Team-based Programming Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team-based Programming Skills - Essay Example Each member is dependent on the other and higher the understanding among the members, higher the productivity level of the whole organization. When working in a team as a programmer, the most important skill that you need to have is communication skill. A programmer working in a team may not require a vast amount of knowledge compared to a programmer working alone. (Layman, et al. 2006) In web programming, content is of the utmost importance. When different sets of mind are working together, they produce content that is of high quality, has a lot of variety, attractive, dynamic and is well planned. There are various teams that are made that have a specific task so that they can create something that captivates the audience (Layman, et al. 2006). In teams there is the transference of knowledge as well. A person who is skilled in web programming can share his knowledge and wisdom with the people he is working with. (Sharp & Robinson, 2008) This helps in the overall productivity of the whole team which in turn affects the organization. When a programmer is working alone he needs a vast amount of knowledge concerned with the design of the website. Although communication skills are not that important but still they are required. The programmer must be expert in all areas because he is in charge of all the things. Organizations that are small require web developers that can work alone (Anon., 2014). However there is a downside of working alone as well. The content made is not that captivating when the programmer is working alone because a single mind is working on it. (Burdmann, 1999) There is a lower degree of creativeness as it is born out of interaction. There is limited knowledge and the programmer might lose confidence in his abilities. In today’s world it is important for an organization to build teams and strategies for them. When a team is built up, a specific strategy and specific tasks are allotted to

Causes of the Arab-Israeli Conflict Essay Example for Free

Causes of the Arab-Israeli Conflict Essay The origins of the conflict between Arabs and Israelis lie deeply in religious and historical times. The aftermath of World War Two instigated the rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism, escalating the religious and cultural differences between the two nationalities. Foreign interference from western nations negatively intervened in the tensions between Arabs and Israelis. The decline of the Ottoman Empire gave opportunities for Britain to impose the Mandate System which increased hostilities between Arabs, Israelis and the Western world. Conflict between the Arabs and the Israelis were mainly due to the rise of Zionism and Arab Nationalism. Following the Holocaust and other events in WWII, Jewish people were even more displaced and were encouraged by Herzl and Weizmann’s Zionist movement to migrate back to the homeland, modern day Palestine. This was perceived by the Arab inhabitants as an invasion. The Jewish brought with them international expertise to boost the economy, dominating the finance and agricultural industries. Arabs reacted with violence, attacking Jewish settlements of Tel Aviv and Haifa in 1920. The Jews in response created the Haganah, the Jewish Defence Force dedicated to maintaining the security of the settlements. Another factor was the shared religious interest in Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock, which is a central focal point in the conflict over borders. The Arabs mobilised very slowly but eventually the Arab Nationalism movement was founded, their aim to establish Arab rule in the Middle East, directly contrasting with Zionism thus inevitably leading to conflict. Their strong religious and cultural differences were crucial to the Arab-Israeli conflict. International interest in the nature of the Arab-Israeli relationship was counterproductive to reconciling the differences between the two ethnicities. Early attempts by interested parties to make agreements ended in failure and abandonment due to contradictory and inconsistent promises. The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence of 1915 was a series of a letters between the Arabs and the British. The correspondence promised British support for an Arab independence if the Arabs revolted against the Ottoman Empire family. This alliance however, was juxtaposed by the next agreement, the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916. Made between Britain, France and Russia, it discussed the division of the Middle  East with Arabia as an independent state while Palestine would be jointly ruled by the three co-conspirators. The revelation reinforced the determination of the Arabs to be independent. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 complicated the situation further since it appeared to be promising the establishment of a Jewish National State in a letter between the British and the Jewish. The UN Partition Plan in 1947 gave the opportunity for Zionist leader Ben Gurion to declare the establishment of the State of Israel and was the catalyst for the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, one of many violent conflicts that would perpetuate as the conflict continued to be unresolved. The uncoordinated, duplicitous and irrational efforts by the western world to intervene in the Arab-Israeli conflict were weaknesses clearly thought to be necessary and instead increased the tensions between the two nations. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire left the fate of the Middle East to the League of Nations. They implemented the Mandate System, a form of governance designed to assist the fractured Arab community to establish independence by administering regions until they were ready for self-governance. However, their ulterior motives to maintain access to key resources in the area, mostly oil deposits and the Suez Canal prevented both Arab nationalist and Zionist aims. The actions of these nations were detrimental to the relations between Arabs and Israelis and contributed to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The major causes of the Arab-Israeli conflict were foreign interference, nationalism and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. These factors were critical to the development and escalation of hostilities between the two nations torn over one land.

