Friday, September 6, 2019

Junk Food Essay Example for Free

Junk Food Essay Junk food is considered an unhealthy food which only contains a small amount of nutrients, or provides much more energy than body needs. Examples of junk food include frozen desserts, hamburgers, pizzas, carbonated beverages, fried chickens. Nowadays, a great many individuals buy junk food frequently. At the same time, people are overweight from day to day. This essay will analyse why junk food is particularly popular. To some extent, junk food has negative effect on health and eating less junk food might be better. Firstly, junk food is harmful to people’s health. It is not only non-nutritious but also including a large sum of oils, sugars, fats, salts, calories and antiseptics. Some serious problem will be generated with eating numerous junk foods for a long time, such as obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and heart disease. My experience is a convincing example. When I was a freshman in the university, my course schedule was extremely busy. I ate Junk Food for lunch everyday. Fresh food was replaced by junk food and my weight rose sharply. At the beginning, I did not realize that it really made me overweight until the semester finished. I found junk food can increase people’s excess weight. It can be seen that junk food has many disadvantages as previous study. However, why do people buy it frequently? On the one hand, an increasing number of fast paced life makes people have to choose the junk food as their daily diet. It is obvious that eating junk food is a time-saving and money-saving way to resolve their problem perfectly, when they working and studying very busily, which makes people ignore the fact that junk food is frequently harmful. The awareness of individuals need to be improved on behalf of people’s health. On the other hand, why do individuals buy junk Food is the result of excellent marketing strategy. Firstly, people are usually misleaded by overwhelming advertisings. For instance, the advertisement of vitamin water from the Coca-Cola always repeats that it just contains vitamin and nothing  about sugar. In fact, the main component of the vitamin water is the fructose which is the major cause of obesity and drinking a bottle of vitamin water is equal to drinking a can of coke almost. It is witness that the advertisings make up the misleading to consumers. In addition, some brand of junk food, like KFC, McDonald’s, push out a meal with toys for children. There is a straightforward purpose to attract children’s attentions. Thirdly, some junk food restaurants have a playpark which supplies several small slides and plentiful plastic balls for children. Parents prefer to choose a table near by the playpark to take care of their children in the McDonalds’ or KFC. Apart from above examples, there are a variety of marketing methods or skills, which influences individuals imperceptibly. Despite the fact that junk food is not only non-nutritious but also destructive, individuals often choose to eat it, due to a series of extraordinary marketing strategies which is hard to resist and fast paced life makes people just have limited choices. Therefore, trying to eat less junk food as far as possible is beneficial to people’s health.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Example Reflective Essay using Rolfe Reflective Model

Example Reflective Essay using Rolfe Reflective Model This reflective essay will adopt Rolfes model of reflection, (Rolfe, G et al. 2001) which was derived from Bortons developmental model. (Boyd E et al. 1983) The scenario is presented as Appendix 1 and the patient has been anonymised as Lee in accordance with the NMC guidelines (NMC 2008) What? When analysed in overview, one can note that the main issues contained in this scenario are that a schizophrenic patient, who may therefore be psychotic, who is certainly confused due to his metabolic disturbances (hyponatraemia) and possibly idiopathic confusion, has made an allegation of physical assault against another staff member. The patient is also forgetful and the event happened three days ago. Clearly the incident cannot be confidently verified at this stage and there is a question as to whether the patient is reliable in making this allegation. Analysis revolves around my reflection on the actions that I took and whether they could be considered appropriate or capable of improvement. My role in the situation was that I was the recipient of the allegation. Having heard the allegation, I tried to make sense of it. On the one hand I was aware of the seriousness of the allegation if it were true, and therefore I was also aware of the potential harm that an untrue allegation could cause to the professional integrity of the ‘Special‘ who was involved. I was obviously aware of Lees potential for confusion and psychosis, but I was also impressed by the apparent veracity of his recollection and also by the fact that he started to cry when he was