Analysis Of John Milton s Waiting For Godot - 1335 Words

Knowledge can be taken or given in any situation. The transfer of power through knowledge is inevitable, but how an individual uses it is unique to every person. Even though someone may have power, it would be useless unless it was credited by other people. The approval of others in a society is what drives the strength of power. Intelligence may be apparent in a certain individual, but without validation their knowledge is forgotten and not even considered active. If the most knowledgeable entity’s intellectual superiority, the Christian God, was not supported by others, then he would not be the center of an entire religion. In John Milton’s epic poem, his power is defined by his ability to make other people love him with complete obedience and by withholding knowledge. Pozzo, from Samuel Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot, does the same by controlling all of his slave’s actions and withholding Lucky full potential to be an intellectual human. On the surfa ce, Pozzo from Waiting for Godot and God from Paradise Lost seem to lack similarities, however the amount of power they possess in their own situations is indistinguishable and the different ways in which they utilize their knowledge provides a glance into how different individuals react when they are superior. God is the omnipotent force driving much of John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. His power comes from his knowledge of everything in time and his control over his creations. Milton describes him as the â€Å"holy

Endocrine Research Paper Pathophysiology Diabetes Mellitus

Sugar donuts; not just sweet, scrumptious treats that make mouths salivate and stomachs smile, but also a dangerous catalyst to individuals who are uninformed. Seem improbable or unlikely? Actually, these donuts and many sugary products like it have the ability to sicken, and possibly kill, millions of people world-wide. This disease has quietly reached epidemic proportions, as according to the World Health Organization (WHO) it currently affects about 27,000,000 million in the United States and affects roughly 220,000,000 million people world-wide (6.4% of world population)(Diabetes Facts). When people think about epidemics that affect the world today, the first ones that usually come to mind are those that kill of millions of people†¦show more content†¦This is the case for someone who has either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Looking more in depth, though similar in that they both result in some type of insulin dysfunction, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have many differences as well. . Many people know of diabetes however most do not know that there are different types. For a Type 1 patient, an autoimmune disorder causes its own immune system to attack itself. In this case the immune system views the islet cells in the pancreas, which produces insulin, as foreign, and attacks it. This results in the body forming anti-bodies against these â€Å"foreign† cells which ultimately stops the production of insulin in the body (Norman). This form is known as insulin-dependent diabetes and currently affects about 22,000,000 million in the world which makes up only 10% of all diabetics (Diabetes Facts). For Type 1 diabetes, there is no definite cause as to why people get this form of diabetes, but more often than not, it is inherited because of a genetic tendency (Norman). Though genetic predisposition is thought to be the main culprit for this form of diabetes, it’s not the only cause. It can also be due to viral infections such as measles, influenza, polio or the mumps. Environmental, diet, chemicals and drugs have also shown to have some relation to this form of diabetes.Show MoreRelatedThe Health History Of A Student At The University Of Arizona2093 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction This paper will look at the health history of a student at the University of Arizona in the BSN program. This paper will explore the risks this student has of contracting diabetes mellitus due to a predisposition in her family history. The reason for the disease, patterns, risk, and preventative measures will be discussed and explained through the paper. Many people in the world suffer from type II diabetes [diabetes mellitus (DM)]. This student explored her health history back tracingRead MoreThe Complex Nature Of Diabetes And Its Effects On The Human Body1751 Words   |  8 PagesDiabetes Mellitus (DM) is a serious, chronic disease which affects one out of every eleven people in the United States. Diabetes Mellitus, also known as Diabetes, is a complex endocrine disease dealing with excessive glucose in the blood. The disease process lies within the body’s metabolic state in which the body metabolizes carbohydrates, proteins, and fats leading to either defective insulin p roduction or insufficient amounts of insulin. Diabetes has several pathogeneses, signs and symptoms, riskRead MoreThe Evolution Of American Diabetes Association3488 Words   |  14 PagesEvolution of American Diabetes Association Introduction When an individual is asked whether or not they would rather be HIV positive or have diabetes, the obvious response is that they would prefer to be diagnosed with diabetes. Even though, diabetes is a complicated endocrine disease that most often results in patients having multi-organ dysfunction, such as: blindness, lower extremity amputation, kidney dysfunction and pancreas malfunction. Most people associate diabetes with bad food, bad geneticsRead MoreErectile Dysfunction And The Elderly Population1757 Words   |  8 Pagesbe due to many issues such as psychological problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, trauma from surgery related to prostate cancer and even hormonal problems. Erectile dysfunction does not only involve men, it also involves their partner as well, and can cause the male to withdrawal from any sexual activity due to embarrassment . In regards to erectile dysfunction this paper will focus on the treatment and management o f erectile dysfunction in the elderly populationRead MoreMyocardil Effusion4228 Words   |  17 Pagespersonal history of poorly managed hypertension and smoking (risk factors). In both acute and chronic conditions, the MI represents a dramatic failure of prevention (Daniels (2003)). Peter is a 72 year old, retired gentleman who has: Angina, diabetes mellitus, Coronary Artery Disease and Emphysema. He has had 2 previous MIs in the past, has a well controlled blood pressure and a functional renal system. Peter was a long term smoker and had a regular alcohol intake up until recently where he quit following

Environmental Sustainability Education in Early Childhood for Play

Question: Discuss about theEnvironmental Sustainability Education in Early Childhood for Play. Answer: Evaluate the curriculum for environmental sustainability practices Sustainability is usually linked to the environment. Every time people talk about sustainability, they think of environmental sustainability such as protecting wildlife, reducing waste and other deeds that protect the environment. These are important factors of sustainability. However, points out that sustainability can also be termed more widely as people being able to meet their need without encroaching on other peoples future to be able to meet their needs. In this regard, sustainability is not only viewed in terms of conservation but also in terms of equity, fairness and the need to look into the impact of the present generation on the future generations. The children of today represent the future generation and it is crucial as educators, to assist these young ones to realize that it is important to protect and take good care of the environment[i]. It takes small steps to cultivate sustainable practices. Nothing will make the service sustainable in one go[ii]. Taking small steps may include: remembering to switch off the lights, picking papers on the ground etc. The educator should make a list of the things he or she would like the children to do and then introduce these activities to the children step by step. The practices and evidence seen has been developed over time. The secret to deal with the kids is to take small steps until one has the courage to move to another level. The teacher should make a list of all the things that the instructor does or wants to do that can be considered sustainable[iii]. Bring together different things so as to make a coherent strategy or plan. The first thing to do is to establish a starting point. An audit or self-assessment conducted by another will assist one to identify what project to undertake. It will also assist the instructor to identify the baseline for the use of the resources. For example: how much gas, water, and electricity is used? How many tissues are used and paper towels? What are the cleaning chemicals used? How much is thrown away to the trash can, how much recycling is done. When the instructor evaluates, all these factors, he or she can determine which steps to take so as to conserve the environment for example, opening windows instead of using fans, turning off the taps[iv]. After a while and depending on the resources, one may consider other forms of sustainability such as installing solar panels and water tanks. The instructor should talk to families including children and come up with a shared view of what sustainability is and how to do it. The instructor should be realistic by starting small. Fo r example he or she may start with a vegetable garden and a worm farm as a start of the project. The project should be meaningful. Sustainability should be an ongoing process not a one-time experience. To be successful, the project has to be rooted into a day-to-day basis. To involve the children, find out how the children should be involved in the sustainability practices of day to day and outline the things that are done in the school or surrounding and what else they can do. Design an environmental sustainability initiative to include into practice A well designed programme for environmental sustainability in an early childhood environment will require a collaborative effort with Local Authority to provide essentials such as kits for education. The educators will require regular hands-on workshops where they can test sustainability education activities. Teacher should engage the children in the discussions towards the environmental sustainable projects. For example, the teacher can narrate how and when a garbage can is full, how to empty food and left overs. Encourage the children to take part in programs for recycling, for example, plastic paper and bins. They can be taught how to come up with new recycling material such as art and craft and /or donating some of these materials to the cleanup companies. Water savers and energy savers can be taught to these children such as switching off light and water taps and for the older children, record weather reports and place them on charts on the boards. Evaluate a curriculum Schools policy makers and educators firstly need to understand the ideal method to use in learning for environmental sustainability. This understanding will allow them to evaluate the efficiency of current programs and find out or check on the progress towards the enduring environmental sustainability change. As such, an ideal curriculum must be inclusive in that the pupils or children must participate, share and influence the learning process. The participatory approach includes, co-learning, reflection, sharing, listening , negotiation, co-operation and critical thinking. Design and plan a curriculum Provide in-services on sustainability education. This in-services are crucial as the instructor will get involved with other people can try some activities on sustainability education. Kits can be provided to children through entertainment such as song incorporated into an education session for environment sustainability. The instructor can also find ways to conserve water through drafting a plan. The school can be provided with a bag of devices on water saving[v]. Introduce items such as drama, music and craft material to improve kits and their usability. Teachers may also encourage green cleaning to their students by using products that are not harmful when cleaning the premises such as detergents when cleaning the wash rooms. Teachers can give information to educators and parents to help them understand better and monitor their children in accessing media and promote health by better physical activity, wholesome meals. Teachers can also give notices on boards to help the parents of the children to remember the activities to enable them carry out the program more efficiently[vi]. The teachers can also train the children on how to respect animals. Also educate on recycling programs for printing material and ink cartridges. Evaluate the curriculum learning experiences The curriculum and learning process was effective in both planned an unplanned methods of learning. The planned method involved kits, notes, a systematic process that the teacher used to educate the kids such as teaching the children on how to manage waste to construct cartons and paper which process is more identifiable with the older kids. The unplanned method was also ideal and effective as it involved showing the children how to keep their environment clean by picking up papers, proper usage of water including closing taps once used etc. The program gave the children a chance to give their views on what they would prefer such as games, kits and it was effective. Other children preferred the use of paper from waste to construct items for play. The school achieved the objectives of the curriculum because it involved parents, teachers and children. None was left out and this wholesome approach in dealing with the issues assisted a great deal in making the curriculum a success. Bibliography Blenkin, Geva M., and A. V. Kelly.Early Childhood Education: A Developmental Curriculum. London: Paul Chapman, 2006. Bruce, Tina.Early Childhood Education. London: Hodder Education, 2011. Cutter-Mackenzie, Amy, Susan Edwards, Deborah Moore, and Wendy Boyd.Young Children's Play and Environmental Education in Early Childhood Education. 2014. https://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1697894. Meade, Anne.Dispersing Waves: Innovation in Early Childhood Education. Wellington, N.Z.: NZCER Press, 2010. Pianta, Robert C.Handbook of Early Childhood Education. New York: Guilford Press, 2012. Tina Bruce; Stephen Halder.Early Childhood Education

