Canadian cities Essay Example for Free

Canadian cities Essay This piece of essay will answer whether there are ghettos in Canadian cities and which are these cities and why them not the others. What are the main causes of ghettos and what the authorities are doing about this issue? Ghettos in Canadian Cities. There has been an increase of minority groups in most of the Canadian cities. The minority groups are linked to poverty or to be exact low income and neighbourhood distress. It has been realized that the emerging ghettos in Canadian cities are in line with what is witnessed in the United States which is brought about by racial segregation especially directed to the black people. The other cause of growing ghettos in Canadian cities is the immigration and the cost living. Many people cannot afford to live in expensive apartments or rather they choose to live in low income houses. There is a remarkable growth of the minority population which depends on where the people or the immigrants come from, their countries of origin. In this minority group there is a high birth rate hence this increases the number of people or the population of poor and jobless people in many towns. However, in the United States the definition of a ghetto is, a residential part in the town or district that is concentrated by a certain ethic group and many or the majority of the members live in poor conditions and rarely get all the basic needs. Many of these ghettos are establishing near rich estates because the low income earning people depend on the rich people from rich neighborhoods. Many of these people who have been subjugated to the ghettos are the blacks and the Hispanics. A research study is going on and the commonly used terminology is to refer to this people who stay in the ghetto. Names like, immigrants, ethnic communities and they are also referred to as racialized groups. As the ghettos or the minority increase in number the more it violates the traditional ecological models that used to see immigrants and ethnic groups integrating geographically and assimilating through culture. There is confusion in many Canadian cities because of the definition as some say enclaves as others insist that these are ghettos. But an intriguing issue is, there is a difference between an enclave and a ghetto. In a ghetto people can be from so many ethnic backgrounds that are poor and there living standards very low and an enclave is the same but people are from the same ethnical background. There is ambiguity when the relationship between ethnic and segregation and concentrated poverty need definitions in connection with ghettos. The face of Canadian cities has been totally changing since the change in the immigration policy in the 1960s. The majority of the Canadian population was born in Asia, Africa and West Indies and many the countries from these regions are poor. The growing poverty level in Canada is pushing many people to high poverty neighbourhoods. Canadian cities like Vancouver and Toronto are the ones experiencing the life of ghettos and coincidentally these are the cities with a large number of immigrants from Asia and Africa respectively. The proximity of Vancouver to the Asian neighbours put it in this situation.

Toyota Prius vs Honda Insight :: Cars Automobiles Environmental Essays

Toyota Prius vs Honda Insight This paper aims at examining on Toyota and Honda’s current environmental control systems for next century’s energy vehicles, comparing released the echo automobile, Prius, Toyota and Insight, Honda. Specification Prius was released in December 1997 in Japan in order to reduce emissions in urban areas, which startled the world. The Japan-market Prius, which has sold 35,000 units, was optimized for "stop-and-go" driving, so it needed some tuning to meet the requirements of the U.S. market. In the U.S., motorists typically drive faster for longer distances, and vehicles have stricter emissions requirements. The Prius, a four-door sedan that seats five, is designed to minimize tailpipe emissions and get excellent mileage for a car its size. It meets California's very stringent SULEV standard (super ultra-low emission vehicle), which allows only 10 percent of the smog-forming exhaust gases as the ULEV standard. To reduce emissions, the Prius operates without running the gasoline engine at speeds below 13-25 mph. The car decides which driving mode to operate in based on how it is being driven, the charge level in the batteries and driving conditions. It never needs to be plugged in to recharge; the onboard generator automatically charges the batteries when necessary. The retail price is about $23000, which is reasonable price in market now. Honda Insight, two-door seats is a simplified parallel hybrid which is superior in fuel efficiency and is known for being a â€Å"hybrid gasoline-electric propelled car. Fuel efficiency of Insight precedes 7km per 1l of the Prius. Honda jumped to the top of fuel efficiency competition. The Insight also meets California's Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) standards, which measures other emissions. The fuel efficiency is important in reducing consumption of non-renewable resources and green gas emissions, developing future automotive technologies because of limited range problems, battery electric or fuel cell electric cars will need to be very efficient to be successful in the marketplace Honda improved fuel expensive of the gasoline engine itself and developed the motor/generator which becomes auxiliary power, furthermore adopted aerodynamic, light and the aluminum alloy body make inherently low energy vehicles.

