Computer Operator essays

Computer Operator essays Computers and technology play major part in todays world. Almost all businesses use computers to communicate, through e-mail or online conferences. All of this technology needs someone to keep them operational. Computer Operators work behind the scenes keeping the computers functional and repairing any errors that arise. They have many responsibilities, work many long hours, and are paid fairly well for the environment in which they work. The jobs of the computer Operator depend on the size of the business for which he or she works. A computer Operator is responsible for monitoring and controlling computer systems, particularly mainframe computer systems in a company or organization. The responsibilities also include troubleshooting software and hardware problems and monitoring programs that require no user interaction, or batch processing. They work hard in maintaining all system and application documentation, maintaining and improving system performance and online availability, and assisting personnel with computer problems. The employer of the Operator may incorporate other responsibilities that may include system backups, maintaining equipment, and providing customer support. Computer Operators work in an environment that is comfortable, where the temperature humidity and dust are controlled to keep machines in operating condition. The noise level is usually low with the exception of the humming from the disk drives and noise from high-speed printers. Much of an Operators time is on his feet as he sets up, operates, monitors, and controls equipment. Workers frequently experience pressure to meet deadlines (Computer Operator). There are many instances where the computer simply runs independently. Unfortunately, because Operators spend much time in front of a computer monitor, they are susceptible to eye strain and other related problems. In addition, performing repetitive tasks such as loading and un ...

Llano Estacado in the U.S. and Around the World

Llano Estacado in the U.S. and Around the World Llano Estacado literally translated from Spanish-to-English means Staked Plain, and it is a region at the southern end of the American Great Plains in the southwestern United States. The Geographical Region The Llano Estacado region  encompasses parts of  eastern New Mexico  and northwestern  Texas. It is marked by large mesas at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 feet. One of its most popular landmarks is the Caprock Escarpment in Texas. Possible Historical Reference The settling of the western United States in the 1800s was known for its land runs with settlers on foot and horseback racing to claim lands by driving a stake into the ground. Llano Estacado may be a historical nod to the stakes or posts driven  into the ground in this region that were used as landmarks delineating property. Some suggest the plain was called Llano Estacado because it is surrounded by cliffs resembling palisades or stockades, which explains the definitions of palisaded plain or stockaded plain. The Caprock Escarpment is a 200-mile long cliff or palisade that delineates the border of the Llano Estacado region from the high plains.   Spanish Translation   Llano Estacado  can be translated to mean palisaded plain, stockaded plain, or staked plain. Llano is a direct translation for the word plain or prairie.  Estacado  is the past  participle  of  estacar. Estacar  is the verb meaning to tie to a post. Of the three possible translations, the three have very similar meanings. Many words in English are derived from Spanish words. The English word stockade comes from the Spanish word  estaca, so originally stockade and staked meant basically the same thing. The same can be said for palisade, it comes from the French word  palissade, meaning stake. The word palisade is related to the Spanish word  palo, meaning stick, which may be a close relation to the word stake. Non-American Spanish Speakers What does a native Spanish speaker not from the United States assume as the meaning for the term Llano Estacado? A native Spanish speaker would approach the term in the same way an English speaker would understand staked plain. As in English, it is not a common term, but it does evoke a certain meaning when you give the term some thought. The understanding of the term would likely be different for someone living in suburban Madrid than it would be for someone living on the plains of Argentina.

I am a catholic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

I am a catholic - Essay Example I chose this topic because the world today is so full of apathy, violence, depression, and negativism, that people need to know about what will help them keep back on track towards the true meaning of life. Additionally, probing this topic is quite relevant considering all the rapid changes in communication and technology that people may be too busy to do the things that really matter and keep him grounded on good soil. As such, the main issues that will be tackled in this paper includes the traditional views about Catholicism such as going to church every Sunday, submitting to regular confession and receiving all the other sacraments that are considered central to the practice of religion, devotion to prayer and the call to study the lives of the saints (Richert). Moreover, this paper would like to explore how the modern-day Catholic has evolved and grown in his faith throughout the years. Foremost is to examine the challenges posed to him by the environment today and how he faces them. Secondly, this paper will also present how Jesus Christ is made the center of the Catholic’s life. Thirdly, significant beliefs in faith, forgiveness, devotion, ecumenism and eternal life are also given emphasis. Fourth, the qualities of the Catholic that make him stand out from the rest will also be described. Consequently, aside from being religious in his practices, he may get more focused on developing the qualities of a real Catholic who lives for others. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the Catholic as a man of God and a follower of Jesus Christ is somebody who, through His grace, essentially has love in his heart that overflows and spreads to the rest of humanity. As such, Catholicism is not merely a practice of religion or religiosity but a way of life that promotes forgiveness and healing. I have chosen to interview a Redemptorist priest from Ireland who has had vast experience in his vocation over the years. I chose

