Poverty a retrospect of beliefs with the wrong reality Essay

As children we see life through a different set of eyes than others, and we accept the reality of our surroundings by how others judge us. We were the poor kids of the neighborhood and the others kids let us know that. My parents divorced when I was 5 and things were rough for my mother with 3 kids to raise on welfare. We thought we had it bad. Sometimes, we didn’t know where the next meal was coming from or who was going to help if things got worse; I remember we would stand in line to receive the food box for the month. Mom would put meals together and then she would leave for several weeks at a time, being on the road working for the Roller Derby. We never knew who our babysitters were going to be or if they were going to treat us with some sort of dignity and respect. Many times we took matters into our own hands and got rid of them and others just left, because we were not always the best behaved kids in the world, and we were always in some kind of trouble. The cops would bring us home at least 3 times a week for doing some crazy thing in the neighborhood, or stealing something from the local store to eat. After a while the cops and the store owners would just ask if we had something to eat or if there was something that we needed. Those were the days when people did come together and help others that were less fortunate, and we definitely needed the help. Our cousins lived in Firestone Park, a suburb of Los Angeles. They had some of the same obstacles to overcome except they did not have the community support that we received. My aunt was a single mother and did not receive food stamps. As I think back now on the difference between our lives, and the obstacles they faced compared to ours, we had it made. We faced challenges just as they did; I have been behind bars many times in my life. Both I and my older brother had interventions that changed our lives. My brother found out that the only way to change his life was to change his environment and look for other ways to support himself and his family than drugs. There were no food boxes available to my cousins and the cops were not as forgiving as they were in our neighborhood; the cops took my cousins to juvenile hall. There is one difference between my cousins and my family; they were half black and white. They were not looked at with the same sympathetic eyes as us and they told us about the way they were treated by the people of the city, and putting you all behind bars was the only way to solve the problem. From early on in their lives, they had to face the harsh reality that they were not treated the same as others even in their own community. Being called names by the other kids in the neighborhood, they had to fight everyday just to earn respect and they became the aggressors. They did things that we never thought of at our age, but that was the live they lived. My cousins went to juvenile hall very early on, and when they would get out, it did not take long for them to be locked up again. One of my cousins has spent over 3/4th of his life behind bars, and that is the only life he knows. We had spent a couple of days here and there in juvenile hall where they spent months throughout their teenage years. They did not have the same kind of caring community members as we did in our little part of the world; being a big city, crime was a way of life for kids there. There were not many options for the young people and joining a gang and the reality of death was just an everyday part of life. Drug abuse was prevalent and my cousins excelled in the life of crime. If it had not been for the YMCA in our community and the people that were placed into our lives, things for us could have been just as it was for my cousins. Both of my brothers have been in jail a time or two, except for my youngest brother who is spending the rest of his life in prison. He was sentenced to 25 to life, 25 to life and 18 years for crimes he was involved in 1994. I moved away from Stockton, California in 1996. My older brother moved away several years after I did and he now lives in Waldport, Oregon. He is a well respected part of the community. My journey began in 1995, after suffering a heart attack behind an overdose of Methamphetamine; I knew that I needed to change my life when I woke from the coma, and the charges that I was facing from running from the law for over 2 years. The judge whom I went in front of gave me my way out, but the road was not going to be easy. I had to complete a drug program, pay up all my fines and go to parenting classes. My kids had suffered long enough; they had to deal with all my addictions, the stealing, lying and cheating. It was going to be a battle, but I was willing to do what it was going to take to put my life back on the right track. The judge looked at me and told me â€Å"that if you do not complete this program and do all the requirements that I have set forth, that I would be facing 15 to 20 years straight time†. Thanks to the Veterans Administration and a Stockton Sheriff named Officer Garcia, the judge was going to give me a chance of a lifetime. All of the charges against me were to be dropped, and my records sealed and I would have a fresh start in life. The judge said it was against his better judgment to give me this opportunity, but I had a lot of people willing to give me a chance. He was looking forward to putting me behind bars. My cousins never had any kind of opportunities such as the one I was given and they were criminals and they would be punished to the full extent of the law. All of my cousins are in prison for life because of 3 strikes law. One of my cousins was not so lucky; He was shot and killed by the Los Angeles police that said he had pulled out a gun but none was ever found. They called it justifiable shooting, also known as guilt by association. I look back at the events of my life and realize that we were not poor by any means compared to other families in the Los Angeles area. The opportunities we had been given were not there for them and although we committed some of the same crimes, their punishment was more severe. I could never imagine being where I am today. I thank God for the people I have had in my life that gave me some different perspectives and hope that I could have more than I ever dreamed of. I look at how my cousins were raised and they way we were, and there are similarities, but we had it easy compared to them. Being of two different nationalities and dealing with the everyday stresses of the big city life must have been a burden that I am not sure if we would have survived. I must admit that life was not always rosy and wonderful, but we always had a roof over our heads and we might not have had the best meals but at least we had one. I am grateful to all the people I have had in my life that thought there was something to fight for and never let me give up hope. I pray for my cousins every day and give thanks to the lord for all that I have been given. Works Cited †. Howell, James, Decker, Scott H. â€Å"The Youth Gangs, Drugs, and Violence Connection Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, January 1999. U. S. Department of Justice. Boyz N the Hood Singleton, John. 1991. Columbia Pictures

