Management of information technology Bachelor Essay

Management of information technology Bachelor - Essay Example And the study also mainly analyses the reality behind the privacy issue of the consumer. The study also concentrates on the supporting guidelines and practices in use for sustainable management to prevent the privacy concerns with RFID. RFID enables not only automatic supply chain data collection to improve inventory visibility and reduce stock outs at the retail level, it can also result in reduced need for manual handling, labor cost reductions, greater accuracy of shipments, and other benefits, (arcweb) RFID solutions provide real-time information by automatically detecting product movements throughout the distribution process. RFID technology provides real-time inventory visibility while minimizing the need for manual checks, allowing to: - The key to success in the retail RFID market depends on optimizing hardware, software and middleware roles and providing one-stop complete suites or solutions, which facilitate easy integration across the three domains," Shyam While RFID is reaching retailers across the revenue barrier, the high level of investment allows only the biggest retailers (typically $5 billion and above in revenues) to pilot and roll out the RFID technology in their stores and distribution centers, Shyam. The concepts of Distribution chain and logistics are closely connected in the context of raw materials, manufacturers, transporters, warehouses, retailers, and the customers themselves. The functions include the flow of information, and the transformation and delivery of goods from raw material stage through to the end user (Handfield and Nichols 1999 p. 2; Chopra and Meindl 2001, p. 3). Significant factors that determine the success of a supply chain and distribution outlets include process integration among the suppliers and

Organisation investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organisation investigation - Essay Example A social service is defined as any activity performed by a private or public institution whose objective is to aid disadvantage, distress or vulnerable persons or groups (Britannica, 2007). Social work has different elements involve in its realization depending on the age group the service is attending. A simple age group classification is to divide humans into three groups: minors (under age of 18), adults and elderly (above the age of 60). The elderly is a group with lots of social issues especially those associated with health since the body of humans once they reach advanced usage associated with older age starts to breakdown and deteriorate across all bodily systems. The mind is one of the systems that does not work as sharp as in the past. In the United Kingdom the legal framework for social services does not recognize the mental health issues associated with providing social services to the elderly. The mental health act of 2006 was a great improvement for the social service providers operating in the United Kingdom. The new health bill emphasizes improvements in areas such as patient autonomy, non-discrimination and protection of diversity, respect for caters, child welfare, definition of what constitute mental disorder, reciprocity, therapeutic services and criteria for detention among other improvements (Rcpsych, 2007). The community and health act of 1990 is another important piece of legislation for social services providers in the United Kingdom set up by the NHS. The act came to create guidelines and foster the creation of private health institution since the government was not doing a good job in this area and still has not able to create a public system to supply enough services to cover the demand for social services in the UK (Powell, 2001). The act created internal changes within social place agencies such as the one I work for by forcing

Propaganda Posters WW1

Propaganda Posters WW1 The propaganda posters of World War 1 had several different purposes. One of these purposes was to obtain man power for the battles of the war. Another reason was to obtain money for financing the war. A third reason for the posters was to spark nationalism within the respective countries of which the posters were made. Getting laborers in the shell factories was also a cause for the propaganda posters. A final reason was to justify the reason for why the countries were involved in the war so that the people dont rebel against the war. The people who were probable targets for the posters were men, women, and even children. For example, posters that showed how women were being murdered by the enemy sparked a sense of honor in the hearts of the men and it influenced them to fight for their country to protect it and their women. Some posters targeted childrens parents by saying My dad bought me a bond, did yours? or something equivalent. By targeting these specific groups, the posters made everyone involved in total war. The posters suggested many ways for the people of the countries to be involved in the war. Posters suggested that people buy liberty bonds or military bonds in order to help the country financially. They also called for the men to fight and to go the front. Moreover, people, primarily women, were drawn to the factories so that they can help with the shells of the bombs and sometimes with the guns. People were also urged to provide things such as food and clothing for the soldiers on the fronts. By suggesting these types of things, posters made everyone fight as the posters were suppose to do. I think that the role of the propaganda in World War 1 was to get people