The New Digital Era called “MP3 Technology”

Downloading of music has been a long time subject of piracy. In the 1920’s, radio stations played records that are not tracked. It is a not-so obvious manner of piracy but did impact writers who were losing money due to public performance of their works without proper accountability. No one was making money through this procedure but only radio stations via their sponsors. (Wicknick, par. 1) With this, the performance rights societies including ASCAP and BMI worked with the Congress and the FCC to change legislation to ensure that radio stations will track airplay and pay blanket licenses that were given to writers based on airplay. (Wicknick, par. 1) It is impossible to copy a record before the invention of blank tape. Its either you bought it or borrow a copy and played it until the needle lost its tip. (Wicknick, par. 3) In the mid 1960’s, even after the invention of blank tapes, copying a record is sill a clunky process. (Wicknick, par. 3) In the advent of cassette tape, people learned to do dubbing. But marketing of these tapes are low because it is still evident that it is dub due to sonic integrity has been compromised. ASCAP and BMI, together with the FCC, they began to collect blanket license fees on the sale of blank media and give them to writers and publisher members. (Wicknick, par. 4) In 1982, in the faà §ade of CD in Europe, Japan and in the United States by 1983, it was read-only. Burning to a CD is impossible before. But advancement in technology made it possible. In the year of 2003, you can burn CD from mp3 and sources like iTunes. However, MP3 and iTunes do charge for licensing, worked out deals and propose duplication allowances. (Wicknick, par. 5) The onslaught of the digital wave in 1999 started with the newly created MP3 file sharing software called Napster, stated Catherine Edwards, in her article â€Å"The Napster Challenger.†Ã‚   Lee Bockhorn, in his article â€Å"MP3 and Me: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Online Music File Sharing (sort of)† stated that on one side of the wave is the estimated 60 million MP3 Internet users that enjoy the advantages of ala carte collection choice, downloading these selections for free and testing music before purchasing. On the other side are the artists and recording companies making strong claims for illegal sharing of copyrighted material states John Healey and Jeff Leeds in their article â€Å"Tone Deaf to the Moral Dilemma?†Ã‚   The new MP3 file sharing technology has brought to us into a new digital age madness designed for music lovers.   Claiming violation of copyright laws, the greedy recording companies and music artists do not wish to give up the present business structure and refuse to embrace the exploding expansion of digital technology that will allow ‘ala carte purchases’. The start of this digital age software began with a 19-year-old freshman at Northeastern University in Boston in 1999.   His name is Shawn Fanning.   He revolutionized the music industry, developing a software program called Napster.   Napster allows music fans to share and download music files via the Internet for free.   Shawn received $15 million to start the corporation and is now a famous CEO (Edwards 160). Then, one and a half years later, in 2001, 2 famous bands, Metallica and Dr. Dre, sued Napster. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sued as well, claiming Napster violated record label copyrights.   This case is still on appeal.   Since this time, Napster has joined with BMG Entertainment (a $50 million dollar deal) offering a new fee-based system (Edwards) The RIAA has been taking drastic measures to limit piracy. Consumers of music sees file-sharing or downloading as the wave of the future and legal in their own right. The lawsuits include a twelve year old for downloading contents online and an 80 year-old grandfather who were sued for his computer activity wherein he claimed that he don’t even know how to turn a computer on. Many of the grandparents bought computer for their grandchild as a treat whenever they come to visit their place. But a twelve year old may be well aware on the usage of the computer technology as well as a graduate student but doesn’t know or understand the violations of what they have done. (Wicknick, par. 2) The next approach for RIAA is to target college students and parents with further lawsuits alleging copyright violations.   â€Å"One goal is to persuade parents to crack down on their children’s file sharing before an entire generation comes to expect music to be free† (Healey and Leeds 175).   This may prove to be a futile effort with the millions of Internet users copying music for free on the new sites that have popped up, such as Kazaa or Limewire.   Also, many parents condone students’ downloading even though it’s unethical.   RIAA lawsuits will attempt to target the Internet account that is used to share the file (Healey and Leeds 177).   These lawsuits may change the attitudes of 12-22 year-olds, that when surveyed said that 70% of them would stop if at risk of a fine or jail (Healey and Leeds 178). According to the Pew Internet Project’s national survey of adult Internet users conducted last January-February 2005 resulted that about 7 million adults downloaded files from someone’s iPod or MP3 player. (Madden and Lee par. 2) Approximately, 10 million people get their music and video files through email and instant messages. But there are people who use both the same sources. Other alternative sources of downloading include music and movie websites, blogs and online reviews. There is also a legislation being pushed in Congress by the record companies.   If approved, it would use software to flood peer-to-peer sharing with dummy files, search public folders for illegally copies music and block users from downloading.   Even though it’s difficult to empathize with rich artists and greedy record companies, it is still, according to law, an illegal practice to share and download copyrighted music online.   Millions of people through MP3 technology are sharing files, making the concept of ‘fair use’ ridiculous (Bockhorn 163). Further in his article, Bockhorn writes of his personal exposure to the Napster era.   At the start of the Napster take-off he felt that it just wasn’t right to not pay an artist for his/her music.   He explains that his first temptation came after attending a Norah Jones concert.   He later downloaded her performance of the ‘Tennessee Waltz’ thru I-Tunes. His justification was that he had paid to see the concert and had bought previous albums (Bockhorn 162).   In a forum done by eight graders, some students thought that the music industries have huge incomes and it would not hurt if they will get a song or two from an album through the internet. A student said that the artist will still have an income because they are still buying T-shirts and watch their concerts. (Hafner, par. 13) Curiosities about MP3 file sharing, lead to Bockhorn’s downloading of Limewire, a successor to Napster.   He agrees that it is unquestionably, great technology, without paying a fee.   