English Romanticism

English Romanticism 1798-1832 Historical Background Industrial Revolution 1776 American Revolution 1789 – 1815 Revolutionary and Napoleonic Period in France 1789 storming of the Bastille 1793 King Louis XVI executed Political unrest in Britain, harsh repressive measures against radicals Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution of France 1790 Tom Paine, Rights of Man 1791 Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 1792 1793 Britain at war with France The Regency 1811-20 George, Prince of Wales acts as Regent for George III 1815 Waterloo; first modern industrial depression 819 Peterloo, St. Peter's Fields, Manchester 1832 First Reform Bill Social and economic changes Industrialisation – the age of the machine Social philosophy of laissez-faire ‘let alone' urbanisation Literature Lyrical poetry Two generations of poets First generation: WILLIAM WORDSWORTH, S. T. COLERIDGE Second generation: BYRON, SHELLEY, KEATS Keats ‘Great spirits now on ear th are sojourning' William Hazlitt – the new poetry ‘had its origin in the French Revolution. It was a time of promise, of renewal of the world – and of letters. ‘ Wordsworth, The Prelude France standing on the top of golden hoursAnd human nature seeming born again! Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young was very heaven†¦. The poet as a ‘bard' or ‘prophet' Poetic spontaneity and freedom Poetry – subjective; it expresses the poet's own feelings (lyric poetry) Rebellion against the Neo-classical ‘rules' Keats: ‘if poetry comes not as naturally as the leaves to a tree it had not come at all' The importance of ‘the heart' – instinct, intuition, INDIVIDUALISM, NONCONFORMITY The human mind – IMAGINATION Turning to NATURE THE INTEREST IN THE SUPERNATURAL, and DREAMS 1798 Wordsworth & Coleridge LYRICAL BALLADS 770 born at Cockermouth, The Lake District Educated at Cambridge 1791-2 France â€⠀œ Annette Vallon 1795, reunited with his sister Dorothy meets S. T. Coleridge 1797 moves with his sister Dorothy to Alfoxden to be close to Coleridge, who lives at Nether Stowey (Somerset) The role of friendship with Coleridge 1798/1799 Goslar, Germany 1799 settles with Dorothy in the Lake District, first at Grasmere 1802 marries Mary Hutchinson 1813 appointed stamp distributor for Westmoreland – becomes patriotic, conservative public man, abandoning radical politics and idealism 1843 Poet Laureate Lyrical Ballads 1798Coleridge on composition of Lyrical Ballads in Ch. XIV of Biographia Literaria During the first year that Mr. Wordsworth and I were neighbours, our conversations turned frequently on the two cardinal points of poetry, the power of exciting the sympathy of the reader by a faithful adherence to the truth of nature, and the power of giving the interest of novelty by the modifying colours of imagination. The sudden charm, which accidents of light and shade, which m oon-light or sun-set diffused over a known and familiar landscape, appeared to represent the practicability of combining both.These are the poetry of nature. The thought suggested itself (to which of us I do not recollect) that a series of poems might be composed of two sorts. In the one, the incidents and agents were to be, in part at least, supernatural; and the excellence aimed at was to consist in the interesting of the affections by the dramatic truth of such emotions as would naturally accompany such situations, supposing them real. And real in this sense they have been to every human being who, from whatever source of delusion, has at any time believed himself under supernatural agency. For the second class, subjects were to be chosen from ordinary life; the characters and incidents were to be such, as will be found in every village and its vicinity, where there is a meditative and feeling mind to seek after them, or to notice them, when they present themselves. In this idea originated the plan of the ‘Lyrical Ballads'; in which it was agreed, that my endeavours should be directed to persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic, yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for hese shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith. Mr. Wordsworth on the other hand was to propose to himself as his object, to give the charm of novelty to things of every day, and to excite a feeling analogous to the supernatural, by awakening the mind's attention from the lethargy of custom, and directing it to the loveliness and the wonders of the world before us; an inexhaustible treasure, but for which in consequence of the film of familiarity and selfish solicitude we have eyes, yet see not, ears that hear not, and hearts that neither feel nor understand.Wordsworth's Advertisment to Lyrical Ballads 1798 The majority of the followin g poems are to be considered as experiments. They were written chiefly with a view to ascertain how far the language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society is adapted to the purposes of poetic pleasure. Wordsworth, Preface to Lyrical Ballads 1800, 1802The principal object, then, proposed in these Poems was to choose incidents and situations from common life, and to relate or describe them, throughout, as far as was possible in a selection of language really used by men, and, at the same time, to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect; and, further, and above all, to make these incidents and situations interesting by tracing in them, truly though not ostentatiously, the primary laws of our nature: chiefly, as far as regards the manner in which we associate ideas in a state of excitement.Humble and rustic life was generally chosen, because, in that condition, the essential pas sions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity, are less under restraint, and speak a plainer and more emphatic language;[†¦. ] and, lastly, because in that condition the passions of men are incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of nature.The language, too, of these men has been adopted (purified indeed from what appear to be its real defects, from all lasting and rational causes of dislike or disgust) because such men hourly communicate with the best objects from which the best part of language is originally derived; and because, from their rank in society and the sameness and narrow circle of their intercourse, being less under the influence of social vanity, they convey their feelings and notions in simple and unelaborated expressions. †¦ For all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: and though this be true, Poems to which any value can be attached were never produced on any variety of subjects but by a man who, being possessed of more than usual organic sensibility, had also thought long and deeply. †¦I have said that Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity: the emotion is contemplated till by a species of reaction the tranquillity gradually disappears, and an emotion, kindred to that which was before the subject of contemplation, is gradually produced, and does itself actually exist in the mind.In this mood successful composition generally begins, and in a mood similar to this it is carried on; but the emotion, of whatever kind and in whatever degree, from various causes is qualified by various pleasures, so that in describing any passions whatsoever, which are voluntarily described, the mind will upon the whole be in a state of enjoyment. What is a Poet? To whom does he address himself? And what language is to be expected from him?He is a man speaking to men: a man, it is true, endued with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind; a man pleased with his own passions and volitions, and who rejoices more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighting to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the goings-on of the Universe, and habitually impelled to create them where he does not find them.The Man of science seeks truth as a remote and unknown benefactor; he cherishes and loves it in his solitude: the Poet, singing a song in which all human beings join with him, rejoices in the presence of truth as our visible friend and hourly companion. Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; it is the impassioned expression which is in the countenance of all Science. Emphatically may it be said of the Poet, as Shakespeare hath said of man, ‘that he looks before and after. ‘ He is the rock of defence for human nature; an upholder and preserver, carrying everywhere with him relationship and love.In spite of difference of soil and climate, of language and manners, of laws and customs: in spite of things silently gone out of mind, and things violently destroyed; the Poet binds together by passion and knowledge the vast empire of human society, as it is spread over the whole earth, and over all time. †¦. I should mention one other circumstance which distinguishes these Poems from the popular Poetry of the day; it is this, that the feeling therein developed gives importance to the action and situation, and not the action and situation to the feeling. WE ARE SEVEN' ——–A SIMPLE Child, That lightly draws its breath, And feels its life in every limb, What should it know of death? I met a little cottage Girl: She was eight years old, she said; Her hair was thick with many a curl That clustered round her head. She had a rustic, woodland air, And she was w ildly clad: Her eyes were fair, and very fair; –Her beauty made me glad. â€Å"Sisters and brothers, little Maid, How many may you be? † â€Å"How many? Seven in all,† she said And wondering looked at me. â€Å"And where are they? I pray you tell. She answered, â€Å"Seven are we; And two of us at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea. â€Å"Two of us in the church-yard lie, My sister and my brother; And, in the church-yard cottage, I Dwell near them with my mother. † â€Å"You say that two at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea, Yet ye are seven! –I pray you tell, Sweet Maid, how this may be. † Then did the little Maid reply, â€Å"Seven boys and girls are we; Two of us in the church-yard lie, Beneath the church-yard tree. † â€Å"You run about, my little Maid, Your limbs they are alive;If two are in the church-yard laid, Then ye are only five. † â€Å"Their graves are green, they may be seen,† The little Maid repli ed, â€Å"Twelve steps or more from my mother's door, And they are side by side. â€Å"My stockings there I often knit, My kerchief there I hem; And there upon the ground I sit, And sing a song to them. â€Å"And often after sunset, Sir, When it is light and fair, I take my little porringer, And eat my supper there. â€Å"The first that died was sister Jane; In bed she moaning lay, Till God released her of her pain; And then she went away. So in the church-yard she was laid; And, when the grass was dry, Together round her grave we played, My brother John and I. â€Å"And when the ground was white with snow, And I could run and slide, My brother John was forced to go, And he lies by her side. † â€Å"How many are you, then,† said I, â€Å"If they two are in heaven? „ Quick was the little Maid's reply, â€Å"O Master! we are seven. † â€Å"But they are dead; those two are dead! Their spirits are in heaven! „ ‘Twas throwing words away; for s till The little Maid would have her will, And said, â€Å"Nay, we are seven! The Prelude 1799, 1805, 1850 Plan to write a greate philosophical poem The Recluse or views of Nature, Man, and Society, encouraged by S. T. C. ‘a poem to Coleridge' ‘a poem on the growth of [the poet's] mind' The main hero THE IMAGINATION †¦ Not Chaos, not The Darkest pit of lowest Erebus, Not aught of blinder vacancy, scooped out By help of dreams – can breed such fear and awe As fall upon us often when we look Into our Minds, into the Mind of Man– My haunt, and the main region of my song Prospectus to The Recluse ll. 35-4

