Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Lpg Engineering Essay

Melted Petroleum Gas Lpg Engineering Essay Melted Petroleum Gas is a significant wellspring of vitality for many individuals around the globe. LPG comprises chiefly of gases at climatic temperature and weight (propane and butane), which when exposed to humble weight or refrigeration can melt. This makes it conceivable to move and store as fluid in pressurized chambers and holders, which must be securely and painstakingly took care of. Definition: Melted Petroleum Gas (LPG) can be just portrayed as hydrocarbons that exist as fumes under surrounding states of temperature and weight, however can be condensed by the utilization of moderate weight. At the point when gas is condensed, the volume involved by the fume impressively diminishes, in this way the fluid shaped requires less extra room. The material is in this way put away and dispersed in the fluid stage in pressurized compartments and frameworks and is at last permitted to come back to the fume stage at the purpose of possible usage. Wellsprings of LPG: LPG as the name recommends, comprises fundamentally of a blend of hydrocarbons (Propane and Butane) with a little extent of unsaturates (Propylene and Butylene). These hydrocarbons and unsaturates (LPG) can be created through two primary sources which are: Wet Natural Gas, which comprises totally of soaked hydrocarbons (Propane and Butane) and can be found in oil or gas fields, being expelled as condensable items from petroleum gas and furthermore extricates from unrefined petroleum during the adjustment procedure applied so as to lessen the fume pressure before shipment; Refining procedure to evacuate debasements like dampness and sulfur mixes (hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans), which may prompt stopping up of valves and erosion. Be that as it may, because of the unscented idea of LPG, ethyl mercaptan which has a one of a kind smell, is added to alarm the client of LPG incase a hole happens. The result of raw petroleum refining fall into three principle classes: The perpetual gases, Methane and Ethane which stay vaporous paying little mind to pressure, except if refrigerated. Hydrocarbons having at least five carbon particles for each atom. They are fluid or strong at climatic temperature and weight and record for the greater part of the unrefined petroleum refined. Propane, Butane and Isobutane, along with Propylene, Butylene and Isobutylene have three or four carbon iotas for each atom. All have the unique property of getting fluid at climatic temperature if respectably packed and returning to gases when the weight is adequately diminished. C:UsersMr TDesktopIMAG0168.jpg Properties of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Fume Pressure Fume pressure is a proportion of the instability of the gas and where fume exists related to the fluid stage is alluded to as the immersion fume pressure. At the breaking point it is equivalent to climatic weight and increments as the temperature ascends to the basic. Propane with its lower breaking point accordingly applies a more noteworthy fume pressure under indistinguishable conditions than butane. Information on the fume weight of a gas is in this manner basic so as to have the option to indicate the plan conditions for the pressurized framework. It is likewise required to empower the gas offtake rates by regular vapourization to be determined. In viable terms, frameworks are frequently explicitly intended to be reasonable for either butane or propane which in this manner blocks a butane framework from being utilized for propane, yet empowers the propane framework to be classed as double reason. G:DCIM100MEDIAIMAG0198.jpg Breaking points of LPG The constituent gases found in a business LPG blend all have low breaking points and will along these lines regularly exist in the fume stage, under climatic conditions, except if they have been condensed or refrigerated. Where the gases are held at a temperature at or beneath their breaking point, the fume weight will be equivalent to or not exactly air. This property has prompted the advancement of huge scope stockpiling at marine terminals where the item is held in refrigerated structure in what is basically a non-pressurized framework. Above surrounding temperature, the gases apply an expanding fume pressure, in this manner expanding the weight required for liquefaction. This compel keeps on expanding until the basic temperature is reached, (96.67oC for propane; 152.03oC for n-butane), above which temperature of the gases stop to exist in the fluid stage regardless of whether further weight is applied. Inert Heat of LPG The dormant warmth of a fluid item is the amount of warmth retained to empower vapourization to happen. In case of fluid LPG being permitted to vapourize normally, the idle warmth required is taken from itself and its quick environmental factors simultaneously, causing a drop in temperature. The procedure is known as auto-refrigeration. Exceptionally low temperatures can be accomplished with propane under such conditions; accordingly so as to maintain a strategic distance from administrators getting serious virus consumes, defensive garments is required. Explicit Volume, Relative Density LPGs exist as overwhelming gases roughly 1.5 2.0 occasions the thickness of air in fume stage. They lessen in volume impressively on liquefaction (proportion of gas volume to fluid volume at 15.6oC/1016mbar is 233 for butane and 274 for propane) to exist as a reasonable fluid which is around a large portion of the heaviness of water (Propane 0.50 0.51, Butane 0.57 0.58). It would thus be able to be seen that LPG fumes heavier than air will in general stick to the ground trying to enter channels, channels and other low regions, which could make it require some investment to scatter. Releasing fluid stage LPG will quickly grow to around multiple times its own volume, hence making a more serious hazard than would happen with a comparable estimated fume spillage. Where temperature conditions license the presence of free fluid from a spillage, the item will glide on any water present. This regularly happens with butane in freezing conditions and a common situation would happen during firefighting tasks. Coefficient of Cubical Expansion of Liquid Fluid stage LPG grows impressively when its temperature increments. The coefficients of cubical extension at 15oC are around 0.0016 per oC for propane and 0.0011 per oC for butane. These qualities are around multiple times the proportionate for fuel oil, multiple times that for water and multiple times that for steel. This high pace of extension must be thought about while determining the greatest amount of LPG allowed to be filled into any weight vessel, ie the filling proportion characterized by codes of training for various determination of LPGs under various surrounding conditions. Since the filling proportion precautionary measures taken to forestall the water powered filling of capacity frameworks can't be stretched out to the associating fluid stage pipework, these pieces of the framework are ensured by the arrangement of little hydrostatic help valves arranged in all zones where the fluid LPG can be caught between shut valves. Cutoff points of Flammability Vaporous fills will possibly consume when blended in with air in extents which lie between two very much characterized limits, known as the lower and furthest restrictions of combustibility. As far as possible being the littlest amount of flammable gas which, when blended in with a given amount of air (or O2) will bolster self-spreading fire. A hole of 1m3 of condensed propane will create 274m3 of propane fume, which will cause quick entrainment of air and dynamic weakening of the fixation. At the point when the furthest reaches of 10% is reached, the propane/air blend gets combustible (ie when the propane entrains, 274 10 = 2740m3 of air). The blend possibly becomes combustible when the lower furthest reaches of 2% is reached (ie when the propane entrains 274 50 = 13,700m3) of air. In this way, should a hole of propane happen, the propane/air blend will be combustible and consequently very perilous until it has been weakened with more than 13,700m3 air per m3 of propane spillage. Coming up next are the constraints of combustibility of LPG and some different fills: Gas Lower Limit Maximum Limit Business Propane 2.0 10.0 Business Butane 1.8 9.0 Gaseous petrol 5.0 15.0 Coal Gas 5.0 40.0 C:UsersMr TDesktopIMAG0189.jpg

Saturday, August 22, 2020

The Growth of Anti-Communist Belief In the 20th century Essay

The Growth of Anti-Communist Belief In the twentieth century - Essay Example The thoughts of socialism later became quickly spreading the political and social structures in nations everywhere throughout the eastern alliance and causing an extreme competition between the east and nations in the Western coalition that were predominantly industrialist. During the virus war, the sentiments against anticommunism started spreading in the eastern nations in this way bringing about the deterioration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The virus war made an empowering situation for the spread of publicity about different nations and monetary systems. The virus war period went before the Second World War, a period where nations in the distinctive financial coalitions never shared any business exchange and they each lived in dread of the activities of every alliance. Every locale in this way expected the other was logically getting more grounded and accumulating military resources in this way increasing military force. This finished into dread which no coalition could break by opening war against the other. In any case, the dread and doubt that the East had against the economy of the West gradually started countering the impact of socialism in the East bringing about the abrogation of the financial system. The West drove by the United States of America and nations in Europe had the industrialist monetary structure. Free enterprise empowered fast monetary development since it allowed private undertakings accordingly empowering the administration to gather charges from the populace along these lines increasing more income. The thoughts of free enterprise guaranteed quick financial development through private venture. The western nations in this manner looked financially more grounded than the Eastern coalition did since they had enough cash to buy any military cannons they would require. This was not normal for the circumstance in the Eastern alliance where the nations commonly claimed the economy and subsequently the military resources. The system looked feeble and undermined the development of the whole Asian mainland and their subsidiaries. The problematic occasions of the virus war hence made an empowering situation for the spread of purposeful publicity and detest messages among every area. The East dynamically got dubious of the exercises of the western alliance, which had dynamic monetary action. The dread and purposeful publicity prompted battling among the various districts in the eastern coalition bringing about the split inside the communist world. The West expected that the development of the socialist philosophies in the East would inevitably influence their economies since they focused on remote markets after the war. The virus war along these lines made an empowering domain for the spread of publicity which the west suitably made and utilized their propelled media transmission instruments to spread to east and other nonpartisan nations. The invasion of the publicity brought about dread, which constrained the communist nations to part their political belief systems a component throughout the entire existence of socialism that brought about the formation of left wing anticommunism. The production of the left wing enemy of socialism went before the split of the socialist gatherings from the already transcendent communist second worldwide to make three diverse political philosophies including the law based communist, the third global and the social democrats2. Socialism had an expand political framework alluded to as the communist. The systems had

