Interpersonal Relationship free essay sample

Chapter 9 – Interpersonal Relationships I. Advantages and disadvantages of interpersonal relationships A. Advantages 1. Lesson loneliness 2. Provide stimulation 3. Enhance self worth and self esteem 4. Maximize pleasure and minimize pain B. Disadvantages 1. Pressure to be vulnerable 2. Encroach on privacy 3. Increase obligations 4. Limit other relationships 5. Emotionally difficult to dissolve 6. Break your heart II. Relationship stages A. Created and constructed by the individuals B. People see their relationships differently C. Interdependence is primary quality of an interpersonal relationshipD. Six stage model (applies to all types of relationships) 1. Contact a. perceptual contact – physical appearance b. interactional contact (superficial and impersonal) *Flirting – verbal and nonverbal signals of romantic interest *Dark side of flirting – becomes harassment or stalking 2. Involvement – mutuality, connection, try to learn more about the other a. tests – find out how your partner feels about the relationship (start here but go throughout relationship) b. intensifying tokens of affection; increase contact; sexual intimacy; jealousy 3.Intimacy – further commitment; share social networks; quantity and quality of exchanges increase, talk more about the relationship Two phases of intimacy: a. We will write a custom essay sample on Interpersonal Relationship or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page interpersonal commitment – private commitments to each other b. social bonding – public commitment; you become an identifiable pair 4. Deterioration – weakening of bonds a. intRApersonal dissatisfaction b. IntERpersonal deterioration – withdraw, distance, conflict 5. Repair – change behaviors or expectations; not always pursued A. IntRAapersonal – analyze and try to solve yourself; consider changing your behaviors B.IntERpersonal repair – negotiate changes w/other *Recognize the problem *Engage in productive communication and conflict resolution *Pose possible solutions *Affirm each other – disclose, talk positively, compliments, nonverbals that say I care cherishing behaviors – small gestures you enjoy receiving from your partner (a wink, a smile, a kiss) *Integrate solutions into normal behavior vs. followed for a very short time and going back to previous behavior. *Risk – risk giving without certainty of receiving, risk rejection by making the first move, be willing to change, adapt.

Perl Array Splice() Function - Quick Tutorial

Perl Array Splice() Function - Quick Tutorial The Perl splice function takes the following form: Perls splice() function is used to cut out and return a chunk or portion of an array. The portion that is cut out starts at the OFFSET element of the array and continues for LENGTH elements. If the LENGTH is not specified, it will cut to the end of the array. Example of the Perl Splice Function Think of the myNames array as a row of numbered boxes, going from left to right, numbered starting with a zero. The splice() function would cut a chunk out of the myNames array starting with the element in the #1 position (in this case, Michael) and ending 3 elements later at Matthew. The value of someNames then becomes (Michael, Joshua, Matthew), and myNames is shortened to (Jacob, Ethan, Andrew). Using the Optional REPLACE_WITH As an option, you can replace the portion removed with another array by passing it in the REPLACE_WITH argument. In the above example, the splice() function would cut a chunk out of the myNames array starting with the element in the #1 position (in this case, Michael and ending 3 elements later at Matthew. It then replaces those names with the contents of the moreNames array. The value of someNames then becomes (Michael, Joshua, Matthew), and myNames is changed to (Jacob, Daniel, William, Joseph, Ethan, Andrew). You might want to check out some other Perl array functions such as reverse() to reverse the order of your array.

What are the problem with the Aral sea Research Paper

What are the problem with the Aral sea - Research Paper Example Aral is translated in Kazakh to mean â€Å"island†. These islands form one important highway referred as the Silk Road, which lead all the way from Asia to Europe (STONE, 1999). In the recent years, Aral has attracted the world attention following its great degradation, a factor that has been termed one of the worst man-made disasters of this age. Currently, this sea is ranked the eighth largest after dropping four steps down from its previous fourth position. The problems experienced today are traced back to moves made in the past that saw water from rivers Syrdarya and Amudarya diverted for use in irrigation. Consequently, the sea underwent serious shrinkage that altered the climate and thus livelihood of many people whom once dependent on these sea. General Problem Background The period marking 1960s experience a robust increase in irrigation activities, this in turn posed serious implications on Aral ecosystem. Such is the case that the Amudarya delta that is situated on t he southern side of the sea formed a significant irrigation area approximated to cover about 28,000 sq. km. This area was used in the production of cotton and rice considered the most lucrative crops in the region. Following the onset of cold war, this region was set apart by former U.S.S.R to serve as a land that would offer freedom from the west. Although considered less productive, the planners never considered the possible desertification occurrence. Today, the Aral Sea faces a risk of vanishing after it retreated more than 100 km from its initial boundaries. People visiting this place will come across fishing boats abandoned and other marine equipment scattered all over the place. In addition, the area is marked by dusty plains that were once covered with water (Pala, 2005). The area began experiencing the negative effects after the water quantity diminished significantly to cause a rise in salinity. Consequently, the highly saline environment proved toxic to fishes and other w ildlife living in the sea. The first case of this drastic rise in salinity was reported between 1970 and 1974, when it was insinuated to have risen from 12 – 14 percent. By early 1980s, the salinity level stroked a 23 percent mark, a factor that left close to 60, 0000 people jobless due to reduction in fish. This period marked the end of commercial fishing and many other related businesses. Further reports insinuate that 200 species of the known 500 species of birds existing in the region have perished in the last four decades. As it is now, waters from Syrdarya in the north and Amudarya in the south hardly reach the sea, thanks to the heavy diversions to cater for the many irrigation activities in the region. The period between 1960 and 1995 realized a great decrease in the sea’s surface area following a loss of about three quarters of the total water volume (Pala, 2006).This also marked a significant reduction in the water depth which is placed at 19 meters. Another significant damage relates to NE winds that are said to blow off salty dust from the sea to area close and far. This process has been linked to transfer of millions of tons of salt dust every year. Such is the case that aerosols are blown into higher layers forming the atmosphere, which later spread across the globe (Glantz, 1999).This is true, as evidence gathered from Antarctic penguin showed traces of pesticides used in the Aral region. This dust forms from mixtures of agricultural chemicals and the frequently used fertilizer considered toxic to both humans and animals. In this region, the salt and pesticide used find its way deep into the ground water, a

Plagiarism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Plagiarism - Research Paper Example People may differ as to what constitutes the act of plagiarism but there is a general consensus on the undesirability of it in the academic world. The need to acknowledge the work of the person from whom an idea or a passage of words originated is accepted as a fair one by the academic and non-academic fraternity, most of all, to protect their own interests. Writers like Judy Anderson talk of the exclusivity that writers need as the cause for plagiarism being recognized as a crime. This need for exclusivity is intrinsically linked to the idea of intellectual property and the need that writers feel to protect their creations, which may stem from reasons that may be economic or ethical. This crime is directed against this need for exclusivity that writers feel (Anderson, ix). This is tied in with the idea that the work of art is similar to the offspring of the author and any attempt to appropriate the content created by the author is similar to an attempt to violate the maternal instinct of the author. This authorial-maternal instinct, while it destabilizes notions of masculinity and femininity and the instinct of the mother that is conventionally considered to be characteristic of only women, is something that is common to most writers, big and small. These writers are able to bring out the point from the perspective of both the writer and the reader. While the writer feels as if he or she is being deprived of his right of exclusive ownership, the reader of a modern world is likely to feel that the text that he or she reads is recreated or even created by him, in the context of the erasure of the author in the pro cess of providing a text with meaning. This theory, which was propounded by the French literary critic, Roland Barthes, places the onus of processing the meaning of a text, on the reader of the text and not the writer. This, while

