Role of Doctors Under Nazis :: essays research papers fc

Role of Doctors in Nazis Racial HygieneGer umpteen was out to establish a new utopian world order where everything worked in harmony. They wanted to become a healthy and vibrant organism of healthy Aryans. The German doctors were mobilized to create this new world. The German bureaucrats believed all their social burdens were brought on by the handicapped, incurables and homosexuals as well as the Jews and gypsies. The physicians were to use all their medical knowledge and scientific expertise in the treatment for their new world. The doctors had been led to believe in a brave new world, a biological superstate and committed their heinous crimes in its name. They were on a slippery slope that began of genetic perfectibility and ended with German superiority. How could this have happened in a society revered for its sophisticated culture and technological advances? The medical professionals of the early twentieth century Weimar Republic were the best in the world. The Germans were pi oneers in the areas of the medical field making technological strides and radical discoveries that significantly advanced the area of medicine. Aspiring medical scholars from the United States would routinely visit the University of Leipzig or the University of Berlin to study medicine in Germany and then go back to the United States to apply for study at Harvard. The medical pioneers also suffered from the effects of race, eugenics and euthanasia. Germanys racial theories, often tainted with anti-Semitism, did not take place in a vacuum nor did they arise the moment the National Socialist Party took power. The work of many SS and Nazi doctors found support within the German medical community. This was especially true of those working in the field of eugenics or racial hygiene. At the sophisticate of the century social Darwinism offered the hope of designing a new society where the fittest would survive and the weakest eliminated. Sound health, productivity and achievement would be the norms of developing this society. The science of eugenics was intentional to improve the human race by controlling hereditary factors. Eugenicists firmly believed that through their discipline violence, crime, feeble-mindedness, genetic disease and other genetic illnesses could be removed from society. This could be done by cleansing the population of inferior racial traits by artificial selection, especially through sterilization. In the early part of the 20th century eugenics prospered in approximately 30 countries, notably America, England, Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Germany.

Religion in Pat Barkers Regeneration :: Pat Barker Regeneration Essays

Religion in regorge Barkers RegenerationIn Pat Barkers novel Regeneration, one of the main characters, Dr. Rivers, is presented with a patient who is not mentally ill at all, but very sane. In trying to heal this patient, Rivers begins to put up an internal conflict about the job he is doing and the job he should be doing. He is fighting with himself until on page 149, he is in a church where they are singing a very popular anthem, God Moves in a Mysterious Way. At this point, Rivers is able to begin resolving his conflict. By using this hymn, Barker is able to emphasize one of the novels theme in times of war, reflection on religion not only brings peace to a country, but can bring peace within yourself.The author of the famous hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way is William Cowper. He was born(p) to John Cowper and Ann Donne on November 26, 1731. In 1768, Cowper moved to Olney in Buckinghamshire (William Cowper). Three years later, he started what would be known as the Olney Hymn s, but because of severe melancholy, Cowper did not block this work until 1779. The very last hymn in this book is Light Shining out of Darkness (Cowper). This hymn is the one that most Christians all everyplace England would know as God Moves in a Mysterious Way. Even though the hymn may not have been as popular among the soldiers on the battlefield, according to Alan Wilkensons book, The Church of England and the First World War, at home, God moves in a mysterious way was a very popular hymn (157). Historians did not comment on wherefore this particular hymn was so popular during the war. However, the verses in the hymn remind Christians that God is watching over them, and that He has a purpose for everything He does (Cowper). This idea may have provided some reassurance to the families and friends of soldiers on the battlefield. Those with loved ones serving their country may have found comfort knowing that God had a plan, and that He was watching over their soldiers.Other hy mns, as well as religion in general, were an important part of the soldiers and officers lives. Over forty million prayer books, hymn books, and Bibles were distributed among soldiers during the first two years of war by several different agencies. Many of the books had the typical inscription Please carry this in your pocket and designate it every day (Wilkinson 153).

Harry Potter Essay example -- essays research papers

Running Head Concepts of irritate ceramicist and the Sorcerers rock n rollWithin the story of chivy Potter there are many concepts to be noted. This book is interesting and very different from any other book. These many concepts will tell you about well-nigh of these strange things that goes on.Shortly after Harry was born a villain called Voldermont killed his parents. Somehow Harry did not die from Voldermont, but not only did he live, he almost killed this great dart magician. As the only survivor, a giant called Hagrid took him to his Aunt and Uncle Dursleys house and left them on the doorstep with a note. constantly since that day, he has been living in a blended family. That is a family whose members were once part of another. Throughout this book there are some examples of discrimination amid people. Since his Aunt Petunias sister was a muggle (wizard) her and her sister didnt get on at all because her sister got all of the attention from her parents. Then when Harry c omes along both her, and her husband become very discriminate against Harry because they know he is one also.When Harry was living with the Dursleys they were his agents of socialization. They influenced his self-concept. Harry never thought he was anyone famous because his Aunt and Uncle never gave him attention or barely even talked to him, for Harrys natal day they gave him a pair of his Uncles used socks, they made him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs and the gave him their sons old used clothes. Living with the Dursleys had to be one of the worst things he has ever had to go through. His Aunt and Uncle basically give over him from everybody. He had a sense of not belonging. Like when the letters kept coming in from Hogwarts, they wouldnt let Harry read the letters. Also when it was his cousin, Dudlys birthday they tried to get rid of him for the day because they didnt like him. Harry ended up going with them that day and had one of the best days of his brio because he act ually got to go somewhere for once. Muggles and mortals both have their own nonmaterial culture. That is both groups have their own way of thinking. Most mortals dont like muggles, like the Dursleys that is the reason they dont li... ..., and people who are half muggle and half mortal. This is a very pluralistic societyAt Hogwarts Harry has a whole group of friendships. This group dynamic influences Harrys decisions. This is the way in which an individual affects a group. At the end when Harry and two others are playing chess to get through to another door, his friend makes the decision to sacrifice himself so the rest of the group can go on. In the end of the book Harry finally proved himself to everyone and achieved a status in his society. This is the position you ca-caed or accomplished that involved effort. He did earn this position by his effort to accomplish his goals. He became a hero all over again by saving the sorcerers stone and getting rid of Voldermont again.Over a ll the book was very good. The concepts went right along with what was in the book. This was a very interesting, and fun book to read.ReferencesHenslin, J.M. (2002). Essentials of Sociology. Boston Allyn and Bacon.Rowling, J.K. (1997). Harry Potter. New York Scholastic Inc.

Packaging Technology in Fitzhugh’s The Organ Grinders :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation

Packaging Technology in Fitzhughs The Organ GrindersOnce upon a time, hoi polloi had to go to a public securities industry and buy fresh food everyday. If the food wasnt used that day or the next, it would spoil and would be wasted. Today, with the armed service of packaging, food offer be stored for weeks, months and sometimes even years before it has to be used. Because of packaging, food is cleaner and can be kept longer, many things can be purchased more conveniently, and life as a whole is easier. Like nearly everything else ever invented, packaging and disposable goods are not without their negative aspects as well. Americans throw out more than 180 million tons of garbage each year (Fitzhugh 93).On the website for the company Tetra Pak, which is a packaging company that deals in general in liquid food products, they list four major benefits to packaging protection, preservation, communication, and convenience (Tetra Pak). The first two reasons are obvious. Packaging provides a sealed steady-going place for food, away from water, air, and other things that could potentially damage it or cause it to be ruined. The product is also preserved by the packaging. The mail boat can documentation the food or item usable for a much longer time then if it did not have the packaging around it. Once of the exceed examples of this is with canned goods. Canning food allows it to be kept for an incredibly long time, whereas fresh goods must be used up quickly, before they expire. TetraPak.com lists communication as their threesome benefit of packaging. Packages can contain a lot of information about the product itself. For food items, they list the ingredients on the package, along with other information, like the pith that the package contains, and possible warnings. Packages can also draw the consumer to the good and increase the merchants sales. Lastly, packages offer convenience. It is no longer necessary to go to the market every day to buy fre sh produce. Customers can now buy their food and store it in its packages for quite a long time. The website also states that packages attend to keep messy foods and things off of our hands and simply makes things easier for the consumer (Tetra Pak). With all of these benefits, it is no wonder why nearly every product comes in a package of some kind.

The P-51 Mustang: The Best Fighter Ever Essay -- plane, D model, aircra

The P-51 Mustang The Best Fighter EverThe P-51 Mustang is regarded by many sources as the greatest fighter plane ever created. With the technological advancements this plane achieved, to its assistant record, to its importance in winning World contend Two, the Mustang is truly one of the greats. The Mustang played a key role in long site bomber support and saved countless bomber crews lives, and pilots loved to fly it. The P-51 had the most aerial victories of any American fighter in World War Two and it was meltn by some of Americas top aces. The P-51 was a beast of a fighter planeThe most placeable of the Mustangs was the D model. This is the model with the famous bubble canopy. It had a V12 Packard Merlin-built Rolls Royce model V-1650 engine that generated over 1,650 horsepower. The engine along with a sleek aerodynamic body, and laminar flow wings (which produce less drag than conventional wings because of their shape), gave the Mustang a top speed of about 440 miles per h our, making it one of the fastest fighter aircraft in World War Two. The laminar flow wing along with external fuel tanks gave it a range of over 1,000 miles making it the only fighter sufficient of escorting bombers for their entire mission. It was a very agile and maneuverable aircraft and could do moves most planes could only dream about. It had a wingspan of 37 ft., was 32 ft. 3 in. long, 13 ft. 8 in. tall, and fully loaded could weigh up to 12,100 lbs.It was armed with six Browning .50 caliber machine guns, and could carry six five inch rockets, or up to two thousand pounds of bombs on the underwing racks. The P-51 was also one of the first aircraft to have an electric gyro gun sight its sight was designated the K14. The sight could count on ... ...p against any other fighter out there. The P-51 Mustang truly is the greatest fighter aircraft in history.WORK CITED1. Sherman, Stephen E. Aces of the Eighth Air Force in World War Two. US 8th Air Force Aces, Mustang and Thunde rbolt Fighter Pilots in WW2. Acepilots.com, June 1999. Web. 05 May 2014. North American P-51D Mustang. Factsheets North American P-51D Mustang. The Official Web turn up of National Museum of the USAF, 2 Apr. 2011. Web. 05 May 2014. Jackson, David D. Warbirds and Airshows- WWII US Aircraft Victories.Warbirds and Airshows- WWII US Aircraft Victories. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2014. .Clarke, R. Wallace. British Aircraft Armament. Vol. 2. Sparkford Stephens, 1994. Print.

