Interactive Behaviour at Work

Interactive Behaviour at Work Cheniere Energy was founded in 1983 and is a world leading liquefied natural gas (LNG) company. Through its subsidiaries the company engages in the development, construction, ownership, and operation of onshore LNG receiving terminals and natural gas pipelines in the Gulf Coast of the United States. It also engages in oil and natural gas exploration and development activities. Cheniere Energy is based in Houston, Texas with offices in Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, and London called Cheniere International UK Branch. The London office consists of six people who are responsible for sourcing and trading LNG cargoes for Cheniere as well as managing the day to day operations and activities of the office. Purpose of the report The purpose of this report is to examine work issues at Cheniere International UK Branch resulting from office harassment and specifically the conflict between an office assistant and the operations manager. It focuses on the interactive behaviour themes relating to communication, work relationships and leadership. Definition of Interactive Behaviour at work The term interactive behaviour at work refers to the reciprocal communication conduct of two or more persons. It covers both their overt behaviour and the factors and processes underlying it. It also extends to the use of communication for purposes such as self-presentation, co-operation, influencing others, working in groups and leadership. (Guirdham, 2002) Definition of the themes Communication According to Guirdham (2002) communication is a process of transferring information from one entity to another. Interpersonal communication at work may be face-to-face or indirect, formal or informal, and transmitted verbally or non-verbally. Communication is affected by language, communicator style, the differences between one- and two-way communication, power and status, culture, gender and disability. These effects on communication give rise to barriers, which can be analyzed as intrinsic, individual level and inter-group. To be high in quality, communication must overcome these barriers. Work relationship Interdependence and social orientations, roles, norms and conformity as well as co-operative, competitive and conflict behaviour are all concepts that help us to understand and be more effective in work relationships. Other important aspects related to the issues discussed cover conflict resolution, cultural differences, coping with prejudice, discrimination and harassment. (Guirdham, 2002) Harassment is defined as: conduct which is unreasonable, unwelcome and offensive, and which creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating working environment. (Mullins, 2005) Harassment is a potential cause of stress. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines stress as: The adverse reaction people have to excess pressure. It is not disease. But if stress is intense and goes on for some time, it can lead to a mental and physical ill health. Leadership Leadership can be defined as the ability of an individual to influence, motivate and enable others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the organisation of which they are members (Guirdham, 2002) There is a close relationship between leadership and management, especially in work organisation, and an increasing tendency to see them as synonymous. However, arguably there are differences between the two and it does not follow that every leader is a manager. Leadership might be viewed in more general terms, with emphasis on interpersonal behaviour in a broader context. According to Mullins (2005) due to its complex nature there are many alternative ways of analysing leadership. Leadership may be examined in terms of qualities or traits approach, in terms of the functional or group approach, as a behavioural category, in terms of styles of leadership, through the situational approach and contingency models, and in terms of distinction between transactional and transforma tional leadership. Problem identification The issue discussed in this report involves the deteriorating relationship between a manager and an assistant (myself) in a small office environment. In addition the report looks at the behaviour of a director of the company involved to whom the employees were directly responsible to. Matters discussed include the identification of key points of conflict between the two persons involved, the style of management, the reaction of fellow employees, the interaction with the director involved and steps taken to resolve the issue. Background and causes of problems I joined the Cheniere International UK Branch in 2008 as an office assistant. Working at their London office in Mayfair where there were three other employees at my level, two were English and one was an American. I was the only one having English as a second language. The operations manager was a mature English lady with a very strong personality and an accretive attitude. I noticed that I was being asked to do considerably more work than the other assistants and that the manager was querying my efforts every day. At first I thought this was because I was new to the job and that it was a way of measuring my capabilities and ability to cope with the stresses of the work. It became clear however that this was much more of a particular attitude toward me as compared to the other employees. Maybe write something about working in a multi-cultural environment or possibly highlight that there was predominance of white Anglo-Saxon employees and as such no exposure to different cultures or ethnic diversity. Inter-cultural problems arise when members of an in-group perceive members of an out-group as inferior. This can promote in-group favouritism, increased tendency to stereotype members of out-groups and negative attitudes to actual or perceived cultural differences. It can result in exclusion of members of out-groups, negative evaluations and harassment. In a small office environment it would be unusual for someone in a position of authority to feel threatened by a single junior employee. It is difficult to give any clear instances of harassment, as such, as this was a subtle but constant undermining of my position on a daily basis. This was apparent in her constant criticism of my work and references to my Polish background and English not being my native language. I made a point of asking the other assistants to check my work and they always said it was fine and that was just her way and not to worry. One occurrence that began to give me an insight to her behaviour was when she asked me, in front of all the other assistants, why I did not work as a nanny or cleaner as all other Polish girls did. This indicated to me that there was the possibility that her actions were not actually based upon my performance but upon a much deeper prejudice and possible stereotyping of Polish people (either collectively or by gender). In a strange way this was a relief as until then my confidence had been undermined and I felt under stress at work. It seemed nothing I ever did was right, I was often depressed, both at work and at home and it was difficult to understand why she picked on me and what was causing the problem. It also made it difficult for me to try to see how I could resolve the problem. Being aware of the personality clash between us I was trying to understand what caused her hostile behaviour and I blamed myself that it was I who caused the conflict, but on the other hand I knew I normally never have any major problems engaging with people, being an easygoing and friendly person. The Thoms-Kilmann Conflict Mode Questionnaire can be useful in explaining my stance in the conflict. Scoring 9 in avoiding and 9 in accommodating styles shows that I am not an assertive person, do not wish to hurt peoples feelings, obey orders and I am generally a selfless type of person. (See Appendix x for a copy of the Thoms-Kilmann Conflict Mode Questionnaire you took.) It was very difficult to please and satisfy her probably because she developed irrational beliefs and prejudiced views about me. If being from Poland meant to her that I should be a nanny or cleaner she maybe believed that people of other races or backgrounds are in some way inferior and therefore deserve to be treated as second class. According to Tehrani (1996) the lack of self awareness in harassers increases their fears and prejudice. Harassers never feel strong enough to test their views objectively, preferring to live in an irrational world, where they need to continually support their prejudiced views with biased evidence. To explain even deeper her behavior I would say she portrayed the actions of a stigmatizer. Freidson (1983) stated that in Erving Goffmans theory of social stigma a stigma is an attribute, behaviour, or reputation which is socially discrediting in a particular way: it causes an individual to be mentally classified by others in an undesirable, rejected stereotype rather than in an accepted, normal one. In this managers eyes I was different; she may not want to accept me because of my nationality, my different accent, my origin. Goffman divides the individuals relation to a stigma into three categories: the stigmatized are those who bear the stigma; the normals are those who do not bear the stigma; and the wise are those among the normals who are accepted by the stigmatized as wise to their condition. I then represent a stigmatized person, the manager is normal and rest of our team can be seen as wise. Strategic Implications of the problem My case can be seen as a micro problem because it describes a situation in a small office and only a few people are involved in the conflict. I am the only person who was harmed and it could be argued that it is difficult to show macro implications from this issue. However, I would like to stress that harassment at the workplace occurs very often and causes a lot of problems. According to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) harassment in the workplace costs employers in the UK more than  £2bn per year in sick pay, staff turnover and lower productivity. 