directly involved into the war and to get money to finance the war. The propaganda made people feel nationalist about their countries and they wanted to fight and help in the war. Liberty bonds or war bonds were money that were given to the government to finance the war, and at the end of the war, the people would get the money back with interest. These bonds were important because the governments needed money to be able to pay the soldiers and to wage the war on the front. By getting money from the people, the country had enough money to finance its economy and also it was a good investment for the people who invested in the war. A wide range of images is used in the World War 1 posters. One example was Lady Liberty leading the American troops into battle. Another image was the Australian flag which said for the king and the country. This image made Australians feel nationalistic about their country. A third image that was shown was the German gorilla which made people fear the destruction of Germany and therefore they wanted to fight against Germany. A German propaganda poster portrays how Jesus is blessing the German army. Other German posters also show a soldier to make the men want to fight. Finally, an Austrian poster shows how a child is putting in money for the war. This was another way to make men and women buy bonds for the war. Several good symbols were used during the World War 1. A gorilla portraying Germany was used to show how ugly and evil Germany was. Another British symbol showed Germany as a skeleton that is drinking the blood of the fallen soldiers. These images made people want to fight Germany and to end its terror over Europe. Australia used a fallen soldier pointing at the viewer of the poster to make men want to avenge the death or wounding of the soldiers who give their lives on the front. Germany made its people join the war by showing how the army was blessed by Jesus which symbolized that it was destined for greatness. They also used the symbol of a soldier on a horse, with a oval around his head which in Orthodox Christianity in particular that portrays him as a saint. In general, the Germans were so confident that they would win, that they showed how glorious their army supposedly was. All of the symbols were used to make the people of the countries fight their enemies. Allies Posters Similarities Central Powers posters Their messages were short and simple. Said true statements. Portrayed German brutality. Both wanted resources. Both guaranteed wins. Both urged men to enlist in the fighting. Long messages that said a lot and not very effective. -Contained lies because the army was not as blessed as the newly enlisted soldiers thought. Showed army to be mighty and blessed by God. My favorite poster is the one from Australia which showed how Freedom is in a tug of war with the Oppression. I liked this poster because it was an original way to show how the war was going and in a way it made it seem less dramatic than it really is. I also think that Australians had the most interesting posters in general because their posters were more elaborate and more interesting than the rest of the countries in the war.

Tornadoes :: essays research papers

Tornadoes HAINES CITY, Fla. (Dec. 27) - Tess Bentley knew the high-pitched whine that woke her early Saturday was a tornado. She took two steps and dived into her bedroom closet full of clothes. Within seconds, Mrs. Bentley, 48, and her two-bedroom house were spinning in the air. She was still in her closet when her home landed upside down on top of a neighbor's house about 50 yards away. More than 100 homes were damaged by the tornado that tore through the Lake Region Mobile Village, a retirement community 35 miles southwest of Orlando. The twister - part of a series of storms that swamped Florida's Gulf Coast - left four residents hospitalized, but none of the injuries were life-threatening. Mrs. Bentley suffered only bumps and bruises. neighbor Dick Runge said ''If this isn't a miracle, I don't know what is.'' Tornadoes form from severe thunderstorms. They are very destructive because they have a high energy density. They also don't last very long. This makes it hard to learn about them. Since scientists don't know much about tornadoes, it's also hard to forecast them. And because little is known about tornadoes, there are many myths about them which aren't true. Tornadoes can form anywhere in the world. About 75% of the them happen in the United States. Most of these form in the central U. S. in a place called tornado alley. People who are interested in tornadoes sometimes become spotters for their community. Sometimes people actually chase tornadoes! After a tornado passes by, scientists try and figure out how strong it was by using the Fujita Tornado Scale. U.S. Killer Tornadoes of 1997 September 18, 1997 5:15 PM A series of at least five tornadoes swept through northeastern Minnesota this evening. The worst damage was in Little Falls, Hillman and Onamia. One person was killed in a building 6 miles east of Lastrup, Minnesota. Two men were injured in Hillman when their vehicle was lifted into the air, spun around, and dumped into the woods about 100 feet off the road. July 2, 1997 3:32 PM The tornado that struck the Chatueau Oak Hill Trailer Park near Holly in Oakland County, Michigan, was one of 16 reported that afternoon. It killed a 36-year-old woman in a trailer. The whole metropolitan Detoit area was beseiged by storms during the early evening, and the strong winds, lightning and flooding caused more destruction than any storm since the Palm Sunday storms in 1965.