Mid-Term Exam Remedial Law Essay Example

Mid-Term Exam Remedial Law Essay Mid-Term Exam 1. Distinguish Cause of action from action SUGGESTED ANSWER: A CAUSE OF ACTION is an act or omission of one party in violation of the legal right or rights of the other (Maao Sugar Central vs. Barrios, 79 Phil. 606; Sec. 2 of new Rule 2), causing damage to another. An ACTION is an ordinary suit in a court of Justice by which one party prosecutes another for the enforcement or protection of a right, or the prevention or redress of a wrong. (Section 1 of former Rule 2). 2. What is the concept of remedial law? SUGGESTED ANSWER: The concept of Remedial Law lies at the very core of procedural due process, which means a law which hears before it condemns, which proceeds upon inquiry and renders judgment only after trial, and contemplates an opportunity to be heard before judgment is rendered (Albert v. University Publishing, G. R. No. L-19118, January 30, 1965). Remedial Law is that branch of law which prescribes the method of enforcing the rights or obtaining redress for their invasion (Bustos v. Lucero, G. R. No. L-2068, October 20, 1948; First Lepanto Ceramics, Inc. v. CA, G. R. No. 110571, March 10, 1994). 3. How shall the Rules of Court be construed? SUGGESTED ANSWER: The Rules of Court should be liberally construed in order to promote their objective of securing a just, speedy and inexpensive disposition of every action and proceeding. (Sec. 6, Rule 1 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure. ) ADDITIONAL ANSWER: However, strict observance of the rules is an imperative necessity when they are considered indispensable to the prevention of needless delays and to the orderly and speedy dispatch of Judicial business. (Alvero vs. Judge de la Rosa, 76 Phil. 428) 4. Distinguish between substantive law and remedial law. We will write a custom essay sample on Mid-Term Exam Remedial Law specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mid-Term Exam Remedial Law specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mid-Term Exam Remedial Law specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer SUGGESTED ANSWER: SUBSTANTIVE LAW is that part of the law which creates, defines and regulates rights concerning life, liberty, or property, or the powers of agencies or instrumentalities for the administration of public affairs. This is distinguished from REMEDIAL LAW which prescribes the method of enforcing rights or obtaining redress for their invasion (Bustos v. Lucero, G. R. No. L-2068, October 20, 1948). 5. Distinguish jurisdiction from venue? SUGGESTED ANSWER: JURISDICTION treats of the power of the Court to decide a case on the merits, while VENUE refers to the place where the suit may be filed. In criminal actions, however, venue is jurisdictional. Jurisdiction is a matter of substantive law; venue, of procedural law. Jurisdiction may be not be conferred by consent through waiver upon a court, but venue may be waived, except in criminal cases (Nocum et al. v. Tan, G. R. No. 145022, September 23, 2005; Santos III v. Northwest Airlines, G. R. No. 101538, June 23, 1992). 6. Give the effects of the following: 1 Splitting a single cause of action: and 2 Non-joinder of a necessary party. SUGGESTED ANSWER: 1. The effect of splitting a single cause of action is found in the rule as follows: If two or more suits are instituted on the basis of the same cause of action, the filing of one or a judgment on the merits in any one is available as a ground for the dismissal of the others. (Sec. 4 of Rule 2) 2. The effect of the non-joinder of a necessary party may be stated as follows: The court may order the inclusion of an omitted necessary party if jurisdiction over his person may be obtained. The failure to comply with the order for his inclusion without justifiable cause to a waiver of the claim against such party. The court may proceed with the action but the judgment rendered shall be without prejudice to the rights of each necessary party. (Sec. 9 of Rule 3) 7. Rolando filed a petition for declaration of the nullity of is marriage to Carmela because of the alleged psychological incapacity of the latter. After trial, the court rendered judgment dismissing the petition on the ground that Rolando failed to prove the psychological incapacity of his wife. The judgment having become final, Rolando filed another petition, this time on the ground that his marriage to Carmela had been celebrated without a license. Is the second action barred by the judgment in the first? Why? SUGGESTED ANSWER: No, the second action is not barred by the judgment in the first because they are different causes of action. The first is for annulment of marriage on the ground of psychological incapacity under Article 36 of the Family Code, while the second is for declaration of nullity of the marriage in view of the absence of a basic requirement, which is a marriage license. [Arts, 9 35(3),Family Code]. They are different causes of action because the evidence required to prove them are not the same. [Pagsisihan v. Court of Appeals, 95 SCRA 540 (1980) and other cases]. . The plaintiff sued the defendant in the RTC for damages allegedly caused by the latter’s encroachment on the plaintiff’s lot. In his answer, the defendant denied the plaintiff’s claim and alleged that it was the plaintiff who in fact had encroached on his (defendant’s) land. Accordingly, the defendant counterclaimed agai nst the plaintiff for damages resulting from the alleged encroachment on his lot. The plaintiff filed an ex parte motion for extension of time to answer the defendant’s counterclaim, but the court denied the motion on the ground that it should have been set for hearing. On the defendant’s motion, therefore, the court declared the plaintiff in default on the counterclaim. Was the plaintiff validly declared in default? Why? SUGGESTED ANSWER: No, the plaintiff was not validly declared in default. A motion for extension of time to file an answer may be filed ex parte and need not be set for hearing. [Amante vs. Sunga, 64 SCRA 192 (1975)]. ALTERNATIVE ANSWER: The general rule is that a counterclaim must be answered within ten (10) days from service. (Rule 11, sec. 4). However, a counterclaim that raises issues which are deemed automatically joined by the allegations of the Complaint need not be answered. Gojo v. Goyala, 35 SCRA 557 (1970)]. In this case, the defendant’s counterclaim is a compulsory counterclaim which arises out or is connected with the transaction and occurrence constituting the subject matter of the plaintiff’s claim. It raises the same issue of who encroached on whose land. Hence, there was no need to answer the co unterclaim. 9. The plaintiff sued the defendant in the RTC to collect on a promissory note, the terms of which were stated in the complaint and a photocopy attached to the complaint as an annex. Before answering, the defendant filed a motion for an order directing the plaintiff to produce the original of the note so that the defendant could inspect it and verify his signature and the handwritten entries of the dates and amounts. 1 Should the judge grant the defendant’s motion for production and inspection of the original of the promissory note? Why? 2 Assuming that an order for production and inspection was issued but the plaintiff failed to comply with it, how should the defendant plead to the alleged execution of the note? SUGGESTED ANSWER: 1) Yes, because upon motion of any party showing good cause, the court in which the action is pending may order any party to produce and permit the inspection of designated documents. (Rule 27). The defendant has the right to inspect and verify the original of the promissory note so that he could intelligently prepare his answer. (2) The defendant is not required to deny under oath the genuineness and due execution of the promiss ory note, because of the non-compliance by the plaintiff with the order for production and inspection of the original thereof. (Rule 8, sec. 8). ALTERNATIVE ANSWER: 2) The defendant may file a motion to dismiss the complaint because of the refusal of the plaintiff to obey the order of the court for the production and inspection of the promissory note. [Rule 29 Sec. 3(c)]. 10. What is forum shopping? SUGGESTED ANSWER: Forum shopping is the act of a party which consists of filing multiple suits, simultaneously or successively, for the purpose of obtaining a favorable judgment (Leyson v. Office of the Ombudsman, G. R. No. 134990, April 27, 2000; Yulienco v. CA, G. R. No. 131692, June 10,1999; Chemphil Export Import Corp. v. CA, G. R. Nos. 112438-39, December 12, 1995).

Pop goes the piston essays

Pop goes the piston essays The Basics of an Internal Combustion Engine Everyday millions of people across the world depend on their automobiles. Their daily routine of driving never changes. They get in their car and turn the ignition on. After putting the car in gear, they press on the gas pedal and drive. Most of these people have no idea how their car engine works. They just supply it with gas and expect it to run. Under the hood of a car, there is a whole other world. According to author Lauren S. Bahr of the Collier Encyclopedia, an engine is a machine that converts heat energy into mechanical energy. Bahr says this conversion is caused by a process called internal combustion. Internal combustion is the heart of an engine, but isn't the only thing that goes on. During an engine cycle the valve train moves oxygen through each cylinder, while the cars ECU, engine control unit, supplies gas at precisely the right time. An internal combustion engine is a very complex power source, which drives peoples cars everyday. According to Marshall Brain of howstuffworks.com, a man by the name of Nikolaus Otto invented the four- stroke combustion cycle, or the otto cycle, in 1867. Brain explained that Otto's basic idea was similar to a potato gun. A piece of pipe works as a cylinder, and a potato stuffed in one end is the piston. Add hairspray as your gas, and a match as your spark plug. The potato will launch out of the pipe, like the piston will drive the crank shaft. During the four- stroke combustion cycle a piston moves down, up, down, up in four main strokes. Each stroke is vital to the cycle. A piston starts at the top of the cylinder, and on the first stroke, or intake stroke, the piston moves down. This movement creates a vacuum and sucks oxygen into the cylinder through an opened intake valve. At the same time an injector is spraying fuel into the cylinder. During the second stroke, or compression stroke, the piston moves b...

How To Make a Dry Ice Balloon

How To Make a Dry Ice Balloon You usually blow up balloons with air or helium, but did you know you can get a balloon to inflate itself using dry ice? Heres how you perform this simple science project: Dry Ice Balloon Materials BalloonsDry Ice PelletsFunnel (optional) Its easiest to work with a funnel because it holds the neck of the balloon open. If you are working with dry ice pellets, you may find it easier to break or crush them so you can pour them into the balloon. However, if you wear gloves, its pretty simple to do this project with just your hands and a balloon. If you have a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, you can even make the dry ice yourself. What You Do Hold open the mouth of the balloon.Place or pour dry ice into the balloon.Tie off the balloon so that the gas wont escape.The balloon will inflate as you watch. Youll see water freeze on the outside of the balloon where the dry ice is cooling the air across the surface of the latex. How much the balloon inflates depends on how much dry ice you added. A small amount of dry ice will slightly inflate the balloon, while a large amount ultimately will make it pop. How It Works Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. At normal atmospheric pressure, dry ice sublimates from a solid directly into a gas. As the gas warms, it expands. Carbon dioxide is more dense than air, so if you drop a dry ice balloon, it will fall to the ground rather than float like a helium balloon. Dry Ice Safety Dry ice is cold enough that it can give you frostbite after a very brief exposure. Its best to wear gloves for this project and to let the balloon inflate on a countertop and not in your hand. Also, dont eat the dry ice. Keep it away from children and pets.

Complete case brief of Nix v. Williams Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Complete brief of Nix v. Williams - Case Study Example During the trial of Williams, the court held that, even in the case that Williams had not made the informative statements to the officer; the body would have been recovered and used as evidence against him (Nix). Procedural History The defendant, Mr. Williams was a mental patient on the loose. Williams abducted and murdered Pamela Powers, a ten-year-old girl from a YMCA on the 24th of December 1968 (Nix). After two days, he went to the police, at another county – making the condition that he was not to be questioned during the process of moving him back to Urbandale. One of the detectives started a conversation with him, and suggested to him that he needed to reveal the location where he had left the dead body, before an anticipated snowfall took place (Nix). He agreed to the proposal, and the directions he gave led the detectives to the recovery of the body (McInnis 397-446). After the recovery of the body, Williams was convicted for the crime, but based on Brewer v. Williams (1977), the Supreme Court held that there had been a violation of William’s right to counsel, like it was directed during the case of Massiah v. United States (1964). For that reason, his conviction was reversed. However, Justice Potter Stewart’s opinion pointed out that the evidence collected from Williams could be used during a trial, in a constitutional manner (Nix). Following the opinion, Williams was offered another trial, during which the attorneys responsible of his case moved a motion suppressing the evidence-bases collected through the interrogation by the detectives. Legal Issues The legal issues to be determined through the case included whether, evidence leading to an arrest could be exempted from case proceedings, based on the grounds that it had been obtained improperly. Decision of the Court The court, based on the inevitable discovery doctrine, held that the evidence (body) would have still been recovered within a short span. Therefore, the method â₠¬â€œ through which the information leading to the recovery – was collected was not relevant; therefore the evidence was admitted as evidence against the defendant. The dissent to the case, by Justice Brennan, maintained that the inevitable discovery doctrine bases its considerations on a hypothetical case, where the supposed evidence may or may not have been recovered; therefore, regarding that it was recovered through illegal means, it remained unconstitutionally collected (McInnis 397-446). Legal Analysis The main reason as to why the exclusionary rule was extended to the evidence collected through illegal police conduct was that, the channel taken was enough grounds to stop the police from violating statutory and constitutional protections, without allowing guilty people to go unpunished. Based on the rationale, the prosecution was not to be offered more advantages, than its case would have been, in the case that the evidence had not been collected through an illegal cours e (McInnis 397-446). However, by contrast, the judges resorted to the independent source doctrine, which allows for the admission of evidence, which has been gathered through means that are independent of the constitutional violation. Despite the fact that the independent source rule did not apply to the case, the rationale derived from it was consistent and offered justification to the adoption of the inevitable discovery rule, to the exclusionary doctrine. In the case that

Persuasive (AIRA) Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persuasive (AIRA) Letter - Essay Example Inclusion of the Co-Curricular Records (CCR) would provide an official mode for student participation of co-curricular activities and nurturing talents in St. Mary University’s students. The management of the St. Mary University can only measure all roundedness in their learners through the Co-Curricular Record (CCR). It is also vital to consider that, additional skills besides education are important for learners. Though some people have counter arguments on the validity and reliability of these records, I still believe that educational transcripts have to be complemented and acquire additional skills that place them in an advantageous position in terms of accessing job opportunities. Through the AIRA strategy, the management of St. Mary’s University will need to shift an amount of funds to put the Co-Curricular Records (CCR) in place. The management will also need to dedicate a huge sum of money to mobilize students to join the group, as well as hire the services of motivational speakers to motivate students on the need to be all rounded learners. However, this move will be beneficial to the St. Mary’s just like has been to other

4 Paragraphs Essay Example for Free

4 Paragraphs Essay -My room is in a mess because I had a party with my best friends last night. I have to clean my room before my mom arrives from work. The underwear is hanging on the lamp, my books are all jammed in the closet, the scarf is beneath the TV and my shoe is under the bed. -We have the best cafeteria, they offer different type of foods, the food menu is so big it consists of Arabian, Indian, American, Mexican and Chinese food. They have a special Indian dish called â€Å"Chicken Tekka Masala† its a dish of roasted chicken chunks in a spicy sauce. Breakfast Burritos is a special Mexican food that contains Eggs, bacon, salsa, sour cream and cheddar cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, hot sauce is optional. My favorite dish in the cafeteria menu is Shawarma, it’s an Arabian food made with chicken and bread. See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay -David is a dangerous driver, I hate the way he drives the car, he either drive too slow or too fast. One day we were in the Himalayan mountains, he was behind the steering driving uphill, he was driving so fast we almost fell of the cliff. The way he brakes the car is so scary, it reminds me of how my grandmother drives. Neighbors are so important if they are willing to help you in time of need. My favorite neighbor is Mrs. Shirley , I remember the day when the government cut off our water, she was the first one there to help us, she even offered us to stay at her place. She is so generous and I like the way she hosts me.

Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay -- Raymond Carver Cathedral Literatur

Raymond Carver's Cathedral Raymond Carver utilizes his character of the husband, who is also the narrator, in his short story "Cathedral." From the beginning of the story the narrator has a negative personality. He lacks compassion, has a narrow mind, is detached emotionally from others, and is jealous of his wife's friendship with a blind man named Robert. He never connects with anyone emotionally until the end of this story. At the beginning of the story the husband is telling of a blind man coming to visit him and his wife. The narrator?s wife had worked for the blind man at one point. Since then they have maintained a strong friendship and keep in touch with tapes. The narrator talks about not looking forward to the blind man?s visit. The narrator, his wife, and the blind man spend the evening talking, but eventually the wife falls asleep. The narrator is uncomfortable about being left alone with a blind man. There is something about cathedrals on TV and the blind man asks the narrator to describe what a cathedral looks like. The narrator only describes physical things and so the blind man decides that they should try drawing one instead. As they draw the blind man and the narrator connect and a transformation in the narrator?s character takes place. Throughout the majority of the story Carver uses a variety of devices to portray the narrator negatively. One reason is that he lacks compassion. At the beginning of the story he says, "I wasn?t enthusiastic about his [the blind man?s] visit. He [the blind man] was no one I knew. And his [the blind man] being blind bothered me." The narrator also feels intimidated by his wife?s relationship with the blind man. When he is telling of her friendship with Robert h... ...r so long, after he stepped out of it he got uncomfortable and reverted back. Robert tells the narrator to find some heavy paper and pencils so they can draw a cathedral together. As they drew Robert tells the narrator to close his eyes. There was a connection made between Robert and the narrator and he says, "it was like nothing else in my life up to now." Robert tells him to open his eyes, but he doesn?t because he doesn?t want the experience to end. A transformation took place during the story and it is evident through the narrator?s character. In the beginning he was lacking in compassion, he was narrow minded, he was detached, he was jealous, and he was bitter. Carver used carefully chosen words to illustrate the narrator?s character and the change. Throughout the story his character undergoes a transformation into a more emotionally aware human being. Raymond Carver's Cathedral Essay -- Raymond Carver Cathedral Literatur Raymond Carver's Cathedral Raymond Carver utilizes his character of the husband, who is also the narrator, in his short story "Cathedral." From the beginning of the story the narrator has a negative personality. He lacks compassion, has a narrow mind, is detached emotionally from others, and is jealous of his wife's friendship with a blind man named Robert. He never connects with anyone emotionally until the end of this story. At the beginning of the story the husband is telling of a blind man coming to visit him and his wife. The narrator?s wife had worked for the blind man at one point. Since then they have maintained a strong friendship and keep in touch with tapes. The narrator talks about not looking forward to the blind man?s visit. The narrator, his wife, and the blind man spend the evening talking, but eventually the wife falls asleep. The narrator is uncomfortable about being left alone with a blind man. There is something about cathedrals on TV and the blind man asks the narrator to describe what a cathedral looks like. The narrator only describes physical things and so the blind man decides that they should try drawing one instead. As they draw the blind man and the narrator connect and a transformation in the narrator?s character takes place. Throughout the majority of the story Carver uses a variety of devices to portray the narrator negatively. One reason is that he lacks compassion. At the beginning of the story he says, "I wasn?t enthusiastic about his [the blind man?s] visit. He [the blind man] was no one I knew. And his [the blind man] being blind bothered me." The narrator also feels intimidated by his wife?s relationship with the blind man. When he is telling of her friendship with Robert h... ...r so long, after he stepped out of it he got uncomfortable and reverted back. Robert tells the narrator to find some heavy paper and pencils so they can draw a cathedral together. As they drew Robert tells the narrator to close his eyes. There was a connection made between Robert and the narrator and he says, "it was like nothing else in my life up to now." Robert tells him to open his eyes, but he doesn?t because he doesn?t want the experience to end. A transformation took place during the story and it is evident through the narrator?s character. In the beginning he was lacking in compassion, he was narrow minded, he was detached, he was jealous, and he was bitter. Carver used carefully chosen words to illustrate the narrator?s character and the change. Throughout the story his character undergoes a transformation into a more emotionally aware human being.

Nurture Influence Early Human Development

Early human development is a very important process in implicating the chain of infant’s future. Therefore, there are two most important process; first one is â€Å"Nature† i. e. Heredity and second one is â€Å"Nurture† i. e. Environment. For saying, the 17th century British Highbrow John Locke, the knowledge comes to adults who arrived in the newly world through their senses. The newborn infant are have their brain as a â€Å"Blank Slate†, that can be changed and turn into any kind in future by Locke. That’s filling for their experience on the way he/she hear, taste, identify, and sense.So I believe that human development is inherited, but it can be made more concise that nurture plays most important role then nature. Therefore these essays outline the influences of nurture on early human development that means of training, family background, society and environmental factor. It can be argued that nature influence early human development. Accordin g to Charis Darwin, he emphasised that human development is inherited and genetically program. Many researchers agree, but; not only that ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ playing important roles in human life.Than that they combine continuously to key development. Example: The developments of every character such as poignant stability appear to be manipulating to be like heredity and upbringing. In addition, some behaviourist such as Watson and Skinner are also believed that a newborn baby can be qualified into any professional type; it might be doctors, sport persons, and pilots etc. Regardless of his/her ability and talent. The motor development is based on a fill children metro born has goes through the same cycle at the different period in a life.The recent studies by (Dennis & Dennis and Gesell & Thompson) indicate that practice can be accelerating that appearance to their behaviour. For example: The newborn baby learn to walk which is called as stepping reflex; if we keep a baby’s feet on the floor he/she will walk by placing one foot in front of the other. This is not really walking but it’s a step of learning. Where he/she can walk early in their life, by practice for a few minute every day during the first ten week they short. So they learn early than other babies who had not practice.Therefore learning, training or experience plays an important role in the early human development. The other influences are the family and society where they live and brought up in their life. The children who are living in a family or society which has a good education system. Where child gets proper care and batter livelihood and seem to be learn & speak early. The newborn baby can as well differentiate between the similar. Such as the tones this is analogous meaning (Bridger 1961). He say that the noise that infant have the sense of hearing from there foreigner language beginning their family.For example: A baby after one or two months ca n notify the difference between parallel sounds such as ‘pa’ and ‘ba’. So one year child will picked up in enough information about verbal communication. That it will have also begun to â€Å"Screen out† sound it does not use (kuhl et al. , 1992). The latter is the environmental measures to be strong-minded in the untimely human expansion. The personal characteristics are determined by the genetic structure of the work. Take it as parent’s genes, so that the infant can grow that skin, eyes, hair and general body size could be also same.This genetic outcome is expressed in development through the process of physical or mental progression changes. For example: the developing infants develop within the mother’s body. During pregnancy, such as an infant turn around and kick which also follows depend on the growth. In other hand, the environment is serious or else abnormal in some other hand, than the processes can be disrupted. That’ s like, if the fetus causes a problem during the first eight months at the pregnancy. The infant may be born. Their eyes are blind, deft or brain –damaged. It’s depending on the stage of development at the time of infection.The other physical factors such as consumption of drugs and alcohol can be affecting the fetus. These are the environmental factors that will be affected the early human development. In conclusion, nurture and nature influence early human development. That children can became kind of adult by receiving proper care, training and experience. It is also depend upon the family and society in the way to speak and learn. And at the last the environment factors that effect by mentally and physically in early life of newborn baby. So this essay outline the nurture strongly influence early human development.

African American Social Standings Essay

This research paper will discuss the African American social standing in America throughout history. It will discuss the highs and lows and the pros an cons of the progression and also the different periods that African Americans lived through since they were brought to America. The progression of African Americans in America began with a practice called slavery. Slavery is the state of a person who is the chattel of another. It began in 1441 when Portuguese men kidnapped 12 black Africans from Cabo Blanco and moved them to Portugal. This opened the door to slavery in the Americas. A British statesman stated that â€Å"Slavery is a weed that grows on every soil. † The first African Americans slaves in America were brought to Jamestown, Virginia as servants and or slaves in August 1619. In order for slavery to work Africans had to made to seem inferior, one of the main an most common ways to show this was through religious racism ( Aretha, David pg. 21 ) The practice of slavery was then sent to the south were they were put on plantations. Plantations consisted of a large mansion like home surrounded by a large farm where slaves planted and harvested crops and performed other jobs which they weren’t paid for. While on the plantation the slaves called the owner Master or Mistress, they provided the slaves with food housing and clothing. ( David Brion Davis, World Book online†¦ Slavery) While on these plantations many of the slaves faced severe consequence for disobedience. They received consequences for not working hard or fast enough, they would also be used as an example in order to control the others. Their harsh punishment would include branding, whipping, mutilation, chaining and sometimes the harshest punishment of all cold blooded murder. Slavery was one of the worst periods in American history. During this period of slavery there were few revolts but many runaways. While slavery continued to spread and get more brutal in the South, the North disagreed with the idea of free labor. Their difference fueled the abolitionist movement. The Abolitionist Movement was the first movement that lead to the African Americans’ political and physical freedoms from slavery. â€Å"Antislavery activity began in colonial days. During the 1680’s, Quakers in Pennsylvania condemned slavery on moral grounds. In the late 1700’s, several leaders of the American revolutionary movement, including Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, spoke out against slavery. † (David Herbert Donald, World Book Online? Abolitionist Movement). During the start of the movement there were almost no public newspaper that publicized the abolishment of slavery. William Lloyd Garrison, an American journalist and abolitionist who became famous in the 1830 for denouncing slavery, published the first issue of his abolitionist newspaper The Liberator January 1st 1831, which was at that time the first Abolitionist newspaper. The reason William Garrison published the newspaper was because he was tired of the other methods that many abolitionists had tried. Garrison said slavery should be ended immediately. Another front runner during the Abolitionist Movement was Sojourner Truth. She was an ex-slave and also one of the main figures in the fight for women’s rights and equality. On January 1, 1863, the Abolitionist goals were reached when President Abraham Lincoln the 16th president issued his Emancipation Proclamation. It read that â€Å"all persons held as slaves† in rebellious states â€Å"are and henceforward shall be free† (McPherson, James M. World Book Online? Emancipation Proclamation. ) . Around the same time Congress passed the 25th Amendment into Constitution which therefore abolished slavery. Months later it was ratified. Following the Emancipation Proclamation, The North (union) and the South (confederate) began a civil war which lasted from 1861 to 1865. The war ended with many of the major cities in the South in ruins and most of the Northern cities left untouched. The Reconstruction period in the U. S followed the Unions victory over the Confederate Army in the civil war . The period was used to rebuild the south and patch-up the relationship between the North and South. Along with rebuilding and patching up relationships, the North sent teachers to the south to educated the African American ex slaves who had became newly members of the society. The teachers taught ex slaves reading, writing an arithmetic. The Reconstruction Act called for a new Constitution to be established in each state. It also gave Freedmen the right to participate in voting. The 14th Amendment was also passed and ratified during the Reconstruction period. â€Å"The 14th Amendment granted full citizenship to all people born or naturalized In the United States of America . Many of the laws passed during this period were set in place to protect the rights of former slaves, such as allowing blacks to vote an giving them many of the same rights as whites and protecting things dear to them such as property and money. During this period many advancements in society were made by African Americans, such as the Self-Leveling Table created by Charles William Allen , the corn planter check rower by Ralph W. Alexander and the spark plug by Edmond Berger these are only three of the more than 200 inventions/advancements made by African Americans during the reconstruction period. These African Americans, lead professions even when high limitations were placed upon them. (Aretha, David pg. 61) Advancements like these opened the door and let people know that African Americans were not incompetent but could actually make a difference in the world. Even though laws were set in place many southern whites still did not want to think an ex-slaves as anything close to equals. This lead to much violence and death of both whites and former slaves. â€Å"In time, southern whites regained control of their state governments and took away many of the rights that blacks had won during reconstruction. â€Å"( Stephen V. Ash, Work book online? Reconstruction). After the Reconstruction period ended and the North soldiers returned back home, which left ex slaves with no form of protection lead to extreme backlash against the African American community by whites. Following the Reconstruction period Jim Crow laws came into effect. Jim Crow laws resulted from the support southern whites and their effort to maintain segregation of blacks. These type of laws plagued the United States during the 19th century. The first type of Jim Crow law was set in place in Tennessee which called for the separation of African-American and white riders on the railway. This practice was soon adopted by other southern states. The spread of segregation laws through the South was supported by a many Supreme Court decisions. â€Å"( Joe R. Freagin, World Book online? Segregation) The Separate but Equal Doctrine arose during the period in which Jim Crow laws were on a rise. The Separate but Equal Doctrine stated that African Americans were equal to whites but should be kept separate from whites. The separate but equal doctrine was totally incorrect. For example Blacks and whites were separated in schools but the white schools had busing an the best books and teachers on the other hand the black schools had run down classrooms and unacceptable books. Blacks and whites were also separated in eateries, the White restaurants had the best locations and best accommodations on the contrary the black restaurants were small and modest. â€Å"Most of these Jim Crow laws were declared invalid by several Supreme Court decisions in the 1950’s and 1960’s and by the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968. † ( Alton Hornsby, World Book Online? Jim crow) During the 1950’s the Civil Rights Movement took flight along with desegregation. The Civil Rights Movement was just that a movement towards civil rights which were stated to be â€Å"The freedoms and rights that a person may have as a member of a community, state, or nation. † (Bruce Allen Murphy, World Book Online? Civil Rights) The first major event of the civil rights movement was the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown vs. Board of Education, which desegregated public schools across the nation. Schools in the south were very slow in changing their ways and violence usually erupted when black students tried to register. Then, in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, a seamstress named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. After she was arrested for breaking the law, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began, For 382 days, from Dec. 5, 1955, to Dec. 20, 1956 blacks refused to ride Buses and carpooled to destinations. It ended Dec 20, 1956 with the Supreme-Court-ordering desegregation of Montgomery buses. The boycott brought fame to a reverend named Dr. Martin Luther King. During the Civil Rights Movement the most effective way to get things done many believed was through non violence. Non violence was not just a way of acting but a state of mind and doctrine which Martin Luther King Jr. took from Mahatma Gandhi he stated that with non violence you can move mountains. Some methods they used to get their point across were sit ins, boycotts, marches and public speeches. Although many activist believed in non violence there was another side to the Civil Rights Movement and that was the Black Power Movement. The Black Power Movement was a more radical movement than the Non Violent Movement. Front runners like Malcolm X and other influential faces such as Huey P. Newton and Bud Siegel who together formed the Black Panthers all believed that the white man was the problem and that in order to win equal rights that African Americans needed to start fighting fire with fire and bullets with bullets instead of the more passive ways of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. ( Aretha, Chronicles pr. 261-300) In conclusion I believe that the law has provided African Americans with equal rights as whites but I believe that they may still appear not to be equal. In the 21st century I believe and know that there are many laws that seem to make African Americans and white equals but there is still much discrimination in the world. I also believe that the racism is not as bad but still exist, it just isn’t as blatant and in your face as it was in the past. African Americans still have trouble getting jobs, being accepted into organizations and colleges or university, But I do believe that we have made a 900 degree turn from the time where â€Å"Colored† and â€Å"White† signs decorated the front of every doorway, restroom and waterfountian in the southern U. S.