19 million working days are lost each year as a direct result of workplace harassment. 1 in 4 people report that they have experienced harassment in the last 5 years. 70% of HR professionals have witnessed or have been aware of harassment in their organisation. Organisations that fail to address the problem of unacceptable behaviour at workplace pay a heavy cost in terms of loss of staff, reduced innovation, mor ale and sickness absence. This is in addition to the cost of litigation and bad public relations (Tehrani, 1996). My issue did not affect the organisation in a significant way, except high staff retention within 1 year two office assistants left the company because of Janes difficult character. As mentioned before 25% of the population suffer from harassment. By describing my personal experience I raise an issue that affects a lot of people and something that organizations have to deal with. Harassment is related with work relationship one of the main themes which are described in this paper. According to Tehrani (1996) harassment has a number of common elements; it involves a hurtful behaviour, this behaviour is repeated over a period of time and the person being harassed finds it difficult to defend themselves. People being harassed will also have difficulty in being rational in their thinking, believing the acts or views of a harasser are the views of everyone else. When I was working for Cheniere I was felling sad, negative and worthless. In addition my feelings were heightened with outbursts of anger, crying, loneliness and hurt. Lack of pleasure in almost everything that I was doing was significant and difficult to cope with. Being humiliated resulted in the lack of self confidence to assert myself and challenge the unacceptable behaviour of operations manager. It needs to be added that harassment is linked with stress. Guirdham (2002) stated: Some of the major effects of stress include sleep trouble, tiredness, being unable to cope well in conflict situations, wanting to be left alone, smoking, drinking and eating too much, being unable to influence or persuade people and finding it difficult to get up in the mornings. I recall that I was often very tired, could not sleep, and did not want to see my friends or family. Some people were asking me why I let her be abusive and rude towards me. The answer is because she had power over me. As I mentioned I held the lowest position in the office and I was supposed to listen to everyone and doing whatever they needed at work. Among French and Ravens (1959) power sources there is one which can be implemented in this situation coercive power. (Podsakoff and Schriesheim, 1985) Threats and punishment are common tools of coercion. I was often given undesirable tasks by Jane. There is one in particular where she spilled tea on her desk and asked me to clean it. My example demonstrates that this source of power can often lead to problems and in many circumstances it involves abuse. Coercive power can cause unhealthy behaviour and dissatisfaction in the workplace. (mindtools.com) From my above evaluation it can be stated that the operations manager was definitely my significant other at that time. She had very strong influence on my self-esteem and my behaviour. Many organisations and their managers and executives are guilty of ignoring, tolerating or sustaining conflicts and harassment (Guirdham, 2002). This statement confirms the behaviour of my director who was trying to explain me that I should accept the fact that Jane is generally a difficult person and therefore should not take it personally what she says and how she behaves. Lack of leadership qualities can be seen in my bosss attitude. A large portion of the existing literature on leadership focuses only on the positive traits of leaders. However, the so-called dark side of leadership, or negative personal traits of leaders, has received relatively less attention. Also, in practice, leadership is mostly evaluated in terms of the positive traits and strengths of leaders, even though certain organizational factors and followers characteristics significantly contribute to the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of leaders (Toor and Ogunlana, 2009). The director was not an effective leader . A leader  who lacks character or integrity will not be seen as a competent one. Even though he was intelligent, affable, persuasive, or savvy, he was also prone to rationalizing unethical behaviour. Office harassment is a very unethical issue and should be resolved by a companys leader, but it was not in my case. Moreover leaders not attuned to the needs of the employees are not effective either. Successful leaders focus on workers satisfaction and loyalty. They should find ways to consistently engage them and incorporate them into companys policies and make sure they know and obey their code of conduct. If they ignore, mistreat, or otherwise do not value their employees, they will not be valued for competences. Furthermore good leaders should communicate effectively across mediums, constituencies, environments of course employees. My boss was aware that Janes behavior was harmful but did not react and did not want to be involved in the conflict. This observation can lead to a s tatement that the director represented a laissez faire leadership style. According to Flynn (2009) this type of a leader describes passive leaders who are reluctant to influence subordinates or give direction. They generally refrain from participating in group or individual decision making and to a large extent, abdicate their leadership role. Subordinates are given considerable freedom of action and, therefore, seem likely to maximize their power and influence. Although laissez- faire leadership can be very successful in some environments where followers are responsible for self-monitoring, problem solving in my case it was not what I needed. I was looking for a mediator in my conflict with Jane, someone who can direct and take steps to resolve the problem. From Blake Mouton Managerial Grid perspective, it could be argued that the director represented Impoverished Leadership which is known for creating a work environment that is not satisfying and not motivating. The result is a pl ace of disorganization, dissatisfaction and disharmony. (Rollinson, 2005) My boss had low concern for employee satisfaction because knowing I was depressed and was in a conflict he was not concerned about it. A major danger of stereotyping is that it can block out accurate perception of an individual and lead to potential situation of prejudice or discrimination. This in consequence can build communication barriers. Janes tendency to ascribe negative characteristics to me on the basis of a general categorisation was a simplified process of her perception. Her stereotyping process based on my nationality and education had a significant implication to the atmosphere in our office and my wellbeing. Her prejudice caused communication problem between us. According to Erven (2008) stereotyping is a barrier to communication when it causes people to act as if they already know the message that is coming from the sender or worse, as if no message is necessary because everybody already knows. People stereotype genders, races, religions, and cultures. They combine them to say things but often incorrectly creating assumptions. Stereotypes develop from reality. Poles steal British jobs became a stereotype because a lot of Poles are poor and had to learn how to survive and came here to look for a job but they do not deserve to