Recreational Use Of Drugs Essays - Drug Culture,

Recreational Use Of Drugs The Recreational Use of Drugs Junk yields a basic formula of evil virus: The Algebra of Need. The face of evil is always the face of total need. A dope fiend is a man in total need of dope. Beyond a certain frequency need knows absolutely no limit or control. In the words of total need: wouldnt you? Yes you would. You would lie, cheat, steal, and do anything to satisfy total need. Because you would be in a state of total sickness, total possession, and not in a position to act in any other way. Dope fiends are people who cannot act other than they do, a dog cannot choose but bite. There is a large variety of recreational drugs available today and it is evident that they do not all have only detrimental effects. There are essentially two categories of drugs: mind expanding drugs and mind constricting drugs. It might also be useful to consider a category of drugs which are neither mind expanding or mind constricting, though, it would be difficult to find any recreational drugs which would fit in this category. The division of categories should be based on how the drug affects intellectual stimulation. The drugs in the mind-exp Philosophy

The Financial Bailout and CEO Bonuses essays

The Financial Bailout and CEO Bonuses essays During the mist of a financial crisis in 2008, nine of the top US banks paid out over $32 billion in bonuses to its top executives. While this may seem like a common practice, those same financial institutions received over $175 billion in federal bailout assistance (1). While rewarding top executives is a common practice used to bring extremely talented individuals into the organization, is it right to use the tax payers money? Before we discuss the ethical implications of CEOs lining their pockets with Federal money, lets back it up a bit. Was the 2008 bank bailout really necessary? The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 was enacted in order to counter the sub-prime mortgage crisis that almost led to the collapse of the US financial institution. The plan involved injecting $700 billion into US financial institutions (3). According to U.S. Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner, I think if that had not been done at that time, I think we would be facing, really, a catastrophic failure in our financial system 4. If you take a utilitarianism approach, we can see that even though what may seem as a large price to pay to bailout a few corporations, it is still a lot better than what would happen if we had a repeat of the Great Depression. In essence, the bailout benefited the economy as a whole. So, we can safely say that the government bailout was necessary and moral. However, the moral implications of a federal bailout are not in question. Its the executives from the institutions that are getting bailed out that are receiving large bonuses that raise a moral dilemma. In order to apply the utilitarianism principle here, we must prove that in fact the benefits far out way the consequences. So, the question we must ask is, are these executives worth it? What do they bring to these financial institutions that constitute millions of dollars in compensation? O...

Brazils Communication Essay Example for Free

Brazil’s Communication Essay Every country has unique, distinctive ways in which they interrelate and communicate with each other within their country. A country’s means of communication can be verbalized through verbal, non-verbal, and interpersonal communication channels. In the country of Brazil most people are not Hispanic but Latino, although many immigrant communities are from Europe, Africa, and Japan. The official language spoken in Brazil is Portuguese; however, Spanish, English, and French are other languages that are also spoken in Brazil. When greeting they expect a firm handshake with strong eye contact. When doing business in Brazil don’t be taken aback if they stand very close to you when speaking. Moving away may be interpreted as rejection. Brazil also uses many forms of non verbal communication. Much of this body language is comprised of culturally derived behaviors. When speaking to one another, it is not normal to take turns speaking. People will interrupt a conversation and will often speak at the same time as their peers. Another verbal communication pattern that Brazil practices is using first names when addressing a person. Also, one’s tone of voice is often high pitched when conversing with one another. Although daily conversation is conducted in a louder voice, it is not meant to express anger or hostility to anybody. In addition, verbal communication in Brazil is viewed as being theatrical and overly animated by other countries who are more reserved. In Brazil, physical appearance and surroundings are important and provide visual cues as to one’s status and tone of conversations. In many Latin countries, communication tends to be predominately oral rather than through written word. However, from the business aspect, when sending something in written format it is usually a good idea to follow up with a phone call or a visit in person. Over the last two decades, the telecom industry world over has grown and evolved at an incredible pace and has significantly changed the way people interact. Brazil Telecom offers long distance telecommunications services hrough some 8,034 million lines and 281,800 public telephones to customers in Brazil. Oi Telecom, formerly known as Telemar is the largest telecommunications company in Brazil, it was established in 2008 and has become the biggest company in Brazil on the Telecommunications sector. This company is present in 4600 cities in Brazil and it has influenced the price drop in the national level of the same services offered by competitors due to strength of its operations in the country. Brazil’s Communication. (2017, Jan 04).

Importance of Physical Education to student achievement Research Paper

Importance of Physical Education to student achievement - Research Paper Example Physical education and academic performance The direct implications of physical education on academic performance of students have been established by several researchers. One of the first studies analyzing the impact of physical activity on the academic performance of students was done by (Fourestier, 1962). This study included a small group of students from France. The sample population which underwent physical education in the afternoon after the forenoon’s sessions within the classroom was reported to have improved academic performance in comparison with the control group which didn’t undergo physical education (Fourestier, 1962). Though this study included only a small sample size and the methodology has not been detailed in the literature available, this has been indicated as one of the first studies in this research area. Another larger study which was conducted in 1970s has been recorded by Sallis et al (1999). This included 546 primary school children and confi rmed that those students who continuously engaged in five hours of physical education in a week performed better academically. This study has also analyzed the changing impacts of extent of physical education as the control population was constituted of children who had a limited exposure of 40 minutes of physical education per week Sallis et al (1999). ... Shephard (1997) reported that there was significant improvement in the mathematics score of students who underwent physical education for 5 hours a week. However, there were negative consequences in terms of scores in English. It is worth noting here that 33 minutes were reduced in the mathematics instruction while no hours were taken off from English teaching Shephard (1997). Raviv & Hectch (1999) recorded that physical movement education considerably improved the reading skills and the arithmetic test scores of students in an intervention made in an Israel school involving 92 preschool and 266 first grade children. More recent studies also suggest promising correlation between academic performance and physical education. Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves & Malina (2006) conducted an interventional study amongst 6th grade students which included fifty five minutes of physical education per day as an intervention. This intervention in terms of time was equivalent to that of the time slot for arts and computer sciences. The observations of this study indicated that these students performed as good as the control population in mathematics, science and English Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves & Malina (2006). The results of the Canadian Achievement Test revealed that even with decrease in academic time the academic performance of the sample population remained the same (Ahamed, Macdonald, Reed, Naylor, Liu-Ambrose & McKay, 2007). There are few studies which have suggested negative implications of Physical Education on academic achievements. Tremblay, Inman & Willms (2000) observed inverse association with academic performance in students of 11 years. This study is worth mentioning because of its large sample size. The research covered close to 7000 students as the

Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Argument - Essay Example The article focuses on discrimination. The article offers examples of how one race or community imposes harsh treatments on other communities or races. The article claims that one group of individuals wreak havoc on their conceived freaks of society. The freaks include the dwarfs. Another group of freaks are the Jews. A third group of freaks are the people of African ethnicity. Strengths There are strengths in the article’s discussion. First, the article offers stories to prove the freak theory is correct (Rottenberg & Winchell 719). Some babies are killed prior to their being form in order to prevent hardships. For example, deformed babies may suffer the lifelong effects of their deformities. Consequently, killing the babies at such a very young age will stop the child’s lifelong suffering. Likewise, the article states that killing the deformed babies will remove the parents’ difficulties. The parents will have to pay for the education, medical, food, and other needs of the deformed babies throughout the parents’ lives. Killing the deformed children will remove the parents’ hardships. Weaknesses On the other hand, there are weaknesses in the article’s discussion. The article espouses implementation of the discrimination acts. Discrimination violates the constitution and the people’s right to live equality beneficial lives. The article espouses that the White race actively discriminated against the African Americans. In addition, the article discusses how Germany’s leader, Adolf Hitler, orchestrated the mass genocide of Jews. The statement brings out horrible pictures of old Jews, pregnant mothers, toddlers, and physically incapacitated Jews murdered because of only one fault. The Hitler army faulted the Jews because they were born and espoused Jewish faith (Rottenberg & Winchell 721). A: First Supporting Claim The article espoused that some humans are discriminatory in nature. Grounds The article shows th at some sectors of society treat people who not born as normal human beings are inhumanely treated as freaks. Consequently, the same sectors hinder the people with disabilities’ equal life and opportunities. The Whites treat the individuals of African heritage as lesser human beings. For example, the German Army murdered the Jews (Rottenberg & Winchell 721). The claims of the article are based on sufficient grounds. The articles bring out actual facts. The readers will readily accept the supporting claim that the supporting claim the Germans murdered the Jews because they are treated as of a lesser unworthy race. Several movies and books have shown footages and other proofs that the Germans murdered thousands of Jews in the concentration camps. As proof, Germany’s Adolf Hitler committed suicide. Adolf Hitler committed suicide to avoid being captured and punished by the approaching combined army. The army was composed of the United States, United Kingdom and other count ries’ armies (Rottenberg & Winchell 721). Warrant Treating people as freaks is a form of discrimination. Freaks include the Elephant man. The killing of the Jew is discrimination. The treating of people of African heritage as lesser value human beings is discrimination (720). B: Second Supporting Claim The article proposes that other humans punish those who discriminate. Grounds Laws were imposed to

