Computational Efficiency of Polar

Lecture Notes on Monte Carlo Methods Fall Semester, 2005 Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, NYU Jonathan Goodman, [email  protected] nyu. edu Chapter 2: Simple Sampling of Gaussians. created August 26, 2005 Generating univariate or multivariate Gaussian random variables is simple and fast. There should be no reason ever to use approximate methods based, for example, on the Central limit theorem. 1 Box Muller It would be nice to get a standard normal from a standard uniform by inverting the distribution function, but there is no closed form formula for this distribution 2 x unction N (x) = P (X < x) = v1 ? e? x /2 dx . The Box Muller method is a 2 brilliant trick to overcome this by producing two independent standard normals from two independent uniforms. It is based on the familiar trick for calculating ? 2 e? x I= /2 dx . This cannot be calculated by â€Å"integration† – the inde? nite integral does not have an algebraic expression in terms of elementary f unctions (exponentials, logs, trig functions). However, ? 2 e? x I2 = ? /2 e? y dx 2 ? /2 ? 2 e? (x dy = +y 2 )/2 dxdy . The last integral can be calculated using polar coordinates x = r cos(? ), y = r sin(? with area element dxdy = rdrd? , so that 2? I2 = r = 0? e? r 2 /2 rdrd? = 2? r = 0? e? r 2 /2 rdr . ? =0 Unlike the original x integral, this r integral is elementary. The substitution s = r2 /2 gives ds = rdr and ? e? s ds = 2? . I 2 = 2? s=0 The Box Muller algorithm is a probabilistic interpretation of this trick. If (X, Y ) is a pair of independent standard normals, then the probability density is a product: 2 2 1 1 ? (x2 +y2 )/2 1 e . f (x, y ) = v e? x /2  · v e? y /2 = 2? 2? 2? 1 Since this density is radially symmetric, it is natural to consider the polar coordinate random variables (R, ? de? ned by 0 ? ? < 2? and X = R cos(? ), and Y = R sin(? ). Clearly ? is uniformly distributed in the interval [0, 2? ] and may be sampled using ? = 2? U1 . Unlike the original dis tribution function N (x), there is a simple expression for the R distribution function: 2? r G(R) = P (R ? r) = r =0 ?=0 r 1 ? r 2 /2 e rdrd? = 2? e? r 2 /2 rdr . r =0 The same change of variable r 2 /2 = s, r dr = ds (so that r = r when s = r2 /2) allows us to calculate r 2 /2 e? s dx = 1 ? e? r G(r) = 2 /2 . s=0 Therefore, we may sample R by solving the distribution function equation1 G(R) = 1 ? e? R 2 /2 = 1 ?U2 , whose solution is R = ? 2 ln(U2 ). Altogether, the Box Muller method takes independent standard uniform random variables U1 and U2 and produces independent standard normals X and Y using the formulas ? = 2? U1 , R = ?2 ln(U2 ) , X = R cos(? ) , Y = R sin(? ) . (1) It may seem odd that X and Y in (13) are independent given that they use the same R and ?. Not only does our algebra shows that this is true, but we can test the independence computationally, and it will be con? rmed. Part of this method was generating a point â€Å"at random† on the unit circle. We sug gested doing this by choosing ? niformly in the interval [0, 2? ] then taking the point on the circle to be (cos(? ), sin(? )). This has the possible drawback that the computer must evaluate the sine and cosine functions. Another way to do this2 is to choose a point uniformly in the 2 ? 2 square ? 1 ? x ? 1, 1 ? y ? 1 then rejecting it if it falls outside the unit circle. The ? rst accepted point will be uniformly distributed in the unit disk x2 + y 2 ? 1, so its angle will be random and uniformly distributed. The ? nal step is to get a point on the unit circle x2 + y 2 = 1 by dividing by the length.The methods have equal accuracy (both are exact in exact arithmetic). What distinguishes them is computer performance (a topic discussed more in a later lecture, hopefully). The rejection method, with an acceptance probability ? ? 4 78%, seems e? cient, but rejection can break the instruction pipeline and slow a computation by a factor of ten. Also, the square root needed to compute 1 Re call that 1 ? U2 is a standard uniform if U2 is. for example, in the dubious book Numerical Recipies. 2 Suggested, 2 the length may not be faster to evaluate than sine and cosine.Moreover, the rejection method uses two uniforms while the ? method uses just one. The method can be reversed to solve another sampling problem, generating a random point on the â€Å"unit spnere† in Rn . If we generate n independent standard normals, then the vector X = (X1 , . . . , Xn ) has all angles equally n likely (because the probability density is f (x) = v1 ? exp(? (x2 + ·  ·  ·+x2 )/2), n 1 2 which is radially symmetric. Therefore X/ X is uniformly distributed on the unit sphere, as desired. 1. 1 Other methods for univariate normals The Box Muller method is elegant and reasonably fast and is ? ne for casual omputations, but it may not be the best method for hard core users. Many software packages have native standard normal random number generators, which (if they are any good) use e xpertly optimized methods. There is very fast and accurate software on the web for directly inverting the normal distribution function N (x). This is particularly important for quasi Monte Carlo, which substitutes equidistributed sequences for random sequences (see a later lecture). 2 Multivariate normals An n component multivariate normal, X , is characterized by its mean  µ = E [X ] and its covariance matrix C = E [(X ?  µ)(X ?  µ)t ].We discuss the problem of generating such an X with mean zero, since we achieve mean  µ by adding  µ to a mean zero multivariate normal. The key to generating such an X is the fact that if Y is an m component mean zero multivariate normal with covariance D and X = AY , then X is a mean zero multivariate normal with covariance t C = E X X t = E AY (AY ) = AE Y Y t At = ADAt . We know how to sample the n component multivariate normal with D = I , just take the components of Y to be independent univariate standard normals. The formula X = AY w ill produce the desired covariance matrix if we ? nd A with AAt = C .A simple way to do this in practice is to use the Choleski decomposition from numerical linear algebra. This is a simple algorithm that produces a lower triangular matrix, L, so that LLt = C . It works for any positive de? nite C . In physical applications it is common that one has not C but its inverse, H . This would happen, for example, if X had the Gibbs-Boltzmann distribution with kT = 1 (it’s easy to change this) and energy 1 X t HX , and probability 2 1 density Z exp(? 1 X t HX ). In large scale physical problems it may be impracti2 cal to calculate and store the covariance matrix C = H ? though the Choleski factorization H = LLt is available. Note that3 H ? 1 = L? t L? 1 , so the choice 3 It is traditional to write L? t for the transpose of L? 1 , which also is the inverse of Lt . 3 A = L? t works. Computing X = L? t Y is the same as solving for X in the equation Y = Lt X , which is the process of ba ck substitution in numerical linear algebra. In some applications one knows the eigenvectors of C (which also are the eigenvectors of H ), and the corresponding eigenvalues. These (either the eigenvectors or the eigenvectors and eigenvalues) sometimes are called principal com2 ponents.Let qj be the eigenvectors, normalized to be orthonormal, and ? j the corresponding eigenvalues of C , so that 2 Cqj = ? j qj , t qj qk = ? jk . t Denote the qj component of X by Zj = qj X . This is a linear function of X and t therefore Gaussian with mean zero. It’s variance (note: Zj = Zj = X t qj ) is 2 t t t 2 E [Zj ] = E [Zj  · Zj ] = qj E [XX t ]qj = qj Cqj = ? j . A similar calculation shows that Zj and Zk are uncorrelated and hence (as components of a multivariate normal) independent. Therefore, we can generate Yj as independent standard normals and sample the Zj using Zj = ? j Yj . (2) After that, we can get an X using Zj qj . X= (3) j =1 We restate this in matrix terms. Let Q be the orthogonal matrix whose columns are the orthonormal eigenvectors of C , and let ? 2 be the diagonal ma2 trix with ? j in the (j, j ) diagonal position. The eigenvalue/eigenvector relations are CQ = Q? 2 , Qt Q = I = QQt . (4) The multivariate normal vector Z = Qt X then has covariance matrix E [ZZ t ] = E [Qt XX t Q] = Qt CQ = ? 2 . This says that the Zj , the components of Z , are 2 independent univariate normals with variances ? j . Therefore, we may sample Z by choosing its components by (14) and then reconstruct X by X = QZ , which s the same as (15). Alternatively, we can calculate, using (17) that t C = Q? 2 Qt = Q Qt = (Q? ) (Q? ) . Therefore A = Q? satis? es AAt = C and X = AY = Q? Y = QZ has covariance C if the components of Y are independent standard univariate normals or 2 the components of Z are independent univariate normals with variance ? j . 3 Brownian motion examples We illustrate these ideas for various kids of Brownian motion. Let X (t) be a Brownian motion path. Choose a ? nal time t and a time step ? t = T /n. The 4 observation times will be tj = j ? t and the observations (or observation values) will be Xj = X (tj ).These observations may be assembled into a vector X = (X1 , . . . , Xn )t . We seek to generate sample observation vectors (or observation paths). How we do this depends on the boundary conditions. The simplest case is standard Brownian motion. Specifying X (0) = 0 is a Dirichlet boundary condition at t = 0. Saying nothing about X (T ) is a free (or Neumann) condition at t = T . The joint probability density for the observation vector, f (x) = f (x1 , . . . , xn ), is found by multiplying the conditional densities. Given Xk = X (tk ), the next observation Xk+1 = X (tk + ? ) is Gaussian with mean Xk and variance ? t, so its conditional density is v 2 1 e? (xk+1 ? Xk ) /2? t . 2? ?t Multiply these together and use X0 = 0 and you ? nd (with the convention x0 = 0) f (x1 , . . . , xn ) = 3. 1 1 2? ?t n/2 exp ?1 2 ? Deltat n? 1 (xk+ 1 ? xk )2 . (5) k=0 The random walk method The simplest and possibly best way to generate a sample observation path, X , comes from the derivation of (1). First generate X1 = X (? t) as a mean zero v univariate normal with mean zero and variance ? t, i. e. X1 = ? tY1 . Given X1 , X2 is a univariate normal with mean X1 and variance ? , so we may v take X2 = X1 + ? tY2 , and so on. This is the random walk method. If you just want to make standard Brownian motion paths, stop here. We push on for pedigogical purposes and to develop strategies that apply to other types of Brownian motion. We describe the random walk method in terms of the matrices above, starting by identifying the matrices C and H . Examining (1) leads to ? 2 ? 1 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · ? ? ? 1 2 ? 1 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · ? ? .. .. .. . . . 1 ? 0 ? 1 ? H= ?. .. ?t ? . . 2 ? 1 ?. ? .. ? . ? 1 2 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 0 ? 1 ? 0 .? .? .? ? ? ? ? 0? ? ? ?1 ? 1 This is a tridiagonal matrix with pattern ? 1, 2, ? except at the bottom right corner. O ne can calculate the covariances Cjk from the random walk representation v Xk = ? t (Y1 +  ·  ·  · + Yk ) . 5 Since the Yj are independent, we have Ckk = var(Xk ) = ? t  · k  · var(Yj ) = tk , and, supposing j < k , Cjk = E [Xj Xk ] = ? tE [((Y1 +  ·  ·  · + Yj ) + (Yj +1 +  ·  ·  · + Yk ))  · (Y1 +  ·  ·  · + Yj )] = 2 ?tE (Y1 +  ·  ·  · + Yj ) = tj . These combine into the familiar formula Cjk = cov(X (tj ), X (tk )) = min(tj , tk ) . This is the same as saying that the ? 1 ?1 ? ?. ?. C = ? t ? . ? ? ? 1 matrix C is 1  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 2 2  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 2 . . . 3  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · . . . 2 3  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · ? 1 2? ? ? 3? .? .? .? .. . (6) The random walk method for generating X may be expresses as ? ? ? Y ? X1 1 1 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 01 ? ? ? ?1 1 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 0 ? ? . ? ?.? ?.? v? ? . ? ?.? 1 0 . . ? . .? ? . ? = ? t ? 1 1 ? ? ? ? ?. . .. ? ? ? ?. . . .. ? ? ? ? 11 1  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 1 Yn Xn Thus, X = AY with ? ? 1 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 01 ?1 1 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 0 ? ? ? v? .? .? . ?1 1 1 0 .? A = ? t ? ?. . ? .. .. ?. . ? . 11 1  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 1 (7) The reader should do the matrix multiplication to check that indeed C = AAt for (6) and (7). Notice that H is a sparse matrix indicating short range interactions while C is full indicating long range correlations.This is true of in great number of physical applications, though it is rare to have an explicit formula for C . 6 We also can calculate the Choleski factorization of H . The reader can convince herself or himself that the Choleski factor, L, is bidiagonal, with nonzeros only on or immediately below the diagonal. However, the formulas are simpler if we reverse the order of the coordinates. Therefore we de? ne the coordinate reversed observation vector t X = (Xn , xn? 1 , . . . , Xn ) and whose covariance matrix is ? tn ? tn? 1 ? C=? . ?. . t1 tn? 1 tn? 1  ·  ·  · t1 t1 .. .  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · ? ? ? , ? t1 and energy matrix ? 1 ? 1  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 0 ? 0 .? .? .? ? ? ?. ? 0? ? ? ?1 ? 2 ? ? ? 1 2 ? 1 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · ? ? .. .. .. . . . 1 ? 0 ? 1 ? H= .. ?t ? . . ?. . 2 ? 1 ? ? .. ? . ? 1 2 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · 0 ? 1 We seek the Choleski factorization H = LLt ? l1 0 ? m2 l2 1? L= v ? m3 ?t ? 0 ? . .. . . . with bidiagonal ?  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · ? 0 ? ?. .. ? . ? .. . Multiplying out H = LLt leads to equations that successively determine the lk and mk : 2 l1 l 1 m2 2 2 l1 + l 2 l 2 m3 = 1 =? l1 = 1 , = ? 1 =? m2 = ? 1 , = 2 =? l2 = 1 , = 1 =? m3 = ? 1 , etc. , The result is H = LLt with L simply ? 1 0  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · ? ? 1 10 1? .. L= v ? . ?t ? ? 1 ? . .. .. . . . . 7 ? ? ? ?. ? ? The sampling algorithm using this Y = Lt X : ? ? ? 1 Yn ? Yn? 1 ? ? ? ? ?0 ? ? 1? ? ? ? ? . ?= v ? ?.? ?t ? ?.? ?. ? ? ?. . Y1 0 information is to ? nd X from Y by solving ?1 0 1 .. . ?1 .. .  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·  ·Ã‚ ·Ã‚ · .. . 0 0 Xn . ? ? Xn? 1 . . . 0 . . ?1 X1 1 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Solving from the bottom up (back substitution), we have Y1 = Y2 = v 1 v X1 =? X1 = ? tY1 , ?t v 1 v (X2 ? X1 ) =? X2 = X1 + ? tY2 , etc. ? t This whole process turns out to give the same random walk sampling method. Had we not gone to the time reversed (X , etc. variables, we could have calculated the bidiagonal Choleski factor L numerically. This works for any problem with a tridiagonal energy matrix H and has a name in the control theory/estimation literature that escapes me. In particular, it will allow to ? nd sample Brownian motion paths with other boundary conditions. 3. 2 The Brownian bridge construction The Brownian bridge construction is useful in the mathematical theory of Brownian motion. It also is the basis for the success of quasi Monte Carlo methods in ? nance. Suppose n is a power of 2: n = 2L . We will construct the observation path X through a sequence of L re? ements. First, notice that Xn is a univariate normal with mean zero and variance T , so we may take (with Yk,l being independent standard normals) v Xn = T Y1,1 . Given the value of Xn , the midoint observation, Xn/2 , is a univariate normal4 w ith mean 1 Xn and variance T /4, so we may take 2 Xn 2 v 1 T = Xn + Y2,1 . 2 2 At the ? rst level, we chose the endpoint value for X . We could draw a ? rst level path by connenting Xn to zero with a straight line. At the second level, or ? rst re? nement, we created a midpoint value. The second level path could be piecewise linear, connecting 0 to X n to Xn . 4 We assign this and related claims below as exercises for the student. 8 The second re? nement level creates values for the â€Å"quarter points†. Given n X n , X n is a normal with mean 1 X n and variance 1 T . Similarly, X 34 is a 2 42 2 4 2 1 1T normal with mean 2 (X n + Xn ) and variance 4 2 . Therefore, we may take 2 Xn = 4 1 1 Xn + 22 2 T Y3,1 2 and n X 34 = 1 1 (X n + Xn ) + 2 2 2 T Y3,2 . 2 1 The level three path would be piecewise linear with breakpoints at 1 , 2 , and 3 . 4 4 Note that in each case we add a mean zero normal of the appropriate variance to the linear interpolation value.In the general step, we go from the level k ? 1 path to the level k paths by creating values for the midpoints of the level k ? 1 intervals. The level k observations are X j . The values with even j are known from the previous 2k? 1 level, so we need values for odd j . That is, we want to interpolate between the j = 2m value and the j = 2m + 2 value and add a mean zero normal of the appropriate variance: X (2m+1)n = 2k? 1 1 2 mn X 2k? 1 + X (2m+2)n 2 2k? 1 + 1 2(k? 2)/2 T Ym,k . 2 The reader should check that the vector of standard normals Y = (Y1,1 , Y2,1 , Y3,1 , Y3,2 , . . . t indeed has n = 2L components. The value of this method for quasi Monte Carlo comes from the fact that the most important values that determine the large scale structure of X are the ? rst components of Y . As we will see, the components of the Y vectors of quasi Monte Carlo have uneven quality, with the ? rst components being the best. 3. 3 Principle components The principle component eigenvalues and eigenvectors for many types of Brownian motion are known in closed form. In many of these cases, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm leads to a reasonably fast sampling method.These FFT based methods are slower than random walk or Brownian bridge sampling for standard random walk, but they sometimes are the most e? cient for fractional Brownian motion. They may be better than Brownian bridge sampling with quasi Monte Carlo (I’m not sure about this). The eigenvectors of H are known5 to have components (qj,k is the k th component of eigenvector qj . ) qj,k = const  · sin(? j tk ) . 5 See e. g. Numerical Analysis by Eugene Isaacson and Herbert Keller. 9 (8) The n eigenvectors and eigenvalues then are determined by the allowed values of ? j , which, in turn, are determined throught the boundary conditions.We 2 2 can ? nd ? j in terms of ? j using the eigenvalue equation Hqj = ? j qj evaluated at any of the interior components 1 < k < n: 1 2 [? sin(? j (tk ? ?t)) + 2 sin(? j tk ) ? sin(? j (tk + ? t)) ] = ? j sin(? j tk ) . ?t Doing the math shown that the eigenvalue equation is satis? ed and that 2 ?j = 2 1 ? cos(? j ? t) . ?t (9) The eigenvalue equation also is satis? ed at k = 1 because the form (8) automatically satis? es the boundary condition qj,0 = 0. This is why we used the sine and not the cosine. Only special values ? j give qj,k that satisfy the eigenvalue equation at the right boundary point k = n. 10