Motivation in the workforce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Motivation in the workforce - Essay Example A strong corporate culture is the key for a corporation to attain success in its operation. "Company culture is based on shared values and workplace norms (e.g., innovation, risk-taking) not necessarily personality likenesses. Company cultures pervade the entire organization, not just certain departments or levels of employees."(Rao, 2003). Corporate culture is the underlying element inside a corporation. A strong corporate culture enables a company to deal with challenges effectively especially on its expansion worldwide. A strong corporate culture is characterized by cohesiveness and cooperation. It is of known fact that companies are not run by only one man. Companies are driven by groups of men with the goal of achieving success. It is important to achieve this state of order because companies really do need cohesiveness and teamwork in facing different challenges. Cohesiveness will bring the companies to have a smooth operation that is essential in attaining success. Every membe r is vital and plays a role of significance in the quest to have corporate success in every corporation around the world. "Culture has a vital and measurable impact on the organization's ability to deliver on its strategy. Thus culture is central for a successful operation and to long-term effectiveness of the company" (Gupta, 2007). BARRIERS IN MAKING A STRONG CORPORATE CULTURE In building a strong corporate culture which is tantamount to success is not an easy task. There are also barriers that must be overcome in order for an organization to have a strong corporate culture and succeed in its business endeavor. There are things that can be detrimental to building a strong corporate culture. "During the early 1900s, leadership was by fear and threats, forcing people to follow orders. This is man's natural instinct. This led to the policy of abuse which produced undesirable results" (http://www.motivation-tools.com/workplace). Man always has the tendency to be superior and being on top seems to have a strong feeling of superiority over others. Basically, a very autocratic leadership does not result to a strong corporate culture. A leadership that is abusive does not appeal to the heart of his employees. It may result to rebellion that sometimes manifested in non-cooperation. At times, autocratic leadership results in misbehaviors by leaders or managers. Some leaders take advantage of being a leader and tend to do sexual advances towards his employees. Some taking advantage is manifested in insulting employees even there is no apparent reason in doing so. A culture of immorality then plagues an organization and it is then in opposite direction of building a strong corporate culture because it creates a culture of destructive laziness. Destructive laziness is manifested in lack of interest in job activities because of perceived moral disintegration of leadership. MOTIVATION Motivation is a term we often hear which we generally associate with behavior. Most likely, we experience

The Treaty of Waitangi Essay Example for Free

The Treaty of Waitangi Essay The historical and contemporary interpretation of the treaty of Waitangi and the Doctrine of aboriginal title in New Zealand case law and statute, reflects the pattern of what Moana Jackson refers to as the â€Å"colonizing context† the treaty itself came into being on 6th February 1840. It was signed between the British crown representatives and different Maori chiefs who were from the Northern North Island. With the signing of the treaty, a British governor post was established in this region and Maori people became the British subjects. In this research paper I’ll analyze the circumstances surrounding the signing of the treaty, effects of the treaty and various tribunals and cases involving the treaty. I’ll also discuss how clear understanding of the colonizing context can lead to adjustment of the constitution. The basis of Moana Jackson’s argument is as a result of the difference between the British’s and Maori language with reference to the treaty of Waitangi. The interpretation between the two languages differed and so there is no agreement as to what the original treaty was because it was differently interpreted. To the British, the treaty mandated them to rule New Zealand and created the post of a governor who was bestowed with full powers to run all affairs affecting this territory but on the other hand, the Maori had a different understanding. Both parties disagreed on various issues even after the treaty was signed. The treaty also gave these people the right to maintain their properties and land. Since the treaty was signed in 1840, the treaty was never valued and existed in ‘darkness’ up to 1970s. All this time the courts never recognized it. It did not address their ownership rights plus they were not fairly treated by the British government. Form the 1960s up to date, the Waitangi treaty has been reviewed a number of times and so many problems have been brought to the light. A commission to inquire on the treaty was formed in 1975 to address the affected areas and this is what came to be referred to as the Waitangi Tribunal. It was supposed to establish and solve the breaches that were committed by the crown or by its agents. To many, the treaty is referred to as the founding document of the state of New Zealand though there are various reasons that made Moana Jackson to refer to it as a â€Å"Colonizing Context† and one of this reason was that, though the treaty was as a result of mutual understanding between British and Maori, the treaty was not recognized until recently when it received limited acknowledgement. In the past, the New Zealand governors and the colonial office clearly supported the treaty for it gave to rule over Maori people as well as to be the leader of New Zealand. After the 19th century case, the treaty was declared null and void and this meant that the treaty was not to be honored both by the government and courts. This declaration was entrenched by the claim that was being advanced by the British’s that New Zealand became a colony after the January’s proclamation of 1840 was passed. The treaty only worked in favor of British and Hobson used the treaty as a pretext to claim leadership of North Island. They breached the terms of agreement to the treaty and denied Maori people the ownership right of the island. They claimed that it was uninhabited when they first arrived in that region arguing that maori’s population was small and sparsely distributed and this did not give them any right to do that and arguing that they Maori of that time were not organized is racism and Euro centrism. According to the doctoring of aboriginal title these people had a right to maintain their soveignity as it was something that had persisted as customary and native rights. The aboriginal title was analogous to â€Å"freehold ownership† also meant not complete ownership. To make a valid constitution, both parties must sit down argue and reason together. The question over whether the treaty was binding or not was decided over a number of court cases such as WI parata versus Bishop Wellington in 1877. In this case the judge dismissed the treaty as neither binding nor valid. In the case of Te Heuhen Tukino Vaotea district Maori land board, the treaty was ruled to be valid in 1938 especially where it talked about the transfer of power and sovereignty but was he was quick to add that it was not what that was agreed â€Å"All dealings with the aborigines for their land must be conducted on the same principles of sincerity, justice and good faith as must govern your transactions with them for the recognition of†¦ they must not be permitted to enter in to any contracts in which they might be the ignorant and unintentional authors of injuries to them serves.† The treaty according to the crown led to the establishment of fair relationship between the two groups. Cooperation determined the relationship between the community and distinctive development but it should be known that there could be no cooperation without mutual understanding. The Waitangi tribunal was created under the 1975’s Act of the Treaty. Its main aim was to investigate complains that were made by the Maori people on the violation of the treaty by the crown. Also in 1988, through the amendments that were made, the tribunal was supposed to investigate whether the treaty was feasible and whether some activities that were being done by the crown were consistent with the treaty. The treaty according to Moana Jackson was a ‘colonial context’ as it led the Maori not to lose land to other people except to the crown. This made British to buy more and more land due to the competitive amount that they paid for a piece of land. This attracted many settlers from England for they were sure that from then the land was theirs. Thus it is evident that the treaty was a vehicle to colonization. The signing of this treaty paved way for colonization of New Zealand by Britain. They spread their culture to every facet until it became the culture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Many colonialists migrated to New Zealand after being enticed by their counterparts with pieces of land in this region. The colonialisation process followed the views of the British governor Gibbon Wakefield who wanted the colonial settlement to emulate those in their mother country. When a large number of colonialists arrived, land started to become a scarce commodity and as a result disputes emerged over land between the local people and the British’s. Maori became angry and started making complains over lack of adherence to the Waitangi treaty and in 1860s, the colonialists with the help of troops from Britain steadied themselves in the region by suppressing these rebellions. As wars persisted many Maori died in the process and this worked to the advantage of the colonialists who took these pieces of land. Loosing sovereignty was a big blow to the liberty of Maori. The signing of the treaty led chiefs to pass their mandate to the European authority. They were forced to do that so that they would be offered protection and citizenship as well as duties and privileges given to the British. The Maori’s were allowed to sell their land only to the British something that made other European nations to keep off. By knowing the colonizing context of this treaty, it is possible to make adjustments to the constitutional framework. Before any amendment is made or before a new law could be made, the impact of the same must be weighed. Because it is clear now that the treaty of Waitangi led to the alienation of land for the Maori people. Safe in this knowledge, some provisions could be passed so that this problem can be addressed so as to prevent further alienation. The findings of this research paper are that the treaty was signed on understanding that the British personnel would rule over Maori people but their rights to own properties. The British violated the contract and used it a tool for advancing their politics. All complains that were made by the Maori people should be addressed in the constitution as it is the governing body that protects the interest of all citizens. A policy like selling land only to the British should be abolished as everybody has a right to do whatever they want. Bibliography. Adams P. 1977. Fatal Necessity: British Intervention in New Zealand 1830- 1847.Auckland University Press. Christchurch library. Treaty of Waitangi: The Waitangi Tribunal. Accessed at http://library.christchurch.org.nz/reference/treatyofWaitangi/tribunal/ on March 28, 2008. Claudia O. 1990. An Illustrated History of the Treaty of Waitangi. Welling Allen and Union Manutukutuku T.E. 1989. Newsletter of the Waitangi Tribunal Macmillan Brown Library HD 1120.5 AL- M294 Mc Neil K.1989. Common Law Aboriginal Title. L4NZULR 97. Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 2007. Waitangi Tribunal claim Maori Language Week Retrieved at http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/maori-language- week/waitangi-tribunal-claim on Monday, March 31, 2008. Wakalahama T. 1993.A Guide to the Waitangi Tribunal. 2nd Edition. Km 78 Z7- N5328 Macmillan Brown Library.