Psychic Skills Exploration & Development Essay

Introduction: Welcome to my Free Ebook : â€Å"Psychic Skills Exploration & Development†. Through this book I will be combining the courses I taught originally. The first part of the book is the very basics, the absolute beginnings of learning to understand the other senses, learning to find and meet with your Spirit Guides and more. The Second part is the content from my more advanced course. It includes a lot of development exercises, things to explore, and more. Although I am not teaching classes in a structured online forum anymore you may like to join the free discussion group that I moderate called Psychic Living (formerly Acheiving Psychic Awareness). In this group we discuss psychic ability and more from a Spiritual perspective that  welcomes and honors all paths as sacred. We also hold topic specific and general chats and have other files of interest etc. You can access the group at http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/psychicliving and feel free to strike up a conversation with like minded folks, use the group features etc. I am also including a list of FAQ’s. These small chapters will be at the end of the book and will cover questions that many students have asked. You may find some of your questions have been answered previously. If not feel free to email me, and as time allows I will be happy to answer some of your questions. I may even include the answers (anonymously of course) to this book or to the website. There is also a resource chapter at the end of the book with links to great internet sites, other learning resources etc. Keeping with the feel of the original courses I have still included the class projects, assignments, and exercises. Although there are no â€Å"grades† and you don’t have to turn them in, please do them for your own growth and benefit. You will learn a lot in the process guaranteed. It is highly recommended that you follow the first part of this book in order, it goes through the first class and then as you move on to the more advanced stuff you can jump around to whatever interests you. The Beginning Psy section is what the rest of the book builds from, so even if you are more adept please work through it first. Also, please know that there are no experts in this arena, and that we all grow and learn in our own ways. Take what resonates with you from this course, and leave behind what doesn’t. Feel free to grow and explore in the forum, or to share this book with anyone you feel may enjoy it. You may even offer it as a free Ebook on your site so long as you agree to the following Terms: This book may be distributed FREELY, without Charge, not as a â€Å"bonus† for paying for something else, but FREELY. file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/courseintro.html (1 of 2)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Introduction to Psychic Skills Development It must remain UNALTERED, do not edit things out, do not present it as your own work. This book may not be reproduced in any other form without express written permission from the author. It may not be excerpted etc. It must be  distributed in its entirety. If you agree to those very simple terms I encourage you to share this book with others :). Should this book be a help to you, and you find you have learned a lot from it, please consider making a small donation. To date I have received one donation, although hundreds have used this content. I use the proceeds to keep my site up and running and to continue to develop/promote great free content for the seeker. Your gifts are great Karma and greatly appreciated as they allow me to continue to offer great services and information, I thank you 🙂 Click the button below to be taken to a secure server where you can donate any amount – every penny helps. Return to Table of Contents file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/courseintro.html (2 of 2)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Developing Psychic Abilities: Things to Consider This Free Ebook brought to you by SpiritualGuidanceTarot.com Important Things to Consider Before Persuing This Path I would like to take this time to discuss a few issues that I feel are important to consider. Developing psychic abilities is not the same as pursuing spiritual growth. One does not have to be enlightened at all to use these abilities, this being said it is always important to be cautious about whom you trust, and first and foremost you should learn to trust yourself. Although I do approach psychic ability from a Spiritual perspective, psychic senses are only one aspect of spirituality. Many people get sidetracked on developing these abilities and forget to explore other areas of spiritual growth. This is a mistake, and that is why I am writing this in big bold print on the front of this book. I encourage all of you to further explore and walk your path, the truth will set you free, but each person’s path to the truth is uniquely different. Don’t expect developing your psychic skills to enlighten you or make your life easy. Psychic skills alone do not hold the keys to à ¢â‚¬Ëœmagic power’ or ‘happiness’ etc. Happiness is not a quest it is  a choice, and work with Spirit is wonderful, but you have to walk your own path. We are all on our personal path to the truth, and many are the paths that lead to it. There are no simple solutions so don’t have unrealistic expectations in this area. Psychic abilities can enhance your connection to the Holy Spirit, to your own inner Spirit and help you to be more receptive to assistance from the Angels, Ascended masters, guides etc., but that brings me to my next important point. Don’t give away your personal power! I was very surprised when I was teaching these classes online, by the number of people who incorrectly answered a question from the first course. The question said True or False: Spirits always have our best interest at heart and know more than we do so we should always listen to their direction. False is the correct answer, most answered true. I would like to state that it is always important that what you receive feel right to you. Often our ego will tell us what we want to hear and mask itself as spiritual guidance. There is a part of each of us that wants to be in control, when we branch out into these areas, our ego feels challenged, this can lead us to color some of the advice we receive. One of the most difficult parts of the process is learning to be objective when dealing with yourself. This requires a willingness to be extremely honest, facing parts of yourself you may not want to accept right away. Also, as on earth, sometimes you will encounter many different personalities, not all have your best interest at heart. To be sure you are receiving good advice remember the following: Spirit will never tell you what you have to do, they may show you different options, nudge you in a certain direction, but they will never demand you to do anything. If you spirit guide is a drill sergeant, chances are you are communicating with your own subconscious or ego, and not Spirit Spirit Guides, Angels, and the Masters are here to support and lend guidance and teaching, they are not going to solve your problems or walk your path for you. Don’t have unrealistic expectations, you are file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/thingstoconsider.html (1 of 3)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Developing Psychic Abilities: Things to Consider  here to learn, and they are your mentors, not your mommies. I know many who  get angry that their guides don’t tell them what they want to hear, or tell them what they should do. A teacher who has your best interest at heart adn wants to love you and watch you grow is not going to give you the answers. You are here to learn, and it would be a disservice to you if you were not encouraged to stretch and grow for yourself. Truth is, there is no growth without effort and growing pains. You get the idea ;). If in doubt ASK. A true guardian spirit doesn’t care if you ask him/her to identify him/herself, or if you need a little assurance. If you get negative feedback from asking for validation chances are you are not talking to an enlightened being and/or you are talking to your subconscious again. Fear and old programming do funny things to the human psyche, and as you work through these chances are you may face some â₠¬Å"demons† from your own subconscious. These are most often your own fears made manifest. Knowing what this is can help you work through these things more comfortably. There is a saying that says ‘You are what you fear† †¦I don’t remember the origin offhand, but it does hold great truths. Spirit will always talk to you with respect, which doesn’t mean that they don’t tell you how it is, or sometimes share things that you’d rather not hear. There is a degree of integrity like no other, and they expect that respect and integrity to be reciprocated, so approach this with an open heart and mind, gratitude and respect folks:) use discernment, and know that you are in control of your own destiny. I recommend getting in touch with your soul first, work through any fears or misgivings you may have, we touched on this a bit previously, but many people have a big sense of disconnection from God/ Creator and this needs to be bridged to be the most successful. Cultivate a habit of expressing gratitude and compassion. These two emotions come from purity of spirit and not from ego, remembering to be thankful and compassionate brings humility, and shows your sincerity. This is where our true power lies, in our spirit, not our minds ;). Again, lets review†¦. Psychic abilities and the extra senses are present in all beings. Some choose to develop them from a place of ego, to impress people, or to try to â€Å"control† others. Unfortunately, as with any other skill it can be used for noble intentions, and for purposes not so noble. I choose to persue psychic skills from a spiritual perspective, where they become a tool along the individuals spiritual path to God and to Self-Realization. I know some write to me and say â€Å"I dont’  believe in God you shouldn’t teach that God is necessary†. Well I’m sure for these people that is correct, but for my experience, a connection to â€Å"God’ is necessary because that is who I am. I believe â€Å"God† to be the inherint intelligence and source of energy present within and beyond all beings. I believe we all are connected through the same source ie â€Å"God†. My beliefs however aren’t important, they aren’t the only ones, and anyone with any belief system can use this course. I won’t modify it however ;), so you will get bits and pieces of my own philosophy throughout. I can only share my perspective. If it offends, then this course may not be for you. As with anything in life, take what works for you and leave behind what does not. file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/thingstoconsider.html (2 of 3)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Developing Psychic Abilities: Things to Consider I recognize these abilities to have great healing capacity, and to be empowering. That being said developing psychic skills is not synonymous with spiritual growth †¦ spiritual growth is a life long process embarked on by each individual soul. Some people mistakingly believe that developing psychically will make them more enlightened or spiritual and therefor make life easy. Those who believe this are often in for a big disappointment. It is also important to say here that it is important not to become distracted by psychic abilities †¦again it is only one aspect of development. They are a tool, not the be all and end all. If you get hung up on it you stop growing and then the abilities that were intended to be for your highest good end up sabotaging you. You should be willing to continue to persue growth in all areas. Love and blessings, and enjoy exploring the rest of the book 🙂 Return to Contents file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/thingstoconsider.html (3 of 3)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Download Free eBook Psychic Skills Development Free e-Book â€Å"Psychic Skills Exploration & Development This book combines much of the information that was contained in my psychic development classes. I don’t teach classes formally any longer, so I decided to make the information available for free. This book provides a comprehensive look at psychic abilities, what they are, how they work, and how to develop them through a variety of activities and exercises. Main Menu As this is another free resource I am providing I ask that all of you respect a few rules. Please download only one copy to save on Bandwidth. The more copies downloaded the more I have to pay in server fees. If you don’t want a copy on your PC, you can also view all of the content online as well HERE Please feel free to share it with others, but Please do NOT alter the content, sell the book, or use it as an incentive to get other people to buy your products/services etc. Other than that, I’m pretty flexible ;). So, if you agree to these simple terms you can begin your download below. This file is an executable file .exe format. Download it to your computer and save it on your own harddrive. keep track of what folder you save it to, then click it and it runs itself. *Please note I am revamping this file to add more material to it and to fix a couple of bugs, this file will be placed again for download ASAP. In the meantime enjoy reading the material on the site. This Free Ebook brought to you by www.MysticalTreasures.net Below is one of several articles I have written. If you would like to read more of my writing visit my public portfolio for a range of different self-improvement/psychic related articles Psychic Phenomenon: Gifts, Powers, or Abilities? In my work as a psychic who seeks to mentor those developing their own skills, I find it important to discuss this subject. I refer to psychic abilities as just what they are – skills or abilities. The other terms, gifts and powers, I find to be damaging as they infer that this is unattainable by others, or that psychic senses are much more â€Å"supernatural† than they actually are. Often I hear others speak of their developing abilities as â€Å"gifts†, as though they were so special that God gave them this unique and special ability and not others. Unfortunately, many famous psychics also do this, insinuate that some great mystical super-secret society power has been bestowed on them. This is harmful to those who would love to develop psychically but feel that they â€Å"aren’t enough† somehow, or haven’t been â€Å"chosen†. Are psychic abilities gifts? Indeed they are. Those of us who have developed them recognize that we are bless ed, but I also recognize that every breath I take on this planet is also a gift. I also know that we all breathe. Therefor oxygen, while still a beautiful, precious gift that should not be taken for granted, is something that we can all partake in. Psychic ability is no different. Just as everyone can pick up a  pencil and write with it, everyone can also learn to develop the intuition to some degree. Not everyone will become a pulitzer prize winning novelist, or famous poet, but that doesn’t stop all of the rest of us from writing, so why should it stop beginners in Metaphysical studies from even trying? It is amazing to me the number of people who come to me and say â€Å"I don’t think I am gifted† or â€Å"Can you tell me if I have gifts?†. My answer: â€Å"Are you standing here, breathing, having a life experience right now? then yes you are gifted†. The key is not focusing on lack or what one doesn’t have, but appreciating what is. What we believe tends to become self-fulfilling prophecy. Psychic abilities are not elusive foreign phenomenon that only the chosen few can bring forward, they are an innate set of senses, hidden deep within the psyche and soul of each being that must be allowed to come forward. Many people don’t agree with this, they believe that because they want psychic abilities that they must already be allowing it and it just isn’t coming. This is very untrue. Developing these skills means adjusting to a different reality that what is presently understood and accepted both by society and the individual. The body/mind have a natural resistance to this in place as a protective mechanism. In order to reach our fullest potential psychically, we have to work at peeling away the barriers. It can take considerable time and effort to allow these abilities to manifest to their fullest potential, and as with anything worth having they require sincerity, persistence, and dedication. file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/psyskills.html (1 of 2)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Untitled We live in a society that pushes heavily the â€Å"instant gratification† syndrome, and this tends to cause many developing psychics to throw in the towel much to soon. When we add the stigma of â€Å"being gifted† to it, many don’t even try at all. They are falsely led to believe that these abilities just manifest in others who have been fortunate enough to have them bestowed upon them by Creator. News Flash, God/ Creator loves all of creation, so why then would He/She/It only give gifts to some of the Earths children and not  to all? That’s not unconditional love, but it is a human condition ;). Every one of you reading this also has psychic ability, and yes it is a gift, but so is everything else. Another word I hear misused a lot is â€Å"powers†. Psychic ability does not give us â€Å"power† over anyone, and those psychics who believe it does usually find their careers short-lived, or find that Karma catches up eventually. Any genuine psychic is humble enough to tell people that they too can do what he/she is doing. A good psychics goal is to empower others – not to wield some false sense of power over them. When I hear psychics and/or aspirants refer to their â€Å"powers† it is one of my biggest pet peeves. That word implies not only that it is a â€Å"super secret society elite thing† again, but also propogates fear and contributes to the already abounding social ignorance surrounding psychic phenomenon. Those who do this to puff up their own egos by portending they have super-hero like â€Å"powers† make it difficult for genuine psychics to get established and the outlook for ever being taken seriously in our field becomes even more grim. I have the upmost respect for psychics and healers as well, who seek to empower others by demystifying this process. John Edward is one prime example of a mainstream psychic who has done a lot of work in this area. Thanks to his work, more people are seeing this as something that is not just a power for the chosen ones, but something anyone with the dedication to do so can develop. I hope that as more of us establish our careers we will also take the â€Å"high road† and continue to promote more personal empowerment and less hocus-pocus. Knowledge is the true â€Å"power†. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Christin Snyder is an author, psychic, mentor, and pesonal success coach. She works on demystifying psychic phenomenon and helping others to expand their consciousness. Visit her website today for free guided meditations, spiritual guidance tarot readings, free psychic skills development courses and more: http://www.spiritualguidancetarot.com Return to Table of Contents file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/psyskills.html (2 of 2)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Untitled This Free Ebook brought to you by www.MysticalTreasures.net Formatting Journals to help you through this book and the course contents: Formatting your Main Journal For your main class journal, I recommend buying a binder with loose-leaf paper and divider tabs. This allows you to move things around, and easily keep things divided into organized sections. You can add and remove material also. You will want a journal section for each part of the course. Exercises should be recorded in your journals. Also post to it daily if you are able about any insights you receive etc. You will enjoy referring back to this later on. Spend some time on your journal. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but spend some time making it and personalizing it. Make it special and all your own. As time goes on through the course you will get very attached to your journal and it will hold reviews of all of yoru progress. I can tell you that honestly through this process I often neglected my journal, thinking I wouldn’t forget certain experiences etc.. and I really regretted later on that I didn’t write things down as I worked on them. That practice would have saved me a lot of repetition and heartache, so please be persistent in keeping yoru preogress recorded. You will be glad you did. Formatting your Dream Journals: Dream journals are personal and all your own. I suggest having two sections, one where you record dreams, and another where you list your common symbols, recurring themes, anything extraordinary that occurs, etc. This will be your own window into your soul, and developing your own personal dream dictionary of sorts is far more effective than using a standard dream dictionary. Although some meanings are somewhat universal, that isn’t necessarily true. I suggest a small journal that can be kept easily and unobtrusively by your bedside. This will ensure easy access enabling you to record more of your dream experiences. If you find that writing dreams down doesn’t work for you and you are able, buy a small tape recorder and keep that by your bed. When you wake you can record a message for yourself. This may also help those of you who forget very quickly upon waking. Return to Table of Contents file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/journals.html (1 of 2 )3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Untitled file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/journals.html (2 of 2)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Psychic Skills Exploration & Development This Free Ebook brought to you by MysticalTreasures.net Beginning Psychic Skills Development : Lesson I Learning to Still the Mind This is the first step in learning basic meditation methods and in preparing yourself to receive the subtle messages of Spirit communication. Our first lesson delves into learning to relax our conscious mind. Often this is the most difficult part of the whole process, learning to still our thoughts and come to an inner sense of calm & quiet. Remember this is a new habit you are developing and plan on sticking with it without immediate gratification. More than learning to absolutely silence the mind, it is more of a process of learning to take control of your mind/thoughts. Knowing where they go and why, and how to bring them back to center and quiet them as much as possible. You will want to work with this lesson first, until you are fairly comfortable with it before attempting to move forward. This is important so that you proceed step by step and not sabotage yourself by trying to do everything at once. Even if you are an all or nothing type, please do this step by step, taking as much time between lessons as you need. 🙂 You’ll be happier with the results if you do. It is important to learn how to control and be conscious of our thoughts and emotions to be effective as a psychic and/or to be successful in meeting our guides. By being able to control our response to outside stimulus, we are better able to â€Å"tune in† to the more subtle frequencies involved in using the extra senses and/or communicating with spirit. There are a few things to remember: 1) Don’t struggle trying to force your mind to be silent, in the struggle itself you create more thoughts and sabotage the process. You should not â€Å"latch on’ to thoughts either, let them ‘float† by you, acknowledging your willingness to release them. 2) If you don’t succeed at first don’t give up. It takes time to  develop a new habit. Don’t be hard on yourself if you just don’t get it the first few times. .. anything worth doing is worth the effort, and trust me this is worth the effort. the benefits are not just in developing psychically, the benefits of meditation are numerous and include increased energy, clearer thought process,& improved health on many levels. 3) Remember to find a time where you will not be interupted and a place as free from outside interference as possible. No music, TV, etc. There are times when you can use soothing music, but for the purpose of psychic development it is best to have a very quiet environment. It makes it easier to pick up on subtle energies around you. As you start, you may wish to select a specific time of day, each day or as many days a week as you can. You will want to start off with a 5 minute time frame which you can increase as you progress. By choosing a specific time of day you are developing a habit, conditioning a response pattern and preparing your body and mind for the process of Meditation. file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/lessonI.html (1 of 3)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Psychic Skills Exploration & Development Once you have become more adept at relaxation and meditaiton you can remove the scheduled time and increase your meditation time, but for our purposes here, 5 minutes per day at around the same time if possible. Use this time to just deeply relax and become aware of yourself, the environment you are in, etc. etc. Total awareness naturally expands the consciousness. Remove yourself from as much outside interference as possible.. if earplugs or covering the eyes helps you please consider adding them to your routine. Learning to Relax the Mind: Once you are ready to begin, stretch out and release any tensions you may be feeling in the body. You will want to do this exercise sitting and not laying down as we don’t want to indicate to the body that it is time to sleep, just simply relax. Sit in a comfortable but firm chair, not one that you slump down into.. you want to sit up straight with your back against the back of the chair, feet flat on the floor, and arms either rested gent ly on the arms of the chair, or down to your sides. You should be in an attentive but relaxed position. Once you are  situated take a deep breath in through the nose and breath out through the mouth making the exhale longer than the inhale. As you exhale focus on pushing out any negative emotions, stress, etc that you may have built up within you. Do 3 -5 breaths, whatever it takes to help you start to feel the body relax. Each breath should have you relaxing even further. Once you have done this just sit with your eyes closed. Try to just focus on the stillness. If thoughts seem to keep coming don’t struggle against them trying to push them down†¦ just allow them to come and go gently. Remove yourself from your thoughts and watch them â€Å"float† by. You Don’ t want to attempt to catch them and analyze them, and you don’t want to struggle against them†¦ they just are, you just are. You can also do a visualization. Imagine yourself sitting in a quiet theater, there is a screen in front of you. On the screen appears anything that you need to know, that your higher self wishes you to know. Don’t try to analyze the symbols, colors, or other messages, let them float on the screen. Here there is no time limits , pressures, or outside influences, this is just you in the fullness of the present moment without regard to past or future. Enjoy being in this moment a while longer and then gradually bring yourself back with a cleansing breath. Repeat this exercise until you have come to a place where you are comfortable in redirecting random thoughts for a minute or more before moving on. This most likely will not happen right away, so please don’t get discouraged. Continue to practice this daily as you can. As you get into this more you will find the time you spend may naturally increase just because of the sheer pleasure of taking a break from our â€Å"busy†ness. That’s great and even if you don’t get this right file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/lessonI.html (2 of 3)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example Some of praises accredited to his name include the invention of lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove. Analysis of this book determines that the source of information in it is first-hand or rather primary. This is because, the book puts across that, it is through Franklin’s own voice that makes this book worth reading, and how he describes the world in his own words. In addition to that, Franklin started writing his first autobiography portraying how fascinating Philadelphia was including his shrewd literature observations. This regarded how he viewed America’s Colonial and Revolutionary periods while residing in England in 1771 (67). Due to the prevailing circumstances, he had to stop writing but later resumed writing thirteen years later upon returning to the States. However, the work is second-hand information after different authors wrote it upon Franklin’s death. Since his work is a tale of success depicting a remarkable man, Franklin states clearl y that the reason or purpose of putting down this piece of work that took him a period of more than eighteen years was to set an exemplary life to the younger generations. He would do so by showing them how he emerged from poverty to amassing enormous wealth, power, and success. He continues to illustrate that all that he possessed came by means of immense hardship and constant diligence (118). This is the reason why his autobiography is very important to Americans as it addresses real time essential values of life. According to part of his life story, Franklin depicts another reason for writing his life history. He says that, it would be agreeable for a son, in this case his son, to get to know some of his father’s life incidents. While in quest for this purpose, he decided to accord himself whole week leisure in order to put down for his son, William. As he continues, he states that he must speak thanking God for his kind providence and happiness that he owed Him. Franklin directly engages these thoughts to his son, as he wanted William to lead happy life just like his father by striving to better his life. During composition of his work, Franklins attempt to reach a unified structure of the whole story. He argues that, the reason behind great success and power is through immense hard work and determination. Even after dividing his work into four parts, the overall goal remains intact. His work seems entirely planned even before he commenced the actual writing. The autobiography traces Franklin’s personal development from obscurity to his profound significance. It presses that the main form of attaining any goal is through hard work. Franklin’s life history is entirely a secret success message for the younger and upcoming generations, as he believed his life story would serve as an exceptional example to others. Presuppositions give contrast between the ideas and values in a book. Franklin’s autobiography offers a semi ready-made formula for gaining power and amassing wealth leading to a successful life. He portrays companionship of a real flesh and blood extraordinary man with an extraordinary mind and quality whereof his daily walkie-talkie conversation would lead us to meeting our goals and facing challenges. Franklin values hard work as the key to success. Today, hard work without work makes the difference between him and the