Founding Fathers Essay Example for Free

Founding Fathers Essay In the past century, there has been a growing debate as to the motives of the founders of the republic and as a result the nature of our constitution. While Marxist analysts such as Charles Beard contended that the founders were wealthy elite that ultimately created a conservative document intended to weaken the poor popular majority, other scholars like John Roche believed that the fathers had no such agenda and they were working purely to reconcile states’ interests. Pluralists, such as Hofstadter, believed that the constitutional insistence of checks and balances intended to create a slow political process in which no interest can completely win and oppress other interests over a long period of time. While the scholars, Beard and Roche, make a strong defense of their opposing argument, it appears, based on the constitutional document and historical analysis that Hofstadter provided a more accurate portrayal of the founding fathers and their purpose in framing the various pieces of the Constitution. The men who wrote the constitution came from a particular background of wealthy and politically elite people and as a result one of their main concerns in the newly developing nation was the protection of their property. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no guaranteed right of property and the economy was becoming a mess as there was no power to keep it controlled. Charles Beard states in his document, â€Å"They were anxious above everything else to safeguard the rights of private property against any leveling tendencies on the part of the propertyless masses.† In a country where the majority rules, the wealthy few became vulnerable to possibility of the poor population taking their belongings. Beard believes evidence of this can be seen throughout the Constitution, such as the Contract and Commerce clause which both limit state powers and allow Congress to regulate trading and property rights. The second piece of evidence is that certain branches of the government, the Senate, President, and Supreme Court, are not directly elected by the people. John P. Roche suggests that the framing of the Constitution was essentially a democratic process involving the unification of the state, political, and  economic interests of the nation. Roche recognizes that the framers were an elite, but he is careful to point out that they were a political elite dedicated for the most part to creating an efficient and at the same time controlled national government that would be able to overcome the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The framers were not an organized few dedicated to particular notions of political or economic beliefs beyond the need to create a national government that would be capable of uniting the disparate interests of the state. When the Constitutionalists decided to challenge the Confederation, they used the methods of political legitimacy. The 3/5 compromise allowed more representation of the lower population in the house of representatives and the bill of rights was formed in order to ensure state rights and c heck the central government. Roche believes the bicameral legislation of the constitution was effective at producing pluralism. Finally, the last theory of what the founding fathers intended for the purpose of the Constitution to be was to create a balanced government that followed the philosophy of checks and balance which derived from the Enlightenment ideals of Montesquieu. In â€Å"The Founding Fathers: An Age of Realism,† Hofstadter argues that the agenda of the founding fathers was not only to ensure the rights of property for the wealthy elite, but also for the poorer masses. â€Å"Most of them would probably have admitted that the rich, unrestrained, would also plunder the poor.† The purpose of the Constitution was to create a government that allowed both the elite and individuals to maintain their rights and opportunities in the nation. The framing made sure to include legislation that aided the wealthy but also pieces that helped represent the larger population. The contract and commerce clauses protected property rights and strengthened the central government, but then the Bill of Rights and the House of Representatives gave power to the states and the poor majority. In addition, while the President can veto bills, Congress has the chance to override the veto with a 2/3 majority. The Senate, representing states, and the House of Representatives provide involvement for the majority in the Constitution, while the President and Supreme Court are chosen by the minority and provide protection for the smaller group of individuals. The founding fathers made  sure to include checks and balances when they developed the Constitution in order to ensure a fair government where one group does not hold the most power. Both Beard and Roche have contrasting views on what the purpose was of the founding fathers in their framing of the Constitution, but both are ultimately flawed as it is wrong to say that their agenda was limited to selfish greed or altruism for the majority. The real agenda, as Hofstadter explains, was to form a balanced government that ensures the basic rights for both the majority and minority, allowing the wealthy and the poor to be represented and protected under the branches of the government and legislation through a system of checks and balances.

Essay example --

In today’s society, people are debating whether or not gardening is beneficial to one’s health or just a waste of taxpaying dollars. By growing our own food, we know exactly what we are eating and its nutritional value. Gardening is used as an escape from the real world and can be rather relaxing. I, for one, found gardening to be fun. What I enjoyed most was sorting the vegetables to distinguish the good from the bad. There are many pros to community gardening. Some of them include the health benefits, bringing the entire community together, and economic growth. I would first like to point out the health benefits of growing our own foods. How foods are grown or raised can impact both your health and the environment. By growing our own foods, we become aware of how natural the crops are when they are free of pesticides and other chemicals deemed dangerous for the human population’s health. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown in safe soil and farmers are not allowed to use pesticides or harmful chemicals. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is a leading force in the fight for better ...

