Informative Speech Plan Essay Example for Free

Informative Speech Plan Essay TITLE: The Scientific Explanation of Dreams SPECIFIC SPEECH PURPOSE: To inform my audience about the scientific explanation of common dreams of humans based on theories and studies which have been gathered at the present time. THESIS STATEMENT: Finding meaning in dreams is a recent subject in the field of psychology and science, the most frequent are traumatic dreams, recurrent dreams and typical dreams, all of which have back up theories aimed to explain its occurrence. INTRODUCTION ATTENTION STEP: Have you ever felt like your dreams mean something to you? Have you ever thought that your dreams have certain connections with perhaps, the future, your life? I for one often dream about the people I’m going to see on a certain day or even the weirdest things like celebrities or my long time crushes. I dream a lot, and I can’t help but think about why I dream of the same things over and over again and why I often dream about things which much to my surprise happens when I wake up. CLARIFICATION STEP: Sleep is our body’s way of rejuvenating the brain’s memories or giving ourselves a break from all the day’s stress, pressure, exhaustion and work. But alongside it, comes dreams. All of us dream right? We dream about random thoughts, people and phenomenon. So today, I will discuss the underlying concepts and theories of the most common dreams namely, traumatic, recurrent, typical and recurring. BODY I. Dreams are defined as sequences of images, thoughts, emotions and feelings occurring reluctantly in the brain during certain stages of sleep. II. There are four types of dreams which are common to people. A. The first type is a traumatic dream. 1. Traumatic Dream is a major symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. Traumatic dreams, now understood as a major symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, are experienced by soldiers in war, people engulfed in natural catastrophes, individuals involved in terrible accidents, and women and children who have been raped or assaulted. They are notable because they tend to repeat the traumatic event in all its emotional detail and horror. People suffering from traumatic dreams often dread the thought of going to sleep. 2. Freud put war neurosis dreams to the side by saying that the function of dreaming, like so much else, is upset in this condition, traumatic neuroses and diverted from its purposes. Still, when it came to dream theory, Freud (1920:13) put war neurosis dreams to the side by saying that the function of dreaming, like so much else, is upset in this condition [traumatic neuroses] and diverted from its purposes. In his final formulation on dreams, he admitted that traumatic dreams did not fit his theory, but nonetheless stuck with the old theory by saying the exception does not overturn the rule (Freud, 1933:29). . Instead, we should begin with the most difficult of dreams, traumatic dreams, and search for a theory encompassing them as well as wish fulfillment dreams. 3. These dreams are real dreams experienced by the dreamer, it deals emotional problems people cannot handle, they decrease in frequency and the way these dreams reappear become images for new stressful situations. The most systematic studies on traumatic dreams concern Vietnam veterans because they can be studied in large numbers due to their common experience; then, too, they also make themselves available to researchers through VA hospitals. It is this work that makes it possible to go beyond a mere summation of a wide variety of individual instances in a search for generalizations. First, the combat soldiers who suffered later from traumatic dreams were younger, less educated, and more likely to be emotionally involved with a close buddy who was killed or injured as compared with non-sufferers with similar combat experiences. Those who did not have such dreams put up a wall between themselves and other people while in Vietnam; they decided very early not to become emotionally close to anyone (Hartmann, 1984:209). Second, the dreams begin to change slightly over time as the person recovers, gradually incorporating other elements and becoming less like the exact experience. Put another way, the traumatic dreams slowly come to resemble ordinary dreams (Hartmann, 1984:219). Third, there seems to be a decline in traumatic dreams if they are discussed in groups with other veterans who suffer from them (Wilmer, 1982). Hartmann (1984:238-239) reports early discussion also seems to decrease such dreams in those who suffer from other kinds of traumas as well. Finally, those who have recovered often suffer a relapse to the old dream content when faced with new stressorsWe draw the following implications from the work on traumatic dreams. First, such dreams should not be put aside as exceptions of one sort or another. They are legitimate, real dreams, and they are experienced as dreamlike by the dreamers. Second, these dreams deal, quite obviously, with emotional problems that have overwhelmed the person. They are about emotional events that people cannot handle or assimilate or master, to use several different words to capture aspects of the difficult experience we are here trying to comprehend. Third, the dreams decrease in frequency and become altered in content to the degree that the experience is assimilated. Fourth, the way in which the experiences sometimes reappear when new problems arise suggests the old traumas have become metaphors for new stressful situations. Traumatic dreams, then, reflect a preoccupation with problems we have not resolved. This is a possible starting point for a theory to explain what we dream about. Before making too much of one type of dream, however, it is necessary to look at the closest relative of traumatic dreams, the recurrent dream, to see what conclusions can be drawn from studying it. B. The second type is recurrent dream. 1. Recurrent dreams are often triggered by a certain life situation, a transitional phase in life or a problem that keeps coming back again and again. 