The Public Needs to Know

The Acquisition Process Competition Requirements Choconda Martin BUS 319 November 5, 2012 Professor Calvin D. Fogle Almost all DOD systems are competed at some stage in the acquisition system (we would guess that less than 10% of acquisition programs do not go through a competitive process at least once in their acquisition cycle). Generally, the sequence is: †¢ Define the requirement (determine the mismatch between operational capability–more about this below); †¢ Advertise the need for a product that can satisfy the requirement; †¢ Accept bids from potential suppliers; †¢ Review proposals and select one or more suppliers, Order the product; †¢ Monitor progress; †¢ Accept the finished product; †¢ Review project documentation and pay for the product. This cycle repeats itself one or more times during system development and one or more times during procurement (purchase of a major end item previously developed or available commercially). For l arge systems, procurement follows a highly demanding DOD-funded development process and the prime manufacturer, almost by necessity, is the developer. In such cases, the competitive steps for a given phase of the acquisition process (listed above) would not be repeated during the procurement phase.Some things that I would change would be the misconception of communication within the industry during acquisition processing. The Federal Government has an obligation to conduct procurements in the most effective, responsible and efficient manner possible. Current market information is very vital as they define the requirements, so that the contracting officers can develop the acquisition strategies, seek opportunities for small businesses, and negotiate contract terms. Industry partners are the best source for this information, so productive interactions is very important and should be encouraged.The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) authorizes a broad range opportunites for vendor co mmunication, but agencies most time do not take advantage of these existing flexibilities. Some agencies may be reluctant due to fear of protests or fear binding the agency in unauthorized commitments. If we increase the awareness by training the agencies with the help of DAU (Defense Acquisition University) and agency training practitioners to conduct an awareness campaign we might be able to eliminate unnecessary barriers to engagement.Agencies should provide clear, consistent direction to their workforce and industry partners about how to engage with industry prior to award of contracts and task and delivery orders under the Federal Supply Schedule, government-wide acquisition contracts, and other indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts. While agencies do not have the resources, and are not required, to meet with every vendor at every step of the acquisition process, information gathered from industry sources plays an invaluable role in the acquisition process.For this reason, agencies must develop practices that will ensure early, frequent, and constructive communication during key phases of the process. The federal government’s ability to achieve successful program outcomes, effectively and efficiently, depends upon agencies establishing effective strategies for industry engagement and supporting those strategies with senior-level commitment.References Co-Workers/Supervisor/FAR The Public Needs to Know The Acquisition Process Competition Requirements Choconda Martin BUS 319 November 5, 2012 Professor Calvin D. Fogle Almost all DOD systems are competed at some stage in the acquisition system (we would guess that less than 10% of acquisition programs do not go through a competitive process at least once in their acquisition cycle). Generally, the sequence is: †¢ Define the requirement (determine the mismatch between operational capability–more about this below); †¢ Advertise the need for a product that can satisfy the requirement; †¢ Accept bids from potential suppliers; †¢ Review proposals and select one or more suppliers, Order the product; †¢ Monitor progress; †¢ Accept the finished product; †¢ Review project documentation and pay for the product. This cycle repeats itself one or more times during system development and one or more times during procurement (purchase of a major end item previously developed or available commercially). For l arge systems, procurement follows a highly demanding DOD-funded development process and the prime manufacturer, almost by necessity, is the developer. In such cases, the competitive steps for a given phase of the acquisition process (listed above) would not be repeated during the procurement phase.Some things that I would change would be the misconception of communication within the industry during acquisition processing. The Federal Government has an obligation to conduct procurements in the most effective, responsible and efficient manner possible. Current market information is very vital as they define the requirements, so that the contracting officers can develop the acquisition strategies, seek opportunities for small businesses, and negotiate contract terms. Industry partners are the best source for this information, so productive interactions is very important and should be encouraged.The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) authorizes a broad range opportunites for vendor co mmunication, but agencies most time do not take advantage of these existing flexibilities. Some agencies may be reluctant due to fear of protests or fear binding the agency in unauthorized commitments. If we increase the awareness by training the agencies with the help of DAU (Defense Acquisition University) and agency training practitioners to conduct an awareness campaign we might be able to eliminate unnecessary barriers to engagement.Agencies should provide clear, consistent direction to their workforce and industry partners about how to engage with industry prior to award of contracts and task and delivery orders under the Federal Supply Schedule, government-wide acquisition contracts, and other indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts. While agencies do not have the resources, and are not required, to meet with every vendor at every step of the acquisition process, information gathered from industry sources plays an invaluable role in the acquisition process.For this reason, agencies must develop practices that will ensure early, frequent, and constructive communication during key phases of the process. The federal government’s ability to achieve successful program outcomes, effectively and efficiently, depends upon agencies establishing effective strategies for industry engagement and supporting those strategies with senior-level commitment.References Co-Workers/Supervisor/FAR

Dadada

Food tech. Assessment Task Sensory characteristics of food. A. Appearance, the appearance of the caramelized apple tart was very good, the tart itself was a golden brown colour, the caramel apple mixture was a thick caramel brown colour which tasted really good, the serving of icecream on the side was left for a little bit to long as it began to melt which gave the whole overall appearance not such a great look. B. Color, the color of the caramelized apple tart was a mixture of deep golden-brown tarts with a caramel light brown apple sauce which was quite thick and a creamy white serve of half melted ice cream. These arrange of colors made the entire dish look very appealing due to the contrast of vibrant colors C. Aroma, the aroma of the caramelized apple tart was rich in flavorful smells. My senses were uplifted by the engaging aroma because it smelt so good. D. Taste, the taste of the caramelized apple tart was very satisfying, the constrasting of both cold ice cream and hot tart went down smoothly, ice cream was a little bit melted but this did not affect the taste in anyway, overall very tasty dish E. Texture, the texture of the caramelized apple tart was quite nice, the tart itself was smooth and slightly crispy. The apples in the caramel mixture were very soft and the caramel was a little bit thick. Ice cream was smooth but slightly melted. 3. Explain 3 functional properties that occur. Dextrinization is a process in which starch is converted into dextrins. Dextrin’s are any various polysaccharide which has been collected by the starch. This is made possible by the application of heat or acids. Dextrinization is mainly used as a thickening agent or a rising tool. Dextrinization occurs in Step 5 â€Å"bake for 15mins or until golden brown† this is referring to the puff pastry. Aeration is a process in which air comes into contact with a food. Aeration occurs in Step 6 during the Beating of the eggs. Denaturation is a process in which proteins loose their structures and denature because of external factors like heat or stress. Denaturing occurs in the protein strands of the eggs when they are beated until stiff, the eggs loose their structures and denature. 4. Make two recommendations for the improvement of the dish. If I could start over I would change the following; first I would use proper scales to measure ingredients correctly ather than eye guessing weights because I didn’t have proper scaling equipment. This would improve my final product because all ingredients would be correct measured out and this would finalise in a more accurate satisfying final dish. The second improvement I would make would have been not to leave the ice cream out because it began to melt. This would have helped to improve my dish because the the ice cream would have be en easier to eat as apposed to a liquid mess and the presentation would have looked a lot better. Thank You.

Autobiographical

Nisha rameen H Fleming Freshmen English 30 November 2006 The day I changed myself It was sunny afternoon in the middle of the summer. I was reading a book. Then my mother called me and told that, I and my family are moving from our country. My calm mind sudden changed in temper mind. I was shocked. Was I hearing something wrong? That came to my mind first. Because I could not imagine that she can tell me such matter in such an easy mood. But what I heard and what expression I see in my mothers face was completely right. That incident came like a storm and floated everything with it. I lived in Bangladesh. For fourteen years Bangladesh had been my home. Everyone loves their country, but when they leave their country then they understand what their country, their language, their culture is. A country is like mans shelter. Everyone is well-known about their environment, but when one goes to another country, they understand that no one is familiar to him. That is exactly my case. By attending a public school with one thousand students from preschool through grade eight I grew up with the same friends and classmates in each grade since the age of five. We know each other so well that we were like family, and I blossomed in this sheltered environment. This sheltered environment was shattered on the 22nd July 2008 when my family received a large, white, official envelope with the seal of United States of America. After hearing that news from my mothers mouth, my mind was full of questions. All questions are initially run through my emotional mind and my parents are refused to answer my questions. How could they force such a change in my life and ignore my questions? My parents were being cruel, not because they were making move but because they were completely gnoring my feelings and questions. My opinions and feelings meant nothing to them because they made the choice on their own. I ran to my room and shut the door. What I heard Just five minutes ago, my mothers voice was chanting those words beside me. During which time I could absorb the fact that I was Just going to left my friends, my country, and my home. And I could quite possibly never see Bangladesh again. Not because I wanted to, but because my parents had not given me any choice. I was torn between sadness at going to leave my whole life behind and a eeling of anxiety at starting a new life in an unknown world. After the first push of that incident I settle down and called my best friend who always supported me in my worse times. I told him the full matter. I shouted, I cried and asked him that, what I did that; god is giving me that type of punishment. He had no word to console me except listen to me. He listen the full matter quietly. I was so emotional that time, I just became teenager. For a teenager it was the largest pain. It was more than I could accept in my little mind. My mind is hoping that this was simply an unpleasant ream or a nightmare. But this imagination felt like a hard slap in my face. This is not happening that came to mind then. To go another country or stay another country it life. My life is in their hand. That night, fghting to hold the tears in my eyes, I lied restlessly in my bed with a cold blanket hiding my face and looking over the window to see the night beauty of my country, who can tell that; can I see these beauties may two or three days more. The next day I woke up to look outside the window. I was depressed. I was not on the state of anything listening or anything seeing. I went in front of my house. One year age I made a garden in front of my house. It was the most favorite place of mine whenever I get upset I used to come here and the breeze of the garden take away the sadness from me. It is pleasant and beautiful surrounding of my garden. It is quite, it is sets the mood that I want to think about anything, like about my life. The beautiful white and red roses used to say hi to me. Every day I also wish them back but that day my mind was not in the Earth it went somewhere else. I was thinking that, my moving from country is like my garden. I reated my garden to give all my effort in this land and I created a little world beside me in my country and now someone is telling me that I had to leave my little world, like take away all your trees and find different land for your garden. I had to torn all my bonding. I had to leave everything I create. Then the day came, 25 July2008. Our flight was at night 1 :52am. We said bye to our relatives and friends. And then we fly in the sky. My mind was stacked by questions. My eyes are red because of shedding tears past two days. I was feeling that time, that we flying and this flight will taking e far away from my country. Such a country, I do not have any idea how it is look like. I was going to face a largest challenge of finding new friends, adapting to a new school system and a whole new different culture. Whole forty-eight hours flight was lay ahead of me and my mind was full of imaginations. My first step of United States of America was 28 July2008. With many sacred feelings from my country, put it in heart I started my life in America. It was hard, hurting and full of pain. I could not remember any smile, I smiled from my heart. When I smiled, it was only for my arents and to show them that I am happy in America. My body is here but my soul is not here. My soul is in my country, where one year ago a Jolly teenager laughs from her heart and talks with hopes with full heart of hopes. When I see my face in the mirror, sometimes I asked myself that; is that me? I changed so strangely, that sometimes it is difficult to know me for me. What I was and what I am now. But is these want my parents for me that changing fully or they want something else. I still do not know what the reason was behind to leave our country. Is it for better future or us or only for our parents ambitious mind? I dont know or maybe I am not mature enough to understand the fact of left our country or it can be happen also that, I should never know that reason. That incident snatched everything from me like a sudden storm. Moved to America changed my whole life. This is my fate. I cannot do anything against my fate. Some says; man proposes but god disposes it can be true but I personally feel that, life is what we make it so I wont give up. I have to keep patience. Maybe the day is not far when I will go back to my country.

