LLB Law, Media Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LLB Law, Media Law - Essay Example ge of its duties, is guilty of contempt†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 1 The test as to what constitutes contempt of court was enunciated by Lord Russell in the English case of R v Gray: ‘Any act done or writing published calculated to bring a court or a judge of the court into contempt, or to lower his authority, is a contempt of court.’2 In every court proceeding, what every litigant is in search of is a good judgment and in most court proceedings involving trial by jury, having a good, reasonable and unbiased jury is the key to that. Taking a view from the Attorney General’s speech, it is true that the law of contempt was meant to arrive at a middle ground between competing interests. There are so many opposing interests to every trial. The law of contempt has at least three fundamental objects – providing a fair trial, ensuring compliance with the court’s orders and generally protecting the administration of justice. If these competing interests are balanced, it is the only way which requires the court process to be fair and that the community accepts the court’s decisions and obeys their orders. It is the duty of the trial judge always to warn the jury of the likely consequences of which any pre-trial publicity may have on the trial. The jury must always and constantly be cautioned to try the case on the basis of the evidence it hears and not on the basis of anything it reads in the newspapers or heard on radio or television. A question that should be asked at this point is that is this a reasonable position? If this is reasonable, how will the law be successful is protecting the rights of those concerned with a trial from intrusion by the media? How does the law attempt to balance the conflicting interest of all parties to the trial, and in particular, in relation to freedom of speech/freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial? Are the any dangers of a miscarriage of justice with regards to pre-trial publicity? It should be noted that a lot of jurors have become

Summary of two articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of two articles - Essay Example tin also acknowledges the Philippines’ move to draft and enact environmental laws but it is of concern whether the implementation would be successful. The United States affirmed its commitment to environmental conservation with the planned installation of windmills that is more preferable than solar power at the Adirondack Park. In her article â€Å"Will Warmer Soil Be as Fertile†, Lance Frazer (2009) explains the role played by soil in organic matter decomposition. She also explains how heating of the atmosphere hastens plant photosynthesis. Frazer (2009) further discusses studies by Myrna Simpson in a report â€Å"Nature Geoscience† November 2nd 2008 that outlines the anticipated effects of global warming in causing unpredictable patterns of carbon circulation in the environment. A study by the team showed increased microorganisms decomposition activity in warmer conditions that result in high release of CO2 into the atmosphere. Frazer (2009) highlights concerns by Howard Epstein an associate environmentalist on drawing conclusions based on the study. Epstein also questioned sustainability of the findings. Simpson (2008) concludes by pointing out the increased CO2 levels with increased degradation. Frazer recommends more study on soil with a keen interests on the effects of the molecular levels on the

Revenue Recognition under US GAAP and IFRS

Revenue Recognition under US GAAP and IFRS International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) are working together to provide a single revenue recognition model that can be applied to a wide range of industries and transaction types. US GAAP currently has many industry-specific requirements that are not always consistent with each other. Keywords: revenue recognition, IASB, FASB, contracts The topic of the research is Revenue Recognition under US GAAP and IFRS. Revenue is the largest item in financial statements, and issues involving revenue recognition are among the most important and difficult that standard setters and accountants face. Revenue  recognition requirements in U.S. GAAP are different from those in IFRSs and both are considered in need of improvement. U.S. GAAP comprises broad revenue recognition concepts and numerous industry or transaction-specific requirements that can result in different accounting for economically similar transactions. Although, IFRSs contain less guidance on revenue recognition, its two main standards IAS 18 Revenue and IAS 11 Construction Contracts can be difficult to understand and apply beyond simple transactions. Also, they lack guidance on important topics such as revenue recognition for multiple-element arrangements. Reporting inconsistencies in this accounting area arise because there are no comprehensive accounting standards covering revenue recognition. Several authoritative accounting pronouncements have addressed detailed, industry-specific revenue recognition issues which caused practitioners to use standards in situations for which they were not intended. As a result, in 2002, the FASB added revenue recognition to its project agenda. In accounting, revenue recognition refers to the point when one is able to record a sale in the financial statements. Years ago, the sale was made and then an invoice