Substance misusers

Identify and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance misuse's 1. 1 – Describe the range of different substances subject to misuse and their effects There Is a whole range of different substances and they all create different effects. Substances fit Into three different categories, with more than one category fitting some substances. The three categories are: Stimulants, Depressants and Hallucinogens. I will proceed to list the main substances, their effects, how they are taken and the category they fit into: Alkyl Nitrates (poppers, amyl nitrate, butyl nitrate, gibbously nitrate): Category:Hallucinogens Effect: Brief but intense head rush, flushed face and neck, effects fade after 2-5- minutes Form and how taken: Vapor which is breathed in through the mouth or nose or from a small bottle or tube. Amphetamines (speed, waltz, poet, belly, sulfate, crystal meet): Category: Stimulants Effect : Excitement, the mind races and users feel confident and energetic, suppresses app etite, smoking crystal meet will produce a more intense rush Form and how taken: Grey or white powder that is snorted, swallowed, smoked, injected or dissolved in a drink.Base is a strong version of the powder form and is white or yellowish in color and is usually swallowed or injected. Tablets which are swallowed. Crystal meet is crystalline and is smoked or injected. Anabolic Steroids (rods): Category: Users say the drugs make them feel more aggressive and able to train harder, helps build up muscle with exercise, helps users recover from strenuous exercise Form and how taken: Tablets that are swallowed or liquids that are injected BGP – Phenylalanine (BIZ, pep, pep love, pep twisted, pep stones, the good stuff, exodus, frenzy): Category:Causes effects similar to amphetamine but not as strong. When combined with other types of prissiness the effects seem to be compounded which gives a greater sense of euphoria – (effects can differ from pill to pill due to the nature of the chemical make-up) Form and how taken: Pills – many shapes, forms and colors – Often have Imprints such as fly, crown, heart and can often be sold as ecstasy Cannabis (Marijuana, weed, puff, skunk, blow, phonic, draw. Soapbox): Category: Users feel relaxed and talkative. May cause hilarity. Usually brings on cravings for food.Strong skunk can cause hallucinations. Form and how taken: A solid dark lump known as resin/hash or leaves, buds, stalks and seeds, or a sticky dark oil. Can be rolled either with or without tobacco in a Joint or smoked in a pipe, or eaten in a cake or biscuits. Cocaine and Crack (Cocaine, Charlie, coke, crack, wash, rock, white): Category: Sense of well-being alertness and confidence. For cocaine the effect can last for around 30 minutes, users are often left wishing for more. Crack has the same effects as cocaine but is much more intense and a much shorter high with a ore intense craving for more.Form and how taken: Cocaine – white powder that is snorted up the nose, dabbed on gums, swallowed and sometimes dissolved and injected. Crack – small raisin sized crystals which are smoked in a pipe Heroin (smack, gear, brown, H): Depressants Strong feeling of warmth, contentment and well-being (happy bubble) Form and how taken: Usually brown, sometimes white powder. Either smoked on foil or prepared for injection and injected. Ecstasy (E, doves, pills, burgers, disco biscuit, maturities, MADAM): Category: Users feel alert and in tune with their surroundings.Sound, color and emotions seem more intense. Users may dance for extended periods. Effects may last for 3 to 6 hours. Form and how used: Tablets of different shapes, size and color – often with some kind of logo on. Pure MADAM (the main ingredient in ecstasy pills) is a brown colored crystal and is crushed and snorted. Gases, glues and aerosols (lighter gas, aerosols containing products such as hairspray, deodorants and air fresheners, tins or tubes of glue, some paints, thinners and correcting fluids): Category:Hallucinogens Similar to being very drunk, also thick headed, dizzy, giggly, dreamy, and hallucinations Form and how used: Sniffed or breathed into the lungs from a cloth or sleeve. Gas products are sometimes squirted directly into the back of the throat. Alcohol: Disinherited, euphoria, loss of coordination and unconsciousness Form and how used:Drunk as a liquid Astatine (K, special K, vitamin K): in severe cases Form and how used: Legally produced as a liquid, illegally produced as a pill or grainy white powder – usually snorted or prepared for injection ND injected.Painlessness's (Valid, digamma, tempera, neutralize, planetarium, yellows, blues, smarmiest, bonzes, reopen, trains, Jellies, valise, mommies, roofers, downers): Long acting bonzes such as valid/digamma are commonly used for stress and anxiety management. Short acting ones such as tempera are often used for help with sleep. Used in detoxification w here there is risk of fitting. All cause a calm relaxed feeling or bring on sleep. Form and how used: Either swallowed as a pill, injected or used in a suppositoryOpiates (Methadone, codeine, Dehydrogenate (DIF 18), Diction, Petitioned, Opium, Morphine, Playful, Subtext – partial opiate): Category: Can be divided into long acting and short acting. SHort acting can depending on dose, give feelings of contentment and relief of distress that is also offered by heroin. Longer acting opiates such as methadone cause less euphoria and are mainly used to relieve symptoms of withdrawal. Form and how used: Pills – swallowed, linctuses – swallowed, enunciable preparations. GHB (GHB, Liquid Ecstasy, gammahydroxybutyrate, RE, rib, blue Juice, roofless, liquid E):Small amounts may cause happiness and distribution. Increasing amounts brings out depressant effects. Sometimes used for bodybuilding. Induces sleep and is often associated with rape. Form and how used: Odorless slig htly salty liquid. Concentration is variable so may be difficult to measure dosage – often mixed with a drink LSI (Acid, trip, tab, blotter, stars): Time distortion, perceptual changes, visual colors and patterns Form and how used: Usually a small tab of paper with a colorful pattern on – usually eaten or wiped around gums