Literary Analysis of Audre Lordes Power Essay example -- Poem Poet Po

Literary Analysis of Audre Lordes Power Audre Lorde uses her poetic prose to express her feelings of anger and rabies over an unfortunate incident which occurred in New York City in the late 1970s. She sh ares her outrage and disgust at a racist society that brook allow a childs death to be buried with no true justice found to help resolve the loss of a innocent child. Audre Lorde espouse an African name at the end of her life, Gamba Adisa, which means Warrior-She Who Makes Her Meaning Known. (1404) This name she chose can help explain the role as a woman poet and author she felt she had to play and why she wrote the various works that she produced throughout her life. Lorde was brought up in Harlem and belike understood the difficulties people can encounter when race is involved. In the poem the Power she is trying to use her poetic gift to stand up for these racial injustices and to try to make a conscience difference. Lorde wants to be heard, rather of just using r hetoric and the art of effective writing, she is searching for the power she has as a African-American woman poet to make people hear and count on nearly racial injustices. Power (1030) is a poem that has two different levels of meaning, literal and nonliteral. The first universe a narrative poem literally about Clifford Glover, a ten-year-old African-American Queens boy who was shot by a Caucasian police officer that was acquitted by a jury. The second being the nonliteral, more poetic intent, Audre Lordes reaction and feelings of fury and disgust over this incident. She entangles this racial injustice with her own furious and unsatisfied feelings in this piece. The first two stanzas are about Lordes feelings and images she sees due to ... ...over and jot down her thoughts. If these were the thoughts running through my head that were making my whole being ill - I too would need to deliver them down and get them out of my head. Her harsh images ands racial digs in th is piece do prompt an individual to stop and think, even get angry. Lorde probably meant to point out this problem in its ugly light so to help avoid such tragic loses from happening again. To ensure that not everyone lead just step aside when it is their turn to protect and serve our youth of today. Audre Lorde truly appears to be a warrior and she certainly has made her meaning known as her name, so appropriately means and her poetry so appropriately reflects to its audience. Works Cited Abcarian, Richard, and Marvin Klotz, eds. Literature Reading and Writing the Human Experience. 7th ed. New York St. Martins, 1998.

Literary Analysis of Audre Lordes Power Essay example -- Poem Poet Po

Literary Analysis of Audre Lordes Power Audre Lorde uses her poetic prose to express her feelings of anger and exasperation over an unfortunate incident which occurred in New York City in the late 1970s. She sh bes her outrage and disgust at a racist society that usher out allow a childs death to be buried with no true justice found to help resolve the loss of a innocent child. Audre Lorde take an African name at the end of her life, Gamba Adisa, which means Warrior-She Who Makes Her Meaning Known. (1404) This name she chose can help explain the role as a woman poet and generator she felt she had to play and why she wrote the various works that she produced throughout her life. Lorde was brought up in Harlem and likely understood the difficulties people can encounter when race is involved. In the poem the Power she is trying to use her poetic gift to stand up for these racial injustices and to try to make a conscience difference. Lorde wants to be heard, sort of of ju st using rhetoric and the art of effective writing, she is searching for the power she has as a African-American woman poet to make people hear and judge virtually racial injustices. Power (1030) is a poem that has two different levels of meaning, literal and nonliteral. The first cosmos a narrative poem literally about Clifford Glover, a ten-year-old African-American Queens boy who was shot by a Caucasian police officer that was acquitted by a jury. The second being the nonliteral, more poetic intent, Audre Lordes reaction and feelings of fury and disgust over this incident. She entangles this racial injustice with her own furious and unsatisfied feelings in this piece. The first two stanzas are about Lordes feelings and images she sees due to ... ...over and jot down her thoughts. If these were the thoughts running through my head that were making my whole being ill - I too would need to hold open them down and get them out of my head. Her harsh images ands racial digs in this piece do prompt an individual to stop and think, even get angry. Lorde probably meant to point out this problem in its ugly light so to help avoid such tragic loses from happening again. To ensure that not everyone testament just step aside when it is their turn to protect and serve our youth of today. Audre Lorde truly appears to be a warrior and she certainly has made her meaning known as her name, so appropriately means and her poetry so appropriately reflects to its audience. Works Cited Abcarian, Richard, and Marvin Klotz, eds. Literature Reading and Writing the Human Experience. 7th ed. New York St. Martins, 1998.

Target Corporation Essay

Executive SummaryThis case study analyzed five different proposals position corporation had to decide on capital spent for which project created the nearly value and the most growth for the participation and its sh areholders. By analyzing the financial statements and exhibits of each project, I was able to determine the positives and negatives of each of these alternatives. The alternatives were Gopher Place, Whalen Court, The Barn, Goldies Square, or roll change. The recommendation provided for set Corporation is choosing the bowlful Remodel project. There were three principal(prenominal) factors used for choosing this project. First, its low initial enthr cardinalment that makes the risk for set much lower. Second, by implementing this project it continues the strong commemorate image Target has with its customers. Lastly, the roll Remodel project uses solitary(prenominal) a small percentage of follow capital expenditures making it possible for Target to permit m ore than capital available for future day capital expenditures.Table of ContentsExecutive Summary Page 1Situational Analysis Page 4Alternatives Page 5Recommendation Page 10Appendices Page 13Situational AnalysisTarget Corporation has become a strong performing company in the retail industry in grammatical constituent because of its successful investment decisions and continued growth. That is why when Dan Scovanner, CFO of Target, and the four opposite executives in the CEC (Capital Expenditure Committee) meet it is of high importance. The approval or denial of mouth-to-mouth resuscitations (Capital Project Requests) has the potential to set precedents that would affect possibledecisions in the future. E rattling month the CEC meets to go over new CPRs that could have a lasting impact on the short-term and long-term profitability of Target. For the month of November in 2006, in that location were five particular projects Scovanner knew were going to be the most highly discus sed and evaluated.These projects involved four new store escapedings and whizz remodeling of an existing store. The new openings were Gopher Place, Whalen Court, The Barn, and Goldies Square. The remodeling of an existing store format into a SuperTarget was Stadium Remodel. To come to a conclusion on whether to approve or deny projects the CEC uses a dashboard that has many factors. These factors include total investment size of it, NPV, IRR, population, population growth, and so on. The problem was whether capital was better spent on one project or another to create the most value and the most growth for the company and its shareholders.AlternativesThe first alternative for Target Corporation is the project Gopher Place. The positives of this project are that it will have the highest population attach from 2000-2005 at 27%. This development is much high than any other project and that representation more possible customers and gross gross revenue in the future. The trade a lso has a favorable median(prenominal) income at $56,400 and projected sales growth is high than the prototype. In addition, Gopher Place NPV Value is 18% higher (Appendix 1) than the prototype. Then, there are the negatives of choosing this project. First, the investment size initially looks at bottom a true investment level at $23 million. But, compared to the prototype this project is actually over $5 million more or 31% higher (Appendix 1). Gopher Place has the lowest population among the 5 projects given and has the smallest percentage of adults with four plus years of college at 12%.This is important because Target focuses on creating a shopping experience that attracts college-educated woman whom have children and are more affluent than the standard Wal-Mart customer. Also, Target already has stores within the area and the sales from this new project would derive 19% of its sales from surrounding area. Lastly, within the next few years Wal-Mart is expected to add 2 new s upercenters, which would take up 76% of the market, compared to Targets 24% of the market. The south alternative for Target Corporation is the project Whalen Court. The positives of this project arethat it has the highest NPV, highest total R&P sales, highest population, and highest percent of adults with four plus years of college. First, Whalen Court not only has the highest NPV but they have the greatest opportunity. If sales increase by 10% it would be over $16 million more than the prototype. Second, this projects sales could be by far the greater than the prototypes of any other projects. The 1st and 5th year sales equivalents would be over $52 and $69 million respectively. Compare this to the other projects and they are 10s of millions more.Third, the Whalen Court project has the highest population at 632,000, which means they have the largest customer pool. Their population is almost three times greater than the second closest project. Lastly, this project has the highest p ercentage of adults with four plus years of college. This is very important because these are the customers Target is trying to attract the most. Now, there are some negatives of this project as well. First, the investment size is much greater than the typical prototype. It is actually 409% (Appendix 1) more than the prototype. The next closest project is only 31% more, which makes this project very concerning. Next, is the building cost versus the prototype. The project is for a lease of a building and the cost are very high compared to the other projects at over $15 million more than the prototype. Add in the fact that Target usually owns their store property and this project is already out of the ordinary. Finally, there is the IRR in value and store sensitivities.The Whalen Court project has one the lower IRRs and it affects many things. Construction costs would have to decrease more than $41 million to deliver the goods prototype store IRR. This is an extremely large number co mpared to the other projects. In addition, this projects IRR for sales is staggering. Sales would have to increase over 31% to achieve prototype store IRR. This is much higher than any other project. The triad alternative for Target Corporation is the project The Barn. The positives for this project were small initial investment, good sales growth, high IRR and NPV value, and a new market. First, this project had the lowest investment cost out of all the projects at $13 million. The low investment allows for a larger return on investments for Target. Furthermore, this was the only project that had a higher NPV than total net investment. Second, The Barn had projected sales higher than the prototype.Its total R&P sales were projected to be over $2 million more than the prototype for the 1st and5th year. Third, This projects sales could decrease 18.1% and still achieve prototype store NPV. In addition, sales could decrease 23.2% and still achieve prototype store IRR. Therefore, the s ales could not be as close to what was projected and still be greater than the prototype. In addition, The Barn had the highest IRR at 16.4%, which is what shareholders and investors want to see. Lastly, this project would have Target enter a new market. The closest stores were 80 miles and 90 miles away. Now, the negatives of The Barn project are its population increase, median income, percent of adults with four plus years of college, and competition. First, this project location is only supposed to have a 3% population increase from 2000-2005. This is the lowest out of all the other projects. Second, the median income is the lowest amongst the five projects at only $38,200. Third, the percent of adults with four plus years of college is among the lowest of the projects at 17%.Therefore, this location isnt exactly the customers Target usually tries to attract. Lastly, the competition in this area is very steep. Within a few years there will be a Wal-Mart Supercenter, Sams Club, an d Kmart taking 87% of the market. Thus, Target will only control 13% of the market. The fourth alternative for Target Corporation is the project Goldies Square. The positives of this project are lower investment size, lower building cost, affluent and faster growing population. First, this projects total net investment is $694,000 less than the prototype. Second, it has a lower building cost than most of the other projects with only $313,000 more than the prototype. Lastly, the location for Goldies Square has the second largest population at 222,000 and it will increase by 16% from 2000 to 2005.This means this location has potential growth for Target. Now, the negatives for Goldies Square are the projects NPV and IRR, projected sales, and the market. First, the NPV for this project are the lowest of any of the other projects by far. With only $317,000, Goldies Square would 6,156% (Appendix 1) lower than the prototype. That percentage is astronomically larger than any other project. In addition, it has the lowest IRR of all the projects at 8.1%. Both this low NPV and IRR have a major affect on what the projected sales need to be to achieve prototype. Sales would have to increase respectively 45.1% and 47.2% to achieve prototype NPV and IRR. These are the most of any other project and would be very difficult to achieve. Lastly, the market for this project seems to befairly saturated.There are already 12 Target store currently in this market and could possibly go up to 24. In addition, a large portion of the sales (25%) would be taken from the surrounding stores. Finally, in the next few years it is projected the competition in this market will be high. Target is projected to only have 17% share of the market. The fifth alternative for Target Corporation is the project Stadium Remodel. This is the only remodeling project and its positives are lower total net investment, projected R&P sales, median income, percent of adults with four plus years of college, and cus tomer unwaveringty. First, the initial investment amount would 46% (Appendix 1) better than the prototype which is the outflank of all the projects. In addition it is one of the lower investment costs therefrom it wouldnt cost the company as much. Second, the projected R&P sales are better than the prototype.The post-remodel sales projects a 17% sales turn over for this store. This remodeling could really boost sales at this store making it more profitable in the long-term. Third, the median income for this market is the highest at $65,931. In addition, this project has one of the highest percentage of adults with four plus years of college at 42%. Both of these statistics fits Targets customer type very well. Lastly, this Target store has been in the market since 1972 with trustworthy customers. The support for this store is there it just needs to not hurt the grease image by not fixing the deteriorating facilities.The negatives of this project are higher risk and completely not fulfilling Targets main objective. First, this project has the second highest sales risk of the projects. If the sales decline by 10% so the store NPV would decline by $7.85 million. This is a higher risk then some of the other projects that have to be considered. Lastly, the main objective of Target Corporation is to meet the goal of adding about 100 stores annually while maintaining a positive cross image. This project would help maintain a positive brand image but it also would not be adding towards the goal of 100 stores a year.RecommendationBased on the alternatives analyzed I believe the best alternative is the Stadium Remodel. I came to this conclusion based on many different factors. First, I took Targets strategy into careful consideration. Targets strategy was to consider the shopping experience of the customer as a whole.The corporation refers to customers as guest do there best to fulfill the slogan, channel more. Pay less. Target focuses on creating a shopping ex perience that attracts college-educated woman whom have children and are more affluent than the standard Wal-Mart customer. Therefore, when I saw the Stadium Remodeling project had the highest median income and second highest percent of adults that had four plus years of college, I knew this was a project Target would strongly want to consider. In addition, one of Targets main objectives is maintaining a positive brand image. This store was already successful at a strong long-term location service of process an affluent family-oriented customer base.By remodeling this store, Target is able to build the strong brand image among its loyal customers. In addition to maintaining a strong brand image, Target wont have to use much of its budget for capital expenditure. In Appendix 2, it shows how the Stadium Remodel project will only use .49% of the total capital expenditures budget. This is the second lowest percentage among the five projects. Also, the low investment cost will make it p ossible to build 205 more stores at this cost if they wanted to. Therefore, the lower cost of this project will make it still possible for Target to keep its goal of trying to open 100 new stores annually. In conclusion, I believe this project would be the best chose based on a low initial investment, maintaining strong brand image, and using only a small percentage of total capital expenditures. If Target truly were about brand awareness and building a loyal customer base then they would have no problem choosing the Stadium Remodel project