was issued. Now, products are sold with added services, TVs are being sold with long term warranties, mobile phone contracts sold with a free phone, tickets sold for concerts which will not occur for a number of months, and software sold with free upgrades. International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) (collectively, the board) are working together to provide a single revenue recognition model that can be applied to a wide range of industries and transaction types. U. S. GAAP currently has many industry-specific requirements that are not always consistent with each other. The boards intend to improve current revenue recognition guidance by: Enhancing consistency and comparability. Simplify U. S. GAAP. Currently, there are more than 100 revenue recognition standards in U.S. GAAP. Many of these standards are industry-specific, and some provide conflicting guidance. Providing guidance lacking in IFRS. The two main IFRS revenue recognition standards are vague, inconsistent, and difficult to apply to complex transactions, IASB and FASB published a joint discussion paper, Preliminary Views on Revenue Recognition in Contracts with Customers, in December 2008 that proposed a single revenue recognition model built on the principle that an entity should recognize revenue when it satisfies its performance obligation in a contract by transferring goods and services to a customer. This principle is similar to many existing requirements. A contract is defined as an agreement between two or more parties that creates enforceable obligations, and may consist of either explicit or implicit arrangements. However, IASB and FASB think that clarifying the principle and applying it consistently to all contracts with customers will improve the comparability and understandability of revenue for users of financial statements. The Discussion Paper sought comments on the Boards preliminary views on a single asset and liability based revenue recognition model that they believe will improve financial reporting under U. S. GAA P and IFRS by (Ernest Young, 2009): Providing clearer guidance on when an entity should recognize revenue. Reducing the number of standards which entities have to refer to in determination of revenue. Establishing principles that will result in entities reporting revenue more consistently for similar contracts regardless of the industry in which an entity operates. In September 2002, the IASB and FASB announced plans to achieve convergence in a document referred to as the Norwalk Agreement which called for detailed differences to be removed rapidly and then other differences gradually. In 2007, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accepted the plan to apply IFRS to the statements filed with the SEC in 2008. According to Mintz (2008), the SEC detailed a road map for the adoption of IFRS that would monitor progress until 2011, when the commission will consider requiring U. S. public companies to file their financial statements using IFRS. The road map includes a potential phased transition over three years, beginning with large accelerated filers in 2014 and then nonaccelerated filers starting in 2016. The research will be done using secondary data collection from Google, Google scholar, ProQuest, discussion papers, and other academia databases. According to Dohrer (2009), U.S. GAAP revenue literature is built on principles that are similar to those in IFRS. However, U.S.GAAP has industry industry-specific revenue recognition literature, such as that for the software industry, which is limited under IFRS. U.S. also includes more detailed implementation guidance. The problem for this research is to find a single asset and liability based revenue recognition model to improve financial reporting within both U. S. GAAP and IFRS. The researcher will seek to answer the following research questions: 1. How does realizability affects the measurements of rights? How is performance obligations identified? When will a customer control the asset? Recognition under U.S. GAAP specifies that revenue should not be recognized until the revenue is either realized or realizable, and earned. Preparers, users, and auditors of financial reports have struggles with issues surrounding the timing of revenue recognition. This has led to fraudulent entries. In 1999, a report by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission reported that more than one-half of financial reporting frauds studied from 1987 to 1997 involved overstating revenue. In response to the COSO report, the SEC issued SAB 101, Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements. This bulletin summarized applying revenue recognition principles to specific conditions (Stout and Baxendale, 2006). According to GAAP, revenue is realizable and earned when all of the following criteria are met. Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists. Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered. The sellers price to the buyer is fixed or determinable. It is reasonably assured that payment will be collected. According to RevenueRecognition.com (2006), regardless of the companys size, ownership structure, or what systems it has in place, having a written revenue policy is essential to accurate revenue reporting. The policy should govern how contracts are written, how orders are booked, define the revenue accounting workflow, as well as how journal entries are made as revenue is managed through the finance department. Revenue recognition in IFRS is contained primarily within two standards: International Accounting Standard (IAS) 18 Revenue, which applies to the sales of goods, rendering of services, and the use of company assets by others yielding interest, royalties and dividends. IAS 11 Construction Contracts, which prescribe the accounting treatment of revenues and cost associated with construction contracts. These standards are that revenue is recognized when it is probable that future economic benefits will flow to the entity and these benefits can be measured reliably. This occurs when the earnings process is substantially complete and is realized or realizable and earned. The Discussion Papers stated that the proposed model should not significantly change the accounting for many arrangements from the current practices under IFRS. Under IFRS, revenue is usually recognized when the risks and rewards associated with the goods or services have been transferred to the customer. Delivery is deemed to have occurred when the customer takes title to a good, indicating that the risks and rewards of ownership have passed to the customer. RevenueRecognition.com surveyed senior financial executives from 515 companies about the Discussion Paper. RevenueRecognition.com worked with staff members from the FASB and IASB revenue recognition project to create an internet survey based on the key questions raised in the proposal. The survey was conducted in April 2009. More than 75% of respondents were senior finance executives including CFOs and Controllers. The key findings were that 54% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that a contract-based approach to revenue recognition would clarify the earnings process. And 66% said there would be little or no difference in the timing of their revenue recognition if delivery is defined as the transfer of control over good and services. Also, 70% agreed or strongly agreed that the Boards definition of a performance obligation as an accounting unit would help them identify components more consistently than existing practice. The history of difficult with revenue recognition in the corporate sector is full with instances of fraud. A COSO report, Fraudulent Financial Reporting 1987-1997: An Analysis of U. S. Public Companies reported that half of frauds involved overstated revenue. Online business-to-business transactions have led to questions about the validity of reported revenue. Past revenue recognition has involved fraudulently setting aside inventory not actually sold. Also, practices include written agreement for sales that are not signed by both parties because the seller would recognize revenue with only the verbal acknowledgment which is no longer permits. Auditors focus on revenue recognition overstatement in financial statements. Recommendations for improving revenue recognition are the following: The person recording or auditing revenue should have a strong knowledge of U. S. GAAP for revenue recognition. The audit committee should be aware of issues and make appropriate inquires. All relevant individuals should be knowledge about recent revenue recognition guidelines, including SAB 101 and EITF 99-17 and 99-19. In conclusion, International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) are working to provide a single revenue recognition model that will be applied to a wide range of industries and transaction types. Revenue recognition requirements in U.S. GAAP are different from those in IFRSs and both are considered in need of improvement. Recognition under U.S. GAAP specifies that revenue should not be recognized until the revenue is either realized or realizable, and earned. Under IFRS, revenue is usually recognized when the risks and rewards associated with the goods or services have been transferred to the customer.

History of Anesthesia Essay -- Biology Medicine

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I will be telling you my short little paper on the History of Anesthesia. I will be telling what some terms mean that will be used in anesthesia history. Also I will be telling a some dates from years before our time on how anesthesia came from and who was there, and what drugs came out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First I will be starting out with several definition of the term anesthesia. The absence of normal sensitiation, especially to pain, as induced by an anesthetic substance or by hypnosis or as occurs with traumatic or pathophysiologic damage to nerve tissue. Anesthesia induced for medical or surgical purposes may be topical, local, regional, or general and is named for the anesthetic agent used, the method of the procedure followed, or the area or organ anesthetized. The people who are permitted to give anesthesia to a patient is an anesthesiologist or a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). (Mosby’s Pocket Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health) There is also two different ways of describing Anesthesia you could either call it anesthesia or analgesic. In the next couple paragraphs I will be going over ways on how anesthesia would be given to a patient who will be going under a surgery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General anesthesia is the most common way that anesthesia is given to a patient. The absence of sensation and consciousness as induced by various anesthetic agents, given by inhalation or intravenous injection. Most of the time a general anesthesia is given to the patient through an IV to the patient.