Life Of Omar Bin Al Khatab

Life Of Omar Bin Al Khatab History is the manifestation of mans will; it changes its course when an ordinary man shows immensely strong will power and thats how an ordinary man becomes a legend. Omar Bin Al-Khatab was one such character. He seems to have changed the course of history with his own will. Omar is regarded as most important figures in history of Islam and the true architect of Islamic Empire. Historical accounts prove him to be one of the greatest conquerors, a wise and just ruler and a man known for his simple lifestyle and love of God. Omar become the second Muslim ruler after death of Muhammad and ruled for 10 years. He was a leading adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad Omar was a great admirer and companion of the Prophet Mohammed. Omar converted to Islam after 6 years of Mohammeds first revelation and spent 18 years accompanying the Prophet. He succeeded the first caliph Abu Bakr on 23 rd of august 634 as the second caliph and changed the historical edifice of Islamic history. Rising from the rank of a shepherd and a petty merchant he became the true architecture of the Islamic civilization. (Wikipedia, 2011) Early life His mothers name was Hantammah and fathers name was Khattab ibn Nufayl, from the tribe of  Banu Makhzum. Omar was born to a middle class family and when he was a child his father put him to the task of grazing camels. His father was a tough taskmaster, and Omar often recalled how his father beaten him up mercilessly whenever there was a mistake on his part. It seems that Omar grew up as a typical Arab boy -a tall young man with a robust physique and impressive persona. It is believed that among the Quraish of those days only 17 people were able to read and write and Omar was one of them. He was very intelligent and had a towering personality, intellectually and physically as well. He was a good public speaker. By all available accounts he seemed to be an average Arab youth .At the same time he was gifted with self-respect, a broad-mind and a strong sense of justice. He appeared to be a man of strong convictions, a good friend, and a bad enemy. He was always ready to stand up against the oppressor and advocate the cause of the weak. Later in his youth he took up the traditional profession of a trader. As a trader, he travelled extensively to Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, Rome and Persia and other places as well. He was a good trader; he made good money and developed a good geopolitical understanding of the region as well while travelling. (Islamic Point) Omar converted to Islam in 616, before that he was the fiercest opponent of Islam. Interestingly, he resolved to kill Prophet Mohammed to finish Islam completely .He believed that the advent of new faith of Islam will break the unity of Quraish. Omar was the most adamant and very cruel in persecuting Muslims. Converting to Islam In the year 616 Umar got converted to Islam. Once he read the verses of Quran, he was so impressed by the divinity of the verses he accepted Islam on that very same day in front of the prophet and his companions. Omars conversion gave confidence to the Muslims and they felt powered. It was seen as the victory of Islam, Muslims didnt offer prayers at al-harem mosque until Omar accepted Islam (Abdullah bin Masoud, n.d.). Because of all this the Prophet himself gave him the title of Al-Farooq, one who distinguishes true from falsehood. Now Islam was gaining popularity; in 622 A.D. because of the increasing popularity of Islam in Medina, Mohammed ordered his followers to migrate to Medina. Omar also went to Medina. Muslims lived peacefully in Medina for approximately a year before Quraish army attacked Medina .Omar played key role in the battles between Quraish and Muslims. (Encyclopedia) Caliphate He succeeded the first caliph Abu Bakr in 634A.D. and played a key role in shaping the history of Islam. Under him the Islamic Empire was expanded at a rate that could only be compared to the great Roman Empire. His ruling abilities, administrative skills and his intelligently coordinated attacks against the Persian Empire resulting in the conquest of the Persian Empire, established him as a great military and political leader of the era. But it was not very easy for him to get things under control as he was not a popular figure because of his strictness and autocratic nature. Abu Bakrs companions initially discouraged the idea of caliphate of Omar but Abu Bakr had other plans and he assured his high ranking companions that once Omar becomes caliph he would be a changed man. Omar was very clear and did conveyed that he will be soft with them who followed the rules and would be harsh and rude with those who wont follow the same. He wanted the well being of the poor and underprivileged; because of his populist policies he rapidly gained popularity.   (Encyclopedia) Political and civil administration Umars government was a unitary government; Caliph had the supreme political authority. His empire was divided into autonomous and provinces. Provinces were divided into districts. There were 100 districts in the territory of Umar. The Wali (Provincial governors) were the administrator of these provinces, which were recruited by Umar. These were the officers position at the provincial level was which were appointed by Omaror the provincial governors: Katib (Chief Secretary), Sahib-ul-Kharaj, (Revenue Collector), Sahib-ul-Ahdath, (Police chief), Sahib-Bait-ul-Mal (Treasury Officer) and Qadi (Chief Judge). In some of the districts there were separate military officers. The Commander of the army in most of the places remained the same and that was the Governor (Wali). Whenever the appointed anyone they used to do that all in writing. Nothing was without paperwork. When they were trying to appoint or appointed Wali the instrument of instructions was made to the regulating conduct of Governors. (Wikipedia, 2010) Military expansion Omar was one of the greatest administrators of his era. Omar believed in consolidating his power and political influence. With the proper guidance of Umar, Islamic took a vast change and grew big time as a very fast rate. He introduced several administrative reforms; he made a  Shura (consultative) council and sought advice from them on matters of state affairs. He divided the huge Islamic empire in different provinces and appointed a governor who was answerable to caliph. The Governors were supposed to help in administration and whosoever used their office to get rich was severely punished. As a Caliph, Omar was ready to accept and adopt what was good in other civilizations as well. Wherever possible, he tried to learn from others and adopted the advanced techniques and administrative practices of the conquered people as well. For example, when Persia was conquered, Windmills were in extensive use in Persia, Omar ordered the construction of windmills in several Arab provinces, including Medina. For the first time military was organized professionally and made a state department. Finance, accounting, taxation and treasury departments were created for the