€Å"She's just showing off.† â€Å"Well, in this time, a claymore means something else,† Anton said. â€Å"You acquire the most interesting things working in the secondhand business for three decades.† He closed his eyes and pushed the button. He hoped that his soul would end up in a book, preferably his first edition of Cannery Row, which was safely stored away. The curved claymore antipersonnel mines that he had installed in speaker cabinets at the rear of the store exploded, sending twenty-eight hundred ball bearings hurtling toward the steel shutters at just under the speed of sound, shredding Anton and everything else in their path. Ray followed the love of his life a block up Mason Street, where she hopped on a cable car and rode it the rest of the way up the hill into Chinatown. The problem was that while it was pretty easy to figure out where a cable car was going, they only came along about every ten minutes, so Ray couldn't wait for the next one, jump on, and shout, â€Å"Follow that antiquated but quaint public conveyance, and step on it!† And there were no cabs in sight. It turned out that jogging up a steep city hill on a hot summer day in street clothes was somewhat different from jogging on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym behind a row of taut fuck puppets, and by the time he got to California Street, Ray was drenched in sweat, and not only hated the city of San Francisco and everyone in it, he was pretty much ready to call it quits with Audrey and go back to the relative desperation of Ukrainian Girls Loving Him from afar. He caught a break at the Powell Street exchange, where the cable cars pick up in Chinatown, and was actually able to jump on the car behind Audrey's and continue the breathtaking, seven-mile-per-hour chase, ten more blocks to Market Street. Audrey hopped off the cable car, walked directly out to the island on Market, and stepped onto one of the antique streetcars, which left before Ray even got to the island. She was like some kind of diabolical rail-transit supervixen, Ray thought. The way the trains just seemed to be there when she needed them, then gone when he got there. She was master of some sort of evil, streetcar mojo, no doubt about that. (In matters of the heart, the Beta Male imagination can turn quickly on a floundering suitor, and at that point, Ray's was beginning to consume what little confidence he had mustered.) It was Market Street, however, the busiest street in the City, and Ray was able to quickly grab a cab and follow Audrey all the way into the Mission district, and even kept the cab for a few blocks when she was on foot again. Ray stayed a block away, following Audrey to a big jade-green Queen Anne Victorian building off Seventeenth Street, which had a small plaque on the column by the porch that read THREE JEWELS BUDDHIST CENTER. Ray had his breath and his composure back, and was able to watch comfortably from behind a light post across the street as Audrey climbed the steps of the center. As she got to the top step, the leaded-glass door flew open and two old ladies came rushing out, frantic, it seemed, to tell Audrey something, but entirely out of control. The old ladies looked familiar. Ray stopped breathing and dug into the back pocket of his jeans. He came up with the photocopies he'd kept of the driver's-license photos of the women Charlie had asked him to find. It was them: Esther Johnson and Irena Posokovanovich, standing there with the future Mrs. Macy. Then, just as Ray was trying to get his head around the connection, the door of the Buddhist center opened again and out charged what looked like a river otter in a sequined minidress and go-go boots, bent on attacking Audrey's ankles with a pair of scissors. Charlie and Inspector Rivera stood outside Fresh Music in the Castro, trying to peer in the windows past the cardboard cutouts and giant album covers. According to the hours posted on the door, the store should have been open, but the door was locked and it was dark inside. From what Charlie could see, the store was exactly as he had seen it years ago when he'd confronted Minty Fresh, except for one, distinct difference: the shelf full of glowing soul vessels was gone. There was a frozen-yogurt shop next door and Rivera led Charlie in and talked to the owner, a guy who looked entirely too fit to run a sweetshop, who said, â€Å"He hasn't opened for five days. Didn't say a word to any of us. Is he okay?† â€Å"I'm sure he's fine,† Rivera said. Three minutes later Rivera had obtained Minty Fresh's phone numbers and home address from the SFPD dispatcher, and after trying the numbers and getting voice mail, they went to Fresh's apartment in Twin Peaks to find newspapers piled up by the door. Rivera turned to Charlie. â€Å"Do you know of anyone else who could vouch for what you've been telling me?† â€Å"You mean other Death Merchants?† Charlie asked. â€Å"I don't know them, but I know of them. They probably won't talk to you.† â€Å"Used-book-store owner in the Haight and a junk dealer off lower Fourth Street, right?† Rivera said. â€Å"No,† Charlie said. â€Å"I don't know of anyone like that. Why did you ask?† â€Å"Because both of them are missing,† Rivera said. There was blood all over the walls of the junk dealer's office. There was a human ear on the floor of the bookstore in the Haight.