My Self-Publishing Suite

My Self-Publishing Suite Publishing my own work was a business decision, not a path chosen in a fit of pique. The success of my investment depended on two primary factors. First, every hour I spent away from my regular work cost me money, so I had to protect my time. Second, my book needed to be readily available in all the formats my readers would want, so I had to maximize my book’s distribution. There was just one problem: No single service would give me all the pros I needed to overcome the cons of self-publication. Self-publishing provides a great deal of benefits. For me, the most important was the ability to publish on an accelerated schedule while maintaining my quality standards. Unfortunately, the publishing process required considerable time and money. At first, I thought there would be a single-point service available that would deliver everything I needed to make my book a success. After extensive research, however, I realized that I would need to piece together the suite of services I needed from among several different providers. The first step was for me to upgrade my website. I needed a professionally designed website in order to market and sell my books. I hired Robb Digital Marketing, one of my marketing clients, to design and build my new site. When it came to my new logo, Tamara Robb recommended 99Designs.com. I was so impressed with their production process that I turned around and hired them to produce my cover art, too! Based on my experience with my website, I’d already learned that when it comes to design, the opportunity costs of a do-it-yourself job cost are greater than the cost of hiring a pro in the long run, so I was looking for a publishing service that could layout, publish, and distribute my book in print and digital formats. BookBa As a professional marketer, I knew better than to beleive that my book was finished just because it was published. I also knew I was weak in two vital areas: publicity contacts and social media consistency. Once again, I turned to my network. I hired Ascot Media Group to handle my book’s publicity and I went back to Robb Digital Marketing for their social media and newsletter creation services. Finally, all the pieces were in place. It took more time and more money than I had initially expected, but the results were outstanding. My first book was so successful that I was able to publish my second book the very next month! When I first brought this idea to Hope, she said, â€Å"Each decision is unique, depending upon budget, fiction/NF, online savvy, speaking talent, etc.† She’s right, of course. Your platform is different from mine. You have different assets, different skills, and different needs. You can’t expect to achieve the same outstanding results for your book But you don’t have to settle for a package deal either. Self-publishing gives you control over your publishing experience. Exercise your control with care

Top 9 Practical Hacks That Will Help You Get a Job Via LinkedIn

Top 9 Practical Hacks That Will Help You Get a Job Via LinkedIn You hear it from all of your job search experts: leverage your LinkedIn profile! Build your network for job search success! And those are absolutely true- these days, LinkedIn is a necessary tool for any job hunt. But the question is, how do you turn your LinkedIn profile into a lean, mean, opportunity-generating machine? Let’s look at 9 LinkedIn profile hacks that can boost your job search like crazy.1. Bulk Up Your Profileâ€Å"Fill in your profile† may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people just fill in the basic outlines, thinking they’ll go back later and do the rest, and never quite get around to it. Meanwhile, recruiters and hiring managers are searching LinkedIn, and you want your name to pop up for tailor-made opportunities.Make sure you’re including these elements in your profile, at a bare minimum:A Professional PicPick a headshot that’s flattering, and professional enough that you wouldn’t mind havin g your mom, your boss, or the HR rep at your dream company see it. Yes, your pet is awesome, but your selfie with Mr. Fluffypants the iguana is better-suited to your (private) Facebook page. If you can, get a professional photographer (or at least your cousin who’s perpetually trying to get that photography business off the ground) to take your picture.A 1-2 Sentence Mission StatementThis is your elevator pitch. It’s a quick summary of your professional identity/brand. Be creative- don’t just recycle your job title. You want it to be short, sweet, and chock full of keywords that are important to your industry.Your Personalized URLAll LinkedIn users get a generic URL. But did you know that you can also get one that’s shorter and more personalized? While you’re editing your profile, select the Edit link next to your public profile, and you’ll have the option to select a new URL. Again, keep it professional, and use your name. And if you happen to have a common name, keep the variation as simple as you can. This is not the spot to add creative words like â€Å"ninja† or â€Å"rockstar.†Your Job HistoryThis is important for two reasons: a) your LinkedIn profile is like a living, breathing resume that you can update as often as you want; and b) LinkedIn uses the data in your profile to forge links with companies and other users. You want this section to be as up to date and comprehensive as possible, to increase your networking opportunities.Education SummaryLike the job history, your education information can help boost your natural networking opportunities. You can select school, course of study, and any activities you too part in while there. This helps build connections that you might not have been able to get to otherwise. For example, I went to a very large state university, and knew only a small fraction of my graduating class. I also tend to hit â€Å"delete† automatically on alumni bulletins in my inbox. But via LinkedIn, I’ve gotten more insight into classmates I never even knew existed, and can see how our careers fit together, even if we never crossed paths back on campus.Special SkillsThis is a great place to showcase skills that you’ve picked up along the way, even if you don’t use them in your current position. This section also allows your connections to weigh in and â€Å"endorse† you, showing how awesome you are at said skills.ExperienceThis is the longer version of your headline, including context information that you want potential employers to see. You don’t need to go into every responsibility you’ve had at every job, but you have 2000 characters to create a pretty solid collection of your greatest hits.Your profile should look and read professional, but that doesn’t mean you can’t let your personality shine through. Witty and clever is good- but again, don’t go overboard. You want someone to be a ble to â€Å"get† you at a glance, not just your summary of accomplishments.2. Get InvolvedOnce you’ve set up your profile, don’t just walk away and wait for people and opportunities to come to you. Be a good community member- that means looking for connections, endorsing others, and interacting with others as much as possible on the platform. It shows that you’re engaged and personable.If you join groups in LinkedIn, that lets you send messages directly to second- and third-degree connections, so this is a very useful tool to have.3. Know What to Leave OutSpambots love public social media profiles, so don’t post your personal email address in any of the public fields unless you want to be weeding out weird spam messages for the rest of eternity. Anyone who reads your profile and wants to get in touch via the LinkedIn platform can do it without having MeMyselfAndI95@hotmail.com in the headline. You want your LinkedIn profile to be complete, but you don’t need to go overboard.Your LinkedIn profile doesn’t have to march in lockstep with your other profiles and job search materials. For example, your resume and your LinkedIn profile should be a bit different.4. Build Your Rep In Your FieldWhile you’re off being a good LinkedIn citizen and recommending people in your network, also work on answering questions in your field (assuming you know the answers- don’t make stuff up just for the sake of getting your name out there, because you also don’t want to undermine your professional credibility). Answering questions helps get your name out in your industry’s circles. And who knows- maybe something you post will go LinkedIn viral, and you’ll gain exposure to people in your field that you wouldn’t otherwise have been able to reach.5. Keep It CurrentUpdate your status daily, if you can- or at the very least, a few times a week. The key to LinkedIn success is engaging with the plat form as much as you can, so that you’re maximizing your information and your connections. When you update, don’t default to things like â€Å"here are my thoughts on this political thing,† or â€Å"here’s what I’m doing for dinner tonight.† Post an update that’s relevant to your work or your skills, so that your target market sees you’re committed to your professional brand. For example: â€Å"Just attended a great webinar on productivity, and am excited to try out Steve’s 4 Steps to Productive Greatness.†6. Use KeywordsThis is especially helpful in your â€Å"Skills† section. If your industry has a very specific set of skills, make sure you list them- that is, if you actually have them. It would be pretty easy to disprove that you’re not fluent in Italian and Swahili, no matter what your LinkedIn profile says. If you’re looking for a job in social media, make sure you’re listing all th e platforms you’re familiar with, and keep the section updated as new ones come out.7. Work Your LinkedIn Profile Into Your Application PackageLinkedIn has the potential to be a more dynamic tool than, say, your resume. Once you hit â€Å"send† on your resume or print it out for an interview, that’s it. No changes for this particular job application. But if you include your LinkedIn profile URL (remember that personalized URL we talked about?) with your contact info on your resume header, then your reader can go and find out all the wonderful extra information about you, your experience, and your skills beyond what fits in the short-and-sweet resume version.8. Spy On YourselfIf you use the LinkedIn app, you can search anonymously, but still see who’s been reading your profile. So if you can see that someone from XYZ company was interested in your profile, you can add some custom keywords, skills, or information to better appeal.9. Save Your SearchesLinked In has a â€Å"save searches† function, which can help you keep track of specific job keywords or listings that you’re interested in seeing. You can also set up alerts that let you know when these keywords pop up, so that you’re not obsessively reviewing your searches all the time (unless, of course, you want to).No matter how you look at it, LinkedIn has the potential to be an MVP in your job search. You get to decide how much (or how little) you want to interact with it, but the more you use it to your advantage, the more rewards you’ll get from the platform and the people and companies who rely on it to find great people for open jobs. Good luck, and happy linking!