recounting it. (Nicol M N et al. 2004) On balance, I did believe his account of the situation. I therefore felt that I had a moral and professional duty to escalate the complaint to the Senior Ward Sister. After a period of discussion with the Ward Sister, I filled in an Incident Report Form (IR1), which was then forwarded to the hospital management. After the event, I experienced a period of prolonged self-examination. I was concerned in case I had inadvertently been party to a false allegation and considered further the consequences for the ‘Special involved. After a period of intense reflection, I concluded that I was right to take the action that I did, both because of my professional duty to ‘do my best for the patient but also because I was acting as the patients advocate in these circumstances, which seemed entirely appropriate. (Brooke C et al. 2007) The response of the Ward Sister seemed entirely appropriate. I believe that she went and spoke to Lee herself and determined that there was sufficient evidence to make the reporting of the incident (IR1) appropriate. This reassured me greatly. The Ward Sister also discussed the ethics and implications of the situation with me, which was both professionally helpful and considerate, as she could see that I was unclear about what I should do in these circumstances. In any reflective process, one also has to consider the feelings of the patient. In this case Lee did appear to be pleased that he was being taken seriously, but his fluctuating lucidity meant that further questioning did not clarify the situation any further. He certainly appeared to be pleased when he was told that the ‘special would not be assigned to him again. So what? The theoretical elements of the analysis of this situation are straightforward. Jasper, in his erudite series of analyses (Jasper M 2007), acknowledges that part of the responsibility of being a professional practitioner is to ensure that you give the best care possible to your patients or clients. In an analysis of a similar situation, the author is unequivocal in his assessment that the professional duty of the nurse is to share such reports of possible patient abuse with their immediate superior. Even if the patient is ‘of reduced capacity or ‘of questionable reliability (Jasper M 2007 Pg 36), they should therefore considered ‘vulnerable in the professional sense, and offered greater, not less, protection. An ethical analysis would suggest that the nurse should invoke the Principle of Non-Malificence, which was derived from the often quoted dictum of Hippocrates, which stated that one should â€Å"first do no harm†. (Carrick P 2000). This Principle stated that healthcare professionals must ensure that their patients are not harmed, nor will come to harm. (van Uffelen J G Z et al. 2008). I did consider the possibility of speaking to the ‘Special in an unofficial capacity, but came to the conclusion, that there was nothing that they could say which would change the proper course of action. This concurs with the opinion of Tschudin who analyses a number of similar situations. (Tschudin, V 2003). This level of analysis gave me a deeper insight into the situation and reinforced my initial conclusions relating to the proper and appropriate course of action. Now what? Given the fact that Lee had reported a possible episode of abuse, it seems entirely appropriate that it would be properly investigated. The action of the Sister in removing the ‘Special from caring for Lee also seemed appropriate and proportionate. It may have been considered more appropriate to suspend the ‘Special from work, but in circumstances when one is dealing with a confused and psychotic patient and there is a significant element of uncertainty about the veracity of the allegations, this might be considered inappropriate and unduly prejudicial to the ‘Special. (McMillan J 2005) At the time of the reporting of the incident, I apologised to Lee myself and reassured him that such a situation would not be allowed to occur again. I feel that this was also a professionally appropriate course of action, as it not only communicated a professional sense of responsibility to Lee, but also it demonstrated the fact that I was taking his complaint seriously and was sorry that it had happened. (Kozier, B et al. 2008) When analysed in overview, I effectively had two possible potential outcomes of the situation. Either I believed that Lee‘s story was probably true, or I didnt. This gives rise to a deeper analysis and, in the words of Cruess Cruess, the evolution of a student into an expert practitioner is judged by the ability to operate from a deep and holistic understanding of the total situation, a concept that is often referred to as ‘professional intuition. (Baillie L 2005). Cruess et al. suggest that this ‘professional intuition is better considered as ‘professional expertise, which is generally built up and gained over years of experience and which, when tested in the clinical environment, can