Cartoon Endorsement

Prepared by: Fariha Tazin, Lecturer, Faculty of Business Studies (Marketing) Proposed Title: CARTOON ENDORSEMENT: Efficacy on Kids Market Abstract: Kids are bombarded with various forms of promotional activities by marketers of food products. Today’s kids are very much aware of the fashion trend and who’s ever has taken them to market has been observed the marketing power of the popular cartoon characters. The purpose of this research study will be to find out whether cartoon strengthens children to buy more or not. Qualitative research approach will be used to carry out this research study.This study will set out to find the amount of influence that cartoon endorsers have on children. As there have been few academic literatures on the topic of the effectiveness and usefulness of cartoon endorsement in the field of advertising, It has been set as the main goal of this research studies to explore the weight of cartoon endorsement as a promotional technique in Bangladeshi markets. 1. Introduction: A child wakes up in his Disney character pajamas, rolls out of his Barney sheets, his toothbrush, toothpaste and perhaps even his soap covered in cute licensed characters.Gathering up his Pokemon cards and strapping on his Doraemon backpack, he heads off to school. But the Commercialism does not stop even in the schoolyard. Leveraging the endorsement of products by popular cartoons, as a marketing practice, is a common phenomenon. Cartoon endorsement concept has been derived from the idea of celebrity endorsement. The retailing segment is displaying immense business potential for these younger segments. Retailing for kids, be it branded or unbranded, has emerged as a tremendous market in Bangladesh.The kids retail market is immense, with a huge variety available in the clothing, accessories and footwear sections. Some of the products that are available in the kid’s accessories segment include fashion accessories, watches and even kids’ design er jewellery, not to mention toys, books, games, electronics, education aids. Dora the Explorer, Mickey Mouse and all the other staples of morning TV are part of the world’s greatest sales team — because when they’re on the package, kids start yelling for it. 2. Aim: to examine the effect of Cartoon endorsement on kids market. . Objective: a. To find out that whether there is a relationship between cartoon endorsement and the buying behavior of children. b. To analyze the benefits of having cartoon endorsement on products. 4. Research Questions: a. How retailers use cartoons on their variety of products? b. How kids respond to these endorsed products? c. How unbranded products are having benefited from this Cartoon endorsement of children market? d. Is there any negative outcome of this marketing that can badly affect children? 5. Literature Review:Advertisers often choose celebrities who are physically attractive allowing them to get benefit both from the statu s and physical appeal of different celebrities (Singer 1983). Most of the advertisements which get on air contain characters that are attractive. It has been observed that consumers often form positive opinions about such characters. Apart from this, it is seen that attractive communicators are doing well in changing the beliefs of the consumers (Baker and Churchill 1977; Chaiken 1979; Debevec and Kernan 1984) and increasing the purchase intents (Friedman et aI. 976; Petroshius and Crocker 1989; Petty and Cacioppo 1980) as compared to those characters that are unattractive. In one of the study by Story and French revealed that 75% of the purchase requests take place in a supermarket environment. 6. Methodology: The data will be collected using the questionnaires. For this purpose different school, neighborhoods and shopping malls will be visited to collect the data. This research will be conducted by taking the perspective of the parent’s that how they their children behaves when they encounter the cartoon endorsed product.The sample size for carrying out this research consisted of 50 respondents. 6. 1 Data Collection a) Primary Data Collection In this research study the primary data will be collected through survey questionnaires. For this purpose questionnaires will be distributed to those parents whose children lies between the ages of 3 to 8 years. So it is possible to define that age group of children who are dependent on their parents for buying decisions. b) Secondary Data Collection Secondary data will help us in determining the various dimensions of the variables under study.The secondary data for this research study will be collected from different journals, books, researches and websites. Mostly the data will be collected from previously published journals and researches. 7. Conclusion Young children, in particular, have difficulty in distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world. Additiona lly children are unable to evaluate advertising claims. Children represent an important demographic to marketers because they have their own purchasing power, they influence their parents' buying decisions and they're the adult consumers of the future.Marketer tries to draw children’s attention through various means like TV, Magazines, Stickers, etc. Obviously attracted children by the marketing practices; get adversely affected most of the time. I expect this research to contribute to debates of the idea will be to find out the relationship between the cartoon endorsement and children impulse buying behavior, more specifically that whether those products are bought more impulsively by the children which have their favorite cartoon characters on them.References: Edward Martin, â€Å"Cartoon characters influence kids† [online], Health Revelations, 2009-2010 [cited July. 16, 2010], available from World Wide Web: http://healthrevelations. com/2010/07/16/cartoons-endorse-f ood/ a. AsimTanvir, † IMPACT OF CARTOON ENDORSEMENT ON CHILDREN IMPULSE BUYING OF FOOD: A PARENT’S PERSPECTIVE† The Institute [online], VOL 4, [cited JUNE, 2012], available from World Wide Web: http://www. ijcrb. webs. com. html b. Bellenger, D. N. , Robertson, D. H. & Hirschman, E. C. 1978. Impulse buying varies by product. Journal of Advertising Research. Vol. 18. No. 6, 15-18 c. Gardner, M. P. & Rook, D. W. 1988. Effects of impulse purchases on consumers’ affective states. Advances in Consumer Research. Vol. 15, 127-130 d. Bardia Yousef hakimi & Abed Abedniya & Majid Nokhbeh Zaeim . , â€Å"Investigate the Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Brand Image† European Journal of Scientific Research, ISSN 1450-216X Vol. 58 No. 1 (2011), pp. 116-132,  © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2011, available from the : http://www. eurojournals. com/ejsr. htm e. Aaker, D. A and Myers, J. G (1987), Advertising Management, 3rd edition, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Report - Essay Example Table of Content Preliminary 2 Table of Content 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 5 Management is the vital process in any business organization; therefore, proper management usually improves the effectiveness and efficiency of management thereby increasing the productivity of the organization. Therefore, it should be noted that any means of improving organizational management will be beneficiary to such organizations. Management software is a technology that synchronizing data in the sense of allowing multi tasking and proper management. Hence, installation and implementation of the management software will help in improving management in the organization. 5 The Recipient of the Report 5 Problem statement 5 The Potential Resources that Support the Ungerboeck Software 5 Information Gathering Methods 6 Financial Analysis 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Executive Summary The Ungerboeck software is recognized as the world leading end to end management software that is normally used for eve nts including exhibition, and meeting planners. The software provides fully integrated event and exhibition solutions for CRM, event management, registration, sales, document management, staff scheduling, and more. Additionally, the Exhibition and event organizations should consider as purchasing and installing exhibition management software. The software is necessary for ensuring a flawless delivery of information due to its effective planning, management and communication mechanisms that helps to create a positive impression for both exhibitors and attendees. However, some difficulties and challenges are sometimes experienced in cases where information has to be transmitted through multiple software programs. Therefore, Ungerboeck software may be only necessary for a single software integrating as opposed to multi functional software. Nonetheless, the most vital functions that supports the functions of this organization can be supported by Ungerboeck software that is, it ability t o integrate event management, sales, registrations, stuff scheduling, and event and exhibition solutions for Customer Relationship Management (USI Ungerboeck, 2013); thus, it will be vital tool in elevating the management system when incorporated in the organization. Introduction Management is the vital process in any business organization; therefore, proper management usually improves the effectiveness and efficiency of management thereby increasing the productivity of the organization. Therefore, it should be noted that any means of improving organizational management will be beneficiary to such organizations. Management software is a technology that synchronizing data in the sense of allowing multi tasking and proper management. Hence, installation and implementation of the management software will help in improving management in the organization. The Recipient of the Report This report targets the top management to encourage them allow the incorporation of the Ungerboeck softwar e in the management system since it will encourage events organizations especially to purchase and install exhibition management software thereby increasing the productivity of the firm. Problem statement The purpose of this report is to explain the functions and benefits of having Ungerboeck management softwar

Scholarship essay Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scholarship essay - Personal Statement Example In 2008, I took the first step to feeling like I belonged here—I began taking English classes at the HCC. From these humble beginnings, I progressed to the point where I was able to begin taking college classes, specifically to do with computers. From here my English improved so much that I was able to pass my citizenship exams just last year. Although I will always be treated as an outsider, I now feel proud to call America my home. The skills that I have picked up on will help me in my pursuit of a degree in Computer Information Systems at the University of Houston. A scholarship will greatly assist me in reaching my goal of completing my degree in Computer Information Systems. I believe that I deserve this not only for my educational achievements, but also for the volunteer work that I have done in the community. I am someone who always likes to give back to the community because I feel that everyone has helped me so much along the way. I am an approved TDCJ volunteer and have participated in the TDCJ Mentoring Program. The main tasks that I have been involved with as a volunteer include fostering care and support, encouraging personal development, assisting in personal visioning, and developing active community partnerships. I feel that this experience has not only helped me as a person, but has also made me appreciate this country that I now call home. For the mentoring program, the objective is to establish a trust-based relationship with accountability and responsibility from both the mentor and the mentee. As I have been a mentor with thi s program, it has been great to listen to the stories of people who come to me with their problems. I feel privileged to be able to offer suggestions and help in any way that I can. Even though my work as a volunteer and a mentor is not directly related to my degree, I feel that I have gained other invaluable skills that will assist me in the future. Looking towards the future, I would like to further my pursuit

Communication questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication questions - Essay Example Taking the analysis a little bit further, the individual can realize that by analyzing the language of a particular media outlet, the individual can come to understand what bias might exist within the language or what understanding the media might be attempting to provide. Further, with regard to the production, the individual that pays close attention to how the production of the media is effected will be more likely to recognize a the way in which different methods tend to focus on aspects that might be biased in some way or another. Additionally, the representation of the media is another key point that helps to show a level of media literacy. By understanding the representation that a particular piece of media provides, the viewer, reader, or participant can come to understanding the approach to the story that the media outlet has decided on. Finally, a focus on the audience that the media outlet is attempting to present the story to also tells the individual a lot about what inf ormation is being represented and how the media wants the information to be used. As a result of these understandings, I have come to apply this particular approach to the majority of the media that I consume; especially to any news media. By focusing on the audience for which the media was designed, I can oftentimes see the way in which media is used to create a particular point of view or ideology on a particular topic. By thinking about how the media was produced and what factors are focused on the most, especially if it is television media, I am able to see the approach that the news story is likely o promote or the approach that the media is attempting to ridicule. Similarly, by analyzing the way that language of the media, I have been able to understand the level of bias that is oftentimes presented prior to the individual having the opportunity to come to their own

Compact car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compact car - Essay Example Compact cars are also chosen as a popular second vehicle to use for running errands without spending a fortune in gas bills. These are also at the lower priced end of the market compared to SUV's and are more affordable compared to the SUV's. Cars begin at $10,000 and move upwards making them easier to buy. They may also have lesser features in the basic models to fit the budget. Similarly, smaller size translates into lower maintenance costs. Handling is another positive factor. The small compact car is definitely more maneuverable in the congested downtown areas and the smaller parking spaces. During the peak traffic times or when on congested highways, a compact car seems more easy to handle. Compact cars have a lower visibility due to their low height making it difficult to see with ease for shorter people. They also have a lower record of safety when it comes to collision impacts. Their smaller size makes them more vulnerable to impacts, and they are often highly damaged when involved in an accident. The compact falters when it comes to interior space and legroom. For a family of four it is just right and for those who are of above average build, well, after long distances they should be ready for a few cramps.

Analyze Uzbekistans economy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analyze Uzbekistans economy - Term Paper Example Uzbekistan’s economy has been through its share of the initial down when it was formed. It relieved its independence in 1991, and since that time, Uzbekistan has undergone economic transformations to strive to become factor in the global economy. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the birth of Uzbekistan had left the country exposed because of the immeasurable downfall of the network of trade and suppliers. The country only had raw materials and semi processed goods available for exports, making them highly vulnerable to the world economy and thus creating a dependency on the world’s commodity prices. Uzbekistan at that time had to take drastic steps to induce polices and reforms that would influx market based aspects. However, the governance of Uzbekistan under Karimov had different set of economic ideas. He introduced policies that had the sole intention of creating control over the economy and these policies played no heed towards producing and implementing structu ral reforms. The economic liberation of the country in the beginning was very much controlled and the government was very cautious in its moves. The economic policies have somehow ensured a slow regression of privatization keeping more of government control in the state. The ineffectiveness of the economic forums brought the Uzbekistan’s economy as rendering and deterring factors for the foreign investments. The country then was too reluctant to listen to the economic advice on reforms by the World Bank, the IMF and various economic institutions. This led to abrupt increase in high levels of corruption and showcased the world about the extreme bureaucratic inefficiency to develop business initiatives. The core issue post independence was the soaring state control and authoritarian style of economic power. The following will shed more light on Uzbekistan’s post independence economic woes: ‘Privatization has been very slow and

Christian worldview of financial accounting Essay

Christian worldview of financial accounting - Essay Example The Christian worldview on financial accounting advocates for ethics in business. It is hence evident that a Christian will always carry out the business activities differently from an atheist. According to Christian worldview, financial accounting is of great importance in a number of ways. One of the ways is helping Christians to live debt free lives. It is not the will of God for His children to live in destitution and debts. Debts have stretched from the individual Christians to the national levels. The Christian worldview tends to explain to Christians how savings, budgets and investments should be used accordingly to help the Christians live a life worth living (Holt, 2010). The Christian worldview insists that for the budgets, investments and savings to be beneficial, greed, cheating and lying should not be a part of financial accounting. Christians have been given a lot of guidance courtesy of the Christian worldview on avoiding the financial Armageddon. It is clear that human beings cannot survive in the world today without finances. However, unjust means should not be encouraged at all in the business world according to the Christian worldview based on the bible teachings (Duska et al., 2011). According to Proverbs 13:11 â€Å"Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it† while in accordance to Proverbs 12:19, â€Å"Truth stands the test of time, lies tend to be exposed easily.† These are the essential aspects in financial accounting that need to be put into consideration for the Christians to reap the intended benefits of financial accounting. The Christian worldview’s teachings on financial accounting aim at eradicating poverty among the Christians. Justly operated financial accounting activities guarantee an individual wealth and prosperity. This clearly shows that poverty will not be his or her portion. However,