be stereotyped. It might be true that most of Polish women work as nannies or cleaners but, it does not identify me, my needs, and my weaknesses. So if Jane used the stereotypical view of Polish women towards me, she missed who I actually am, as an individual. I wanted to communicate, talk to her and did not want to be lost in the stereotypical concept. People are complex and need to be understood as individuals, not stereotypes. Uniqueness is what gets lost in the stereotypes and lack of proper communication. People should listen, understand, consider the whole person, and that requires rejecting the preconceived assumptions, based on the stereotypes t hat are created and used. Communication is at the heart of many interpersonal problems faced by employers. Understanding the communication process and then working at improvement provide a recipe for becoming more effective communicators. Knowing the common barriers to communication is the first step to minimizing their impact. Stereotyping is a barrier to proper communication, it cannot just disrupt communication, it can destroy it. The significance of non-verbal communication and body language need to be evaluated in this report as in my case it was more important than verbal communication. According to Mullins (2005) non-verbal communication includes inferences drawn from posture, gesture, touch, invasion of personal space, extent of eye contact, tone of voice or facial expression. Very often the operations manger was using proper language and if was not obvious for others to see the conflict between us and her antipathy. Her tone of voice and facial expression were sending messages that I was not accepted and were unwelcomed. Mullins (2005) adds also that in our face-to face communication with other people the messages about our feelings and attitudes come only 7 per cent from the words we use, 38 per cent from our voice and 55 per cent from body language, including facial expression. Significantly, when body language such as gestures and tone of voice conflicts with the words, greater emphasis is likely to be placed on the non-verbal message. He also suggests that when verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict (like in my case regarding communication with the operations manager) accepted wisdom is that the non-verbal signals should be the ones to rely on, and that what is not said is frequently louder than what is said, revealing attitudes and feelings in a way words cannot express. Alternative options for resolving problem Leave the job or stay. People have bad days at work. But if that bad day is every day, it might be time to consider leaving the job. Some causes of job dissatisfaction are impossible to alter, and in this case employees may well be better off making an exit. Leaving the job is usually a very difficult decision and can often cause mixed emotions: joy because of moving on to something better, sadness at losing people we enjoyed work with, relief we dont have to cope with the problem and conflicts anymore. Uncertainty about the future and new job has usually a big impact on peoples decisions. I was also concerned about my future. Staying with Cheniere was an alternative, but I was concerned how I can change the atmosphere and Janes behaviour. Talking to her or to my boss were the options to make my work conditions better. Alternatively I could stay with the company and try to accept the environment and ambiance, and try to reduce sensitivity to hostility or displays of prejudice. Mullins (2005) evaluated difficult people: Perhaps our reluctance to identify, and then directly address, conflict within organisations is based upon the widely held belief that conflict is inevitable, negative and unmanageable. There is a tendency to see conflict as a result one persons personality. Conflict may be inevitable, but how dramatically situations could be changed if we could also view it as positive and manageable. What if we think of these situations as raising questions of difference? What if we were to make a shift away from blaming individuals and their personalities, recognizing instead that it is through normal hum an interaction that outward expressions of difference are produced? Unfortunately coping with difficult people is not one of my strong points. Another option was to beat her at her own game. Act like her, be unsympathetic, telling colleagues how unfair she is. This option would be very difficult because she held higher position and therefore had power and because I respect people it wound be something against my values and beliefs. Choice of option I was trying to resolve the problem. I talked to the director but was ignored and was told that I should accept the situation as it is and accept Janes behaviour because she is difficult and she is not going to change her attitude. Another advice was that I should be less emotional and try to be mentally stronger. He did not wish to speak to Jane to ask to change her attitude and help her to cope with her hostile behaviour. Tehrani (1996) argue that the role of leader in developing the skills which enable people to communicate in an open and assertive manner is perhaps one of the most effective tools in addressing conflicts. The support of an assertive and caring manager is an important aspect of rehabilitating a harasser. Harassers need support when they are developing the new skills and behaviors in communication which will replace the harassing behaviours. I also talked to Jane but I was told that I read her intentions badly. She was trying to tell me that there was no issue betwe en us and I should not waste her time for such conversations. Rationale for choice Because I had an interesting job, was satisfied with my compensation I did not want to leave thus I was trying to find a resolution. I was not accepted by one of the co-workers but I did not want to be a victim of harassment. I was trying to be a survivor. According to Tehrani (1996) victims of harassment frequently express the view that there is little they can do to prevent the harassment taking place. They have no choice but to put up with what is being done to them. This perception of lack of personal control or power must be changed if the harassee is ever to make sense of what has happened to them. Survivors, on the other hand, are able to begin to make choices and decisions about what they want to do to stop or resolve the harassment. Survivors of harassment take an active part in deciding how they would like things to be handled when resolving their problems. They are keen to take responsibility for making things happen, rather than behaving passively, allowing others, howeve r well meaning, to take over control. One of the main skills survivors of harassment learn is to be assertive in expressing what they want and do not want to happen during the harassment investigation; to be able to say yes or no regardless of the wishes of others. Assertiveness is also one of the most important skills needed to prevent harassees becoming victims of harassment in the future. Finally the survivors of harassment are able to look forward to the future, a future without harassment, while the victims concentrate on the harassment itself, rather than on how they can change things to prevent the harassment occurring again. Although I was trying to help myself, was looking for help from the directors and also arranged a meeting with Jane, nothing changed. Implementation of Option I eventually decided to leave. It took me 2 weeks to find another job. The difference in the working environment was immense. New co-workers were pleasant and friendly. I am glad that I took control over the situation and left the company. I will never fully forget this experience but sometimes we should experience and accept the extremes, because if the contrast is lost, we lose appreciation. Time for Implementation I was working for this company for 5 months before handing in my resignation. Conclusion In recent years there has been an increasing recognition of the harm that could be done to individuals who become the victims of harassment or bullying. Although there have been significant moves to introduce legislation and guidelines that deal with the introduction of organizational policy and procedures on harassment and bullying, the occurrence of harassment is still common in many British organizations. My case in this paper can be perceived as a representation of this problem for many organizations. This is not an easy issue to deal with for mangers, people who cause harassment and most of all for people who suffer from hostile behavior. Background and causes of such conflicts are often implicit and not easy to resolve. Understanding the communication process and communication barriers is important to effectively control the problem. Leadership skills and appropriate use of power can be crucial.