Wildlife Photography for the Amateur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Wildlife Photography for the Amateur - Essay Example This passion must have also been through vast experiences with nature, though trekking, mountain climbing, biological studies, or even habitual adventurism. Subject matter refers to the focus, the topic, or the object and image of the photographer's interest. In wildlife photography, subject matter refers to any living, non-living or moving object in the wildlife, but mostly, the animals. The subject matter like any topic of conversation can be tackled in various ways. For time specified, the subject matter may be shoot during night, at dawn, at noon, break of dawn, dusk, day time, all the time except when there is disruption of the natural existence of the subject and its environment, or there is much more danger than can be handled. For themes, subject matter may be viewed and shot when resting, sleeping, eating, basking in the sun, attacking a prey, gathering food, walking, or any interesting act the subject may be doing which the photographer may find novelty, or interest. Wildlife photography... The Elias and Katmai National Parks of Alaska (Donahue, 2003) provide for the best locations of sighting, and shooting Grizzly or brown bears. Both parks provide a wide range of landscapes that include wild Brooks River, snowy vastness, forest, hilly or mountainous as well as rocky terrain. The bears, either solo, in group, in family, and in action provide the perfect subjects as they eat berries, patiently wait for the catch, chase gulls, fish for salmon by the falls, climb hills or mountains, or tackle the cold, wild water. Sufficient knowledge about the terrain, as well as about bears must be born in mind by the amateur photographer prior to traveling and taking photos of this subject. It pays to be with a professional guide or another professional photographer to embark on a doubly dangerous a mission as taking photos of bears in Alaska. Frost-bite, the rugged terrain, as well as the possibility of being attacked by the subject must be of foremost consideration. With proper distance and the equipment support which necessitates long-range telephoto lenses, take the subject in their best forms or actions. The bears of Alaska provide for revealing photos of "family" among the beasts, diversity of their sustenance, as well as the skills and patience they exhibit in catching their fish meals. Bears are also surprising subjects as they already have learned how to dive in order to catch food --- the salmon. At times, they may also exhibit emotive acts as caring and playing with their cubs, as well as guiding them towards independence. B Lions or Cheetahs in Africa The Sub-Saharan Africa, the Kruger National Park, Tanzania, and the Shamwari Game Reserve of South Africa provide for a wide choice of subjects that include rhinoceros, zebras, giraffes,

Roles of presidency in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roles of presidency in the United States - Essay Example Thus, the first power that is vested in the presidency of the United States is the position of the commander in Chief of the Army and the Navy of the United States (Reagan, 7). Under this power, the presidency can direct that the USA enters into war with another country through commanding the army and the navy to invade the territory, although after the approval of the congress. The presidency is also the commander of the militia under different states, on the event that such militias have been called upon to the service of the United States. Under the powers vested in the presidency of the United Sates, the occupant of that position has the powers to pardon any offence against the United States, except under the case of impeachment (Grant, 47). The other power vested in the presidency in the United States is the powers to constitute a government and to spearhead the implementation of the government agendas. Thus, under these powers, the presidency plays the role of appointing the to p government officials who include the ministers responsible for different departments, as well as the appointment of the judge of the Supreme Court and the different ambassadors to various regions of the world, with the approval of two-thirds of the senate (Bumiller, 132). The presidency is also responsible for entering into treaties with different nations and other relevant authorities and organizations globally, backed by the consent of two-thirds of the senate.

Answer Critical Question about The Acute Effects of Humor and Exercise Essay

Answer Critical Question about The Acute Effects of Humor and Exercise on Mood and Anxiety - Essay Example Based on this information, the author is able to develop new variables which to study based on the hypothesis which has been developed form previous studies. The study design is a quasi-experimental design. This is because there are experiments which are being performed upon the participants but there is not control group, which is normally the case in true experimental design. The interventions are being applied to assess the outcome. The sampling design was non-randomised as the participants were selected with certain specifications which the researcher desired. The specifics of the participants imply that non-random approaches were utilised in the sampling of the participants. The number of participants which was utilised within the context of this research appears sufficient to achieve the desired purpose of the research. This is mainly because previous studies which had been carried out consisted of relatively smaller number of participants and still yielded reliable results. Ecological validity is the capability for a study to be able to approximate the real world requirements in terms of materials, methods and setting. The author sought to maximise ecological validity through not information the participants about their experiments to ensure that there is no bias as a result of perceptions and expectation The author ensured there is treatment fidelity through ensuring the comfort of the participants by adherence to the required regulation the quantity and exposure of the participants to the treatment has also been limited for the safety of the

HPV in women Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HPV in women - Research Paper Example HPV in women Direct skin contact with an HPV infected person is the main way through which genital HPV occurs. The contact areas are the anal, vaginal, and oral sex. The diverse categories of HPV are responsible for the formation of genital warts on the skin. Genital warts are hard and usually rough lumps that become visible on the skin of a sick person. Any sexually active person is prone to acquire the virus and the genital warts. The genital warts in women predominantly appear around or inside the vagina, around or inside the anus, on the vulva, on the groin and on the cervix (Monsonego 37). Classification and morphology The human papilloma viruses are heterogeneous in nature. They affect both the mucosal epithelial tissues and the skin. Besides, they are hugely responsible for causing the cervical carcinogenesis. According to the results of the studies in molecular biology, more than one hundred genotypes of the virus exist in humans. The virus falls under two classifications mai nly the low risk HPV (LR-HPV and the high risk HPV (HR-HPV). The low risk HPV is predominant in squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) with low grades and the benign lesions. Meanwhile, the high risk HPV includes the HPV-16 and HPV-18. Other high-risk HPV types include HPV-31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 55, 56, 58, 66, 68, and 70 (Evans and Kaslow 602). The high risk HPV has 80 to 90 per cent prevalence rate in cervical cancer and the squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). In the morphological dimension, the genome of the papilloma virus is covalently circular and closed. Its DNA is double stranded and has a measurement of about 8kbp. All the genes of the papilloma virus are coded in the strands that define DNA. Through this, it utilizes the alternative DNA strand to splice the expression of individual gene. The expression of the papilloma virus has a characteristic of large mRNAs array of cells that code for diverse gene types. Additionally, the HPV has a diameter of 55nm (Evans and Kaslow 602). Molecular Biology and Replication Strategy The HPV contamination begins with the infection of the host cell. This promotes the discharge of the virus from the nucleus. As this happens, there are interactions of many cellular transcription factors. These interactions occur with the viral regulatory region (LRC) that does not code. As a result, the two HPV-16 begin to transcript and transforms earlier genes of E6 and E7. Consequently, the proteins that continue to transform interact with the cellular antioncogenic regulator p53. This action results in the disruption of the cell cycle. The cell cycle is under the regulation of the complexes of cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) and the cyclins (Evans and Kaslow 692). The CDK complexes always inhibit the action of the cyclin. It is a condition for cells to pass the restriction point of G1 in order for the progression of the cell cycle (Evans and Kaslow 692). Retinoblastoma pockets bacteria, RB, p 107, and p 130 are the one s that regulate this process. There is only an indication in the RB leaving the other pocket proteins with the same functions and activities. In essence, they inactivate and bind up the E2F transcription factors. This leads to the inducement of the S phase genes expression that will trigger a mitogenic signal. This signal leads to the activation of the cyclin D1-CDK6 and cyclin D1-CDK4 complexes. The result of this is the

Business proposal letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business proposal letter - Essay Example ng light regarding the concerns about the practical aspects of Constitution of the United States of America.   This declaration is the supreme legal authority of the US and confers the kinds of privileges that the people of the US could enjoy within the ambit of the law. There have been twenty seven Amendments to this Constitution, the first ten of these amendments now being known as the Bill of Rights. Perhaps, one of the main objectives that the drafters of the world’s oldest and shortest written Constitution had in mind while drafting has undoubtedly been the protection and safeguard of the prerogatives and rights of the people of the country, perhaps against authoritarian administration and the potential threat of infringement of individual rights as autonomous citizens of a free and sovereign State.   Paradoxically, however, there has been no mention of the word ’slavery’ anywhere in the US Constitution, although its ominous portent is one of the fundamental motives of the framing and enunciation of the American Constitution.   The American Constitution is subdivided into three parts- Executive, Legislative and Judicial. They have their roles and responsibilities carved out and more often than not, there is no overlapping, or transgression between these three constituent divisions. The political process, including appointment of Presidents and other important matters require the approval of Senate too. Perhaps the farsightedness of the crafters of the American Constitution is now evident. â€Å"When viewed through the lens of the twenty first century, the creation of a durable, democratic nation among thirteen disparate and far flung sovereign states assumes an aura of inevitability.† (Beeman). A research study of this genre in the realms of American Constitutional laws is as interesting and absorbing as it is challenging. This research would fundamentally seek to convey the modern views and perspectives on an important piece of constitutional laws,

