2.Critically consider the use of eyewitness testimony in criminal Essay

2.Critically consider the use of eyewitness testimony in criminal investigation. In what way have forensic psychologists. contribute to the solution of some of the issues raised about its use - Essay Example There are many reasons why errors in eyewitness evidence can occur. Given a situation where a witness has seen a crime take place from a considerable distance and late at night is less likely to make an accurate identification of the accused than a witness who has had more favourable viewing conditions. A good illustration of the impact of situational variables on eyewitness memory is illustrated by an Australian appeal case, Dominican v Queen4. The accused was charged with attempted murder. The appeal case was based on appellant claims that the trial judge misdirected the jury on the issue of the identification of the gunman by failing to give specific warning concerning various features of the evidence of an eyewitness in the shooting. Nearly nine months elapsed before she formally identified him from photographs that had been altered to show the appellant wearing a wig and a false moustache. By that time, the appellant was a definite suspect. The witness had seen him on television on a number of occasions and allegedly in the vicinity of her home. According to the conditions of witnessing in Dominican case, she saw the gunman some distance away. She was hiding behind another vehicle. He was leaning across the passenger’s seat and he was disguised. Her opportunity to observe him was fleeting. Moreover, her first observation of the gunman took place after about 30 shots had been fired in her direction, after she had seen her husband shot through the hand, and after her husband physically pushed her head down. The direction the judge gave to the jury stated:† His Honour told the jury that ‘(s)udden and unexpected acts of violence such as Mrs F described in this case, can affect people caught up in the events in different ways. The terror of the occasion can serve to impress indelibly on the minds of some people the features of any one they see involved in it. With other people the effect may be

Ethics VS Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethics VS Law - Research Paper Example Ethics vs. Law Introduction Nurses at all levels and in all facets of specialization should comply with strict ethical guidelines and operates as per various governmental and regulatory statutes. Frequently, the interaction between ethics and law is complex; however, professional nursing ethics mainly followed within the confines of the law are highly likely to be legally defensible. Nurses may come across diverse dilemmas, legal or ethical in nature amid their practice; nevertheless, some of the nurses may not be prepared to respond to such issue and may end up helpless in the event that questions regarding their ethics or conduct are raised (Robley, 2009). A law represents a rule concisely laid down whereby any deviation from the set rule attracts punishment; however, ethics are not measurable and cannot be concisely defined like law. Ethics mainly depend on personal perception of issues and are complex to be outlined into right or wrong. A nurse most frequently comes into contact with the law via potential or imminent litigation in which the nurse may have engaged in, or observed in some action that led to the legal action (Timby, 2009). The nurse also encounters legal issues in the event that a disallowed act is perpetrated in the case of negligence and misconduct, which predisposes the nurse to criminal liability. Nurses encounter diverse situations on a day-to-day basis that may be classified as either ethically correct yet legally objectionable, or vice versa. Situations such as abortion, death, and euthanasia by their pure nature may place the nurse into a dilemma. Examples of situations that can be outlined as relating to nursing laws and ethics are numerous and diverse (Timby, 2009). One of the situations that could be arise details a nurse giving a patient the wrong medication, and subsequently failing report the incident or concealing the situation to safeguard himself from legal action. This situation raises pertinent questions centring on both eth ical and legal issues (Robley, 2009). The second situation that could be ethical rather than legal may entail permitting a client to smoke marijuana for medicinal reasons. Another situation that could emerge bordering legal and ethical boundary centres on forcing a patient to assume something, not in favour of his or her wishes or devoid of informed consent. Conflicts that may exist between Ethics and the law in Nursing Practice In arriving at professional decisions, nurses may be caught up between two conflicting sets of demands, one deriving from the mission of the profession and the other emanating from legal provisions. Nurses and other healthcare professional may become entangled in either civil or criminal justice systems such as when nurses incur criminal action by failing to renew nursing license in a timely manner (Timby, 2009). Other actions revolving around criminal law may encompass substance abuse, especially in cases where the nurse acquires medications un procedurally within clinical settings. Nurses should distinguish between law and morality since an action can be legal but

Antibiotics for Treatment of Acute Otitis Media

Antibiotics for Treatment of Acute Otitis Media The role of Antibiotics for Treatment of Acute Otitis Media in Prevention of Subsequent Development of Acute Mastoiditis in Children Introduction Acute otitis media (AOM) is considered to be one of the most common infections in children. Most of the time it is self-limiting disease without need for antibiotic therapy; however, some children have individual potential for serious complications such as mastoiditis. Acute mastoiditis is still the most common complication of acute Otitis media and is defined as an acute inflammation of the mastoid air cells which are contiguous with the middle ear cleft and arising as a result of spread of infection from acute otitis media beyond the middle ear. The incidence of acute mastoiditis was signià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cantly reduced following the antibiotic era and the overall incidence of mastoiditis as a complication of acute otitis media dropped to less than 1%.1,3. But some recent literature indicated an increase of the disease incidence especially in countries with less antibiotic prescription [2], while others reported that no increased incidence despite the national restriction guidelines of antibiotics prescription [4]. Most recently published guidelines reported that acute otitis media should be treated initially with supportive therapy with discretionary clinical follow-up and antibiotic treatment is reserved for cases in children younger than 6 months, unresolving cases, or otherwise complicated cases. The aim of this study was to carry out a retrospective analysis of all children admitted with acute mastoiditis and to study the role of antibiotics prescribed for acute otitis media on development of acute mastoiditis. Patients and Methods The medical records of all children admitted, diagnosed and treated as acute mastoiditis in the Ear, Nose and Throat department in King Hussein Medical center, Amman- Jordan during the period 2002 to 2012 were studied retrospectively. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Group I: patients who received antibiotics for acute otitis media 2 weeks pre hospitalization. Group II: patients who did not receive antibiotics prior to hospitalization. The clinical criteria for the diagnosis of acute mastoiditis were based on the following: Clinical and Otomicroscopic evidence of acute otitis media on admission or recent episode of otitis media within 2 weeks before admission. Post-auricular inflammatory signs (swelling, erythema and tenderness). Anteroinferior displacement of the auricle. Exclusion criteria were: Patients with incomplete data or in which the diagnosis was not conclusive. Patients suspected to have cholesteatoma. Immune compromised patients. Patients with ventilation tubes in situ. Patients who had undergone prior ear surgeries. Data regarding the age, gender, and duration of pre hospitalization antibiotic therapy, the clinical and microbiological findings, treatment modality and the outcome of the disease were recorded. Results During the study period, a total number of 63 children were admitted with the diagnosis of acute mastoiditis (42 males and 21 females) aged from 7 months to 13 years with a mean age of 5.7 years. Out of 63 patients, 56 (88.9%) patients had post auricular inflammation only whereas the remainder 7 (11.1%) cases had a subperiosteal abscess. The preadmission history demonstrated that 52 (82.5%) patients had a history of antecedent acute otitis media within 2 weeks before admission. Before the development of acute mastoiditis, we recorded that 41(65.1%) children were taking oral antibiotics 2 weeks before admission prescribed for acute otitis media (Group I) with duration of therapy ranging between 1-13 days (mean duration 3.6 days). The most commonly prescribed antibiotic prior to hospitalization was amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (n=30) followed by amoxicillin (n = 6), and à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rst or second-generation cephalosporin (n = 5). On other hand 11 patients did not use any type of antibiotics before admission which was confirmed by the Parents of patients (Group II). The duration of illness before admission of patient was ranging between 1-14 days (mean 3.5  ± 3.1 days). Acute otitis media in the left side was reported to be more common than the right side (25 cases vs. 20 cases, respectively), Whereas 7 children were reported to have bilateral acute otitis media. None of our patients reported to have bilateral mastoiditis. The Clinical features of children with acute mastoiditis on admission are shown in table I. Computerized tomography of the Temporal bone was performed on admission in all patients and cloudiness of the mastoid was demonstrated in all the patients. In 7 cases there was destruction of cortex with subperiosteal abscess. Data regarding microbiological culture findings was recorded in 48 patients, of whom 25 (52%) cultures were taken from middle ear aspirate during myringotomy; culture of pus from the external auditory canal was obtained in 11 patients (23%), from subperiosteal abscess in 7 patients (14.6%) and from the mastoid cavity during mastoidectomy in 5 patients (10.4%). The most commonly isolated organisms were Streptococcus pneumonia, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Proteus mirabilis and Haemophilus inà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uenzae. On admission, all of the patients were treated with intravenous antibiotics and the most commonly used antibiotics were ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, Ceftazidime and Metronidazole. In addition to Intravenous antibiotics, some patients were underwent tympanostomy tube insertion, abscess drainage and cortical mastoidectomy. All patients in our study were recovered uneventfully with these treatment modalities and none of them developed recurrences of mastoiditis within a period of at least one year of clinical follow up. Discussion Although, in the literature the incidence of acute mastoiditis decreased in the last decades, there is some evidence that in recent years, this entity is rising, as Papournas and Kudo [6,9] have reported. However, our series includes 63 cases of acute mastoiditis in 10 years period. The demographic data collected in this study with regard to gender and age was consistent with other series [3, 7, 1 2]. Acute mastoiditis has been reported to be more predominant in boys as has been noted previously [11—14]. The use of broad spectrum antibiotics as initial treatment for acute otitis media, a rather common practice in our country, might play a role in selecting resistant microorganisms. In our study, in which 65.1% children were taking oral antibiotics for otitis media before admission provides evidence for the assumption that widespread use of antimicrobials in treatment of acute otitis media does not provide complete protection against acute mastoiditis. Furthermore, the symptoms of acute mastoiditis may be abated, in consequence of the treatment, requiring a high degree of awareness by contemporary clinicians to watch for manifestations. Therefore, antimicrobials should be used judiciously in treatment of acute otitis media, avoiding the employment of broad-spectrum drugs as an initial regimen. Yet, complete abstention from use of antibiotics in treatment of suppurative otitis media is not advisable, as this seems to increase the risk of complications in general and of acute mastoiditi s in particular [15,16]. Recently, some authors observed that the number of children admitted to some hospitals with acute mastoiditis has risen [12-14]. However, Luntz et al [15] reported that the use of antibiotics is not a safe guard against acute mastoiditis and it may lead to a latent (masked) mastoiditis. Also, Kvaerner et al [4] In their registry based study on 399 Norwegian children proved that the incidence of acute mastoiditis has not been increased in Norway despite the national restricted use of antibiotics in primary care. Findings in children with acute mastoiditis are well described in clinical studies. In agreement with our à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ndings the children are young, and present with retroauricular oedema, protrusion of the ear and abnormal tympanic membranes in addition to various degrees of general discomfort [1,5 – 9]. The most frequent symptom in our study was abnormal tympanic membrane with retroauricular erythema. During the last decade several reports show a decreasing rate of cortical mastoidectomy as the treatment of choice for acute mastoiditis. The rate of surgery varies greatly from 12 – 98% in different studies [1,4 – 8]. This may be due to different criteria for the diagnosis and may also reà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ect the fact that an increasing portion of children are treated in pediatric wards. The increasing tendency for conservative treatment during the recent years may also reà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ect an increasing availability of CT or MR scans to exclude complications. Microbiological culture findings were recorded in 48 patients in this study and Streptococcus pneumonia was the most commonly isolated organism. Similar results have been reported by other authors [2,6,12,15,16]. Other identià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ed organisms were Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Proteus mirabilis and Haemophilus inà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uenzae. Our data do not support that general use of antibiotics in acute otitis media will prevent the subsequent development of acute mastoiditis. Neurological complications was reported in 5 – 20% in the literature [2,3,15], although recent publications show a lower rate of complications [6,12]. In our material none of the patients developed neurological complications. Conclusion References Table I Clinical features on admission of 63 children with Acute Mastoiditis