Critique of “Being Logical”

Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking by D. Q. McInerny is an introduction to the science and art of thinking and living logically. The 129-page guide was published in 2005 by Random House Trade Paperbacks and can be purchased for around ten dollars. The author D. Q. McInerny is currently a professor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Lincoln, Nebraska and has written a variety of pieces on religious philosophy to include Philosophical Psychology, and an article on the use of contraception. In the words of McInerny, â€Å"Logic is the very backbone of true education† (McInerny, 2005, p. x). Yet in the Preface, he goes on to say â€Å"To my mind, logic is the missing piece of the American educational system, the subject that informs every other subject from English to history to science and math† (McInerny, 2005, p. ix). In his book McInerny attempts to guide his readers through the process of seeing the world and evaluating their circumstances in an objective and cr itical manner. Ultimately he aims to instill an intrinsic need for truth gained through logic that his readers will utilize in everyday life.Being logical consists of five sections, the first three serve as a foundation for logical thinking. They consist of Preparing the Mind for Logic, The Basic Principles of logic and Argument – the Language of Logic. The last two sections, The Sources of Illogical Thinking and The Principal Forms of Illogical Thinking put the foundations of logic into action by pointing out errors that one may make while attempting sound logic. The last two sections, specifically section five synthesizes the material previously covered in the book by defining the ways in which reasoning can go awry.McInerny wrote of 28 principal forms of illogical thinking. The eleven most notable forms of illogical thinking can be grouped by their basic causes: a basic misinterpretation of language and arrival at a conclusion through illogical processes, a lack of critica l thinking or attention to the matter at hand, and finally, purposefully misleading and manipulative argumentation. Undistributed middle, begging the question and inability to disprove does not prove all occur when one misinterprets the language of an argument or comes to a conclusion through an illogical process.According to McInerny Undistributed middle occurs when one falsely attributes traits to the conclusion based on a term or statement in the premise that is not universal or always true. For example, many elite marathon runners are Kenyan. Aallyah is Kenyan therefore she is an elite marathoner. Similar to undistributed middle, begging the question is when a statement seams like an argument that proves the conclusion when in truth the assertion is simply stated twice in different words. There is not actually any supporting evidence to prove the assertion.For example, because Jimmy goes to the gym on a regular basis, Jimmy has good physical fitness. Another form of illogical th inking is the assertion that the inability to disprove something in effect proves it. For example, just because one cannot disprove the existence of a higher power or God, does not prove that God exists. It is a matter that has not been proven or disproven therefore it is simply a matter of faith or opinion not at all based in logical fact. Abusing tradition, democratic fallacy and abuses of expertise all stem from lack of critical thinking, attention to the matter at hand or weak-minded group think.Sometimes tradition is followed simply because it is the way things have always been regardless of its logical merit or usefulness. Conversely, a sound tradition is often abandoned simply for the sake of innovation. Both of these failures in logic are forms of using and abusing tradition. The quality of a tradition should be judged on its merit and effectiveness not simply its longevity. The Democratic Fallacy occurs when a conclusion or opinion is held as true simply because the majorit y believes it. For example, society used to believe that the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth, which is obviously a false assertion.The use of an expert opinion can be very powerful in an argument as long as the expert backs up his or her opinion with fact and concrete rational. If one asserts that a specific conclusion is true simply based on the fact that an expert says so, they are not in essence proving their assertion at all because they aren’t making an argument, they are simply making a statement. If a lawyer in a murder trial placed an expert whiteness on the stand, and simply asked them â€Å" in your expert opinion, did the defendant committed the offence† they would be abusing expertise and not actually presenting any argument at all.If the lawyer asked the expert to explain