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Local anesthesia is another common way of inducing a patient. The administration of a local anesthetic agent into tissues to induce the absence of sensation in a small area of the body. Topical anesthesia is a surface analgesia produced by application of a topical anesthetic in the form of a solution, gel, or ointment to the skin, mucous membrane, or cornea. Regional anesthesia is an anesthesia of an area of the body by injecting a local anesthetic to block a group of sensory nerve fibers. Next one would be a caudal anesthesia which would an injection of an agent into the caudal part of the epidural space through the sacral hiatus to anesthetize sacral and lower lumbar nerve roots. An epidural anesthesia is an injection A type of regional block in which a local  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  anesthetic is injected into the epidural... ...imetry added to the standards for basic monitoring when it comes to an anesthestized patient. 1992 Desflurane was finally made that it could be used clinically. Desflurane is one the anesthesia drugs that must be heated because it is unsable in room temperature. 1994 Sevoflurane also was passed to be used in a clinically stable medical field. 1995 House of Delegates of the ASA approves Practice Guidelines for Preoperative Transesphageal Echocardiography. 1996 End trial carbon dioxide monitoring added to the standards for basic monitoring. End trial carbon dioxide can also be used as EtCO2. Also in this year the Bispectral Index Monitoring System approved for Clinical use. House of the ASA approves Practice Guidelines for Office Based Anesthesia. Last thing in this year Rapacuronium used clinically and it is also always known as a IV drug. WORK CITIED The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd. Edition. 21 November 1846 Longnecker, David E., Murphy, Frank L. Introduction to Anesthesia. Copyright 1997 Dorsch, Jerry A., Susan E. Understanding Anesthesia Equipment Construction, Care, and Complications (3rd. Edition). Copyright 1993

The Importance of Voting

Voting is crucial in the progression of our society, good or bad, and our future. The simple act of voting can change the entire United States of America. It can aid in the positive or negative political growth, creating allies with other countries, or simple things such as our rights as the American citizens. In order to vote, some political background should be present. This eliminates the issue of voting for a certain political party based solely from others beliefs. This knowledge can be obtained from basic research such as articles, novels, and trusted internet websites. Many people decide to vote before they truly know who they are voting for. Some may not even be educated on politics at all. For me what makes it so important is the amendments, we the people have a right to vote. Like the second amendment the right to bear arms there are some out there that want to take that away but to me, I think they're crazy for insisting that diminishing the use of firearms get rid of some crime issues. Criminals will find a way to get gun, whether it is legal or not, this will only stop the law abiding citizens from the right to carry. I believe that school can setup a system to keep guns out of schools. For me a firearm is is for hunt and protection, what they have been used for many generations. Our veterans had fought for our right to vote for what we believe in. People complain on how things are going in this country but most don't even vote so the have no right to complain because they're not trying to vote for what they believe that will make things better for we the people. As far as political growth is considered, many people believe straight Republican or straight Democrat. When someone is elected of a different political party, this creates a divide in our country. During election, when you look at the polls it is easy to notice that certain areas are predominantly one party. If it comes down to it, just a few votes could change the outcome entirely. For example, if your family is straight republican party, yet the democratic party is up in the election, encouraging your family and friends who share a common beliefs as you, can make quite a huge change. On the flip side of the spectrum, if you vote based solely off of what others believe, this could open the door for even a larger amount of dispute between groups. Personally, I was anti- Hillary Clinton from the start due to the fact that she considers herself a Modern Democrat as well as analyzing the way her husband ran our country while in office. Donald Trump not only is a Republican, he also has done many things to impact our economy in a positive way. This is an example of deriving information from trusted sources and voting for a party that I truly agree with. Another reason that it is important to vote is because we need to be able to create relationships with other countries. Our economy runs based off of the trade of goods and services to and from other countries. Having resources available that come from China, Taiwan, and many other countries helps our economy grow stronger. However, due to past electorates, we are very far indebted to China, this is one thing that Trump is working on eliminating. Being in debt to other countries creates conflict which directly leads to war. Voting is necessary to run a country and as a citizen on the United States of America, I believe that it is my duty to ensure that I have voted for the person I believe will run our country properly and effectively. To me, the most important thing that I look for in a possible president is if they have a common political view as me, someone who knows how to create allies with neighboring countries, and most importantly, someone who will not try to eliminate the so called, unalienable rights, guaranteed to citizens.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 25