Insurance and Hedging Processes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Insurance and Hedging Processes - Essay Example The role of insurance management in regards to risk transfer is influentially great, and this is in regards to risk management in particular; risk management is basically considered as being defined as the executive decisions that surround the management of pure risks, and "As such, risk management is a much broader concept than insurance management because insurance is only one of several methods for dealing with risk. Risk management attempts to identify the pure risks faced by the firm or organization, and uses a wide variety of methods, including insurance, for handling these risks" (Goto, 1997). Insurance in incredibly important and in fact critical in regards to this particular situation, and it is a basically statistics-based type of pooling instrument which is used for risk management based on the law of that of especially large numbers; furthermore, it has a certain essence which, if used appropriately, seems to be rather similar to that of an option contract. Then there is hedging, which, in finance, is "an investment that is taken out specifically to reduce or cancel out the risk in another investment. Hedging is a strategy designed to minimize exposure to an unwanted business risk, while still allowing the business to profit from an investment activity" (Wikipedia, 2007). Hedging basically allows for the control of risk, as although risk is basically inherent to any type or form of business activity, much of this risk is unwanted and it cannot be avoided without hedging. "Someone who has a shop, for example, can take care of natural risks such as the risk of competition, of poor or unpopular products, and so on. The risk of the shopkeeper's inventory being destroyed by fire... Hedging basically allows for the control of risk, as although risk is basically inherent to any type or form of business activity, much of this risk is unwanted and it cannot be avoided without hedging. â€Å"Someone who has a shop, for example, can take care of natural risks such as the risk of competition, of poor or unpopular products, and so on. The risk of the shopkeeper’s inventory being destroyed by fire is unwanted, however, and can be hedged via a fire insurance contract† (Wikipedia, 2007). From this example we can quite clearly see the difference between wanted risk or risk that can be handled, and unwanted risk, and thus the importance for a process such as hedging. Catastrophic risks are very important to take into consideration here, and these types of losses in particular are considered as being in the upper layer, in that they occur rarely for the most part and yet they are the most devastating, and the severity overall is of such a scale that the viabili ty of the entire enterprise is actually threatened. â€Å"The reason why catastrophic risks are considered to be unavoidable insurable risks lies in their nature, which tends to make the pooling technique break down and become unworkable. Catastrophic risks, such as hurricanes or earthquakes, are classified as unknown risks and are characterized by a fundamentally non-linear phenomenon in which chaotic patters emerge easily, and it is also very easy to predict the probability of the expected loss† (Goto, 1997).

Manhattan Project Thesis

Manhattan Project Thesis The Manhattan Project was the secret name for the United States project prior to World War II in order to design and build a nuclear weapon. With the breakthrough of fission in 1939, scientists figured out that nuclear and radioactive materials could be used to make bombs of epic proportions. The idea of building such a weapon originated from Albert Einstein, sharing his idea with President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939. The first atomic bomb was set off in Los Alamos, New Mexico on July 16, 1945. One month after the first atomic bomb was set off; the United States dropped two atomic bombs over the Japanese islands of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 1938, many people believed that Adolf Hitler had produced an atomic bomb in Germany with his scientists being able to split uranium. Hitlers racism towards Jews, however, caused many Jewish scientists to seek safety in the United States. One of these scientists that looked to America for safety was physicist Albert Einstein. Einstein, a known pacifist, ignored his beliefs and wrote a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt. In his letter, Einstein advised President Roosevelt to develop an atomic bomb before Hitler was able to. Soon, Roosevelt concurred with Einstein and developed the Manhattan Project, a secret project designed to build an atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project was not known to many individuals. It was held privately through numerous agencies and was not shared with the public. By the year 1945, the Manhattan Project had up to 40 laboratories in operation and up to 200,000 employees operating in order to build the first atomic bomb. Before the Manhattan Project began, the study of the physics and the reactions of different elements were occurring. Although these scientific discoveries were occurring, the political fabric of countries was tearing. Japan was beginning its military expansion, eventually invading Manchuria in 1931. In Europe, Hitlers rise to power was beginning and his expansion of Nazism was overtaking Europe. The tear of politicial stability was not in these countries alone. Italy was suffering the change to Fascist government under dictator Benito Mussolini. Other countries experiencing political instability occurred all throughout central Europe and Spain. The rise of Stalinism in the Soviet Union was leading into the Great Purge from 1936-1938, with the people of the Soviet Union having to deal with political oppression and discrimination. The rise of Hitler and Japan were causing political turmoil in the world. Hitler began instituting the Nuremburg Laws, thus beginning the persecution of Jews in Germany. In March 1936, Germany begins its invasion of Europe by taking over the Rhineland. In July 1937, Japan invades China, causing a shift of power in Asia. In November of 1937, the Axis Alliance is created by the countries of Germany, Italy, and Japan. In March of 1938, Germany takes control of Austria and takes over Czechoslovakia in September. The actions of the Axis Alliance are the beginning of what is known today as World War II. This time of the world cause many other countries to fear the possibility of an atomic bomb. The power to create such a weapon was getting more plausible as the war continued. The discovery of fission had occurred when Germany began resorting to conquest by force, rather than just mere intimidation. Although at the time it was not sure whether it was possible to control the release of the atomic power, many European physicists did not want to find out the hard way with Hitler being in power. European scientists Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard sent a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt addressed from Einstein, which warned the United States of the possibility of nuclear weapons being used by the Axis Alliance. The letter, which is now known as the Einstein Letter, was delivered to the President on October 11, 1939. The President then called a meeting of the Advisory Committee of Uranium, also known as the Briggs Uranium Committee, in Washington D.C. Due mainly to constant lack of interest; the progress on the subject was halfhearted and questionable to the United States. The next step in the projects for a nuclear weapon occurred in the United Kingdom, with the United States not seriously considering nuclear warfare at the time. In 1940, the German army invaded the country of Denmark. Denmark was home to one of the leading scientists in atomic research in the world, Niels Bohr. The Allies feared that Germany would overtake Denmark and his home, and then forced to work for Nazi Germany in order to build an atomic bomb for Germany. Before he could be captured, the British Secret Service helped him escape to Sweden, which allowed him to escape to the United States so he could escape the takeover of Nazi Germany. Throughout 1940, Germany and their scientists were working on a project similar to the Manhattan Project. If the German scientists were to have achieved their project before the United States, the war could have ended in a disaster for the Allies. On June 18, 1942, Brig. Gen. Wilhelm D. Styer told Col. James Marshall to form an Army Corps of Engineers District to occupy and