1. Recurrent dreams are most often reported to begin in childhood. 2. Recurrent dreams are often reported to begin at times of stress, such as the death of a loved one, separation from parents, or the divorce of parents. C. The third type is a typical dream. 1. Typical Dreams are dreams which are very much alike for many people. 2. The most common are dreams of deceased loved ones, wedding dreams, inappropriate dress dreams and flying dreams. 3. They may disclose emotional expression of emotional preoccupations, both negative and positive, common to everyone at one time or another. D. The fourth type are repetitive dream themes and repeated dream elements 1. The recurring dream tends to reveal you real nature. 2. Recurring dreams are usually an attempt to recognize hidden problems. CONCLUSION SUMMARY STEP: Those are some of the major dreams that people have: traumatic, recurrent, typical and repetitive dreams. ACTION STEP: I look forward that we have learned something from the speech that I have rendered. Dreams have meanings, â€Å"Scientific Meanings† which can be of use to us. Knowing these theories and explanations can help us deal with dreams that we do not understand, hence they are tools for addressing some aspects in our lives. They occur inside our head, science may never tell the exact reason why these dreams occur or recur but personally understanding it will help us deviate from false beliefs about dreams and widen our perceptions about everything we experience and see in our dreams. REFERENCE: Schneider,A. and W.Domhoff. â€Å"The Quantitative Study of Dreams.† psych.ucsc.edu.17October2010.8July2011.

Yield Management In The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Yield Management In The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay Yield management was practice over the last fifteen to twenty years. According to Kimes, the yield management principle was first developed in the airline industry. Yield management systems primarily used in service industries like hotels, restaurants, airlines, train. Generally, companies used yield management systems to maximize their revenue or yield. Smith, Leimkhuler, Darrow Samules (1992) defined yield management as a sophisticated form of managing supply and demand by acting at the same time on price and on available capacity. It is the best way to propose the best service on the best customer with the best price and at the best moment. According to Kimes (2002), yield management is methods that can help a firm sell the right inventory to the right customer at the right time for the right price. So, yield management can be defined as an approach to sell the same product at the same time to the customers by charging different prices. Yield management in hotel industry was evolved over the last ten years and many authors (Evangelista, 1999; Novelli, Schmitz Spencer, 2006) confirm that there is a notable tendency to use new technologies in hotel industry. Yield management in hotel industry is concerned about the number of rooms that should be sold and at what price should be charge to customers. The objective of using yield management in hotel industry is to maximizing revenue per every available room. Jaucey, Mitchell Slamet (1995) stated that yield management is an integrated, continuous and systematic approach to maximizing room revenue through the manipulation of room rates in response to forecasted patterns of demand. They suggest that yield management requires a close analysis of historical information to predict customers demand. Yield management is suitable to use in hotel industry because it fulfill some characteristics of these system. According to Kimes (1989), yield management can be used when the following conditions are met. There are fixed capacity; segmentation into different market segment is possible; the inventory of the product is perishable; the products can be sold in advance; fluctuating demand; low marginal sales costs and high marginal production costs. Once the hotel was built, it is difficult and expensive to increase the capacity. Therefore, the hotel manager must use the existing capacity in the best way in order to maximize room revenue. So, yield management systems can help hotel manager address this problem by predict the customers demand. To make the yield management systems work, the company must be able to segment their market into different types of customers. Hotel manager should have different marketing plans for every market segment. So, every customers need can be fulfill. Customers can be categorized and grouping together with those have similar characteristics, it is called market segment. There are three components of market segmentation. First, the characteristics of each customer group are defining and grouping. Second, implementing a demand model to customers and specify their attitudes about a reference transaction. The third component is their willingness to pay. Of course, hotel rooms are perishable inventory item. When a room is not sold for one night, there is no income for this room at that night. Hotel manager cannot put the room into inventory and use it at other time. Airlines and rental car industry also face the same problem. Some hotels sell most of their rooms in advance, but in some situation, reservations are made well in advance of the day desired. When the rooms are sold in advance, hotel manager faced with uncertainty. Some questions are appearing like charge a low rate price to the group of customers or wait the customer who willing to pay higher price appear? Are the customers who willing to pay higher price will reserved for the same rooms? So, these questions can be address by using yield management systems. Hotel industry is the industry which faces fluctuating demand patterns. Customers demand are varies in a year. Yield management system helps manager predict the demand fluctuation and manager can plan some strategies to maximize their revenue. For example, higher price can charge to customers during the peak demand like school holidays or public