Beneath the Smooth Skin of America Essay -- Scott R. Sanders Literatur

Beneath the Smooth Skin of America Change is something you are probably familiar with. In â€Å"Beneath the Smooth Skin of America,† Scott R. Sanders talks about many changes in his life. The author starts the story looking throw the eyes of himself as a child. As a child he remembers that all that was in his sight was all he could see. The author’s best example of this is he says, †Neighbors often appeared†¦where they came from I could not imagine† (27). As the author begins to see more by leaving the area he was around so often he starts to see more and more things. He started moving around to different places and started seeing the things that he had not see before. The author points out many things that he began to see like the stores around the town and the different colors of places. The smell of the certain area over the one smell he was used to. In his travels to the south he noticed the bathrooms signs in the south read, â€Å"Colored† and â€Å"White.† All these d ifferent changes made his world seen bigger and bigger. As the author got out more the more world started to irritate him. The author’s relatives, who lived in the southern states, helped the author to think of himself as, â€Å"A Northerner†(p.28). After leaving for college in Rhode Island he explains that in his college days he thought of himself as a â€Å"Midwesterner.† The other students of his college, using the stereotype, made fun of him and the way he acted. â€Å"I was square, my new friends assured me† (p.28). This ...

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- Edgar Allen Poe Writers Authors E

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was a bizarre and often scary writer. People throughout history have often wondered why his writings were so fantastically different and unusual. They were not the result of a diseased mind, as some think. Rather they came from a tense and miserable life. Edgar Allan Poe was not a happy man. He was a victim of fate from the moment he was born to his death only forty years later. He died alone and unappreciated. It is quite obvious that his life affected his writings in a great way. In order to understand why, the historical background of Poe must be known. Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents were touring actors and both died before he was three years old. After this, he was taken into the home of John Allan, a prosperous merchant who lived in Richmond, Virginia.1 When he was six, he studied in England for five years. Not much else is known about his childhood, except that it was uneventful. In 1826, when Poe was seventeen years old he entered the University of Virginia. It was also at this time that he was engaged to marry his childhood sweetheart, Sarah Elmira Royster. He was a good student, but only stayed for a year. He did not have enough money to make ends meet, so he ran up extremely large gambling debts to trying make more money. Then he could not afford to go to school anymore. John Allan refused to pay off Poe's debts, and broke off his engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster. Since Poe had no other means of support, he enlisted in the army. By this time however, he had written and printed his first book, Tammerlane, and Minor Poems (1829).2 After a few months though, John Allan and Poe were reconciled. Allan arranged for Poe to be released from the army and enrolled him at West Point. During this time, his fellow cadets helped him publish another book of poetry. However, John Allan again did not provide Poe with enough money, and Poe decided to leave this time before racking up any more debts Still, Poe had no money and necessity forced him to live with his aunt, Mrs. Clemm, in Baltimore, Maryland. None of his poetry had sold particularly well, so he decided to write stories. He could find no publisher for his stories, and so resorted to entering writing contests to make money and receive exposure. He was rarely suc... ...f the House of Usher† what kills Roderick Usher is the sheer terror of his sister who appeared to have come back from the dead. According to Marie Bonaparte, one of Freud's friends and disciples, all the disorders Poe suffered from can be explained by the Oedipus Complex and the trauma he suffered when his mother died. The Oedipus Complex is best described as a child's unconscious desire for the exclusive love of the parent of the opposite sex. The desire includes jealousy toward the parent of the same sex and the unconscious wish for that parent's death. In fact, upon examining the women in Poe's stories, we find that they bear striking resemblance to the mother that Poe never had. So one gets a glimpse at how Poe's life, filled with insurmountable obstacles and full of disappointments, indeed played a role in his writing. A good comparison would be Vincent Van Gogh. He also endured hardship and died at an early age. Poe was only forty when he passed away. Insignificant in his lifetime, it was only after his death that he was appreciated. He is now acclaimed as one of the greatest writers in American history. It is indeed a pity that he will never know or care.

intellectual health :: essays research papers

Intellectual health comes from mental stimulation and what we get out of our work, school and other hobbies that we take part of. To begin an intellectually healthy life we must first have the desire to learn more and have an overall interest in what is going on around us. Every human being has the desire to know, but what’s more important is how we go about that. At a young age school teaches us that we must gain all the knowledge we can in order to be successful, therefore making school the first step in how to begin an intellectually healthy lifestyle. Higher education as in college is not always needed to be considered â€Å"intellectually healthy†, but getting the most out of the education level u do reach is key. As long as our minds are constantly being challenged and stimulated we are on the right track. Our work plays a key role in developing an intellectual healthy life as well. We do not want our work to be too stressful; we want it to be stimulating and enjoyable. Too much mental stimulation can lead to being stressed out and affect other parts of one’s life in a negative way. The way we go about work should be something challenging and yet enjoyable and leave us with an overall good feeling about what we are doing at the end of the day. Religion plays a large role in being intellectually healthy. Religion keeps our m inds thinking about GOD and trying to add him into our everyday lives, which is a challenge and goal for most if not all of us. GOD is more prevalent in some lives than in others but having some sort of belief in a higher power is good for the human desire to want to know more. We all want answers. Making an effort to find them is what makes us intellectually healthy. Hobbies such as playing a sport are very much part of being intellectually healthy. Athletics make us think things through in and out and really challenge not only our minds, but our bodies as well. For example: The football team is losing by 7 points with 5 seconds left in the game and they have one last shot to tie or win the game. The quarterback has a million things going through his mind all at once and can ultimately make only one decision that will win his team the game, or blow it for them.