I'd sworn I'd never go back into my bedroom, but just then, I needed my bed. I spent the rest of the day in it, curled up in the proverbial fetal position. Much like when I'd made Seth leave, I didn't feel anything. I was dead inside. There was nothing left, nothing in my life, nothing to keep me going. Some wise part of my brain said I should cry. I knew there was grief inside of me, grief that would eventually explode. But I was blocking it for now, afraid to acknowledge that all of this was real or face the consequences. This, I realized, was why Yasmine had screamed. It was a terrible thing to be cut off from something you loved so much. To be cut off from the thing that gave your existence meaning. Hours passed, and light and shadows moved across my bedroom as the sun began its descent. My room grew dark, but I didn't bother flipping on the lights. I didn't have the energy or motivation. I don't know how much time passed before I heard the knock. At first, I wasn't even sure that's what it was. Then, it sounded again – definitely someone knocking on my front door. I stayed in bed, not wanting to see or talk to anyone. What if it's Seth? Some small part of me clung to that hope, that maybe he'd changed his mind. The rest of me didn't believe it. I'd seen the look in his eyes. The resolve. He wasn't coming back. And if he wasn't coming back, then there was no point in being social. My visitor knocked a third time, louder still. Beside me, Aubrey turned her head toward the living room, then toward me, no doubt wondering why I wouldn't put a stop to the noise. With a sigh, I crawled out of bed and stalked toward the front of the apartment. Half-way there, I stopped. It wasn't Seth. â€Å"Georgina!† wailed a twangy soprano voice. â€Å"I know you're in there. I can sense you.† I'd sensed Tawny too, of course, which is why I'd stopped walking. I sighed again, wondering if it would be possible to ignore her. Probably not. Even if I didn't answer, she'd probably stand out there all day, now that she knew I was here. I opened the door, expecting to be barreled into with tears and fanfare. Instead, I found Tawny standing calmly outside my door, hesitant to enter. Her eyes were wet after all, but she seemed to be trying very hard to rein herself in. The trembling of her lip suggested that wasn't going to be easy. And she had a glow. â€Å"C-can I come in?† she asked. I stepped to the side and waved her in. â€Å"You want me to take you out for a drink to celebrate your conquest?† That was it. She lost it. Sobbing into her hands, she sank down on to my loveseat. Still numbed from the Seth fallout, I had no mental energy to deal with this. Not enough energy to hate her, not enough energy to pity her. I was living apathy. â€Å"Tawny, I – â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry!† she interrupted. â€Å"I'm so, so sorry. I didn't want to. I didn't want to do it. But he told me if I did that it'd pay off for both of us, that he'd pull strings to get me faster advancement and that I'd – â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, hang on,† I said. â€Å"Who's ‘he'? Niphon?† She nodded and produced a pack of tissues from her purse. At least she traveled prepared now. She blew her nose loudly before going on. â€Å"He told me to fake it – fake being bad. I mean†¦well, actually, I am kind of bad. Okay, a lot bad. I can't flirt like you. And I really can't dance.† She paused a moment, as though this caused her particular pain. â€Å"But you were right in saying it was impossible for me to not get sex from someone. I did. I just lied and said I couldn't.† It was just as I'd suspected for a while now, but hearing her confirm it didn't really cheer me up. It was yet another reminder of all the miserable things in my life these last couple of weeks. Staring at her, I still couldn't bring myself to feel angry at her. Partially because I was still drained of feeling and partially because it just wasn't worth it. Niphon had used her to play me, but he'd played her too. â€Å"You're a good liar,† I told her finally. â€Å"I could never be sure if you were telling the truth or not – but you seemed to be. I'm usually good at reading people.† Tawny smiled, just a little, with something almost like pride. â€Å"I hustled people a lot when I was mortal. Worked some con jobs.† The smile disappeared. â€Å"Until that asshole dumped me for a cheap blond whore. She had no idea what she was doing, but did he care? No. Dick. He's sorry now. They both are.† I blinked. I hadn't expected to hear that. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear that. Suddenly, Tawny's initial desire to make men everywhere suffer made a lot more sense – as did the reason she might have sold her soul in the first place. I hoped her current appearance wasn't some weird bastardization of the cheap blond whore. Because that would just be kind of creepy. â€Å"Well, um, I'm†¦sure they are. And you know, the skills you need to hustle and con aren't that different from seduction.