An Evaluation of Pip, and His Great Expectations Essay

In the year 1860, author Charles Dicken’s began his thirteenth novel, Great Expectations. The work is a coming-of-age novel, which tells the life story of an orphan boy named Pip, who much like Dickens’ in his earlier years is unhappy with his current life. A number of Charles Dickens’ personal life events are mirrored in the novel, leaving Great Expectations to be one of his most autobiographical works. Young Pip, the protagonist of the novel is stuck living in the marsh country, he is working a job that he hates, and considers himself to be too good for his current surroundings, much like Dickens’ did when he was younger. While working on Great Expectations, Dickens’ made weekly installments to the novel, leading it to be one of his most well structured works. Great Expectations is a novel which develops a number of different themes as the story progresses, with the primary theme being personal growth and ambition. The story tells us that morals s uch as affection, loyalty and conscience are much more important in reality than social-class, social advancement, and wealth. The protagonist, Pip, is destined to learn this lesson through his ‘great expectations’, as he explores different ideas of ambition and self-improvement. Great Expectations is a convincing tale told in the perspective of an orphan named Pip, who tells his realistic life story from the very beginning of his ‘great expectations’, which all began one evening when he had a strange encounter with an escaped convict in a cemetery, while he was looking at the tombstones of his parents. This mysterious stranger ordered young Pip to bring him food and a file to break loose the shackle on his leg. If Pip does not comply, the strangers promises to murder him. After bringing the convict food and an iron the next day, Pip finds out that the convict has been arrested, and the mysterious criminal has protected Pip by telling the authorities that he stole the food himself. Some time after this event took place, a lawyer by the name of Jaggers appears in the marsh country that Pip lives in, and he comes with strange news: a strange benefactor has given young Pip a large fortune, and Pip must leave his life of being a blacksmith at the for ge behind in order to go to London with Jaggers and become a gentleman, and get his education. During his time in London, Pip discovers many truths about his life, the mysterious benefactor, and his past. A man from the country marsh named Orlick who is the polar-opposite of Pip reappears in his life, and is dead set on ruining it, as well as hopefully killing him. The reader is kept guessing what will happen with Orlick and Pip as the story progresses, as well as who Pip’s mysterious benefactor is. Dickens’ managed to make Great Expectations and interesting read, but a rather dull journey lacking any sort of excitement. Instead of having any sort of surprise throughout Great Expectations, the author simply gives answers to questions asked and created throughout the story, none in which intrigue the readers. The end holds no real surprise, and the novel ultimately ends up being just a message to the readers, saying that money and living in a good social class is not important in comparison to family, friends, and happiness. There are a number of events throughout that story that are irrelevant to everything, such as Pip and his friend Herbert end up being in debt. The debt has absolutely no negative or positive effect on the story, but is only a bit of filler throughout one of the chapters. The main character of Great Expectations, Pip, is the most guilt-ridden character in the novel, he has no prejudice. His most noticeable and crucial characteristics are his naturally good conscience, and his immature glory of romance. Pip eventually faces an internal conflict once he better understands the reality behind poverty and immorality, he decides that he wants to achieve as much as possible. Because of this, Pip puts his life at the marsh country behind him, he abandons the people who care for him the most, and goes to London where he becomes a gentleman. In London, Pip views his past actions very negatively, and very seldom does he ever give himself credit for good deeds he has done in the past. As a gentleman, Pip starts to act as he always imagined a gentleman would, this adds to him treating his family poorly. Many of the characters throughout the story do not seem to be very realistic, it is almost as if they were meant to come across as being quite fictional. Estella is an unrealistically ‘cold’ character, who has zero feelings for anybody or any living thing. She has absolutely no ability to express emotions to the extent that it seems completely unreal.Despite this, Estella almost does come across as being quite sympathetic for her being the way she is. She warns Pip regularly that she has â€Å"no heart†, and strongly urges him to love somebody else, for she is not good for his wellbeing and happiness. At the end of the novel, however, Estella finally begins to feel like as though she is out of Miss Havisham’s control, and is finally her own person, as she tells Pip, â€Å"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching. . . I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.† Miss Havisham is the most unrealistic character in Great Expectations, she lives in a rotted mansion, and has not removed her wedding dress in over ten years. Miss Havisham has stopped every clock i n her mansion at twenty minutes to nine, and refuses to ever know what time it is, whether it be day or night. Great Expectations takes place in the 19th century, the main character, Pip, is born in England in the 1800’s and is telling his story in the year 1860. The novel is set around the life of Pip, who is on a mission to meet his â€Å"great expectations†, whatever those may be, and to become a gentleman. His life story takes place both in the southeast marsh country of England, and eventually in London, England, where Pip lives as a gentleman. Great Expectations takes place during a very busy time for England, with the Industrial Revolution occurring, as well as the voidance of slavery in the British colonies during 1834. To the people, London is considered to be a prospering capital, and England is a powerful giant on the globe. However, the way Dickens’ depicts is quite the opposite of that. Pip’s hometown Kent, which resides near the marshlands is twenty miles away from the ocean, and the townsfolk can see the Thames River flow through it. Off in the distance of the marshland and ocean is where the convict ships dock, causing many criminals to lurk about the area. The setting is important because of the time period the story takes place, the economy is thriving and there is plenty of opportunity for money. The mood throughout the story feels rather empty, there is never much tension, never much pain, and never much happiness throughout Great Expectations. There are times throughout the novel when some places Pip travels to bring the mood to different levels, for example, Miss Havisham’s rotting mansion sets a darker mood on the tale, but shortly after when Pip is back in London, the story is back to the usual calm mood of Great Expectations. The story often goes through mood swings because of this. When certain characters come into the picture, they do hav e a slight effect on the atmosphere, though the atmosphere of the novel is usually made clear through Pip’s thoughts, as well as his actions. The year is 1860, Charles Dickens’ has just begun his thirteenth novel, the irritating tale of a young man named Pip, who has come across a large fortune of money, and decides to selfishly leave his family and loved ones behind in order to go to London, and be rich. As the novel progresses, Pip develops as a human being and learns many things, as well as beats himself up for his past. Throughout the ride, Pip comes across a great deal of many different people,such as a heartbroken old timer who grieves every day in her own self pity, a stone cold young lady who holds no love for any living thing, a criminal who has a strong sense of high values, and a lawyer who takes Pip under his wing to becoming a gentleman. Each character is unique in their own way, yet each continue to be uninteresting throughout the novel. Dickens’ not only presented the readers with a number of dull characters, but gave his audience a boring tale which ultimately holds no sort of significance in the end. While the novel is generally quite uninteresting, the setting of the novel is rather exciting as it takes place during the Industrial Revolution of England, however this is hardly noted in the novel, therefore putting readers in front of a rather empty, â€Å"too much like home† world, where the men work hard and the women stay at inside all day, the rich are greedy and the poor are struggling. Charles Dickens had a great idea with Great Expectations, but focused too much on other things as well throughout the story which ultimately helped lead it to become uninteresting and irritating to get through, at times there was too much going on in the novel, while at other times unnecessary events were taking place, which did not progress the story in any way whatsoever. Though the theme of Great Expectations exists, the end gives readers more of a relief that the book is finished, rather than leaving them in an intrigued state which Dickens seemed to have originally intended.