Drawbacks to MP3 are availability of music, modem connection speed, and the guilt of acquiring music without paying.   â€Å"If I want to download My Cherie Amour, Stevie Wonder should get a cut of whatever price a true market . . . determines the song is worth . . .† (Bockhorn 162). Currently, Bockhorn’s primary concern is that MP3 technology has definitely warped the minds of users copying illegal files to build their music collection.   But, why does the music lover continue to partake?   Number one because of choice and number two because it’s free (Bockhorn 163).   Most people will agree that it’s illegal but will continue to do it.   â€Å"Like countless millions, Miriam Philips felt no guilt in downloading music from a shared campus folder† (Healey and Leeds 175).   Philips offers no sympathy for the artist and the record company, â€Å"They’re rich, they can deal with it†, (Philips via Healey and Leeds 175). According to a 13-year old girl, if you wanted a song or two in a certain album, it is not a big deal.(Hafner, par. 3) However, when someone consistently downloaded an artist whole CD, it might be the right time to call them thieves. Almost all of the houses here in the US have Internet-connected computers in their homes. A student even asked that if downloading of music is really illegal, why do PCs were sold with CD burners? (Hafner, par. 18) Downloading of music through CD burning is very convenient especially to students who were mostly doing it.   Just a few clicks away, they will be able to have the songs they wanted. (Hafner, par. 9) Though some of these people knew that they are violating the law, but they can’t afford to give up convenience and less expensive or the free copies of the recordings of their own choice. On the other hand, there are some advantages to the downloading frenzy.   This technology has prompted some users to purchase CD's based on a new interest in a particular type of music.   It is able to give a taste of a certain type of music or unknown band before purchasing an entire CD.   Users will find that if they’re downloading more than 2-3 songs they will probably go out and buy the entire album. Internet users will also argue that it is difficult at times to locate a particular piece of music that they’re looking for.   Also, this activity is for personal use, not resale (Healey and Leeds 176).   There is also no evidence that MP3 file sharing has dramatically hurt CD sales.   In 2001, sales dropped 10% and in 2002 sales dropped 7% (Bockhorn 163). There are news and write ups on lawsuits for music-downloading like the Napsters and Metallica lawsuits but possible loss of revenue for recording industry were not perceived. Music-downloading is hurting the businesses of music retailers. While downloaders are getting music for free through downloading it from internet or MP3s, it is a loss of income for massive music retail outlets. (Bestul, par. 5) People resigned from buying or purchasing music and switch over to downloading it from the computer instead. What they haven’t thought about is the income that music retailers or outlets will lose every time they download the music for free from computer or MP3 instead of buying a CD from retail outlets. In attempting to defend this illegal behavior, consumers will argue that corrupt record companies refuse to embrace technology that will allow ‘ala carte’ purchases.   Consumers wish to purchase the one or two songs from an album that are worthy of purchase.   This choice could lead to the extinction of great albums such as the Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers album (Bockhorn 163).   Bockhorn believes that people want to do the right thing, and hopes that record companies will provide us options for subscription or ala carte, but thus far they have been very reluctant.   If record companies would join the new technology, all of us could rest easier know that the artist got his/her share (Bockhorn 164). It is believe to be impossible to stop the downloading of music because it is the fad as of this era. Aside from the fact that many people are music lovers, the technology that we have today is unstoppable. Advancement in technology might be the reason why people can come up in this kind of technique in getting what they want for free or at a lesser cost with much ease. Maybe in the future, we might have other ways or means of downloading music or files in a more convenient way based on how technology progress on every generation. Future growth of MP3 digital technology is yet to be determined, with many changes to come.   Millions of Internet users each day have access to use of this technology, either through free or paid Internet sites.   Consumers do have a choice, the questions remains to be, how many will lean toward their obligation of legal choice.   Future enforcement of the free technology won’t be effective unless the music industry offers a legal alternative to file sharing. References Bestul, Michael J. (11 December 2003). â€Å"Lost in the controversy.† Blogcritics.com Retrieved last October 19, 2006. Websites: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/12/11/082220.php Bockhorn, Lee.   â€Å"MP3 and Me: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Online Music File-Sharing (sort of).† The Weekly Standard 16 October 2002 Edwards, Catherine. â€Å"The Napster Challenge.† Insight on the News January 2001 Hafner, Katie (19 September 2003). â€Å"Is it wrong to share your music? (Discuss).† The New York Times Retrieved last October 19, 2006. Website: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20030919friday.html Healey, John, and Jeff Leeds. â€Å"Tone Deaf to the Moral Dilemma?† The Los Angeles Times 2 September 2003 Madden, Mary and Rainie, Lee (25 March 2005). â€Å"Music and Video Downloading Moves Beyond P2P.† Pew Internet and American Life Project Retrieved last October 19, 2006. W Website: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/153/report_display.asp Wicknick, Darcie-Nicole. â€Å"The RIAA Muic Downloading Controversy: Both Sides of the Record.† MusicBizAdvice.com Retrieved last October 19, 2006. Websites: http://www.musicbizadvice.com/a_little_history_on_music_piracy%20.htm http://www.musicbizadvice.com/the_music_downloaders_point_of_view.htm http://www.musicbizadvice.com/RIAA_Music_Downloading_Controversy.htm ; ; ; ;