Investigation into Chair Design Essay examples -- essays papers

Investigation into Chair Design For my Investigation into chair designs I choose to investigate how simplistic and basic the chairs have become. From Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was renowned for his style and applied decoration to Philippe Stark who has taken simplistic to another level. I have investigated how the designers have used applied decoration to enhance the look of their chair, to how functional the pieces are (or in some cases un-functional! ). HIGH BACKED CHAIR - CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH - 1902 Mackintosh produced designs on a whole range of furnishings as well as his architectural designs. Many of these were purely functional but he also produced many ‘artistic’ pieces throughout his life. Because of the large amount of applied decoration on Macintosh’s pieces that it could be argued that each piece is a finely detailed work of art itself. Probably the most famous of such pieces are his famous high backed chairs. The high backed chair I have chosen to study was made for the International Exhibition of modern Decorative Art, held in Turin in Italy in 1902 The chair appears to have a very low seat, being only a quarter of the height of the actual chair, this also may perhaps be due to the fact the seat is fairly broad at the front, widening out from a fairly narrow back. The back of the chair is as wide as the back of the seat but tapers towards the top. This main support is framed with two tall slim struts. The construction of the low seat and tapering back makes the chair look almost abstract because of these bizarre proportions. In the photograph it looks as if the picture has been taken from a strange angle which has distorted the shape. There is little in the way of applied decoration on the chair except for the back, which on a portion is padded and covered in a light blue-grey colour. On this is a painted stylised rose bush design that fills the width of the padded portion. Beneath this is what appears to be wilting petals falling from the bush. At the top of the chair carved into a piece of wood is an organic form of sorts with the typical Art Nouveau whiplash stretching the length of it. Mackintosh was renowned for his stylised design - taking the natural form of something, for example a flower, and altering it to fit his style - this could possibly be a very developed stylised design Against the white wood work of this desi... ...d in adds plentiful character to the chair. The function of this chair is to be ‘fun’, to add character to someone’s dining room and I think that this chair would look good in any room regardless of the decor. From this investigation I was surprised by the range of different styles and forms that a chair could take. I enjoyed the form of the God Raysse, but my favourite would have to be the Pepe Chair by far due to its larger than life personality. From the ‘classic’, ‘traditional’ designers like Macintosh who revolutionised and popularised the style of Art Nouveau and to this day still has an impact and influence on designers world wide whether it be on furniture, windows or clothes, to modern designers who have also revolutionised the ‘simplistic’ style making it take many forms from ‘drips’ to ‘giraffes’. For instance the Pepe Chair took the high backed chair and gave it a modern day simplistic twist. Who knows where our rears shall sit in years to come? Shall we be sitting on more simplistic designs than the ones I have used as examples in this investigation or pieces complex beyond the imagination. Who knows? We shall just have to wait and see where our bums shall lead us! Investigation into Chair Design Essay examples -- essays papers Investigation into Chair Design For my Investigation into chair designs I choose to investigate how simplistic and basic the chairs have become. From Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was renowned for his style and applied decoration to Philippe Stark who has taken simplistic to another level. I have investigated how the designers have used applied decoration to enhance the look of their chair, to how functional the pieces are (or in some cases un-functional! ). HIGH BACKED CHAIR - CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH - 1902 Mackintosh produced designs on a whole range of furnishings as well as his architectural designs. Many of these were purely functional but he also produced many ‘artistic’ pieces throughout his life. Because of the large amount of applied decoration on Macintosh’s pieces that it could be argued that each piece is a finely detailed work of art itself. Probably the most famous of such pieces are his famous high backed chairs. The high backed chair I have chosen to study was made for the International Exhibition of modern Decorative Art, held in Turin in Italy in 1902 The chair appears to have a very low seat, being only a quarter of the height of the actual chair, this also may perhaps be due to the fact the seat is fairly broad at the front, widening out from a fairly narrow back. The back of the chair is as wide as the back of the seat but tapers towards the top. This main support is framed with two tall slim struts. The construction of the low seat and tapering back makes the chair look almost abstract because of these bizarre proportions. In the photograph it looks as if the picture has been taken from a strange angle which has distorted the shape. There is little in the way of applied decoration on the chair except for the back, which on a portion is padded and covered in a light blue-grey colour. On this is a painted stylised rose bush design that fills the width of the padded portion. Beneath this is what appears to be wilting petals falling from the bush. At the top of the chair carved into a piece of wood is an organic form of sorts with the typical Art Nouveau whiplash stretching the length of it. Mackintosh was renowned for his stylised design - taking the natural form of something, for example a flower, and altering it to fit his style - this could possibly be a very developed stylised design Against the white wood work of this desi... ...d in adds plentiful character to the chair. The function of this chair is to be ‘fun’, to add character to someone’s dining room and I think that this chair would look good in any room regardless of the decor. From this investigation I was surprised by the range of different styles and forms that a chair could take. I enjoyed the form of the God Raysse, but my favourite would have to be the Pepe Chair by far due to its larger than life personality. From the ‘classic’, ‘traditional’ designers like Macintosh who revolutionised and popularised the style of Art Nouveau and to this day still has an impact and influence on designers world wide whether it be on furniture, windows or clothes, to modern designers who have also revolutionised the ‘simplistic’ style making it take many forms from ‘drips’ to ‘giraffes’. For instance the Pepe Chair took the high backed chair and gave it a modern day simplistic twist. Who knows where our rears shall sit in years to come? Shall we be sitting on more simplistic designs than the ones I have used as examples in this investigation or pieces complex beyond the imagination. Who knows? We shall just have to wait and see where our bums shall lead us!

