African Masks in Pablo Picasso's Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

African Masks in Pablo Picasso's Art - Essay Example The paper "African Masks in Pablo Picasso's Art" explores the role of African art in Pablo Picasso's art and in the culture of the whole world. The history of African masks dates back to before the Paleolithic era. A major feature used by the Africans to represent culture was through the use of masks in ceremonies, feasts and rituals. Furthermore, the traditional African masks exemplified heroes, ancestors, spirits, codes of conduct and animals. Usually, the raw materials used to make the masks include wood, pottery, textile, bronze and copper. The substitute details in the masks would be made using sea shells, egg shells, animal feathers, horns, hair and bones. Because of the belief that the masks represented the spirits, the makers were regarded as superiors in the village. Also, the art and talent of making masks was believed to be passed in the family hence was considered a part of inheritance. On the other hand, the history of African art by Pablo Picasso dates back to the 19th century during the colonization of Africa especially the North and West coasts by France. The scramble and partition of Africa prompted the expeditions and the travels of West elites in search of riches and adventures which resulted to the promotion African art. After painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Picasso’s paintings were influenced by the two figures on the right side which basically were based on African art. Most of the African arts at that time were being interpreted to be signs of slavery, cannibalism, and mistreatment.

Challenges for Measuring Fear of Crime

Challenges for Measuring Fear of Crime A case study on the difficulty and the progress of measuring fear of crime Fear of crime has been the centre of attention of scientific inquiry for nearly half a century. Scholars in this field have argued that fear of crime is directly correlated to experiences of deviant activity (Blakin, 1979; Skogan Maxfiend, 1981). Additionally, fear of crime was also reasoned in terms of the risk an individual is exposed to (Jackson, 2005). Others have focused on explaining fear of crime in terms of the influence of environmental factors (Wyant, 2008). Although there has been extensive research in terms of explaining fear of crime, contemporary scholars have recognised methodological limitations when analysing it (Farrall, 2005; Gray, Jackson and Farrall, 2008). For instance, fear of crime was measured as a dichotomous response (yes or no) to fear of crime. One example includes the questions that were asked in the British Crime Survey (BCS, now called the Crime Survey for England and Wales, CSEW): How safe do you feel walking alone in this area after dark?. Therefore, this paper will argue what limitations these old measurements have when measuring fear of crime, as well as discuss how the new methods of analysis contribute to the better understanding of fear of crime. Firstly, this essay will draw upon the limitations of measuring fear of crime. This includes discussing the problem with defining fear of crime. Secondly, this essay will explain what progress researchers in this field made in terms of measuring fear of crime. This i ncludes how and why these advances improved researchers understanding of fear of crime, as well as how these new methods improved the validity and reliability of measuring fear of crime. Lastly, this essay will identify some examples from the literature, in terms of how these new measures have enabled researchers to conduct better studies of measuring fear of crime. This includes the female and male paradoxes, among others. DEFINITION Although many attempts have been made by scholars to define fear of crime, there remains a confusion as to what fear of crime means, due to the reason that there is not a universal definition in place. Therefore, because there is no general agreed definition of fear of crime upon researchers, questions differ from survey to survey, serving as a limitation to the way it is measured. For instance, Ditton et al., (1999) defined fear as a term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ encompassing a confusing variety of feelings, perspectives and risk-estimations and thus meaning different things to different people. Ferraro and LaGrange (1987) defined fear of crime as the negative emotional reaction generated by crime or symbols associated with crime. Ferraro (1995 cited in Gray et al., 2011) also defined it as emotional response of dread or anxiety to crime. From these two definitions, aside from the fact that they are both quite outdated definitions of fear of crime, they are also very simplified definitions, as they only focus on the term fear of crime, being generated only from criminal activity. However, more contemporary definitions of fear of crime were provided by Gray et al., (2010). They defined fear of crime by making two significant distinctions in terms of fear of crime as everyday worries and fear of crime as anxiety. The way they explained fear of crime, not only widens the spectrums in terms of what it is categorised as fear, but it also enables researchers to evaluate and conduct studies using more specific definitions, further allowing them to better understand this topic. OLDER MEASUREMENTS OF FEAR OF CRIME To begin with It is important to mention how the two way of measuring fear of crime had emerged from the theoretical point of view. Firstly, the old standard measurement of fear of crime, which started to emerge in the 1960s, developed from positivist ideas, by using data-driven models of research (Lorenc et al., 2014, p12). Additionally, it has also used observational research in order to identify factors which causes fear (Lorenc et al., 2014). Secondly, the new measurements, were developed on a more critical basis, using the foundation of sociology and criminology. Furthermore, the new development of measurement of fear of crime was also determined by the feminist ideas, as it explores a variety of attitudes and anxieties, that people experience in their daily lives fear (Lorenc et al., 2014). Although these two measurement of fear of crime, were developed from two different theories, the way they measured crime also different. For instance, the old positivist measurement, focused primarily on quantitative surveys, whereas the new critical measurements focused primarily on qualitative and ethnographic studies (Lorenc et al., 2014). With regards to, more recent research on the measurement fear of crime, both qualitative and quantitative research were used, in order to obtain more accurate and reliable data (Gray et al.,). The traditional single questions used to measure fear of crime is identified by researchers to be a formless measure, as it does not make any reference to real or specific offences. Therefore, it is still not certain if those question measured fear of crime, or measured any other approach (Ferraro LaGrange, 1987). For instance, on the British Crime Survey in 1995 questions such as How