Macroeconomics – Competition with China and India

The phenomenon of rapid economic growth in China and India is often discussed within the frameworks of is possible threat to the global world economy. Recent forums dedicated to financial issues, as well as the major increase of the numbers of papers in the economic press (FT, Business Week etc.) especially since stock markets in China took a major hit end of February, show that â€Å"China has gone from being interesting to being important† (Business Week, March 2007) also for investors and not only for economy. The prospective future seems to be at hand. There is nothing to worry about. However, historical European countries such as Germany and France are not disposed to overoptimistic conclusions – neither historically, nor politically. The general balance of risks and perspectives inclines towards favorable economic situation. However, the situation is not as optimistic as it seems to be. The US Treasury Secretary also considers that the countries should double their efforts. It is necessary to continue the implementation of tax reforms, to favor the development of industries and formation of appropriate labor force market, and to make the heading policy more flexible. These remarks are obviously addressed to China and India. Besides, the U.S. government worries about China’s â€Å"military modernization program, economic dynamism, expanded diplomatic influence across Asia and increased global search for energy resources†. So, what is going on? The answer might be quite simple. Last year the world economic system faced a ‘silent revolution’. For the first time in the history China and India became the subjects of the world economy. Twenty years ago the world had no slightest idea of the Chinese and Indian economies. The China’s share in the worldwide GDP exceeded no 1 per cent. It was actually lost in the categories like ‘mistakes and omissions’. However, in result of rapid economic growth (average 9% per year) China became the sixth largest national economy making the total of about 6% of the world’s GDP. Last year the industrial world could feel the ‘hot breath’ of Chinese economic dragon. According to the absolute majority of analysts, the growth of Chinese domestic and foreign demand became one of the main factors contributing to cost increase for raw materials and semi-manufactured goods all over the world. China and India have strong economy and almost no flexibility. Moreover, it is difficult to define the exact share of China and India in the world economy due to so-called controlled and non-marketable sector. The countries occupy a leading position by such indexes like the most preferable countries for initial investments, the most preferable offshore zones for location of the offshore enterprises and manufactures, and the most preferable zone for IT services attraction and utilization. Compared to other huge markets of the developing countries, the entrepreneurs find China and India more attractive markets both in the short-term and the long-term perspectives, leaving such countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Poland far behind. The countries present two completely different markets. Whereas China is known as the leading manufacturer and the most rapidly growing consumer goods market, India is the largest supplier of IT services and the leader in business processes outsourcing. India’s market is oriented towards the long-term perspective. The investors prefer China because of the market size, access to export opportunities, numerous initiatives countenance by the governments, moderate working expenses, proper infrastructure and favorable macroeconomic climate. The India offers the following: well trained labor force, talented management personnel, the supremacy of the legislative authorities, transparency of business transactions, cultural similarities and favorable business climate. Since 2002, when Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji traveled to India’s political, commercial and tech capitals, China and India started improving ties, not just for trade but for economic cooperation. What are the threats to the global economy?[U1]   China and India became the ‘economic knot’ of the entire Asian region. Therefore, cost reduction of labor force on a global scale is one of the main threats to the global economy. In result, the products, where labor force is one of the main components of expenses will also become cheaper. Another way of putting it is that one shouldn’t think to locate the routine labor intensive manufacture outside the country with hundreds million people satisfied with 1-2 dollars rate per hour. On contrary, the countries assigning a specialization to industry involving high-skill jobs expect to derive benefit from the situation. The additional expenses are also expected by raw material exporters. Last, but not least, expanding ties between India and China would help the latter to benefit from India’s experience in the World Trade Organization to move from mass manufacturing of inexpensive goods to more sophisticated bus inesses. India and China are set to overtake even the strongest market forces in the world.   The rapidly growing manufacturing units and consumer goods markets of China, and the strong IT services and BPO industry of India has seemed to be huge boosts to domestic the economies.   Soon India would lead the IT industry market in the world and China would dominate the manufacturing industry in the World.   Several global giants are actually setting up back-end offices and manufacturing hubs in these two Asian nations. The markets in India are growing at the rate of about 30 % every year, and about 44 % of the global outsourcing business is actually based in India.   India has been able to dominate the global outsourcing business as it has several education institutions producing well-trained professionals.   Besides, they are able to speak English and can effectively communicate with their western counterparts.   On the other hand, China is known for its labor-oriented workforce and infrastructure abilities that would be a suitable plus point for the manufacturing industry.   Earlier, the strong markets of the world were actually ignoring the markets of India and China.   However, considering the rapid growth, these markets cannot henceforth ignore India and China. These two counties still offer huge amount of opportunities, which until now have remained untapped.   Today markets are growing in those areas where a great proportion of the human population exists.   Although, there may be several obstacles in the path of growth and development for the Indian and the Chinese markets, it does seem definite that these two countries would grow further.   There would also be demand in the international market for cost-effective and skilled labor.   Both, India and China have taken a lot risks, and for now at least, these risks are paying huge dividends (Money Week, 2005, ZD Net, 2007, & Schaaf, 2005). References: Schaaf, J. (2005), Outsourcing to India: Crouching tiger set to pounce, [Online], Available: site: http://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/DBR_INTERNET_EN-PROD/PROD0000000000192125.pdf, [Accessed: 2007, September 10]. The Money Week (2005), Underground threats to the global economy, [Online], Available: site: http://www.moneyweek.com/file/25075/underground-threats-to-the-global-economy.html, [Accessed: 2007, September 10]. ZD Net (2007), China and India set to lead global innovation, [Online], Available: site: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,39287977,00.htm,  [Accessed: 2007, September 10].  [U1] Please do develop this conclusion.

The Geography Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Geography Case Analysis - Essay Example With Weiner as the storyteller, the street to euphoria is undoubtedly going to be a bit bouncy, yet it is distinct to be very interesting. Most readers love when a phenomenon is explained to them in details as out of their understanding they tend to put together pieces of information being relayed and get the intended meaning without unnecessarily straining to achieve this. This essay is a critical analysis of the Half-overseas dealings speech, half comedy, and half-twisted guide by blending tour, psychology, and humor to explore not what happiness is, but where to find happiness among Swiss residents. In my opinion, the writer should not have not negatively represented the Swiss people in his book since those who are not residents upon reading the book develop a negative mentality or attitude towards all residents of Swiss in spite of some not being terrible as depicted in the book. Writer’s personal hatred for Swiss people should not be a reason for the readers to read their negative aspects instead of the positive ones. â€Å"Damn them, I thought at the time, damn the efficient, competent Swiss to hell (28)† Swiss individuals were not generally the most loved individuals on the authors rundown. He was on a trip to discover the purpose behind their bliss, and he began it by recognizing their great things. By and by, condemning them in the meantime, much the same as when he composed " â€Å"And, goodness, the air is clean. The streets are about spotless. Whats more, given us a chance to not overlook the chocolate, which is tasty and ample, however upbeat? (29)† I saw no satisfaction on the characteristics of the decently tented Swiss couple in Africa but peacefulness. The author was searching for their reason of bliss yet overlooking the easily overlooked primary things like how they did their daily activities. In the meantime, he could have abandoned the inclinations of critically assessing a situation. Writer’s negative biases towards

Concept of Representation in Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Concept of Representation in Diplomacy - Essay Example In the past, literature in the field of diplomacy has defined representation in various ways, some of which are even conflicting when it comes to its role in international relations in contemporary and future society. However, the importance of diplomatic representation in diplomacy would depend on the meaning attributed to this concept. As a result, the relevance of diplomatic representation has become the centre of a major debate about the importance of diplomacy in a fast evolving world. It's hard for us to picture what ancient diplomacy was all about. However, the diplomacy in the Greek and Roman civilizations was intermittent and generated no permanent in situations.1 (Hamilton and Langhorne 995: 7) "In order to dispense with diplomacy, that is with the methods used by independent governments to work out their own relations with one another, mankind would either have to let independent governments exist without the diplomatic dialogue, or else dispense with independence and 'sovereign states' altogether. They would not be able to conclude peace settlements or treaties with their neighbours, for such settlements are the essence of diplomacy. Each would have to stand alone against a more powerful and aggressive neighbour. They would not be able to get into touch with one another, to band together or form leagues and alliances for mutual protection."2 (Watson 1991:22) THE EVOLUTION OF REPRESENTATION IN DIPLOMACY In the ancient days, representation was not so strong in diplomacy. Niccolo Machiavelli was a great ruler of his time. He is quite famous for his political theory. However, little is known about his reflections on diplomacy. Machiavelli emerged when diplomacy just began its transformation that saw the creation of resident embassies. (Berridge 2001:7-8) In order for us to assess the role of diplomacy in today's world, some scholars argue that residential bilateral diplomacy is gradually becoming irrelevant. However, other scholars continue to uphold this type of diplomacy. These debates have been initiated by the changes that are occurring in the international system. Some scholars believe that the practice of diplomacy needs to adjust in order to adapt to the new environment, meanwhile others feel that the traditional methods still the answer the question today. (Berridge 2001:136) In the past, debates over globalization and global governance claimed that the role of governments decline over the years. But that hasn't happened. We are now witnessing different trends that prove this argument wrong. There is still much government participation in the ways in which government agencies operate. The structures of contemporary diplomacy now operate in such a way that they do not only go out to articulate the international goals and policies of the state. Today's diplomatic structures also tend to represent components of the increasing network of global governance. The transformations in the structures of diplomacy strongly depict the ways in which governments are responding to the changes in the international system. (Manojlovic and Thorheim 2007:12) Changes in the practice of diplomacy began with the introduction of the principle of self-determination, and then later proceeded into the era of

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 23

Case Study Example As a director of the company, my first action will be to have a formal talking with Fred about his actions and the consequences of his actions to the company. I will also emphasize of ethical values and respect for others which is the greatest level of integrity in any organization. As part of his working condition terms, one fundamental obligation to the company is to demonstrate high level of integrity and follow the channels of airing his views instead of causing intentional delays and errors in his work. I will lastly consider raising his salary in order to ensure that he is also motivated (Yin 34). In order for the bank to justify its responses on the allegations forwarded to the EEOC by Ruth, it has to provide evidence that there were not discrimination in the dismissal of Ruth Wittman on the basis of her color or any other wrongful basis. The first document that the bank should present to the EEOC is the absenteeism record of Ruth; this will also help in shading light on the allegations that she was constantly absent and tardy. Another document that the back should provide is the record of all other employees’ absenteeism as well as job allocation scheme. Another vital document that the bank should submit is the 54 separate counseling occasion of Ruth as well as other counseling occasions of her colleague in order to justify that its actions were legal. If I were the EEOC District Director, I would first analyze the presented documents about the absenteeism and tardiness of Ruth Wittman. I would then compare it with other employees of the bank and note the frequency of the absence and tardiness of other employees as well. I will also demand the bank to prove that it followed the legal procedure for dismissal of an employee. This will include the provision of a warning letter and being given the dismissal letter within the required period of time before administering the dismissal process. If the dismissal was done in an illegal way, I

Animal,Vegestable, Miserable Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Animal,Vegestable, Miserable - Essay Example Gary presents meat consumers’ argument that God created only human beings in His image and, therefore, are more close to Him than the animals. They argue that God created the animals to satisfy human dietary needs. The Bible and other Christian thinkers have ample support for the argument. Others argue that humans suffer most due to the human capacity for abstract thought. Jeremy explains that animals live in the present and have no sense of the future. Vegetarians call for a more humanely raised meat. Gary questions the intelligence of the human race in reference to their act of ignoring the practices of animal killing. People kill approximately 53 billion animals every year for food. Gary argues that if humans cared about the animal’s welfare, they would renounce consumption of animal products. It is often a significant challenge for vegetarians to live in a meat-crazed society. Vegetarians avoid all kinds of animal products ranging from leather, silk, wool and the animal associated cosmetics and medications. Gary Steiner’s thoughts presented in the book is an arguable subject. The various arguments of the issue will depend mostly on individual’s opinion. To some people, it is a standard practice while to others it is a ridicule of the