Essay --

Our computers were originally bundled with built in programs that are readily available to use. These include  the security, multimedia, image editor, PC maintenance and so forth. But those embedded programs and features have basic functions only. There are a variety of free and useful softwares now that we can download to enhance and help your day to day life activities. Below is a short list of the most essential free software you can't afford to miss on your windows XP to Windows 8 operating system. Antivirus and Antimalware Protection Regardless of how you use your computer on a daily basis, keeping your computer healthy should be our first line of defense. Although our computers have built in firewalls, it has been a campaign to protect our computers by running antivirus and keeping the system up to date. No single tool can detect everything. An anti malware alone cannot protect your computer from viruses and vice versa. So as a solution, experts recommended to install one security tool (Micrsoft security essential, AVAST or AVG) that can protect your computer from threats while surfing the web, installing applications and opening files and attachments on your mail. Then install anti malware (malware bytes)to remove potentially unwanted softwares and any other infections found to make sure nothing has been overlooked. But on top of this, we should also maintain a good browsing habit and good downloading hygiene. Password management One of the reasons why accounts are easily hacked because people use simple passwords such as their kid's name, their last name, short phrases or sequential numbers so they can easily remember it. Many users also need to remember different passwords for their email, bank accounts, ebay log in a... ...oogle Docs. It is a web based suite developed by Google and its now integrated with the Google Drive. This web based service will allow the users to create and edit documents online in real time. This tool also offers word processing documents, drawings, presentation and spreadsheet and can also read Microsoft office documents. It can work on all operating system since its web based. NeoOffice has the same features with Apache and libre Office but it's designed to work with Mac OS only. The software has grammar and spell checker feature and can also read Microsoft formats. There you have it, we have showcased some of the essential software that you can't afford to miss on your computer. All these products have been tested already and although they are free ones, they are efficient as the paid version. These softwares are worth trying to without spending a dime

Frederick Douglass Essay examples -- Biography Biographies Bio

In Frederick Douglass' autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, he writes about the inhumanity and brutality of slavery, with the intention of informing white, American colonists. Douglass is thought to be one of the greatest leaders of the abolition, which radically and dramatically changed the American way of life, thus revolutionizing America. Douglass changed America, and accomplished this through writing simply and to the point about the "reality" of slavery, told through the point of view of a slave. In a preface of Douglass' autobiography, William Lloyd Garrison writes, "I am confident that it is essentially true in all its statements; that nothing has been set down in malice, nothing exaggerated, nothing drawn from the imagination; that it comes short of reality, rather than overstates a single fact in regard to slavery as it is" (Douglass, 6). This statement authenticates and guarantees Douglass' words being nothing but the truth. Douglass' enslaved life was not an accurate representation of the common and assumed life of a slave. He, actually, often wished that he was not so different and had the same painful, but simpler ignorance that the other slaves had. It was his difference, his striving to learn and be free that made his life so complicated and made him struggle so indefinitely. Douglass expresses this in writing, "I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity. I have often wished myself a beastÂ…It was this everlasting thinking of my condition that tormented me" (Douglass, 53). In his narrative, Douglass does generalize to relate his experience to that of other slaves, creating a parallel between his life and the life of any other slave. He writes about the brutality, physi... ...edge. In his narrative, Douglass layers the many brutal, cruel, inhumane, and true components of slavery in his life, underlying each story with a political motive and relation. This method of writing was for his audience removed from slavery, those ignorant of slavery, uninformed, misunderstood, and those who were fortunate to have freedom. Douglass illustrates living conditions, experiences, tragedies, and struggles to great depths. Everywhere, African Americans escaped the binds of slavery due to Frederick Douglass' determination. He revolutionized America, being one of the greatest leaders of the abolition, being the reason for so many freed lives, and leading to the complete abolition and illegality of slavery in America. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Boston: The Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.

Foundation and Empire 18. Fall Of The Foundation

There was an atmosphere about the Time Vault that just missed definition in several directions at once. It was not one of decay, for it was well-lit and well-conditioned, with the color scheme of the walls lively, and the rows of fixed chairs comfortable and apparently designed for eternal use. It was not even ancient, for three centuries had left no obvious mark. There was certainly no effort at the creation of awe or reverence, for the appointments were simple and everyday – next door to bareness, in fact. Yet after all the negatives were added and the sum disposed of, something was left – and that something centered about the glass cubicle that dominated half the room with its clear emptiness. Four times in three centuries, the living simulacrum of Hari Seldon himself had sat there and spoken. Twice he had spoken to no audience. Through three centuries and nine generations, the old man who had seen the great days of universal empire projected himself – and still he understood more of the Galaxy of his great-ultra-great-grandchildren, than did those grandchildren themselves. Patiently that empty cubicle waited. The first to arrive was Mayor Indbur III, driving his ceremonial ground car through the hushed and anxious streets. Arriving with him was his own chair, higher than those that belonged there, and wider. It was placed before all the others, and Indbur dominated all but the empty glassiness before him. The solemn official at his left bowed a reverent head. â€Å"Excellence, arrangements are completed for the widest possible sub-etheric spread for the official announcement by your excellence tonight.† â€Å"Good. Meanwhile, special interplanetary programs concerning the Time Vault are to continue. There will, of course, be no predictions or speculations of any sort on the subject. Does popular reaction continue satisfactory?† â€Å"Excellence, very much so. The vicious rumors prevailing of late have decreased further. Confidence is widespread.† â€Å"Good!† He gestured the man away and adjusted his elaborate neckpiece to a nicety. It was twenty minutes of noon! A select group of the great props of the mayoralty – the leaders of the great Trading organizations – appeared in ones and twos with the degree of pomp appropriate to their financial status and place in mayoral favor. Each presented himself to the mayor, received a gracious word or two, took an assigned seat. Somewhere, incongruous among the stilted ceremony of all this, Randu of Haven made his appearance and wormed his way unannounced to the mayor's seat. â€Å"Excellence!† he muttered, and bowed. Indbur frowned. â€Å"You have not been granted an audience. â€Å" â€Å"Excellence, I have requested one for a week.† â€Å"I regret that the matters of State involved in the appearance of Seldon have-â€Å" â€Å"Excellence, I regret them, too, but I must ask you to rescind your order that the ships of the Independent Traders be distributed among the fleets of the Foundation.† Indbur had flushed red at the interruption. â€Å"This is not the time for discussion.† â€Å"Excellence, it is the only time,† Randu whispered urgently. â€Å"As representative of the Independent Trading Worlds, I tell you such a move can not be obeyed. It must be rescinded before Seldon solves our problem for us. Once the emergency is passed, it will be too late to conciliate and our alliance will melt away.† Indbur stared at Randu coldly. â€Å"You realize that I am head of the Foundation armed forces? Have I the right to determine military policy or have I not?† â€Å"Excellence, you have, but some things are inexpedient.† â€Å"I recognize no inexpediency. It is dangerous to allow your people separate fleets in this emergency. Divided action plays into the hands of the enemy. We must unite, ambassador, militarily as well as politically.