The Verb Impeach As Defined By Websters Third International Dictionary

The verb "impeach" as defined by Webster's Third International Dictionary is to cause an official to be removed from office because of conviction of impropriety, misdemeanor, or misconduct while in said office. The right to impeach public officials is secured by the U.S. Constitution in Article I, Sections 2 and 3, which discuss the procedure, and in Article II, Section 4, which indicates the grounds for impeachment: "the President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Treason and bribery are specified by the framers as "high crimes," however, it is the "other high crimes and misdemeanors" that, as Amar points out, "will ultimately call for a more nuanced interpretation" (Amar). It is my contention that this interpretation may or may not include the sexual misconduct of William Jefferson Clinton, but it does warrant conviction for perjur y to a jury about such actions. As the Southmayd Professor of Law at Yale Law School, Akhil Reed Amar has authored several books regarding the Constitution and Bill of Rights such as The Constitution and Criminal Procedure: First Principals (Yale, 1997), and The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction (Yale, 1998). He has written widely on constitutional issues for such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Monthly, Policy Review, The New Republic, and Slate. He is considered an expert in this area, and has been widely cited by scholars, judges, and justices. It is clear that his credibility is unquestionable. In his recent article entitled Trial and Tribulation, published in the magazine The New Republic, Amar opens that "No president is above the law, but the law for presidents is different than for others, at least in the case of impeachment." As Amar also points out "A president must pursue sound national policies that may render him unpopular in some localities"; therefore he "should not be obstructed by a grand or petit jury from any one locality." In other words, if the president were to enact a policy that some small municipality, or county, or even a state may wholly disagree with or even find unlawful in their representation, that entity should obviously not be able to pursue the president for prosecution solely on the grounds of political differences. This is necessary in order to protect the office of the presidency, and protecting the presidency is of great importance to this nation. Protecting it would be the very reason for the removal of Bill Clinton. His acts of indiscreti on only added to the already tarnished reputation of politicians in general, but now he brings this infection into the most sacred of houses, the White House. Another point is that to remove a president from office would mean to "undo the votes of millions of Americans on Election Day." For the Senate to be able to do this frivolously would mean a "slide toward a kind of parliamentary government that our entire structure of government was designed to repudiate." This would be a bad thing. Our government is structured so that the president, chosen by the people, has a powerful role in government; powerful enough to enact drastic changes as the changing world calls for. This populist presidency that we have chosen to govern ourselves by gives a lot of power to one man. If this endowment is not used to our liking, the people also have the power not to re-elect. However, in times of drastic misuses or abuses of power, the Constitution stipulates a course of action to protect us from such an administration. Amar seems to focus too much on the difference between the impeachment of a judge, or other, and that of a president. He doesn't spend enough time discussing whether or not what Clinton actually did was impeachable. He refers to it as "the pesky definitional problem posed by" what the Constitution refers to as "high crimes and misdemeanors". Here he makes the valid point that when interpreting the Constitution, specifically Article II, section 4 (paraphrased above), we need not take it so literally. In his opinion "This clause lumps together presidential impeachments with all others

Benifits of the death penalty essays

Benifits of the death penalty essays The justification of the death penalty is a constant controversy in todays society. The ultimate decision is a burden over all who execute this final sentence and the society that allows for it. Is it just or unjust? Does the criminal deserve this heinous sentence? According to 80% of United States citizens surveyed, the answer was yes (Stewart 1). Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for societys decision to go pro death penalty is that no executed murder has ever killed again (Lowe 20). It eliminates the burden on society that the murder creates in prison and serves as deterrence for future murders. However, twenty or so percent of death penalty opponents in the United States have made their own justification of why the death penalty should be nullified. They believe that combating violence with more violence doesnt solve anything and question the logic of killing to show that killing is wrong. Although there is much controversy surrounding the death penalty, it is clear that it is a necessary part of the judicial process. Opponents argue against the death penalty for a number of reasons. In the first place, it is in violation with the teachings of the Bible and United States Constitution, but more importantly they believe this action is immoral due to the barbaric methods. They also argue that it is a racial issue and an expensive method to put an end to crime. There seems to be some legitimate arguments. In the words of the New Testament, Jesus once said, Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her. (John 8:7) John Dear, a death penalty opponent interpreted these words. He wrote: Jesus not only condemned the death penalty, he poetically chastised the scribes and Pharisees for considering themselves sinless and able to pass judgment on others. Jesus words made them realize their own sinfulness and filled them with shame (Dear 75). Even today we have...