Literary analysis paper on 2 chronicles 33 1-20 Essay

Literary analysis paper on 2 chronicles 33 1-20 - Essay Example The narrator wished to further his anti-Manasseh sentiments in verses 7-8, relaying how Manasseh was purposely trying to rebut God’s orders regarding his temple to invite his wrath, knowing full well what had happened to tribes of the past who had succumbed to God’s contempt and had been driven out of the land. In verse 9, Manasseh is described as an evil force who led others to the wrong path as well, in the process doing more evil than the people of the past. This more or less sets the scene for God’s resolution with regards to Manasseh to come. That is not to say God does not give Manasseh a chance to improve. In verse 10, God’s goodness is demonstrated when he gives Manasseh and his people a chance to mend his ways. However, in 11-12, Manasseh’s refusal to accept God’s advice angers the Lord further, so that he resorts to resolve the matter by getting Manasseh capture by Babylon in a humiliating way. Manasseh then seeks forgiveness and pr ays to the Lord in verse 13, who listens to his plea and rids him from the clutches of Babylon bringing him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem. This reaffirms Manasseh’s faith in the Lord. ... In verse 18, Manasseh becomes an example for kings and the narrator mentions how his name goes down in the history accounts of the Kings of Israel, referencing further reading at the end of the verse. In verse 19, a summary account is given of the past happenings, of how Manasseh’s prayer was accepted and his land rid of evil by him, referenced again by further reading, in order to secure a place for him with his ancestors in his palace upon his dead in verse 20. He is taken over by his successor Amon, his son as a way of bringing Manasseh’s life to an end. Interpretative Problem The literal narrative brings about an interpretative problem that is central to the theme. It demonstrates that all evil, no matter how obscene and disproportionate to man’s inherent goodness, is redeemable by repentance. God, the all merciful, has a soft spot for those who repent if His creation calls out to Him in prayer. This in a way suggests that a person who goes against Godâ€℠¢s wishes and commands would more than likely cause himself to be addressed by Him in a much more direct way, thus inviting his curiosity and bringing about an insight in God that eventually leads to salvation. This inherent theme to life has a very pivotal criticism, in such that, if the assumption of salvation is made regarding anyone who repents his sins, then is it not also possible for the devil to do the same? This notion is readily defeated if the concept of God’s discretion is invoked. God forgives what he chooses to forgive, and is not bound by prayer alone. In verse 13, in response to Manasseh’s plea for forgiveness and help, God’s eternal compassion was evoked in a discretionary fashion. He chose to forgive

A working zone versus a distracting zone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A working zone versus a distracting zone - Essay Example I thought that I had done pretty well up till then, when I begand attending English 848 classes at the College of San Mateo. That was when I discovered, through the pie chart I had drawn up for my weekly activities in class, that I was actually spending a great deal of time procrastinating. This discovery led me to wonder as to what was causing me to procrastinate and what else I could do in order to use my time more effectively. It was around this same time that I began reading the book â€Å"Distracted† by Maggie Jackson. In the book Ms. Jackson writes; â€Å"attention is a process of taking in, sorting and shaping, planning, and regulates one’s impulses, which carries us towards our highest goals (24)†. It was the perfect accompaniement to my parents own beliefs about planning daily schedules in order to use time more efficiently. So I began to look to my past in order to explain why I was procrastinating in the present. I was led to the discovery that I spent too much time in my room, lying in bed either procrastinating or just being distracted. That was the main reason that I was now far from being an ideal student. Therefore, I needed to overcome this shortcoming somehow. Perhaps by spending more time at school studying. However, looking back on my planning methods, I found that I was mainly to blame when it came to falling short of performing my scheduled activities. Due to the distractions caused by my always wanting to relax in bed, I failed to develop my ability to concentrate on my planned tasks. Professor Christof Koch, an American neuroscientist known for his work on the neural bases of consciousness, defines attention as â€Å"the ability to concentrate on a particular stimulus, event, or thought while excluding competing stimuli.† Therefore, I needed to learn to stop distracting myself by going to bed everytime I had a task on hand. Looking back on my childhood experiences I knew that I did not always procrastinate in bed. In fact, I disliked my classmates and friends who spent more time in bed sleeping or relaxing when they could be doing more productive things with their time. Tracing back to my high school years, I could almost pinpoint the exact moment when I became what I despised the most. When I was in my senior year of high school, my parents and I had already set our sights on my coming to America to attend university studies at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). Since we wanted to ensure my acceptance to our university of choice, my parents developed a rigorous academic schedule for me. One that constantly left me physically and mentally exhausted every day. In an effort to help my body recover, I began to extend my leisure and sleeping time. I now realize that giving in to the whims and caprices of my body was the wrong thing for me to have done. My approach was a typical way of shifting stress on a new event. According to Amisha Padnani, an author of New York Times, c ites Dr. Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor in the music therapy program at the University of Miami, â€Å"When you’re stressed, you might make a decision more hastily; you have a very narrow focus of attention.† In this case, I chose relaxation time on my bed to shift my attention from the rigorous schedule that I had agreed to fulfill in the first place. But I began to enjoy relaxing to much and began to lose sight of my main goal, acceptance into UCLA. Needless to say, my lack of focus and other missteps resulted in my denial by UCLA. Having realized

Fundament of management Info systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Reactions and Reflections Essay Example for Free

Reactions and Reflections Essay The author Don Berry in his book Moontrap offers a rich history of the plight of mountain men as they are pushed to the edge of their freedom, and left with nowhere else to go. This story is compared to the moonlight on water, which eludes any traps, then fades eternally – like the mountain men whose freedom cannot anymore be returned to them. The book offers opportunity to reflect on how society value and respect the lives of people like the mountain men, and it recalls the sad narrative of their fate. It tells the story of coping and rediscoveries, of how a mountain man would always have that spirit and passion for the wild. The book recounts the history of the 1800s Northwest, in a rich and compelling narrative. Synopsis (Setting and Plot) The story is set in the year 1850 in the territories of Oregon as it is being taken over by the civilized world. The book Moontrap introduces two characters, John Monday, also known as Jaybird, and Webster W. Webster, or Webb as his acquaintances and friends call him. As with the past writing of Don Berry, the two characters are men from the mountains. The story focuses on the life of Jaybird, who longs to be stable and settle as a farmer. He stakes a claim in a land located across Oregon City, in the town of Willamette. As he was beginning to adjust to the life as a farmer, as he was starting to think that perhaps he has the chance to live a life that is normal, Webb comes into the picture. Webb like the typical mountain man came along with an old horse, from a life along the edges of society, ignoring and not having a care for the civilized life, enjoying the offers of nature in the mountains. Webb reintroduces Jaybird in a series of adventures, which eventually ushers a rediscovery of his character and true self. As Jaybird has nearly adjusted to his new life as a farmer, he met a common-law wife Mary, a Shoshone Indian, with whom he conceived a child. When he went to the judge of the town to have the child registered, the judge refused and instead wrote ‘bastard’. This was a clear proof and startling realization how men like the judge who has power and control, and filed with bigotry and disdain, can refuse the life and contentment of people like Jaybird. He then realizes that being a mountain man is something that is eternal; a mountain man would always be a mountain man. The author Don Berry asks the sincere yet poignant question of what is left for mountain men if they have reached the last of the frontiers. Since Oregon has already fallen into the grasps of civilization, with only the great ocean beyond, what are left for mountain men to do? The freedom that the mountain men enjoyed in their seemingly endless ventures have come to cease, and the civilization would forever crush the hope of attaining such same freedom. This message and reality was compared to how the reflections of the moon cannot be forever kept alive in the water, cannot be trapped, just as freedom can eternally be gone when it finally fades. Reactions and Reflections The point for reflection for the book is rich and clear. The author vividly recalls the struggles and eventual disappearance of the lives of mountain men, who relishes the life in the wild and in the mountains. But it was a life that would not last as they had been pushed to the edge of their land by the conquerors who invades in the name of civilization. The story is fascinating yet heartbreaking for it is how cultures and passions die and fade. The spirit of the mountain men died, because the waves of civilization have already swept through the last frontier – Oregon. Based on history, it recalls how the men of the mountains, how the old ways and old traditions has been cast aside as necessarily outcome of adopting the civilized ways. During the mid-1800s, the final vestiges of freedom of the mountain men, which is Oregon, has finally fallen into the hands of the civilized, and the price is clear and non-negotiable. Freedom for the mountain men, who lives at the edge and ignores the confines of the law, is necessary to be forgotten, for the civilized world frowns at their ways. Although the story weaved from the imaginations of the author, it rings true of what occurred in the old America. It is not only mountain men, but also natives and Indians who have gradually lost the freedom in order to give way to progress. The story recalls the unforgiving people in power whose imposition of civilization comes with bigotry and discrimination. The book is a powerful remembrance of the historical struggles of mountain men who no longer exists as they were slowly eliminated by the dictates of civilization. The history of the American Pacific Northwest is indeed field with richness, and has endless stories to tell. This is what makes the book interesting, for it provides a fascinating mixture of reflections and historical recollections. The author recounts how the white populations has taken over the land, and put an end to the lives and culture of the natives living in it. Although whether this imposition of civilization is good or bad is arguable, what is definite perhaps is that there were lost spirits as the lands of the Northwest was taken over. And this is indeed true in history. The book teaches the value of being faithful to your history and to where you come from. Even as Jaybird decides to escape from the life of a mountain man and start anew, his past always confronts him, and he discovers that at the end of the day, the civilization that he chose over his old ways would ultimately be the one to reject him. A mountain man would always be a mountain man. There is no shame in being at home in outside the limits of the civilized world and there is no wrong in relishing nature and the mountains. What is in fact sad is how this life has been forgotten by the society as we have been taken over by the technological advancements that frown on the lives of them mountain men. The author also gives the constant reminder that once upon a time, there were natives that roamed across the American land, who lived the life that was filled with carefree and freedom. This was a life that was given up, voluntary or otherwise, but deserves to be recalled and remembered. Don Berry constantly reminds us that we must not turn our backs on the people that once was, and he tells the world that the civilization that we are relishing now was not for free, it came at a very high price indeed. Reference Berry, Don. (1973). Moontrap. USA: Ballantine Books.