fuse atomic bomb development. During August of 1942, Marshall formed a new District group with the purposeful deceptive name Manhattan Engineer District, which is now known as the Manhattan Project. Although the Manhattan Project was formed in August, the real work did not begin until September. Groves aggressive, forceful behavior did not make him a fan among the scientists that were working on the Manhattan Project. Many of the scientists hated Groves and his technique. However, after the war, many of the scientists appreciated Groves and his attitude because they realized how important his executive and decision-making intelligence was to the Manhattan Project. Scientists from all over the world helped with the Manhattan Project in order to help dismantle the Axis Powers under the command of Groves. Scientists from the United States, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Britain, and Italy worked on the Manhattan Project in order to build an atomic bomb. Winston Churchill, leader of Britain, and President Roosevelt were both worried about the possibility of Germany producing a nuclear weapon before the Allies did. The possibility of Germany obtaining nuclear weapons worried many leaders of the Allies. The two leaders, Roosevelt and Churchill, met in Canada in August 1943. At the meeting, it was determined that they needed to do all they could in order to disrupt Germanys race to obtain nuclear arms. In February 1943, Special Operations Executive saboteurs accomplished a bomb plant in the Rjukan nitrates industrial unit in Norway. After the plant was rebuilt, 150 United States planes successfully bombed the plant, thus destroying it once more. In January of 1944, a Norwegian resistance group sunk a Germany boat that was carrying many vital resources for a nuclear program. In 1944, work on the Manhattan Project was in full throttle. The process was to achieve the actual development of the weapons, fissile matter construction, and the transportation of the weapon. In July 1944, the Manhattan Project achieved first priority project in the United States. The project cost two billion dollars in order to obtain the necessary materials and equipment in order to make the Manhattan Project a success. The Manhattan Project had many laboratories, but three of the main ones were Hanford, Washington, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Each of these was provided with different responsibilities throughout the Manhattan Project. The laboratories at Oak Ridge were to provide the element of Uranium-235, while the scientist at Hanford were providing the United States with plutonium used for weapons. The Los Alamos laboratory was the essential site used to put together the nuclear weapons used to the war. Four of the atomic bombs that were produced by the United States were produced at Los Alamos, New Mexico. Uranium-235 is the main component in making an atomic bomb. Chemically, uranium-235 cannot be separate from its more profuse cohort, uranium-238. The only way that these two elements can be separated from one another is physically. The Manhattan Project looked for many different means in splitting the two elements, deciding on two of the processes. One mean of splitting the two elements is by the electromagnetic process. This process of splitting the elements was discovered by Earnest Orlando Lawrence at the University of California. The other process is the process of diffusion was made available at Columbia University. Both of the processes mentioned require huge, difficult facilities and buildings, and the processes both require extreme usages of electricity in order to achieve the processes. The diffusion method particularly needed large amounts of electricity in order to be successful. Both processes need these facilities and large amounts of power to only produce a small amount of the separated element, uranium-235. A third process was created by Phillip Abelson called thermal diffusion, which was used for a time in separating the elements. These methods were used primarily at the Oak Ridge facility in Tennessee. Another essential element in the atomic bomb making process is plutonium-239. The method for obtaining this element was produced by Arthur Compton at a laboratory at the University of Chicago. The procedure involves the alteration in a reactor mound of uranium-238. In December 1942, Enrico Fermi eventually achieved in making and managing a fission chain reaction in this reactor pile in Chicago. Value production of plutonium-293 required the building of large size and energy that would discharge 25,000 kilowatt-hours of heat for each gram of plutonium that was made. It included the making of chemical removal methods that would work in a way that was never done before. A middle step in making this process was based solely on the production of the laboratory at Oak Ridge, while the larger reactors were being built at the laboratory in Washington at the Hanford Engineering Works. During the summer of 1945, the Manhattan Project finally received enough plutonium-239 in order to produce a quality nuclear explosion from Hanford Engineering. The advancement in the development of the weapons and the innovation of the design of the weapon, along with obtaining the necessary elements for the nuclear bomb were completed enough to where a test of the nuclear weapon could be planned. The test was not simple to achieve, having to obtain complicated and highly structured equipment that had to be constructed and assemble in order to achieve a success on the atomic bomb test run. In 1945, the Manhattan Project achieved its goal of producing an atomic bomb. After six years, the scientists working on the Manhattan Project were able to harness and control the reaction of nuclear fission. With the efforts of many individuals throughout these years, the first nuclear test bomb was produced. With the code name Trinity, the first nuclear bomb test went off on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico, which lead into what is now known as the Atomic Age. The first atomic bomb was set off at 5:30 AM on July 16, 1945, which was known as the Trinity test. The test occurred on a military base in Alamogordo, New Mexico, which is located nearly 120 miles from the city of Albuquerque. The atomic bomb was set off on top of a steel tower that was encircled by scientific equipment in order to obtain information about the nuclear explosion. Scientists and military personnel viewed the atomic explosion from a bunker that was placed nearly ten thousand yards away. When the atomic bomb was set off, there was an intense flash of light, an unexpected surge of heat, and then an incredible as a shock wave roared throughout the basin and the air base. Then, a ball of fire suddenly rose quickly, trailed by a mushroom cloud that went up to 40,000 feet in the air. The blast was equal to nearly fifteen to twenty thousand tons of dynamite and TNT. The tower on which the bomb was placed on did not exist anymore after the explosion and the ground that surroun ded the tower fused to glass due to the bomb. The Trinity test provided the proof and testing need to assure scientists, government, and each of the workers on the Manhattan Project that their work was not in vain. The test provided the evidence needed to assure everyone that both a uranium and plutonium bomb was possible to create. The tests during the Trinity test allowed scientists to continue with their plan to use the nuclear weapons in World War II in order to defeat the Axis Powers. However, by the time that the tests went off successfully, Germany had already surrendered to the Allies. Nearly seventy scientists had signed a petition to not be used on the grounds of morals and ethics. The scientists did not morally believe that the nuclear weapons should be used. However, President Harry S. Truman ignored the warnings and the petitions of the scientists. President Truman decided to use the bombs on Japan in order to send them a message that the United States had these weapons and were willing to use them. On August 6th, 1945 the United States used a B-29 bomber in order to drop an atomic bomb by the name of Little Boy on Hiroshima. It was estimated that sixty-six thousand people died instantly as Little Boy detonated. The destruction totaled Over the years, it has been guess that up to two hundred thousan d people died from the attack on Hiroshima. When Japans surrender never came, the United States dropped another atomic bomb on the island of Nagasaki three days later. On August 10th, 1945, Japan surrendered thus ending World War II.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 9