Ratio Analysis for Building Company

Ratio Analysis for Building Company Title: Ratio analysis for Bellway Company About Bellway plc The Bellway Group is one of the largest housebuilders in the U.K. It was established in 1946 by John T.Bells and his two sons[1].The Group’s operations are spread throughout the country. The key activities of the Group include: land acquisition, finance, planning, architecture, design, build management, marketing and customer service. Bellway builds low-cost homes and apartment blocks on disused or abandoned sites. Position and Strategy Bellway sells around 6,000 houses every year and has till date provided more than 100,000 homes. The houses are designed, built and marketed by local teams operating from regional offices. These offices are managed and staffed by local people. The company employs about 2,000 people with varying expertise. Corporate Social Responsibility The Group has adopted five principles in their day-to-day operations to minimise the environmental effects of the building process and create sustainable communities: â€Å"Protection of the environment Prudent use of natural resources Creating environments that have the potential to add to economic growth and employment opportunities Social considerations that recognise the needs for a changing and advancing population The creation of communities that will endure and where people will aspire to live† Source: Bellway p.l.c. Annual Report Accounts 2007 The Group reports on these five principles in its Annual Report. Performance Overview of Bellway Group The housing industry has been facing challenging market conditions since the last few months. However the Chairman of the Group has made the following statement in the Annual Report of the Group for the year ended 31 July 2007. â€Å"Bellway has, yet again, produced a very good set of results for the year ended 31 July. The Group continues to deliver organic growth in volumes and earnings despite the challenging market conditions experienced by the housing industry over the last twelve months.† The present paper attempts to examine the reality of the statement by doing a ratio analysis to assess the financial health of the Group based on its Annual Reports for the year ended 31 July 2007. Performance Overview The key highlights of performance in the year ended July 2007 over the previous year are given in the table[2] below: In the next section a detailed analysis of the financial performance and health of the Group has been examined on the basis of: Performance Ratios Working Capital Efficiency Ratios Investment Ratios Financial Status Ratios PERFORMANCE RATIOS Return on capital employed (ROCE) Profit before Tax and Interest Payable = x 100 Total Assets less Current Liabilities * This is taken as equal to operating profit plus interest income The ROCE of the Group is around 22% in the year ended 2007. Despite a 6.5% increase in the Profit before Tax and Interest Payable in 2007, the ROCE stands at the same figure as in 2006. This only indicates that the net assets have also increased in the same proportion as profits. However, there has been no improvement in the efficiency in employing theses net assets to generate profits. Moreover, ROCE for the Group is lower than five year average ROCE achieved by builders over UK which stands at 25–30%[3]. Thus, the efficiency in employing net assets to generate profits for the Group is lower than the Industry average. Asset turnover Sales Turnover = Total Assets less Current Liabilities The asset turnover ratio of 1.165 indicates that a sale of  £1.165 is generated from each  £ invested in assets by the Group. This ratio has increased by around 3.6% in 2007 over 2006 which is a good sign. The increase is primarily due to an increase in total assets and also a corresponding increase in the sales turnover. Net profit margin Profit before Tax and Interest Payable = x 100 Sales turnover *This is taken as equal to operating profit plus interest income Despite the increase in profit before interest and taxes and also sales turnover, there is a slight decline in the net profit margin from 19.5% in the year ended 2006 to 19.1% in the year ended 2007. The decline indicates that proportionate increase in cost of operations has been higher than the increase in sales. Thus, there has been a decline in the efficiency of sales to generate profits. Gross profit margin Gross Profit = x 100 Sales turnover There has been a decrease in the gross profit margin of the Group by 0.6% despite the increase in sales revenue. The decline in the gross profit margin has been due to a larger increase in cost of sales as compared to corresponding increase in sales. Sales revenue has increased by 9.2% over 2006. The corresponding increase in cost of sales has been 9.9%. The decline in the gross profit margin also explains to certain extent the decline in net profit margin. WORKING CAPITAL EFFICIENCY RATIOS Inventories (or stock) turnover Stocks and Work in Progress = x 365 Purchases (or Cost of Sales) The housebuilding industry by its very nature has slow moving stock / inventory. In 2007, as compared to 2006, there has been a decline in the number of days the stock takes to be converted into sales. The stock is getting converted into sales in 538.65 days in 2007 as compared to 552.16 days. This is an improvement of around 2.4% over 2006. Trade receivables (or trade debtors) turnover Trade Debtors = x 365 Sales Turnover * All sales are assumed to be on credit Though it takes less than 1 week to collect receivables, the increase in the time taken to receive payments from customers must be examined carefully before it gets out of hands. An increasing ratio also indicates that the company is taking more time for collecting its payments. Thus, each  £1 of its sales revenue stays tied up in trade receivables for a longer period. Trade payables (or trade creditors) turnover Trade Creditors = x 365 Cost of Sales ** All purchases are assumed to be on credit There has been a decline in the average settlement period for trade creditors by almost 17%. This is not a good sign as trade credit is a type of free finance available to a company. A declining ratio indicates that suppliers in the year ended 2007 gave a lower credit period to the Group as compared to the previous year. This becomes a bigger cause of concern as the Stock Turnover ratio for the Group stands at a high figure. It may also have adverse implications for the Group’s liquidity position. INVESTMENT RATIOS Earnings per share (EPS) Profit before Ordinary Dividend = No. of Ordinary Shares in issue EPS reflects upon share performance. Thus EPS trend of the Group highlights the investment potential of its shares. It also highlights the possibility that the company will pay a dividend[8]. There has been a 6.2% growth in the diluted EPS of the Group in the year ended 2007 as compared to 2006. This indicates that the potential of the shares of the Group is growing. This increase in EPS is primarily due to an increase in the profits with no corresponding increase in tax rates. Price earnings ratio(PE) Market Value per Share = Earning per share In general, if the PE ratio of a company is high it implies that investors are optimistic about the company’s future and are expectinghigher earningsgrowthin the future compared to companies with alower PE. However, the ratio can only be interpreted appropriately when compared to historical PE ratio or industry benchmarks. Group’s historical PE ratio The PE ratio for the Group has been constant over the previous two years. The ratio needs to be examined in light of the deteriorating industry scenario over the last two months. The PE ratio calculated above may not hold true today and would have declined substantially. This is because housebuilding is a cyclical business where earnings fall exponentially as sales prices decline. Recent times have seen a substantial decline in sale prices. If the PE is calculated at the share price of 713.5p[9] as on 25 April 2008, assuming earnings to be constant at 31 July 2007 level, it will be only 4.9. Thus, actual PE will be lower. Industry average The following diagram[10] highlights the PE ratios of 8 leading housebuilders in UK as on 21 July 2007. The diagram clearly indicates that Bellway is towards the lower end of the selected companies in the industry UK with regard to its PE ratio Dividend yield Latest Annual Dividends = x 100 Current market share price The dividend yield at the current price as on 25 April 2008 = (43.125 / 713.5) % = 6% However, the market price of shares for the Group is much lower than it was a year ago. Historically, the dividend yield has been as indicated in the table below: Dividend cover Profit on ordinary activities after taxation = Ordinary Dividend The dividend cover has fallen despite the fact that the profits have increased. A declining trend makes dividend less secure. However it is not a cause of concern for the Group as the dividend cover is much better than many other companies in the industry. For