Fantasy vs. Reality in J. M. Coetzees Disgrace Essay -- Coetzee Disgr

Fantasy vs. Reality in J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace J. M. Coetzee's novel Disgrace is, on the surface, the story of a wayward college professor, Dr. David Lurie, who is aging into a disrespectful decline. But this story tells of not only the strife and wrenching change that exist in the microcosm of Lurie's mind, but also the parallel themes that underlie the social, political, and ethical systems that are the reality of present day South Africa. As David Lurie interacts with people and creatures outside his normal milieu, the fault lines between his myopic view of the world and reality begin to crystallize with a disconcerting clarity. "What goes on in your soul is dark to us... ." These words are emblematic of the willful ignorance used to justify the actions of people, governments and society in a number of unfortunate circumstances. The alienation endemic in such a phrase reinforces the notion that each of us is absolutely alone when it comes to matters of the soul. Often, this willful ignorance is the blindfold used to wrap one's conscious mind into a state of denial that permits the status quo to limp on. If a society can be guilty of misanthropic behavior, then it must first exist on the individual level. It is in personal relationships that errors germinate and where true contrition belongs. The original context of this phrase is between Lurie and his college's disciplinary committee. Having been caught misusing his authority to seduce a young student, the professor is asked to explain. Repentance would go a long way toward absolving his sin, but he is defiant. Though it is acknowledged that "we have our weak moments, all of us, we are only human" (52), Lurie offers a confession but no contrition. As in Byron's La... ...is Lucy who must ironically point out reality by snapping, "[W]ake up, David... this is Africa" (124). Though he seems to be coming to terms with his true identity, the loss of perceived primacy is still "humiliating." The best he can do is identify with those he had been blind to before, human and animal alike. Lucy admits they have both in fact been reduced to having nothing, "no cards, no weapons, no property, no rights, no dignity." "Like a dog." "Yes, like a dog." (205) But David Lurie has learned to have and to recognize dignity despite all indications to the contrary. The animals he tends all posses it as does he; he has learned to "concentrate all his attention on the animal they are killing, giving it what he no longer has difficulty in calling by its proper name: love" (219). Work Cited Coetzee, J. M. Disgrace. New York: Penguin Books, 2000.

Does Ghost Exist in Real Life?

Does ghost exist in real life? It has been a popular question been ask for few decades. Some people encounter the supernatural phenomena, some not. So there are people who believe and people who disbelieves. Therefore, here are some introduction of what ghost really is, where we can find their existence, how can we feel their presence and does science proof the existence of ghost.In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost (sometimes known as a spectre (British English) or specter (American English), phantom, apparition or spook) is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to realistic, lifelike visions. The deliberate attempt to contact the spirit of a deceased person is known as necromancy, or in spiritism.The region that ghosts, demons, devils, and negative energies occupy or come from, varies depending on their spiritual power, capabilities and so on. Any being such as human being or subtle body that feels comfortable in their respective region because their frequencies correspond to that region. With increasing spiritual power, the ghosts become even more subtle and are found in progressively deeper negative regions. Thus ghosts who have the least spiritual power are found in the Nether region.The ghosts that exist in the deeper rungs of Hell are progressively more powerful and evil. There are few theories about ghosts. Many believe that non-reactive apparitions of people that seem to do the same things over and over are some form of energy-imprint on the environment. This type of ghost manifestation is known as a non-intelligent haunting or a residual haunting, and is called such due to the lack of interaction between the ghost and the living. This type of ghost is not dissimilar to a video playing over and over, ever seeming to repeat itself.Could these t ypes of ghosts have been produced by strong thoughts created by people while living, and continuing to exist within the atmosphere in some form or fashion? This theory concerning ghosts remains unproven. We ponder if it is also possible that this type of ghost is just trapped in time, unable to communicate or interact with the living due to severe emotional trauma – a self-created mental prison, if you will. Both ghost theories regarding non-reactive ghosts will have to be worked on in the future to see which has merit.Another type of ghost is called a poltergeist, which many believe to be the projected psychokinetic energy of a living person that creates movement of objects and various noises. Though the word â€Å"poltergeist† is German for â€Å"noisy ghost,† this type of phenomenon is not attributed to ghosts by those who have studied such accounts. It seems true poltergeist haunting activity is typically centred around a female adolescent in the home who is unwittingly producing the disturbance. The disturbance typically ceases over time, as the adolescent ages.A theory regarding ghosts centres around the previously described condition the earthbound spirits find themselves in. For these reasons, we believe many a haunting occurs, as ghosts are suffering and in need of assistance in easing the emotional pain. We believe that we are finding most ghostly activity, such as noises, dreams, visible appearances, various disturbance, communications, touching, and even attacks, can all be explained by coming to understand the desperate minds of pained, disembodied spirits. They are simply people in need of spirit rescue.Ghosts exist in a variety of places on Earth. They can create a centre for themselves in living and non-living objects. By centre we mean a place where they store their black energy. The centre acts as an entry point and a point of receiving or transmitting their black energy. Ghosts generally create a centre for themselves in people, trees, houses, electrical equipments etc. When they create a centre for themselves in people, it is to fulfil their desires such as eating, drinking, smoking, sex or to settle a give-and-take account.Since the ghosts are made up of the Absolute Air element, one cannot see them without subtle vision. When people repeatedly experience various forms of inexplicable distress, around a place, person or object, it is very likely that the place, person or object is affected or possessed by a ghost. Feelings of distress include feeling of apprehension, feeling a presence, feeling like one's entire energy is being sucked out or repeated mishaps happening in a certain place, without any apparent reason. The actual presence of the ghosts is however evident only to those with an activated sixth sense.The ghosts there cause distress to those who come in the vicinity or possess them, especially those who are vulnerable psychologically such as anxious and depressed or spiritually whereas people with low spiritual level are easy to get affected or possessed by ghosts. Nowadays, modern technology has rushed to the rescue by providing ghost hunters with myriad devices to capture the images, videos, and voices of ghosts. Unfortunately, tricksters and frauds have used the same technology to fool a number of people. No wonder that genuine evidence that ghosts exist is being dismissed as fraud material.People, especially those with a scientific or rational background, tend to dismiss any explanation that ghosts exist with disbelief and amusement. There are some scientific proof that ghost exist in the form of energy. The law of thermodynamics, if examined from a different angle, could prove that ghosts exist. Even if it cannot be taken as proof, it could give rise to a number of questions. If these questions are taken seriously and attempts made to find answers to them, we might very well come up with proof that ghosts exist. The law of thermodynamics is the most significa nt law among the gravitational laws.A careful study of it reveals the fact that science has already proved that ghosts do exist. According to this law â€Å"Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only change form. † Let us now analyze this law carefully. Energy never dies, according to this important law; instead, energy shifts from one form to the other. Accordingly, the energy that we are is not destroyed by death; it just changes form. Skeptics would say that our bodies would be decomposed by the action of the microorganisms, and this is how human energy would change form. But, what about the intelligence that gives us an identity?Just consider the amazing nature of our minds and bodies. Would all this just end up as being fodder for the microbes? Does this sound like a fair exchange? The more one questions, the more one feels that there is more to life than what meets the scientific eye. In conclusion, other theories regarding ghosts do exist, such as ghosts being simply the creation of the overactive mind, hallucinations, carbon monoxide poisoning, exposure to low frequencies, etc; but we are seeing too many pieces of the puzzle come together that cannot be explained away in total by the various, sceptically theories.We ask ourselves the age-old question, â€Å"Do ghosts exist? † But in the end, realistically it's impossible to say whether ghosts are real or not. It's all down to the beliefs of the person themselves. To me and my experience of Ghosts or Spirits is of that they do exist, because of some experiences I have had in the past. However to many others with no experience it may be seen as total rubbish.

Religious Discrimination

The Importance of Religious Discrimination & Sexual Harassment Laws in the Workplace The Importance of Laws in the Workplace Rights as an employee vary from job to job, however there are basic rights that exist for all employees. All employees have a right to be treated fairly, have a safe environment to work in, be free from discrimination and to be free from harassment. There are laws that have been established to insure that these basic rights are protected. Among these are laws against religious discrimination and sexual harassment.Not only are they important, they are essential. Laws pertaining to religious discrimination and sexual harassment are important in the workplace because they set a standard to be followed. Religious discrimination is defined as discrimination of an employee based on religious beliefs or practices. Religious discrimination can also be filed against an employer because adequate accommodations are not made by an employer for an employee. ((2008). R. Math is, Human Resource Management. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western. Sexual harassment is broken down into two categories; quid pro quo is when your employment outcome is linked to the compliance or noncompliance of a sexual demand. The second is hostile environment which is when an employee is subject to unwelcome verbal or physical sexual behavior, including requests for sexual favors and other conduct of a sexual nature that is either so severe or pervasive that it adversely affects her or his ability to do work. ((2008). R. Mathis, Human Resource Management. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western. With all of the focus on sexual orientation and sexual preference today it is very important that employees and employers are educated on what is acceptable and what is not. Sexual harassment is a violation of human rights and it affects employees, employers and the society as a whole. Research has shown that workplaces in which harassment is allowed are likely to have a sharp fall in productivi ty. Sexual harassment leads to increased absence, high turnover of staff and loss of valuable employees and to a poor public image of the company.By having laws governing what is allowed and acceptable there is no guess work. This helps to eliminate lawsuits and court cases. It also helps to provide a working environment conducive to all. The same goes for religion. With the increasing amount of religious diversity we have in the United States and in the workforce it is important that there are laws to protect the interest of employers and employees. Religion is a set of beliefs and religious beliefs will rarely affect the duties of our employment.Laws are in place so that employers have to make reasonable accommodations to the religious needs of workers if it is practical to do so and not exceedingly difficult on the company or other workers. Some accommodations to be considered are relaxing the dress code for the wearing of religious garments, praying and attending worship service s. However, the law does allow employers to fairly question employees about their need for accommodation and offer reasonable alternatives. Workplace discrimination is a huge issue.It spreads negativity and has a devastating effect on any organization, the individual, and society. This is why these laws are so important to the workplace. Bibliography (2008). In R. Mathis, Human Resource Management. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western. http://www1. umn. edu/humanrts/svaw/harassment/explore/4effects. htm (2007) Miner-Rubino K, & Cortina LM, Beyond targets: consequences of vicarious exposure to misogyny at work. The Journal of applied psychology, 92 (5), 1254-69 PMID: 17845084

