Instructional leadership and curriculum Assignment

Instructional leadership and curriculum - Assignment Example Apropos to students’ situation, there is needed to take careful examination on their differences for instance multicultural, international travelling and many others. (Mc Caleb, 2013). Knowing a learners condition will assist in fair learning process for all learners since they are the center of learning and great concern is required. After knowing the learners situation, the leaders should consult the situation at the family level. Teachers and educational supervisors should involve parents through visits. Parents can be invited over to assess their children in the classroom or within the school. Alternatively, they can visit students at their homes in presence of the parents to inquire what they might consider to be part of the curriculum. After which support opportunities are created for dialogue between parents, teachers and educational leaders to improve student learning. From family level, the school should create bonds with the local residents and community organization during the process of curriculum implementation and planning (Mc Caleb, 2013). There is great need for partnership strategies to reach educational stakeholders creating an environment for change. This will ensure addressing of cultural differences, community cries and data collection on areas of weaknesses. By doing all, these there will be tremendous change in education sector and better learning strategies to match current educational

Maine - A novel- J.courtney Sullivan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Maine - A novel- J.courtney Sullivan - Essay Example In this excerpt, like the other three women, Maggie is struggling with universal issues that are affecting women in this last century. As a result, she is forced to confront the real truths about themselves together with their relationships. Maggie is thirty-two years of age, and she is pregnant. However, she is still waiting for that perfect moment to break the news to her imperfect boyfriend (Sullivan, 430). However, when she got pregnant, her boyfriend backed away showing the continues string of inapproriate partners for the four women. Maggie can be located in her generation in the way she dressed. Sullivan writes, she appeared in â€Å"tiny tight dress in Lewinsky blue† (431). When Alice learns that Maggie is pregnant, she says, â€Å"Well, that’s, then,† (437). This shows her anger towards Maggie’s pregnancy. This contributes to the theme of love and anger in the story. As the story drifts towards the end, Kathleen says to Maggie, "Its going to be okay," (444) to which she responds, "It has to be"(446). This shows the existence of love between the women. This brings out the charms of Maggie’s adopted home in Brooklyn. Sullivan portrays three generations of women in the Kelleher’s family who take the guilt in their secrets of their private lives. In alternating accounts late spring and early summer, the female figures contradict and complement each other in surprising but contradictable manner. By the time the story comes to an end, the reader is also ready to leave the beach. Summarily, through Maggies, the story unveils the theme of sibling rivalry, irrational love, social climbing, alcoholism, and Catholic guilt all at the centre of this Keller family. Sullivan uses the four women to show their contrasting behaviours since they belong to different

123 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

123 - Essay Example The family atmosphere is also not conducive to sharing of secrets. Jack’s dad married soon after the passing of Jack’s mother without even informing him that he would do that. It is a fact that in Native American society men do not share deep feelings; however, this fact just served to worsen the relationship between Jack and his father. Jack felt a sense of abandonment when this took place and went to reside with his aunt. The older generation in this tale, which is made up of the narrators’ father, Aunt Greta and the extended family reside in the Indian reservation, but Jack makes the decision to further his education and moves out of the reservation. Owing to this decision to improve his life, his connection with his family members is weakened. In Native American families, it appears that in most households, there is a lot of adjustment that is accepted as being normal. Gerstel and Sarkisian state that "Black and Latino families are more disorganized than White families" (Gerstel and Sarkisian, 62). This may not be a reality in all families of non-White ethnicities, but it occurs more often in these families than in White families. Aunt Gretas household was altered significantly many times in the course of her life. Her husband passed away, and thus she had to look after her grandfather in his old age, along with her nephew. Prior to going to university, Roger is invited to a party in which he gets inebriated and is involved in a fight. The lack of boundaries that would have resulted from being a part of a fully functional family may have prevented this. Jack was mainly brought up by his aunt. There are boundaries that will only be respected by children when the father of the family enforces them. Jack, coming from a dysfu nctional family, lacked such boundaries. He is imprisoned as a result of the fight, but still does not appear to understand the importance of taking

