Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 34

Chapter 34 Hell Breaks Loose A wave of anxiety washed over Jody as she woke up. â€Å"Tommy,† she called. She leaped out of bed and went into the living area, not stopping to turn on the light. â€Å"Tommy?† The loft was quiet. She checked the answering machine: no messages. I'm not going to do this again, she thought. I can't handle another night of worrying. She'd cleaned up the mess from the police search the night before, put lemon oil on the wood, scrubbed out the sinks and the tubs, and watched cable TV until dawn. All the time she thought about what Tommy had said about sharing, about being with someone who could understand what you saw and how you felt. She wanted that. She wanted someone who could run the night with her, someone who could hear the buildings breathe and watch the sidewalks glow with heat just after sundown. But she wanted Tommy. She wanted love. She wanted the blood-high and she wanted sex that touched her heart. She wanted excitement and she wanted security. She wanted to be part of the crowd, but she wanted to be an individual. She wanted to be human, but she wanted the strength, the senses, and the mental acuity of the vampire. She wanted it all. What if I had a choice, she thought, if that medical student could cure me, would I go back to being human? It would mean that Tommy and I could stay together, but he would never know the feeling of being a god, and neither would I. Never again. So I leave; what then? I'm alone. More alone than I've ever been. I hate being alone. She stopped pacing and went to the window. The cop from the night before was out there, sitting in a brown Dodge, watching. The other cop had followed Tommy. â€Å"Tommy, you jerk. Call me.† The cop would know where Tommy was. But how to get him to tell? Seduce him? Use the Vulcan nerve pinch? Sleeper hold? Maybe I should just go up there and knock on the door, Rivera thought. â€Å"Inspector Alphonse Rivera, San Francisco PD. If you have a few minutes, I'd like to talk to you about being dead. How was it? Who did it? Did it piss you off?† He adjusted himself in the car seat and took a sip from his coffee. He was trying to pace his smoking. No more than four cigarettes an hour. He was in his forties now and he couldn't handle the four-pack-a-night stakeouts – going home with his throat raw, his lungs seared, and a vicious ache in his sinuses. He checked his watch to see if enough time had passed since he'd last lit up. Almost. He rolled down the car window and something caught him by the throat, cutting off his breath. He dropped his coffee, feeling the scald in his lap as he reached in his jacket for his gun. Something caught his hand and held it like a bear trap. The hand on his throat relaxed a bit and he sucked in a short breath. He tried to turn his head and the clamp on his throat cut off his breath again. A pretty face came through the window. â€Å"Hi,† Jody said. She loosened her grip on his throat a degree. â€Å"Hi,† Rivera croaked. â€Å"Feel the grip on your wrist?† Rivera felt the bear trap on his wrist tighten, his hand went numb, and his whole arm lit up with pain. â€Å"Yes!† â€Å"Okay,† Jody said. â€Å"I'm pretty sure I can crush your windpipe before you could move, but I wanted you to be sure too. You sure?† Rivera tried to nod. â€Å"Good. Your partner followed Tommy last night. Do you know where they are now?† Again Rivera attempted to nod. On the seat next to him, the cell phone chirped. She released his arm, snatched the gun out of his shoulder holster, flipped off the safety, and pointed it at his head, all before he could draw a single breath. â€Å"Take me there,† she said. Elijah Ben Sapir watched the red dots moving around on the video screen above his face. He had awakened feeling gleeful about killing the fledgling's toy boy, then he saw that his home had been invaded. He was hit with an emotion so rare it took him a while to recognize it. Fear. It had been a long time since he'd been afraid. It felt good. The dots on the screen were moving around on the stern of the boat, scrambling in and out of the main cabin above. Every few seconds a dot would disappear off the screen, then reappear. They were getting in and out of a raft at the stern. The vampire reached up and flipped a series of toggle switches. The big diesels on either side of his vault roared to life. Another toggle and an electric winch began grinding in the anchor. â€Å"Move, move, move!† Tommy shouted into the cabin. â€Å"The engines started.† Barry came through the hatch carrying a bronze statue of a ballerina. Tommy waited at the stern of the yacht with Drew. Troy Lee, Lash, Jeff, Glint, and the Emperor and his troops were already in the raft, trying to find room to move around the paintings and statues. â€Å"Over,† Tommy said, taking the statue from Barry as the squat diver went over the side into the arms of the waiting Animals, almost capsizing the raft. Tommy threw the statue down to the Emperor, who caught it and went to the floor of the raft with its weight. Tommy threw a leg over the railing, and looked back. â€Å"Light it, Drew. Now!† Drew bent and held his lighter to the end of a wax-coated strip of cloth that ran across the stern deck and through the hatch to the main cabin. He watched the flame follow the trail for a few feet, then stood and joined Tommy at the rail. â€Å"It's going.† They went over the rail backward and the Animals obliged them by stepping aside and letting them both hit the floor of the raft unimpeded. The raft lurched and righted itself. Tommy fought for breath to give a command. â€Å"Paddle, men!† the Emperor shouted. The Animals began to beat the water with their paddles. There was a loud clunking noise from the yacht as the transmission engaged and the raft was rocked as the twin screws engaged and began pushing the yacht away from them. â€Å"Rivera,† Rivera said into the cell phone. â€Å"The yacht is moving,† Cavuto said. â€Å"I think I just aided these guys in looting it.† He unzipped a leather case on the car seat, revealing a huge chrome-plated automatic pistol, a Desert Eagle.50-caliber. It fired bullets roughly the weight of a small dog and kicked like a jackhammer. One shot could reduce a cinder block to gravel. â€Å"I'm on my way,† Rivera said. â€Å"What about the girl?† Cavuto slammed a clip into the Desert Eagle, dropped another one into his jacket pocket. â€Å"She's – she'll be fine. I'm at Van Ness and Lombard. I'll be there in about three minutes. Don't call in backup.† â€Å"I'm not – oh Jesus Christ!† â€Å"What?† â€Å"The fucking thing just blew up.† A fountain of flame shot from the stern of the Sanguine II, a second passed, and the rest of the yacht disappeared in a cloud of flame that rose into the sky above her. She had cleared the breakwater and was perhaps three hundred yards out into the bay when the fuse reached Drew's incendiary cocktail. The raft had just made the dock when the explosion went off. Tommy leaped onto the dock and watched the mushroom cloud dissipate. The shock wave rolled in and Tommy reached back to the raft and caught the Emperor before he went into the water. Debris rained down around them. A pool of fire and unexploded diesel fuel spread out across the water, illuminating the whole area with a dancing bright orange. â€Å"Is this a party boat, or what?† Drew shouted. The Animals scrambled out of the raft onto the dock and began handing up the objets d'art. Tommy stood aside and watched the burn. Bummer cowered in the Emperor's arms. â€Å"Do you think we got him?† Jeff handed the Degas ballerina to Troy and looked over his shoulder. â€Å"Fucking A, we got him. Nice mix, Drew.† Drew took a bow and almost went over the edge of the dock. The Emperor said. â€Å"I can't help but think that the explosion may have attracted the attention of the authorities, gentlemen. I would recommend a speedy retreat.† Drew looked at the burning slick. â€Å"I wish I had some acid. This would be great on acid.† Jeff jumped down into the raft and handed up the last painting, the Miro. He looked past Troy Lee, who was wrestling up the heavy frame, and said, â€Å"Whoops.† â€Å"What?† Troy said. Jeff nodded past him and the Animals turned around. Cavuto had a very large, very shiny pistol pointed at them. â€Å"No one move!† They didn't. The spearguns were stacked on the dock. Glint held the shotgun loosely at his side as he prayed. He dropped it. â€Å"Drop it,† Cavuto said. â€Å"I did,† said Clint. â€Å"That's true, he did,† Tommy said. â€Å"And before you asked. He should get extra credit for that.† Cavuto motioned with the pistol. â€Å"Everybody down. On your faces. Now!† The Animals dropped. Lazarus barked. The Emperor stepped forward. â€Å"Officer, these young men have – â€Å" â€Å"Now!