The characteristics of Judaism

The characteristics of Judaism such as the beliefs, ethics, rituals and ceremonies and sacred texts do have a major impact in many ways on the adherents and it provides a source of purpose and identity for individuals. It gives meaning and guidance in contemporary situations and therefore it is considered a dynamic, living religion. Beliefs Judaism is a monotheistic faith, meaning that Jews believe there is only One God. Often this God is beyond our ability to comprehend, but God is nevertheless present in our everyday lives. The covenant is an agreement the Jewish people have with their God. Jews believe that there is only one God, no other being participated in the work of creation and God is the only being to whom they offer praise. The terms of the covenant are summed up in the Ten Commandments that reveal adherents must have a respectful, obedient relationship with God and live harmoniously and respectfully with others. In return God will never abandon his Chosen people and God will provide salvation. Ethnics Jewish adherents ethical beliefs are derived from the 613 mitzvoth that Orthodox Jews believe were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai and taught to the Israelites as they travelled the desert to the Promised Land. Other variants believe they may have also been delivered to other divinely inspired people over time. The 248 positive and 365 negative commandments have been discussed and interpreted throughout the centuries by divinely inspired philosophers and rabbis so that they can provide guidance in every aspect of everyday life. Sacred Texts There are many sacred wri tings in Judaism, all of which teach Judaism's adherents how to live ethical and moral lives. The writings are a major source of the laws which regulate Jewish life. Jewish sacred writings are read and studied on an ongoing basis by believers. The Jewish holy book is the Tanakh, containing the Torah and the prophetic books. The Torah is the most holy book of Judaism. Torah, which means â€Å"teaching†, is God's revealed instructions to the Jewish People. It is important to note that while â€Å"Torah† is generally used to refer to the Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch, it is sometimes used to refer to the basic texts of Judaism in general. In this sense, â€Å"Torah† includes the Torah itself, as well as Midrash, Mishnah, and Talmud, which are the Oral Torah. Ceremonies and rituals There are many sacred ceremonies and rituals in Judaism such as Circumcision (Bris) male Jewish children are circumcised on the eighth day after their birth as a sign of a covenant between Abraham and God.. A Bar Mitzvah; at the age of thirteen, Jewish law considers boys to have reached adulthood. A special service is held in the boy's honour, and he is permitted to read from the Torah for the first time. The comparable ceremony for girls is a Bat Mitzvah which varies in religious significance depending on the sect of Judaism. The Sabbath, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the Passover, Shavuot, are all other important ceremonies that are apart of Judaism. The Commandments of the Torah The most important source of ethical guidance for Jews is the Torah which encompasses the Written and Oral Torah. Jewish ethics is derived from the covenantal relationship where they were protected and taught their responsibilities towards God and other people. There are 613 mitzvot 248 positive and 365 negative. The Prophetic Vision The Prophets advocated a pro-active stance to reforming social structures by emphasizing the broad themes of justice, equality and peace during a time when these concepts were of secondary importance compared to observance of law and ritual. The implication of Tikkun Olam is that all individuals have the dual responsibility of rectifying inequalities in society by helping the poor and needy, and acting as a steward by caring for the earth. The book of Wisdom The Book of Proverbs is one of the most significant collections within the genre of Wisdom literature. The Book of Proverbs is a collection of short, pithy statements which offer practical and simple advice on how to lead a moral life and behave prudently. (Wisdom, righteousness, purity, generosity of spirit) Shabbat Of the many observances and practices of Judaism, the Jewish Sabbath or Jewish Shabbat (in Hebrew) is the best known and most commonly practiced. The Jewish Shabbat is a day of rest at the end of the week, beginning on sundown Friday night, and ending on Saturday night, when three stars appear in the sky. It is an eagerly awaited chance for the Jewish people to set aside so many of their common concerns and worries and enjoy higher pursuits. Human beings are called to imitate God who rested on the seventh day after creating the world. Shabbat is the most significant liturgical event of the week. Shabbat reminds the Jewish people of the greatness of God in creating the cosmos. It reminds the Jewish people of the Covenant between God and the People of Israel which lies at the heart of Judaism (Exodus 31:16). The Jewish Sabbath is a day of celebration as well as one of prayer. It is the only rituals laid down by the Ten Commandments and is considered to be one of the most important ritual observed by the Jewish faith. The day itself is a day of rest and enrichment. The word â€Å"Shabbat† derives from a root word in Hebrew that means â€Å"to cease, to end, to rest. † Intense preparation is needed as the day approaches. Physical preparations include shopping and cleaning, which must be completed so that Shabbat is not interrupted. The meals need to be prepared and the table laid for the Friday evening meal. This is an important family occasion. Before the Friday night meal, the most significant, Kiddush (a blessing) is recited. Many Jews attend synagogue services on Friday night and Saturday morning. Shabbat being over, a plaited candle is lit and hands are spread out towards the light as a third blessing is said. This is a reminder that the first thing God created was light to be used to good purpose. From this is can be concluded that Jews believe that by fulfilling the commandments, they are communicating with God on the Shabbat. They understand the mitzvot to be God’s way of reaching out to people. The Shabbat provides a means of reflecting on these commandments and developing a deeper, joyful relationship with god and family. Conclusion Judaism is a powerful, living religion because it has provided adherents with purpose, meaning, heritage and identity. Judaism focuses on relationships; the relationship between God and man, between God and the Jewish people, between the Jewish people and the land of Israel, and between human beings. The scriptures specify the mutual obligations created by these relationships, although various movements of Judaism disagree about the nature of these obligations. Some say they are absolute, unchanging laws from God (Orthodox); some say they are laws from God that change and evolve over time (Conservative); some say that they are guidelines that you can choose whether or not to follow (Reform, Reconstructionist). The variants have formed as different communities have interpreted beliefs and ethics and adapted rituals to meet their needs in different context and because of this Judaism is clearly a dynamic religion.