Fate in The Sign of the Four and She Essay -- Sign She

Fate in The Sign of the Four and She In life, it doesn't matter where you start, nor necessarily how you live, because in the end, fate will triumph over all obstacles and place you where you were destined to be.   Every individual has had some type of experience with an unexplainable force; on a larger scale, for instance, living through a physical disability or coping with the death of a loved one, but many times, on a smaller scale, fate mysteriously operates in everyday activities and situations.   The way in which fate functions in both extremes is undoubtedly unexplainable; however, the path in which fate designs for every person is predetermined and unavoidable.   It matters not if you are an all-time champion marathon runner or a poor, homeless vagabond, because fate has a charted course that is set in stone and impossible to alter.   For instance, the champion runner suddenly has a massive heart attack while on the homestretch of an important race and dies right on the spot, on the other han d, the homeless person haphazardly finds a winning lottery ticket on the ground and ultimately transforms his life.   These hypothetical instances are not chance, nor are they good or bad luck, they happen for a reason, a reason which cannot be understood, and one in which cannot be escaped. The idea of fate was covertly woven within the fabric of The Sign of the Four and She.   From Jonathan Small's wooden leg, the "solid iron chest of Indian workmanship" (221) containing the Agra treasure, to Ayesha's undying love (literally) for Kallikrates. Each situation vividly represents how the foundation of fate can inevitably shake up and change existence of being.   The character, Jonathan Small, in The Sign of t... ...cept what is handed to us on fates plate and learn to cope with it instead of avoiding the inevitable like the people in England when Queen Victoria ruled.   Throughout the ages, we have come a long way in understanding the dynamics of life: the progression of health and sciences, technology, and the uniting of diverse cultures and classes.   Time has revealed the hidden doubts of our predecessors, and with that, we have concluded that the future is wide open and bound to change at any given moment in time.   Nothing in life is fixed, but it is ever-changing, both on mental and physical levels.   We can attempt to improve the conditions in which we live, but when all is said and done, the final outcome is always what it is intended to be.   Our destiny is always intact and one, whether real or fictional characters, cannot escape the divine map of life.  Ã‚  