Liberal Education Essay Example for Free

Liberal Education Essay Essay Education is the most important factor behind the progress man has achieved in this world. It has been the permanent character of human history and evolution of thought. However, in the past, it used to be prerogative of only a few privileged men and the pace of development was quite slow. Since it has been disseminated to common people, there has been rapid growth in every sphere of development: science, technology, sociology, politics, anthropology, etc. Now it is treated as basic human right of every man. Though, it encompasses a wide sphere of knowledge, it has been metamorphosed by man according to his needs. It has been mainly applied as a tool of economic development, which has limited its application. Consequently, people are deprived of the potential education offers for the overall development of personality and stability of society. The chaos in modern world is also partly due to this fault. Therefore, in order to meet the multi-dimensional challenges, man faces in the world, it is essential to impart real education i. e. liberal education. The liberal education has been defined in many ways, though emphasizing the similar essential elements. The best definition is offered by the â€Å"Association of American Colleges and Universities†. â€Å"Liberal education means to empower an individual and prepare him to deal with diversity, complexity and change†. As manifest from the definition, the purpose of education is to enable man to surpass the challenges faced in the world, to know and obtain his rights and to accommodate himself in the constantly changing environment in the present day competitive world. The importance of liberal education in this contemporary globalised world is greatest than ever before. The world has become so shaped that every economic and social activity requires modern and advanced means of communication and technology. The transformation of technological development is on a very fast track. There is a demand of more interactive and communica tive manpower to run this complex system. Moreover, despite the interdependence on each other, the diversity in different areas is in sharp contrast. Hence, the man is required to be quite sufficiently prepared to move forward. And the instrument that can enable him to face these challenges is nothing but liberal education. This is why the renowned scholar â€Å"Skarnovey† says: â€Å"Liberal education: the developing countries must adopt it as it is a necessity†. Nevertheless, it is essential for every nation but the developed countries are already ahead in this sphere. The developing countries, which are still far behind, need to forge efforts to transform their education system in order to catch up with the rest of the world. Not only because it helps in achieving economic development but also because it fulfills the need of society in every sphere of life. The sphere of liberal education is wide enough to call it real education. Basically, education is aimed to develop whole being of a person. It is necessary to educate man to learn social ethics, cultural values, religious obligations, ways and means of a stable society and skills of professional competitiveness. Liberal education, simply, fulfills all these essential needs. It emphasises the development of a citizen who is professionally capable of living in the society in civilised way the way which is not only beneficial to himself alone, but also fruitful for other members of his family, community and society. It is best elaborated in the words of Kurth Kahin; â€Å"Liberal education teaches something about everything and everything about something†. His words can be best understood by contrast to the maxim â€Å"Jack of all; master of none†. Simultaneously, there are also people who are â€Å"Jack of none but master of one†. The people, who acquire general education without proficiency in any specific subject, are explained by the first maxim. While some people who are very skilled and highly qualified in one field like an engineer, scientist or doctor but do not know any other subject or field of life; these are referred to the latter assumption. However, liberal education is a moderate way between both the polar positions. It is aimed at making a person a good professional in any one field and also to possess knowledge and skills about other important fields. More importantly, it makes constructive members of society better described as â€Å"Jack of all; master of one†. In such a way, the objectives of liberal education are multifaceted, which address the requirement of society to a considerable extent. These objectives are briefly discussed here: Firstly, it is the most important for a man to be an informed citizen. The people who are concerned only with their single professional field of occupation cannot be ideally good citizens. They would only be members and nationals of a community or nation. A good citizen is required to be participatory in the social and political building of community, which is the foundation of any society. As the actions of man are based on information and knowledge, without these none understands the obligation towards community and resultantly remains inactive member of society. However, but if the students are inculcated the knowledge of their needs and roles, they would be quite prepared to foresee occurrences and would direct their thoughts and actions towards social and political participation. This can be achieved when the system of education is made liberal which does not aspire to produce only technical robots in human shape but informed and good citizens. Secondly, the philosophy of liberal education envisages the development of creative thinking among the students. Creative thinking has acquired fundamental place in the education system of advanced countries. The students are encouraged to â€Å"think a new†. The creative experiments, creative writings and creative art lead to frame the development of thought process. Though, it is practised in western countries, it owes its origin to the most influential scholars and artists of Greek period and early Muslim era. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Ibn-e-Khaldun, Galileo, Khuw-arzmi, Newton, to name a few, all were creative thinkers. In short, whole of the development in the world and education itself is the result of creative thinking. On the contrary, the limited application of education is insufficient to produce brilliant minds. The specific technological development devoid of human values and ethics has failed to form the basis of a viable society. Thus, it is the objective of liberal education to teach the students various subjects like history, sociology, philosophy and psychology besides their professional field, so that creative thought is encouraged to be developed among them. Therefore, we need to introduce liberal education in order to secure our future based on collective ideals. Thirdly, liberal education improves the skills and competitiveness of students, which is necessary to enable them to get foothold in the competitive market. For example a typist may have good efficiency in his field but computers have replaced typewriter. People like to get their papers typed on computer in order to save their document and to get good command. Now, the excellent typist is in trouble, he would go jobless in the market unless he learns to operate computer. Same is the case with every field of employment. The modes of technology are being transformed very rapidly. In order to meet the demands of market one should be quite prepared and skilled. Hence, the knowledge of mathematics, science, computer literacy and technological acquaintance are necessary to be imparted to the students, which can be achieved through liberal education. Fourthly, as the world has become a global village, the importance of communication skills has been increased manifold. A person must be proficient in national and at least one international language. He must know how to send e-mail, voice-mail or to carryout visual communication. The social change compels the person to change the job for better opportunities. The talented people feel an urge to move towards other countries as well in order to actualise their talent and to obtain maximum result. This is where the communication skills are mostly required. All the communication techniques, basically, listening, speaking and writing are essential ingredients. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the skills of students through methods of listening comprehension and speaking ability tests. All the examinations of foreign languages comprise these elements and even very talented students from developing countries fail to go abroad due to lack of these communication skills in international languages. The world has become so shaped that every economic and social activity requires modern and advanced means of communication and technology. The transformation of technological development is on a very fast track. These few objectives of liberal education underline its importance and need in the developing countries, including Pakistan. Unfortunately, it has not been taken seriously. The system of education in our country is obsolete. It is devoid of the contemporary methodology of teaching and the curriculum is almost from primary to university level. Computer is studied as a field of study only, not as a skill. Even in most of the universities it is taught only to the students of computer department seeking degree in that subject, let alone its use at primary and secondary level. In universities the students of other subjects like sociology, languages, arts and other sciences are not taught the computer skills. This lags them far behind from students of other countries and few quality institutes of the country. Same is true of languages. English though introduced from primary level, is not taught according to the modern techniques of comprehension. Only reading lessons and knowing meaning of words cannot enable students to master the language. The methodology of English departments in universities is also in question. The national language, Urdu, is also not focused at any level of education. Learning of both these languages is important to produce capable and competitive students at the national and international level. The fate of the students of other subjects is also not much different. On the one hand, they are deprived of computer and language skills; on the other they do not become proficient in their field of interest as the proper methodology is not applied. Faculty members are not well qualified, research is not pursued and creative thought is ignored. These defects of our education system are the main reasons of the chaos, unemployment, poverty and social instability in our society. In order to overcome these shortcomings, we must adopt the liberal education system without any further delay. However, this requires a well thought out and comprehensive policy to improve the existing education system. Primarily, we should redesign our curriculum at all levels. All the major components/subjects of liberal education: sociology humanism, citizenship, history, philosophy, languages, computer and sciences must be introduced in every tier of education from primary to university levels in accordance with the capacity of students and the needs of society. Secondarily, all the institutions should be equipped with computer and scientific laboratories and libraries. The research and creative thinking should be encouraged through modern techniques of education. In this regard the accessibility and equality of all sections of our stratified society must be ensured in order to achieve uniform development. Lastly, the faculty must be energised by providing skilled and experienced teachers. The existing teachers should be trained to equip them with modern techniques of teaching methodology. Fresh and young blood must be encouraged to join education field as a profession by enhancing the monetary incentives in the education sector. This policy will yield tremendous benefits to the future of a nation. The liberal education is hailed because it brings concrete advantages. The young generation of Pakistan makes bulk of the population of country. According to a report of the State Bank of Pakistan 65 per cent of the educated youth is unemployed due to irrelevance of their skills with market. If this portion of population is properly skilled, it will prove to be a boost to the economy as the manpower is considered a resource in all countries of the world. Another benefit would be the eradication of poverty. Once our youth are employed, they will naturally add to the income of their families and consequently eradicate their poverty. It will also help in raising the living standard of our common man as it is directly proportional to the income of a family. The liberal education would create sense of understanding and cooperation among the people. The contemporary chaos of extremism and isolationism are due to lack of approach towards collective interests and common goals among people. Once they realise their social obligations and think creatively they will initiate participating positively in the stability of society. It is quite clearly manifested from the discussion that liberal education, which is the real education, is an essential component of good governance and stable society. It not only helps an individual to progressively achieve goals but also gives impetus to economic, political and social stability to a state. In short, it forms the basis of human development in this complex global world of diversity and challenges. It offers a way towards a better change.