Nine WITH SO MANY MOROI tracing their roots back to Eastern Europe, Orthodox Christianity was the dominant religion on campus. Other religions were represented too, and I'd say all in all, only about half of the student body attended any sort of services regularly. Lissa was one such student. She went to church every Sunday because she believed. Christian also attended. He did it because she went and because it made him look good and seem less likely to become Strigoi. Since Strigoi couldn't enter holy ground, regular church service provided a small front of respectability for him. When I wasn't sleeping in, I showed up at church for the social aspect. Lissa and my friends usually hung out and did something fun afterward, so church made for a good meeting spot. If God minded me using his chapel as a way to further my social life, He hadn't let me know. Either that, or He was biding his time before punishing me. When the service ended that Sunday, however, I had to stick around the chapel, because that was where my community service was going to happen. When the place had cleared out, I was surprised to see one other person had lingered with me: Dimitri. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked. â€Å"Thought you might need some help. I hear the priest wants to do a lot of housecleaning.† â€Å"Yeah, but you're not the one being punished here. And this is your day off too. We – well, everyone else – spent the whole week battling it out, but you guys were the ones picking the fights the whole time.† In fact, I noticed now that Dimitri had a couple bruises too – though not nearly as many as Stan had. It had been a long week for everyone, and it was only the first of six. â€Å"What else would I do today?† â€Å"I could think of a hundred other things,† I noted dryly. â€Å"There's probably a John Wayne movie on somewhere that you haven't seen.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, there isn't. I've seen them all. Look – the priest is waiting for us.† I turned around. Sure enough. Father Andrew stood at the front, watching us expectantly. He'd taken off the rich robes he'd worn during service and now stood in simple slacks and a button down shirt. He looked like he was ready to work too, and I wondered whatever happened to Sunday being a day of rest. As Dimitri and I approached to get our assignments, I pondered what could have actually made Dimitri stay here in the first place. Surely he hadn't really wanted to work on his day off. I wasn't used to puzzles with him. His intentions were usually straightforward, and I had to assume there was a simple explanation now. It just wasn't clear yet. â€Å"Thank you both for volunteering to help me.† Father Andrew smiled at us. I tried not to scoff at the â€Å"volunteering† reference. He was a Moroi in his late forties, with thinning gray hair. Even without much faith in religion, I still liked and respected him. â€Å"We aren't doing anything particularly complex today,† he continued. â€Å"It's a bit boring, really. We'll have to do the regular cleaning, of course, and then I'd like to sort the boxes of old supplies I have sitting up in the attic.† â€Å"We're happy to do whatever you need,† Dimitri said solemnly. I repressed a sigh and tried not to think of all the other things I could be doing. We set to it. I was put on mop duty, and Dimitri took over dusting and polishing the wooden pews. He appeared thoughtful and intent as he cleaned, looking like he actually took pride in his work. I was still trying to figure out why he was here at all. Don't get me wrong; I was happy to have him. His presence made me feel better, and of course I always loved watching him. I thought maybe he was there to get more information out of me about what had happened that day with Stan, Christian, and Brandon. Or maybe he wanted to chastise me about the other day with Stan, where I'd been accused of jumping into battle for selfish reasons. These seemed like likely explanations, yet he never said a word. Even when the priest stepped out of the sanctuary to go to his office, Dimitri continued working quietly. I would have figured if he'd had anything to say, he would have done it then. When we finished the cleaning, Father Andrew had us haul box after box of stuff down from the attic and into a storeroom at the back of the chapel. Lissa and Christian frequently used that attic as a secret getaway, and I wondered if having it cleaner would be a pro or a con for their romantic interludes. Maybe they would abandon it, and I could start getting some sleep. With all of the stuff downstairs, the three of us settled on the floor and began sorting it all out. Father Andrew gave us instructions on what to save and what to throw out, and it was a relief to be off my feet for a change this week. He made small talk as we worked, asking me about classes and other things. It wasn't so bad. And as we worked, a thought came to me. I'd done a good job convincing myself that Mason had been a delusion brought on by lack of sleep, but getting assurance from an authority figure that ghosts weren't real would go a long way toward making me feel better. â€Å"Hey,† I said to Father Andrew. â€Å"Do you believe in ghosts? I mean, is there any mention of them in – † I gestured around us. † – in this stuff?† The question clearly surprised him, but he didn't appear to take offense at me calling his vocation and life's work â€Å"this stuff.† Or at the fact that I was obviously ignorant about it all, despite seventeen years of sitting through services. A bemused expression crossed his face, and he paused in his work. â€Å"Well †¦ it depends on how you define ‘ghost,' I suppose.† I tapped a theology book with my finger. â€Å"The whole point of this is that when you die, you go to heaven or hell. That makes ghosts just stories, right? They're not in the Bible or anything.† â€Å"Again,† he said, â€Å"it depends on your definition. Our faith has always held that after death, the spirit separates from the body and may indeed linger in this world.† â€Å"What?† A dusty bowl I was holding dropped out of my hand. Fortunately, it was wood and didn't break. I quickly retrieved it. That was not the answer I'd been expecting. â€Å"For how long? Forever?† â€Å"No, no, of course not. That flies in the face of the resurrection and salvation, which form the cornerstone of our beliefs. But it's believed the soul can stay on earth for three to forty days after death. It eventually receives a ‘temporary' judgment that sends it on from this world to heaven or hell – although no one will truly experience either until the actual Judgment Day, when the soul and body are reunited to live out eternity as one.† The salvation stuff was lost on me. The â€Å"three to forty days† was what caught my attention. I completely forgot about my sorting. â€Å"Yeah, but is it true or not? Are spirits really walking the earth for forty days after death?† â€Å"Ah, Rose. Those who have to ask if faith is true are opening up a discussion they may not be ready for.† I had a feeling he was right. I sighed and turned back to the box in front of me. â€Å"But,† he said kindly, â€Å"if it helps you, some of these ideas parallel folk beliefs from Eastern Europe about ghosts that existed before the spread of Christianity. Those traditions have long upheld the idea of spirits staying around for a short time after death – particularly if the person in question died young or violently.† I froze. Whatever progress I'd made in convincing myself Mason had been brought on by stress instantly vanished. Young or violently. â€Å"Why?† I asked in a small voice. â€Å"Why would they stay? Is it†¦ is it for revenge?† â€Å"I'm sure there are some who believe that, just as some believe it's because the soul has trouble finding peace after something so unsettling.† â€Å"What do you believe?† I asked. He smiled. â€Å"I believe the soul separates from the body, just as our fathers teach us, but I doubt the soul's time on earth is anything the living can perceive. It's not like in the movies, with ghosts haunting buildings or coming to visit those they knew. I envision these spirits as more of an energy existing around us, something beyond our perception as they wait to move on and find peace. Ultimately, what matters is what happens beyond this earth when we attain the eternal life our savior bought for us with his great sacrifice. That's what's important.