Intellectual Property Rights and software Essay Example for Free

Intellectual Property Rights and software Essay Moral theories such as utilitarianism are used to defend Intellectual Property Rights of software produced by companies such as the Microsoft. It is important to differentiate between physical property rights and intellectual property rights. The government needs to analyse pros and cons of protecting rights of companies such as the Microsoft. Intellectual Property Rights or IPR is generally defended based on the assumption that they are similar to physical property rights. The ethical argument is that legal experts have upheld the need to protect property rights of individuals. Consequently, due to such rights individuals are able to protect their ownership rights, as they are allowed to approach court of law when their property is encroached. It is not possible to accept this argument in the context of intellectual property. This is due to basic differences that persist between physical property and intellectual property. Physical property allows purchaser to use property and alienate or dispose property at the later period. (Lea 2006) Software patent rights gives the right to use, but does not allow the user to either modify or alienate. This is because software can be produced in large quantities with the assistance of modern technology. Property, on the other hand, cannot be produced in large quantities. Reproduction and duplication of software can affect profitability of a company like Microsoft or author of the program. (Lea 2006) IPR in the context of software cannot be justified on two counts. First, it cannot be compared with physical property. There is no moral justification to protect rights of the creator of software. It is true that it is important to protect rights of individuals who author a computer program. But, at the same time, it is important to protect rights of consumers as well. Based on this reasoning, Wright brothers were not able to patent Airplane. Patents can sometimes discourage creativity. Consequently, modern scientists were able to produce airplane designs and contribute to enhanced facilities to people. The major purpose of patents and copy rights is to encourage people to contribute to scientific knowledge. (Lea 2006) Patents can be considered as recognition of talent of individual. Innovative products can inspire other individuals to produce similar or other products. As software is protected by IPR, it cannot be modified. One needs to differentiate between copy right acts and software patents. Copy right acts protect interest of authors. Generally, mass production of a book involves huge expenditure as it requires investment in printing and machinery. Software production, on the other hand, does not involve such huge investment. This argument is used to defend software patents. But, this argument alone cannot be used to defend right of a person who authors computer programs. (Lea 2006) Utilitarianism believes in welfare principles. Property rights are essential to achieve general welfare. Lack of property rights can affect large numbers of individuals. Non-software copy rights have encouraged producers to enhance production. They are able to obtain recognition for their contribution to their sector. On the other hand, software patent has affected large numbers of individuals, as they are not able to modify source code of a computer program. Duplication of software will affect income rights of a person or organization that produces software. The author will continue to enjoy the right to control the product. At the same time, additional features can be created by tweeting source code. This can benefit large numbers of people as they use free and modified software. Lea 2006) One needs to appreciate the fact that computer programs cannot replace essential goods required by large numbers of world population. In the 1990s, American population depended on computer revolution, which created employment opportunities for large numbers of individuals. At the same time, a country cannot solely depend on computer programs. This is because comp uter programs cannot replace other economic activities such as agricultural and industrial production. (Lea 2006) Protection of monopolistic companies such as Microsoft has created disparity between rich and poor nations. It is not possible to defend high price charged by companies for their software. This is because companies do not invest heavily in R D, unlike non software industry. From utilitarian perspective, it is not possible to defend IPR of software. This is because the aim of world