example, housebuilder Persimmon has cover of 2.69[11]. Thus, if the Group has a cover of more than 3, it could maintain its payout more than thrice over. Return on equity (ROE) Profit on ordinary activities after taxation = x 100 Equity shareholders’ funds The Group shows a decline in this ratio in 2007 over 2006. The decline may be primarily due to increase in equity shareholders’ funds. FINANCIAL STATUS RATIOS Working capital ratio (WCR) Current Assets = Current liabilities The accepted norm for the WCR ratio is that current assets should be double the current liabilities. However, the norm varies with industry. In the case of the Group the ratio has declined but it is higher than the accepted norm. However, a closer analysis indicates that the Group faces a liquidity crisis. A close examination of the current assets indicates that inventories constitute more than 95% of the current assets. This, added to a high stock turnover ratio, will not let the Group meet its current obligations. A clearer picture of the liquidity is provided by the Quick Asset ratio. Quick assets ratio (QAR) Current Assets Stocks = Current liabilities The norm for this ratio is 1: 1. However, it again varies from business to business. The ratio is far below the norm. In other words, the Group has no way of covering up its current obligations. This is a cause of concern and can lead to survival problems also if the condition persists. Gearing Long-term Debt + Preference Shares = Total Assets less Current Liabilities *These include preference shares of  £20,000,000 in both the years The gearing or dependence on debt has decreased by about 7% for the Group. Thus, there has been a decline in the Group’s risk as lesser amount is committed for periodic interest and repayment commitments. This is especially welcome in the time of deteriorating housing market conditions. Interest cover Profit before Tax and Interest Payable = Interest payable Despite the decline in gearing, the Group’s interest cover for the year ended 31 July 2007 also shows a slight decline. The decrease in interest cover from last year is due to a higher increase in net interest payable than increase in profit before tax and interest. Conclusion: To conclude it can be said that Bellway has performed well in the year ended July 2007 over 2006 in terms of profitability as well as increased sales. However, it faces a major short-term liquidity crisis. This is a cause of concern as the UKs housebuilding industry, in general, is expected to be facing more difficult times ahead due to credit crunch and declining consumer demand. References: Atrill Peter McLaney Eddie, Financial Accounting for Decision Makers, 5th ed. 2008 , FT Prentice Hall Barker Review Interim Report, The Housebuilding Industry, accessed from http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/2/9/barkerreview_interim_chapters4to6.pdf Bellway p.l.c. Annual Report Accounts 2007 Elliott B. and J. Elliott, Financial Accounting and Reporting, 11th ed. 2007, FT Prentice Hall HIFIC Barnard Report, Future Trends in Timber Construction and Implications for HIE Region, accessed from www.forestryscotland.com/pages/download2.asp?file=attachments/HIFIC_Forres%2007_Barnard.pdf Steed, Alison, Five ‘safe’ shares for hard times, The Sunday Times 20 April, 2008 Team Limited, The Cartel- Like Industry, accessed from http://www.teamlimited.co.uk/Assets/pdf/Building-Barriers.pdf Yahoo finance, accessed from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=BWY.L Hemscott website accessed from www.hemscott.com Brief: 209439Page 1 of 13 [1] Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=BWY.L [2] Source: Bellway p.l.c. Annual Report Accounts 2007 [3] HIFIC Barnard Report, Future Trends in Timber Construction and Implications for HIE Region, accessed from www.forestryscotland.com/pages/download2.asp?file=attachments/HIFIC_Forres 07_Barnard.pdf [4] Ideally average stock and work in progress figures should be taken for calculating the ratio as they give more accurate ratios as average inventory accounts for any seasonality effects on the ratio. However, in the case of house building industry seasonality effect is not there. Moreover due to non-availability of 2005 figures, end of the year figures are used. . [5] Ideally average trade debtors figures should be taken for calculating the ratio as they give more accurate ratios. However, due to non-availability of 2005 figures, end of the year figures are used.. Trade receivables do not include other receivables not arising from sales (Refer Note 13 of Bellway Annual Report pp 68) [6] Ideally average trade creditors’ figures should be taken for calculating the ratio as they give more accurate ratios. However, due to non-availability of 2005 figures, end of the year figures are used. Trade payables do not include other payables not arising from purchases (Refer Note 15 of Bellway Annual Report pp 69) [7] Diluted EPS is based on the total outstanding shares after all Options and awards have been exercised. [8] EPS only indicates the possibility of a dividend. However, dividend decision is a corporate decision and there is no rule of thumb regarding its size and frequency. [9] http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=BWY.L [10] Based on PE ratios published on 21 July 2007 by www.hemscott.com [11] Steed, Alison, The Sunday Times, 20 April 2008

Chagnon Debate Essay -- essays papers

Chagnon Debate In Patrick Tierney’s article â€Å"The Fierce Anthropologist,† he discussed the faults that are, or may be, present in Napoleon Chagnon’s anthropological research of the Yanamamo, or â€Å"The Fierce People,† as Chagnon has referred to them in his best-selling book on the people. Due to Chagnon’s unparalleled body of work in terms of quantity and, as many argue, quality, Marvin Harris draws heavily on his research to support his point, which is that the origin of war is ecological and reproductive pressure. One should question Harris’s theories (and all theories), especially in the light of the aforementioned article, but I do not believe his arguments are, or should be, adversely affected by the information presented in this article. The claim that the Yanamamo are an extremely militant people is pervasive in Chagnon’s work, and Harris uses this as the basis for his arguments. However, Tierney claims that â€Å"Chagnon’s account of Yanamami warfare seemed greatly exaggerated.† (Pg. 54). Another integral part of Chagnon’s research, which Harris cites, was that the Yamamamo wage war because of women. John Peters, in Tierney’s article, presented a differing opinion stating that, â€Å"these raids [referring to the four raids carried out in half a century by a group that Chagnon said ‘demonstrated the most extreme form of Yanamami â€Å"treachery.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Pg. 54).] †¦had been provoked not by competition for women, as Chagnon had written, but by the spread of new diseases, which prompted angry accusations of witchcraft.† These, among a slew of other discrepancies, cast an especially doubtful light on Chagnon’s research, and thus Harris’s conclusions. Harris reasons that if Yanamamo warfare is indeed caused by fights over women that this is caused not only by lack of females due to female infanticide which is legitimized through male supremacy which is legitimized through warfare, but also the males’ failure to bring home meat. In Cannibals and Kings Harris writes, â€Å"From the account of Helena Valero, a Brazilian captured by the Yanomamo, we know that wives make a point of taunting their husbands when the supply of game falters†¦ The men themselves, after returning empty-handed, become touchy about real or imagined insubordination on the part of their wives and younger brothers. At the same time, the failure of the men emboldens wives and unmarried junior males to ... ...logists to verify his data,† and that, â€Å"(pg. 54) he [the German ethnologist Irenaus Eibl-Eibesfeldt] and another Yanomami researcher at the institute wrote a letter to the American Human behavior and Evolution Society, which claimed that Chagnon had got important mortality rate statistics wrong.† (Pg. 54) Even if these claims of deceiving information and others of plain false information (â€Å"In ‘The Fierce People,’ Chagnon wrote that the Yanomami were ‘one of the best nourished populations thus far described in the anthropological/biomedical literature.’ Unlike Chagnon’s ‘burly’ men, the villagers I encountered were – as Rice had observed in 1924 – tiny and scrawny.† [Pg. 54]) Are all true I don’t believe the vast majority of Chagnon’s research was falsified or misleading – nearly 40 years of false, purposefully misleading information would be an absurd, pointless task of monumental proportions. Overall, I do not believe Harris’s theories are, or should be, damaged significantly even in a worst case scenario (described by Tierney). His theory could stand alone without the evidence provided by the Yanomamo and in all probability the conclusions drawn from them were, indeed, valid.