Coyote Blue Chapter 25~26

CHAPTER 25 Wheels, Deals, and the Persistance of Visions Las Vegas Calliope sat in her car shivering and watching. She was parked up the street from a Vegas Harley-Davidson shop where she had once gone with Lonnie on a delivery for the Guild. The street was deserted, and dark except for the odd glow of neon in the window of a closed pawnshop. Litter danced in dust devils of desert wind that had grown cold through the night. Calliope curled up in the driver's seat and tried to cover herself with one of Grubb's blankets. The smell that came off the blanket, a mix of sour milk and sweet baby, made her sad, and even though she had stopped breastfeeding months ago, her breasts ached for her son. She caught some motion out of the corner of her eye: two figures coming out of an alley onto the sidewalk: men. They were walking toward the car. Calliope slid down in the driver's seat. The mother instinct, the feeling of righteous invincibility that had filled her when she had come here, was leaking away. Right now she was not protecting her child; she was afraid for herself. As the men approached she saw that they were young toughs, swaggering with their own willingness to violence, even as they staggered from the effect of some drink or drug. She slid farther down in the seat, and when their shadows fell across the car's hood she twisted down and covered herself with Grubb's blanket. She heard their footsteps scrape and stop at the car, heard their voices above her. â€Å"Check out this motherfucker.† â€Å"Some tall dollars here – there's a grand in tires on this thing.† â€Å"Pop the hood.† Calliope heard someone trying to open the door. â€Å"Locked.† â€Å"Hang on a minute, I saw a brick back a ways.† Footsteps away. The car rocked with the continued yanking at the door handle. Calliope could hear the keys swinging in the ignition. The second man was coming back. Her breath caught. She waited for the crash. Sweat trickled down her forehead and dripped onto the gearshift knob. â€Å"No man, not the windshield. You can't drive it with a broken windshield.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Calliope braced herself for the impact of the brick, then something in her mind screamed NO! Her feet were still on the pedals. She pushed the clutch and gas to the floor, reached out from under the blanket, and turned the key. The Z roared to life, thundered, then screamed as she kept the gas to the floor. She sat up and glanced at the two startled men, who were cowering a few feet away. Instantly their surprise turned to anger and the taller of the two raised the brick. Calliope popped the clutch and fought to keep the car straight as the tires burned off on the asphalt. She heard a loud crack behind her and felt splinters of glass hit her from behind. She power-shifted through three gears, turning over the tires and kicking the car sideways with each slam of the shifter. By the time she backed off the gas the speedometer was threatening 110. There was a thumping coming from the engine and a high-pitched wailing coming from somewhere. She looked into the rearview mirror to see the hole in the back window and, behind it, flashing red and blue police lights. She hesitated only long enough to throw Grubb's blanket off her shoulders, then slammed the Z into third, floored it, and said a quick prayer to Kali the Destroyer. -=*=- If Lonnie Ray Inman had ever made the connection that whenever he read the words American Standard, spelled out in cornflower blue against white porcelain, he felt a sudden urge to urinate, he might have understood why Grubb, upon seeing white plastic bundles piled haphazardly on the motel-room floor, crawled doggedly to, and whizzed gleefully on, twenty thousand dollars' worth of methamphetamine. To Grubb, the bundles looked like Pampers, a fine and private place to pee. â€Å"Jesus Christ, Cheryl,† Lonnie yelled. â€Å"He crawled out of his diaper. Can't you keep an eye on him for a fucking minute?† â€Å"Fuck you. You watch him, stud. He's your kid.† Cheryl threw a pillow at Lonnie as she stormed naked into the bathroom. â€Å"You were the one that said you'd make a good mother. Throw me a towel.† Cheryl stood in front of the mirror working her jaw back and forth. â€Å"Get your own towel. I think you fucked up my jaw.† â€Å"I did? I didn't do shit.† â€Å"That's the problem, isn't it?† Cheryl had been lolling Lonnie's limpness around in her mouth for an hour, trying to get a reaction out of him, when she heard a sharp crack in her right ear and felt a painful grating in the back of her jaw. Lonnie grabbed a towel off the rack and went to where Grubb was happily splashing away on the drugs. Lonnie picked up the baby and put him on the bed, then went back to clean off the packages. â€Å"Oh, Christ. Cheryl, clean up the kid, will you?† â€Å"Fuck off.† Lonnie stormed into the bathroom and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back until she was staring up at him. He spoke to her through gritted teeth. â€Å"You clean up the kid now or I'll snap your fucking neck. You understand?† He yanked her head back further. â€Å"I've got to turn this shit early in the morning and then ride to South Dakota, and I need to get some fucking sleep. If I have to kill you to get it I will. You understand?† He relaxed his grip on her hair and she nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes. He dragged her out of the bathroom and threw her on the bed with Grubb, then threw the towel in her face. â€Å"Now clean up the kid.† Lonnie took another towel and wiped each of the packages before packing them into Grubb's diaper bag. Cheryl rolled Grubb over and dried his bottom. â€Å"Last time I take a vacation with you,† she said. â€Å"No gambling, no shows, no fucking. I said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked at him. â€Å"No fu-† The word caught in her throat. He was aiming his pistol at her head. -=*=- Until he saw the orange 280Z rocket by him, the cop thought that the worst thing he was going to have to deal with on this shift was not smoking. He was wearing a patch on his left shoulder that was supposed to feed nicotine into his blood to keep him from craving cigarettes, but the urge to smoke was still there, so he fought it by eating donuts. He'd gained ten pounds in a week, and he was musing over the idea of inventing a donut patch when the sports car roared by him. Out of habit, he butted a half-eaten cruller in the ashtray, hit the lights and siren, and pulled out in pursuit. The Z already had about eight blocks on him and he estimated it was doing about a hundred. He was reaching for the radio to call ahead for help when a black Mercedes pulled out from a side street in front of him. He slammed on the brakes and threw the cruiser sideways, bringing it to a stop not ten feet from impact. The Mercedes was at a dead stop, blocking both lanes. The cop watched the Z's taillights fade in the distance on the other side. He killed the siren and switched the radio to the public address system. â€Å"Get out of the car, now!† He waited but no one got out of the car. In fact, he couldn't see a driver at all, yet the Mercedes was still running. He considered calling for backup, then decided to handle it himself. He stepped out of the cruiser with his gun drawn, careful to stay behind the car door. â€Å"You, in the Mercedes, get out slowly.† He saw something move in the car, but it didn't look like a person. Holding his revolver at ready, he shined his flashlight at the car. Movement, but no driver. He saw three possibilities. The driver was unconscious, or was waiting to peel away when he moved away from the cruiser, or was lying in wait with a shotgun to blow his head off. He decided it would be safest to assume the last, and without further warning he crept to a spot just under the open driver's-side window. He heard a scratching sound just above his head and came up, gun first, to catch a glimpse of the back end of the skunk just as it sprayed him in the face. As he wiped his eyes he heard laughing and the Mercedes pulling away. -=*=- Clyde, owner of Clyde's Cash for Your Car, said, â€Å"No offense, chief, but you don't see many Indians in Mercedes.† He kicked a tire and bent down to look at the lines of the paint job for signs of bodywork, keeping a hand on his head to steady his toupee. â€Å"Looks clean.† â€Å"It's a good car,† Coyote said. Clyde narrowed his eyes and smiled. Clyde had seen a little too much sun in his sixty years and this sly smile, what he used to call his ;gotcha; look, made him look like an old Chinese woman. â€Å"And you have the title, right, chief?† â€Å"Title?† â€Å"That's what I thought.† Clyde stepped up to Coyote, his head about level with the trickster's sternum. â€Å"Are you a policeman, or are you working in the service of any law-enforcement agency?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Well then, let's do some business.† Clyde grinned. â€Å"Now, you and I know that we could fry eggs on this car, am I right? Of course I am. And you're not from around here, or you'd have your own connections and wouldn't be here, am I right? Of course I am. And you don't want to take this car out on the interstate where the state patrol would spot it as hot in a second? No, you don't.