leaders should be to reduce disparity between rich and poor. IPR in software, on the other hand, has enhanced gap between rich and poor. This is because countries such as the US depend heavily on software export. The US enhanced its software trade surplus which crossed $20 billion in 1999. (Lea 2006) Second, from libertarian perspective also one cannot defend IPR. This is because IPR does not allow freedom to individuals as they are not able to modify and sell software. This can affect their creative abilities. IRP affects autonomy and freedom of individuals. In a free and democratic country such as the US it is not possible to justify protection of organizations such as Microsoft. Free software movement emerged in order to defend the right of individuals to freely distribute software. In the 1960s, computers had to install software as a distinct bundle. Aim of such measure was to avoid monopoly of a particular company. Microsoft believes in protection of its IPR. In actuality, the main attempt of this organization is to protect its commercial interest. Lack of IPR rules in the context of software will erode profitability of this company. By the use of cyber laws, the company is able to reach a monopolistic position. This has contributed to inflated price of software produced by this company. It is interesting to note that the company hired services of professional detectives in Europe to identify people who used unlicensed company products. Microsoft has faced criticism from European countries due to its monopolistic position in the international software market. Lawsuits are filed against this company for discouraging competition from other companies. (Lea 2006) Computer consumers are expected to purchase legal software from designated commercial areas. At the same time, one needs to note that absence of IPR in software would not affect company profitability. This is because it is not possible for individuals to use different free or licensed computer programs. Today, most users depend on Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer. Other products are not used due to compatibility issue as these programs are not compatible with Microsoft products. This shows that even if Microsoft products are not protected by IPR, consumers will continue to use them as they are accustomed to this company product. In the year 2001, the government compromised with Microsoft by structuring IPR in such a way as to protect interest of this company. (Lea 2006) Data shows that 90 percent of computers use Microsoft products including Windows and Internet Explorer. (Lea 2006) This has affected competition in this sector. Consequently, large numbers of people are compelled to buy products from Microsoft. The solution for this problem is that Microsoft should be divided into two sections. One section can deal with legal and licensed software, which can be sold at a particular price, while another section can concentrate on products such as video player, which can be freely downloaded. This implies that government is taking sufficient measures to protect interest of consumers who in the IPR regime tend to buy software at inflated price. Another alternative is to abolish IPR of software so that it becomes equivalent to mathematical formulae or a scientific law, which consumers can use and modify based on their subsequent research. This can encourage creativity and innovation and achieve welfare of a large section of world population. (Lea 2006) Utilitarian and libertarian perspectives show that software patent rights do not achieve social welfare, as they aim to protect interest of companies such as Microsoft. Software patent rights have affected autonomy and freedom of individuals who are not legally allowed to modify computer programs. The government needs to introduce regulations restricting software prices. This can encourage companies to offer free software, which can be modified and redistributed for non commercial use.

Comparison of Marxism and Capitalism Political Theories

Comparison of Marxism and Capitalism Political Theories Linking Political Theory to Contemporary Politics Alisha N Ancum Abstract A political theory, by definition is the study of concepts and principles that people use to describe, explain, associate, and evaluate events and institutions in society(Girvetz,2013). I will be comparing and contrasting two major political theories, Capitalism and Marxism. Their contrasting ideas are brings about a vast difference in their beliefs. But despite this, they do have some similarities in their varied forms. These two political theories have their advantages and disadvantages as they relate to politics, law, business, history and especially religion. Marxism being the younger of these two, builds on its own socio- economic model, but also offers a critic of capitalism. Both theories have shaped the nature, structure and politics of various nations from the industrial age to present day. Linking Political Theory to Contemporary Politics Political theory is abranch