first time in the Islamic Empire. Police, prisons and postal units were established. (Islamic Point) Reforms Agriculture was promoted during his caliphate. Irrigation system was reformed; old canals were excavated and new ones built. Large areas of land were brought under cultivation. Roads were built and were regularly patrolled. A traveler could move with safety on the roads of the huge Islamic Empire. When Omar became the Caliph of Islam, most of the countries economy was based on slavery. Omar was the one who raised his voice against slavery. He took specific measure to eliminate slavery as far as possible. The huge territories of Islamic Empire West Asia and North Africa were transformed into a free trade zone. Business brought prosperity. Omar understood the importance of education; education was encouraged and teachers were paid well. The study of Quran,  Hadith, language and literature and calligraphy received patronage from the Empire. Omar was himself a poet and an impressive orator. He constructed Over 4,000 mosques during his Caliphate. Technology and new administrative practices such as the construction of windmills, formation of accounting department were encouraged. In the empire new roads were laid out and old ones were repaired. Omar organized a population census in the Empire following the example of the china. Islamic dominions  extended progressively during the caliphate of Umar, almost 4000 mosques were constructed. He provided lights to the mosques  and superior  cloth  to cover the Kaaba. It happened in the year 638 that Arabia fell into drought which was also been then followed by a famine. To make this change and to make it better Umar tried many things out of which one was hosting dinner every night. It was about more than hundred thousand people who used to come for the dinner every night. Conditions began to improve in early 639. When famine ended then Umar went to see and guide the people. Not only he guided but also gave good amount, rations and also exempted them from tax (zakat)  for that year and the year following it. Omer went for hajj in Mecca when he was assassinated. He was assassinated in response to the Muslim conquest of Persia, by a Persian in 644. Assassination of Umar was been assigned by Abu Lulu. The history of Omar shows and explains many things. He was a man with great powers of mind. He was very rigid in making justice and with inflexible integrity.

Varieties of English

Varieties of English, such as Singlish, have an important role to play in contemporary society. Discuss. Different varieties of English, such as the interesting variety used in Singapore, known as ‘Singlish’, have an important role to play in our modern society. Singlish in particular serves as a unifying tongue between the diverse cultures and ethnic groups that reside on the island. Although disapproved by the government, it continues to convey a unique Singaporean identity and a taste of the local flavour. It does this through the distinctive use of phonology, syntax and lexicon, together working to bring a whole new variety of English itself. The phonology used by Singlish speakers characteristically defines the identity of Singapore. It does this by effectively adding a ‘local flavour’ to what may seem like normal English words. Singlish speakers often simplify their consonant clusters, to make speaking easier on the grounds that it may not be said in their own language i. e. In Chinese or Tamil. A good example of this would be the way that the consonant cluster ‘th’ is pronounced. A normal English speaker would pronounce the lexical term thing as ‘thing’ as opposed to the more Singlish way; ‘ting’, changing the place and manner of articulation from the harder to say dental, to the easier alveolar. They may also omit final consonants in words, for example the lexical term ‘about’ may be expressed as much simpler ‘abou-‘, completely getting rid of the stop. Both these examples help to convey the uniqueness of Singlish as a new variety of English. The syntactical use of language in Singlish makes the links and most importantly, the differences of the new language to English evident. It does this in multiple ways. A habit of many Singlish speakers is to add conjunctions to the end of sentences. A good example can be taken from a scene from the hit Singlish show named ‘I Not Stupid’. While the parents are disciplining their daughter the janitor interjects with a cheeky ‘Haha, my parents used to say that also’, ‘also’ being tacked onto the end of the phrase rather than its familiar place between the words ‘parents’ and ‘used’. It is also common to see a Singlish speaker using the incorrect negatives terms in certain sentences. Another example from ‘I Not Stupid’, helps to show this when the mother exclaims â€Å"Can you don’t mess up my table? using a contraction, ‘don’t’, in place of the adverb ‘not’. In this way, the distinctive use of syntax in the language of Singlish clearly labels its individuality. The use of lexicon in Singlish subconsciously expresses the local flavour of the language and its speakers. Lexical terms are used in a way that is different to many other varieties or English, making it individual and ‘home grown’. One of the most distinctive ways in which Singlish differs to Standard English is the use of discourse particles. The use of ‘lah’ and ‘ne’ in many contexts keeps the language different and interesting. They can be used in contexts from ‘Why you so silly lah? ’ to ‘Stop it lah! Don’t ask who lah! ’ when used with different intonations, conveying completely different emotions. Also, the use of repetition to reiterate and emphasise is one that is not usually used in Standard English, making the language unique to many other such varieties. In the ‘Macmillan English Language’ Text Book, in conversation, it is mentioned; â€Å"Don’t ask who, why you ask ask ask? † effectively conveying the emphasis that the speaker wanted to put on the phrase, whereas in normal conversation, we wouldn’t repeat the same word three times to gain someone’s attention! Thus is not hard to see how the special way in which lexical terms are used in Singlish differ to Standard English substantially, and at the same time conveys its uniqueness in society. Singlish, and other varieties of new English, have a very significant role to play in contemporary society. With the simplifying of consonant clusters and omitting final consonants, the distinct phonology of this variety of English gives a sense ‘home grown-ness’ that is expressively different to that of Standard English. In the syntactical sense, adding conjunctions to end of sentences and the improper use of negative words help to distinguish Singlish from other varieties and to show the local flavour that is present in Singapore. Similarly, the uniqueness of the language is shown through the various discourse particles used by its speakers and the use of repetition for emphasis. Despite differences in the language of Singlish to Standard English, these differences are the ones that make the language interesting, unique and most importantly, noteworthy in our modern society.

The Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Game

The Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Game Hence, you've been provided with the simplest topic for problem solution essays, you can decide on any on of the aforementioned and get started writing your essay very quickly. Otherwise, it is going to defeat the function of the essay itself, and that's to help resolve an issue. Issue arrangement essay is a type of an exploration paper in which you portray a particular issue and try to discover a way of comprehending it. If you're writing an argumentative essay it's important that you write on a topic that you have knowledge about and you believe you are able to win over the audience with your arguments. Although no computer software may be able to actually tell if an essay was purchased online, don't forget that the language of the essay may give your teacher a hint about whether it's been written by you. Additionally, when writing an essay, it is likewise required to think about selecting a topic that has a viable or practical solution. Remember your essay is about solving problems, therefore a solution ought to be a highlight of the essay. If you're writing a persuasive essay, be certain to give reasons why one solution is the very best option. The Secret to Problem Solution Essay Topics for College A recent article with a reference to the 3 body problem and its connection to predictability is an illustration of how popular science misconceptions locate their way to finance and investments. The range of paragraphs are determined by the quantity of solutions. By way of example, pornography sites may be accessible to them since they can register with a website and claim to be an adult. If you're discussing crime it might be the police. Below, you will discover interesting suggestions for your middle school, higher school, and college writings. During the duration of your academic career, whether at school or university, you'll probably have to write a minumum of one problem solution essay. Now that you've so many problem solution topics for middle school, higher school, and sometimes even college projects, we're sure your essay writing will be a lot simpler. You don't need to agree with the student to understand their viewpoint. Facts, Fiction and Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Taking a look at the world in various lights is among the most crucial things one can do in the pursuit of growth. College is my very first step to accomplish my dream. To begin with, you've got to consider about problems that irritate you and other people each and every day. There are many problems, even on your own campus, that have to be resolved. In the very first paragraph, you can want to use a vocabulary of cause and effect to spell out why the problem exists. You will have to first analyse the question carefully to make sure that you realize what you are being requested to do. There's no use in bringing up a problem without suggesting ideas about how to solve it. You ought to be affirmative once you state the argument topic. After all, a decent problem-solution essay makes a sense of immediacy on the portion of the readers to deal with the problem identified. The very best problem-solution essays will make a feeling of urgency and lead the reader to become interested in solving the issue. As a way to use transition words more effectively, the author should be aware of what they are and when to utilize it appropriately. To convince readers to act on the matter, he can also include possible consequences if the problem is not resolved in the quickest possible time. The Ultimate Problem Solution Essay Topics for College T rick Identifying an issue and proposing one or more solutions ought to be a crucial element in your essay. Advantages or disadvantages to every solution ought to be included, together with feasibility of the proposed solutions. The very best problem-solution topics are interesting and can be seen from several perspectives, but are additionally not so broad that a remedy to the issue is not possible to imagine. Selecting a problem solution essay topic is just one of the most crucial stages because the success of your work depends upon it greatly. The Importance of Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Poverty is an immense social problem and governments should take action to eradicate poverty. Future results of the problem can be applied as leverage for the call to action. The degree of the problem also has to be described, in addition to the impacts of the issue and potential consequences of permitting the problem to continue unsolved. With us, you can fix any issue eas ily! You can't count on YOUR logic winning, even if you're in a balanced mind-set. To the majority of disciplines and professions, problem solving is a simple means of thinking. What's the issue at the moment because of Justin Bieber. As an example, telling readers they're to blame if they do nothing to address the predicament is a sure-fire means to lose readers. The Awful Side of Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Creating an essay isn't an easy task that demands time, patience, and knowledge. Although it's common, student has to acquire right to become great grades. At a particular age, students have various abilities and knowledge which they should apply. Where to Find Problem Solution Essay Topics for College In all honesty, paying someone to compose your essay isn't ideal. At precisely the same time, ensure each new point logically results in the subsequent one. There's nothing related to 1940s film studies in the majority of real-life situations today. Yo u're inviting the student that will help you fight that enemy. Try to remember that you want to opt for a correct problem solution essay format to create a thriving work. Therefore, students need to work quite difficult so as to develop a practical solution for virtually any problem. When you need to earn an issue and solution essay, it's important to get a very clear plan to earn good work. Given that an issue and solution essay is important as a helpful tool, not even a single goal that guarantees that the objective is achieved ought to be ignored. The more specific an issue, the more probable it is going to have very clear and specific solution. Before starting to compose your answer, you ought to think of 1-2 problems and 1-2 solutions, and that means you know what things to write about. State issue and explain why a solution has to be figured out. You've got to present the present problem to your readers and explain why it is a significant issue that wants a solution. Should you look around, you will observe social troubles that affect society each and every day. The issue ought to be clearly defined, and the sources for the problem ought to be identified if at all possible. Another significant problem is the development of internet fraud and hacking. The primary problem faced by poorer countries as a result of brain-drain, in fields like medicine and education, is that they'll struggle to come up with and find it tricky to boost their economy along with living conditions. The Appeal of Problem Solution Essay Topic s for College As soon as you've chosen a topic, describe the issue in detail. If you aren't interested in the subject, writing about it is going to look like it takes forever so find something which you like. All you will need is a simple topic. There is a whole lot of interesting topics which I will inform you about but it's all opinions. The Battle Over Problem Solution Essay Topics for College and How to Win It As with other essays, people frequently discover that it's hard to choose a topic particularly when the instructor asks students to produce their own topics. Sex education is quite sensitive topic. College may have the maximum difficulty level in regards to problem-solution essay topics. The student will hate the silence and begin giving more details.

