Margaret Mead And Ruth Benedict Essays - Anthropology, Humanities

Margaret Mead And Ruth Benedict Ruth Benedict & Margaret Mead After high school, Ruth Benedict took a year off to travel overseas. Upon returning home she was unsure of what she wanted to do with her life. Years later, she married Stanley Benedict, a Biochemistry Professor at Cornell Medical School. In the fall of 1919, Ruth went back to school and began to focus more on anthropology. She studied under the famous diffusionist Franz Boas and became his assistant. Ruth taught Margaret Mead. Ruth and Margaret became good friends and developed a shared need of each other. Ruth concentrated most of her efforts on researching and studying different cultures on which many of her writings were based. She wrote of the differences between the cultures around the world and talked about different patterns related to culture and behavior. Ruth was very talented in summarizing and clearly arranging facts which were characteristic of her writings and ultimately her approach to anthropology; this, perhaps, may be the reason many of her reviews were published in professional papers and magazines throughout her career. Ruth Benedict was a very important figure in early anthropology and even more so in cultural anthropology. She was one of the first female anthropologists of her time. Her books serve as a referral of humanistic thought in the 20th century. Ruth Benedict has helped shape the discipline of anthropology not only in the United States, but also for the rest of the world. After a year at Depauw University at Greencastle, Indiana, Margaret Mead, entered Barnard College, Columbia University. It was here that she decided to make anthropology her major. She later received her B.A. degree. She also got her M.A. degree in psychology. In 1929, she received her Ph.D. Dr. Margaret Mead is a specialist in what she herself describes as ?conditioning of the social personalities of both sexes.? She had several field trips. First, she was in the Samoan Islands and than the Manus tribe of the Admiralty Islands in the West Pacific Ocean. In 1930, Dr. Mead went to study an American Indian Tribe the identity that is hidden by the name of ?the Antlers? in her book noting her findings and conclusions. Between 1931 and 1933, Dr. Mead went in the New Guinea area to do research on three contrasted tribes, the Arapesh, the Mundugumor, and the Tchumbuli. For three years, starting in 1936, Dr. Mead was busy on fieldwork in Bali and New Guinea. She has always found her profession so different that she has not felt the need for a hobby; she reportedly enjoys the theater and reads good poetry. Anthropology

St. Johns University Graduate School Application Letter

St. Johns University Graduate School Application Letter Free Online Research Papers St. Johns University Graduate School Application Letter I am certain that a Masters Degree in finance from St. Johns University will propel me to the heights I am certain I can achieve. As the son of two successful professionals, early on I was placed on the path of success; for a time I was uncertain of where I wanted to go and how I wanted to get there. However after successfully graduating from St. Johns University with an extremely high GPA just shy of a 4.0 with a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and acquiring a job within St. Johns Universitys IT department I have found myself. I am confident in both place within the world and where I want to go in it and certain MBA will help me get there. Long ago I lacked not only direction but intellectual purpose, a skill I could use as a foundation, to graft my other knowledge onto and around. In middle school I discovered computers, and in them a subject I was naturally gifted in and driven to master. There I began to push the boundaries of my knowledge via exploration and was initially exposed to programming; a subject I ironically initially disdained but grew to love. Though I discovered computers in middle school, my interests grew and blossomed in High School. I attended the Maret School a prestigious private school in Washington, DC. It was there that I began working with networks, Mac computers, and my future passion, the World Wide Web. I was fortunate not only because my high school career coincided with the birth of the Internet but also that academic environment empowered its students and allowed a select few of us to produce the schools Web Site. After Maret I attended Vassar College. Vassar was to be the corne rstone of my adult scholastic career. It was at Vassar College I realized programming to be the next evolutionary step in my passion; however I also realized Vassar was not the best choice for me. Between Vassar and St. John’s I took a year off. After deciding to leave Vassar I was adrift and traveled to Croatia where I worked with a political NGOs. I served as a computer technician and web developer for several Croatian political parties and grassroots organizations. The distance allowed me gain perspective on where I was at that moment and where I needed to go, though I did not yet have all the answers I knew I was ready to begin asking the proper