† He paused for effect, just to make sure everyone knew he was in control. â€Å"I'll give you five thousand dollars for it.† â€Å"Not enough,† said Coyote. â€Å"Look, this car has a machine that tells you where you are.† Clyde glanced inside the Mercedes at the navigation system, then shrugged. â€Å"Chief, you see all these cars?† Clyde gestured to a dozen cars on his lot. Coyote looked around and nodded. â€Å"Well, all these cars got something that'll tell you where you're at. I call them windows. You look out of 'em. Now, do you want to sell a car?† â€Å"Six thousand,† Coyote said. Clyde crossed his arms and waited, tapped his foot, smiled into the night sky. â€Å"Five,† Coyote said. â€Å"I'll be right back with your money, chief. Can I have my boy give you a lift somewhere?† â€Å"Sure,† Coyote said. Clyde went into his office, a mobile home whose entire side functioned as Clyde's sign. In a moment he returned with a stack of hundreds. He counted them into Coyote's hand. A greasy teenager pulled up in an old Chevy. â€Å"This is Clyde junior,† Clyde said. â€Å"He'll take you wherever you need to go.† â€Å"It's a good car,† Coyote said. He handed the keys to Clyde and climbed into the Chevy. As they pulled away Coyote dug into his medicine pouch and pulled out a small plastic box that had once been on Sam's key ring. He pushed the red button once, and a chirping sound came from under the hood of the Mercedes to signal that the alarm was armed. -=*=- Kiro Yashamoto stood in the corner of the treatment room watching two doctors battle for a man's life. One doctor was young, white, and wore a stethoscope around his neck. He was fighting death with electronic monitors, oxygen, a battery of injected drugs, and a degree from Michigan State. The other doctor was an old Indian man, as wrinkled and weathered as the patient, who fought with prayers, songs, and by blowing on the patient through a mouthful of charcoal. He held no degree, but had been called to healing by the trumpeting of a white elk in the Spirit World. Despite the difference in their methods, the two worked as a team. Kiro could see that they respected each other, and he wished that his children were here to see these two cultures working together not for profit, but out of a common compassion. Alas, he had left them outside in the clinic's small waiting room, and neither of the doctors would allow more people in here. A tall, lanky Indian man dressed in denim stood in the corner opposite Kiro. His hair was cut short and shot with gray. Kiro guessed he was in his sixties, but it was hard to tell with these people. He saw Kiro watching and quietly crossed the room. â€Å"My name is Harlan Hunts Alone,† he said, extending his hand. â€Å"How do you do,† Kiro said. He took Harlan's hand and bowed slightly, then caught himself in the inappropriate gesture and felt embarrassed. Harlan patted Kiro's shoulder. â€Å"Pokey is my brother. I wanted to thank you for bringing him here. The doctor said he would have died without your help.† â€Å"It was nothing,† Kiro said. â€Å"Just the same,† Harlan smiled. The medicine man stopped singing and Harlan quickly turned to him. â€Å"He's gone,† the medicine man said. The white doctor looked at the monitor. A steady blip played across the screen. â€Å"He's fine. His blood pressure's coming up.† â€Å"Not dead,† said the medicine man. â€Å"Gone.† Pokey began mumbling, then speaking. Kiro could not hear what he was saying through the oxygen mask. â€Å"That's not Crow. What is that?† asked the white doctor. â€Å"Navaho,† said the medicine man. â€Å"He doesn't speak Navaho,† Harlan said. â€Å"He doesn't even speak Crow.† â€Å"He doesn't here,† the medicine man said. â€Å"He's not here.† On a stone wall: carvings of dead gods and the shadow of a man with the head of a dog. Pokey looks, but there is no figure casting the shadow. He turns to run. â€Å"Stop,† the shadow says. Pokey stops but does not look back. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"Tell him there is death where he goes.† â€Å"Tell who?† â€Å"The trickster. Tell him. And tell him I am coming back.† â€Å"Who are you?† The shade and the wall are gone. Ahead lie prairies. Pokey runs, calls, â€Å"Old Man Coyote!† â€Å"What? I'm busy. Twice in a few days is too much. Don't talk to me for another forty years.† â€Å"A shadow said to tell you that there is death where you are going.† â€Å"A shadow?† â€Å"A man with the head of a dog. I thought it was you playing a trick on me.† â€Å"Nope. So he said that there is death where I am going. He ought to know. Anything else?† â€Å"He said to tell you that he is coming back.† â€Å"Well, no shit. You have to go, old man. You're dying again.† â€Å"I am?† â€Å"Yeah. Didn't you drink that Kool-Aid I left you?† â€Å"There was no water. Who was-â€Å" â€Å"Go now.† -=*=- The green line went flat. The monitor screeched out an alarm. â€Å"We're losing him,† the doctor said. He grabbed a syringe, filled it with epinephrine, and drove it into Pokey's chest. The medicine man began to sing a death song. CHAPTER 26 Hang with a Horse Thief, Wake Up Walking Las Vegas Minty Fresh was staring at nothing and thinking ;Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; when the girl behind the desk grabbed his arm, startling him. â€Å"Are you all right?† she said. â€Å"Fine, what is it?† â€Å"God, on the phone, for you.† â€Å"Thank you.† Minty picked up the phone and tried to drive ;Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; out of his head. â€Å"M.F. here,† he said. â€Å"Your Indian is back in the building, main entrance. Keep an eye on him.† â€Å"Right.† Minty hung up. He checked his watch and realized that he must have been staring for ten minutes before the call. Why couldn't he shake that song? He hadn't heard it since his grandmother had taken him to see Song of the South when he was a child. Grandma had heard the Uncle Remus stories of Br'er Fox and Br'er Rabbit from her own grandmother, who had been a slave. She said that the stories came with the slaves from West Africa. There, Br'er Rabbit was known as Esau, the trickster. Maybe it was the Indian talking about tricking people that had set it off. Since the Indian had come into the casino, Minty had felt uneasy. It was as if the Indian could look into his soul and see secrets that he himself did not know. He looked up to see the Indian coming through the lobby. Minty smiled. â€Å"Mr. Coyote, you're back.† â€Å"How do you know my name?† Minty was spun by the question. He felt his shell of cool detachment cracking and dropping off like old paint. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know†¦.† â€Å"It's okay,† Coyote said. â€Å"I want everyone to know my name. Not like you. You carry your name like a man with a knife hidden in his boot. You should wear your name like a red bow tie.† â€Å"I'll try to remember that,† Minty said, trying to sound patronizing. If the casino knew his real name they'd have him greeting people in clown shoes and a purple wig within the hour. A red bow tie indeed. Coyote fanned a handful of hundreds and waved them under Minty's nose. â€Å"Did you save my place at the table?† â€Å"I'm sure we can find you a suitable place. Follow me.† Minty led Coyote to an out-of-the-way crap table where only a few players were gathered. One of them, a lanky middle-aged man in a cowboy hat and jeans, turned and looked Coyote up and down, then scoffed and turned to the stickman, shaking his head in disgust. â€Å"Prairie niggers,† he said under his breath. Minty moved up behind the cowboy and bent over until his mouth was even with the cowboy's ear. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† The cowboy spun around and stumbled back against the table, his eyes wide. â€Å"Nothin',† he said. Minty remained crouched over, his face almost touching the cowboy's. â€Å"Is there a problem, sir?† â€Å"No. No problem,† the cowboy said. He turned and scraped his chips off the table and quickly walked away. Minty stood slowly and caught the stickman glaring at him. A wave of embarrassment burned over him. That sort of direct intimidation was completely out of line: bad form, bad judgment. He imagined that there would be a call from God waiting for him when he returned to the desk. He turned to Coyote, who was staring down the front of a cocktail waitress's dress. Minty said, â€Å"Can we get you something to drink?† â€Å"Umbrellas and swords, lots of them.† â€Å"Very good.† Minty nodded to the cocktail waitress. â€Å"Mai tai, extra fruit.† Coyote handed his cash to the dealer. â€Å"Black ones.† The dealer counted the money and handed it to the supervisor. â€Å"Changing five thousand.† The other players looked up at Coyote, then Minty, then quickly looked down to avoid eye contact. A pair of fresh-faced newlyweds stood at the head of the table, exchanging kisses and whispers. The stickman pushed the dice to the woman, who giggled as she picked them up. â€Å"That's my lucky girl,† her husband said, kissing her ear. â€Å"New shooter coming out,† the stickman said. â€Å"Is she lucky?