† I wondered if Father Andrew would be so quick to say that if he'd seen what I'd seen. Young or violently. Both had applied to Mason, and he had died less than forty days ago. That sad, sad face came back to me, and I wondered what it had meant. Revenge? Or could he truly not find peace? And how did Father Andrew's theology about heaven and hell fit with someone like me, who had died and come back to life? Victor Dashkov had said I'd gone to the world of the dead and returned when Lissa had healed me. What world of the dead? Was that heaven or hell? Or was it another way of referring to this in-between state on earth that Father Andrew was talking about? I didn't say anything after that, because the idea of a revenge-seeking Mason was so startling. Father Andrew sensed the change in me, but he obviously didn't know what had brought it about. He tried to coax me out. â€Å"I just got some new books in from a friend in another parish. Interesting stories about St. Vladimir.† He tilted his head. â€Å"Are you still interested in him? And Anna?† Theoretically, I was. Until we'd met Adrian, we'd only known of two other spirit users. One was our former teacher, Ms. Karp, who'd gone completely nuts from spirit and become a Strigoi to stop the madness. The other person was St. Vladimir, the school's namesake. He'd lived centuries ago and had brought his guardian, Anna, back from the dead, just as Lissa had me. It had made Anna shadow-kissed and created a bond between them too. Normally, Lissa and I tried to get our hands on everything we could about Anna and Vlad, in order to learn more about ourselves. But, as incredible as it was for me to admit, I had bigger problems right now than the ever-present and ever-puzzling psychic link between Lissa and me. It had just been trumped by a ghost who could possibly be pissed off over my role in his untimely death. â€Å"Yeah,† I said evasively, not making eye contact. â€Å"I'm interested†¦but I don't think I can get to it anytime soon. I'm kind of busy with all this†¦you know, field experience stuff.† I fell silent again. He took the hint and let me work on without further interruption. Dimitri never said a word throughout any of this. When we finally finished sorting, Father Andrew told us we had one more task before our work was done. He pointed to some boxes that we'd organized and repacked. â€Å"I need you to carry these over to the elementary campus,† he said. â€Å"Leave them off at the Moroi dorm there. Ms. Davis has been teaching Sunday school for some of the kindergartners and might be able to use those.† It would take at least two trips between Dimitri and me, and the elementary campus was a fair distance away. Still, that put me one step closer to freedom. â€Å"Why are you interested in ghosts?† Dimitri asked me on our first trip. â€Å"Just making conversation,† I said. â€Å"I can't see your face right now, but I have a feeling you're lying again.† â€Å"Jeez, everyone thinks the worst of me lately. Stan accused me of glory-seeking.† â€Å"I heard about that,† said Dimitri, as we rounded a corner. The buildings of the elementary campus loomed up in front of us. â€Å"That might have been a little unfair of him.† â€Å"A little, huh?† Hearing him admit that thrilled me, but it didn't change my anger against Stan. That dark, grouchy feeling that had plagued me lately sprang to life. â€Å"Well, thanks, but I'm starting to lose faith in this field experience. Sometimes in the whole Academy.† â€Å"You don't mean that.† â€Å"I don't know. The school just seems so caught up in rules and policies that don't have anything to do with real life. I saw what was out there, comrade. I went right to the monster's lair. In some ways †¦ I don't know if this really prepares us.† I expected him to argue, but to my surprise he said, â€Å"Sometimes I agree.† I nearly stumbled as we stepped inside one of the two Moroi dorms on the elementary campus. The lobby looked a lot like the ones on the secondary campus. â€Å"Really?† I asked. â€Å"Really,† he said, a small smile on his face. â€Å"I mean, I don't agree that novices should be put out in the world when they're ten or anything, but sometimes I've thought the field experience should actually be in the field. I probably learned more in my first year as a guardian than I did in all my years of training. Well†¦ maybe not all. But it's a different situation, absolutely.† We exchanged looks, pleased over our agreement. Something warm fluttered up in me, putting the lid on my earlier anger. Dimitri understood my frustration with the system, but then, Dimitri understood me. He glanced around, but there was no one at the desk. A few students in their early teens were working or talking in the lobby. â€Å"Oh,† I said, shifting the weight of the box I held. â€Å"We're in the middle school dorm. The younger kids are next door.† â€Å"Yes, but Ms. Davis lives in this building. Let me try to find her and see where she wants these.† He set his box down carefully. â€Å"I'll be right back.† I watched him go and set my own box down. Leaning against a wall, I glanced around and nearly jumped when I saw a Moroi girl only a couple feet away. She'd been standing so perfectly still, I hadn't noticed her. She looked like she could be mid-teens – thirteen or fourteen – but she was tall, much taller than me. The slimness of her Moroi build made her look even taller. Her hair was a cloud of brown curls, and she had freckles – rare among the normally pale Moroi – across her face. Her eyes widened when she saw me looking at her. â€Å"Oh. My. God. You're Rose Hathaway, aren't you?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said with surprise. â€Å"Do you know me?† â€Å"Everyone knows you. I mean, everyone heard about you. You're the one who ran away. And then you came back and killed those Strigoi. That is so cool. Did you get molnija marks?† Her words came out in one long string. She hardly took a breath. â€Å"Yeah. I have two.† Thinking about the tiny tattoos on the back of my neck made my skin itch. Her pale green eyes – if possible – grew wider. â€Å"Oh my God. Wow.† I usually grew irate when people made a big deal about the molnija marks. After all, the circumstances had not been cool. But this girl was young, and there was something appealing about her. â€Å"What's your name?† I asked. â€Å"Jillian – Jill. I mean, just Jill. Not both. Jillian's my full name. Jill's what everyone calls me.† â€Å"Right,† I said, hiding a smile. â€Å"I figured it out.† â€Å"I heard Moroi used magic on that trip to fight. Is that true? I would love to do that. I wish someone would teach me. I use air. Do you think I could fight Strigoi with that? Everyone says I'm crazy.† For centuries, Moroi using magic to fight had been viewed as a sin. Everyone believed it should be used peacefully. Recently, some had started to question that, particularly after Christian had proved useful in the Spokane escape. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. â€Å"You should talk to Christian Ozera.† She gaped. â€Å"Would he talk to me?† â€Å"If you bring up fighting the establishment, yeah, he'll talk to you.† â€Å"Okay, cool. Was that Guardian Belikov?† she asked, switching subjects abruptly. â€Å"Yeah.† I swore I thought she might faint then and there. â€Å"Really? He's even cuter than I heard. He's your teacher, right? Like, your own personal teacher?† â€Å"Yeah.† I wondered where he was. Talking to Jill was exhausting. â€Å"Wow. You know, you guys don't even act like teacher and student. You seem like friends. Do you hang out when you're not training?† â€Å"Er, well, kind of. Sometimes.† I remembered my earlier thoughts, about how I was one of the few people Dimitri was social with outside of his guardian duties. â€Å"I knew it! I can't even imagine that – I'd be freaking out all the time around him. I'd never get anything done, but you're so cool about it all, kind of like, ‘Yeah, I'm with this totally hot guy, but whatever, it doesn't matter.'† I laughed in spite of myself. â€Å"I think you're giving me more credit than I deserve.† â€Å"No way. And I don't believe any of those stories, you know.† â€Å"Um, stories?† â€Å"Yeah, about you beating up Christian Ozera.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. Now rumors of my humiliation were trickling down to the lower campus. If I walked over to the elementary dorms, some six-year-old would probably tell me she'd heard that I killed Christian. Jill's expression turned momentarily uncertain. â€Å"But I didn't know about the other story.† â€Å"What other story?† â€Å"About how you and Adrian Ivashkov are – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest. â€Å"Whatever you heard, it's not true.† â€Å"But it was really romantic.† â€Å"Then it's definitely not true.† Her face fell, and then she perked back up a few seconds later. â€Å"Hey, can you teach me to punch someone?† â€Å"Wai – What? Why would you want to know that?† â€Å"Well, I figure if I'm going to fight with magic someday, I should learn to fight the regular way too.