holidays; otherwise, manager can decrease the price during the slow time. Hotel industry also met the characteristic of low marginal sales costs. When a room was sold, it does not incur much more cost to sell another room. This is because the hotel and staff already at place. On the other hand, hotel industry faces high production costs. When all rooms were sold, and a customer wants a room, additional rooms are cannot simply built because the capacity was fixed. Yield management systems may result in many advantages to the company and give that company a competitive edge. Many studies have shown the positive effect on the performance of the company by using yield management systems. Esse (2003) shows that yield management allows a company to offer customers high contribution, which develops a much better performance. Apart from this, yield management systems also may results in some problem to companies. It could result in alienated customers. There are highly competitive in hotel industry, customers may not want to pay different price for the same room. So, they might feel unfair and go to the competitors who charge lower price. According to Kimes (2002), the customer perceives a product price as fair for the price of a good to increase if the costs increase in order to maintain profit. They however dont feel that increasing the price in order to increase the profit is a fair practice. To address the problem of alienated customers, Kimes (2002) suggest three solutions to it. First, the company giving the customer a higher reference price and then providing them with discounts. Second solution, adding additional services to the product and then increase the price. The third solution is selling the product as part of a package. The final solution is attaching restrictions to the discounts as to make the discounts be perceived as being fair. Employee morale problems may occur when the company use yield management. Yield management systems are more about guesswork of how many rooms to sell and what price to charge, but it also requires judgment from hotel employees. If the systems are not structure well to allow some latitude into the price setting, the people who will use it may be grow to resent the system. Besides that, yield management systems also can cause problem on incentive and reward systems. Yield management systems can cause problem for group sales department. Reward or incentive of salespeople in these department are depends on the amount of sales they make. When sales increase, their reward or incentives also increase. But a yield management system might indicate that the low rate price for a group sale is not beneficial. So, the incentive and reward systems must be changed. If not, the salespeople might think that the implementation of yield management is work against them. To ensure the yield management systems effective, an extensive training of all employees are needed. Every employee must understand the purpose of implementing the yield management, how it works, and what the effect of the system on their jobs. So, it needs a careful planning and training from top management. Finally, commitments from top management are very important. Without this, yield management systems will fail. So, the hotel manager must strongly commit to it, have the necessary data and have a strong information system. Hotel manager must fully understand the implications of implementing yield management systems on managerial aspect and able to make adjustment. http://www.turpade.org/docs/articulos/2008_OCT_Yield_Management.pdf http://www.timsmet.com/literature%20review.pdf http://www.cheaphosting4you.com/casadana.net/pgdh/CORNELL/Center%20for%20Hospitality%20Research%20-%20Reports/Basics%20of%20Yield%20Management.pdf http://www.yield4education.com/literature-review

The World Of LSD :: essays research papers fc

A Guide to the â€Å"Not So† Wonderful World of LSD Discovery of LSD LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) come from a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. Albert Hofmann, working at Sandoz, a Swiss pharmaceutical company, produced LSD for the first time in 1938. He was hoping that it could be used to stimulate circulation and respiration, though this idea failed. Hofmann forgot about the new found drug, and didn’t use it for five years. In 1943 he accidentally ingested LSD and experienced some effects of the drug, such as visual distortion, dizziness and restlessness. He experienced the drug again, though this time not on accident. Forms of LSD LSD can come in many different forms. Three more common forms are paper blotter, liquid, & gelatin. Paper blotter, the most common form of all, comes divided into  ¼" squares called tabs. These tabs usually have between 30 - 100 ug of LSD. These papers are made by taking a sheet of absorbent paper, usually decorated, and soaking it with a dilution of LSD. All the dilutions are not the same, for the can vary greatly from batch to batch, LSD 2 and there is no way of telling exactly how much LSD is on it. Liquid LSD is usually water based, though it can be based with other solvents. A single drop of liquid LSD could be up to 50 times stronger the regular paper blotter because it is more than the normal dose. It is not all that common for people to sell liquid LSD because there is no way to be sure of it’s potency. It is usually stored in small dropper bottles. Gelatin LSD, also known as "window panes", is made by mixing liquid LSD with gelatin. It has to be formed into small, thin squares after that. A single gelatin tab usually has around 50 - 150 ug of LSD. This method of making LSD is generally better because it protects the LSD from being exposed to the air and sun, which can break down the drug. Cost of LSD When LSD is sold as paper blotter, the price usually ranges from 3 - 10 dollars per hit, though it can be more expensive depending on where it is sold. Being sold from friend to friend it is usually less, but places such as raves will sell it for more. Less common LSD will go for more money then blotter paper will.