† Cavuto screamed. The Emperor dropped to the dock with the Animals. The screens went dark an instant before he was slammed against the side of the vault. He tumbled inside, feeling his flesh burn on the steel with every turn. The vault glowed red with the heat and had filled with smoke from the seared wires and the vampire's clothing. After a few seconds the tumbling stopped. The vampire was jammed into one end of the vault, his face against his knees. His skin was stinging and he tried to will it to heal, but it had been days since he had fed, so the healing came slowly. He located the lid by finding the smashed CRT and radar screens. Salt water sprayed in a fine mist from behind the screens. He pushed on the lid but it didn't move. He felt for the latches and released them, then heaved against the lid with force that would have crumpled a car fender, yet the lid stayed fast. The heat of the explosion had welded it shut. I should have killed him last week, the vampire thought. This is what I get for indulging my pleasures. He reached into the broken CRT, looking for the source of the spraying water, then concentrated his will and went to mist. The transition was slow, weak as he was, but when he had finally lost his solid form he followed the path of the water and wormed his way through the pinhole to the open ocean. The vault lay on the bottom in a hundred and twenty feet of water and as soon as the vampire escaped, the pressure of four atmospheres condensed him to his solid shape. He tried to force himself to mist, failed, then swam toward the orange glow at the surface, thinking, The boy dies first, then a new suit. He broke the surface in the midst of the flame slick, then scissor-kicked hard enough to bring himself completely out of the water and tried to go to mist. His limbs dissolved in the air, their vapor whipped by the flame and standing out white in the rolling black diesel smoke, but he could not hold. He fell back into the water, followed by a vortex of vapor that condensed back to solid form under water. Frustrated and angry, he began the swim around the breakwater toward the yacht club. Cavuto panned the Desert Eagle back and forth across the heads of the prostrated Animals as he moved forward to get their weapons. Lazarus growled and backed away as the big cop approached. Sirens sounded in the distance. Crew members and yacht owners were popping out of the hatches of nearby yachts like curious prairie dogs. â€Å"Inside!† Cavuto shouted, and the yachters ducked for cover. Cavuto heard footsteps on the dock behind him and swung quickly around. The gate guard, looking down the cavelike barrel of the Eagle, stopped as if he'd hit a force field. Cavuto swung back to cover the Animals. Over his shoulder Cavuto said, â€Å"Go back to the gate and call nine-one-one. Tell them to send me some backup.† â€Å"Right,† the guard said. â€Å"All right, scumbags, you're under arrest. And if any of you even twitches, I'll turn you into a red stain. You have the right†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The vampire came out of the water like a wet comet and landed on the dock behind the Animals. He was burned black and his clothes hung in sooty shreds. Cavuto fired without thinking and missed. The vampire looked up long enough to grin at him, then reached down and snatched Tommy by the back of his shirt and yanked him up like a rag doll. Cavuto aimed and fired again. The second shot hit the vampire in the thigh, taking out a three-inch chuck of flesh. The vampire dropped Tommy, turned on Cavuto, and leaped. The third bullet caught the vampire in the abdomen, the impact spraying flesh and spinning him in the air like a football. He landed in a heap at Cavuto's feet. The big cop tried to back away to get another shot off, but before he could aim, the vampire snatched the gun out of his hand, taking most of the skin off his trigger finger. He leaped backward, clawing inside his jacket for his detective special as the vampire tossed the Desert Eagle over his shoulder and climbed to his feet. â€Å"You are a dead man,† he growled. Cavuto watched the gaping wounds in the vampire's leg and stomach pulsing, bubbling, and filling with smoke. He caught the butt of his revolver just as the vampire leaped, his fingers outstretched to drive into Cavuto's chest. Cavuto ducked, heard a hiss and a loud thunk, and looked up, amazed that he was still alive. The vampire had stopped an inch from him. A gleaming spear through his leg had pinned him to the dock. The black kid stood a few yards away, a gas-powered speargun in hand. The vampire wrenched himself around and clawed at the spear. Cavuto yanked out his gun, but with his damaged finger he ended up flinging it off the dock. He heard the sound of tires behind him, then a car coming down the dock. A second spear thunked through the vampire's shoulder. Tommy threw the speargun aside. The Animals were all on their feet. â€Å"Troy, throw me the sword!† Troy Lee picked up the fighting sword from the deck and threw it at Tommy. Tommy sidestepped; the sword whizzed by him and clattered on the dock near Cavuto, who was standing motionless, stunned at almost seeing his own death. â€Å"Handle first, you doofus,† Tommy said as he ran after the sword. The vampire yanked the spear out of his shoulder and reached for the one in his leg. The Emperor picked up his wooden sword from the deck and charged the vampire. Lash caught him by the collar, yanking him aside as Barry fired a third spear, hitting the vampire in the hip. Jeff let go with a blast from the shotgun. The vampire jerked with the impact of the shot and screamed. Tommy dived for the fighting sword at Cavuto's feet. The big cop lifted him to his feet. â€Å"Thanks,† Tommy said. â€Å"You're welcome,† Cavuto said. â€Å"I didn't kill those people.† â€Å"I'm figuring that out,† Cavuto said. A brown car skidded to a stop on the dock. Tommy looked up for an instant, then turned and headed toward the vampire, who was clawing at the spear in his leg. His wounds bubbled and seethed with vapor; his body was trying to heal even as new damage was inflicted on it. Tommy raised the sword over the vampire's head and closed his eyes. â€Å"No!† It was Jody's voice. Tommy opened his eyes. Jody was on her knees, shielding the vampire, who had given up the struggle and was waiting for the final blow. â€Å"No,† Jody said. â€Å"Don't kill him.† Tommy lowered the sword. Jody looked at Jeff, who still held the shotgun. â€Å"No,† she said. Jeff looked at Tommy, who nodded. Jeff lowered the shotgun. â€Å"Kill the fiend, now!† cried the Emperor, still struggling against Lash's hold on his coat. â€Å"No,† Jody said. She pulled the spear out of the vampire's leg and he screamed. She patted his head. â€Å"One more,† she said quietly. She yanked the spear out of his hip and he gasped. Jody propped the vampire up on her lap. The Animals and Cavuto stood watching, not sure what to do. Clint prayed quietly, barely audible over the approaching siren. â€Å"Blood,† the vampire said. He looked into Jody's eyes. â€Å"Yours.† â€Å"Give me that sword, Tommy.† Jody said. He hesitated and raised the sword to strike. â€Å"No!† She covered the vampire with her body. â€Å"But Jody, he's killed people.† â€Å"You don't know anything, Tommy. They were all going to die anyway.† â€Å"Get out of the way.† Jody turned to Cavuto. â€Å"Tell him. All the victims were terminally ill, weren't they?† Cavuto nodded. â€Å"The coroner said that none of them had more than a few months.† Tommy was almost in tears. â€Å"He killed Simon.† â€Å"Simon had AIDS, Tommy.† â€Å"No way. Not Simon. Simon was the animal of the Animals.† â€Å"He was hiding it from you guys. He was scared to death. Now, please, give me the sword.† â€Å"No, get out of the way.† Tommy reared back for the killing blow. He felt a hand on his shoulder, then another one catch his sword arm and pull it down. He looked around to see the Emperor. â€Å"Let him go, son. The measure of a man's power is the depth of his mercy. Give me the sword. The killing is over.† The Emperor worked the sword out of Tommy's grip and handed it to Jody. She took it, ran the blade across her wrist, then held the wound to the vampire's mouth. He took her arm in his hands and drank. Jody looked at Cavuto. â€Å"Your partner is handcuffed to the wheel of the car. Get him and walk away before anyone else gets here. I need the car. I don't want to be followed either.† Cavuto dropped back into cop mode. â€Å"Bullshit.† â€Å"Go get your partner and go. Do you want to explain this?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"All this.† Jody pulled her arm out of the vampire's mouth and gestured around the dock. â€Å"Look, the murders will stop. I promise. We're leaving and we're never coming back. So let it drop. And leave Tommy and these guys alone.† â€Å"Or what?† Cavuto said. Jody cradled the old vampire and lifted him as she stood up. â€Å"Or we'll come back.† She carried the vampire to the cruiser and put him in the back seat and crawled in with him. Rivera was sitting in the front seat. Cavuto came to the side of the car and handed his handcuff key through the window to Rivera. â€Å"I told you,† Rivera said. Cavuto nodded. â€Å"We're fucked, you know? We have to let them go.† Rivera unlocked the handcuffs and got out of the car. He stood next to Cavuto, not sure what to do next. Jody stuck her head out the back window of the cruiser. â€Å"Come on, Tommy, you drive.† Tommy turned to the Emperor, who nodded for him to go, then to the Animals. â€Å"You guys, get that stuff off the dock. In Troy's car. Get out of here. I'll call you at the store tomorrow.† Tommy shrugged, got in the car, and started it. â€Å"What now?† â€Å"To the loft, Tommy. He needs a dark place to heal.† â€Å"I'm not comfortable with this, Jody. I want you to know that. I'd like to know what your relationship is to this guy.† The vampire moaned. â€Å"Drive,† she said. They pulled off the dock, leaving the Animals scrambling around collecting the art and the two policemen staring at them in amazement. She said, â€Å"I love you, Tommy, but I need someone who's like me. Someone who understands. You know how that is, right?† â€Å"So you run off with the first rich older guy that comes along?† â€Å"He's the only one, Tommy.† She stroked the vampire's burned hair. â€Å"I don't have any choice. I hate being alone. And if he died, then I'd never know about what I am.† â€Å"So you two are going away? You're leaving me?† â€Å"I wish I could think of some other way. I'm sorry.† â€Å"I knew you'd break my heart.†