become an altogether more robust concept. (Cruess S R et al. 2007). Reflection on this situation, together with the guidance received from the Ward Sister, has helped me to fully understand the main elements of this situation. If I were to encounter such a situation again I wou ld feel more confident in dealing with the situation rather than having to reflect at length after the event. Such analysis has helped me to realise that, to cite Schon, it is one of the ways professionals evolve and move beyond rule-bound behaviour and which enables them to function in a world of uncertainty and see problems in a holistic way and act appropriately. (Schà ¶n, D A (1987) Appendix Scenario: A 78 year old gentleman called Lee was admitted to my Ward with schizophrenia and other medical conditions, one of which includes confusion and hyponatremia. It has been explained to the patient and his next of kin that due to the dangerously low sodium level Lee is on a fluid restriction of 750 mls per day, however due to the patients mental statue, he constantly demands fluids and if not given he will start screaming and disturb other patient and can be very aggressive a time. For this reason the Senior Sister requested a special in order to provide a one to one care for Lee. I supported the patient with personal hygiene care one morning, Lee began to cry, when I asked what is the matter Lee? he said, three days ago a special slapped my arm and pinched me. And he said I was waiting for her to finish her shift to inform a staff nurse, by then I had forgotten. I hope when my son will visit me, I will remember to tell him what has happened. I reassured him that this will not happen again and I also apologised on her behalf and told Lee that particular specialist will not be caring for him any more. I reported the incident to the Ward Senior Sister and together we filled in an Incident Report Form (IR1). References Boyd E Fales A (1983) reflective learning: the key to learning from experience. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 23 (2): 99-117 Brooke C; Waugh A Eds (2007) Foundations of Nursing Practice, Fundamentals of Holistic Care. Lond Mosby Elsevier. Carrick P (2000) Medical Ethics in the Ancient World. Georgetown University press : Philadelphia Jasper M. (2007) Professional Development, Reflection and Decision – Making. Blackwell Publishing, Singapore. Kozier, B, et al. (2008) Fundamentals of Nursing: Concepts, Process and Practice. Harlow: Pearson Education. Nicol M N, Bavin B C, Bedford-Turner S B, Cronin P C Rawlings-Anderson K R (2004) â€Å"Essential Nursing Skills† 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, Mosby NMC (2008) Nurse Midwifery Council: Code of professional conduct: Standards for conduct, performance and Ethics (2008) London : Chatto Windus 2008 Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., Jasper, M. (2001). Critical Reflection in Nursing and the Helping Professions: a Users Guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Schà ¶n, D A: (1987), Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Toward a New Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco. Tschudin, V (2003). Ethics in Nursing: the caring relationship (3rd ed.). Edinburgh: Butterworth-Heinemann. van Uffelen J G Z, Chinapaw M J M, van Mechelen W, Hopman-Rock M (2008) Walking or vitamin B for cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment? A randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2008; 42 : 344 351

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Capital Punishment - Stop the Killing :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Capital Punishment - Stop the Killing      Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking out for the state of the public's satisfaction in the scheme of capital sentencing does not constitute serving justice.   Today's system of capital punishment is fraught with inequalities and injustices.   The commonly offered arguments for the death penalty are filled with holes.   "It was a deterrent.   It removed killers.   It was the ultimate punishment.   It is biblical. It satisfied the public's need for retribution.   It relieved the anguish of the victim's family."(Grisham   120)   Realistically, imposing the death penalty is expensive and time consuming.   Retroactively, it has yet to be proven as a deterrent.   Morally, it is a continuation of the cycle of violence and "...degrades all who are involved in its enforcement, as well as its victim."(Stewart   1)   Capital Punishment has been part of the criminal justice system since the earliest of times. The Babylonian Hammurabi Code(ca. 1700 B.C.) decreed death for crimes as minor as the fraudulent sale of beer(Flanders 3). Egyptians could be put to death for disclosing the location of sacred burial sites(Flanders 3). However, in recent times opponents have shown the death penalty to be racist, barbaric, and in violation with the United States Constitution as "...cruel and unusual punishment." In this country, although laws governing the application of the death penalty have   undergone many changes since biblical times, the punishment endures, and controversy has never been greater.