Themes Used by Robert Frost Essays

Themes Used by Robert Frost Essays Themes Used by Robert Frost Paper Themes Used by Robert Frost Paper Essay Topic: The Poetry of Robert Frost He is a very quotable writer, which means his way of putting words together is very useful in everyday conversation. Frost was very good at taking small words and giving them and incredibly broad meaning. Robert Frost uses his work to express many types of themes but the most important seems to be his opinion on social and natural environments. Much of Robert Frosts work is focused on worldly events and his beliefs and opinions about them. One issue he is very passionate about is the debate of evolutionism versus creationism. From reading his poems, anyone can conclude that he supports the creationist side of the argument. An example of this is the poem Version. Frost says Like a dumb-dumb bullet/ Did in fact get splattered/ Like a ripe tomato/ Thats how matter mattered. (Frost 427). This statement refers to the Big Bang. The splattered ripe tomato us compared to the initial explosion. When reading this poem many people believe that this is Frosts version of how the world Initially started. Frost is best known for metaphors, paradoxes, and occasional humor In his riding, he is very capable of expressing his opinion on worldly problems in his writing. His fourteen line poem, The Flood shows his audience how he Is capable of doing this. Blood has been harder to dam back than water/ Just when we think we have it Impounded safe/ Behind new barrier walls (and let Is chafe! ) It breaks away in some new kind of slaughter. (Frost 254). This poem refers to Frosts belief on war. He believes war as a monstrous being that humans do not willingly release from Its barrier walls. But bloodless lets Itself loose In a Tidal wave/ That when It has swept y, leaves summits stained. (Frost 255). Frost has a distinctive way of placing the audience Into the story with him. HIS writings are usually set In the Northeast. Frost had a strong appeal for a conservative group of readers, who did not understand or appreciate modernism very well. Frosts poems all seem to have some type of meaning, whether It Is about nature or historic events. Anyone should have been capable of relating to his meanings In his poems. Frost did a great Job of expressing his opinions and beliefs. Frost was one f the great writers this world has come across. Frost, Robert and Althea, Edward. The Poetry of Robert Frost: The Collected Poems, Complete and Unabridged. Henry Holt and Co. 1969. Themes Used by Robert Frost By exegesiss Version. Frost says Like a dumb-dumb bullet/ Did in fact get splattered/ Like a ripe this poem many people believe that this is Frosts version of how the world initially Frost is best known for metaphors, paradoxes, and occasional humor in his writing. His fourteen line poem, The Flood shows his audience how he is capable of eave it impounded safe/ Behind new barrier walls (and let is chafe! / It breaks away He believes war as a monstrous being that humans do not willingly release from its barrier walls. But bloodless lets itself loose in a Tidal wave/ That when it has swept Frost has a distinctive way of placing the audience into the story with him. His writings are usually set in the Northeast. Frost had a strong appeal for a conservative Frosts poems all seem to have some type of meaning, whether it is about nature or historic events. Anyone should have been capable of relating to his meanings in

Crabbed Age and Youth, Poem Summary Essays

Crabbed Age and Youth, Poem Summary Essays Crabbed Age and Youth, Poem Summary Paper Crabbed Age and Youth, Poem Summary Paper Crabbed Age and Youth Summary Crabbed Age and Youth’ is quite a self-explanatory poem. You wouldn’t really have to delve into the poem too much to discover that it’s about a person who despises the effects of aging, and as a consequence praises the youths. I would like to mention that no-one really knows who had written this poem, one poet who is also supposed to have written this poem is a man called Thomas Deloney, who died a year after ‘crabbed age and youth’ was written. Crabbed Age and Youth: Theme Consequently it makes sense if he had composed this poem because the poet seems to be jealous of the youth or even have resentment towards youth altogether, due to the line ‘Age I do abhor thee, Youth I do adore thee. ’Also Shakespeare tended to write in iambic pentameter, which this poem is not. Therefore I will be saying that the poet is Deloney. Despite this if I interpret this poem to refer to the relationship between a child and parent, and then ultimately the poet who has written this is of no significance. Initially when you read this you can see that Deloney seems to have a stereotypical of view of those who are older. We know this because he says, â€Å"age is weak and cold, ‘age is lame’ and ‘age’s breath is short’. However, if you were to interpret the poem to demonstrate a parent-child relationship, then the poem can be taken in a new, different way. Consequently ‘age’ would represent a parent and ‘youth’ would represent a child. You could say that due to the fact that the view is so stereotypical that the poem is written by someone young, because they have not experienced what it is like to be old. On the other hand you could argue that the use of similes and metaphors show an opinion which is adamant and sure, which means that someone has experience of being old, because they have no hesitancy in how being old feels. Throughout the poem the words ‘age’ and ‘youth’ only appear on the same stanza together 3 times. Perhaps this was done purposely to demonstrate how different parents and children are, in the sense that each both play different roles to each other. The 3 times of which the words appear to be on the same line could indicate that perhaps there is a similarity in the roles that both parent and child represents. For example a child needs care, the parents take care of them, but when the parents become elderly and unable to care for themselves, the children must look after their parents, in which case their roles are almost reversed. This theme of dependency and effects of ageing in a parent child relationship is also portrayed in ‘Follower’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The title of â€Å"Crabbed Age and Youth† is important because it gives us an idea of Deloney’s view of age or the view of the persona he plays immediately. One could argue that the word ‘crabbed’ is being used to describe both ‘age and youth’, but in my opinion, once reading the whole poem through, I believe that Deloney is only talking about ‘age’. The word crabbed actually means complicated, or someone who complains a lot, and this is how he presents ‘age’ to us by using imagery ‘age like winter’, and by describing age to be ‘weak and cold’. After all judging by how stereotypical the poet is it would be absurd to believe that the composer is talking about youth after praising them so dearly. Although the poet is describing age to be ‘crabbed’, I think that this is not really thought through very well, because to be honest children are more demanding, and when they do not get something they want, they cry or get in a bad mood, or you could say become ‘crabbed youth’.

Word Choice Half vs. Halve

Word Choice Half vs. Halve Word Choice: Half vs. Halve Sometimes, seemingly simple words can cause problems. Take â€Å"half,† for example. It is a common term than any native English speaker should know. But wait! Are you sure you know the difference between the words â€Å"half† and â€Å"halve†? If not, read on to find out more. Half (50% of Something) We’ll start out with the more common word. â€Å"Half† is typically a noun that means â€Å"fifty percent† (or a similar amount). For instance: 750 is half of 1,500. Do you want the other half of this pizza? The plural of this noun form of â€Å"half† is â€Å"halves† with a â€Å"v.† This is because some words like  Ã¢â‚¬Å"half† that end in an â€Å"f† or â€Å"-fe† change their spelling in plural form (e.g., knife → knives or calf → calves). We can also use the word â€Å"half† to modify other words in a sentence. For example, we could use it in either of the following: The cake was only half baked. It should have been in the oven for another half hour. In the first sentence above, â€Å"half† is an adverb that modifies the verb â€Å"baked† (i.e., the cake was only partially cooked). In the second sentence, â€Å"half† is an adjective that modifies the noun â€Å"hour† (i.e., we’re discussing 50% of an hour). But regardless of how it is used, the word â€Å"half† is always related to the idea of being divided, incomplete, or half of something whole. Halve (Divide Something in Two) â€Å"Halve,† meanwhile, is a verb. It means â€Å"divide into two (roughly) equal parts†: I will halve the cake and give one part to my sister. A similar use is to mean â€Å"reduce by 50%,† such as in the following: The new road halves the time it takes to get home. All verb forms of this term are spelled with a â€Å"v† (i.e., halve, halves, halved, halving). As such, no verb form will be spelled with an â€Å"f.† Should I Use Half or Halve? â€Å"Half† and â€Å"halve† are related terms, but these words also have different uses: Half can be a noun, adjective, or adverb. As a noun, it means â€Å"fifty percent of something† (or a similar amount). As an adjective or adverb, it shows that something is divided, half of a whole, or half complete. Halve is a verb and means â€Å"divide into two equal or roughly equal parts.† One point of confusion is that the plural of â€Å"half† is â€Å"halves,† which is also how we spell the third-person present tense form of the verb â€Å"halve.† But as long as you remember that the singular noun â€Å"half† is always spelled with an â€Å"f,† it should be easy to avoid errors in your writing.