Stereotypes and Stereotyping - Stereotypical Female in Im Your Horse i

A Stereotypical Female in I'm Your Horse in the Night  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luisa Valenzuela's short story titled "I'm Your Horse in the Night" is a thought provoking piece of literature. The story is written in such a way that the reader must interpret what is meant by what is being said. Although it is easy to go into depth when describing the elements of this piece, the storyline is rather simple. The story contains an assortment of characters; with those characters being Chiquita, Beto, Andres, and several policemen. The time and location are unknown. The telephone tells us that the time period is of somewhat modern times, and the Spanish ethnicity would most likely relate to the setting being that of a Spanish colonization. The narration of the story is first person persona told by Chiquita throughout. Aside from the geographic location of the setting, it is the home of a woman who lives on her own. She is in love with a man who she calls Beto. The woman hasn't heard from Beto in months, but she practically fantasizes about him every night. One morning she is awaken by   a mysterious phone call. She thought it was a man she calls Andres, but then the man hangs up and she is left hearing that Beto is dead. Chiquita called the police. They showed up only to harass her and tear apart her house, asking questions about Beto, which Chiquita was unable to answer. The police conclude their search by taking Chiquita to jail. She is left to ponder what is going on with Beto, the man she loved. The short story summarized above illustrates the common stereotypical theme of a female wanting to be loved by a man who in turn only wants the woman for her sex. The characters in this short story would have to be... ...ng and complexities, making it into a complete literary piece. Certain areas of the story were open for interpretation, giving the story line more than one path to go by, making it an ambiguity within itself. Every sentence adds to what the reader is able to see and comprehend as far as this particular story goes. Overall the theme is clearly that of a female simply wanting to be loved, and a male wanting sexual pleasure. This piece just glorifies the common occurrence with the verisimilitude of the main characters making the story come to life for the reader. The main characters within the story are a good example of reality when it comes to seeing the differences between males and females during an event such as this. Valenzuela's story does a good job of taking a common theme, and turning it into an exciting, thought provoking piece to read. Stereotypes and Stereotyping - Stereotypical Female in I'm Your Horse i A Stereotypical Female in I'm Your Horse in the Night  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luisa Valenzuela's short story titled "I'm Your Horse in the Night" is a thought provoking piece of literature. The story is written in such a way that the reader must interpret what is meant by what is being said. Although it is easy to go into depth when describing the elements of this piece, the storyline is rather simple. The story contains an assortment of characters; with those characters being Chiquita, Beto, Andres, and several policemen. The time and location are unknown. The telephone tells us that the time period is of somewhat modern times, and the Spanish ethnicity would most likely relate to the setting being that of a Spanish colonization. The narration of the story is first person persona told by Chiquita throughout. Aside from the geographic location of the setting, it is the home of a woman who lives on her own. She is in love with a man who she calls Beto. The woman hasn't heard from Beto in months, but she practically fantasizes about him every night. One morning she is awaken by   a mysterious phone call. She thought it was a man she calls Andres, but then the man hangs up and she is left hearing that Beto is dead. Chiquita called the police. They showed up only to harass her and tear apart her house, asking questions about Beto, which Chiquita was unable to answer. The police conclude their search by taking Chiquita to jail. She is left to ponder what is going on with Beto, the man she loved. The short story summarized above illustrates the common stereotypical theme of a female wanting to be loved by a man who in turn only wants the woman for her sex. The characters in this short story would have to be... ...ng and complexities, making it into a complete literary piece. Certain areas of the story were open for interpretation, giving the story line more than one path to go by, making it an ambiguity within itself. Every sentence adds to what the reader is able to see and comprehend as far as this particular story goes. Overall the theme is clearly that of a female simply wanting to be loved, and a male wanting sexual pleasure. This piece just glorifies the common occurrence with the verisimilitude of the main characters making the story come to life for the reader. The main characters within the story are a good example of reality when it comes to seeing the differences between males and females during an event such as this. Valenzuela's story does a good job of taking a common theme, and turning it into an exciting, thought provoking piece to read.