The Computer Mediated Communication Media Essay

The Computer Mediated Communication Media Essay Computer-mediated communication is defined by Metz as cited in Miller Brunner, 2008 as any communication patterns mediated by a computer. The notion of CMC was first discussed in Licklider and Taylor (1968), which posits men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine (i.e., a computer) than face to face. After almost two decades of studies, researchers have found it increasingly useful to regard computers, through which communication is mediated, as a mass medium (Morris Ogan, 1996). With changes taking place in various aspects of life today due to proliferation of communication, Miller Brunner (2008) hold that research into CMC has become increasingly prominent. CMC studies in both education and business domains have been concerned about the effects of computer as a medium of mass communication (Morris Ogan, 1996). This is largely due to the following characteristics of CMC that Morris (as cited in Chen, 2009) has identified: ubiquity, transparency, asynchronism, hyper-reality, and interactivity. Contrary to its actual potential, earlier ideas about CMC advocated a lack of capacity to deliver rich social information due to text-based and visually anonymous environment (Yao Flanagin, 2004). CMC had been criticised to have inherently prevented interpersonal communication and encouraged impersonal interactions such as bashings on the Internet (Kiesler, Siegel, McGuire, 1984). Siegel, Dubrovsky, Kiesler, and McGuire (1986) find that computer-mediated groups tend to demonstrate more aggressive behavior such as name-calling and swearings, as compared to groups that use face-to-face interactions. Nevertheless, such a deterministic view was challenged in subsequent studies. For instance, it is claimed the email plays a positive role by deconstructing organisational structures, allowing for greater information exchange among more people, and improving socialisation (Spence, 2002). Besides, CMC users are found to be able to adapt to the virtual environment and develop interpersonal relationships that resemble relationships formed face-to-face (Yao Flanagin, 2004). It is also found that group collaboration in CMC has contributed to group processing outcomes deemed innovative and democratic (Miller Brunner, 2008). 2.2 A shift on the Internet The Internet is evolving into a PeopleWeb, which indicates a shift from a web comprised of pages to one populated by people and their artifacts and interactions (Ramakrishnan Tomkin, 2007). In that regard, social networking sites such as Facebook and Friendster that allow information sharing and sourcing, have become extremely popular in the new media (Lipsman, as cited in Pfeil et al., 2009), and according to Bausch and Han (2006), will continue to attract users in a large number. Users are moving away from a state of anonymity on the Internet (McKenna Bargh, 2000) with the evolvement of computer technologies. For instance, popular Chinese social networking site RenRen is concluded to be an extension of users real life as self-disclosure phenomenon elicited by reality rather than anonymity is found present on the site (Yu Wu, 2010). While web 1.0 is getting replaced by applications in the web 2.0 era such as blogs, wikis, and collaborative projects (Kaplan Haenlein, 2009), content now can be modified by all users in a participatory and collaborative manner rather than on an individual basis (Kaplan Haenlein, 2009; Cheung, Chiu, Lee, 2010). With the rise of the social networking sites, their popularity is gauged not only by the size of the user base, but also the ability to provide users with the most significant amount of interaction (Cheung et al., 2010). It is reported in Bausch and Han (2006) that users of the top ten social networking sites in the U.S. had grown from 46.8 million in 2006 to 68.8 million in the following year. The growth of social media has influenced social interaction among people and contributed to a new meaning of the interaction, where scholars have begun looking into (as cited in Lipsman, Pfeil et al., 2009). The ramification of the new media is, as Grossman (2006) puts it, a community and collaboration on a scale never seen before. The web 2.0 a revolution is as if a new version of some old software (Grossman, 2006). Papacharissi and Rubin (2000) have identified online empowerment of individuals linking to instrumentality, interactivity, activity, and involvement as the causes of influence of the new web. On the other hand, Jacobs et al. (2009) attribute the rapid growth of social media to its ability to allow users to produce and share content. While the active audience theory has been shunned as far as traditional media is concerned, Livingstone (1999) highlights the importance of audience activity in both the design and use of interactive media. In fact, the shift in media user activity has been discussed since as early as 1963, when Klapper (as cited in Chigona et al., 2008) put forth the idea that UG focuses on what people do with mass media, rather than what mass media does to people. Shin (2009) calls the UG approach a paradigm shift from traditional media research, where focus was placed on media effects (e.g., what media does to people). A review of the UG theory can be found after this sub-chapter. 2.3 Uses and gratifications (UG) theory The UG theory, otherwise known as the needs and gratifications theory (Roy, 2009, revolves around why and how people use certain media (Lo Leung, 2009). The term gratifications was coined by psychologist Herta Herzogto in 1944 to illustrate specific dimensions of radio audiences usage satisfaction, following which mass communication theorists had adopted and adapted the concept to study various mass media such as TV and electronic bulletins (Luo, 2002). The UG theory is built upon the basic assumption that audience has their own agenda and is deemed as active and goal-oriented rather than passive consumers of information (McQuail, Blumler, Brown, as cited in Katz, Blumler, Gurevitch, 1974). By assuming the audience to be active and goal-directed, the UG perspective posits that they opt for and consume certain media and content that would satisfy their psychological needs, which explains the motivation of their media use (Katz, Gurevitch, Hass, 1973; Rubin, as cited in Roy, 2009; Katz, Blumler, Gurevitch, as cited in Kim, Sohn, Choi, 2010). Such fulfillment of needs as a source of motivation, is proposed to be affecting user gratification of media use (Sangwan, 2005). The UG theory has been adopted and adapted over the years to study the use of various media ranging from the more conventional mass media to the new media and later to mobile technology (Stafford et al., 2004; Chigona et al., 2008; Roy, 2009; Shin, 2009; Liu et al., 2010). Although some scholars have questioned UGs utility in studying the digital media, Ruggiero (as cited in Quan-Haase, 2012) posits the need to seriously include the UG approach in any attempt to speculate on the future direction of mass communication theory. Besides, it is contended that whenever a new technology makes its way into the arena of mass communication, users underlying motivations and decisions to use the new communication tool could be explained by applying the UG paradigm (Elliott Rosenberg, Liu, Cheung Lee, 2010). However, in order to effectively study and measure the new media by using the UG scales intended for traditional media research, Lin (as cited in Shin, 2009) holds that a revision to the scales will be required. Consistent with Lins idea is Angleman (as cited in Shin, 2009), who believes existing theories require amendments in order to fit new media studies. Application of the UG theory in various new media studies has been reviewed and an overview of those studies with their respective motivations is presented in Table 1. Table 2.1: Overview of Prior Studies on New Media UG Author and year Research area Motivations identified James, Wotring, Forrest (1995) Electronic bulletin board (i.e., forums) Transmission of information and education, socialising, medium appeal, computer or other business, entertainment Korgaonkar Wolin (1999) Internet Social escapism, transaction, privacy, information, interaction, socialization, economic motivations Papacharissi (2002) Personal home pages Passing time, entertainment, information, self-expression, professional advancement, communication with friends and family Stafford et al. (2004) Internet Process: resources, search engines, searching, surfing, technology, web sites Content: education, information, knowledge, learning, research Social: chatting, friends, interactions, people Ko, Cho, Roberts (2005) Internet Information, convenience, entertainment, social-interaction Diddi LaRose (2006) Internet news Surveillance, escapism, pass time, entertainment, habit Cheung Lee (2009) Virtual comminity Purposive value, self-discovery, entertainment value, social enhancement, maintaining interpersonal interconnectivity Haridakis Hanson (2009) YouTube Convenient entertainment, convenient information seeking, co-viewing, social interaction Mendes-Filho Tan (2009) User-generated content Content: information consistency, source credibility, argument quality, information framing Process: medium; entertainment Social: recommendation consistency, recommendation rating Liu, Cheung Lee (2010) Twitter Content: disconfirmation of self-documentation, disconfirmation of information sharing Process: disconfirmation of entertainment, disconfirmation of passing time, disconfirmation of self-expression Social: disconfirmation of social interaction Technology: disconfirmation of medium appeal, disconfirmation of convenience 2.4 Media user gratifications Katz et al. (1974) suggest research on gratifications has revolved around media-related needs that serve to satisfy media consumers at least in part who are deemed active and goal-oriented. Despite having a problem with ambiguity as far as definition is concerned, Weiss (1976) asserts that related key terms like uses, needs, satisfactions, gratifications, and motives are being used interchangeably across different papers and within single papers. Stafford et al. (2004) define gratifications as some aspects of user-reported satisfaction. It has been found that satisfaction of user motivations is positively correlated with future internet usage (Papacharissi Rubin, 2000). Before resorting to a certain behavior of media use, past experiences of individuals and whether or not their motivations can be satisfied by certain behaviors will be evaluated (McLeod Becker, as cited in Johnson Yang, 2008). Sangwan (2005) puts forth the idea that gratification can be used as a proxy measure to evaluate the success or failure of a virtual community, which is similar to that used in information systems. He proposes that gratification of media users will be affected by fulfillment of media needs that acts as a motivator. In this research, a total of 22 questions on social media use are employed as the instrument to evaluate and explain users motivations. By taking up the proposal by Sangwan (2005), the research outcome will tell if users motivations have an effect on the gratifications or satisfaction of media users. Detailed information on the research instrument can be referred to in Chapter 3. 2.5 Categorisations of needs and gratifications The UG theory proposes five categories of needs, namely cognitive, affective, personal integrative, social integrative and tension release needs (Katz et al., 1973). Over the years, researchers appropriating the UG theory to study various media have discovered a plethora of different needs. While some of these needs are rather consistent with one of the earliest classifications of needs by Katz et al. (1973), others are not. In a study that examines the relations between web usage and satisfaction, Luo (2002) employs three constructs drawn from previous traditional media UG research, namely informativeness, entertainment, and irritation, in order to assess how each of them affects user attitude towards the web. Research results have confirmed the said constructs were what determine users attitude towards the web. Also employs similar constructs include such researchers as Eighmey (1997), Eighmey and McCord (1998), as well as Kargaonkar and Wolin (1999). Livaditi, Vassilopoulou, Lougos, and Chorianopoulos (2003), in their interactive TV applications UG study, catogorise media needs into the two basic constructs of ritualised and instrumental. Other researchers who have adopted such a classification of needs are Metzger and Flanagin, as well as Rubin (as cited in Ran, 2008), who have found that gratifications, as motivations, do lead to both ritualised and instrumental use of media. In Sangwan (2005), several types of needs have been identified to explain the motivations behind the use of virtual community platforms, such as forums: functional, emotive, and contextual needs. However, it is posited that although the research sample has been assumed to be active participants of virtual communities, there are also passive participants whose latent needs have yet to be identified (Sangwan, 2005). Cutler and Danowski, as well as Stafford and Stafford (as cited in Chigona et al., 2008) divide motivations into the categories of process and content. Later, an additional category known as social motivations has been identified and included (Stafford Stafford, as cited in Chigona et al., 2008). Stafford et al. (2004) describe this additional social dimension as unique to Internet use. Although found to be the weakest variable among others, social motivations serves as a vital construct in the Internet-specific UG research (Stafford et al., 2004). Chigona et al. (2008), who appropriate the motivation categories verified in Stafford et al. (2004) to study mobile Internet UG, have confirmed the presence of all three constructs. Peters, Amato, and Hollenbeck (2007), as well as Mendes-Filho and Tan (2009) are among other researchers who have adopted the three constructs in their respectively studies of wireless advertising and user-generated content. Also adopting the instruments is Shin (2009), who, on top of the three motivation types, has added embedded gratifications to study wireless Internet use. Besides, Liu et al. (2010) also employ the three motivations types on top of an additional technology gratification to study Twitter use. 2.6 Process, content, and social motivations This study bases its main framework on one developed by Stafford and Stafford (as cited in Chigona et al., 2008), and later verified by Stafford et al. (2004): the three motivation types of process, content, and social. The rationale behind this choice has been explained in Chapter 1 under Statement of problem (p.zz). What is defined by each of the process, content, and social motivations, is illustrated in the next few paragraphs. Content gratifications from the UG theory are characterised by their relation to information content, such as product or store information (Stafford Stafford, as cited in Stafford et al., 2004) and place concern on messages carried by the medium (Stafford et al., 2004). Such motivations are stemmed from the use of mediated messages for the receivers intrinsic value (Cutler Danowski, as cited in Chigona et al., 2008). Content motivations take consideration into to the messages that a medium carries (Stafford et al., 2004; Stafford, 2009), which may be informative or entertaining (Stafford, 2009). Roy (2009) asserts that content is normally skewed towards entertainment and dispersion in UG studies of non-Internet media, as compared to informativeness in those of Internet. Nevertheless, certain Internet users may be motivated by such usage process as random browsing and site navigation (Hoffman and Danowski, as cited in Stafford et al., 2004). Process motivations are driven by the actual use of the medium per se (Cutler Danowski, as cited in Chigona et al., 2008; Stafford et al., 2004; Stafford, 2009), such as enjoyment of the process of using the Internet (Hoffman Novak, as cited in Stafford et al., 2004; Stafford, 2009). On the other hand, social motivations include such aspects as chatting, friendship, interactions, and people (Chigona et al., 2008). 2.7 Social dimension and the rising impact Social contacts and interactions have shifted from offline to online realms (Boyd, as cited in Smeele, 2010) and this social dimension defines what users understand about themselves and their relation to the communities (Dyson; McMillan Chavis, as cited in Jacobs et al., 2009). Stafford et al. (2004) posit the importance of looking into the potential UG of the Internet as a social environment, as researchers may be expected to discover emergent social gratifications for Internet use. Research by Jacobs et al. (2009) shows a majority of the students utilise social media in a manner that resembles the social friends and family setting. Besides, Ellison, Steinfield, ande Lampe (as cited in Ross, Orr, Sisic, Arseneault, Simmering, Orr, 2009) also assert that maintenance of pre-existing social relationships has been made possible and may be stronger through online platforms. Users now turn to the Internet more frequently to socialise with people they know and expand their circle of friends (Jones, as cited in Correa, Hinsley Zà ºÃƒ ±iga, 2010). Active participation on sites like Facebook, communication via texting and chat programmes, as well as creation of blogs have become a way of life for the new generation according to Jacobs et al. (2009). Correa et al. (2010) are of the opinion that individuals who choose not to engage online may be limiting their ability to advance socially as it is an increasingly user-generated environment. 2.8 The need to quantify social dimension Stafford et al. (2004) concede that there is limited evidence in support of the distinct social aspect to Internet use. Following the identification of social motivations in Stafford and Stafford (as cited in Chigona et al., 2008), researchers are trying to validate this emerging motivation type, which eventually has been found present in studies by such researchers as Chigona et al. (2008), Haridakis and Hanson (2009), as well as Norway Brandtzà ¦g and Heim (as cited in Kim et al., 2010). Miller and Brunner (2008) hold that studies that focus specifically on the social aspect of online communicators and its theoretical foundations are lacking. For instance, although the social dimension is found present in a mobile Internet UG study by Chigona et al. (2008), the researchers merely confirm its existence without providing much elaboration into how it fares in contrast to content and process motivations the latter of which according to Aoki Downe; Leung Wei; Rubin; Stafford Gillenson; Stafford et al. (as cited in Chigona et al., 2008), are the most pronounced motivation types found on traditional Internet use. Besides, several social media studies also show that the social dimension does not live up to the medias supposedly social nature (e.g., Liu et al., 2010; Smeele, 2010; Xu, Ryan, Prybutok, Wen, 2012). 2.9 Genders and UG Gender differences have been identified as an important aspect in computer-related research (Gunawardena McIsaac, as cited in Kim Chang, 2007). The issue of limited women in the fields of technology and ICT remains a topic of interest for both the scientific community and decision-makers today (Sà ¡inz Là ³pez-Sà ¡ez, 2010). Some studies have suggested that females may be more inclined to have computer anxiety and lower self-efficacy due to the socio-cultural background of gender (Halder, Ray, Chakrabarty, 2010). Gutek and Bikson (as cited in Harrison Rainer, 1992) also find that men tend to demonstrate computer-related skills at workplace. In another instance, Wilder, Mackie, and Cooper (as cited in Harrison Rainer, 1992) find that males show greater interest in using a computer compared to females. In more recent research, Leung (2003) finds socioeconomic status such as gender, with the exception of age, to be predictive of Internet use, and that heavy users of the web are usually males. Although Okazaki (2006) asserts that effect of gender on mobile Internet service adoption is uncertain, married women indicate more negative perceptions than married men. Besides, a study on mobile phone UG by Ran (2008) reveals that males are significantly skewed towards a certain news-seeking need. Roy (2009) also discovers gender-related differences in perceived Internet use. In terms of social media UG, gender-related differences have also been found in a slew of studies such as Sveningsson Elm (2007), Joinson (2008), Jones, Millermaier, Goya-Martinez, and Schuler (2008), Thelwall (2009), as well as Thelwall, Wilkinson, and Uppal (2010). Volman, van Eck, Heemskerk, and Kuiper (2005) contend that the development of software, websites, and even teaching materials needs to have gender sensitivities taken into consideration in order to facilitate better learning among male and female pupils, who demonstrate very different preferences and attitudes towards ICT. Also in line with their idea are Halder, Ray, and Chakrabarty (2010), who suggest the importance of studying behavioral differences between people with respect to information processing and searching as such behaviors have to be more holistically understood and generalised before information retrieval systems and user support services are designed. Those are some implications of how gender differences could impact human behavior associated with the acceptance of information and technologies. With gender being neglected as a significant variable, studying human information behavior will remain incomplete (Nahl Harada; Roy, Taylor, Chi, as cited in Halder, Ray, and Chakrabarty, 2010). It is, therefore, of the essence to find out if the influence of gender is valid in this social media UG study. If valid, which aspect of motivations is users social media experience influenced the most?