† Randu felt his throat muscles tighten. He omitted the courtesy of the opening title. â€Å"You feet safe now that Seldon will speak, and you move against us. A month ago you were soft and yielding, when our ships defeated the Mule at Terel. I might remind you, sir, that it is the Foundation Fleet that has been defeated in open battle five times, and that the ships of the Independent Trading Worlds have won your victories for you.† Indbur frowned dangerously, â€Å"You are no longer welcome upon Terminus, ambassador. Your return will be requested this evening. Furthermore, your connection with subversive democratic forces on Terminus will be – and has been – investigated.† Randu replied, â€Å"When I leave, our ships will go with me. I know nothing of your democrats. I know only that your Foundation's ships have surrendered to the Mule by the treason of their high officers, not their sailors, democratic or otherwise. I tell you that twenty ships of the Foundation surrendered at Horleggor at the orders of their rear admiral, when they were unharmed and unbeaten. The rear admiral was your own close associate – he presided at the trial of my nephew when he first arrived from Kalgan. It is not the only case we know of and our ships and men will not be risked under potential traitors. Indbur said, â€Å"You will be placed under guard upon leaving here.† Randu walked away under the silent stares of the contemptuous coterie of the rulers of Terminus. It was ten minutes of twelve! Bayta and Toran had already arrived. They rose in their back seats and beckoned to Randu as he passed. Randu smiled gently, â€Å"You are here after all. How did you work it?† â€Å"Magnifico was our politician,† grinned Toran. â€Å"Indbur insists upon his Visi-Sonor composition based on the Time Vault, with himself, no doubt, as hero. Magnifico refused to attend without us, and there was no arguing him out of it. Ebling Mis is with us, or was. He's wandering about somewhere.† Then, with a sudden access of anxious gravity, â€Å"Why, what's wrong, uncle? You don't look well.† Randu nodded, â€Å"I suppose not. We're in for bad times, Toran. When the Mule is disposed of, our turn will come, I'm afraid. â€Å" A straight solemn figure in white approached, and greeted them with a stiff bow. Bayta's dark eyes smiled, as she held out her hand, â€Å"Captain Pritcher! Are you on space duty then?† The captain took the hand and bowed lower, â€Å"Nothing like it. Dr. Mis, I understand, has been instrumental in bringing me here, but it's only temporary. Back to home guard tomorrow. What time is it?† It was three minutes of twelve! Magnifico was the picture of misery and heartsick depression. His body curled up, in his eternal effort at self-effacement. His long nose was pinched at the nostrils and his large, down-slanted eyes darted uneasily about. He clutched at Bayta's hand, and when she bent down, he whispered, â€Å"Do you suppose, my lady, that all these great ones were in the audience, perhaps, when I†¦ when I played the Visi-Sonor?† â€Å"Everyone, I'm sure,† Bayta assured him, and shook him gently. â€Å"And I'm sure they all think you're the most wonderful player in the Galaxy and that your concert was the greatest ever seen, so you just straighten yourself and sit correctly. We must have dignity.† He smiled feebly at her mock-frown and unfolded his long-boned limbs slowly. It was noon – and the glass cubicle was no longer empty. It was doubtful that anyone had witnessed the appearance. It was a clean break; one moment not there and the next moment there. In the cubicle was a figure in a wheelchair, old and shrunken, from whose wrinkled face bright eyes shone, and whose voice, as it turned out, was the livest thing about him. A book lay face downward in his lap, and the voice came softly. â€Å"I am Hari Seldon!† He spoke through a silence, thunderous in its intensity. â€Å"I am Hari Seldon! I do not know if anyone is here at all by mere sense-perception but that is unimportant. I have few fears as yet of a breakdown in the Plan. For the first three centuries the percentage probability of nondeviation is nine-four point two.† He paused to smile, and then said genially, â€Å"By the way, if any of you are standing, you may sit. If any would like to smoke, please do. I am not here in the flesh. I require no ceremony. â€Å"Let us take up the problem of the moment, then. For the first time, the Foundation has been faced, or perhaps, is in the last stages of facing, civil war. Till now, the attacks from without have been adequately beaten off, and inevitably so, according to the strict laws of psychohistory. The attack at present is that of a too-undisciplined outer group of the Foundation against the too-authoritarian central government. The procedure was necessary, the result obvious.† The dignity of the high-born audience was beginning to break. Indbur was half out of his chair. Bayta leaned forward with troubled eyes. What was the great Seldon talking about? She had missed a few of the words- â€Å"-that the compromise worked out is necessary in two respects. The revolt of the Independent Traders introduces an element of new uncertainty in a government perhaps grown over-confident. The element of striving is restored. Although beaten, a healthy increase of democracy-â€Å" There were raised voices now. Whispers had ascended the scale of loudness, and the edge of panic was in them. Bayta said in Toran's ear, â€Å"Why doesn't he talk about the Mule? The Traders never revolted.† Toran shrugged his shoulders. The seated figure spoke cheerfully across and through the increasing disorganization: â€Å"-a new and firmer coalition government was the necessary and beneficial outcome of the logical civil war forced upon the Foundation. And now only the remnants of the old Empire stand in the way of further expansion, and in them, for the next few years, at any rate, is no problem. Of course, I can not reveal the nature of the next prob-â€Å" In the complete uproar, Seldon's lips moved soundlessly. Ebling Mis was next to Randu, face ruddy. He was shouting. â€Å"Seldon is off his rocker. He's got the wrong crisis. Were your Traders ever planning civil war?† Randu said thinly, â€Å"We planned one, yes. We called it off in the face of the Mule.† â€Å"Then the Mule is an added feature, unprepared for in Seldon's psychohistory. Now what's happened?† In the sudden, frozen silence, Bayta found the cubicle once again empty. The nuclear glow of the walls was dead, the soft current of conditioned air absent. Somewhere the sound of a shrill siren was rising and falling in the scale and Randu formed the words with his lips, â€Å"Space raid!† And Ebling Mis held his wrist watch to his ears and shouted suddenly, â€Å"Stopped, by the â€Å"Ga-LAX-y, is there a watch in the room that is going?† His voice was a roar. Twenty wrists went to twenty ears. And in far less than twenty seconds, it was quite certain that none were. â€Å"Then,† said Mis, with a grim and horrible finality, â€Å"something has stopped all nuclear power in the Time Vault – and the Mule is attacking.† Indbur's wail rose high above the noise, â€Å"Take your seats! The Mule is fifty parsecs distant.† â€Å"He was,† shouted back Mis, â€Å"a week ago. Right now, Terminus is being bombarded.† Bayta felt a deep depression settle softly upon her. She felt its folds tighten close and thick, until her breath forced its way only with pain past her tightened throat. The outer noise of a gathering crowd was evident. The doors were thrown open and a harried figure entered, and spoke rapidly to Indbur, who had rushed to him. â€Å"Excellence,† he whispered, â€Å"not a vehicle is running in the city, not a communication line to the outside is open. The Tenth Fleet is reported defeated and the Mule's ships are outside the atmosphere. The general staff-â€Å" Indbur crumpled, and was a collapsed figure of impotence upon the floor. In all that hall, not a voice was raised now. Even the growing crowd without was fearful, but silent, and the horror of cold panic hovered dangerously. Indbur was raised. Wine was held to his lips. His lips moved before his eyes opened, and the word they formed was, â€Å"Surrender!† Bayta found herself near to crying – not for sorrow or humiliation, but simply and plainly out of a vast frightened despair. Ebling Mis plucked at her sleeve. â€Å"Come, young lady-â€Å" She was pulled out of her chair, bodily. â€Å"We're leaving,† he said, â€Å"and take your musician with you.† The plump scientist's lips were trembling and colorless. â€Å"Magnifico,† said Bayta, faintly. The clown shrank in horror. His eyes were glassy. â€Å"The Mule,† he shrieked. â€Å"The Mule is coming for me.† He thrashed wildly at her touch. Toran leaned over and brought his fist up sharply. Magnifico slumped into unconsciousness and Toran carried him out potato-sack fashion. The next day, the ugly, battle-black ships of the Mule poured down upon the landing fields of the planet Terminus. The attacking general sped down the empty main street of Terminus City in a foreign-made ground car that ran where a whole city of atomic cars still stood useless. The proclamation of occupation was made twenty-four hours to the minute after Seldon had appeared before the former mighty of the Foundation. Of all the Foundation planets, only the Independent Traders still stood, and against them the power of the Mule – conqueror of the Foundation – now turned itself.