† Charlie backed against the wall. â€Å"That wasn't in the paper.† â€Å"We don't release stuff like that. Both lived alone, no one saw anything, we don't know that a crime was even committed. But now, with this Fresh guy missing – â€Å" â€Å"You think that these other guys were Death Merchants?† â€Å"I'm not saying I believe that, Charlie, it could just be a coincidence, but when Ray Macy called me today about you, that was actually the reason I came to find you. I was going to ask you if you knew them.† â€Å"Ray ratted me out?† â€Å"Let it go. He may have saved your life.† Charlie thought about Sophie for the hundredth time that night, worried about not being there with her. â€Å"Can I call my daughter?† â€Å"Sure,† Rivera said. â€Å"But then – â€Å" â€Å"Book 'em Danno in the Mission,† Charlie said, pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. â€Å"That can't be ten minutes away. I think the owner is one of us.† Sophie was fine, feeding Cheese Newts to the hellhounds with Mrs. Korjev. She asked Charlie if he needed any help and he teared up and had to get control of his voice before he answered. Seven minutes later they were parked crossways in the middle of Valencia Street, watching fire trucks blasting water into the second story of the building that housed Book 'em Danno. They got out of the car and Rivera showed his badge to the police officer who had been first on the scene. â€Å"Fire crews can't get in,† the cop said. â€Å"There's a heavy steel fire door in the back and those shutters must be quarter-inch steel or more.† The security shutters were bowed outward and had thousands of small bumps all over them. â€Å"What happened?† Rivera asked. â€Å"We don't know yet,† said the cop. â€Å"Neighbors reported an explosion and that's all we know so far. No one lived upstairs. We've evacuated all the adjacent buildings.† â€Å"Thanks,† Rivera said. He looked at Charlie, raised an eyebrow. â€Å"The Fillmore,† Charlie said. â€Å"A pawnshop at Fulton and Fillmore.† â€Å"Let's go,† Rivera said, taking Charlie's arm to help speed-limp him to the car. â€Å"So I'm not a suspect anymore?† Charlie asked. â€Å"We'll see if you live,† Rivera said, opening the car door. Once in the car, Charlie called his sister. â€Å"Jane, I need you to go get Sophie and the puppies and take them to your place.† â€Å"Sure, Charlie, but we just had the carpets cleaned – Alvin and – â€Å" â€Å"Do not separate Sophie and the hellhounds for one second, Jane, do you understand?† â€Å"Jeez, Charlie. Sure.† â€Å"I mean it. She may be in danger and they'll protect her.† â€Å"What's going on? Do you want me to call the cops?† â€Å"I'm with the cops, Jane. Please, go get Sophie right now.† â€Å"I'm leaving now. How am I going to get them all into my Subaru?† â€Å"You'll figure it out. If you have to, tie Alvin and Mohammed to the bumper and drive slowly.† â€Å"That's horrible, Charlie.† â€Å"No, it's not. They'll be fine.† â€Å"No, I mean they tore my bumper off last time I did that. It cost six hundred bucks to fix.† â€Å"Go get her. I'll call you in an hour.† Charlie disconnected. Well, claymores suck, I can tell you that,† said Babd. â€Å"I used to like the big sword claymore, but now†¦now they have to make them all splody and full of – what do you call that stuff, Nemain?† â€Å"Shrapnel.† â€Å"Shrapnel,† said Babd. â€Å"I was just starting to feel like my old self – â€Å" â€Å"Shut up!† barked Macha. â€Å"But it hurts,† said Babd. They were flowing along a storm sewer pipe under Sixteenth Street in the Mission. They were barely two-dimensional again, and they looked like tattered black battle flags, threadbare shadows, oozing black goo as they moved up the pipe. One of Nemain's legs had been completely severed and she had it tucked under her arm while her sisters towed her through the pipe. â€Å"Can you fly, Nemain?† asked Babd. â€Å"You're getting heavy.† â€Å"Not down here, and I'm not going back up there.† â€Å"We have to go back Above,† said Macha. â€Å"If you want to heal before a millennium passes.† As the three death divas came to a wide junction of pipes under Market Street, they heard something splashing in the pipe ahead. â€Å"What's that?† said Babd. They stopped. Something pattered by in the pipe they were approaching. â€Å"What was that? What was that?† asked Nemain, who couldn't see past her sisters. â€Å"Looked like a squirrel in a ball gown,† said Babd. â€Å"But I'm weak and could be delusional.† â€Å"And an idiot,† said Macha. â€Å"It was a gift soul. Get it! We can heal Nemain's leg with it.† Macha and Babd dropped their unidexter sister and surged forward toward the junction, just as the Boston terrier stepped into their path. The Morrigan backpedaling in the pipe sounded like cats tearing lace. â€Å"Whoa, whoa, whoa,† chanted Macha, what was left of her claws raking the pipe to back up. Bummer yapped out a sharp tattoo of threat, then bolted down the pipe after the Morrigan. â€Å"New plan, new plan, new plan,† said Babd. â€Å"I hate dogs,† said Macha. They snagged their sister as they passed her. â€Å"We, the goddesses of death, who will soon command the all under darkness, are fleeing a tiny dog,† said Nemain. â€Å"So what's your point, hoppie?