the evidence and why it leads to the conclusion, then he or she would be presenting a good argument. In section five McInerny points out that it is essential to be aw are of purposefully misleading and manipulative argumentation when attempting to logically analyze a situation. Ad hominem, red herring, straw man, false dilemma and simplistic reasoning are all ways in which one can manipulate an audience incorrectly. Ad hominem and red herring are both forms of false reasoning in which one plays on the emotions of the audience to manipulate them.The ad hominem fallacy is when one responds to the individual making an argument, using information irrelevant to the argument to gain emotional control over the audience and sway them against the opponent. If one is discussing a topic with someone they dislike and rather than analyzing the others argument, they simply attack the other personally, the attacking individual is guilty of the Ad Hominem Fallacy. The opinion of the audience can be changed solely on their emotional response to the individual making the argument not on the logic of their position.The red herring fallacy is much like the ad homine m fallacy in that they both divert the audience’s attention from the actual issue being argued. In this fallacy, one interjects inflammatory information aimed at distracting and swaying a specific audience base solely on their emotions. This ploy is seen constantly in debates for political office. The paradox between public approval of the death penalty and disapproval of abortion is one that is seen frequently in political debate. In this example the opinion of specific majorities seem to be swayed more by emotional and religious appeals than consistent logic.One may play to the emotional image of an innocent baby being murdered, saying that humans cannot play God per say and that it isn’t our right to choose. While in the latter instance they can play on the image of an evil murderous criminal needing to be punished for his or her actions, and completely disregard the original assertion that it is not right for humans to play God. Straw man, false dilemma and simplis tic reasoning are all ways in which one can manipulate their audience not by emotional appeals but by somehow falsifying a specific aspect of the situation being analyzed.Straw Man Fallacy is when one purposefully misinterprets another’s argument in order to weaken it. If one realized that they were wrong, yet pretended to misinterpret the other persons argument to evade admitting that their argument is inferior they would be committing the Straw Man Fallacy. A false dilemma occurs when one analyzes a question or situation on the false pretext that there are only two options when, in fact, there are many possibilities. A historic example of a false dilemma can be seen in the political and social drama surrounding the United States decision to invade Iraq in 2003.According to a Pew Research Center poll in 2003 over 71 percent of Americans were proponents of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Keeter, 2007). This sentiment was furthered by emotional patriotism brought on by September 11th , which led to the attitude of â€Å"you are either for us or against us†. Although many Americans viewed the situation as a dilemma, there were many other options at the government’s disposal that could have utilized other forms of national power and influence. Simplistic reasoning is the act of simplifying a complex situation or reality so much that its true meaning is altered and the truth is lost.Parents often use simplistic reasoning when answering their children’s complex questions about life. Often when a child asks where they came from, a parent will respond with a myriad of simplistic stories. These responses are completely untrue but the parent wants to protect the child from the truth that they feel is inappropriate and may also think the child wont understand the complexities of procreation. Simplistic reasoning in this instance my be justified, however when it is used to manipulate or shelter adult audiences it is a gross misrepresentation of the tr uth.In section five, McInerny succeeds at highlighting the many ways in which attempted logic can fail. He defines each form of illogical thinking with brevity and in terms any reader can understand. Awareness of these possible mistakes will assuredly help readers follow more logical thought processes and avoid illogical thinking. The first three chapters of the book however, are not as helpful or pertinent. McInerny starts out by explaining the close relationship between language and logic, stating that they are in fact â€Å"inseparable† (McInerny, 2005, p. 3).Conscious thought is indeed dictated by language. One can have feelings and emotions without language but when one realizes an actual