Northern Renaissance of European Art

Northern Renaissance of European Art When we talk about the Northern Renaissance, what we mean is Renaissance happenings that occurred within Europe, but outside of Italy. Because the most innovative art was created in France, the Netherlands, and Germany during this time, and because all of these places are north of Italy, the Northern tag has stuck. Geography aside, there were some significant differences between the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance. For one thing, the north held on to Gothic (or Middle Ages) art and architecture with a tighter, longer grip than did Italy. (Architecture, in particular, remained Gothic until well into the 16th century) This isnt to say that art wasnt changing in the north - in many instances, it kept apace with Italian doings. The Northern Renaissance artists, however, were scattered about and few initially (very unlike their Italian counterparts). The north had fewer centers of free commerce than did Italy. Italy, as we saw, had numerous Duchies and Republics which gave rise to a wealthy merchant class that often spent considerable funds on art. This wasnt the case in the north. The only notable similarity between northern Europe and, say, a place like Florence, lay in the Duchy of Burgundy. Burgundys Role in the Renaissance Burgundy, until 1477, encompassed a territory from present-day middle France northward (in an arc) to the sea, and included Flanders (in modern Belgium) and parts of the current Netherlands. It was the only individual entity standing between France and the enormous Holy Roman Empire. Its Dukes, during the last 100 years it existed, were given monikers of the Good, the Fearless and the Bold. Although apparently, the last Bold Duke wasnt quite bold enough, as Burgundy was absorbed by both France and the Holy Roman Empire at the end of his reign. The Burgundian Dukes were excellent patrons of the arts, but the art they sponsored was different from that of their Italian counterparts. Their interests were along the lines of illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, and furnishings. Things were different in Italy, where patrons were more keen on paintings, sculpture, and architecture. In the broader scheme of things, the social changes in Italy were inspired, as weve seen, by Humanism. Italian artists, writers, and philosophers were driven to study Classical antiquity and explore mans supposed capacity for rational choice. They believed that Humanism led to more dignified and worthy humans. In the north, possibly in part because the north did not have works of antiquity from which to learn, the change was brought about by a different rationale. Thinking minds in the north were more concerned with religious reform, feeling that Rome, from whom they were physically distanced, had strayed too far from Christian values. In fact, as northern Europe became more openly rebellious over the authority of the Church, art took a decidedly secular turn. Additionally, Renaissance artists in the north took a different approach to composition than did Italian artists. Where an Italian artist was apt to consider scientific principles behind composition (i.e., proportion, anatomy, perspective) during the Renaissance, northern artists were more concerned with what their art looked like. Color was of key importance, above and beyond form. And the more detail a northern artist could cram into a piece, the happier he was. Close inspection of Northern Renaissance paintings will show the viewer numerous instances where individual hairs have been carefully rendered, along with every single object in the room including the artist himself, distantly inverted in a background mirror. Different Materials Used by Different Artists Finally, its important to note that northern Europe enjoyed different geophysical conditions than did most of Italy. For example, there are lots of stained glass windows in northern Europe partly for the practical reason that people living there have more need for barriers against the elements. Italy, during the Renaissance, produced some fabulous egg tempera paintings and frescoes, along with glorious marble statuary. Theres an excellent reason the north isnt known for its frescoes: The climate isnt conducive to curing them. Italy produced marble sculptures because it has marble quarries. Youll note that Northern Renaissance sculpture is, by and large, worked in wood.   Similarities Between the Northern and Italian Renaissances Until 1517, when Martin Luther lit the wildfire of Reformation, both places shared a common faith. Its interesting to note that what we now think of as Europe didnt think of  itself  as Europe, back during  Renaissance  days. If you had had the opportunity, at the time, to ask a European traveler in the Middle East or Africa where he hailed from, he likely would have answered Christendom regardless of whether he was from Florence or Flanders. Beyond providing a unifying presence, the Church supplied all artists of the period with a common subject matter. The earliest beginnings of northern Renaissance art are eerily similar to the Italian  Proto-Renaissance, in that each chose Christian religious stories and figures as the predominant artistic theme. The Importance of Guilds Another common factor that Italy and the rest of Europe shared during the Renaissance was the Guild system. Arising during the Middle Ages, Guilds were the best paths a man could take to learning a craft, be it painting, sculpture or making saddles. Training in any specialty was long, rigorous and comprised of sequential steps. Even after one completed a masterpiece, and gained acceptance into a Guild, the Guild continued to keep tabs on standards and practices amongst its members. Thanks to this self-policing policy, most of the money exchanging hands, when works of art were commissioned and paid for, went to Guild members. (As you might imagine, it was to an artists financial benefit to belong to a Guild.) If possible, the Guild system was even more entrenched in northern Europe than it was in Italy. After 1450, both Italy and northern Europe had access to printed materials. Though subject matter might vary from region to region, often it was the same, or similar enough to establish commonality of thought. Finally, one significant similarity that Italy and the North shared was that each had a  definite artistic center during the 15th century. In Italy, as previously mentioned, artists looked to the Republic of Florence for innovation and inspiration. In the North, the artistic hub was Flanders. Flanders was a part, back then, of the Duchy of Burgundy. It had a thriving commercial city, Bruges, which (like Florence) made its money in banking and wool. Bruges had cash aplenty to spend on luxuries like art. And (again like Florence) Burgundy, on the whole, was governed by patronage-minded rulers. Where Florence had the Medici, Burgundy had Dukes. At least until the last quarter of the 15th century, that is. Chronology of the Northern Renaissance In Burgundy, the Northern Renaissance got its start primarily in the graphic arts. Beginning in the 14th-century, an artist could make a good living if he was proficient in producing  illuminated manuscripts.   The late 14th and early 15th centuries saw illumination take off and,  in some cases, take  over  entire pages. Instead of relatively sedate red capital letters, we now saw whole paintings crowding manuscript pages right out to the borders. The French Royals, in particular, were avid collectors of these manuscripts, which became so popular that text was rendered largely unimportant. The Northern Renaissance artist who is largely credited with developing oil techniques was Jan van Eyck, court painter to the Duke of Burgundy. Its not that he discovered oil paints, but he did figure out how to layer them, in glazes, to create light and depth of color in his paintings. The Flemish van Eyck, his brother Hubert, and their Netherlandish predecessor Robert Campin (also known as the Master of Flà ©malle) were all painters who created altarpieces in the first half of the fifteenth century. Three other key Netherlandish artists were the painters Rogier van der Weyden and Hans Memling, and the sculptor Claus Sluter. Van der Weyden, who was the town painter of Brussels, was best known for introducing accurate human emotions and gestures into his work, which was primarily of a religious nature. One other early Northern Renaissance artist that created a lasting stir was the enigmatic Hieronymus Bosch. No one can say what his motivation was, but he certainly created some darkly imaginative and highly unique paintings. Something that all of these painters had in common was their use of naturalistic objects within compositions. Sometimes these objects had symbolic meanings, while at other times they were just there to illustrate aspects of daily life. In taking in the 15th century, its important to note that Flanders was the center of  the Northern Renaissance. Just as with Florence, at this same time, Flanders was the place that northern artists looked to for cutting edge artistic techniques and technology. This situation persisted until 1477 when the last Burgundian Duke was defeated in battle, and Burgundy ceased to exist.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 30