My essay may pose a policy argument, or a definition-based argument

My may pose a policy argument, or a definition-based argument. or a causation-based argument, or an evaluation argument - Essay Example not have been supported prior to September 11, it does seem acceptable - and reasonable - to profile people who appear to be Arab since they are perceived to be the group that hate Americans and are willing to die to make their point. The case can be made that this type of limited racial or ethnic profiling is necessary considering the new reality that exists post 9/11. I would like to emphasize at the outset, that the profiling addressed in this essay is of a relatively limited nature - focusing on security measures at airports or any other areas of the transportation industry that may be a potential target of terrorists. In this regard, here are two facts to consider. First: Out of the 19 hijackers on those four planes that were hijacked on September 11, all 19 were Arabs. Second: Although most Arabs are definitely not terrorists, it does appear that most terrorists are Arabs. Indeed, â€Å"Of the 22 suspects on the FBIs "most wanted" list of international terrorists, all are Arabic, all are practitioners of Islam and all come from known state incubators of terrorism in the Middle East.† (Riley 2001) Lest we think that primarily white Americans are proponents of this radical thinking, note the results from a Gallup Poll that was published in The Boston Globe: 71% of black respondents said they would favor more intensive security checks for Arabs, including those who are U.S. citizens, before they boarded planes; 57% of whites said they would favor such a policy; and 63% of other nonwhites said they, too, would favor it. So it would appear from this poll, as well as others, that a clear majority of the population is undeniably in favor of profiling Arabs as a means of increasing National Security. However, this is America - and in America we do not accept the profiling of an entire group of our citizens - racially, ethnically, or otherwise. If you think that is true, you would be mistaken. In reality, there are two specific areas in which racial profiling not

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Assignment Example He will either be lenient towards all others out of guilt (as well as to avoid confrontations that might arise due to differences of opinion with those he reviews) or more strict with others to cover for Virginia’s incompetence. After all, the way he rated Virginia’s performance, makes it clear that his first priority is to avoid confrontation and the extra time and effort required to justify his below average rating, for which he would need to go through the records he had been able to collect. On the other hand, he might try to compensate his erroneous rating of Virginia’s performance by being overly harsh in his rating of other employees; especially the ones he thinks will take his ratings and comments without the ensuing emotional outburst that he is desperate to avoid, even at the cost of introducing stagnation of effort in the organization. Ans3. The most crucial mistake that Steve made in rating Virginia’s performance was the lack of around the year monitoring and frank discussions with Virginia about her performance level. Next, he compounded his mistake by letting his emotions and fear of facing a tough situation, get in the way of a truthful and fair evaluation that would have been of benefit to both, the organization and the job holder in the long run. Instead, Steve should have approached the appraisal process with total honesty and strength. Moreover, he should have had the wisdom to have open discussions with Virginia prior to the actual appraisal and encouraged her to recognize her shortcomings in order to improve herself. In this way he could have guided her throughout the year to make improvements in areas where she lagged, to contribute actual value to the organization. Ans4. The performance review conducted by Steve was biased and incorrect owing to his lack of proper effort and feelings about the employee.

The ethical and moral arguments for and against paying college Essay

The ethical and moral arguments for and against paying college athletes - Essay Example Amid this, a pertinent issue of whether college athletes should be paid or not emerged, resulting in intensive, extensive, diverse, and dynamic debates on the matter. Stakeholders in the athletics industry have expressed their concerns over the issue of paying or not paying college athletes, differing in opinions and efforts to favor either side. Ethical, moral, and value-based concerns have been expressed. Every party arguing for or against the remuneration of college athletes present their reasons, all of which significantly have a point to put across. Evaluating and assessing the underlying concerns is essential, in a bid to determine whether indeed these athletes should be paid. Ethics are guided by right or wrong practices in the undertaking of certain activities. Ethical concerns surrounding making payments to college athletes revolve around what is perceived to be right or wrong in relation to such payments. Stakeholders involved have conflicting views over the matter, but the baseline is either the payments are ethical or unethical. The weight given to games and sporting activities is the primary determinant of the underlying concern. On the college level, athletics are part and parcel of the extracurricular programs run by colleges. Importantly, not every college student becomes a college athlete, meaning that there are certain variables that define college athletes. Talent and personal drive to games and sports plays a fundamental role in engaging students in athletics. The formulated and implemented extracurricular activities in colleges are not without their benefits to the institutions. Better performance by students in athletics does not only earn these institutions names, but also economic gains from all aspects related to the gaming and sporting activities involved. Athletics just like any other college program are allocated funds and other resources. Utilization of these funds and resources by students to a point of generating even more of

Weekly summary and team discussion week 3 Essay

Weekly summary and team discussion week 3 - Essay Example Even companies that are very successful have product failures. One of my classmates mentioned the case of New Coke. The product failed because customers were threatened by the product since they believe it might replace the classic coke formula. During the week we also talked about the importance of pricing. The price of a product is very important because the price of a product influences the demand of the product. The demand of a product will rise at lower price points. The price of a product cannot be too low because the firm has to cover costs while at the same time earning a descent profit. Companies that utilize branding strategies can charge more for their products and services. An example of a company that uses a branding strategy is Starbucks Cafà ©. One of the articles that the professor posted discussed transactional emails. The author claimed that companies should take advantage of email conversations in order to build a relationship with the customer. Building a relationship with a customer can help increase customer retention. Another article that I read during the week was about trends that can help build customer loyalty. One of those trends is networking. An industry that can benefit a lot from networking is the consulting industry. The toughest challenge during the week was the individual paper. Writing a paper of over 2000 words is never easy. The paper helped me identify different marketing solutions for a company in the airline industry. A concept that I learned from the textbook reading that I believe is very useful for marketers is the product life cycle. The four steps of the product life cycle are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. The product life cycle can be used to determine the optimum pricing

Probable reasons of why racists mitigate their views whenever possible Essay

Probable reasons of why racists mitigate their views whenever possible - Essay Example It is very peculiar to consider racism is an ideology where humans are separated into various groups in the belief that some people are superior because they belong to a particular ethnic or national group. It could be summarized that racism is the result of having negative judgments, beliefs, and feelings towards certain identifiable groups. But there are multiple folds to the idea of racism and though an act of violence against a black youth by few white neo-Nazi and the killing of a Christian priest by some religious fundamentalists look very different from each other but to its core they are all the same and inseparable. It is not surprising that there is a prevalence of racism; however, it is not so common that a person admits to being a racist. (Black, 127) The reason is that most people with racist views don't want others to label them as racist, so they mitigate their views whenever possible. In a general sense, racism is fuelled by different aspects like low education, unfavorable economic condition, social structure that inclined towards a specific religion or cult and most important of all- ill fated political motivation. This are few reasons why the well educated, financially well off people tend to be secular in nature though there are exceptions and sometimes with rapid political campaigns (like the Nazi movement in Germany during 1930's and 1940's by Adolph Hitler) these people start believing in a ideology that is basically racist in nature. Most people with racist views don't want others to label them as racist, so they mitigate their views whenever possible as this racism (like Nazism) comes in a package of camouflaged theoretic philosophy. Most people under the banner of democracy tend to believe that all human beings are equal and they should be treated equally. So they disregard themselves as raciest and seek asylum under some make believe theories. If one o f such example comes in the shape of Nazism the other side of the same story tells us the existence of such interesting phrases like 'white man's burden". (Atherton, 15) This phrase developed during the colonial era at the 19th and 20th century and this phrase is just a make believe theory so as to soften the harsh reality of racist manners those indicated the rise and sustainability of the 19th and 20th century imperialism. This phrase, 'white man's burden', is a very interesting clue to the statement that 'why racists mitigate their views whenever possible'. If we look closely enough, we would find that during the 19th and the early part of 20th century it was the times of building, developing and sustaining a huge empire, later known as colonies, by the major players of the European politics. It should also be noted that this period, the 19th and the early part of 20th century, was also the fallout period of the essence of industrial revolution. Industrial revolution freed the entrepreneurs from the usual bondage of traditional economy and for the general it was the time for a new social bondage free from the earlier pseudo- feudal economic system. But all these developments also brought in new learning and new ideologies where ideas of human rights occupied a major role. In this context and social structure it would have been very hard to digest the ideals of imperial expansions through the method of brutal strength. This hard pill of 'colonialism with brutality' needed some spooning with

The problems with traditional ethnographic filmmaking as exemplified Essay

The problems with traditional ethnographic filmmaking as exemplified by Nanook of the North - Essay Example The film Nanook of the North is a pioneering effort by film-maker Robert Flaherty. Released in 1922 and filmed in the immediately preceding years, the film was a tentative experimentation in two genres – ethnography and documentary. At a time when the written word was the primary mode of information dissemination, Nanook of the North attempted to achieve what an ethnographic book on the Eskimo would have done. When motion picture as we know it today was taking its early steps as a medium of popular culture, Flaherty, who called it a non-fiction film, can be credited to have made the first documentary. Looking back at the ninety years since the release of Nanook of the North, one can see vast improvisations in film-making technique and technology. The addition of synchronized sound would be another cornerstone in the history of films. (Ellis & McLane, 2005) As can be expected in this early example/experimentation with narrative film, there are a few obvious problem areas. While nominally adapted to the documentary form, the viewer cannot avoid feeling the enactment of a pre-conceived script. It is as if the film-maker, instead of making himself the invisible observer of unfolding events, seems to have instructed Nanook and his clan to perform specific acts. This is typical of not only early documentaries but also the vast body of ethnographic publishing of the previous century. For example, other post-First World War forays in this genre such as Dziga Vertov's The Man with the Movie Camera, Walter Ruttmann's Berlin: Symphony of a City (1927) and John Grierson's Drifters (1929) all share this common flaw. This is also true of Flaherty's subsequent film Moana (1926). Flaherty portrays Eskimo and Samoan cultures in a revisionist mode by creating imagined characters, bringing back to life lost cultural practices (such as hunting for Walruses using harpoons) and setting the film in an ancient period (conveyed to the audience through use of oil lamps when elect ricity is easily available). All this goes to show that these early ethnographies were â€Å"done less in the name of art than to salvage elements of the past by portraying them in the filmic equivalent of 'the ethnographic present'. As a result, Flaherty's alterations and temporal licenses met considerable disapproval in scholarly circles. He only inflamed passions further by stating, 'Sometimes you have to lie. One often has to distort a thing to catch its true spirit'." (Askew, 2006, p.29) There is also a directorial slant that seeks to iterate well-established stereotypes of the natives. This is not only applicable to Nanook and the Native American stock he comes from, but also to all indigenous people under European imperialist purview. For example, similar stereotyping of the natives is evident in British-authored ethnographies in Indian subcontinent, German experience in African colonies, Belgians in the Congo and the French occupation of Indo-China. What is also evident in early film ethnographies are the fixedness in perspective – these films were made by white men for other white men, with a patronizing attitude toward nativities/communities being explored. Further, the primitives were shown to display Western family ideals: â€Å"Like a museum display in which sculpted models of family groups perform "traditional activities," Nanook's family adopts a variety of poses for the camera. These scenes of the picturesque always represent a particular view of family or community, usually with the father as hunter and the mother as nurturer, paralleling Western views of the nuclear family. In the following trading post sequence, Nanook is shown to be ignorant of Western technology....This conceit of the indigenous person who does not understand Western technology allows for voyeuristic pleasure and reassures the viewer of the contrast between the Primitive and the