cognitive thought, they think it in words. McInerny states that the â€Å"concrete expression of logical reasoning is the argument† (McInerny, 2005, p. 47). Thus he spends a great deal of time detailing and defining the basic structure and function of the English language and the language of an argument. He caveats these first three sections by saying that â€Å"readers might be put off by what they perceive to be an emphasis upon the obvious.I do, in fact, place a good deal of stress on the obvious in this book, and that is quite deliberate. In logic, as in life, it is the obvious that most often bears emphasizing, because it so easily escapes our notice† (McInerny, 2005, p. x). Although language and our use of it holds a symbiotic relationship with logic, McInerny spends 88 uninspired pages defining and over complicating aspects of language that are, as he says, obvious. Instead of putting his readers to sleep by dissecting and defining the rudimentary construct of the English language, he could have emphasized the importance of paying attention to obvious details.Using interesting historical examples of either sound logic or attempted logic gone awry would make a much more memorable impact. Instead, readers feel as though they are wading through t he sludge of an SAT or ACT preparatory guide. Ultimately, McInerny succeeds in writing a basic guide to the science of logic however; Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking does not inspire readers to internalize a desire for truth gained through the art of logical thinking.The book is a dry and simplistic analysis of logic that lacks any inspiring or memorable real world examples that a reader could call upon while logically navigating their everyday life. References Keeter, S. (2007). Trends in Public Opinion About the War in Iraq, 2003-2007. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from Pew Research Center Publications: http://pewresearch. org/pubs/431/trends-in-public-opinion-about-the-war-in-iraq-2003-2007. MCInerny, D. Q. (2005). Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 8

Knowing Carter was on the job with Simone made me feel mildly better, but there was something about him that always unnerved me when it came to Seth – and, well, my love life in general. He was too interested. I'd gotten used to an angel hanging out with my friends, but sometimes I wondered if I was being lulled into some kind of trick. Heaven had its own agenda, just as we did, and their motives were often harder to figure out. I had a morning shift the next day. It passed by easily until Doug delivered some bad news to me about ten minutes before I was going to leave. â€Å"Can't go with you tonight, Kincaid.† I looked up from my spreadsheet in disbelief. â€Å"What?† He shrugged, hovering near the door to my office. He'd had the same shift as me today, and I had a feeling he was telling me at the end to save himself from hours of anger. Kind of like how people who get fired are told at the end of the day on Friday. â€Å"There's this girl I met†¦and I can't really turn down the chance to go out with her. Oh, man. She's smokin'. She's got this body that – â€Å" â€Å"I don't need the details,† I interrupted. â€Å"Can't you just take her instead of me? Cody was starting to get into this idea†¦he'll be really down if it gets canceled.† â€Å"No need to cancel. Just go without me. I couldn't bring her instead of you – Cody needs you.† I groaned. â€Å"Yeah, but the safety of a group is gone, and I become the third wheel.† â€Å"Find someone else to go, then.† It was then that Maddie appeared beside her brother. She was relieving him for the next shift. â€Å"Go where?† My next words made me cringe, but I did not want to go alone with Cody and Gabrielle. â€Å"Do you want to go to a, um, metal concert tonight?† At least having another woman along would kill the double date insinuations. This clearly wasn't an invite that she'd been expecting. â€Å"Well†¦I would, except I've got to close, and then I'm supposed to meet a friend.† I had serious doubts about the â€Å"I would† part and this so-called friend. Metal was not Maddie's scene. She suddenly brightened. â€Å"You know what? You should bring Seth.† â€Å"I†¦what?† I asked. â€Å"Mortensen?† asked Doug, sounding as baffled as me. â€Å"I don't think that's his thing,† I said uneasily. I knew for a fact it wasn't. â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Doug. â€Å"Probably not a good idea.† I hid a frown at Doug's words. With as much as he wanted to get out of this and see his smokin' woman, I figured he'd be willing to push anyone off on me. Maddie was oblivious. â€Å"No, really. He's been cooped up for weeks with the book, and I think it'd be good for him to go out. I think the wedding stuff is stressing him out.