Monday, July 27, 2020

Look as good you will not

Look as good you will not DID YOU KNOW? The Tick was created as a mascot for the newsletter of a comics shop in Boston. In my daily perusal of Wikipedia I came across STARKILLER: The Jedi Bendu Script site, which purports to. Now, hopefully its not just some well-known internet hoax that Ive been taken in by, like Bonsai Kittens. But I really cant imagine why somebody would want to fabricate really bad, fake narratives loosely based on the characters in Star Wars, so Im assuming that theyre genuine. And since, hey, this is an MIT blog, I figured that my general readership would be nerdy enough to appreciate it. Not that everybody at MIT is a Star Wars fan. I know some people who havent seen any of the films at all. According to my archives, Nicola 07 rented the entire trilogy from our dorm last year (Burton-Conner has a free rental movie collection) to brush up on the plot of the original trilogy before seeing MTGs fall production of Star Wars: Musical Edition. But, yes, Revenge of the Sith did come on during finals week and we did get into a heated debate about the and the relative power levels of various Jedi. My own position was that if Darth Sidious were really that much stronger than Mace Windu, he would not have had expended so much energy in holding him back that he turned his forehead into a butt. Jeremy 09 argued that Sidious was only pretending to be weak to lure Anakin to the dark side, but really, couldnt he have done that without turning his forehead into a butt? Anyway, when you start to look at George Lucass original scripts, you start to understand how the prequel trilogy could have turned out the way it did. The five drafts leading up to A New Hope show a vast improement in quality, suggesting that Episodes I, II, and III just could have benefitted from a little revision to remove. For example, take this original introduction to Darth Vader: Vader raises his arm and as a sudden pain grips Leia, she doubles up unable to continue. Vader raises his arm and a flask on the table mysteriously jumps into his open hand. He casually drinks from the flask. I understand that its just a device to show Vaders command of the Force, but I imagine casually drinking from a flask is one of the less threatening activities Darth Vader can engage in. But even better is this Woody Allenesque dialogue upon the introduction of Ben Kenobi. BEN: Good morning! LUKE: What do you mean, good morning? Do you mean that it is a good morning for you, or do you wish me a good morning, although it is obvious Im not having one, or do you find that mornings in general are good? BEN: All of them altogether. Maybe if that had been left in, they wouldnt have lost Best Picture to Annie Hall. But these are just from the third draft of the script, when they had the plot pretty much in place (except that it involved something about Obi-Wan searching for a Kiber crystal to amplify his Force powers). Just seven months before that, the plot involved Owen, Beru, Biggs, Windy, Luke, and Leia Starkiller all living together on the desert planet of Utapau and Luke receiving this message from his older brother Deak: DEAKS IMAGE: Whippersnapper, I didnt make itIm sorry. The forces of the Bogan have become strong and deadlyI am lost. Father is in grave danger. He needs you and he needs the KIBER CRYSTAL. You must find a way to get to Ogana Major on your own. He is waiting for you there. Be careful, though. Ogana Major is under siege by the Imperial Legions of Alderaan. You must hurry for the force of the Ashla grows weak, and I dont know how much longer father can hold out. The enemy has constructed a powerful weapon to use against him. Warn Uncle forget Obi-Wan, but they do eventually come in contact with Lukes father, The Starkiller, who uses the Force (and the Kiber crystal) to hold off evil influence just long enough for Luke to hit the famous exhaust port with his photon torpedoes. Its hard to believe that things turned out so incredibly well just two years later. But even after making A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, Lucass original conception for Return of the Jedi was not quite the Ewok extravaganza that were all used to. The climax involved Lando fighting two Death stars orbiting the imperial capital planet (actually, that would have been pretty cool), but also featured the sudden resurrection of Obi-Wan Kenobi. And how to explain this unlikely event? LUKE: Ben Slowly, the hooded figure looks up, revealing his face. It is Ben Kenobi in the flesh. BEN: I could no longer stay in the netherworld. LUKE: But Yoda said BEN: that I would become one with the Force and choose not to return to the material world? That your anger prevented me from LUKE: But Im not angry not anymore I understand why you didnt tell me about my father. I do. BEN: I know. And I am here to help you destroy the Emperor, and your father. But Vader turns out to be old and weak in his battle with Obi-Wan, so the Emperor jumps in to take care of it with his force lightning. Luckily, Luke has an ace up his sleeve The Emperor turns his back on Vader and faces the old Jedi, raising his hands in the air, which causes lightning to strike at Ben. LUKE: BEN, NO! Luke leaps in front of his mentor, and raises his hand in defense. The bolts are deflected by an invisible shield. Wherever a bolt hits, the image of Yoda momentarily appears at the point of impact. Now, granted that you cant really get everything out of a movie by reading its scripts, and some lines that might look dumb on paper, like, say, Into the garbage chute, flyboy! were brought to the life by the incomparable acting of Carrie Fisher. But, really, after reading stuff like this, its easier to see how George got ideas like Hey, Ill have R2-D2 spray out an oil slick and then set these guards on fire with his jet propulsion. or Nobody remembers that dumb old line from Return of the Jedi anyway, lets just have Padme die in childbirth. or Yoda fighting would be SO COOL! or I dont like sand is just too great of a piece of dialogue to pass up. or Ive got it! Jar Jar Binks! Pictures from Belgium later this week.

Friday, May 22, 2020

How I Learned At High School - 968 Words

Writing is something that I have always enjoyed, especially in high school. That being said, I knew that I would enjoy this writing course, and even more so, because this course is designed to talk about food. Obviously, I knew that the type of writing I did in high school would be completely different from the writing I now do in college. However, I was still blown away by how different everything was. My high school, being as strict as it was with both its discipline and academics, truly did everything they could to prepare me for college, yet I was not prepared for this course. I was always taught to follow the traditional five paragraph style format and to be completely formal. This course does the complete opposite. Of course that’s not to say that I didn’t learn anything. It’s just that hat I had learned in high school has yet to be proven useful for this course specifically, but proven useful for my Biology course. Throughout this semester, I’ve lea rned that some methods from high school proved to be useful, while others seemed to have failed. Though others may disagree with me on this. Throughout my senior year of high school, I spent a good chunk of my time writing out essays. Some of them were specifically for my English class, others were for my college applications. Even though I do truly enjoy writing, it has always been something I struggled with. I wouldn’t say it’s because English isn’t my first language, but I just seem to find it very difficult to put myShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of School652 Words   |  3 PagesThe place where I developed into the person I am today is my school. Consider how important school is to a teenager. It is the social hub, a place for arts and athletics, and it is a place of learning. 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These are the formative years and the more important ones when it comes to socialization. We are plucked from our family where we have learned to relate and socialize with them, and are thrown into a different world that we must adapt to. We are required to learn that other grown-upsRead More Reflective Essay on College Writing839 Words   |  4 Pagesfirst semester as a college student. Being the first, it was probably the semester I would learn the most in. I learned the expectations for writing that I will have to live up to for the next four years of my college career. Though my high school teachers were usually demanding because I was in the Honors English section throughout high school, writing in college has still ?raised the bar? for me. Also, in high school, we would have weeks to pick a topic, create a thesis, outline the paper, write theRead MoreI Am An Open Minded Person850 Words   |  4 Pagesmy high school experiences, I learned a lot of lessons. I learned how to be an open minded person. I learned how to listen to other peoples’ life stories and how that affected their behaviors and attitudes toward others. I also learned how to stop judging people by their actions or behaviors. Instead, treat everyone else the same way that I want them to treat me. Therefore, I started a new chapter in my life after getting to know other people’s struggles and problems. My first year in high schoolRead MoreEssay about Educational Technology Autobiography1552 Words   |  7 Pageseducation: The very first form of educational technology that I encountered was the use of the overhead in the first grade. In the third grade I was moved to a gifted and talented Math class; therefore, allowing my fellow classmates and myself access to a computer lab that contained seven apple computers. Every Friday we were allotted fifteen to twenty minutes on these computers to play Number Munchers and Oregon Trail. In fourth and fifth grade I continued with my gifted and talented Math programs, butRead MoreGoals For High Schools Should Be Quite Simple Meaning1491 Words   |  6 PagesGoals for high schools should be quite simple; meaning students should graduate confident in their abilities to go into the world and survive in today’s society. However, instead students spend their twelve years of education concentrating on subjects that do not teach them valuable skills they need to know in our current world. The â€Å"most important† fact I can remember from high school is y =mx+b and I have not used it once since graduating high school. Schools across America should start focusing