Probable reasons of why racists mitigate their views whenever possible Essay

Probable reasons of why racists mitigate their views whenever possible - Essay Example It is very peculiar to consider racism is an ideology where humans are separated into various groups in the belief that some people are superior because they belong to a particular ethnic or national group. It could be summarized that racism is the result of having negative judgments, beliefs, and feelings towards certain identifiable groups. But there are multiple folds to the idea of racism and though an act of violence against a black youth by few white neo-Nazi and the killing of a Christian priest by some religious fundamentalists look very different from each other but to its core they are all the same and inseparable. It is not surprising that there is a prevalence of racism; however, it is not so common that a person admits to being a racist. (Black, 127) The reason is that most people with racist views don't want others to label them as racist, so they mitigate their views whenever possible. In a general sense, racism is fuelled by different aspects like low education, unfavorable economic condition, social structure that inclined towards a specific religion or cult and most important of all- ill fated political motivation. This are few reasons why the well educated, financially well off people tend to be secular in nature though there are exceptions and sometimes with rapid political campaigns (like the Nazi movement in Germany during 1930's and 1940's by Adolph Hitler) these people start believing in a ideology that is basically racist in nature. Most people with racist views don't want others to label them as racist, so they mitigate their views whenever possible as this racism (like Nazism) comes in a package of camouflaged theoretic philosophy. Most people under the banner of democracy tend to believe that all human beings are equal and they should be treated equally. So they disregard themselves as raciest and seek asylum under some make believe theories. If one o f such example comes in the shape of Nazism the other side of the same story tells us the existence of such interesting phrases like 'white man's burden". (Atherton, 15) This phrase developed during the colonial era at the 19th and 20th century and this phrase is just a make believe theory so as to soften the harsh reality of racist manners those indicated the rise and sustainability of the 19th and 20th century imperialism. This phrase, 'white man's burden', is a very interesting clue to the statement that 'why racists mitigate their views whenever possible'. If we look closely enough, we would find that during the 19th and the early part of 20th century it was the times of building, developing and sustaining a huge empire, later known as colonies, by the major players of the European politics. It should also be noted that this period, the 19th and the early part of 20th century, was also the fallout period of the essence of industrial revolution. Industrial revolution freed the entrepreneurs from the usual bondage of traditional economy and for the general it was the time for a new social bondage free from the earlier pseudo- feudal economic system. But all these developments also brought in new learning and new ideologies where ideas of human rights occupied a major role. In this context and social structure it would have been very hard to digest the ideals of imperial expansions through the method of brutal strength. This hard pill of 'colonialism with brutality' needed some spooning with

Sociological Definition of Religion Concerning Aborigines Essay Example for Free

Sociological Definition of Religion Concerning Aborigines Essay In my opinion, I find the sociological definition of religion to be my favorite and most helpful. Clifford Geertz explains his definition very clearly, saying that religion is a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, persuasive and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic. What I believe he means is that instead of looking at theories and things of that nature about how religion started, we should look at concepts beyond religion itself. I found that the Australian Aborigines follow closely along this same definition of religion. To the Aborigines, the world has always existed, meaning everything was always here; they had no creation myths. They had believed the ultimate supreme was associated with the sky and was the source for all power in the universe, but said it was not the focus of worship. Instead, religious practices focused upon a number of spirits who supposedly slept within the earth and transformed it every now and then. The earthly spirits were capable of taking the same form of either human or animal; they were considered â€Å"totemic ancestors†. This all relates to the sociological definition of religion because the Aborigines formed conceptions about the spirits, which gives an order for existence; it all seems very realistic to them. Anthropologists studied deeply into these Australian Aborigines. They looked into a primordial era that was a part of an Aborigine myth. They found that this era referred to a period in time when the first ancestors shaped the world and established traditions that their descendants must follow. The actions of the ancestors were thought to be imprinted on the land, possibly in significant physical landscapes, in unusual water holes, or in the main characteristics of animals and plants. This â€Å"era† was said to be the foundation of Aboriginal thought and religious practice and its power was ongoing. This all relates to Geertz’ definition of religion once again, because during the era, the ancestors set up lasting moods and motivations for the Aborigine people. The Aborigine people’s ritual practices concentrated on reenacting the events that took place during the primordial era. Song, dance, and body sand paintings were used to gain access to the era and teach everyone in the community about it. Male and female had different powers, as well as different types of work, during these certain rituals. These rituals relate to Geertz because the native Aborigine people are continuing the traditions and are passing down the tales about the spirits. They’re giving the conception of existence an order of factuality. In conclusion, what I can tell personally, the Australian Aborigines followed right along the same path of religion as Geertz would describe; I’m sure he’d be very fond of it all. With everything that they do, it all falls back on the sociological definition of religion. The rituals, the era, the beginnings, all follow along the same guidelines as Clifford Geertz.