Case Study - Essay Example It is worth noting that for increased size and ability to sustain global positioning, Logitech have acquired some companies such as Intrigue Technologies to harmonize its remote controls, Connectix for its webcams, Slim Devices for its music systems, and Labtec for its audio functionings (Cellich, 1997). Logitech has also retained its strength in the market due to its ability to innovate and diversify. This is shown through the introduction of; computer keyboards, a digital still camera, a headphone/microphone, coupled with a joystick gaming applications. In addition, there is a web camera on a flexible arm. The innovation ability has to be continuous since the attitude and taste of consumers always changes, and this gives designers and obligation to continue to be at their best to ensure they continuously meet the consumer demands. The growth and subsequent increase in size of Logitech will affect the speed of decision making as the organization and management structure become more and more complex (Zoltay Paprika, Wimmer & Szanto, 2008).This is because most of the company follow a decision structure that is long and tedious wasting a lot of time in the process before the top management that has the power to make a decision get enlighten. However, key decision that involves expansion and positioning are discussed by the top organ of the management and that has to take patients and time. Therefore, it is logical to point out that the global dominance and expansion will affect the speed of decision-making, and various strategic method exist that can be used to improve such time and make Logitech more competent. Business success depends fully on the decisions of the management and such simple measures if not well handle can result in the downfall of a company (Ilori & Irefin, 1997).In large organization, decision -making runs from the executives to the