Digging-Seamus Heaney

The message in this poem is Heaney is feeling slightly Guilty for not following the footsteps of his father in becoming a farmer instead he became a writer. The guilt is brought arcross as Heaney is breaking a agricultural tradition in his family. The techniques Heaney uses in this poem are onamatopoeia â€Å"Squelch† for example. Also in the second last verse Heaney uses a listing device. Also he uses lieration â€Å"curt cuts† whichgive added ethisis. Heaney also uses roots to describe his family roots. Heaney is effectively â€Å"digging† his memories at the instant he begins to write, he looks out his window and starts reminiscing about his past, he then becomes enthralled in guilt because he did not follow his grandfather, and fathers path, which leaves him feeling guilty and below them, he feels his forefathers were great men and he is not, however he still speaks of his pride in his own choice in a â€Å"pen is mightier than the sword† kind of way This poem compares his life to that of his father. He looks at the skill of his father and sees that he can never do what his father is so skilled at â€Å"digging†. He describes in fine detail the art and mechanics of digging potatoes and the ease at which his father can do it. He compares the skill of his father digging potatoes to that of his grandfather digging in the bog, a completely different skill. Again he described in fine detail the art of digging turf and the sights and sounds that are part of it. The wonderful line that shifts time lines from the present , where he looks at his father perhaps clearing up a gravel path â€Å"comes up twenty years away† to him digging potatoes. In the second last verse a line from each generation is compared and tells him that his that his only skill is to â€Å"dig with his pen† He knows that he can never be as good with a spade and feels that he is more comfortable with a pen. (snug as a gun) Repeating the lines in the last verse confirms this comfort and confirms his only way to match their skill is to â€Å"dig with his pen† I like to think this poem has that simple message. I hope you agree ! Someone asks about â€Å" Toners bog† This is the name of a local bog, (a family name called Toner ) Seamus Heaney tries to explain a change in time with this poem. He uses a good choice of language within this poem to effectively illustrate his views on an old tradition in many English towns. The mining off coal, gold and earth which is used to burn fires, these are all things that were apart of most common families that did this day in day out as a living. a change in time and of course educational circumstances and the fact that the mines and these methods of work have become irrelevant in modern times have made the person in the poem change, thus allowing him to have a different future through the pen, a good life not a hard one like his father and grandfather before him who used the spade. He says within the poem that he has ‘no spade to follow men like them' this is because that way of life has now become history and change has come by. For me, Heaney uses ‘the squat pen' as his intricate tool of choice, the use of which for him, transcends that of a spade. the free verse style of the poem is used to enable this professed deviation from this traditional ancestral manual labour. Throughout the poem, Heaney displays nothing but respect for his ancestor's particuarly his grandfather, of whom his memories are particuarly fond. One can find examples of Heaney's admiration and aspiration to the man when he depicts his inferior actions ‘corked sloppily with paper' compared with his grandfather's ‘nicking and slicing neatly. ‘ The use of assonance here also serves the emphasise the importance of his grandfather's skillset. Heaney however in the penultimate stanza, realizes that he can never spark a passion for the ‘cold smell of potato mould' and ‘soggy peat' and the diction reflects this mood shift to disillusionment. Overall, Heaney realises that in choosing ‘the squat pen' over ‘the spade' he is in fact ‘digging' up memories of his ancestors, complementing and helping their work to be realised in this sense. So all in all, he draws the conclusion that whilst we must not forget our roots,we must pursue our passions and dreams in life. For Heaney, it is writing in which he finds solace, which enables him to transfer memories onto paper, giving old thoughts the power to transcend time.