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 58~59

58 Malink's Song â€Å"They're flying the new pilot in tomorrow,† said Sebastian Curtis. â€Å"I told them that Tucker wouldn't fly, so he had to be eliminated. They weren't happy about losing the heart and lungs.† Beth Curtis sat at her vanity, putting on her eye makeup for the appear-ance of the Sky Priestess. The red scarf was draped over the back of the chair. â€Å"Did you check the database? Maybe we can send another set of or-gans back with them. I can pick the chosen tonight and keep them in the clinic until tomorrow morning.† â€Å"The customer already died,† Curtis said. â€Å"Well, I guess he really was sick, then.† She laughed, a girlish laugh full of music. Sebastian loved her laugh. He smiled over her shoulder into the mirror. â€Å"I'm glad you're not concerned about Tucker Case. I understand, Beth. Really. I was just jealous.† â€Å"Tucker who? Oh, you mean Tucker dead-at-sea Case? ‘Bastian, dear, I did what I did for us. I thought it would keep him under control. Write it off as one of life's little missteps. Besides, if he's not dead now, he will be in a day or so.† â€Å"He made it here on the open ocean. Through a typhoon.† â€Å"And with the navigator. Remember, I've seen him fly. He's dead. That old cannibal is probably munching on his bones right now.† She checked her lipstick and winked at him in the mirror. â€Å"Showtime, darling.† Malink trudged through the jungle, his shoulders aching from the basket of food he was carrying. Each day he had been taking food to Sarapul's hiding place. It was not that he didn't trust his people, but he did not want to burden any of them with such a weighty secret. The last of them to see the cannibal saw him covered with blood, gasping in the sand. Malink had told them that Sarapul was dead and that Malink had given his body to the sharks. A chief had to carry many secrets, and sometimes he had to lie to his people to spare them pain. After the third day, Malink was ready to let the cannibal go back to his house on the far side of the island. The guards were no longer searching, and the Sorcerer had stopped asking questions. Perhaps things would go back to the way they were. But maybe that wasn't right either. Malink didn't want to, but he believed the pilot. The Sky Priestess and the Sorcerer were going to hurt his people. He was too old for this. He was too old to fight. And how do you fight machine guns with spears and machetes? He paused by a giant mahogany tree and put the basket down while he caught his breath. He saw smoke drifting in streams over the ferns and looked in the direction it was coming from. Someone was there, obscured by a tall stand of taro leaves as big as elephant ears. There was a rustling there. Malink crouched. â€Å"You're not scared, are you, squirt?† Malink recognized the voice from his childhood and he wasn't scared. But he knew he didn't have to say so. â€Å"I am not a squirt. I am old man now.† Vincent swaggered out of the taro. His flight suit and bomber jacket looked exactly as Malink remembered. â€Å"You're always gonna be a squirt, kid. You still got that lighter I gave you?† Malink nodded. â€Å"That was my lucky Zippo, kid. I shoulda hung on to it. Fuck it. Spilt milk.† Vincent waved his cigarette in dismissal. â€Å"Look, I need you to build some ladders. You know what a ladder is, right?† â€Å"Yes,† Malink said. â€Å"Of course you do, smart kid like you. So I am needing you to build, oh, say six ladders, thirty feet long, strong and light. Use bamboo. Are you getting this, kid?† Malink nodded. He was grinning from ear to ear. Vincent was speaking to him again. â€Å"You're talkin' my ear off, kid. So, anyway, I need you to build these ladders, see, as I am having big plans for you and the Shark People. Large plans, kid. Hugely large. I'm talking about substantial fuckin' plans I am having. Okay?† Malink nodded. â€Å"Good, build the ladders and stand by for further orders.† The flyer began to back away into the taro patch. â€Å"You said you would come back,† Malink said. â€Å"You said you would come back and bring cargo.† â€Å"You don't look like you been shorted on the feedbag, kid. You got your cargo in spades.† â€Å"You said you would come back.† Vincent threw up his hands. â€Å"So what the fuck's this? Western Union? Don't go screwy on me, kid. I need you.† The pilot started to fade, going as translucent as his cigarette smoke. Malink stepped forward. â€Å"The Sky Priestess will tell us orders?† â€Å"The Sky Priestess took a powder fifty years ago, kid. This dame doing the bump and grind on my runway is paste.† â€Å"Paste?† â€Å"She's a fake, squirt. A boneable feast to be sure, but she's running a game on you.† â€Å"She is not Sky Priestess?† â€Å"No, but don't piss her off.† With that the pilot faded to nothing. Malink leaned back against the mahogany tree and looked up through the canopy to the sky. His skin tingled and his breath was coming easy and deep. The ache in his knees was gone. He was light and strong and full, and every birdcall or rustle of leaves or distant crash of a wave seemed part of a great and wonderful song. 59 Call in the Cavalry They had missed Guam and Saipan (passing at night) and all the Northern Mariana Islands (drifting in fog) and Johnston Island and all ships at sea (no reason, they just missed). The sunscreen had run out on the seventh day. The drinking coconuts ran out on the fourteenth. They still had some shark meat that had been smoked and dried, but Tuck couldn't choke down a bite of it without water. They had had nothing to drink for a full day. They were at sea for three days before Sepie came out of her catatonia, and after a day of sobbing, she started to talk. â€Å"I miss him,† she said. â€Å"He listen to me. He like me even when I am being mean.† â€Å"Me too. I treated him badly sometimes too. He was a good guy. A good friend.† â€Å"He love you very much,† Sepie said. She was crying again. Tuck looked down, shielding his face so she couldn't see his eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry, Sepie. I know you loved him. I didn't mean to put him in danger. I didn't mean to put you in danger.† She crawled to his end of the canoe and into his arms. He held her there for a long time, rocking her until she stopped crying. He said, â€Å"You'll be okay.† â€Å"Kimi say he would sail me to America someday. You will take me?† â€Å"Sure. You'll like it there.† â€Å"Tell me,† she said. She grilled Tuck about all things American, making him explain everything from television to tampons. Tuck learned about men, about how simple they were, about how easily they could be manipulated, about how good they could make a woman feel when they were nice, and how much they could hurt a woman by dying. Telling the things that they knew made them each feel smart, and sharing the duties of sailing the boat made them feel safe. It was easier to live in the little world inside the canoe rather than face the vast emptiness of the open ocean. Sepie took to curling into Tuck's chest and sleeping while he steered. Twice Tuck fell asleep in her arms and no one steered the boat for hours. Tuck didn't let it bother him. He had accepted that they were going to die. It seemed so easy now that he wondered why he'd made such an effort to escape it on the island. Roberto hadn't spoken since the first night. He hung from the lines and pointed with a wing claw when Tuck called to him. When Tuck was still reckoning, he reckoned that they were traveling at an average speed of five knots. At five knots, twenty-four hours a day, for fourteen days, he reckoned that they had traveled well over two thousand miles. Tuck reckoned that they were now sailing though downtown Sacramento. His reckoning wasn't any better than his navigation. On the fifteenth day Roberto took flight and Tuck watched him until he was nothing but a dot on the horizon, then nothing at all. Tuck didn't blame him. He accepted his own death, but he didn't want to watch Sepie go before him. At sunset he tied off the steering oar, took Sepie in his arms, and lay down in the bottom of the boat to wait. Sometime later – he couldn't tell how long, but it was still dark – he woke with a parched scream when a tube of mascara dropped out of the sky and hit him in the chest. Sepie sat up and snatched the tube from the bottom of the boat. â€Å"To make you pretty,† she said. Her voice cracked on â€Å"pretty.† Tuck was too disoriented to recognize what she was holding. He took it from her and squinted at it. â€Å"It's mascara.† â€Å"Roberto,† Sepie said. Tuck looked around in the sky, but didn't see the bat. It was beginning to get light. â€Å"You brought us mascara? We're dying of thirst and you brought us mascara?† â€Å"Kimi teach him,† Sepie said. Tuck didn't think he had the energy left for outrage, but it was coming nonetheless. â€Å"You†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sepie put a finger to his lips. â€Å"Listen.† Tuck listened. He heard nothing. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Surf.† Tuck listened. He heard it. He also heard something else, a rhythmic stirring in the water much closer to the canoe. He looked in the direction of the noise and saw something moving over the water toward them. â€Å"Aloha!† came out of the dark, followed by a middle-aged white man in an ocean kayak. â€Å"I guess I'm not the only one who likes to get out early,† he said. In their first hour at the Waikiki Beach Hyatt Regency, Sepie flushed the toilet seventy-eight times and consumed two hundred and forty dollars' worth of product from the minibar (five Pepsis and a box of Raisinets). â€Å"You poop in here and it just goes away?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"In this big bowl?† She pointed. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You poop?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And you push this?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And it goes away?† â€Å"That's right.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"To the next room.† Plumbing. They hadn't talked about plumbing. â€Å"And they push this and it goes away?† â€Å"Look, Sepie, there's a TV in here. You push this and it changes the picture.† Tuck couldn't be sure because they'd never had sex and because she'd told him about how she could fool a man, but he thought she might have come right then. He made her promise not to leave the room and left her there flushing and clicking while he went to the police. The desk sergeant at the Honolulu police department listened patiently and politely and with appropriate concern right up until Tuck said, â€Å"I know I look a little ratty, but I've been at sea in an open boat for two weeks.† At which point the sergeant held up his hand signifying it was his turn to talk. â€Å"You've been at sea for two weeks?† â€Å"Yes. I escaped by boat.† â€Å"So how long ago did these alleged murders happen?† â€Å"I don't know exactly. One about a month ago, one longer.† â€Å"And you're just getting around to reporting them now?† I told you. I was trapped on Alualu. I escaped in a sailing canoe.† â€Å"Then,† the sergeant said, â€Å"Alualu is not a street in Honolulu.† â€Å"No. It's an island in Micronesia.† â€Å"I can't help you, sir. That's out of our jurisdiction.† â€Å"Well, who can help me?† â€Å"Try the FBI.† So Tuck, on the cab ride to the FBI offices, changed his strategy. He'd wait until he got past the front line of defense before spilling his guts. The receptionist was a petite Asian woman of forty who spoke English so precisely that Tuck knew it had to be her second language. â€Å"I'm sure I can help you if you will just tell me what it is that you'd like to report.† â€Å"I can't. I have to talk to an agent. I won't be comfortable unless I talk to a real agent.† She looked offended and her speech became even crisper. â€Å"Perhaps you can tell me the nature of the crime.† Tuck thought for a moment. What did the FBI always handle on television? Al Capone, Klansmen, bank robberies, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Kidnapping,† he said. â€Å"There's been a kidnapping.† â€Å"And who has been kidnapped? Have you filed a missing persons report with the local police?† Tuck shook his head and stood his ground. â€Å"I'll tell an agent.† The receptionist picked up the phone and punched a number. She turned away from him and covered her mouth with her hand as she spoke into the mouthpiece. She hung up and said, â€Å"There's an agent on his way.† â€Å"Thanks,† Tuck said. A few minutes later a door opened and a dark-haired guy who looked like a mobile mannequin from a Brooks Brothers window display entered the reception room and extended his hand to Tuck. â€Å"Mr. Case, I'm Special Agent Tom Myers. Would you step into my office, please?† Tuck shook his hand and followed him though the door and down a hallway of identical ten-by-twelve offices with identical metal desks that displayed identical photos of identical families in identical dime-store frames. Myers motioned for Tuck to sit and took the seat behind the desk. â€Å"Now, Rose tells me that you want to report a kidnapping?† Special Agent Myers unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. â€Å"You allowed to do that?† Tuck asked. â€Å"Casual Fridays,† the special agent said. â€Å"Oh,† Tuck said. â€Å"Yes. Kidnapping, multiple murder, and the theft and sale of human organs for transplant.† Myers showed no reaction. â€Å"Go on.† And Tuck did. He began with the offer of the job on Alualu and ended with his arrival in Hawaii, leaving out the crash of Mary Jean's jet, the subsequent loss of his pilot's license and pending criminal charges, anything to do with cargo cults, cannibals, transvestites, ghost pilots, talking bats, and genital injuries. As he wrapped up, he thought the edited version sounded pretty credible. Special Agent Myers had not changed position or expression once in the half hour that Tuck had talked. Tuck thought he saw him blink once, though. Special Agent Myers leaned back in his chair (casual Fridays) and templed his fingers. â€Å"Let me ask you something,† he said. â€Å"Sure,† Tuck said. â€Å"Are you the Tucker Case that got drunk and crashed the pink jet in Seattle a few months ago?† Tuck could have slapped him. â€Å"Yes, but that doesn't have anything to do with this.† â€Å"I think it does, Mr. Case. I think it affects the credibility of what is already an incredible story. I think you should leave my office and go about the business of putting your life in order.† â€Å"I'm telling you the truth,† Tuck said. He was fighting panic. He worked to stay calm. â€Å"Why would I make up a story like that? As you pointed out, I've got enough on my plate just rebuilding my life. I'm not so stupid that I'd add charges for filing a false crime report to all the others. If you have to take me into custody, do it. But do something about what's going on out on that island or a lot more people are going to die.† â€Å"Even if I believed your story, what would you like me to do?† And there Tuck lost it.† ‘Special agent.' Does that mean that you had to take the little bus to the academy?† â€Å"I was at the top of my class.† A rise. â€Å"Then act like it.† â€Å"What do you want, Mr. Case?† Tuck jumped up and leaned over the desk. Special Agent Myers rolled back in his chair. â€Å"I want you to stop them. I want covert action and deadly technology. I want Navy SEALS and snipers and spies and laser-guided smart stealth gizmos out the ying-yang. I want surgical strikes and satellite views and a steaming shitload of every sort of Tom Clancy geegaw you got. I want fucking Jack Ryan, James Bond, and a half-dozen Van Damme motherfuck-ers who can jump through their own asses and rip your heart out while it's still beating. I want action, Special Agent Myers. This is evil shit.† â€Å"Sit down, Mr. Case.† Tuck sat down. His energy was gone. â€Å"Look, I'm giving myself up. Arrest me, throw me in jail, beat me with a rubber hose, do whatever you want to do, but stop what's going on out there.† Special Agent Myers smiled. â€Å"I don't believe a word you've told me, but even if I did, even if you had evidence of what you're claiming, I still couldn't do anything. The FBI can only act on domestic matters.† â€Å"Then tell someone who handles international matters.† â€Å"The CIA only handles matters that affect national security, and frankly, I wouldn't embarrass myself by calling them.† â€Å"Fuck it, then. Take me away.† Tuck held out his arms to receive handcuffs. â€Å"Go back to your hotel and get some rest, Mr. Case. There are no outstanding warrants for your arrest.† â€Å"There aren't?† Tuck felt as if he'd been gut-punched. â€Å"I checked the computer before I brought you in here.† Myers stood. â€Å"I'll show you out.† After another cab ride and another truncated telling of his story, Tuck was also shown out of the Japanese embassy. He found a pay phone and soon he had been hung up on by both the American Medical Association and the Council of Methodist Missionaries. He found Sepie curled up on the king-size bed, the television still blaring in the bathroom, three minibottles of vodka empty on the floor. Tuck considered raiding the minibar himself, but when he opened it, he opted for a grapefruit juice instead of gin. Getting hammered wasn't going to take the edge off this time, and at this rate, the money he'd left on deposit at the desk in lieu of a credit card – the money that Sarapul had found in Tuck's pack – would run out in two days. He sat down on the bed and stroked Sepie's hair. She had put on mascara while he was out and had made a mess of it. Funny, she'd walked into the hotel wearing one of Tuck's shirts – the first time she'd worn a top in her life – looking very much the little girl and now she had on makeup and was passed out drunk. Tuck had a feeling that coming to America was not going to be easy on either of them. He kissed her on the forehead and she moaned and rolled over. â€Å"Perfume tomorrow,† she said. â€Å"You get me some, okay?† â€Å"Okay,† Tuck said. â€Å"A woman who smells good is a woman who feels good.† The phrase rattled off the walls of his brain. He snatched up the phone and punched up information. When the operator came on, he said, â€Å"Houston, area code 713†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Opening remarks. President of ASO Essay