Anabolic Steroid Use in Baseball :: essays research papers

In American high schools across the country, many people buy, sell, and use drugs. In addition, these people influence everyone around them. On these campuses, some of the people influenced by this illegal activity are sports players. One of the sports most affected is baseball. Doping in baseball is wrong because it ruins baseball's reputation, it negatively influences the athlete's health, and the drugs are bad for young people who hold up athletes as role models. Reputation Baseball?s reputation has been painted with a red asterisk. The non-medical use of steroids has been banned according to the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990. Many baseball athletes have been caught or presumed illegal users of HGH or Steroids since the act passed in 1990. All these athletes have one thing in common, they want to have an edge or advantage on the game. Some athletes even admit to administering the drug to other athletes and themselves. Jose Conseco testified to personally injecting the steroids into Mark McGuire (Cote). Baseball?s pride and joy the Hall of Fame is constantly the conversation of self-morals and integrity. The Hall of Fame has asked its voters to consider the players integrity and personality as a whole. The Hall of Fame committee asks that the voters wait until they see truthfulness, integrity, and contrition. Cooperstown is unique compared to the NFL?s Hall of Fame in that Cooperstown actually has a morals clause. This clause states what Cooperstown has been asking the public to consider in the overall integrity of the player. The bottom line is the public believes steroids are illegal and that in any case shall athletes use steroids to get an edge on the game (Cote). Steroids are widespread and can be very costly. According to a survey, there are more than 3 million steroid users in the US. Of that number, 262,000 are teen athletes. There are over $400 million worth of steroids sold each year. Steroids cost anywhere around $50 to $600 a month depending on how much the user uses. In addition, 1 out of 15 high school athletes have admitted to using steroids (Peck). Many baseball athletes believe steroids will give them an edge on the game by making themselves stronger. This is true in the respect that it makes the athlete stronger and more superior but they also cause more problems then they solve.

