Being Hefty Essay Example

Being Hefty Essay Example Being Hefty Essay Being Hefty Essay We all start out equal; Little blobs of blood and muscle. It’s a setup for great potential. We eat, sleep, work, and repeat. Every day of our lives we do these things, but these every day tasks we do, are becoming easier. The world is changing. Everything is becoming simpler. We are moving from an industrial society into a technologically advanced industrial society. We no longer need people doing hard work. We can simply make machines that do the same work as a human can. A machine only needs someone typing commands into a computer for it to do its job, and a little oil here and there. The draw back to this is that People are getting fatter, less fit and more unhealthy everyday, and we know it. We go to a doctor wondering, why Am I getting fat? Why do I have high cholesterol? Why is my blood pressure through the roof? The answer is simple, we dont take care of ourselves anymore. We sit at work all day, Then come home and eat unhealthy food. So what do we do? We go to gyms. Experts believe that having regular physical activity can boost your self-esteem. Help you sleep better, and help make you look and feel better during the day. I can go to a doctors office right now and have him do a check up and he would tell me Im perfectly healthy. My blood pressure is good and my cholesterol levels are good. That is not the same for everyone though. Most people will go to a doctors office and theyre told that they are over weight. The food they are eating everyday is making their bodies sick. That they will more than likely have a heart attack by he age of 50 if they dont watch their diet and eat healthier. This is a sad fact about the society we live in, but this is true. Then again I do work in a labor intensive job. Where Im required to keep up a physical status and stay healthy. I go to the gym almost every day of the week and when I dont go I have at the least one hour of physical training in the morning to help stay in shape. Most people work in an office were they type reports all day or sit behind a desk pushing buttons so that machines can do all the heavy lifting. You tend to gain some weight if youre not careful. There will always be those people who just sit around and procrastinate about going to the gym. They will look for any reason not to go to the gym. This is being completely lazy and irresponsible not to take care of you body. If you dont like going to the gym, then go on a jog, or run outside on a nice day. Get an exercise DVD and actually use it for more than a paper weight. You dont have to become the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, just make sure youre at least staying healthy. I learned at a very young age that being obese wasnt an acceptable thing to be. I’d seen members of my family that were morbidly obese. They were hooked up to all kinds of machines that I had no idea what they were for and it scared me. I didnt want to end up like them. My parents didnt ever care if I was a little chubby. They did however not want me to become fat and unhealthy staying inside and play video games all day. They preferred me to be outside playing sports, hanging out with friends, or something that was active. Do you know that by living healthier and having regular physical fitness it can increase your life span? Yes, it can. It has been proven that by living healthy and working out, you can live a longer happier life. When you go to a gym it helps you relive stress and tension in your body. People handle stress in many ways. Some like to smoke cigarettes or go drinking and get wasted every night, Neither of which are very health for you. Others may like to go up into the mountains and shoot a rifle at cans and bottles. I enjoy going to the gym. If Im stressed out about something it usually means I’m angry about something that had happened during that day. It gives me a good outlet to relive all that anger built up throughout the day and take it out on the weights. Going climbing is a great stress reliever for me as well . It gives me a sense of achievement when I finish a difficult route. There is no better feeling then when I completed a route that Ive been working on for the past few days. Going to the gym can also help you get a better nights rest. During the day your body stores sugars and fats from all the food we eat during the day. If you go to bed without burning some of the sugars and other things you have accumulated during the day your body turns it into fat. Going to the gym burns that sugar and saturated fats and turns them into muscle and helps tire you out so you can go to bed at a decent hour and be well rested for the nest day. Eating unhealthy is a big reason some people cant get a good night rest. When youre going to the gym you want to eat healthier. If you eat a McDonalds Big Mac right before you go to the gym it makes you feel like crap. A Big Mac is full of simple sugars among many other thing that are not good for you. It doesnt help your body in any kind of way when you go to work out. If you eat a banana before a work out you feel energized. Bananas are full of potassium which helps you feel happy, they give you a good energy boost and help prevent cramps while you are exercising. Sometimes if you have high blood pressure you may think that going to the gym will raise it to dangerous levels. This is true but only for a short time. When you stop exercising your blood pressure will return to normal and the lower your blood presser returns to the more physically fit you become. Having daily physical exercise a great thing for you body. I know that I love going on runs and going to the gym now. It makes me feel better throughout the day, and I feel well rested in the mornings. I know that there are people out there that will always try to find a way to get out of going to the gym, but in the end it will bite them in the butt because they didnt want to spend an hour out of their day to stay healthy.