questions. When I returned to the States I began to realize I had been pushed through school my entire life by my parents and family to get a college education. Though confident they were correct I wanted to continue on the path to getting a degree under my own power and would discover my own reasons and passion for getting a college education. In accomplishing this, my professional career started earlier than most, and in fact before my undergraduate career concluded. I wanted a preview of the professional world to see where I would and would not be in the world I chose to never return to school. I had various jobs, some professional many not. However the highlight of the interlude was getting a job at the Council of Better Business Bureau as webmaster. Though by the age of 19 I had a successful job in my desired field I decided to return to school. Knowing that the success I attained was only a fraction of what I could if I returned to school and that the self-contentment I had would eventually run dry unable to progress without a college degree I decided to return to school as I always knew I would. When I returned to academia I applied the knowledge from Vassar using the discipline gained from my year long sabbatical. But where Vassar was the cornerstone, St. Johns University became the realization of my scholastic experience. Unfortunately amidst my scholarly pursuits the Internet bubble burst leaving me without employment. Desperate for work I begrudgingly went to the student employment office certain they would have no work suited for me. However I was shocked when I was told that an opening had just been posted asking for m my exact skill set. Shortly thereafter I had an interview with unforeseen consequences when I met with the then Director of Instructional Technology at the eStudio. To no ones surprise but my own I was an impressive figure professionally. I had been creating and experimenting with web technologies since the birth of the Internet, 8 years of hardware repair and supported by this was a rigorous background in computer science from Vassar reinforced b y St. John’s. She explained that the department was set up to expose faculty to new technologies and assit them in the deployment and creation of technological tools. I accepted the job and led development in groundbreaking web applications. As time progressed my job at the eStudio became an intrinsic part of my college experience to the point that when I eventually reached my goal of attaining a college degree in Computer Science, I was asked to stay on full time. And now after successfully completing my undergraduate I now look to other challenges and opportunities. I would like to attend the Tobin Graduate program for the same reason I retuned to college, because I know I can do more with it. It is my intent to attain success by expanding my skill set to include business. I believe a deep understanding of business concepts coupled with a like understanding of technology will propel me to the top in this digital age. The combination will allow me to pursue to pursue the CIO track within the corporate world. There I can serve as a nexus between the daily business operations and the technology needed to sustain and maximize these operations. I have also always exceded at the exp;aininh the mudteries of tech to non-tech audiences. Research Papers on St. John's University Graduate School Application LetterStandardized TestingTrailblazing by Eric AndersonHip-Hop is ArtPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyGenetic EngineeringEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoResearch Process Part OneAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Parents: 5 Ways to Help Your Teen Adjust to High School

For many parents, the high school years are a distant memory. Yet if you try, maybe you can remember how it felt to start high school. There were new friendships to be made, an uncertain class schedule, and new teachers to get to know. The teen years were well underway. Maybe you were popular, maybe you were awkward, maybe you were content to be a wallflower. No matter who you were, high school was a period of transition. Even if you can’t remember starting high school, think back to the last time you started a new job. Remember that strange mix of excitement and anxiety paired with the desire to fit right in and hit the ground running? If you’re the parent of a teen about to start high school, maybe now you can appreciate what he or she is going through. It’s no cakewalk, but there are definitely ways you can help. In this post, we’ll outline 5 ways to support your teen as he or she adjusts to high school. Some high schools have a formal orientation day for incoming students. This is sometimes a casual open house, where families are invited to walk through the school. Other times it is a formal event with a rigid schedule. In any case, try to make sure that your student doesn’t miss this important opportunity. Many of the first-day jitters are simply a fear of the unknown. If your student has the chance to walk through his or her class schedule, locate classrooms, note resources like the nurse’s office or bathrooms, and