The adoption rights for same sex marriages - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1299 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/07/10 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Gay Adoption Essay Same Sex Marriage Essay Did you like this example? Before the 1850s, adoption was an informal process where all the parties knew each other. The first adoption law passed in Texas was in 1850 and it required the adoption process to be filed with the county clerk. Adoptions were originally designed to help infertile, middle-class, and largely white couples but over time adoption process were forced to change to adapt to social needs. These changes have been occurring due to a shortage in adoption. Same sex families aspire to have a family of their own just like heterosexual couples whether it be through adoption, foster care, artificial insemination, or other resources. And because of the shortage in adoption, states and the nation have started to recognize these marriages and made adoption one of the top choices to helping them form a family. It has become important that both parents become recognized. The second parent has been gaining recognition mostly because if something happens to the first parent the states do no want for the child to go back to a foster home. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The adoption rights for same sex marriages" essay for you Create order Many myths surround same sex marriages. The most common one is that many believe is that children who grow up with same sex couples will not grow up to be as successful as children in heterosexual marriages. Children are going back and forth in foster homes which has been causing more mental health issues. The children living in this situation are at greater risk of emotional problems, delinquency, substance abuse, and academic problems. Some people also believe that just because a child grows up with same sex parents they will also grow up to be gay or lesbian. Texas is a conservative state. Our ideal image of a family is one consisting of a mother and father with biological children. Texans as a state chooses to live by the norms of society leading to the discrimination towards same sex couples. Members of the LGBT community are cataloged as immoral based on the religious beliefs of society and they have also been said to have a mental illness because of their sexual preferences. Same sex marriage acceptance has been a controversial topic for the last few years that has slowly been gaining acceptance. Same sex couples have been fighting to have the same recognition and rights as a heterosexual marriage. These couples have held protests, conventions, and have filed a considerable number of lawsuits towards various government institutions and others to have what they consider their rights also recognized. In the case of James Obergefell v. Richard Hodges in Ohio, the plaintiff Obergefell along with other same sex couples from the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee sued their respective state agencies to challenge what they believed were their constitutional rights. This case led to the historic event that occurred on June 26, 2015 when the Supreme Court declared same sex marriage legal in all fifty states on the same terms and conditions of the opposite sex couples. This meant that the Supreme Court agreed with the Constitution stating, that the right to marry is fundamental under the 14th Amendment, and that it is guaranteed by the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause. The 14th Amendment was originally meant to grant citizenship and equal civil rights to slaves. Before 1996, the 14th Amendment did not fully protect or give rights to the LGBT community. After the strike down on a Colorado state constitutional amendment, the Supreme court started using the term fundamental rights. The government wanted to keep the LGBT rights to minimum protection. The ban of same sex marriage was lifted by this verdict, but the Texas Attorney Generals office argued that marriage is a right that comes with benefits the state is entitled to control. Texas is the sixth state to pass a law limiting the adoption rights for same sex marriages. Texas birth certificates only allow a mother and a fathers name to be listed. If the non biological same sex parent wants to be recognized as a legal parent, they would have to go through the adoption process but just because they are couple it does not mean that the adoption will be approved. The Freedom to Serve Children Act was signed on June 15, 2017 by governor Greg Abbott. The Freedom to Serve Children Act states that state funded, and religious based foster agencies can turn down an adoption application for these couples because of the agencies beliefs without being punished. It also prevents the state from denying the agencies an application or contract, denying them a license, or terminating a child welfare provider because their beliefs. If these agencies practice these moves, they could lead themselves to shut down the agencies. Many people do not believe that this act does not discriminate because these religious based agencies are obligated to refer same sex marriages to other agencies that could help them. Many same sex couples think that they will have a tough time adopting after being turned down, but there are other agencies that are willing to help them and place a child in a loving home. According to the Lifelong Adoptions website, more birthparents are choosing to place their children with same sex couples making the process easier for them. Like any other couple looking to adopt, they do have to go thru the process such as having an adoption home study done, attend a pre-adoption classes, and they do not believe that just because a child grows up in a same sex marriage home that they will turn out to be gay themselves. Adoption agencies and social workers acknowledge that same sex adoption is rising overall throughout the United States, but some still show concern as to how will the child react as they are growing up. Some of the concerns included are how will the couple explain to their child that they have 2 mothers or 2 fathers, will the child feel embarrassed, or will they go through bullying and being teased by their peers. I believe in the love is love idea, and that every child should be given the opportunity to have a home and a family even if is with two parents of the same gender who prove themselves capable to raise a family. I would prefer to see a child being raised and loved by them rather than their blood relatives keeping them and making them feel unwanted or keeping them and maybe not having the means to support them. And I would not want a child going thru several foster homes or being in an adoption agency throughout their childhood creating an unstable environment for them which could lead them to not knowing who they really want to be in life. Adoption processes should be redesigned to help the process for same sex couples be easier and so that may not face anymore discrimination. If they prove to be capable and apt to care for a child, then they should be allowed to. Nearly everyday we see cases of biological heterosexual parents abusing of their children in diverse ways. I personally have not seen any reporting of a same sex parent doing atrocities to children. We are not hurting the same sex couples with giving them a hard time, the ones being hurt are the children who have to suffer going from home to home while in foster care. Hispanics overall still do not accept gay marriage mostly because of religious views. About 50% more less, are Catholics, and they believe that a family should be created and raised by a man and a woman. However, the Catholic Church has started to accept the LGBTQ community. With time, Hispanics are expected to be except marriages, because the older generations will die out. The young will view it as normal because they are growing up with this modern day society.