Millersville University Admission SAT, Acceptance Rate

Power What Is Power Essay - 903 Words

References: Fook, J.. (2003). Social work, Critical theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (pp. 45- 55). This article focus on the definition of power what is power, examining the phenomenon of powerful and the powerless. This will help my essay in explaining that power is not owned, one can’t simply own power but it is rather given. Parada, H., Barnoff, L., Moffatt, K. M. Homan. (2011). Promoting Community Change: Making it happen in the real world. Toronto, ON: Nelson Education. (pp. 87-109). This small reading explains in more detail what is power and how it can be used to promote change. Explaining how people, can exercise power and how the state can then interpret that power. Freeman, Samuel. Justice and the Social†¦show more content†¦Bruner, J. P. (2015). Diversity, tolerance, and the social contract. Politics, Philosophy Economics, 14(4), 429-448. doi:10.1177/1470594X14560763 http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/doi/pdf/10.1177/1470594X14560763 This journal provides insight into diversity and tolerance in regards to the social contract. Providing evidence to support one’s claim that people don’t define the social contact because not all voices, ethnicity, religion, or culture maybe represented. Cook, L. J., Dimitrov, M. K. (2017). The social contract revisited: Evidence from communist and state capitalist economies. Europe-Asia Studies, 69(1), 8-26. doi:10.1080/09668136.2016.1267714 https://journals-scholarsportal-info.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/pdf/09668136/v69i0001/8_tscrefcasce.xml This article provides information about the communist state, it is obvious that these states are not democratic therefore the state define the social contract. However, evidence in this article suggest even country like China that will appease protestors; the state still determine the Social Contract. Everson, K. (2014, March 18). Veterans don t have social contract, Ottawa says in lawsuit response. CBCnews. Retrieved September 22, 2017, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/veterans-don-t-have-social-contract-ottawa-says-in-lawsuit-response-1.2577053 This article highlights a lawsuit by Veterans suing the Former government for changing their social contract; Instead of monthly deposit it would beShow MoreRelated What is Nuclear Power? Essays736 Words   |  3 Pagesinformation from books, the Internet, and interviewing my father who works at a nuclear power plant. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There are many forms of energy. Coal, gas, oil, and nuclear power are the most common forms of energy used in the United States. Three of these energies are limited: coal, gas, and oil. Nuclear power is unlike the other three because it uses the fission process instead of combustion. This form of power is unlimited. It produces heat energy like the others, but does not produce CarbonRead MoreWhat is a Power Inverter? Essays760 Words   |  4 PagesA power inverter, or inverter, is an electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).[1] The function of an Inverter is to change the Dc input to a symmetrical AC voltage of desired magnitude and frequency. The output voltage could be fixed or variable at a fixed or variable frequency. A variable output can be obtained by varying the DC input voltage and maintaining the gain of the inverter constant.[2] Voltage and current waveforms produced by invertersRead MoreWhat ´s Power Quality? Essay637 Words   |  3 Pages INTRODUCTION The issue of power quality has become very critical because of the loads which are sensitive to power quality disturbances. Sometimes, the loads themselves become the major reason for the deterioration in power quality. Electronic devices like computers, process controls and communication equipments are sensitive to the disturbances in the power system. The effect of power quality disturbance on equipment can be considered in terms of susceptibility and vulnerability. The temporaryRead MoreThe Dark Night of the Soul Essay932 Words   |  4 Pagesby Amber Kramer Summary Essay: The Dark Night of the Soul Richard E. Miller essay â€Å"The Dark Night of the Soul† to be an interesting way to think about reading and writing in today’s world. Richard uses the violence in the world to question if our educational system is relevant to keeping us safe and whether the power literature can be used to change the tragic event that happen around us every day. Richard begins with a few horrific events such as ColumbineRead MoreCauses Of The Secession Crisis1287 Words   |  6 Pagesforfeit any of their beliefs. In Gienapp’s The Republican Party and the Slave Power, however, has a different argument. Though, the Republican Party is known for being â€Å"pro-freedman,† in reality a big reason for their anger against the South was due to the political power they held. The party called it â€Å"Slave Power,† which is essentially the notion that the small percentage of slave owners in the South held the majority of the power in the American government, going so far as to call them an â€Å"oligarchy†Read MoreThe Boy in Striped Pyjamas1080 Words   |  5 Pagesthat humans possess, is their desire for power. Essentially when we closely examine the idea of power in literature, we see that much of the conflict in novels is about power; the struggle to gain, maintain or redress the balance of power. The need for power is a reality of life; to use or abuse, to claim or deny, own or disown, to marginalize or empower. This theme is omnipresent throughout literature about the Holocaust. Hitler and his struggle for power and dominance are infamous. Novels andRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale1345 Words   |  6 Pagestreatment of women in society to the treatment of women in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Chadha’s essay leaves her readers in a state of bewilderment after only a few pages. Her disorganized structure and repetitive subjects are only a couple reasons of why this essay is an absolute mess. Chadha’s essay is all over the place and only shows one-side of the argument. Overall, this essay was poorly written and very repetitve. In â€Å"Women as a Metaphor in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale†Read MoreThe Importance of Sit-Ins to the Black Civil Rights Movement Essay1271 Words   |  6 Pagesform of peaceful protest. James Baldwin makes a very brief note of sit-ins in his essay â€Å"Down at the Cross†. Its brief mention is probably