fearful are you when walking alone at night? were asked. Fearful is ambiguous in this question. The fear expressed by respondents may be about their physical or psychological circumstances, such as having a bad vision at night. In addition, the fear may also be expressed due to other factors, such as low street lightning. Therefore, it could be argued that those type of questions are mainly about fear of personal safety, rather than fear about crime (Radar, 2004). Questions about the validity of the instruments used to collect the data were also raised by various researchers (Gray et al., 1997 and Skogan Maxfiend, 1981). Additionally, the concept of fear of crime is being amplified from the research conducted via surveys (Farrall et al., 1997: 665-666). Furthermore, although some may argue that the traditional questions do measure fear of crime, those questions only measure general fear of crime, and not fear of certain type of offences (Gray et a.,). Therefore, participants might respond to questions based on offences they have experienced or offences they think about, rather than give specific, narrow answers. For instance, someone might think street robbery, while others might think of rape. It is important to specify the type of crime in questions about fear of crime, because the level of fear of crime that respondents experience, depend on different offences. One study shows that respondents expressed a higher level of fear of being a victim of burglary, when compared to the fear of being murdered (Warr and Stafford, 1983). It was also found that womens main reason of worry was being a victim of sexual attacks (Ferraro and Jackson, 1995). Nevertheless, the dichotomous single questions provide only two answers for respondents to choose from: yes or no. Therefore, it is difficult, if not impossible to precisely pinpoint the exact fears of crime experiences by the respondents. Additionally, because these questions measure broad areas, it is difficult to generalise different studies (Lane et al., 2014). For example, there is extensive research to show that females express a higher level of worry when are alone in the night, when compared to men (Ferraro, 1995). However, it can be argued that, the only reason women may express higher levels of fear is only because they are alone in the night, and not because females generally express a higher level of fear of crime. There is also a problem with perceived risk and fear of crime, in the formless measurements. For instance, LaGrange and Ferraro (1989) made a clear district ion between fear of crime and perceived risk. However, before this distinction, the surveys made no differentiation between these two concepts. Researchers who wanted to measure perceived risk of crime, used the same form of measurement used for fear of crime (La Grange and Ferraro, 1989). Also others have tried to measure fear of crime, as well as perceived risk of victimisation but they failed to distinguished between the two (Ferraro and Jackson, 1995). This could cause problems with the validity of the answers, as respondents might respond to experience of perceived risk, as fear of crime (Ferraro and Jackson, 1995). Various researcher also identified the problem with time. The earlier questions to measure fear of crime, does not include any time period; frequency (Farrall and Ditton, 1999). Due to this, some respondents might refer to their fear of crime, from an incident that happened years ago, while other might refer to an incident they witness recently (Nair, 1993). Problems with differentiating between frequency that fear of crime happens and the intensity of fear of crime also arises. These considerations are important because it is important to be able to make the distinguish between people who fear crime intensively and the frequency to which they experience those fears (Gray et al., 2008). Hough (2004) however opposes the view that these type of questions, require the need to know more about the frequency. He argues that researching the intensity of the fear is more important, than researching the frequency of the fear. He stated that: When we talk about mental states such as anxiety or worry, we are concerned with intensity, not frequency. Leaving aside acute anxiety attacks, anxiety is not comprised of a series of events that can be located in space and time (Hough, 2004, pp. 174). Although some researcher opposes the fact that frequency should be acknowledged when measuring fear of crime, Farrall (1997 cited in Jackson, 2008) found that when giving the respondents the opportunity to express their perceptions and feelings in detail (i.e. qualitative interview), showed that anxieties were happening rare. On the contrary, the old standard measurements revealed a more exaggerates image of the anxieties that respondents experience in their day to day life (Farrall, 1997 cited in Jackson, 2008). Old standard measures used to also ask respondents for a summary of the intensity of their worries. Researchers argued that, it is difficult to put emotions into writing, especially when the traditional questions were not clear, but where rather general (Jackson, 2005). Additionally, there is a problem with over-estimating the fear of crime. Researchers found that traditional measurements of fear of crime tend to exaggerate the results of the respondents. The reasons why this fear was amplified in the surveys, was because respondents summarised their most vivid and threatening experience of fear of crime as well as overestimated the frequency of those threatening experiences (Jackson, 2005). One example is from the 1995 British Crime Survey. it was found that there was a strong link between fear of crime, the experience of crime (which is either direct or indirect) and offences such a vandalism and drug use (Hough, 1995). Additionally, it was also found that fear of vehicle crime and mugging has increased since 1982 (Hough, 1995). It is difficult to say if those questions were accurately measured, due to the type of questions asked. NEWER MEASUREMENTS OF FEAR OF CRIME Various researchers have since modified the old standard questions used in the surveys such as British Crime Survey (Gray et el., 2008), as well as researchers who wanted to investigate fear of crime in their studies (Warr and Stafford, 1983, Fisher and May, 2008). For instance, Fisher and May (2009). They conducted a study, and asked questions about fear of four particular offences, rather than asking about fear of crime in general. By this, Fisher and May (2009) minimized the changes of obtaining measurement error, as respondents only had to measure fear of crime in relation to those type of crime. Furthermore, this type of questions not only diminishes the chances of measurement error, but also improves validity and reliability of data obtained from those responses (Jackson, 2005). Lastly, this also makes the questions clear and unambiguous, unlike the standard old measures of fear of crime. Other researchers such as Smith and Hill (1991) developed questions which have more specific context; such as: inside, outside, day, night, etc. These type