Small Group Experiences

The need to affiliate with others and to be accepted by them is hypothesized to be as basic to our psychological well being as hunger and thirst are to our physical well being (Raviester and Leary, 1995). (Meeting, Liking, and Becoming Acquainted, SPT Reader P. 50) One doesn’t begin to realize how important social interaction is until it is gone. Each individual seeks some sort of relationship throughout his or her lives, even as an infant. Relationships are looked as a bond between two individuals, but it is not limited between those two.People all have the need to affiliate, but not all people are the same and differ in the strength of their need for affiliation. When meeting new people in a small group experience you are faced with many different emotions, situations, and many thoughts racing through your mind. If I viewed my small group experience through the concept of symbolic interaction theory, founded by Tom Shibutani, you begin to gain knowledge and an understanding of what is going on. The symbolic interaction theory is that people act on symbolic meanings that they find in situations.Immersing yourself into the small group allows one to create different relationships around oneself. The challenge is to then create shared and similar meanings. The meanings are then personalized by an interpretive process, and after being processed one looks to others to externally view our modifications. When doing this you develop your own self-concept of one another. When we sat down as a group we each introduced ourselves. It was awkward at first, but then we all shared a similar thought and started to interact with each other to avoid awkward silence and situation.The definition of the situation is the reactions to the shared agreements between one another and each member of the group expected one another to participate in the activity and share ideas together. Once established, we discussed the best way to meet people, what we found attractive, and how to start a conversation. Realizing how easy it is to be uneasy of one’s self-esteem, I started to question my self and internalizing the judgments and body gestures from my small group members. When sharing my self -image and personal experiences made me realize the similarities and differences amongst the group and myself.By engaging in a conversation of diverse issues and topics, I began to realize whom I relate to. Each member of the group, only aware of one similarity, attending the same class, seemed very shy and distanced from one another. At the start of the activity we were all conservative and shy of one another. Since not one member of the group took initiative to choose an engaging topic to talk about, it was difficult to create a conversation. It was awkward up until one person decided to pick a topic.When we shared the same views and interest towards that one particular topic, the group became more alive and aware of the other members in the group. Since acting tim id at the start of the group, I began to gain confidence and more stability in my own self-esteem, once the group became vivid and energetic. Being timid leads to defense, since starting the small group in my defense up it was hard to become acquainted with other members of the group. Once we proceeded and broke the initial barrier of awkwardness, I began to feel more at ease and calm when approached by another member.According to Horney’s theory, one consists of two selves; a real self and an idealized self. The â€Å"idealized self† is very similar to an â€Å"impossible self†. The â€Å"real self† is similar to a more â€Å"possible self†. When each individual were on similar energy levels, the group looked to be in sync with one another. Each individual in the group had a realistic view of themselves because of the lack of random behavior. I believe that not one of the group members was attempting to over achieve or be distant from the group.I acted shy at first approaching the situation in â€Å"defense mode†, and may have shown a lack of self-confidence, or the evaluation of my own self. I had a defense barrier when entering this small group experience exercise, but towards the middle of the conversation, I realized that my barrier was down and I was engaging in conversations as if I knew these individuals for years. Then I realized we all had similar opinions and set similar goals. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needsbegin with Physiological needs like food, water, etc.Then â€Å"Safety†, â€Å"Belonging†, â€Å"Esteem†, and finally, â€Å"Self-actualization†, self-actualization is similar to self-fulfillment. If one cannot satisfy those basic needs you become susceptible to feelings and emotions of unhappiness. The personal need of mine in the group experience was to ask my peers a series of questions to gain information and to introduce myself to new individuals. I also wanted to feel like I accomplished my goals and feel like I did my part in this small group experience, these feelings lead to my â€Å"self-esteem† and my â€Å"self-image†.Having all shared the same feeling of fulfilling ones need amongst the group, brought the group together and helped me recognize my role. Each had their own interpersonal needs; the need to feel â€Å"apart† of the group, and the need to control. This helped the group to the meaning to how and why we interacted in the first place. I believe once we finished he exercise that my won personal needs were met and so were that of the other individual. The needs that were fulfilled creating a sense of accomplishment and joy, we then exchanged email addresses and went separate ways.In conclusion to this â€Å"experiment† or â€Å"experience†, it was that of our basic and interpersonal needs that brought the group together. One looks for similar characteristics in others to fulfill our own wa nts and needs. Consciously and subconsciously one tries to satisfy ones own persons needs. The choices are made that decide who one wishes to surround themselves with based upon our judgments. Judgments decide a lot but most important it decides if one needs the person, then ultimately lead to one interacting or not.Bibliography Society and Personality Tamotsu Shibutani, 1961 Sociology 104 Reader Meloy and Mitchell