due to the time at which the essay was written, just before sit-ins became a national phenomenon. At first glance, one may think that Baldwin doesn‘t think much change will happen from the sit-in movement. However, the urgency to take immediate action as described in his essay hints toward sit-ins as being a possible solution to ending discrimination in publicRead More An Analysis of Arnolds Essay, The Function of Criticism at The Present Time1226 Words   |  5 Pagesunderstand Arnold’s essay we should first understand the title of the essay. As we notice that Matthew Arnold associates criticism with one function not many fu nctions, but which function? He also mentions that this function of criticism is limited within a specific and particular time which is the present time and the past or the future time. Therefore, answering the questions of function and time of criticism goes with analyzing Matthew Arnold‘s essay through my reading of his essay. It becomes clearRead MoreDoctor Faustus Analysis1089 Words   |  5 PagesThis play illustrates the influences that people can have when met with promises of wealth, power and ultimate knowledge. Faustus is torn throughout the play on whether to repent and turn towards God or to sell his soul and indulge in earthly pleasures. Just like today, people can use religion and spiritual beliefs to motivate others into performing unspeakable acts with temptations of wealth and power. The play shows how people can change their way of life at any point and still find their way

Succubus Revealed Chapter 1 Free Essays

string(30) " can do about interest rates\." This wasn’t the first time I’d worn a foil dress. It was, however, the first time I’d done so in a family-friendly setting. â€Å"Vixen!† Santa’s voice rang out above the mall crowd, and I hurried away from where I’d been corralling a group of Burberryclad kids. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Revealed Chapter 1 or any similar topic only for you Order Now It wasn’t actually Santa Claus calling me, of course. The man sitting in the holly-and-light-bedecked gazebo was named Walter something-or-other, but he asked that those of us working as his â€Å"elves† refer to him as Santa at all times. Conversely, he had christened all of us with either reindeer or Seven Dwarves names. He took this job very seriously and said the names helped him stay in character. If we questioned that, he’d start regaling us with tales of his extensive career as a Shakespearean actor, one that he claimed had come to an end because of his age. We elves had our own ideas about what might have cut his career short. â€Å"Santa needs another drink,† he told me in a stage whisper, once I reached his side. â€Å"Grumpy won’t get me one.† He inclined his head toward another woman dressed in a green foil dress. She was holding back a squirming boy while Santa and I conducted our conversation. I met her pained expression and then glanced down at my watch. â€Å"Well, Santa,† I said, â€Å"that’s because it’s only been an hour since the last one. You know the deal: one shot in your coffee every three hours.† â€Å"We made that deal a week ago!† he hissed. â€Å"Before the crowds picked up. You have no idea what Santa endures.† I didn’t know if it was part of his acting method or just a personality quirk, but he also referred to himself in the third person a lot. â€Å"A girl just asked for SAT scores good enough to get her into Yale. I think she was nine.† I spared him a moment’s sympathy. The mall where we were earning holiday pay was in one of Seattle’s more affluent suburbs, and the requests he got sometimes went beyond footballs and ponies. The kids also tended to be better dressed than me (when I wasn’t in elf-wear), which was no small feat. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. Tradition or not, I sometimes thought putting children on an old guy’s lap was already creepy enough. We didn’t need to mix alcohol into it. â€Å"The deal stands.† â€Å"Santa can’t take much more of this!† â€Å"Santa’s got four hours left of his shift,† I pointed out. â€Å"I wish Comet was still here,† he said petulantly. â€Å"She was much more lenient with the drinks.† â€Å"Yes. And I’m sure she’s drinking alone right now, seeing as she’s unemployed.† Comet, a former elf, had been generous with Santa’s shots and also partaken of them herself. Since she was half his weight, though, she hadn’t held her liquor as well and had lost her job when mall officials caught her taking off her clothes in The Sharper Image. I gave a curt nod to Grumpy. â€Å"Go ahead.† The little boy hurried forward and climbed onto Santa’s lap. To his credit, Santa switched into character and didn’t pester me (or the boy) further about a drink. â€Å"Ho ho ho! What would you like for this nondenominational winter holiday season?† He even affected a slight British accent, which wasn’t really necessary for the role but certainly made him seem more authoritative. The boy regarded Santa solemnly. â€Å"I want my dad to move back home.† â€Å"Is that your father?† asked Santa, looking toward a couple standing near Grumpy. The woman was pretty and blond, with the look of someone in her thirties who’d been preemptively hitting the Botox. If the guy she was plastered all over was old enough to be out of college, I would have been very surprised. â€Å"No,† said the boy. â€Å"That’s my mom and her friend Roger.† Santa was silent for a few moments. â€Å"Is there anything else you’d like?† I left them to it and returned to my post near the line’s start. Evening was wearing on, increasing the number of families turning out. Unlike Santa’s, my shift ended in less than an hour. I could get in a little shopping time and miss the worst of the commuting traffic. As an official mall employee, I got a considerable discount, which made drunken Santas and foil dresses that much easier to bear. One of the greatest things about the happiest time of the year was that all the department stores had extensive cosmetics and fragrance gift sets out right now, gift sets that desperately needed a home in my bathroom. â€Å"Georgina?† My dreams of sugarplums and Christian Dior were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice. I turned and felt my heart sink as I met the eyes of a pretty middle-aged woman with cropped hair. â€Å"Janice, hey. How’s it going?† My former co-worker returned my stiff smile with a puzzled one. â€Å"Fine. I . . . I didn’t expect to see you here.† I also hadn’t expected to be seen here. It was one of the reasons I’d chosen to work outside the city, to specifically avoid anyone from my old job. â€Å"Likewise. Don’t you live in Northgate?