Storm Born Chapter Two

Wil Delaney was in his early twenties, with straw-yellow hair in need of a haircut. He had pasty white skin and wore wire-rimmed glasses. When I showed up at his house the next morning, he had to undo about twenty locks before he could open the door, and even then, he would only peek out with the security chain in place. â€Å"Yes?† he asked suspiciously. I put on my business face. â€Å"I'm Odile. Lara set up our appointment?† He studied me. â€Å"You're younger than I thought you'd be.† A moment later, he closed the door and undid the chain. The door opened again, and he ushered me inside. I glanced around as I entered, taking in stacks and stacks of books and newspapers – and a definite lack of light. â€Å"Kind of dark in here.† â€Å"Can't open the blinds,† he explained. â€Å"You never know who'll be watching.† â€Å"Oh. Well. What about the lights?† He shook his head. â€Å"You'd be amazed how much radiation lights and other electrical devices emit. It's what's making cancer run rampant in our society.† â€Å"Oh.† We sat at his kitchen table, and he explained to me why he thought his sister had been abducted by the gentry. I had a hard time concealing my skepticism. It wasn't like this kind of thing was unheard of, but I was starting to pick up on Lara's â€Å"schizo† vibe. It was highly possible that the gentry could simply have been a figment of his imagination. â€Å"This is her.† He brought me a five-by-seven picture showing him and a pretty girl leaning into each other against a grassy backdrop. â€Å"Taken just before the abduction.† â€Å"She's cute. And young. Does she†¦did she†¦live with you?† He nodded. â€Å"Our parents died about five years ago. I got custody of her. Not much different than how it used to be.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Bitterness crossed that neurotic face, an odd juxtaposition. â€Å"Our dad was always off on some business trip, and our mom kept sleeping around on him. So it's always just sort of been Jasmine and me.† â€Å"And what makes you think she was taken by gen – fairies?† â€Å"The timing,† he explained. â€Å"It happened on Halloween. Samhain Eve. That's one of the biggest nights for abductions and hauntings, you know. Data supports it. The walls between the worlds open.† He sounded like he was reciting from a textbook. Or the Internet. Sometimes I thought Internet access was like putting guns in the hands of toddlers. I tried not to roll my eyes as he rambled. I didn't really need a layman explaining remedial information to me. â€Å"Yeah, I know all that. But a lot of scary people – humans – roam around on Halloween too. And lots of other times. I don't suppose you reported it to the police?† â€Å"I did. They weren't able to turn up anything, not that I really needed them. I knew what had happened because of the location. The place she disappeared. That was what made me know fairies did it.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"This one park. She was at a party with some kids from school. They had a bonfire in the woods, and they saw her wander off. The police traced her tracks to this clearing, and then they just stopped. And you know what was there?† He gave me a dramatic look, evidently ready to impress me. I didn't give him the satisfaction of asking the obvious question, so he answered it for me. â€Å"A fairy ring. A perfect circle of flowers growing in the grass.† â€Å"It happens. Flowers do that.† He shot up from the table, incredulity all over his face. â€Å"You don't believe me!† I worked hard to keep my face as blank as a new canvas. You could have painted a picture on it. â€Å"It's not that I don't believe what you're describing, but there are a lot more mundane explanations. A girl alone in the woods could have been abducted by any number of things – or people.† â€Å"They said you were the best,† he told me, like it was some kind of argument. â€Å"They said you kick paranormal ass all the time. You're the real deal.† â€Å"What I can or can't do isn't relevant. I need to make sure we're on the right track. You're asking me to cross physically into the Otherworld. I almost never do that. It's dangerous.† Wil sat back down, face desperate. â€Å"Look, I'll do anything at all. I can't let her stay there with those – with those things. Name your price. I can pay anything you want.† I glanced around curiously, taking in the books on UFOs and Bigfoot. â€Å"Uh†¦what exactly do you do for a living?† â€Å"I run a blog.† I waited for more, but apparently that was it. Somehow I suspected that generated less money than even Tim made. Hmphf. Bloggers. I didn't get why everyone and their brother thought the world wanted to read their thoughts on†¦well, nothing. If I wanted to be subjected to meaningless blather, I'd watch reality television. He was still looking at me pleadingly, with big blue puppy dog eyes. I nearly groaned. When had I grown so soft? Didn't I want people to think of me as some cold and calculating shamanic mercenary? I'd vanquished a keres yesterday. Why was this sob story getting to me? It was actually because of the keres, I realized. That stupid sexual suggestion had been so revolting to me that I just couldn't erase the image of little Jasmine Delaney being some gentry's plaything. Because that's what she would be, though I'd never tell Wil that. The gentry liked human women. A lot. â€Å"Can you take me to the park she disappeared from?† I asked at last. â€Å"I'll get a better sense if fairies really were involved.† Of course, it actually turned out that I took him because I quickly decided I wasn't going to let him drive me anywhere. Having him as a passenger taxed me enough. He spent the first half of the ride slathering some really thick sunscreen all over him. I guess you had to take precautions when you lived in a cave and finally emerged into the light. â€Å"Skin cancer's on the rise,† he explained. â€Å"Especially with the depletion of the ozone layer. Tanning salons are killing people. No one should go outside without some kind of protection – especially here.