† said Macha. Over in the Fillmore, Carrie Lang had closed her pawnshop for the night and was waiting for some jewelry she'd taken in that day to finish in the ultrasonic cleaner so she could put it in the display case. She wanted to finish and get out of there, go home and have dinner, then maybe go out for a couple of hours. She was thirty-six and single, and felt an obligation to go out, just on the off chance that she might meet a nice guy, even though she'd rather stay home and watch crime shows on TV. She prided herself on not becoming cynical. A pawnbroker, like a bail bondsman, tends to see people at their worst, and every day she fought the idea that the last decent guy had become a drummer or a crackhead. Lately she didn't want to go out because of the strange stuff she'd been seeing and hearing out on the street – creatures scurrying in the shadows, whispers coming from the storm drains; staying at home was looking better all the time. She'd even started bringing her five-year-old basset hound, Cheerful, to work with her. He really wasn't a lot of protection, unless an attacker happened to be less than knee-high, but he had a loud bark, and there was a good chance that he might actually bark at a bad guy, as long he wasn't carrying a dog biscuit. As it turned out, the creatures who were invading her shop that evening were less than knee-high. Carrie had been a Death Merchant for nine years, and after adjusting to the initial shock about the whole phenomenon of transference of souls subsided (which only took about four years), she'd taken to it like it was just another part of the business, but she knew from The Great Big Book of Death that something was going on, and it had her spooked. As she went to the front of the store to crank the security shutters down, she heard something move behind her in the dark, something low, back by the guitars. It brushed a low E-string as it passed and the note vibrated like a warning. Carrie stopped cranking the shutters and checked that she had her keys with her, in case she needed to run through the front door. She unsnapped the holster of her. 38 revolver, then thought, What the hell, I'm not a cop, and drew the weapon, training it on the still-sounding guitar. A cop she had dated years ago had talked her into carrying the Smith & Wesson when she was working the store, and although she'd never had to draw it before, she knew that it had been a deterrent to thieves. â€Å"Cheerful?† she called. She was answered by some shuffling in the back room. Why had she turned most of the lights out? The switches were in the back room, and she was moving by the case lights, which cast almost no light at the floor, where the noises were coming from. â€Å"I have a gun, and I know how to use it,† she said, feeling stupid even as the words came out of her mouth. This time she was answered by a muffled whimper. â€Å"Cheerful!† She ducked under the lift gate in the counter and ran to the back room, fanning the area with her pistol the way she saw them do in cop shows. Another whimper. She could just make out Cheerful, lying in his normal spot by the back door, but there was something around his paws and muzzle. Duct tape. She reached out to turn on the lights and something hit her in the back of the knees. She tried to twist around and something thumped her in the chest, setting her off balance. Sharp claws raked her wrists as she fell and she lost her grip on the revolver. She hit her head on the doorjamb, setting off what seemed like a strobe light in her head, then something hit her in the back of the neck, hard, and everything went black. It was still dark when she came to. She couldn't tell how long she'd been out, and she couldn't move to look at her watch. Oh my God, they've broken my neck, she thought. She saw objects moving past her, each glowing dull red, barely illuminating whatever was carrying them – tiny skeletal faces – fangs, and claws and dead, empty eye sockets. The soul vessels appeared to be floating across the floor, with a carrion puppet escort. Then she felt claws, the creatures, touching her, moving under her. She tried to scream, but her mouth had been taped shut. She felt herself being lifted, then made out the shape of the back door of her shop opening as she was carried through it, only a foot or so off the floor. Then she was hoisted nearly upright, and she felt herself falling into a dark abyss. They found the back door to the pawnshop open and the basset hound taped up in the corner. Rivera checked the shop with his weapon drawn and a flashlight in one hand, then called Charlie in from the alley when he found no one there. Charlie turned on the shop lights as he came in. â€Å"Uh-oh,† he said. â€Å"What?† Rivera said. Charlie pointed to a display case with the glass broken out. â€Å"This case is where she displayed her soul vessels. It was nearly full when I was in here – now, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Rivera looked at the empty case. â€Å"Don't touch anything. Whatever happened here, I don't think it was the same perp who hit the other shopkeepers.† â€Å"Why?† Charlie looked back to the back room, to the bound basset hound. â€Å"Because of him,† Rivera said. â€Å"You don't tie up the dog if you're going to slaughter the people and leave blood and body parts everywhere. That's not the same kind of mentality.