even practice using his or her locker a few times, at least some of these fears can be laid to rest. Keep in mind that these events are not always designed to include parents. If parents are invited, make yourself available, but don’t be surprised if your teen chooses to attend alone. After all, high school is an important milestone in independence and the sooner your teen gets used to doing it on his or her own, the better prepared he or she will be for the first day. At the same time though, make sure that your student knows you’re ready and willing to go if he or she wants you there. Sometimes the comfort of a parent is the just reassurance teens need as they approach this important day. The easiest way to guarantee some kind of social support network as high school begins is to join fall activities. If your teen plays on a sports team, encourage him or her to try out for fall sports. If his or her sport isn’t offered in the fall, suggest that he or she asks around to find out if there’s a group of winter or spring athletes who work out together during the off season. If your teen is into art, theater, community service, or specific academic pursuits, suggest that he or she joins a related school activity. Often times, these clubs or activities can provide ready-made social networks to provide support and positive peer pressure as your teen acclimates to high school. Odds are that if you made it through your teens, at some point in time you made decisions that you now regret. Odds are also that you sometimes found yourself in the midst of other teens making poor choices. The teenage years are often a time of pushing limits, experimenting with newfound independence, and discovering who one truly is. It’s important to remember that your teen’s high school experience will be unique to him or her. While it’s more than okay to discuss your own mistakes, don’t jump to the conclusion that your teen is poised to make the same ones. Instead, face each challenge head on as it arises and try to keep your own mistakes out of it when emotions flare (as they likely will at some point). At the same time, avoid pushing your own interests and strengths on your teen. You may have been the star of the 100 meter hurdle or the lead of four major theatrical productions, but that doesn’t mean that your teen is going to follow in your footsteps. In fact, often the more you push it, the less likely your teen is to prioritize your agenda. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. As high school begins, your teen is likely to experience an increasingly complicated schedule. There will be school assignments in multiple classes to track. Sometimes class schedules rotate on 4 or 6 day cycles. Extracurricular commitments can stack up quickly. Get your teen ahead of the game by establishing an organizational system before the school year starts. For some families, this means a weekly and monthly calendar posted prominently in a common space. For other families it means a shared calendar app or online schedule. Some teens like the option of using a calendar on their phone that includes scheduled notifications to avoid any forgotten deadlines. Find a system that your teen seems comfortable with and implement it before the first day of school. For some more ideas about getting organized, see our post Eight Tips to Use Your Time Efficiently and Stay Organized in High School . As your teen spreads his or her wings, it’s likely that he or she will someday find him or herself in an uncomfortable or even dangerous situation. As parents, we do our best to guide our teens away from these scenarios, but it’s equally as important to provide them with the tools to deal with them when they’re face to face. Part of helping your teen adjust to high school means making a gameplay for the unexpected. What will your teen do when he’s stuck someplace with a driver who’s been drinking? How will your teen respond when he realizes the party he’s arrived at isn’t the kind he wants to be associated with? How can he or she escape without losing face or being judged by peers? A few years back, one dad’s brilliant way of providing his teens with an easy excuse to get out of an uncomfortable situation went viral. His system essentially included an innocuous â€Å"code word† that when texted to him as a single word signaled that his teens needed help. If he received a text with the code word, he or a sibling would call the teen on his or her cell phone and tell him or her that something had come up at home and he or she needed to return immediately. Then, they could arrange a ride together and he could extricate his teen from whatever situation had made him or her feel unsafe or uncomfortable, without peer judgement for having called dad. You can read more about implementing a code word for your teen in the original viral post . Starting high school is an important milestone that’s often fraught with anxiety and fear of the unknown. As parents, we can help to support our teens through this transition by providing them with the tools they’ll need to build confidence, establish meaningful social connections, and make smart decisions along the way.

Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Motivation - Essay Example There is also Ray, the hot sandwich server, who has also helped Ann to take up the slack as well as Peter, who works the hot entrees spot and interacts well with Lenny, who also entertain an expectancy of gaining the job based upon the efforts they have put into their work so far. Moreover, in arriving at a replacement, when Artie is restricting himself to Averil and Gloria as choices, he has failed to take into account the Lenny factor. Since Lenny is a temperamental sort and Artie already has problems with him, he must ensure that the candidate who is finally selected is one that can get along with Lenny as well as Ann did, in order to ensure that the kitchen functions smoothly without extra temperamental outbursts from Lenny, who is a very important employee. The key to successfully selecting the right candidate will involve a current identification of the expectancies of each employee. The Expectancy theory suggests that individuals, acting on the basis of their own self interest, will adopt those courses of action at work which are likely to maximize the probability of desirable outcomes for themselves.(Pitt, 2001:1). The theory is based on the assumption that valence, expectancy and force are the three determinants that influence a person’s motivation in choosing one decision over another. (Vroom, 1995). For example, factors that motivate employees to perform better is better wages, how their time is spent or how much appreciation they receive, or even how well they interact socially with other employees. Applying this in Lenny’s case, the expectancy model suggests that Lenny is not comfortable with changes. He is unlikely to respond well to an unknown employee such as Gloria for example. A desirable outcome for Lenny would be to maintain the status quo as far as possible, therefore an employee like Peter may be acceptable to him because he knows he can control

Investigative journalism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Investigative journalism - Assignment Example Different stories were heard as the case in Baghdad was different from what officials had promised to be the case. Screams of death could be heard in different corners and alleys of the city as the citizens were gripped with fear. Back home, American officials who were interviewed never though the necessary to mention the laws of wars in the different speeches whereas the Iraqi government was opposing the air strikes campaign with dead bodies littered in every corner of their streets. The hospitals were a horrific site to witness as Iraqi televisions broadcasted civilians who were either injured or maimed in different parts thus creating the scene as a blood scene. What next? The American government was quick to announce that the government of Iraqi had built their bases amidst civilian population therefore conflicts their earlier statements that civilians in the region were to be kept safe from harm caused by the air strikes. The responses from the two government sides further added to the point that during times of war, laws are assumed or considered to be irrelevant. Citizens in different parts of the world believe in rules or laws during war. This is true in spite of them also different the laws governing the terms of war but the force applied in any war. However, as much there is memorandum that controls the rules of war, there exists disagreements on who has the authority to declare war and enforce war rules when situations calls for the element of war. In sum, who owns the element of war in a country or a

Sexual Abuse and Young Children Essay -- Child Abuse Essays

As reported in Child Maltreatment 2013, out of the estimated 905,000 victims of child abuse and neglect reported in the United States in 2013, 8.8% were victims of sexual abuse. 1 This means that in that year over 79,600 children were sexually abused in the United States. â€Å"There is general agreement among mental health and child protection professionals that child sexual abuse is not uncommon and is a serious problem in the United States.† 2 Sexual abuse has a very broad definition. According to the American Psychological Association, â€Å"a central characteristic†¦is the dominant position of an adult that allows him or her to force or coerce a child into sexual activity.† 3 The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines sexual abuse as: A. â€Å"the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct; or B. â€Å"the rape, and in cases of caretaker or inter-familial relationships, statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children† 4 There are many different types of sexual abuse, some more extreme than others. Sexual abuse falls into two categories: contact and non-contact. 