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. First, let me warmly welcome you all to this meeting of the Associated Students Organization (ASO). I hope that my introductory remarks will help to give us all a sense of direction and a common purpose for our work within the guidelines set out in the ASO Charter of July 2005. Let me begin by briefly revisiting last year’s ARO sponsored career day: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · Over 7500 students attended 550 businesses had booths 15 distinguished speakers ( Steve Jobs, Colin Powell to name a few) All branches of services were represented 45 business development services offering workshops on starting businesses The responses last year were some of the largest we have ever seen even with this weak economy. The goal for this year is to aid our students to get hired before they leave for the day. I would like us to focus on more career planners and workshops to help these students plan for their life long career. When our students graduate, they are competing with a high unemployment rate, thus making securing the job as well as keeping it difficult. Business development can aid our business majors with the consideration of starting their own business and being their own boss, not to mention maybe if they are successful, they can hire others within their communities that need employment. Our challenges are tough, but I believe that we are successful if 80% of our graduates get hired as a result of this career day, we have been a success. Thank You.

Employment Law Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Employment Law Issues - Essay Example Despite hospitality industry best efforts to minimize the incidents of employment-related discrimination charges in the workplace, the number of discrimination charges lodged against the industry in on the increase. Majority of the EEOC cases revolve around not just grievances of harassment but also relating to retaliation where the complaining employee was forced to quit or fired due to hostile work atmosphere. In the majority of the cases, there are harassment charges mingled together with retaliation charges. In such cases, employees can seek both compensatory and punitive charges as this will increase the not only the amount of payoff but also employer’s liability. Denny’s Inc is a famous food chain restaurant in the U.S.A. However, in 1994 and recently also, it witnessed a host of racial discrimination cases and it settled these issues by paying whooping compensation amount to claimants. This research essay analyses how Denny’s Inc, is a famous restaurant chain witnessed a host of discrimination in employment litigations including racial, sexual and disability discrimination litigations and what are lessons learned by it in detail. â€Å"The Civil Rights Act of 1964† deals with numerous disciplines of discrimination from education to voting. The coverage of employment aspects falls under Title VII which prohibits discrimination in all features of employment footed on â€Å"religious faith, gender, race, nationality, and color,† The discrimination in the workplace was present widely and hence Congress took the unprecedented decision not to permit jury trial in Title VII cases. Hence, enforcement of Title VII was assigned to federal judges. It is really shocking to note that in the early years, some of the judges who heard indiscrimination cases were murdered due to their efforts o transform the world.

Literary criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literary criticism - Essay Example Although this seems to complicate the issue unnecessarily, it seems necessary that he explain first why the play is such an international favorite if it has the kind of deep flaws that he criticizes it for. According to Cardullo, what carries the play through its flaws is the strength of its ideas. Its focus on the concept of the quintessential American salesman who does not sell products but instead sells himself, who does not own things but yet purchases them and who does not battle against an enemy but struggles against an impartial system lacking in understanding and compassion is a strong idea that appeals to many within a capitalistic system. After acknowledging the play’s strength, the author then moves on to his criticism, starting with the nuts and bolts of the play. The first element he criticizes is the diction Miller places in the mouths of his characters. Although they are lower middle class and should speak with a well-known diction, they frequently break out of expected vocabulary for this class in unexpected, and often too flowery, ways. This had never particularly struck me as an issue in the play, but as Cardullo quoted some of the statements that are made, it does sound false coming from these characters. Their vocabulary is too fancy and their grammar is too correct for their level of education, their class of life, their living environment and their professional position. Another area in which Cardullo takes offense with the play is in the thematic development. A great deal of the play rests on the idea that Willy’s life is ending in an overall lack of success as a result of a failed business system and a slipping mind. However, as Cardullo points out, there are numerous inconsistencies shown throughout the flashbacks that Willy’s mind has been slipping for a long time, perhaps never having been fully capable. This point is proved as Cardullo traces

Biology Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Biology - Article Example This variation in genes eliminates the chance of delivering mitochondrial diseases to the baby and can affect the baby’s whole personality. This procedure gives the baby chance to live with the healthiest genes. Male mitochondria have no role as these are only present in the sperm tail and do not get the chance of penetrating the egg. The researchers from UK’s Newcastle University are trying another technique that involves the transfer of cell nucleus only and not the mitochondria. The nucleus of the egg with defective mitochondria is transferred to the donor egg. Male infertility can also be cured by injecting healthy mitochondria into the sperm tail which helps in sperm motility. However, chances of mitochondrial diseases to be transferred to the baby still persist as some faulty mitochondria can remain attached to the transferred nucleus. Questions that arise are: Is it not too early to jump to conclusions as Lane himself mentioned that the research work in this area is not complete? If variations in mitochondrial DNA may result in the occurrence of diseases like Alzheimer’s, then is the idea of designer babies a good one? If mitochondrial incompatibilities lead to fatal diseases like early miscarriages, then what is the solution? Have any experiments been conducted to cure male infertility using this concept? Is this concept ethically