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 5

Chapter 5Well, it worked, I finally got the angel to leave the manner. It went akin thisRaziel called d testify to the front desk and admited him to send Jesus up. A hardly a(prenominal) minutes later our Latin pal stood at attention at the foot of the angels bed.Raziel express, Tell him I need a Soap Opera Digest.In Spanish, I say, Good afternoon, Jesus. How be you today?I am intumesce, sir, and you?As thoroughly as back tooth be expected, considering this man is retention me pris peerlessr.Tell him to hurry, say Raziel.He doesnt understand Spanish? Jesus asked.Not a word of it, and dont start speaking Hebrew or Im sunk.Are you really a prisoner? I wondered why you two never left the room. Should I call the police?No, that wont be necessary, but please shake your place and escort apologetic.What is taking so long? Raziel said. Give him the money and tell him to go.He said he is non allowed to buy publications for you, but he can lead you to a place w here(predicate) you can purchase them yourself.Thats ridiculous, hes a servant, isnt he? He will do as I ask.Oh my, Jesus, he has asked if you would like to feel the military group of his manly nakedness.Is he crazy? I gestate a wife and two children.Sadly, yes. Please show him that you are offended by his offer by spitting on him and storming out of the room.I dont k forthwith, sir, spitting on a guestI handed him a handful of the bills that hed taught me were appropriate gratuities. Please, it will be good for him.Very well, Mister Biff. He produced an impressive loogie and launched it at the front of the angels robe, where it splatted and ran.Raziel leapt to his feet.Well done, Jesus, now curse.You fuckstickIn Spanish.Sorry, I was showing off my English. I whop many an(prenominal) swear words.Well done. Spanish please.PendejoSplendid, now storm out.Jesus turned on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him.He spit on me? Raziel said, still not believing it. An angel of the Lor d, and he spit on me.Yes, you offended him.He called me a fuckstick. I heard him.In his culture, it is an affront to ask another man to buy a Soap Opera Digest for you. Well be lucky if he ever brings us a pizza once again. exactly I want a Soap Opera Digest.He said you can buy one just down the street, I will be happy to go get one for you.Not so fast, Apostle, none of your tricks. Ill get it myself, you stay here.Youll need money. I handed him some bills.If you leave the room I will find you in an instant, you know that?Absolutely.You cannot hide from me.Wouldnt dream of it. Hurry now.He sort of shuffled side elbow rooms toward the door. Dont try to lock me out, Im taking a key with me. Not that I need it or anything, being an angel of the Lord.Not to mention a fuckstick.I dont even know what that means.Go, go, go. I shooed him done the door. Godspeed, Raziel.Work on your Gospel while Im gone.Right. I slammed the door in his face and threw the safety lock. Raziel has now watche d hundreds of seconds of American television, youd think he would energize find that people wear shoes when they go outside.The book is exactly as I suspected, a Bible, but written in a flowery rendition of this English Ive been writing in. The translation of the Torah and the prophets from the Hebrew is muddled some cartridge holders, but the first part seems to be our Bible. This language is amazing so many words. In my time we had very few words, perhaps a hundred that we partd all the time, and thirty of them were synonyms for guilt. In this language you can curse for an hour and never use the same word twice. Flocks and schools and herds of words, thats why Im supposed to use this language to tell Joshuas story.Ive hidden the book in the bathroom, so I can sneak in and read it while the angel is in the room. I didnt have time to actually read untold of the part of the book they call the New Testament, but its obvious that it is the story of Joshuas life. Or parts of it, anyway.Ill study it later, but now I should go on with the real story.I suppose I should have considered the exact nature of what we were doing earlier I invited Maggie to join us. I mean, at that place is some difference between the circumcision of an eight-day-old baby boy, which she had seen before, and the same operation on the ten-foot statue of a Greek god.My goodness, that is, uh, impressive, Maggie said, staring up at the marble member.Graven image, Joshua said under his breath. Even in the moonlight I could tell he was blushing.Lets do it. I pulled a small iron chisel from my pouch. Joshua was wrapping the head of his mallet with leather to deaden its sound. Sepphoris slept around us, the silence broken simply by the occasional bleat of a sheep. The evening cook fires had long trespassce gone to coals, the dust cloud that stirred with with(predicate) the city during the day had settled, and the night form was clean and still. From time to time I would catch a sweet whiff of sandalwood coming from Maggie and I would lose my train of thought. Funny the things you remember.We found a bucket and turned it upside down for Joshua to stand on while he worked. He set the tip of my chisel on Apollos foreskin and ventured a light tap with the mallet. A tiny fragment of marble flaked forward.Give it a good whack, I said.I cant, it will make too much noise.No, it wont, the leather will cover it. barely I might take the whole end of it off.He can spare it, Maggie said, and we both turned to her with our mouths temporary removal open. Probably, she added quickly. Im only guessing. What do I know, Im just a girl. Do you guys smell something?We smelled the Roman before we heard him, heard him before we apothegm him. The Romans covered themselves with chromatic oil before they bathed, so if the wind was right or if it was an especially risque day you could smell a Roman coming at thirty paces. Between the olive oil they bathed with and the garlic and dri ed paste of anchovies they ate with their barley, when the legions marched into battle it must have smelled like an invasion of pizza people. If theyd had pizzas sand thence, which they didnt.Joshua took a quick swipe with the mallet and the chisel slipped, neatly severing Apollos unit, which fell to the dirt with a dull thud.Whoops, said the Savior.Shhhhhhhh, I shushed.We heard the hobnails of the Romans boots scraping on stone. Joshua jumped down from the bucket and looked frantically for a place to hide. The walls of the Greeks bathhouse were almost completed around the statue, so really, except for the entrance where the Roman was coming, there was no place to run.Hey, what are you doing there?We stood as still as the statue. I could see that it was the legionnaire that had been with Justus our first day in Sepphoris.Sir, its us, Biff and Joshua. Remember? The claw from the bread?The soldier moved closer, his hand on the haft of his half-drawn short sword. When he saw Joshua h e relaxed a bit. What are you doing here so early? No one is to be about at this hour.Suddenly, the soldier was yanked backward off of his feet and a dark figure fell on him, thrusting a brand into his chest over and over. Maggie screamed and the figure turned to us. I started to run.Stop, the dispatcher hissed.I froze. Maggie threw her girds around me and hid her face in my shirt as I trembled. A gurgling sound came from the soldier, but he lay still. Joshua made to step toward the murderer and I threw an arm across his chest to stop him.That was wrong, Joshua said, almost in tears. You are wrong to kill that man.The murderer held his bloody blade up by his face and grinned at us. Is it not written that Moses became a prophet only after killing an Egyptian slave driver? No master but GodSicarii, I said.Yes boy, Sicarii. Only when the Romans are dead will the messiah come to set us free. I serve God by killing this tyrant.You serve evil, Joshua said. The Messiah didnt call for the blood of this Roman.The assassin raised his blade and came at Joshua. Maggie and I leapt back, but Joshua stood his ground. The assassin grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him close. What do you know of it, boy?We could surpassly see the murderers face in the moonlight. Maggie gasped, Jeremiah.His look went wide, with care or recognition, I dont know which. He released Joshua and made as if to grab Maggie. I pulled her away.Mary? The anger had left his voice. Little Mary?Maggie said nothing, but I could feel her shoulders heave as she began to sob.Tell no one of this, the murderer said, now talking as if he were in a trance. He backed away and stood beside the dead soldier. No master but God, he said, then he turned and ran into the night.Joshua put his hand on Maggies head and she immediately stopped crying.Jeremiah is my fathers brother, she said.Before I go on you should know about the Sicarii, and to know about them, you have to know about the Herods. So her e you go.About the time that Joshua and I were meeting for the first time, King Herod the Great died after ruling Israel (under the Romans) for over forty years. It was, in fact, the death of Herod that prompted Joseph to bring his family back to Nazareth from Egypt, but thats another story. Now you need to know about Herod.Herod wasnt called the Great because he was a beloved ruler. Herod the Great, was, in fact, a fat, paranoid, pox-ridden tyrant who murdered thousands of Jews, including his own wife and many of his sons. Herod was called the Great because he built things. Amazing things fortresses, palaces, theaters, harbors a whole city, Caesarea, modeled on the Roman ideal of what a city should be. The one thing he did for the Jewish people, who hated him, was to rebuild the synagogue of Solomon on Mount Moriah, the center of our faith. When H. the G. died, Rome divided his kingdom among three of his sons, Archelaus, Herod Philip, and Herod Antipas. It was Antipas who ultimat ely passed execration on John the Baptist and gave Joshua over to Pilate. Antipas, you sniveling fuckstick (if only wed had the word back then). It was Antipas whose toady pandering to the Romans caused bands of Jewish rebels to rise up in the hills by the hundreds. The Romans called all of these rebels Zealots, as if they were all united in method as well as cause, but, in fact, they were as fragmented as Jews of the villages. One of the bands that rose in Galilee called themselves the Sicarii. They showed their reprimand of Roman rule by the assassination of Roman soldiers and officials. Although certainly not the largest group of Zealots by number, they were the most conspicuous by their actions. No one knew where they came from, and no one knew where they went to after they killed, but every time they struck, the Romans did their best to make our lives hell to get us to give the killers up. And when the Romans caught a Zealot, they didnt just crucify the draw of the band, the y crucified the whole band, their families, and anyone suspected of helping them. More than once we saw the road out of Sepphoris lined with crosses and corpses. My people.We ran through the dormancy city, stopping only after we had passed through the Venus Gate, where we fell in a heap on the ground, gasping.We have to take Maggie home and get back here for work, Joshua said.You can stay here, Maggie said. I can go by myself.No, we have to go. Joshua held his arms out to his sides and we saw the bloody handprints the killer had left on his shirt. I have to clean this before someone sees it. Cant you just make it go away? Maggie asked. Its just a stain. Id think the Messiah could get a stain out.Be nice, I said. Hes not that good at Messiah stuff yet. It was your uncle, after allMaggie jumped to her feet. You were the one who wanted to do this stupid thingStop Joshua said, holding his hand up as if he were sprinkling us with silence. If Maggie hadnt been with us, we might be dead no w. We may still not be safe when the Sicarii realize that three witnesses live.An hour later Maggie was home safe and Joshua emerged from the ritual bath outside the synagogue, his clothes soaked and rivulets running out of his hair. (Many of us had these mikvehs outside of our homes and there were hundreds outside the Temple in Jerusalem stone pits with steps leading down both sides into the water so one might walk in over ones head on one side, then out on the other after the ritual cleansing was done. According to the Law, any contact with blood called for a cleansing. Joshua thought it would be a good opportunity to scrub the stain out of his shirt as well.)Cold. Joshua was shivering and hopping from foot to foot as if on hot coals. Very cold.