† That I actually agreed with. â€Å"Yeah. I wear sunscreen too.† He eyed my light tan askance. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Well, hey, it's Arizona. Hard not to get some sun. I mean, sometimes I walk to the mailbox without sunscreen, but most of the time I try to put it on.† â€Å"‘Try,'† he scoffed. â€Å"Does it protect against UVB rays?† â€Å"Um, I don't know. I mean, I guess. I never burn. It smells pretty good too.† â€Å"Not good enough. Most sunscreens will protect from UVA rays only. But even if you don't burn, the UVB rays will still get through. Those are the real killers. Without adequate protection, you can probably expect an early death from melanoma or some other form of skin cancer.† â€Å"Oh.† I hoped we got to the park soon. When we'd almost reached it, a traffic light stopped us under an overpass. I didn't think anything of it, but Wil shifted nervously. â€Å"I always hate being stopped under these. You never know what could happen in an earthquake.† I again schooled myself to neutrality. â€Å"Well†¦it's been awhile since our last earthquake around here.† Yeah. Like, never. â€Å"You just never know,† he warned ominously. Our arrival couldn't have come a moment too soon. The park was green and woodsy, someone's idiotic attempt to defy the laws of southern Arizona's climate. It probably cost the city a fortune in water. He led me along the trail that went to Jasmine's abduction spot. As we approached it, I saw something that suddenly made me put more credence in his story. The trail intersected another one at a perfect cross. A crossroads, often a gate to the Otherworld. No circle of flowers grew here now, but as I approached that junction, I could feel a slight thinness between this world and the other one. â€Å"Who knew?† I murmured, mentally testing the walls. It wasn't a very strong spot, truthfully. I doubted much could pass here from either world right now. But on a sabbat like Samhain†¦well, this place could very well be an open doorway. I'd have to let Roland know so we could check it when the next sabbat rolled around. â€Å"Well?† Wil asked. â€Å"This is a hot spot,† I admitted, trying to figure out how to proceed. It appeared I was zero for two in gauging the credibility of these last two clients, but when 90 percent of my queries were false leads, I tended to keep a healthy dose of skepticism on hand. â€Å"Will you help me then?† â€Å"Like I said, this really isn't my thing. And even if we decide she was taken to the Otherworld, I have no idea where to look for her. It's as big as ours.† â€Å"She's being held by a king named Aeson.† I spun around from where I'd been staring at the crossroads. â€Å"How the hell do you know that?† â€Å"A sprite told me.† â€Å"A sprite.† â€Å"Yeah. He used to work for this guy Aeson. He ran away and wanted revenge. So he sold the information to me.† â€Å"Sold it?† â€Å"He needed money to put down a deposit on an apartment in Scottsdale.† It sounded ludicrous, but it wasn't the first time I'd heard of Otherworldly creatures trying to set up shop in the human world. Or of crazy people who wanted to live in Scottsdale. â€Å"When did this happen?† â€Å"Oh, a few days ago.† He made it sound like a visit from the UPS guy. â€Å"So. You were seriously approached by a sprite and only now thought to mention it?† Wil shrugged. Some of the sunscreen he'd missed rubbing in showed on his chin. It kind of reminded me of kindergarten paste. â€Å"Well, I'd already known she was taken by fairies. This just sort of confirmed it. He was actually the one who mentioned you. Said you killed one of his cousins. Then I found some locals that backed up the story.† I studied Wil. If he hadn't seemed so hapless, I almost wouldn't have believed any of this. But it smacked too much of truth for him to be making it up. â€Å"What did he call me?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"When he told you about me. What name did he give you?† â€Å"Well†¦your name. Odile. But there was something else too†¦Eunice?† â€Å"Eugenie?† â€Å"Yeah, that was it.† I paced irritably around the clearing. The second of two Otherworldly denizens to know my name in as many days. That was not good. Not good at all. And now one of them was trying to get Wil to lure me into the Otherworld. Or was it truly a lure? Sprites weren't really known for being criminal masterminds. If I'd killed his cousin, I suppose he might hope some other motivated creature would take me down. â€Å"So what? Are you going to help me now?† â€Å"I don't know. I've got to think on it, check up on some stuff.† â€Å"But – but I've shown you and told you everything! Don't you see how real this is? You have to help me! She's only fifteen, for God's sake.† â€Å"Wil,† I said calmly, â€Å"I believe you. But it's not that simple.† I meant it. It wasn't so simple, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I hated Otherworldly inference more than I hated anything else. Taking a teenage girl was the ultimate violation. I wanted to make the guilty party pay for this. I wanted to make them suffer. But I couldn't cross over with guns blazing. Getting myself killed would do none of us any good. I needed more information before I could proceed. â€Å"You have to – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I snapped, and this time my voice wasn't so neutral. â€Å"I do not have to do anything, do you understand? I make my own choices and take my own jobs. Now, I'm very sorry about your sister, but I'm not jumping into this just yet. As Lara told you, I don't generally do jobs that take me into the Otherworld. If I take this one, it'll be after careful deliberation and question-asking. And if I don't take it, then I don't take it. End of story. Got it?