Friday, May 8, 2020

General Motors Company Case Analysis - 2051 Words

General Motors Company General Motors Company, more often known as GM, is a multinational firm that specializes in designing, manufacturing, marketing and distributing vehicles and vehicle parts. It was founded in 1908 by William Durant and Charles Mott and led global vehicle sales for 77 consecutive years (1931 – 2007.) GM is now one of the largest automakers in the world. The auto company employs 212,000 people and does business in more than 120 countries. As a consolidated global entity, with production operations in over 35 countries, GM faces several opportunities for risk exposure. The three main classes of risks that GM faces include operational risk, financial risk and legal, or compliance, risk. Operational risk is one of the largest risks that GM faces, as it includes exposure to failures of their people, their processes, systems and any external events. With operations in countries all over the world, GM is constantly restructuring their day-to-day processes and the structure of the specific operations. For example, they are currently facing difficult operating and market conditions in certain countries, like in Europe, and are forced to restructure, impair or rationalize these operations. As smooth and successful operations in all countries that they do business in is one the keys to their achievement, a failure in these restructurings would result in a significant negative impact to the company. Unfortunately the only thing that they can do toShow MoreRelatedGeneral Motors And The U.s. Auto Industry1029 Words   |  5 Pages Five Forces Analysis of General Motors and the U.S. Auto Industry Trinity Washington University Jessica Jackson I realize the responsibility involved in membership in the Trinity community. I agree to abide by the rules and regulations of this community. 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Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 24 Free Essays