† Maybe it was the moving and talking, but as I sat there, my sluggish brain began to stir to life and analyze the situation. â€Å"Tawny, why are you telling me this? If you're working for Niphon, he's probably not going to appreciate you blowing his cover.† â€Å"You're right. He doesn't know I'm here. But†¦but I was afraid. I know it'll all come out if you tell, and I don't want to go down with him! I thought if I came and talked to you and told you what happened that maybe†¦maybe you could forgive me. I'm starting to like it here. I don't want to leave. And if they punish him, they'll punish me too and – â€Å" â€Å"Wait, wait. Stop again. Punish him for what? For getting you to lie?† I frowned. â€Å"And what is it I'm going to tell?† Tawny was so surprised that she forgot to sniffle. â€Å"About her.† â€Å"Her?† â€Å"That – that hag. The one who came into my dreams†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Nyx? Oh. That really is how you hid your glow. Hugh was right.† â€Å"I hated it,† said Tawny vehemently. â€Å"Every time he made me go to her so she could suck me out. And then I'd have such weird dreams.† Think, Georgina, think! It was all coming together here if I could just put my own romantic disaster off to the side of my mind for a moment. â€Å"You†¦went to Nyx willingly? To have your energy sucked out so I wouldn't find out that you were lying?† Tawny nodded. My brain hurt. â€Å"And he – Niphon – made you, and – † I stopped. â€Å"Niphon knew about Nyx. You both did. And how to find her.† â€Å"He's the one who got her to come here when she escaped. Promised her two succubi,† sniffed Tawny. She gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"I thought†¦I thought you knew all that? I heard you were there when they captured her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tawny looked a little nervous, like she was wondering if maybe she'd done the wrong thing in betraying Niphon. As for me, I was suddenly reliving the battle back in my bedroom and Nyx's offer to help me get revenge on the one who'd sent her after me†¦. Niphon. â€Å"Niphon?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Niphon sent a crazy chaos goddess after me? Why? Why does he hate me that much?† Tawny's eyes went wide, no doubt surprised at my sudden outburst. â€Å"I†¦I don't know. He just said that he wanted to make things difficult for you. Screw up your life. Maybe get you sent away.† Hugh's words came back to me. All I know is that when an imp shows up and is going to this much trouble over something, the evidence suggests it's big. My heart raced, and I grabbed hold of her hand. â€Å"Tawny. Did he ever say anything about my contract? Any contract at all?† She shook her head frantically, tousling her blond curls even more than they already were. â€Å"No, not while I was around.† â€Å"Are you sure? Think! Think of anything, anything at all he might have said to explain why he did what he did.† â€Å"No, nothing!† She broke her hand away. â€Å"I'm telling you the truth this time. He just made it sound as though†¦well, like he didn't like you. He wanted you to be unhappy. Suffer. I don't know.† Niphon. So many things could be laid at his feet. According to Tawny, he'd used her to make me look like a bad mentor (which I was, kind of) and possibly get sent away. The imp had also talked to Seth about selling his soul – despite my warnings. Seth's decision to leave me had been his own, true. But, I realized, Niphon had played a role in getting Seth to think about such things. The distraction Nyx had caused – which apparently Niphon had brought about too – had cut me off from spending time with Seth. Realizing how close he'd been to selling his soul had driven Seth away. The fear of how that would affect him and me both had been too strong – strong enough that he chose to walk away from me. â€Å"Georgina?† I made a decision then. It wasn't going to change what had happened with Seth and me, but it was going to make me feel better. â€Å"Georgina?† repeated Tawny, peering at me. â€Å"Are you okay? You aren't going to get me sent away, are you? Georgina?† I rose from my chair, surprised at how my muscles had become kinked. No longer wanting to be dressed up, I shape-shifted out of the dress and into jeans and an empire cut sweater. Black. Like my mood. I glanced over at Tawny. â€Å"You want to go to a party with me?† I drove us over to Peter and Cody's, where the â€Å"evil† holiday party was taking place. I barely noticed that it was raining again. I walked up the building's stairs like one going to her own funeral, grim and purposeful – and with enough speed that Tawny had to scurry to keep up in her stilettos. When I felt the immortal signatures within the apartment, smug relief flooded me upon discovering Niphon was still there. Peter opened the door before I finished knocking. He wore a red sweater with an appliqu? ¦ Santa on it. It matched his tree, of course. â€Å"Look at this,† he said sarcastically. â€Å"She deigns to show up and join us lowly – â€Å" I strode past him without a word. He gaped. Moving through the room, I was vaguely aware of the others there. Jerome. Cody. Hugh. But I didn't want any of them. Niphon, standing with a glass of wine, regarded me with curious amusement as I headed straight for him. Considering I usually avoided him if it all possible, my approach undoubtedly astonished him. But not as much as when I punched him. I didn't even need to shape-shift much bulk into my fist. I'd caught him by surprise. The wineglass fell out of his hand, hitting the carpet and spilling its contents like blood. The imp flew backward, hitting Peter's china cabinet with a crash. Niphon slumped to the floor, eyes wide with shock. I kept coming. Kneeling, I grabbed his designer shirt and jerked him toward me. â€Å"Stay the fuck out of my life, or I will destroy you,† I hissed. Terror filled his features. â€Å"Are you out of your fucking mind? What do you – † Suddenly, the fear disappeared. He started laughing. â€Å"He did it, didn't he? He broke up with you. I didn't know if he could do it, even after giving him the spiel about how it'd be better for both of you. Oh my. This is lovely. All your so-called charms weren't enough to – ahh!