Child Labor Essay

Throughout history there have been articles, boycotts, books, poems, and so much more released to raise awareness on child labor. Children work under illegal, hazardous, and exploitative conditions each day risking their lives. Many of these children have their opportunity for an education taken away to work under harmful circumstances. William Blake’s poem â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† was written to help aware and prevent child labor. William Blake wrote a poem to aware the society of child labor in Britain. A real life event inspired him to write his poem about the injustice being done to the children. Child labor is exploitation to children. They were out in extremely hazardous conditions that threaten their lives. Children began to die because they were stuck in an unsafe place. The ashes that surrounded them threatened their physical health to an extreme. Fires would be set and the children would be stuck in the chimney causing them to burn to death. Blake uses a variety of symbolism through biblical ideas. He uses symbols to represent what he states in his poem. The Chimney Sweeper is based on a true story. This boy was sold and left alone by his father. Tom sweeps chimneys with four other boys: Dick, Joe, Ned, and Jack. One night tom dreams that he and the other children are sleeping in black coffins. Blake says this relating to the black ashes the children are covered in every day from sweeping the chimneys. In his dream an angel appears with a key. She unlocks the coffin the children were in and let them out. â€Å"Were all of them lock’d up in coffins of black. And by came an Angel who had a bright key, And he open’d the coffins & set them all free;† (lines 12-14) Child labor has been a big issue since industrialization began. Like the poem children were being put to work in atrocious conditions. Child labor was used because they do not have to get paid as much as adults. They were working more than a full time job. Some children would end up working for factories when their family could not afford much so they would give them up. Blake’s poem created a well-known issue concerning child labor in the real world. The way Blake described the children’s suffering and harsh living conditions caught the attention of many of his readers. The poem was created with the intention to have laws against child labor. As well as in Britain, there were many places around the world that were creating laws against child labor like the United States. The British act stated the age limit for children to begin working, children should be washed once a week, and prohibited to clean chimneys with fire in them. This act marked part of a beginning into the long battle to fight for the end of child labor. Unfortunately, till this day child labor occurring all around the world. The International Labor Organization estimated that over 215 million children under the age of 17 are currently working under illegal and harmful conditions. Children around the world are still suffering and unprivileged from opportunities of an education. A lot is done around the world to help and reach awareness to people about child labor. William Blake’s â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† is a great resource created to help inform the people of the suffering and unfortunate life children live. Work Cited Blake, William. â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper.† –Blake. Web. 18 May 2012.. Fried, Milton. â€Å"Child Labor.† History of Child Labor. Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. Web. 18 May 2012. . Heath, DIanne. â€Å"Social Science Medley.† Analysis of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† by William Blake ~. Social Science Medley, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 May 2012. . Songs of Innocence,1789 and Songs of Experience; 1794 http://165.29.91.7/classes/humanities/britlit/97-98/blake/POEMS.htm; â€Å"- Texts in Context.† Imagery, Symbolism and Themes in Blake’s The Chimney Sweeper (I) from Crossref it.info. Web. 18 May 2012. .

Succubus Revealed Chapter 9

It wasn't until I landed in Seattle on Sunday evening that the full surreal nature of my weekend in Las Vegas hit me. Being there had felt so . . . natural. I suppose part of that was just having old friends like Bastien and Luis around. Yet I'd been pleasantly surprised at how easily I got along with my newer acquaintances, like Phoebe and Matthias. I'd even grown to like Jamie, though I never did see him after that night. Despite my efforts to find him and ask him about Milton, the imp had remained elusive for the rest of my trip. And the show . . . how had that happened? I couldn't even get a solid job here in my current hometown, yet hours after walking off the plane in a strange city, I'd landed what was, in many ways, my dream job. By the time we'd finished our second practice, Matthias was already talking about a special part he planned on creating for me, and several of the other dancers were so disappointed at me leaving for a month, you'd think we'd known each other for years. It had, in spite of my misgivings, been a fantastic weekend. Reality set in when I walked into my condo. Roman was out, with only a note reading Bowling practice tomorrow night to mark his passage. Naturally, the cats were as happy to see me as always. Scratching their heads in turn, I began to think about the logistics of moving both of them with me across state lines. I'd be taking them away from Roman, whom they loved, but there was nothing to be done for that. He couldn't come with us. As a nephilim, he was in constant danger of being hunted down by other immortals, and it was only Jerome's protection that allowed him to have a seminormal life in Seattle. Roman certainly wasn't going to give that up, and besides, Las Vegas was probably the worst place in the world for him to attempt to hide out. A vase of pink-tipped white roses sat on the kitchen table, filling the air with sweetness. I opened up the card and read Seth's scrawled writing: Welcome home. I've been counting the minutes. – S I texted him that I was back and received an answer urging me to come over to Terry and Andrea's for dinner. After leaving a note for Roman assuring him I'd be at practice, I headed out, my mind still spinning with more of the consequences of moving. The condo. I'd have to sell it. Unless I wanted to rent it to Roman? Hell would likely compensate any moving costs, but it'd be up to me to start making the actual arrangements now for things like movers and whatnot. I was good at making plans and organizing things, but all of my skills were useless against the one thing I wanted to bring with me to Las Vegas the most: Seth. I still had no solution for what to do with him. I was met with the usual outpouring of love from his nieces when I arrived, just in time for a chaotic family dinner. With the additional family members, they'd given up any pretense of eating at the kitchen table and had simply taken their paper plates and homemade pizza off to the living room. The casualties of food and furniture were ones Terry and Andrea were long since used to, but Margaret couldn't focus on her dinner for fear of constantly watching the girls and what she perceived as imminent tomato-stained disaster. I was happy to see Andrea out with the family, which wasn't something that happened very often lately. She looked tired but was in good spirits, and from the way the girls vied for position next to her, it was clear they were delighted to have her up and around too. â€Å"Seth says you were out of town,† she told me. â€Å"Anywhere fun?