of political science concerned chiefly with the ideas of past and present political thinkers and the doctrines and proposals of political movements and groupsâ€Å"discussion of the proper scope of governmental action †¦ has usually been regarded as a proper part ofpolitical theory†Ã¢â‚¬â€ F.W.Coker (Political). This paper will compare and contrast two major political theories, Marxism and Capitalism. These two political theories are significantly different from each other, but also in the varied forms have some very similar characteristics. Capitalism and Marxism have both shaped the nature, structure and politics of various nations from the industrial age to present day. Marxism developed among the European working class of the 19th century. Marxism is the brain child of German philosopher Karl Marx (1818-1883). Karl Marx started the socialist movement (Roskin,Cord,Mederiros, Jones,2013). Karl Marx was trained in Hegelian philosophy, and produced a complex theory covering economics, social class and history. Marx posited that things dont just happen by accident, and everything has a cause. At the core of Marxism, it is believed that property production and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. Hence the government has a role in the economy and social life of a nation. In a Marxist system, the means of production is owned by society, with the degree of ownership varying from total control to partial. The extreme form of Marxism is communism, as practiced in Cuba. Less extreme forms take the form of socialism or social democracies as in some countries such as, Scandinavia. Capitalism dates back to 16th century Europe, and became the dominant system in Western Europe. The basis of this system is ownership and control of the means of production by private individuals, with very little or no government intervention. In a Capitalist system, not only are the means of production not subject to government intervention as well as religion, social amenities and property rights. After the industrial revolution in Europe, capitalism was exported to the four corners of the world. At the core of the capitalist system is the free market. Free from societal control, the free market is believed to be self-regulating and privately owned. Capitalism is the brain child of Adam Smith. Adam Smith authored The Wealth of Nations, which is considered today as the capitalist bible. Capitalism creates a laissez-faire economy. These theories posit that the wealth and well-being of any nation is based on the amount of goods and services her citizens produced. Smith argues that go vernment intervention in the economy retards growth. This is so, because whenever one company or person (government) has a monopoly over the means of production, this kills competition, and with it, efforts to produce new goods and lower prices. This theory has taken the name of Liberalism, meaning people living as free as possible from government interference. Modern liberalism is what we called conservatism in America today. At the heart of this theory are still the core tenets of Adam Smiths philosophy. Core values include a strong free market and very minimal government interference in the lives and means of production of the nation. Edmund Burke (1729-1797), an 18th century American philosophy agrees with Adam Smiths theory. He believed the free market economy is the best system (Roskin, et al., 2013). He was also very supportive of the American colonies that were fighting for their basic freedoms. Modern conservatism in America has been reinforced by the writings of Milton Friedman (1926-2006), a Nobel Prize winning economist. Friedman argues that Adam Smith was right, and the free market economy is still the best system. Friedman also believes whenever government intervenes in the free market and society, it messes things up (Roskin, et al., 2013). Some of the major differences between Marxism and Capitalism is their approach to traditional values especially religion. In a capitalistic society, the freedom of religion worship is vigorously protected as an individual natural right. Hence government interference in faith matters is frowned upon. In present day America, modern conservatives advocate a society where government protects the religious freedoms of individuals. They want prayer in public places, the ban of abortion and same sex marriage (Roskin, et al., 2013). Modern conservatives in America also oppose any special rights for women and minority groups especially when they perceive it to be contrary to the dominant religious views of today. As a result, any forms of legislation affecting these spheres of society are viewed as an intrusion by government on the individual freedoms of people. Marxism on the other hand, views religion very negatively. Religion is the opium of society he wrote. Vladimir Lenin, a Bolshevik socialist said religion slows down economic growth. Religion is viewed in Marxist societies as a tool by capitalist elites to control the masses. Hence religion is frowned