Seth had chided me for being late, but with five daughters, the Mortensens were always running late. So no one, except Seth, really paid much attention to my tardiness. Likewise, with so much chaos, no one really noticed that he and I didn’t talk much. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus on Top CHAPTER 24 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The girls spoke more than enough for all of us, and I took some comfort in their presence. As always, they couldn’t get enough of me, crawling all over me and tugging at my sleeve to make sure they had my undivided attention. I enjoyed it all in a bittersweet sort of way. Convinced Seth and I were on the verge of a break-up, I mostly kept thinking that this would be the last time I would hang out with this wonderful family. Andrea provided us with an equally distracting birthday/Thanksgiving meal. Terry and Seth had helped her, it turned out, but I still marveled that they had pulled it off while still managing the little ones. I said as much to Andrea. â€Å"Parenthood makes you the ultimate multitasker,† she informed me. â€Å"You’ll see what I mean when you have kids.† I smiled back politely, not bothering to tell her there’d be no kids for me. â€Å"Besides,† Terry said with a grin, â€Å"we understand you’re already sort of a superwoman. Seth was telling us about some crazy shindig you threw together at the bookstore?† â€Å"Uncle Seth said it was cool,† added Brandy. â€Å"It was a fest,† I corrected, glancing at Seth in surprise. I couldn’t figure out at all what his feelings were for me. He’d invited me over and had apparently been singing my praises. None of that jibed with the fallout I expected from the Bastien incident, nor his initial stunned reaction to it. Seth opened presents after dinner, the bulk of which were books and more contributions to his wacky T-shirt collection. â€Å"Where’s your present?† Kendall asked me. â€Å"I left it at home.† We all hung out and talked after that, my apprehension mounting as I wondered where this evening would lead. When the party finally disbanded, Seth asked me if I wanted to go somewhere. I took a deep breath. It was now or never. â€Å"Let’s go to my place.† Once back there, we stationed ourselves on my couch – at a proper distance – and talked about everything except our relationship. I told him about my new position and got his congratulations. He told me about some interesting fan comments he’d received at the signing. When this had gone on for nearly thirty minutes, I couldn’t take it any more. â€Å"Seth, what’s going on?† I demanded. â€Å"With us.† He leaned his head back against the couch. â€Å"I wondered when we’d get to this. Can’t avoid it any longer, huh?† â€Å"Well, yeah. This is a big deal. This isn’t like a dispute over where to go for dinner†¦this is us. Our future. I mean, I†¦you know. You know what I did.† â€Å"I do.† He studied my ceiling for a moment, then turned his amber brown eyes on me. In that moment, I almost understood why he always seemed to be staring somewhere else. When he turned his eyes directly on you, it was a hard and powerful thing. They were electric. â€Å"Aren’t I allowed to forgive you?† â€Å"Er†¦no. Well, I don’t know.† This conversation echoed the one I’d had with Bastien earlier. He had said the same thing, and after weighing everything, I’d decided it wasn’t worth being mad at him. Was it so easy to forgive the ones you loved? â€Å"I won’t lie, Thetis, it hurt. It still does. But, in some ways†¦well, it’s only one step away from what you normally do.† â€Å"A big step.† He laughed. â€Å"Whose side are you on? Are you trying to turn me against you?† â€Å"I’m just trying to make sure you stand up for yourself.† â€Å"You’re always worried about that. Don’t worry. I’m not a complete doormat.† â€Å"I didn’t mean that. I just†¦I don’t know. I’m not very good at this dating thing.† â€Å"I know that. Neither am I. I’ve done plenty of stupid things in my past relationships. I deserve a few karmic turnabouts. Of course, that doesn’t mean I want this to become an ongoing thing, but one mistake†¦one mistake I can forgive. If I haven’t had much practice dating, you’ve got to be even worse after, what, how many years of casual, uh, flings?† â€Å"A lot,† I replied vaguely. For some reason, I was reluctant to tell Seth my age. He picked up on that, his eyes narrowing ruefully. â€Å"And right there. That’s another thing. Almost worse than what happened. You’re doing it again.† â€Å"Doing what?† â€Å"You don’t tell me things. Things about you. It’s like you’re afraid to show me who you are. But like I said, that’s what love is. You open yourself up. I want to know you. I want to know everything about you. Sometimes I feel like no matter how strongly I feel about you†¦I still don’t know you at all.† â€Å"I’m not very good at that part either,† I said softly. Seth pulled me into an embrace, crushing me against him. There was a fierceness in that motion, an unflinching sense of possession that stirred my blood. â€Å"You’re my world right now, Georgina, but I can’t go on with this†¦not if there’s no honesty.† His tone was gentle and loving, but I heard the warning between the lines. I’d had my fuckup. The next time, I would not get such amnesty. This terrified me a little, yet I was proud of him and realized I had a lot more to learn about him too. He had every right to be laying down the law. He was not a doormat. I regretted my mistakes, and while I was glad to be forgiven this time, I didn’t want Seth to waste his life on me if I couldn’t ever treat him right. My young French lover, Etienne, had never recovered. I’d learned years later that he’d broken his engagement, staying forever single. He’d thrown himself into his painting, earning a small following. Several portraits of me – as a blond Josephine – still hung in private European collections. Etienne had not been able to get me out of his system, and it had made a mess of him. I wanted things to work with Seth so badly. I wanted us to be together and be happy for as long as we could manage it. But if we couldn’t, I didn’t want him to waste his life on me as that young painter had. â€Å"I love you,† I murmured into Seth’s shoulder, astonished when the words just slipped out. And I realized then just how much I meant them. He inhaled deeply and held me even tighter, and I felt the love pouring off of him, even with no spoken declaration. â€Å"I’m pretty sure I don’t deserve you.† â€Å"Oh, my Thetis, you deserve a lot of things. And honestly† – he shifted around and studied me – â€Å"as much as it hurts†¦I’m sort of glad that you, you know, had that chance with Bastien.† I frowned. â€Å"That chance to be with a copy of you?† â€Å"Well, no. That’s still kind of weird. I mean the chance to have sex and, well, enjoy it. Every time I think about what you do on a regular basis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He closed his eyes a moment. â€Å"I just envision you being raped over and over. And I hate it. It makes me sick. I’m glad you were with someone you cared about†¦even if it wasn’t me. You deserve to have good sex for a change.† â€Å"You do too,† I said, overwhelmed by Seth’s nonstop selflessness. â€Å"And you know†¦if you ever wanted to find someone and just, well, have sex for the fun of it†¦well, you could. You know, just to fulfill the physical need. I wouldn’t mind.† I didn’t think I would, at least. I uneasily recalled my slight jealousy over his correspondence with Maddie. He looked at me seriously. â€Å"I don’t have sex just to fulfill a need. Not if I can help it. Sex may not be a requisite part of love, but it is an expression of love. It should at least be with someone you care about.† The answer didn’t surprise me. In fact, it suddenly reminded me of something. â€Å"Hey, I’ve got something for you.† Despite our dire romantic status, I had nonetheless chosen twenty of the best pictures Bastien had taken of me and had Hugh print them this week. I hadn’t known until now that I’d actually be able to give them to Seth. I found them in my bedroom, bound with a pink ribbon. â€Å"Your birthday present.† I started to hand the pictures over. â€Å"Wait,† he said. He opened up the messenger bag he carried his laptop around in. A moment later, he offered me several sheets of paper. I gave him the pictures. We sat in silence, each of us studying our respective offerings. For half a second, I thought he was sharing a manuscript after all. A few lines into it, I realized it was addressed to me. It was the writing he’d promised me a while back. The detailed exposition of all the things he wished we could do. Reading it, I sort of lost track of the world around me. What he’d written was exquisite. Some of it was like poetry. A beautifully crafted ode to my beauty and my body and my personality that made my heart swell. Other parts were brazenly explicit. Hot and steamy. They made O’Neill and Genevieve’s elevator look like a kindergarten classroom. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I read. When I finished, I looked up at him breathlessly. He was watching me, as the pictures had taken less time to peruse. â€Å"I take it all back,† he told me, holding up one of the shots. It showed me sitting crosswise in a chair, naked. My legs draped over the edge lazily, showing a nice view of my pink painted toenails. A hardbound copy of one of Seth’s books sat on my lap. â€Å"Sex might be a requisite part of love after all.† I glanced down at the manifesto. â€Å"Yeah. It just might be.† We sat there a moment, then burst out laughing. He rubbed his eyes. â€Å"Thetis,† he said wearily, â€Å"what are we going to do with ourselves?† â€Å"I don’t know. Do the pictures just make things worse?† â€Å"No. They’re wonderful. Thank you. They’re a good way of having you†¦even if I can’t have the real thing.† An idea slowly coalesced in my mind. The pictures just involved looking. Looking was safe. And one didn’t just have to look at a two-dimensional image. â€Å"Maybe†¦maybe you can have the real thing.† He gave me a quizzical look, and I hastily amended: â€Å"In a hands-off way. Come on.† â€Å"This seems dangerous,† he said when I led him to the bedroom. Sunset was filling the room with mood lighting. I pointed to a chair in the corner. â€Å"Sit there.† I moved to the opposite corner, hoping it was enough space. â€Å"What are you – Oh.† He bit off his words, swallowing. â€Å"Oh.† I slid my hands slowly up over my hips and breasts, over to the top button of my blouse. Slowly, deliberately, I unfastened the button. Then, just as carefully, I moved down to the next button. And the next. Then I unbound my hair, letting it fall messily over my shoulders. A striptease is all about letting go of self-consciousness. And it’s about pacing too, I supposed. Admittedly, doing a show in front of Seth, whom I loved, moved into a realm I felt a little unfamiliar with. Nervous energy twitched inside me, but I didn’t show it on the outside. I was on the stage, and I moved through my steps with sultry confidence, watching my own hands sometimes and making eye contact with him at others. This was part of my gift to him. He obviously liked seeing my body, even if, for the moment, he watched like one frozen, eyes wide and face carefully controlled. The blouse eventually fell to the floor, followed by the skirt. I’d had bare legs earlier today but had covertly shape-shifted on thigh-highs while we walked to the bedroom. Left only in those and a cherry-red bra and panty set made of satin, I languidly moved my body in smooth and alluring ways as I played with edges and straps. The stockings came off next, each one rolled down with delicate motions that let my hands slide against my own skin. Left in almost nothing, I savored the shining satin, trailing my fingertips over the bra and panty’s surfaces. At last they peeled off too, and I was left in only my skin, left fully exposed and with a surprising heat burning in my lower body. I had turned myself on as much as him. I stood there a moment, like I was taking in applause before an audience, then started to walk across the room. â€Å"No,† he said, voice thick and husky. His fingers dug into the chair’s arms. â€Å"You’d better not get too close.† I stopped, laughing softly. â€Å"You don’t strike me as the assaulting type, Mortensen.† â€Å"Yeah, well, there’s a first time for everything.† â€Å"So you liked?† â€Å"Very much.† His eyes were drinking me in, ravenous and needful. â€Å"That was the best thing I’ve ever seen.† Pleased, I stretched out my muscles, holding my arms over my head a moment before exhaling and letting my hands fall. As they did, I ran them down over my breasts and thighs in a careless gesture I didn’t really even think about. Yet, as I did it, I saw his posture stiffen slightly and that fire in his eyes flare up. A slow, dangerous smile spread over my face. â€Å"What?† he asked. â€Å"I don’t think the show’s over yet.† I sat back on the bed, then slid myself up so I was propped up against the pillows in full view. Watching him and his every reaction, I moved my hands up to my breasts, feeling them. But these were not the touches that came with a sensual undressing. These were caresses of a different sort. A more urgent sort. I want to see you in the throes of orgasm, Seth had written in his missive. I want to see your whole body writhing, your lips open as you drink in your own pleasure. Only yours, no one else’s. Just you, completely given up to ecstasy. I stroked my breasts, cupping them, feeling their softness and curving shape. My fingers moved and stroked my nipples, teasing them further, moving in lazy circles. I ran my thumbs over them, reveling in their sensitivity. When my breasts were finally taut and aching, I let my hands travel down over my smooth and flat stomach, examining and lingering on every part until I reached my thighs. Parting them ever so slightly, I slipped two fingers between the waiting lips so I could stroke that throbbing knot of nerves, moaning without even realizing it. Something about Seth watching aroused me more than I’d expected. I was dripping with wetness, aching and scorching. I slid my fingers over and over that burning, swelling spot, stoking the rapidly growing need. Arching my body, hearing the soft cries escaping from me, all I could think about was Seth’s eyes on me. Doing this for him, was in many ways, more genuine than actual sex with Bastien-turned-Seth had been. This was as intimate as he and I could ever be. It wasn’t exactly the same as the honest communication we kept talking about, but in a way, I was opening myself to him after all. Exposing myself without inhibition. I kept expecting the succubus energy-need to pick up on this scam, but either the distance or the fact that I was doing this to myself continued to trick it. We’d found a loophole after all. As my fingers continued to rub between my lips, bringing me closer and closer to that crest, I moved my other hand down and thrust a couple of fingers inside of me. This elicited a moan of yearning, and I opened my thighs further, letting Seth get a full view. Faster and harder both sets of fingers worked, touching everything, building and building up that delicious pleasure until I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore. Like I was going to burst. And then, I did. Sparks and lightning shot through my body, radiating from my core outward until every part of me tingled with life. I cried out again, loudly, my body writhing against the sheets as spasms racked my muscles. What had started as an ostentatious show had become something more. Doing this for Seth – with Seth – had reawakened something sleeping inside of me. I had lost control; my own body had taken over. When I finally calmed down, I lay back against the covers, my breathing shallow as I recovered myself. I could feel sweat all over me. And with that physical response, an emotional and almost spiritual one radiated through me as well. Like the experience had somehow lit a flame within me. One that hadn’t died with the orgasm. One that had nearly gone cold once – long ago – but now shone fiercely. A moment later, I heard Seth stand up. Gingerly, he moved to my side, just barely sitting on the bed. We stared at each other, neither of us speaking, our eyes conveying all we needed to each other. He reached out a hand, like he might stroke my cheek, then pulled back. â€Å"I’m afraid to touch you,† he whispered. â€Å"Yeah. It might†¦might be wise to hold back on that for a little longer. Just in case it kicks in.† â€Å"I take back what I said earlier about the stripping. This was the best thing I’ve ever seen.† He crooked me a smile. â€Å"No, you’re the best thing I’ve ever seen. Everything about you.† I smiled back. â€Å"We might have found a workaround.† â€Å"For you maybe. As it is, I’m, uh, feeling a little†¦uncomfortable right now. I’m glad you were able to get a release, at least.† I suddenly sat up, energized. â€Å"Well, why can’t you?† His smile dropped. â€Å"What? Like in the bathroom?† â€Å"No. Right here.† â€Å"You’re joking.† â€Å"No.† I could feel my lips turning into a mischievous smirk. â€Å"Fair is fair. Quid pro quo. I did it for you, now it’s your turn.† â€Å"I†¦no. No. I can’t do that.† â€Å"Sure you can. There’s nothing to it.† â€Å"Yeah, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No buts. You’re the one going on about openness and sharing. â€Å" â€Å"Whoa. That’s not even the same.† â€Å"It is.† I rolled over so that I was not quite in a pouncing position, but pretty close. I gave him a smoldering look. â€Å"How do you think I was able to do all that? I thought about you. I thought about you being over me while I spread my body for you. I opened up to you. I let you see everything. I wanted you to have that part of me. Nothing held back. And now I want to see the same.† I leaned close, starting to tug his shirt off. â€Å"I want to see you come. I want to see you give in to that desire. I want to see your face when you touch yourself and think about me.† â€Å"And they say I’m good with words.† He closed his eyes for a moment. â€Å"I can’t believe you can have this effect on me.† I pulled his Spam shirt over his head. â€Å"I’m waiting.† Seth stared at me, then carefully and hesitantly began taking off his pants. He tossed them on the floor and moved on to his adorable flannel boxers. He paused there, clearly nervous, and then removed them in a quick motion before he could turn back. I looked him over admiringly, seeing him naked for the first time. As my gaze lingered between his legs, I had to work to keep a straight face. Bastien hadn’t done him justice. â€Å"This is going to be hard,† he observed. â€Å"It already looks hard to me.† â€Å"Stop making jokes.† â€Å"Sorry. Just relax, that’s the key.† I sat back away from him, putting some distance between us once again. â€Å"Drop the self-consciousness. Just give in to how you feel.† He nodded and took a deep breath. â€Å"Thanks, coach. Can you move over to your side – yeah. There. And then, the hand†¦yes, put it right there. Perfect.† He shook his head, an almost comic look of misery and eagerness on his face as his hand slowly moved down. â€Å"I need a good view of you to pull this off, I think, so I can keep my eyes off me. If I pay too much attention to what I’m doing, the absurdity will hit. â€Å" â€Å"Well then,† I said, getting comfortable. â€Å"Don’t look down.† How to cite Succubus on Top CHAPTER 24, Essay examples