Pricing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pricing - Essay Example Therefore it is an exchange ratio between goods and services. Pricing is important in marketing as it determines how a product or service will be accepted in the market. It is one of the most valuable four variables that are used in the marketing mix which are used to develop a business plan. This means that it is central to the operation of a profit oriented firm. (McNamara 2007, P. 61) As we have seen, pricing is one of the four factors that are used in the marketing mix of a firm and which is central to the development of a viable business plan. In this regard, pricing is important aspect in market which has been as central to marketing. This is because the main aim of marketing is to take the production to as many customers as it can at the most affordable price that they can afford. Therefore the main aim of marketing as defined is to sell as many products as possible. There are many considerations that have to be made in marketing. In order to reach the target customer there are number of consideration that has to be made and the cost of the products as they are being taken to the consumers is one of those important factors that have to be considered. While pricing a product it is useful for any marketing strategy to take into account the cost structure and the willingness of the customers to pay for the product and also look to the effect of the competing from firms which are selling the same products in the same market. Therefore a good marketing strategy is not the one that blankly targets the demand market but it is the one the targets the consumer and also consider the effect of other competitors in the market. In this regard the competitor and the willingness of the buyers to buy a product at a particular price will have an effect on the overall capability of the firm to sell its products. The firm must also consider the effect of demand dynamics. There are many sources of the demand dynamics. One of the factor that affect demand dynamics is the dependence effects. This is particular to the inexpensive goods which are frequently purchased by the consumers like the household goods. For example if we take an example of Coke and Pepsi drinks, the probability that a consumers will purchase any of the product will depend on many factors which are based on preference and loyalty which affects the demand of the product. One consumer may decide buy Pepsi based on the experience one had on the product th e last time it was purchased. On the other hand one may decide to by Coke as a matter of wanting to experience the difference between the two products. This would be in spirit of wanting to try something different from the other. In this case the consumer will be responding toe what can be referred to as market activities which are driven by demand dynamics. (Michael 2006, P. 34) This shows that there are many market activities that are likely to affect the way a company is going to set it price in the market. The choice of brand of a product in the market is likely to be one of the ways in which a firm is likely to set price. For example in the above given example coke and Pepsi may be coming from the company but in real sense they may be retailing at different prices. While both of them are soft drinks, the demand dynamic

EBusiness Company Comparisons Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EBusiness Company Comparisons - Assignment Example Commissions are also earned when users visit company sites, advertise their products, or post the link of the company. The customer base of these companies lies between 10 and 80 million people. Therefore, a sales revenue business model for these companies therefore, can result in great profits (Rappa, 2010). Yahoo: This Company uses portal advertising model. It offers products that suit customer-specific needs. This is through the complex Customer Relationship Management (CRM), where the company gathers important legal and behavioural information of its customers (Rappa, 2010). According to Cusumano (2004) for software business, the key aspect of its business model is understanding specific customer needs. Google: This is a search engine, and adopts the Advertising Model. It utilizes Content-Targeted Advertising, where advertisements relate to the content of a web page. It also uses the Query-based paid placement. For instance, when searching for terms, the advertisements that are paid for will show up (Rappa, 2010). Mayer (2006) notes that Google aims at acquiring many users and retaining them through developing the products they need. Social media has changed how companies conduct marketing and advertising. In future, there will be increased participation of customers and information sharing on company products. Customers will also highly influence the nature of company products. The use of cloud computing has resulted in low costs for online companies, especially those costs that are related to suppliers. This thus leads to reduced prices for customers. In future, more use of cloud computing will abate the financial challenges experienced by these

Genetically modified organism Essay Example for Free

Genetically modified organism Essay The controversy over genetically modified (GM) food, also known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is viewed in diverse manners worldwide. Some individuals believe that GM food is more beneficial to society than not, while others bear strong beliefs that they may cause negative and harmful effects in the future. There are several reasons that could lead a person to believe that GM foods have a variety of advantages. However, there are various factors that could lead a person to believe otherwise as well. In the article entitled, â€Å"Counterpoint: Genetically Modified Foods Should be Carefully Regulated,† Sally Driscoll and David Morley discuss their opinions regarding GM food. Genetically modified foods are produced and sold nationwide. However, the United States government does not require GM food to be labeled as such. Therefore, when Americans purchase food, they are predominantly unaware of what they are buying and consuming. Everyone has their own opinion regarding this matter and whether or not the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) should regulate and identify GM food from the rest. Many argue that consumers should have the right to decide whether or not to purchase GM food as well. In order to do so, GM food would have to be regulated and labeled accordingly before placed on store shelves and sold to consumers (Driscoll Morley, 2011, p. 1). In the article entitled, â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods: An Overview,† written by Alex Rich and Tom Warhol, 92 percent of Americans feel GM ingredients in food products should be labeled. However, members of the FDA argue that GM food is indeed very similar to non- GM food and bears no potential risk. In other words, they feel labels are an unnecessary part of GM marketing (Rich Warhol, 2011, p. 2). Europe eventually made it illegal to sell GM food without labeling it. When labeling became mandatory, the sales of genetically modified food dropped drastically. Many Americans believe if this were to become mandated in the United States as well, many consumers (when afforded the opportunity to have a choice between the two) would chose food that does not contain GM ingredients. Since there is no way to differentiate between GM food and unaltered food, consumers that wish to steer clear of GM food purchase organic food (Driscoll Morley, 2011, p. 3). Research showed that several Americans do not have a side in the issue regarding GM foods. Studies showed the majority was actually â€Å"unaware of, an unconcerned about† GM cropping and marketing (Rich Warhol, 2011, p. 3). Critics of genetically modified food view this situation differently. They believe the primary reason Americans are so laid back with this issue is due to the fact that they are uninformed as to which products they purchase have been genetically modified (Rich Warhol, 2011, p. 4). In other words, how can Americans have an opinion on a topic they know nothing about and have never been educated on? Food is an essential and significant part of everyday life. For thousands of years, humans have been consuming the same types of food. However, genetics have become more advanced throughout the years, allowing scientists to alter plants and animals. Traditionally, animals are the subject of scientific research â€Å"but it is now humans who are being treated as guinea pigs, every time they are subjected to GM meats and other products. † In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deemed it safe for humans to consume cloned animals, while the USDA recommended that GM foods stay off the market indefinitely. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove that GM food will bear any negative long-term effects (Driscoll Morley, 2011, p. 2). Environmentally, some farmers believe herbicide and insecticide-engineered plants are not as beneficial to the environment as they are made out to be. This method discontinues weeds and/or insects temperamentally because it allows them to become immune to crops. However, because they build up a resistance to crops, additional pesticide spraying is needed regardless (Driscoll Morley, 2011, p. 4). Cross pollination is an area of major concern as well. For crops being grown outdoors, cross pollination can occur from the wind or insects. Because cross pollination is an event in which farmers have little or no control over, those who attempt to grow organic food should reconsider their techniques and produce their crops strictly indoors (Driscoll Morley, 2011, p. 3). This is the only true way to prevent these unwanted mishaps. In the essay entitled, â€Å"A Cure for World Hunger or ‘Frankenfood,’† Justin Petersen discusses the benefits and negative aspects of GM food. His argument solely depends upon the situation given at hand. If GM food can prevent malnourishment in some countries, why not produce mass amounts of GM food? However, why are Americans not demanding stricter regulations and research studies so they may decide for themselves whether or not they want to put these types of food into their bodies? These are some of the questions he attempts to answer and he also tries to inform his readers of both the negative and positive outlooks on GM food (Veit Gould, 2011, p. 519). For nearly twenty years, scientists have argued that GM crops can assist in the prevention and elimination of citizens starving in countries where the majority of the population is in poverty. Because GM food can withstand pests, diseases, and droughts, costs can be reduced and larger yields of crops can be harvested. This is one way to alleviate the amount of malnourished people residing in less fortunate countries. According to Petersen, in the year 2000, â€Å"more than 800 million people throughout the world were starving or malnourished, while five million children died each year as a direct result. † Although it is not guaranteed to end world hunger completely and indefinitely, GM technology is continuing to grow and advance (Veit Gould, 2011, p. 510). If utilized properly in underdeveloped countries for people in great need, GM food would terminate a significant amount of starving and suffering families throughout the world. The FDA does not test food for safety before it is placed on store shelves. Instead, they allow the companies themselves to test their own products. Many companies, however, voluntarily test their products before placing them on the market. There are allergens that are introduced into some genetically modified foods in certain companies but since they are not tested by the FDA, they cannot be placed on the labels. Therefore, buyers of the products are uninformed of the ingredients in their food, making those with allergies more susceptible to allergic reactions. As Petersen said, â€Å"That just underscores why it’s so important that the government require companies to test genetically engineered foods for new allergens (Veit Gould, 2011, p. 515). † Several people must consume certain specific GM products in order for a company to be absolutely certain of which proteins will and will not result in an allergic reaction. A recommendation made for the FDA is to â€Å"require companies to test every newly introduced protein to see if it resembles known food allergens (Veit Gould, 2011, p. 516). † Whether or not society is for or against GM food, it will always be an issue of growing concern. As advances in technology progress and people become more open minded about the situation, laws will either be created to provide certain regulations or people will just have to accept the fact that GM food is not labeled. If it is that much of a concern to an individual, organic food is always an option. While fortunate countries may be primarily concerned with government regulations, it would overall, as in Petersen’s essay, be a very beneficial idea for the less fortunate countries since they literally have people starving to death. Petersen’s essay best depicted the overall views of both sides. Several factors made it possible to decipher for oneself what is adequate. References Driscoll, S. , Morley, D. C. (2011). Counterpoint: Genetically Modified Foods Should be Carefully Regulated, 1-4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Database. Rich, A. K. , Warhol, T. (2011). Genetically Modified Foods: An Overview, 1-4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Database. Veit, R. , Gould, C. (2010). Argument: Reading, Writing, and Research. Writing, Reading, Research. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