of questions also adds to the validity and reliability of the questions, when compared to the non-specific questions. The scale of which the questions are answered was also modified in order to obtain more accurate and more unambiguous responses on fear of crime. For instance, the traditional questions used a two way answer (yes;no), whereas the new questions used the Likert-scale questions (Lane et al., 2014). For examples, researchers such as Fisher and Sloan (2003) used for their studies a 10-point scale (such as 1 being not afraid and 10 being very afraid). Gray et al., (2008) also used Liked scale (i.e. 1 being not worried and 5 being very worried). The new measurements of fear of crime also include questions about frequency and intensity of the fear/worry/anxiety felt by the respondents. These new questions were not taken into account when the old standard questions were used. However, when the new questions started to be integrated into the fear of crime measurement questions about the frequency and intensity of fear of crime, it could be seen that fear of crime was not as frequent as one might think, as often respondents answers using the traditional survey was exaggerated due to the measurement error caused (Farrall et al., 2004). Nevertheless, the standards question, never asked the frequency of the fear, until the new measurements of fear of crime started to take control (Gray et al.; Jackson, 2005). The newer critical measurements of fear of crime used in its questions terms such as worry, rather than fear of anxiety (Jackson, 2005). It is suggested that although it is difficult to predict how respondents understand these terms, terms such as fear or anxiety could have a negative impact, as well as ambiguous responses to questions. One reason for this could be because fear is understood, as a present respond to a stimulus, as well as anxiety. It is believed that these two words have a strong significance, which in turn could have a negative impact on peoples responses (i.e. exaggeration) (Jackson, 2005). However, the term worry could be a better word due to the fact that it includes a mental state, a concern about potential danger à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a chain of thoughts and images about an unpleasant and uncertain outcome (Jackson, 2005, p. 301). Although it is believed by researchers (Farrell, 1997; Gray et al, 2008; Jackson, 2005) that the newer forms of measuring fear of crime are more accurate, some researchers still argue that even these measures have its flaws. Due to these flaws, these measures can lack validity and reliability. Some people might be more influenced, than other by certain factors, which in turn can make them report a higher level of worry (Jackson, 2005). For instance, those who reported the highest level of worry, were most likely to live in the low crime areas, experience fewer victimisation levels, as well as know fewer people who experience crime (Jackson et al, 2008 cited in Farrall and Lee, 2008). Media is also believed to be an important factor, which influences peoples perception of fear of crime, as well as perceived risk. Also, knowing people who have been exposed to victimisation can also increase respondents fear of crime. (Jackson et al., 2008 cited in Farrall and Lee, 2008). THE BENEFITS OF USING NEW MEASUREMENTS OF FEAR OF CRIME However, although researchers believe these new forms of measurements can also attract ambiguous responses, these measurements, are the most advanced and accurate methods that exist today to measure fear of crime. For instance, due to the advancements of measuring fear of crime, it allowed researchers to distinguish between experiential and expressive fear of crime (Jackson et al., 2009). The experiential being the former, whilst the expressive fear of crime being the latter. A research was conducted and it was found that on one hand lower income areas with more crimes, experienced more experiential fear of crime, whilst on the other hand it has was found the expressive far was correlated with the sympathy expressed for the victims (Jackson et. al, 2009). These conclusions were drawn using questions about experience of fear of crime, as well as the frequency of fear experience by the respondents (Jackson et al., 2009). Additionally, Jackson (2008 cited in Farrall and Lee, 2008) also identified functional fear. This is when individuals who are worried about crime, in order to protect themselves, take precautionary measures, which in turn it does not affect their daily life, but makes it better. The new methods of measuring fear of crime were also beneficial in terms of distinguishing between the levels of fear of crime amongst men and women. For instance, it is well known about the fear paradox. References Balkin, S. (1979). Victimization Rates, Safety and Fear of Crime. Social Problems, 26(3), pp.343-358. Ditton, J., Bannister, J., Gilchrist, E. And Farrall, S. (1999). Afraid or Angry? Recalibrating the fear of Crime. International Review of Victimology, 6(2), pp.83-99. Farrall, S. And Ditton, J. (1999). Improving the measurement of attitudinal responses: An example from a crime survey. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2(1), pp.55-68 Ferraro, K. And Grange, R. (1987). The Measurement of Fear of Crime. Sociological Inquiry, 57(1), pp.70-97. Gray, E., Jackson, J. And Farrall, S. (2008). Reassessing the Fear of Crime. European Journal of Criminology, 5(3), pp.363-380. Gray, E., Jackson, J. And Farrall, S. (2010). Feelings and Functions in the Fear of Crime: Applying a New Approach to Victimisation Insecurity. British Journal of Criminology, 51(1), pp.75-94. Hough, M. (2004). Worry about crime: mental events or mental states?. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 7(2), pp.173-176 Jackson, J. (2005). Validating New Measures of the Fear of Crime. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(4), pp.297-315. Jackson, P. And Ferraro, K. (1995). Fear of Crime: Interpreting Victimization Risk. Contemporary Sociology, 25(2), p.246. Lagrange, r. And ferraro, k. (1989). Assessing age and gender differences in perceived risk and fear of crime. Criminology, 27(4), pp.697-720. Lane, J., Rader, N., Henson, B. And May, D. (2014). Fear of crime in the United States: Causes, Consequences, and Contradictions. 1st ed. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. Nair, G., Ditton, J. And Phillips, S. (1993). Environmental Improvements and the fear of crime. British Journal of Criminology, 33(4), pp.555-561. Rader, n. (2004). The threat of victimization: a theoretical reconceptualization of fear of crime. Sociological Spectrum, 24(6), pp.689-704. Skogan, W. And Maxfield, M. (1981). Coping with crime. 1st ed. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. Warr, M. And Stafford, M. (1983). Fear of Victimization: A Look at the Proximate Causes. Social Forces, 61(4), pp.1033-1043 Wyant, B. (2008). Multilevel Impacts of Perceived Incivilities and Perceptions of Crime Risk on Fear of Crime: Isolating Endogenous Impacts. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 45(1), pp.39-64.