Sleep :: essays research papers

The article I chose is called â€Å"Reinventing yourself† and it talks about research on memory. According to the author â€Å"who you are is limited only by your imagination†. What does it mean? That’s what I will try to explain on the following couple pages. As I understood this article, it’s talking about how our imagination influences the memory. It starts with the examples from people’s lives. Bill Clinton told American people that he never served for Vietnam, and the reasons he gave appeared to be totally different from the reasons that came up after a research. Or, Gary Trudeau, cartoonist, that was telling people the same story for about 20 years about the way he avoided army, saying that he was a student and â€Å"his three-year student deferment had run out, which meant his call-up was imminent†. In fact, what appeared after a research, his dad was a doctor, and he didn’t serve in Vietnam because of his health condition. This is a good example of how our present life develops our imagination that adds to the memory and makes it different from a reality. But this is the way our imagination reflects and connects our past, present and future. And sometimes we start to think about what do we need a memory for. And the answer is â€Å"to learn from our experiences without having to repeat them endlessly†. That’s why very few moments in our life can repeat exactly. And when we share the personal histories, it helps to keep the relationships going, but, as a matter of fact, what really happened is not that dramatic and critical as the way we talk about it afterwards. Let’s imagine talking about memories from childhood, and suddenly somebody interrupts us and says that it couldn’t happened and you are wrong. What are you going to do? How are you going to prove it? And what the statistics show now is that many people instead of trying to find a proof such as pictures, tapes, videos will prefer just to imagine what could happen and how would it feel if this could happen now. Psychologist Helen Hembrook discovered this. In 1996 psychologists made a research by giving the example of the same events to the same people twice that could happen to them in their childhood, and it appeared that many of them gave different answers twice and, besides this, some of them just imagined that it could happened to them and this made them to really believe that it happened. Sleep :: essays research papers The article I chose is called â€Å"Reinventing yourself† and it talks about research on memory. According to the author â€Å"who you are is limited only by your imagination†. What does it mean? That’s what I will try to explain on the following couple pages. As I understood this article, it’s talking about how our imagination influences the memory. It starts with the examples from people’s lives. Bill Clinton told American people that he never served for Vietnam, and the reasons he gave appeared to be totally different from the reasons that came up after a research. Or, Gary Trudeau, cartoonist, that was telling people the same story for about 20 years about the way he avoided army, saying that he was a student and â€Å"his three-year student deferment had run out, which meant his call-up was imminent†. In fact, what appeared after a research, his dad was a doctor, and he didn’t serve in Vietnam because of his health condition. This is a good example of how our present life develops our imagination that adds to the memory and makes it different from a reality. But this is the way our imagination reflects and connects our past, present and future. And sometimes we start to think about what do we need a memory for. And the answer is â€Å"to learn from our experiences without having to repeat them endlessly†. That’s why very few moments in our life can repeat exactly. And when we share the personal histories, it helps to keep the relationships going, but, as a matter of fact, what really happened is not that dramatic and critical as the way we talk about it afterwards. Let’s imagine talking about memories from childhood, and suddenly somebody interrupts us and says that it couldn’t happened and you are wrong. What are you going to do? How are you going to prove it? And what the statistics show now is that many people instead of trying to find a proof such as pictures, tapes, videos will prefer just to imagine what could happen and how would it feel if this could happen now. Psychologist Helen Hembrook discovered this. In 1996 psychologists made a research by giving the example of the same events to the same people twice that could happen to them in their childhood, and it appeared that many of them gave different answers twice and, besides this, some of them just imagined that it could happened to them and this made them to really believe that it happened.

Paracetamol and Rheumatic Pain Management

Journal Article Critique HCA 220 Kayla Dye 3/3/2013 Wanda Carter This article explains what pains the elderly suffer from. Musculoskeletal pain in mentioned to be the most common. It mentions the causes being rheumatic pain, different types of arthritis, and non curable conditions such as tendonitis and bursitis. It states that pain management can either be treated with pharmaceuticals or non pharmaceuticals. Education of the patient of treatment is important in order to maintain good health with non pharmaceuticals.With pharmaceuticals are also offered but are mentioned to be â€Å"cost-effective† and since they contain â€Å"NSAIDs† there is less risk for harmful effects with effective relief of symptoms. Any of the pharmaceuticals that the elderly use should be used with caution because of sensitivity and drug interactions. This requires attention and adjustments of dosages to avoid risk and be beneficial at the same time. This article states there are four broad cat egories of treatment which include analgesics, NSAIDs, even stronger analgesics, and adjuvant drugs.With all these drugs they should be maintained efficiently throughout the period of treatment and physicians should be aware of the effects. The goals that are discussed with patients and physicians should be realistic for the pain management to be effective. They are ways to help side effects of rheumatic pain such as helping sleep disturbance, fatigue, and mood disorders. For any of this to be effective educational efforts must still be involved with the patient and healthcare professional perspectives. An accurate diagnosis for rheumatic pain management will help if the patients are realistic as this article states.These treatments should be multimodal, but pay attention to the health of the patient. The best outcome would be to have a great impact on the pain and improve their lives and with the wider range of options of treatment that can make it possible and help physicians with musculoskeletal aches and pains that occur in the elderly. Some implications that healthcare professionals could have are that pain characteristics, disability levels, and psychological factors such as depression and anxiety could affect the prognosis of musculoskeletal pain.Variables that are associated with poor outcomes for musculoskeletal pain could include the return of pain and complaints within a short time period, lack of education, use of pain medication, and even more bothersome pain occurring. There are important implications of expanded testing and treatment for musculoskeletal pain. Innovation has often outpaced clinical science, leaving uncertainty about the efficacy and safety of many common treatments. Complications and even deaths related to pain management are increasing. Despite uncertainties, manufacturers aggressively promote new drugs and devices.However, trust in the science supporting these products is eroded by revelations of misleading advertising, allegat ions of kickbacks to physicians,  and major investments by surgeons in the products they are investigating. Associate Level Material Medical Terminology Breakdown Break down 10 medical words from your chosen article. Place the component parts in the correct boxes. Copy and paste this template into your Week Eight paper. | Medical Word| Prefix| Combining form| Suffix| Definition| 1|   rheumatic| Rheumat/o| Rheumat/o-ic| ic| Watery flow. 2| osteoarthritis| Osteo/o | Osteo/o-arthr/o-itis| itis| A form of arthritis, occurring mainly in older persons, that is characterized by chronic degeneration of the cartilage of the joints. | 3| arthritis| Arthr/o| Anthr/o-itis| itis| Inflammation of a joint. | 4| tendinitis| Tendin/o| Tendin/o-itis| itis| Inflammation of a tendon. | 5| bursitis| Burs/o| Burs/o-itis| itis| Inflammation of a bursa. | 6| acetaminophen| A/o| a-ceto/o-mino/o-pheno/o-en| en| Analgesic drug used as an alternative to aspirin. 7| analgesic| Ana/o| Ana/o-ges-ic| ic| Pain killer| 8| musculo-skeletal| Musculo/o| Musculo/o- skelet/o-al | al| Pertaining to or comprising the skeleton and muscles. | 9| pharmacological| Pharmac/o| Pharmac/o-log/o-ic-al| al| The science of drugs, including their composition, uses, and effects. | 10| intra-articular| Intra | Intra/-articul/o-ar| ar| Within a joint. | References Fitzcharles, M. -A. , Lussier, D. , & Shir, Y. (2010). Management of chronic arthritis pain in the elderly. Drugs & Aging,  27(6), 471.