( there was a small stone hut built over the baths so they never got the direct light of the sun, consequently they never warmed up. dehydration in the dry Galilee air chilled the water even more.)Maybe you should come to my house. My mo ther will have a breakfast fire button by now, you can warm yourself.He wrung out the tail of his shirt and water cascaded down his legs. And how would I explain this?Uh, you sinned, had an emergency cleansing to do.Sinned? At dawn? What sin could I have done before dawn?Sin of Onan? I said.Joshuas eyes went wide. Have you committed the sin of Onan?No, but Im looking forward to it.I cant tell your mother that Ive committed the sin of Onan. I havent.You could if youre fast.Ill suffer the cold, Joshua said.The good old sin of Onan. That brings back memories.The sin of Onan. Spilling the old microbe on the ground. Cuffing the camel. Dusting the donkey. flog the Pharisee. Onanism, a sin that requires hundreds of hours of practice to get right, or at least thats what I told myself. God slew Onan for spilling his seed on the ground (Onans seed, not Gods. Gods seed turned out to be my best pal. Imagine the trouble youd be in if you actually spilled Gods seed. Try explaining that). Accor ding to the Law, if you had any contact with nocturnal emissions (which are not what come out of your tailpipe at night we didnt have cars then), you had to purify yourself by baptism and you werent allowed to be around people until the next day. Around the age of long dozen I spent a lot of time in and out of our mikveh, but I fudged on the solitary part of penance. I mean, its not like that was going to help the problem.Many a morning I was still dripping and shivering from the bath when I met Joshua to go to work.Spilled your seed upon the ground again? hed ask.Yep.Youre unclean, you know?Yeah, Im getting all wrinkly from purifying myself.You could stop.I tried. I think Im being vexed by a demon.I could try to repossess you.No way, Josh, Im having enough trouble with laying on of my own hands.You dont want me to cast out your demon?I thought Id try to exhaust him first.I could tell the scribes and they would have you stoned. (Always trying to be helpful, Josh was.)That would p robably work, but it is written that when the oil of the lamp is used up, the wanker shall light his own way to salvation.That is not written.It is too. In, uh, Isaiah.Is not.You need to study your Prophets, Josh. How are you going to be the Messiah if you dont know your Prophets?Joshua hung his head. You are right, of course.I clapped him on the shoulder. Youll have time to learn the Prophets. Lets cut through the square and see if there are any girls gathering water.Of course it was Maggie I was looking for. It was always Maggie.By the time we got back to Sepphoris the sun was well up, but the stream of merchants and farmers that normally poured through the Venus Gate was not there. Roman soldiers were stopping and searching everyone who was trying to leave the city, sending them back the way they came. A group of men and women were waiting outside the gate to go in, my father and some of his helpers among them.Levi my father called. He ran to us and herded us to the side of the r oad.Whats going on? I asked, trying to look innocent.A Roman soldier was murdered last night. There will be no work today, now you both go home and stay there. Tell your mothers to keep the children in today. If the Romans dont find the killer therell be soldiers in Nazareth before noon.Where is Joseph? Joshua asked.My father put his arm around Joshuas shoulder. Hes been arrested. He must have come to work very early. They found him at first light, near the body of the dead soldier. I only know what has been shouted from inside the gate, the Romans arent letting anyone in or out of the city. Joshua, tell your mother not to worry. Joseph is a good man, the Lord will value him. Besides, if the Romans thought he was the killer he would have been tried already.Joshua backed away from my father in stiff, stumbling steps. He stared straight ahead, but obviously saw nothing.Take him home, Biff. Ill be along as soon as I can. Im going to try to find out what theyve done with Joseph.I nodde d and led Joshua away by the shoulders.When we were a few steps down the road, he said, Joseph came looking for me. He was working on the other side of the city. The only reason he was near the Greeks house is that he was looking for me.Well tell the centurion we saw who killed the soldier. Hell believe us.And if he believes us, believes it was Sicarii, what will happen to Maggie and her family?I didnt know what to say. Joshua was right and my father was wrong, Joseph was not fine. The Romans would be questioning him right now, maybe torturing him to find out who his accomplices were. That he didnt know anything would not save him. And a testimony from his son not only wouldnt save him, but would send more people to the cross to join him. Jewish blood was going to be spilled one way or the other over this.Joshua shook off my hands and ran off the road into an olive grove. I started to follow, but he suddenly spun on me and the fury of his compliments stopped me in midstride.Wait, h e said. I need to talk to my father.I waited by the road for nearly an hour. When Joshua walked out of the olive grove he looked as if a shadow had fallen permanently on his face.I am lost, he said.I pointed over my shoulder. Nazareth that way, Sepphoris the other way. Youre in the middle. Feel better?You know what I mean.No help from your father, then? I always felt strange asking about Joshuas prayers. You had to see him pray, especially in those days, before we had traveled. There was a lot of strain and trembling, like someone trying to force a fever to break by sheer will. There was no field pansy in it.I am but, Joshua said.I punched him in the arm, hard. Then you didnt feel that.Ouch. Whatd you do that for?Sorry, no one around to answer you. Youre soooooooo just.I am aloneI wound up for a full-body-powered roundhouse punch. Then you wont mind if I smite the bejeezus out of you.He threw up his hands and jumped back. No, dont.So youre not alone?I guess not.Good, then wait he re. Im going to go talk to your father myself. I tramped off into the olive grove.You dont have to go in there to talk to him. He is everywhere.Yeah, right, like you know. If hes everywhere then how are you alone?Good point.I left Joshua standing by the road and went off to pray.And therefrom did I prayHeavenly Father, God of my father and my fathers father, God of Abraham and Isaac, God of Moses, who did lead our people out of Egypt, God of David and Solomon well, you know who you are. Heavenly Father, far be it from me to question your judgment, being as you are all powerful and the God of Moses and all of the above, but what exactly are you trying to do to this poor squirt? I mean, hes your son, right? Hes the Messiah, right? Are you pulling one of those Abraham faith-test things on him? In case you didnt notice, hes in quite a pickle here, having witnessed a murder and his stepfather under arrest by the Romans, and in all likelihood, a lot of our people, who you have mentione d on more than one occasion are your favorites and the chosen (and of which I am one, by the way) are going to be tortured and killed unless we I mean he does something. So, what Im saying here is, could you, much as you did with Samson when he was backed into a corner weaponless against the Philistines, throw the kid a bone here?With all due respect. Your friend, Biff. Amen.I was never very good at prayer. Storytelling, Im fine with. I, in fact, am the originator of a universal story that I know has survived to this time because I have heard it on TV.It begins Two Jews go into a barThose two Jews? Me and Josh. No kidding.Anyway, Im not good at prayer, but before you think I was a miniature rough on God, theres another thing you need to know about my people. Our relationship with God was different from other people and their Gods. Sure there was fear and sacrifice and all, but essentially, we didnt go to him, he came to us. He told us we were the chosen, he told us he would help us to multiply to the ends of the earth, he told us he would give us a land of milk and honey. We didnt go to him. We didnt ask. And since he came to us, we figure we can hold him responsible for what he does and what happens to us. For it is written that he who can walk away, controls the deal. And if theres anything you learn from reading the Bible, its that my people walked away a lot. You couldnt turn around that we werent off in Babylon worshiping false gods, building false altars, or sleeping with unsuitable women. (Although the latter may be more of a guy thing than a Jewish thing.) And God pretty much didnt mind throwing us into slavery or simply massacring us when we did that. We have that kind of relationship with God. Were family.So Im not a prayer-master, so to speak, but that particular prayer couldnt have been that bad, because God answered. Well, he left me a message, anyway.As I emerged from the olive grove, Joshua held out his hand and said, God left a message.Its a lizard, I said. It was. Joshua was holding a small lizard in his outstretched hand.Yes, thats the message, dont you see?How was I to know what was going on? Joshua had never lied to me, never. So if he said that this lizard was a message from God, who was I to dispute him? I fell to my knees and bowed my head under Joshs outstretched hand. Lord have mercy on me, I was expecting a burning bush or something. Sorry. Really. Then to Josh, I said, Im not so sure you should take that seriously, Josh. Reptiles dont tend to have a great record for getting the message right. Like for instance, oh, lets see, that Adam and Eve thing.Its not that kind of message, Biff. My father hasnt spoken in words, but this message is as clear as if his voice had come down from the heavens.I knew that. I stood up. And the message is?In my mind. When you had been gone only a few minutes this lizard ran up my leg and perched on my hand. I realized that it was my father giving me the solution to our problem.A nd the message is?You remember when we were little, the game we used to play with the lizards?Sure I do. But the message is?You remember how I was able to bring them back to life.A great trick, Josh. But getting back to the messageDont you see? If the soldier isnt dead, then there was no murder. If there was no murder, then there is no reason for the Romans to harm Joseph. So all we have to do is see that the soldier is not dead. Simple.Of course, simple. I studied the lizard for a minute, looking at it from a number of different angles. It was brownish green and seemed quite content to tantalize there on Joshuas palm. Ask him what were supposed to do now.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 16. Too-Much-Information Alert