Castro Gay Village Gentrification in San Francisco

Castro Gay Village Gentrification in San Francisco â€Å"For decades, most big cities have had a district that was understood to be the place to go if you were gay - the West Village and Chelsea in New York City, Dupont Circle in Washington, the South End in Boston. Men and women who had kept their sexual orientations hidden reveled in the freedom to live openly as gay†[1]. The gay city (or a gay neighborhood) is an urban location with its frontiers where many gay, lesbian and also bisexual people live and develop their community.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Castro Gay Village Gentrification in San Francisco specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Castro Gay Village in San Francisco is one of the most popular ones, and it is also considered to be the San Francisco’s most popular place for tourism, recreation and rest. It is also one of the safest districts of the region and a much cleaner than the rest ones. Indeed, it is a very friendly neighborhood . However, these days, the process of urban gentrification which, affects the lives of people and enhances the property values, raises fears among the gay leaders concerning the preservation of their gay community. They provide the idea that the process of urban gentrification may result in losing their distinct identities.. In other words, in their view, the gentrification is forced by heterosexual couples arriving in the district and starting their business there, thus, Castro ceases to be a â€Å"gay ghetto† and loses its identity becoming â€Å"an ordinary district† of San Francisco. In this paper, we are going to explore the peculiarities of the process of an urban gay gentrification and its consequences. Before 1970’s the gay cities haven’t been developed. There existed so called â€Å"gay social network† and small gay communities were located in certain urban areas, clubs, etc., under the surveillance of the police. In 1969, the police raid a private gay bar Stonewall. It led to disturbances in the neighbor areas. Thus, the first gay ghettos appeared and â€Å"an alternative lifestyle flourished in San Francisco†[2]. Today, there are many gay cities that are called â€Å"gay-friendly oasis† surrounded by hostile city. These districts are adjusted to the needs of their inhabitants. They have many establishments, such as gay pubs and bars, restaurants, etc., â€Å"by representing a degree of social control by the gay community, such places created the feeling of being a safe haven against risk of discrimination and/or violence†[3]. When the gay cities have just developed, the process of gay gentrification began. It was caused by the fact that gay cities were much â€Å"cozier† and safer. Moreover, in such â€Å"communities†, people felt more comfortable and more opportunities were opened for them. So scholars assume that there are there explanations of gay gentrification (gentrification theories). The first one is the rent-gap theory. It presupposes that â€Å"gentrification occurs because developers sense the profits that can be made by acquiring cheap properties†. [4] The second theory estimates that gentrification was caused by consumer demands and the third theory provides that gay gentrification was provoked by demographic shifts, such as â€Å"the postponement of marriage and childbearing, the increased number of single women, and the desire of gay men and lesbians to carve out a space free from oppression†[5]Advertising Looking for term paper on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Castro Village in San Francisco is one of the largest gay cities in the USA and, â€Å"currently, one-third of The Castro’s residents identify themselves as gay or lesbian, compared with 13 percent citywide. Gay activists say it is important to maintain communities that gay p eople feel safe in and consider their home†[6]. The Castro Village was one of the first gay cities in the USA. The first local gay activist Harvey Milk became a City Supervisor and fought for equality of human rights for the gay minority of San Francisco. Thus, the city was an important place for cultural and political activities. Today, it is more â€Å"tourist† and calm place, rather than a â€Å"venue† for political activities. In the light of gentrification, one of the most important questions is â€Å"Will the Castro remain gay or take on another new name and new set of immigrants?