The Benefits of Study Abroad

Part 1 Grammar 1 a 2 b 3 b 4 c 5 b 6 a 7 b 8 a 9 b 10 b 11 c 12 c 13 b 14 b 15 c 16 a 17 b 18 a 19 b 20 a 21 c 22 a 23 b 24 a 25 b 26 b 27 a 28 a 29 b 30 c Part 2 Writing As I have been studying in China for almost 4 years, and my professors always recommend me to make a further study abroad, I finally have made up my mind to get a master degree in Australia. It is not only because I have been told that the education system in Australia is quite different from the one in China, but also there has a strong academic reputation in the field of Business.Speaking of Melbourne Institute of Technology(MIT) and University of Ballarat(UB), I have heard that the campuses locate at the downtown of the two biggest cities in Australia which are Melbourne and Sydney. Besides, some courses are accredited by professional bodies such as the CPA Australia, which will give me professional development opportunities. Furthermore, as I know, the class sizes are smaller than traditional universities that w ill encourage me to participate and develop confidence. I am certain that I will try my best there and achieve my maximum potential.When I come back to China after studying, I will be more competitive and definitely make a major contribution to my future career. In a word, the two-year master study in Australia will not only offer me an opportunity to improve myself in every aspect with professors and fellow students from many other countries but also obtain social skills and international insight in my major as well. Part 3 Reading 1. There are a lot of common causes of stress. One of the most common causes is work. Another one is school for those who have not entered the working world yet.Also simple family life can be one common cause of stress. 2. The combined stress of both work itself and the possibility of losing it creates a sort of double-stress, which means that not only do people worry about their daily tasks and routine pressures of work, but also they feel they have to work even harder in order to keep their jobs. 3. School can be a great source of stress for those who have not entered the working world yet. Because of the constant pressure of schoolwork, friends, teachers, tests, quizzes, papers and everything else, anyone can feel like they are trapped in a vice.Furthermore, the deadlines are all immoveable, so the students are constantly under time pressure. And the deadlines overlapping makes matters worse. 4. The deadlines are immoveable, so students are constantly under time pressure. To make matters worse, there are often several deadlines overlapping each other, intensifying the demands on time. 5. Once final exams arrive, there is a lot to re-learn and students need to spend so much time studying that they can barely sleep. 6. For parents, stress can often come from simply worrying about their children.After all, seeing a child grow up, make mistakes, go through school, go to college, play sports and often learn things the hard way is eno ugh to make a parent go bald. 7. Actually parents can often be the cause of stress as much as sources of comfort from it. Though they often have their children’s best interests in mind, they can also put a lot of pressure on their children. 8. Spouses often spend a lot of time avoiding certain arguments simply because they are trying to avoid stress. However, leaving tension in the air while not resolving it can be a cause of stress.So it should be good to resolve conflicts immediately. 9. Although money keeps going out, not enough of it seems to come in and stress just keeps mounting. There never seems to be enough for the mortgage or rent, car payments, credit cards and other bills. Furthermore, it is rather difficult to be philosophical about money stress since attempting to put things into perspective only recalls thoughts about the money that always seems to be missing. 10. The best place to start is by managing the stress, then working to solve the problems with a clear and uncluttered mind.

Racism and video games Essay

Video games are not what most people would go to when they think of racial controversy, but every media medium has had their own form of controversy one that happened most recently was the release of a game called Resident Evil 5 which is centered around a guy named Chris Redfield who is basically in a FBI like group centered around killing zombies. As you may have guest this is not the first in the series of the game the series has been around for about 15 years and has had been set in many different countries and such killed many a different zombies. The creators wanted to set this particular game in Africa when the trailer was released the was a racism claim against the game because Chris is white guy going around killing black zombies it was so bad the game release date was pushed backed and slight changes were made Chris was given a black side kick named Sheva Alomar. The second trailer for the game, released on May 31, 2008, revealed a more racially diverse group of enemies, as well as Sheva, a BSAA agent who assists the protagonist. However, designer Jun Takeuchi denied that complaints about racism had any effect in altering the design of Resident Evil 5. Takeuchi commented that the game’s producers were surprised by the controversy. In an interview with MTV, he explained that Capcom’s staff is racially diverse, and acknowledged that various cultures may have had different opinions on the trailer. In an interview with Computer and Video Games, producer Masachika Kawata also commented on the issue, stating, â€Å"We can’t please everyone. We’re in the entertainment business – we’re not here to state our political opinion or anything like that. It’s unfortunate that some people felt that way. â€Å"Well personally as a person of African American decent while me personally is not offended I can see where some people can be somewhat offended but it’s set in Africa what type of zombies do you think Chris is going kill. There just zombies not salves and he is not going around raping and lynching people. I personally think as far as video game African Americans are more or less symbolically annihilated rather than video games having racist tendencies toward us as a race of people. And what I mean by that is you don’t really see that many black people in video game as main characters. There are a few, Cj from Grand theft Auto 3 San Andreas Is one that comes to mind but his game is full of stereotypes about the â€Å"Hood† And I’m not going to sit here and lie I played this game and enjoyed it back in middle school. As far I know there are only a few truly without a doubt racist games one them being Custer’s Revenge In the game, the player controls the character of General George Armstrong Custer, depicted as a man wearing nothing but a cavalry hat, boots, and a bandana, sporting a visible erection. Custer has to overcome arrow attacks to reach the other side of the screen. His goal is to have sex with a naked, large-breasted Native American woman named Revenge. (And Yes This Game Dose Exist but it was released back on the Atari 2600 in the 80’s here a wikiapiea link http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Custer’s_Revenge ) Even with this game it’s was not licensed by Atari and nor did Atari have anything to do with its production. The video game medium has become a very big part of media and I do not think that anyone in their right mind would even think of releasing anything racially offensive to anyone if they want to keep making the multimillions that they continue to make. As I stated earlier I would say that video game would more likely be a candidate for social annihilation more anything else I would like to more black people in video games kicking butt and taking names and so far we have a few but not as much as I would like well I guess it’s just more of a personal preference than anything else.