Coyote Blue Chapter 16~17

CHAPTER 16 Live, Via the Spirit World Satellite Network Santa Barbara Lonnie Ray Inman was sitting in a worn leather easy chair listening for noises to sift down from upstairs. He had loaded and unloaded his Colt Python.357 Magnum four times, nervously fumbling its deadly weight as he alternately entertained fantasies of vengeance and prison. Every few minutes he would rise and go to the window to see if the black Mercedes was still parked out front, then he would pause at the front closet, where he opened and slammed the door until the violence in his heart subsided enough for him to sit again. He was short and dark and muscles stood out on his bare arms like cables. The front of his black tank top was soaked with blood where he had ripped the skin of his chest with his fingernails, trying to destroy the tattoo of a naked woman, the same woman whose picture was airbrushed on the tank of his Harley, the same woman who had turned his thoughts to murder. Lonnie Ray Inman dropped six cartridges into the cylinder of the Python and snapped it shut, determin ed this time to make it out the door and up the stairs, where he would burst through the door and kill Calliope's new lover. Fuck prison. -=*=- A thousand miles away, ten thousand feet up in the Bighorn Mountains, Pokey Medicine Wing watched Lonnie loading the gun. Pokey was into the second day of his fast and had been searching the Spirit World for clues to the whereabouts of his favorite nephew, Samson Hunts Alone. He had called for his spirit helper, Old Man Coyote, to help him, but the trickster had not appeared. Instead he was seeing a white city, with red roofs and palm trees, and a man who wanted to murder Samson. Pokey's body sat, dangerously close to death, in the middle of a two-hundred-foot stone medicine wheel, the holiest of the Crow fasting places, just west of Sheridan, Wyoming. Pokey had been under the hoof of a bull-moose hangover when he began the fast, and now the dry mountain wind was sucking the last life-water from his body. Alone in the Spirit World, Pokey was unaware of his heart struggling to pump his thickening blood. He looked for a way to warn Samson, and called out for Old Man Coyote to help. Coyote was in the locker room of the Santa Barbara YWCA when he heard Pokey's call. He had entered as a horsefly, and after watching the women in the showers for a while had changed himself into a baby hedgehog and was rolled into a ball in the soap dish, imitating a loofah. Lazy by nature, Coyote had given his medicine to only three people since time began – Pokey, Samson, and a warrior named Burnt Face, who had built the ancient medicine wheel – so it took him a while to realize that he was being called. Reluctantly, he left the hedgehog body in the capable hands of a soapy aerobics instructor and went to the Spirit World, where he found Pokey waiting. â€Å"What?† Coyote said. â€Å"Old Man Coyote, I need your help.† â€Å"I know,† Coyote said. â€Å"You are dying.† â€Å"No, I need to find my nephew, Samson.† â€Å"But you are dying.† â€Å"I am? Shit!† â€Å"You should end this fast now, old man.† â€Å"But what about Samson?† â€Å"I've been helping Samson. Don't worry.† â€Å"But he has an enemy who is going to kill him. I saw him, but I don't know where he is.† â€Å"I know he has enemies. I am Coyote. I know everything. What's this guy look like?† â€Å"He's white. He has a gun.† â€Å"That narrows it down.† â€Å"He has a tattoo of a woman on his chest – it's bleeding. He looks out a window and sees a motorcycle and a black car. That's all I know.† â€Å"Do you have any water on the mountain where your body is?† â€Å"No. There's a little snow.† â€Å"I will help you,† Coyote said. â€Å"Go now.† Suddenly Pokey was back in his body, sitting on the mountain. In his lap he found a package of dry Kool-Aid that had not been there before. He looked down at it and smiled, then fell forward into the dirt. In the shower of the YWCA a naked aerobics instructor screamed and ran into the locker room when the loofah she was using turned into a raven. The bird circled the locker room twice and nipped her on the bottom with its beak before flying down the hall, into the lobby, and out an open skylight. -=*=- Across town, Calliope took the empty salad bowl from Sam and set it on the dresser next to a statue of Buddha. â€Å"More?† she asked. â€Å"No, I'm full,† Sam whispered. Grubb had fallen asleep in his crib and Sam didn't want to risk waking him. â€Å"Calliope,† he said, â€Å"is this guy dangerous?† â€Å"Lonnie? No. He thinks he's tough because he's in a biker club, but I don't think he's dangerous. His friends are a little scary, though. They take a lot of PCP and it makes them spiritually dense.† â€Å"I hate that,† Sam said, proud because he was spiritually dense without the aid of drugs. â€Å"I'm going to take the dishes out and check on J. Nigel. Why don't you light some candles? I don't think we should turn on the stereo, though. It might irritate Lonnie.† â€Å"We wouldn't want that,† Sam said. -=*=- Outside, a raven landed on the hood of Sam's car. Lonnie Ray saw it from his window. â€Å"Shit on it. Shit on it,† he said, but as he watched the raven seemed to disappear. Lonnie slammed the closet door until the doorframe splintered. Coyote was a mosquito making his way through the air vents of the Mercedes. He flew out of the defroster vent and settled on the driver's seat, where he became a man. Sam's Rolodex was on the passenger seat next to his pack of cigarettes. Coyote lit a cigarette and flipped through the Rolodex until he found the card he was looking for. He removed it and tucked it into the waist of his buckskins. -=*=- Lonnie Ray was rattling through the kitchen cabinets, looking for liquor, when he heard the pounding at his front door. On his way through the living room he snatched the Python off the easy chair and shoved it in his jeans at the small of his back. He threw open the door and was nearly knocked down by the Indian who brushed him aside on the way into the room. The Indian looked around the room and wheeled on Lonnie Ray. â€Å"Where is he? Where's the bastard hiding?† Lonnie Ray recovered his balance and dropped his right hand to the grip of the Colt. â€Å"Who the fuck are you?† â€Å"Don't worry about it. Where's the guy that drives that Mercedes?† In spite of his own anger, Lonnie Ray was intrigued. â€Å"What do you want him for?† â€Å"That's my business, but if he owes you money, you'd better get it back before I find him.† â€Å"You going to kill him?† Lonnie asked. â€Å"If he's lucky,† the Indian said. â€Å"You got a gun?† â€Å"I don't need a gun. Now where is he?† â€Å"Chill, man, I might be able to help you out.