† I tried not to make it sound like an accusation. She nodded and rested her hand on the shoulder of a small, dark-haired girl. â€Å"We do, but my sister lives over here, and we thought we’d visit her after Alicia talks to Santa.† â€Å"I see,† I said, feeling mortified. Wonderful. Janice was going to go back to Emerald City Books and Cafe and tell everyone that she’d spotted me dressed as an elf. Not that that could make things worse, I supposed. Everyone there already thought I was the Whore of Babylon. It was why I’d quit a few weeks ago. What was an elf dress on top of that? â€Å"Is this Santa any good?† asked Alicia impatiently. â€Å"The one I saw last year didn’t get me what I wanted.† Over the buzzing of the crowd, I just barely heard Santa saying, â€Å"Well, Jessica, there’s not much Santa can do about interest rates. You read "Succubus Revealed Chapter 1" in category "Essay examples"† I turned back to Alicia. â€Å"It kind of depends on what you want,† I said. â€Å"How did you end up here?† asked Janice, with a small frown. She actually sounded concerned, which I supposed was better than her gloating. I had a feeling there were a number of people at the bookstore who would have loved the idea of me suffering – not that this job was so bad. â€Å"Well, this is just temporary, obviously,† I explained. â€Å"It gives me something to do while I interview for others, and I get a mall discount. And really, it’s just another form of customer service.† I was trying hard not to sound defensive or desperate, but with each word, the intensity of how much I missed my old job hit me more and more. â€Å"Oh, good,† she said, looking slightly relieved. â€Å"I’m sure you’ll find something soon. Looks like the line’s moving.† â€Å"Wait, Janice?† I caught hold of her arm before she could walk away. â€Å"How . . . how’s Doug?† I’d left behind a lot of things at Emerald City: a position of power, a warm atmosphere, unlimited books and coffee . . . But as much as I missed all of those things, I didn’t miss them as much as I missed a single person: my friend Doug Sato. He, more than anything, was what had spurred me to leave. I hadn’t been able to handle working with him anymore. It had been terrible, seeing someone I care about so much regard me with such contempt and disappointment. I’d had to get away from that and felt I’d made the right choice, but it was still hard losing someone who’d been a part of my life for the last five years. Janice’s smile returned. Doug had that effect on people. â€Å"Oh, you know. He’s Doug. The same, wacky Doug. Band’s going strong. And I think he might get your job. Er, your old job. They’re interviewing for it.† Her smile faded, as though she suddenly realized that might cause me discomfort. It didn’t. Not much. â€Å"That’s great,† I said. â€Å"I’m happy for him.† She nodded and told me good-bye before hurrying forward in line. Behind her, a family of four paused in their frantic texting on identical cell phones to glare at me for the holdup. A moment later, they hunched back down again, no doubt telling all their Twitter friends about every inane detail of their holiday mall experience. I put on a cheery smile that didn’t reflect what I felt inside and continued helping with the line until Sneezy, my replacement, showed up. I got him up to speed on Santa’s drinking schedule and then abandoned the holiday nexus for the mall’s back offices. Once inside a bathroom, I shape-shifted out of the foil dress, trading it for a much more tasteful sweater and jeans combo. I even made the sweater blue so that there would be no confusion. I was off the holiday clock. Of course, as I walked back through the mall, I couldn’t help but notice I was never off the clock for my main job: being a succubus in the illustrious service of Hell. Centuries of corruption and seduction of souls had given me a sixth sense for spotting those most vulnerable to my charms. The holidays, while ostensibly being a time of cheer, also tended to bring out the worst in people. I could spot the desperation everywhere – those hoping to frantically find the perfect gifts to win over the ones they loved, those dissatisfied with their ability to provide for their loved ones, those dragged along on shopping trips to create a â€Å"perfect† holiday experience they had no interest in. . . . Yes, it was everywhere if you knew how to look for it: that sorrow and frustration tucked in amongst the joy. Those were exactly the kinds of souls that were ripe for the taking. I could have picked off any number of guys if I wanted to tonight and taken care of my quota f or the week. My brief exchange with Janice had left me feeling strange, however, and I couldn’t muster the energy to go strike up a conversation with some discontent suburban businessman. Instead, I consoled myself with impulse purchases for myself and even found a couple of much-needed gifts for others, proving that I wasn’t totally and completely selfish. By the time I left, I felt confident traffic had died down and would give me an easy drive back to the city. As I walked past the center of the mall, I heard Santa ho-ho-ho-ing loudly while waving his arms energetically around, much to the terror of a small child on his lap. My guess was that someone had cracked and broken the drinking rule. On the way home, I noticed I had three voice mail messages, all from my friend Peter. Before I could even attempt to listen to them, the phone rang. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Where are you?† Peter’s frantic voice filled up the small space of my Passat. â€Å"In my car. Where are you?† â€Å"At my apartment. Where else? Everyone’s here!† â€Å"Everyone? What are you talking about?† â€Å"Did you forget? Damn it, Georgina. You were a lot more punctual when you were unhappy and single.† I ignored the jab and scanned through my mental calendar. Peter was one of my best friends. He was also a neurotic, obsessive compulsive vampire who loved hosting dinners and parties. He usually managed to throw something together at least once a week, never for the same reason, so it was easy to lose track. â€Å"It’s fondue night,† I said at last, proud of myself for remembering. â€Å"Yes! And the cheese is getting cold. I’m not made of Sterno, you know.† â€Å"Why didn’t you just start eating?† â€Å"Because we’re civilized.† â€Å"Debatable.† I pondered whether I wanted to go or not. Part of me really just wanted to get home and snuggle with Seth, but I had a feeling he’d be working. I likely couldn’t expect snuggling for a while, whereas I could appease Peter right now. â€Å"Fine. Start without me, and I’ll be there soon. I’m just getting off the bridge now.