† Coyote asked. â€Å"She's made me the luckiest man in the world,† the young husband said. The girl blushed and buried her face in her husband's shoulder. Minty found that he was irritated by the couple's fawning and wondered why. He saw it ten times a day: newlyweds at the tables acting like they were the first to discover love, glued together for a few days of starry-eyed public foreplay between bouts in a hotel bed. And they'd be back in twenty years, separating when they hit the door, her locking onto a slot machine while he played blackjack and dreamed of sneaking off to a jiggle show. Minty wanted to warn them that time would make hypocrites of them. One day you'll wake up and find that you're married to a husband and a father, a wife and a mother, and you'll wonder whatever happened to the lover that you swapped spit and sweetness with over a crap table. But why did it matter? It never had before. It's this Indian, Minty thought. He's making me lose it. Coyote placed all his chips on the pass line. â€Å"Are you lucky?† he said to the bride. She smiled and nodded. Her husband placed a two-dollar chip on the pass line. â€Å"Go ahead, honey.† He held her shoulders, bracing her against the weight of the dice, and the girl let fly. â€Å"Two! Snake eyes! No pass!† The stickman raked in the bets. Coyote dove over the table and caught the woman by the throat, riding her to the floor. The husband stepped aside as the light of his life went down. â€Å"You are not lucky!† Coyote screeched. â€Å"You lost all my money! You are not lucky!† The girl clawed at his face with lace-gloved hands. Minty Fresh caught Coyote by the back of the neck and pulled him off the girl with one hand, waving away the security jesters who had appeared with the other. â€Å"I've got this handled.† He nodded to the girl on the floor and the jesters helped her to her feet. Minty dragged Coyote away from the table. â€Å"She lied. She lied.† â€Å"Perhaps you'd like to rest for a while,† Minty said, as if he was taking Coyote's hat rather than dragging him across the floor. â€Å"Can we get you something to eat? The dining room is closed, but our snack bar is open.† Minty was acutely aware that he was in the process of losing his job. He should have turned the Indian over to security. After years as the officer of order, he was falling apart. â€Å"I need to get more money,† Coyote said, calming down now. Minty set Coyote on his feet, keeping a restraining hand on the trickster's neck. â€Å"You're sharing a room with Mr. Hunter, aren't you? I'll have the bellman take you up to the room.† Coyote thought for a moment. â€Å"No, my money is at another hotel and I don't have a car.† â€Å"That's not a problem, sir. I'll call around a limo and drive you myself.† Minty steered Coyote out a side exit of the casino and walked him to the valet booth, where he ordered a limo from the attendant. In a moment a stretch Lincoln pulled up to the curb and an eager squire held the door while Coyote climbed in. Minty adjusted the seat before climbing in; still, his knees were up around the wheel. As he drove he tried to form some sort of rationalization for his mistakes – something to wash him clean with the management. Perhaps the Indian would lose enough money to justify the lapses of judgment. â€Å"Where are you staying, sir?† â€Å"The Frontier.† Minty nodded and pulled out onto the strip. â€Å"Call Camelot,† he said. A series of beeps sounded in the car and a woman's voice came on the speaker. â€Å"Camelot.† â€Å"Desk, please.† â€Å"Thank you.† A series of clicks and a different voice. â€Å"Camelot, reservations.† â€Å"This is M.F.,† Minty said. â€Å"I'm taking a customer to the Frontier. I'll return in a few minutes.† â€Å"Very good, sir. There's a message for you from upstairs. Do you want me to put you through?† â€Å"No. Thank you.† There was no sense in rushing to the mailbox if you knew there was a letter bomb waiting for you. â€Å"Off,† Minty said. There was a click. Coyote was hanging on the back of the seat, looking down at the cellular phone. â€Å"You can talk to machines?† â€Å"Just this one. Voice activated so you can keep your hands on the wheel.† â€Å"I can talk to animals. Can you take other forms?† Minty smiled. The Indian was a nut case, but at least he was an amusing nut case. â€Å"Actually,† he said. â€Å"This is another form. In real life I'm a short Jewish woman.† â€Å"I wouldn't have known,† Coyote said. â€Å"It must be the sunglasses.† He looked at the dashboard. â€Å"Does this car tell you where you are?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Ha! Mine is better.† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"Follow that car,† Coyote said, pointing ahead to a 280Z with a shattered back window turning off the strip. For a second, Minty was tempted to follow the car, then he caught himself. â€Å"I can't do that, sir.† What was it about this Indian that he could twist the world? If he wasn't fired when he got back to the casino, Minty decided he would hire a hooker to rub his temples and tell him that everything was okay until he believed it or ran out of money, whichever came first. Maybe the Indian was right about people wanting to be tricked. â€Å"I need cigarettes,† Coyote said. â€Å"We have complimentary cigarettes at the casino, sir.† â€Å"No. I need some now. At that store.† Coyote pointed to a minimart across the strip. â€Å"As you wish,† Minty said. He pulled the limo into the minimart and turned off the engine. Coyote said, â€Å"I'm out of money until we go to my motel.† â€Å"Allow me, sir,† Minty opened the car door and unfolded himself onto the curb. â€Å"I'll pay you back.† â€Å"Not necessary, sir. Camelot will take care of it.† â€Å"Salems,† Coyote said. â€Å"A carton.† Minty closed the door and walked into the minimart. He found the cigarettes, then grabbed a package of Twinkies off the shelf for himself. He checked the date on the Twinkies: July 1956. Good. They had another thirty years of guaranteed freshness. He fell in line behind a drunk man who was waving a gas card at the clerk. â€Å"Look, man, it's this simple. You charge my card for forty bucks' worth of gas and give me twenty in cash. You get a hundred-percent profit.† Minty listened to the clerk try to explain why this couldn't be done and smiled in sympathy, as if to say, â€Å"They lose their money, then they lose their minds.† The clerk rolled his eyes as if to say, â€Å"This might take a while.† Minty looked outside to check on his passenger and saw the limo backing away from the curb. He tossed the cigarettes and Twinkies on the counter and ran out, losing his glasses as he ducked to get through the doors. He reached the street as the limo accelerated out of reach, then stopped and stared down the strip, watching the Lincoln's taillights until they blended into a million other lights. Acid panic rose in his throat, then subsided, replaced by the resolved calm of the doomed. He turned and walked slowly back to the minimart to find his glasses. As he reached the door, the drunk, his gas card still in hand, stumbled through and Minty caught him by the shoulders to avoid a collision. The drunk looked up, then tore himself away and stepped back. â€Å"Jesus Christ, boy! What happened to your eyes? You been sittin' too close to the TV?† Minty raised his hand to cover his golden eyes, then dropped it and shrugged. â€Å"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,† he said with a grin. -=*=- Dawn was starting to break and the sky was turning from red to blue. Coyote sat in the limo, which was parked a block behind Calliope's orange Z, which was parked a block away from Nardonne's Harley-Davidson Shop. Lonnie's bike was parked outside. â€Å"Call Sam,† Coyote said. Nothing happened. He pounded on the car phone. â€Å"I said, call Sam.† Nothing happened. â€Å"Call Sam's room,† Coyote said to the phone. Nothing happened and the trickster yipped with anger. â€Å"Call Sam's room or I'll rip your cord off.† He picked up the receiver and beat it on the dashboard, then he saw a sticker with the casino's logo stuck to the receiver. â€Å"Call Camelot,† he said. The phone lit up and beeped through some numbers. The phone rang once and a woman answered. â€Å"Camelot.† â€Å"I want to talk to Sam.† â€Å"Do you have a last name, sir?† â€Å"No, just Coyote.† â€Å"I'm sorry, sir, we have no guest listed under Coyote.† â€Å"Not me, I'm here. His name is Hunter.† â€Å"We have no Coyote Hunter. There's a Samuel Hunter.† â€Å"That's him.† â€Å"One minute while I connect you.† â€Å"I'll bet you're ugly in person.† â€Å"What?† Sam's sleepy voice came over the phone. â€Å"Sam, I found the girl.† â€Å"Where? Where are you? What time is it? Who's ugly?† â€Å"Morning. You have to come here. I'm at a place called Nardonne's Harley-Davidson Shop. The girl is here, and the motorcycle with her picture on it is parked outside.† â€Å"Give me directions. I'll be there in a few minutes. Keep Calliope there. I have to check out and get the car.† â€Å"Take a cab.† â€Å"You didn't take my car?† â€Å"No, this car is better. You can talk to the phone. Your car is gone. I sold it.† â€Å"You what?† â€Å"Take a cab. I'm in a big black car. Off.† The phone clicked, cutting Sam off in the middle of a tirade. Coyote didn't know whether the girl had a phone in her car, but he decided to try. â€Å"Call the girl,† he said to the phone. The phone beeped through the numbers. â€Å"This is Carla,† a sexy woman's voice said. â€Å"Would you like this on your phone bill or your credit card?