Televisions Should Be Unplugged :: essays research papers

Why Televisions Should Be Unplugged   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe all the televisions in America should be unplugged, and we should become a nomadic, goat-herding race- well, maybe not the part about the goat herding. Anyway, television programming is corrupting our youths' minds; they are being stupefied and are becoming virtual vegetables as they are molded by the programs they view to be lazy, selfish, and to forsake all their moral and ethical values. The so called â€Å"entertainment value† to the shows is what's hurting us; kids mimic what they see on t.v., which includes violence, murder, rape, etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children's grades drop drastically when tuning in to their favorite cartoon takes priority over completing their math or other schoolwork. The effects may also carry over into the next day, when they re-enact their favorite scene of the previous night's episode of Power Rangers on the playground, often resulting in the injury of several poor kids. Obviously such programs are counter-productive to the educational process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teen violence is on the rise at an exponential rate. Many teens watch action movies such as Terminator and its sequel or the Die Hard trilogy and conjure up bright ideas to go vandalizing or attacking innocent people. This is especially true when speaking of the gang situation that is currently plaguing our nation. Before the era of the television, crime like the kind we now have was virtually non-existent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obesity is another indirectly related effect of television on our bodies for people of all ages. The term â€Å"couch potato† adequately suits people who would rather watch Cindy Crawford tone and firm her buns than get off theirs. If there's a welt in you favorite spot on the couch that is a perfect outline of your backside, it's a good indicator that you need to get out and do something.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An awkward issue I want to discuss deals with programs with adult content and their accessibility to children. They are learning vitally important issues like the â€Å"bird & bees† and other things regarded as taboo from the â€Å"boob tube.† That's not the problem, though.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 17

The next day was only a partial shift at work for me, but when I saw how busy things were, I suspected I'd have a hard time dragging myself away. Seth wasn't working in the caf? ¦, but I found a note on my desk. He'd apparently already been there earlier. Thetis – Have some errands to run, but I'd like to see you later. I miss you and don't like how we left things. Come on over later when you get the chance. I'll be home all night. Love, Seth I had some things of my own to take care of, and after reading his note, I suddenly wanted them done as soon as possible so that I could go see him. As I was about to leave, Maddie caught a hold of me and covertly led me into the history books. To my astonishment, she pushed down her shirt collar, baring her shoulder. â€Å"Whoa,† I joked. â€Å"Don't you think things are moving kind of fast?† â€Å"Look,† she whispered, pointing at the lacy bra strap that had been revealed. â€Å"It's red.† â€Å"That it is,† I agreed, still a little puzzled. â€Å"It's number one.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"My three adventurous things. I bought a red bra.† I stared in astonishment. â€Å"I thought†¦I thought you said my idea was ridiculous?† She averted her eyes. â€Å"I thought it was†¦but then, well†¦I heard about Seth. What happened to him. You were there, right?† My favorite topic. â€Å"Yeah, I was there.† â€Å"Didn't it freak you out? I mean†¦right there in front of you: life and death.† â€Å"Yeah. Kind of.† Shaking her head, she looked back up at me. â€Å"Hearing what happened to him just kind of shook me up. I told you it wasn't that easy to be adventurous, but suddenly I decided that maybe it was. I just had to take control.† I smiled. â€Å"With a red bra.† She flushed. â€Å"Hey! All your lingerie may be red and edible, but this is the first bra I've ever bought that isn't white or black.† I reined in my humor and gave her a genuinely pleased smile. â€Å"I'm proud of you, Maddie. I really am.† â€Å"Don't patronize me,† she warned. â€Å"I'm not. It looks great. You get matching underwear?† Now she really looked embarrassed. â€Å"A thong.† I repressed the urge to whistle. â€Å"Nice work, soldier.† She wandered off, back to the registers. Moments later, I felt an immortal signature and a touch on my shoulder. Spinning around, I found Tawny's enormous chest practically shoved into my face. I'd heard little from the succubus since I'd called to tell her she had a job at Simon's. Niphon's presence at the poker game had been the only indication that she still hadn't bagged a guy. â€Å"Georgina – † she wailed, lower lip trembling. â€Å"No, no,† I interrupted. I grabbed her arm and dragged her toward my office. â€Å"Not here.† I managed to close the door just before she burst into tears. I groaned. â€Å"Now what's happened?† â€Å"I met a guy last night.† She flounced into my chair, and it was a wonder her breasts didn't hit her in the face. I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms over my own chest in a sort of protective gesture. â€Å"Okay†¦that's not a bad thing.† She swallowed a sob, and it was all I could do not to clean up the mascara smudges on her face. Honestly, how much did that woman wear? â€Å"We had a great time†¦had drinks and talked and all that.† â€Å"That's not a bad thing either.† She shook her head. â€Å"But at the end of the night, he told me he just wanted to be friends.† â€Å"He – wait. You got the friends line from someone you just met?† Tawny nodded. â€Å"What did you say to him? Like†¦did you proposition him?† â€Å"Yeah†¦I asked him if he wanted to meet me in the bathroom and try out this edible mint chocolate warming gel I have.† â€Å"You – what?† Tawny reached into her purse and started to pull out a tube of something. I waved her off. â€Å"No, no. I don't need to see it.† â€Å"What went wrong?† she cried. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wasn't sure if I should laugh or weep. Tawny was never going to pull this off. Never. â€Å"You might have come on too strong. And honestly†¦that gel thing? That's just weird.† â€Å"I thought guys were into that kind of thing.† â€Å"Some are†¦but, I don't know. What kind of guy is he? What's he do for a living?† â€Å"He's a cashier.† â€Å"Hmm. Okay. That's not too bad.† â€Å"Over at Blessed Images.† â€Å"Over at – you propositioned a guy who works at a religious supply store?† I exclaimed. â€Å"I wanted a good one,† she told me. â€Å"There's no better place.