Theories Of Leadership And Trait Theory

Theories Of Leadership And Trait Theory INTRODUCTION: The question Are Leaders Born or Made? has been the most discussed topic in leadership studies. There has been research related to the proposing inherited traits of leadership such as Kilpatrick and Locke (1991). However, later in the century, theories surfaced regarding behavioral approaches to leadership. Blake and Mouton (1964) and Northouse (1997) focused on leadership behavior which contradicted the theory establishing that leadership is just for the chosen few, not accessible to all people. Firstly, we will discuss what leadership means, then explore research and theories and its relationship with the concept of employee motivation. LEADERSHIP DEFINITION A LEADERSHIP is a social process in which one individual has the power to affects the group of others without the use of threat or violence THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP There are 4 basic theories of leadership. Given and described below: TRAIT THEORY Peoples are born with inherited personal qualities know as traits. Some traits are particularly suited to leadership. People with having good leaders qualities have sufficient combination of traits. This theory was basically a Psychology one. In which individuals are given importance on their natural or personal characteristics or traits. Importance was given to enhance and discovering those traits in individuals, often by studying successful leaders. But with the underlying assumption was if those qualities are to be found in other peoples as well then they, too, could have the talent to become great leaders. Some of the traits and skill to become great leader is given below in the chart. Stogdill (1974) identified the following traits and skills as critical to leaders McCall and Lombardo (1983) researched both success and failure identified four primary traits by which leaders could succeed or derail: Emotional stability and composure: Calm, confident and predictable, particularly when under stress. Admitting error: Owning up to mistakes, rather than putting energy into covering up. Good interpersonal skills: Able to communicate and persuade others without resort to negative or coercive tactics. Intellectual breadth: Able to understand a wide range of areas, rather than having a narrow (and narrow-minded) area of expertise. Many years back these inherited traits were being sidelined as learned and situational factors are being given due importance and are considered as far more realistic as reason for people in acquiring leader positions. But now they are being given importance as no individual can become leader if he has not acquired the leadership qualities personally or have learned from experience. SITUATIONAL THEORY The brilliant reaction of the leader shows in the situational factor. When the decision is needed the leader here does not just go into the single preferred style such as transactional or transformational because to them things are not as simple as they seem. The factor that can affect this kind of theory is the motivation and capability of the followers towards the leader. As the relationship between a leader and the followers is another thing in this regard depending on each others behavior among the leader and the followers. Perception of the leader is also very important in this regard towards his followers because if he has good perception about his followers than he ill deal calmly otherwise he will threaten his followers to follow him. Yukl (1989) seeks to combine other approaches and identifies six variables: Subordinate effort: the motivation and actual effort expended. Subordinate ability and role clarity: followers knowing what to do and how to do it. Organization of the work: the structure of the work and utilization of resources. Cooperation and cohesiveness: of the group in working together. Resources and support: the availability of tools, materials, people, etc. External coordination: the need to collaborate with other groups. Leaders here work on such factors as external relationships, acquisition of resources, managing demands on the group and managing the structures and culture of the group. Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) identified three situations affecting leaders action. The forces in the situation; the forces in the followers and the forces in leader. This recognizes that the leaders style is really variable and even such distant that a family dispute can also affects his perception and working with his followers and can create aggression as well among them. Maier (1963) noted that leaders not only consider the likelihood of a follower accepting a suggestion, but also the overall importance of getting things done. Thus in critical situations, a leader is more likely to be directive in style simply because of the implications of failure. ECLECTIC THEORY This theory goes with the combination of the above two theories namely THE TRAIT THEORY and THE SITUATIONAL THEORY. This deals in having the factor of both the above discussed theories of leadership. To have a successful and friendly environment between the leader and the followers. STYLE THEORY This theory deals with the behavior of leader himself with his employees or the followers. If the behavior will be good the affect of the good relation of both will portrays on the situation or problem which is considered to be solved. EXECUTIVE THEORY In this theory the manager or the leader has both a high task orientation and a high relationship orientation. COMPROMISING THEORY In this theory the leader is Poor at making and sticking to decisions BENEVOLENT AUTOCRAT THEORY In this theory leader has some trust and regard for his team so is more effective in doing any work. AUTOCRAT THEORY In this theory the leader has no confidence in others and is unpleasant, overbearing and less effective. DEVELOPER THEORY In this theory the leader builds trust on the team implicitly and wants to develop them as people. MISSIONARY INTERESTED THEORY In this theory the leader mainly focussed on harmony and cooperation so not as effective DESERTER THEORY In this theory the leader is someone who is uninvolved and withdrawn in or from the working or dealing. BEAURAUCRAT THEORY Its basically about the Conscientious of the leader himself that how much loyal is he to himself and others. CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERSHIP ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY: Leader should have the feeling to accept his responsibility. SELF CONFIDENCE: Leader should have the self confidence container to avoid confusions and hesitations during his work. GENERAL CONFIDENCE: Must have the ability to have confidence on plotting or presenting general views on any thing and issues regarding matter. INTEGRITY: He must be the strong holder of integrity or honesty to present himself well. INTELLIGENCE: Leader must have the intelligence on and in his work of any type. This would avoid arguments and confusions with his work and employees. SKILLS OF THE LEADERSHIP There are several characteristics of leadership which are required to become a good leader. ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITY: Person must have the ability to organize things and people according to their capability in doing any work. ACCEPTANCE BY PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS: Leader must have the ability to influence all peoples idea towards his own and the ability to accept him as their leader. ENERGY: Must have the energy or power to deal with any situation with his followers or employees. ENCOURAGING INITIATIVE IN OTHERS: Leader must have the ability to take proper and appropriate actions in different situations without any confusion or hesitation. DELEGATION: Must have the input to make delegations and impress others as well. TACT: Should have ability to care and sill in ones behavior to people, to avoid hurting or offending them. SELF-DISCIPLINE: Must be disciplined as well for setting an example for his people and to look after them. PROBLEM SOLVING: Leader should be able to solve any kind of problem arise during working to set up a leader impression and to be out of mistakes. OLD EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION In this qualitative study, the 1950s-1970s work of Frederick Herzberg, the father of work motivational research, was compared, and contrasted with current data study about management effectiveness to explore how employee motivation may have changed. Staff members and managers (N=38), primarily form healthcare settings, but also from academic, public, and private sector businesses were interviewed. Interpersonal relations now rank first as a motivating factor in this study. Recognition, the work itself, and responsibility are still ranked as critical motivating factors. These are important to understand as work is redesigned. Supporting positive interpersonal relations among subordinates, supervisors, and peers can be viewed as an effective management strategy to facilitate employee motivation. For employees, developing positive interpersonal relations with co-workers can enhance individual motivation and may improve job satisfaction. CRITICISIM ON THE NOTION OF LEADERSHIP AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONCEPT OF OLD EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION The concept of old employee motivation and its relation with the notion of leadership shall be criticized on the base that in early time people were given important on their realistic things and truths they dont have to learned any thing to acquire leadership, but now a days people have to be more sophisticated thinker and broadminded to take good decision and sometimes have to be more biased to give their company profit and make their company reach to highest peak. People now criticize the thing that old employee motivation was better as compared to now because now managers or we can say leaders are only thinking of themselves while the whole work is done by the employers as well. But employers are not given due importance in this regard now a day. So the mind set of leadership is creating bad affect in companies now because everyone is equally important in the team work including the manager himself. Peoples or the employees need satisfaction from their managers to get encouraged in their work and so can do much more better work in organization. Today as the advancement is increasing the organizations are creating partitions or fields for different work which cause lack of communication between the employees and the manager. Instead of this the new employees that come in organizations by recruitment feel really difficult to understand the whole process of the vast organizational functions. This will make them unable to flow proper with the organization. They want to get introduced first to the system before coming its part and this will be very difficult for them if company or organization have many departments in itself. This will create a big gap between the new employees and the old existing staff as well. Which later shows disputes between the staff members and the new employees as well. In fact the old concept was to make an organization really family like structure that can be understand by any one whether new or old all should get into the flow of system its basic aim was also to take the whole team together with courage, equality and power so that the organization can get good output results and which boost up the profit of the company or organization. Communication between the manager and the employees creates a friendly environment in which everyone should love to exchange views and share companies problem to get the best possible solution for their company. This was also due to the reason that the employees and manager get in touch more and discuss problems with full swing which is not the part of today occurring management systems. Thus this was a basic weak point of present organizations which is affecting the countrys economy as well CONCLUSION Leadership is elusive but momentous, passionate but single minded a matter of patience but sudden opportunity, a great struggle for victory and finally creating a leader to replace you. As shown in the figure 0.15. http://www.uptecnet.com/rel2/tv/download/TV010407/images/fig15.gif Nowadays, most scholars in the field have come to conclude that leaders are both born and made. Many leaders are born with qualities and attributes that assist them in leadership effectiveness. While at the same time development in their childhood and adolescence, education and later work experiences encourage and cultivate leadership abilities. (Bass, 1990; and Conger, 1992)

Teaching The Noun Phrase In English English Language Essay

Teaching The Noun Phrase In English English Language Essay English syntax presents the nominal group or noun phrase (NP) as a basic constituent of the clause (S). Phrase Structure rules normally represent S as consisting of a Noun Phrase and a Verb Phrase (VP). (1) S Æ’Â   NP VP The constituents of the clause or sentence are then further broken down into their constituents. Yet the proposal of other theories to capture the constituents of S has resulted in more complex but more precise ways of explaining how the constituents of a sentence relate to each other. An extension on X-bar theory by Santorini and Kroch in their online textbook The syntax of natural language: An online introduction using the Trees program actually identifies NPs as Determiner Phrases or DPs. Although this paper will not delve into the layers of complexity advocated by such theorists, it does move away from the traditional strategies of teaching nouns and NPs and seeks to ratify approaches for introducing the teaching of NPs in the ESL/EFL context. We shall, therefore, describe the structure of the NP, mentioning the categories of count and non-count (or mass) nouns; and finally prescribe a viable teaching option with respect to the noun phrase. Nouns and the structure of NPs Traditional grammar defines the noun as the name of a person, place, animal or thing. This vague definition succumbs quite readily to criticism the moment we move away from holding it high in the canon of English grammar to one of closer examination. Huddleston (84) lists a few properties that help to classify this word class: It contains amongst its most central members those words that denote persons or concrete objects Its members head phrases noun phrases which characteristically function as subject or object in clause structure and refer to participants in the situation described in the clause, to the actor, patient, recipient, and so on. It is the class to which the categories of number, gender and case have their primary application It becomes significantly easier for us to define the noun and subsequently the NP by looking at its function and distribution in the clause. Brinton and Brinton (193) expand the NP in a table that has been reproduced below: Table 1. Expansions of NP NP Æ’Â   N dogs Det N the dogs Det A N the large dogs Det AP N the loudly barking dogs Det N PP the dog in the yard Det A N PP the ferocious dog behind the fence Det AP N PP the wildly yapping dog on the sofa Pro He PN Goldy In all of the expansions except the final two the head of the NP the noun (N) is obligatory. In the final two expansions the head has been substituted by a pronoun and a Proper noun respectively. These two are still subsumed under the category of noun so we can still say that the head subsists to some degree. The broadest expansion level of the NP, Det AP N PP presents categories that may be grouped in relation to the noun head of the phrase. Therefore, we may talk about pre-head dependents and post-head dependents. Huddleston asserts that an NP will consist of a noun as head, alone or accompanied by one or more dependentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦pre-head and post-head dependents (85). He mentions that the pre-head dependents may be determiners and/or modifiers and that the post-head dependents consist of complements, modifiers and peripheral dependents. Where Huddleston calls these elements dependents (either pre-head or post-head), Downing and Locke, in order to simplify matters, label them modifiers (403). They locate the head of the phrase as the central element around which are located the pre-modifiers and post-modifiers. Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of the general constituents of the NP. Figure 1. Diagrammatic Representation of an NP Noun (Head) Post-modifiers Specifiers Pre-modifiers Although the number of determiners is quite limited (Huddleston (86) states that there are approximately three determiner slots), there seems to be less restriction on what can fill the modifier position. Determiners have the form of: (ÃŽÂ ±) determinatives the, some, which, etc (recall that determiner is used as the name of a function, determinative of a class); (ÃŽÂ ²) Poss Ps the dogs, your fathersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(ÃŽÂ ³) cardinal numerals: one, twoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(ÃŽÂ ´) embedded NPs expressing quantification: a dozenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a fewà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦An NP may contain up to three determinersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Huddleston 86). Downing and Locke (404) also suggest that the relatively restricted list of determiners (articles, demonstratives, possessives, Wh-words, distributives and quantifiers) can be put into three broad categories: Central determinatives: the articles, the demonstratives, the possessives, the quantifiers Pre-determinatives: all, both, twice, double, such Post-determinatives: the ordinal numerals and the semi-determinatives (same, other, former, latter, own) As said before, Santorini and Kroch in Chapter 5 of their online book argue a case for DPs. They believe that nounsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦cannot in general function as arguments on their own, but must be accompanied by a determiner. This makes sense even if there is a zero marker for the determiner. They go on to say to caution the reader: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the traditional term noun phrase is a misnomer since noun phrases are maximal projections of D rather than of N. Because the term noun phrase is firmly established in usage, we continue to use it as an informal synonym for DP. However, in order to avoid confusion, we will use the term NP only to refer to the subconstituent of a noun phrase that is the complement of a determiner. We will never use it to refer to an entire noun phrase (that is, a DP) The NP can also be called the complement of a determiner as suggested by Santorini and Kroch, but in order to keep concepts simple we should stick to the distinction as prescribed by the diagram above where the determiner position is synonymous with specifier. The pre-modifier position (labelled AP in Brinton and Brintons largest expansion above) can be filled with a number of classes: adjectives (and adverbs), nouns, participial forms of verbs and possessives. Due to the recursive property of this position, there is a complex ordering sequence of these classes. This can be seen quite clearly if we solely look at the ordering of adjectives (Parrot 54): Table 2. Order of adjectives in the NP 1 Size 2 Shape 3 Colour 4 Origin 5 Material 6 Use Noun a large white loaf a sleeveless blue woollen pullover Small Spanish serving dishes The order also places the opinion of the speaker (subjective aspect) before a description (objective aspect) of the object. The post-modifiers, on the other hand, can exist as complements, modifiers and peripheral dependents (Huddleston 93). X-bar theory accounts for these elements by the use of the terms adjunct and complement. In the diagram below, these post-head elements are shown to the right of the X circles. XP X X Specifier Adjunct Complement X X Head Figure 2. Template for an XP in X-bar theory Whereas adjuncts are seen as optional modifiers, complements are shown to be obligatory. The diagram shows their differing positions within the hierarchy of the phrase (XP), where the complement appears closer to the head. Although this information may be helpful for the teacher, it would be better to stay away from X-bar theory when trying to explain phrase formation to the student unless the student has already had interaction with it. One cannot mention the noun, and even the noun phrase, without mentioning an aspect of nouns that is relatively unique to them their countability. Allan mentions that the notion of countability varies and has to do with the perception of the speaker and listener: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that which is countable is denumerable. Although countability is a linguistic category, it typically has perceptual correlations: the reference of what is linguistically countable is ordinarily perceived in terms of one or more discrete entities. What is uncountable is typicallyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦perceived as an undifferentiated unity. (565) The countability of the noun is linked to its ability to be inflected for plurality and is also linked to the use of certain determiners. Uncountable or mass nouns in English are not normally pluralised unless the speaker is using some type of jargon peculiar to a field. However, the notion of countability also carries across into the NP. If the noun, as head of the phrase, is countable, it also means that the NP would be countable as well. Teaching the NP to ESL/EFL students The NP should not be introduced explicitly to low-level proficiency ESL/EFL students. Although the students may have some unconscious knowledge of the NP in their own languages, it is a more appropriate approach to teach Upper-Intermediate and Advanced level students about the workings of the NP to improve their stylistic capabilities and also to improve their communicative options. The teaching of the NP, like everything else, must be contextualised and not necessarily bogged down by solely teaching the students grammar. It is quite important to link the teaching of the NP to previous knowledge gained by the students so that its syntactic structure can be used as a refresher for students with respect to things like count and non-count nouns, adverbials and determiners. Students can be taught inductively by teachers where sentences are put on the board and students can also be asked to identify the syntactic categories that make up the phrase and also the apparent rules for the ordering of categories. Nevertheless, an indispensible teaching tool in this area would be to let the students be these categories. What do I mean by be? Well, if we look singly at the AP constituent of the NP and wish to help students to grasp the order of the adjectives (as listed in the table above), the teacher can put an AP on the board containing quite a number of these adjectives. Then random students can be asked to come to the front of the class and the teacher can assign the students a word. The students can write this word on a page and stick it to their chests or hold them up. Subsequently, the teacher can ask the students to move around in a line to represent the phrase, swapping positions with each other and encouraging the class to read the phrase according to the new orders. The teacher will have to have some knowledge of APs and be able to explain why random ordering of lexical items is unacceptable in APs. This exercise can also be done with NPs to some extent. The teacher can use it to show the recursivity of the modifier positions especially (vis-à  -vis embedded clauses and other modifiers) and to solidify the ordering of the constituents. This kinaesthetic approach can also be complemented by a musical one where a song can be used to show the meaning as well as the functional use of NPs. Gardners Multiple Intelligences is a good tool to take advantage of when teaching these primarily grammar-oriented topics, but calls on a lot from the teacher in the realm of creativity and preparation.