† Wistfully, I drove past Seth’s exit and instead set my sights on the one that would take me to Peter’s place. â€Å"Did you remember to bring wine?† he asked. â€Å"Peter, until a minute ago, I didn’t even remember I was supposed to be at your place. Do you really need wine?† I’d seen Peter’s wine cabinet. On any given day, he had a dozen each of reds and whites, both domestic and international. â€Å"I don’t want to run out of the good stuff,† he said. â€Å"I seriously doubt you’re going to – wait. Is Carter there?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Okay. I’ll pick up some wine.† I showed up at his apartment ten minutes later. His roommate and apprentice, Cody, opened the door and gave me a broad, fang-filled smile. Light, music, and the scent of fondue and potpourri washed over me. Their home put Santa’s gazebo to shame and had decorations filling every square inch. And not just Christmas ones. â€Å"Since when do you guys have a menorah?† I asked Cody. â€Å"Neither of you are Jewish.† â€Å"Well, we’re not Christian either,† he pointed out, leading me toward the dining room. â€Å"Peter wanted to take a multicultural slant this year. The guestroom is all done in Kwanza decorations, if you know someone looking for a truly tacky overnight experience.† â€Å"It is not tacky!† Peter stood up from a table where our other immortal friends sat around two tubs of melted cheese. â€Å"I can’t believe you’re so insensitive to other people’s religious views. Jesus Christ! Is that boxed wine?† â€Å"You said you wanted wine,† I reminded him. â€Å"I wanted good wine. Please tell me it’s not blush.† â€Å"Of course it’s blush. And you didn’t tell me to bring good wine. You said you were worried Carter would drink all your good wine. So I brought this for him instead. Your wine is safe.† At the mention of his name, the only heavenly creature in the room looked up. â€Å"Sweet,† he said, accepting the box from me. â€Å"Santa’s little helper delivers.† He opened up the box’s dispenser and looked at Peter expectantly. â€Å"Do you have a straw?† I sat in an empty seat beside my boss, Jerome, who was contentedly dipping a piece of bread in molten cheddar. He was the archdemon of all of Seattle and chose to walk the earth looking like a circa 1990 John Cusack, which made it easy to forget his true nature sometimes. Fortunately, his brimstone personality always came out the instant he opened his mouth. â€Å"You’re here less than a minute, Georgie, and already you’ve made this get-together fifty percent less classy.† â€Å"You guys are eating fondue on a Tuesday night,† I retorted. â€Å"You were well on your way without me.† Peter had settled himself back down and was trying to appear calm. â€Å"Fondue is very classy. It’s all in the presentation. Hey! Where’d you get that?† Carter had set the wine box on his lap, dispenser on top, and was now drinking from it with an enormous straw that I suspected had been literally conjured from thin air. â€Å"At least he’s not doing that with a bottle of Pinot Noir,† I told Peter good-naturedly. I helped myself to a fondue fork and speared a piece of apple. On the other side of Jerome, Hugh busily typed away on his phone’s keyboard, reminding me of the family at the mall. â€Å"Telling the world about this lowbrow party?† I teased. Hugh was an imp, a type of hellish administrative assistant, so he could have actually been buying or selling souls via his phone for all I knew. â€Å"Of course,† said Hugh, not looking up. â€Å"I’m updating Facebook. Do you know why Roman won’t answer my friend request?† â€Å"No clue,† I said. â€Å"I’ve barely spoken to him in days.† â€Å"When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,† Peter explained, â€Å"but that we should go ahead and draw for him.† â€Å"Draw?† I asked uneasily. â€Å"Oh Lord. Tell me it’s not Pictionary night too.† Peter sighed wearily. â€Å"Draw for Secret Santas. Do you even read the e-mails I send?† â€Å"Secret Santas? Seems like we just did that,† I said. â€Å"Yeah, a year ago,† said Peter. â€Å"Just like we do every Christmas.† I glanced over at Carter who was quietly drinking his wine. â€Å"Did you lose my hat? You look like you could use one.† The angel’s chin-length, blond hair was even more unkempt than usual. â€Å"Tell us what you really think, Georgina,† he replied. He ran a hand over his hair, but it somehow only made things worse. â€Å"I’m saving it for a special occasion.† â€Å"If I get your name again, I’ll buy you two hats so you don’t have to ration yourself.† â€Å"I wouldn’t want you to go to the trouble.† â€Å"No trouble at all. I get a discount at the mall.† Jerome sighed and set down his fork. â€Å"Are you still doing that, Georgie? Don’t I suffer enough without having to endure the humiliation of a succubus who moonlights as a Christmas elf?† â€Å"You always said I should quit the bookstore and find something else to do,† I reminded him. â€Å"Yes, but that was because I thought you’d go on to do something respectable. Like become a stripper or the mayor’s mistress.† â€Å"This is just temporary.† I handed Carter the elegant crystal wineglass that had been sitting by my plate. He filled it with wine from the box and gave it back. Peter groaned and muttered something about despoiling Tiffany’s. â€Å"Georgina doesn’t need material things anymore,† teased Cody. â€Å"She’s paid in love now.† Jerome fixed the young vampire with a cold stare. â€Å"Do not ever say anything that saccharine again.† â€Å"You’re one to talk,† I said to Cody, unable to hide my smile. â€Å"I’m surprised you could drag yourself away from Gabrielle tonight.† His face immediately grew dreamy at the mention of his ladylove. â€Å"That makes two of us,† observed Peter. He shook his head bitterly. â€Å"You guys and your perfect love lives.† â€Å"Hardly perfect,† I said at the same time Cody said, â€Å"It is perfect.† All eyes fell on me. Hugh even looked up from his phone. â€Å"Trouble in paradise?† â€Å"Why do you always assume that? And no, of course not,† I scoffed, hating myself for the slip. â€Å"Things are fantastic with Seth.