V8 engine block assambley Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

V8 engine block assambley - Research Paper Example The first thing to go onto the block is the cam shaft. It is important to keep very clean while installing all engine components. It is important to lube the cam while installing. Second, the crank shaft must be installed and checked. After the crank shaft is installed it is necessary to install the rear main seal with gaskets if needed. Third, the timing gear and chains need to be properly installed. After the timing is accurate, the oil wrist pins, rod bearing and the rings need to be properly installed on the pistons. Next, it is important to properly oil all cylinders, bearing, rings and crankshaft. Then it is very important to install the pistons. The pistons need to be at a certain compression to prevent damage. After the pistons are installed, make sure all rods and pistons are in the correct spot. This can be achieved by proper torque of all rod nuts. Then it is important to install the timing cover and oil pump, followed by head gaskets, head, and bolts. At this time the valves need to be set. Finally, the valve covers can be installed and the engine is

Developmental Stages Essay Example for Free

Developmental Stages Essay Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. He believed that personality develops in a series of stages. In his theory he explains eight stages through which a healthy developing human should pass from infancy to late adulthood. According to Erikson (1950), â€Å"Each stage builds on the successful completion of earlier stages. The challenges of stages not successfully completed may be expected to reappear as problems in the future†. In Erikson’s first stage, infancy (birth to 18 months), he centers on the concept of trust vs. mistrust where the infants basic needs are being met. During this stage, the child’s relative understanding of the world and society comes from parents/primary caregiver. Infants are especially dependant for food, sustenance, and comfort. According to Erikson (1950), the major developmental task in infancy is to learn whether or not other people, especially primary caregivers, regularly satisfy basic needs. If caregivers are consistent sources of food, comfort, and affection, an infant learns to trust that others are trustworthy. If they are neglectful, or perhaps even abusive, the infant instead learns mistrust in that the world is in an undependable, unpredictable, and possibly dangerous place. As an infant, I was fortunate to experience the love and nurturing that was needed to gain trust from my caregivers. My mother would rock me to sleep while singing or reading to me. As a result, I developed a passion for music and reading. My parents made me feel like everything was going to be alright. I still believe no matter what happens that eventually everything is going to be alright. In Erikson’s second developmental stage, Early Childhood (18 Months to 3 years), he asserts that a child begins to explore his surroundings after they gain control of eliminative functions and motor abilities (Harder, 2002). A child has the opportunity to build self-esteem and autonomy as he gain more control over our bodies and acquire new skills (learning right from wrong). In this stage the parents or primary caregivers help the child by being patient and encouraging, which fosters autonomy in the child. Parents or caregivers who are highly restrictive are more likely to instill in the child with a sense of doubt and reluctance to attempt new challenges. My parents allowed me to explore but not to the point where my safety was in jeopardy. They popped my hand if I reached for the socket, floor heater, ashtray, or anything else that was in harm’s way. It was during this stage of my life that I received praise for things that I accomplished; for instance, using the potty and putting my toys away. I learned how to master certain skills for myself. Erikson believes that the third stage, Play Age (3 to 5 years), is essential to a healthy child. It is during this time that children really learn what they live. They want to imitate adults and others around them. This is the stage where most healthy children begin to broaden their skills through active play of all sorts, including fantasy. They also learn to cooperate with others and to lead as well as follow. Young children in this category face the challenge of initiative versus guilt. Nevertheless, Erikson (1968) said that at this stage children usually become involved in the classic â€Å"Oedipal struggle† and resolve these struggles through â€Å"social role identification†. As a result, the child can be immobilized by guilt. According to Erikson (1950) the child is fearful, hangs on the fringe of groups, continues to depend unduly on adults, and is restricted both in the development of play skills and in imagination. As a child, I remember walking in my mother’s shoes when she was not wearing them. We played dress up and pretended we were queens. My basic family was the most significant relationship. In Erik Erikson’s fourth stage, School Age (6 to 12 years), children are capable of creating, learning and accomplishing new task (Harder, 2002). They are becoming more aware of themselves as individuals and, as a result, they become more reasonable to share and cooperate. They work hard at being responsible, being good and doing it right (Allen Marotz, 2003). Allen Marotz (2003) also list some perceptual cognitive developmental traits specific for this age group. Children understand the concepts of space and time in more logical, practical ways and begin to gain a better understanding of cause and effect and calendar time. At this stage, children are eager to learn and accomplish more complex skills such as reading, writing, and telling time. They also get to form moral values, recognize cultural and individual differences and are able to manage most of their personal needs and grooming with minimal assistance (Allen Marotz, 2003). At this stage, children might express their independence by being disobedient, using back talk, and being rebellious. For myself, I became disobedient but it didn’t take much for them to get me back on track. My parents only had to spank me several times in my life and never for the same thing. If children are encouraged to make and do things and are then praised for their accomplishments, they begin to demonstrate industry by being diligent, preserving at tasks until completed and putting work before pleasure. On the other hand, if children are punished or ridiculed for their efforts or if they feel they are not meeting others (teachers/parents) expectations, they develop feelings of inferiority about their capabilities. In Erikson’s fifth stage, Adolescence (12 to 18 years), he believes up to this stage development mostly depends upon what is done to us. From here on out what we do determines our development (Harder, 2002). The concept of identity vs. role confusion is used in that it is where a child is neither a child nor an adult. The adolescent is concerned with how they appear to others. This is when what was learned early on play an important part of how an adolescent see themselves. For example, if a child learned mistrust in infancy, shame in early childhood, guilt at play age, and inferiority at school age, what are the chances of this child having a positive image of themselves as an adolescent? Our task is to discover who we are as