† I'd pulled him closer to me, digging my nails into him, and finally, I felt an emotion. Fury. Niphon's role had been greater than I believed. My face was mere inches from his. â€Å"Remember when you said I was nothing but a backwoods girl from some gritty fishing village? You were right. And I had to survive in gritty circumstances – in situations you'd never be able to handle. And you know what else? I spent most of my childhood gutting fish and other animals.† I ran a finger down his neck. â€Å"I can do it for you too. I could slit you from throat to stomach. I could rip you open, and you'd scream for death. You'd wish you weren't immortal. And I could do it over and over again.† That wiped the smirk off Niphon's face. Behind me, the rest of the room had come to life. â€Å"For fuck's sake,† yelled Jerome. â€Å"Get her off him.† Strong hands pulled me back, Cody and Hugh each grabbing one of my arms. I fought against them, struggling to get back to a cringing Niphon. My friends were too strong. I couldn't break free and didn't have the life left to shape-shift added bulk. â€Å"Get rid of him, Jerome!† I yelled. â€Å"Get rid of him, or I swear to God, I really will rip him apart. He set me up to fail with Tawny. He brought Nyx here, for fuck's sake! Get rid of him!† I saw my boss's face. He didn't like being yelled at or ordered around – particularly in front of others. His face was hard and angry. I could tell he was about to tell me to shut up, and then something in his expression shifted. He turned his attention back to Niphon. â€Å"Get out,† the demon said. Niphon stared open-mouthed. Very fishlike, actually. â€Å"Jerome! You can't just – â€Å" â€Å"Get out. I know what you were trying to do, but you shouldn't have done it behind my back. Go back to your hotel, and be out of town by tomorrow.† Niphon still wanted to protest. But then, he looked at Jerome, looked at me, and then looked at Jerome again. Swallowing, the imp scrambled to his feet and grabbed a briefcase sitting on the couch. With one more glance back at me, he ran out the door. Jerome's gaze fell on Tawny, who was pressing herself against the wall in a futile effort to disappear. â€Å"It's not her fault,† I said quickly. â€Å"Don't punish her.† Jerome studied her a few more moments before sighing impatiently. â€Å"Later. I'll deal with you later.† I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but the fact that he hadn't smote her on the spot was a positive sign. Judging from the grateful look on her face, she agreed. Cody and Hugh still had a death grip on me, but after several moments, they released me. I sagged with exhaustion, surprised to see I was breathing heavily. Tension filled the room. Finally, Cody said, â€Å"Where did you learn to throw a right hook?† â€Å"You don't live through the Dark Ages without learning stuff like that,† mused Peter. He glanced at the spilled wine and sighed. â€Å"Club soda's not going to get that out.† â€Å"Georgie,† said Jerome in a rumbling voice. â€Å"Do not ever speak to me like that.† I steadied my breathing and swallowed back the bloodlust coursing through me. I met Jerome's dark eyes defiantly. â€Å"Noted,† I said. Then, unable to handle my friends' looks of both astonishment and concern, I ran out of the apartment. I made it down one flight of stairs before collapsing and sitting on the landing. I buried my face in my hands and started sobbing. The grief had finally won. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps on the stairs. Hugh sat down beside me and put his arms around me. I pressed my face to his chest and kept crying. â€Å"You'll get over this,† he said quietly. â€Å"No. I will never get over this. I'm alone. I wish I was dead.† â€Å"No, you don't. You're too wonderful and have too many people who love you.† I lifted my head and looked at him. I'd never seen his face so compassionate, so serious – except when he'd yelled at Seth during poker. I sniffed and ran a hand over my wet eyes. â€Å"We broke up. This is what you wanted. You didn't want me and Seth to be together.† Hugh shook his head. â€Å"I like Seth. I want you to be happy. If you could be together without all the heartache, I'd send you on with my blessing. But I don't think that's possible. I think this is best.† â€Å"You told him the only way I'd let him go is if he hurt me, if he was an asshole. Do you think that's why he did it? Slept with Maddie? Because only something drastic would drive me away?† Hugh looked surprised at the reference to Maddie. â€Å"I don't know, sweetie. I don't know what he was thinking.† Sighing, I leaned back into him. â€Å"I will never get over this.† â€Å"You will.† â€Å"It's going to take a lot of time.† â€Å"Well, you have a lot of time.†