† â€Å"Maybe she was tying him up when they surprised her,† Charlie said. â€Å"She kind of had the look of a lady cop.† â€Å"Yeah, and all cops are into dog bondage, is that what you're saying?† Rivera holstered his weapon, pulled a penknife from his pocket, and went to where the basset hound was squirming on the floor. â€Å"No, I'm not. Sorry. She did have a gun, though.† â€Å"She must have been here,† Rivera said. â€Å"Otherwise the alarms would have been set. What's that on that doorjamb?† He was sawing through the duct tape on the basset's paws, being careful not to cut him. He nodded toward the doorway from the shop to the back room. â€Å"Blood,† Charlie said. â€Å"And a little hair.† Rivera nodded. â€Å"That blood on the floor there, too? Don't touch.† Charlie looked at a three-inch puddle to the left of the door. â€Å"Yep, I think so.† Rivera had the basset's paws free and was kneeling on him to hold him still while he took the tape off his muzzle. â€Å"Those tracks in it, don't smear them. What are they, partial shoe prints?† â€Å"Look like bird-feet prints. Chickens maybe?† â€Å"No.† Rivera released the basset, who immediately tried to jump on the inspector's Italian dress slacks and lick his face in celebration. He held the basset hound by the collar and moved to where Charlie was examining the tracks. â€Å"They do look like chicken tracks,† he said. â€Å"Yep,† Charlie said. â€Å"And you have dog drool on your jacket.† â€Å"I need to call this in, Charlie.† â€Å"So dog drool is the determining factor in calling in backup?† â€Å"Forget the dog drool. The dog drool is not relevant. I need to report this and I need to call my partner in. He'll be pissed that I've waited this long. I need to take you home.† â€Å"If you can't get the stain out of that thousand-dollar suit jacket, you'll think it's relevant.† â€Å"Focus, Charlie. As soon as I can get another unit here, I'm sending you home. You have my cell. Let me know if anything happens. Anything.† Rivera called the dispatcher on his cell phone and asked him to send a uniform unit and the crime-scene squad as soon as they were available. When he snapped the phone shut, Charlie said, â€Å"So I'm not under arrest anymore?† â€Å"No. Stay in touch. And stay safe, okay? You might even want to spend a few nights outside of the City.† â€Å"I can't. I'm the Luminatus, I have responsibilities.† â€Å"But you don't know what they are – â€Å" â€Å"Just because I don't know what they are doesn't mean I don't have them,† Charlie said, perhaps a little too defensively. â€Å"And you're sure you don't know how many of these Death Merchants are in the City, or where they might be?† â€Å"Minty Fresh said there was at least a dozen, that's all I know. This woman and the guy in the Mission were the only ones I spotted on my walks.† They heard a car pull up in the alley and Rivera went to the back door and signaled to the officers, then turned to Charlie. â€Å"You go home and get some sleep, if you can, Charlie. I'll be in touch.† Charlie let the uniformed police officer lead him to the cruiser and help him into the back, then waved to Rivera and the basset hound as the patrol car backed out of the alley.

Abnormal essays

Abnormal essays What Is Abnormal Psychology? What Is Normal Psychology? What is Psychology? In my research of Psychology and its meaning I have come up with many definitions. To sum all of the definitions into one its the study ones feelings, thoughts, and their way of thinking and using all of there senses rather its cognitive, physical, or mental. Some other questions that came to mind during my research are what is normal psychology and what is abnormal psychology? What is normal psychology? Most people consider one to be normal if they seem to have no problems physically or mentally. Are you O.K. the way you are? Should you be different? Most of us tend to roles that are acceptable behavior in society. Society expects us all to play certain roles. Health and science guide says that normality is only questioned when there is a conflict between roles. Why do we conform to these roles? We do it because in most societies, including ours, there are rewards for conformity. People tend to treat us with respect when we play roles that others are comfortable with. What is abnormal psychology? I think it could be the study of mental illness as some journals stated. Overall its the study of mental illnesses and of how people with mental illnesses can be treated. Stated in Health and Science guide mental illness is a much-debated topic in the world of psychology to which a lot of research is still needed. Problems usually come up when people try to define what is normal. Sigmund Freud was considered to be the father of Psychoanalysis, said there was no such thing as a normal person. Mental illness is considered to be an illness of the mind, which makes it difficult for people to carry out a normal, productive lifestyle. Mental illnesses range from depression to schizophrenia (a very serious mind disorder). It is important to remember that people with such disorders ate stricken with an illness. They have no more control over their illness than ...