upon. Some countries which practiced strict forms of Marxism developed varied form of state atheism; for example the former Soviet Socialist Republic and the Peoples Republic of China. Today, most Marxist or socialist countries have eased the ban on Religious worship. While the stigma still exist, only in extreme cases like North Korea, where religion is banned. In present day America, the fight over the role of government in matters of faith runs very deep. This has created a very polarized polity. With Republicans made up of predominantly modern conservatives are vehemently opposed to rights being extended by the government to gay couples (Roskin, et al., 2013). Modern conservatives view marriage as a matter of faith, with no need to digress from its religious definition. They view the extension of marriage rights to gay citizens by the Democratic Party as an infringement of the religious freedoms of the citizen. Modern conservatives view this threat to the individual rights of the citizen as posited by Adam Smith, Edmund Burke and Milton Friedman. The Democratic Party and its socially liberal base, view the intervention of the state to extend the right to marriage to gay couples as an important role of government. This being a core tenet of Marxism which suggests that government must be involved in certain aspects of society, to ensure eq ual rights among the citizens. Another major difference between the two political theories is how they perceive the right to property. In the capitalist system, property is viewed a means of production and should be privately owned and controlled. Government was to protect the right to private ownership of property, with no interference. While capitalism recognizes some form of public property, it forms a very small portion of capital goods. The private ownership of property covers both tangible and intangible property. Hence businesses are privately owned and control, with little or no interference from government. A capitalist society has laws prohibiting the seizure of private property on individuals. In a Marxist system, property is viewed as a public good. While in varied forms, private ownership of property is allowed, the majority of property for the production of goods and services are owned or controlled by the state. This is believed to be the best possible way to transfer wealth from the rich to the poor. In so doing, the Marxist believes, equality, growth and general welfare are achieved. Hence in most countries where various forms of Marxism are practiced, the state controls major sectors of the economy like energy production, health care etc. In 2009, the Obama administration and their Democratic majority passed the Affordable Health care Act, which was vigorously opposed by Republicans and conservatives who viewed this as a government takeover of a major part of the free market. Democrats and their Liberal allies argued the law was necessary to protect and provide health care to over 20 million Americans who couldnt afford health insurance in the free market. This issue is still a major rallying call for modern conservatives in America today. While there are clear differences between these political theories, there are also some minor similarities. For example, in both systems, there is the possibility of social mobility. While the Marxist tries to eliminate class structures, and the capitalist systems survives on a class structure. Individuals have the opportunity to move up the social strata in both systems. Both systems allow government regulation of business, contracts, and markets; however the degree of regulation varies between both. The capitalist favors very little regulation, believing more in the unseen hand of the market to regulate it. The Marxist system, believes in providing more intrusion and regulation by the state (Roskin, et al., 2013). For without state regulation, the markets will run wild driven by profits, this is evident by the world economic crisis of 2008. References Girvetz, H. k. (2013, June 5). Liberalism . InEncyclopedia Britanica. Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339173/liberalism Political Theory. (n.d.). InMerriam-Webster online. Retrieved from  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political theory Roskin, M. G., Cord, R. L., Medeiros, J. A., Jones, W. S. (2013).Political Science An Introduction(Thirteenth ed., pp. 21-49). N.p.: Pearson.

Essay --