Old American Special Occasion Baskets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Old American Special Occasion Baskets - Essay Example We would also be advertising this website as much as we can, so as to get people to visit our website, on which they would be able to find more information about our business. The site will also contain contact information, for customers and prospective customers to reach the shops administration via e-mail, and also by live chat. We envision our shop to be the most up-to-date, fastest, most accessible and the most outstanding gift basket shop in the whole area. Our store will boast of everything that our clients want, ranging from birthday gifts to thanksgiving gifts, and "Thank You" gift baskets. We aim to ensure that clients feel extremely comfortable and awed whenever they enter our shop. We will be filling the store with 20th century charm, but also surround it with the 21st century comfort. As a short-term goal, we also plan to carry out extensive promotions in the area and on the Internet. We would hand out fliers and do promotions on the radio and local newspapers. We will al so put a site on the web exclusively devoted to our shop and business. We will also put up big banners all over the mall, and we will be visiting different orphanages, houses and business establishments to promote our gift basket business. We also have some intermediate goals.

Shouldice Hospital case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Shouldice Hospital case - Essay Example However, inclusion of other services may be helpful to the practice financially as well increase its market relevance. Prior to expansion, the institution requires funds that would cater for the expansion effectively. In addition, using the funds it generates from business may be disadvantageous and limit the effectiveness of the transition One major concern of considering extension in this case is the control and management of the new institution. Expansion would require a change in the management system. If not effectively managed, the change may hinder the quality of operation and services rendered to clients. The expansion to weekend has caused a rift in the institution since the issue has not been formally discussed. However, the expansion to weekends should be done only if the institution increases its human resources. The current staff has expressed concerns since they have been required to embrace an organizational culture they are not used to. In addition, the concerns revolve the decision by the facility to embrace change. A global expansion should be a viable option. The institution has been in existent for a long time thus having demand in foreign countries. The organization should consider utilizing this market (Heskett& Hallowell

Civil War History using textbook, Ordeal by Fire, The Civil War and Essay

Civil War History using textbook, Ordeal by Fire, The Civil War and Reconstruction by James Hogue and James McPherson - Essay Example Secondly, the Union had a massive advantage in terms of resources. The South’s industrial output could not match that of New York alone, let alone the entire Industrial output of the North. Most of the heavy industries were concentrated in the North, including coal, iron, and woolen production, machine shops, and shipyards. In addition, the Union had far better infrastructure with several times the mileage of well-surfaced roads and canals, and twice the density of railroads. Shipping was a monopoly of Union vessels, and the South had only a handful of shipyards (Beringer, 1988). The third major factor was poor economic management. The Confederacy failed to export its stockpile of cotton at the start of the war before the Union blockade came into full effect. The revenues from exporting this cotton would have provided a sound financial base for undertaking a more effective war effort. Instead, the cotton was stockpiled or burnt. Moreover, the Confederate government chose to pr int money instead of levying high taxes on its citizens. This resulted in rampant inflation: prices increased 100-fold during the course of the war, devastating the economy and wiping out the savings of southerners. In contrast, the Union financed the war from bonds and taxation, maintaining a sound economy conducive for an effective war effort (Farmer, 2013). Q2 Reconstruction after the American Civil War entailed three major issues: the Social Problem, the Political Problem, and the Constitutional Problem. The policies and strategies adopted by President Andrew Johnson and the Radical Republicans after him were only partly successful. Johnson took up a soft stance towards Reconstruction. He solved the Political Problem and the Constitutional Problem, leaving the Social Problem to persist. Johnson unveiled his Reconstruction Plan in which each Southern state would be allowed back into the Union and has its war debts cancelled, if it withdraws its right of secession and swears alleg iance to the Union. He supported the rights of states at the expense of a strong federal government, resolving the Constitutional Problem. As a result, this ‘forgiveness’ policy was successful at incorporating the South back into the Union. Johnson failed to solve the Social Problem regarding slaves by failing to address their issues regarding land acquisition and voting rights. He denied former slaves the right to vote because he believed the South should be managed by white men only (Peacock, 2003). The Radical Republicans solved all the three problems for a short period following the election of Ulysses S. Grant to the presidency in 1868. They introduced the 15th Amendment, which granted African Americans the right to vote as well as protection under the law. They passed the Reconstruction Act of 1867 which granted African Americans all rights of citizenship enabling them access to education, land, public office and equal opportunities, leading to rise in their socio -economic status. The Enforcement Act gave the Grant government power to enforce the Reconstruction Act. As a result, the Southern states lost the right to oversee Reconstruction, which the Federal government took over. However, most of these gains were lost since Reconstruction governments in the South created bitter opposition among Southerners with their harsh measures. Northerners were also growing tired of Reconstruction due

Waiting for Godot and Dumbwaiter Comparison

Waiting for Godot and Dumbwaiter Comparison Among the best plays which can be compared to one another in different ways are Waiting for Godot written by Samuel Beckett and The Dumb Waiter written by Harold Pinter. One of the common elements the two plays share is the waiting factor which leads the few characters of both plays to do many absurd activities to fill the passing of time. Pinter has used many of the characteristics of Waiting for Godot in his own play showing the absurdity of the world through an absurd waiting for someone or something that never arrives. In this short essay these two plays are compared focusing on the waiting factor shared by the two. Examples are also provided from both plays in a comparison table on page 8 to 11, on the factors that result to the absurdity. Plots The plot in Waiting for Godot is a desert with a tree in the middle and the characters come to the scene at the beginning and leave at the end of each day. The scene is one location and it doesnt change throughout the play. This resembles the small world we are living at and it means we are all trapped in a cage like prisoners that we either cannot leave or are afraid to do so as a result the only thing we do is to wait for someone dominant and powerful to help us who never arrives so the waiting goes on. Plot in The Dumbwaiter is a basement room with two beds, flat against the back wall, a serving hatch, closed, between the beds. Also a door to the kitchen and lavatory, left and a door to a passage, right. Many of Pinters plays, as in Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot, take place in one location. The single location again takes on the form of a prison for the characters, a space from which they either cannot leave or are afraid to do so. Rather than bore the audience with lack of variation, the repetitive actions that come along with the single space generally constitute one of Pinters (and Becketts) main themes. The environment also assumes attributes beyond its scope. The serving hatch, for instance, becomes a symbolic channel to a higher power, or God, whom Ben fears, while the bathroom develops into a place of mundane repetition for Gus. The basement also functions as part of the mystery and betrayal of the Dumb Waiter. It makes us to think who owns the building? Is it still a ca fà ©? Is Wilson inside? (4) American Heritage Britannica concise Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Pinter http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/iacd_2003S/c_pm_lit/dumbwaiter.htm Characters Waiting for Godot has five characters as Estragon, Vladimir, Pozzo, Lucky and a messenger boy. The Dumbwaiter has two characters named Gus and Ben. As with Godot, in The Dumbwaiter the two characters are one dominant, one submissive, who share the amount of letters and syllables in their names (although Pinters Gus and Ben are simpler names-and simpler characters-than Becketts Vladimir and Estragon). Guss difficulty in putting on his shoe corresponds to a similar problem with a boot in Becketts play. In both plays, moreover, the characters have been stranded in one place with an unclear purpose, at least from the audiences perspective (1). In both plays, characters have not got any good communication. In Waiting for Godot plot is static. There is a lot of repetition, stability and progress. In The Dumb Waiter dialogues are non-sense of conversation. We see the scene as a room is his view of world. It is identical with Becketts view of the world. The world is going down, the drain. We see the toilet which smells very bad, dirty. And the feet of Vladimir and the breath of Estragon are stinky (2). In Waiting for Godot, the two characters are not satisfied and they both are waiting but in The Dumbwaiter, Ben is hopeful and satisfied with the world which is the room, while Gus is questioning everything and is not satisfied. Figure of Power (the Godlike) Pinters opinion of god is the man upstairs. He is the boss. He is the ruler, master. He is the figure of power. He comes with them and leaves. He doesnt get in touch. It could be anytime. This is direct influence of Beckett on Pinter with the idea of Godot who lives somewhere else nearby. In both plays the Godlike character is away and uses messengers to contact the characters on the scene. In Waiting for Godot, Beckett uses a boy as the messenger with the difference that in The Dumbwaiter Pinter uses the dumbwaiter as the messenger for Wilson (the figure of power). Central Action (Theme) Like a lot of theaters of the absurd, both plays are tragic and comic in nature. The plays are therefore referred to as a tragicomedy, or black comedy. As the very titles of the plays reveals their central action, in both of them people are waiting. And the major theme is the act of waiting for someone or something that never arrives. Because they have nothing to do in the meantime, time is a dreaded barrier, a test of their ability to endure (3). Because they repeat the same actions every day, time is cyclical. And time loses meaning when the actions of one day have no relevance or certainty on the next. http://www.archive.org/stream/pinteracriticale007278mbp/pinteracriticale007278mbp_djvu.txt http://www.soundofevil.com/ingilizce-hikaye-roman-kitap/14138-waiting-godot-amp-dumb-waiter-amp-end-game-samuel-beckett-harold-ingilizce-kitap-ozeti.html http://www.shmoop.com/waiting-for-godot/time-theme.html The Waiting In both plays the people are waiting for off-stage characters who exercise a powerful, god-like influence over the on-stage characters. No acceptable path existed for them to end their waiting and, therefore, they were forced to wait. Through this, the play showed that there are things for which one must wait and that no amount of initiative will end this waiting (1). Their situation, then, is that of people waiting for nothing much, in a universe that has nothing much to offer. As they wait, and we watch, we learn something about how man behaves under such circumstances. We see them devising, with diminishing success, games to play to pass the time; we see them try again and again to understand the unintelligible; we see them discuss committing suicide, but never without finding an excuse to put it off; we see them cling to each other for company while continually bickering and talking about how much better off they would be apart (specially in Becketts). Time Time in both plays is a dreaded barrier, a test for their abilities to endure. It is also cyclical and loses meaning when actions of one day have no relevance or certainty on the next. We see in Waiting for Godot that the characters even cannot tell the time of the year or the day. And also in The Dumbwaiter the room does not have a window so they guess the time and there are no words of a watch or looking at a clock in the play. Ben intentionally does not remember the emotional subjects and the times they spend together before or a fun they had and when Gus brings them up Ben tells him not to talk or asks him to do something or changes the subject so nothing stop him from what Wilson has asked him to do which is murdering Gus which happens at the end of the play. The time factor has relation to the next part which is Repetition as it is well explained as follows. And as Velissariou indicates: When reality is not measured by time and is not limited by spatial boundaries but lies in a n infinite time and an abstract space, then words can never be definite about a meaning which must perpetually elude them. (2) Repetition The repetition in the plays provides further evidence of the unimportance of time for Vladimir and Estragon and also for Ben and Gus. Both acts are identical excluding a few small deviations. With one day after another being basically the same during their wait, it is no wonder that Vladimir and Estragon had trouble telling one day from the next and that they had trouble remembering what happened during each day. Because of this lack of significant change, time had no meaning for them, and therein lays the larger theme that these scenes help to convey. If the day before was meaningless and if most of the periods before this were meaningless, time itself was meaningless for them as well. As Estragon said at the beginning of the second day in reference to that day, For me its over and done with, no matter what happens, which suggested his own realization of the meaninglessness of that day and of time itself. An example of a clearly cyclical pattern in Waiting for Godot that well introduces the repetition is when Estragon sings a song as follows: A dog came in the kitchen And stole a crust of bread, Then cook up with a ladle And beat him till he was dead. Then all the dogs came running And dug the dog a tomb And wrote upon the tombstone For the eyes of dogs to come: A dog came in the kitchen . . . . Questions while Waiting Estragon: (anxious). And we? Where do we come in? Estragons question is left unanswered by Vladimir. Note that these questions seem to bring pain or anxiety to Estragon. Beckett conveys a universal message that pondering the impossible questions that arise from waiting, cause pain, anxiety, inactivity and destroy people from within. Note that both Vladimir and Estragon ponder suicide, by hanging themselves from the tree, but are unable to act through to anxiety, as Estragon states, Dont lets do anything. Its safer (1). And also in the case of The Dumbwaiter whenever Gus tries to bring up something emotional, and to ask questions, Ben refuses to speak with him. This disconnection is the essence of their relationship. They do not speak with, but to each other. Silences and Pauses Both plays are filled with silences and pauses during the waiting. In theater of the absurd silences and pauses have three different applications. Either the characters are in a state of shock, or they are making time pass or they are hiding information from one another. Silences and pauses do carry meaning in these kinds of plays as if they are the same as using words to convey meaning. In Waiting for Godot, the silences are as a result of not having much to do trying to pass time until Godot comes and also lack of good communication. In the Dumbwaiter, silences and pauses are as a result of hiding information from Gus who will be the victim of the day at the end of the play when Ben shots him and the secrets are revealed. It is worth to mention Velissarious point of silences in Waiting for Godot here as: The silences in the play effectively Becket the terms an audience might adopt in order to understand them; the meaning is communicated by the intervals between words. In Didi and Gogos dialogue about the dead voices the silences are evenly distributed, atomizing the exchange into fragments of cross-talk. The empty stage is filled for a moment with the presence of dead people, worn out voices, fragmented whispers, murmurs and rustlings, and this sudden proliferation of the thoughts, speech, and noises of dead people suffocates Didi and Gogo because they themselves are emblematic of that dead humanity. Beckett stages the sounds of silence, the other side of language, and Didi and Gogo, in their yearning for authenticity, aspire to the point of overlap, to the zero, to the point where all difference is obliterated. It is a form of death-wish. The dead voices are heard inside their silences talking of the past, of dreams and hopes; presence is once again commensurate with absence. (1) Universality of the Waiting As human beings were all clinging to the hope of some kind of salvation, some kind of Godot to come and save us from our intolerable suffering, our poverty, our disease, our boredom, our quiet desperation (2) or a kind of Wilson to instruct us through our life. This hoping, this waiting, removes us from the potentially liberating awareness that the moment were actually suspended in, this moment between birth and death that glows so briefly, is ultimately more important than any vague better future we might desire. Life is a lengthy period of waiting, during which the passage of time has little importance. Each day the characters wait for the savior, and, if he doesnt come that day they will continue to wait. The amount of time that they had already spent doing this and the amount of time that would do so in the future is unknown, but neither is important because time is meaningless for them. Each day they would continue to wait for the unknown savior until he either came or time ended through their death. Sum up The plays confront the absurdity of existence and challenge us to figure out who we are and what were doing here. In this random universe, where everything who lives and who dies, whos up and whos down, is a matter of pure chance, and the odds arent necessarily in our favor, what do we do? Whats our purpose? The Dumbwaiter shows the same waiting as in Waiting for Godot with the difference that there is a more violent atmosphere which gives the sense of deceiving and murder. So Waiting for Godot and the Dumbwaiter are plays about waiting, about the repetition, the meaninglessness, the absurdity of waiting, of feeling (and being) suspended in time instead of moving forward in a meaningful direction and for the possibility of a better future that we are not quite fully convinced will ever arrive. You can find the comparison table with examples provided based on the factors mentioned above from the two plays as follows: EXAMPLES Factors Waiting for Godot Repeating actions VLADIMIR: Theres man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his feet. ( He takes off his hat again, peers inside it, feels about inside it, knocks on the crown, blows into it, puts it on again.) POZZO: (He puts the pipe in his pocket, takes out a little vaporiser and sprays his throat, puts back the vaporiser in his pocket, clears his throat, spits, takes out the vaporiser again, sprays his throat again, puts back the vaporiser in his pocket.) Repeating words Nothing to be done ESTRAGON: Why doesnt he put down his bags? POZZO: I too would be happy to meet him. The more people I meet the happier I become. From the meanest creature one departs wiser, richer, more conscious of ones blessings. Even you . . . (he looks at them ostentatiously in turn to make it clear they are both meant) . . . even you, who knows, will have added to my store. ESTRAGON: Why doesnt he put down  his bags? Killing Time VLADIMIR: That passed the time. ESTRAGON: It would have passed in  any case. VLADIMIR: Yes, but not so rapidly. VLADIMIR: Shall I tell it to you? ESTRAGON: No. VLADIMIR: Itll pass the time. (Pause.) Two thieves, crucified at the same time as our Saviour. Silence POZZO: (Silence.) Its the nicotine, one absorbs it in spite of ones precautions. (Sighs.) You know how it is. (Silence.) But perhaps you dont smoke? Yes? No? Its of no importance. (Silence.) But how am I to sit down now, without affectation, now that I have risen? Without appearing to -how shall I say- without appearing to falter. (To Vladimir.) I beg your pardon? (Silence.) Perhaps you didnt speak? (Silence.) Its of no importance. Giving irrelevant answers to the other person POZZO: True. (He sits down. To Estragon.) What is your name? ESTRAGON: Adam. POZZO: (who hasnt listened). Ah yes! The night. (He raises his head.) But be a little more attentive, for pitys sake, otherwise well never get anywhere. Not knowing the time the Godlike comes or sends message He said Saturday. (Pause.) I think. ESTRAGON: You think. VLADIMIR: I must have made a note of it. (He fumbles in his pockets, bursting with miscellaneous rubbish.) ESTRAGON: (very insidious). But what Saturday? And is it Saturday? Is it not rather Sunday? (Pause.) Or Monday? (Pause.) Or Friday? VLADIMIR: (looking wildly about him, as though the date was inscribed in the landscape). Its not possible! ESTRAGON: Or Thursday? Got used to waiting VLADIMIR: No further need to worry. ESTRAGON: Simply wait. VLADIMIR: Were used to it. Not doing what they say they would ESTRAGON: Well, shall we go? VLADIMIR: Yes, lets go. (They do not move). ESTRAGON: Then adieu. POZZO: Adieu. VLADIMIR: Adieu. POZZO: Adieu. (Silence. No one moves). VLADIMIR: (to Estragon). Give him his hat. ESTRAGON: Me! After what he did to me! Neve! VLADIMIR: Ill give it to him. (He does not move). Being promised that the master will come BOY: (in a rush). Mr. Godot told me to tell you he wont come this evening but surely tomorrow. Not remembering (or not wanting to Remember) the past Vladimir mentioned the time that he and Estragon had spent in Macon country picking grapes. Estragon did not remember this period, and even Vladimir has trouble remembering details of their time there, such as the name of the man for whom they worked. They couldnt remember the day before or even if it was the same place they were waiting for Godot Not knowing the time POZZO: What time is it? VLADIMIR: (inspecting the sky). Seven oclock . . . eight oclock . . . ESTRAGON: That depends what time of year it is. POZZO: Is it evening?