†[7]. The gentrification of the gay cities is constantly catalyzing in the modern society that seeks for globalization and economical welfare of the society. This process affects the social and spatial characteristics of the city while providing changes into the national economy: â€Å"Places such as the Castro area of San Francisco or the West Hollywood district of Los Ang eles have played a significant role in the evolution of a gay subculture. And the gentrification of districts has created distinctive urban landscape†[8]. However, these days, there is a threat of destruction of this subculture in the city, as many heterogeneous couples seeking for better living come and stay in the city. One of the reasons of this tendency is that society became tolerant towards gay, lesbian and bisexual people and their communities. In some areas and countries, the marriages between man and man or woman and woman were legalized. These days, people do not need to hide their sexual orientations, consequently, they do not need places where it can be possible and they can live openly. The gay leaders have different points of view in the influence of the urban gentrification. Some of them consider that it vanishes away the gay identity and gay culture, others consider it to be a great breakthrough in the fight against racism and inequality of human rights. The ge ntrification is a popular term applied to the social and cultural â€Å"shifts† or displacement. It is the result when well-off people settle or acquire property in working class communities. Thus, the price of property, housing and taxes rises that makes â€Å"former inhabitants† leave the community.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Castro Gay Village Gentrification in San Francisco specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, the live of community can cease, or a new community can develop. The urban gentrification may change the character of the community while making it more economically consistent. This process is a part of the new economy of globalization. Apart from economic changes, there are many cultural ones. In general, the process of urban gentrification is a positive one and enhances an economic life of the city, but it is also can be regarded as a negative one, as it affects lives of individuals and communities. Speaking about gay urban gentrification, many scholars claim that it can lead to development of new consumption space and stimulate the increase of the gay identity: â€Å"The production of San Franciscos Castro as a gay neighborhood, for instance, could be read as a fairly straightforward account of gentrification, given the in-migration of higher-income residents, the renovation of housing stock and enhancement of property values, and the development of new cultural and consumer spaces†[9]. Thus, the new urban â€Å"face† can be regarded as more compatible with some peculiarities of the gay and lesbian lifestyles. Indeed, the politics of gay gentrification is more complex. Apparently, not all gay people are engaged in the gentrification process. The result of a â€Å"selective† gentrification is that it is a â€Å"class-rooted† process. Apparently, the gay communities are multicultural, but there are still some racial and c lass prejudices and the communities are still skewing toward white well-off population, â€Å"when it is combined with the social activism that helps construct gay and lesbian identity against social oppression, gentrification begins to seem like a geographic as well as social strategy of identity construction†[10]. So, we can come to a conclusion that a gay community is rather conservative one, though: â€Å"Evidence of the geographic variability of gay and lesbian identities in the United States suggests that urban – and, in different ways, rural – spaces are significant for the formation of sexual identities†[11]. Many scholars assume that in the core of the gay gentrification is the â€Å"the community activism† that is aimed at providing various services and access to housing which will enable the encouragement of the â€Å"constitution of gay and lesbian identities†[12], but at the same time it can clear the class boundaries.Advertisin g Looking for term paper on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, we can come to a conclusion that the process of urban gay gentrification is a coin of two sides. In the one hand, it has a very positive influence on the development of the economics of the country and provides the economic welfare of the communities. Moreover, many scholars assume that gentrification is a considerable â€Å"step forward† in the fight against racism, class prejudices and inequality of human rights. Thus, these days, gay and lesbian people do not need to hide their sexual orientation and, as a consequence, there is no need for the â€Å"gay ghettos†. On the other hand, many gay leaders claim that gay gentrification provides the destruction of the gay identity. At any rate, the gentrification is an important part of the progress. Bibliographies Castells, Manuel. The Power of Identity. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004. Duncan, James S., Nuala Christina Johnson, and Richard H. Schein. A Companion to Cultural Geography. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004. â⠂¬Å"Gentrification† Accessed from glbtq.com/social-sciences/gentrification.htm. â€Å"Gay Neighborhoods Worry about Losing Identity†. Last modified February 3 2007. msnbc.msn.com/id/17583200/ns/us_news-life/ Pacione, Michael. Urban Geography: A Global Perspective. New York: Taylor Francis, 2009. Scholten, Pauline. â€Å"The Next Generation (1995 through Today)†, Castro CBD. Accessed from castrocbd.org/content/history. Smith, Neil. The New Urban Frontier: Gentrification and the Revanchist City. New York: Routledge, 1996. Tonkiss, Frank. Space, The City and Social Theory: Social Relations and Urban forms. Cambridge: Polity, 2005. Footnotes 1. â€Å"Gay Neighborhoods Worry about Losing Identity†, last modified February 3 2007, msnbc.msn.com/id/17583200/ns/us_news-life/ Manuel Castells. The Power of Identity. (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004), 273. Michael Pacione. Urban Geography: A Global Perspective. (New York: Taylor Francis, 2009), 383 â€Å"Gentrificat ion†, Accessed from glbtq.com/social-sciences/gentrification.htm. â€Å"Gentrification†, Accessed from glbtq.com/social-sciences/gentrification.htm. Pauline Scholten, â€Å"The Next Generation (1995 through Today)†, Castro CBD, Accessed from castrocbd.org/content/history. Scholten, n. p. Pacione, 383 Frank Tonkiss. Space, The City and Social Theory: Social Relations and Urban forms. (Cambridge: Polity, 2005), 109. Neil Smith. The New Urban Frontier: Gentrification and the Revanchist City. (New York: Routledge, 1996), 102. James S. Duncan, Nuala Christina Johnson, and Richard H. Schein. A Companion to Cultural Geography. (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2004), 324. Smith, 108.

Why are the words of the blues so important Essay

Why are the words of the blues so important - Essay Example Blues are normally characteristic of songs that convey the deep struggles of the black people in several aspects of life, particularly the ones that occur to reflect the bitter past on account of their historical and racial conflicts during the times of the Civil War and the War on Independence prior. Through world history, it has become widely known that blacks had a significant number of excruciating encounters of slavery, social injustice, sex and labor abuse, as well as other forms of oppression, being treated as an inferior race and all these, apparently, constitute the lyrical blues quite specific to them. On this ground, the words of the blues acquire profound essence as they collectively embody the nature and identity of the blacks in association to their ordeals, sufferings, adventures, and indifference to the superior race through times. As a concrete instance, when Bill Lucas sings â€Å"I’m just a poor boy; people, I can’t even write my name / Every letter in the alphabet to me they look the same †¦ I just been a poor boy; ain’t caught nothing but hell†, he sings to the true beat of black rhythm that speaks of poverty and lack of academic opportunity due to color discrimination, affecting many black communities including his family whose main wage source comes from farming. 2. Why were work songs important to the slaves and later to African Americans who worked in the fields? Look at the lyrics of Rosie. What do these lyrics say about the African American culture of the time? (6 points) Based on J.T. Titon’s findings, â€Å"the song ‘Rosie’ was used to regulate the axe blows when the workers were felling large trees .. Without work songs, the white and Latino inmates chopped two to a tree – With work songs, the black inmates chopped four, six, eight, or ten to a tree.† This scenario illustrates how the prison workers derive inspiration to do heavy work or duty efficiently through wor k songs. In the song ‘Rosie’, the lines â€Å"Be my woman, gal, I’ll be your man †¦ When she walks she reels and rocks behind† indicate the fondness of African American culture on love and romance, especially the manner in which men express intense devotion to the women they love so that romantic themes in work songs enhance the motivating effect of rhythms. Similarly, in the past, black slaves and African Americans of the later age had sung work songs for the positive influence these songs create on their attitude, becoming disposed to higher level of productivity at work and gaining more sense of solidarity and fulfilment as music brought workmates together toward warm companionship in order to drive away anxieties and accomplish larger amount of tasks. 3. What roles does music play in the religious service described in the first part of the chapter in your text? What is the Deacon’s Devotional? What is whooping? How is this type of religious service connected to African rituals we’ve looked at? (8 points) In the religious service music, as music of worship, functions as a powerful element of devotion and a means to grow further in spiritual faith and loyalty to the church as such music guides and moves the people of the church to solemn thoughts and positive energy levels by which to expel the daily troubles of life. Black churches normally possess the most compelling music of worship out of â€Å"modern gospel quartets, powerful massed choirs, and soloists† whose enthusiastic and emotional singing performance may be observed as highly

The challenge of differentiation and integration Assignment