Why would a married man pursue a woman in hopes of gaining more than a platonic relationship? Dmitri Gurov is a Russian womanizer that spent two weeks on a vacation resort in Yalta. During his stay, Dmitri always took interest in the new women that arrived in Yalta. He discovered a young lady with a dog walking along the sea-front. Whenever he saw her approaching the public garden, he would always make a presence to meet her there. There are definitely characteristics of his personality that caused Dmitri to venture beyond his marriage. Dmitri was married at a young age. Dmitri was not happy in his marriage. His wife considered herself very intelligent. However, Dmitri considered her unintelligent, non- attractive, and did not like to be home with her. He had been unfaithful to her for a long time. Due to the lost love Dmitri had for his wife, his view for all women took a negative stand. Whenever women were discussed in his presence, he spoke about them in a negative manner. He referred to them as â€Å"the lower race† (252). Dmitri did not like to affiliate with members of the same sex. In the presence of men, he was he was bored and uncommunicative. Although he spoke negatively about women, he felt comfortable in their presence and knew what to say to them. The way he conducted himself in public, as well as his personal appearance grabbed the women attention and lured them to him. However, something about women got his attention and drew him to them. Dmitri meets the lady with the dog while dining in the gardens. While waiting at a table to be served, the lady with the red beret took the table next to him. Dmitri assumed the lady was married by the way she walked; the way she dressed, the way she did her hair, and her expression. ... ... All awhile Anna had been deceived by the man she fell in love with, not knowing Dmitri true feelings for women. However, the two of them shared a common bond. Regardless of how Dmitri felt about other women, his compassion for Anna was something he never experienced with any other woman. To conclude, While on vacation at a resort in Yalta; two people of the opposite sex both married and unhappy, meet and establish a relationship beyond their imagination. When they departed the resort, their relationship never ended. However, it continued to grow. The two would occasionally visit each other to rekindle the relationship previously established. Throughout this man’s life, his view of women took a negative stand. For he had deceived himself by thinking he could never have the feelings of love for a woman. The women that he fell deeply in love with had proven him wrong.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 23

Acoldfrisson went down Elena's back, the most delicate of shivers. Damon didn'task for kisses. This wasn'tright . â€Å"No,† she whispered. â€Å"Just one.† â€Å"I'm not going to kiss you, Damon.† â€Å"Not me. Him.† Damon denoted â€Å"him† with a tilt of his head toward Matt. â€Å"A kiss between you and your former knight.† â€Å"You wantwhat ?† Matt's eyes snapped open and he got the words out explosively before Elena could open her mouth. â€Å"You'd like it,† Damon's voice had dropped to its softest, most insinuating tones. â€Å"You'd like to kiss her. And there's no one to stop you.† â€Å"Damon.† Matt struggled up out of Elena's arms. He seemed, if not entirely recovered, perhaps eighty percent of the way there, but Elena could hear his heart laboring. Elena wondered how long he'd lain feigning unconsciousness to get his strength back. â€Å"The last thing I knew you were trying to kill me. That doesn't exactly get you on my good side. Second, people just don't go around kissing girls because they're pretty or their boyfriend takes a day off.† â€Å"Don't they?† Damon hiked an eyebrow in surprise. â€Å"I do.† Matt just shook his head, dazed. He seemed to be trying to keep one idea fixed in his mind. â€Å"Will you move your car so we can leave?† he said. Elena felt as if she were watching Matt from very far away; and as if he was caged somewhere with a tiger and didn't know it. The clearing had become a very beautiful, wild, and dangerous place, and Matt didn't know that either. Besides, she thought with concern, he'smaking himself stand up. Weneed to leave – and quickly, before Damon does anything else to him. But what was the real way out? What was Damon's real agenda? â€Å"You can go,† Damon said. â€Å"As soon as she kisses you. Or you kiss her,† he added, as if making a concession. Slowly, as if he realized what it was going to mean, Matt looked at Elena and then back at Damon. Elena tried to communicate silently with him, but Matt wasn't in the mood. He looked Damon in the face and said, â€Å"No way.† Shrugging, as if to say,I did everything I could , Damon lifted the shaggy pine rod – â€Å"No,† cried Elena. â€Å"Damon, I'll do it.† Damon smiledthe smile and held it for a moment, until Elena looked away and went to Matt. His face was still pale, cool. Elena leaned her cheek against his and said almost soundlessly into his ear, â€Å"Matt, I've dealt with Damon before. And you can't just defy him. Let's play along – for now. Then maybe we can get away.† And then she made herself say, â€Å"For me? Please?