† He swallowed and nodded, cowed by the fierce tone in my voice. It was not unlike the one I used on spirits, but I felt only a little bit bad about scaring Wil with it. He had to prepare himself for the highly likely possibility that I would not do this for him, no matter how much we both wanted it. On the way home, I swung by my mom's place, wanting to talk to Roland. Sunset threw reddish-orange light onto their house, and the scent of her flower garden filled the air. It was the familiar smell of safety and childhood. When I walked into the kitchen, I didn't see her anywhere, which was probably just as well. She tended to get upset when Roland and I talked shop. He sat at the table working on a model airplane. I'd laughed when he picked up this hobby after retiring from shamanism, but it had recently occurred to me it wasn't so different from working puzzles. God only knew what stuff I'd find to keep me busy when I retired. I had the uneasy feeling I'd make a good candidate for cross-stitching. His face broke into a smile when he saw me, making laugh lines appear around the eyes of the weathered face I loved. His hair was a bright silver-white, and he'd managed to keep most of it. I was five-eight, and he was only a little taller than me. But despite that height, he was solidly built and hadn't lost muscle with age. He might be pushing sixty, but I had a feeling he could still do some serious damage. Roland took one look at my face and gestured me to a chair. â€Å"You're not here to ask about Idaho.† I hadn't really understood their recent vacation choice, but whatever. Giving him a quick kiss, I held my arms around him for a moment. I didn't love many people in this world – or any other – but him I would have died for. â€Å"No. I'm not. But how was it anyway?† â€Å"Fine. It's not important. What's wrong?† I smiled. That was Roland. Always ready for business. If my mom would have let him, I suspected he'd still be out there fighting, right by my side. â€Å"Just got a job offer. A weird one.† I proceeded to tell him all about Wil and Jasmine, about the evidence I'd found for her abduction. I also added in Wil's bit of information about this Aeson guy. â€Å"I've heard of him,† said Roland. â€Å"What do you know?† â€Å"Not a lot. Never met him, never fought him. But he's strong, I know that much.† â€Å"This gets better and better.† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"Are you thinking about doing it?† I eyed him back. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"That's a bad idea, Eugenie. A very bad idea.† There was a dark tone in his voice that surprised me. I'd never known him to back down from any danger, especially one where an innocent was involved. â€Å"She's just a kid, Roland.† â€Å"I know, and we both know that the gentry get away with taking women every year. Most don't ever get recovered. The danger's too high. That's the way it is.† I felt my ire rising. Funny how someone telling you not to do something can talk you into it. â€Å"Well, here's one we can get back. We know where she is.† He rubbed his eyes a little, flashing the tattoos that marked his arms. My tattoos depicted goddesses; his were of whirls, crosses, and fish. He had his own set of gods to appeal to – or in this case, God. We all invoked the divine differently. â€Å"This isn't a drop-in and drop-out thing,† he warned. â€Å"It'll take you right into the heart of their society. You've never been that deep. You don't know what it's like.† â€Å"And you do?† I asked sarcastically. When he didn't answer, I felt my eyes widen. â€Å"When?† He waved a hand of dismissal. â€Å"That doesn't matter. What matters is that if you go over in body, you'll get yourself killed or captured. I won't let you do that.† â€Å"You won't let me? Come on. You can't send me to my room anymore. Besides, I've gone over lots of times before.† â€Å"In spirit. Your total time over in body's probably been less than ten minutes.† He shook his head in a wise, condescending way. That irked me. â€Å"The young never realize how foolish something is.† â€Å"And the old never realize when they need to step aside and let the younger and stronger do their jobs.† The words came out before I could stop them, and I immediately felt mean. Roland merely regarded me with a level look. â€Å"You think you're stronger than me now?† I didn't even hesitate. â€Å"We both know I am.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"But that doesn't give you the right to go get yourself killed over a girl you don't even know.† I stared at him in surprise. We weren't exactly fighting, but this attitude was weird for him. He'd married my mom when I was three and adopted me shortly thereafter. The father-daughter bond burned in both of us, obliterating any longing I might have had for the birth father I'd never known. My mom almost never spoke about him. They'd had some sort of whirlwind romance, I knew, but in the end, he didn't want to stick it out – not for her, not for me. Roland would have done anything for me, kept me away from any harm that he could – except when it came to my job. When he'd realized I could walk worlds and cast out spirits, he'd started training me, and my mother hated him for it. They were the most loving couple I'd ever met, but that choice had nearly broken them apart. They'd stayed together in the end, but she'd never been happy about what I did. Roland, however, saw it as a duty. Destiny, even. I wasn't like one of those silly people in the movies who could â€Å"see dead people† and go crazy from it. I easily could have ignored my abilities. But as far as Roland was concerned, that was a