† â€Å"Phone bill,† Coyote said. â€Å"If you like leather, press one,† Carla said. â€Å"Twins, press two. For California blondes, press three. Big bottoms, press-† Coyote picked up the handset and pressed three. Another sexy voice came on, â€Å"Hi, I'm Brandy, who are you?† â€Å"Coyote.† â€Å"Would you like to know what I'm wearing, Coyote?† â€Å"No, I have to tell the girl to stay here until Sam comes.† â€Å"We'll take as long as Sam needs. Is Sam getting hard?† â€Å"No, he's pissed off about his car.† There was a pause and the sound of her lighting a cigarette. Brandy said, â€Å"Okay. Let's start over.† -=*=- Minty waited for the second limo at the pay phone outside the minimart. He flipped through his address book until he found the detective's number, then dialed. The phone rang twice, then there was the sound of the receiver rattling and falling. Finally a sleepy, hostile man's voice said, â€Å"What?† Minty said, â€Å"Jake, this is M.F., at Camelot.† â€Å"Fuck that. This is harassment. It's†¦ it's five thirty in the morning. You said I could have all the time I needed to pay.† â€Å"I'm not calling about that, Jake. I need a favor. One of the limos has been stolen.† â€Å"Why call me at home? You guys have Lo-Jack beacons in those limos, don't you? Call the station. They'll track it and have it back in half an hour.† â€Å"I can't call the station, Jake. This is delicate. I need to get it back without bringing the police into it.† â€Å"You're fucked. The Lo-Jack trackers are installed in the cruisers.† â€Å"Can you put one in one of our limos? Just until I find the stolen one.† â€Å"No way. The tracking system takes hours to install.† â€Å"Jake, I need a favor. Just a favor. I haven't mentioned what you owe us.† â€Å"This strong-arm shit isn't your style, M.F.† â€Å"But you can get use of a unit with the Lo-Jack tracker in it?† â€Å"Meet me at the station in a half hour.† â€Å"What's the range on the tracker?† â€Å"About a mile, depending on the terrain. Farther in the desert. You're not going to be able to cover much area with only one car.† â€Å"Then make it fifteen minutes. And Jake-â€Å" â€Å"What?† â€Å"Thank you.† Minty hung up. So much for the police, he thought. Now if I can get it back before the casino finds out. If not, I guess it's time to go shopping for a red bow tie. -=*=- Calliope was sure she could do it: if Grubb was trapped under a Chrysler she could lift the car and pull him out. You heard about it all the time: Hundred-Pound Mom Lifts Two-Ton Car to Save Trapped Tot. It seemed to happen often enough that it should be part of Lamaze training. â€Å"Okay, now breathe, focus, grab the bumper†¦ now lift!† Yep, she could do it – a Chrysler on each arm if she had to. She wasn't so sure about getting Grubb back from Lonnie. Maybe if that other woman wasn't with him, being so hostile and negative. She was feeling a little better now that the sun was coming up. She'd been shivering since the punks had broken her back window, from nerves and the cold. And she didn't have enough gas money to leave the Z running with the heater on while she waited for Lonnie to come out of the Harley shop. She might not have enough to make it home as it was. Besides, something was wrong with the car; she'd tached it too high while running from the police and something had given way in clatter and smoke. As she watched, Lonnie came through the front door of the shop carrying Grubb's diaper bag. Calliope swallowed hard, trying to push down her fear – fear of failure. She got out of the Z. The woman followed Lonnie holding Grubb in her arms. Calliope ran toward them, then stopped when she saw the woman's face. It was like one painful purple bruise with eyes. â€Å"Lonnie,† Calliope called. Lonnie and the woman turned. Grubb saw his mother and reached out. Lonnie pushed down Grubb's hand. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"I came to get Grubb. You shouldn't have taken him.† â€Å"Talk to the judge. He's mine half the time.† He was right. Calliope had gone to Social Services once before when Lonnie took Grubb on a road trip. Her caseworker told her that the law couldn't do anything to help. â€Å"You don't want him. You just want to hurt me.† Lonnie laughed, threw his head back, and shook with laughter. For all the times he had postured and threatened and screamed and pounded, he had never really scared her. She was scared now. â€Å"You shouldn't take him on a run like this, Lonnie. What if you get busted?† â€Å"Run? What run? We're just on a little family camping trip, aren't we, Cheryl?† The woman tucked her face behind Grubb. â€Å"Give him to me, please,† Calliope pleaded. Lonnie climbed onto his bike grinning and hit the starter. The bike fired up and Lonnie shouted over the engine, â€Å"Go home. I'll bring him back in a few days.† Cheryl climbed on behind him and he dropped the bike into gear. â€Å"No!† Calliope started to run after them. Lonnie gunned the bike and roared off. She shuffled to a stop and saw Grubb reaching out over Cheryl's shoulder. Her eyes blurred with tears. She turned and ran to her car, wiped her eyes, and saw the limo parked down the street. Someone was sitting in it, just watching her. â€Å"What are you looking at?† she screamed. -=*=- Sam made the chambermaid help him search the hotel room for his wallet for fifteen minutes before giving up and leaving her with a promise of a tip on the credit card. He was thinking This is like being stuck in some Kafkaesque Roadrunner cartoon when the taxi from the Acme Cab Company pulled up, the driver wearing a fez. Animated by Hieronymus Bosch, Sam thought. In the cab, he said, â€Å"Do you know a Harley-Davidson shop called Nardonne's?† â€Å"Bad part of town. Cost you double.† â€Å"It's broad daylight.† â€Å"Oh, it is. My shift is over. Sorry.† â€Å"Okay, double,† Sam said. Why quibble? He couldn't pay the guy anyway. When they pulled in behind the limo, Sam said, â€Å"Wait here, I'll get your money.† He got out and looked down the street to the Harley shop, then went up to the limo and pounded on the blacked-out window. The window whirred down. Coyote grinned. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"Took off. Just now.† â€Å"Why didn't you stop her?† â€Å"She didn't want to be stopped. We'll find her – she's following the biker, and we know where he's going.† The cabdriver beeped his horn. â€Å"Give me my wallet,† Sam said. Coyote handed the wallet out the window. Sam rifled through it and came up empty. â€Å"There's no money left.† â€Å"Nope,† Coyote said. The cabdriver leaned on the horn. Sam signaled for him to wait, ran around to the other side of the limo, and got in. â€Å"Go,† Sam said. â€Å"What about the cabdriver?† â€Å"Fuck him.† â€Å"That's the spirit.† Coyote started the limo and peeled away. He checked the rearview mirror. â€Å"He's not following.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"He's talking to his radio. Got a smoke?† Sam dug a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, tapped one out, and lit it. â€Å"Where's my car?† â€Å"I sold it.† â€Å"You can't sell it without the title.† â€Å"I got a good deal, five thousand.† â€Å"Are you nuts? Five thousand wouldn't buy the stereo.† â€Å"I needed to win my money back. I won a lot of money on the machine you put the cards in, but a shaman with a stick won it back from me.† Sam butted his cigarette in the ashtray and hung his head in his hands, trying to let it all sink in. â€Å"So you sold my car for five grand?† â€Å"Yep.† Coyote snatched the mashed cigarette and relit it. â€Å"And where is that money?† â€Å"The shaman had strong cheating medicine.† â€Å"That's the kind of thinking that got Manhattan sold for a box of beads.† â€Å"So they still tell that story? It was one of my best tricks. They gave us many beads for that island. They didn't know that you can't own land.† Sam sighed and slouched in his seat, thinking he should be angry, or worried about his car, but strangely he was more concerned with catching Calliope. They were on the highway now. Sam glanced at the speedometer. â€Å"Slow down to the speed limit. We don't need cop trouble. I'm assuming you stole this car.† â€Å"I counted coup: stealing a tethered horse.† â€Å"Tell me,† Sam said. Coyote told the story of Minty and the limo, turning it into a fable full of danger and magic, making himself the hero. He was coming to the part about the car phone when it rang. Sam reached for the answer button and pulled back his hand in disgust. â€Å"What's this gunk all over the phone? It looks like-â€Å" â€Å"I'm not to that part of the story yet.† â€Å"Then you answer it.† â€Å"Speak,† Coyote said, and the phone lit up and clicked. â€Å"Is that you, Brandy?† A very deep, calm voice came over the speakerphone, â€Å"I want the car back, now. Pull over and stop. I'm a couple of minutes behind you. The police are-â€Å" â€Å"Off,† Coyote said. The phone hung up. Coyote turned to Sam. â€Å"This is a good car. You can talk to the phone. Her name is Brandy. She's very friendly.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Sam said. â€Å"That wasn't her.† â€Å"Pull off at the next exit.†