† â€Å"I don't have time for this,† the Indian said. â€Å"I'll just catch him at his house.† â€Å"You know where he lives?† Lonnie Ray asked. This was like a gift from heaven. He could send the Indian up to Calliope's to do the dirty work: no risk, no prison. If it didn't work, he and the boys could surprise the guy at his house tomorrow, no witnesses. Lonnie Ray hadn't really relished the idea of having to shoot Calliope, anyway. â€Å"Yeah, I know where the bastard lives,† the Indian said. â€Å"But he ain't there. He's somewhere around here.† â€Å"You give me his address, I'll tell you where he is.† â€Å"Fuck that,† the Indian said, shoving Lonnie against the wall. â€Å"You'll tell me now.† Lonnie brought the barrel of the Python up under the Indian's chin. â€Å"I don't think so.† The Indian froze. â€Å"It's on a card in my pants.† Lonnie Ray held out his free hand. â€Å"Don't ever tell someone you don't have a gun, dipshit.† The Indian lifted his buckskin shirt, pulled a card from his waistband, and handed it to Lonnie Ray, who glanced at it and spun the Indian around by one shoulder, pointing him out the door. Lonnie ground the barrel of the Python into the Indian's spine, stood on his toes, and whispered threateningly into the Indian's ear. â€Å"You didn't come here and you didn't see me. You understand?† The Indian nodded. â€Å"He's upstairs,† Lonnie whispered. â€Å"Now go!† He shoved the Indian out the door. â€Å"And never, never fuck with a brother of the Guild.† Lonnie closed the door. â€Å"Fucking A,† he said with a giggle. -=*=- Upstairs, Calliope said, â€Å"Tell me what you know, Sam.† â€Å"About what?† â€Å"About anything.† She sat down next to him on the bed and brushed his hair back with her fingers. â€Å"Tell me what you know.† The silence that followed would have been awkward except Calliope seemed to expect it. She stroked his hair while he tried to think of what to say. He sorted through facts and figures and histories and strategies. Clever retorts, meaningless jokes, sophistries and non sequiturs rose in his mind and fell unspoken. She rubbed his neck and found a knot in the muscle that she worked her fingertips into. â€Å"That feels good,† Sam said. â€Å"That's what you know?† A smile rose to Sam's lips. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"What do you want?† she asked. He shot her a sideways glance and saw the candlelight gleaming in her eyes. She was serious, waiting for an answer. â€Å"Is this a test?† â€Å"No. What do you want?† â€Å"Why don't you ask me what I do for a living? Where I live? Where I'm from? How old I am? You don't even know my last name.† â€Å"Would that stuff tell me who you are?† Sam turned to face her and took her hand from his neck. He still had a niggling mistrust of her and he wanted to let it go. â€Å"The truth now – Calliope, are you part of something he cooked up? Some trick?† â€Å"No. Who's he?† â€Å"Never mind.† Sam turned away from her again, stared at a candle flame on the dresser, and tried to think. She really didn't know about Coyote. What now? â€Å"Well, what do you want?† she asked again. He snapped, â€Å"Dammit, I don't know.† She didn't recoil or seem hurt, but began rubbing his neck again. â€Å"You came here because you wanted me, didn't you?† â€Å"No. Yes, I guess I did.† It wasn't bad enough that she had to keep telling the truth; now she was expecting it back, and he was out of practice. â€Å"We've had sex. Do you want to go now?† Christ, she was like some gorgeous New Age district attorney. â€Å"No, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do you want a bowl of chocolate marshmallow ice cream?† â€Å"That would be great!† Sam said. Off the hook, no further questions, Your Honor. â€Å"See, it's not that hard to figure out what you want.† She got up and left the room, heading for the kitchen again. Sam sat back and waited, realizing that it had been some time since a door had slammed downstairs. Suddenly he was very uncomfortable with the silence. When he heard footfalls on the stairs outside he leapt to his feet and ran to the kitchen. CHAPTER 17 A White Picket Fence Around Chaos Santa Barbara Sam hit the kitchen just as Yiffer stepped through the screenless section of the screen door. â€Å"Cool! Ice cream!† Yiffer said, staggering to Calliope's side at the counter. â€Å"Keep it down, Yiffer. I just got Grubb and J. Nigel down.† Calliope picked up two full bowls of ice cream and nodded to the carton on the counter. â€Å"You can have the rest.† â€Å"Bitchin'.† Yiffer grabbed a serving spoon from the empty salad bowl and dug into the ice cream, shoveling a baseball-sized clump into his mouth. Sam watched in amazement as Yiffer mouthed the ice cream until he got his jaws closed around it, then swallowed the whole clump, dipping his head snakelike to facilitate the passage. â€Å"Oh, shit, man,† Yiffer said as he dropped the spoon and bent over, grabbing the bridge of his nose. â€Å"Major ice cream headache. Ouch!† Sam heard footsteps on the stairs outside, ran to the door, and popped his head out to see who was coming, ready to duck back inside should it be the crazed biker from downstairs. To his relief, Nina was trudging up the steps, obviously a little drunk herself. â€Å"Did Yiffer come home?† Sam said, â€Å"He's punishing himself with ice cream as we speak.† â€Å"I'll kill him.† She ran the rest of the way up the steps and Sam helped her wrestle the door open, then he stepped out of harm's way as she stormed by him to Yiffer, who was still bent over, now holding his temples. â€Å"You jerk!† Nina shrieked. â€Å"Who was that woman at the bar? And where the hell is my money?† â€Å"Babe, I'm in pain here. I'm suffering.† Nina raised her fist as if to hammer Yiffer's back, then she spotted the serving spoon, picked it up, and began whacking the surfer unmercifully on the head with it. â€Å"You want pain (whack!), I'll give you pain (whack! whack! whack!). Suffering? (whack!) You wouldn't (whack!) know (whack!) suffering (whack!) if (whack!)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well,† Calliope said. â€Å"I guess you guys need a little space. C'mon, Sam.† She led Sam out of the kitchen and back to her bedroom. They sat eating and listening to Yiffer whining under Nina's attack. After a few minutes she was losing momentum and Yiffer's whines turned to moans. Soon Nina was moaning with him rhythmically. Sam stared at the candle on the dresser as if he hadn't noticed. â€Å"They do this all the time,† Calliope offered. â€Å"I think Nina gets in touch with that male energy that equates violence and sex.† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"Hitting Yiffer makes her horny.† â€Å"Oh,† Sam said. He flinched at the sound of breaking dishes from the kitchen. Nina screamed, â€Å"Oh, yes, you asshole! Yes!