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Sexual Story Essays - , Term Papers, Research Papers

Sexual Story I'd always thought of her as a fairly shy girl, so I was totally unprepared for what happened next. As soon as we sat down on the sofa in the living room, she leaned over and kissed me. Not a little peck, but a full-blown french kiss. It must have lasted for ages as she pushed me down onto my back, pressing her firm breasts against my chest. When she broke the kiss, she looked into my eyes and said I've liked you for so long, but I never had the nerve to do anything about it. I want you. Before I could say anything else, she kissed me again. This time, though, she slid one of her hands down into my jeans to find my penis, which by this time was fully erect and longing for some action. Encouraged by this finding, she undid my jeans and pushed them and my underwear as far down my legs as she could until finally she had to break the kiss. She wasted no time in moving down to my cock and licking its head. She took me in her mouth, but not very deeply. I grabbed her head and gently pushed down, but she resisted. She came up off my *censored* and said Uh ... this is my first time; I hope I'm not too bad at it, then surrounded my cock with her lips once again. She took me a little deeper each time, with a little more suction, a little more tongue action. I didn't tell her, but it was my first time, too, and I'd never felt anything like this before. I lay my head back against the chair arm, closed my eyes, and the feeling swept me away. No wonder guys always talk about getting head, I thought to myself. She was evidently a quick learner, for she soon had me about to cum. I moaned Ohh .... ooohhhh ... I'm ... I'm about to ... , but I didn't get a chance to finish the thought. As every muscle in my body tensed up, I looked at her head bobbing up and down and I shot my semen into a woman for the first time. I guess she didn't quite know what to expect, as she coughed a little before managing to swallow a couple of times. She gave my cock one last suck and lifted her head, smiling. I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her head up to meet mine. I kissed her, passionately jousting with her tongue. I was surprised at the taste of my semen; I'd always thought it would be gross, but it actually wasn't so bad. When we broke the kiss, she looked me in the eye and said Did I do OK? The only answer I could think of was another kiss, as my hands went down to her skirt. I fondled her ass a bit while I removed the skirt and her panties. I broke the kiss and told her Now it's your turn. We exchanged positions and I moved down to her *censored*, kissing her breasts through the sweater on the way and wondering if I'd be anywhere near as good for her as she was for me. I gave her outer lips a little kiss, prodding between them with my tongue. Heidi shuddered and spread her legs some more, so I figured I was starting out OK. I spread her lips with my hands and found her clit with my tongue. Her response was a little moan. As I licked her clit, she grabbed my rig ht hand and pushed it towards her breasts, under her sweater. She was wearing a front-closing bra; I wonder if she had anything in mind when she put it on today? It was quite a challenge undoing her bra without my tongue losing track of what it was doing, particularly with only one hand free to work on her bra, but I finally managed to get one of her magnificent breasts in my hand. I was running my fingers around her nipple, pinching it, pressing on it, squeezing her breasts; meanwhile, I was probing into her cunt with my tongue.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Louis Isadore Kahn And The Salk Institute Essays - Louis Kahn

Louis Isadore Kahn And The Salk Institute Essays - Louis Kahn Louis Isadore Kahn And The Salk Institute Louis Kahn and The Salk Institute Standing alone against the endless blue sea, the Salk Institute by Louis I. Kahn is one of a kind. Louis Kahn's Salk Institute for Biological Studies on the Pacific coast near La Jolla aspires within its own spirit to an order achieved through clarity, definition, and consistency of application(Heyer 195). To many, this magnificent structure may seem out of place, but it works well with the surrounding environment because of the spatial continuity that it possesses. The relation to the site, the tectonic characteristics, and the ideas of servant versus served, combine to achieve a great sense of order in the Salk Institute. Many of the ideas that went into the construction of this design are still utilized in architecture today. Kahn's modern design takes full advantage of the atmosphere by opening up a broad plaza between two research and lab wings providing a view of the beautiful Pacific Ocean and the coastline (Ghirardo 227). The laboratories are separated from the study areas, and each study has a view of the magnificent blue Pacific with horizontal light pouring in. This allows scientists to take a break from their frantic studies and clear their minds with a breath-taking view. In relation to this idea Kahn stated, I separated the studies from the laboratory and placed them over the gardens. Now one need not spend all the time in the laboratories (Ronner 158). The two lab wings are symmetrical about a small stream that runs through the middle of the courtyard and feeds into the ocean. This steady ban of water flowing towards the sea symbolizes the success that human can accomplish. I thought this idea had a worthy presence, considering the Salk Institute is one that promotes research and study. Thus, the courtyard is considered the faade to the sky. Kahn didn't need to dress up the land around the plan because the Salk Institute is the landscape. It is one with the site. Kahn incorporates the use of tectonic characteristics within this design in a number of ways. The materials used included wood, concrete, marble, water, and glass, and they all contributed to the Brutalist notions and simplistic plan. He believed that concrete was the stone of modern man, and therefore it was to be left with exposed joints and formwork markings (Ronner 164). Weathered wood and glass combined with the concrete to construct the outside surface. Kahn also integrated mechanical and electrical services into this architecture, which gave laboratories a new concept. These technologies were hidden in the design to continue Kahn's search for order in the plan. Ceiling and column ideas were also combined to separate the air that you breathe from the air that you throw away. Interlocking volumes are present throughout the structure, all the way down to the details on the furniture (Ghirardo 227). The servant and served spaces in the Salk Institute create a consistent order, which is evident throughout the design. The laboratories act as the served spaces, while the servant spaces are represented by the studies. All of the ideas are initiated in the studies or offices, and the research is carried out in the labs. Therefore, the servant spaces serve the served spaces. These are not the only ways that the served and servant concepts are involved in the institute. An idea that is still used to this day in all forms of architecture is the way the Kahn guides the utilities through the building in an unnoticeable manner. Served spaces and servant spaces are entirely integrated (Scully 36). Kahn also made a service floor under each laboratory which established a very flexible space, and this concept is still used today (Frampton 245). Overlooking the great Pacific, this is no ordinary office building. Louis Kahn used a combination of modern architecture with much simplicity to produc e arguably his greatest feat as an architect. A lot of concepts that he initiated in this plan are still in use all over the world today. The relation to the site, the tectonic characteristics, and the ideas of servant versus served, all work together to achieve a great sense of order in the Salk Institute. Bibliography Frampton,

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Andrew Jackson, Indian Removal, and the Trail of Tears