Private Sector Participation in Water Supply

Private Sector Participation in Water Supply ASSESSMENT OF PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION (PSP) IN WATER SUPPLY IN ABRAKA AND ITS ENVIRONS, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA S. I. Efe Department of Geography and Regional Planning Delta State University, Abraka. Delta State, Nigeria ABSTRACT This study assessed the level of private participation in water supply in Abraka and the likely problem militating against their effective operation. This study involved personal field observation and questionnaire survey to all the private owners of water projects in Abraka. This gives a total of 188 questionnaires administered. The data collected were presented in tables and statistical diagram. Percentages were also us ed for the data analysis. The result revealed a high level of private participation in water supply in Abraka. This is evident from 188 out of 202 functioning water projects in Abraka, thus. it indicate that over 93% (percentage) of water projects in Abraka are owned by private individuals. The operators are however faced with the problem of epileptic power supply, hike in pump process of fuel (diesel and petrol, theft and maintenance cost, it is therefore recommended that Abraka should be linked to the national grid and more feeder transformers should be supplied t o Abraka communities 4.y Delta State government. Government should also resuscitate the existing public water system in Abraka to minimise the money spent on water by Abraka inhabitants. Keywords: Private Sector, Participation, Water Supply, Abraka INTRODUCTION The supply of water to the inhabitants of urban areas has been the responsibilities of Local, State and Federal government. As such, there has been pressure in government resources and the government can no longer foot the servicing and maintenance of many socio infrastructures in the countries (Adesuyi, 1996). For instance in Nigeria many hydraulic facilities have been incapacitated and break down completely because of pressure from the increasing population of cities without corresponding expansion or maintenance in these water projects. And some even breaks down soon after commissioning (Efe, 2003). In Abraka its population has increased from 5,006 in 1985 to 57,444 in 1998, and it’s projected to increase to over 66,738 by 2005 and there is no expansion in the existing water facilities. Presently little could one identifS’ any government owned water project that provide water effectively and regularly to the inhabitants of Abraka, except dilapidated overhead tanks. T hus there has been acute shortage of water supply to Abraka communities. As such, the inhabitant now trek long distance at an average of 1-3km to river Ethiope and Ovwuvwe to get drinking and other domestic water, there they bath and do most of their washing (Plates, Clothes ete). Because of this problem there are complains by the inhabitants to government and private individuals, but there was no change of operational attitude by government. However, there has been large increased in Private Sector Participation (PSP) in water supply in recent times in Abraka. This view has been noted Oyebande (1981), Adesuyi (1996) and John (2002). So the private individual seize this opportunity to drill boreholes in their compound for personal use and commercial uses as well. Though the price of water is on the high side for example 20 litres can cost as high as N5.00 to N8.0O in most of the communities. Recently the government of Delta State came out with a policy that every borehole owners sho uld come to the state capital to register with Nb, 000.00 for commercial bores and N3,500.00 for private and pay an annual subscription rate of N2,500.00 and NI,500.00 for commercially and privately owned bore holes in the state. But the owners of these private boreholes are hesitant to register and pay the said amount saying that water is a free gift of nature, and the government who suppose to provide water has failed, and even electricity to power their submersible pump government is not providing, why then is the demand for registration. Based on the foregoing, this study is aimed at assessing the level of PSP in water supply, the willingness of the private sectors to register and pay the annual subscription and to identify the limiting factors militating against effective PSP in water supply in Abraka. STUDY AREA Abraka is located between latitude 5Â °45’ and 5Â °50’ North of the equator and longitude 6Â ° and 6Â ° 15’ East. It covers an area of 168.43 sqkm, and a height of 45m above sea level. It is drain by two rivers, River Ethiope to the West and River Ovwuwve to the south eastern extent at the landmass. It has a gentle slope to the two rivers. The area is made of loamy and sandy soil (Efe and Aruegodore, 2003). Abraka fell within the tropical environment that enjoys the tropical rainforest climate (AF) of Koppen in 1919 and the wet equatorial of Strahier in 1969.Generally speaking, Abraka and its environs had an annual mean temperature of 3 0.6Â °C, and mean monthly temperature that span from 30Â °C in September to 31.1Â °C in June and July. The area experiencing heavy amount of rainfall that spans for 12 months period. Annual rainfall generally ranges from 2,703mm in 1977 to 3,647mm in 1989. However, the annual mean rainfall is 3,098mm. This indicates that Ab raka experiences heavy and torrential rainfall throughout this period. The mean monthly distribution of rainfall in Abraka span 25.8mm in the month of December to 638.9mm in September. This indicates that December recorded the lowest rain amount while September recorded the month with the highest rainfall amount; as such there is no distinct dry season. In recent time Abraka has witnessed a rapid population increased, from a population of 55 510 during the 19991 Census, to estimated population value of 60 000 in 2004.This is as a result of the increase in the population of Delta State University students. This increase has also led to rapid urban development and without commensurate growth in infrastructural facilities of the areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS The research designed employed in this study involves a field survey of personal observation and questionnaire administration to all the operators of bores in Abraka. Abraka was stratified into five zones based on the 5 political delineation (wards) already in existed. The researcher and 20 of his field assistants (hydrology students) visited each of the zones at five different occasions between March — May 2005 (one zone each ‘thy) to count the total number of hydraulic project existing in them and to administered questionnaire to each of them. The researcher waited for them to fill them and collect the questionnaire at the spot from them. The questionnaire covers the following; when the bores are sunk, the owner’s cost (prices) of water supply and their willingness to register with government and pay the annual water rate fees and likely problem encountered during operation. This took us to Umeghe, Uhuoka, Ekrejeta, Abraka urban, Ajalomi, Urhuovie, Erho, Oria wa terside, Ovwodo, Ekreseme, Urhuagbesa, Otorho and Ugono. A total of 188 questionnaires were administered to the 188 private operators of boreholes in Abraka. The data collected re summarised in table 1 —4 and expressed in percentages. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results from the field observations are presented in table 1,2,3, and 4 and discussed below: Table 1: Number of water projects in each community and their owners Source: Author’s fieldwork, 2005. Table I showed that a total of 202 hydraulic projects (bores) were located in all the communities in Abraka and its environs, Abraka urban (town), which housed the Delta State University recorded the highest concentration of bores, with a value of 68, out of which 63 hydraulic projects were owned by private individuals, 2 owned by non-governmental organisation and 3 owned by governmental They are sited at Delta State University to serve the need of staff and students on campus. This signifies 93%, 4% and 3% respectively lhr private, government and nongovernmental organisation. The 3 governments owned bores were sited at Delta State University, Abraka. Urhuoka and Ekrejeta follow this with 26 with 34 bores owned solely by private individuals respectively. Others are Oria waterside, Urhuovie, Ovwodo and Umeghe with 16, 13 and 109 bores respectively. At Oria waterside, Ovwodo and Uineghe all the boreholes are owned by private individuals, while at Urhuovie, out of the 13 water project, 10 are owned by private, 1 by community effort and 2 by government. These showed that private individuals own 77% of the water projects at Urhuovie. While the community and government own 8% and 15% of the bores respectively. The rest communities on table 1 showed less than 8 bore with the exception of Erho with 9 bores (8 private and 1 government owned). Generally, out of the 202 bores that is presently located in Abraka and its environs, 188 are owned by private individuals, 8 by government. 5 by non — governmental organisation and I by community effort (see fig 1).Fig.1: Operators of Bores in Abraka Source: Author’s fieldwork, 2005 This showed that there is a high level of PSP in provision of water to the inhabitants of Abraka. Thus water supply in Abraka is mostly under the auspices of the PSP. The reason for increased PSP in water supply according to the operators of the bores is that; government has failed in its entirety in providing this basic necessity of life to the ever increasing population of Abraka, and also to make life better for their own people in Abraka and the student who resides off campus, lastly because of the fact that all the water projects owned by urban and rural water board in Abraka have packed-up and no attempt by the government to repair them. Most water from the private bores in Abraka urban is connected to hostels for students use. For instance out of the 68 bores located in Abraka main town; 35 were connected to hostels, where majorities of the inhabitants are students, 25 sunk solely for commercial and household use, while 8 have been connected to private homes similarly 135 (ove r 71%) of the 188 water projects in Abraka and its environs, are used for commercial purpose (see table 2). Some owners of these bores also have their house connected to their owned bores. Table 2: Types of bores in Abraka Source: Author’s fieldwork, 2005 On the other hand, less than 30% of the privately owned boreholes were connected to private houses and solely for private uses. However most of the boreholes were sunk between 2000 and 2005 respectively. For instance, out of the 202 functioning water projects existed presently in Abraka 153 were sunk between 2000 2005 while 49 were sunk during or between 1989 — 1999 (see table 3) Table 3: Years bores were sunk Source: Author’s fieldwork 2005. Table 3 also showed that out of the 219 water projects seen in Abraka, 15 were sunk before 1989, 51 in 1989 and 1999, and 153 between 2000 and 2005. Out of these, 17 are bad and stop functioning few years after commissioning; Leaving 202 bores. According to the inhabitants, most of these packed-up projects sunk by petroleum trust fund (PTF) during the Babagida regime. However the year 2004 witnessed rapids sitting of bores in Abraka. For instance the field observation revealed that a total 58 bores were sunk in 2004 alone. Presently there are 23 drilled bores not yet connected to the overhead tank (i.e. they are still under construction) when asked they said they occasionally pump water from these bores for block moulding and building of houses. The owners of these bores capitalised on the non-existence of public tap to increase the price of water in the area. For instance, 20 litres of water is sold as high as 5.00 — N8.00 in some communities (most especially in Abraka urban) . An interview with some of the inhabitants seen buying water from these sources revealed that though these privately owned bores have really alleviated the problem of water shortage in Abraka, because of their short distances and efficiency, but the price of the water is very high. For instance the price of 20 litres can cost as high as N5.00 or N8.00 on the average in most of these communities. Due to this high price most households have to down size the quantity of water use per day and ‘whenever it rains, they fill all available bowls with rainwater, and little quantity of about 20 litres for drinking is usually bought from the private bores. The interviewed also revealed that high proportion of the bores owners in Abraka are willing to pay and register with the Urban Water Board provided the government of Delta State could provide regular supply of electricity to their communities. This is evident from 153 out of the 188 private bores owners who indicated their willingnes s to register with the Urban Water Board at Asaba (see table 4) Table 4: Number of bores owners who are will to register with government Source: Author’s Fieldwork, 2005 Their justification of willing to pay is that ground water is one of the natural resources that are owned by the government, and anybody extracting natural resources pays certain amount of money to the government. The operators of the bores outlined the following as a limiting factors in order of severity; epileptic power supply, high prices of diesel and fuel, theft and maintenance cost. They all generally stressed that because of the epileptic power supply they no longer depend on electricity (NEPA) rather on generating plants to power their water project, and that the prices or diesel and petrol have further increased the running cost, which they shifted to the consumer. Thus a change in the price of 20 litres cans from N2.00 to N5.00 or N8.00 depending on the circumstances. Similarly, because of the high rate of insecurity most of the submersible pump have been lost to theft, and now they engages the services of security men to guard these water pumps, which according to them cos t as high as N4, 500.00 or N7, 500.00. They therefore call on the government of Delta State to provide more transformers, in Abraka or if possible linked Abraka to the Ogorode power line, since it will serve the Main Campus of the Delta State University, Abraka. The major problem militating against effective water supply to the inhabitants of Abraka are ascribed to high cost of hydraulic equipment and drilling of the bores, epileptic power supply, theft and the recently introduced 1 0, 000 and N3, 500 bores registration fees by the Delta State government. CONCLUSION This study has been able to show that there is a high rate of PSP in water supply in Abraka. Out of the 202 functioning water project in Abraka 188 are owned and maintained by private individuals. The study also revealed that 188 privately owned bores, supply water regularly to the inhabitants of Abraka, though the price of N5.00 — 8.00 is on the high side. The problem of epileptic power supply and theft are major limiting factors to effective water supply. It is therefore recommended that Abraka community should be regarded as a priority or special area and linked to the national grid or Ogorode power supply. When this is done it will enhanced regular power supply that will better the entire life being of the residents of Abraka. REFERENCES Adesuyi, D. (1996), Nigeria Produces 25 year water Master Plan. Ultimate Water Technology and Environment 1(1): 17-19pp. Efe S.I. (2003), Water quality and its utilisation in the Nigerian rural setting of Abraka Delta State International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Dynamics Maiden (ed) 81-86;;. John, T. (2002), Opinion World Summit of Sustainable development, private sector participation in the water sector in the water sector published by international institute for environment and development U.S.A., UK. Oyebande, L. (1981) The hydrology of water supply: A case of Jos in P.O. Sada and J.S. Oguntoyinbo edited Urbanisation Processes in Nigeria, Ibadan University press. 141-149.

B2B v. B2C Supply Chains Essay example -- Compare Contrast Business Co

B2B v. B2C Supply Chains Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the age of technology business has come a long way and evolved tremendously. It used to be that brick and mortar was the only way to open and run a business. However, the internet has changed all of that now businesses can use technology to reach customers and other businesses all over the world. This has caused a great surge in the world wide economy. In 2003 Business to Business (B2B) commerce tipped the scales at $1.41 Trillion. This is in comparison to Business to Consumer (B2C) that was $90.1 Billion (Naraine, R.2003). All of these purchases need to get transported and that is where businesses supply chains come in play. Contrary to popular belief the supply chains of B2B and B2C are not the same both have unique qualities. This paper will define the term supply chain. Then it will define the terms B2B and B2C. Finally, it will explain how the supply chain differs on a B2C site compared to a B2B site and provide examples. Supply Chain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to learnthat.com a supply chain is the series of channels a product takes from its initial production to reach it’s finally destination (Learn That, 2004). A typical example of this chain of events that occurs in everyday life would be when a guest walks into a Target Store and purchases a X Box Game. The supply chain begins with the guest and the need for the game. Then it continues to the brick and mortar store. This Target store receives its product from the Target Distribution Center. The Target Distribution center receives the product from the manufacturer. Finally, the manufacturer receives the raw products from several other suppliers. This basic supply chain is liquid and continuously goes back and forth. B2B   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When people hear B2B or business to business they might recall the classic image of an old style ice salesman traveling from business to business delivering ice in order for them to keep their merchandise cold. Fast forward 60 years and now B2B eCommerce occurs when companies are buying from and selling to one and other online. B2B eCommerce has evolved past just basic purchasing. It now encompasses supply chain management as more organizations continue to outsource parts of their supply chain to their trading partners (Varon, E., 2001). B2C   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B2C is pretty straight forward with the title business to consumer, it conjur... ... scale b2b versus the smaller and ever longer b2c. These both are still extremely successful in creating a more global economy and with improvements should provide continuing success. References Naraine,R., 2003, B2C Goes From Rags to Riches, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.internetnews.com/stats/article.php/2196821 Global Market, 2004, B2B Market Trends, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.ewowfacts.com/pdfs/chap04/33.pdf Learn That, 2004, Definition of Supply Chain, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.learnthat.com/define/view.asp?id=339 Varon, E., August 2001, The ABCs of B2B, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.cio.com/ec/edit/b2babc.html Patton,S., August, 2001, The ABC’s of B2C, retrieved from the World Wide Web on:http://www.cio.com/ec/edit/b2cabc.html Marketing Profs, 2005, What differentiates B2C supply chain from B2B? retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstID=7770 CIO Decisions, 2005, Executive Guide B2B Integration, retrieved from the World Wide Web on: http://searchcio.techtarget.com/generic/0,295582,sid19_gci1067719,00.html?bucket=REF

Taken Over By A Computer Game :: English Literature Essays

Taken Over By A Computer Game One day I went to the computer shop and I bought a new computer game. The box in which was the computer game was, looked very nice and I couldn’t resist to buy it. Next day my parents were leaving to France and I was alone†¦ Ok not exactly alone, the baby-sitter that looked after me when I was little came to our house to look after me for 1 week. She was young and she wasn’t a really baby-sitter because she cared more about her hair and nails than about me. Later when it was dark she went out with her friends. The next day when I woke up the baby-sitter wasn’t in the house. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to call my parents but I thought and realized that if I call them and tell them that there is no one to look after me they would get worried and maybe I will ruin their trip. I tried not to worry but I couldn’t. Then I sat down and I thought for a moment†¦ Nothing could happen to me if I don’t open to anybody and if I stay home. After I watched my favorite TV show I went to play the computer game I bought yesterday. First I installed the game and then I started playing. It was a simulation game where you are supposed to drive a space ship and safely get back to earth. The first level of the game was very easy. I destroyed all the asteroids that were coming towards me but I couldn’t communicate with the station because a small asteroid hit right in the back of the ship where the communicable devices were. Now I couldn’t go back to the space station to re-fuel the space ship. On the next level something strange happened. The screen of the monitor started flickering and something white appeared before me. Suddenly I could see myself going about 500 kilometers per minute in some kind of a tunnel. It was a green and blue tunnel were I could smell something like burning plastic and I could hear a sound like grasshoppers singing. Suddenly I was standing in a place with many buttons around me, about 5 monitors and I could see asteroids through the big window in front of me. I was in the space ship.