† Yiffer groaned. The house shook with the sound of a door slamming downstairs and J. Nigel joined the din with a wail of his own. â€Å"Lonnie must think that we're doing it,† Calliope said. â€Å"Do you think he'll give us time to explain before he shoots us?† â€Å"Don't think about it.† Calliope stood and stepped out of her dress, then gestured for Sam to take off his shirt. The moaning in the kitchen was rising in intensity and J. Nigel was wailing like a siren. The windows rattled with a salvo of door slams. Sam looked at her and thought, A bowl of ice cream, a load of loonies, and thou†¦ â€Å"Now?† he said. â€Å"Are you sure?† Calliope nodded. She pulled his shirt off, then pushed him back on the bed and took off his shoes. Sam let her undress him as he tried to put the noise out of his mind. As she pulled the sheet over him and crawled in beside him, he imagined the two of them being shot in the act. When she kissed him he barely felt it. In the crib next to them Grubb began to stir, and with the next series of door slams and a crash from the kitchen he came awake crying. Despite Calliope's soft warmth against him and the smell of jasmine on her hair, Sam was unable to respond. â€Å"He'll be okay,† Calliope said. She stroked Sam's cheek and kissed him gently on the forehead. â€Å"I'll be back in a second,† Sam said. He got up and wrapped his shirt around his hips, then, checking the hallway, he darted out of the room and into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, staring blankly at the ceiling. The sex sounds from the kitchen reached a crescendo with a piercing scream from Nina, then stopped, leaving only the sounds of crying babies and slamming doors. Sam took a deep breath. â€Å"I can't do this,† he said to himself. â€Å"This is too weird. Too fucking weird.† He lowered the lid of the toilet and sat facing the shower stall, assuming the posture of Rodin's Thinker. For once in his life, it really seemed to matter that the sex be good, but this was like a combat zone. â€Å"I can't do this,† he said. â€Å"Sure you can,† a voice said from behind the shower curtain. Sam screamed and jumped to the top of the toilet tank. Coyote stepped out of the shower holding a beaded leather pouch. â€Å"What in the hell are you doing here?† Sam asked. â€Å"I'm here to help,† Coyote said. â€Å"Well, get out of here. I don't need your help.† â€Å"You are wasting that woman.† â€Å"Do you have any idea what is going on around here? Listen.† Another door slammed and Nina resumed shouting at Yiffer. From what Sam could make out it had something to do with the yard sale. â€Å"You must leave here, then,† Coyote said. â€Å"You must find a place on the woman's body and live there. Hear only her breath, smell only her scent.† â€Å"If you don't get out of here I won't even have a chance. What if she sees you? How could I explain your being here?† Thinking about it, Sam realized that if he told Calliope that there was an ancient trickster god in her bathroom she would accept it without question – would probably ask for an introduction. Coyote held out the beaded pouch. â€Å"Put this on your member.† â€Å"What is it?† Sam asked, taking the pouch. â€Å"Passion powder. It will make you as strong and stiff as a lance.† Sam shook the contents of the pouch – a fine brown powder – into the palm of his hand. He sniffed it. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Corn pollen, cedar, sweet grass, sage, powdered elk semen – it is an old and powerful recipe. Try it.† â€Å"No way.† â€Å"You want the woman to think you are not a man?† â€Å"If I try it will you go?† Coyote grinned. â€Å"Put just a pinch on your member and you will pleasure the woman to tears.† â€Å"And you'll go?† Coyote nodded. Sam tentatively took a pinch of the powder and began to sprinkle it on his penis. Calliope opened the bathroom door, catching Sam in mid-sprinkle. â€Å"You won't need that, honey,† she said. â€Å"I'm on the pill.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sam looked around for Coyote, but the trickster was gone. â€Å"I was just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Being responsible,† Calliope said. â€Å"Thank you. Now come to bed.† She took his hand and led him out of the bathroom. Sam submitted, glancing over his shoulder for signs of Coyote. Yiffer and Nina had taken the fight to their bedroom. Nina was calling Yiffer an idiot and going on about a newspaper ad being misplaced. A door slammed downstairs and Yiffer stormed out of the bedroom. â€Å"I'm going to kick his ass!† he shouted. In the hall he looked up at Calliope and Sam as he passed. â€Å"Hi, kids,† he said, then he proceeded down the hall. Sam could hear the kitchen screen door ripping off the hinges as Yiffer went through. â€Å"You're history, biker boy!† Calliope pulled Sam into the bedroom and closed the door. â€Å"Shouldn't we call the police or something?† Sam asked. â€Å"No, he'll be okay. Lonnie's afraid of Yiffer. He won't fight him and he's afraid to shoot him because of jail.† â€Å"Oh, everything's fine, then,† Sam said. â€Å"Come to bed,† Calliope said. Sam shot a glance to Grubb, who was lying quietly on his side staring suspiciously at Sam over the edge of a pacifier, as if saying, â€Å"What are you doing with my mom?† â€Å"Can we blow out the candles?† Sam asked. Without a word Calliope blew out the candles and pulled Sam down on top of her on the bed. Outside, the sounds of Nina screaming down from the top of the stairs, Yiffer pounding on Lonnie's door, and J. Nigel crying for attention faded into white noise. â€Å"You must find a place on the woman's body and live there.† In the dark, the noise far away, Sam ran his hands over Calliope's body and the world of work and worry seemed to move away. He found two depressions at the bottom of her back where sunlight collected, and he lived there, out of the wind and the noise. He grew old there, died, and ascended to the Great Spirit, found heaven in her cheek on his chest, the warm wind of her breath across his stomach carried sweet grass and sage, and†¦ In another lifetime he lived on the soft skin under her right breast, his lips riding light over the ridge and valley of every rib, shuffling through downy, dew-damp hairs like a child dancing through autumn leaves. On the mountain of her breast, he fasted at the medicine wheel of her aureole, received a vision that he and she were steam people, mingled wet with no skin separating them. And there he lived, happy. And for the first time in years he felt that he was home. She followed, traveled, lived with him and in him as he was in her. They lived lifetimes and slept and dreamed together. It was swell.