5 Sexual abuse involving contact â€Å"may include fondling a child's genitals, masturbation, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, and vaginal and anal intercourse† and non-contact sexual abuse could include â€Å"exposure, voyeurism, and child pornography.† 6 All sexual abuse, no matter how severe or mild by definition, is damaging to the young child and can affect his/her neurological and psychological development and health, and affect him/her throughout life. Sexual abuse negatively affects a young child’s neurological development. It causes toxic stress, a type of stress which children are unable to manage by themselves. 7 According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, exposure to toxic stress during early childhood can impair and disrupt development of brain circuits, which â€Å"can cause an individual to develop a low threshold for stress, thereby becoming overly reactive to adverse experiences throughout life.†8 High levels of stress hormones can also affect the child’s immune system and cause â€Å"cog... ... Symptoms  · Attempts to touch the genitals of others  · Sexualized play  · Detailed and age-inappropriate knowledge of sexual activity  · Excessive masturbatory behavior  · Reluctance to undress  · Avoidance of touch  · Increased startle response  · Hypervigilance  · Extreme fluctuations in heart rate (above 100 bpm or below 60 bpm)  · Sleep disturbance (bed wetting, nightmares)  · Drastic change in appetite somatic complaints  · Enuresis/encopresis  · Substance use  · Fatigue/exhaustion Emotional Symptoms  · Regression to younger developmental stage  · Lack of affect  · Withdrawal/depression  · Anxiety/irritability/fear  · Phobias  · Excessive guilt  · Feelings of helplessness  · Low self-esteem  · Obsessive ideas  · Self-hate  · Hyperalertness  · Dissociation Behavioral Symptoms  · Abrupt change in behavior or personality  · Aggression  · Excessive crying  · Over compliance  · School adjustment problems/sudden drop in school performance  · Temper tantrums  · Truancy or runaway behavior  · Self-mutilating/suicidal ideation/gestures/attempts  · Flashbacks/Avoidance  · Nightmares  · Lack of trust/social isolation/lack of friendships  · Hyperarousal ChildTrauma.org Sexual Abuse and Young Children Essay -- Child Abuse Essays As reported in Child Maltreatment 2013, out of the estimated 905,000 victims of child abuse and neglect reported in the United States in 2013, 8.8% were victims of sexual abuse. 1 This means that in that year over 79,600 children were sexually abused in the United States. â€Å"There is general agreement among mental health and child protection professionals that child sexual abuse is not uncommon and is a serious problem in the United States.† 2 Sexual abuse has a very broad definition. According to the American Psychological Association, â€Å"a central characteristic†¦is the dominant position of an adult that allows him or her to force or coerce a child into sexual activity.† 3 The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines sexual abuse as: A. â€Å"the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct; or B. â€Å"the rape, and in cases of caretaker or inter-familial relationships, statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children† 4 There are many different types of sexual abuse, some more extreme than others. Sexual abuse falls into two categories: contact and non-contact. 5 Sexual abuse involving contact â€Å"may include fondling a child's genitals, masturbation, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, and vaginal and anal intercourse† and non-contact sexual abuse could include â€Å"exposure, voyeurism, and child pornography.† 6 All sexual abuse, no matter how severe or mild by definition, is damaging to the young child and can affect his/her neurological and psychological development and health, and affect him/her throughout life. Sexual abuse negatively affects a young child’s neurological development. It causes toxic stress, a type of stress which children are unable to manage by themselves. 7 According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, exposure to toxic stress during early childhood can impair and disrupt development of brain circuits, which â€Å"can cause an individual to develop a low threshold for stress, thereby becoming overly reactive to adverse experiences throughout life.