The challenge of differentiation and integration - Assignment Example It is a formidable challenge in most organizations. This paper looks at the challenge of differentiation with specific reference to Google. Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, Google has grown to become a big company with over 12,000 employees. Google operates an intricate network of activities in various locations globally. It has established offices in various locations including in states such as California, Illinois, New York, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Washington, DC, Oregon, Michigan and South Carolina. Google has also established various international offices in locations such as the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia. As such, differentiation and integration becomes an imperative challenge to Google. Differentiation refers to the process by which an organization separates itself into various key components (Lawrence, and Lorsch 3). It is a common phenomenon among large organizations. Consequently, as an organization grows larger and expands its activities further, the more differentiated it becomes. Be that as it may, as an organization becomes more differentiated, the various components become more independent as they are conferred with a great deal of autonomy. Therefore, the business culture of such an organization may significantly differ as you move from one component to another. Differentiation is usually done based on varied premises. For example, an organization may decide to differentiate basing on the tasks or on the product offering. In this regards, an organization may opt to divide into departments that produce a given product and establish finance and marketing department for each of the differentiated product. Google has been differentiated into different departments including Information Technology, Engineering, Support, People Operations, Knowledge, Advertising, Technical Infrastructure, Mobile and Digital

Resource worksheet Essay Example for Free

Resource worksheet Essay Student resources include a variety of helpful sites and tools that can be of assistance when completing assignments, connecting to other students, and searching for careers. Complete this table regarding student resources provided by the university. In the first column, identify where the resource can be found. In the second column, summarize each resource in at least one sentence. When you are finished with the matrix, answer the follow-up question in part B. Part A: Resources Scavenger Hunt Student resource Where found Summary of the resource Syllabus The syllabus is found up on the right hand corner of the 1-9 weeks colum. The syllabus is where I can find out what assignments are do, get instructions on how to do them and when they are due as well. Class Policies Class policies are found on the classroom homepage and in the course overview box. The policies basically break s down all of the classroom rules, from late assignment to participation points and consiqences. University Library This is found at the very top of the page with home,classroom, programs and more. The library is where I can find the center of writing excellence, writepiont, along with others and do any type of school research. University Academic Catalog This is found at the very top of the page under program in the my program section. The Academic catalog is where I can find the most current programs, along with all school policies. University Learning Goals Life Resource Center This is found on the home page under quick links. This basically where I can come for support, where I canget online or telephone counceling, life and career coaching as well as locate resources. Phoenix Career Services Is found at the very top of the page next to â€Å" phoenixconnect†, under Careers. This is where I can search the job market, do some career planning, build a resume and much more. Student Workshops This found on the homepage under quick links and is also located under the Library tab in the useful links box in the student resource guide. Here is where I can go to improve on my basic skills that are important for success at university of phoenix. PhoenixConnect This is found in the very top column on the page next to account, and careers. PhoenixConnect is a social network where I can share things about myself, learn things about others and connect with my peers. Technical Support phone number Technical support is found at the very bottom of the page under, â€Å"Report a problem†, in the the â€Å"Contact us’ category. This is where I can go to get help with any type of problems that im having with my computer, or on the site. They walk you through it step by step. Part B: Follow-Up Question Based on the resources in the table, what are the attendance, posting, and participation requirements for the university? Based on the resources in the tablethe attendance requirement is that you must post atleast one message on two separate days of the week to be in attendance for the week. For participation it varies depending on what program your in, and for me being in the associates program I would need to post two messgaes on 3 separate days of the week for me to get participation credit.

Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays

Great Expectations What techniques does Dickens use to present the characters? Dicken’s uses a variety of techniques in order to present his characters. By doing this it gives us a better and a clearer image of the characters. The first technique I’ll consider is his use of language which he uses very well. This technique is used to present his characters very effectively. Dickens aim is to show how physically and mentally destroyed Ms. Havisham is. He does this by surrounding her with images and language of death. The phrase ‘corpse-like’ tells us this. It shows the audience that Ms. Havisham is half alive yet half dead. That she looks like a corpse. The words ‘corpse-like’ suggests that Ms. Havisham is the living dead. By using this language it will give the reader an image and idea on how Ms. Havisham looks and feels. Dickens also tells us that she has, ‘a dead lull upon her’. This is implying that she no longer has life or energy. She looks like as if she is dying. Almost life less. It suggests that Ms. Havisham is very calm and quiet. Dickens uses these words to illustrate that Ms. Havisham is dying and her mental state is or has been destroyed. ‘Grave clothes’ is also showing the audience that she has an appearance of a person dead. He continues to use this because he is using languages of death and images of death and by using this it will give the reader an even better impression of Ms. Havisham. Dickens knows that nobody wears grave clothes apart from people who are dead and buried. It is as if she has buried herself alive in the house because her heart has been ‘broken’. Dickens also uses languages of loss. The words ‘once white, now yellow’ is implying she had a prime, and now she is past it. It also suggests that Ms. Havishams belongings were ‘once white, now yellow’ as well. Dickens wants to show the readers that his protagonist has nothing left, therefore he links Ms. Havisham to the idea of loss, ‘she has lost its lustre’, she has even lost her human structure, and ‘chest had dropped’. Her fiancà © has left her and she cannot carry on with her life. Dickens is emphasizing that his character has lost everything. She was attractive, bright but now has lost her life shine, radiance and therefore is now dull and old. The readers see that Ms. Havisham is a lost soul and cannot carry on with her life. ‘Nothing would ever lift it up again’ helps support this. It is saying that whatever is done she would never recover and she will never be

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 16

â€Å"You have got to be kidding,† Poppy said. Phil just gaped. â€Å"No. I'm perfectly serious. You're witches of thesecond kind. Remember what I told you?† â€Å"There are the kind of witches that know theirheritage and get trained-and the kind that don't.Who just have powers. And humans call that kind-â€Å" â€Å"Psychics!† James chorused with her. â€Å"Telepaths.Clairvoyants,† he went on alone. There was something in his voice between laughing and crying.†Poppy, that's what youare. That's why you picked up on telepathy so quickly. That's why you had clair voyant dreams.† â€Å"And that's why Phil heard me,† Poppy said. â€Å"Oh, no,† Phil said. â€Å"Not me. Come on.† â€Å"Phil, you're twins,† James said. â€Å"You have the same ancestors. Pace it, you're a witch. That's why I couldn't control your mind.†Ã¢â‚¬ Oh, no,†Phil said. â€Å"No.†He flopped back in his seat. â€Å"No,†he said again, but more weakly. â€Å"But whose side do we get it from?† Poppy wondered. â€Å"Dad's. Of course.† The voice from the backseatwas very faint. â€Å"Well, that would seemlogical, but-â€Å" â€Å"It's the truth. Don't you remember how Dad wasalways talking about seeing weird things? Havingdreams about things before they happened? And,Poppy, he heard you yell in yourdream. When you were calling for James. James heard it, and I heardit, and Dad heard it, too.