16. excessively-Much-Information AlertI took off early, long before sunrise was due. Id gotten near a little bit of uneasy sleep leaning against the side of the sofa. Edward woke me when Bellas subject was flushed, and he took my spot to cool her backside down. I stretched and decided I was rested sufficiency to get near work d unrivaled.Thank you, Edward said quietly, assisting my plans. If the r placee is clear, theyll go today.Tillet you enjoy.It felt good to get back to my living organism self. I was stiff from sitting still for so long. I extended my stride, working out the kinks.Morning, Jacob,Leah greeted me.Good, youre up. How longs Seth been out?Not out yet,Seth legal opinion sleepily. nigh there. What do you need?You lay down in mind you got a nonher hour in you?Sure thing. No problem.Seth got to his feet indemnify onward, shaking out his fur.Lets make the deep run,It obsolete Leah. Seth, exit the perimeter.Gotcha.Seth stony-broke into an easy jog.Off on an new(prenominal) vampire errand,Leah grumbled.You got a problem with that?Of course not. I precisely love to coddle those darling leeches.Good. Lets see how libertine we sack up run.Okay, Im definitely up forthatLeah was on the far western rim of the perimeter. Rather than cut close to the Cullens house, she stuck to the circle as she raced around to meet me. I sprinted off straight east, knowing that even with the head outset, shed bepassing me soon if I took it easy for even a second.Nose to the ground, Leah. This isnt a race, its a reconnaissance mission.I can do both and still kick your alone nowtI gave her that one. know.She laughed.We took a winding path done the eastern mountains. It wasa long-familiar route. Wed run these mountains when the vampires had left a year ago, making it part of our patrol route to better protect the people here. Then wed pulled back the lines when the Cullens returned. This was their treaty land. nevertheless that fact would probably mean n othing to Sam now. The treaty was dead. The question today was how thin he was willing to spread his force. Was he looking for hurl Cullens to poach on their land or not? Had Jared spoken the truth or taken advantage of the silence surrounded by us?We got deeper and deeper into the mountains without finding some(prenominal) trace of the pack. Fading vampire trails were e precisewhere, and the scents were familiar now. I was breathing them in both day long.I founda heavy, somewhat recent c one timentration on one particular trail all of them coming and spillage here except for Edward. Some reason for gathering that must ease up been forgotten when Edward brought his death pregnant wife home. I gritted my teeth. Wheatver it was, it had nothing to do with me.Leah didnt push herself past me, though she could have now. I was paying much attention to distributively new scent than I was to the speed contest. She kept to my right side, caterpillar tread with me rather than racin g against me.Were acquire pretty far out here,she commented.Yeah. If Sam was catch strays, we should have crossed his trail by now.Makes more sense right now for him to bunker down in La Push,Leah thought. He knows were giving the bloodsuckers triple extra sets of eyes and legs. Hes not personnel casualty to be able to surprise them.This was just a precaution, sincerely.Wouldnt motivation our precious parasites taking unnecessary chances.Nope,I agreed, ignoring the sarcasm.Youve changed so much, Jacob. chew out about one-eighties.Youre not exactly the alike Leah Ive al fashions known and loved, either.True. Am I less annoying than Paul now?Amazingly yes.Ah, sweet success.Congrats.We ran in silence again because. It was probably time to turn around, but neither of us wanted to. It felt nice to run desire this. Wed been complete(a) at the same small circle of atrail for too long. It felt good to stretch our muscles and take the rugged terrain. We werent in a huge hurry, so I thought maybe we should hunt on the way back. Leah was prettyhungry.Yum, yum,she thought sourly.Its all in your head,I told her. Thats the way wolves eat. Its natural. It tastes fine. If you didnt think about it from a human perspective choke up the pep talk, Jacob. Ill hunt I dont have to equivalent itSure, sure,I agreed easily. It wasnt my business if she wanted to make things harder for herself.She didnt add anything for a few secondments I started idea about turning back.Thank you,Leah suddenly told me in a much different tone.For?For letting me be. For letting me stay. Youve been nicer than I had any right to expect, Jacob.Er, no problem. Actually, I mean that. I dont fair game having you here like I thought I would.She snorted, but it was a playful plump. What a glowing commendationDont let it go to your head.Okay if you dont let this go to yours.She paused for a second. think you make a good Alpha. Not in the same way Sam does, but in your own way. Youre worth foll owing, Jacob.My mind went blank with surprise. It took me a second to rec over enough to respond.Er, thanks. Not completely sure Ill be able to enlistment that one from exit to my head, though. Where did that come from?She didnt answer right away, and I followed the wordless direction of her thoughts. She was thinking about the future about what Id said to Jared the other morning. virtually how the time would be up soon, and then Id go back to the forest. About how Id promised that she and Seth would return to the pack when the Cullens were gone___want to stay with you, she told me.The shock shot through my legs, locking my joints. She blew past me and then put on the brakes. Slowly, she walked back to where I was frozen in place.wont be a pain, I swear. I wont follow you around. You can go wherever you want, and Ill go where I want. Youll provided have to put up with me when were both wolves. She paced back and forth in front of me, swishing her long immemorial tail nervousl y. And, as Im planning on quitting as soon as I canmanage it maybe that wont be so often.I didnt know what to say.Im happier now, as a part of your pack, than I have been in years.I want to stay, too,Seth thought quietly. I hadnt realized hed been paying much attention to us as he ran the perimeter. like this pack.Hey, now Seth, this isnt difference to be a pack much longer.I tried to put my thoughts together so they would convince him. Weve got a purpose now, but when after thats over, Im just going to go wolf. Seth, you need a purpose. Youre a good kid. Youre the kind of person who always has a crusade. And theres no way youre leaving La Push now. Youre going to graduate from high school and do something with your life. Youre going to take care of Sue.My issues are not going to mess up your future. that Jacob is rightLeah seconded.Youre agreeing with me?Of course. But none of that applies tome. was on my way out anyway. Ill get a job somewhere away from La Push. perchance take s ome courses at a community college. Get into yoga and meditation to work on my temper issues. And stay a part of this pack for the stake of my mental well-being. Jacob you can see how that makes sense, right? I wont bother you, you wont bother me, everyone is happy.I turned back and started loping slowly toward the west.This is a bit much to sell with, Leah. Let me think about it, kay?Sure. Take your time.It took us longer to make the run back. I wasnt move for speed. I was just trying to concentrate enough that I wouldnt plow headfirst into a tree. Seth was grumbling a little bit in the back of my head, but I was able to can him. He knew I was right. He wasnt going to abandon his mom. He would go back to La Push and protect the tribe like he should.But I couldnt see Leah doing that. And that was just plain scary.A pack of the two of us? No matter the physical surmount, I couldnt imagine the the intimacy of that situation. I wondered if shed really thought it through, or if sh e was just desperate to stay free.Leah didnt say anything as I chewed it over. It was like she was trying to prove how easy it would be if it was just us.We ran into a herd of foul-tailed deer just as the sun was coming up, brightening the clouds a little bit behind us. Leah sighed internally but didnt hesitate. Her lunge was lily-white and efficient graceful, even. She took down the largest one, the buck, before the startled animal fully understood the danger.Not to be outdone, I swooped down on the next largest deer, snapping her neck between my jaws quickly, so she wouldnt feel unnecessary pain. I could feel Leahs disgust warring with her hunger, and I tried to make it easier for her by letting the wolf in me have my head. Id lived all-wolf for long enough that I knew how to be the animal completely, to see his way and think his way. I let the practical instincts take over, letting her feel that, too. She hesitated for a second, but then, tentatively, she seemed to r distribut ively out with her mind and try to see my way. It felt very strange our minds were more closely linked than they had ever been before, because we both were trying to think together.Strange, but it helped her. Her teeth cut through the fur and skin of her kills shoulder, tearing away a thick slab of streaming flesh. Rather than wince away as her human thoughts wanted to, she let her wolf-self react instinctively. It was kind of a numbing thing, a thoughtless thing. It let her eat in peace.It was easy for me to do the same. And I was glad I hadnt forgotten this. This would be my life again soon.Was Leah going to be a part of that life? A week ago, I wouldve found that idea beyond horrifying. I wouldntvebeen able to stand it. But I knew her better now. And, relieved from the constant pain, she wasnt the same wolf. Not the same girl.We ate together until we both were full.Thanks,she told me later as she was cleaning her muzzle and paws against the wet grass. I didnt bother it had just started to drizzle and we had to swim the river again on our way back. Id get clean enough. That wasnt so large, thinking your way.Youre welcome.Seth was dragging when we hit the perimeter. I told him to get some sleep Leah and I would take over the patrol. Seths mind faded into unconsciousness just seconds later.You headed back to the bloodsuckers?Leah asked.Maybe.Its hard for you to be there, but hard to stay away, too. I know how that feels.You know, Leah, you might want to think a little bit about the future, about what you really want to do. My head is not going to be the happiest place on earth. And youll have to suffer right along with me.She thought about how to answer me. Wow, this is going to sound bad. But, honestly, it will be easier to deal with your pain than face mine.Fair enough.I know its going to be bad for you, Jacob. I understand that maybe better than you think. I dont like her, but shes your Sam. Shes everything you want and everything you cant have.I couldnt answer.know its worse for you. At to the lowest degree Sam is happy. At least hes alive and well. I love him enough that I want that. I want him to have whats top hat for him. She sighed. I just dont want to stick around to watch.Do we need to talk about this?I think we do. Because I want you to know that I wont make it worse for you. Hell, maybe Ill even help. I wasntborn a compassionless shrew. I used to be sort of nice, you know.My memory doesnt go that far back.We both laughed once.Im tough about this, Jacob. Im sorry youre in pain. Im sorry its getting worse and not betterThanks, Leah.She thought about the things that were worse, the black pictures in my head, while I tried to tune her out without much success. She was able to look at them with some distance, some perspective, and I had to admit that this was helpful. I could imagine that maybe I would be able to see it that way, too, in a few years.She saw the humorous side of the daily irritations that came from hanging out around vampires. She liked my ragging on Rosalie, chuckling internally and even cut through a few light-hairede jokes in her mind that I might be ableto work in. But then her thoughts turned serious, delaying on Rosalies face in a way that confused me.You know whats crazy?she asked. healthy, almost everything is crazy right now. But what do you mean?That blond vampire you hate so much totally get her perspective.For a second I thought she was making a joke that was in very poor taste. And then, when I realized she was serious, the fury that ripped through me was hard to control. It was a good thing wed spread out to run our watch. If shed been within biting distanceHold up Let me explainDont want to get wind it Im outta here.Wait Waitshe pleaded as I tried to calm myself enough to phase back. Cmon, JakeLeah, this isnt really the best way to convince me that I want to spend more time with you in the future.Yeesh What an overreaction. You dont even know what Im talk of the town aboutSo whatare you talking about?And then she was suddenly the pain-hardened Leah from before. Im talking about being a genetic dead end, Jacob.The vicious edge to her words left me floundering. I hadnt evaluate to have my anger trumped.I dont understand.Youwould, if you werent just like the rest of them. If my female sfu/T she thought the words with a hard, sarcastic tone didnt send you running for cover just like any stupid male, so you could actually pay attention to what it all means.Oh.Yeah, so none of us like to think about that stuff with her. Who would? Of course I remembered Leahs panic that first month after she joined the pack and I remembered cringing away from it just like everyone else. Because she couldnt be pregnant not unless there was some really freaky religious immaculate crap going on. She hadnt been with anyone since Sam. And then, when the weeks dragged on and nothing turned into more nothing, shed realized that her ashes wasnt following the normal patterns anymore. The horror what was she now? Had her body changed because shed become a werewolf? Or had she become a werewolf because her body was wrong? The only female werewolf in the history of forever. Was that because she wasnt as female as she should be?None of us had wanted to deal with that breakdown. Obviously, it wasnt like we could empathize.You know why Sam thinks we imprint,she thought, calmer now.Sure. To carry on the line.Right. To make a bunch of new little werewolves. Survival of the species, genetic override. Youre drawn to the person who gives you the best chance to pass