† â€Å"I'm probably not the right person to ask,† I told her. â€Å"Maybe you should, um, ask your P.E. teacher.† â€Å"I did!† Her face looked distraught. â€Å"And he said no.† I couldn't help but laugh. â€Å"I was joking about asking him.† â€Å"Come on, it could help me fight a Strigoi someday.† My laughter dried up. â€Å"No, it really wouldn't.† She bit her lip, still desperate to convince me. â€Å"Well, it would at least help against that psycho.† â€Å"What? What psycho?† â€Å"People keep getting beat up around here. Last week it was Dane Zeklos, and just the other day it was Brett.† â€Å"Dane †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I ran through my knowledge of Moroi genealogy. There were a gazillion Zeklos students around. â€Å"That's Jesse's younger brother, yeah?† Jill nodded. â€Å"Yup. One of our teachers was so mad, too, but Dane wouldn't say a word. Neither would Brett.† â€Å"Brett who?† â€Å"Ozera.† I did a double take. â€Å"Ozera?† I had the impression she was really excited to tell me things I didn't know. â€Å"He's my friend Aimee's boyfriend. He was all bruised up yesterday – had some weird things that looked like welts, too. Maybe burns? But he wasn't as bad as Dane. And when Mrs. Callahan asked him about it, Brett convinced her it was nothing, and she let it go, which was weird. He was also in a really good mood – which was also weird, since you'd kind of think getting beat up would bring you down.† Somewhere in the back of my mind, her words tickled a memory. There was some connection I should be making, but I couldn't quite grasp it. Between Victor, ghosts, and the field experiences, it was honestly a wonder I could string words together anymore. â€Å"So can you teach me so that I won't get beat up?† Jill asked, clearly hoping she'd convinced me. She balled her fist up. â€Å"I just do this, right? Thumb across the fingers and swing?† â€Å"Uh, well, it's a little more complicated than that. You need to stand a certain way, or you'll hurt yourself more than the other person. There are a lot of things you need to do with your elbows and hips.† â€Å"Show me, please?† she begged. â€Å"I bet you're really good.† I was really good, but corrupting minors was one offense I didn't yet have on my record, and I preferred to keep it that way. Fortunately, Dimitri came back just then with Ms. Davis. â€Å"Hey,† I told him. â€Å"I have someone who wants to meet you. Dimitri, this is Jill. Jill, Dimitri.† He looked surprised, but he smiled and shook her hand. She turned bright red and became speechless for a change. As soon as he released her hand, she stammered out a goodbye and ran off. We finished up with Ms. Davis and headed back toward the chapel for our second load. â€Å"Jill knew who I was,† I told Dimitri as we walked. â€Å"She had kind of a hero-worship thing going on.† â€Å"Does that surprise you?† he asked. â€Å"That younger students would look up to you?† â€Å"I don't know. I just never thought about it. I don't think I'm that good of a role model.† â€Å"I disagree. You're outgoing, dedicated, and excel at everything you do. You've earned more respect than you think.† I gave him a sidelong glance. â€Å"And yet not enough to go to Victor's trial, apparently.† â€Å"Not this again.† â€Å"Yes, this again! Why don't you get how major this is? Victor's a huge threat.† â€Å"I know he is.† â€Å"And if he gets loose, he'll just start in on his crazy plans again.† â€Å"It's really unlikely he will get loose, you know. Most of those rumors about the queen letting him off are just that – rumors. You of all people should know not to believe everything you hear.† I stared stonily ahead, refusing to acknowledge his point. â€Å"You should still let us go. Or† – I took a deep breath – â€Å"you should at least let Lissa go.† It was harder for me to say those words than it should have been, but it was something I'd been thinking about. I didn't think I was a glory seeker like Stan had said, but there was a part of me that always wanted to be the one in the middle of a fight. I wanted to rush forward, doing what was right and helping others. Likewise, I wanted to be there at Victor's trial. I wanted to look him in the eye and make sure he was punished. But as time went on, it seemed less likely that that would happen. They really weren't going to let us go. Maybe, though, maybe they'd let one of us go, and if it should be anyone, it should be Lissa. She'd been the target of Victor's plan, and though her going alone stirred up that nervous idea about how maybe she didn't need me to guard her, I'd still rather take the chance and see him put away. Dimitri, understanding my need to rush in and take action, seemed surprised by my unusual behavior. â€Å"You're right – she should be there, but again, it's nothing I can do anything about. You keep thinking I can control this, but I can't.† â€Å"But did you do everything you could?† I thought back to Adrian's words in the dream, about how Dimitri could have done more. â€Å"You have a lot of influence. There must be something. Anything.† â€Å"Not as much influence as you think. I've got a high position here at the Academy, but in the rest of the guardian world, I'm still pretty young. And yes, I did actually speak up for you.† â€Å"Maybe you should have spoken up louder.† I could sense him shutting down. He'd discuss most things reasonably but wouldn't encourage me when I was just being a bitch. So, I tried to be more reasonable. â€Å"Victor knows about us,† I said. â€Å"He could say something.† â€Å"Victor has bigger things to worry about with this trial than us.† â€Å"Yeah, but you know him. He doesn't exactly act like a normal person would. If he feels like he's lost all hope of getting off, he might decide to bust us just for the sake of revenge.† I'd never been able to confess my relationship with Dimitri to Lissa, yet our worst enemy knew about it. It was weirder even than Adrian knowing. Victor had figured it out by watching us and gathering data. I guess when you're a scheming villain, you get good at that stuff. He'd never made the knowledge public, though. Instead, he'd used it against us with the lust charm he'd made from earth magic. A charm like that wouldn't work if there wasn't already attraction in place. The charm just cranked things up. Dimitri and I had been all over each other and had been only a heartbeat away from having sex. It had been a pretty smart way for Victor to distract us without using violence. If anyone had tried to attack us, we could have put up a good fight. But turn us loose on each other? We had trouble fighting that. Dimitri was silent for several moments. I knew he knew I had a point. â€Å"Then we'll have to deal with that as best we can,† he said at last. â€Å"But if Victor's going to tell, he's going to do it whether or not you testify.† I refused to say anything else until we got to the church. When we did, Father Andrew told us that after going over some more things, he'd decided he really only needed one more box brought over to Ms. Davis. â€Å"I'll do it,† I told Dimitri crisply, once the priest was out of earshot. â€Å"You don't have to come.† â€Å"Rose, please don't make a big deal about this.† â€Å"It is a big deal!† I hissed. â€Å"And you don't seem to get it.† â€Å"I do get it. Do you really think I want to see Victor loose? Do you think I want us all at risk again?† It was the first time in a long time I'd seen his control on the verge of snapping. â€Å"But I told you, I've done all I can do. I'm not like you – I can't keep making a scene when things don't go my way.† â€Å"I do not.† â€Å"You're doing it right now.† He was right. Some part of me knew I'd crossed a line †¦ but just like with everything else recently, I couldn't stop talking. â€Å"Why did you even help me today?† I demanded. â€Å"Why are you here?† â€Å"Is that so strange?† he asked. He almost looked hurt. â€Å"Yes. I mean, are you are you trying to spy on me? Figure out why I messed up? Make sure I don't get into any trouble?† He studied me, brushing hair out of his eyes. â€Å"Why does there have to be some ulterior motive?† I wanted to blurt out a hundred different things. Like, if there wasn't a motive, then that meant he just wanted to spend time with me. And that made no sense, because we both knew we were only supposed to have a teacher-student relationship. He of all people should know that. He was the one who'd told me. â€Å"Because everyone has motives.† â€Å"Yes. But not always the motives you think.† He pushed open the door. â€Å"I'll see you later.† I watched him go, my feelings a tangle of confusion and anger. If the situation hadn't been so strange, I would have almost said it was like we'd just gone on a date.