individuals separate from family. As they make the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents ponder the roles they will play in the adult world. Initially, they are apt to experience some role confusion- mixed ideas and feelings about the speci fic ways in which they will fit into society- and may experiment with a variety of behaviors and activities. At this stage in my life my Grandma taught me some very valuable things. My grandma farmed a beautiful garden which she kept me involved with. From tiling the land, planting the seeds, and watering the garden I learned a great deal. Not only did I learn about vegetation, I learned about life. My grandma taught me the valuable lesson of reaping what you have sown and how one bad fruit can spoil the whole bunch. I also learned that you have to believe in yourself, as well as believe in a Higher Power. My grandma taught me how to live off the land, but most importantly, she showed me by being a good example for me to follow. Erikson (1968) is credited with coining the term identity crisis because each stage that came before and that follows has its own crisis, but even more so now, for this marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is necessary for this passage to take place because throughout infancy and childhood a person forms much identification. As a marked turning point in human development, it seems to be the reconciliation between the person one has come to be and the person society expects him to become. An emerging sense of self will be established by forging past experiences with anticipations of the future. In relation to the eight life stages as a whole, the fifth stage corresponds to the crossroads, a time of great change of the body as well as the mind. Youth is a bridge between childhood and adulthood. Currently, I find myself in Erik Erikson’s sixth stage of development, Young Adulthood (18 to 35 years). Erikson (1950) expressed that young adults are in a stage of intimacy versus isolation. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized around the ages of 20 to 34. At the start of this stage, identity vs. role confusion is coming to an end, and it still lingers at the foundation of the next stage (Erikson, 1950). In this stage individuals develop intimate and close relationships with others (Crandell, C randell, Vander Zanden, 2009). I find myself struggling with this particular concept extensively. With the type of personality that I have, I constantly look for everyone to like me; therefore I never really established a close and intimate relationship with a significant person that means anything. Zucker, Ostrove, Stewart, (2002) reported that identity certainty may continue to increase over the course of adulthood. I am finding that having tried to make people like me that I lost a part of myself. I lost who I was. In finally having the chance to really experience life with someone who loves me for me, I can focus on doing things for myself as well as doing things for my significant other as well, thus making us both happy in our relationship. Erikson (1950) also argues that Intimacy has a counterpart he calls distantiation which is the readiness to isolate and, if necessary, to destroy those forces and people whose essence seems dangerous to our own, and whose territory seems to encroach on the extent of ones intimate relations. Once people have established their identities, they are ready to make long-term commitments to others. If people cannot form these intimate relationships (perhaps because of their own needs) a sense of isolation may result. In comparing Kohlberg’s and Erikson’s developmental theories, I discovered that I can relate my life to both theories. There have been both internal (Erikson) and external (Kohlberg) forces that have affected my life. Internally, it was the nurturing and love I received from my Grandmother as a child. She also taught me life lessons. Externally, I watched my grandmother care for her grandmother. It gave me a love and passion for caring for the elderly, not realizing that it was also teaching me how to care for her when she could no longer care for herself. In the mention of Erikson’s â€Å"identity crisis†, I realize that most of my life stages were identified by such crises. At the age of 5, I experienced abandonment and rejection from my father. This shaped my childhood and adolescent years around seeking to hurt before being hurt and also looking for love and attention in others. I learned that a child who grows up not receiving a lot of love and affection may later in life look for love in all the wrong places, thus leading to promiscuous behavior, gang involvement, and /or drug use to fill the void. Subsequently, as an adult I found it hard to acquire and maintain intimate relationships. Kohlberg’s moral development theory focuses more on reasoning. Though growing up I never tried to figure out why I was the way I was or why I did the things I did for attention or to get my way, I have begun to look at the reasons behind those actions and have started to correct the negative characteristics of my being. Other factors come into play when speaking of the developmental stages of one’s life. These factors include gender differences, environmental, cultural, and ethnical influences. My father, not having nurturing abilities, failed to realize or comprehend the devastation and effects of his leaving the home had on me. Environmentally, most of us lived off of the land and were friendly to each other. However, most of the environment was that of country living and also racial separation. Culturally, our elderly were not placed in nursing homes but remained in the home to be cared for by family. My grandmother cared for her grandmother who cared for her daughter, one not absent from the other. My grandma instilled in me many morals and values that influenced my behavior today. In conclusion, Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development theorize that there are certain accomplishments that one must encounter to successfully move to the next stage in life. His findings have shown that, in life, sometimes it requires an â€Å"identity crisis† to force an individual into another stage so that person may keep moving forward. There are many different aspects of his psychosocial stages that can shape a person into a healthy human being. Personally, I feel that as growing through each stage of my life according to Erikson, I am on my way to being the perfect role model for his theory. References Allen, K. E., Marotz, L. R. (2003). Developmental profiles (4th ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar. Crain, W. C. (1985). Theories of development. New Jersey:Prentice Hall. pp.118-136 Crandell, T. L., Crandell, C. H., Vander Zanden, J. W. (2009). Human development (9th ed.).Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton; Triad/Paladin (1977), p. 242. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: Norton, p. 54 Harder, A. F. (2002). The developmental stages of Erik Erikson. Retrieved from www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.html Stevens, R. (1983). Erik Erikson, an introduction. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Retrieved from http://openlibrary.org/books/OL3161476M/Erik_Erikson_an_introduction Zucker, A. N., Ostrove, J. M., Stewart, A. J. (2002) College-educated womens personality development in adulthood: Perceptions and age difference. Psychology and Aging. 17(2), 236-244.