†8 High levels of stress hormones can also affect the child’s immune system and cause â€Å"cog... ... Symptoms  · Attempts to touch the genitals of others  · Sexualized play  · Detailed and age-inappropriate knowledge of sexual activity  · Excessive masturbatory behavior  · Reluctance to undress  · Avoidance of touch  · Increased startle response  · Hypervigilance  · Extreme fluctuations in heart rate (above 100 bpm or below 60 bpm)  · Sleep disturbance (bed wetting, nightmares)  · Drastic change in appetite somatic complaints  · Enuresis/encopresis  · Substance use  · Fatigue/exhaustion Emotional Symptoms  · Regression to younger developmental stage  · Lack of affect  · Withdrawal/depression  · Anxiety/irritability/fear  · Phobias  · Excessive guilt  · Feelings of helplessness  · Low self-esteem  · Obsessive ideas  · Self-hate  · Hyperalertness  · Dissociation Behavioral Symptoms  · Abrupt change in behavior or personality  · Aggression  · Excessive crying  · Over compliance  · School adjustment problems/sudden drop in school performance  · Temper tantrums  · Truancy or runaway behavior  · Self-mutilating/suicidal ideation/gestures/attempts  · Flashbacks/Avoidance  · Nightmares  · Lack of trust/social isolation/lack of friendships  · Hyperarousal ChildTrauma.org

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 2

The phone jolted me to consciousness the next morning. Dim, murky light filtered in through my sheer curtains, signifying some freakishly early hour. Around here, however, that amount of light could have indicated anything from sunrise to high noon. After four rings, I finally deigned to answer, accidentally knocking Aubrey out of the bed. She landed with an indignant mhew and stalked off to clean herself. â€Å"Hello?† † Yo, Kincaid?† â€Å"No.† My response came swift and certain. â€Å"I'm not coming in.† â€Å"You don't even know I'm going to ask that.† â€Å"Of course I know. There's no other reason you'd be calling me this early, and I'm not going to do it. It's my day off, Doug.† Doug, the other assistant manager at my day job, was a pretty nice guy, but he couldn't keep a poker face – or voice – to save his life. His cool demeanor immediately gave way to desperation. â€Å"Everyone called in sick today, and now we're strapped. You have to do it.† â€Å"Well, I'm sick too. Believe me, you don't want me there.† Okay, I wasn't exactly sick, but I was still sporting a residual afterglow from being with Martin. Mortals would not â€Å"see† it as Duane had per se, but they would sense it and be drawn to it – men and women alike – without even knowing why. My confinement today would prevent any foolish, lovesick behavior. It was very kind of me, really. â€Å"Liar. You're never sick.† â€Å"Doug, I was already planning on coming back tonight for the signing. If I work a shift today too, I'll be there all day. That's sick and twisted.† â€Å"Welcome to my world, babe. We have no alternative, not if you really care about the fate of the store, not if you truly care about our customers and their happiness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're losing me, cowboy.† â€Å"So,† he continued, â€Å"the question is, are you going to come here willingly, or do I have to walk over there and drag you out of bed myself? Frankly, I wouldn't mind the latter.† I did a mental eye roll, chiding myself for the billionth time about living two blocks from work. His rambling about the bookstore's suffering had been effective, as he'd known it would. I operated under the mistaken belief that the place couldn't survive without me. â€Å"Well, rather than risk any more of your attempts at witty, sexual banter, I suppose I'll have to come over there. But Doug†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My voice turned hard. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Don't put me on the registers or anything.† I heard hesitation on his end. â€Å"Doug? I'm serious. Not the main registers. I don't want to be around a lot of customers.† â€Å"All right,† he said at last. â€Å"Not the main registers.† â€Å"Promise?† â€Å"I promise.† A half hour later, I stepped outside my door to walk the two blocks to the bookstore. Long clouds hung low, darkening the sky, and a faint chill touched the air, forcing some of my fellow pedestrians to don a coat. I had opted for none, finding my khaki slacks and brown chenille sweater more than sufficient. The clothing, just like the lip gloss and eyeliner I'd carefully applied this morning, were real; I had not shape-shifted into them. I enjoyed the routine nature of applying cosmetics and matching articles of clothing, though Hugh would have claimed I was just being weird again. Emerald City Books & Caf? ¦ was a sprawling establishment, occupying almost a full block in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. It sat two stories high, with the cafe portion dominating a second-floor corner viewing the Space Needle. A cheerful green awning hung over the main door, protecting those customers waiting for the store to open. I walked around them and entered through a side door, using my staff key. Doug assaulted me before I'd taken two steps inside. â€Å"It's about time. We†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused and did a double-take, reexamining me. â€Å"Wow. You look†¦ really nice today. Did you do something different?