Unconventional Medical Approaches

Overview of Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicines Aside from the conventional medical practice, there are also complementary medicine together with alternative and integrative medicines that can help the suffering individual alleviate their pains and health problems.The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), National Institutes of Health has defined complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as â€Å"a group of diverse health care and medical systems, practices and products that are not presently considered to be part of the conventional medicine† (House Select, 2006 p.10). It is very important to note, however, that Complementary medicine alone is very distinct from alternative medicine alone. According to the NCCAM: Complementary medicine is applied jointly with the conventional medicine such as the use of aromatherapy in reducing the patient's pain after undergoing a surgery while alternative medicine is applied as a substitute for conventional medicine such as the use of special diet to treat cancer instead of following the physician’s recommendation to undergo surgery or chemotherapy.Integrative medicine, on the other side, is a combined â€Å"mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness. † (What is CAM? , 2007). II. How CAM Flourished in the United States? Due to beliefs by some millions of Americans that conventional medicine alone is not enough, CAM has gained its footing in the United States (U. S)Aside from this reason, it was found out, through the survey conducted in 2002 by Advance Data From Vital and Health Statistics, that the growth in CAM usage among Americans are attributed to one or more of the following factors: marketing forces, on-line information availability, patients’ desire to be actively involved with their medical and health decision making, and patients’ general dissa tisfaction with the conventional medical applications (Barnes, P. , E. Powell-Griner, K. McFann, and R. Nahin, 2004, p. 1) With these identified growth and popularity factors for CAM, the survey has identified major reasons for such usage.