Andrew Jackson, Indian Removal, and the Trail of Tears The Indian Removal policy of President Andrew Jackson was prompted by the desire of white settlers in the South to expand into lands belonging to five Indian tribes. After Jackson succeeded in pushing the Indian Removal Act through Congress in 1830, the U.S. government spent nearly 30 years forcing Indians to move westward, beyond the Mississippi River. In the most notorious example of this policy, more than 15,000 members of the Cherokee tribe were forced to walk from their homes in the southern states to designated Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma in 1838. Many died along the way. This forced relocation became known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears† because of the great hardship faced by Cherokees. In brutal conditions, nearly 4,000 Cherokees died on the Trail of Tears. Conflicts With Settlers Led to Indian Removal There had been conflicts between whites and Native Americans since the first white settlers arrived in North America. But in the early 1800s, the issue had come down to white settlers encroaching on Indian lands in the southern United States. Five Indian tribes were located on land that would be highly sought for settlement, especially as it was prime land for the cultivation of cotton. The tribes on the land were the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole. Over time the tribes in the south tended to adopt white ways such as taking up farming in the tradition of white settlers  and in some cases even buying and owning African American slaves. These efforts at assimilation led to the tribes becoming known as the â€Å"Five Civilized Tribes.† Yet taking up the ways of the white settlers did not mean the Indians would be able to keep their lands. In fact, settlers hungry for land were actually dismayed to see Indians, contrary to all the propaganda about them being savages, adopt the farming practices of the white Americans. The Attitude of Andrew Jackson Toward Indians The accelerated desire to relocate Indians to the West was a consequence of the election of Andrew Jackson in 1828. Jackson had a long and complicated history with Indians, having grown up in frontier settlements where stories of Indian attacks were common. At various times in his early military career, Jackson had been allied with Indian tribes  but had also waged brutal campaigns against Indians. His attitude toward Native Americans was not unusual for the times, though by today’s standards he would be considered a racist as he believed Indians to be inferior to whites. One way to view Jackson’s attitude toward Indians was that he was paternalistic, believing the Indians to be like children who needed guidance. And by that way of thinking, Jackson may well have believed that forcing the Indians to move hundreds of miles westward may have been for their own good, as they would never fit in with white society. Of course, the Indians, not to mention sympathetic white people ranging from religious figures in the North to the backwoods hero turned Congressman Davy Crockett, saw things quite differently. To this day Andrew Jacksons legacy is often tied to his attitudes toward Native Americans. According to an article in the Detroit Free Press in 2016, many Cherokees, to this day, will not use $20 bills because they bear the likeness of Jackson. Cherokee Leader John Ross Fought Against Indian Removal Policies The political leader of the Cherokee tribe, John Ross, was the son of a Scottish father and a Cherokee mother. He was destined for a career as a merchant, as his father had been, but became involved in tribal politics and in 1828 Ross was elected the tribal chief of the Cherokee. In 1830, Ross and the Cherokee took the audacious step of trying to retain their lands by filing suit against the state of Georgia. The case eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Chief Justice John Marshall, while avoiding the central issue, ruled that the states could not assert control over the Indian tribes. According to legend, President Jackson scoffed, saying, â€Å"John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it. And no matter what the Supreme Court ruled, the Cherokees did face serious obstacles. Vigilante groups in Georgia attacked them, and John Ross was nearly killed in one attack. Indian Tribes Were Forcibly Removed In the 1820s, the Chickasaws, under pressure, began moving westward. The U.S. Army began forcing the Choctaws to move in 1831. The French author Alexis de Tocqueville, on his landmark trip to America, witnessed a party of Choctaws struggling to cross the Mississippi with great hardship in the dead of winter. The leaders of the Creeks were imprisoned in 1837, and 15,000 Creeks were forced to move westward. The Seminoles, based in Florida, managed to fight a long war against the U.S. Army until they finally moved westward in 1857. The Cherokees Were Forced to Move Westward Along the Trail of Tears Despite legal victories by the Cherokees, the United States government began to force the tribe to move west, to present-day Oklahoma, in 1838. A considerable force of the U.S. Army more than 7,000 men was ordered by President Martin Van Buren, who followed Jackson in office, to remove the Cherokees. General Winfield Scott commanded the operation, which became notorious for the cruelty shown to the Cherokee people. Soldiers in the operation later expressed regret for what they had been ordered to do. Cherokees were rounded up in camps and farms which had been in their families for generations were awarded to white settlers. The forced march of more than 15,000 Cherokees began in late 1838. And in the cold winter ​conditions, nearly 4,000 Cherokee died while trying to walk the 1,000 miles to the land where they had been ordered to live. The forced relocation of the Cherokee thus became known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears.†

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Business Ethics - Essay Example The manager in charge of the project, John Fisher was accused of paying somebody to buy the frozen drinks worth 10000 dollars to help in convincing the Burger king to become a pioneer in frozen Coke promotion that would take place nationally the following year (Lovell, 2012). From this case study, several stakeholders are involved in the malpractice. There is the Burger king franchise that was the organ to help in the testing as a business partner. From their point of view, they felt cheated and moved to court to seek compensation for the loss and expenses incurred. They also were angered that a partnering company used their reputed business name in a malpractice in business. The other stakeholder was the customer that was taking the frozen coke. The customer in this scenario was neither aware of the malpractice nor harmed by the malpractice. The customer however was betrayed by the fact that the biggest beverage company could afford to generate false results to promote a new brand. Though the research was not done to evaluate the drop in the customer loyalty of Coca-Cola then, this angered the customer and made the customer question the trust of other famous products of Coca-Cola (Laufer and Coombs, 2006). The other main stakeholder was Coca-Cola itself. Given the reputation of the company, it was hard for the company to explain the malpractice as well as the firing of employees who attempted to blow the whistle on the company. From the employees’ perspective, the question of ethics in this scenario is whether to quit or to blow the whistle. For the employee, Matthew Whitley, who blew the whistle the dilemma was in either choosing his job or his integrity. In the end when he chose his integrity, he and other employees lost their job. The management of the company had a decision to either preserve their name and fire the then manager, John Fisher or retain the manager and deny the claims of malpractice. In

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Marketing research and market evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing research and market evaluation - Essay Example An online focus group is one type of research method, particularly falling under focus groups which makes use of the internet, thus people do not meet physically but are able to exchange ideas and converse through conferencing software (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). In particular, this is how it is done: "A moderator invites prescreened, qualified respondents who represent the target of interest to log on to conferencing software at a pre-arranged time and to take part in an online focus group. Some researchers will offer incentives for participatingbut this raises a number of ethical questions. Discussions generally last one hour to 90 minutes. The moderator guides the discussion using a combination of predetermined questions and unscripted probes. In the best discussions, as with face to face groups, respondents interact with each other as well as the moderator in real time to generate deeper insights about the topic" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Some consider online focus group as a breakthrough in conducting market research and is found to be an effective way to lead the select groups to a more in-depth discussion about the topic on hand (BioInformatics, LLC ). This is so as both clients and respondent participants can comfortably participate from their own office or home. This then allows for a greater number of participants and extends the geographic scope of possible participants world wide (Insights Online). Online focus group is a relatively new way of conducting market research. It is one of the innovations brought by an increase in the use of technology. The online focus group is seen to be an alternative to the traditional face-to-face focus group done for the same purpose of market research. "Online focus groups are appropriate for consumer research, business to business research and political research. Interacting over the web avoids a significant amount of travel expense. It allows respondents from all over the world to gather, electronically for a more representative sample. Often respondents open up more online than they would in person, which is valuable for sensitive subjects. Like in-person focus groups, online groups are usually limited to 8-10 participants" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Basically the methodology observed is this: clients are able to observe the focus group while it is in session. They can also communicate with the moderator; therefore can influence the direction to which the discussion leads without necessarily interrupting the session. Since participants type their own responses, there is no room transcription errors are completely avoided. (Insights Online). Online Focus Groups are conducted in the following step-by-step process: 1. Develop screener and discussion guide. 2. Program screener into HTML/CGI format. (if neccessary) 3. Screen/recruit participants for desired qualifications. (if neccessary) 4. Moderate the Online Focus Group session with client observers. 5. Provide transcript. (normally within 24 hours after group session) 6. Provide topline report. (normally within one week after closing survey) 7. Compile final written or oral presentation. Source: Insights Online Some view online focus group as advantageous compared to the more traditional market research methods. In summary, online focus group has the following advantages: Responses are more objective. Respondents participating in online focus

Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Truth About Area 51

The Truth About Area 51 Area 51 is a United States Air Force base that is a detachment of Edwards Air Force base. Area 51 is secluded from the public and no one is allowed there without permission from the United States government. Area 51 is located in Nevada eighty-three miles away from Las Vegas. There are many people who have many conspiracies about Area 51 and what actually happens inside of the base. In Area 51 there is no extraterrestrial activity. Area 51 is located in the United States of America near the west coast in Nevada, The CIA gave out the location of Area 51 due to it being against the law for them not to. The CIA was forced to give out where area 51 was because of the Freedom of Information law. The law allows members of the public to access records of governmental agencies. Area 51, about 83 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is synonymous in popular culture with government secrecy, and many have theorized that it holds the answer to one of the greatest questions plaguing mankind: Are we really alone in the universe? (Koran 1). Area 51 is in Nevada but it is far away from the most popular city in the state Las Vegas most likely to keep it away from the public so that they do not interfere with anything going on in or around the base. The government had to give out documents about Area 51 because of it being the law in the United States. The documents made repeated references to Area 51 and detailed how it was selected a s a testing area by the CIA, the U.S. Air Force and defense contractor Lockheed because of its remote location. They even included a map that confirmed its exact location (Kiger 1). The documents that the government has released about Area 51 explained that the CIA used it as a testing center and where it was on a map. The have been assumptions made that the government tried to clone extraterrestrials, but the government has denied it. People have assumed that Area 51 is where aliens will be if they are on Earth and they believe that thats where the moon landing was actually filmed. Ts the most famous military institution in the world that doesnt officially exist. If it did, it would be found about 80 miles outside Las Vegas in Nevadas high desert, (Jackson 1) Area 51 is far away from the public because of the government not wanting anyone to be around it. Area 51 is in an interesting location because the government using an air force base and not making a different base and hiding it better than they did. There are people who believe in Area 51 that there is extraterrestrial activity, meaning they believe that there are aliens inside of Area 51. Some theorize that the aliens are actually the ones running the show and that their goal is to create a human-alien hybrid (Dark Government 1) People think that Area 51 is actually ran by aliens and the government is hiding the fact that the aliens are working on something that the public doesnt know about. There are people who think that government officials at Area 51 salvage alien technology from UFOs and use it for their own personal use. People think that there are pilots who take aliens technology and use it for their own advantage against the aliens and then take the rest of the alien technology and use it to study. There are some people who have come up with the theory that aliens are allowed to abduct anyone they want to. People who think that aliens are allowed to abduct people so that they can do tests on them whenever they want are being ridiculous. There is a theory that theorists came up with that says aliens are trying to create a hybrid creatures because they are unable to reproduce on their own. People are thinking that aliens cant reproduce their own species anymore, so they are attempting to use humans to help with that. In the 1990s, declassified documents said that the object recovered at Roswell was actually a balloon created for a surveillance program called Project Mogul. The weather balloon story was a cover for this secret project. Of course, UFO believers say that the spy balloon story is also a cover, and that the Army really did recover an alien craft. (Strickland 1). People believe from the Roswell crash documents that the government released that the story the government gave the public is fake and that the government recovered an alien craft and are hiding it from the public. There was an alleged alien spaceship that crashed at Roswell, New Mexico and there are theories that the government met extraterrestrials from the spaceship and were able to use alien technology. If someone saw the alleged spaceship crash, then they surely wouldve seen aliens too if it was actually a spaceship. There are theories saying that the government have met with aliens and have studied alien technology. There are many people who believe that there are aliens at Area 51 and that they are running the show. Some people have seen a UFO over Washington State. The wasa press release that stated the government had recovered the remains of an unidentified flying object. (Darkgovernment.com 1). The army retracted the statement very quickly most likely because they didnt want the public to be informed about the UFO. The army claimed that it was just a weather balloon. UFO sightings arent necessarily aliens, they are government aircrafts that are being tested and are seen by people. Even though there have been representatives from the Air Force that have denied that aliens have anything to do with Area 51 that just makes people come up with even crazier conspiracy theories. The existence of aliens are Area 51 have been denied multiple times but people wont believe it because they dont trust the government. Major Bolden also admitted that Area 51 existed, but said the US government was not hiding alien life there. (Knapton 1) Major Bolden is the head of NASA and he would know if theres alien lif e more than anyone else. Hundreds of pages describe the genesis of the Nevada site that was home to the governments spy plane program for decades. The documents do not, however, mention aliens. (Bump 1) Area 51 has been the governments area to hold their planes. But they deny the fact of there being aliens. Veterans are talking, and-surprise! Surprise!-they arent telling any tales of space aliens or UFOs: (Orac 1) There are people who have worked at Area 51 and they arent mentioning aliens. There are a few things people dont understand about UFO conspiracy theories. If there are aliens, why would they come to Earth out of all places? Why would aliens come to Earth out of everywhere they could go in the universe. It is very surprising that an interview with an extraterrestrial thing is happening in the dark. While the narrator (Victor) mentions that the room has been kept dark on purpose for the comfort of the aliens, but that does not explain the reason behind the darkness. The alien didnt look to be too sensitive to the torch beams at the end of the video though. (Jones 1) The interview was in the dark, so no one could see the alien. This makes people believe that the alien was a costume with someone in it or with no one in it at all. The United States Air Force base Area 51 is a detachment from the Edwards Air Force base in Nevada. Area 51 is far away from the public because the government does not want anyone near it. The government will stop anyone thats approaching the base before they can get to it. There are trucks that drive around the perimeter of the base. There are people who believe there is extraterrestrial activity in Area 51 and there are others who believe there is no extraterrestrial activity inside of Area 51. There is no extraterrestrial activity inside of Area 51. Works Cited Aliens Everything You Want to Know. Accessed 4 Jan. 2017. The Atlantic. 13 Aug. 2013, Accessed 22 Dec. 2016. DarkGovernment, Accessed 20 Dec. 2016. How Stuff Works. HowStuffWorks, Accessed 20 Dec. 2016. Jacobsen, Annie. Untitled post. LA Times, Accessed 20 Dec. 2016. Knapton, Sarah. Untitled post. The Telegraph, 19 June 2015, Accessed 20 Dec. 2016. Koran, Laura. Untitled post. CNN, 16 Aug. 2013, Accessed 22 Dec. 2016. Orac. Weblog post. ScienceBlogs, 1 Apr. 2010, Accessed 4 Jan. 2017.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Chapter 33 The Death Eaters