Cover Art Research - 1844 Words

Compared to traditional art forms that have been around for millennia, other forms of art have produced millions of objects, and images by almost as many artists. Graphics arts, a relative new comer to the world of art is still in its infancy. With a history stretching back only 25 years, this paper begin with a brief history of this art form. In the First paragraph the paper expands on the history and highlights the advancements this style of art has seen over the last two decades. Cover art has made prominent contributions within three main styles transitioning among them over the years. Hand drawn images, film photography art, and digital art. The very first video game was founded in the late 1940’s games used interactive electronic devices with various display formats. â€Å"The earliest example is from 1947—a Cathode ray tube Amusement Device was filed for a patent on 25 January 1947, by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann, and issued on 14 December 1948, as U.S. Patent, inspired by radar display tech, it consisted of an analog device that allowed a user to control a vector-drawn dot on the screen to simulate a missile being fired at targets, which were drawings fixed to the screen †.Video games had no representational images or art they were moving blocks and simulations during the 1950s and 1960s. This all changed during the arcade era in the 1970s, with the creation of arcade games and the rise of the early Nintendo. Games such as Mario, Atari, Duck hunt, MikeShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of album art of the 20th Century Essay1618 Words   |  7 Pagesalbum art is an essential part of any music CD, an eye catcher that can make a consumer purchase a piece of music that they might not even like. Nowadays the graphics still exist, so do music shops, CD’s and CD covers but due to development of technology with each year more and more people buy music online. 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Ever since I had any self-awareness I’ve wanted to do art or painting.† (Brody, 1988, p.5) In 1975 Brody went to the Hornsey College of Art where he began to study for the Fine Art foundation course, however, he decided he wanted to pursue Graphic Design so in 1976 Brody transferred to the LondonRead MoreAnalysis Of Retouch Yourself : The Pleasures And Politics Of Digital Cosmetic Surgery1429 Words   |  6 PagesIn chapter nine of Digital snaps: the new face of photography, titled Retouch Yourself: The pleasures and politics of digital cosmetic surgery, written by Tanya Sheehan, who is an associate professor and chair of the department of art at Colby College. She discusses the effect of the Photoshop look on society, and how with technology progressing it has become easier to create and have the perfect body look you have always wanted. 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General Conception Of Prejudice And Prejudice - 919 Words

The presence of stereotypes and prejudices existed from a long time ago along with the human history – partially often deeply integrated with religion or social status. In 21st century, people are facing with many different stereotypes and prejudices either directly or indirectly. Stereotype is a generalized belief or assumption towards some specific groups or people by the defined attributes or characteristics. Stereotyping can foster prejudice and shape people’s point of views and behaviors of ourselves and others. People measure the implicit and explicit prejudices such as linguistic bias or the income inequality. Some theories with respect to researching this long-lasting phenomenon have been raised their awareness of the difference between the traditional prejudice and the contemporary prejudice. To put it differently, the transition of empirical theories of prejudice has been evolved from the blatant and overt form to the subtle and symbolic form. One of the bigge st traits of the modern prejudice is hard to catch or notice so that even the prejudice holders are not aware of what they are performing. In this essay, I am going to address the general conception of prejudice using social categorization theory and dive in more details about specific types of prejudice as the essay goes further. In general, people interact or communicate with each other in many ways. They use a mixture of verbal and nonverbal methods to deliver their messages accurately and effectively.Show MoreRelatedPrejudice : A Sociological Perspective Of A Person857 Words   |  4 PagesThe general populace is guilty of articulating prejudicial remarks to one another. While there are people who are fully aware of the derogatory remarks they make, others act with ignorance or with the intention of humor. The existence of insensitivity towards a crucial subject is the continuous acceptance of discriminatory behavior against minorities. 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Succubus Blues CHAPTER 6 Free Essays

I woke up the next day, determined to go see Erik and get the truth about vampire hunters. Then, as I was brushing my teeth, I remembered yesterday’s other crisis. Seth Mortensen. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Blues CHAPTER 6 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Swearing, I finished up in the bathroom, earning a disapproving look from Aubrey for my profanity. There was no telling how long this tour thing with him might take. I might have to wait until tomorrow to see Erik, and by then, this vampire hunter or whatever could have struck again. I set out for Emerald City, wearing the most nonattractive outfit I could muster: jeans and a turtleneck, with my hair pulled severely back. Paige, all smiles, approached me as I waited for Seth in the cafe. â€Å"You should show him Foster’s and Puget Sound Books while you’re out,† she told me conspiratorially. Still waking up, I took a sip of the mocha Bruce had just made me and tried to reason out her logic. Foster’s and Puget Sound Books were competitors of ours, though not major ones. â€Å"Those places are dives.† â€Å"Exactly.† She grinned at me with her even white teeth. â€Å"Show him those, and he’ll be convinced we’re the best place for him to do his writing at.† I studied her, feeling seriously out of the loop. Or maybe I was just distracted still about the Duane thing. It wasn’t every day one had his immortality revoked. â€Å"Why†¦ would he do his writing here?† â€Å"Because he likes to take his laptop and write in coffee shops.† â€Å"Yeah, but he lives in Chicago.† Paige shook her head. â€Å"Not anymore. Where were you last night? He’s moving here to be closer to his family.† I recalled Seth mentioning his brother, but I had been too caught up in my own mortification to pay much attention. â€Å"When?† â€Å"Now, as far as I know. That’s why this was his last stop on the tour. He’s staying with his brother but plans on finding his own place soon.