† â€Å"Las Vegas,† I replied. â€Å"Visiting friends.† â€Å"Man,† said Ian. â€Å"I wish I had friends in Las Vegas.† â€Å"I figured it'd be too commercial for you,† said Seth, deadpan. Ian swallowed a bite of his pizza – it apparently wasn't a vegan day – before responding. â€Å"Only if you stay on the Strip and their overpriced luxury hotels. If you poke around in some of the out-of-the-way places, you could find some really cool and obscure dives.† It took nine-year-old Kendall to say what the rest of us were thinking. â€Å"I'd rather stay in luxury. Why would you want to stay in a dive, Uncle Ian?† â€Å"Because it's nonmainstream,† he told her. â€Å"Everyone stays at the nice places.† â€Å"But I like nice things,† she argued. â€Å"Don't you?† â€Å"Well, yes,† he said, frowning. â€Å"But that's not the point – â€Å" â€Å"Then why would you want to stay at bad places?† she pressed. â€Å"You're too young to understand,† he said. Seth chuckled. â€Å"Actually, I think she understands perfectly.† Andrea decided to rest shortly after that, but not before extracting a promise that someone deliver her dessert later on. After doing dishes (which was pretty easy with paper plates), our group dispersed into separate activities. Kendall, Brandy, Margaret, and Terry started up a game of Monopoly while Kayla and the twins settled down to watch The Little Mermaid. Ian joined them, excited for the chance to show how the movie was an example of capitalism destroying America. Seth and I curled up on a nearby loveseat, ostensibly to watch the movie, but instead used the time to catch up. â€Å"How was it, really?† he asked me in a low voice. â€Å"I've been worried about you. Was it as bad as you thought?† â€Å"No,† I said, leaning my head against his chest. â€Å"It was actually . . . pretty good. Would you believe I have a job already ? Like . . . one that's not on Hell's payroll.† â€Å"You can't even get one of those here,† remarked Seth. â€Å"Yeah, the irony's not lost on me. I'm going to be a Vegas showgirl, complete with sequins.† Seth trailed his fingers through my hair. â€Å"That's actually kind of awesome. And hot. If you want to practice, I'd be more than happy to give you some constructive criticism.† I smiled. â€Å"We'll see.† There was a long pause. â€Å"So . . . it's real. This whole thing.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"It's real.† I felt him tense and sensed the worry radiating off of him. â€Å"It's okay. We'll figure this out. It's still a month away.† â€Å"I know we will,† he said. â€Å"You and I have overcome crazier things than this, right?† â€Å"Crazier doesn't always mean harder,† I pointed out. â€Å"I mean, when Peter tried to make a ‘retro candle sconce' out of a Pringles can last month, that was pretty crazy – but it was also pretty easy to deal with once we found his fire extinguisher.† â€Å"You see?† said Seth. â€Å"This is what I love about you. I don't even consider that crazy. I consider that ordinary life with you, Georgina. You change all the definitions.† He pressed a kiss to my forehead. We fell silent and watched the movie, though I suspected Seth was paying as little attention as I was. We were both lost in our own thoughts, and I didn't really snap out of it until I heard Ian telling Morgan, â€Å"I like the original fairy tale better. It's pretty alternative, so you've probably never heard of it.† I glanced at the clock and sat up. â€Å"I'm going to go check on Andrea and see if she wants her dessert.† Both Margaret and Terry were quick to offer to do it instead, but I waved them off, assuring them I was fine and that they should return to their game. Andrea was awake, propped up on pillows and reading a book when I came in with the pie. â€Å"You didn't have to do that,† she told me. â€Å"You should've asked Terry.† â€Å"He's busy buying and selling property,† I told her, helping her settle the plate on her lap. â€Å"I couldn't ask him to interrupt that. Besides, he does plenty.† â€Å"He does,† she agreed, smiling wistfully. â€Å"They all do. Even you. It's so strange, having others take care of me. I'm too used to looking after everyone else.† I settled down on a chair near her bed, wondering how often it must be filled lately. Andrea always had someone watching over her. â€Å"It's just for a little while longer,† I said. That got me another smile as she chewed a bite of pie. â€Å"You're very optimistic.† â€Å"Hey, why shouldn't I be? You look great today.† â€Å"Great ‘ironically,' as Ian would say.† She ran a hand through her limp blond hair. â€Å"But I do feel better than I have for a while. I don't know. It's deceptive, Georgina. There are days I feel confident I've beat every cancer cell in my body and others when I can't believe I'm still managing to walk this earth.† â€Å"Andrea – â€Å" â€Å"No, no, it's true.† She paused for more pie, but her eyes took on a vast, knowing look that reminded me eerily of Carter. â€Å"I've accepted it, come to terms with the fact that there's still a good chance I'll die. No one else has. No one else will talk about it. I'm okay with that. If that's what God wills for me, then so be it.† I felt a knot clench in my stomach. I couldn't say much about God, but I'd seen enough of Heaven and Hell to get angry when I heard humans accept their fate as part of some higher purpose. Half the time, it seemed to me the divine powers were making up this game as they went along. â€Å"I'm not worried about me,† Andrea continued. â€Å"But I am worried about them.† That serenity faded, replaced by very real human concern, a mother's fear for her children. â€Å"Terry's strong. So wonderfully strong. But this is hard on him. He can't do it alone, which is why I'm so glad Seth's here. I don't know what we would have done without him. He's the rock supporting us all right now.† The anxiety inside me eased for a few moments, replaced by a spreading warmth as I thought about Seth. â€Å"He's wonderful.† Andrea set down the fork, finished, and extended her hand to me. â€Å"So are you. I'm glad you're part of our family, Georgina. If something happens to me – â€Å" â€Å"Stop – â€Å" â€Å"No, listen. I mean it. If something happens to me, I'll rest easy knowing the girls have you in their lives. Seth and Terry are great, but the girls still need a strong woman role model. Someone to help them through growing up.† â€Å"I'm not that good of a role model,† I said, not meeting her eyes. I was a creature of Hell, someone full of weakness and fear. What could I possibly have to offer such bright, promise-filled creatures like the Mortensen girls? â€Å"You are,† said Andrea adamantly, squeezing my hand. â€Å"They love you and admire you so much. I know they're in good hands.