The Host Chapter 17: Visited

The heat hit me first-like a wall of steam, the moist, thick air rolled over me and dewed on my skin. My mouth opened automatically as I tried to pull a breath from the abruptly denser air. The smell was stronger than before-that same metallic tang that clung in my throat and flavored the water here. The murmuring babble of bass and soprano voices seemed to issue from every side, echoing off the walls. I squinted anxiously through the swirling cloud of moisture, trying to make out where the voices came from. It was bright here-the ceiling was dazzling, like in the big room but much closer. The light danced off the vapor, creating a shimmering curtain that almost blinded me. My eyes struggled to adjust, and I clutched at Jeb's hand in panic. I was surprised that the strangely fluid babble did not respond in any way to our entrance. Perhaps they couldn't see us yet, either. â€Å"It's a bit close in here,† Jeb said apologetically, fanning at the steam in front of his face. His voice was relaxed, conversational in tone, and loud enough to make me jump. He spoke as if we were not surrounded. And the babble continued, oblivious to his voice. â€Å"Not that I'm complaining,† he continued. â€Å"I'd be dead several times over if this place didn't exist. The very first time I got stuck in the caves, of course. And now, we'd never be able to hide out here without it. With no hiding place, we're all dead, right?† He nudged me with his elbow, a conspiratorial gesture. â€Å"Mighty convenient, how it's laid out. Couldn't have planned it much better if I'd sculpted it myself out of play dough.† His laugh cleared a section of mist, and I saw the room for the first time. Two rivers flowed through the dank, high-domed space. This was the chatter that filled my ears-the water gushing over and under the purple volcanic rock. Jeb spoke as if we were alone because we were. It was really only one river and one small stream. The stream was closest; a shallow braided ribbon of silver in the light from above, coursing between low stone banks that it seemed constantly in danger of overrunning. A feminine, high-pitched murmur purred from its gentle ripples. The male, bass gurgle came from the river, as did the thick clouds of vapor that rose from the gaping holes in the ground by the far wall. The river was black, submerged under the floor of the cavern, exposed by wide, round erosions along the length of the room. The holes looked dark and dangerous, the river barely visible as it rushed powerfully toward an invisible and unfathomable destination. The water seemed to simmer, such was the heat and steam it produced. The sound of it, too, was like that of boiling water. From the ceiling hung a few long, narrow stalactites, dripping toward the stalagmites beneath each one. Three of them had met, forming thin black pillars between the two bodies of flowing water. â€Å"Got to be careful in here,† Jeb said. â€Å"Quite a current in the hot spring. If you fall in, you're gone. Happened once before.† He bowed his head at the memory, his face sober. The swift black eddies of the subterranean river were suddenly horrible to me. I imagined being caught in their scalding current and shuddered. Jeb put his hand lightly on my shoulder. â€Å"Don't worry. Just watch your step and you'll be fine. Now,† he said, pointing to the far end of the cavern, where the shallow stream ran into a dark cave, â€Å"the first cave back there is the bathing room. We've dug the floor out to make a nice, deep tub. There's a schedule for taking baths, but privacy's not usually an issue-it's black as pitch. The room's nice and warm so close to the steam, but the water won't burn you like the hot spring here. There's another cave just past that one, through a crevice. We've widened the entrance up to a comfortable size. That room is the farthest we can follow the stream-it drops underground there. So we've got that room fixed up as the latrine. Convenient and sanitary.† His voice had assumed a complacent tone, as if he felt credit was due to him for nature's creations. Well, he had discovered and improved the place-I supposed some pride was justified. â€Å"We don't like to waste batteries, and most of us know the floor here by heart, but since it's your first time, you can find your way with this.† Jeb pulled a flashlight from his pocket and held it out. The sight of it reminded me of the moment he'd found me dying in the desert, when he'd checked my eyes and known what I was. I didn't know why the memory made me sad. â€Å"Don't get any crazy ideas about maybe the river taking you out of here or something. Once that water goes underground, it doesn't come back up,† he cautioned me. Since he seemed to be waiting for some acknowledgment of his warning, I nodded once. I took the flashlight from his hand slowly, being careful not to make any quick movements that might startle him. He smiled in encouragement. I followed his directions quickly-the sound of the rushing water was not making my discomfort any easier to bear. It felt very strange to be out of his sight. What if someone had hidden in these caves, guessing I would have to come here eventually? Would Jeb hear the struggle over the cacophony of the rivers? I shone the flashlight all around the bathing room, looking for any sign of an ambush. The odd flickering shadows it made were not comforting, but I found no substance to my fears. Jeb's tub was more the size of a small swimming pool and black as ink. Under the surface, a person would be invisible as long as they could hold their breath†¦ I hurried through the slender crack at the back of the room to escape my imaginings. Away from Jeb, I was nearly overwhelmed with panic-I couldn't breathe normally; I could barely hear over the sound of my pulse racing behind my ears. I was more running than walking when I made my way back to the room with the rivers. To find Jeb standing there, still in the same pose, still alone, was like a balm to my splintered nerves. My breathing and my heartbeat slowed. Why this crazy human should be such a comfort to me, I couldn't understand. I supposed it was like Melanie had said, desperate times. â€Å"Not too shabby, eh?† he asked, a grin of pride on his face. I nodded once again and returned the flashlight. â€Å"These caves are a great gift,† he said as we started back toward the dark passageway. â€Å"We wouldn't be able to survive in a group like this without them. Magnolia and Sharon were getting along real well-shockingly well-up there in Chicago, but they were pushing their luck hiding two. It's mighty nice to have a community again. Makes me feel downright human.† He took my elbow once more as we climbed the rough stair-case out. â€Å"I'm sorry about the, um, accommodations we've got you in. It was the safest place I could think of. I'm surprised those boys found you as quick as they did.† Jeb sighed. â€Å"Well, Kyle gets real†¦ motivated. But I suppose it's all for the best. Might as well get used to how things are going to be. Maybe we can find something more hospitable for you. I'll think on it†¦ While I'm with you, at least, you don't really have to cram yourself into that little hole. You can sit in the hall with me if you prefer. Though with Jared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off. I listened to his apologetic words in wonder; this was so much more kindness than I'd hoped for, more compassion than I'd thought this species was capable of giving their enemies. I patted the hand on my elbow lightly, hesitantly, trying to convey that I understood and wouldn't cause a problem. I was sure Jared much preferred to have me out of sight. Jeb had no trouble translating my wordless communication. â€Å"That's a good girl,† he said. â€Å"We'll figure this all out somehow. Doc can just concentrate on healin' human folks. You're much more interesting alive, I think.† Our bodies were close enough that he was able to feel me tremble. â€Å"Don't worry. Doc's not going to bother you now.† I couldn't stop shivering. Jeb could only promise me now. There was no guarantee that Jared would not decide my secret was more important than protecting Melanie's body. I knew that such a fate would make me wish Ian had succeeded last night. I swallowed, feeling the bruising that seemed to go all the way through my neck to the inside walls of my throat. You never know how much time you'll have, Melanie had said so many days ago, when my world was still under control. Her words echoed in my head as we reentered the big room, the main plaza of Jeb's human community. It was full, like the first night, everyone there to glare at us with eyes that blazed anger and betrayal when they looked at him and murder when they looked at me. I kept my gaze down on the rock under my feet. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Jeb held his gun ready again. It was only a matter of time, indeed. I could feel it in the atmosphere of hate and fear. Jeb could not protect me long. It was a relief to scrape back through the narrow crevice, to look forward to the winding black labyrinth and my cramped hiding place; I could hope to be alone there. Behind me, a furious hissing, like a nest of goaded snakes, echoed in the big cavern. The sound made me wish Jeb would lead me through the labyrinth at a quicker pace. Jeb chuckled under his breath. He seemed to get stranger the longer I was around him. His sense of humor mystified me as much as his motivations did. â€Å"It gets a bit tedious down here sometimes, you know,† he murmured to me, or to himself. With Jeb, it was hard to tell. â€Å"Maybe when they get over being cheesed off at me, they'll realize they appreciate all the excitement I'm providing.† Our path through the dark twisted in a serpentine fashion. It didn't feel at all familiar. Perhaps he took a different route to keep me lost. It seemed to take more time than before, but finally I could see the dim blue light of the lamp shining from around the next curve. I braced myself, wondering if Jared would be there again. If he was, I knew he would be angry. I was sure he wouldn't approve of Jeb taking me for a field trip, no matter how necessary it might have been. As soon as we rounded the corner, I could see that there was a figure slumped against the wall beside the lamp, casting a long shadow toward us, but it was obviously not Jared. My hand clutched at Jeb's arm, an automatic spasm of fear. And then I really looked at the waiting figure. It was smaller than me-that was how I'd known it was not Jared-and thin. Small, but also too tall and too wiry. Even in the dim light of the blue lamp, I could see that his skin was dyed to a deep brown by the sun, and that his silky black hair now fell unkempt past his chin. My knees buckled. My hand, grasping Jeb's arm in panic, held on for support. â€Å"Well, for Pete's sake!