Myth Being False and True Simultaneously Essay Example for Free

Myth Being False and True Simultaneously Essay One commonality nearly all past human cultures possess is that they attempted to explain the unknown through fanciful tales of Gods, Goddesses, Spirits or other magical beings that through some manner were able to control the weather and shape the world around them. Amongst these varied tales one particular set of myths stands out as being a common creation in past societies namely that of the birth of the World. It must be noted that nearly every single civilization that has come into being has had a creation myth as the foundation of their culture from which all other preceding myths are based upon. The reason for this is that it is basic human nature to try to question all that is around them and to attempt to answer these questions in whatever way is available. Since at the time of their creation most early civilizations did not quite grasp the scientific truths that we know of today as such they used myths to fill in the gaps so to speak. One problem with this method is that while they at times came close to the answer as to how the world was actually formed most of the time due to the exaggerated nature of some of the myths they were wrong more than they were right. What this paper will seek to do is show how the different creation myths of various cultures simultaneously got the facts wrong and right at the same time. Greek Myth of Creation The more popular aspects of Greek mythology are usually focused on the Olympic Gods and Goddesses and their various in fighting, squabbles and methods of interference with the people of Greek world one aspect that is rarely mentioned is the concept of how the Greeks viewed the creation of the world. Greek mythology states that initially the entire universe was composed of a great black void called chaos that was surrounded by a massive unending stream of water that was supposedly ruled by the ancient god Oceanus. This landscape of an endless stream of water and a great gaping void was said to tbe the domain of the Goddess Eurynome (Hamilton 1969). That in a desire to make order from the chaos she danced on the waves of Oceanus which helped to separate the sky from the sea and she also created the land from which she placed a plethora of creatures to populate it (Hamilton 1969). In some aspects the Greek story of creation did get some parts right when it came to describing the creation of the world. It is true that initially the early Earth was covered by a vast ocean with no landmass present at all and that there was also persistent storms that occurred as a result of erratic weather patterns at the time. It is also true that land masses were formed after the oceans receded and from this came the eventual rise of plant and animal life on the planet. In several aspects the Greek myth of creation was actually right however it is highly doubtful that a Goddess danced on the waves of the early Earth and created the landmasses we have today since there is no evidence to prove such a Goddess existed. Egyptian Myth of Creation Ancient Egyptian mythology states in the beginning there was nothing, that everything was darkness and all that existed was a great body of water named Nun. It was through the power of Nun that a great shinning egg came out of the darkness and this was the great God Re who could take many forms and was powerful enough that if he spoke of name that being or object came into being (El Aswad 2005). It was through Re speaking the names of the Egyptian gods that they came into being and the land, sun, stars and sky came into being. The one aspect that the ancient Egyptians got right was it is true that originally the was nothingness in the world and yes there was a great body of water on Earth during its early years however there has been no evidence to prove that a great shinning sentient egg caused the creation of the sun, sky and land merely by stating their names. Norse Myth of Creation Ancient Norse mythology states that initially there was a great void names Ginnungagap from which came a region of ice named Niflheim in the the North and Muspellsheim a region composed of fire in the south. It was the meeting of these two regions that melted the ice of Niflheim and created the frost giant Ymir who was eventually killed by Odin, Vili and Ve who formed the Earth from his flesh and the heavens from his skull (Columbia 2009). It must be noted that Norse mythology is incredibly fatalistic and is among the most depressing types of mythology to be read. It comes at no surprise that their concept of the creation of the Earth came out of death. All in all similar to ancient Egyptian mythology Nose mythology only got the notion of a formless void correct the parts regarding the formation of the Earth through the dead carcass of a giant is definitely wrong. Judeo- Christian Myth of Creation One of the most well known myths in the world today is the Judeo Christian myth of how the world was created by God in seven days. It must be noted that while it is true that this particular myth was the result of the early Judaic religion of attempting to interpret the creation of the world through God it is the time frame itself that is wrong (Mclaren 2006). While it may be true that there is a one true God the creation of world has been proven to have been the result of a process billions of years in the making. The myth did get several parts right though. The initial events of the creation of light could be stated as the start of the big bang, after which the creation of the starts, seas and landmass on Earth all follow a prescribed and accurate order as to how things were created in a step by step process. The creation of man though is something to be contended with since according to fossil records and Darwins theory of evolution man originated from apes and not from the ground. Aztec Myth of Creation The Aztec myth of creation is based upon the actions of Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca who looked down from their place in the sky and saw only water below. They attempted to create a mass of land on the water however a gigantic goddess that was floating on the water ate everything they made with her many mouths (Hofstadter 2005). As a result the two gods transformed themselves into giant snakes and tore her in two with her head and shoulders becoming the Earth and the lower part of her body the sky. From the hair of the goddess came the plants of the Earth, from her eyes and mouth the waters of the Earth and from her nose and shoulders the mountains, hills and valleys (Hofstadter 2005). The Aztec myth of creation is similar to that of the Norse myth of creation which states that the Earth was born from the decapitated body of a giant being. One problem with the Aztec myth of creation is that besides the point indicating that there was a giant body of water in the beginning of the Earths creation which is true the rest of the myth is highly inaccurate when considering the facts that are known today. For one thing, similar to this papers reaction to Norse mythology, the Earth was most certainly not created from the decapitated body of a giant goddess rather it was formed through the interaction of volcanic activity and receding oceans. Incan Myth of Creation The Incan myth of creation states that the Earth was originally covered in darkness and that from the lake Collasuyu emerged the Incan god Con Tiqui Viracocha who brought humans with him. When he emerged Con Tiqui brought forth the sun and stars and fashioned more humans from giant rocks that he found nearby (Feld 2000). When interpreting the Incan myth of creation it become obvious that while the Incans were aware of the concept of darkness covering the Earth it becomes clear that that myth assumes that when humans arrived on Earth everything was already formed and that all it needed was light in the form of the sun and stars. The Incan myth of creation is different from the other myths presented in this paper due to the fact that it states that there was no need for land and water to separate because everything was already arranged in the beginning. Besides the account of darkness covering the Earth most of the Incan myth of creation is highly inaccurate and is not an accurate account of what creation of the Earth was like. List of References Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Pg. 66 68. 1969. Warner Books: New York Ymir. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2009): 1. Maclaren, Alexander. THE VISION OF CREATION. 3-5. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, 2006. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 7 June 2010. Hofstadter, Dan. THE AZTECS: BLOOD AND GLORY. Smithsonian 35. 10 (2005): 76. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 7 June 2010. Feld, Evelyn Dana. The Inca creation myth. Calliope 10, no. 7 (March 2000): 36. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed June 7, 2010). El-Aswad, el-Sayed, Jane Garry, and Hasan El-Shamy. Creation Myth: Cosmogony and Cosmology, Motifs A600-A899. Archetypes Motifs in Folklore Literature: A Handbook (2005): 24-31. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 7 June 2010.

A Personal Motivation Statement

A Personal Motivation Statement I have graduated from Bahir Dar University on July6 /2007. It is evident that my pre-university academic background had been outstanding on the average. My High school and Preparatory school certificates and Higher Education Entrance Examination Leaving are tangible testimony to this fact; where I managed to score 369 out of 500 which was the first grade from social science students at Preparatory School to join university. Joining the university, I could manage to maintain an excellent academic performance and graduated with Great Distinction (CGPA of 3.91 out of 4.00) in Bachelor of Arts from Bahir Dar University. It was the second best grade among Business and Economics Faculty graduates of the University in the year 2007. Currently I am working as an Assistant Graduate I in the Department of Economics, University of Gondar. Hence I have various academic responsibilities ranging from lecturing at class to advising research papers. I am giving different courses including Quantitative methods for Economists, Econometrics, Development Economics I and Micro Economics I for a total of 600 students in different batches and programs. In addition i am trying to publish different economic articles on Development Economics in the universitys quarterly magazine. In addition I am trying to undertake Research with PhDs at our department. Though I have keen interest in Economics and other developmental studies of social Science I am fond of the beauty of Maths. During my undergraduate studentship, I had keen interest in statistics, mathematics and calculus, my undergraduate scores for six successive semesters are excellent verification (Do not hesitate to go through my academic transcript!). In addition I have applied econometric models for my senior essay entitled Does foreign Aid Work in the Ethiopian Economy? .This had opened a door for me to see the application of quantitative and econometric knowledge on solving different social problems through research. It was with these in mind that I concentrated on applying for your Master Program in QEM. Apart from my academic life, I have been involved in the following different community services since High school. I have served my University as a Project designer and Implementer of one of its Movements, Anti-HIV/AIDS Movement. Besides I was also the founding member and the first President of Bahir Dar University Economics Students Association (ECOSA). Similarly, i have been an active participant and facilitator in different trainings and Workshops in different towns of Ethiopia. I have given Life Skills Training for about 500 University Students during my stay at Bahir Dar University. I have also given this training for about 300 out-of-school Youths in Amhara region of Ethiopia. In addition, I have taken different long term courses including Youth Life at the Cross Roads for Ten Months, Management and Leadership training for 2 Months and other short term trainings on Counseling ,Club Management, Peer Education, Reproductive Health, Family Life Education, Gender, Family Planning, Economic Relevance of Nile River, Globalization, Federalism and Democracy in Ethiopia, Theology Courses Etc If I happen to get the opportunity to major in Models and Methods of Quantitative Economics (QEM) Contributing to the science, and Knowledge of my students will be my ultimate career goal. Besides I will continue Lecturing at my Present employee, University of Gondar. I will try to help my students and my country in a way that is influential in bringing some tangible changes at the university and country level as i will use my social, communication and interpersonal skills when i came back home from the study. I wish to work my postgraduate degree as soon as possible and i want to contribute my best to my country and to the developing world as a whole as we (citizens of developing countries) are responsible to bring our countries from the bottom and contribute our best for the betterment of our World. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely yours, A. Motivation statement. Explain your application, your present situation, your interest in the field, in the degree and in the institutions of the consortium, your intentions after this degree, (1-2 pages) B. Preferred mobility track. This essentially concerns the choice of the institution of the second year. Students may propose a ranking of their choices between the institutions and it is very important to precise whether this is a definitive choice or simply a wish. In the latter case, the Committee will take into consideration the wishes of the students starting with those who have the highest acceptance ranking. (1 page) C. Financial aid. Students should precise if they apply for a scholarship (Erasmus Mundus, Asian Window Erasmus Mundus, Consortium (especially for European students) and if their application is conditional to the acceptation of a scholarship. (1 page) Personal Letter A. Motivation Statement I am very happy to be one of your candidates and to write this personal statement to the best of my knowledge and ability. My name is Tadesse Mulat. I have graduated from Bahir Dar University on July6 /2007. It is evident that my pre-university academic background had been outstanding on the average. My High school and Preparatory school certificates and Higher Education Entrance Examination Leaving Certificates are tangible testimony to this fact; where I managed to score 369 out of 500 which was the first grade from social science students at Preparatory School to join university. Joining the university, I could manage to maintain an excellent academic performance and graduated with Great Distinction (CGPA of 3.91 out of 4.00) in Economics (B.A) from Bahir Dar University. It was the second best grade among Business and Economics Faculty graduates of the University in the year 2007. Since September 2007, I am working as an Assistant Graduate I in the Department of Economics, University of Gondar. Hence I have various academic responsibilities ranging from lecturing at class to advising research papers. I am giving different Economics courses especially Development Economics I and II for a total of 600 students in different batches and programs. In addition i am trying to publish different economic articles on Development Economics in the universitys quarterly magazine. In addition I am trying to undertake Research with PhDs at our department. Though I have keen interest in Economics, I am fond of the beauty of developmental studies.In addition I have applied econometric models for my senior essay entitled Does foreign Aid Work in the Ethiopian Economy? It was with these in mind that I concentrated on applying for your Master Program in Development Studies.. Apart from my academic life, I have been involved in the different community services since High school. I have served my University as a Project designer and Implementer of one of its Movements, Anti-HIV/AIDS Movement. Besides I was also the founding member and the first President of Bahir Dar University Economics Students Association (ECOSA). Similarly, i have been an active participant and facilitator in different trainings and Workshops in different towns of Ethiopia. I have given different trainings for about 500 University Students during my stay at Bahir Dar University on issues concerning Reproductive Health,Gender ,Sexuality,Club Management,etc. If I happen to get the opportunity to major in Development Studies Contributing to the science and Knowledge of my students will be my ultimate career goal. Besides I will continue Lecturing and Conducting researches on Development Economics at my Present employee, University of Gondar. I will try to help my students and my country in a way that is influential in bringing some tangible changes at the university and country level as i will use my social, communication and interpersonal skills when i came back home from the study. I wish to work my postgraduate degree as soon as possible and i want to contribute my best to my country and to the developing world as a whole as we (citizens of developing countries) are responsible to bring our countries from the bottom and contribute our best for the betterment of our World. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely yours, B. Preferred Mobility Track My choice of institution for the second year is as follows: University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, France Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain University of Bielefeld, Germany Ca Foscari University of Venice, Italy Yet it is not a definitive choice as I can attend my second year study in any University. C. Financial Aid I will apply for Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for this program. I dont have any financial ability to pursue my Master in QEM. But my application is not conditional to the acceptation of the Scholarship as I will search for other Scholarships after I get our admission.