on the wolf gene.I waited for her to tell me where she was qoinq with this.If I was any good for that, Sam would have been drawn tome.Her pain was enough that I broke stride under it.But Im not Theres something wrong with me. I dont have the ability to pass on the gene, apparently, despite my stellar bloodlines. So I become a freak the girlie-wolf good for nothing else. Im a genetic dead en d and we both know it.We do not,I argued with her. Thats just Sams theory. Imprinting happens, but we dont know why. Billy thinks its something else.I know, I know. He thinks youre imprinting to makestronger wolves. Because you and Sam are such humongous monsters bigger than our fathers. But either way, Im still not a candidate. Im Im menopausal. Im twenty years old and Im menopausal.Ugh. I so didnt want to have this conversation. You dont know that, Leah. Its probably just the whole frozen-in-time thing. When you quit your wolf and start getting older again, Im sure things will er pick right back up.might think that except that no ones imprinting onme, notwithstanding my astonishing pedigree. You know, she added thoughtfully, if you werent around, Seth would probably have the best claim to being Alpha through his blood, at least. Of course, no one would ever consider me. You reallywant to imprint, or be imprinted on, or whichever? I demanded. Whats wrong with going out and fall ing in love like a normal person, Leah? Imprinting is just another way of getting your choices taken away from you.Sam, Jared, Paul, Quit they dont seem to mind.None of themhave a mind of their own.You dont want to imprint?Hell, noThats just because youre already in love withher. That would go away, you know, if you imprinted. You wouldnt have to hurt over her anymore.Do you want to forget the way you feel about Sam?She deliberated for a moment. think I do.I sighed. She was in a healthier place than I was.But back to my original point, Jacob. I understand why your blond vampire is so algid in the figurative sense. Shes focused. Shes got her eyes on the prize, right? Because you always want the very most what you can never, ever have.You would act like Rosalie? You would murder person because thats what shes doing, making sure no one interferes with Bellas death you would do that to have a gratify? Since when are you a breeder?I just want the options I dont have, Jacob. Maybe, if there was nothing wrong with me, I would never give it a thought.You would kill for that?I demanded, not letting her extend my question.Thats not what shes doing. I think its more like shes living vicariously. And if Bella askedme to help her withthisShe paused, considering. Even though I dont think too much of her, Id probably do the same as the bloodsucker.A loud snarl ripped through my teeth.Because, if it was turned around, Id want Bella to do that for me. And so would Rosalie. Wed both do it her way.Ugh Youre as bad as they areThats the funny thing about knowing you cant have something. It makes you desperate.And.. . thats my limit Right there. This conversation is over.Fine.It wasnt enough that shed agreed to stop. I wanted a stronger termination than that.I was only about a mile from where Id left my clothes, so I phased back to human and walked. I didnt think about our conversation. Not because there wasnt anything to think about, but because I couldnt stand it. I would not see it that way but it was harder to keep from doing that when Leah had put the thoughts and emotions straight into my head.Yeah, I wasnt running with her when this was finished. She could go be blue in La Push. One little Alpha command before I left for good wasnt going to kill anybody.It was real early when I got to the house. Bella was probably still asleep. I figured Id poke my head in, see what was going on, give em the green light to go hunting, and then find a patch of grass soft enough to sleep on while human. I wasnt phasing back until Leah was asleep.But there was a lot of low mouth going on inside the house, so maybe Bella wasnt sleeping. And then I heard the machinery sound from upstairs again the X-ray? Great. It looked like day quartet on the countdown was starting off with a bang.Alice opened the door for me before I could walk in.She nodded. Hey, wolf.Hey, shortie. Whats going on upstairs? The big room was acquit all the murmurs were on the second floor.Sh e shrugged her pointy little shoulders. Maybe another break. She tried to say the words casually, but I could see the flames in the very back of her eyes. Edward and I werent the only ones who were burning over this. Alice loved Bella, too.Another rib? I asked hoarsely.No. Pelvis this time.Funny how it kept hitting me, like each new thing was a surprise. When was I going to stop being surprised? Each new disaster seemed kinda obvious in hindsight.Alice was agaze at my hands, watching them tremble.Then we were listening to Rosalies voice upstairs.See, I told you I didnt hear a crack. You need your ears checked, Edward.There was no answer.Alice made a face. Edwards going to end up ripping Rose into small pieces, I think. Im surprised she doesnt see that. Or maybe she thinks Emmett will be able to stop him.Ill take Emmett, I offered. You can help Edward with the ripping part.Alice half-smiled.The procession came down the stairs then Edward had Bella this time. She was gripping her t ransfuse of blood in both hands, and her face was white. I could see that, though he compensated for every tiny movement of his body to keep from jostling her, she was hurting.Jake, she whispered, and she smiled through the pain.I stared at her, saying nothing.Edward place Bella carefully on her couch and sat on the floor by her head. I wondered briefly why they didnt leave her upstairs, and then decided at once that it must be Bellas idea. Shed want to act like things were normal, avoid the hospital setup. And he was humoring her. Naturally.Carlisle came down slowly, the last one, his face creased with worry. It made him look old enough to be a doctor for once.Carlisle, I said. We went halfway to Seattle. Theres no sign of the pack. Youre good to go.Thank you, Jacob. This is good timing. Theres much that we need. His black eyes flickered to the cup that Bella was holding so tight.Honestly, I think youre safe to take more than three. Im pretty positive that Sam is concentrating on La Push.Carlisle nodded in agreement. It surprised me how volitionally he took my advice. If you think so. Alice, Esme, Jasper, and I will go. Then Alice can take Emmett and Rosa Not a chance, Rosalie hissed. Emmett can go with you now.You should hunt, Carlisle said in a gentle voice.His tone didnt soften hers. Ill hunt when he does, she growled, twingeing her head toward Edward and then flipping her hair back.Carlisle sighed.Jasper and Emmett were down the stairs in a flash, and Alice joined them by the glass back door in the same second. Esme flitted to Alices side.Carlisle put his hand on my arm. The icy touch did not feel good, but I didnt jerk away. I held still, half in surprise, and half because I didnt want to hurt his feelings.Thank you, he said again, and then he darted out the door with the other four. My eyes followed them as they flew across the lawn and then disappeared before I took another breath. Their needs must havebeen more urgent than Id imagined.There was n o sound for a minute. I could feel someone glaring at me, and I knew who it would be. Id been planning to take off and get some Zs, but the chance to recrudesce Rosalies morning seemed too good to pass up.So I sauntered over to the armchair next to the one Rosalie had and settled in, sprawling out so that my headwas flex toward Bella and my left foot was near Rosalies face.Ew. Someone put the dog out, she murmured, wrinkling her nose.Have you heard this one, Psycho? How do a blondes hotshot cells die?She didnt say anything.Well? I asked. Do you know the punch line or not?She looked pointedly at the TV and ignored me.Has she heard it? I asked Edward.There was no humor on his tense face he didnt move his eyes from Bella. But he said, No.Awesome. So youll enjoy this, bloodsucker a blondes brain cells die alone.Rosalie still didnt look at me. I have killed a hundred times more often than you have, you disgusting beast. Dont forget that.Someday, Beauty Queen, youre going to get tire d of just threatening me. Im really looking forward to that.Enough, Jacob, Bella said.I looked down, and she was scowling at me. It looked like yesterdays good mood was long gone.Well, I didnt want to bug her. You want me to take off? I offered.Before I could hope or fear that shed finally gotten tired of me, she blinked, and her frown disappeared. She seemed totally shocked that I would come to that conclusion. No Of course not.I sighed, and I heard Edward sigh very quietly, too. I knew he wished shed get over me, too. Too bad hed never ask her to do anything that might make her unhappy.You look tired, Bella commented.Dead beat, I admitted.Idlike to beat you dead, Rosalie muttered, too low for Bella to hear.I just slumped deeper into the chair, getting comfortable. My bare foot dangled closer to Rosalie, and she stiffened. After a few minutes Bella asked Rosalie for a refill. I felt the wind as Rosalie blew upstairs to get her some more blood. It was really quiet. Might as well t ake a nap, I figured.And then Edward said, Did you say something? in a puzzled tone. Strange. Because no one had said anything, and because Edwards hearing was as good as mine, and he should have known that.He was staring at Bella, and she was staring back. They both looked confused.Me? she asked after a second. I didnt say anything.He moved onto his knees, leaning forward over her, his expression suddenly intense in a whole different way. His black eyes focused on her face.What are you thinking about right now?She stared at him blankly. Nothing. Whats going on?What were you thinking about a minute ago? he asked.Just Esmes island. And feathers.Sounded like total gibberish to me, but then she blushed, and I figured I was better off not knowing. word something else, he whispered.Tike what? Edward, whats going on?His face changed again, and he did something that made my mouth fall open with a pop. I heard a heft up behind me, and I knew that Rosalie was back, and just as flabbergasted as I was.Edward, very lightly, put both of his hands against her huge, round stomach.The f He swallowed. It the baby likes the sound of your voice.There was one short beat of total silence. I could not move a muscle, even to blink. Then Holy crow, you can hear himBella shouted. In the next second, she winced.Edwards hand moved to the top peak of her belly and gently rubbed the spot where it must have kicked her.Shh, he murmured. You startled it him.Her eyes got all wide and full of wonder. She patted the side of her stomach. Sorry, baby.Edward was listening hard, his head tilted toward the bulge.Whats he thinking now? she demanded eagerly.It he or she, is He paused and looked up into her eyes. His eyes were alter with a similar awe only his were more careful and grudging. Hes happy Edward said in an incredulous voice.Her breath caught, and it was impossible not to see the passionate gleam in her eyes. The adoration and the devotion. Big, fat tears overflowed her eyes and ran silently down her face and over her smiling lips.As he stared at her, his face was not frightened or angry or burning or any of the other expressions hed worn since their return. He was marveling with her.Of course youre happy, pretty baby, of course you are, she crooned, pass her stomach while the tears washed her cheeks. How could you not be, all safe and warm and loved? I love you so much, little EJ, of course youre happy.What did you expect him? Edward asked curiously.She blushed again. I sort of named him. I didnt think you would want well, you know.EJ?Your fathers name was Edward, too.Yes, it was. What ? He paused and then said, Hmm.What?He likes my voice, too.Of course he does. Her tone was almost gloating now. You have the most beautiful voice in the universe. Who wouldnt love it?Do you have a backup plan? Rosalie asked then, leaning over the back of the sofa with the same wondering, gloating look on her face that was on Bellas. What if hes a she?Bella wiped the back of her hand under her wet eyes. I kicked a few things around. Playing with Renee andEsme. I was thinking Ruh-nez-may.Ruhnezmay?R-e-n-e-s-m-e-e. Too weird?No, I like it, Rosalie assured her. Their heads were close together, gold and mahogany. Its beautiful. And one of a kind, so that fitsI still think hes an Edward.Edward was staring off into space, his face blank as he listened.What? Bella asked, her face just glowing away. Whats he thinking now?At first he didnt answer, and then shocking all the rest of us again, three distinct and separategasps he laid his ear tenderly against her belly.He loves you, Edward whispered, sounding dazed. He utterly adores you.In that moment, I knew that I was alone. All alone.I wanted to kick myself when I realized how much Id been counting on that loathsome vampire. How stupid as if you could ever trust a leech Of course he would betray me in the end.Id counted on him to be on my side. Id counted on him to suffer more than I suffered. And, most of a ll, Id counted on him to hate that revolting thing killing Bella more than I hated it.Id trusted him with that.Yet now they were together, the two of them bent over the budding, invisible monster with their eyes lit up like a happy family.And I was all alone with my hatred and the pain that was so bad it was like being tortured. Like being dragged slowly across a bed of razor blades. Pain so bad youd take death with a smile just to get away from it.The heat unlocked my frozen muscles, and I was on my feet.All three of their heads snapped up, and I watched my pain ripple across Edwards face as he trespassed in my head again.Ahh, he choked.I didnt know what I was doing I stood there, trembling, ready to bolt for the very first take to the woods that I could think of.Moving like the strike of a snake, Edward darted to a small end table and ripped something from the drawer there. He tossed it at me, and I caught the object reflexively.Go, Jacob. Get away from here. He didnt say it hars hly he threw the words at me like they were a life preserver. He was helping me find the escape I was dying for.The object in my hand was a set of car keys.