Epic of Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

The Hero Beowulf It is very common that a favorite tale told to a small child before he goes to sleep is actually a great epic story that has lived on for many centuries. The tale of Beowulf is just that. Beowulf was written during the Anglo-Saxon era, when heroic deeds and loyalty to one’s leader were traits of a person that lived on forever, by means of poets and writers. Beowulf tells the story of a hero: one that faces many great battles with many great enemies, conquering one after the next only to finally face his death, in his battle against the dragon. Up until the end of Beowulf’s life he was constantly looking to be the hero. Beowulf, through the years, has lived on as a legendary hero, conquering all obstacles as though he were immortal. However, his mortality is exposed by his death, the same death that makes him a superhero, working and fighting evil for the people, and as a person. Beowulf, by all means, is a hero. A hero fears not, death, nor destruction of his own being, but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. In the time of the Anglo-Saxons’ reign of England it was noble and expected for a person of high honor to be more than loyal to his king. In fact, it was considered noble to be loyal to anything that was significant to humanity. In Beowulf, Beowulf is loyal to Higlac. "Higlac is my cousin and my king†¦(142)" says Beowulf in his preparation to do battle with the threatening monster, Grendel. Loyalty to the Anglo-Saxons was heroic; however, the tale of Beowulf has lived on so many years for a greater reason than Beowulf being a loyal individual. Heroes today, as well as heroes of yesterday, such as Beowulf, all share the characteristic of their willingness to die in their attempt to accomplish their heroic act, thus making the act in itself heroic. Beowulf knows that there is a chance that he may die in his great battle against Grendel when he says, "No, I e xpect no Danes will fret about sewing our shrouds, if he wins. And if death does take me, send the hammered mail of my armor to Higlac†¦"; yet he is still willing to attempt to conquer Grendel. Beowulf says, "My hands alone will fight for me, struggle for life against the monster.

The early petroleum industry in the US :: essays research papers

The Early Petroleum Industry in the United States Ancient Egyptians used bitumen for embalming, the Assyrians used it in building, the Chinese for heating and lighting, and for centuries fishermen have used it to make their boats watertight. Naturally, man being what he is, was not content to let well alone, and soon petra- oleum (rock oil) and its associated products were being used in many delightful ways to cripple and annihilate his fellow men. The famous "Green Fire" was used in various forms for many centuries once it became known that when a mixture of petroleum and ground quicklime is exposed to moisture spontaneous combustion takes place. The flaming mixture thus produced was thrown by a pump mounted on the prow of a warship and the consequent havoc wrought on the enemy's ships can easily be imagined. Then oddly enough, the ancients knowledge of the properties of petroleum seemed to fall into abeyance and during the Middle Ages, and up to the beginning of the 19th century, petroleum was only remembered for its medicinal uses. It was to capitalize on this use that an American, Samuel Kier, decided to bottle the oil that seeped into his father's brine wells. He put it up in half pint bottles and advertised it as containing wonderful medical virtues. Another American George H. Bissell, saw his advertisement but was interested in oil for other reasons so, together with a friend, he leased 105 acres of farmland, near Titusville, Pennsylvania, paying $5,000 dollars for a 99 year lease. So in 1854 the first oil lease was granted. Having obtained the land, which he was fairly certain covered oil deposits, Bissell commissioned Edwin & Drake to drill a well for him. Drake did so and struck oil on August 27th, 1859. The first oil well had been sunk and a great industry had been born. Within a few months of the completion of the Drakwell, oil wells were being sunk all over the United States and within two years the country was exporting great quantities of oil. Simple distillation of seep and salt well oil was being carried out in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by Samuel Kier who built a one-barrel still. He was buying crude by the gallon. Later Kier made a still of five-barrel capacity. These two stills for treating crude oil constituted the first commercial refinery in America. The five-barrel apparatus of Kier has survived and is in the Drake Well Museum.

Mergers and Acquisitions and Market Share Essay

Mergers and Acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity. A merger is a combination of two companies to form a new company, while an acquisition is the purchase of one company by another in which no new company is formed. Definition The main idea: – â€Å"One plus one makes three†. The equation is specially based on Merger or Acquisition. The key principle behind buying a company is to create share holder value over and above that of the sum of the two companies. Two companies together are more valuable than two separate companies together. 1. Acquisition: An acquisition is the purchase of one company by another company. Acquisitions are actions through which companies seek economies of scale, efficiencies and enhanced market visibility. All acquisitions involve one firm purchasing another – there is no exchange of stock or consolidation as a new company. Acquisitions are often congenial, and all parties feel satisfied with the deal. Acquisition has become one of the most popular ways since 1990. Companies choose to grow by acquiring others to increase market share, to gain access to promising new technologies, to achieve synergies in their operations, to tap well-developed distribution channels, to obtain control of undervalued assets, and a myriad of other reasons. So, because of the appeal of instant growth, acquisition is an increasingly common way to expand. 2. Mergers: The combining of two or more entities into one is called merger. Therefore, a merger happens when two firms agree to go forward as a single new company rather than remain separately owned and operated. What makes Mergers and Acquisitions? These motives are considered for making of mergers and acquisitions: 1. Economy of scale: This refers to the fact that the combined company can often reduce its fixed costs by removing duplicate departments or operations, lowering the costs of the company relative to the same revenue stream, thus increasing profit margins. 2. Economy of scope: This refers to the efficiencies primarily associated with demand-side changes, such as increasing 3. Synergy: Better use of complementary resources. 4. Taxes: A profitable company can buy a loss maker to use the target’s loss as their advantage by reducing their tax liability. 5. Geographical Diversification: This is designed to smooth the earnings results of a company, which over the long term smoothen the stock price of a company, giving conservative investors more confidence in investing in the company. 6. Empire building: Managers have larger companies to manage and hence more power. 7. Increased revenue or market share: This assumes that the buyer will be absorbing a major competitor and thus increase its market power (by capturing increased market share) to set prices. 8. Cross-selling: For example, a bank buying a stock broker could then sell its banking products to the stock broker’s customers, while the broker can sign up the bank’s customers for brokerage accounts. Or, a manufacturer can acquire and sell complementary products. 9. Resource Transfer: Resources are unevenly distributed across firms and the interaction of target and acquiring firm resources can create value through either overcoming information asymmetry or by combining scarce resources.

Julian Assange; Hero or Villain?

Julian Assange Hero or Villain? The question of whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose organization can be credited with releasing thousands of classified documents from various countries, is a hero or a villain depends entirely on one’s political opinions. Those who believe in transparent government and freedom of speech/publishing would call Assange a hero. Those who believe governments must have some secrecy from citizens would call him a villain. As a believer in the ideals America was founded on it is clear that Assange’s actions are heroic. He is fighting to keep the average citizen informed of any corruption within their government, fighting for the mainstream press to stop supporting the government’s views on everything, fighting to introduce the power of technology into a political system that has become outdated and corrupt. The United States is looked on as the ideal example of democracy. People have freedom of speech, elect the officials who represent them and the government works to benefit the everyday person. Right? Wrong. How can we try and set up a new government where the people are actively involved in countries such as Iraq when the average American doesn’t know anything about what’s going on in our own government. Julian Assange’s organization revealed 1,500 civilian deaths in Iraq previously unreported to the American public. (4) Our relatives are fighting for their country and we’re told that civilian casualties are going down when in fact there are 1,500 previously unreported deaths, there’s something wrong with that picture. Outside of the U. S. WikiLeaks has made an impact in Tunisia when they published remarks made by Ambassador Robert Godec stating that the government’s inner circles were corrupt. The leaks added with the already tumultuous anger at the government pushed Tunisians over the edge, and they overthrew the corrupt government. (1) Those who believe Assange to be a villain site his â€Å"vendetta† against the U. S. as the primary reason for distrust and hatred, but the publication of Robert Godec’s statements helped the U. S. gain power in the Middle East and succeed in their, â€Å"efforts to work with other countries to solve shared problems†. Hillary Clinton) The leaks posted on WikiLeaks aided the U. S. more so than it harmed them, making Julian Assange a hero, not a villain. If Julian Assange’s crusade isn’t against the United States, then what is he fighting for? How about for the mainstream press to report more than one side of the story? The mainstream press refu ses to even acknowledge Assange as a legitimate journalist and publisher; in fact the freedom of the press committee of the Overseas Press Club of America in New York City declared Assange â€Å"not one of us†. 2) This seems odd when the duty of the press has always been to inform the people, which Assange is doing, albeit in an unconventional way. Take for example the war in Afghanistan, without WikiLeaks the public is subjected to claims that the Taliban is losing — and that al Qaeda has been severely weakened and yet we’re told that our country will have to stick it out until 2015, rather contradictory! Organizations such as WikiLeaks force the traditional press to acknowledge inconsistencies in Washington’s story. Although they do continue to try and control the narrative so that it does not radically digress from the official Washington storyline. Without the pressure put on by Julian Assange freedom of press would be declining, making him a hero, At least once a century governments encounter radical change. In the 1700’s it was the American Revolution, in the 1800’s it was the French Revolution, in the 1900’s it was the Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution. What will the revolution of the 2000’s be? Governments have already been de-stabilized in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Who says that the protests won’t continue over to the United States? Protests in other countries happened because the systems were outdated and corruption was suspected. This is certainly true in the U. S. , where the government’s inefficiency is being blamed on outdated technology. Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget admitted that the gap between the public and private sectors results in â€Å"billions of dollars in waste, slow and inadequate customer service and a lack of transparency about how dollars are spent,† this â€Å"lack of transparency† is exactly what Assange is fighting against. (3) WikiLeaks forces the United States government to think about the extreme secrecy it operates under and whether this is the best for its citizens. Without Assange the â€Å"lack of transparency† would only grow, making him a hero. Julian Assange has been called many names; traitor, anarchist and even a high-tech terrorist, but the proper name for him is hero. WikiLeaks is an organization that truly works for the people. Keeping people informed with the inner workings of government, putting pressure on the press to acknowledge the truth and forcing change within government. WikiLeaks is driving journalism into the future and Assange is the driver. Sources: 1) Jackson, William E. , Jr. â€Å"A Liberated Press and WikiLeaks: Bulwarks Against Claims of ‘Victory’ in Afghanistan . † The Huffington Post. N. p. , 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. . 2) Zapata, Xavier. â€Å"Is Julian Assange a hero or a villain? † World Have Your Say Blog. BBC, 7 Dec. 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. http://www. bbc. co. uk/blogs/worldhaveyoursay/2010/12/is_julian_assange_a_hero_or_vi. html 3) Swanson, Ian. â€Å"Budget director blames old computers for ineffective government. † The Hill. Capital Hill Publishing Co. , 14 Jan. 2010. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. . 4) Assange, Julian. â€Å"Julian Assange; The Man Behind WikiLeaks. † Interview by Steve Kroft. 60 Minutes. CBS News. 30 Jan. 2011. CBS News. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. .