† â€Å"Oh my God. Tawny†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't even know where to start. There were so many nuances to seduction, so many tactics and strategies. She didn't know any of them, and seriously, I didn't even know if she could learn. â€Å"I got you the strip club job†¦why are you trolling religious supply stores? Guys should just be coming up to you after your sets.† Something troubling occurred to me. â€Å"You do still have the job, don't you?† I believed Simon would stick to his word, but one never knew for sure with his type. â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she mumbled. â€Å"But those guys aren't – â€Å" â€Å"For the last time! Forget the good ones. You can't afford to be choosy.† I studied her. She was clearly low on energy again. Frowning, I recalled my date with Liam. â€Å"So†¦Tawny†¦things really didn't work out with Nick the auctioneer?† She took a tissue from the box on my desk and blew her nose loudly. â€Å"Nope. I told you. I called, and he said he wasn't interested.† I was good at reading people, very good. It was, well, what made me a star succubus. And looking into those teary blue eyes, I searched for some sign of deceit. Any sign. I found nothing. So who was lying? Tawny or Liam? And why would either one of them lie? Liam had no reason to – not about Tawny. Tawny, I supposed, could be in league with Niphon. Maybe he wanted to prolong things simply to annoy me. That was a dangerous game for both of them. His animosity couldn't be strong enough to risk pissing off Jerome. And I knew Jerome would be pissed off if he found out Tawny's orientation was being used for ulterior motives. There was also the fact that Tawny's energy had shown no post-sex glamour the day after Liam saw her and Nick together. She hadn't gotten any. That was my only hard evidence in all of this. All of these thoughts flitted through my mind in a heartbeat. If Tawny really was pulling a poker face on me, she'd soon learn that she wasn't the only one who could do it. Keeping my expression exasperated and unsuspecting, I said, â€Å"Tawny†¦I†¦I just don't get this. Any of this.† â€Å"That's it?† she asked. â€Å"You're my mentor, and that's all you've got for me?† â€Å"I got you the job! I don't know what else to do. Maybe we can go out together and†¦God help me†¦do a three-some or something.† I could imagine few things more horrible than that, but these were desperate times. The expression on Tawny's face showed similar sentiments. â€Å"I don't know about that,† she said. â€Å"I don't think I really do that.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"In another century or so, you'll find you do everything.† She blew her nose again. â€Å"Well†¦I want to keep trying on my own before anything like that. Until then†¦do you think†¦do you think you could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Could what?† â€Å"You know.† â€Å"No, I really don't.† From her, a request could be anything. Tawny gulped. â€Å"The kissing thing again.† â€Å"No! I told you that was a one-time deal.† â€Å"But†¦but†¦I'm so low†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She burst into tears again. And yeah, she was low on energy. Really low. By tomorrow morning, she could be in danger of losing her shape again. Fuck. This wasn't possible. I had to be getting played here, but why and how? Was all this hassle worth it to Niphon, just to keep irritating me? Fuck. â€Å"This is the last time,† I growled. She stopped mid-sob. â€Å"Really?† I sighed. â€Å"Come here.† With a sense of dread, I kissed her again. My discomfort had less to do with the act of kissing her than it did with me realizing I'd just pushed myself into dangerous energy limits. I was the one who'd need a fix before morning now. And if I got an energy fix, it was likely my dream stalker would return†¦. With the influx of life, Tawny was able to shape-shift away her disheveled appearance. â€Å"Thanks, Georgina! You're the best!† She started to hug me, and I jerked away. â€Å"Just go out and get laid, okay?† Doug stuck his head in just then, asking for my help. He didn't seem to have heard my charge to battle, thankfully. His eyes widened when he saw Tawny. I shooed her out, warning her not to forget what we'd talked about. â€Å"Is she single?† he asked, watching her walk away. Her pleather pants were riding up. â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"Very. But she's high maintenance.† After I finished my survey of the bookstore, I went off to take care of assorted errands. When I finally made it to Seth's place, I found him lying lengthwise on his couch, laptop open as usual. He sat up and closed it when I stepped inside. â€Å"Hey, Thetis,† he said. â€Å"Hey,† I said. I sat down beside him, and silence fell as we regarded each other. The air between us wasn't angry, but it wasn't bursting with love either. It was speculative. We were sizing each other up. He reached into the V-neck collar of my sweater, and I flinched. Then, I felt his fingers brush by the chain I'd been wearing his ring on. He pulled the ring out and ran his fingertips over the dolphin. â€Å"Around your neck, huh? What is this, high school?† â€Å"Might as well be,† I said, â€Å"seeing as how we haven't even made it to second base yet.† He smiled and released the ring, moving his fingers up to my cheek. â€Å"Yes, we have.† He sighed. â€Å"We sure do seem to be fighting a lot lately, huh?† â€Å"Yeah.† I settled back into the couch's softness. â€Å"It's not even about sex anymore.† â€Å"I noticed that. It's boring stuff, actually.† â€Å"Boring?† He shrugged. â€Å"You know. Typical relationship stuff. Spending time with each other. Trust. Communication. Love isn't always about grand forces of the universe keeping us apart.† Unless, I thought, you considered the difference in length between a mortal life and an immortal one. I didn't know why Seth's lifespan was bothering me lately. I'd understood the complications on an intellectual level when we'd first started dating, but I hadn't really had such visceral reactions until recently. Him getting shot hadn't helped, I supposed. And speaking of which†¦ â€Å"I never thanked you,† I told him. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"For risking your life for mine.† â€Å"But you can't di – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah. We've already established that, like, a hundred times. And the wisdom – or lack thereof – of your actions aside, it was sweet and brave and†¦and, well, thank you.† Seth moved his hand over mine and squeezed it. â€Å"There's nothing to thank me for.† I stood up. â€Å"Well, now that we've got the sentimental stuff out of the way, let's get down to business. Take off your clothes.† Seth started. â€Å"Wai – what?† â€Å"Well,† I amended, â€Å"except for your boxers.