sin. To neglect one's calling was a waste, especially when it meant others would suffer. So he tried to treat me as objectively as he would any other apprentice, fighting his personal feelings. Yet, for some reason now, he wanted to hold me back. Weird. I'd come here for strategy and ended up on the defensive. I changed the subject abruptly, telling him about how the keres had known my name. He cut me a look, not wanting to drop the Jasmine topic. My mom's car pulled in just then, giving me a temporary victory. With a sigh and a look of warning, he told me not to worry about the name. It happened sometimes. His had eventually gotten out too, and little had come of it. My mom came into the kitchen, and shamanic business disappeared. Her face – so like mine, down to the shape and high cheekbones – put on a smile as warm as Roland's. Only hers was tinged with something a little different. She always carried a perpetual concern for me. Sometimes I thought it simply had to do with what I did for a living. Yet, she'd had that worry ever since I was little, like I might disappear on her at any moment. Maybe it was just a mom thing. She placed a paper bag on the counter and began putting away groceries. I knew she knew what I was doing there, but she chose to ignore it. â€Å"You going to stay for dinner?† she asked. â€Å"I think you've lost weight.† â€Å"She has not,† said Roland. â€Å"She's too skinny,† complained my mom. â€Å"Not that I'd mind a little of that.† I smiled. My mom looked amazing. â€Å"You need to eat more,† she continued. â€Å"I eat, like, three candy bars a day. I'm not depriving myself of calories.† I walked over and poked her in the arm. â€Å"Watch it, you're being all momlike. Smart, professional moms aren't supposed to be that way.† She cut me a look. â€Å"I'm a therapist. I have to be twice as momlike.† In the end, I stayed for dinner. Tim was a great cook, but nothing could ever really replace my mom's food. While we ate, we talked about their vacation in Idaho. Neither Jasmine nor the keres ever came up. When I finally got back home, I found Tim getting ready to go out with a gaggle of giggling girls. He was in full pseudo-Indian regalia, complete with a beaded head wrap and buckskin vest. â€Å"Greetings, Sister Eugenie,† he said, holding up a palm like he was in some sort of Old West movie. â€Å"Join us. We're going to a concert over in Davidson Park, so that we may commune with the Great Spirit's gift of springtime whilst letting the sacred beat of the music course through our souls.† â€Å"No thanks,† I said, brushing past him and going straight to my room. A moment later, he followed sans girls. â€Å"Oh, come on, Eug. It's gonna be a blast. We've got a cooler of beer and everything.† â€Å"Sorry, Tim. I don't really feel like being a squaw tonight.† â€Å"That's a derogatory term.† â€Å"I know it is. Very much so. But your bleach-blond posse out there doesn't deserve much better.† I eyed him askance. â€Å"Don't even think about bringing any of them back here tonight.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know the rules.† He flounced into my wicker chair. â€Å"So what are you going to do instead? Shop on the Internet? Work puzzles?† I'd actually been thinking of doing both those things, but I wasn't about to tell him that. â€Å"Hey, I've got stuff to do.† â€Å"Fuck, Eugenie. You're becoming a hermit. I almost miss Dean. He was an asshole, but at least he got you out of the house.† I made a face. Dean was my last boyfriend; we'd broken up six months ago. The split had been kind of unexpected for both of us. I hadn't expected to find him screwing his real estate agent, and he hadn't expected to get caught. I knew now I was better off without him, but some niggling part always wondered what about me had made him lose interest. Not exciting enough? Pretty enough? Good enough in bed? â€Å"Some things are worse than staying home alone,† I muttered. â€Å"Dean is one of them.† â€Å"Timothy?† one of the girls called from the living room. â€Å"Are you coming?† â€Å"One moment, gentle flower,† he hollered back. To me he said, â€Å"You sure you wanna hole up here all night? It isn't really healthy to be away from people so much.† â€Å"I'm fine. Go enjoy your flowers.† He shrugged and left. Once by myself, I fixed a sandwich and shopped on the Internet, exactly as he'd predicted. It was followed by a puzzle depicting an M. C. Escher drawing. A bit harder than the kitten. Halfway through, I found myself staring at the puzzle pieces without seeing them. Roland's quiet, fierce words played over in my head. Let Jasmine Delaney go. Everything he'd told me had been true. Dropping this was the smart thing to do. The safe thing to do. I knew I should listen to him†¦yet some part of me kept thinking of the young, smiling face Wil had shown me. Angrily, I shoved some of the puzzle pieces aside. This job wasn't supposed to be about gray moral decisions. It was black and white. Find the bad guys. Kill or banish. Go home at the end of the day. I stood up, suddenly no longer wanting to be alone. I didn't want to be left with my own thoughts. I wanted to be out with people. Clarification: I didn't want to talk to people, I just wanted to be around them. Lost in the crowd. I needed to see my own kind – warm, living and breathing humans, not undead spirits or magic-infused gentry. I wanted to remember which side of the fence I was on. More important, I wanted to forget Jasmine Delaney. At least for tonight I threw on some jeans and the first bra and shirt I could find. My rings and bracelets always stayed on me, but I added a moonstone necklace that hung low in the shirt's V-neck. I brushed my long hair into a high ponytail, missing a few strands. A dab of lipstick, and I was ready to go. Ready to lose myself. Ready to forget.