† I swallowed back tears that were threatening to overwhelm me. â€Å"Well,† I said. â€Å"They're in even better hands with you, since we all know you're going to get well soon.† Andrea nodded, giving me an indulgent smile that I suspected she'd perfected after weeks of listening to others insist she was on the verge of recovery. A yawn soon betrayed her, and I carefully took the plate away and asked if she needed anything else. She assured me she didn't. I crept back downstairs and returned the plate to the kitchen, where I found Brandy and Margaret eating pie of their own. I did a double take back toward the living room. â€Å"What happened to Monopoly?† â€Å"Kendall bought us out,† said Margaret. â€Å"Man, I hate playing with her,† grumbled Brandy. â€Å"No one her age should be that good.† â€Å"Don't knock it,† said Seth, strolling in. â€Å"She's going to be supporting us all in fifteen years.† He rested a hand on Brandy's shoulder. â€Å"Did you ask Georgina?† Brandy looked at her feet. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Ask me what?† â€Å"It's nothing,† she said. â€Å"Clearly it's something,† I replied, exchanging looks with Seth. â€Å"What's up?† â€Å"Is this the Christmas dance you were talking about before ?† asked Margaret. Brandy flushed. â€Å"A holiday dance. It's nothing.† â€Å"No way,† I said. â€Å"I'm a big fan of dances. But isn't school out?† â€Å"Yeah, but this is at church. It's a formal they have every year.† She was using a It's no big deal tone, but her expression betrayed how interested she was. The church part surprised me, since last I knew, the Mortensens didn't attend one. But obviously that had changed. Maybe Andrea's illness had played a role. Whatever it was, I could see faith wasn't on the line here, so much as a teenage girl's simple desire to participate in something fun with other people her age. It was a normal rite of passage, one I was guessing she didn't feel worthy of, in light of everything else going on right now with her family. No wonder she was hesitant to mention it. I wondered if maybe there was a boy involved too but certainly wasn't going to ask. She looked mortified enough to be having this discussion in front of her uncle and grandmother. â€Å"You need to shop for a dress?† I guessed. People always called me for shopping. I used to be bothered by that but then figured I should accept what I'm good at. Brandy nodded, still looking embarrassed. â€Å"When is it?† â€Å"Tuesday.† â€Å"Tuesday . . .† I frowned, thinking of my schedule. Tomorrow, Monday, was taken up with work and bowling practice. That didn't leave a lot of time. â€Å"We might be cutting it close.† â€Å"If you don't have time, it's fine,† Brandy assured me. â€Å"Really.† â€Å"No way,† I told her. â€Å"We can do it Tuesday morning.† Brandy looked down again. â€Å"My dad can pay you back†¦. I'll ask him how much we can spend.† â€Å"Forget it,† said Seth, rustling her hair. She squirmed out of his reach. â€Å"Send the bill to me. You know where I live.† Brandy protested this, but Seth was firm in his offer – as well as his urging that Brandy not mention it to her father. But once Brandy and Seth were in the other room, Margaret caught hold of my sleeve and pulled me back into the kitchen before I could follow. Our interactions hadn't exactly been antagonistic (aside from our initial meeting with the baseball bat), but they hadn't always been pleasant either. I braced myself for some admonishment about dressing Brandy like a whore. â€Å"Here,† said Margaret, shoving some cash into my hands. I looked down and found two fifty-dollar bills. â€Å"Seth's not the only with income around here. He can't keep funding the whole family. Is that enough for what she needs?† â€Å"Er, yes,† I said, trying to hand it back. I'd actually planned on cutting Seth out as well and carrying the bill myself. â€Å"Definitely. You don't have to do this.† Margaret's response was to give me another bill. â€Å"Get her shoes too.† She closed my hand around the cash. â€Å"I don't know what girls her age need when it comes to clothes, but I know you do. The money I can provide. The rest I rely on you for.† That sentiment – that faith in me – was too much, too fast on the heels of the conversation I'd just had with Andrea. â€Å"It's not enough,† I blurted out. â€Å"What I'm doing, compared to everyone else. They're all giving so much. What's a shopping trip next to that?† Margaret fixed me with a piercing gaze that bore no resemblance to the conservative, sweatshirt-wearing matron I'd categorized her as. â€Å"For a girl growing up too fast, whose life is crumbling around her? Everything.† â€Å"I hate this,† I said. â€Å"I hate that this is happening to them.† â€Å"God only gives us what we have the strength to endure,† she said. I'd always hated that saying, largely because it too seemed to go along with the idea of a universe having a plan for everyone, something I'd seen no evidence of. â€Å"They have the strength to get through this. And they have our strength to help them.† I smiled at that. â€Å"You're a remarkable woman, Margaret. They're lucky you're here.† I meant it. She and I might have different philosophies about premarital sex, but her love for them was undiminished. I wasn't the only role model in the girls' lives. She shrugged, looking both flattered and embarrassed by my praise. â€Å"Like you, I'm just trying to do enough – without wearing out my welcome at Seth's.† â€Å"He loves having you,† I said promptly. She rolled her eyes. â€Å"I'm not stupid. I want to keep helping, but I know I can't stay with him forever. He's a grown man, no matter how much I'd like to pretend otherwise.† That made me smile even more. â€Å"Don't worry. I won't tell him you said so.† Nonetheless, I went home with a heavy heart that night. Seth expected to be up late and hadn't wanted me waiting around for him. We were both conscious of how little time we'd had together recently, though, so he told me he'd join me for tomorrow night's bowling practice. As a general rule, he tried to avoid immortal goings-on, but I think he had a morbid fascination with the idea of bowling for Hellish honor. â€Å"Thank God,† said Roman, when I walked in the door. â€Å"I thought you were going to stay at Seth's. There's soup on the stove.† â€Å"No, thanks,† I said. â€Å"I already ate.† â€Å"Your loss,† he said. Judging from the way the cats were circling him for handouts as he settled down on the couch with a bowl, I guess they agreed with him. â€Å"How was it?† My mind was still on the Mortensens, and for a moment, I thought that's what he meant. Then I remembered his single-minded focus and knew he was referring to Las Vegas. â€Å"Surprisingly good,† I told him, sitting down in an armchair. His eyebrows rose. He hadn't expected that answer. â€Å"Oh? Tell me about it.† I did, and he listened attentively while eating his soup. When I'd finished the weekend's recap, he grilled me on nearly everyone I'd met there, immortal and mortal alike. In two days, I didn't have that much life history to report but gave him what I could. â€Å"Well,† he said, â€Å"isn't that lovely.