† Yeah, that made two of us. â€Å"Oh, I don't want to, um, push him outside of his comfort zone,† I said lamely. She laughed. â€Å"Like I said, it'd be good for him. I'll go ask him now.† She was gone before either Doug or I could protest. Several moments of silence hung between us. â€Å"Well,† he said at last. â€Å"She can talk him into almost anything. I guess you're set.† â€Å"I guess so.† He walked off, and I found it intriguing that neither of us was excited about this prospect. It drove home the double date thing even more and also made me feel guilty about Maddie's blind trust. On the bright side – kind of – I supposed it would take some balls for Simone to crash the concert and continue her â€Å"seduction† of Seth. As Doug had predicted, Maddie did indeed convince Seth to go. It was a late show, and the four of us had agreed to meet outside the club around 10:30 so that I could distribute our tickets. Once we were all there, I glanced at the three faces before me, trying to decide whether it was all comical or pathetic. Seth was doing the averting-his-eyes thing, clearly uncomfortable that Maddie had pushed him into this. Cody was paler than usual for a vampire and looked ready to bolt at any moment. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if both men teamed up to formulate an escape plan. Gabrielle was the only one who looked excited to be there, her eyes alight and eager. She was also the only one really dressed for the scene, all in black, with her hair spiked up and makeup done to dramatic levels. Cody and Seth wore their usual street clothes, and I'd dressed somewhere in the middle: black jeans and a black bustier top, adorned with heavy silver jewelry. It was clearly too designer for this place, however. â€Å"Thanks so much for letting me come along with you guys,† she said. â€Å"I didn't know any of you liked Blue Satin Bra.† â€Å"What's not to like?† asked Seth, face innocent. I kept my eyes away from him because I had a feeling I'd start grinning. I handed out the tickets, and we headed inside, surrounded by a crowd that I decided I'd want on my side if I was ever in a street brawl. We managed to snag a high-top table in the back. It meant standing the whole time, but at least we had a surface to put our glasses on. â€Å"Offer to buy her a drink,† I hissed to Cody. The nice thing about playing Cyrano to a vampire was that his enhanced hearing meant I could keep my voice far below levels that Gabrielle could pick up. The noise in the room – even before the band started – also furthered the covert nature of all this. Cody dutifully obeyed, and when Gabrielle started to dig out cash, he assured her the first round was on him. The smile she gave him seemed to boost his confidence as he headed off. Seth leaned toward my ear. He stood on the opposite side of me from Gabrielle, and she was too entranced by the sights to even notice us. â€Å"This might be crazy enough to work,† he murmured. â€Å"Don't get carried away,† I responded back, trying not to think of his proximity. â€Å"The night is young. Any number of wacky mishaps might ensue.† He smiled. â€Å"Those are your specialty, aren't they?† â€Å"Unfortunately, yes.† Cody returned with the drinks, earning more approval from Gabrielle. She wasn't showing any romantic attraction to him whatsoever, but at least she knew he was alive. While I still stood firm that he shouldn't overdo the vampire/Goth thing, I realized we were going to have to work hard to get past the â€Å"ordinary† facade she saw. â€Å"Talk to her,† I told him. He'd slipped back to his place between me and Gabrielle. â€Å"Once they start, it's probably going to be impossible.† â€Å"What do I say?† Seth, overhearing, leaned across me, and I wished I'd covered up more skin. His arm brushing up against me sent thrills through my body. â€Å"Ask her if she's ever seen them live before,† Seth said. â€Å"If she says no, tell her about this one time you saw them at†¦I don't know. A private party. If she says yes, ask her what she thought.† Cody gave an uneasy nod. He leaned toward her, and while I only caught bits and pieces of the conversation, she grew animated as she spoke. I leaned back to Seth. â€Å"When did you become an expert in dating advice?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"It's what O'Neill would do.† I scoffed. â€Å"You're using fiction to further Cody's love life?† â€Å"Life imitates art, and art imitates life.† â€Å"That statement is ridiculous. And, you know, I've never really seen you utilize that advice.† â€Å"Well, that's O'Neill's advice. I have lots of characters I can draw from.† â€Å"Funny, I don't remember any introverted, stammering writers in your books.† â€Å"I don't stammer,† he said defensively – though there was a smile under his words. â€Å"Besides, maybe there'll be someone like that in the new series.