Roman Fever

( , 445000) , , , (Alida? Sladea? Grice? Ansley)(  ·  · ) , , ; ; An Analysis of the Application of Cooperative Principle and Conversational Implicature in Roman Fever Li Yu’e (School of Foreign Languages, Hubei University for Nationalities, Enshi, 445000) ?Abstract? According to Grice's conversational implicature theory , conmunicators should conmunicate based on the cooperative principle which consists of four criteria,namely: quantity, quality, relation and manner. Betrayal of those four criteria means the arising of conversational implicature. This paper intends to apply the theory of conversational implicature into the conversations of Roman fever’s main characters(Alida? Sladea and Grice? Ansley)to give a pragmatic analysis , in order to help readers better understand the development of stoy and the main characters, and ultimately comprehend the work’s theme. Key words? Cooperative Principle;conversational implicature; criteria :  ·  · 19 20 , , 1905 ,1920 , , , , , ,  · , , :  ·  ·  · 25 , , , 25 , , , , 25 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , —— —— , , , , , 1967? , (Logic and Conversation) † Cooperative Principle)† ,â€Å" , , †? 1? â€Å" , , †? 2 , , , ,? â€Å" † â€Å" †, (Quantity), ; (Quality), , ; (Relation), ; (Manner), , â€Å" , , †? 3? , ,? â€Å" †(Conversational Implicature) (2003) , † , , :1 , 2 3 â€Å" †, , 4 4? , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1. , , , —— , , , 25 , , , (Id) (Ego)? , , , , (superego) , , , (1) Mrs. Slade :Well,I don’t see why we shouldn’t just stay here. After all,it’s still the most beautiful view in the world. Mrs. Ansley: It always will be,to me. Mrs. Slade : It ’s a view we’ve both been familiar with for a good many years. When we first me t here we were younger than our girls are now. You remember! Mrs. Ansley:Oh,yes,I remember. There’s that head-waiter wondering. ?5? , , , â€Å" † â€Å" † , 25 â€Å" † , , ,â€Å" † , â€Å" † , , , , , , , , :â€Å"When we first meet here we were younger than our girls are now. you remember? â€Å"Oh,yes,I remember. † , , ,â€Å"There’s that head-waiter wondering. † , , (2) Mrs. Slade: Well, why not! We might do worse. There’s no knowing, I suppose, when the girls will be back. Do you even know back from where? I don’t! Mrs. Ansley: I think those young. Italian aviators we met at the Embassy invited them to fly to Tarquinia for tea. I suppose they’ll want to wait and fly back by moonlight. Mrs. Slade: Moonlight-moonlight! What a part it still plays. Do you suppose they’re as sentimental as we were? , , , , , , , â€Å" †(moonlight) â€Å" † , , , , , , , , , , , , â€Å" † , â€Å"Museum specimens of old New York†(â€Å" †), , , , â€Å"‘vividness’†(â€Å"‘ ’†) , , , 2. (1) Mrs. Slade:Five o’clock already. Mrs. Ansley: There’s bridge at the Embassy at five. Mrs. Slade:Bridge, did you say! Not unless you want to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ But I don’t think I will, you know. Mrs. Ansley: Oh, no. I don’t care to at all. It’s so lovely here; and so full of old memories, as you say. Mrs. Slade:I was just thinking, what different things Rome stands for to each generation of travelers. To our grandmothers, Roman fever; to our mothers, sentimental dangers-how we used to be guarded! to our daughters, no more dangers than ghe middle of Main Stree. They don’t know it-but how much they’re missing! I always used to think, that our mothers had a much more difficult job than our grandmothers. When Roman fever stalked the streets it must have been with such beauty calling us, and the spice of disobedience thrown in, and no worse risk than catching cols during the cool hour after sunset, the mothers used to be put to it to keep us in-didn’t they! Mrs. Ansley: One,two,three—slip two;yes,they must have been. â€Å"Five o’clock already. † , 25 , ,â€Å" There’s bridge at the Embassy at five. † , , , ; , 25 , , , , , , ,â€Å" , ‘ ’: ‘ ’? ‘ ’, ‘ ’? ‘ ’, ‘ ’? ‘ ’,‘ ’ †? 6 , , â€Å" † , , , , , â€Å"One,two,three—slip two. † , , , , (Id) (Ego), (2) Mrs. Slade:I-oh, nothing. I was only thinking how your Babs carries everything before her. That Campllieri boy is one of the best matches in Rome. Don’t look so innocent, my de ar-you know he is. And I was wondering, ever so respectfully, you understand†¦. Wondering how two such exemplary characters as you and Horace had managed to produce anything quite so dynamic. Mrs. Ansley:I think you overrate Babs, my dear. Mrs. Slade: No, I don’t. I appreciate her. And perhaps envy you. Oh, my girl’s perfect; if I were a chronic invalid I’d-well, I think I’d rather be in Jenny’s hands. There must be times†¦ but there! I always wanted a brilliant daughter†¦ and never quite understood why I got an angel instead. Mrs. Ansley:Babs is an angel too. , , , , â€Å"and never quite understood why I got an angel instead. † , , , â€Å"Babs is an angel too. , , , , , , , (3) Mrs. Slade:The sun’s set. You’re not afraid, my dear? Mrs. Ansley:Afraid- Mrs. Slade:Of Roman fever or pneumonia! I remember how ill you were that winter. As a girl you had a very delicate throat, hadn’t you? Mrs. Ansley:Oh, we’re all right up here. Down below, in the Forum, it does get deathly cold, all of a sudden†¦ but not here. Mrs. Slade:Ah, of course you know because you had to be so careful. Whenever I look at the Forum from up here, I remember that story about a great-aunt of yours, wasn’t she? A dreadfuily wicked great-aunt? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Mrs. Slade:Not often; but I was then. I was easily frightened because I was too happy. I wonder if you know what that means? Mrs. Ansley:I-yes†¦ Mrs. Slade:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ And the Colosseum’s even colder and damper. Mrs. Ansley: The Colosseum-? Mrs. Slade:Yes. It wasn’t easy to get in, after the gates were locked for the night. Far from easy. Still, in those days it could be managed; it was managed, often. Lovers met there who couldn’t meet eslewhere. You knew that? Mrs. Ansley: I-I daresay. I don’t remember.