Effects of Depression on Teenagers

Effects of Depression on Teenagers Free Online Research Papers Depression, one of the world’s most prevalent psychological problems, affects nearly everyone through either personal experience or through depression in a family member or friend. Each year, over 17 million Americans experience a period of clinical depression. In a teenager’s life, they must confront peer pressure problems at school, problems at home, the deaths of loved ones, alcohol abuse, etc.; another cause of depression is said to be smoking, a habit Holden is addicted to. â€Å"Teens who smoked were at an increased risk of depression at a 73% higher rate than other teens.† (Goodman and Capitman, 2005) Depression interferes with regular functioning, and frequently causes problems with work, social, and family adjustment. It causes pain and suffering, not only to those who have the disorder, but also to those who love and care for them. Depression has the ability to destroy family life as well as the life of the depressed person. A person suffering from depression usually exhibits a very low mood, which pervades all aspects of life, and an inability to experience pleasure in activities that formerly were enjoyed. They may ruminate over thoughts of worthlessness, guilt, regret, helplessness, and hopelessness. Symptoms of depression in teenagers do not directly correspond to those of major depression, but are extremely similar. Teenagers suffering from this condition often display frequent sadness and guilt, extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure, difficulty with relationships, poor performance in school, poor concentration, efforts to run away from home, suicidal thoughts, and alcohol or drug abuse. Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year-old New York City teenager in the 1950s, displays many of the symptoms of teen depression. Holden’s current clinical presentation appears to represent an acute exacerbation of a chronic psychotic disturbance which had its onset when his younger brother, Allie, died from leukemia. The Caulfield family has not yet openly discussed the event of Allie’s death, thus penetrating the threshold of pain that Holden can bear. Holden exposes a deep void in his soul that yearns for the return of his lost sibling. His condition was worsened when attending Elkton Hills where one of his peers, James Castle, was harassed and bullied, resulting in his suicide. Holden comments, â€Å"†¦ there was old James Castle laying there right on the stone steps and all. He was dead, and his teeth, and blood, were all over the place, and nobody would even go near him.† (Salinger, 170) However, despite Holden’s imprudent actions and vulgar dialogue , he experiences ephemeral periods of despondency and sorrow. His personality is that of an improvident individual who seeks pleasure and contentment; however, his plans are easily altered by his ever-changing disposition, due to hovering feelings of sorrow and guilt. Holden does not have the ability to harmonize with numerous factors in society. He is particularly critical of change in himself, his family, and his surroundings. More often than not, the changes that Holden has experienced impede his daily routine. For instance, Allie’s death injured him psychologically; the changing orientation of the streets injured him bodily. Holden combines his anti-change mindset with sensitivity to rejection, thus causing him to engage in a brutal quarrel with his roommate, Stradlater, regarding one of Holden’s former acquaintances, Jane Gallagher. He beleaguers Stradlater with questions to ask Jane; Holden wishes that Jane has not changed from what he remembers from his childhood. â€Å"All I said was, ‘Ask her if she still keeps all her kings in the back row.’† (Salinger, 35) Throughout the plotline, Holden shows that he is in need for intimate relationships with other individuals. One of Holden’s most prominent problems is that he considers all adults as phonies; he visualizes childhood as the ideal state of being. To illustrate, throughout Holden’s childhood, it has become obvious that he has idolized his older brother, D.B.; however, now that he is a writer for Hollywood, Holden considers him a phony. â€Å"He used to be just a regular writer, when he was home. Now he’s out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the movies. Don’t even mention them to me.† (Salinger, 2) While residing at Pencey Prep, prior to becoming expelled, Holden remarks that he has greater respect for Robert Ackley, a teenager who has repulsive hygiene, than for his roommate, Stradlater, a sloven who hides his unsanitary ways. Holden can relate to Robert, primarily because he does not care about w hat others think of him; he does not want to be someone that he is pretending to be. Although Holden possesses great aptitude, he never applies himself to his own work, thus resulting in his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a college preparatory school. Of the five subjects Holden is enrolled, he admits to earn failing marks in four. From a conversation with Mr. Antolini, the reader learns that Holden acts in a quixotic manner; he cannot focus on a topic for an extended period of time. â€Å"‘That digression business got on my nerves. I don’t know. The trouble with me is, I like it when somebody digresses. It’s more interesting and all.’† The concept of Holden’s desire to flee from his home is eminent when he introduces his plan to his companion, Sally Hayes. â€Å"‘Here’s my idea. How would you like to get the hell out of here? Here’s my idea. I know this guy down in Greenwich Village that we can borrow his car for a couple of weeks. What we could do is, tomorrow morning we could drive up to Massachusetts and Vermont, and all around there, see.’† (Salinger, 132) Holden fantasizes a world where he can easily leave all his troubles behind in New York, and begin another life in Massachusetts, without encountering any additional struggles. After having his idea repudiated by Sally, he seeks his utopia on his own. â€Å"I decided I’d never go home again †¦ I’d start hitchhiking my way West. What I’d do, I figured, I’d go down to Holland Tunnel and burn a ride, and then I’d burn another one, and another one, and in a few days I’d be s omewhere out west where it was very pretty and sunny and how I’d get a job.† (Salinger, 198) Throughout Holden’s forty-eight hour journey, he abuses his freedom and accumulated wealth by going to the numerous bars found in New York. On several occasions, Holden becomes inebriated from the consumption of alcoholic beverages. â€Å"‘Where are you? Who’s with you?’ ‘Nobody. Me, myself, and I.’ Boy was I drunk! I was even still holding onto my guts.† (Salinger, 151) Treatment options for adolescents with clinical depression include supportive care from a medical provider, psychotherapy, and antidepressant medications. Family members also often participate in the treatment of depression. Family therapy may be helpful if family conflict is contributing to the depression. However, many parents, like Holden’s, are tempted to send their child to a â€Å"boot camp,† â€Å"wilderness program,† or â€Å"emotional growth school.† These programs often use non-medical staff, confrontational therapies, and harsh punishments. There is no scientific evidence to support such programs; in fact, there is a growing body of research suggesting they can harm sensitive teenagers with depression. In addition to family care and nourishment, medications may be considered in the treatment of depression. For instance, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), an antidepressant, may be used to treat depression; however, some medications carry warnings that note that it may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions. In Holden’s case, medication is not needed. He simply needs loving, caring, family and friends. Of the diverse people in Holden’s life, there are only a few who comprehend his true inner being. Holden’s younger sister, Phoebe, aided him through his period of clinical depression. She is one who understands Holden’s problem and tries to support him through his times of need; she acts as Holden’s true confidant. When Holden is in the company of Phoebe, he experiences feelings of joy, warmth, and rebirth. â€Å"I just felt good, for a change.† (Salinger, 165) Phoebe insists on following Holden, when he considers making his hegira in order to flee his troubles; Holden rejects her offer. Phoebe responds by crying, which assists Holden to face his problems. It allowed him to realize that if he left home, he would not be the only depressed and lonesome person in the world. As a result, he stays at home. Im not going anywhere. I changed my mind.† (Salinger, 207) Another sympathizer is Mr. Antolini, Holden’s favorite teacher at Elkton Hills. Holden respects Mr. Antolini for picking up the body of James Castle after he had jumped out of the window. However, when Holden is staying at Mr. Antolini’s house, he awakens to find Mr. Antolini’s hand stroking his head. Holden immediately begins to dress and leave the Antolini residence, assuming that Mr. Antolini was making a sexual approach. Afterwards, Holden is overcome by feelings of guilt regarding his abrupt behavior. I thought how he hadnt minded it when Id called him up so late, and how hed told me to come right over if I felt like it. And how he went to all that trouble giving me that advice about finding out the size of your mind and all, and how he was the only guy thatd even gone near that boy James Castle I told you about when he was dead.† (Salinger, 195) Overall, Holden Caulfield is an agreeable and reputable child, with an unprincipled beginning in life. His parents should learn to be comforting and caring towards Holden. Holden is lacking a major portion of infatuation, affection, tenderness, etc. that most children receive. Holden made the correct decision to hinder his decisions to leave his home. If he continues to make intelligent decisions that will benefit his future, he will be on the road to recovery. Discusses the effects of depression on teenagers, using Holden Caulfield, from The Catcher in the Rye. Do not copy this essay! Research Papers on Effects of Depression on TeenagersPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Capital PunishmentThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Incorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThree Concepts of Psychodynamic

Text analysis and report based on a systemic functional linguistic and Essay

Text analysis and report based on a systemic functional linguistic and - Essay Example Clearly, the courageously defiant tone and message of Invictus was born of the extreme hardships that dogged the heels of Henley throughout his life. Despite the loss of his leg, Henley attained some moderate success as the editor of the London Observer, and counted among his close friends the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling. He married and was blessed with a daughter named Margaret; unfortunately, fate caught up with him and he lost five-year-old Margaret to cerebral meningitis. Then in 1902, his dormant tuberculosis condition resurfaced, from which he died in 1903 at the age of 54. Understanding the travails of the poem’s author makes its legacy all the more remarkable for being the inspiration for Nelson Mandela, during his 26-year incarceration as political prisoner who championed the cause of human rights. The poem sustained the imprisoned man who, upon the lifting of apartheid in South Africa, became the nation’s President. For the purposes of this paper, the text of the poem was chosen because of the several contexts in which the poem found relevance in the lives of many people. Images connected with it are presented herein, with the text of the poem, in Appendix A. The text shall be analysed using the systemic-functional theory, and the multimodal approach. Textual analysis may only be meaningfully carried out within the context of the purpose for which the text is articulated. â€Å"Language is said to be functional because its organisation quire fundamentally reveals the purposes for which any natural language came into being† (Christie, 1999). In the analysis of the chosen text, the poet’s purpose in composing the poem and choosing his words will be given focus. Traditionally, language is described in terms of grammar and lexis viewed separately. On the other hand, lexico-grammar approach regards language as â€Å"meaning conveyance of words working in

Sociological Imagination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sociological Imagination - Essay Example According to Robert Weiss, there are two types of loneliness. In social isolation, a person feels deprived of a network of friends or relatives; in emotional isolation, a person feels deprived of a single, intense relationship. These two kinds of loneliness share a common emotional core, and there is some debate about how clearly they can be distinguished (Russell et al., 1984). Either one can be momentary or a long-lasting characteristic of the individual. Emotional Isolation often strikes the war veterans at the same time as social anxiety and depression. Like social anxiety, emotional isolation and depression are characterized by the deliberating pattern of social interaction. Social anxiety comes in two varieties. The state of social anxiety is a momentary experience that flares up at a certain time or in a certain place, and then passes. The trait of social anxiety is more enduring: a characteristic of certain individuals that persists over time and across situations. For those chronically afflicted, their anxiety locks them into increasingly unpleasant social interactions. Such individuals tend to reject other people, perhaps because they fear being rejected themselves. They are withdrawn and ineffective in social interactions, perhaps because they perceive negative reactions even where there are none. In fact, however, other people often do react negatively to interactions with socially anxious individuals. Feelings of social discomfort can arise from a number of sources. They can be a learned reaction of to unpleasant encounters, as social problems in the past contribute to social anxiety about the future. That is why, it has often been seen that war veterans usually suffer anxiety. Depression: Depression is a psychological disorder characterized by negative moods, low esteem, pessimism, lack of initiative, and slowed thought process. Although there are numerous influences on depression, social psychologists have paid particular attention to the role of cognitive factors. Researchers believed that depression is caused due to the exposure to uncontrollable, aversive stimulation. They proposed that organisms exposed to an uncontrollable event learn something- namely that control is not possible. Faced with this knowledge, they stop trying to exert control even in a different situation. That is the case of war veterans. They have seen too much cruelty, huge toll of human lives, immense loss of property and resources, heinous and inhuman war crimes; and above-all the aftermath-miseries, diseases and moral decay, over which they have no control whatsoever. This feeling of