The stock Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The stock - Case Study Example Nigel has to establish that the shop owner cannot rely on the exemption clause in the standard terms of the contract. An exemption clause in a contract purports to exclude liability of one of the parties to the contract, under certain circumstances. The Statute sets out that no contract term can exclude or limit liability in any way for negligently causing death or injury1. Furthermore, if there is other loss or damage, liability for negligence cannot be excluded or restricted if the term of notice is unreasonable. Finally, if a contract term or notice makes efforts to exclude or restrict liability for negligence, agreement to or awareness of this is not of itself to be taken as indicative of the voluntary acceptance of any risk2. Nigel was misled by the shop owner in respect of the usage of the rowing machine, in as much as the shop owner asked him to ignore the back pain that had afflicted Nigel after using the rowing machine. Hence, this incident can be classified under misrepresentation of facts, which renders the shop keeper liable for the injuries caused by the defective and unsuitable rowing machine. It is of paramount importance to determine whether the purchaser is a consumer or not. 'Consumer means any natural person who, in contracts covered by these Regulations, is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business or profession'3. This expressly limits the definition of a consumer to a natural person and not companies. Adhesion contracts or standard form contracts, which present little or no choice to the party who has not drawn up the document, can be used to impose an exclusion clause. As Downes has pointed out, "The imposition of such exemption clauses may be particularly harmful in consumer contracts, where the disequilibrium between the bargaining positions of the parties may be substantial."4 This constitutes the reason for the existence of statutory controls on exclusion clauses, like the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (UCTA) and the Unfair Terms of the Consumer Contract Regulations 1999 (UTCCR). The UCTA applies to the contract for the purchase of the rowing machine by virtue of section 1(3) which states that the Act applies to business liability which is defined as "liability for breach of obligations or duties arising from things done or to be done in the course of a business". The contract entered by Nigel is included by virtue of section 3 which covers consumer contracts and section 12 which states that a person deals as a consumer if he neither makes the contract in the course of a business nor holds himself out as doing so and the shop owner makes the contract in the course of business. Since, Nigel had purchased the Rowing machine for personal use at his residence the shop owner can not exclude liability for the breach of implied terms5. Reasonableness in respect of contract terms is clarified in section 11, which states that this tests if the clause is fair and reasonable "having regard to the circumstances which were, or ought reasonably to have been, known to or in the contemplation of the parties when the