† â€Å"Ooh,† I said, mocking his melodrama. â€Å"What's with the ‘maybe'? I thought you had the premise for this whole fantastic new thing figured out.† â€Å"I do. But it can always be improved along the way.† â€Å"Introvert authors improve everything.† â€Å"Damn straight.† Laughing, I remembered that I should have been helping Cody, but he was talking to Gabrielle on his own, which I took as a positive sign. I turned back to Seth. â€Å"So does this mean you've figured out the ending to Cady and O'Neill?† â€Å"No.† He still held his good humor, despite a small frown on his brow. â€Å"One of these days, I'll have to – â€Å" His words were cut off when the eardrum-splitting screech of a guitar ripped through the room. Blue Satin Bra had come onstage while I was talking (flirting?) with Seth. I hated stereotypes, but truthfully: they looked like what you'd expect from an all-guy metal band. Black clothing, piercings, and hair that ran in extremes: shaved or super long. The one thing that differentiated them was, well, the fact that they were wearing blue satin demi bras over their clothes. Even above the deafening music that followed, I could hear Gabrielle shrieking, â€Å"Oh my God!† Her face was ecstatic, and when Cody said something to her, she lit up further and nodded eagerly at the band. My guess was – whether it was true or not – he was reaffirming how awesome they were. The music forced Seth and me to lean close in order to talk. â€Å"You know,† he said, â€Å"I'm pretty sure the bass player stuffed his bra.† â€Å"Nah,† I teased back. â€Å"It's a push-up bra, so it just seems that way. They do amazing things for cleavage.† All things considered, Blue Satin Bra wasn't that bad. Metal might not be my favorite music, but I was still open to a lot of types. The setting and craziness that ensued throughout the night gave Seth and me lots of material to joke over. We were both in really good moods when the show finally ended and we walked out with Gabrielle and Cody. â€Å"That was awesome,† she exclaimed. â€Å"Thank you so much for sharing the tickets.† â€Å"No problem,† I said. My ears were ringing, and I wasn't sure if I was still shouting. â€Å"I think that was the best show I've ever seen,† said Cody nobly. Gabrielle clutched his sleeve, and his eyes widened. â€Å"I know! Which was your favorite song?† Silence. â€Å"Mine was that one were they kept saying ‘My Armageddon scales will burn your post office,'† said Seth deadpan. â€Å"Oh, yeah. That's one of their greatest,† she said. â€Å"It's called ‘Plywood Fuck.'† â€Å"That's my favorite too,† said Cody. I somehow doubted he'd heard any of the music tonight. His senses were all on Gabrielle. Perfectly in sync, Seth and I glanced at each other and exchanged secret smiles, both of us amused at Cody's love. I wasn't as far gone as he was, but when our group finally split up, I found myself walking on air too. â€Å"Interesting night,† Roman told me when we got home. He'd been along in spy mode. â€Å"I think Cody might actually have a chance.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said. â€Å"He's clearly smitten, but she only seems mildly interested. In a friendly way, though.† Roman rummaged through the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of Lucky Charms. â€Å"He's not the only one who's smitten.† I sighed and collapsed onto the couch. â€Å"Let it go, okay? We all know I'm a long ways from getting over Seth.† Roman gave me a sly look. â€Å"I wasn't talking about you.† I stared at him for a moment, my vodka-addled brain trying to make sense of his words. â€Å"Wait†¦you're talking about Seth? He's over me.† â€Å"Oh my God, Georgina. Could you be any more delusional?† â€Å"He's getting married.† â€Å"That means nothing. If it did, guys wouldn't catch chlamydia at their bachelor parties.† â€Å"But he does love Maddie. And no matter what you think about his feelings, he'll be out of my reach once they're married.† â€Å"The fact that they're dating means he should already be out of your reach – but past evidence shows that's not true.† I scowled and kicked off my shoes. â€Å"Don't bring that up. I feel bad enough – and so does he. If you're just going to taunt me, then I'm going to bed.† But to my surprise, Roman didn't wear that mocking look that had become so typical for him since returning to Seattle. His eyes were serious, his expression – almost – concerned. â€Å"I'm not trying to taunt you. I'm just stating the facts. No matter what happens, you and Seth can't seem to stay away from each other. You should put in a transfer request.† â€Å"What, out of Seattle?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"I love it here.† â€Å"You'll learn to love some other place. Honestly, it's the only way you're going to be able to move on – the only way either of you can move on. You're in a situation where you see him every day – tonight being a prime example. He broke up with you, and then you broke up with him for some ‘greater good' kind of goal. But if you keep hanging around each other, it won't matter. You'll never heal. You're just going to get your heart ripped out every day.