† The truth was that she knew too much about stubborn males. Too much about how to manipulate them. It was a trait she'd come to hate, but right now she was too busy trying to think of ways to save Matt's life to debate the ethics of pressuring him. She wished it were Meredith or Bonnie instead of Matt. Not that she would wish such pain on anyone, but Meredith would be coming up with Plans C and D even as Elena came up with A and B. And Bonnie would already have lifted tear-filled, heart-melting brown eyes to Damon†¦. Suddenly Elena thought of the single red flash she'd seen under the Ray-Bans, and she changed her mind. She wasn't sure she wanted Bonnie around Damon now. Of all of the guys she'd known, Damon had been the only one Elena couldn't break. Oh, Matt was stubborn, and Stefan could be impossible sometimes. But they both had brightly colored buttons somewhere inside them, labeledPUSH ME , and you just had to fiddle with the mechanism a little – okay, sometimes more than a little – and eventually even the most challenging male could be mastered. Except one†¦ â€Å"All right, kiddies, enough time out.† Elena felt Matt pulled from her arms and held up – she didn't know by what, but he was standing. Something held him in place, upright, and she knew it wasn't his muscles. â€Å"So where were we?† Damon was walking back and forth, with the Virginia pine branch in his right hand, tapping it on his left palm. â€Å"Oh, that'sright † – as if making a great discovery – â€Å"the girl and the stalwart knight are going to kiss.† In Stefan's room, Bonnie said, â€Å"For the last time, Meredith, did you find a backup file for Stefan's note or not?† â€Å"No,† Meredith said in a flat voice. But just as Bonnie was about to collapse again, Meredith said, â€Å"I found a different note completely. A letter, really.† â€Å"Adifferent note? What does it say?† â€Å"Can you stand up at all? Because I think you'd better have a look at this.† Bonnie, who had only just gotten back her breath, managed to hobble over to the computer. She read the document on the screen – complete except for what seemed to be its final words, and gasped. â€Å"Damon did something to Stefan!† she said, and felt her heart plummet and all her internal organs follow it. So Elena had been wrong. Damonwas evil, through and through. By now, Stefan might even be†¦ â€Å"Dead,† Meredith said, her mind obviously following the same track that Bonnie's had taken. She lifted dark eyes to Bonnie's. Bonnie knew that her own eyes were wet. â€Å"How long,† Meredith asked, â€Å"has it been since you called Elena or Matt?† â€Å"I don't know; I don't know what time it is. But I called twice after we left Caroline's house and once at Isobel's; and when I've tried after that, I either get a message that their mailboxes are full or it won't connect at all.† â€Å"That's about exactly what I've gotten. If they went near the Old Wood – well, you know what it does to phone reception.† â€Å"And now, even if they come out of the woods, we can't leave them a message because we've filled up their voicemail – â€Å" â€Å"E-mail,† Meredith said. â€Å"Good old e-mail; we can use that to send Elena a message.† â€Å"Yes!† Bonnie punched the air. Then she deflated. She hesitated for an instant and then almost whispered, â€Å"No.† Words from Stefan's real note kept echoing in her mind:I trust Matt's instinctive protectiveness for you, Meredith's judgment, and Bonnie's intuition. Tell them to remember that. â€Å"You can't tell her what Damon's done,† she said, even as Meredith began busily typing. â€Å"She probably already knows – and if she doesn't, it'll just make more trouble. She's with Damon.† â€Å"Matt told you that?† â€Å"No. But Matt was out of his mind with pain.† â€Å"Couldn't it have been from those – bugs?† Meredith looked down at her ankle where several red welts still showed on the smooth olive flesh. â€Å"It could be, but it wasn't. It didn't feel like the trees, either. It was just†¦pure pain. And I don't know, not for certain, how I know that it's Damon doing it. I just – know.† She saw Meredith's eyes unfocus and knew that she was thinking about Stefan's words, too. â€Å"Well, my judgment tells me to trust you,† she said. â€Å"By the way, Stefan spells  ¡Ã‚ ®judgment' the preferred American way,† she added. â€Å"Damon spells it with ane . That may have been what was bothering Matt.† â€Å"As if Stefan would really leave Elena alone with everything that's been going on,† Bonnie said indignantly. â€Å"Well, Damon fooled all of us and made us think so,† Meredith pointed out. Meredith tended to point out things like that. Bonnie started suddenly. â€Å"I wonder if he stole the money?† â€Å"I doubt it, but let's see.† Meredith pulled the rocking chair away, saying, â€Å"Grab me a hanger.† Bonnie grabbed one from the closet and grabbed herself one of Elena's tops to put on at the same time. It was too big, since it was Meredith's top given to Elena, but at least it was warm. Meredith was using the hooked end of the wire hanger on all sides of the floorboard that looked most promising. Just as she managed to pry it up, there was a knock at the open door. They both jumped. â€Å"It's only me,† said the voice of Mrs. Flowers from behind a large duffel bag and a tray of bandages, mugs, sandwiches, and strong-smelling cheesecloth bags like the ones she'd used on Matt's arm. Bonnie and Meredith exchanged a glance and then Meredith said, â€Å"Come in and let us help you.