What is the relationship between globalisation, poverty and inequality Essay

What is the relationship between globalisation, poverty and inequality - Essay Example The essay "What is the relationship between globalisation, poverty and inequality?" aims in showing that globalization operates in specific contexts and is still influenced by policy interventions on national and transnational levels. Furthermore, poverty and inequality has been an offshoot of human development starting from the rapid human industrial activity. If one looks at the current problems produced, the solutions lie not in the replacement of the economic model but in correcting the flaws. For example, international rights and standards must be established or the enforcement of code of conduct that would govern international corporations and institutions. The essay describes that it is important to underscore that globalization is an evolving phenomenon. The problem that produces inequality, (i.e. the tariff reduction and subsidies on certain industries) are still being discussed and negotiated by countries, undermined by the influence of industrialized economies and the inde pendent bilateral and multilateral trade agreements that are consequences of politics and client. Presently, these still remain as agenda languishing on bargaining tables. The flaws of globalization are not fundamentally structural. Instead, most of it comes from the failure of states to commit to the idea that it espouses. Countries, especially the rich economies, are still resistant to eliminate trade barriers, opting to protect domestic industries. Then, there is the lack of a governing mechanism that would regulate the conduct of multinational corporations to prevent their excesses and made them accountable for their acts and force them to follow international standards - not just in the context of business, production, wage, human rights, - but also in the area of ethics.

Bussiness Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bussiness Law - Essay Example With its exponential growth and the explosion in information and exposure in the world due to it, there was felt a need for an establishment and determination of rules and regulations, and a framework for it to operate within. A committee or a forum was needed to be established that would discuss and lay the framework and the critical and basic issues related to the regulation of the Internet. For this purpose, a convention was held in Athens, Greece, in 2006, called the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), under the UN that laid the grounds for the next convention that was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 12 through 15 of November 2007. Both the conventions established the agenda and objectives of the IGF to be followed internationally. All the stakeholders from all the countries, especially the governments, are encouraged to participate, abide by the regulations and actively involve in their implementation in their countries. This is imperative as Internet crosses all national boundaries and this makes supervision by one body both impossible and inefficient. Four basic and major objectives were laid down in the first convention in Athens, and a fifth was added in the agenda in the second convention in Rio, along with building upon the established four. Basically, all these agendas are based on the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society. These objectives are as follows: Access: the Internet is on an ever increasing growth, however, majority of the world population still lives in isolation from this important tool that has the power to radically change the economic and the social conditions of any society. According to reports, out of the total 6 billion people living in the world today, approximately only 1 billion have access to the Internet facility, the remaining five billion people are still on the other side of the digital divide that is so crucial to bridge. The true power of the Internet can only be fully harnessed if it is utilized by the majority of the people worldwide. Up till now, however, only approximately 1.6% of the world population is benefiting from it. This means that the availability of access is the most important and urgent issue facing the forum, and it has to be tackled first. To counteract upon it, certain proposals have been included in the agenda.First off, an effort would have to be made on the international level, invol ving all participating stakeholders, to set up regulatory bodies and to outline legal policies for investment and establishment of infrastructure in this sector. Most of the population that does not have access to the Internet are the local people living in rural areas. These areas pose several problems. The economic standards of people living there are not very high, and so Internet access would have to be made affordable and easy. For this, local access points, or building-out infrastructures (IGF 2007) would have to

Global Marketing Expansion Speech or Presentation

Global Marketing Expansion - Speech or Presentation Example In addition, for a good marketing strategy for the new products being introduced in new markets, it is essential that enterprises engage into a critical analysis of the targeted market or region (Paul 254). This is important because it helps the marketers of the product understand the market dynamics better for enhanced product positioning. As a general rule, a product is likely to sell if the conditions of the external environment are favorable for promotion purposes. The justification behind this is that for the product to be known and accepted in the market, there must be promotion and adoption campaign. This paper identifies the Malaysian market for the purposes of introducing a portable water purifying gadget. The paper will therefore analyze the current situation of the foreign country in terms of the social, political, legal and environmental factors that might affect the introduction and promotion of the new product into the new market. This analysis will be conducted on a ba ckground of the various factors that may hinder the marketing campaign for the new product. To begin, it is important to identify the new product and the justifications for introducing it to Malaysian market. The Portable Water Purifying System The portable water purifier is an innovative product developed for the purposes of ensuring that households and even travelling individuals have access to not only clean but safe water for consumption. Water is an important component of human development. However, although most people have improved access to relatively clean water in the developing and emerging economies today, there is still a problem of making sure that the water is pure and free from disease causing germs. A sure way to eliminate this uncertainty is to have a portable ‘verification’ tool. This is the main reason why this purification gadget has been developed. With the size of a small torch, the purifier uses the ultraviolet ray technology to help purify water especially before drinking. In addition, the gadget is able to recharge using limited solar rays and therefore it is the surest way of creating purification capabilities to households and individuals even in remote areas that do not have access to other purification systems. Another advantage of the product is that it is relatively cheap and durable and hence can be used by many people regardless of their economic status. In addition, the product is user friendly because just like a conventional torch light, the portable purifier works with a slide switch that activates the beam of ultraviolet rays that are able to sterilize water within a couple of minutes before use. With this hand held simple but technologically inventive gadget, the safety of the user is assured. This is because it is able to eliminate the bacteria and other pathogens that may cause illness. This product is therefore suitable in areas that are continually faced with water shortage problems. It is a guarantee of an assisted elimination of illness related to water borne diseases. It is able to purify water in a couple of minutes and therefore ideal for tourists who may not be sure of the water they have for consumption. It can also be used for relief assistance during humanitarian crises like floods to help eliminate water borne disease. Having reviewed the product on offer, it is important to look at the situation in the target country that may make

What is Wisdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is Wisdom - Essay Example So what is wisdom? What are characteristics of wise person? Who is a wise person? Scholars have defined the term ‘wisdom’ differently. Sometimes it is regarded as the more developed and sophisticated form of common sense. It is believed that wisdom can be developed by experience. Some others consider it as the ability to predict consequences and acting for the common good. A standard accepted definition of Wisdom is the ability to make right choices without having complete information. Robert M May says â€Å"the Wise Men and Wise Women of history knew that we must turn to faculties beyond those of sense and reason in dealing with questions of wholes and values. Feeling and intuition are as important faculties of the psyche as are sensation and intellect, if not more so.† (May, 2004). Dr. Robert Sternberg, a professor of Psychology and Education at Yale University, defines wisdom as â€Å"the application of intelligence and experience as mediated by values toward the achievement of a common good through a balance among intrapersonal, interper sonal, and extra personal interests, over the short and long terms, to achieve a balance among adaptation to existing environments, shaping of existing environments, and selection of new environments.† (Sternberg). This definition of wisdom contains three important points such as placement of values within wisdom, importance of action and wisdom’s drive towards balance. Thus, wisdom becomes the ability to discern the truth. â€Å"He, O men, is the wisest who, like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing.† In the context of above quotation, some may argue that in a practical sense wisdom, or what it makes a persons be, fetches nothing. Socrates, for his being wise achieved nothing. He was condemned, deprived of his freedom. He was tried by a jury which is appointed by a majority of the citizens. Were all those citizens wise? Not many will agree. It