Advertisement Analysis :: Marketing Advertising Business

Advertisement Analysis The United States has some of the most intelligent citizens and some of the most advanced technologies and medicine, yet our illiteracy rate has still not diminished. According to a recent government report form The National Institute for Literacy, â€Å"There are many adults with low literacy skills (approximately 44 million) who lack the foundation they need to find and keep decent jobs support their children’s education and participate actively in civic life†. This advertisement was done to inspire people, and perhaps specifically minorities, to read, by using a celebrity influence. This work shows that reading provides new ideas and a greater depth of knowledge, by utilizing deep space and contrast. The artist conveys his or her message by creating a deep and high space. One views this photograph from a very low vantage point, so we are looking up at essentially all of the objects in this work. The lines on the right wall are vertical,and point up to the bright light above. The line from that point travels back due to the other six light in the hallway. The lights hover in space like ideas over our heads. The fashion, in which they take your eye deep into the photograph, is like the path that a story leads us down, or the path of learning that our brain follows. This representation of deep spaceis symbolic of the vastness of information there is to be gained by reading. The artist uses high contrast to emphasize lightness and darkness. The fact that there are definite and distinct light and dark areas attract one to look at it. The highest contrast of value is the lightthat is furthest away. This extremity of white against black is the focal point of the piece, and aids in creating the depth. The contrast between light and dark, are symbolic of the contrast of ignorance and enlightenment. Another way the artist captures the idea of ignorance versus enlightenment is by having Whoopi Goldberg reading in a hallway. One does not generally associate hallways with open space, but because there are a series of doorways that run on the left side of the hall, it is as if it is saying there are multiple regions of information to discover. It represents one thought leading to another. Doorways in the hall eliminate the tension in the room and really help to open it up.

Essay example --

A 2006 Pew survey on the Internet use of American teenagers between the ages of twelve and seventeen showed that not only are ninety-three percent connecting to the Internet, but sixty-one percent of them are online at least once a day (Haugen and Musser 100). As society is becoming further dependent on technology for communication, cyberbullying is becoming increasingly prevalent among teens and young adults. Cyberbullying occurs when someone uses the Internet or digital communication to harass others; this includes texts, e-mail, social networking sites, and instant messaging (Parks 9). The problem of cyberbullying leads society ask how it can be stopped, which leads to the debate of whether or not cyberbullying laws are an appropriate solution. Implementing cyberbullying laws could decrease or even stop cyberbullying because the laws would allow for consequences, which multiple cyberbullies are avoiding by using the Internet to remain anonymous. Cyberbullying should be illegal be cause it is growing in popularity, worse than traditional bullying, and causing devastating effects to teens and young adults. Cyberbullying is only getting worse as technology becomes the primary source of communication. Peggy J. Parks addresses this popularity of cyberbullying in her book Cyberbullying. Assistant criminal justice professor and author Marie-Helen Maras states, â€Å"With cyberbullying, bullies no longer need to confront their victims face-to-face. Instead, young cyberbullies use communications technology to annoy, embarrass, humiliate, abuse, threaten, stalk, or harass other children or teenagers† (qtd. in Parks 8). Also, a survey of students between the ages of eleven and eighteen conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center showed tha... ... harassment of cyberbullies. Its growing popularity, ability to humiliate teens instantly, and harmful effects are all reasons why cyberbullying laws are needed to stop cyberbullies everywhere. Cyberbullying laws are needed to stop the growth of cyberbullying, as well as the bullies who are taking advantage of technology to harass others. Victims of cyberbullying are affected psychologically and all too often suicidal. Stopping cyberbullying would decrease the number of cyberbullying-related suicides, therefore, saving the lives of victimized teens and young adults. As of November of 2011, anti-bullying laws that include electronic harassment have been enacted in thirty-five states. Cyberbullying affects the lives of teens and young adults everywhere causing psychological harm and even suicide; laws against cyberbullying could be the answer to ending this epidemic.â€Æ'

How do Jane’s experiences at Lowood contribute to her development? Essa

How do Jane’s experiences at Lowood contribute to her development? Before arriving at Lowood Jane lived at Gateshead, with her aunt and three cousins. She was unloved and treated badly, and had already developed a determination to stand up for herself and fight for her independence. The young Jane had baffled Mrs Reed, who could obviously not understand â€Å"how for nine years you could be patient and quiescent under any treatment, and in the tenth break out all fire and violence†. At Gateshead she is unhappy and when Mr Lloyd questions her after the â€Å"red-room incident†, she is shown to be naà ¯ve and ignorant of life. She has no real picture of honest, decent, working people and her experience of poverty is limited to her aunt’s nasty comments about her relatives and to the few poor villagers she has seen. Jane is not religious yet, as the logical answer to Mr Brocklehursts question reveals, and she again shocks him with her comments about the psalms. Her sense of injustice, would not allow Mrs Reed to insult her and call her deceitful, forcing her to speak her mind. Jane identifies herself with the role of mutinous slave, likening her cousin to a slave driver. She appears to be afraid that she will never find a true sense of home or community, Jane feels the need to belong somewhere, to find "kin", or at least "kindred spirits." After Jane’s open act of rebellion, she is sent to Lowood. An institution run by Mr Brocklehurst, whose mission it is to â€Å"mortify in these girls the lusts of flesh†. Lowood institution is based upon Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s own experiences at the Clergy Daughters School, Cowan Bridge, which she attended at the age of 8, with her sisters. As in â€Å"Jane Eyre†, typhus broke out at the school,... ...brance of God† is the same as when she acknowledges to herself her love for Rochester, where she says that Rochester has become so important in her life that he even displaces religion and stands between her and God. Jane also has the power of forgiveness in her. She is ready to forgive Mrs Reed for her wrongs and she returns to Thornfield to find and forgive Rochester. It is possible for her learnings from Lowood to be forgotten or ignored in a trice. She stoops low to begging when she leaves Rochester and when she lets St. John take over her feelings, but regains them at both times, refusing his proposal of marriage and being taken in by the Rivers. Lowood made Jane a capable woman with morals, who knew her place. It was all that she needed to have back in the 19th century when at the time the book was written, women were considered inferior to men.