† Bonnie was already taking the tray, and Mrs. Flowers was dumping the duffel bag on the floor. Meredith continued prying the board up. â€Å"Food!† Bonnie said gratefully. â€Å"Yes, turkey-and-tomato sandwiches. Help yourselves. I'm sorry I was away so long, but you can't hurry the poultice for swellings,† Mrs. Flowers said. â€Å"I remember, long ago, my younger brother always said – oh, my goodness gracious!† She was staring at the place where the floorboard had been. A good-sized hollow was filled with hundred-dollar bills, neatly wrapped in packets with bank-bands still around them. â€Å"Wow,† Bonnie said. â€Å"I never saw so much money!† â€Å"Yes.† Mrs. Flowers turned and began distributing cups of cocoa and sandwiches. Bonnie bit into a sandwich hungrily. â€Å"People used to simply put things behind the loose brick in the fireplace. But I can see that the young man needed more space.† â€Å"Thank you for the cocoa and sandwiches,† Meredith said after a few minutes spent wolfing them down while working on the computer at the same time. â€Å"But if you want to treat us for bruises and things – well, I'm afraid we just can't wait.† â€Å"Oh, come.† Mrs. Flowers took a small compress that smelled to Bonnie like tea and pressed it to Meredith's nose. â€Å"This will take the swelling down in minutes. And you, Bonnie – sniff out the one that's for that bump on your forehead.† Once again Meredith's and Bonnie's eyes met. Bonnie said, â€Å"Well, if it's only a few minutes – I don't know what we're doing next anyway.† She looked the poultices over and picked a round one that smelled of flowers and musk to put on her forehead. â€Å"Exactly right,† Mrs. Flowers said without turning around to look. â€Å"And of course, the long thin one is for Meredith's ankle.† Meredith drank the last of her cocoa, then reached down to gingerly touch one of the red marks. â€Å"That's okay – † she began, when Mrs. Flowers interrupted. â€Å"You're going to need that ankle at full capacity when we go out.† â€Å";;When we go out'?† Meredith stared at her. â€Å"Into the Old Wood,† Mrs. Flowers clarified. â€Å"To find your friends.† Meredith looked horrified. â€Å"If Elena and Matt are in the Old Wood, then I agree:we have to go look for them. Butyou can't go, Mrs. Flowers! And we don't know where they are, anyway.† Mrs. Flowers drank from the cup of cocoa in her hand, looking thoughtfully at the one window that wasn't shuttered. For a moment Meredith thought she hadn't heard or didn't mean to answer. Then she said, slowly, â€Å"I daresay you all think I'm just a batty old woman who's never around when there's trouble at hand.† â€Å"We would never think that,† Bonnie said staunchly, but thinking that they'd found out more about Mrs. Flowers in the last two days than in the entire nine months since Stefan had moved in here. Before that, all she'd ever heard were ghost stories or rumors about the crazy old lady in the boardinghouse. She'd been hearing them since she could remember. Mrs. Flowers smiled. â€Å"It's not easy having the Power and never being believed when you use it. And then, I've lived for so long – and people don't like that. It worries them. They start to make up ghost stories or rumors – â€Å" Bonnie felt her eyes go round. Mrs. Flowers just smiled again and nodded gently. â€Å"It's been a real pleasure having a polite young man in the house,† she said, taking the long poultice from the tray and wrapping it around Meredith's ankle. â€Å"Of course, I had to get over my prejudices. Dear Mamaalways said that if I kept the place, I might have to take in boarders, and to be sure not to take in foreigners. And then of course, the young man is a vampire as well – â€Å" Bonnie almost sprayed cocoa across the room. She choked, then went into a spasm of coughing. Meredith had her no-expression expression on. † – but after a while I got to understand him better and to sympathize with his problems,† Mrs. Flowers continued, ignoring Bonnie's attack of coughing. â€Å"And now, the blond girl is involved as well†¦poor young thing. I often speak to Mama† – still with the accent on the second syllable – â€Å"about it.† â€Å"How old is your mother?† Meredith asked. Her tone was one of polite inquiry, but to Bonnie's experienced eyes her expression was one of slightly morbid fascination. â€Å"Oh, she died back at the turn of the century.† There was a pause, and then Meredith rallied. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† she said. â€Å"She must have lived a long – â€Å" â€Å"I should have said, the turn of theprevious century. Back in 1901, it was.† This time it was Meredith who had the choking fit. But she was more quiet about it. Mrs. Flowers' gentle gaze had drifted back to them. â€Å"I was a medium in my day. On vaudeville, you know. So hard to achieve a trance in front of a roomful of people. But, yes, I really am a White Witch. I have the Power. And now, if you've finished your cocoa, I think it's time we went into the Old Wood to find your friends. Even though it's summertime, my dears, you'd both better dress warmly,† she added. â€Å"I have.†