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps the most frequent argument for capital punishment is that of deterrence.   The prevailing thought is that imposition of the death penalty will act to dissuade other criminals from committing violent acts.   Numerous studies have been created attempting to prove this belief; however, "All the evidence taken together makes it hard to be confident that capital punishment deters more than long prison terms do."(Cavanagh   4)   Going ever farther, Bryan Stevenson, the executive director of the Montgomery based Equal Justice Initiative, has stated that "people are increasingly realizing that the more we resort to killing as a legitimate response to our frustration and anger with violence, the more violent our society becomes.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Revenge is an unworthy motive for our society to pursue."(Whittier   1) In our society, there is a great expectation   placed on the family of a victim to pursue vengeance to the highest degree -- perhaps 1 the death penalty.   Pat Bane, executive director of the Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation (MVFR), stated, "One parent told me that people made her feel like she was betraying her son because she did not want to kill the person who murdered him."(Frame 50)   This creates a dilemma of morality. If anything, by forcing families to seek the death penalty, their own consciences will be burdened by

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

The Body as Anstoss in Sartres Account of Constitution :: Jean-Paul Sartre Philosophy Existentialism

The Body as Anstoss in Sartre's Account of Constitution ABSTRACT: Of all the German idealists, Jean-Paul Sartre refers the least to Fichte-so little in fact that there have been long-standing suspicions that he was not even familiar with Fichte's writings. It is perhaps ironic, then, that Fichte's writings are as helpful as they are for clarifying Sartre's views, especially his views on subjectivity and inter-subjectivity. Here I want to look closely at a key concept in Fichte's mature writings: the concept of the Anstoss, a concept which Dan Breazeale has called "Fichte's original insight." Fichte introduces the Anstoss, or "check," to explain why the I posits the world as it does. In effect, the Anstoss is the occasion of the facticity of the I. I will show that his concept can be uniquely helpful in understanding the role the body plays in Sartre's theory of inter-subjectivity. The importance of Sartre's account of the body for his theory of subjectivity and inter-subjectivity has been chronically under-appreciated by his interpreters; this comparison is the beginning of an attempt to rectify that. In turn the concept of the Anstoss provides a means for analyzing the necessary differences between any Sartrean and Fichtean ethics based on their respective accounts of inter-subjectivity. Of all the German Idealists, Sartre refers the least to Fichte-so little in fact that there have been long-standing suspicions that he wasn't even familiar with Fichte's writings. It is perhaps ironic, then, that Fichte's writings are as helpful as they are for clarifying Sartre's views-especially his views on subjectivity and intersubjectivity. Here I want to look closely at a key concept in Fichte's mature writings-the concept of the Anstoss, a concept which has Dan Breazeale (implicitly against Dieter Henrich) has called "Fichte's original insight." (1) I believe, and I hope to show here, that this concept can be uniquely helpful in understanding, of all things, the role the body plays in Sartre's theory of intersubjectivity. The importance of Sartre's account of the body for his theory of subjectivity and intersubjectivity has been chronically under-appreciated by his interpreters; this comparison is the beginning of an attempt to rectify that. This introduces in turn a means for analyzing the necessary differences between any Sartrean and Fichtean ethics based on their respective accounts of intersubjectivity. The term Anstoss is first used in a systematic fashion by Fichte in the Grundlage der Gesamten Wissenschaftslehre from 1794/95.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Computer Software Piracy And Its Impact On The International Economy :: essays research papers fc