Tears, Idle Tears :: Tears, Idle Tears

Everyone should have his own characteristics. Some of those characteristics should be positive while some should be negative, and they might be changed as time passes and things happens. Throughout the  Ã‚   story "Tears, Idle Tears" , the author shows that   Mrs.Dickinson has characteristics of a beautiful, independent and demanding person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is so common to describe a woman a beautiful. Especially when Mrs.Dickinson is a typical model of beauty. She is well fashioned in what she wears, she has real good dressings. "She was a gallant-looking woman, wearing to-day in London a coat and skirt, a silver fox, white gloves and a dark-blue toque put on exactly right".(P110) As a model of beauty, she is also very attractive on herself. "She was a charming woman walking by herself". (P112) Because she is such a good looking, lovely woman, there is no question that many men couldn’t resist her attractiveness and want to marry with her. "Several man wanted to marrt her".(P113)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs.Dickinson is a widow because her husband died in a plane crash. That makes her to be a independent person. After the death of her husband, she has no help in anyway. She tend take care of the family by herself. Financially, she has to go out and work, she has two jobs which will earn her money to live. "She helped a friend with a little hat shop......bred puppies for sale". Emotionally, she is independent. Her son, Frederick, is the only one lives with her. She hasn’t marry any other man in five years after the death of her husband. "It was five years since her tragedy and she had not married." (P112) She also try to raise her son by herslef. There is no baby-sister to take care of Frederick. She is the only one who puts Federick on first place. "But you see, there’s Frederick. He’s the man in my life now. I’m bound to put him firstt". (P113) As she becomes a widow, she try to do everything on herslef, without anyone’s help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By reading the story, it is so easy to realize that Mrs.Dickinson is a bery demanding person. Demanding is not a bad thing, but she is doing it at a wrong way. She is have too much demands on Frederick. As Frederick cries, she demands him to stop cring. "Frederick, you can’t --- in the middle of Regents’s park".

west side stadium :: essays research papers

West Side Stadium   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a lot of controversy over the plans for a new West Side stadium. The mayor says the stadium is necessary to win the honor of being the Host City for the 2012 Olympics. The stadium will also be home of the Jets. His opinion is that the stadium would do nothing but good for the city despite criticism from people saying the money should be added to the education budget. I believe the stadium should be built.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One thing that the stadium would do that I feel is important is that if we were to get the Olympics it would give the world something besides 9/11 when they think of New York. That is very important to me because I am tired of every time I’m on a trip some one telling me there sorry when they find out I live in New York. The money the Olympics will bring into the city will also be pretty substantial. It could really help to boost the economy. There will be many wealthy people visiting the city, some for the very first time. Athletes but trainers, hardcore fans, camera crews and reporters from all over the world. Their personal spending alone will probably add up to at least a million dollars. The West Side stadium is a terrific idea for a lot of other reasons as well. The West Side stadium project will create hundreds of jobs bringing down the unemployment rate. Which is especially good in a city that has had an on going problem with its unemployment rate. The West Side Stadium will also put an end to the monopoly that cablevision has over sports entertainment in this city. The same company that funds the ads bad mouthing the mayor and the plans for a West Side Stadium.

Management and University Simmons Case Essay

In time of economic crisis, companies are looking for innovative methods to improve production and to meet the needs of a diverse workforce in order to improve or maintain the organization’s profit margin in a stress global economy. Indeed, companies are extremely concerned about their future, as well as, preventing closure of their establishment. SimmonsCompany is no exception. However, how does a major company make those changes when tradition is the foundation of their organization and the economic status of their company is in jeopardize of folding, if the right decision is not made? The need to allocation funds for the training and development of its and employees when major debts are owed to the company; thus, threatening bankruptcy is a problem facing Simmons Company. Accordingly, there is certainly a need to change the culture and structure of the organization, if it wants to survive a depressed economy, while other organizations are advancing. In so doing, the company is considering the Great Game of Life (GGOL) whose underlying purpose is to change the dynamics of an organization in order to achieve maximum satisfaction for both the customers and employees. If customers and employees are satisfied, they are loyal, cooperative and creative, thus creating a culture conducive to the workforce. In order to establish such an environment, it is necessary to empower its workers by changing the attitude of each individual employed by Simpson Company. The program will be used to improve morality and empower the lower level of the company in performing their respective jobs in order to improve the