† He made no effort to hide his sarcasm. I sighed. â€Å"You still think this was part of some greater conspiracy ?† â€Å"I think it's terribly convenient that this seemingly routine transfer is fulfilling every possible wish you might have.† I scoffed. â€Å"Aside from the fact that I'm being transferred in the first place. That's hardly something I wanted.† Roman straightened up, and the cats ran for his abandoned bowl. He ticked off points on his right hand. â€Å"Well, let's do a tally, shall we? When I first met you, I asked what your dream job would be. What did you say? A Vegas dancer. And wow! Look what conveniently falls into your lap. And who put it there? In a city full of conniving, backstabbing succubi, you were fortunate to find one as levelheaded as you, complete with the same sense of humor and interests. Funny thing . . . did you even run into any other succubi that entire weekend? In a city packed with them?† â€Å"Roman – â€Å" â€Å"No, no, wait. There's more. How'd you meet this wonder succubus anyway? Through your closest immortal friend, who just happened to have been coincidentally transferred to Las Vegas, hired on by your favorite boss of all time. Are you following this fantasy so far?† â€Å"But why would – â€Å" â€Å"And,† he continued, â€Å"lest you grow homesick for the wacky idiosyncrasies of your friends back here, Vegas is ready to supply you with new ones. A zany drunken imp. Seth 2.0. If you'd stayed longer, they probably would have unearthed an angel and a couple of vampires for you. And let's not discount the fact that you're going to Las Vegas in the first place! The single easiest place for a succubus to get by.† â€Å"Okay, I get what you're saying.† I threw up my hands in exasperation. â€Å"It is perfect. Maybe too perfect. But you're missing one fundamental point. Supposing this is true, that someone has set up the most perfect scenario for me ever, a situation designed to keep me happy, why would they do it at all when the thing that would make me the most happy is to stay in Seattle? Why bother with this alternative? Why not leave me as I am?† Roman's eyes gleamed. â€Å"Because that's the one thing they don't want you to have. They want you out of Seattle, Georgina. They want you out, and they don't want you to complain or look back.† â€Å"But why?† I protested. â€Å"That's what I can't figure out.† â€Å"Give me something else to work with,† he said. â€Å"Hell's not that good. Even the most picture perfect setup has to have a flaw. Was there anything, anything at all this weekend, that felt disingenuous? That smacked of a lie?† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"I was in Las Vegas, hanging out with servants of Hell. Everything was disingenuous.† â€Å"Georgina, think! Anything that seemed legitimately odd. Any contradiction.† I started to deny it but then paused. â€Å"The timeline.† He leaned forward even more. â€Å"Yes? What about it?† I thought back to my first hours in Las Vegas. â€Å"Luis and Bastien both went out of their way to act as though my transfer and Bastien's had been in the works for a while – like Jerome said. But once, Bastien slipped. He sounded like he hadn't been there for very long at all – not nearly as long as they'd said before.† â€Å"Like that maybe he was suddenly pulled in on a moment's notice – to coincide with your transfer?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said, not liking the thought of Bastien being part of some potential conspiracy centered around me. â€Å"He corrected himself, said he misspoke.† â€Å"I'm sure he would say that.† Roman leaned back now, letting all of this sink in. â€Å"Bastien wouldn't lie to me,† I snapped. â€Å"He's my friend. I trust him. He cares about me.† â€Å"I believe you,† said Roman. â€Å"And I believe that he wouldn't lie to you about something that he thought might harm you. But if his higher-ups asked him to tell a white lie – fudge a few days here and there – don't you think he would?† I nearly denied it – but then had to wonder. Bastien had been in trouble off and on with our superiors, his Seattle venture last year a desperate attempt to restore status. If he were pressured enough – threatened, even – to tell me he'd been transferred longer than he actually had, would he? Especially if he thought it was harmless and knew of no nefarious reason behind it? â€Å"But what nefarious reason would be behind all this?† I muttered, not realizing I'd spoken my thoughts aloud until Roman straightened up again. â€Å"That's what we have to figure out. We have to figure out what's happened to you that would've gotten someone's attention – and that happened recently, to spur such a fast response. We know about your slacker record. And we know about Erik looking into your contract.† I blinked. â€Å"Milton.† I quickly told Roman about Hugh's information, about Milton's secret assassin status and trip to Seattle lining up with Erik's death. I also told him about briefly mentioning Milton to Jamie. Roman leaped to his feet. â€Å"Jesus Christ! Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? I could've investigated Milton while you were gone. Shit. Now I'm trapped here under bowling duty.† Nephilim had the same travel limitations as lesser immortals. They had to physically travel to places. No teleportation like greater immortals. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. â€Å"I wasn't thinking. I didn't connect it. And I didn't get a chance to ask Jamie more about Milton. He wasn't around the rest of the time I was in town.† Roman was nodding along with me as he paced. â€Å"Of course he wasn't. I'm sure they made certain he was unavailable before he could tell you any more. And explain again why your initial conversation with him didn't go that far?† I shrugged. â€Å"He was drunk. He got distracted by a debate over gin with Luis.† â€Å"One that Luis initiated, no doubt.† â€Å"I – † I thought about it. â€Å"Yeah. I guess he did. But you're not saying . . . I mean, that's idiotic. Using gin as a distraction to cover up some plot?† Roman's sea green eyes were gazing off in the distance, thoughtful. â€Å"It's not the most ridiculous distraction I've known a demon to use. He could've brought up bowling.† â€Å"Not that again.† Roman snapped his attention back to me, frustration all over his face. â€Å"Georgina, how can you be in denial about this? How can you refuse to believe that Hell is playing some larger game here? After all you've seen and been a part of?† I shot up, angry at the insinuation that had been creeping along here, that I was too oblivious to see what was going on. â€Å"I know! I know they're capable of it. I know they can use means both ingenuous and simple – like gin and bowling – to get what they want. I'm not denying that, Roman. What I just can't grasp yet is the why. Show me that, and I'll get on board with any crazy scheme you want. I need to know why.† Roman came to stand in front of me, resting his hands on my shoulders as he leaned close. â€Å"That is exactly what I intend to find out. And when we do, I have a feeling we'll have blown the lid off of the biggest conspiracy Hell's had in centuries.†