Free Essays on Do You Know Him

Do You Know Him? The heavens declare his glory, the firmament shows His handiwork. He who is, who was and shall always be. He`s the first and the last, He`s the Alpha and the Omega, He`s the Aleph and the Tau, the A and the Z. He`s the first fruits of them that slept. He is the Captain of the Lord`s hosts. The conquerer or Jericho. By Him were all things made that were made. Without Him was not anything made that was made, and by Him, all things are held together. In Himdwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He indeed is our kinsman redeemer, but He`s alsoour performing high priest, our personal prophet, our reigning king. He`s enduringly strong, entirely sincere, eternally steadfast. He`s immortally graceful, imperially powerful, impartially merciful, He stands alone in Himself. He`s august, preiminent, supreme, unique, unparalleled. He`s the loftiest idea in literature. He`s the highest personality in philosophy. He`s the fundamental doctrine of theology. He`s the supreme problem in higher crit icism. He`s teh miracle of the ages, the superlative of every thing good. He`s God`s son. There are no means or measuring His limitless love. It was written in blood, and erected on awooden cross in Judea 2000 years ago. He`s the only one able to supply all our needs simultaneously. No barriers can hinder him from pouring outablessing. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of his shoreless supply. He`s available to be temptedand tried. He blesses the young. He clenses teh lepers. He defends the feeble. He deliversthecaptives. He discharges thedebtors. He forgives the sinners. He franchises the meek. He gaurds the besieged. He heals the sick. Providesstrength to the weak.He regards the agent. He rewards thediligent. He serves the unfortunate. He sympathizes and He saves. His offices are manifold. His reign is righteous. His promises are sure. His goodness is limitless. His light is matchless. His grace is suff... Free Essays on Do You Know Him Free Essays on Do You Know Him Do You Know Him? The heavens declare his glory, the firmament shows His handiwork. He who is, who was and shall always be. He`s the first and the last, He`s the Alpha and the Omega, He`s the Aleph and the Tau, the A and the Z. He`s the first fruits of them that slept. He is the Captain of the Lord`s hosts. The conquerer or Jericho. By Him were all things made that were made. Without Him was not anything made that was made, and by Him, all things are held together. In Himdwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He indeed is our kinsman redeemer, but He`s alsoour performing high priest, our personal prophet, our reigning king. He`s enduringly strong, entirely sincere, eternally steadfast. He`s immortally graceful, imperially powerful, impartially merciful, He stands alone in Himself. He`s august, preiminent, supreme, unique, unparalleled. He`s the loftiest idea in literature. He`s the highest personality in philosophy. He`s the fundamental doctrine of theology. He`s the supreme problem in higher crit icism. He`s teh miracle of the ages, the superlative of every thing good. He`s God`s son. There are no means or measuring His limitless love. It was written in blood, and erected on awooden cross in Judea 2000 years ago. He`s the only one able to supply all our needs simultaneously. No barriers can hinder him from pouring outablessing. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of his shoreless supply. He`s available to be temptedand tried. He blesses the young. He clenses teh lepers. He defends the feeble. He deliversthecaptives. He discharges thedebtors. He forgives the sinners. He franchises the meek. He gaurds the besieged. He heals the sick. Providesstrength to the weak.He regards the agent. He rewards thediligent. He serves the unfortunate. He sympathizes and He saves. His offices are manifold. His reign is righteous. His promises are sure. His goodness is limitless. His light is matchless. His grace is suff...

Trance Dance of the San

Trance Dance of the San The trance dance, which is still practiced by San communities in the Kalahari region, is an indigenous ritual by which a state of altered consciousness is achieved through rhythmic dancing and hyperventilation. It is used for healing sickness in individuals and healing negative aspects of the community as a whole. The trance dance experiences of San shaman are believed to be recorded by southern African rock art.    San Healing Trance Dances The San people of Botswana and Namibia were formerly known as Bushmen. They are descended from some of the oldest surviving lineages of modern humans. Their traditions and way of life may be preserved from ancient times. Today, many have been displaced from their native lands in the name of conservation, and they may be unable to practice their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The trance dance is a healing dance for individuals and the community as a whole. It is their most prominent religious practice, according to some sources. It can take several forms. Many adults, both men, and women become healers in San communities. In one form, the women of the community sit around the fire and clap and sing rhythmically while the healers dance. They sing medicine songs that they learn from their youth. The ritual continues all night long. The healers dance in counterpoint to the rhythm in single file. They may wear rattles attached to their legs. They dance themselves into an altered state, which often includes feeling a great deal of pain. They may scream in pain during the dance. Upon entering the altered consciousness through the dance, the shamans feel healing energy awaken in them, and they are careful to channel it to those who need healing. They do this by touching those who have sickness, sometimes generally on their torso, but also on body parts that are affected by the illness. This can take the form of the healer drawing the illness out of the person and then yelling to eject it into the air. The trance dance can also be used to draw away community ills such as anger and disputes. In other variations, drums may be used and offerings may be hung from nearby trees. San Rock Art and the Trance Dance The trance dance and healing rituals are believed to be depicted in paintings and carvings in caves and rock shelters in South Africa and Botswana. Some rock art shows women clapping and people dancing as in the trance dance ritual. They are also believed to depict rain dances, which also involved trance dancing, capturing a rain dance animal, kill it in the trance state and thus attract rain. San rock art often depicts Eland bulls, which is a symbol of curing and the trance dance according to Thomas Dowson in  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Reading Art, Writing History: Rock Art and Social Change in Southern Africa.† The art also shows hybrids of humans and animals, which may be representations of healers in the trance dance.

What determines the research and development costs for innovative new PowerPoint Presentation

What determines the research and development costs for innovative new prescription drugs, how might legal and ethical considerations affect the cost of developing a new prescription drug - PowerPoint Presentation Example As a function of describing and critiquing each of these constraints, this author will analyze each of these factors and attempt to draw a clear level of discussion as a means of identifying the core components and key considerations that must be engaged with as a function of the developmental cycle for new/prospective pharmaceuticals. As a guiding entity of the process, the legal departments of the requisite entities must be continually engaged and aware of the process. This represents an added cost and necessity that each and every pharmaceutical firm engaged in research and development must necessarily incorporate a team of legal experts and lawyers to guide them through each and every process of clinical trials, reporting requirements, paperwork, and associated compliance issues. Ultimately, economic theory dictates that that price discrimination corresponds to the following three market conditions: the power of market sellers, the segmentation and overall price responsiveness of the market, and the direct and indirect potential that exists for arbitrage. With respect to market power, this is a concept which can simply be understood as a function of the ability of the seller to raise its prices as compared to the other sellers that exist within the market. Obviously, in the case of a brand name drug that has r ecently been cleared by clinical trials and is available to the marketplace, the ability of the seller to raise his/her prices above that of the competition is very high due to the fact that no perfect substitute exists and there is a near perfect monopoly engaged by the given pharmaceutical manufacturer; albeit for a limited amount of time (Gupta et al 2011, p. 15). As a way of understanding such a construct to a more full and complete level, the researcher and/or reader must consider the total cost that is necessitated in bringing a drug to market in the first