Cross-Cultural Differences Essay Example for Free

Cross-Cultural Differences Essay A central core in any cultural are its values. Values are independent standards where it is determined the differences of right and wrong, good and bad objectives. There are usually some shared values among all cultures; the contrast is the account of different perceptions between different cultures. Asian values have shown to be inter-related in that they view the individual belonging to a larger group or extended family with an expected well being of the group as a whole. To contrast this against American values of the self is that there is a personal expected importance of well being on the individual, emphasizing independence and self-initiative. Education seems to share a common aspect but there are some differential ideals between American and Asian values. Within the Asian culture their family core interactions being the fuel to move them through their individual life practices uses parenting as a fundamental aspect in pushing their children to work harder in their education; even overachieve. However, Americans might consider Asian parents to be overly dominating; there is an in-turn on exceptive goal that parent support their children as they can. Americans do see education as a key to social mobility and economic opportunity. Asians use education as a movement though family structures more profitable than the use of societal roles. Asian values can also be seen with strong dictation for their consideration of others; with benevolence and obligation that must be present to enforce relationships. Asian societies have a history to be hierarchical, in contrast to the American culture where there is a form of equality to an extent between teacher and student, peer to peer, and family members among themselves. The hierarchical relationships in Asian culture involve a lot of obligation that could be seen as domination with the expectation of responsibility and benevolence in return. Example being children in Asian culture obligated to follow guidelines set by their parents in a strict fashion at the expense of their own independence yet their parents with the returning expectation to raise support and educate them far in excess of what might be sought by American family standards. Reference: Asian-American educational achievements: A phenomenon in search of an explanation. Sue, Stanley; Okazaki, Sumie American Psychologist, Vol 45(8), Aug 1990, 913-920. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.45.8.913 Fuligni, A. J., Tseng, V. and Lam, M. (1999), Attitudes toward Family Obligations among American Adolescents with Asian, Latin American, and European Backgrounds. Child Development.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Diversification In Agriculture Environmental Sciences Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Diversification In Agriculture Environmental Sciences Essay Agriculture is the pre-dominant economic line of work of the rural communities in India, and plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of these communities. India acquires its major share of production revenues from the rural / agricultural sector of the economy. The agriculture sector in India is enormously significant in spite of its declining share in GDP. Sectoral shifts occurred as a result of the industrialization which had raised the Services sector shares in GDP during the 1990s, where as Agriculture, which had a major share in GDP in the 1950s, contributed only 22.5 % by the end of March 2004 (Economic Survey, GOl, 2003-04). Thus came up a pressing need for a paradigm shift in the governments agricultural policy to address the problems faced in the agricultural sector in the new domestic and global economic environment and avenues to enhance the income of the farmers. The possible solution for meliorating the agro sector is Diversification. This study traces the d efinition of diversification, area expansion problems, immediate needs, and its future prospects. Diversification can also involve a shift of resources from one crop (or livestock) to a larger mix of crops and livestock, keeping in view the varying nature of risks and expected returns from each crop/livestock activity, and adjusting in such a way that it leads to optimum portfolio of income (Joshi, et al, 2003). It is a way of a gradual movement from subsistence staple food crops towards diversified market-oriented crops which have a larger potential for land returns. DOA being a strategy would open up opportunities, to a large extent, for value addition in agriculture and will also lead to better crop planning and improve the earning opportunities in the farm community. In India, Andhra Pradesh has been proactive in taking up agricultural diversification as a strategy to accelerate the growth of agriculture. Crop Diversification Crop diversification takes into account the economic returns from different value-added crops. It also implies the effective use of environmental as well as human resources to grow a mix of crops with complementary marketing opportunities, and it entails shifting of resources from low value crops to high value crops. Due to globalization, crop diversification in agriculture is also a means to increase the total crop productivity in terms of quality, monetary and quantity value under specific, diverse agro-climatic situations all over the world. There are two approaches to crop diversification in agriculture. Horizontal diversification the primary approach to crop diversification used in production agriculture. In this approach, diversification normally takes place through crop intensification which means adding new high-value crops to existing cropping systems as a way of improving the overall productivity of a particular farm or a regions farming economy as a whole. Vertical diversification approach in which value is added to the products by farmers through various methods such as processing, regional branding, packaging, merchandising, or other efforts to enhance the product. Opportunities for crop diversification normally vary depending upon the risk, opportunity and the feasibility of proposed changes within a socio-economic and agro-economic context. Crop diversification may occur as a result of government policies. The Technology Mission on Oilseeds, Spices Development Board, and Coconut Development Board etc is some examples where the Indian government created policies to thrust changes upon farmers and the food supply chain at large as a way of promoting crop diversity. Crop diversification is the outcome of several interactive effects of many factors: Environmental factors which includes irrigation, rainfall, and temperature and soil fertility. Price-related factors which includes output and input prices with respect to national and international trade policies and other economic policies that affect the prices either directly or indirectly. Technology-related factors which includes seeds, fertilizers and water technologies, but also those related to marketing, harvest, storage, agro-processing, distribution, logistics, etc. Household-related factors which includes regional food traditions, fodder and fuel as well as the labor and investment capacity of farm people and their communities. Institutional and Infrastructure-related factors which includes farm size, location and tenancy arrangements, research, in-field technical support, marketing systems and government regulating policies, etc. All these five factors are interrelated. Area expansion problems under rice and wheat crops Scaling up production area poses several new problems of significance such as: 1. Excessive use of groundwater leading to poor water use efficiency and depletion of groundwater. 2. Deterioration of soil health or soil fertility. 3. Multiple infestations of weed flora, insect pests and diseases. 4. Indiscriminate use of energy such as chemical, electricity or disease, etc. 5. Reduction in the availability of other protective food and high value crops. 6. Pollution of agro-ecosystems. Despite the expansion problems, crop diversification has the potential to be an economic driver in agricultural regions. It may prove to become the paramount importance in meeting challenges that arise from a post-green revolution scenario. In view of shrinkage of agricultural land and operational holdings due to expansion of urban centers, changes in consumer food habits, exponential population growth rate, farmers are pressured to include or substitute additional crops in to the cropping system. Key Drivers Of Diversification The key drivers of diversification that are identified are : (1) Food Security; (2) Employment generation through creation of off-farm and non-farm investment opportunities within the capabilities of the resource-poor farmers; (3) Changes in crop patterns and farming systems; (4) More effective use of land and water resources; (5) Market access initiatives replacing risk aversion with risk acceptance; (6) Changing consumer demands irrespective of the nature of habitation and standards of living due to spread-effect of health consciousness caused by the visual media and non-discriminatory demand for quality goods, and (7) The role of urbanization in fast developing countries like India. Crop diversification can better tolerate the ups and downs in the market value of farm products and may ensure economic stability for farming families of the country. The adverse effects of aberrant weather, such as erratic and scanty rainfall and drought are very common in a vast area in agricultural production of the country. Incidence of flood in one part of the country and drought in the other part is a very frequent phenomenon in India. Under these aberrant weather situations, dependence on one or two major cereals (rice, wheat, etc.) is always risky. Hence, crop diversification through substitution of one crop or mixed cropping/inter-cropping may be a useful tool to mitigate problems associated with aberrant weather to some extent, especially in the arid and semi-arid drought-prone/dry land areas. Immediate Need In India, crop diversification in agriculture takes place vertically or horizontally, depending upon the market forces and also occasionally due to the domestic needs. With regards to use of land and water use and quality, there is an immediate need to consider the following factors (Aradhana , 2009): Farm produce processing into value added products will offer employment scope in non-farm works as in distillation of active ingredients from medicinal and aromatic plants (herbal products), scope of industrialization in agriculture for sugar, paper board manufacturing, etc. There is a need to find place-based approaches for diversifying the farming situations under various socio-economic conditions, infrastructure of market, domestic needs, supply of inputs, etc. The research and development on crop diversification is best done in a farmer-participatory mode where a multi-disciplinary team consisting of scientists will involve farmers from the project planning phase till arriving at conclusions and solutions. The concept of sustainable productivity for each land and water units through crop diversification needs to be fostered. There is critical need for promoting co-operatives in rural areas to solve micro-level and demographic problems. Strengthening food processing and other value-added industries in rural areas is a means to provide employment to rural youth. Alternate cropping systems and farm enterprise diversification are most important for environment protection. There are abundant opportunities in adopting the subsidiary occupations to the rice-wheat cropping systems present in India. They are vegetable farming, fruit cultivation, floriculture, medicinal and aromatic plants cultivation, mushroom farming, dairying, piggery, goatery, poultry and duckery, fishery or aquaculture, bee-keeping, to provide ample scope for diversification of rice-wheat cropping system in north-western and south India and north-eastern states. Farm enterprise diversification will generate more income opportunities and rural employment round the year. Conclusion Diversification in agriculture will have a tremendous impact on the agro-socio-economic areas and also in the uplifting of resource-inadequate farming communities. It will be able to generate income and employment opportunities for rural youth around the year for the utmost benefits of the Indian farmers. It shows the use of local resources in a bigger mix of diversified cropping systems and livestock, aquaculture and other non-farm sectors in the rural areas. As in the WTO era along with the globalization of markets, diversification in agriculture is an ace means to step up the total production and productivity with respect to quality, quantity and monetary benefits under diverse agro-climatic state of affairs in the country. There are still numerous opportunities for crop diversification present in both- irrigated and non-irrigated vast areas in the rural India.