† â€Å"Are we going to second base after all?† â€Å"Just do it.† While he stripped, I gathered some things from his kitchen, as well as from a tote bag I'd brought. When I returned to the living room, he was sitting in the center of the couch in boxers only. They were soft gray flannel. Adorable. I sat down on the floor in front of him, moving a bowl of warm water beside me. After dipping a washcloth into the water, I slowly began rubbing it over his feet. Seth was quiet for several moments. Then: â€Å"You getting Biblical on me? Didn't somebody wash Jesus' feet?† I rewet the cloth and began moving up one of his legs. â€Å"Don't worry,† I told him. â€Å"I don't expect you to turn this water into wine. At least not until I'm done.† I moved the washcloth over Seth's calf. It was leanly muscled, covered in tawny brown hair. â€Å"The foot washing tradition is bigger than the Bible. You find it everywhere, long before New Testament times, in lots of other cultures. Kings. Generals. They all got this treatment.† â€Å"You wash a lot of kings' and generals' feet?† he teased. â€Å"Yeah, actually.† â€Å"Oh. Well. I don't think I'm really in that league.† I smiled and moved on to the other calf. â€Å"Not true. Poets and bards used to have as much prestige as kings. Lots of them got this too.† â€Å"I miss the good old days. Now we're lucky if we get paid.† I washed his thigh, careful to avoid the bandaged wound. â€Å"Yeah, true. But people also don't threaten to behead you if they don't like what you wrote.† â€Å"You obviously haven't read some of my reviews.† â€Å"I only read the good ones.† I finished both legs and dropped the washcloth into the water. I scooted the bowl away. Seth started to get up, but I shooed him back down. â€Å"Nope. Not finished.† I reached for a bottle of massage oil I'd brought and poured some on my hands. It smelled like almonds. â€Å"That was just to get you clean.† With as much deliberation as I'd performed the washing, I massaged the oil into his skin, starting with his feet once again. Washing can be sensual, but rubbing someone with oil is doubly so. Triple, even. The light banter faded between us. Seth simply watched, wonder and arousal on his face as I worked my way up. And as I met his gaze, I saw more than just those feelings. The love in his eyes was so powerful, I needed to look away. Seth had an amazing grasp of the English language, but there were days when that skill was nothing compared to what he told me in his looks. When I finished his legs, I climbed up behind him on the couch and worked on his back and chest too. I'd been giving massages almost as long as I'd been dancing. I knew exactly what to do, knew where all the muscle groups were and how to unkink them. Seth had a lot of stiffness and knots in his back, either from bad laptop posture or stress. Maybe both. At last, the job was complete. Heedless of oil on me or the couch, he leaned back and pulled me to his chest. My cheek rested on his smooth, slick skin, and the scent of almond and Seth enveloped me. â€Å"Ah, Georgina,† he sighed. â€Å"I wish I could return that.† â€Å"I'll just pretend you did.† He sighed again. â€Å"I hate the pretending.† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"I mean it. Really hate it.† The vehemence in his voice startled me. I lifted my head up. â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"Yeah†¦I'm just†¦I don't know.† He shook his head. â€Å"Frustrated, I guess.† â€Å"Sexually frustrated?† â€Å"Sure†¦but it's more than that. Do you ever think about us†¦just, you know, doing it maybe once?† â€Å"No,† I said immediately. â€Å"Absolutely not.† â€Å"I'd take the risk.† â€Å"The shooting addled your brain. You've always been the strong one, remember?† â€Å"The shooting's made me think about what life means, that's all.† He sounded just like Maddie. How could such a foolish gesture on his part be inspiring so many people? Was I too jaded? Could I no longer relate to humans? â€Å"And I mean, I can't even reciprocate a simple massage. You perform all the time for me†¦but what do you get? You must be the one who's sexually frustrated. The stuff you do on the side†¦well, that doesn't matter. Sometimes I think Hugh was right. You do suffer more than me.† â€Å"No, I don't. The sex stuff bugs me, but I can handle it.† â€Å"I hope I can,† said Seth. â€Å"When I was in the hospital, I had this weird moment where I started thinking about how I write about all these action-packed things but don't live any of it. O'Neill has dozens of great romances, but me? I can't even have one.† â€Å"It sucks,† I agreed. â€Å"But with the risks†¦well. We know this is how it has to be.† â€Å"What about the rest?† â€Å"Hmm?† Seth shifted slightly so that he could look into my face. â€Å"Do you really think about me dying? Do you worry about me?† â€Å"Sometimes.† â€Å"Am I going to cause you pain in the end?† â€Å"No,† I said breezily. â€Å"Of course not.† He pulled me back to his chest. â€Å"I love you, Georgina. You give me more joy than I ever expected to find in this life. I want to be with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He ran a hand through my hair, tangling it in his fingers. â€Å"But not if it's going to do more harm than good. I don't want you to hurt. I don't want you to spend the rest of my life worrying about my body and my soul. I don't want you to cry when I'm gone.† A lump formed in my throat, and I thought I might actually start crying then and there. There was something in his voice, a strange and ominous note that scared me for reasons I couldn't entirely explain. I dug my fingers into his skin and pressed myself closer to him. â€Å"No more,† I whispered. â€Å"I don't want to talk about this anymore. It isn't relevant.† Seth tightened his grip on me and didn't respond. We went to bed after that, speaking little. He snuggled against me, resting his head on my chest. I ran my fingers through his hair, taking in his scent and his feel. As he slipped into sleep, I thought about what he'd said about what puts meaning into life. I thought about wanting and needing. And what I needed right then was energy. Tawny'd wiped me out, and there was no way I was going to start shifting back to the body I'd been born with. Still touching Seth's hair, I thought how easy it would be to just lean down and kiss him. Really kiss him. And kiss him and kiss him†¦ Wanting and needing. Regretfully, I slipped out of bed. Seth was a heavy sleeper and simply rolled to his side, never coming close to waking. With a wistful look, I left the condo and used my last bit of energy to put on a different shape. Finding a victim wasn't hard – further reinforcing how absurd the whole Tawny thing was – and in less than two hours, I was back in bed with Seth and recharged. That creepy voice didn't speak to me, for which I was grateful. Sad but sated, I fell asleep. And I dreamed.