† She leaned close to me, eyes gleaming predatorily. â€Å"Georgina, if we have a famous author hanging out here regularly, it’ll be good for our image.† Honestly, my immediate concern wasn’t where Seth would be writing. What freaked me out was that he would not be departing for a different time zone anytime soon, a time zone where he could then forget about me and let us both get on with our lives. I could run into him every day now. Literally, if Paige’s wish was realized. â€Å"Won’t that be distracting to his writing if his presence is widely known? Annoying fans and whatnot?† â€Å"We won’t let it become a problem. We’ll make the most of this and respect his privacy. Careful now, here he comes.† I drank more of my mocha, still marveling at the way Paige’s mind worked. She could think of promotional ideas that never would have entered my head. Warren might have been the one to invest capital in this place, but it had been her marketing genius that made it a success. â€Å"Good morning,† Seth told us, walking up to the table. He wore jeans, a Def Leppard T-shirt, and a brown corduroy jacket. The lay of his hair did not convince me he’d brushed it this morning. Paige looked at me pointedly, and I sighed. â€Å"Let’s go.† Seth silently followed me outside, that awkward tension building between us like a solid barrier. He did not look at me; I did not look at him. It was only when we stood outside on Queen Anne Avenue and I realized I had no plan for today that conversation had to occur. â€Å"Where to start? Seattle, unlike Gaul, is not divided into just three parts.† I made the joke more to myself, but Seth suddenly laughed. â€Å"Seattle peninsula est,† he observed, playing off my observation. â€Å"Not exactly. Besides, that’s Bede, not Caesar.† â€Å"I know. But I don’t know very much Latin.† He gave me that quirky, bemused smile that seemed to be his trademark expression. â€Å"Do you?† â€Å"Enough.† I wondered how he would react if I mentioned my fluency in Latin dialects from various stages of the Roman Empire. My vague answer must have been interpreted as lack of interest because he looked away, and more silence fell. â€Å"Is there anything special you wanted to see?† â€Å"Not really.† Not really. Okay. Well. The sooner we got this started, the sooner it would end and I could see Erik. â€Å"Follow me.† As we drove off, I sort of hoped we might naturally flow into meaningful conversation, in spite of our bad start yesterday. Yet, as we traveled, it seemed clear Seth had no intention of carrying on any discourse. I recalled his nervousness in front of the crowd yesterday and even with some of the bookstore staff. This guy had serious social phobias, I realized, though he had made a valiant effort in shedding them during our initial flirtations. Then, I had gone and turned on the back-off vibes, undoubtedly scarring him for life and undoing whatever progress he had made. Way to go, Georgina. Maybe if I could broach some compelling topics, he would muster his earlier confidence and bring back our rapport – in a platonic way, of course. I attempted to recall my profound questions from last night. And once again, they eluded me, so I switched to mundane ones. â€Å"So your brother lives around here?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"What part?† â€Å"Lake Forest Park.† â€Å"That’s a nice area. Are you going to look for a place up there?† â€Å"Probably not.† â€Å"Do you have another place in mind then?† â€Å"Not really.† Okay, this wasn’t getting us anywhere. Annoyed at how this master of the written word could be so short on spoken ones, I finally decided to cut him out of the conversation altogether. Having him involved was too much work. Instead, I chatted on amiably without him, pointing out the popular spots: Pioneer Square, Pike Place Market, the Fremont Troll. I even showed him the shoddier representatives of our competition, per Paige’s instructions. I neglected anything closer to the Space Needle than a brief nod, however. No doubt he’d seen it from Emerald City’s windows and could pay the exorbitant fees to visit it up close if he really needed the tourist experience. We went to the U District for lunch. He followed without protest or comment to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Our meal progressed quietly as I took a break from talking, both of us eating noodles and staring out the nearby window to watch the bustle of students and cars. â€Å"This is nice.† It was the most Seth had spoken in a while, and I nearly jumped at the sound of his voice. â€Å"Yeah. This place doesn’t look like much, but they make a mean pho.† â€Å"No, I meant out there. This area.† I followed his gesture back to University Way, at first seeing nothing more than disgruntled students hauling backpacks around. Then, expanding my search, I became aware of the other small specialty restaurants, the coffee shops, and the used bookstores. It was an eclectic mix, somewhat tattered around the edges, but it had a lot to offer quirky, intellectual types – even famous, introverted writers. I looked at Seth, who looked back at me expectantly. It was our first direct eye contact all day. â€Å"Are there places to live around here?† â€Å"Sure. If you want to share a house with a bunch of eighteen-year-olds.† I paused, thinking that option might not be so unappealing for a guy. â€Å"If you want something more substantial in this area, it’ll cost you. I guess Cady and O’Neill ensure that’s not really an issue, huh? We can drive around and look, if you want.† â€Å"Maybe. I’d honestly rather go there first.† He pointed across the street, to one of the used bookstores. His eyes flicked back to me uncertainly. â€Å"If that’s okay with you.† â€Å"Let’s go.† I loved used bookstores but always felt a little guilty walking into them. Like I was cheating. After all, I worked around bright, crisp books all the time. I could obtain a reprint of almost anything I wanted, brand new. It seemed wrong to take such visceral pleasure from being around old books, from the smell of aged paper, mildew, and dust. Such collections of knowledge, some quite old, always reminded me of times long past and places I’d seen, triggering a tidal wave of nostalgia. These emotions made me feel both old and young. The books aged while I did not. A gray tabby cat stretched and blinked at us from her spot on the counter as we entered. I stroked her back and said hello to the old man near her. He glanced up briefly from the books he sorted, smiled at us, and returned to his work. Seth stared around at the towering shelves before us, an expression of bliss on his face, and promptly disappeared into them. I wandered over to nonfiction, wanting to peruse the cookbooks. I had grown up preparing food without microwaves and food processors and decided it was high time to let my culinary knowledge expand into this century. Finally settling on a Greek cookbook with lots of colored pictures, I dragged myself away a half hour later and looked for Seth. I found him in the children’s section, kneeling next to a stack of books, completely absorbed. I crouched down beside him. â€Å"What are you looking at?