† Jeb exclaimed, obviously irritated. â€Å"Can't nobody keep a secret around this place for more'n twenty-four hours? Gol' durn, this burns me up! Bunch of gossipmongers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off into a grumble. I didn't even try to understand the words Jeb was saying; I was locked in the fiercest battle of my life-of every life I'd ever lived. I could feel Melanie in each cell of my body. My nerve endings tingled in recognition of her familiar presence. My muscles twitched in anticipation of her direction. My lips trembled, trying to open. I leaned forward toward the boy in the hall, my body reaching because my arms would not. Melanie had learned many things the few times I'd ceded or lost my command to her, and I truly had to struggle against her-so hard that fresh sweat beaded on my brow. But I was not dying in the desert now. Nor was I weak and dizzy and taken off guard by the appearance of someone I'd given up for lost; I'd known this moment might come. My body was resilient, quick to heal-I was strong again. The strength of my body gave strength to my control, to my determination. I drove her from my limbs, chased her from every hold she'd found, thrust her back into the recesses of my mind, and chained her there. Her surrender was sudden and total. Aaah, she sighed, and it was almost a moan of pain. I felt strangely guilty as soon as I'd won. I'd already known that she was more to me than a resistant host who made life unnecessarily difficult. We'd become companions, even confidantes during our past weeks together-ever since the Seeker had united us against a common enemy. In the desert, with Kyle's knife over my head, I'd been glad that if I had to die I would not be the one to kill Melanie; even then, she was more than a body to me. But now it seemed like something beyond that. I regretted causing her pain. It was necessary, though, and she didn't seem to grasp that. Any word we said wrong, any poorly considered action would mean a quick execution. Her reactions were too wild and emotional. She would get us into trouble. You have to trust me now, I told her. I'm just trying to keep us alive. I know you don't want to believe your humans could hurt us†¦ But it's Jamie, she whispered. She yearned for the boy with an emotion so strong that it weakened my knees again. I tried to look at him impartially-this sullen-faced teenager slumped against the tunnel wall with his arms folded tightly across his chest. I tried to see him as a stranger and plan my response, or lack of response, accordingly. I tried, but I failed. He was Jamie, he was beautiful, and my arms-mine, not Melanie's-longed to hold him. Tears filled my eyes and trickled down my face. I could only hope they were invisible in the dim light. â€Å"Jeb,† Jamie said-a gruff greeting. His eyes passed swiftly over me and away. His voice was so deep! Could he really be so old? I realized with a double pang of guilt that I'd just missed his fourteenth birthday. Melanie showed me the day, and I saw that it was the same day as the first dream with Jamie. She'd struggled so hard all through the waking hours to keep her pain to herself, to cloud her memories in order to protect the boy, that he'd come out in her dream. And I'd e-mailed the Seeker. I shuddered now in disbelief that I'd ever been so callous. â€Å"Whatcha doing here, kid?† Jeb demanded. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me?† Jamie demanded back. Jeb went silent. â€Å"Was that Jared's idea?† Jamie pressed. Jeb sighed. â€Å"Okay, so you know. What good does that do you, eh? We only wanted to -â€Å" â€Å"To protect me?† he interrupted, surly. When did he get so bitter? Was it my fault? Of course it was. Melanie began sobbing in my head. It was distracting, loud-it made Jeb and Jamie's voices sound farther away. â€Å"Fine, Jamie. So you don't need protecting. What do you want?† This quick capitulation seemed to throw Jamie off. His eyes darted between Jeb's face and mine while he struggled to come up with a request. â€Å"I-I want to talk with her†¦ with it,† he finally said. His voice was higher when he was unsure. â€Å"She doesn't say much,† Jeb told him, â€Å"but you're welcome to try, kid.† Jeb pried my fingers off his arm. When he was free, he turned his back to the nearest wall, leaning into it as he eased himself to the floor. He settled in there, fidgeting until he found a comfortable position. The gun stayed balanced in the cradle of his lap. Jeb's head lolled back against the wall, and his eyes closed. In seconds, he looked like he was asleep. I stood where he'd left me, trying to keep my eyes off Jamie's face and failing. Jamie was surprised again by Jeb's easy acquiescence. He watched the old man recline on the floor with wide eyes that made him look younger. After a few minutes of perfect stillness from Jeb, Jamie looked back up at me, and his eyes tightened. The way he stared at me-angry, trying hard to be brave and grown-up, but also showing the fear and pain so clearly in his dark eyes-had Melanie sobbing louder and my knees shaking. Rather than take a chance with another collapse, I moved slowly to the tunnel wall across from Jeb and slid down to the floor. I curled up around my bent legs, trying to be as small as possible. Jamie watched me with cautious eyes and then took four slow steps forward until he stood over me. His glance flitted to Jeb, who hadn't moved or opened his eyes, and then Jamie knelt down at my side. His face was suddenly intense, and it made him look more adult than any expression yet. My heart throbbed for the sad man in the little boy's face. â€Å"You're not Melanie,† he said in a low voice. It was harder not to speak to him because I was the one who wanted to speak. Instead, after a brief hesitation, I shook my head. â€Å"You're inside her body, though.† Another pause, and I nodded. â€Å"What happened to your†¦ to her face?† I shrugged. I didn't know what my face looked like, but I could imagine. â€Å"Who did this to you?† he pressed. With a hesitant finger, he almost touched the side of my neck. I held still, feeling no urge to cringe away from this hand. â€Å"Aunt Maggie, Jared, and Ian,† Jeb listed off in a bored voice. We both jumped at the sound. Jeb hadn't moved, and his eyes were still closed. He looked so peaceful, as if he had answered Jamie's question in his sleep. Jamie waited for a moment, then turned back to me with the same intense expression. â€Å"You're not Melanie, but you know all her memories and stuff, right?† I nodded again. â€Å"Do you know who I am?† I tried to swallow the words, but they slipped through my lips. â€Å"You're Jamie.† I couldn't help how my voice wrapped around the name like a caress. He blinked, startled that I had broken my silence. Then he nodded. â€Å"Right,† he whispered back. We both looked at Jeb, who remained still, and back at each other. â€Å"Then you remember what happened to her?† he asked. I winced, and then nodded slowly. â€Å"I want to know,† he whispered. I shook my head. â€Å"I want to know,† Jamie repeated. His lips trembled. â€Å"I'm not a kid. Tell me.† â€Å"It's not†¦ pleasant,† I breathed, unable to stop myself. It was very hard to deny this boy what he wanted. His straight black eyebrows pulled together and up in the middle over his wide eyes. â€Å"Please,† he whispered. I glanced at Jeb. I thought that maybe he was peeking from between his lashes now, but I couldn't be sure. My voice was soft as breathing. â€Å"Someone saw her go into a place that was off-limits. They knew something was wrong. They called the Seekers.† He flinched at the title. â€Å"The Seekers tried to get her to surrender. She ran from them. When they had her cornered, she jumped into an open elevator shaft.† I recoiled from the memory of pain, and Jamie's face went white under his tan. â€Å"She didn't die?† he whispered. â€Å"No. We have very skilled Healers. They mended her quickly. Then they put me in her. They hoped I would be able to tell them how she had survived so long.† I had not meant to say so much; my mouth snapped shut. Jamie didn't seem to notice my slip, but Jeb's eyes opened slowly and fixed on my face. No other part of him moved, and Jamie didn't see the change. â€Å"Why didn't you let her die?† he asked. He had to swallow hard; a sob was threatening in his voice. This was all the more painful to hear because it was not the sound a child makes, frightened of the unknown, but the fully comprehending agony of an adult. It was so hard not to reach out and put my hand on his cheek. I wanted to hug him to me and beg him not to be sad. I curled my hands into fists and tried to concentrate on his question. Jeb's eyes flickered to my hands and back to my face. â€Å"I wasn't in on the decision,† I murmured. â€Å"I was still in a hibernation tank in deep space when that happened.† Jamie blinked again in surprise. My answer was nothing he'd expected, and I could see him struggling with some new emotion. I glanced at Jeb; his eyes were bright with curiosity. The same curiosity, though more wary, won out with Jamie. â€Å"Where were you coming from?† he asked. In spite of myself, I smiled at his unwilling interest. â€Å"Far away. Another planet.† â€Å"What was -† he started to ask, but he was interrupted by another question. â€Å"What the hell?† Jared shouted at us, frozen with fury in the act of rounding the corner at the end of the tunnel. â€Å"Damn it, Jeb! We agreed not to -â€Å" Jamie wrenched himself upright. â€Å"Jeb didn't bring me here. But you should have.† Jeb sighed and got slowly to his feet. As he did so, the gun rolled from his lap onto the floor. It stopped only a few inches from me. I scooted away, uncomfortable. Jared had a different reaction. He lunged toward me, closing the length of the hallway in a few running strides. I cowered into the wall and covered my face with my arms. Peeking around my elbow, I watched him jerk the gun up from the floor. â€Å"Are you trying to get us killed?† he almost screamed at Jeb, shoving the gun into the old man's chest. â€Å"Calm down, Jared,† Jeb said in a tired voice. He took the gun in one hand. â€Å"She wouldn't touch this thing if I left it down here alone with her all night. Can't you see that?† He stabbed the barrel of the gun toward me, and I cringed away. â€Å"She's no Seeker, this one.† â€Å"Shut up, Jeb, just shut up!† â€Å"Leave him alone,† Jamie shouted. â€Å"He didn't do anything wrong.† â€Å"You!† Jared shouted back, turning on the slim, angry figure. â€Å"You get out of here now, or so help me!† Jamie balled his fists and stood his ground. Jared's fists came up, too. I was rooted in place with shock. How could they scream at each other this way? They were family, the bonds between them stronger than any blood tie. Jared wouldn't hit Jamie-he couldn't! I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what to do. Anything that brought me to their attention would only make them angrier. For once, Melanie was calmer than I was. He can't hurt Jamie, she thought confidently. It's not possible. I looked at them, facing off like enemies, and panicked. We should never have come here. See how unhappy we've made them, I moaned. â€Å"You shouldn't have tried to keep this a secret from me,† Jamie said between his teeth. â€Å"And you shouldn't have hurt her.† One of his hands unclenched and flew out to point at my face. Jared spit on the floor. â€Å"That's not Melanie. She's never coming back, Jamie.† â€Å"That's her face,† Jamie insisted. â€Å"And her neck. Don't the bruises there bother you?† Jared dropped his hands. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. â€Å"You will either leave right now, Jamie, and give me some space, or I will make you leave. I am not bluffing. I can't deal with any more right now, okay? I'm at my limit. So can we please have this conversation later?† He opened his eyes again; they were full of pain. Jamie looked at him, and the anger drained slowly from his face. â€Å"Sorry,† he muttered after a moment. â€Å"I'll go†¦ but I'm not promising that I won't come back.† â€Å"I can't think about that now. Go. Please.† Jamie shrugged. He threw one more searching look at me, and then he left, his quick, long stride making me ache again for the time I'd missed. Jared looked at Jeb. â€Å"You, too,† he said in a flat voice. Jeb rolled his eyes. â€Å"I don't think you've had a long enough break, to be honest. I'll keep an eye on -â€Å" â€Å"Go.† Jeb frowned thoughtfully. â€Å"Okay. Sure.† He started down the hall. â€Å"Jeb?† Jared called after him. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"If I asked you to shoot it right now, would you do it?† Jeb kept walking slowly, not looking at us, but his words were clear. â€Å"I'd have to. I follow my own rules. So don't ask me unless you really mean it.† He disappeared into the dark. Jared watched him go. Before he could turn his glower on me, I ducked into my uncomfortable sanctuary and curled up in the back corner.