A Frugal Life

Thesis: Three extreme types of penny-pinchers are the frequent couponer, the frugal shopper, and the freegan. Do you have more the month left after all your money is gone? For most people shopping is an ingrained and unavoidable way of life. We work, we spend, we trash and we buy again. It's a cycle that seems all but impossible avoid in today’s society. TS: For decades, shoppers clipped coupons from newspaper circulars and magazines Using coupons is one way that the frequent couponer tries to get more for their money.PS:There are many online sites that you can go to and clip and print free coupons. Coupon. com is just one of the many online companies that offer free printable coupons and digital mobile coupons. SSCouponing gradually declined as grocers started loyalty-card programs that compensated repeat shoppers with discounts. But during the recession in the past few years, the number of coupons redeemed rose 27%, from 2. 6 billion to 3. 3 billion in 2008, says Inmar Inc. , a coupon-processing agency. SS:It was estimated by Coupons. om that approximately half of the redeemed coupons in the United States originated from weekly supplements in Sunday papers. PS: Sunday newspapers have traditionally been the dominant distribution method for coupons. It was estimated by Coupons. com that approximately half of the redeemed coupons in the United States originated from weekly supplements in Sunday papers. SS:It is always a good idea to match coupons with a stores sale prices. This way the couponers can get more bang for their buck. SS:The frequent couponers also will go to the stores that double the manufacture coupon up to 50 cents off.Another good practice is to use one coupon multiple times usually up to four items on one coupon. SSSherri Jones of Calvert City, Ky. , says,† I try not to abuse these discounts. Recently, Ms. Jones, 36, took 50-cent coupons for meat seasonings to a number of supermarkets that were doubling the coupons' value. Because t he seasonings were already on sale for $1 each, Ms. Jones got them for nothing. CS:This practice will save a little money at stores. A little here and a little there will add up to big savings over time. TS: Frugal living is a little more intense way of watching where dollars go.PS:A frugal person will never pay retail prices on absolutely anything. They will always shop around for best deals either by looking through clearance bins or by looking through thrift shops. SS:Living a frugal life calls for a lifestyle change and a conscious awareness of spending and saving. Living on a tight budget and listening for â€Å"Old Abe to scream† is not for the faint of heart. SS: Extreme Couponing is a thrilling sport that combines savvy shopping skills with couponing in an attempt to buy to most groceries as possible while spending as little money as possible.PS:Another way the frugal person will save their hard earned money is to make and use homemade products like laundry detergent, and household cleaners. It does require certain know-how to make items for the home. SS:Frugal living is a great way to be easier on the environment by reusing as many things as possible. If someone needed a vase for flowers, which their kids picked from the neighbor’s yard, they could use a glass jar for the vase. SS:It does require certain know-how to make items for the home CS:it hobby time consumingTS:The word freegan is a combination of â€Å"free† — as in it is free because you found it in a dumpster — and â€Å"vegan,† Vegans are people who avoid products from animal sources or products tested on animals. Not all freegans are strict vegetarians. Although some would rather eat found meat; dairy and eggs than let good food and items go to waste. The freegan attempts to spend as little money as possible by scavenging instead of buying products. Freegans rescue furniture, clothes, household items and even food thrown away by others. PS:They rep air what they already own.By fixing what is broken, freegans reduce the need to buy another product. Freegans often darn their socks, or only buy secondhand clothing to reduce the consumerism. They also find brand new clothing behind stores in the trashcans. SS:They often barter their services for an item that they want or need. Just like Jim, who needed a tune-up on his lawnmower and asked the local lawnmower repair shop owner if he could trade mowing the shops grass for a month in return for his tune-up. The shop owner agreed. No money ever exchanged hands. SS:Freegans believe that housing is a right, not a privilege.They are mad that people freeze to death out on the streets while landlords, banks, and cities keep buildings boarded up and vacant. Freegan squatters are people who live in abandoned buildings, rent-free. PS: Freegans or â€Å"dumpster divers† believe that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. SS:Most freegans practice urban foraging in larg e cities, such as New York City, with its density and wealth, where there is good food and it is plentiful. Freegans look for food in trash bins behind large restaurants, grocery stores, even schools.Dedicated freegans usually establish a routine by going to a set of dumpsters they visit weekly or even daily. Many learn when trash goes out and when dumpsters are unattended SS:Stores throw out large amounts of visually damaged goods like bruised fruit or crushed boxes. They also discard products that have reached their sell-by-date. Although sell-by dates provide a general idea of when food will go bad, they are not safety dates. Trash from grocery stores and restaurants is also different from that of the average residential trash because stores usually bag discarded food separately from other trash.CS: Although freeganism likely has roots in the hobo subculture from the Great Depression. It's not too surprising that people would eventually find a way to forage as a way of personal s ubsistence. Freeganism has spread around the world. They sometimes eat community dinners also known as potlucks made from scavenged food. As long as there is edible food and usable products in the trash, people will be there to pick up the waste. Extreme Couponing is an extreme sport that combines savvy shopping skills with couponing in an attempt to save as much money as possible while accumulating the most groceries.The grocery coupons you need are out there, you just need to connect with people who have them. Here are some Extreme Couponing techniques to help you save money: 1. Clip ALL the coupons from your weekly circulars and Sunday newspaper. It’s always a good policy to clip all coupons because an item may go on sale in the future and you can trade your coupons with other couponers for the ones you do want. 2. Study the weekly supermarket sales and compare this to your coupon inventory. 3. Know your supermarket’s coupon policy: a. Are expired coupons accepted? b. Can you use 10 coupons for 10 of the same items? . Can you stack a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon? d. Are there double and triple coupon days? e. Does your store accept competitor’s coupons? f. How are coupon overages applied to the final bill? These are the most frequently used techniques for reducing a grocery bill significantly and how some shoppers are even entitled to cash! Since supermarket policies are constantly changing, call before you shop and ask the questions above. Make sure you write down the name of the person at the supermarket who gave you the information. 4. The local Sunday newspaper is an excellent source for grocery coupons.Do not pay for electronic coupons. There are many websites that you can clip and print coupons for free. Janis an extreme couponer says that she uses a 3 ring binder with baseball card protector pockets and made dividers for approximately 35 categories. She buys multiple papers and hits up the local recycle bins to look fo r more circulars. She also exchanges with her mother and daughter. Janis said, â€Å"We all don’t use the same products. Therefore, it works well for us to trade coupons. † For decades, shoppers clipped coupons from newspaper circulars, magazines and coupon booklets.Couponing gradually declined as grocers launched loyalty-card programs that rewarded repeat shoppers with discounts. But amid the recession in the past few years, the number of coupons redeemed rose 27%, to 3. 3 billion from 2. 6 billion in 2008, says Inmar Inc. , a coupon-processing agent. The year-over-year percentage increase was the largest since Inmar started tracking the statistic more than 20 years ago. Fueling the increase isn't the general populace but heavy coupon users, people who redeem 104 or more coupons over six months, according to an August report by The Nielsen Co.These users tend to be females under the age of 54 with college degrees and household incomes above $70,000, Nielsen says. Hotc ouponworld. com, which has seen its membership grow to 200,000 from 80,000 in the past year, targets couponers who think â€Å"there's an economic value in buying all your peanut butter for the year in one week in September,† says site founder Julie Parrish, 35, of West Linn, Ore. Two years ago, she bought 50 18-ounce jars of Skippy creamy peanut butter for 17 cents each; last September, she paid 35 cents each. At retail, they cost around $3. 9. Ms. Smith, the Charleston woman whose closet doubles as a pantry, says she disliked grocery shopping until she got laid off last year from her clerical job and, to economize, turned to couponing Web sites. On two recent trips to her local supermarket, she says she paid $5 for $78 worth of items, and $2 for $40 worth of goods. Some supermarkets recently told analysts that shoppers with an eye for discounts were executing these coupons deals with surgical precision. Carrie Petersen of Columbia, Md. , says she tries not to abuse discount s. Recently, Ms.Petersen, 38, took 50-cent coupons for meat seasonings to a number of supermarkets that were doubling the coupons' value. Because the seasonings were already on sale for $1 each, Ms. Petersen got them for nothing. Extreme Couponing is an extreme sport that combines savvy shopping skills with couponing in an attempt to save as much money as possible while accumulating the most groceries. The grocery coupons you need are out there, you just need to connect with people who have them. Here are some Extreme Couponing techniques to help you save money: 5.Clip ALL the coupons from your weekly circulars and Sunday newspaper. It’s always a good policy to clip all coupons because an item may go on sale in the future and you can trade your coupons with other couponers for the ones you do want. 6. Study the weekly supermarket sales and compare this to your coupon inventory. 7. Know your supermarket’s coupon policy: g. Are expired coupons accepted? h. Can you use 10 coupons for 10 of the same items? i. Can you stack a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon? j. Are there double and triple coupon days? . Does your store accept competitor’s coupons? l. How are coupon overages applied to the final bill? These are the most frequently used techniques for reducing a grocery bill significantly and how some shoppers are even entitled to cash! Since supermarket policies are constantly changing, call before you shop and ask the questions above. Make sure you write down the name of the person at the supermarket who gave you the information. 8. The local Sunday newspaper is an excellent source for grocery coupons. Do not pay for electronic coupons.There are many websites that you can clip and print coupons for free. Janis an extreme couponer says that she uses a 3 ring binder with baseball card protector pockets and made dividers for approximately 35 categories. She buys multiple papers and hits up the local recycle bins to look for more circulars. She also exchanges with her mother and daughter. We all don’t use the same products. For decades, shoppers clipped coupons from newspaper circulars, magazines and coupon booklets. Couponing gradually declined as grocers launched loyalty-card programs that rewarded repeat shoppers with discounts.But amid the recession in the past few years, the number of coupons redeemed rose 27%, to 3. 3 billion from 2. 6 billion in 2008, says Inmar Inc. , a coupon-processing agent. The year-over-year percentage increase was the largest since Inmar started tracking the statistic more than 20 years ago. Fueling the increase isn't the general populace but heavy coupon users, people who redeem 104 or more coupons over six months, according to an August report by The Nielsen Co. These users tend to be females under the age of 54 with college degrees and household incomes above $70,000, Nielsen says. Hotcouponworld. om, which has seen its membership grow to 200,000 from 80,000 in the past year, t argets couponers who think â€Å"there's an economic value in buying all your peanut butter for the year in one week in September,† says site founder Julie Parrish, 35, of West Linn, Ore. Two years ago, she bought 50 18-ounce jars of Skippy creamy peanut butter for 17 cents each; last September, she paid 35 cents each. At retail, they cost around $3. 59. Ms. Smith, the Charleston woman whose closet doubles as a pantry, says she disliked grocery shopping until she got laid off last year from her clerical job and, to economize, turned to couponing Web sites.On two recent trips to her local supermarket, she says she paid $5 for $78 worth of items, and $2 for $40 worth of goods. Some supermarkets recently told analysts that shoppers with an eye for discounts were executing these coupons deals with surgical precision. Carrie Petersen of Columbia, Md. , says she tries not to abuse discounts. Recently, Ms. Petersen, 38, took 50-cent coupons for meat seasonings to a number of superma rkets that were doubling the coupons' value. Because the seasonings were already on sale for $1 each, Ms. Petersen got them for nothing.