Computer Software Piracy and it's Impact on the International Economy The PC industry is over twenty years old. In those twenty years, evolving software technology brings us faster, more sophisticated, versatile and easy-to-use products. Business software allows companies to save time, effort and money. Educational computer programs teach basic skills and complicated subjects. Home software now includes a wide variety of programs that enhance the users productivity and creativity. The industry is thriving and users stand to benefit along with the publishers. The SPA (Software Publishers Association) reports that the problem of software theft has grown, and threatens to prevent the development of new software products. Unauthorized duplication of software is known as software piracy which is a "Federal offense that affects everyone† ("Software Use..." Internet). The following research examines software piracy in its various forms, its impact on the end user and the international industry as a whole, and the progress that has been made in alleviating the problem. Software piracy harms all software companies and ultimately, the end user. Piracy results in higher prices for honest users, reduced levels of support and delays in funding and development of new products, causing the overall breadth and quality of software to suffer† ("What is...† Internet). Even the users of unlawful copies suffer from their own illegal actions: they receive no documentation, no customer support and no information about product updates ("Software Use..." Internet). The White Paper says that while virtually every software publisher expresses concern about their software from unauthorized duplication, over time, many have simply accepted the so-called "fact" that such duplication is unavoidable. This has created an atmosphere in which software piracy is commonly accepted as "just another cost of doing business" ("With the Growth..." Internet). In a brochure published by the SPA it is stated that a major problem arises from the fact that most people do not even know they are breaking the law. "Because the software industry is relatively new, and because copying software is so easy, many people are either unaware of the laws governing software use or choose to ignore them" ("To Copy or not to Copy" Internet). Robert Perry states that much of the problem of software theft arises from the way the software industry developed. In the past, when a software firm spent millions of dollars to write a program for a mainframe computer, it knew it would sell a handful of copies. It licensed each copy to protect its ownership rights and control the use of each copy. That is easy to do with only a few copies of a program. It is impossible for a software company to handle

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 10

When I came home from Seth's the next day, there was another note stuck to my door reminding me about the package. I plucked it off and went inside, surprised to find Vincent there again. I'd figured his angel business would be keeping him busy elsewhere. â€Å"How's it all going?† I asked. I rummaged through my cupboards, looking for food. I'd skipped breakfast. â€Å"I mean, if you can tell me without having to kill me.† He sat at my kitchen table, leafing through newspapers. â€Å"Ah, well, still can't give you details, of course, but I can say that†¦um, well, progress isn't being made as quickly as we'd like. There's leftover lasagna in the refrigerator if you want it.† I opened the refrigerator door. Sure enough. â€Å"Wow. Did one of the angels conjure this up for you?† â€Å"Only if you consider Yasmine's cooking a type of conjuring.† I uncovered the casserole dish. It looked great. There might be magic afoot after all. I put a piece in the microwave and set the timer. Sitting down across from him, I peered at the spread out newspapers and remembered finding them left out the other day. â€Å"You sure like your news.† He grimaced. â€Å"Most of it's depressing.† Glancing at the headlines, I had to agree with him. Murder. Corruption. Theft. â€Å"You hear about the cop shooting the other day?† I asked. â€Å"That one was really depressing.† Vincent turned his attention away from a story about domestic abuse. â€Å"No, what happened?† â€Å"This cop was outside a convenience store and claims someone was inside shooting his partner. So, he ran in, gun in hand, and started shooting. He ended up killing his partner himself.† Vincent frowned. â€Å"Huh. I hadn't heard that one,† he murmured. From the distracted look in his eyes, his mind had clearly latched onto something I wasn't privy to. I gave him a sidelong glance. â€Å"That mean anything to you? Maybe to this mission from God you're on?† His easy smile returned. â€Å"You're good but not that good. You know I can't say anything.† The microwave dinged, and I retrieved my food. As I stabbed a piece of cheesy pasta, I recalled what he'd said about Yasmine's cooking. My curiosity got the better of me. As it often did. â€Å"Vince†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began slowly, carefully keeping my eyes on my food. â€Å"I know it's none of my business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He laughed. â€Å"I always love it when people introduce topics like that – and then go ahead and dive in anyway.† Blushing, I shut my mouth. â€Å"No, no,† he said, clearly entertained. â€Å"Go ahead. What were you going to say?