Renaissance and Reformation

Renaissance and Reformation Test Humanism- Classical texts from the Greek and Roman culture lead to humanism. Humanism focused on human potential and achievements. People stopped worrying about Christian teachings. Influenced artists and architects. History, Literature, and Philosophy are humanities subjects. Secular- People became concerned with the here and now Predestination- Calling's book/doctrine; Institutes of the Christian Religion states that everyone is sinful by nature and God has known from the beginning who he will save. Council of Trend- Pope Paul Ill 4th step toward reform was to call a great council of hurt leaders to Trend.Catholic Bishops and Cardinals agreed on several doctrines: 1) Church interpretation of the bible was final anyone who substituted there ideas was a heretic 2) Christians need faith and good works for salvation 3) The Bible and church traditions were both as powerful for guidance 4)luncheons were valid expressions of faith Annul- Divorce was not al lowed however the pope could annul the mirage which meaner to find proof that the mirage was never legal in the first place Recant-to take back a statement you made about something Indulgence- you pay money for an indulgence and it will take away our sin Patron-Popes who beautified the cities by spending large amounts of money 95 thesis- Luther wrote 95 theses that he thought the church should change which lead to reformation- a movement for religious reform. His teaching had 3 main ideas: 1) People could win salvation by ONLY with faith in god, the church taught that faith and â€Å"good workers† were needed for salvation 2) All church teachings should be based on the bible.The pope and church traditions were false authorities 3) All people with faith were equal therefore people didn't need priests to interpret the bible for them Edict of Worms- King Charles declared Luther of an outlaw and heretic, no one was supposed to give him food or shelter and his books were to be bur ned. However Prince Frederick gave him shelter in a castle and people began to follow his sayings; priests wore regular clothes and called themselves misters, led service in German not Latin and some ministers married, which created a new religious group called the Lutheran instead of seeking reforms against the Catholic Church.Protestant- A Christian who is not Catholic Peace of Suburbs- German princes decided if there state would be catholic or rottenest Act of Supremacy- English act of Parliament that recognized Henry VIII as the â€Å"Supreme Head† of the Church of England not the pope Anabaptist- Believed that people shouldn't be baptized into the Christian faith as children because they were not old enough to decide if they wanted to be Christian; taught that the church and the state should be separate, and they refused to fight wars.Viewing Anabaptists as radicals who threatened society both Catholics and Protestants persecuted them Peasants Revolt-peasants were excite d by Lather's revolutionary ideas and demanded an end to serfdom. The revolt horrified Luther so Luther wrote a pamphlet urging the German Princes to show no mercy, the army crushed the revolt massacring over 100,000 people. Feeling betrayed by Luther many peasants rejected his religious leadership.However through his writings he remained influential People Igniting of Loyola- Catholic reformer, wrote the Spiritual Exercises that laid out a day by day plan of meditation, prayer, and study. The pope made Igniting a religious order called the Society of Jesus Members were called Jesuits- concentrated on 3 ideas: 1) Founded schools throughout Europe. 2) Convert non-Christians toCatholicism 2) Stop Protestantism from spreading Johann Gutenberg- Reinvented movable type and the printing press- machine that presses paper against a tray full of inked movable type created the first completed bible called the Gutenberg Bible Johann Tested- Was raising money to rebuild SST. Pewter's Cathedral in Rome, he did this by selling indulgences, he gave the impression that by buying indulgences you could buy your way to heaven Martin Luther: Against Tested for selling indulgences Wrote 95 thesis attacking â€Å"Pardon Merchants† Believed you can only win salvation through faith and forgiveness of GodExcommunicated by Pope Leo X Charles V issued the Edict of Worms declaring Luther as a heretic, but Prince Frederick sheltered him in a castle Translated the New Testament to German Lutheran were his followers John Calvin: Wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion which expressed ideas about God, salvation, and human nature Called the few people that God chooses to save the â€Å"elect†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ God has known since the beginning of time who will be saved-predestination Calvinist Ruled Geneva, Switzerland with theocracy (government ruled by religious leaders) Geneva was a city of high moral because of how strict he wasHenry VIII: Married to Catherine of Argon and has a dau ghter named Mary but wants a divorce so he can have a son to be the heir to the throne Pope refused to annul his marriage so he called together a session with the reformation Parliament and asked to pass a set of laws that ended the pope's power in England Act of Supremacy made the king the head of the Church of England, not the pope Closed monasteries and increased total power Anne had a daughter named Elizabeth so he imprisoned her in a tower and beheaded her 3rd wife gave him his son, Edward Erasmus:Christian humanist from Holland who wrote The Praise of Folly which made fun of greedy merchants, heartsick lovers, quarrelsome scholars, and pompous priests Believes in Christianity of the heart Wrote in Latin In order to improve society, all people should study the Bible