The Other Side of the Mountain Essays

The Other Side of the Mountain Essays The Other Side of the Mountain Essay The Other Side of the Mountain Essay A get away can be appreciated from The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver in which the main character experiences a change, a change in her way of thinking. The passage serves to present a theme about the upcoming events in the book. It does so by describing the changes that the author lives through, her reactions to it, and even unexpected surprises encountered during her rebirth stage that gives the reader hints or clues leading to the upcoming.The reader is able to apperceive the protagonists mind because of the authors simple fashion of writing, and its relatively easy comprehensibility.At the beginning, she adopts a new name as she adopts a new perspective on the world, broadening out from her rural Kentucky background to a larger view of life. She realizes a names importance by reflecting that we receive it, and we do not choose it (line 6-7), but admits she had influence in choosing her new name. Her anxiety to get a new name, therefore adopt a change (the motif in this passage) , displays itself in line 5: I didnt have anything special, but just wanted a change. This gives the reader a question in mind: Why the urge to forget the past? The answer can not be responded with this passage, but instead, the excerpt leaves it to the imagination. In addition, the cars driving and gas stations contribute to the meaning of an upcoming life. They are both associated with a vacation, a trip, or just the search for something enjoyable, and there has to be a refueling that, in this case, occurs mentally. The character refuels by thinking about her mother (discussed later).In Oklahoma, she meets Bob Two Two, who, according to her, asked for a fair price (line 42) that left her with almost half the money she had. She used Bob to fix her car because she perceived the place she landed on, as a godless stretch of nothing (line 44). That part is where she broke her promise. She had stated that she would stay whenever her car gave out. It is clear that she had influence in bo th her name and the place she would stay, furthermore revealing the lack of firmness in her promises, which displays her naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½vetà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½.Moreover, she seems to have a strong bond with her mom. The simple fact that she calls her mom Mama exhibits a relationship in which names of affection are given and heartedly accepted. I wonder what her mom called her In addition to her relationship with her mom, we can infer that the name giving exists from an admiration towards her, an admiration to her adult thinking in contrast to her naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½vetà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, previously explained. All this thinking about her mom refuels her, for an unknown upcoming event (foreshadowing).She presents the Cherokee land as being godless. The Cherokees believed God was in the trees(line56), and then she explains the landscape: From what I could see, there was not one tree in the entire state of Oklahoma (line 59). This statement shows the characters beliefs toward religion, or perhaps homeland. An interpretation could be made from the fact that she perceives her own familys past as being archaic, something that does not influence her and her new persona. From what I could see (line 59) cues us that she has a limited perspective and could never see too far (line 32). However, her mom probably was not talking literally when she said that they can always go live on the Cherokee Nation and meant that it was an open place of mental peace. Here lies the difference that her mom and the protagonist had, and from that difference comes an admirationThe protagonist demonstrates signs of depression throughout the text by the style in which she describes her thoughts. I would drive west until my car stopped running, and there I would stay (line 25-26) is her way of showing vague thinking. In other words, no sane person would take such a huge risk. Another example occurs during the time that the character was engaged in reverie. At the time her car was fixed, she says, I could have fix ed it myself showing that after she saw what Bob Two Two did, she knew what he did was simple. It shows that she did not even attempted. She could even be considered suicidal as well, because of her relationship with God in the text. For example she uses particular phrases like, nothing left to hope for (line 35-36), godless (do you see God when you want do die? Does reassurance exist in you?) (Line 44). In addition, when she imparts that there was not one tree in the entire state of Oklahoma she says, in other words, that she did not see trees in the horizon, hence life in her horizon.The passage uses literary features to attract the readers attention toward the text and allure him, enhancing his understanding, like personification, used in line 8 to incarnate the car, as if it was able to make decisions. In addition, on line 25-26, she uses metonym and metaphor to establish the relationship between the car and the supposed-wheels running. Used in line 31, is antithesis that serves to emphasize Oklahomas flatness. Along with those mentioned, she also makes use of diction (Southern slangy). Nevertheless, perhaps one of the most prominent literary resources used is irony. The author used irony at the end, when she abruptly stated that there was no God in Oklahoma, when the reader was expecting all, but the opposite, based on the context.The inevitable advancing course of time that turns people from children to adults, and from adults to elders, is an undying theme. In this text, the character decides to run away and attempts to make a rebirth. One cannot deny that everyone, at one time, desires to get away and wishes to go past those mountains even if it means changing our name.

How to Write a Thriller in 7 Heart-Stopping Steps

How to Write a Thriller in 7 Heart-Stopping Steps How to Write a Thriller in 7 Heart-Stopping Steps Someone has been kidnapped and your protagonist is trying to prevent their murder. The clock is ticking but their car has just exploded, the building they were in has been set on fire, and, as they turn around to try to escape, they are face-to-face with a gun†¦. Now what? Since you’re here, you obviously want to answer that question by writing your own thriller.In this post, we look at how to write a thriller by outlining the main characteristics of the genre and turning to professional editors for their top tips.What is a thriller?A thriller is a fast-paced novel full of conflict, tension, suspense, unexpected twists, and high stakes. Every single scene and element in a thriller is meant to propel the action forward, test the characters, and take the readers on a roller coaster ride that will leave them on the edge of their seats.What are some of your favorite thrillers? Let us know in the comments below!

Roosevelt Corollary and Monroe Doctrine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Roosevelt Corollary and Monroe Doctrine - Essay Example Although the US would be neutral in any war between European countries and their colonies, any action happening on American soil would be viewed as hostile. The Roosevelt Corollary to this doctrine was added during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, during the Cold War, ostensibly to combat the Russian Communist influence. Roosevelt asserted the right to militarily intervene in the Caribbean, Central America and in Latin America. Although it was initially seen as a step taken by the US to morally oppose Colonialism, Roosevelt completely turned the Doctrine on its head, by reinterpreting it as a right to intervene in the economic affairs of smaller/ less powerful nations if they were unable to pay their foreign debts. This was also referred to as the Big Stick Policy, especially by the media and in cartoons. (Spiritus-Temporis.com, 2005) Early during Roosevelt's tenure, when Venezuela defaulted on loan repayments to Great Britain, Italy and Germany, they erected a blockade to fire upon Venezuelan coastal fortifications. This led to Roosevelt's retaliation, and he succeeded in driving out the Germans and all other European interests from Venezuelan waters. From this incident, the US became more and more ambitious, resulting in interventions in Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. There were also attempts at assassination of foreign political leaders, who refused to toe the line. (Spiritus-Temporis.com, 2005) Subsequently, t... The US has used its veto power in the UNO, and influential position in world bodies like the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO to economically gain control over the weaker economies of the Third World. In the guise of bringing about fairness and equality in international trade, the US has forced weaker countries to break down trade barriers, so that it could have entry into their markets. It has cannily used the IMF to forward its interests. When the IMF gives loans to developing economies, and in case they default on these, terms and conditions of these agreements force these nations to accept economic and trade practices that are detrimental to them. (Tyehimba, 2004) Even in the case of the Iraq war, it is common knowledge that the war was waged as an attempt to gain control over Iraqi oil. No traces of weapons of mass destruction were found, although this was given as the reason for going to war. (Tyehimba, 2004) As a matter of fact, the cause of the unfortunate 9/11 incident may be traced to the US itself. The incident is unpardonable, and the perpetrators deserving of stringent punishment; but the reason for events having come to such a pass is the US' cold and calculating exploitation of poorer nations. Unfortunately today there is violent opposition between Islamic interests and the West, destabilising life for everyone. We have slid back into the era of the Crusades, and it is difficult to see whether various countries and religious groups will ever be able to co-exist peacefully. All this is a consequence of expansionist US foreign policy, which has its roots in the Roosevelt Corollary to the Munroe Doctrine. Works Cited Spiritus-Temporis.com, The Roosevelt Corollary, 2005, , retrieved 26th July,

Editorial, any topic about the news in San Fransisco Bay Area Essay

Editorial, any topic about the news in San Fransisco Bay Area communications - Essay Example In a recent article, â€Å"Town of Clearlake Takes Center Stage In Emotional Battle Over Medicinal Marijuana Cultivation Ban†, by Joe Vazquez, patients within Clearlake believe that by the state government banning cultivation of the plant the lives of various patients are put at a risk considering the medicinal benefits of Marijuana. The citizens have proceeded to file a suit that would stop illegalizing the cultivation of the plant. According to Vazquez, one of the citizens, Jeri Spittler believes that Marijuana has been very helpful in managing her husband who has cancer. According to her, her husband’s loss of senses of smell and tastes has been well covered by marijuana extracted oil, which she feeds her husband with smoothies to make him aware that time to eat has come. She thus believes that banning of the drug bars her husband from this benefit. I agree with Spittler’s take on this issue due to my own experience with my grandmother who was suffering from cancer. She used to suffer a lot and had to endure unending spasms of pain all through the day regardless of receiving medication that would ease her suffering. Besides, the more the effective the pain medication is, the more expensive it is, an aspect that hindered her from getting adequate pain management medication. However, after a friend suggested the use of marijuana as a pain reliever, she started drinking the marijuana syrup and exhibited a great improvement with reduced pain especially during the night allowing her to rest. In addition, her appetite improved and she could consume enough nutrients to meet her bodily requirements. With this, she was able to live long beyond the time that had been predicted by the doctors. The National Cancer Institute posits that cannabis has various benefits to cancer patients including appetite stimulation, antiemetic effect s, improved sleep, and pain relief