† â€Å"I†¦well, nothing really. It's just, I mean, it doesn't matter to me†¦but I just sort of noticed that you and Yasmine seem, um, close.† His levity faded. I quickly looked up and met his eyes apologetically. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I blurted out. â€Å"Forget I said anything.† â€Å"No†¦it's, I don't know.† He folded up the newspaper, staring at it without really seeing it. â€Å"Yeah, I guess. I've known her for a long time, and after a while, it's easy to†¦well, she's easy to like.† â€Å"Yeah, she is.† A few pregnant moments passed. When he spoke again, I heard affection in his voice. â€Å"I first met her at this fair in Akron, of all places†¦about, oh, fifteen years ago. Not sure what she was doing there – you never do with them – but I found her walking away from a concession stand. She had this giant tower of cotton candy. I swear, it was taller than she was. And, since I could tell she was an angel, it made the situation that much more absurd.† The story made me smile too. It also shed light on why he was here with the A-Team. I could tell she was an angel. He was another gifted human, like Erik and Dante, who could sense the immortal world. â€Å"And you went and talked to her?† â€Å"I hadn't planned to, but then the cotton candy started to fall over, so I went to help her and ended up eating half of it myself.† â€Å"That's sweet,† I said. â€Å"Er, no pun intended.† It didn't matter that in the last few months, I'd fucked one guy in an office chair, used a leather whip on another, and gone down on another in the back room of a seedy club. I still loved romantic stories. â€Å"She started asking for my help after that, off and on, once she realized what I could do. It was supposed to just be that†¦nothing more than her, you know, professional cases. But after a while, we couldn't help it. We're together all the time now.† I swallowed another piece of lasagna. It was divine. Seriously. â€Å"Do any of the other angels know?† â€Å"Yeah, right. Joel barely tolerates me now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But obviously, you guys aren't, um, you can't be – â€Å" â€Å"No, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be physical. Really, it's ironic. Angels are creatures of love. They're supposed to love everyone. They're just not supposed to love one person so much more than another.† â€Å"That's stupid,† I stated adamantly. â€Å"To you, maybe. And to me, I suppose. But to her†¦well, she devotes her entire existence to the service of a power and cause bigger than all of us. To be so in love with something – or someone else – is distracting. You can't serve two masters without eventually betraying one.† I looked down again, turning over his words. â€Å"And yet you guys still stay together. Sort of.† He shrugged. â€Å"In as much as we can. Maybe I should move on with my life, but, honestly, there's no one else I want to be with. I accept what she is. It's why I love her. I'd rather be with her in a limited capacity than none at all.† Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. He'd just stated a variant of what Seth used to tell me all the time, back when I would continually urge him to leave me and find someone else. I'd accepted his choice by now and honestly couldn't imagine not having him in my life. But still. Sometimes I didn't entirely get how he could be okay with everything between us; hearing another person support such a choice was refreshing. As though reading my mind, Vincent gently asked, â€Å"Am I hitting too close to home? Carter mentioned a boyfriend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No. Yes. I don't know. He – Seth, my boyfriend – says the same thing as you. That if it can't be any other way†¦well, then this is the way he wants it.† â€Å"Exactly. And thus, life goes on.† Vincent started gathering up the newspapers. â€Å"I tell you though, I think your side and hers are both so fucked up, it's not even funny. Why the rules? Why does a succubus always have to take away someone's life when she's with them? Why can't you have the choice? And why can't Yasmine make love? Why can't she be in love?† Good question. I don't think Vincent really expected an answer, but I had to give one anyway. â€Å"Because that's the way it is. The way the system works. The way it's always worked.† â€Å"The system is fucked-up,† he said. I thought about it and nodded. â€Å"No arguments.† Smiling, he reached for his coat and slipped it on. â€Å"You're okay for a succubus.