Conclusion and implication Essay

Failure to make use of available hazard-reduction information and measures of known effectiveness constitutes another general policy issue. It is one that assists to stimulate the ongoing UN-sponsored outside(a) Decade for Natural cataclysm Reduction (Mitchell, 1988). In many places it would be potential to mitigate losses simply by putting what is known into effect. For instance, the place of warning and evacuation systems has been proven repeatedly yet such systems argon often underused.Likewise, hazard-mitigation schemes offer consistent paths toward reducing the long-term costs of disasters but they are often resisted in favour of instant post-disaster relief, insurance, and compensation programmes. Why do individuals and governments fail to make optimal use of available knowledge? There is no single answer to this question. A large number of factors are involved. drop of agreement about definition and identification of problem Lack of attentiveness of hazards Misperception or misjudgement of risks Lack of awareness of suitable responses Lack of proficiency to make use of responses Lack of money or resources to pay for responses Lack of harmonization among institutions Lack of concern to correlation between disasters and preparement Failure to treat hazards as related problems whose components require synchronal attention (i. e. reciprocity) Lack of access by modify populations to decision-making Lack of public confidence in scientific knowledge Conflicting goals among populations at risk Fluctuating salience of hazards (competing priorities) Public opposition by negatively affected individuals and groups. Underlying all of these explicit reasons is a larger problem. It is this society fails to take care of natural hazards as complex systems with several components that often require simultaneous attention. We tinker with one or another aspect of these systems when what are required are system-wide strategies. Perhaps even more significan t, we fail to address the direct connecter between natural hazard systems and economic investment decisions that drive the procedure of development and affect the potential for disasters.That such links subsist has been known for a very long time If a man owes a debt, and the storm engulfs his field and carries away the produce, or if the grain has not grown in the field, in that year he shall not make any revisit to the creditor, he shall alter his contract and he shall not pay interest for that year. But in the first place of the decisions that are taken to build bleak facilities or redevelop old ones, or to take on new production and distribution processes, or to develop new land, or to effectuate a myriad of other development goals are not currently very receptive to considerations of natural hazards.They must locomote so. And that is a task that will require a great deal of effort by natural hazard scientists to go beyond the laboratory and the look into office or the fiel d study site to obtain an understanding of how best to apply their expertise in public settings. It will also take up the users of scientific information about hazards (architects, engineers, planners, banks and mortgage companies, international development agencies, and investment financiers) to foster a mutually interactive correlation with the scientists who are producers of that information.Development is just now one of the main public issues that overlap with natural hazards reduction. Others include environmental management public health security (personal, social, and national) and urbanization. All of them are major duty tour sets in their own right, each patterned by philosophical and managerial disputes and unsettled issues. Efforts to work out commonly supportive policies and programmes raise entirely new sets of appropriate issues for hazards experts. References Dombrowsky, Wolf R. 1995.Again and Again Is a Disaster What We Call Disaster? Some Conceptual Notes on Co nceptualizing the Object of Disaster Sociology. International ledger of mass Emergencies and Disasters (Nov. ), Vol. 13, No. 3, 241-254. Crozier, M. and Friedberg, E. (1979) Macht und Organisation, Berlin Athenaum. (in German). IDNDR (International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction). 1996. Cities at risk Making cities safer before disaster strikes. Supplement to No. 28, Stop Disasters. Geneva IDNDR. Maskrey, Andrew. 1989.Disaster mitigation A community based approach. Development Guidelines No. 3. Oxford Oxfam. Mitchell, pack K. 1988. Confronting natural disasters An international decade for natural hazard reduction. Environment 30(2) 2529. Mitchell, James K. 1989. Hazards research. In Gary Gaile and Cort Willmott (eds. ), Geography in America. Columbus, OH Merrill Publishing Company, pp. 410 424. Mitchell, James K. 1993b.Recent developments in hazards research A geographers perspective. In E. L. Quarantelli and K. Popov (eds.), Proceedings of the United StatesFormer Soviet Union Seminar on Social Science inquiry on Mitigation for and Recovery from Disasters and Large Scale Hazards. Moscow, April 19 26, 1993. Vol. I The American participation. Newark University of Delaware, Disaster Research Center, pp. 4362. Mitchell, James K. and Neil Ericksen. 1992. Effects of climate changes on weather-related disasters. In Irving Mintzer (ed. ), Confronting climate change Risks, implications and responses. Cambridge Cambridge University Press, pp. 141152. Mitchell, James K. , Neal Devine, and Kathleen Jagger.1989.A contextual model of natural hazard. Geographical canvas 89(4) 391409. Myers, bloody shame Fran and Gilbert F. White. 1993. The challenge of the Mississippi flood. Environment 35(10) 69, 2535. Parker, D. J. and J. W. Handmer, eds. 1992. Hazard management and emergency planning Perspectives on Britain. London James & James. Showalter, Pamela S. and Mary F. Myers. 1994. Natural disasters in the United States as release agents of oil, chemi cals or radiological materials between 19801989 Analysis and recommendations. Risk Analysis 14(2) 169182. Setchell, C. A. 1995. The growing environmental crisis in the homos megacities The case of Bangkok. Third World Planning Review 17(1) 118. Wynne, Brian. 1992. Uncertainty and environmental learning Reconceiving science and policy in the preventive paradigm. world(a) Environmental Change 2(2) 111 127. Yath, A. Y. 1995. On the expulsion of rural inmigrants from Greater Khartoum The example of the Dinka in Suq el Markazi. GeoJournal 36(1) 93101. Zelinsky, W. and L. Kosinski, L. 1991. Emergency evacuation of cities. London Unwin Hyman.