Essay --

Bullying is a very negative action and creates major problems in our society. Nothing good ever comes out of bullying someone. It can however change someone’s life forever. It actually does ruin many lives both of the bully and of the victim. The bully if caught and punished will then have a criminal record for the rest of their life. Unless they get psychological help, they will probably end up being a repeat offender. The victim often becomes depressed, withdrawn and often times either commits suicide or becomes a bully themselves. Bullying is more than just a part of growing up. It is a very violent form of aggressive behavior. Anti-bullying Laws will never completely solve the problem; only mask it temporarily until everyone starts working together to stop the root of this cruel behavior. Adults know that this behavior is wrong but many time don’t know when or if they should step in and do something. The important thing to remember when deciding to step in is how the adult feels about taking control of the situation versus how the victim might feel about having a parent or elder stick up for them. Sometimes the victim feels that elder involvement may make the situation even worse. They often feel the only way to solve the problem is to handle it themselves. Anti-bullying laws are being enacted in almost every state in the U.S. However, they are not being enforced and are nowhere near strong enough to identify and make the abuser stop or continue to repeat his/her actions again on someone else or even sometime the same victim they began with. Only 44 of our 50 states currently have anti-bullying laws in place. Ohio does have a law in place and is found in the Ohio Revised Code, section 3313.666. The law prohib... ...r high and high school which needs to be stopped. In one of the journals I was researching on this topic it stated that this type of behavior stems from many different things, life at home, poverty, depression. And that stopping those symptoms at a young age will help prevent these troubled kids from doing these acts. Of course you do not see these bad of events going on in the younger schools but when they start young like in elementary school what they think and do only gets worst with age. That’s why I wrote this paper in order to open not only the eyes of parents but as well as anyone that is ever around kids at all. And also to not only help the victims but also the offenders, it’s not always their fault. And lastly to stand up for a good cause such as this and help pass the laws against bullying to not only prevent it but in hopes of stopping it all together.

The “Now” Wedding Final Project

Running Head: WOW Wedding Final Project The â€Å"NOW† Wedding Final Project by A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements of MGMT505 Project Management Fundamentals November 2008 The â€Å"NOW† Wedding Lauren and Conner announced on December 31st that they were going to be married on January 21st. Conner had been notified that he was being deployed with the National Guard on January 30th. Lauren and Conner wanted to have a week for a honeymoon before the deployment. Lauren wanted to have a spectacular wedding and accomplish everything that needed to be accomplished so that everyone could attend and everything would be perfect.There was a tremendous amount of planning, organizing and tasks that needed to be accomplished for the â€Å"NOW† wedding to take place on time, in budget and for it to be perfectly memorable for everyone, especially Lauren and Conner. For Lauren to have the wedding that she dreamed of there were numerous tasks that needed to be accomplished immediately. The first task that needed to be accomplished was to secure the church and reception hall, until the address of the wedding is determined and secured the invitations could not be sent out.The invitations needed to be sent out a week before the couple decided to have the wedding to make sure that everyone could be there, however that was not an option. Dresses had to be made and altered as well as securing the wedding decorations, caterer and wedding party members. The major constraint the wedding couple faced was the time constraint, trying to pull all of the elements together in order to create the perfect wedding would have been difficult at best. The critical path is very tight and there could be no room for mistakes, misunderstandings, or delays.The resources required for this project were mainly people and money. The more people helping to bring all the elements together, the quicker everything could get done. The financial resources, controlled by the brides father, were necessary to move up the processing time especially where the brides dress was concerned. Figure 1. 1 utilizes a Gantt Chart to show the timeframe of the project to include sequencing of sub tasks: Fig 1. 1 [pic] The costs associated with the project are as follows: [pic] This risks for the budget are the following items:Maid of Honor Travel$1000. 00 Airfrieght 20. 00 Seamstress 240. 00 Invitation Incentive 20. 00 Invitations Help 40. 00 Possible Budget Overruns$1320. 00 The following fishbone diagram details all the current risks for the project: [pic] The method of tracking the progress of the â€Å"NOW† Wedding will be the Stop Light Chart, it is a very simple method of tracking what has been completed and what has yet to be started. Following is the Stop Light Chart which would be used at the beginning of the project: [pic] The â€Å"NOW† Wedding Case Study QuestionsPart A [pic] Creating the wedding schedule as outlined in the text it sh ows that the planning for the wedding should have occurred at least a month before it did. We would reduce the time it takes of the mother of the bride to put together the guest list by utilizing all available resources (manning) having all attendants present to create the list and a comprehensive address list (thereby minimizing the risk of one person having all this information). Invitations must be ordered on the 2nd of January with the guest list completed on the 1st.While the invitations are at print, the dresses would be designed on the 3rd with the materials being ordered immediately. The creation of a work flow chart would list out all of the tasks that must be completed assigning individual tasks to individual members of the wedding party. The budget needs to be set immediately and using the budget form above the wedding party has created the master list of objectives and goals. Utilizing the stop light will keep the project on track with constant updates as to the progress on each item.The Maid of Honor needs to be brought in immediately to participate in the planning and execution and to have measurements taken on sight to avoid the risk of the dresses not being made correctly. Part B There would be no conflict caused by the Chairman of the Vestry Committee not reducing the notice period from 14 to 7 days and I would not have recommended using the extra funds to reduce the notice period as the requirement for 14 days notice has been met by depositing the funds to secure the room on the 1st of January. Since the Wedding is scheduled for the 21st of January, there is no need to reduce the notice period.If the project were started on January 1, the Mother getting the flu would not have impacted the guest list completion as it would have been completed by January 2. Since this is the first stage of the entire project, the suggestions would have been made that the mother, bride and all of the attendants get together the night of the 1st and make a comple te list. It is not until this list is completed that any plans can be made including ordering the invitations, cakes, catering, etc†¦ Since the invitations would have been ordered on the 2nd of January, the Bride would have had an xtra few days in the delivery of the invitations. The extra day for print would be compensated for by reducing the addressing phase and rather than asking for paid part-time help, there would be another get together on the night of the 9th to get all of the invitations addressed thereby reducing the number of days down to one. When the material and lace were lost in transit then the recommendation would be to have the Bride cancel the order, receive the funds back from the lost order and take all bridesmaids and Maid of Honor to a local bridal store and purchase dresses.With a three day shipping time on dresses there would still be time to have fittings and alterations done. The lace can be replaced locally and fitted while waiting for the dresses to be delivered. ———————– Gantt Chart Invitations Guest List Budget Maid of Honor Location Dresses Well Defined Budget Responsible Party Complete list created Created ASAP Ordered Promptly Addressed & Mailed Design Pattern Ordered & Delivered Secure in Advance Address for Invitations Travel Arrangements Long Distance Dress