I am Sam Movie Review

How does Jessie Nelson use a range of film techniques to portray the conflicting ideas of competence in parenthood in relation with disabled parents in the movie ‘I am Sam’? Jessie Nelson’s ‘I am Sam’ directed in 2001 tells a story of a mentally-challenged man, Sam Dawson, and his relentless fight with the legal system for custody of his daughter, Lucy Diamond Dawson. Nelson forces the audience to question Sam’s capabilities and limits of being a ‘good parent’ through symbolism, characterization, use of camera and editing techniques. Social security services bring their attention to Sam and Lucy as her 8th birthday approaches.They are doubtful that Sam will be able to provide Lucy with the education and resources she deserves to reach her full potential as she slowly surpasses her father’s intellectual capabilities with the mentality of a 7-year-old. ‘All you need is love’ is the central quote of what the filmâ €™s message is built upon. Nelson’s use of a contradictory contrast between the two main characters sparks a conflict about what defines a good parent that challenges the viewer to ask themselves if love is enough. Sam is a very simple man. He is unexpectedly the dormant character in the film.Sam’s happiness solely relies on the happiness and security of his daughter Lucy alongside the support of his also mentally challenged close friends. On the other hand, Rita Harris who is Sam Dawson’s pro-bono lawyer, is materialistic who measures happiness by the items she has in her life as she uses her successful career to mask her dysfunctional, collapsing relationship with her young son and unfaithful husband. Startlingly, Rita is the active character who learns from Sam. Both characters are experience a loss of the relationship with their child but in completely opposing ways.To Sam, even though he is unable to pass down knowledge and support his daughter to an ac ademic level, he devotes his time for her whilst Rita is a direct contrast. In doing so, it creates tension as a battle of strength and the idea of perfection fluctuates between them. Nelson also uses editing techniques by creating different hues to portray Sam’s struggles with new experiences. Warm filters are used when Sam is with Lucy to symbolise the joy. However, cold blue shades are used in courtroom scenes, the hospital and supermarket scene.This was done for the purpose of displaying the uncomfortable environment for Sam as new experiences and change gives him fear. Children, particularly teenage girls, encounter great changes in the earlier stages of their life. In court, the question was put forth of how Sam would handle such situations such as puberty if he himself has no knowledge about the topic. In using this effect, it vividly illustrates to the viewer the struggles Sam will face in the years to come for Lucy, but are they challenges that any other ‘ordin ary’ father would struggle with as well is the question put forth for debate in the courtroom.Throughout the entire movie, hand-held cameras are used to film. Using this film technique gives a more documentary feel that enables the viewer to feel more part of the action. The audience views the film through the perspective of Sam Dawson and the use of hand-held cameras allows an emotional attachment to develop with Sam’s character as we witness his love and devotion to Lucy. Consequently, the viewer is manipulated to side with Sam’s viewpoint that he deserves custody of Lucy and has enough to offer her despite all the testimonies against Sam’s will.Along the film we are a bystander and observe the ongoing battle of beliefs of the needs of a child. Symbolism is an important film technique used that reflects the character’s emotions at certain points in the movie. The scene with Sam and Lucy on the swing towards the beginning of the movie incorporates white birds flying over their heads which signifies the freedom they had, their blissful smiles and shared laughter alongside the slow and peaceful music express their happiness with one another.The loss of freedom is a strong theme explored which is evident in the use of symbolism throughout. Paper cranes appear repeatedly as they represent happiness, good luck and peace- primarily seen during the beginning of the movie. The paper plane Sam subtly throws to Lucy before the final court hearing shows his carefree, child-like personality whilst foreshadowing the freedom to come for these two characters which informs the viewer Sam is not ready to give up.The joy they share with each other is put to test when we are questioned if love is really all you need to raise a child to their full potential. The butterfly origami Lucy presents to her class is a subtle representation of her growth and development as she describes the changes a caterpillar goes through. This mirrors the conflict raised because Lucy’s intellectual abilities will exceed her 7-year-old minded father.The disparity of the use of symbolism between growth and development in contrast to happiness and freedom forces the viewer to question which is of greater importance. Jessie Nelson’s use of film techniques have shaped I am Sam into a very powerful and emotional film despite its touching storyline. The emotional attachment between the audience and characters develops greatly that makes the viewer connect with Sam through camera and editing techniques, characterization whilst symbolism reflects the swaying values of happiness, freedom and intellectuality. I am Sam Movie Review How does Jessie Nelson use a range of film techniques to portray the conflicting ideas of competence in parenthood in relation with disabled parents in the movie ‘I am Sam’? Jessie Nelson’s ‘I am Sam’ directed in 2001 tells a story of a mentally-challenged man, Sam Dawson, and his relentless fight with the legal system for custody of his daughter, Lucy Diamond Dawson. Nelson forces the audience to question Sam’s capabilities and limits of being a ‘good parent’ through symbolism, characterization, use of camera and editing techniques. Social security services bring their attention to Sam and Lucy as her 8th birthday approaches.They are doubtful that Sam will be able to provide Lucy with the education and resources she deserves to reach her full potential as she slowly surpasses her father’s intellectual capabilities with the mentality of a 7-year-old. ‘All you need is love’ is the central quote of what the filmâ €™s message is built upon. Nelson’s use of a contradictory contrast between the two main characters sparks a conflict about what defines a good parent that challenges the viewer to ask themselves if love is enough. Sam is a very simple man. He is unexpectedly the dormant character in the film.Sam’s happiness solely relies on the happiness and security of his daughter Lucy alongside the support of his also mentally challenged close friends. On the other hand, Rita Harris who is Sam Dawson’s pro-bono lawyer, is materialistic who measures happiness by the items she has in her life as she uses her successful career to mask her dysfunctional, collapsing relationship with her young son and unfaithful husband. Startlingly, Rita is the active character who learns from Sam. Both characters are experience a loss of the relationship with their child but in completely opposing ways.To Sam, even though he is unable to pass down knowledge and support his daughter to an ac ademic level, he devotes his time for her whilst Rita is a direct contrast. In doing so, it creates tension as a battle of strength and the idea of perfection fluctuates between them. Nelson also uses editing techniques by creating different hues to portray Sam’s struggles with new experiences. Warm filters are used when Sam is with Lucy to symbolise the joy. However, cold blue shades are used in courtroom scenes, the hospital and supermarket scene.This was done for the purpose of displaying the uncomfortable environment for Sam as new experiences and change gives him fear. Children, particularly teenage girls, encounter great changes in the earlier stages of their life. In court, the question was put forth of how Sam would handle such situations such as puberty if he himself has no knowledge about the topic. In using this effect, it vividly illustrates to the viewer the struggles Sam will face in the years to come for Lucy, but are they challenges that any other ‘ordin ary’ father would struggle with as well is the question put forth for debate in the courtroom.Throughout the entire movie, hand-held cameras are used to film. Using this film technique gives a more documentary feel that enables the viewer to feel more part of the action. The audience views the film through the perspective of Sam Dawson and the use of hand-held cameras allows an emotional attachment to develop with Sam’s character as we witness his love and devotion to Lucy. Consequently, the viewer is manipulated to side with Sam’s viewpoint that he deserves custody of Lucy and has enough to offer her despite all the testimonies against Sam’s will.Along the film we are a bystander and observe the ongoing battle of beliefs of the needs of a child. Symbolism is an important film technique used that reflects the character’s emotions at certain points in the movie. The scene with Sam and Lucy on the swing towards the beginning of the movie incorporates white birds flying over their heads which signifies the freedom they had, their blissful smiles and shared laughter alongside the slow and peaceful music express their happiness with one another.The loss of freedom is a strong theme explored which is evident in the use of symbolism throughout. Paper cranes appear repeatedly as they represent happiness, good luck and peace- primarily seen during the beginning of the movie. The paper plane Sam subtly throws to Lucy before the final court hearing shows his carefree, child-like personality whilst foreshadowing the freedom to come for these two characters which informs the viewer Sam is not ready to give up.The joy they share with each other is put to test when we are questioned if love is really all you need to raise a child to their full potential. The butterfly origami Lucy presents to her class is a subtle representation of her growth and development as she describes the changes a caterpillar goes through. This mirrors the conflict raised because Lucy’s intellectual abilities will exceed her 7-year-old minded father.The disparity of the use of symbolism between growth and development in contrast to happiness and freedom forces the viewer to question which is of greater importance. Jessie Nelson’s use of film techniques have shaped I am Sam into a very powerful and emotional film despite its touching storyline. The emotional attachment between the audience and characters develops greatly that makes the viewer connect with Sam through camera and editing techniques, characterization whilst symbolism reflects the swaying values of happiness, freedom and intellectuality.