Saint Thomas Aquinas and his influence on Western thought Research Paper

Saint Thomas Aquinas and his influence on Western thought - Research Paper Example Aquino has been considered by many as one of the major pillars of civilization in the west. His philosophy exerted much influence not only on the successive Christian theology, but also the philosophy of the west in general. One could only conclude that Aquino’s existence was needed at this time when Catholic politics and the events in the world needed great intervention (Aquinas and Regan 73). At this time, a decision was made in Vatican apprehensively where Aquinas was assigned the task of merging formally Christianity with carnal reason. Aquino was born in Roccasecca Sicily in a noble family of Mr. Count Landulph and Mrs. Theodora (Aquinas and Regan 22). There were expectations that Aquino would pursue his uncle’s (Sinibald) footsteps to the position of abbot in the Benedictine monastery. He started his education at five years of age in a monastery, and the later proceeded to Naples University. While in this university, Aquinas chose to pursue the Dominican Order, de spite the fact that he faced much opposition from his family. The family even went to an extent of incarcerating him in trying to compel him to follow the family footsteps. However, their efforts failed following Pope Innocent the 4th’s intervention, propelling Aquino to the position of a Dominican monk by 1242. He later studied briefly under Magnus A., then later in Paris. While in Paris he vocally distinguished himself during the University champion Guillaume de St. Amour (Aquinas and Gilby 137). After his graduation from the university in 1248 with a degree in theology, he got back to Cologne and started his literary works. Aquino was described as a humble, peace-loving and simple man who loved poetry. Aquinas and Regan (63) assert that through his great learning and personality, he maintained a great deal of self control which saw him win over his rivals. He even refused to take part in an activity known as flesh mortification, a requirement for every Dominican Friar. Fur thermore, he also declined to hold some prestigious positions such as Naples’ Archbishop. He later went back to Naples with the aim of implementing a program of theological studies in the Naples University neighborhood in 1272. During St. Nicolas feast in 1273, Aquino had a vision in which he had a voice speaking to congratulating him for his great writings. The voice asked him for the reward that he wished to be given and Thomas said all that he needed was God himself (Aquinas and Regan 92). From there henceforth Aquino wrote no more. Earlier on, the Paris Bishop had condemned Aristotle’s teachings which were offered in the university, which also aimed at Aquino’s teachings. Gilby and Aquinas (15) explains that later in early 1274, Aquino left for France on a Second Council mission, but died before reaching there after falling sick shortly. On sensing his death, Aquino said that, that was his eternal rest and he had chosen it. St. Thomas Aquinas left back great works that can never be forgotten. His works were first condemned after his death by the Paris Bishop and there was an excommunication of Aquinas in posthumously. It took quite a number of years for his reputation to be revived; in the mid 15th century, his works were revived and taught throughout Paris, and at this time he was termed as the Dr. of the church (Aquinas, Regan and Baumgarth 140). In the contemporary societies, he is recognized by the Catholic Church in particular as the grand theologian philosopher. His works and their influence on Western

Role Of HR In Developing Talent At Work Literature review

Role Of HR In Developing Talent At Work - Literature review Example Human resource department needs to groom the talent of the workforce in order to improve the productivity of the organisation both in the short run as well as in the long run. Talented employees would not only reduce the cost of the organisation but it would help in enhancing the productivity of the company and for this human resource department needs to assure that the existing leaders of the organisation are competent and have the qualities to lead the organisation and at the same time develop and train future leaders (Farley, 2005). Farley has focused on the long term growth and success of the organisation and he has identified talent management as an important tool that can be crucial in achieving long run success. Grossman (2007) has emphasized on the concept of talent management as well and he has given considerable importance on this subject. Grossman (2007) has defined talent management as how an employee enters the organisation and moves across from one department to another and from one organisation to another. He believes that organisation should pay attention on managing talent however it must ensure that the overall organisational structure and organisation design must not be hurt. He feels that it is important for an organisation to not neglect any of these important aspects i.e. talent management and organisational structure as an organisation without proper organisational structure would not be able to succeed in the long run. It shows that organisation should focus on talent management however in order to manage talent proper, HR department of an organisation should not ignore the importance of organisational structure and organisational design. Grossman (2007) has also focused on rewarding talented individuals which is an important aspect because by rewarding such employees, the motivation level of employees would increase and they would put an extra effort to increase the level of productivity or at least maintain their productivity level. Th us, all in all it would be helpful in improving the organisational productivity. Farley (2005) has emphasized that there should be a link between the business goals and workforce needs. Farley in his article tried to form a linkage between the people who are working in the organisation and the business processes and have made an attempt in identifying the areas from where an organisation earns its revenues so that the organisation should focus on areas from where it is generating more revenue. His article sends a message that human resource department is not just only for recruitment and evaluating performance of employees, but the role of human resource management is very broad than what it has been considered in the past. Today, human resource department needs to be responsible for effective human resource planning, succession planning, training, career development and talent management. HR department needs to identify the talent who would be able to take on the challenges to lead the organisation in future. So, as talent management with which the organisation would identify future leaders, its importance cannot be ignored. The main idea behind Farley’s article is to that human resource department needs to take more responsibility in facilitating the productivity of the organisation by helping employees to be more productive and identify areas from where the company earns its revenue. Such an article is important in today’

Human Factors in technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Factors in technology - Essay Example However, technology had to progress, since it was unthinkable to hinder its journey towards a better and easier world. The first significant change I had to experience was the decrease in human contact that the Credit/Debit Cards, ATMs and telephonic and electronic transfers caused. It seemed in the beginning that the career prospects of a banker will become bleak due to these developments. There seemed little scope in such a scenario for many of us who spent quality time to acquire communication and interpersonal skills as part of our job training. The entire concept of working in the front office had been changing very fast. Though it took time for me to get acquainted with the new system, many of my apprehensions were proven wrong as I learnt how these skills were still relevant, even more so, in the technologically advanced scenario. Moreover, there were many customers, especially senior citizens, who needed time to get accustomed to the changes. They needed assistance from us, and this led to a stronger link with the customers. Any new advancement in the field brought in situations where many c ustomers needed support from us, and the human interaction involved in banking did not in fact decrease over time, though its dimensions have changed, as in every aspect of life. The fact that my profession called for a clear knowledge of the technological aspects related to it was in fact a blessing in disguise. Many of my senior colleagues found it difficult to gain or update their computer and electronic communication skills. However, the younger generation who were more open to these changes and eager to keep abreast of the technological advancements got a chance to learn more through their job trainings and refresher courses. This had in fact made many of us capable of meeting the new challenges in banking and other fields as well. For many of us, it was also an opportunity to get familiarized with the international

Vocabulary Parent Letter Essay Example for Free

Vocabulary Parent Letter Essay Vocabulary words and knowledge are critical in reading comprehension and vitally important that new and young readers develop a large ‘word bank’ and effective vocabulary learning strategies. That being said, we will have an emphasis on vocabulary words in our classroom this year. There are several effective vocabulary learning strategies that we will be using in the classroom, I encourage you to employ these strategies at home assisting in the reading comprehension and vocabulary development of your young reader. Effective Vocabulary Learning Strategies: †¢Pre-teaching Vocabulary Word – teaching your child unfamiliar words prior to the reading experience. An adult should preview the reading material determine unfamiliar words then define and discuss the words. This provides understanding of the word for the child as well as establishing connotation. It also gives the adult feedback on how well the child understands the word. †¢Repeated Exposure to Words – The more we are exposed to a word, the stronger our understanding become. A child needs to hear and use a word several times before it becomes part of their vocabulary. Provide multiple opportunities for the child to use a new word in written and spoken form. †¢Keyword Method – Like pre-teaching, the keyword method rather than having a child remember the definition, it encourages the adult to give a ‘word clue’ to help them understand the word. The idea behind the keyword method is to create an easy cognitive link to the word’s meaning that the reader can access efficiently during a reading experience. †¢Root Analysis – Many English words are derived from Latin or Greek roots. They contain a ‘core’ root or use prefixes or suffixes. Adults, when working with the student should focus on the commonly occurring roots, prefixes and suffixes. When a reader is able to break down unfamiliar words into their prefixes, suffixes and roots they can begin to determine their meanings. †¢Restructuring Reading Material – This strategy is particularly effective for struggling readers improving their vocabulary. Sometimes grade level materials contain too many unfamiliar words. Adults can restructure the material. Portions of the difficult words can be replaced with ‘easier’ synonyms to help the reader understand the overall text. Also, particularly challenging words can easily be ‘looked up’ while reading the text. Taking a few minutes to read with your child, using these strategies will truly aid their vocabulary development and reading comprehension for years to come. Let’s work together as a team to ensure that your child becomes an independent, lifelong learner.

Barleria Prionitis Linn

Barleria Prionitis Linn

Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders Autism has been on the rise in the past 20 years, and is getting dangerously close to reaching epidemic proportions (Zelan, 1). Statistically, Autism rates have been rising in the United States with Autism now effecting 1 in every 150 children ages 10 and younger (Zelan, 1). Autism can occur in any race and does not gender discriminate, though boys are four times more likely to have Autism than girls (Castrogiovanni). The causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Autism are the main aspects that most interest researchers today. If studies continue to have good results, the quality of life for Autistics could improve exponentially. Autism is a developmental disorder that has baffled researchers for years, but research breakthroughs in the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Autism allow for a better understanding of the condition. There are many theories regarding Autism, however, the actual cause(s) remain unknown. Autism could have several possible triggers, but any information is still in the earliest stages of research. Genetics, familial connections, having an excess of testosterone, and vaccines have all been speculated as potential causes. Genetic testing has revealed interesting information, but no gene or genes have been linked to Autism directly. One researcher states, â€Å"Autism probably results from abnormalities in at least three to twenty genes and very likely has no single causal gene.† (Fredericks, 35) Researchers have also found that Autistics under 12 have an overall larger brain size in comparison to normal children. (Fredericks, 35) This information really expresses the need for more in-depth research regarding genetic links (Fredericks, 15). The idea that Auti... ...oadedFiles/public/TESAutisticSpectrum.pdf>. "Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists in diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of autism spectrum disorders across the life span." . N.p., 2006. Web. 6 Mar 2012. . Schopler, Eric, Robert Reichler, and Barbara Rochen Renner. Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Western Psychological Services, 1986. Print. Self, Trisha L. and LaDonna S. Hale and Daiquire Crumrine. â€Å"Pharmacotherapy and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Tutorial for Speech Language Pathologists.† Language, Speech and Hearing Services in School. Vol. 41. July 2010: 367-375. Text. â€Å"Types of Autism.† Autism-diagnosis.com. Autism Diagnosis. N.d. Web. Zelan, Karen, Between Their World and Ours: Breakthtoughs with Autistic Children. New York: St. Martis Press, Print. May 2003.