Summary of Danielle Steels Granny Dan :: essays research papers

Granny Dan Written By Danielle Steel, 1999, Delacorte Press (fiction, historical) I came upon this book one day while rifling through my mother’s yawn-inducing adult paperbacks, due to a lack of recent visits to the library. They were the kind of books that are thick, fine print, and usually about some unhappy beautiful heroine who finds true love through a turbulent 700 pages. Then I came across Granny Dan. It was hardcover, a mere 223 pages, and had no close-up shot of a gun, or broken glass, or some other imagery in that vein. So, I did the obvious thing, I opened it up and began to read. Granny Dan was a magical grandmother, who enjoyed roller skating in her kitchen, singing to her family in Russian, and mostly just loving her family in her own little ways. But when she passed away, no one knew anything about her past, which she’d spoken little of. When cleaning out her house after her death, her granddaughter is sent a small brown box, containing all the secrets of Granny Dan’s life, secrets just bursting to be understood. The box contained very few things, a pair of satin toe ballet shoes, a gold locket, and letters tied together. Granny Dan suddenly becomes more than just an endearing grandmother, she becomes Danina Petroskova, the great ballerina. Learning more of Danina’s past, her granddaughter slowly begins to unravel the mystery surrounding her life. As a young girl, Danina’s father and brothers gave her up to a ballet school in St. Petersburg, Russia, because so many men would not know how to raise the motherless girl. For years, Danina devoted her life to ballet, she did not know the outside world. While other girls fell in love and began to ruin their focus for training, Danina only ate, slept, and danced, it was a monastic life, enduring gruelling hours of training with her teacher, Madame Markova. By the age of seventeen, Danina was a prima, and from her performances, she was soon recognized by the Czar and Czarina, members of the royal family. As time went on, she became a favourite of the Imperial family, especially the sickly Czarevitch, Alexei. (The Czar is basically the equivalent of the king, the Czarina, the queen, and the Czarevitch, the prince. Alexei’s family, the Imperial family, were real) Many shattering events occur to Danina, from losing precious brothers to war, to falling in love with Alexei’s (the Czarevitch) doctor, Nikolai Obrajensky.