Religion and Witchcraft Essay

The book â€Å"The Crucible† outlines the era in which Salem, where the plot took place is maneuvered by set of religious practices that must be strictly followed. These days, there is only one basis for righteousness, and allegiances are only between church as the protagonist, or question the church and its people and become looked upon as bad citizens. As such, the ten commandments is the central point wherein the people and the church base their criteria for being right. This fact, was detailed in the book, wherein John Proctor was accused of being not a Christian just because he does not regularly attend Church masses. This showed lack of reasoning from the people, no one attempted or understood how Proctor justified himself from doing so. It is only a case wherein, â€Å"everyone belongs to either God or the Devil. † This quote merely states that when someone does something, it is entirely based on being good or evil, nothing should go halfway between it. This kind situation in this era have pushed the people to discover new ways of interpreting their beliefs or disbeliefs in some cases. The emergence of the idea of witchcraft became a necessary evil that shall offer explanation to the people’s questions. For example, the deaths of Putman’s babies after birth were attributed against the existences of witches. This happened because no one was able to offer any explanation, and thus they retorted towards putting the blame on someone, or something else in order to provide explanations for those occurrences. II. Witchcraft Discovered As narrated in the book, the outbreak of witchcraft’s discovery in the Salem caused massive disturbances amongst the people. The witch hunt and trials that came after the so-called discovery of witches in the town has become a practice that sought for revenge rather than truth. The whole trial became a mockery of the disbeliefs of the people and the fact that no one could explain how things happened around them. â€Å"The witch-hunt was a long overdue opportunity for everyone so inclined to publicly express his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims. † (Miller 7) This quotation from the books explains exactly how the trial turned out. As the book expounded, the character Abigail, who was the first to be suspected and who first confessed as having been involved in witchcrafts, was the first to pinpoint â€Å"witches† in the town. Abigail however, used this as a means to punish people who have offended her. She used her â€Å"dark† charm and manipulative ability to lure people into believing her. She has used the town’s fear to her gain and nurtured the growing chaos in the community to preserve her advantage. This misinformation about witchcraft and the religion’s constraints that limited the people to know more about the situation has lead the town to vulnerability. It caused the people more tension and fear and lead to the sufferings of people being accused, and death to those who were not convinced to lie and confess about the accusations. The death of Proctor and Corey is a significant part of the story. It teaches people the value of upholding one’s integrity and principle to save loved ones from further humiliation and injustices. It shows the value of upholding truth even if it meant dying. In this light, as religion has pushed people towards misinformation and disillusionment, people should learn from the story. Innocence and narrow-mindedness has caused detrimental effects not only to one’s self but in the society as a whole. Therefore, as religion becomes part of our life, it mustn’t dictate the way of living in general. Work Cited Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin, 1995.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The murk came back and transformed that Sunday night's dusk into a thing of decadent beauty. The sun turned red as it slid down toward the hills and the haze picked up the glow, turning the western sky into a nosebleed. I sat out on the deck and watched it, trying to do a crossword puzzle and not getting very far. When the phone rang, I dropped Tough Stuff on top of my manuscript as I went to answer it. I was tired of looking at the title of my book every time I passed. ‘Hello?' ‘What's going on up there?' John Storrow demanded. He didn't even bother to say hi. He didn't sound angry, though; he sounded totally pumped. ‘I'm missing the whole goddam soap opera!' ‘I invited myself to lunch on Tuesday,' I said. ‘Hope you don't mind.' ‘No, that's good, the more the merrier.' He sounded as if he absolutely meant it. ‘What a summer, huh? What a summer! Anything happen just lately? Earthquakes? Volcanoes? Mass suicides?' ‘No mass suicides, but the old guy died,' I said. ‘Shit, the whole world knows Max Devore kicked it,' he said. ‘Surprise me, Mike! Stun me! Make me holler boy-howdy!' ‘No, the other old guy. Royce Merrill.' ‘I don't know who you oh, wait. The one with the gold cane who looked like an exhibit from Jurassic Park?' ‘That's him.' ‘Bummer. Otherwise . . . ?' ‘Otherwise everything's under control,' I said, then thought of the popped-out eyes of the cat-clock and almost laughed. What stopped me was a kind of surety that Mr. Good Humor Man was just an act John had really called to ask what, if anything, was going on between me and Mattie. And what was I going to say? Nothing yet? One kiss, one instant blue-steel hard-on, the fundamental things apply as time goes by? But John had other things on his mind. ‘Listen, Michael, I called because I've got something to tell you. I think you'll be both amused and amazed.' ‘A state we all crave,' I said. ‘Lay it on me.' ‘Rogette Whitmore called, and . . . you didn't happen to give her my parents' number, did you? I'm back in New York now, but she called me in Philly.' ‘I didn't have your parents' number. You didn't leave it on either of your machines.' ‘Oh, right.' No apology; he seemed too excited to think of such mundanities. I began to feel excited myself, and I didn't even know what the hell was going on. ‘I gave it to Mattie. Do you think the Whitmore woman called Mattie to get it? Would Mattie give it to her?' ‘I'm not sure that if Mattie came upon Rogette flaming in a thoroughfare, she'd piss on her to put her out.' ‘Vulgar, Michael, trs vulgarino.' But he was laughing. ‘Maybe Whitmore got it the same way Devore got yours.' ‘Probably so,' I said. ‘I don't know what'll happen in the months ahead, but right now I'm sure she's still got access to Max Devore's personal control panel. And if anyone knows how to push the buttons on it, it's probably her. Did she call from Palm Springs?' ‘Uh-huh. She said she'd just finished a preliminary meeting with Devore's attorneys concerning the old man's will. According to her, Grampa left Mattie Devore eighty million dollars.' I was struck silent. I wasn't amused yet, but I was certainly amazed. ‘Gets ya, don't it?' John said gleefully. ‘You mean he left it to Kyra,' I said at last. ‘Left it in trust to Kyra.' ‘No, that's just what he did not do. I asked Whitmore three times, but by the third I was starting to understand. There was method in his madness. Not much, but a little. You see, there's a condition. If he left the money to the minor child instead of to the mother, the condition would have no weight. It's funny when you consider that Mattie isn't long past minor status herself.' ‘Funny,' I agreed, and thought of her dress sliding between my hands and her smooth bare waist. I also thought of Bill Dean saying that men who went with girls that age always looked the same, had their tongues run out even if their mouths were shut. ‘What string did he put on the money?' ‘That Mattie remain on the TR for one year following Devore's death until July 17, 1999. She can leave on day-trips, but she has to be tucked up in her TR-90 bed every night by nine o'clock, or else the legacy is forfeit. Did you ever hear such a bullshit thing in your life? Outside of some old George Sanders movie, that is?' ‘No,' I said, and recalled my visit to the Fryeburg Fair with Kyra. Even in death he's seeking custody, I had thought, and of course this was the same thing. He wanted them here. Even in death he wanted them on the TR. ‘It won't fly?' I asked. ‘Of course it won't fly. Fucking crackpot might as well have written he'd give her eighty million dollars if she used blue tampons for a year. But she'll get the eighty mil, all right. My heart is set on it. I've already talked to three of our estate guys, and . . . you don't think I should bring one of them up with me on Tuesday, do you? Will Stevenson'll be the point man in the estate phase, if Mattie agrees.' He was all but babbling. He hadn't had a thing to drink, I'd've bet the farm on it, but he was sky-high on all the possibilities. We'd gotten to the happily-ever-after part of the fairy tale, as far as he was concerned; Cinderella comes home from the ball through a cash cloudburst. ‘ . . . course Will's a little bit old,' John was saying, ‘about three hundred or so, which means he's not exactly a fun guy at a party, but . . . ‘ ‘Leave him home, why don't you?' I said. ‘There'll be plenty of time to carve up Devore's will later on. And in the immediate future, I don't think Mattie's going to have any problem observing the bullshit condition. She just got her job back, remember?' ‘Yeah, the white buffalo drops dead and the whole herd scatters!' John exulted. ‘Look at em go! And the new multimillionaire goes back to filing books and mailing out overdue notices! Okay, Tuesday we'll just party.' ‘Good.' ‘Party 'til we puke.' ‘Well . . . maybe us older folks will just party until we're mildly nauseated, would that be all right?' ‘Sure. I've already called Romeo Bissonette, and he's going to bring George Kennedy, the private detective who got all that hilarious shit on Durgin. Bissonette says Kennedy's a scream when he gets a drink or two in him. I thought I'd bring some steaks from Peter Luger's, did I tell you that?' ‘I don't believe you did.' ‘Best steaks in the world. Michael, do you realize what's happened to that young woman? Eighty million dollars!' ‘She'll be able to replace Scoutie.' ‘Huh?' ‘Nothing. Will you come in tomorrow night or on Tuesday?' ‘Tuesday morning around ten, into Castle County Airport. New England Air. Mike, are you all right? You sound odd.' ‘I'm all right. I'm where I'm supposed to be. I think.' ‘What's that supposed to mean?' I had wandered out onto the deck. In the distance thunder rumbled. It was hotter than hell, not a breath of breeze stirring. The sunset was fading to a baleful afterglow. The sky in the west looked like the white of a bloodshot eye. ‘I don't know,' I said, ‘but I have an idea the situation will clarify itself. I'll meet you at the airport.' ‘Okay,' he said, and then, in a hushed, almost reverential voice: ‘Eighty million motherfucking American dollars.' ‘It's a whole lotta lettuce,' I agreed, and wished him a good night. I drank black coffee and ate toast in the kitchen the next morning, watching the TV weatherman. Like so many of them these days, he had a slightly mad look, as if all those Doppler radar images had driven him to the brink of something. I think of it as the Millennial Video Game look. ‘We've got another thirty-six hours of this soup to work through and then there's going to be a big change,' he was saying, and pointed to some dark gray scum lurking in the Midwest. Tiny animated lightning-bolts danced in it like defective sparkplugs. Beyond the scum and the lightning-bolts, America looked clear all the way out to the desert country, and the posted temperatures were fifteen degrees cooler. ‘We'll see temps in the mid-nineties today and can't look for much relief tonight or tomorrow morning. But tomorrow afternoon these frontal storms will reach western Maine, and I think most of you are going to want to keep updated on weather conditions. Before we get back to cooler air and bright clear skies on Wednesday, we're probably going to see violent thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail in some locations. Tornados are rare in Maine, but some towns in western and central Maine could see them tomorrow. Back to you, Earl.' Earl, the morning news guy, had the innocent beefy look of a recent retiree from the Chippendales and read off the Teleprompter like one. ‘Wow,' he said. ‘That's quite a forecast, Vince. Tornados a possibility.' ‘Wow,' I said. ‘Say wow again, Earl. Do it 'til I'm satisfied.' ‘Holy cow,' Earl said just to spite me, and the telephone rang. I went to answer it, giving the waggy clock a look as I went by. The night had been quiet no sobbing, no screaming, no nocturnal adventures but the clock was disquieting, just the same. It hung there On the wall eyeless and dead, like a message full of bad news. ‘Hello?' ‘Mr. Noonan?' I knew the voice, but for a moment couldn't place it. It was because she had called me Mr. Noonan. To Brenda Meserve I'd been Mike for almost fifteen years. ‘Mrs M.? Brenda? What ‘ ‘I can't work for you anymore,' she said, all in a rush. ‘I'm sorry I can't give you proper notice I never stopped work for anyone without giving notice, not even that old drunk Mr Croyden but I have to. Please understand.' ‘Did Bill find out I called you? I swear to God, Brenda, I never said a word ‘ ‘No. I haven't spoken to him, nor he to me. I just can't come back to Sara Laughs. I had a bad dream last night. A terrible dream. I dreamed that . . . something's mad at me. If I come back, I could have an accident. It would look like an accident, at least, but . . . it wouldn't be.' That's silly, Mrs M., I wanted to say. You're surely past the age where you believe in campfire stories about ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties. But of course I could say no such thing. What was going on in my house was no campfire story. I knew it, and she knew I did. ‘Brenda, if I've caused you any trouble, I'm truly sorry.' ‘Go away, Mr. Noonan . . . Mike. Go back to Derry and stay for awhile. It's the best thing you could do.' I heard the letters sliding on the fridge and turned. This time I actually saw the circle of fruits and vegetables form. It stayed open at the top long enough for four letters to slide inside. Then a little plastic lemon plugged the hole and completed the circle. yats, the letters said, then swapped themselves around, making stay Then both the circle and the letters broke up. ‘Mike, please.' Mrs. M. was crying. ‘Royce's funeral is tomorrow. Everyone in the TR who matters the old-timers will be there.' Yes, of course they would. The old ones, the bags of bones who knew what they knew and kept it to themselves. Except some of them had talked to my wife. Royce himself had talked to her. Now he was dead. So was she. ‘It would be best if you were gone. You could take that young woman with you, maybe. Her and her little girl.' But could I? I somehow didn't think so. I thought the three of us were on the TR until this was over . . . and I was starting to have an idea of when that would be. A storm was coming. A summer storm. Maybe even a tornado. ‘Brenda, thanks for calling me. And I'm not letting you go. Let's just call it a leave of absence, shall we?' ‘Fine . . . whatever you want. Will you at least think about what I said?' ‘Yes. In the meantime, I don't think I'd tell anyone you called me, all right?' ‘No!' she said, sounding shocked. Then: ‘But they'll know. Bill and Yvette . . . Dickie Brooks at the garage . . . old Anthony Weyland and Buddy Jellison and all the others . . . they'll know. Goodbye, Mr. Noonan. I'm so sorry. For you and your wife. Your poor wife. I'm so sorry.' Then she was gone. I held the phone in my hand for a long time. Then, like a man in a dream, I put it down, crossed the room, and took the eyeless clock off the wall. I threw it in the