outcome of the company. Changes are often difficult to make and, are usually resisted from the top because control of the company is centralized. The result is a poor culture and dictatorial practices. Immediate changes are normally discouraged by those in control, but gradual changes are encouraged, if done overtime or gradually phased into the daily operation of the company. Management must recognize that if changes are not made, their position might be null and void for not doing so. The question is whether changing the culture of the organization is in its best interest? Indeed, some changes must be made considering the state of fair of the company. There are several outstanding debts owed to SimmonsCompany and the debtors are threatening bankruptcy. Additionally, a major supplier has caused havoc for the production department. The need to change the culture and the way it operates is more apparent than ever before. To stay the same, means eventual failure for the company. GGOL is a great opportunity to enhance or change its culture and improve its staff’s level of expectation through effective management in order to meet the needs of today’s demanding economy. As previously mentioned, the company is already experiencing a decline in its profits margin because of its accounts receivables from customers and their major supplier has an item in the form, emitting afoul odor, causing the company to compromise production schedules and posed a serious threat to its profit margin. It would certainly influence my decision to implement GGOL at Simmons. The video was both inspirational and informative. Since diversity is a major concern for most global companies, this is not the case with Simmons. That is, it was prevalent at Simmons, as well as, their enthusiasm in working with each other at the company and for the company. Their positive attitude resonated throughout the video. It is evident from the video that they work collectively and are eager to assist others in different department, when asked to do so. Coming to work seems second nature for them. They are able to share with the upper management areas of concerns and questions, and as such, not prohibited from doing so, which was not the case in the past. In short, they are empowered to take on task without being micro-managed. Now, it is a shared vision by the top, middle, and lower levels of the company with one mission in mind to do what is in the best interest of company. The company should use the top-down and bottom-up design in implementing the GGOL program. However, the company should employ a professional evaluation team to determine which plant should be the catalyst to receive the program. After selecting the plant, the program should start at the top level of the plant because they are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the plant and if they buy into the program other levels are more willing to accept it. The top-level can assist in delivering the GGOL program to the other employees. The next level should be the middle level because they are responsible for inspiring the workers to work collectively towards a common goal, i.e., what is in the best interest of the plant. Needless to say, these individual are very reluctant to change, but must be done gradual due to their commitment to the company, embedded old core values, and long history with the company. When the worker realizes that the change is positive, their outlook improves and this attitude has a snowball effect. That is, one worker at a time starts to embrace middle management’s vision for the company. Now, the workers are willing to trust middle manager because they are open for suggestions and are encouraging empowerment of workers, unlike the past, when the decision from the top was purely totalitarianism with no questions asked or else be fired. Finally, the workers should be the last to receive the program. The middle-level can introduce the program. In so doing, it encourages team work, which will ultimately change the culture of the plant. Changes are needed and welcomed, if it benefits both the employer and employees. If this company continues to operate in a vacuum, the destiny of the company is almost sudden death with uncollectible debts arising and plant processing being restricted because of the foul odor. Emotions were running high, each level of the organization realizing the potential of closure of the company, if it did not change the culture of the organization. The old way of handling concerns and questions is pseudo at best. The company would continue to experience apathy at the workplace. Thus, the $7 million dollar investment for the training and development of personnel is an extremely prudent investment for the company. References Kotter, J. P. (1994). Leading Changes. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Leading Change at Simmons (A)http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/harvard-business-school-press/2007/change-at-simmons-part-a_1e.php Leading Change at Simmons (B)http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/harvard-business-school-press/2007/change-at-simmons-part-b_1e.php

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 11