† â€Å"Then that settles it. Oh, and it explains otherthings about all of us-all those times we've had feelingsabout things-hunches, whatever. Even youhave hunches, Phil.† â€Å"I had one that James was creepy, and I wasright.† â€Å"Phill—â€Å" â€Å"And maybe a few others,† Phil said fatalistically.†I knew it was James driving up this afternoon. Ithought I just had a fine ear for car engines.† Poppy was shivering with delight and astonishment, but she couldn't quite understand James.James was absolutely beaming. Filled with unbelieving elation that she could feel like streamers andfireworks in the air. â€Å"What, James?† â€Å"Poppy, don't you see?† James actually pounded the steering wheel in joy. â€Å"It means that even before you became a vampire, youwere a Night Person.Asecret witch. You have every right to know about the Night World. You belong there.† The world turned upside down and Poppy couldn't breathe. At last she whispered. â€Å"Oh . . .† â€Å"And webelong together. Nobody can separate us.We don't have to hide.† â€Å"Oh†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Poppy whispered again. Then she said,†James, pull the car over. I want to kiss you.† When they were in motion once more, Phil said, â€Å"But where are you two going to go now? Poppycan't come home.† â€Å"I know,† Poppy said softly. She had accepted that.There was no going back for her; the old life wasover. Nothing to do but build a new one. â€Å"And you can't just wander around from place toplace,† Phil said, doggedly persistent. â€Å"We won't,† Poppy said calmly. â€Å"We'll go to Dad.† It was perfect. Poppy could feel James think, Ofcourse. They would go to her father, the always-late, always-impractical, always-affectionate parent. Herfather the witch who didn't know he was a witch.Who probably thought he was crazy when his powersacted up. He'd give them a place to stay, and that was all they needed, really. That and each other. The whole Night World would be open to them, whenever theywanted to explore it. Maybe they could come back and visit Thea sometime. Maybe they could dance atone of Thierry's parties. â€Å"If we can findDad, that is,† Poppy said, struck by sudden alarm. â€Å"You can,† Phil said. â€Å"He flew out last night, buthe left an address. For the first time.† â€Å"Maybe somehow he knew,† James said. They rode for a while, and then Phil cleared his throat and said, â€Å"You know, I just had a thought. I don't want any part of the Night World, you understand-I don't carewhat my heritage is. I just wantto live like a human-and I want everybody to bedear on that†¦.† â€Å"We're dear, Phil,† James interrupted. â€Å"Believeme. Nobody in the Night World is going to force youin. You can live like a human all you want as long as you avoid Night People and keep your mouth shut.† â€Å"Okay. Good. But here's my thought. I still don'tapprove of vampires, but it occurs to me that maybethey're not as completely bad as they seem. I mean,vampires don't treat their food any worse than humans do. When you think of what we do to cows †¦at least they don't breed humans in pens.† â€Å"I wouldn't bet on it,† James said, suddenly grim.†I've heard rumors about the olddays†¦.† â€Å"You always have to argue, don't you? But my other thought was that you're part of Nature, and Nature just is what it is. It's not always pretty, but †¦ well, it's Nature, and there it is.† He wound upglumly, â€Å"Maybe that doesn't make any sense.† â€Å"It makes sense to me,† James said, entirely serious. â€Å"And-thanks.† He paused to look back at Philinacknowledgment. Poppy felt a sting behind hereyes. If he admits we're part of Nature, she thought,then he doesn't believe we're unnatural anymore. It meant a lot. She said, â€Å"Well, you know, I'vebeen thinking, too.And it occurs to me that maybe there are otherchoices for feeding besides just jumping on humans when they don't expect it. Like ‘ animals. I mean, isthere any reason their blood won't work?