† And they were. Just speaking his name sent a flood of joy through me. Seth. Seth was what made everything worthwhile. My relationship with him was what had caused the rift between me and my former co-workers at the bookstore. They saw me as the reason for his breakup with Doug’s sister. Which, I suppose, I was. But no matter how much I’d loved that job, giving it up was a small price to pay to be with Seth. I could endure being an elf. I could endure the quotas he and I put on our sex life, to ensure my succubus powers didn’t suck him dry. With him, I could handle anything. Even a future of damnation. There were just a couple of teeny-tiny things about my relationship with Seth that gave me pause. One had been eating at me for a while, one I kept trying to ignore. But now, suddenly, with my immortal friends watching me, I finally drummed up the courage to address it. â€Å"It’s just . . . I don’t suppose any of you told Seth my name, did you?† Seeing Peter open his mouth in confusion, I immediately amended, â€Å"My real name.† â€Å"Why would that ever come up?† asked Hugh dismissively, returning to his texting. â€Å"I don’t even know your real name,† said Cody. â€Å"Are you saying it’s not Georgina?† I regretted the words already. It was a stupid thing for me to worry about, and their reactions were just proving that point. â€Å"Do you not want him to know your name?† asked Hugh. â€Å"No . . . it’s fine. I just, well. It’s just weird. A month or so ago, when he was half-asleep, he called me by it. Letha,† I added, for Cody’s benefit. I managed to say the name without tripping over it. It wasn’t a name I welcomed. I’d shed it centuries ago, when I became a succubus, and had been taking assumed names ever since. In banishing that name, I’d banished that former life. I’d wanted to erase it so badly that I’d sold my soul in exchange for everyone I’d known forgetting I existed. That was why the conversation with Seth had totally blindsided me. There was no way he could’ve known that name. You are the world, Letha . . . he had told me drowsily. He hadn’t even remembered saying it, let alone where he’d heard it. Don’t know, he’d told me, when I questioned him about it later. Greek myths, I guess. The River Lethe, where the dead go to wash away the memories from their souls . . . to forget the past. . . . â€Å"That’s a pretty name,† said Cody. I shrugged noncommittally. â€Å"The point is, I never told it to Seth. But somehow, he knew it. He couldn’t remember anything about it, though. Where he heard it.† â€Å"He must have heard it from you,† said Hugh, ever practical. â€Å"I never told him. I’d remember if I had.† â€Å"Well, with all the other immortals traipsing through here, I’m sure it came up from one of them. He probably overheard it.† Peter frowned. â€Å"Don’t you have an award with your name on it? Maybe he saw that.† â€Å"I don’t really leave my ‘Best Succubus’ award lying around,† I pointed out. â€Å"Well, you should,† said Hugh. I eyed Carter carefully. â€Å"You’re being awfully quiet.† He paused in drinking from the wine box. â€Å"I’m busy.† â€Å"Did you tell Seth my name? You’ve called me it before.† Carter, despite being an angel, seemed to have a genuine affection for us damned souls. And like an elementary school boy, he often thought the best way of showing that affection was by picking on us. Calling me Letha – when he knew I hated it – and other pet names was one such tactic he used. Carter shook his head. â€Å"Sorry to disappoint you, Daughter of Lilith, but I never told him. You know me: model of discretion.† There was a slurping sound as he neared the wine’s end. â€Å"Then how did Seth find out?† I demanded. â€Å"How’d he know the name? Someone must have told him.† Jerome sighed loudly. â€Å"Georgie, this conversation is even more ridiculous than the one about your job. You already got your answer: either you or someone else slipped up and doesn’t remember. Why does everything have to be so dramatic for you? Are you just looking for something to be unhappy about?† He had a point. And honestly, I didn’t know why this had bugged me so much for so long. Everyone was right. There was no mystery here, nothing earth-shattering. Seth had overheard my name somewhere, end of story. There was no reason for me to overreact or assume the worst – only a tiny, nagging voice in my head that refused to forget about that night. â€Å"It’s just weird,† I said lamely. Jerome rolled his eyes. â€Å"If you want something to worry about, then I’ll give you something.† All thoughts of Seth and names flew out of my head. Everyone at the table (except Carter, who was still slurping) froze and stared at Jerome. When my boss said he had something for you to worry about, there was a strong possibility it meant something fiery and terrifying. Hugh looked startled by this proclamation too, which was a bad sign. He usually knew about hellish mandates before Jerome did. â€Å"What’s going on?† I asked. â€Å"I had a drink with Nanette the other night,† he growled. Nanette was Portland’s archdemoness. â€Å"Bad enough she still won’t let me forget the summoning. She was also going off on some bullshit about how her people were more competent than mine.† I glanced briefly at my friends. We weren’t exactly model employees of Hell, so there was a very good chance that Nanette was right. Not that any of us would tell Jerome that. â€Å"So,† he continued, â€Å"when I denied it, she demanded we step up and prove what superior Hellish minions we are.† â€Å"How?† asked Hugh, looking mildly interested. â€Å"With a soul pledge drive?† â€Å"Don’t be ridiculous,† said Jerome. â€Å"Then with what?† I asked. Jerome gave us a tight-lipped smile. â€Å"With bowling.† How to cite Succubus Revealed Chapter 1, Essay examples

Dorian Grey free essay sample

Lord Henry learns that Dorian Grey is the grandson of Lord Keels. 2- The thing that is totally enthralling in this chapter would be the romantic story that ended tragically of Doormans parents 3- Lord Henry tells the Duchess when she asks him how can she become young again, that one must merely repeat ones follies. 4- Lord Henry tells Dorian Gray that the real secret of life is to never get married. 5- Dorian request Basil and Henry accompany him to the theater to see Sibyl. 6- The telegram that Lord Henry receives from Dorian states that Dorian is engaged to Sibyl.Chapter 5: Sibyl doesnt understand her relationship with Dorian in a mature way. In fact, Sybil was kind of stupid and optimistic, the love between her and Dorian was all she cared or thought about. 2- Sibyls brother, James is worried about the intentions of Dorian towards his sister and what is ironic that James doesnt know neither the full name nor the fiance of his sister. We will write a custom essay sample on Dorian Grey or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 3- In a hierarchy of class the Vane family would be placed in the highest class which means the vane family has high social and economical standards. I think that James has the best sense of their social position.