Bag of Bones CHAPTER ONE

On a very hot day in August of 1994, my wife told me she was going down to the Derry Rite Aid to pick up a refill on her sinus medicine prescription this is stuff you can buy over the counter these days, I believe. I'd finished my writing for the day and offered to pick it up for her. She said thanks, but she wanted to get a piece of fish at the supermarket next door anyway; two birds with one stone and all of that. She blew a kiss at me off the palm of her hand and went out. The next time I saw her, she was on TV. That's how you identify the dead here in Derry no walking down a subterranean corridor with green tiles on the walls and long fluorescent bars overhead, no naked body rolling out of a chilly drawer on casters; you just go into an office marked PRIVATE and look at a TV screen and say yep or nope. The Rite Aid and the Shopwell are less than a mile from our house, in a little neighborhood strip mall which also supports a video store, a used-book store named Spread It Around (they do a very brisk business in my old paperbacks), a Radio Shack, and a Fast Foto. It's on Up-Mile Hill, at the intersection of Witcham and Jackson. She parked in front of Blockbuster Video, went into the drugstore, and did business with Mr. Joe Wyzer, who was the druggist in those days; he has since moved on to the Rite Aid in Bangor. At the checkout she picked up one of those little chocolates with marshmallow inside, this one in the shape of a mouse. I found it later, in her purse. I unwrapped it and ate it myself, sitting at the kitchen table with the contents of her red handbag spread out in front of me, and it was like taking Communion. When it was gone except for the taste of chocolate on my tongue and in my throat, I burst into tears. I sat there in the litter of her Kleenex and makeup and keys and half-finished rolls of Certs and cried with my hands over my eyes, the way a kid cries. The sinus inhaler was in a Rite Aid bag. It had cost twelve dollars and eighteen cents. There was something else in the bag, too an item which had cost twenty-two-fifty. I looked at this other item for a long time, seeing it but not understanding it. I was surprised, maybe even stunned, but the idea that Johanna Arlen Noonan might have been leading another life, one I knew nothing about, never crossed my mind. Not then. Jo left the register, walked out into the bright, hammering sun again, swapping her regular glasses for her prescription sunglasses as she did, and just as she stepped from beneath the drugstore's slight overhang (I am imagining a little here, I suppose, crossing over into the country of the novelist a little, but not by much; only by inches, and you can trust me on that), there was that shrewish howl of locked tires on pavement that means there's going to be either an accident or a very close call. This time it happened the sort of accident which happened at that stupid X-shaped intersection at least once a week, it seemed. A 1989 Toyota was pulling out of the shopping-center parking lot and turning left onto Jackson Street. Behind the wheel was Mrs. Esther Easterling of Barrett's Orchards. She was accompanied by her friend Mrs Irene Deorsey, also of Barrett's Orchards, who had shopped the video store without finding anything she wanted to rent. Too much violence, Irene said. Both women were cigarette widows. Esther could hardly have missed the orange Public Works dump truck coming down the hill; although she denied this to the police, to the newspaper, and to me when I talked to her some two months later, I think it likely that she just forgot to look. As my own mother (another cigarette widow) used to say, ‘The two most common ailments of the elderly are arthritis and forgetfulness. They can't be held responsible for neither.' Driving the Public Works truck was William Fraker, of Old Cape. Mr. Fraker was thirty-eight years old on the day of my wife's death, driving with his shirt off and thinking how badly he wanted a cool shower and a cold beer, not necessarily in that order. He and three other men had spent eight hours putting down asphalt patch out on the Harris Avenue Extension near the airport, a hot job on a hot day, and Bill Fraker said yeah, he might have been going a little too fast maybe forty in a thirty-mile-an-hour zone. He was eager to get back to the garage, sign off on the truck, and get behind the wheel of his own F-150, which had air conditioning. Also, the dump truck's brakes, while good enough to pass inspection, were a long way from tip-top condition. Fraker hit them as soon as he saw the Toyota pull out in front of him (he hit his horn, as well), but it was too late. He heard screaming tires his own, and Esther's as she belatedly realized her danger and saw her face for just a mome nt. ‘That was the worst part, somehow,' he told me as we sat on his porch, drinking beers it was October by then, and although the sun was warm on our faces, we were both wearing sweaters. ‘You know how high up you sit in one of those dump trucks? ‘ I nodded. ‘Well, she was looking up to see me craning up, you'd say and the sun was full in her face. I could see how old she was. I remember thinking, ‘Holy shit, she's gonna break like glass if I can't stop.' But old people are tough, more often than not. They can surprise you. I mean, look at how it turned out, both those old biddies still alive, and your wife . . . ‘ He stopped then, bright red color dashing into his cheeks, making him look like a boy who has been laughed at in the schoolyard by girls who have noticed his fly is unzipped. It was comical, but if I'd smiled, it only would have confused him. ‘Mr. Noonan, I'm sorry. My mouth just sort of ran away with me.' ‘It's all right,' I told him. ‘I'm over the worst of it, anyway.' That was a lie, but it put us back on track. ‘Anyway,' he said, ‘we hit. There was a loud bang, and a crumping sound when the driver's side of the car caved in. Breaking glass, too. I was thrown against the wheel hard enough so I couldn't draw a breath without it hurting for a week or more, and I had a big bruise right here.' He drew an arc on his chest just below the collarbones. ‘I banged my head on the windshield hard enough to crack the glass, but all I got up there was a little purple knob . . . no bleeding, not even a headache. My wife says I've just got a naturally thick skull. I saw the woman driving the Toyota, Mrs. Easterling, thrown across the console between the front bucket seats. Then we were finally stopped, all tangled together in the middle of the street, and I got out to see how bad they were. I tell you, I expected to find them both dead.' Neither of them was dead, neither of them was even unconscious, although Mrs. Easterling had three broken ribs and a dislocated hip. Mrs. Deorsey, who had been a seat away from the impact, suffered a concussion when she rapped her head on her window. That was all; she was ‘treated and released at Home Hospital,' as the Derry News always puts it in such cases. My wife, the former Johanna Arlen of Malden, Massachusetts, saw it all from where she stood outside the drugstore, with her purse slung over her shoulder and her prescription bag in one hand. Like Bill Fraker, she must have thought the occupants of the Toyota were either dead or seriously hurt. The sound of the collision had been a hollow, authoritative bang which rolled through the hot afternoon air like a bowling ball down an alley. The sound of breaking glass edged it like jagged lace. The two vehicles were tangled violently together in the middle of Jackson Street, the dirty orange truck looming over the pale-blue import like a bullying parent over a cowering child. Johanna began to sprint across the parking lot toward the street. Others were doing the same all around her. One of them, Miss Jill Dunbarry, had been window-shopping at Radio Shack when the accident occurred. She said she thought she remembered running past Johanna at least she was pretty sure she remembered someone in yellow slacks but she couldn't be sure. By then, Mrs. Easterling was screaming that she was hurt, they were both hurt, wouldn't somebody help her and her friend Irene. Halfway across the parking lot, near a little cluster of newspaper dispensers, my wife fell down. Her purse-strap stayed over her shoulder, but her prescription bag slipped from her hand, and the sinus inhaler slid halfway out. The other item stayed put. No one noticed her lying there by the newspaper dispensers; everyone was focused on the tangled vehicles, the screaming women, the spreading puddle of water and antifreeze from the Public Works truck's ruptured radiator. (‘That's gas!' the clerk from Fast Foto shouted to anyone who would listen. ‘That's gas, watch out she don't blow, fellas!') I suppose one or two of the would-be rescuers might have jumped right over her, perhaps thinking she had fainted. To assume such a thing on a day when the temperature was pushing ninety-five degrees would not have been unreasonable. Roughly two dozen people from the shopping center clustered around the accident; another four dozen or so came running over from Strawford Park, where a baseball game had been going on. I imagine that all the things you would expect to hear in such situations were said, many of them more than once. Milling around. Someone reaching through the misshapen hole which had been the driver's-side window to pat Esther's trembling old hand. People immediately giving way for Joe Wyzer; at such moments anyone in a white coat automatically becomes the belle of the ball. In the distance, the warble of an ambulance siren rising like shaky air over an incinerator. All during this, lying unnoticed in the parking lot, was my wife with her purse still over her shoulder (inside, still wrapped in foil, her uneaten chocolate-marshmallow mouse) and her white prescription bag near one outstretched hand. It was Joe Wyzer, hurrying back to the pharmacy to get a compression bandage for Irene Deorsey's head, who spotted her. He recognized her even though she was lying face-down. He recognized her by her red hair, white blouse, and yellow slacks. He recognized her because he had waited on her not fifteen minutes before. ‘Mrs. Noonan?' he asked, forgetting all about the compression bandage for the dazed but apparently not too badly hurt Irene Deorsey. ‘Mrs. Noonan, are you all right?' Knowing already (or so I suspect; perhaps I am wrong) that she was not. He turned her over. It took both hands to do it, and even then he had to work hard, kneeling and pushing and lifting there in the parking lot with the heat baking down from above and then bouncing back up from the asphalt. Dead people put on weight, it seems to me; both in their flesh and in our minds, they put on weight. There were red marks on her face. When I identified her I could see them clearly even on the video monitor. I started to ask the assistant medical examiner what they were, but then I knew. Late August, hot pavement, elementary, my dear Watson. My wife died getting a sunburn. Wyzer got up, saw that the ambulance had arrived, and ran toward it. He pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed one of the attendants as he got out from behind the wheel. ‘There's a woman over there,' Wyzer said, pointing toward the parking lot. ‘Guy, we've got two women right here, and a man as well,' the attendant said. He tried to pull away, but Wyzer held on. ‘Never mind them right now,' he said. ‘They're basically okay. The woman over there isn't.' The woman over there was dead, and I'm pretty sure Joe Wyzer knew it . . . but he had his priorities straight. Give him that. And he was convincing enough to get both paramedics moving away from the tangle of truck and Toyota, in spite of Esther Easterling's cries of pain and the rumbles of protest from the Greek chorus. When they got to my wife, one of the paramedics was quick to confirm what Joe Wyzer had already suspected. ‘Holy shit,' the other one said. ‘What happened to her?' ‘Heart, most likely,' the first one said. ‘She got excited and it just blew out on her.' But it wasn't her heart. The autopsy revealed a brain aneurysm which she might have been living with, all unknown, for as long as five years. As she sprinted across the parking lot toward the accident, that weak vessel in her cerebral cortex had blown like a tire, drowning her control-centers in blood and killing her. Death had probably not been instantaneous, the assistant medical examiner told me, but it had still come swiftly enough . . . and she wouldn't have suffered. Just one big black nova, all sensation and thought gone even before she hit the pavement. ‘Can I help you in any way, Mr. Noonan?' the assistant ME asked, turning me gently away from the still face and closed eyes on the video monitor. ‘Do you have questions? I'll answer them if I can.' ‘Just one,' I said. I told him what she'd purchased in the drugstore just before she died. Then I asked my question. The days leading up to the funeral and the funeral itself are dreamlike in my memory the clearest memory I have is of eating Jo's chocolate mouse and crying . . . crying mostly, I think, because I knew how soon the taste of it would be gone. I had one other crying fit a few days after we buried her, and I will tell you about that one shortly. I was glad for the arrival of Jo's family, and particularly for the arrival of her oldest brother, Frank. It was Frank Arlen fifty, red-cheeked, portly, and with a head of lush dark hair who organized the arrangements . . . who wound up actually dickering with the funeral director. ‘I can't believe you did that,' I said later, as we sat in a booth at Jack's Pub, drinking beers. ‘He was trying to stick it to you, Mikey,' he said. ‘I hate guys like that.' He reached into his back pocket, brought out a handkerchief, and wiped absently at his cheeks with it. He hadn't broken down none of the Arlens broke down, at least not when I was with them but Frank had leaked steadily all day; he looked like a man suffering from severe conjunctivitis. There had been six Arlen sibs in all, Jo the youngest and the only girl. She had been the pet of her big brothers. I suspect that if I'd had anything to do with her death, the five of them would have torn me apart with their bare hands. As it was, they formed a protective shield around me instead, and that was good. I suppose I might have muddled through without them, but I don't know how. I was thirty-six, remember. You don't expect to have to bury your wife when you're thirty-six and she herself is two years younger. Death was the last thing on our minds. ‘If a guy gets caught taking your stereo out of your car, they call it theft and put him in jail,' Frank said. The Arlens had come from Massachusetts, and I could still hear Malden in Frank's voice caught was coowat, car was cah, call was caul. ‘If the same guy is trying to sell a grieving husband a three-thousand-dollar casket for forty-five hundred dollars, they call it business and ask him to speak at the Rotary Club luncheon. Greedy asshole, I fed him his lunch, didn't I?' ‘Yes. You did.' ‘You okay, Mikey?' ‘I'm okay.' ‘Sincerely okay?' ‘How the fuck should I know?' I asked him, loud enough to turn some heads in a nearby booth. And then: ‘She was pregnant.' His face grew very still. ‘What?' I struggled to keep my voice down. ‘Pregnant. Six or seven weeks, according to the . . . you know, the autopsy. Did you know? Did she tell you?' ‘No! Christ, no!' But there was a funny look on his face, as if she had told him something. ‘I knew you were trying, of course . . . she said you had a low sperm count and it might take a little while, but the doctor thought you guys'd probably . . . sooner or later you'd probably . . . ‘ He trailed off, looking down at his hands. ‘They can tell that, huh? They check for