Living Apart Together

1. Living Apart Together, also called L. A. T, is a unique phenomenon that through modern time has become more and more popular among couples. The purpose of L. A. T is that a couple, which either are married, engaged or boyfriend and girlfriend, who has an intimate relationship but the couple lives separately on separate addresses. LAT relationships is increasingly understood and also accepted in public. It is seen by most people, as good enough partnership and the couples still remain the same expectations about the commitment and loyalty as marriage or cohabitation.Text 2, ‘’Home Alone Together’’ written by Jill Brooke, focuses on pro and cons statements from both experts and from quite ordinary people. Jeannette Lofas, who is a clinical social worker and the founder of the Stepfamily Foundation, is pro living apart together. She thinks it could be a great solution to blended families because ‘’blended families are so vulnerable to interneci ne resentments and power struggles’’. Some couples, especially young couples, which are in a L. A.T relationship is because of commitment problems. That is why Gail Sheehy, who is an author and writer of the book ‘’Sex and the seasoned Woman’’, also agrees Another advocator (FIN SAMKÆD) of L. A. T relationships is Judye Hess who is a family therapist in Berkeley, California. According to Judye Hess are there to many couples that are trying way to hard to fit into a model of the perfect relationship, and that does not always work out and the solution of that problem could be a L. A. T relationship.In text 3, ‘’Just What Modern Romance Needs: ‘’Living Apart Together’’ ’’ written by Gary Picariello, Living Apart Together is explained as a new term for couples who just don’t want to commit. Gary Picariello is con Living Apart Together, because he don’t think that it is a good solution to a couple who are not good at compromising, negotiation and commitments, as he explains ‘’having their own space to retreat to during the rough times in a relationship could mean that the individual will continue to be not so good at compromise, negotiation, and/or commitment’’.Gary Picariello actually can see a good point in living apart because then when the couple are together then they appreciate their togetherness even more when they do get together. 2. In the third text, ‘’Just What Modern Romance Needs: ‘’Living Apart Together’’ ‘’, Gary Picariello writes as if he is talking directly to the reader (GODT) as if he has to convince the reader. But when he writes in that style, the text, in this case, gets more ordinary and a conversation, he askes question to the reader ‘’So what’s the deal with ‘’Living Apart Together? ’ ‘’ and it make s Gary Picariello’s writing style is very similar to if he should write an essay. 3. In text 1, ‘’Couples that live apart†¦stay together’’ is written by Rosemary Bennett and presents some advantages by living apart. When a couple, one or both partners, have children from previous relationships, then it would be easier to preserve structure and routines if the partners live apart from each other.Some people, who have been through a divorce, find a new boyfriend or girlfriend, and if they have children from the previous relationship, they can be hesitating about the new boyfriend living with the children.A divorce can be rather though to children and when a new man or woman comes in their life they respond on different ways, they either likes them or they do not fancy them at all. If the children do not fancy them, a L. A. T relationship can be the best solution. But the consequence of not living together can be trust issues, when a couple is in a L. A. T relationship it is necessary that the same trust and commitment, as in a relationship where they live together, otherwise the relationship can not work out.

Alzheimer’s Disease – Essay 2

Alzheimer's Disease Joy Pachowicz PSY 350 Professor Alina Sheppe Perez May 15, 201 Introduction Alzheimer's disease, despite being so widespread, is not really considered part of the aging process. According to Robert Feldman, author of the textbook, â€Å"Understanding Psychology†, only 19% of people who are ages 75 to 84 suffer from this disease. It is only once they pass the age of 85, that the elderly need to be more concerned about the possibility of developing Alzheimer's disease. ( Feldman, p. 446) Fifty percent of all people over 85 years of age suffer from Alzheimer's disease and researchers believe that if no cure for the disease is found by the year 2050; there will be 14 million people affected by this disease. (Feldman, p. 446) What is Alzheimer's disease and how is it diagnosed? What are its symptoms and who are most likely to develop this disease? The purpose of this paper is to explore what Alzheimer's disease is and offer some suggestions of how to approach it in the future. What is Alzheimer's Disease? According to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, Alzheimer's Disease is a â€Å"progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in the loss of memory, thinking, language skills, and behavioral changes† (www. alzfdn. org) With Alzheimer's disease, neuron cells are destroyed in the hippocampus, and this is what sparks the loss of short term memory; and as neuron cells die in the cerebral cortex, so too the functionality of language and clear thinking sees a marked decline in the person who has developed Alzheimer's disease (www. lzfdn. org) With Alzheimer's disease, there is diminished production of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is very much involved with our ability to memorize and retain information; so, if there is a decrease in Acetylcholine; our memory's ability to function suffers greatly. (Feldman, p. 66) Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease How does one know to even consult with a specialist or seek out one's physician regarding Alzheimer's disease? There are some telltale symptoms that set up red flags of warning. If you see any of these symptoms, please see a physician to determine if you have Alzheimer's disease: 1. Memory Loss that disrupts Daily Life 2. Difficulties in planning events or solving problems 3. Difficulties performing familiar tasks or household work 4. Confusion with time or place. 5. Troubles interpreting visual images and spacial relationships 6. Problems with forming words or with communicating Losing items and not being able to remember what one recently did. 7. Failing and poor judgement 8. Withdrawal from work or social activities 9. Changes in Mood or Behavioral ( www. lz. org) Now just because you may have one or all these doesn't necessarily mean you have Alzheimer's disease. Time is very much a key element in acting on these symptoms. If these symptoms persist over a long period of time; then it's time to have a professional evaluation of the symptoms. . Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease According to the Alzheimer's Association, there are several steps to take when try ing to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. First, one must consult with his/her medical doctor. When going, it’s important to take a copy of one's whole medical history. While at the consultation, one can be given a mental status test. Along with this test, a physical and neurological exam should be given. Blood tests should be taken to rule out other possible causes of memory loss. (www. alz. org) The specialists one could see to determine whether one is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and not some other illness are: Psychologists, Neurologists and Psychiatrist. (www. alz. org) Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease As with other diseases, Alzheimer’s has varying stages it progresses through as it develops in the body and affects the brain. The first stage consists of the mere manifestation of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which we have already listed: memory problems, difficulty forming words, forgetfulness etc. ( www. nia. nih. gov) The next stage would be what doctors would label the mild stage of Alzheimer’s disease. During this stage, cognitive abilities are more impaired. There are difficulties with handling money or paying bills. Repeating things over and over again begin to be notice. (www. nia. nih. gov) The mild stage gives way to the moderate stage of Alzheimer’s disease. New symptoms appear and older ones worsen. Memory continues to decline in this stage. In this stage it becomes more and more difficult to recognize family and friends. In the moderate stage of Alzheimer’s disease there are hallucinations and paranoia. It’s more difficult to get dressed, wash and perform simple task. ( www. nia. nih. gov) The final stage of Alzheimer’s disease is the severe stage. People with severe Alzheimer’s disease spend most their time in bed, sleeping. Their body shuts down. ( www. nia. nih. gov) Treating Alzheimer’s disease Since Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a plaque buildup in the synapse that prevents the communication of neurons, one to another; researchers have found a way to allow these neurons to communicate despite this buildup. Donepezil is one such drug that has been released for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Another name for this drug is Aricept. What Aricept does is increases the memory’s capacity. ( Feldman, p. 229) There are other drugs being tested; but, right now the most popular treatment for Alzheimer’s disease is the use of Aricept. In the News Researchers of Banner Sun Health Research Institute have been studying the relationship that copper and cholesterol have to Alzheimer’s disease. They believe that dementia is caused by tangles and plaque in the brain. Copper has been implicated in the increased progression of Alzheimer’s disease in those who have the disease. Cholesterol, which is a major cause of plaque buildup in other parts of the body, therefore, it can be a contributing cause of plaque buildup in the brain. (redorbit. com) â€Å"In the BSHRI study, Sparks and his team performed a pilot study of long-term dietary cholesterol in four groups of rabbits. One group was administered normal food and water and three groups were administered increasing levels of a cholesterol diet for five months. Significantly, plasma levels of tau increased by 40 to 50 percent in each of the cholesterol-fed animal groups after five months of the experimental diet† (redorbit. com) In another research program being conducted by scientists through the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, Indiana University and Florida’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; a certain protein: beta amyloid was singled out to be the cause of neurons malfunctioning that causes memory oss which is associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. (redorbit. com) â€Å"By identifying a brand new and extremely important target of the amyloid protein's toxicity, we can develop drugs for Alzheimer's disease that may protect the motors from inhibition and allow the brain to regenerate properly,† said principal investigator Huntington Potter, PhD, a prof essor of Molecular Medicine who holds the Pfeiffer Endowed Chair for Alzheimer's Disease Research. † (redorbit. com) Coping with Alzheimer’s disease â€Å"There are many ways to fight the adverse symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Below are some ways a person can cope with Alzheimer’s disease: †¢ Keep a notebook handy to record important numbers, appointments and dates. †¢ Use sticky note to help remember things of importance †¢ Keep important phone numbers next to telephone (in large print) †¢ Have a contact who will call to remind of meal times, appointments or other. †¢ Use a calendar to keep track of the day of week. †¢ Keep photos of important people around; have names of who these important people are somewhere on the picture. †¢ When going out always have another person to go along, to avoid getting lost. For Care Providers †¢ â€Å"Providing a healthy lifestyle is a must. Good nutrition, exercise and appropriate social interactions all help to develop a healthy environment for the Alzheimer’s patient. †¢ Have a planned daily routine .. so that Alzheimer’s patient can develop a sense of accomplishment and value. †¢ Choose proper tim es for activities. Many times night time is not a good time for Alzheimer’s patients. †¢ Encourage independence with the Alzheimer’s patient, let them do for themselves as much as possible. †¢ Speak slowly and calmly †¢ Make eye contact. Give simple instructions â€Å" (webmd. com) Conclusion Alzheimer’s disease is a widely spread disease that affects a great number of elderly people worldwide. While it is frequently associated with old age; it is not considered part of the aging process. Recent studies provided some hopeful ways to help stop the spread of Alzheimer’s disease, and also provided warnings of what can happen if a cure to Alzheimer’s disease is not found.. While a person may show many symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, only a medical doctor can confirm whether Alzheimer’s disease is present. Through various tests, doctors rule out other possible diseases before focusing on Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease has many stages and faces and the best approach is to arrest it while it’s in its early stages. Once Alzheimer’s settles in and brain cells start dying, the only thing left to do is to accommodate the limitations that come with the disease. Educating oneself about Alzheimer’s disease is a must for everyone. More than likely, every one of us will come face to face with it in one fashion or another. We will either be taking care of someone who has it; or, we will develop it ourselves. Alzheimer’s disease affects both the patient and those around him/her. Take time to become knowledgeable of this disease, id worth the effort. . References Alzheimer’s Disease: Special Tips for Maintaining a Normal life. Retrieved From. http://www. webmd. com/alzheimers/caregivers-09/memory-tips Coping With Alzheimer’s: Special Instructions for Care Providers. Retrieved From http://www. webmd. com/alzheimers/caregivers-09/caregivers-tips Feldman. R. F. (2008). Understanding Psychology. (8th Edition). NYC. New York. McGraw/Hill. National Institute On Aging. Care giver Guide. Retrieved from. http://www. nia. nih. gov/Alzheimers/Publications/caregiverguide. htm National Institute on Aging. Tips for Care Givers. Retrieved from. http://www. nia. nih. gov/nia. nih. gov Researchers Find Further Evidence Linking Alzheimer's Disease to Copper and Cholesterol Retrieved from. http://www. redorbit. com/news/health/2046137/banner_sun_health_research_institute_res earchers_find_further_evidence_linking/index. html