† â€Å"It's not the same as human blood,† James said.†But it's a possibility. I've fed on animals. Deer aregood. Rabbits are okay. Possums stink.† â€Å"And then there must be somepeople who'd bewilling donors. Thea was a donor for me. We could ask other witches.† â€Å"Maybe,† James said. He grinned suddenly. â€Å"Iknew a witch back home who was verywilling. Nameof Gisele. But you couldn't ask them to do it everyday, you know. You'd have to give them time to recover.† â€Å"I know, but maybe we could alternate. Animals one day and witches the next. Hey, maybe even werewolves on weekends!† â€Å"I'd rather bite a possum,† James said. Poppy socked him in the arm. â€Å"The point is, maybewe don't have to be horrible bloodsucking monsters.Maybe we can be decentbloodsucking monsters.† â€Å"Maybe,† James said quietly, almost wistfully. â€Å"Hear, hear,† Phil said very seriously from theback. â€Å"And we can do it together,† Poppy said to James. He took his eyes off the road to smile at her. Andthere was nothing wistful about his gaze. Nothingcool or mysterious or secretive, either. â€Å"Together,† he said out loud. And mentally headded, Ican't wait. With that telepathy of yoursyourealize what we can do, don't you? Poppy stared, then felt an effervescent rush that almost shot her out of the car. Oh, James-do youthink? I'm certain. The only thing that makes exchanging blood so special is that it enhances telepathy. But you don't needany enhancementyou little dreamer. Poppy sat back to try and still her heart. They would be able to join their minds again. Anytime they wanted. She could imagine it, being sweptinto James's mind, feeling him surrender histhoughts to hers. Merging like two drops of water. Together in a waythat humans could never know. I can't wait, either,she told him. Ithink I'm going tolike being a witch. Phil cleared his throat. â€Å"If you guys want someprivacy.. .† â€Å"We can't have any,† James said. â€Å"Not with youaround. Obviously.† â€Å"I can't help it,† Phil said through his teeth.†You're the ones who're yelling.† â€Å"We're not yelling. You're snooping.† â€Å"Both of you give it a rest,† Poppy said. But she felt warm and glowing all over. She couldn't resistadding to Phil, â€Å"So, if you're willing to give us someprivacy, that means you trust James alone withyour sister†¦.† â€Å"I didn't saythat.† â€Å"You didn't have to,† Poppy said. She was happy. It was very late the next day. Almost midnight, infact. The witching hour. Poppy was standing in a place she'd thought she'd never see again, her mother's bedroom. James was waiting outside with a carload of stuff,including one large suitcase of Poppy's CDs, smuggledfor them by Phil. In a few minutes James and Poppywould be heading for the East Coast and Poppy'sfather. But first, there was something Poppy had to do. She glided quietly toward the king-size bed, making no more noise than a shadow, not disturbing either of the sleepers. She stopped by her mother'sstill form. She stood looking down, and then she spoke withher mind. I know you think this is a dream, Mom. I know youdon't believe in spirits. But I had to tell you that I'm allright. I'm all right, and I'm happy, and even if you don'tunderstand, please try to believe. Just this once, be!ieve in what you can't see. She paused, then added, Ilove you, Mom. I alwayswill. When she left the room, her mother was stillasleep—andsmiling. Outside, Phil was standing by the Integra. Poppyhugged him and he hugged back, hard. â€Å"Goodbye,† she whispered. She got into the car.James stuck his hand out the window toward Phil. Phil took it without hesitation. â€Å"Thank you,† James said. â€Å"For everything.† â€Å"No, thank you.†Phil said. His smile and his voicewere both shaky. â€Å"Take care of her. . . and of yourself.† He stepped back, blinking. Poppy blew him a kiss. Then she and James droveoff together into the night.