† He flinched slightly, startled by my proximity, and tore his gaze away from his find to look at me. This close, I could see that his eyes were actually more of a golden-amber brown, his lashes long enough to make any girl jealous. â€Å"Andrew Lang’s fairy books.† He held a paperback entitled The Blue Fairy Book. On top of the stack near him sat another called The Orange Fairy Book, and I could only assume the rest followed color-coded suit. Seth glowed with literary rapture, forgetting his reticence around me. â€Å"The 1960s reprints. Not as valuable as, say, editions from the 1800s, but these are the ones my dad had, the ones he used to read to us from. He only had a couple, though; this is the whole set. I’m going to get them and read them to my nieces.† Flipping through the pages of The Red Fairy Book, I recognized the titles of many familiar stories, some I hadn’t even known were still around. I turned the book over and looked inside the cover but found no price. â€Å"How much are they?† Seth pointed to a small sign near the shelf he’d obtained them from. â€Å"Is that reasonable for these?† I asked. â€Å"It’s a little high, but it’s worth it to me to get them all in one go.† â€Å"No way.† I gathered up part of the books, rising. â€Å"We’ll talk him down.† â€Å"Talk him down how?† My lips turned up in a smile. â€Å"With words.† Seth seemed dubious, but the clerk proved an easy target. Most men would eventually cave before an attractive, charismatic woman – let alone a succubus who still sported a residual life force glow. Besides, I had learned bartering at my mother’s knee. The guy behind the counter didn’t stand a chance. By the time I finished with him, he had happily lowered the price by 25 percent and thrown in my cookbook for free. Walking back to my car, arms laden with books, Seth kept glancing at me wonderingly. â€Å"How did you do that? I’ve never seen anything like it.† â€Å"Lots of practice.† A vague answer worthy of one of his. â€Å"Thanks. I wish I could repay the favor.† â€Å"Don’t worry – hey, you can actually. Would you mind running an errand with me? It’s to a bookstore, but it’s a scary bookstore.† â€Å"Scary how?† Five minutes later, we were on our way to see my old friend Erik Lancaster. Erik had been ensconced in the Seattle area long before me, and he was a well-known figure to almost every immortal entity around. Versed in mythology and supernatural lore, he regularly proved to be an excellent resource for all things paranormal. If he had noticed that some of his best patrons never aged, he wisely refrained from pointing that out. The only annoying thing about seeing Erik was that it required a visit to Krystal Starz – a stunning example of New Age spirituality gone wrong. I didn’t doubt the place might have had good intentions back when it opened in the 1980s, but the bookstore now touted a barrage of colorful, highly commercial merchandise more weighted in price than any sort of mystical value. Erik, by my estimation, was the only employee with legitimate concern and knowledge of esoteric matters. The best of his coworkers were simply apathetic; the worst were zealots and scam artists. Pulling up into the store’s parking lot, I immediately felt surprise at the number of cars there. This many people at Emerald City would have constituted a signing, but that sort of event seemed odd in the middle of the workday. A heavy wave of incense poured over us as we entered, and Seth appeared just as surprised as me by all the people and stimuli. â€Å"I might be a minute,† I told him. â€Å"Feel free to look around. Not that there’s much here worth seeing.† He melted away, and I turned my attention to a bright-eyed young man standing near the door and directing the crowd around. â€Å"Are you here for the Gathering?† â€Å"Urn, no,† I told him. â€Å"I’m looking for Erik.† â€Å"Erik who?† â€Å"Lancaster? Older guy? African-American? He works here.† The young lackey shook his head. â€Å"There’s no Erik here. Not as long as I’ve been working here.† He spoke like he’d founded the store. â€Å"How long has that been?† â€Å"Two months.† I rolled my eyes. A veritable veteran. â€Å"Is there a manager around here I can talk to?† â€Å"Well, Helena’s here, but she’s going to be – ah, there she is.† He gestured to the far side of the store where the woman in question appeared as though summoned. Ah yes, Helena. She and I had tangled before. Pale-haired, her neck bestrewn with crystals and other arcane symbols, she stood in a doorway marked meeting room. A teal shawl covered her slim shoulders, and like always, I wondered how old she was. She looked to be in her lower to mid-thirties, but something about her demeanor always made me think she was older. Maybe she’d had a lot of plastic surgery. It would be fitting, really, considering the rest of her trumped-up, artificial persona. â€Å"Everyone? Everyone?† She spoke in this obviously faked, high-pitched voice, meant to sound like a whisper, albeit one that could reach loud volumes. So mostly it came out raspy, like she had a cold. â€Å"It’s time to start.† The masses – thirty or so, I’d say – moved toward the meeting room, and I followed, blending into the crowd. Some of the people around me looked like Helena: theme-dressed, in either all-black or too-vibrant shades, with a plethora of pentagrams, crystals, and ohms in attendance. Others looked like average people, dressed much like me in my work clothes, trailing along in excited curiosity. With a frozen, fake smile plastered across her face, Helena beckoned us into the room murmuring, â€Å"Welcome, welcome. Feel the energy.† When I passed by her, the smile faltered. â€Å"I know you.† â€Å"Yes.† The smile diminished further. â€Å"You’re that woman who works at that big bookstore – that big, commercial bookstore.† A few people stopped and listened to our exchange, no doubt the reason she refrained from pointing out the last time I was in here, I had called her a hypocrite pushing marked-up crap merchandise. Compared to certain national chains, I hardly considered Emerald City commercial. Still, I shrugged in acknowledgment. â€Å"Yeah, what can I say, we’re part of the problem in corporate America. However, we do sell all the books and tarot cards that you do, often at a discount if you’re a member of Emerald City’s Frequent Readers Program.† I mentioned this last part loudly. Extra advertising never hurt. Helena’s weakening smile disappeared altogether, as did some of her raspy voice. â€Å"Is there something I can help you with?† â€Å"I’m looking for Erik.† â€Å"Erik doesn’t work here anymore.† â€Å"Where’d he go?† â€Å"I’m not at liberty to discuss that.† â€Å"Why? Are you afraid I’ll take my business elsewhere? Believe me, you were never in danger of having it.