† Vincent left, off to do whatever it was one did with a posse of angels. I almost envied him because I had something to do that I wasn't looking forward to at all. It was another necessary evil. I had to get Tawny a job. After that debacle of a dance lesson, I'd told her I'd help. I might not be able to do much about my mysterious energy loss or angelic romances, but I sure as hell could do something to expedite Niphon's departure. I drove down to Seatac, a city that owes its entire existence to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It's more of a shadow, really, spreading around the airport in a blanket of long-term parking lots and cheap hotels. It also has a couple of strip clubs because really, what else are out-of-town businessmen supposed to do in their downtime? It was late afternoon, so business was slow when I stepped inside Low Blow. A few bored-looking men sat scattered throughout the place, which was dingy and in need of some serious redecorating. Or, well, any decorating. A couple of the guys glanced up with interest as I walked through. Apparently, I held more appeal than the poor brunette trying her damnedest to fuck a pole in time to the dulcet sounds of Pink Floyd's â€Å"Young Lust.† I opened my mouth to speak to the bartender, but a voice behind me interrupted. â€Å"Ho†¦ly†¦shit. I don't believe it. I don't fucking believe it.† I turned and looked into the long, narrow face of Simon Chesterfield, the proud proprietor of this dive. Between his face and lanky body, he always reminded me of a weasel. His black mustache never quite seemed able to grow in completely, and he dressed in brand name clothes that were always one size too small. He was chummy with the local Hellish players, and rumor had it he was in line to be an imp, eventually selling his soul for immortality and the chance to be a diabolical salesman. â€Å"You finally come to dance for me, doll?† â€Å"You wish.† For a sleazy guy who ran a sleazy establishment, Simon actually had a legitimate appreciation for dance. I'd once seen him trying to choreograph his strippers and had been impressed by his sense of aesthetics and rhythm. His employees hadn't really caught on. Such talents were kind of wasted here, and I used to wonder why he didn't take his business to one of the more affluent suburbs where he could get a higher caliber of dancers. The reason he stayed, I'd later learned, was that this was a better venue for all sorts of other shady business he conducted. Still, Simon had a sharp eye and knew what a good dancer I was. He'd been on me for years to come work for him. â€Å"We need to talk,† I explained. â€Å"Business.† â€Å"It's what I do.† With a sweeping gesture, he pointed to a doorway beside the bar. â€Å"Let's go to my office then.† His ‘office' was barely a broom closet, but it had a stool for me to sit on. Resting my heels on a mid-level bar, I brought my knees up to my chest. It made my gray linen skirt slide up a bit. Simon watched with an interest that was more professional than personal. â€Å"Fuck, woman. You come dance for me, and I could make a killing.† He shook his head and collapsed into a rolling faux leather chair. â€Å"A succubus on my stage. Fuck.† I tilted my head to the side. â€Å"It's funny you mention that because that's kind of why I'm here.† I think my innocent tone set his alarms off. He eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"I thought you said you didn't want a job.† â€Å"Not me. We just got a new succubus, and she's looking for a gig. Didn't you hear?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned. â€Å"And she wants to dance? Here?† â€Å"Yep,† I said glibly. â€Å"She can't wait to take her clothes off.† Wasn't that the truth. Simon leaned back in the chair and put his feet on the desk. Casual pose or not, he was still on guard. â€Å"What's the catch?† â€Å"Why does there have to be a catch? You should be excited about this. We're doing you a favor.† â€Å"You're offering to drop a succubus into my lap. That sounds too good to be true, so it is too good to be true.† He paused, still thinking. â€Å"And why are you here instead of her?† â€Å"I'm altruistic.† â€Å"Georgina,† he said warningly. â€Å"Okay,† I admitted. â€Å"She's kind of†¦new.† â€Å"How new?† â€Å"Really new. Still under warranty.† â€Å"There's still a catch here somewhere.† â€Å"Well†¦she's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I spun through my mental rolodex of adjectives. â€Å"Inept.† He raised one narrow eyebrow. â€Å"Inept?† â€Å"She's still learning how to get men.† Since Simon probably wanted sexy women working for him, I figured it wasn't worth mentioning that Tawny wasn't so much learning as she was still trying to find her way to class. â€Å"And she's a, um, bad dancer.† â€Å"How bad?† â€Å"Bad.† â€Å"Can you be a little more specific on what level of bad we're dealing with?† â€Å"Remember Gigli?† â€Å"Jesus. So, why do you think I'd want to take on a shitty dancer?† â€Å"Simon,† I exclaimed. â€Å"All your dancers are shitty.† â€Å"Not all of them,† he said. â€Å"And it's not like I'm trying to get more. We have standards.† I gave him a pointed look. â€Å"Alright, alright.† He ran a hand through his gelled black hair. â€Å"What do I get in return?† Now I was the indignant one. â€Å"What do you mean? You're getting a succubus dancer. What else do you need?† â€Å"I'm getting a succubus charity case. I'm the one doing you a favor.† His eyes were shrewd. Yeah. He'd make a good imp someday. He was this close to breaking out a contract. â€Å"I want you. Dance for me two nights this week.