I don't understand,† Eric said pitifully as Thea towed him toward the bleachers. â€Å"Well, that's reasonable.† â€Å"Blaise wants to talk to me alone and you want me to do it.† â€Å"That's right.† Thea hadn't realized it was possible to sound bright and bleak at the same time. â€Å"I told you she'd probably go after you-â€Å" â€Å"And you told me to be careful of her. You made the point very strongly.† â€Å"I know. It's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea searched for an explanation that wouldn't be too much of a lie and clutched her bottle of Evian water. She didn't need to ask him if he had the protective charm with him- she could smell New Hampshire pine needles. â€Å"It's just that I think it's better to get things settled,† she said finally. â€Å"One way or the other. So maybe if you talk to her face-to-face†¦ well, you can decide what you want, and we can get this over with.† â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric stopped, forcing Thea to stop, too. He looked completely bewildered. â€Å"Thea-I don't know what you're thinking, but I don't need to talk to Blaise to know what I want.† He put his hands gently on her upper arms. â€Å"Nothing she can say could make any difference.† Thea looked at him, at his clean, good features and his expressive eyes. He thought things were so simple. â€Å"Then you can just tell her that,† she said, trying to sound optimistic. â€Å"And the whole thing will be resolved.† Eric shook his head, but allowed her to guide him onward. Blaise was leaning against a concrete dugout by the baseball diamond. When they were about ten feet away, Thea stopped and nodded at Eric to keep going. He walked to Blaise, who slowly straightened with the leisurely grace of a snake uncoiling. Thea put her thumb into the Evian bottle and jiggled it gently. â€Å"Thea said you wanted to talk to me.† Eric's voice was polite, but not encouraging. He looked back at Thea after he said it. â€Å"I did,† Blaise said in her liquid, persuasive voice. But to Thea's surprise, she addressed the ground, as if she felt awkward. â€Å"But now†¦ well, I feel so embarrassed. I know what you probably think of me-trying to say something like this while your girlfriend is standing there.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric glanced back at Thea again. â€Å"It's okay,† he added, his voice softer. â€Å"I mean, it's better to say whatever it is in front of her than behind her back.† â€Å"Yes. Yes, that's true.† Blaise took a deep breath as if steeling herself and then lifted her head to meet Eric's eyes. What on earth is she doing? Thea stared at her cousin. Where did this scene come from? â€Å"Eric†¦ I don't know how to say this, but†¦ I care about you. I know how that sounds. You're thinking that I have dozens of guys, and the way I treat them I can't possibly care about any of them. And I don't blame you if you just want to walk away right now, without even listening to any more.† Blaise fiddled with the zipper at her throat. â€Å"Oh, look, I'm not going to walk away. I wouldn't do that to you,† Eric said, and his voice was even more gentle. â€Å"Thank you. You're being so nice-much nicer than I deserve.† Absently, as if it were the most casual of gestures, Blaise reached for the zipper at her throat and pulled it down. The necklace was revealed. Don't look directly at it, Thea told herself. She stared instead at the back of Eric's sandy head-which suddenly went very still. â€Å"And you know, this is going to sound strange, but most of those boys don't really like me.† Blaise's voice was soft now-seductive but vulnerable. â€Å"They just-want me. They look at the surface, and never even try to see any deeper. And that makes me feel†¦ so lonely sometimes.† In Thea's peripheral vision, gold stars and moons were shifting and flowing. Yemonja root and other delicious scents wafted toward her. She hadn't even noticed that the first time; she'd been too deep in the necklace's spell to analyze it. And a faint, high resonance hung in the air-two or three notes that seemed to shimmer almost above the threshold of hearing. Singing crystals. Of course. Blaise was assaulting every sense, weaving an inescapable golden web†¦ and the whole thing was tuned to Eric's blood. â€Å"All I've ever wanted is a guy who cares enough about me to look deeper than the surface.† Blaise's voice had a slight catch now. â€Å"And-well, before I knew Thea liked you, I guess I thought you might be that guy. Eric, please tell me-is that completely impossible? Should I just totally give up hope? Because if you say so, I will.† Eric was standing oddly now, as if he were crippled. Thea could see his breath coming faster. She didn't want to see his face-she knew what it would be like. Like Luke's. Blank wonder changing into slow adulation for Blaise. â€Å"Just tell me,† Blaise said, raising one hand in a gesture full of pathos. â€Å"And if you say no, I'll go away forever. But if†¦ if you think you could care about me†¦ even just a little†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She gazed at him with luminous, yearning eyes. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric's voice was thick and hesitant. â€Å"I†¦ Blaise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He couldn't seem to get started on a sentence. And no wonder. He's lost already. Certainty hit Thea, and she stopped shaking her plastic bottle. Her little Elixir of Abhorrence didn't stand a chance against Blaise's magic. Eric was hooked and Blaise was reeling him in. And it wasn't his fault. Nobody could be expected to hold out against the kind of enchantment Blaise was using. Enchantment and psychology so beautifully mixed that even Thea found herself half believing Blaise's story. But she had to try anyway. She couldn't let Eric go without a fight. With one final, violent shake, Thea took her thumb out of the bottle neck. Colorless liquid skyrocketed, spraying up and then raining down on Eric. A geyser of loathing. Only one thing went wrong. As soon as the mysterious downpour hit Eric, he turned to see where it was coming from. Instead of looking at Blaise when the elixir soaked into his skin, he was looking at Thea. She stared back into his gray-flecked eyes with a kind of horror. Twice. He'd been twice enchanted now, once to love Blaise and once to hate her. Oh, Eileithyia, it's over†¦. It was a crisis, and Thea responded instinctively. She reached for Eric, to save him, to be saved herself. She flung out a