† She raised delicate fingers to her forehead and studied me seriously, eyes nearly going crossed. â€Å"I sense a lot of darkness in your aura. Black and red.† Her voice rose, drawing in the attention of her acolytes. â€Å"You would benefit greatly from some clearing work. A smoky or rutilated quartz might also help. We have excellent specimens of both for sale here. Either would lighten up your aura.† I couldn’t resist a smirk. I believed in auras, knew they were perfectly real. I also knew, however, that my aura looked nothing at all like a mortal one, nor would someone like Helena even be able to see it. Indeed, a true human adept, capable of perceiving such things, would notice that in standing with a group of humans, I would be the only person without a discernible aura. It would be invisible to all, save someone like Jerome or Carter, though some particularly skilled mortal might be able to feel its strength and be understandably cautious. Erik was one such mortal, which was why he always treated me with so much respect. Helena was not. â€Å"Wow,† I crooned. â€Å"I can’t believe you were able to deduce all that without your aura camera.† Krystal Starz proudly touted a camera that would photograph your aura for $9.95. â€Å"Do I owe you something now?† She sniffed. â€Å"I don’t need a camera to see others’ auras. I am a Master. Besides, the spirits who have assembled for this Gathering tell me plenty about you.† My smile increased. â€Å"What do they say?† I’d had little dealings with spirits or other ethereal beings in my long life, but I would know if any were present. She closed her eyes, hands to her forehead again, lines of thought creasing her face. The onlookers watched in wonder. â€Å"They tell me that much troubles you. That the indecision and monotony in your life force you to lash out, and so long as you choose the path of darkness and distrust, you will never find peace or light.† Her blue eyes opened, caught up in her own otherworldly ecstasy. â€Å"They want you to join us. Sit in our circle, feel their healing energy. The spirits will help you to a better life.† â€Å"Like they helped you out of the porn industry?† She froze, paling, and I almost felt bad for a moment. Adepts like Erik weren’t the only ones with reputations in the immortal community. A crackpot like Helena was well known too. Someone who had apparently been a fan of hers back in the day had recognized her from a movie and passed on this bit of dirt to the rest of us. â€Å"I don’t know what you mean,† she finally said, face struggling for control in front of her minions. â€Å"My mistake. You reminded me of someone called Moana Licka. You sort of rub crystals the way she used to rub†¦ well, you get the idea.† â€Å"You are mistaken,† Helena said, voice on the verge of cracking. â€Å"Erik no longer works here. Please leave.† Another retort rose to my lips, but then, beyond her, I caught sight of Seth. He had wandered up to the edge of the crowd, observing the spectacle with the others. Seeing him, I suddenly felt foolish, the thrill of humiliating Helena turning cheap and shallow. Embarrassed, I still managed to hold my head high as I withheld my remarks and walked away from her. Seth fell into step beside me. â€Å"Let me guess,† I said dryly. â€Å"Some people write the stories, and some people live them.† â€Å"I think you can’t help but make a sensation wherever you go.† I assumed he was being sarcastic. Then, I glanced over and saw his frank expression, neither censuring nor snide. His earnestness was so unexpected that I stumbled slightly, paying more attention to him than where I was going. Having a much-deserved reputation for gracefulness, I recovered almost immediately. Seth, however, instinctually held out a hand to catch me. As he did, I suddenly had a flash of†¦ of something. Like that moment of connection back in the map aisle. Or the surge of fulfillment I got when I read his books. It was brief, fleeting, like maybe it hadn’t happened at all. He seemed as surprised as I felt and released my arm tentatively, almost hesitantly. A moment later, a voice behind me broke the spell entirely. â€Å"Excuse me?† Turning, I saw a slim teenage girl with cropped red hair and piercings up and down her ears. â€Å"You were looking for Erik, right?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I can tell you where he’s at. He left about five months ago to start his own store. It’s in Lake City†¦ I forget the name. There’s a light there, with a grocery store and a big Mexican restaurant†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I nodded. â€Å"I know that area. I’ll find it. Thanks.† I eyed her curiously. â€Å"Do you work here?† â€Å"Yeah. Erik was always pretty cool to me, so I’d rather see him get business than this place. I’d have gone with him, but he doesn’t really need any other help, so I’m stuck with Nutso in there.† She jerked her thumb back in Helena’s direction. The girl had a serious, practical demeanor different from most of this place’s employees. I recalled now that I’d seen her helping customers when I’d come in. â€Å"Why do you work here if you don’t like it?† â€Å"I don’t know. I like books, and I need money.† I dug through my purse, searching for one of my rarely used business cards. â€Å"Here. You want a new job, come talk to me sometime.† She took the card and read it, surprise filling her features. â€Å"Thanks†¦ I think.† â€Å"Thanks for the info about Erik.† Pausing, I considered further, and dug out another card. â€Å"If you’ve got a friend – anyone else who works here and is like you – give this to them too.† â€Å"Is that legal?† asked Seth later. † Dunno. But we’re short-staffed at Emerald City.† I figured a specialty store like Erik’s must be closed by now, so instead I turned toward Lake Forest Park to return Seth to his brother’s house. I confess, relief flooded me. Being with one’s hero was tiring, not to mention every interaction between us swung between wildly opposing poles. I’d probably be safer limiting our relationship to me simply reading his books. I dropped him off at a cute, suburban home, its front yard littered with children’s playthings. I saw no sign of the children themselves, much to my disappointment. Seth gathered up his haul of books, gave me another scattered smile as he voiced his thanks, and disappeared into the house. I was almost back to Queen Anne when I realized I’d forgotten to ask him for my copy of The Glasgow Pact. Annoyed, I entered my building and immediately heard the front desk attendant solicit me. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† I walked over to him, and he handed me a vase of flowers teeming with shades of purple and dark pink. â€Å"These came for you today.† I accepted the vase with delight, inhaling the mingled scents of roses, irises, and stargazer lilies. They had no card. Typical. â€Å"Who brought them?† He gestured beyond me. â€Å"That man over there.† How to cite Succubus Blues CHAPTER 6, Essay examples