Free Essays - The Dehumanization of Shylock in Merchant of Venice :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

The Dehumanization of Shylock in Merchant of Venice In Susan Pharr's "The Common Elements of Oppression", she defines "the other" as the outcast of society, the ones who stand up for what they believe in, no matter how `against the grain' it may be, the ones who try the hardest to earn acceptance, yet never receive it. In Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice", Shylock, the `villain' is portrayed as the other simply because of his faith, because he is Jewish in a predominantly Christian society. One way that Shylock is classified as the other was by being stripped of his name. Throughout the play, Shylock was very seldom referred to by name; in the trial scene, the Duke identifies him by name twice, and Portia does so once. During the rest of the play, Shylock is usually referred to as "the Jew", "dog Jew" (II, viii, 14), and "currish Jew" (IV, i, 292) Throughout the play, Shylock was often reduced to something other than Human. In many cases, even the simple title of "Jew" was stripped away, and Shylock was not a man, but an animal. For example, Gratiano curses Shylock with "O, be thou damned, inexecrable dog!" (IV, i, 128) whose "currish spirit govern'd a wolf" (IV, i, 133-134) and whose "desires are wolvish, bloody, starved, and ravenous" (IV, i, 137-138). Or when Shylock is neither a man nor an animal, he becomes "a stony adversary, inhuman wretch" (IV, i, 4-5). When the Christians applied these labels to Shylock, they effectively stripped him of his humanity, of his religious identity; he was reduced to something other than human. The Christians also labeled Shylock as explicitly equated with the Devil, which in a primarily Christian society left Shylock as the other. For example, in (II, ii, 24-28), Launcelot Gobbo identifies Shylock as "a kind of devil", "the devil himself", and "the very devil incarnation." Shylocks own daughter compared Shylock's house to "hell" (II, iii, 2). Salanio identifies Shylock as "the devil...in the likeness of a Jew" (III, i, 19-21) and Bassanio echoes this sentiment by identifying Shylock as a "cruel devil" (IV, i, 217). Antonio further cements the association between Shylock and the devil by noting how Shylock's arguments remind him how "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose" (I, iii, 97-100).

Drug Legalization Essay -- Drugs Argumentative Use Essays

This paper will prove that America’s drug laws are ineffective and cause more harm than good. The notion that a state of freedom exists in America is completely voided by narcotic laws. Narcotic laws cause a black market, which raises the prices of drugs to astronomical levels. These high prices cause drug addicts to turn to crime in order to support their habit. There exists substantial evidence that marijuana is less harmful than legal product like alcohol or nicotine. The war on drugs is comparable to the Vietnam War in its harm on the current generation of minorities. The government avoids ending anti-narcotic legislation because of the vast amount of capital which is spent on the war on drugs in terms of law enforcement and prison systems. Also there are many legislators whose campaign corner stones are often getting tough on drugs, to make an about face would mean political suicide. Yes, drugs are illegal. This very fact is what discourages many Americans from using drugs. However the illegality of the substances in question do not stop all people from using. Despite the severe punishment users of illicit drugs face if caught, illicit drug use is widespread in the United States. â€Å"According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse's 1992 National Household Survey, more than one in three Americans (36.2%) have used illegal drugs at least once in their lifetime, nearly 28 million Americans (11.1%) used them in the previous year, and almost 14 million Americans (5.5%) used them during the past month† (Skolnick 3). This is clear evidence that the war is not working. Drug addicts will continue using drugs regardless of the penalties associated with procession, simply because they are addicted to these dangerous substances an... ...nment run store where drugs would be sold only to adults. Much the same as the way liquor is sold in many areas of the country today. Drugs would for the most part be out of the reach of children. Drugs would be relatively inexpensive, and within the reach of addicts, who would no longer have to turn to crime in order to obtain them (when was the last time you heard of someone getting mugged in order for the perpetrator to buy beer). People would be allowed to freely grow marijuana and or hemp. Treatment for addicts would be free and easily obtainable. Money would be spent on improving the conditions of schools, roads and other things that Americans really need. There would exist much the same laws for operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs as exist for operating under the influence of alcohol today. There would once again be a state of freedom in America.

Dracula Essay

Good vs. Evil has long been expressed through movies and books throughout history. Batman beating the Joker, Spiderman banishing the Green Goblin, and Arthur and the guys defeating Dracula are all examples of literature based on the theme Good vs. Evil. In Bram Stokers, Dracula, Jonathan Harker represents the good, while the vampire, Dracula, represents the evil antagonist. One thing these four pieces share is that evil never fully overcomes good. They all start off as regular human beings, or on the good side, until their spirit and soul becomes taken over by a sense of evil. Gothic elements, such as, an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, supernatural events, gloom and horror, the tyrannical male, and the woman in distress are all present in these stories. The movie Interview with a Vampire, The Singing Springing Lark, and the story Interview with a Vampire can relate to Dracula because of their themes and gothic elements. The movie Interview with a Vampire is very similar to the story Dracula. It starts off in a dark night scene filled with dull and heavy music. Also, during the fight scene, the setting included thunderstorms and pouring rain. This shows metonymy because the dark and heavy music represents death and terror and the thunderstorms and rain were used to create a setting of darkness and fear. Other gothic elements shown in this movie were Lucy’s pale skin, the castle setting, and the exchanging of blood. In the Lindauer 2 story Dracula, Lucy’s skin starts to become very pale because she has been bitten by Dracula, which is what happened in the movie. This represents the gothic element tyrannical male, because of Dracula’s presentation of overpowering the other characters, more specifically Mina and Lucy. This directly relates to the gothic element women in distress because the women in both stories were treated poorly and were taken advantage of due to their weaknesses. In the story, The Singing Springing Lark, there are also many similarities to Dracula. For example, as in Interview with a Vampire also, most of the scenes take place in a castle. This shows the gothic element setting in a castle. As in most stories, a castle usually represents evil spirits and terror, which Dracula and the Beast both represent. Another gothic element shown is an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. In the story, the prince was hesitant to meet the girl’s family because â€Å"for if a ray from a burning light were to fall on him there, he would be transformed into a dove, and would have to fly with doves for seven years.† This is an important quote because in the story Dracula, the boys had figured out that Dracula’s evil spirit was weakest during the times of sunrise and sunset. If they didn’t get to him before the sun set, his powers were going to be restored. In other words, the change from dark to light represents a change from evil to good. In the story Interview with a Vampire, the plot line is almost exactly the same. For example, â€Å"The mere sight of a bared throat could bring about in me such a taste of arousal that I became like an animal, incapable of language or restraint.† This quote shows tyrannical male because it compares how Armand and Dracula are both similar in the way they kill their prey. They both attack where the blood is rich just like animals do and dominate their prey. It also Lindauer 3 shows a sexual side because the mere fact of killing got both of these characters aroused. For example, â€Å"With his left hand he held both Mrs. Harker’s hands, keeping them away with her arms at full tension; his right hand gripped her by the back of the neck, forcing her face down on his bosom. Her white nightdress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man’s bare breast which was shown by his torn-open dress.†(Stoker 283) This quote shows women in distress because it describes how Mina, in a sense, was raped. Just Armand, Dracula finds pleasure in killing, and transforming good into evil. One thing that all of these pieces share is that evil never overcomes good. Although evil makes its presence known and dominates at first, good prevails in the end. The movie Interview with a Vampire, The Singing Springing Lark, and the story Interview with a Vampire can relate to Dracula because of their themes and gothic elements. As Theodore Roosevelt’s once said, â€Å"The forces that tend for evil are great and terrible, but the forces of truth and love and courage and honesty and generosity and sympathy are stronger than any before.†