† I was so stunned that I couldn't even respond for several seconds. The old taunt danced in my head: circles and circles. â€Å"I†¦why do you say that? Why do you care?† â€Å"Because I already see it happening every day. You are getting your heart ripped out over and over, and it kills me to watch it happen.† Again, I fell speechless for a moment. â€Å"I thought†¦I thought you hated me. I thought you wanted to destroy me.† He finished his cereal and set the bowl down. I didn't have the will to shoo the cats away. â€Å"I don't hate you, Georgina,† he said wearily. â€Å"Am I upset about what happened to Helena? Absolutely. Am I upset about you lying about loving me? Yes. Do I want some kind of revenge? Maybe. Honestly, my feelings change from day to day. Some days I do want something awful to happen to you. Some days†¦well, I know you did what you did out of some misguided sense of†¦I don't know. You thought you were doing the right thing.† I wanted to tell him that I had loved him, in a way. But that probably wouldn't be useful right now. â€Å"Well, watching this Seth drama unfold is probably giving you lots of material when it comes to something awful happening to me.† â€Å"No,† he said, with a weary head shake. â€Å"I don't like this. Like I said, I'd rather see you leave and start a new life. Every time I see you now, it's like†¦it's like watching you die. Over and over.† I stood up, suddenly wanting to sleep. â€Å"Yeah,† I said softly. â€Å"That's kind of what it feels like.† I hesitated. â€Å"Thanks for listening. And understanding.† â€Å"Anytime,† he said. This also caught me by surprise. Somewhere in these last few crazy months, I realized, Roman and I had become friends again. â€Å"I hate to ask you this, but, well, I'm not doing a very good job with keeping an upbeat mood tonight. Would you – â€Å" He rose as well. â€Å"Yup. I'll watch you sleep. If you can handle the creepy factor.† â€Å"It's an acceptable trade,† I said with a smile. â€Å"Thanks.† And maybe it was the vodka, but I stepped forward and hugged him. He was stiff for a moment, clearly caught off guard, but then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me. I rested my head against his chest, taking small comfort in someone warm and alive who wasn't a stranger. He smelled like I remembered, the clean, sharp scent of his cologne surrounding me in a way very different from Seth's woodsy smell. I was just thinking I should pull away when a voice asked, â€Å"Am I interrupting anything?† I jerked away from the embrace and found Carter standing in the living room, arms crossed and one eyebrow arched. Roman seemed equally flustered and took a few steps back as well, getting as far away from me as he could. â€Å"Don't you ever knock?† I asked. â€Å"Not sure you'd answer,† said Carter good-naturedly. â€Å"Especially with the news I've got.† I groaned. â€Å"That was fast. Does it have to do with Simone?† He nodded. â€Å"Afraid so. She met up with Seth again.†

Ikrandraco - Facts and Figures

Ikrandraco - Facts and Figures Name Ikdrandraco (Ikran dragon, after the flying creatures from Avatar); pronounced EE-krahn-DRAY-coe Habitat Rivers and lakes of Asia Historical Period Early Cretaceous (120 million years ago) Size and Weight About 30 inches long and a few pounds Diet Fish Distinguishing Characteristics Moderate size; distinctive bill structure; possible throat patch for holding fish About Ikrandraco Ikrandraco is an odd choice to honor the Ikran, or mountain banshees, of Avatar: this early Cretaceous pterosaur was only about two and a half feet long and a few pounds, whereas the Ikran from the hit movie are majestic, horse-sized, flying creatures that the Navi ride into battle against their human antagonists. Once you get past its name, though, Ikrandraco avatar may have been a truly unique pterosaur: some paleontologists claim that it had a pouch on the underside of its distinctively shaped bill in which it stored recently caught fish, which would make it similar to the modern pelican. However, not everyone is convinced by this putative anatomical feature of Ikrandraco (made of soft tissue, a throat pouch would have no chance of surviving in the fossil record), nor by the hypothesis that this pterosaur skimmed over the surface of lakes and trapped wiggling prey in its submerged lower jaw. The fact is that it can be difficult to infer the everyday behavior of a 120-million-year-old reptile by analogy with modern birds, and the possibility remains that Ikrandraco fed in more conventional fashion, like other pterosaurs of the early Cretaceous period, simply diving into the water and swallowing its fill of fish.