† Only a thirty-four-year-old virgin, I thought. â€Å"You're just imagining things because you're so happy I'm here to fix your staffing problem. What am I doing? Stock?† â€Å"I, er, no.† Doug struggled to snap out of his haze, still looking me up and down in a way I found disconcerting. His interest in dating me was no secret, nor was my continual rejection. â€Å"Come on, I'll show you.† â€Å"I told you – â€Å" â€Å"It's not the main registers,† he promised me. What â€Å"it† turned out to be was the espresso counter in our upstairs cafe. Bookstore staff hardly ever subbed up here, but it wasn't unheard of. Bruce, the cafe manager, popped up from where he'd been kneeling behind the counter. I often thought Doug and Bruce could be twins in a mixed-race, alternate-reality sort of way. Both had long, scraggly ponytails, and both wore a good deal of flannel in tribute to the grunge era neither had fully recovered from. They differed mainly in their coloring. Doug was Japanese-American, black-haired with flawless skin; Bruce was Mr. Aryan Nation, all blond hair and blue eyes. â€Å"Hey Doug, Georgina,† heralded Bruce. His eyes widened at me. â€Å"Whoa, you look great today.† â€Å"Doug! This is just as bad. I told you I didn't want any customers.† â€Å"You told me not the main registers. You didn't say anything about this one.† I opened my mouth to protest, but Bruce interrupted. â€Å"Come on, Georgina, I had Alex call in sick today, and Cindy actually quit.† Seeing my stony expression, he quickly added, â€Å"Our registers are almost identical to yours. It'll be easy.† â€Å"Besides† – Doug raised his voice to a fair imitation of our manager's – † ‘assistant managers are supposed to be able to fill in for anybody around here.' â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, but the cafe – â€Å" † – is still part of the store. Look, I've got to go open. Bruce'll show you what you need to know. Don't worry, it'll be fine.† He hastily darted off before I could refuse again. â€Å"Coward!† I yelled after him. â€Å"It really won't be that bad,† Bruce reiterated, not understanding my dismay. â€Å"You just take the money, and I'll make the espresso. Let's practice on you. You want a white chocolate mocha?† â€Å"Yeah,† I conceded. Everyone I worked with knew about that particular vice. I usually managed to take down three of them a day. Mochas that was, not coworkers. Bruce walked me through the necessary steps, showing me how to mark up the cups and find what I needed to push on the register's touch-screen interface. He was right. It wasn't so bad. â€Å"You're a natural,† he assured me later, handing over my mocha. I grunted in response and consumed my caffeine, thinking I could handle anything so long as the mochas kept coming. Besides, this really couldn't be as bad as the main registers. The cafe probably did no business this time of day. I was wrong. Minutes after opening, we had a line of five people. â€Å"Large latte,† I repeated back to my first customer, carefully punching in the information. â€Å"Already got it,† Bruce told me, starting the beverage before I even had a chance to label the cup. I happily took the woman's money and moved on to my next order. â€Å"A large skinny mocha.† † Skinny's just another word for nonfat, Georgina.† I scrawled NF on the cup. No worries. We could do this. The next customer wandered up and stared at me, momentarily bedazzled. Coming to her senses, she shook her head and blurted out a torrent of orders. â€Å"I need one small drip coffee, one large nonfat vanilla latte, one small double cappuccino, and one large decaf latte.† Now I felt bedazzled. How had she remembered all those? And honestly, who ordered drip anymore? On and on the morning went, and despite my misgivings, I soon felt myself perking up and enjoying the experience. I couldn't help it. It was how I worked, how I carried myself through life. I liked trying new things – even something as banal as ringing up espresso. People could be silly, certainly, but I enjoyed working with the public most of the time. It was how I had ended up in customer service. And once I overcame my sleepiness, my inborn succubus charisma kicked in. I became the star of my own personal stage show, bantering and flirting with ease. When combined with the Martin-induced glamour, I became downright irresistible. While this did result in a number of proffered dates and pickup lines, it also saved me from the repercussions of any mistakes. My customers found no wrong with me. â€Å"That's all right, dear,† one older woman assured me upon discovering I'd accidentally ordered her a large cinnamon mocha instead of a nonfat, decaf latte. â€Å"I really need to branch out into new drinks anyway.