Psychological Effects of Bisexuality

What is bisexuality? Synthesizing the predominant theories of bisexuality, Smiley (1997) suggested the following definition: Bisexuality is a sexual orientation in which an individual: experiences a combination of sexual and affectional attractions to members of both sexes; engages to varying degrees in sexual activities with both sexes; and self-identifies as bisexual in a way that is consonant with personal, social, political, and lifestyle preferences (Smiley, 375). Bisexual and the transgender people are two less visible segments of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. According to the authoritative Kinsey Report, which compiles data on human sexuality, almost eight in 10 people have some characteristics of bisexuality, wherein an individual feels attracted to both sexes (Klien, 13). However, bisexuals have to confront not just the homophobia of the straight community, which brands them as promiscuous, even though most are in strictly monogamous relationships, they also face derision from the gay community, which considers them closet gays, hiding behind the veneer of bisexuality because they are afraid to come out. Not surprisingly, therefore, that a recent study by the Australian National University found that bisexuals â€Å"had the worst mental health on measures of anxiety, depression and suicidality (Hall, 28). Tommy (name changed) Hogan, who came to Los Angeles, California nearly two years ago for graduate studies in Health Administration and works for Watts Health Foundation, says in adolescence he found himself being attracted to both boys and girls. In the gender-segregated society we lived in, opportunities for `fooling around' were much more readily available with peers of the same sex. I thought everyone in my circle was like me. So when I came to the Los Angeles it was very surprising to find that there were some individuals who were not attracted to men and others who were not attracted to women† (T. Hogan, personal communication, October 26, 2002). He wouldn't say he was gay. He would only say that he was sleeping with other men. He liked to call it â€Å"M-S-M,† men sleeping with men, you know, Brothers on the down low. I called it being a bisexual. The first thing that Tommy made clear to me is that bisexuality does not describe one sort of behavior, but rather a whole range of behaviors and lifestyles. Talking openly about sexual orientation within as private a community as the African American community is something that is not often done. Tommy revealed his disappointment at the community’s lack of acceptance of non-traditional lifestyles. According to a generally agreed upon definition, it isn't necessary for a person to be equally attracted to men and women and to be involved in multiple relationships, to be bisexual. In fact, a person can be celibate and still be bisexual. It's all a matter of whom he or she finds attractive and how he or she identifies himself or herself. There is no behavioral â€Å"test† to determine whether or not one is bisexual. Bisexuals come in all shapes and sizes, from all occupations, and with all levels of educational, racial and cultural background. When Tommy told his father of his attraction to both men and women, his father simply said that though these desires were natural and most people had them, eventually he expects Tommy to get married and have a family. â€Å"Even though his message was that it was preferable to get married to a woman, I was struck by his statement that same-sex feelings were natural, and by the fact that he didn't put same-sex desire down by calling it a perversion or sin† (T. Hogan, personal communication, October 26, 2002). Hogan says, â€Å"People have this misconception that bisexuals are promiscuous. I have been in strictly monogamous relationships and most of us are perfectly content with that. If people have made up their mind something is abnormal they can come up with as many reasons as to why it is so, and if there are people who think otherwise, they too can come up with a variety of reasons to prove their point. Why can't we approach this from a humanistic viewpoint that people have the right to love whomsoever they want to, as long as it is consensual? Tommy is very content with the bisexual lifestyle he is living. He seems to not know whether or not he will always be this way. I got a sense from our interview that he wasn’t happy being this way. He begin the express the importance of how being very religious he could not live this type of lifestyle. I would have to agree that the Bible does speak against any type of homosexual behavior. Tommy and I have discussed this issue on more t han one occasion. He seems to be confused as to what he really wants. It is a battle for him to be with a woman and be attracted to a man that is in the same company. Tommy at the present lives by himself so he doesn’t feel as if there are any rules he has to live with. He currently resides in the Hollywood area. He is comfortable living this lifestyle and his community contributes to this. Tommy has many friends and he also dates several women. Many individuals do not know that he is bisexual. Individuals might suspect that Tommy is bisexual but they have no confirmation. I am a close friend to Tommy and I actually have had the pleasure of knowing him for two years. I also might add that I have been attracted to Tommy for these two years and have dated him. I do accept his lifestyle as being bisexual because I care about him. But, I choose not to be in a relationship with Tommy because I do not want to risk my life or my health. We have an open and honest relationship so he understands that I have feelings for him but I in know way want to proceed with a relationship. But, if he chooses not to participate in this lifestyle in the future I just might end up being with him. But as one of his friends along with the others, he is accepted and is treated no differently than the next person. Tommy always feels comfortable in talking with me about his sexuality. He seems to be at this point in his life trying to deal with issues in the past that he feels might have led him to being attracted to both women and men. He has never mentioned to me about anything that stemmed from his past that might have triggered this imbalance in sexuality. I personally accept anyone who chooses to live a gay, lesbian or bisexual lifestyle. However, I do not condone dishonesty in sexual relationships with partners who have no knowledge of each other’s sexuality. It is really hard to discuss the responses of others, many individuals just do not know. Tommy is a very nice looking young man and is very professional and classy. He has all the traits that women are seeking in this young adult age. I believe that if women knew of his lifestyle as a bisexual they might not be as interested in him as before. As I mentioned many people question his sexuality but he has encountered no prejudice against him in that regard. Tommy indicates that it wasn’t until he came to Los Angeles that he decided to practice his lifestyle as a bisexual. Los Angeles makes it a lot easier to be bisexual, gay or a lesbian and be accepted in society. He feels most comfortable here and being able to go out in public with another man. He felt as though when he lived with his family he could not practice bisexuality. He never carried out sexual relationships with men until he came to Los Angeles. The sexuality of Black males as well as females is enmeshed with racial stereotyping thus the issues of gays and bisexual blacks is a particularly sensitive one so far as the Black community is concerned. The notion is that bisexuals are confused, promiscuous and greedy. To me promiscuity is really an oxymoron. It’s down to the individual needs and requirement of that person. I will never have an issue with anyone who chooses to be bisexual but in these days it is just unsafe to be with someone who is bisexual because AIDS is so prevalent and many individuals are just not honest with their sexual orientation.

Darwins Contribution to Science

Darwin’s Contribution to Science Eric Nash Bio-Literature Dr. Slovak 04/15/2013 When one ponders the current understanding of evolution and natural selection and where it came from, many names may come to mind. However, the man who gave us the idea of natural selection in the first place was none other than Charles Darwin. While Darwin was not the only one conducting research of this kind, his name stands out as a driving force behind our current understanding of evolution.Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 to Robert and Susanna Darwin. Darwin’s father Robert was a physician, much as his paternal grandfather Erasmus Darwin. Charles Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, but quickly found that his future lay on a different path. Darwin eventually attended Cambridge University, between 1828 – 1831, where he graduated with the intention of becoming a clergyman. In those days, a clergyman was a general lover of all things natural and could be called by some, the original biologists.Very soon after, indeed the same year as his graduation, Darwin was invited to go along with Captain Robert Fitzroy on a voyage aboard The Beagle. His main role was to be the resident naturalist. During the voyage, Darwin was expected to gather samples and make observations in order to send back to England for classification. Little did Darwin know that the voyage would last five years. While Darwin is known mostly for his work on the Galapagos Islands, he only spent five weeks of his five year journey on the islands. Most of his work was on mainland South America.Through his collection of fossils, skins, skeletons, and various other samples, Darwin was able to postulate about isolation and change within a species. Darwin spent years after his voyage on The Beagle, cataloguing specimens, consulting with colleagues, and getting everything in order to make sure that he had the best support for his theories. It wasn’t until he read an e conomic report by Malthus that describes population growth and decline are based on various factors such as famine or disease (James, 1979), that Darwin began to put together the pieces of what he had learned from his voyage and study.Malthus’ work helped Darwin to understand that under specific conditions, favorable variations would tend to be preserved while unfavorable characteristics would be destroyed. Darwin began to work on a report outlining his theory of evolution through natural selection, but never published them. In 1856, Charles Lyell convinced Darwin to start working on a book detailing his work. Darwin didn’t put a great deal of effort into a book until after 1858, when Alred Russel Wallace sent a letter to Darwin, explaining in almost identical fashion to Darwin’s work, evolution by natural selection.After two presentations at the Linnean Society, in which two of Darwin’s papers and one from Wallace was used, Darwin began his work on, â₠¬Å"On the Origin of the Species. † This was a smaller version of the larger book he was intending on writing and was published in 1859 where it immediately became a scientific sensation. Many scientists argued against Darwin’s work claiming that evolution was a product of major sudden changes which caused large mutations. These scientists were known as â€Å"saltationists†.The major argument was the fact that the earth was not old enough for gradualism, or evolution through small steps, to have occurred. It wasn’t until Mendel’s work on genetics in 1856 that Darwin’s theories really began to take hold. It took all the way until the 1930’s before gradualism was widely accepted. Ultimately, Darwin was not fully vindicated until the last half of the 20th century in which DNA and genes were better understood. Although much of Darwin’s later years were spent in illness, he continued to work.After â€Å"On the Origin of the Speciesâ €  was written, he continued to work on human descent from earlier animals including the evolution of societies and mental abilities. He also did some work to explain the decorative beauty of wildlife and plant life such as his work in 1861 into wild orchids. He showed that an adaptation in their flower petals to attract specific moths in order to ensure cross pollination. He then wrote â€Å"Fertilisation of Orchids† in 1862 where he detailed the power of natural selection to clarify compound ecological interactions and made testable predictions.Darwin went on with, â€Å"The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex,† where he Darwin proposed evidence from many sources citing that humans are animals. He explained that sexual selection can describe unreasonable characteristics such as differences between the sexes of various racial differences while emphasizing that all humans are the same species. Darwin was also pleased by this time that his theories did n ot meet the criticism that they once did commenting that â€Å"†everybody is talking about it without being shocked† (Darwin, 1887).After Darwin’s demise, many geographical features and landmarks were named after him. Captain Robert Fitzroy named Darwin Sound in commemoration of Darwin’s quick thinking in saving The Beagle from being sunk when a large glacier created a wave that would have decimated their boats. In the Andes, there is Mount Darwin, so named during the celebration of Darwin’s 25th birthday. More than 120 species and nine genera have been named after Darwin. A group of tanagers found in the Galapagos Islands became known as Darwin’s finches, which ironically, has promoted a great deal of inaccuracies about Darwin’s work.There is even a Darwin Day in England. Darwin’s contribution to science is not insignificant. While not knowing where his theories would lead, he inadvertently became the father of evolution throug h natural selection. His ideas revolutionized the way scientists thought, thus leading to what we know today. Although, the presence of people such as Alred Russel Wallace goes to show that the truth was out there already, it simply needed the tenacity of a man like Darwin to do the work and publish those finding.Charles Darwin put in the time and effort to voyage on The Beagle in order to make everything we know today, possible. While I believe that a truth is a truth and all it needs is someone to find it, without those people, where would we be? Darwin himself once said, â€Å"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science. † References Darwin, Charles (1887). In Darwin, Francis. The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter.London: John Murray. ISBN 0-404-08417-6 Darwin, Charles (1859 ). On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (1st ed. ). London: John Murray. ISBN 1-4353-9386-4. Darwin, Charles (1862), On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing, London: John Murray James, Patricia 1979. Population Malthus: his life and times. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Powerpoint Presentation. Charles Darwin 1809-1882 by Dr. Slovak.