Miracle Child Brings Hope to Family Essay

Christina Vara had not imagined of ever being a mother, but the time she effected she was carrying one in her womb, she vowed to take good of the new born. All necessary preparations were prioritized and together with her husband, Rafael Ruiz, were eager to be parents. Unfortunately after the ultra sound, they could read the books face which showed that something awful could happen to either Christina or the baby.Sure enough, the babys intestines, liver and other organs were show upside her stomach a birth defect referred to as giant star Omphalocele, which the parents were not aware of. There was no other alternative other than for the two parents-to-be to travel to a childrens hospital in Texas for the childs manipulation. Approximately a year and half later, Rafael and Christina purposed to create awareness of this child birth defect to the community, although theirs was not just born, since everyone was susceptible to the same.Despite the fact that the probability of the ch ild living was almost not there and many had suggested to her to get rid of the pregnancy, Christina purposed to allow the excellent treatment she could to the child. To her, Beatrice Hope Ruiz, was a miracle child (Brown, 2010). In Texas Childrens hospital, Christina underwent a C-section surgery which turned out to be successful and the child fortunately survived though the intestines still hung outside. Their doctor was humane and accommodative.Besides, he taught them how they were to wrap the delicate protruding organs carefully on the childs stomach. Once discharged out of the hospitals, things were tough for them ranging from frequently changing the organ wrappers to understanding the various ways of holding her without necessarily causing the slightest harm to the delicate organs (Brown, 2010). Not onwards long, another major challenge of a new surgery to the child so as to contain these organs in her body faced them. This fostered a great confront to the doctors because Be atrices liver was very large.Though worried of the surgery outcomes, the childs once more survived. Christina testifies that Beatrice was a miracle up to go out and though not planning to bear another child she will continue livery up Beatrice. Rafael was determined not to be a ratifier of the increasing numbers of fatherless children in America. Moreover, he was purposed to provide for his family and pin down the culture that had nurtured the concept of fathers being understood as unessential in the family.In his humane actions to aid Christina through out the child nursing period, he proves wrong the fact that the state is bestowed with the principal role to adequately provide for the childrens upkeep through child-care facilities and welfare checks. Though both parents were not financially stable, they opted to raise their child caringly. Rafael and Christina took the initiative to educate the community about giant Omphalocele thus civilizing them. Their aim was to make the com munity rightly understand and value the role of parents in not only species propagation but similarly in help nurture socialization (Horn, 1997).Rafael becomes a virtuous national through his voluntary decision to give a hand in bringing up their child. Although Beatrice is hardly two years of age now, she will grow up as a social and responsible child since their parents have inclined themselves to stand with her in everything and provide for her needs. References Brown, R. (2010). Miracle child brings Hope to family. Retrieved on 29 July 2010 from Horn, W. F. (1997). Why there is no substitute for parents.

The Nature of Evil in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Society has been preoccupied by the c erstwhilept of good and corruptive since the emergence of civilization and, just as humankind has evolved over time, so has the commentary of evil. Evil was first used to describe someone who placed themselves above others and it wasnt until the Old and Middle English period that evil became associated with wrong-doing. As time passed, the definition continued to become increasingly more specific until it reached its modern day definition extreme moral wickedness. (www. etymonline. com/index. php? term=evil) However, what one ultimately defines as evil depends on ones own(prenominal) experiences, frame of reference, and culture. For instance, during World War II, the Ameri weeds believed that dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima was an act of good as it ended conflict with the Japanese. On the other hand, the Japanese viewed it as an act of evil as the bombings resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.This proves that good and evil fueln ot always be seen as simply black or white, tho also as shades of grey making it difficult to label images in various literary works, especi all toldy those of William Shakespe are. The ambiguity of evil in William Shakespeares critical point forces spectators to interpret each characters thoughts, actions, and personality in order to place them properly on the gra clearnt of evil. Regardless of ones personal idea of evil, Claudius can be seen as a villain from many standpoints.He constantly performs actions with malicious intent and expresses true love only for himself. The first and most important act that Claudius commits is the finish up of his own brother, which he does to obtain the crown of Denmark, as described by King Hamlets ghost Now, Hamlet, hear. Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me so the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forged process of my death Rankly abusd exclusively know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy fathers anim ateness Now wears his crown. (I. v. 34-40)The ghosts speech shows the true nature of Claudius evil as he allows himself to butcher his own brother. However, this is not to say that Claudius does not understand the nature of his sins. chase The Murder of Gonzago, a test of his conscience set up by Hamlet, Claudius feels overwhelmed with guilt and self disgust he attempts to repent for his sins and expresses that he realizes the magnitude of what he has done O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven It hath the primal eldest curse upont A brothers murder. (III. iii. 37-39)This is the first and only time that the readers or spectators see Claudius acting as a normal human being and showing or recognizing his emotions. This is very important as many people believe that repentance leads to mercy. However, Claudius finds himself unable to properly do so as he comes to realize that he does not feel remorse for what he has done since he continues to reap the rewards of his deed Pray can I not, Though inclination be as sharp as will, My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent My fault is past but O, what form of prayerCan execute my turn? Forgive me my foul murder? That cannot be, since I am still possessd Of those effects for which I did the murder My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. My words fly up, my thoughts run below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go. (III. iii. 36-40, 51-55, 97-98) If Claudius had successfully repented for his sins, he would no longer be labelled as an evil character. He is, however, unable to do so. in spite of Claudius callousness, the fact that he even attempts to repent is honourable.However, by continuing to manipulate, destroy, and murder he voids any chance of forgiveness. He uses his son as a whipping boy by focusing all of the negative attention on him and thus avoids negative attention himself, marries his brothers widow, turns Hamlets childhood friends against him, and ultimately causes the deaths of all the m ain characters in the play. He uses his charm and political power to unleash increasing amounts of chaos proving that, One may smile, and smile, and be a villain (I. v. 07) In the end, it is Claudius who is responsible for trapping otherwise innocent characters in a chain of deception, deceit, and destruction which is escapable only by death. Hamlet is the primary victim of Claudius malevolent deeds, causing a dramatic deepen in his nature. He becomes a slave to misfortune and feels the need to right the wrongs in his life, specifically the murder of his father. Upon hearing the truth about the nature of his fathers death, Hamlet becomes a vital part in the cyclical pattern of evil as he vows to take revenge on his uncle, Claudius Haste me to knowt, that I with fly as swiftAs meditation or the thoughts of love May sweep me to my revenge. (I. v. 29-31) Although Hamlet is a victim of Claudius deeds, the reader is unable to sustain any feeling of heightened compassion once he seek s justice by exacting revenge. However, one must take into consideration the common thought processes of the time. It wasnt until recently that society began to view relatiative justice as unacceptable and morally wrong. Therefore, Hamlet would have been justified in his attempts to get revenge for his fathers murder.In addition, getting revenge gives Hamlet no personal gain except the redemption of his fathers name, while Claudius kills with power in mind. Furthermore, Claudius is responsible for the death of an innocent while Hamlet is only concerned with killing those who are guilty, particularly his uncle. Hamlet even takes precautions, such as arranging the performance of The Murder of Gonzago, to prove his suspicions and keep a clean conscience Ill have groundsMore sexual intercourse than thisthe plays the thingWherein Ill catch the conscience of the King. II. ii. 603-605) By trying to figure out whether or not Claudius is guilty, Hamlet shows that he is trying to cause the least damage potential and does not want to kill those who do not deserve it. A truly evil person would not care whether or not their victim was innocent, as is the case with Claudius. Unfortunately, Hamlet becomes tangled up in his thoughts and emotions and causes more problems than he intends to primarly when Hamlet and his mother are talking and Hamlet attacks Polonius who is hiding back an arras.The attack kills Polonius, who Hamlet initially thought was Claudius. While some may consider this to be evil, Hamlet recognizes the event as a tragic apoplexy A bloody deed. Almost as bad, good mother, As kill a king and marry with his brother Thou wretched, rash intruding fool, farewell. I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune. (III. iv. 28-29, 31-32) By comparing the murder of Polonius to the murder of his father, Hamlet acknowledges that what he has done is wrong but unfortunately this does not allow him to escape the repercussions which follow.Killing Polonius is the biggest dislocate that Hamlet makes in the play, turning Laertes against him and leading to the death of both himself and Ophelia. Although Hamlet can be seen as unnaturally cruel many times end-to-end the play, he is not evil. Hamlet is simply trying to play the cards he has been dealt in life. Throughout Hamlet, Laertes is described as a very devoted and noble gentleman. Unfortunately for Laertes, he suffers the same fate as poor Hamlet. He loses his father and his sister, just as Hamlet loses his father and mother.Following his fathers death, Laertes feels the need to kill to uphold his familys name. At first Laertes believes the murderer to be Claudius but when Claudius convinces him otherwise, Laertes shifts his attention towards Hamlet. In order to get Laertes to do this, Claudius manipulates him into thinking that Hamlet is the root of all evil and must be taken care of. Laertes agrees to do so and even contributes his own ideas I will dot. And for that purpose, Ill anoint my swor d. I bought an unction of charlatan So mortal but dip a knife in it, Where it draws blood, no cataplasm so rare,Collected from all simples that have virtue Under the moon, can save the thing from death That is but scratchd withal. Ill touch my point With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly, It may be death. (IV. vii. 139-148) Similarly to Hamlet, it is not evil that gets the best of Laertes, but his emotions. His anger and sadness cause him to react drastically and he makes decisions at a time where he is unable to think straight. Laertes later comes to realize this as he reflects upon his plan to kill Hamlet And yet it is almost against my conscience. V. ii. 288) At this point in the play, it becomes evident that Laertes evil is not of his own creation but of Claudius. It is not only Laertes who realizes this but Hamlet as well, allowing the men to see the similarities in their situations and apologize to one another He is just servd. It is a envenom temperd by himself. E xchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet. Mine and my fathers death come not upon thee, Nor thine on me. (V. ii. 321-325) Unlike Claudius, the men are forgiven for their sins and are able to die as heroes rather than villains.This final act of nobility is what truly defines the characters of Hamlet and Laertes, not their mishaps. William Shakespeares Hamlet exemplifies how it is not what a character does but who a character is that determines whether they are truly evil or not. Nevertheless, that is not to say that the characters do not fall victim to temptation or evil. It is the way that they handle themselves once they have done so that allows spectators an insight into their true nature. As Hamlet says, There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking it makes it so. (II. ii. 245-246)