The Host Chapter 4: Dreamed

It is too dark to be so hot, or maybe too hot to be so dark. One of the two is out of place. I crouch in the darkness behind the weak protection of a scrubby creosote bush, sweating out all the water left in my body. It's been fifteen minutes since the car left the garage. No lights have come on. The arcadia door is open two inches, letting the swamp cooler do its job. I can imagine the feel of the moist, cool air blowing through the screen. I wish it could reach me here. My stomach gurgles, and I clench my abdominal muscles to stifle the sound. It is quiet enough that the murmur carries. I am so hungry. There is another need that is stronger-another hungry stomach hidden safely far away in the darkness, waiting alone in the rough cave that is our temporary home. A cramped place, jagged with volcanic rock. What will he do if I don't come back? All the pressure of motherhood with none of the knowledge or experience. I feel so hideously helpless. Jamie is hungry. There are no other houses close to this one. I've been watching since the sun was still white hot in the sky, and I don't think there is a dog, either. I ease up from my crouch, my calves screaming in protest, but keep hunched at the waist, trying to be smaller than the bush. The way up the wash is smooth sand, a pale pathway in the light of the stars. There are no sounds of cars on the road. I know what they will realize when they return, the monsters who look like a nice couple in their early fifties. They will know exactly what I am, and the search will begin at once. I need to be far away. I really hope they are going out for a night on the town. I think it's Friday. They keep our habits so perfectly, it's hard to see any difference. Which is how they won in the first place. The fence around the yard is only waist high. I get over easily, noiselessly. The yard is gravel, though, and I have to walk carefully to keep my weight from shifting it. I make it to the patio slab. The blinds are open. The starlight is enough to see that the rooms are empty of movement. This couple goes for a spartan look, and I'm grateful. It makes it harder for someone to hide. Of course, that leaves no place for me to hide, either, but if it comes to hiding for me, it's too late anyway. I ease the screen door open first, and then the glass door. Both glide silently. I place my feet carefully on the tile, but this is just out of habit. No one is waiting for me here. The cool air feels like heaven. The kitchen is to my left. I can see the gleam of granite counters. I pull the canvas bag from my shoulder and start with the refrigerator. There is a moment of anxiety as the light comes on when the door opens, but I find the button and hold it down with my toe. My eyes are blind. I don't have time to let them adjust. I go by feel. Milk, cheese slices, leftovers in a plastic bowl. I hope it's the chicken-and-rice thing I watched him cooking for dinner. We'll eat this tonight. Juice, a bag of apples. Baby carrots. These will stay good till morning. I hurry to the pantry. I need things that will keep longer. I can see better as I gather as much as I can carry. Mmm, chocolate chip cookies. I'm dying to open the bag right now, but I grit my teeth and ignore the twist of my empty stomach. The bag gets heavy too quickly. This will last us only a week, even if we're careful with it. And I don't feel like being careful; I feel like gorging. I shove granola bars into my pockets. One more thing. I hurry to the sink and refill my canteen. Then I put my head under the flow and gulp straight from the stream. The water makes odd noises when it hits my hollow stomach. I start to feel panicked now that my job is done. I want to be out of here. Civilization is deadly. I watch the floor on my way out, worried about tripping with my heavy bag, which is why I don't see the silhouetted black figure on the patio until my hand is on the door. I hear his mumbled oath at the same time that a stupid squeak of fear escapes my mouth. I spin to sprint for the front door, hoping the locks are not latched, or at least not difficult. I don't even get two steps before rough, hard hands grab my shoulders and wrench me back against his body. Too big, too strong to be a woman. The bass voice proves me right. â€Å"One sound and you die,† he threatens gruffly. I am shocked to feel a thin, sharp edge pushing into the skin under my jaw. I don't understand. I shouldn't be given a choice. Who is this monster? I've never heard of one who would break rules. I answer the only way I can. â€Å"Do it,† I spit through my teeth. â€Å"Just do it. I don't want to be a filthy parasite!† I wait for the knife, and my heart is aching. Each beat has a name. Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. What will happen to you now? â€Å"Clever,† the man mutters, and it doesn't sound like he's speaking to me. â€Å"Must be a Seeker. And that means a trap. How did they know?† The steel disappears from my throat, only to be replaced by a hand as hard as iron. I can barely breathe under his grip. â€Å"Where are the rest of them?† he demands, squeezing. â€Å"It's just me!† I rasp. I can't lead him to Jamie. What will Jamie do when I don't come back? Jamie is hungry! I throw my elbow into his gut-and this really hurts. His stomach muscles are as iron hard as the hand. Which is very strange. Muscles like that are the product of hard living or obsession, and the parasites have neither. He doesn't even suck in a breath at my blow. Desperate, I jab my heel into his instep. This catches him off guard, and he wobbles. I wrench away, but he grabs hold of my bag, yanking me back into his body. His hand clamps down on my throat again. â€Å"Feisty for a peace-loving body snatcher, aren't you?† His words are nonsensical. I thought the aliens were all the same. I guess they have their nut jobs, too, after all. I twist and claw, trying to break his hold. My nails catch his arm, but this just makes him tighten his hold on my throat. â€Å"I will kill you, you worthless body thief. I'm not bluffing.† â€Å"Do it, then!† Suddenly he gasps, and I wonder if any of my flailing limbs have made contact. I don't feel any new bruises. He lets go of my arm and grabs my hair. This must be it. He's going to cut my throat. I brace for the slice of the knife. But the hand on my throat eases up, and then his fingers are fumbling on the back of my neck, rough and warm on my skin. â€Å"Impossible,† he breathes. Something hits the floor with a thud. He's dropped the knife? I try to think of a way to get it. Maybe if I fall. The hand on my neck isn't tight enough to keep me from yanking free. I think I heard where the blade landed. He spins me around suddenly. There is a click, and light blinds my left eye. I gasp and automatically try to twist away from it. His hand tightens in my hair. The light flickers to my right eye. â€Å"I can't believe it,† he whispers. â€Å"You're still human.† His hands grab my face from both sides, and before I can pull free, his lips come down hard on mine. I'm frozen for half a second. No one has ever kissed me in my life. Not a real kiss. Just my parents' pecks on the cheek or forehead, so many years ago. This is something I thought I would never feel. I'm not sure exactly what it feels like, though. There's too much panic, too much terror, too much adrenaline. I jerk my knee up in a sharp thrust. He chokes out a wheezing sound, and I'm free. Instead of running for the front of the house again like he expects, I duck under his arm and leap through the open door. I think I can outrun him, even with my load. I've got a head start, and he's still making pained noises. I know where I'm going-I won't leave a path he can see in the dark. I never dropped the food, and that's good. I think the granola bars are a loss, though. â€Å"Wait!† he yells. Shut up, I think, but I don't yell back. He's running after me. I can hear his voice getting closer. â€Å"I'm not one of them!† Sure. I keep my eyes on the sand and sprint. My dad used to say I ran like a cheetah. I was the fastest on my track team, state champion, back before the end of the world. â€Å"Listen to me!† He's still yelling at full volume. â€Å"Look! I'll prove it. Just stop and look at me!† Not likely. I pivot off the wash and flit through the mesquites. â€Å"I didn't think there was anyone left! Please, I need to talk to you!† His voice surprises me-it is too close. â€Å"I'm sorry I kissed you! That was stupid! I've just been alone so long!† â€Å"Shut up!† I don't say it loudly, but I know he hears. He's getting even closer. I've never been outrun before. I push my legs harder. There's a low grunt to his breathing as he speeds up, too. Something big flies into my back, and I go down. I taste dirt in my mouth, and I'm pinned by something so heavy I can hardly breathe. â€Å"Wait. A. Minute,† he huffs. He shifts his weight and rolls me over. He straddles my chest, trapping my arms under his legs. He is squishing my food. I growl and try to squirm out from under him. â€Å"Look, look, look!† he says. He pulls a small cylinder from his hip pocket and twists the top. A beam of light shoots out the end. He turns the flashlight on his face. The light makes his skin yellow. It shows prominent cheekbones beside a long thin nose and a sharply squared-off jaw. His lips are stretched into a grin, but I can see that they are full, for a man. His eyebrows and lashes are bleached out from sun. But that's not what he is showing me. His eyes, clear liquid sienna in the illumination, shine with no more than human reflection. He bounces the light between left and right. â€Å"See? See? I'm just like you.† â€Å"Let me see your neck.† Suspicion is thick in my voice. I don't let myself believe that this is more than a trick. I don't understand the point of the charade, but I'm sure there is one. There is no hope anymore. His lips twist. â€Å"Well†¦ That won't exactly help anything. Aren't the eyes enough? You know I'm not one of them.† â€Å"Why won't you show me your neck?† â€Å"Because I have a scar there,† he admits. I try to squirm out from under him again, and his hand pins my shoulder. â€Å"It's self-inflicted,† he explains. â€Å"I think I did a pretty good job, though it hurt like hell. I don't have all that pretty hair to cover my neck. The scar helps me blend in.† â€Å"Get off me.† He hesitates, then gets to his feet in one easy move, not needing to use his hands. He holds one out, palm up, to me. â€Å"Please don't run away. And, um, I'd rather you didn't kick me again, either.† I don't move. I know he can catch me if I try to run. â€Å"Who are you?† I whisper. He smiles wide. â€Å"My name is Jared Howe. I haven't spoken to another human being in more than two years, so I'm sure I must seem†¦ a little crazy to you. Please, forgive that and tell me your name, anyway.† â€Å"Melanie,† I whisper. â€Å"Melanie,† he repeats. â€Å"I can't tell you how delighted I am to meet you.† I grip my bag tightly, keeping my eyes on him. He reaches his hand down toward me slowly. And I take it. It isn't until I see my hand curl voluntarily around his that I realize I believe him. He helps me to my feet and doesn't release my hand when I'm up. â€Å"What now?† I ask guardedly. â€Å"Well, we can't stay here for long. Will you come back with me to the house? I left my bag. You beat me to the fridge.† I shake my head. He seems to realize how brittle I am, how close to breaking. â€Å"Will you wait for me here, then?† he asks in a gentle voice. â€Å"I'll be very quick. Let me get us some more food.† â€Å"Us?† â€Å"Do you really think I'm going to let you disappear? I'll follow you even if you tell me not to.† I don't want to disappear from him. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How can I not trust another human completely? We're family-both part of the brotherhood of extinction. â€Å"I don't have time. I have so far to go and†¦ Jamie is waiting.† â€Å"You're not alone,† he realizes. His expression shows uncertainty for the first time. â€Å"My brother. He's just nine, and he's so frightened when I'm away. It will take me half the night to get back to him. He won't know if I've been caught. He's so hungry.† As if to make my point, my stomach growls loudly. Jared's smile is back, brighter than before. â€Å"Will it help if I give you a ride?† â€Å"A ride?† I echo. â€Å"I'll make you a deal. You wait here while I gather more food, and I'll take you anywhere you want to go in my jeep. It's faster than running-even faster than you running.† â€Å"You have a car?† â€Å"Of course. Do you think I walked out here?† I think of the six hours it took me to walk here, and my forehead furrows. â€Å"We'll be back to your brother in no time,† he promises. â€Å"Don't move from this spot, okay?† I nod. â€Å"And eat something, please. I don't want your stomach to give us away.† He grins, and his eyes crinkle up, fanning lines out of the corners. My heart gives one hard thump, and I know I will wait here if it takes him all night. He is still holding my hand. He lets go slowly, his eyes not leaving mine. He takes a step backward, then pauses. â€Å"Please don't kick me,† he pleads, leaning forward and grabbing my chin. He kisses me again, and this time I feel it. His lips are softer than his hands, and hot, even in the warm desert night. A flock of butterflies riots in my stomach and steals my breath. My hands reach for him instinctively. I touch the warm skin of his cheek, the rough hair on his neck. My fingers skim over a line of puckered skin, a raised ridge right beneath the hairline. I scream. I woke up covered in sweat. Even before I was all the way awake, my fingers were on the back of my neck, tracing the short line left from the insertion. I could barely detect the faint pink blemish with my fingertips. The medicines the Healer had used had done their job. Jared's poorly healed scar had never been much of a disguise. I flicked on the light beside my bed, waiting for my breathing to slow, veins full of adrenaline from the realistic dream. A new dream, but in essence so much the same as the many others that had plagued me in the past months. No, not a dream. Surely a memory. I could still feel the heat of Jared's lips on mine. My hands reached out without my permission, searching across the rumpled sheet, looking for something they did not find. My heart ached when they gave up, falling to the bed limp and empty. I blinked away the unwelcome moisture in my eyes. I didn't know how much more of this I could stand. How did anyone survive this world, with these bodies whose memories wouldn't stay in the past where they should? With these emotions that were so strong I couldn't tell what I felt anymore? I was going to be exhausted tomorrow, but I felt so far from sleep that I knew it would be hours before I could relax. I might as well do my duty and get it over with. Maybe it would help me take my mind off things I'd rather not think about. I rolled off the bed and stumbled to the computer on the otherwise empty desk. It took a few seconds for the screen to glow to life, and another few seconds to open my mail program. It wasn't hard to find the Seeker's address; I only had four contacts: the Seeker, the Healer, my new employer, and his wife, my Comforter. There was another human with my host, Melanie Stryder. I typed, not bothering with a greeting. His name is Jamie Stryder; he is her brother. For a panicked moment, I wondered at her control. All this time, and I'd never even guessed at the boy's existence-not because he didn't matter to her, but because she protected him more fiercely than other secrets I'd unraveled. Did she have more secrets this big, this important? So sacred that she kept them even from my dreams? Was she that strong? My fingers trembled as I keyed the rest of the information. I think he's a young adolescent now. Perhaps thirteen. They were living in a temporary camp, and I believe it was north of the town of Cave Creek, in Arizona. That was several years ago, though. Still, you could compare a map to the lines I remembered before. As always, I'll tell you if I get anything more. I sent it off. As soon as it was gone, terror washed through me. Not Jamie! Her voice in my head was as clear as my own spoken aloud. I shuddered in horror. Even as I struggled with the fear of what was happening, I was gripped with the insane desire to e-mail the Seeker again and apologize for sending her my crazy dreams. To tell her I was half asleep and to pay no attention to the silly message I'd sent. The desire was not my own. I shut off the computer. I hate you, the voice snarled in my head. â€Å"Then maybe you should leave,† I snapped. The sound of my voice, answering her aloud, made me shudder again. She hadn't spoken to me since the first moments I'd been here. There was no doubt that she was getting stronger. Just like the dreams. And there was no question about it; I was going to have to visit my Comforter tomorrow. Tears of disappointment and humiliation welled in my eyes at the thought. I went back to bed, put a pillow over my face, and tried to think of nothing at all.