The role of sales promotion

The role of sales promotion . Sales promotion has been defined as a direct inducement that offers an extra value or incentive for the product to the sales force, distributors, or the ultimate consumer with the primary objectives of creating an immediate sale. ( Blesh,2008 ) . The sales promotion contains two types of inducement that provide extra incentive to buy. The incentive is very important element in the promotional program; it can be couponing, reduction in price, and free samples of the product. ( Blesh,2008 ) . The sales promotion can be allocated also in the marketing intermediaries; the retail and wholesale. By giving they more discount offers by offering them more financial incentives to stock and promote for the manufacture products. Types of sales promotion activities: . The sales promotion is divided into two main categories; the consumer oriented promotion and the trade oriented promotion. . The consumer oriented sales promotion includes sampling, premiums, bonus pack, price offs. This promotion are directed to the consumer, the end purchaser of the good or the service, these activities are designed to create more preferable action in the consumer mind toward the purchasing of the product. . In the consumer-oriented sales promotion they are mainly use also the promotional pull strategy by using some advertising that will be a support for the consumer and motivate him to purchase and create demand for it. . The second types is the trade-oriented sales promotion, thats include the incentives, point of purchase and another activities that also designed to motivate the distributors and the retailers to carry and use this product and then deliver the product to the consumer. Reasons for the increase in sales promotion: . There are many reasons that increase the sales promotion, but from Nestle point of view that there are only two types for increasing in the sales promotion. They are the declining of brand loyalty and the short-term focus. . First the declining brand loyalty, which the consumer become less loyal toward the brand, and the purchase of the product based on the price and value. There are consumers buying the product with in its full price without looking for promotional offers. Also on the other hand there is some consumer that are more loyal to the promotional offers looking for couponing , premiums, bonus pack, or price-offs. . The short- term focus a lot of people see that the increase in the sales promotion based on the short term performance and the increasing in sales volume. The brand managers in Nestle are using the sales promotion routinely, not only for introducing new products to the market or defending against competition, but also to meet the year goal of achieving sales and the market share goal. Consumer-oriented sales promotion objectives: . Obtaining trial and repurchase its one of the most important uses of sales promotion techniques that encourage the consumer to try a new product or service. Nestle will use the technique of the trial for the new product Elite-Tea first in the supermarkets and the hyper market of the modern trade because, a lot of consumers visits the hyper and super market daily and that will let a lot of consumers try the product and gets more information about it and then repurchase it. . Defending current customers because of the new products that enter the market everyday they are trying to do something for defending their current costumer by do a lot of advertising and new sales promotion program, by giving special price promotion, coupons, and bonus packs. . Targeting specific market segments a lot of companies are focusing their efforts mostly on a specific market segments and are always looking for ways to reach the target audience. So the use of the coupons and the sampling is very effective in reaching company specific segment. Based on Elite-tea they are focusing more on the demographic and the psychographic. They focus on the demographic because they are targeting all of the genders even male or female, and they are targeting the age of the teens and seniors. Based on the psychographic they also focus on it because the tea is part of their life style. So Nestle will reach this targeted segment through the most effective tools of sales promotion start by making sampling. Nestle Sale Promotion Distribution: . Nestle Divided the market into two Promotion strategies they are: . The modern Trade, traditional Trade. . Modern Trade divided into three sectors the hypermarket, supermarkets, and discounters . Hyper market Like (Carrfour, Hyper one) . Super market (A-class) (Soudi, Metro) . Discounters super market who sells there product on lower price (El-mahaml, Awalad Ragab) . In the modern Trade they can use the promotion magazine, making advertising for the company and also let the consumer know your offer. . There is something called below the line market, which is contain the display floors, sampling and flyers. . The Traditional trade contains the supermarkets that are limited, which means the super markets that have limited branches like (royal House). Also its containing Kiosks. . Nestle types of promotions is the consumer promotion which is nationwide that means the promotion nestle do it in any supermarket will be in every super market in Egypt. The another type the costumer specific and that means that nestle went to a special super market like Carrefour and ask him to make a deal of promotion offers only for him, something specific, the consumer will find this offer only in Carrefour. . Trade deals, nestle sales people start by making special offer for the super markets by going to each super market and say to buyer today I have an offer, every 10 boxes you buy you will get 1 box for free and a display stand to show the product in professional appearance. Consumer-oriented sales promotion techniques: Nestle consumer-oriented sales promotion techniques Sampling Sampling Methods Premiums Bonus Packs . Sampling is a variety of procedures where by consumers are given some quantity of products for no charge only for trying this new product. Sampling first established to introduce new products in the market. Sampling is one of the most effective techniques in the sales promotional program and the most expensive. Nestle start to launch her new product in the market by first starting using the sampling form. They established there booths in all of the modern trade categories, and that one of the thing that helps them to reach the consumer taste and mind. The real benefits of sampling come to the consumer because that a risk-free because he will not buy the product its free and the consumer tries the brand directly, get more information about the brand and its benefits. Also its generating for Nestle much higher trail rates rather than advertising and Nestle did a brand that is unique and superior in benefits that makes the sampling program worthwhile. The cost of the sampling is very expensive so the cost can be recovered again if the consumer who tried the product can be a regular consumer for this product. . Nestle from here to start to put her sampling methods first because many reasons first the brand manager must take in-depth how the sample program will be distributed. The sampling method is very important because its the one that influence the type of consumer who receives the sample. The best sampling method gets the product to the best prospects for trail and repurchase. The sampling methods divided into four types: . Door-to-door sampling . Sampling through mail . In-store sampling the most effective Method Used by Nestle. . On-package sampling . Nestle in establishing their new product elite-tea used the most effective sampling method and its the in-store sampling. The in-store sampling starts by that the marketer starts to hire some people who set for him booths and then prepare small samples of the products ( for ex: 50 Boxes of tea ), then pass all of this to the shops. This was very effective for Nestle Elite-tea because it first established in the market and the consumer doesnt have any clue about this new product. Also what comes to the consumer mind first that the Tea is very expensive because of Nestle Brand name, so they used the in store sampling method to grape the consumer to taste the product and give them a lot of information about the product price and how its unique from the other products. In the modern Trade nestle used to distribute some flyers that contain all of the information about the new product, if the consumer not interested in sampling the new product they are mostly giving him a flyer thats con tain information about the product. . Premium is an offer of an item of service either free or at low price that have an extra incentive for the purchaser. The free premiums are usually small gifts included in the product package sent to the consumer who buys the product. Nestle used this technique in her new product elite tea by putting inside every package mug and spoon. They also increased their package by 25% for every package the consumer purchase it, he will find that another box stamped with the original package that contain 25 tea bags. . Bonus pack offers the consumer extra amount of packs of the product at a regular price. Nestle did that in Elite tea they was putting with the original pack another pack with the same quantity that have a regular price, that was one of the most important steps letting the consumer start to buy nestle new product because of the bonus offer and that will make the consumer try the product, that will lead him for more purchase and become a regular consumer. This offer most used in the modern trade in the hypermarkets and high class super markets (Metro, Soudi ) Nestle Elite Tea Sampling Promotion Cost: . First it depend on the sales forecast or the budget itself . Then its based on the marketing support percentage of the main budget for example the percentage of the marketing support between 15-20% of the main budget. . If the whole budget is 1000000$ and the marketing support is 20% so they will need 200,000$ for the sales promotion technique. . Then they will dived this 200,000$ based on the methods they will use. For example: . 50,000$ for Sampling . 25,000$ for Premiers. . 25,000$ for Bonus packs.

Teaching Goals and Philosophy Essay examples -- Education Teachers Sch

Teaching Goals and Philosophy Entering the field of education requires a person to take on many very important responsibilities. Teachers play a very vital role in the lives and futures of many individuals. Through the perspective of a teacher, many students come and go year after year. The names and faces of many students are often forgotten as you enter and new year with new students, new faces, and new names. On the other hand, although educators encounter many more students then students do educators, a teacher has a much more substantial impact on the life of a student. Upon taking this into consideration, I was led to ask myself many important questions. What do I hope to accomplish as a teacher? What do I wish for my students to accomplish in my classroom? Also, what are my professional development plans? First of all, I realize that every child is a unique individual, and no one is superior to any other, regardless of who excels academically, athletically, or socially. I feel that it is important for all students to treated equally. Everyone has positive qualities about them and teachers should find these qualities in every student. Teachers should make the students aware of their unique characteristics and encourage them to make the most of them. Every child should feel important, worthwhile, and accepted. Without the necessary self-esteem, it will be very difficult for a child to focus on his or her education. Students should be encouraged to accept themselves and each other. The same opportunities should be accessible to every student so that each child will have an equal chance to grow and learn. Secondly, although every child is equal and should be treated a... ...se should be built to help them to succeed I future situations. They need to learn to be independent, free-thinking, and empathetic. They should have a strong sense of self yet be open-minded to the many different things that life has to offer them. School should prepare students for the future while at the same time, help them to enjoy and appreciate the present. I hope to eventually earn my certification in K-6 multi-subject education and from there I would like to find a job teaching one of the lower grades. I think that I will find a career in the educational field to be a very fulfilling one. Children are very important and people sometimes overlook the fact that they have ideas, hopes, and dreams that are very real and meaningful to them. Someday, I hope to take part in helping children to become happy, responsible, and productive adults.