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 4~5

Four Estelle Boyet As September's promise wound down, a strange unrest came over the people of Pine Cove, due in no small part to the fact that many of them were going into withdrawal from their medications. It didn't happen all at once – the streets were not full of middle-class junkies rocking and sweating and begging for a fix – but slowly as the autumn days became shorter. And as far as they knew (because Val Riordan had called every one of them), they were experiencing the onset of a mild seasonal syndrome, sort of like spring fever. Call it autumn malaise. The nature of the medications kept the symptoms spread out over the next few weeks. Prozac and some of the older antidepressants took almost a month to leave the system, so those people slipped into the fray more slowly than those on Zoloft or Paxil or Wellbutrin, which was flushed from the system in only a day or two, leaving the deprived with symptoms re-sembling a low-grade flu, then a scattered disorientation akin to a temporary case of attention deficit disorder, and, in some, a rebound of depression that dropped on them like a smoky curtain. One of the first to feel the effects was Estelle Boyet, a local artist, successful and semifamous for her seascapes and idealized paintings of Pine Cove shore life. Her prescription had run out a day before Dr. Val had replaced the supply with sugar pills, so she was already in the midst of withdrawal when she took the first dose of the placebo. Estelle was sixty, a stout, vital woman who wore brightly colored caftans and let her long gray hair fly around her shoulders as she moved through life with an energy and determination that inspired envy from women half her age. For thirty years she had been a teacher in the decaying and increas-ingly dangerous Los Angeles Unified School District, teaching eighth graders the difference between acrylics and oils, a brush and a pallet knife, Dali and Degas, and using her job and her marriage as a justification for never producing any art herself. She had married right out of art school: Joe Boyet, a promising young businessman, the only man she had ever loved and only the third she had ever slept with. When Joe had died eight years ago, she had nearly lost her mind. She tried to throw herself into her teaching, hoping that by inspiring the children she might find some reason to go on herself. In the face of the escalating violence in her school, she resigned herself to wearing a bullet-proof vest under her artist smocks and even brought in some paintball guns to try to gain the pupils' interest, but the latter only backfired into several incidents of drive-by abstract expressionism, and soon she received death threats for not allowing students to fashion crack pipes in ceramics class. Her students – children living in a hyperadult world where play-ground disputes were settled with 9 mms – eventually drove her out of teaching. Estelle lost her last reason to go on. The school psychologist re-ferred her to a psych iatrist, who put her on antidepressants and recommen-ded immediate retirement and relocation. Estelle moved to Pine Cove, where she began to paint and where she fell under the wing of Dr. Valerie Riordan. No wonder then that Estelle's painting had taken a dark turn over the last few weeks. She painted the ocean. Every day. Waves and spray, rocks and serpentine strands of kelp on the beach, otters and seals and pelicans and gulls. Her canvases sold in the local gal-leries as fast as she could paint them. But lately the inner light at the heart of her waves, titanium white and aquamarine, had taken on a dark shadow. Every beach scene spoke of desolation and dead fish. She dreamed of le-viathan shadows stalking her under the waves and she woke shivering and afraid. It was getting more difficult to get her paints and easel to the shore each day. The open ocean and the blank canvas were just too fright-ening. Joe is gone, she thought. I have no career and no friends and I produce nothing but kitschy seascapes as flat and soulless as a velvet Elvis. I'm afraid of everything. Val Riordan had called her, insisting that she come to a group therapy session for widows, but Estelle had said no. Instead, one evening, after finishing a tormented painting of a beached dolphin, she left her brushes to harden with acrylic and headed downtown – anywhere where she didn't have to look at this shit she'd been calling art. She ended up at the Head of the Slug Saloon – the first bar she'd set foot in since college. The Slug was full of Blues and smoke and people chasing shots and running from sadness. If they'd been dogs, they would have all been in the yard eating grass and trying to yak up whatever was making them feel so lousy. Not a bone gnawed, not a ball chased – all tails went unwagged. Oh, life is a fast cat, a short leash, a flea in that place where you just can't scratch. It was dog sad in there, and Catfish Jefferson was the designated howler. The moon was in his eye and he was singing up the sum of human suffering in A-minor, while he worked that bottleneck slide on the National guitar until it sounded like a slow wind through heartstrings. He was grinning. Of the hundred or so people in the Slug, half were experiencing some sort of withdrawal from their medications. There was a self-pity contingent at the bar, staring into their drinks and rocking back and forth to the Delta rhythms. At the tables, the more social of the de-pressed were whining and slurring their problems into each other's ears and occasionally trading hugs or curses. Over by the pool table stood the agitated and the aggressive, the people looking for someone to blame. These were mostly men, and Theophilus Crowe was keeping an eye on them from his spot at the bar. Since the death of Bess Leander, there had been a fight in the Slug almost every night. In addition, there were more pukers, more screamers, more criers, and more unwanted advances stifled with slaps. Theo had been very busy. So had Mavis Sand. Mavis was happy about it. Estelle came through the doors in her paint-spattered overalls and Shetland sweater, her hair pulled back in a long gray braid. Just inside, she paused as the music and the smoke washed over her. Some Mexican laborers were standing there in a group, drinking Budweisers, and one of them whistled at her. â€Å"I'm an old lady,† Estelle said. â€Å"Shame on you.† She pushed her way through the crowd to the bar and ordered a white wine. Mavis served it in a plastic beer cup. (She was serving everything in plastic lately. Evidently, the Blues made people want to break glass – on each other.) â€Å"Busy?† Estelle said, although she had nothing to compare it to. â€Å"The Blues sure packs 'em in,† Mavis said. â€Å"I don't much care for the Blues,† said Estelle. â€Å"I enjoy Classical music.† â€Å"Three bucks,† said Mavis. She took Estelle's money and moved to the other end of the bar. Estelle felt as if she'd been slapped in the face. â€Å"Don't mind Mavis,† a man's voice said. â€Å"She's always cranky.† Estelle looked up, caught a shirt button, then looked up farther to find Theo's smile. She had never met the constable, but she knew who he was. â€Å"I don't even know why I came in here. I'm not a drinker.† â€Å"Something going around,† Theo said. â€Å"I think maybe we're going to have a stormy winter or something. People are coming out of the woodwork.† They exchanged introductions and Theo complimented Estelle on her paintings, which he'd seen in the local galleries. Estelle dismissed the compliment. â€Å"This seems like a strange place to find the constable,† Estelle said. Theo showed her the cell phone on his belt. â€Å"Base of operations,† he said. â€Å"Most of the trouble has been starting in here anyway. If I'm here already, I can stop it before it escalates.† â€Å"Very conscientious of you.† â€Å"No, I'm just lazy,† Theo said. â€Å"And tired. In the last three weeks I've been called to five domestic disputes, ten fights, two people who barricaded themselves in the bathroom and threatened suicide, a guy who was going house to house knocking the heads off garden gnomes with a sledgehammer, and a woman who tried to take her husband's eye out with a spoon.† â€Å"Oh my. Sounds like one day in the life of an L.A. cop.† â€Å"This isn't L.A.,† Theo said. â€Å"I don't mean to complain, but I'm not really prepared for a crime wave.† â€Å"And there's nowhere left to run,† Estelle said. â€Å"Pardon?† â€Å"People come here to run away from conflict, don't you think? Come to a small town to get out of the violence and the competition in the city. If you can't handle it here, there's nowhere else to go. You might as well give up.† â€Å"Well, that's a little cynical. I thought artists were supposed to be idealists.† â€Å"Scratch a cynic and you'll find a disappointed romantic,† Estelle said. â€Å"That's you?† Theo asked. â€Å"A disappointed romantic?† â€Å"The only man I ever loved died.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† Theo said. â€Å"Me too.† She drained her cup of wine. â€Å"Easy on that, Estelle. It doesn't help.† â€Å"I'm not a drinker. I just had to get out of the house.† There was some shouting over by the pool table. â€Å"My presence is required,† Theo said. â€Å"Excuse me.† He made his way through the crowd to where two men were squaring off to fight. Estelle signaled Mavis for a refill and turned to watch Theo try to make peace. Catfish Jefferson sang a sad song about a mean old woman doing him wrong. That's me, Estelle thought. A mean old worthless woman. Self-medication was working by midnight. Most of the customers at the Slug had given in and started clapping and wailing along with Catfish's Blues. Quite a few had given up and gone home. By closing time, there were only five people left in the Slug and Mavis was cackling over a drawer full of money. Catfish Jefferson put down his National steel guitar and picked up the two-gallon pickle jar that held his tips. Dollar bills spilled over the top, change skated in the bottom, and here and there in the middle fives and tens struggled for air. There was even a twenty down there, and Catfish dug in after it like a kid going for a Cracker Jack prize. He carried the jar to the bar and plopped down next to Estelle, who was gloriously, eloquently crocked. â€Å"Hey, baby,† Catfish said. â€Å"You like the Blues?† Estelle searched the air for the source of the question, as if it might have come from a moth spiraling around one of the lights behind the bar. Her gaze finally settled on the Bluesman and she said, â€Å"You're very good. I was going to leave, but I liked the music.† â€Å"Well, you done stayed now,† Catfish said. â€Å"Look at this.† He shook the money jar. â€Å"I got me upward o' two hundred dollar here, and that mean old woman owe me least that much too. What you say we take a pint and my guitar and go down to the beach, have us a party?† â€Å"I'd better get home,† Estelle said. â€Å"I have to paint in the morning.† â€Å"You a painter? I never knowed me a painter. What you say we go down to the beach and watch us a sunrise?† â€Å"Wrong coast,† Estelle said. â€Å"The sun comes up over the mountains.† Catfish laughed. â€Å"See, you done saved me a heap of waiting already. Let's you and me go down to the beach.† â€Å"No, I can't.† â€Å"It 'cause I'm Black, ain't it?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"‘Cause I'm old, right?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"‘Cause I'm bald. You don't like old bald men, right?† â€Å"No!† Estelle said. â€Å"‘Cause I'm a musician. You heard we irresponsible?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"‘Cause I'm hung like a bull, right?† â€Å"No!† Estelle said. Catfish laughed again. â€Å"Well, you wouldn't mind spreadin that one around town just the same, would you?† â€Å"How would I know how you're hung?† â€Å"Well,† Catfish said, pausing and grinning, â€Å"you could go to the beach with me.† â€Å"You are a nasty and persistent old man, aren't you, Mr. Jefferson?† Estelle asked. Catfish bowed his shining head, â€Å"I truly am, miss. I truly am nasty and persistent. And I am too old to be trouble. I admits it.† He held out a long, thin hand. â€Å"Let's have us a party on the beach.† Estelle felt like she'd just been bamboozled by the devil. Something smooth and vibrant under that gritty old down-home shuck. Was this the dark shadow her paintings kept finding in the surf? She took his hand. â€Å"Let's go to the beach.† â€Å"Ha!† Catfish said. Mavis pulled a Louisville Slugger from behind the bar and held it out to Estelle. â€Å"Here, you wanna borrow this?† They found a niche in the rocks that sheltered them from the wind. Catfish dumped sand from his wing tips and shook his socks out before laying them out to dry. â€Å"That was a sneaky old wave.† â€Å"I told you to take off your shoes,† Estelle said. She was more amused than she felt she had a right to be. A few sips from Catfish's pint had kept the cheap white wine from going sour in her stomach. She was warm, despite the chill wind. Catfish, on the other hand, looked miserable. â€Å"Never did like the ocean much,† Catfish said. â€Å"Too many sneaky things down there. Give a man the creeps, that's what it does.† â€Å"If you don't like the ocean, then why did you ask me to come to the beach?† â€Å"The tall man said you like to paint pictures of the beach.† â€Å"Lately, the ocean's been giving me a bit of the creeps too. My paintings have gone dark.† Catfish wiped sand from between his toes with a long finger. â€Å"You think you can paint the Blues?† â€Å"You ever seen Van Gogh?† Catfish looked out to sea. A three-quarter moon was pooling like mercury out there. â€Å"Van Gogh†¦Van Gogh†¦fiddle player outta St. Louis?† â€Å"That's him,† Estelle said. Catfish snatched the pint out of her hand and grinned. â€Å"Girl, you drink a man's liquor and lie to him too. I know who Vincent Van Gogh is.† Estelle couldn't remember the last time she'd been called a girl, but she was pretty sure she hadn't liked hearing it as much as she did now. She said, â€Å"Who's lying now? Girl?† â€Å"You know, under that big sweater and them overalls, they might be a girl. Then again, I could be wrong.† â€Å"You'll never know.† â€Å"I won't? Now that is some sad stuff there.† He picked up his guitar, which had been leaning on a rock, and began playing softly, using the surf as a backbeat. He sang about wet shoes, running low on liquor, and a wind that chilled right to the bone. Estelle closed her eyes and swayed to the music. She realized that this was the first time she'd felt good in weeks. He stopped abruptly. â€Å"I'll be damned. Look at that.