Voldemort looked away from Harry and began examining his own body. His hands were like large, pale spiders; his long white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, his face; the red eyes, whose pupils were slits, like a cats, gleamed still more brightly through the darkness. He held up his hands and flexed the fingers, his expression rapt and exultant. He took not the slightest notice of Wormtail, who lay twitching and bleeding on the ground, nor of the great snake, which had slithered back into sight and was circling Harry again, hissing. Voldemort slipped one of those unnaturally long-fingered hands into a deep pocket and drew out a wand. He caressed it gently too; and then he raised it, and pointed it at Wormtail, who was lifted off the ground and thrown against the headstone where Harry was tied; he fell to the foot of it and lay there, crumpled up and crying. Voldemort turned his scarlet eyes upon Harry, laughing a high, cold, mirthless laugh. Wormtail's robes were shining with blood now; he had wrapped the stump of his arm in them. â€Å"My Lord†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he choked, â€Å"my Lord†¦you promised†¦you did promise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hold out your arm,† said Voldemort lazily. â€Å"Oh Master†¦thank you, Master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He extended the bleeding stump, but Voldemort laughed again. â€Å"The other arm, Wormtail.† â€Å"Master, please†¦please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Voldemort bent down and pulled out Wormtail's left arm; he forced the sleeve of Wormtail's robes up past his elbow, and Harry saw something upon the skin there, something like a vivid red tattoo – a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth – the image that had appeared in the sky at the Quidditch World Cup: the Dark Mark. Voldemort examined it carefully, ignoring Wormtail's uncontrollable weeping. â€Å"It is back,† he said softly, â€Å"they will all have noticed it†¦and now, we shall see†¦now we shall know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He pressed his long white forefinger to the brand on Wormtail's arm. The scar on Harry's forehead seared with a sharp pain again, and Wormtail let out a fresh howl; Voldemort removed his fingers from Wormtail's mark, and Harry saw that it had turned jet black. A look of cruel satisfaction on his face, Voldemort straightened up, threw back his head, and stared around at the dark graveyard. â€Å"How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?† he whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars. â€Å"And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?† He began to pace up and down before Harry and Wormtail, eyes sweeping the graveyard all the while. After a minute or so, he looked down at Harry again, a cruel smile twisting his snakelike face. â€Å"You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father,† he hissed softly. â€Å"A Muggle and a fool†¦very like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child†¦and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death†¦.† Voldemort laughed again. Up and down he paced, looking all around him as he walked, and the snake continued to circle in the grass. â€Å"You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was†¦.He didn't like magic, my father†¦ â€Å"He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born. Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage†¦but I vowed to find him†¦I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name†¦Tom Riddle†¦.† Still he paced, his red eyes darting from grave to grave. â€Å"Listen to me, reliving family history†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said quietly, â€Å"why, I am growing quite sentimental†¦.But look, Harry! My true family returns†¦.† The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. And one by one they moved forward†¦slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes Voldemort stood in silence, waiting for them. Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled toward Voldemort and kissed the hem of his black robes. â€Å"Master†¦Master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he murmured. The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, which enclosed Tom Riddle's grave, Harry, Voldemort, and the sobbing and twitching heap that was Wormtail. Yet they left gaps in the circle, as though waiting for more people. Voldemort, however, did not seem to expect more. He looked around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind rustling seemed to run around the circle, as though it had shivered. â€Å"Welcome, Death Eaters,† said Voldemort quietly. â€Å"Thirteen years†¦thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday, we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?† He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening. â€Å"I smell guilt,† he said. â€Å"There is a stench or guilt upon the air. A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare to step back from him. â€Å"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact – such prompt appearances! and I ask myself†¦why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?† No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm. â€Å"And I answer myself,† whispered Voldemort, â€Å"they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment †¦. â€Å"And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living? â€Å"And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort†¦perhaps they now pay allegiance to another†¦perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?† At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads. Voldemort ignored them. â€Å"It is a disappointment to me†¦I confess myself disappointed†¦.† One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort's feet. â€Å"Master!† he shrieked, â€Å"Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!† Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand. â€Å"Crucio!† The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; Harry was sure the sound must carry to the houses around†¦.Let the police come, he thought desperately†¦anyone†¦anything†¦ Voldemort raised his wand. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground, gasping. â€Å"Get up, Avery,† said Voldemort softly. â€Å"Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years†¦I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?† He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob. â€Å"You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don't you?† â€Å"Yes, Master,† moaned Wormtail, â€Å"please. Master†¦please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yet you helped return me to my body,† said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. â€Å"Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me†¦and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers†¦.† Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtail's bleeding wrist. Wormtail's sobbing stopped abruptly. His breathing harsh and ragged, he raised his head and stared in disbelief at the silver hand, now attached seamlessly to his arm, as though he were wearing a dazzling glove. He flexed the shining fingers, then, trembling, picked up a small twig on the ground and crushed it into powder. â€Å"My Lord,† he whispered. â€Å"Master†¦it is beautiful†¦thank you†¦thank you†¦.† He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. â€Å"May your loyalty never waver again, Wormtail,† said Voldemort. â€Å"No, my Lord†¦never, my Lord†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his powerful new hand, his face still shining with tears. Voldemort now approached the man on Wormtail's right. â€Å"Lucius, my slippery friend,† he whispered, halting before him. â€Å"I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius†¦.Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay†¦but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?† â€Å"My Lord, I was constantly on the alert,† came Lucius Malfoy's voice swiftly from beneath the hood. â€Å"Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me -â€Å" â€Å"And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?† said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. â€Å"Yes, I know all about that, Lucius†¦.You have disappointed me†¦.I expect more faithful service in the future.† â€Å"Of course, my Lord, of course†¦.You are merciful, thank you†¦.† Voldemort moved on, and stopped, staring at the space – large enough for two people – that separated Malfoy and the next man. â€Å"The Lestranges should stand here,† said Voldemort quietly. â€Å"But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me†¦.When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us†¦they are our natural allies†¦we will recall the banished giants†¦I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear†¦.† He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he paused before others and spoke to them. â€Å"Macnair†¦destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now, Wormtail tells me? You shall have better victims than that soon, Macnair. Lord Voldemort will provide†¦.† â€Å"Thank you, Master†¦thank you,† murmured Macnair. â€Å"And here† – Voldemort moved on to the two largest hooded figures – â€Å"we have Crabbe†¦you will do better this time, will you not, Crabbe? And you, Goyle?† They bowed clumsily, muttering dully. â€Å"Yes, Master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We will, Master†¦.† â€Å"The same goes for you, Nott,† said Voldemort quietly as he walked past a stooped figure in Mr. Goyles shadow. â€Å"My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful -â€Å" â€Å"That will do,† said Voldemort. He had reached the largest gap of all, and he stood surveying it with his blank, red eyes, as though he could see people standing there. â€Å"And here we have six missing Death Eaters†¦three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return†¦he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever†¦he will be killed, of course†¦and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service.† The Death Eaters stirred, and Harry saw their eyes dart sideways at one another through their masks. â€Å"He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight†¦. â€Å"Yes,† said Voldemort, a grin curling his lipless mouth as the eyes of the circle flashed in Harry's direction. â€Å"Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call him my guest of honor.† There was a silence. Then the Death Eater to the right of Wormtail stepped forward, and Lucius Malfoy's voice spoke from under the mask. â€Å"Master, we crave to know†¦we beg you to tell us†¦how you have achieved this†¦this miracle†¦how you managed to return to us†¦.† â€Å"Ah, what a story it is, Lucius,† said Voldemort. â€Å"And it begins – and ends – with my young friend here.† He walked lazily over to stand next to Harry, so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon the two of them. The snake continued to circle. â€Å"You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?† Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. â€Å"You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him – and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen†¦.I could not touch the boy.† Voldemort raised one of his long white fingers and put it very close to Harry's cheek. â€Å"His mother left upon him the traces other sacrifice†¦.This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it†¦but no matter. I can touch him now.† Harry felt the cold tip of the long white finger touch him, and thought his head would burst with the pain. Voldemort laughed softly in his ear, then took the finger away and continued addressing the Death Eaters. â€Å"I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself. Aaah†¦pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost†¦but still, I was alive. What I was, even I do not know†¦I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal – to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked†¦for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself†¦for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand†¦. â€Å"I remember only forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second, to exist†¦.I settled in a faraway place, in a forest, and I waited†¦.Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me†¦one of them would come and perform the magic I could not, to restore me to a body†¦, but I waited in vain†¦.† The shiver ran once more around the circle of listening Death Eaters. Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing. â€Å"Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me. I sometimes inhabited animals – snakes, of course, being my preference – but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic†¦and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of them lasted long†¦. â€Å"Then†¦four years ago†¦the means for my return seemed assured. A wizard – young, foolish, and gullible – wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of†¦for he was a teacher at Dumbledore's school†¦he was easy to bend to my will†¦he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my plan failed. I did not manage to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. I was not to be assured immortal life. I was thwarted†¦thwarted, once again, by Harry Potter†¦.† Silence once more; nothing was stirring, not even the leaves on the yew tree. The Death Eaters were quite motionless, the glittering eyes in their masks fixed upon Voldemort, and upon Harry. â€Å"The servant died when I left his body, and I was left as weak as ever I had been,† Voldemort continued. â€Å"I returned to my hiding place far away, and I will not pretend to you that I didn't then fear that I might never regain my powers†¦.Yes, that was perhaps my darkest hour†¦I could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess†¦and I had given up hope, now, that any of my Death Eaters cared what had become of me†¦.† One or two of the masked wizards in the circle moved uncomfortably, but Voldemort took no notice. â€Å"And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last†¦a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driven out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master. He sought me in the country where it had long been rumored I was hiding†¦helped, of course, by the rats he met along the way. Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you not, Wormtail? His filthy little friends told him there was a place, deep in an Albanian forest, that they avoided, where small animals like themselves had met their deaths by a dark shadow that possessed them†¦. â€Å"But his journey back to me was not smooth, was it, Wormtail? For, hungry one night, on the edge of the very forest where he had hoped to find me, he foolishly stopped at an inn for some food†¦and who should he meet there, but one Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic. â€Å"Now see the way that fate favors Lord Voldemort. This might have been the end of Wormtail, and of my last hope for regeneration. But Wormtail – displaying a presence of mind I would never have expected from him – convinced Bertha Jorkins to accompany him on a nighttime stroll. He overpowered her†¦he brought her to me. And Bertha Jorkins, who might have ruined all, proved instead to be a gift beyond my wildest dreams†¦for – with a little persuasion – she became a veritable mine of information. â€Å"She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be played at Hogwarts this year. She told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help me, if I could only contact him. She told me many things†¦but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I could not possess her. I disposed of her.† Voldemort smiled his terrible smile, his red eyes blank and pitiless. â€Å"Wormtail's body, of course, was ill adapted for possession, as all assumed him dead, and would attract far too much attention if noticed. However, he was the able-bodied servant I needed, and, poor wizard though he is, Wormtail was able to follow the instructions I gave him, which would return me to a rudimentary, weak body of my own, a body I would be able to inhabit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth†¦a spell or two of my own invention†¦a little help from my dear Nagini,† Voldemort's red eyes fell upon the continually circling snake, â€Å"a potion concocted from unicorn blood, and the snake venom Nagini provided†¦I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel. â€Å"There was no hope of stealing the Sorcerer's Stone anymore, for I knew that Dumbledore would have seen to it that it was destroyed. But I was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing immortality. I set my sights lower†¦I would settle for my old body back again, and my old strength. â€Å"I knew that to achieve this – it is an old piece of Dark Magic, the potion that revived me tonight – I would need three powerful ingredients. Well, one of them was already at hand, was it not, Wormtail? Flesh given by a servant†¦. â€Å"My father's bone, naturally, meant that we would have to come here, where he was buried. But the blood of a foe†¦Wormtail would have had me use any wizard, would you not, Wormtail? Any wizard who had hated me†¦as so many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potters blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago†¦for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too†¦. â€Å"But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy's protection as long as he is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch him there†¦.Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup†¦.I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his relations and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him? â€Å"Why†¦by using Bertha Jorkins's information, of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the boy's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. Use my Death Eater to ensure that the boy won the tournament – that he touched the Triwizard Cup first – the cup which my Death Eater had turned into a Portkey, which would bring him here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore's help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is†¦the boy you all believed had been my downfall†¦.† Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand. â€Å"Crucio!† It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar; his eyes were rolling madly in his head; he wanted it to end†¦to black out†¦to die†¦ And then it was gone. He was hanging limply in the ropes binding him to the headstone of Voldemort's father, looking up into those bright red eyes through a kind of mist. The night was ringing with the sound of the Death Eaters' laughter. â€Å"You see, I think, how foolish it was to suppose that this boy could ever have been stronger than me,† said Voldemort. â€Å"But I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger. Just a little longer, Nagini,† he whispered, and the snake glided away through the grass to where the Death Eaters stood watching. â€Å"Now untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand.†