thought the way she'd fling out a hand to someone going over a cliff. Eric. A connection†¦ Like dosing a circuit-and that was all it took. Thea felt a wave of†¦ something, something hot and sweet, more magical than Blaise's magic. Distilled lightning, maybe. The air between her and Eric was so charged that she felt as though her skin was being brushed with velvet. It was like being at the intersection of cosmic force lines. And it was all okay. Eric's face was his ordinary face. Alive, alert, full of warmth-for her. Not zombie worship for Blaise. Thea. It can't be this simple. But it was. She and Eric were staring at each other in the quivering air and the universe was just one big singing crystal. We're right together. A yell shattered the silent communion. Thea looked toward the dugout and saw that Blaise the vulnerable had disappeared. â€Å"I'm wet,† Blaise shrieked. â€Å"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what water drops do to silk?† Thea opened her mouth, then shut it again. She felt giddy with the sweetness of relief. She had no idea if Blaise really thought the elixir was only water-but one thing was clear. However strong Blaise's spell had been, it was broken now. And Blaise knew it. Blaise jerked the zipper up and stalked off. â€Å"She's mad,† Eric said. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea was still dizzy. â€Å"I told you she likes getting mad.† She took Eric's arm, very gently, and partly to steady herself. â€Å"Let's go.† They'd only gone a few steps when Eric said, â€Å"Thank God you hit me with that water.† â€Å"Yes.† Even if the elixir hadn't worked it had somehow broken Eric's concentration or distracted Blaise or something. She'd have to see if she could figure out what had happened to disrupt a spell as potent as the one Blaise had created†¦. â€Å"Yeah, because, you know, it was getting really awkward,† Eric went on. â€Å"I kept trying to think of a polite way to tell her there wasn't a chance, but I couldn't. And just when I realized I was going to have to say it and hurt her feelings-well, you soaked us.† Thea stopped dead. She stared at him. He was serious. â€Å"I mean-I know I hurt her feelings anyway. Or she wouldn't have gone away mad. Uh, are you mad now? Thea?† She started walking again. â€Å"Are you saying you didn't even want to be with her? Not even just a little?† He stopped. â€Å"How could I want to be with her when I want to be with you? I told you that before this whole thing started.† Maybe it's because we're soulmates. Maybe it's because he's so stubborn. But, whatever, I'd better never tell Blaise. She'll have a whole new reason for killing him if she finds out her spell bounced off like water off a duck. â€Å"Well, anyway, it's resolved now,† she murmured-and at that moment she really believed it. She was too happy to think about anything dreadful. â€Å"Is it? Does that mean that we can finally go out? Like on a date?† He sounded so wistful that Thea laughed. She felt light and free and full of energy. â€Å"Yeah. We could go right now. Or†¦ we could go in. Your house, I mean. I'd like to see your sister and Madame Curie again.† Eric made an â€Å"ouch† face. â€Å"Well, Madame Curie would probably like that. But Roz lost her case- the court ruled that the Boy Trekkers are a private organization. And she is not-pardon the pun-a happy camper.† â€Å"All the more reason we should go see her. Poor kid.† Eric looked at her quizzically. â€Å"You're serious? You have a choice of anywhere in Las Vegas and you'd like to go to my house?† â€Å"Why not?† Thea didn't mention that a human house was more exotic to her than anywhere else in Vegas. She was happy. It turned out to be a modest frame house, shaded by a couple of honest-to-goodness trees, not palms. Thea felt a twinge of shyness as they went inside. â€Å"Mom's still at work. And†-Eric checked his watch-â€Å"Roz is supposed to be in her room until five. Home detention. This morning she microwaved her Barbie dolls.† â€Å"That doesn't sound good for the microwave.† Rosamund's door was plastered with homemade Signs. DO NOT ENTER. KEEP OUT AND THIS MEANS ERIC. FEMINISM IS THE RADICAL NOTION THAT WOMEN ARE PEOPLE. When Eric opened the door a piggy bank shaped like a skunk came flying toward him. He ducked. It hit the wall and, amazingly, didn't break. â€Å"Roz-â€Å" â€Å"I hate everybody! And everybody hates me!† A hardback book came soaring. Eric shut the door fast. Bang. â€Å"Everybody doesn't hate you!† he yelled. â€Å"Well, I hate them! Go away!† Bang. Bang. Crash. â€Å"I think maybe we'd better leave her alone,† Eric said. â€Å"She gets a little moody sometimes. Want to see my room?† His room was nice, Thea decided. Lots of books, some smelling of mildew-â€Å"I get them at the used book stores.† Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy. Development and Structure of the Fetal Pig. The Red Pony. Most of them were about animals in some form or other. And lots of trophies. Baseball trophies, basketball trophies, a few tennis trophies. â€Å"I have to switch between baseball and tennis different years.† Sports equipment was scattered carelessly around, mixed with the books and some dirty socks. Not so different from a teenager's room in the Night World. Just a person's room. There was a picture of a man on the desk, a man with sandy hair and a glorious, lightning-bolt smile like Eric's. â€Å"Who is it?† â€Å"My dad. He died when Roz was little-a plane crash. He was a pilot.† Eric said it simply, but his eyes went dark. Thea said softly, â€Å"My parents died when I was little, too. What's sad is that I don't really remember them.† Eric looked at the picture again. â€Å"You know, I never thought about it, but I'm glad I do remember. At least we had him that long.