† Estelle opened her eyes and looked toward the waterline where Catfish was pointing. Some fish had run up on the beach and were flopping around in the sand. â€Å"You ever see anything like that?† Estelle shook her head. More fish were coming out of the surf. Beyond the breakers, the water was boiling with fish jumping and thrashing. A wave rose up as if being pushed from underneath. â€Å"There's something moving out there.† Catfish picked up his shoes. â€Å"We gots to go.† Estelle didn't even think of protesting. â€Å"Yes. Now.† She thought about the huge shadows that kept appearing under the waves in her paintings. She grabbed Catfish's shoes, jumped off the rock, and started down the beach to the stairs that led up to a bluff where Catfish's station wagon waited. â€Å"Come on.† â€Å"I'm comin'.† Catfish spidered down the rock and stepped after her. At the car, both of them winded and leaning on the fenders, Catfish was digging in his pocket for the keys when they heard the roar. The roar of a thousand phlegmy lions – equal amounts of wetness, fury, and volume. Estelle felt her ribs vibrate with the noise. â€Å"Jesus! What was that?† â€Å"Get in the car, girl.† Estelle climbed into the station wagon. Catfish was already fumbling the key into the ignition. The car fired up and he threw it into drive, kicking up gravel as he pulled away. â€Å"Wait, your shoes are on the roof.† â€Å"He can have them,† Catfish said. â€Å"They better than the ones he ate last time.† â€Å"He? What the hell was that? You know what that was?† â€Å"I'll tell you soon as I'm done havin this heart attack.† Five The Sea Beast The great Sea Beast paused in his pursuit of the delicious radioactive aroma and sent a subsonic message out to a gray whale passing several miles ahead of him. Roughly translated, it said, â€Å"Hey, baby, how's about you and I eat a few plankton and do the wild thing.† The gray whale continued her relentless swim south and replied with a subsonic thrum that translated, â€Å"I know who you are. Stay away from me.† The Sea Beast swam on. During his journey he had eaten a basking shark, a few dolphins, and several hundred tuna. His focus had changed from food to sex. As he approached the California coast, the radioactive scent began to diminish to almost nothing. The leak at the power plant had been discovered and fixed. He found himself less than a mile offshore with a belly full of shark – and no memory of why he'd left his volcanic nest. But there was a buzz reaching his predator's senses from shore, the listless re-solve of prey that has given up: depression. Warm-blooded food, dolphins, and whales sent off the same signal sometimes. A large school of food was just asking to be eaten, right near the edge of the sea. He stopped out past the surf line and came to the surface in the middle of a kelp bed, his massive head breaking though strands of kelp like a zombie pickup truck breaking sod as it rises from the grave. Then he heard it. A hated sound. The sound of an enemy. It had been half a century since the Sea Beast had left the water, and land was not his natural domain, but his instinct to attack overwhelmed his sense of self-preservation. He threw back his head, shaking the great purple gills that stood out on his neck like trees, and blew the water from his vestigial lungs. Breath burned down his cavernous throat for the first time in fifty years and came out in a horrendous roar of pain and anger. Three of the protective ocular membranes slid back from his eyes like electric car windows. allow-ing him to see in the bitter air. He thrashed his tail, pumped his great webbed feet, and torpedoed toward the shore. Gabe It had been almost ten years since Gabe Fenton had dissected a dog, but now, at three o'clock in the morning, he was thinking seriously about taking a scalpel to Skinner, his three-year-old Labrador retriever, who was deep in the throes of a psychotic barking fit. Skinner had been banished to the porch that afternoon, after he had taken a roll in a dead seagull and refused to go into the surf or get near the hose to be washed off. To Skinner, dead bird was the smell of romance. Gabe crawled out of bed and padded to the door in his boxers, scooping up a hiking boot along the way. He was a biologist, held a Ph.D. in animal behavior from Stanford, so it was with great academic credibility that he opened the door and winged the boot at his dog, following it with the behavior-reinforcing command of: â€Å"Skinner, shut the fuck up!† Skinner paused in his barking fit long enough to duck under the flying L. L. Bean, then, true to his breeding, retrieved it from the washbasin that he used as a water dish and brought it back to the doorway where Gabe stood. Skinner set the soggy boot at the biologist's feet. Gabe closed the door in Skinner's face. Jealous, Skinner thought. No wonder he can't get any females, smelling like fabric softener and soap. The Food Guy wouldn't be so cranky if he'd get out and sniff some butts. (Skinner always thought of Gabe as â€Å"the Food Guy.†) Then, after a quick sniff to confirm that he was, indeed, the Don Juan of all dogs, Skinner resumed his barking fit. Doesn't he get it, Skinner thought, there's something dangerous coming. Danger, Food Guy, danger! Inside, Gabe Fenton glanced at the computer screen in his living room as he returned to bed. A thousand tiny green dots were working their way, en masse, across the map of the Pine Cove area. He stopped and rubbed his eyes. It wasn't possible. Gabe went to the computer and typed in a command. The map of the area reappeared in wider scale. Still, the dots were all moving in a line. He zoomed the map to only a few square miles, the dots were still on the move. Each green dot on the map represented a rat that Gabe had live-trapped, injected with a microchip, and released into the wild. Their location was tracked and plotted by satellite. Every rat in a ten-square-mile area was moving east, away from the coast. Rats did not behave that way. Gabe ran the data backward, looking at the rodents' movements over the last few hours. The exodus had started abruptly, only two hours ago, and already most of the rats had moved over a mile inland. They were running full-tilt and going far beyond their normal range. Rats are sprinters, not long-distance runners. Something was up. Gabe hit a key and a tiny green number appeared next to each of the dots. Each chip was unique, and each rat could be identified like airplanes on the screen of an air traffic controller. Rat 363 hadn't moved outside of a two-meter range for five days. Gabe had assumed that she had either given birth or was ill. Now 363 was half a mile from her normal territory. Anomalies are both the bane and bread of researchers. Gabe was excited by the data, but at the same time it made him anxious. An anomaly like this could lead to a discovery, or make him look like a total fool. He cross-checked the data three different ways, then tapped into the weather station on the roof. Nothing was happening in the way of weather, all changes in barometric pressure, humidity, wind, and temperature were well within normal ranges. He looked out the window: a low fog was settling on the shore, totally normal. He could just make out the lighthouse a hundred yards away. It had been shut down for twenty years, used only as a weather station and as a base for biological research. He grabbed a blanket off of his bed and wrapped it around his shoulders against the chill, then returned to his desk. The green dots were still moving. He dialed the number for JPL in Pasadena. Skinner was still barking outside. â€Å"Skinner, shut the fuck up!† Gabe shouted just as the automated answering service put him through to the seismology lab. A woman answered. She sounded young, probably an intern. â€Å"Excuse me?† she said. â€Å"Sorry, I was yelling at my dog. Yes, hello, this is Dr. Gabe Fenton at the research station in Pine Cove, just wondering if you have any seismic activity in my area.† â€Å"Pine Cove? Can I get a longitude and latitude?† Gabe gave it to her. â€Å"I think I'm looking for something offshore.† â€Å"Nothing. Minor tremor centered at Parkfield yesterday at 9 A.M. Point zero-five-three. You wouldn't even be able to feel it. Have you picked something up on your instruments?† â€Å"I don't have seismographic instruments. That's why I called you. This is a biological research and weather station.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Doctor, I didn't know. I'm new here. Did you feel something?† â€Å"No. My rats are moving.† As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn't. â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"Never mind, I was just checking. I'm having some anomalous behavior in some specimens. If you pick up anything in the next few days, could you call me?† He gave her his number. â€Å"You think your rats are predicting an earthquake, Doctor?† â€Å"I didn't say that.† â€Å"You should know that there's no concrete data on animals predicting seismic activity.† â€Å"I know that, but I'm trying to eliminate all the possibilities.† â€Å"Did it occur to you that your dog might be scaring them?† â€Å"I'll factor that in,† Gabe said. â€Å"Thank you for your time.† He hung up, feeling stupid. Nothing seismic or meteorological, and a call to the highway patrol confirmed that there were no chemical spills or fires. He had to confirm the data. Perhaps something was wrong with the satellite signal. The only way to find out was to take out his portable antenna and track the rats in the field. He dressed quickly and headed out to his truck. â€Å"Skinner, you want to go for a ride?† Skinner wagged his tail and made a beeline for the truck. About time, he thought. You need to get away from the shore, Food Guy, right now. Inside the house, ten green dots were moving away from the others toward the shore. The Sea Beast The Sea Beast crawled up the beach, roaring as his legs took the full weight of his body and the undertow sucked at his haunches. The urgency of killing his enemy had diminished now and hunger was upon him in re-sponse to the effort of moving out of the ocean. An organ at the base of his brain that had disappeared from other species when man's only living an-cestors were tree shrews produced an electric signal to call food. There were many prey here, that same organ sensed. The Sea Beast came to the fifty-foot cliff that bordered the beach, reared back on his tail, and pulled himself up with his forelegs. He was a hundred feet long, nose to tail, and stood twenty-five feet tall with his broad neck extended to its full height. His rear feet were wide and webbed, his front talonlike, with a thumb that opposed three curved claws for grasping and killing prey. On the dry grass above the beach, some of the prey he had called already waited. Raccoons, ground squirrels, a few skunks, a fox, and two cats ca-vorted on the grass – some copulated, others dug at fleas with blissful abandon, others just rolled on their backs as if overcome by a fit of joy. The Sea Beast swept them into his great maw with a flick of his tongue, crunching a few bones on the way down, but swallowing most whole. He belched and savored the skunky bouquet, his jaws smacking together like two wet mattresses, and a flash of neon color ran across his flanks with the pleasure. He moved over the bluff, across the Coast Highway, and into the sleeping town. The streets were deserted, lights off in all the businesses on Cypress Street. A low fog splashed against the pseudo-Tudor half-timbered buildings and formed green coronas around the streetlights. Above it all, the red Texaco sign shone like a beacon. The Sea Beast changed the color of his skin to the same smoky gray as the fog and moved down the center of the street looking like a serpentine cloud. He followed a low rumbling sound coming from under the red beacon, broke out of the fog, and there he saw her. She purred, taunting and teasing him from the front of the deserted Texaco station. That come-hither rumble. That low, sexy growl. Those silver flanks reflecting fog and the red Texaco sign called to him, begged him to mount her. The Sea Beast flashed a rainbow of color down his sides to display his magnificent maleness. He fanned the gill trees on his neck, sending bands of color and light into their branches. The Sea Beast sent her a signal, which roughly translated into: â€Å"Hey, baby, haven't seen you around before.† She sat there, purring, playing coy, but he knew she wanted him. She had short black legs, a stumpy tail, and smelled as if she may have recently eaten a trawler, but those magnificent silver flanks were too much to resist. The Sea Beast turned himself silver as well, to make her feel a little more comfortable, then reared up on his hind legs and displayed his aroused member. No response, just that shy purring. He took it as an invitation and moved across the parking lot to mount the fuel truck. Estelle Estelle placed a mug of tea in front of Catfish, then sat down across the table from him with her own. Catfish sipped the tea and grimaced, then pulled the pint from his back pocket and unscrewed the cap. Estelle caught his hand before he could pour. â€Å"You have some explaining to do first, Mr. Bluesman.† Estelle was more than a little rattled. When they were only half a mile away from the beach, she had been overtaken by a sudden urge to return and had fought Catfish for control of the car. It was crazy behavior. It frightened her as much as the thing at the beach had, and when they got to her house she immediately took a Zoloft, even though she'd already had her dose for the day. â€Å"Leave me be, woman. I said I'd tell you. I needs me some nerve medicine.† Estelle released his hand. â€Å"What was that at the beach?† Catfish splashed some whiskey into Estelle's tea first, then into his own. He grinned, â€Å"You see my name wasn't always Catfish. I was born with the name of Meriwether Jefferson. Catfish come on me sometime later.† â€Å"Christ, Catfish, I'm sixty years old. Am I going to live long enough to hear the end of this story? What in the hell was out in the water tonight?† She was definitely not herself, swearing like this. â€Å"You wanna know or not?† Estelle sipped her tea. â€Å"Sorry, go ahead.†