Critical Analysis: Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay

In this love story written by Zora Neale Hurston, we find out that the main character, Janie saw her life as a great tree filled with many trials and tribulations. â€Å"Their eyes were watching God† was written from a woman’s point of view to tell the story of a woman desperately searching for true love and fulfilment. Janie Crawford grew up with her grandmother who forced her to marry at the age of seventeen to ensure a better life for herself. Logan Killicks was an established potato farmer and he was more than twice Janie’s age. He used her for slavery but Janie refused to accept this lifestyle. See more: how to write a critical analysis essay step by step One day she met a tall handsome man name Joe Starks and ran off with him to Florida. There he established and became the mayor of a small town called Eatonville. This relationship was one of possession and power and Janie was denied any interaction with others in the town. Janie was his trophy wife; she was only allowed to work in their store until Joe became sick and died. Janie then met and fell in love with a young man called Tea Cake. He loved her and took her on picnics, hunting, fishing and dancing. Both, Tea Cake and Janie worked together on the â€Å"muck†, on a field picking crops. On a tragic trip to the Everglades, a hurricane came and Tea Cake was bitten by a wild dog while trying to save Janie and contracted rabies. In his last few months, Tea Cake began to lose his mind and tried to kill Janie so she was forced to take his life. No one could replace Tea Cake, so after his death Janie returned to Eatonville to work in her store. When she returned, people assumed that Tea Cake had run off with her money, but Janie did not care because finally she had experienced true love. The purpose of this book is to tell the story of a woman’s search for true love. In her pursuit of love, she experienced relationships based on confinement and possession, persons who only saw her as a slave and a trophy wife. All Janie ever wanted was someone to love and appreciate her as an individual and as an equal. Eventually, this was achieved when she met Tea Cake. The writer uses many techniques to engage and capture her audience’s interest on this journey of true love, independence and fulfilment. Throughout the novel, the writer uses an ironic tone. After Janie’s first relationship as a slave she found herself in another controlling relationship with Joe Starks unintentionally. Although Tea Cake allowed Janie her freedom at first once competition presented itself he took on a possessive and controlling role also, â€Å"Tea Cake had a brainstorm. Before the week was over he had whipped Janie. Not because her behaviour justified his jealousy, but it relieved that awful fear inside him. Being able to whip her reassured him in possession. † It was also ironic that at Joe’s funeral she was not sad or hopeless as the wife would normally be, but instead she felt strong and free, â€Å"Before she slept that night she burnt up every one of her head rags and went about the house next morning with her hair in one thick braid swinging well below her waist†. Hurston also used dialect to make the story and characters more real to the reader. Words such as ‘wuz’, ‘dat’, ‘mah’, ‘dey’ and wid showed the culture and spirit of the characters and made the story believable. Once I was comfortable reading the dialect, it was easy relating to the characters as their emotions were evident based on their unique expressions. Hurston’s use of figurative language was remarkable where she brilliantly used a metaphor to describe Janie’s life. â€Å"Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered. Things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches. These words describe the ups and downs in Janie’s life, the things she did and those she wished she could have done. Dawn represents the new things she experienced and the brighter days that she had to look toward and doom were the trials and sad times in life that she faced. This created a summary of everything Janie faced in life for the reader and was effective in relating to the character and her feelings. Hurston used imagery to characterize and distinguish between men and women in. She compares the dreams of men to ships. She says â€Å"Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. † She then goes on to say â€Å"Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember, and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly. She believes men and women dream differently. Men set their sights on things they will most likely never accomplish. If they fail, they pack their bags and forget about it, they don’t keep striving to achieve it. Women on the other hand have their sights set on dreams that are realistic and they don’t just wait for their ship to dock, they â€Å"act and do things accordingly†. This idea is represented with all three relationships Janie has in the novel. First she marries Logan, with the hope that her dreams of love and prosperity can be fulfilled. Unfortunately this did not work. Then Janine marries Joe Starks, but feels no real love for him. Then Janne meets Tea Cake. He fulfills her dream of love, and is the only person that makes that dream come true for her. The most prevalent theme presented in the novel is love and friendship. Tea Cake loves Janie and wants her to be happy. He’s the only one who gives Janie the freedom to be who she is, not who someone wanted her to be. All of Janie’s life she was hidden behind a mask that only was taken off with Tea Cake’s love. â€Å"He drifted into sleep and Janie looked down on him and felt a self-crushing love. So her soul crawled out from its hiding place. † After Tea Cake’s death, Janie did not feel alone. Tea Cake had given so much love to Janie that would last her whole life. â€Å"He could never be dead until she herself had finished feeling and thinking. The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall. Tea Cake’s death freed Janie for her searching was finally complete. The writer also uses the flashback method, she begins the story with the end of Janie’s journey, when she is back at home and then tells her friend Phoebe her life’s story leading up to her returning home. This was an effective technique because it showed the process and struggle some endure during the pursuit of happiness. Overall the writer was effective in achieving her purpose. Hurston gives her readers the tools to understanding Janie’s motivation with meaningful patterns of metaphors and symbols that deliberately guide readers through Janie’s experiences. The novel invoked many feelings, such as sympathy and concern for the way she was treated, and sadness and struggle this intelligent beautiful woman had to endure. In short, Janie struggles, Janie submits, Janie silences herself, but Janie grows. By the end of the story, I, as a reader, am her best friend Pheoby, sitting on that porch with her and listening her to tale. I understand her insecurities, I feel her pain, and I am able to share in her joy as she was able to experience true happiness and find fulfilment. This novel is so relevant to society because it sends a strong message to women who are still victims of battered relationships, women who feel weak and are struggling to make a failing situation work. This novel serves as empowerment, showing us that we should not be afraid to pursue other relationships if the current one doesn’t bring the happiness that is desired. It teaches that life is a journey filled with ups and downs, but it is up to us to determine our happiness as Janie did. Also it cautions us to be careful with whom we choose to love.

Discussion about female vagina circumcision Research Paper

Discussion about female vagina circumcision - Research Paper Example These cultures do not do so to harm the woman but believe that it is a main definition between a girl and a mature woman (Momoh 56). It is usually performed on girls who are few days into their puberty stages and in certain regions it is a requirement for any girl who may wish to get married. The act is usually performed without any anesthesia by a traditional circumciser who uses a knife or a razor or sometimes even scissors to remove the female genitalia in question. Apart from being a part of some cultures, it is also a part of some religious beliefs such as some Islam communities based in these regions especially in African countries such as Somali which has a large population of staunch Muslims (Ehrenreich and Hochschild 87). It is mainly practiced in parts of Africa, the Middle East and a number of immigrant communities based in Europe, Australia and America. The practice has been existent for a large number of decades, and scientific discovery in the medical profession was the main force behind groups that have risen in an effort to bring an end to this tradition. Types of Female Circumcision The World Health Organization has classified types of female circumcision into four types that have been categorized according the procedure that takes place. These four types of circumcision are carried out by different cultures and communities and include: Type 1 – This involves the removal of the clitoral hood, or the partial or sometimes total removal of the clitoris itself. The medical term for this procedure is clitoridectomy (Amish, Aisha and Aldo 87). Type 2 – Involves the total or partial removal of the clitoris as well as the inner or outer labia. Different cultures practice different combinations of these procedures such as sole removal of the inner labia or the removal of the inner and/or the outer labia as well as part or all of the clitoral. This type is often referred to as excision (Amish, Aisha and Aldo 87). Type 3 – This type i nvolves the removal of all of the female genitalia. This is to say that both the inner and outer labia is removed and may or may not include the removal of all or part of the clitoris as well (Amish, Aisha and Aldo 89). Once this is done, the girl’s legs are then bound together for a number of days that can go over a month in order to allow the wound to heal. A twig or an object of similar proportions is inserted in the wound to create a small hole that will allow for the passage of urine as well as menstruation once the healing process is complete. This type is commonly referred to as pharaonic circumcision or infibulation. Type 4 – This type categorizes all the other procedures that have not been covered in the previous three (Amish, Aisha and Aldo 103). They may include processes involving scraping, incising, pricking, and cauterization among others. Complications Involving Female Circumcision There are a number of medical complications that women who have undergone female circumcision may experience as a result. Some of these complications may occur immediately while others may be experienced later on after a period of time has elapsed (Skaine 65). They include issues such as infections that may occur as a result of the tools that are used. Most

Managing Learning and Development in Organisation Essay

Managing Learning and Development in Organisation - Essay Example All these aspects are inter-related and they should be integrated in every learning process of an organization. Moreover, human resource managers have recognised the importance of aligning learning processes with organisational priorities. This paper will highlight the important aspects of individual and organisational development and how they relate to business success. In details, it will look into how training is effective and its evaluation as well as the importance or its contribution. The second part of the paper explains the importance of training of those prospecting to be teachers to the school, children or students and to themselves. It further explains the principles of effective training importance of teacher evaluation as well as its challenges. Discussion Measuring Training Effectiveness in Organisation Training is a continuous process that involves the transfer of information and knowledge to employers and employees of an organisation in order to meet the needs and goa ls of the business. It can also mean equipping the people to interpret the information and knowledge into practice with a goal to enhance organisation effectiveness and productivity as well as improve the management of the people (Sriyan de Silva, 1997). Normally, training integrates educational policies and systems which are deemed as important to human resources development. Training effectiveness means that training should provide significant added value to an organisational operations by improving quality, safety and production. While it is clear that training provides additional value to products and services, a calculated training effectiveness is tricky because employee performance depends not only on training, but also on other factors for example, job aids supervision, procedures, pre-job briefings, management expectations, and the experience and motivation of the work force. A good number of organisations are nowadays setting up their own training facilities, and outsourci ng talent to carry out in-house training for employees at all levels. This trend has been largely used because new orientation in managerial and technical areas is crucial for effective response to the changing business environment. Training is an expensive task especially if it does not meet the given purpose. Training should be in a position to improve the individual capabilities as well as those of the collective organisation. The training programme should contribute to the building of organisational capabilities and reflect improved performance over a period of time. Otherwise, the organisational loss for example, loss of competitive edge and reduction of market share, is far much greater than the money and time spent on training. Therefore, training should serve stipulated purposes taking into consideration a systematic analysis of its capabilities and the demands brought about by future scenarios. A critical area for achieving expected results from training is the measurement of training effectiveness which is the match between the training inputs and its intended purpose. Most organizations neglect this aspect citing difficulty of measurement even though techniques in social sciences have been developed to sufficiently measure the most important aspects of training. There are kinds of training outputs that an organization need to measure. First is the