The Character of Odysseus in Homers Odyssey Essay -- Odyssey essays

The Character of Odysseus in The Odyssey Homer's epic tale The Odyssey is a story of the triumphs and downfalls that are in store for one warrior's long pillage home.   Odysseus, the hero from the Trojan wars, has led his people of Ithaca and other Achaean soldiers to victory and now wishes to return home to his wife and family of Ithaca.   Through his twenty year journey Odysseus is often tested not only of his physical strength, but his wits as well.   The many accomplishments he achieved earned him great status and recognition throughout ancient Greece.   The mistakes he made caused the deaths of many men.   Consequently, we as readers are able to see the many personas that Odysseus carries with him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Odysseus possesses every attribute that Homeric Greeks admire.   He displays loyalty, piety, manly valor and intelligence.   We see Odysseus's loyalty in book one.   Odysseus has won the Trojan War, and has been trapped on the island of Ogygia with the beautiful nymph Calypso.   For ten years, Odysseus longed to return home to his wife Penelope, despite the attractions set up by Calypso.   Never once did he accept his fate on the enchanting island.   Odysseus' loyalty to Penelope is also at hand in the following: So then, Royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, man of exploits, still eager to leave at once and hurry back to your own home, your beloved native land? Good luck to you, even so. Farewell! But if you only knew, down deep, what pains are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore, you'd stay right here, preside in our house with me and be immortal. Much as you long to see your wife, the one you pine for all your days ... POETRY VERSION (BOOK 4) This quote states the... ...estraint is also evident in the brutal attacks of Melanthius and Antinous.   Melanthius kicking the lowly disguised Odysseus, and Antinous' blow to Odysseus with a stool.   At first instinct one would fight back, especially with the strength and agility of Odysseus.   Nevertheless Odysseus restrains and knows that a premature revealimg of his true identity would ruin the future plans in store for the total take over of his palace.   So, just as any other beggar would react, the mighty Odysseus bows his head and walks back to the hut, with visions of the soon to be victory in his head.   Looking at Odysseus in whole, the strength intelligence, arrogance, and cunning restraint stand out above all creating a truly powerful and courageous leader.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Works Cited: Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1998.

Market Segmentation: Product Concepts

ZULQARNAIN BIN ABU HASSAN SCM 022431 REVIEW OF SEPTEMBER ISSUE When talking about mix and match and color blocking it is normally related to the fashion world. It is also involves modeling, in terms of clothes, accessories, gadgets, men and women, and trending. There are various ways for customer to get reference in fashion. Some will refer to the while other may use word of mouth. However most will use fashion magazine as their main reference. So just what fashion do you prefer? Mix and match? Color Blocking? Trending? There are many answers and you can make a long list if you want.Here we will focus on a September Issue documentary film about the construction of a prominent magazine in New York City, â€Å"Vogue†. Vogue magazine led by its editor Anna Wintour a strong influential and is supported by fashion designers all over Europe. A bit of background of the Editor. She was an ex model and is a hardcore follower of Vogue magazine since her teens. Her father Charles Wintour , former editor of a newspaper, persuade join the Vogue magazine. In this documentary film it will highlight how a fashion magazine is being published.Publishing a magazine will involved planning the content of the magazine for each month, what message to be conveyed to the reader and followers of Vogue, and try to anticipate future fashion or trending today. The production of the magazine should always be able to communicate to the readers. It also should express its views despite the bitter outlook. This is done through pre-production. The publication of a magazine will have to looked in terms of quality and not just profit alone. In the pre-production, editor has to play a big role in ensuring that choices and decisions are made clearly.She has to understand the desires of the readers and followers of the Vogue. For September 2007 Issue, the goals is to make history by producing over 100 pages. Other factors such as fashion related activities, advertising and cover page by endors ed celebrity also plays an important role in a magazine. All the hard work is done during the pre-production. Post mortem is then conducted before they proceed to real production. As editor of Vogue magazine said in 2007 ‘fashion is not about looking back but is about looking forward â€Å".

Deception Point Page 98

Jesus Christ. The controller looked back at the deck. Delta-Two still hung in the Triton's claws, but now the sub was suspended over a gaping hole in the deck. His feet dangled over the void. All Tolland had to do was release the claws, and Delta-Two would be next. â€Å"Okay,† the controller barked into the CrypTalk. â€Å"Hold on. Just hold on!† Rachel stood below on the deck and stared up at the Kiowa. Even from this height the controller sensed the resolve in her eyes. Rachel raised the CrypTalk to her mouth. â€Å"You still think we're bluffing?† she said. â€Å"Call the main switchboard at the NRO. Ask for Jim Samiljan. He's in P A on the nightshift. I told him everything about the meteorite. He will confirm.† She's giving me a specific name? This did not bode well. Rachel Sexton was no fool, and this was a bluff the controller could check in a matter of seconds. Although the controller knew of no one at the NRO named Jim Samiljan, the organization was enormous. Rachel could quite possibly be telling the truth. Before ordering the final kill, the controller had to confirm if this was a bluff-or not. Delta-One looked over his shoulder. â€Å"You want me to deactivate the jammer so you can call and check it out?† The controller peered down at Rachel and Tolland, both in plain view. If either of them made a move for a cellphone or radio, the controller knew Delta-One could always reactivate and cut them off. The risk was minimal. â€Å"Kill the jammer,† the controller said, pulling out a cellphone. â€Å"I'll confirm Rachel's lying. Then we'll find a way to get Delta-Two and end this.† In Fairfax, the operator at the NRO's central switchboard was getting impatient. â€Å"As I just told you, I see no Jim Samiljan in the Plans and Analysis Division.† The caller was insistent. â€Å"Have you tried multiple spellings? Have you tried other departments?† The operator had already checked, but she checked again. After several seconds, she said, â€Å"Nowhere on staff do we have a Jim Samiljan. Under any spelling.† The caller sounded oddly pleased by this. â€Å"So you are certain the NRO employs no Jim Samil-â€Å" A sudden flurry of activity erupted on the line. Someone yelled. The caller cursed aloud and promptly hung up. Onboard the Kiowa, Delta-One was screaming with rage as he scrambled to reactivate the jamming system. He had made the realization too late. In the huge array of lighted controls in the cockpit, a tiny LED meter indicated that a SATCOM data signal was being transmitted from the Goya. But how? Nobody left the deck! Before Delta-One could engage the jammer, the connection from the Goya terminated on its own accord. Inside the hydrolab, the fax machine beeped contentedly. CARRIER FOUND†¦ FAX SENT 121 Kill or be killed. Rachel had discovered a part of herself she never knew existed. Survival mode-a savage fortitude fueled by fear. â€Å"What was in that outbound fax?† the voice on the CrypTalk demanded. Rachel was relieved to hear confirmation that the fax had gone out as planned. â€Å"Leave the area,† she demanded, speaking into the CrypTalk and glaring up at the hovering chopper. â€Å"It's over. Your secret is out.† Rachel informed their attackers of all the information she had just sent. A half dozen pages of images and text. Incontrovertible evidence that the meteorite was a fake. â€Å"Harming us will only make your situation worse.† There was a heavy pause. â€Å"Who did you send the fax to?† Rachel had no intention of answering that question. She and Tolland needed to buy as much time as possible. They had positioned themselves near the opening in the deck, on a direct line with the Triton, making it impossible for the chopper to shoot without hitting the soldier dangling in the sub's claws. â€Å"William Pickering,† the voice guessed, sounding oddly hopeful. â€Å"You faxed Pickering.† Wrong, Rachel thought. Pickering would have been her first choice, but she had been forced to choose someone else for fear her attackers had already eliminated Pickering-a move whose boldness would be a chilling testimony to her enemy's resolve. In a moment of desperate decision, Rachel had faxed the data to the only other fax number she knew by heart. Her father's office. Senator Sexton's office fax number had been painfully engraved into Rachel's memory after her mother's death when her father chose to work out many of the particulars of the estate without having to deal with Rachel in person. Rachel never imagined she would turn to her father in a time of need, but tonight the man possessed two critical qualities-all the correct political motivations to release the meteorite data without hesitation, and enough clout to call the White House and blackmail them into calling off this kill squad. Although her father was most certainly not in the office at this hour, Rachel knew he kept his office locked like a vault. Rachel had, in effect, faxed the data into a time-lock safe. Even if the attackers knew where she had sent it, chances were slim they could get through the tight federal security at the Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building and break into a senator's office without anyone noticing. â€Å"Wherever you sent the fax,† the voice from above said. â€Å"You've put that person in danger.† Rachel knew she had to speak from a position of power regardless of the fear she was feeling. She motioned to the soldier trapped in the Triton's claws. His legs dangled over the abyss, dripping blood thirty feet to the ocean. â€Å"The only person in danger here is your agent,† she said into the CrypTalk. â€Å"It's over. Back off. The data is gone. You've lost. Leave the area, or this man dies.† The voice on the CrypTalk fired back, â€Å"Ms. Sexton, you do not understand the importance-â€Å" â€Å"Understand?† Rachel exploded. â€Å"I understand that you killed innocent people! I understand that you lied about the meteorite! And I understand that you won't get away with this! Even if you kill us all, it's over!† There was a long pause. Finally the voice said, â€Å"I'm coming down.† Rachel felt her muscles tighten. Coming down? â€Å"I am unarmed,† the voice said. â€Å"Do not do anything rash. You and I need to talk face-to-face.† Before Rachel could react, the chopper dropped onto the Goya's deck. The passenger door on the fuselage opened and a figure stepped out. He was a plain-looking man in a black coat and tie. For an instant, Rachel's thoughts went totally blank. She was staring at William Pickering. William Pickering stood on the deck of the Goya and gazed with regret at Rachel Sexton. He had never imagined today would come to this. As he moved toward her, he could see the dangerous combination of emotions in his employee's eyes. Shock, betrayal, confusion, rage. All understandable, he thought. There is so much she does not understand. For a moment, Pickering flashed on his daughter, Diana, wondering what emotions she had felt before she died. Both Diana and Rachel were casualties of the same war, a war Pickering had vowed to fight forever. Sometimes the casualties could be so cruel. â€Å"Rachel,† Pickering said. â€Å"We can still work this out. There's a lot I need to explain.† Rachel Sexton looked aghast, nauseated almost. Tolland had the machine gun now and was aiming at Pickering's chest. He too looked bewildered. â€Å"Stay back!† Tolland yelled. Pickering stopped five yards away, focusing on Rachel. â€Å"Your father is taking bribes, Rachel. Payoffs from private space companies. He plans to dismantle NASA and open space to the private sector. He had to be stopped, as a matter of national security.† Rachel's expression was blank.