† They smiled at each other. By the bed was a tank that gave off a pleasant percolating sound. Thea sat next to it and watched iridescent blue fish dart around. She turned off the bedside lamp to see the lighted tank better. â€Å"You like it?† â€Å"I like everything,† Thea said. She looked at him. â€Å"Everything.† Eric blinked. He eyed the bed Thea was sitting on, then slowly sat at the desk. He stuck out a casual elbow to lean on and papers showered to the floor. â€Å"Oops.† Thea stifled a laugh. â€Å"Is that the U.C. Davis application?† He looked up hopefully from gathering them. â€Å"It sure is. Want to see it?† Thea almost said yes. She was in such a cheerful mood, ready to agree to anything, be open to anything. But a moment of thought changed her mind. Some things were just going too far. â€Å"Not right now, thanks.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬ He put the papers back. â€Å"You know, you still might think about transferring to the zoology class at school. Ms. Gasparro is a great teacher. And you'd really like what we're studying.† Maybe I could, Thea thought. What would it hurt? â€Å"And if you were ever interested. Dr. Salinger is always looking for extra help. It doesn't pay much, but it's good experience.† And†¦ what would that hurt? It's not as if I would be breaking any laws. I wouldn't have to use any powers, either, I could just be close to the animals. â€Å"I'll think about it,† she said. She could hear the suppressed excitement in her own voice. She looked at Eric, who was sitting with his elbows on his knees, leaning forward, watching her earnestly. â€Å"And- thanks,† she said softly. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"For†¦ wanting the best for me. For caring.† The light from the fish tank threw wavering blue patterns on the walls and ceiling. It made the bedroom seem like its own little underwater world. It danced over Thea's skin. Eric stared at her. Then he swallowed and shut his eyes. With his eyes still shut, he said in a muted voice, â€Å"I don't think you know how much I care.† Then he looked at her. That connection again. It seemed to be drawing them together-an almost physical feeling of attraction. It was exciting, but scary. Eric got up very slowly and crossed the room. He sat by Thea. Neither of them looked away. And then things just seemed to happen by themselves. Their fingers were intertwined. Thea was looking up and he was looking down. They were so close that their breath mingled. Thea shivered with the electricity. Everything seemed wrapped in a golden haze. Crash. Something hit the other side of the wall. â€Å"Ignore it; it's poltergeists,† Eric murmured. His lips were an inch from hers. â€Å"It's Rosamund,† Thea murmured back. â€Å"She feels bad-and it's not really fair. We should try and make her feel better.† She was so happy that she wanted everyone else to be happy, too. Eric groaned. â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Let me just go see if I can cheer her up. I'll come back.† Eric shut his eyes, opened them, and turned on the lamp. He gave her a pained smile. â€Å"Okay. I have to water Mom's outside plants and feed the rabbits and stuff, anyway. Let me know when she's cheered up enough. I'll be waiting.† Thea knocked and ducked as she entered Rosamund's room. â€Å"Roz? Can I just talk to you for a minute?† â€Å"Don't call me that. I want you to call me Fred.† â€Å"Uh, how come Fred?† Thea sat cautiously on the edge of the bed-or not the bed, actually, the box springs. The mattress was across the room, standing on its side in a corner. The entire room looked as if it had been hit simultaneously by a hurricane and an earthquake, and it smelled strongly of guinea pig. Slowly, part of a sandy head appeared above the mattress. One green eye regarded Thea directly. â€Å"Because,† Rosamund said with terrible maturity, â€Å"I'm not a girl anymore. Things have always been this way for girls and they will always be this way and they are never going to change. And don't give me any of that B.S. about how females hear better and do better in submarines and have better fine motor skills, because I don't care. I'm going to be a boy now.† â€Å"You're a smart kid,† Thea said. She was surprised at how smart Roz was, and at how much she wanted to comfort her. â€Å"But you need to study your history. Things haven't always been this way. There were times when women and men were equals.† Rosamund just said, â€Å"When?† â€Å"Well-in ancient Crete, for one thing. They were all children of Eileithyia, the Great Goddess, and boys and girls both did dangerous stuff, like acrobatics on wild bulls. Of course†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea paused, struck by a thought. â€Å"The Greeks did come and conquer them.† â€Å"Uh-huh.† â€Å"But, um†-Thea wracked her brain for human history-â€Å"Well, the ancient Celts were okay-until the Romans came and conquered them. And†¦ and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Human history was a problem. â€Å"I told you,† Rosamund said bitterly. â€Å"It always turns out the same. Now go away.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea hesitated. It was the excitement that did it. The giddy feeling of everything being right with the world. It made her overconfident, made her feel as if Night World law were a little thing that could be dispensed with if necessary. Don't, a part of her mind whispered. Don't or you'll be sorry. But Rosamund was so miserable. And the golden glow was still around Thea, making her feel protected. Invulnerable. â€Å"Look,† she said. â€Å"This may not help much, but I'll tell you a story, a story that always made me feel better when I was a little girl. Only you have to keep it a secret.† There was a flicker of interest in Rosamund's green eyes. â€Å"A true story?† â€Å"Well-I can't really say it's true.† And that's true-I can't. â€Å"But it's a good story, and it's about a time when women were leaders. About a girl called Hellewise.†