trash and went down to the lake for a swim, remembering that W. E Harvey story ‘August Heat,' the one that ends with the line ‘The heat is enough to drive a man mad.' I'm not a bad swimmer when people aren't pelting me with rocks, but my first shore-to-float-to-shore lap was tentative and unrhythmic ugly because I kept expecting something to reach up from the bottom and grab me. The drowned boy, maybe. The second lap was better, and by the third I was relishing the increased kick of my heart and the silky coolness of the water rushing past me. Halfway through the fourth lap I pulled myself up the float's ladder and collapsed on the boards, feeling better than I had since my encounter with Devore and Rogette Whitmore on Friday night. I was still in the zone, and on top of that I was experiencing a glorious endorphin rush. In that state, even the dismay I'd felt when Mrs M. told me she was resigning her position ebbed away. She would come back when this was over; of course she would. In the meantime, it was probably best she stay away. Something's mad at me. I could have an accident. Yes indeed. She might cut herself. She might fall down a flight of cellar stairs. She might even have a stroke running across a hot parking lot. I sat up and looked at Sara on her hill, the deck jutting out over the drop, the railroad ties descending. I'd only been out of the water for a few minutes, but already the day's sticky heat was folding over me, stealing my rush. The water was still as a mirror. I could see the house reflected in it, and in the reflection Sara's windows became watchful eyes. I thought that the focus of all the phenomena the epicenter was very likely on The Street between the real Sara and its drowned image. This is where it happened, Devore had said. And the old-timers? Most of them probably knew what I knew: that Royce Merrill had been murdered. And wasn't it possible wasn't it likely that what had killed him might come among them as they sat in their pews or gathered afterward around his grave? That it might steal some of their force their guilt, their memories, their TR-ness to help it finish the job? I was very glad that John was going to be at the trailer tomorrow, and Romeo Bissonette, and George Kennedy, who was so amusing when he got a drink or two in him. Glad it was going to be more than just me with Mattie and Ki when the old folks got together to give Royce Merrill his sendoff. I no longer cared very much about what had happened to Sara and the Red-Tops, or even about what was haunting my house. What I wanted was to get through tomorrow, and for Mattie and Ki to get through tomorrow. We'd eat before the rain started and then let the predicted thunderstorms come. I thought that, if we could ride them out, our lives and futures might clarify with the weather. ‘Is that right?' I asked. I expected no answer talking out loud was a habit I had picked up since returning here but somewhere in the woods east of the house, an owl hooted. Just once, as if to say it was right, get through tomorrow and things will clarify. The hoot almost brought something else to mind, some association that was ultimately too gauzy to grasp. I tried once or twice, but the only thing I could come up with was the title of a wonderful old novel I Heard the Owl Call My Name. I rolled forward off the float and into the water, grasping my knees against my chest like a kid doing a cannonball. I stayed under as long as I could, until the air in my lungs started to feel like some hot bottled liquid, and then I broke the surface. I trod water about thirty yards out until I had my breath back, then set my sights on the Green Lady and stroked for shore. I waded out, started up the railroad ties, then stopped and went back to The Street. I stood there for a moment, gathering my courage, then walked to where the birch curved her graceful belly out over the water. I grasped that white curve as I had on Friday evening and looked into the water. I was sure I'd see the child, his dead eyes looking up at me from his bloating brown face, and that my mouth and throat would once more fill with the taste of the lake: help I'm drown, lemme up, oh sweet Jesus lemme up. But there was nothing. No dead boy, no ribbon-wrapped Boston Post cane, no taste of the lake in my mouth. I turned and peered at the gray forehead of rock poking out of the mulch. I thought There, right there, but it was only a conscious and unspontaneous thought, the mind voicing a memory. The smell of decay and the certainty that something awful had happened right there was gone. When I got back up to the house and went for a soda, I discovered the front of the refrigerator was bare and clean. Every magnetic letter, every fruit and vegetable, was gone. I never found them. I might have, probably would have, if there had been more time, but on that Monday morning time was almost up. I dressed, then called Mattie. We talked about the upcoming party, about how excited Ki was, about how nervous Mattie was about going back to work on Friday she was afraid that the locals would be mean to her, but in an odd, womanly way she was even more afraid that they would be cold to her, snub her. We talked about the money, and I quickly ascertained that she didn't believe in the reality of it. ‘Lance used to say his father was the kind of man who'd show a piece of meat to a starving dog and then eat it himself,' she said. ‘But as long as I have my job back, I won't starve and neither will Ki.' ‘But if there really are big bucks . . . ?' ‘Oh, gimme-gimme-gimme,' she said, laughing. ‘What do you think I am, crazy?' ‘Nah. By the way, what's going on with Ki's fridgeafator people? Are they writing any new stuff?' ‘That is the weirdest thing,' she said. ‘They're gone.' ‘The fridgeafator people?' ‘I don't know about them, but the magnetic letters you gave her sure are. When I asked Ki what she did with them, she started crying and said Allamagoosalum took them. She said he ate them in the middle of the night, while everyone was sleeping, for a snack.' ‘Allama-who-salum?' ‘Allamagoosalum,' Mattie said, sounding wearily amused. ‘Another little legacy from her grandfather. It's a corruption of the Micmac word for â€Å"boogeyman† or â€Å"demon† I looked it up at the library. Kyra had a good many nightmares about demons and wendigos and the allama-goosalum late last winter and this spring.' ‘What a sweet old grandpa he was,' I said sentimentally. ‘Right, a real pip. She was miserable over losing the letters; I barely got her calmed down before her ride to VBS came. Ki wants to know if you'll come to Final Exercises on Friday afternoon, by the way. She and her friend Billy Turgeon are going to flannelboard the story of baby Moses.' ‘I wouldn't miss it,' I said . . . but of course I did. We all did. ‘Any idea where her letters might have gone, Mike?' ‘No.' ‘Yours are still okay?' ‘Mine are fine, but of course mine don't spell anything,' I said, looking at the empty door of my own fridgeafator. There was sweat on my forehead. I could feel it creeping down into my eyebrows like oil. ‘Did you . . . I don't know . . . sense anything?' ‘You mean did I maybe hear the evil alphabet-thief as he slid through the window?' ‘You know what I mean.' ‘I suppose so.' A pause ‘I thought I heard something in the night, okay? About three this morning, actually. I got up and went into the hall. Nothing was there. But . . . you know how hot it's been lately?' ‘Yes.' ‘Well, not in my trailer, not last night. It was cold as ice. I swear I could almost see my breath.' I believed her. After all, I had seen mine. ‘Were the letters on the front of the fridge then?' ‘I don't know. I didn't go up the hall far enough to see into the kitchen. I took one look around and then went back to bed. I almost ran back to bed. Sometimes bed feels safer, you know?' She laughed nervously. ‘It's a kid thing. Covers are boogeyman kryptonite. Only at first, when I got in . . . I don't know . . . I thought someone was in there already. Like someone had been hiding on the floor underneath and then . . . when I went to check the hall . . . they got in. Not a nice someone, either.' Give me my dust-catcher, I thought, and shuddered. ‘What?' Mattie asked sharply. ‘What did you say?' ‘I asked who did you think it was? What was the first name that came into your mind?' ‘Devore,' she said. ‘Him. But there was no one there.' A pause. ‘I wish you'd been there.' ‘I do, too.' ‘I'm glad. Mike, do you have any ideas at all about this? Because it's very freaky.' ‘I think maybe . . . ‘ For a moment I was on the verge of telling her what had happened to my own letters. But if I started talking, where would it stop? And how much could she be expected to believe? ‘ . . . maybe Ki took the letters herself. Went walking in her sleep and chucked them under the trailer or something. Do you think that could be?' ‘I think I like the idea of Kyra strolling around in her sleep even less than the idea of ghosts with cold breath taking the letters off the fridge,' Mattie said. ‘Take her to bed with you tonight,' I said, and felt her thought come back like an arrow: I'd rather take you. What she said, after a brief pause, was: ‘Will you come by today?' ‘I don't think so,' I said. She was noshing on flavored yogurt as we talked, eating it in little nipping bites. ‘You'll see me tomorrow, though. At the party.' ‘I hope we get to eat before the thunderstorms. They're supposed to be bad.' ‘I'm sure we will.' ‘And are you still thinking? I only ask because I dreamed of you when I finally fell asleep again. I dreamed of you kissing me.' ‘I'm still thinking,' I said. ‘Thinking hard.' But in fact I don't remember thinking about anything very hard that day. What I remember is drifting further and further into that zone I've explained so badly. Near dusk I went for a long walk in spite of the heat all the way out to where Lane Forty-two joins the highway. Coming back I stopped on the edge of Tidwell's Meadow, watching the light fade out of the sky and listening to thunder rumble somewhere over New Hampshire. Once more there was that sense of how thin reality was, not just here but everywhere; how it was stretched like skin over the blood and tissue of a body we can never know clearly in this life. I looked at trees and saw arms; I looked at bushes and saw faces. Ghosts, Mattie had said. Ghosts with cold breath. Time was also thin, it seemed to me. Kyra and I had really been at the Fryeburg Fair some version of it, anyway; we had really visited the year 1900. And at the foot of the meadow the Red-Tops were almost there now, as they once had been, in their neat little cabins. I could almost hear the sound of their guitars, the murmur of their voices and laughter; I could almost see the gleam of their lanterns and smell their beef and pork frying. ‘Say baby, do you remember me?' one of her songs went, ‘Well I ain't your honey like I used to be.' Something rattled in the underbrush to my left. I turned that way, expecting to see Sara step out of the woods wearing Mattie's dress and Mattie's white sneakers. In this gloom, they would seem almost to float by themselves, until she got close to me . . . There was no one there, of course, it had undoubtedly been nothing but Chuck the Woodchuck headed home after a hard day at the office, but I no longer wanted to be out here, watching as the light drained out of the day and the mist came up from the ground. I turned for home. Instead of going into the house when I got back, I made my way along the path to Jo's studio, where I hadn't been since the night I had taken my IBM back in a dream. My way was lit by intermittent flashes of heat lightning. The studio was hot but not stale. I could smell a peppery aroma that was actually pleasant, and wondered if it might be some of Jo's herbs. There was an air conditioner out here, and it worked I turned it on and then just stood in front of it a little while. So much cold air on my overheated body was probably unhealthy, but it felt wonderful. I didn't feel very wonderful otherwise, however. I looked around with a growing sense of something too heavy to be mere sadness; it felt like despair. I think it was caused by the contrast between how little of Jo was left in Sara Laughs and how much of her was still out here. I imagined our marriage as a kind of playhouse and isn't that what marriage is, in large part? playing house? where only half the stuff was held down. Held down by little magnets or hidden cables. Something had come along and picked up our playhouse by one corner easiest thing in the world, and I supposed I should be grateful that the something hadn't decided to draw back its foot and kick the poor thing all the way over. It just picked up that one corner, you see. My stuff stayed put, but all of Jo's had slid . . . Out of the house and down here. ‘Jo?' I asked, and sat down in her chair. There was no answer. No thumps on the wall. No crows or owls calling from the woods. I put my hand on her desk, where the typewriter had been, and slipped my hand across it, picking up a film of dust. ‘I miss you, honey,' I said, and began to cry. When the tears were over again I wiped my face with the tail of my tee-shirt like a little kid, then just looked around. There was the picture of Sara Tidwell on her desk and a photo I didn't remember on the wall this latter was old, sepia-tinted, and woodsy. Its focal point was a man-high birchwood cross in a little clearing on a slope above the lake. That clearing was gone from the geography now, most likely, long since filled in by trees. I looked at her jars of herbs and mushroom sections, her filing cabinets, her sections of afghan. The green rag rug on the floor. The pot of pencils on the desk, pencils she had touched and used. I held one of them poised over a blank sheet of paper for a moment or two, but nothing happened. I had a sense of life in this room, and a sense of being watched . . . but not a sense of being helped. ‘I know some of it but not enough,' I said. ‘Of all the things I don't know, maybe the one that matters most is who wrote â€Å"help her† on the fridge. Was it you, Jo?' No answer. I sat awhile longer hoping against hope, I suppose then got up, turned off the air conditioning, turned off the lights, and went back to the house, walking in soft bright stutters of unfocused lightning. I sat on the deck for a little while, watching the night. At some point I realized I'd taken the length of blue silk ribbon out of my pocket and was winding it nervously back and forth between my fingers, making half-assed cat's cradles. Had it really come from the year 1900? The idea seemed perfectly crazy and perfectly sane at the same time. The night hung hot and hushed. I imagined old folks all over the TR perhaps in Motton and Harlow, too laying out their funeral clothes for tomorrow. In the doublewide trailer on Wasp Hill Road, Ki was sitting on the floor, watching a videotape of The Jungle Book Baloo and Mowgli were singing ‘The Bare Necessities.' Mattie was on the couch with her feet up, reading the new Mary Higgins Clark and singing along. Both were wea ring shorty pajamas, Ki's pink, Mattie's white. After a little while I lost my sense of them; it faded the way radio signals sometimes do late at night. I went into the north bedroom, undressed, and crawled onto the top sheet of my unmade bed. I fell asleep almost at once. I woke in the middle of the night with someone running a hot finger up and down the middle of my back. I rolled over and when the lightning flashed, I saw there was a woman in bed with me. It was Sara Tidwell. She was grinning. There were no pupils in her eyes. ‘Oh sugar, I'm almost back,' she whispered in the dark. I had a sense of her reaching out for me again, but when the next flash of lightning came, that side of the bed was empty.