Catherine of Argon- Married to Henry VII never had a boy so Henry wanted to annul the marriage at first the pope said no because she did not want to offend the Holy Roman Empire Charles V but later after Henry VII p ut in the Act of Supremacy- Made the English King the head of church not the pope the marriage was annulled Pope Leo X- excommunicated Luther after 95 thesis Artists: Donated- Made sculptures more realistic by carving natural postures and expressions carved the statue David Leonardo De Vinci- Artistic scientist, painted Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, A True â€Å"Renaissance Man† Raphael- Learned from Leonardo De Vinci and Michelangelo, Painted the walls of Julius II Library, Painted School of Athens, conveys the classical literature of the Renaissance and shows classical and Renaissance figures together Michelangelo- Sculpted David second, glorified the human body and explored Renaissance theme of human potential, minted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Scientific artist, true â€Å"Renaissance man† Jan Van Check- Italian Renaissance, Oil-based Paintings very realistic Writers: Machiavelli- Wrote The Prince which said a prince must be strong as a lion and shrewd as a fox, he might have to trick his enemy's and even his own people for the good of the state, he was not concerned with the morally right but with the politically effective Castigation-published The Courtier with the help of Aviators Cologne Sir Thomas Moore- Christian Humanists, he was concerned with society's flaws, wrote Utopia about an imaginary land inhabited by a peace-loving people.In Greek Utopia meaner â€Å"no place† but in English it has come to mean ideal place because of Mores book Vocal Perspective- AD art Vernacular- Native language Anglican- Anglican Church= only legal Church of England Elizabeth was head of Church Presbyterian-Followers of John Knox; he was a preacher from Scotland whom spread the teaching of John Calvin and made Calvinist Scotland official religion Catholic Reformation- Helping Catholics remain loyal to the church Questions: The Renaissance began in Italy because of thriving cities, a wealthy merchant class, and the classical heritage of Gree ce and Rome. England lagged behind because of the bubonic plague and the 100 years' war.A perfect Renaissance Man- Charming, witty, well-educated, Dance, sing, play music, write poetry, skilled rider, wrestler, swordsman, self-controlled Northern vs.. Southern Renaissance Art: Northern: Focused only on Religion; about landscapes and the lifestyles of people Southern: more secular; Greek and Roman mythologies, about gods and goddesses Catholic Reformation took steps like having the Society of Jesus, Jesuits, and the Council of Trend to address the Protestant Reformation 4 movements that made up the Reformation: . 3. 4. What changes did this bring to Europe? Of Prohibited books- Institutes of Christian Religion- Index Sarandon- Patriarch- Velasquez- What city was the center of the Renaissance? Florence, Italy What type of art was the focus of the Renaissance?Realism (sometimes using Biblical scenes) The merchant family named Renaissance. Medici was important at the beginning of the Wh o led the split away from the Catholic Church in England? Henry VIII Why did England split from the church? The King wanted a male heir so he needed to divorce his wife What country did the Protestant reformation start in? Germany (Martin Luther in Wattenberg) How was the printing press crucial to Martin Luther? He could spread his beliefs more efficiently This movement resulted from the Protestant Reformation. It was an attempt to change the Catholic Church to better meet the needs of its followers. Catholic Reformation 1 .Reasons that the Renaissance originated on the Italian peninsula include all of the following EXCEPT the peninsula's A. Geographic location B. Political organization C. Religion D. Social structure E. Economic structure 2. Which of the following is NOT a Renaissance value? A. Mastery of ancient languages B. Derogate of the arts C. Scholarly achievement D. Proficiency in the military arts E. Civic duty 3. Renaissance humanism A. Devalued mastery of ancient languag es B. Urged the development of a single talent to perfection C. Valued ancient philosophers as the final authorities on all matters D. Denied the existence of God E. Valued scholarship for its own sake and for the glory it brought the city-state 4.The belief that by cultivating the finest qualities of their beings, human beings could commune with God was a conclusion of A. Guileless B. Manipulations C. The lay piety movement D. The Catholic Church in Renaissance Italy E. The doge 5. Which of the following was NOT a factor that contributed to the Renaissance artistic achievement? A. The patronage of the pope B. The invasion of Italy by the French C. The competitive spirit of competing elites D. The apprentice system E. The lack of separation between artistic and commercial aspects of the Renaissance art world 6. Which of the following did NOT enable the spread of the Renaissance? A. The Treaty of Load B.Manila's invitation to Charles VIII to bring troops to Italy C. The printing pres s D. Students and teachers migrating in and out of the Italian peninsula E. The lay piety pavement 7. Renaissance art A. Was characterized by the severe specialization of its artists B. Was characterized by religious subject matter C. Abandoned painting in favor of sculpture D. Was characterized by its concern for the human form E. Did not require patrons 8. Northern humanism A. Was less secular than Italian humanism B. Linked scholarship and learning with religious piety C. Criticized the notion that priests were required to understand the Bible D. Contributed to the Reformation E. All of the above 1 .