that?' ‘They can tell. As for checking, I don't know if they do it automatically or not. I asked.' ‘Why?' ‘She didn't just buy sinus medicine before she died. She also bought one of those home pregnancy-testing kits.' ‘You had no idea? No clue?' I shook my head. He reached across the table and squeezed my shoulder. ‘She wanted to be sure, that's all. You know that, don't you?' A refill on my sinus medicine and a piece of fish, she'd said. Looking like always. A woman off to run a couple of errands. We had been trying to have a kid for eight years, but she had looked just like always. ‘Sure,' I said, patting Frank's hand. ‘Sure, big guy. I know.' It was the Arlens led by Frank who handled Johanna's send off. As the writer of the family, I was assigned the obituary. My brother came up from Virginia with my mom and my aunt and was allowed to tend the guest-book at the viewings. My mother almost completely ga-ga at the age of sixty-six, although the doctors refused to call it Alzheimer's lived in Memphis with her sister, two years younger and only slightly less wonky. They were in charge of cutting the cake and the pies at the funeral reception. Everything else was arranged by the Arlens, from the viewing hours to the components of the funeral ceremony. Frank and Victor, the second-youngest brother, spoke brief tributes. Jo's dad offered a prayer for his daughter's soul. And at the end, Pete Breedlove, the boy who cut our grass in the summer and raked our yard in the fall, brought everyone to tears by singing ‘Blessed Assurance,' which Frank said had been Jo's favorite hymn as a girl. How Frank found Pete and persuaded him to sing at the funeral is something I never found out. We got through it the afternoon and evening viewings on Tuesday, the funeral service on Wednesday morning, then the little pray-over at Fairlawn Cemetery. What I remember most was thinking how hot it was, how lost I felt without having Jo to talk to, and that I wished I had bought a new pair of shoes. Jo would have pestered me to death about the ones I was wearing, if she had been there. Later on I talked to my brother, Sid, told him we had to do something about our mother and Aunt Francine before the two of them disappeared completely into the Twilight Zone. They were too young for a nursing home; what did Sid advise? He advised something, but I'll be damned if I know what it was. I agreed to it, I remember that, but not what it was. Later that day, Siddy, our mom, and our aunt climbed back into Siddy's rental car for the drive to Boston, where they would spend the night and then grab the Southern Crescent the following day. My brother is happy enough to chaperone the old folks, but he doesn't fly, even if the tickets are on me. He claims there are no breakdown lanes in the sky if the engine quits. Most of the Arlens left the next day. Once more it was dog-hot, the sun glaring out of a white-haze sky and lying on everything like melted brass. They stood in front of our house which had become solely my house' by then with three taxis lined up at the curb behind them, big galoots hugging one another amid the litter of tote-bags and saying their goodbyes in those foggy Massachusetts accents. Frank stayed another day. We picked a big bunch of flowers behind the house not those ghastly-smelling hothouse things whose aroma I always associate with death and organ-music but real flowers, the kind Jo liked best and stuck them in a couple of coffee cans I found in the back pantry. We went out to Fairlawn and put them on the new grave. Then we just sat there for awhile under the beating sun. ‘She was always just the sweetest thing in my life,' Frank said at last in a strange, muffled voice. ‘We took care of Jo when we were kids. Us guys. No one messed with Jo, I'll tell you. Anyone tried, we'd feed em their lunch.' ‘She told me a lot of stories.' ‘Good ones?' ‘Yeah, real good.' ‘I'm going to miss her so much.' ‘Me, too,' I said. ‘Frank . . . listen . . . I know you were her favorite brother. She never called you, maybe just to say that she missed a period or was feeling whoopsy in the morning? You can tell me. I won't be pissed.' ‘But she didn't. Honest to God. Was she whoopsy in the morning?' ‘Not that I saw.' And that was just it. I hadn't seen anything. Of course I'd been writing, and when I write I pretty much trance out. But she knew where I went in those trances. She could have found me and shaken me fully awake. Why hadn't she? Why would she hide good news? Not wanting to tell me until she was sure was plausible . . . but it somehow wasn't Jo. ‘Was it a boy or a girl?' he asked. ‘A girl.' We'd had names picked out and waiting for most of our marriage. A boy would have been Andrew. Our daughter would have been Kia. Kia Jane Noonan. Frank, divorced six years and on his own, had been staying with me. On our way back to the house he said, ‘I worry about you, Mikey. You haven't got much family to fall back on at a time like this, and what you do have is far away.' ‘I'll be all right,' I said. He nodded. ‘That's what we say, anyway, isn't it?' ‘We?' ‘Guys. I'll be all right.' And if we're not, we try to make sure no one knows it.' He looked at me, eyes still leaking, handkerchief in one big sunburned hand. ‘If you're not all right, Mikey, and you don't want to call your brother I saw the way you looked at him let me be your brother. For Jo's sake if not your own.' ‘Okay,' I said, respecting and appreciating the offer, also knowing I would do no such thing. I don't call people for help. It's not because of the way I was raised, at least I don't think so; it's the way I was made. Johanna once said that if I was drowning at Dark Score Lake, where we have a summer home, I would die silently fifty feet out from the public beach rather than yell for help. It's not a question of love or affection. I can give those and I can take them. I feel pain like anyone else. I need to touch and be touched. But if someone asks me, ‘Are you all right?' I can't answer no. I can't say help me. A couple of hours later Frank left for the southern end of the state. When he opened the car door, I was touched to see that the taped book he was listening to was one of mine. He hugged me, then surprised me with a kiss on the mouth, a good hard smack. ‘If you need to talk, call,' he said. ‘And if you need to be with someone, just come.' I nodded. ‘And be careful.' That startled me. The combination of heat and grief had made me feel as if I had been living in a dream for the last few days, but that got through. ‘Careful of what?' ‘I don't know,' he said. ‘I don't know, Mikey.' Then he got into his car he was so big and it was so little that he looked as if he were wearing it and drove away. The sun was going down by then. Do you know how the sun looks at the end of a hot day in August, all orange and somehow squashed, as if an invisible hand were pushing down on the top of it and at any moment it might just pop like an overfilled mosquito and splatter all over the horizon? It was like that. In the east, where it was already dark, thunder was rumbling. But there was no rain that night, only a dark that came down as thick and stifling as a blanket. All the same, I slipped in front of the word processor and wrote for an hour or so. It went pretty well, as I remember. And you know, even when it doesn't, it passes the time. My second crying fit came three or four days after the funeral. That sense of being in a dream persisted I walked, I talked, I answered the phone, I worked on my book, which had been about eighty percent complete when Jo died but all the time there was this clear sense of disconnection, a feeling that everything was going on at a distance from the real me, that I was more or less phoning it in. Denise Breedlove, Pete's mother, called and asked if I wouldn't like her to bring a couple of her friends over one day the following week and give the big old Edwardian pile I now lived in alone rolling around in it like the last pea in a restaurant-sized can a good stem-to-stern cleaning. They would do it, she said, for a hundred dollars split even among the three of them, and mostly because it wasn't good for me to go on without it. There had to be a scrubbing after a death, she said, even if the death didn't happen in the house itself. I told her it was a fine idea, but I would pay her and the women she brought a hundred dollars each for six hours' work. At the end of the six hours, I wanted the job done. And if it wasn't, I told her, it would be done, anyway. ‘Mr. Noonan, that's far too much,' she said. ‘Maybe and maybe not, but it's what I'm paying,' I said. ‘Will you do it?' She said she would, of course she would. Perhaps predictably, I found myself going through the house on the evening before they came, doing a pre-cleaning inspection. I guess I didn't want the women (two of whom would be complete strangers to me) finding anything that would embarrass them or me: a pair of Johanna's silk panties stuffed down behind the sofa cushions, perhaps (‘We are often overcome on the sofa, Michael,' she said to me once, ‘have you noticed?'), or beer cans under the loveseat on the sunporch, maybe even an unflushed toilet. In truth, I can't tell you any one thing I was looking for; that sense of operating in a dream still held firm control over my mind. The clearest thoughts I had during those days were either about the end of the novel I was writing (the psychotic killer had lured my heroine to a high-rise building and meant to push her off the roof) or about the Norco Home Pregnancy Test Jo had bought on the day she died. Sinus prescription, she had said. Piece of fish for supper, she had sa id. And her eyes had shown me nothing else I needed to look at twice. Near the end of my ‘pre-cleaning,' I looked under our bed and saw an open paperback on Jo's side. She hadn't been dead long, but few household lands are so dusty as the Kingdom of Underbed, and the light-gray coating I saw on the book when I brought it out made me think of Johanna's face and hands in her coffin Jo in the Kingdom of Underground. Did it get dusty inside a coffin? Surely not, but I pushed the thought away. It pretended to go, but all day long it kept creeping back, like Tolstoy's white bear. Johanna and I had both been English majors at the University of Maine, and like many others, I reckon, we fell in love to the sound of Shakespeare and the Tilbury Town cynicism of Edwin Arlington Robinson. Yet the writer who had bound us closest together was no college-friendly poet or essayist but W. Somerset Maugham, that elderly globetrotting novelist-playwright with the reptile's face (always obscured by cigarette smoke in his photographs, it seems) and the romantic's heart. So it did not surprise me much to find that the book under the bed was The Moon and Sixpence. I had read it myself as a late teenager, not once but twice, identifying passionately with the character of Charles Strickland. (It was writing I wanted to do in the South Seas, of course, not painting.) She had been using a playing card from some defunct deck as her place-marker, and as I opened the book, I thought of something she had said when I was first getting to know her. In Twentieth-Century British Lit, this had been, probably in 1980. Johanna Arlen had been a fiery little sophomore. I was a senior, picking up the Twentieth-Century Brits simply because I had time on my hands that last semester. ‘A hundred years from now,' she had said, ‘the shame of the mid-twentieth-century literary critics will be that they embraced Lawrence and ignored Maugham.' This was greeted with contemptuously good-natured laughter (they all knew Women in Love was one of the greatest damn books ever written), but I didn't laugh. I fell in love. The playing card marked pages 102 and 103 Dirk Stroeve has just discovered that his wife has left him for Strickland, Maugham's version of Paul Gauguin. The narrator tries to buck Stroeve up. My dear fellow, don't be unhappy. She'll come back . . . ‘Easy for you to say,' I murmured to the room which now belonged just to me. I turned the page and read this: Strickland's injurious calm robbed Stroeve of his self-control Blind rage seized him, and without knowing what he was doing he flung himself on Strickland. Strickland was taken by surprise and he staggered, but he was very strong, even after his illness, and in a moment, he did not exactly know how, Stroeve found himself on the floor. ‘You funny little man,' said Strickland. It occurred to me that Jo was never going to turn the page and hear Strickland call the pathetic Stroeve a funny little man. In a moment of brilliant epiphany I have never forgotten how could I? it was one of the worst moments of my life I understood it wasn't a mistake that would be rectified, or a dream from which I would awaken. Johanna was dead. My strength was robbed by grief. If the bed hadn't been there, I would have fallen to the floor. We weep from our eyes, it's all we can do, but on that evening I felt as if every pore of my body were weeping, every crack and cranny. I sat there on her side of the bed, with her dusty paperback copy of The Moon and Sixpence in my hand, and I wailed. I think it was surprise as much as pain; in spite of the corpse I had seen and identified on a high-resolution video monitor, in spite of the funeral and Pete Breedlove singing ‘Blessed Assurance' in his high, sweet tenor voice, in spite of the graveside service with its ashes to ashes and dust to dust, I hadn't really believed it. The Penguin paperback did for me what the big gray coffin had not: it insisted she was dead. You funny little man, said Strickland. I lay back on our bed, crossed my forearms over my face, and cried myself to sleep that way as children do when they're unhappy. I had an awful dream. In it I woke up, saw the paperback of The Moon and Sixpence still lying on the coverlet beside me, and decided to put it back under the bed where I had found it. You know how confused dreams are logic like Dal clocks gone so soft they lie over the branches of trees like throw-rugs. I put the playing-card bookmark back between pages 102 and 103 a turn of the index finger away from You funny little man, said Strickland now and forever and rolled onto my side, hanging my head over the edge of the bed, meaning to put the book back exactly where I had found it. Jo was lying there amid the dust-kitties. A strand of cobweb hung down from the bottom of the box spring and caressed her cheek like a feather. Her red hair looked dull, but her eyes were dark and alert and baleful in her white face. And when she spoke, I knew that death had driven her insane. ‘Give me that,' she hissed. ‘It's my dust-catcher.' She snatched it out of my hand before I could offer it to her. For a moment our fingers touched, and hers were as cold as twigs after a frost. She opened the book to her place, the playing card fluttering out, and placed Somerset Maugham over her face a shroud of words. As she crossed her hands on her bosom and lay still, I realized she was wearing the blue dress I had buried her in. She had come out of her grave to hide under our bed. I awoke with a muffled cry and a painful jerk that almost tumbled me off the side of the bed. I hadn't been asleep long the tears were still damp on my cheeks, and my eyelids had that funny stretched feel they get after a bout of weeping. The dream had been so vivid that I had to roll on my side, hang my head down, and peer under the bed, sure she would be there with the book over her face, that she would reach out with her cold fingers to touch me. There was nothing there, of course dreams are just dreams. Nevertheless, I spent the rest of the night on the couch in my study. It was the right choice, I guess, because there were no more dreams that night. Only the nothingness of good sleep.