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"One night.† â€Å"Simon, there is nothing in this world that's going to get me to dance here, not even a succubus charity case. Pick something else.† â€Å"Okay, fine.† He pondered. â€Å"You. I want you.† â€Å"Hey, I just told you – â€Å" â€Å"No, no. Not as a dancer. As in right now. On the desk.† I sighed. That kind of want. â€Å"Look, if I've gotta hire a bad succubus, I might as well fuck a good one.† â€Å"Interesting logic. Aren't you worried about your soul?† He looked at me like he couldn't believe I'd had the audacity to ask such a thing. It was similar to the look I'd given him when he said Low Blow had standards. â€Å"Noted.† I stood up. â€Å"But not this body. Pick another shape.† Simon snorted. â€Å"You think I'm interested in a pinup girl crossed with an Ann Taylor model? Fuck that. I want a sixteen-year-old version of Liza Minnelli. In a school girl's uniform.† I stared. â€Å"I have no idea what that would look like.† He started undoing his pants. â€Å"You're a smart girl. Figure it out.† Sighing again, I shape-shifted, taking on a small body with a black pixie haircut. Baby smooth skin. Green plaid skirt with matching vest. Simon grunted his approval. Turning, I rested my hands on the desk and bent over, thrusting my ass out toward him. I hoped it would be over soon. If I could just get the weasel comparison out of my head, this would probably be a lot easier. I felt his hands slide along my legs as he pushed the skirt up. Suddenly, he froze. â€Å"A thong? Are you insane, woman?† â€Å"You're a sick bastard,† I told him. The thong changed to white cotton panties. â€Å"Don't I know it.† He pushed the panties down and thrust forward. Well, I guess it was a thrust. Simon wasn't that well-endowed. I was on the verge of saying something like, â€Å"Are you there yet?† Alas, the Tawny situation was too dire. I couldn't risk Simon changing his mind about her for the sake of a joke, no matter how funny. But, whatever Simon lacked in size, he made up for in enthusiasm. He gripped my hips, nails digging into my bare flesh as he pounded away. I had to keep a fierce hold on the desk. Eventually, seeking variety, Simon flipped me over to my back. He unfastened my blouse and bra, exposing small, perky breasts that had just â€Å"blossomed into womanhood.† Eyes on them and not my face, he grabbed my legs and spread them so that my ankles practically rested on his shoulders. He returned to the task at hand, and when he finally came, I have to admit I welcomed the energy burst. It wasn't a lot – the guy practically worked for Hell already – but I needed it. Simon pulled out of me, and I sat up, mildly sated from an energy standpoint, if not a physical one. I honestly hadn't done much but lie there the whole time, but he regarded me as though we'd just gone through the entire Kama Sutra. â€Å"Definitely worth putting up with an inept succubus,† he said happily, pulling his pants back up. I wanted to say that he might want to withhold judgment until he actually met Tawny, but instead, I just smiled. I knew when to keep my control switch on.

Kinship is better than friendship Essay

Nowadays, friendship usually appears to be good, but a kinship is always the best bond. A friendship can be a great connection in life, but it takes time to adapt to it and cultivate a good relationship. Kinship is more valuable than friendship because relatives give an unconditional support and accept their relative’s differences. First relationships between relatives are less superficial and more trustworthy than friend’s relationship. Relatives are in all rough times with their family. For example, my mother and I support each other in all aspects and hard situations. I help take care of my siblings at home when is necessary. Because my mother works long hours, I often help clean the house and I help prepare the food too. In times of economic crisis, I take responsibility to help my mom with expenses and other domestic tasks. Read more: Speech about friendship essay When other family members get ill or get depressed, my relatives and I try to help them physically and mentally. We help pay their medical expenses and we help them regenerate completely from their illness or depressive crisis. In addition, we always watch out for our relatives objectives. We often help them reach their goals and ambitions. Because we have an absolute support for our relatives, we always help encourage them and we teach them to be successful in life. In conclusion, a friend’s loyalty is not as trustworthy and supportive as a relative’s because relatives have known them since birth. Moreover, while friends expect their friends to have things in common, relatives accept their relatives as they are. Relatives respect their relative’s thoughts and feelings more than friends do. For instance, my parents make me feel comfortable because they never judge me for the way I am. They appreciate me even sometimes I act irresponsibly or immaturely.