† I smiled back winningly, hoping she wasn't diabetic. Later on, a guy came up carrying a copy of Seth Mortensen's The Glasgow Pact. It was the first sign I'd seen of tonight's momentous event. â€Å"Are you going to the signing?† I asked as I rang up his tea. Bleh. Caffeine-free. He studied me for a pregnant moment, and I braced myself for a pass. Instead the guy said mildly, â€Å"Yeah, I'll be there.† â€Å"Well, make sure you think up good questions for him. Don't ask the same ones everyone else does.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Oh, you know, the usual. ‘Where do you get your ideas from?' and ‘Are Cady and O'Neill ever going to get together?' â€Å" The guy considered this as I made change. He was cute, in a disheveled sort of way. He had brown hair with a reddish-gold gleam to it, said gleam being more noticeable in the shadow of facial hair crossing his lower face. I couldn't quite decide if he'd intentionally grown a beard or just forgotten to shave. Whatever it was, it had grown in more or less evenly and, when combined with the Pink Floyd T-shirt he wore, presented the image of a sort of hippie-lumberjack. â€Å"I don't think the ‘usual questions' make them any less meaningful to the one doing the asking,† he decided at last, seeming shy about contradicting me. â€Å"To a fan, each question is new and unique.† He stepped aside so I could wait on another customer. I continued the conversation as I took the next order, unwilling to pass up the opportunity to discuss Seth Mortensen intelligently. â€Å"Forget the fans. What about poor Seth Mortensen? He probably wants to impale himself each time he gets one of those.† † ‘Impale' is kind of a strong word, don't you think?† â€Å"Absolutely not. The guy's brilliant. Hearing idiotic questions must bore him to tears.† A bemused smile played across the man's mouth, and his steady brown eyes weighed me carefully. When he realized he was staring so openly, he glanced away, embarrassed. â€Å"No. If he's out touring, he cares about his fans. He doesn't mind the repetitive questions.† â€Å"He's not out touring for altruism. He's out touring because the publicists at his publishing house are making him tour,† I countered. â€Å"Which is also a waste of time, by the way.† He dared a look back at me. â€Å"Touring is? You don't want to meet him?† â€Å"I – well, yes, of course I do. It's just, that†¦ okay. Look, don't get me wrong. I worship the ground this guy walks on. I'm excited to meet him tonight. I'm dying to meet him tonight. If he wanted to carry me off and make me his love slave, I'd do it, so long as I got advance copies of his books. But this touring thing†¦ it takes time. Time that would be better spent writing the next book. I mean, haven't you seen how long his books take to come out?† â€Å"Yeah. I've noticed.† Just then, a previous customer returned, complaining he'd gotten caramel syrup instead of caramel sauce. Whatever that meant. I offered a few smiles and sweet apologies, and he soon didn't care about the caramel sauce or anything else. By the time he left my register, the Mortensen fan guy was gone too. When I finally finished my shift around five, Doug came to meet me. â€Å"I heard some interesting things about your performance up here.† â€Å"I hear interesting things about your ‘performance' all the time, Doug, but you don't hear me making jokes about it.† He bandied with me a bit more and finally released me to get ready for the signing, but not before I'd made him humbly acknowledge how much he owed me for my kindness today. Between him and Hugh, I was accruing favors all over the place. I practically ran the two blocks home, anxious to grab some dinner and figure out what I wanted to wear. My exhilaration was growing. In an hour or so, I'd be meeting my all-time favorite author. Could life get any better? Humming to myself, I took the stairs two at a time and produced my keys with a flourish that only I noticed or appreciated. As I opened the door, a hand suddenly grabbed me and pulled me roughly inside, into the darkness of my apartment. I yelped in surprise and fear as I was shoved up against the door, slamming it shut. The lights burst on suddenly and unexpectedly, and the faint smell of sulfur wafted through the air. Although the brightness made me wince, I could see well enough to recognize what was going on. Hell hath no fury like a pissed-off demon.