Identifying Emerging Issues in Mobile Learning Essay

The workshop series was funded by the UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) as part of the Emerge Community within JISC’s own Users and Innovation research programme. This exploration focused on identifying emerging issues for the sector arising from the increasingly likely large scale use of Smartphones, PDAs and camera phones by learners in HE and FE, both on campus and in the workplace. This was carried out through scenario generation using three different futures prediction tools in three workshops. The following issues were identified as being the most likely to appear in the future of mobile learning five years from now: the increasing use of ‘just in time’ and ‘as and when necessary’ training. the need for always on affordable connectivity and power. increased support for an approach to teaching and learning that is more collaborative than didactic. concerns over scalability; learning communities are divided over whether there is a role for mobile devices in formal teaching, especially in large groups and lectures. oncerns over the merging of personal and vocational information and practice. The strong match between affordances of mobile devices and learning opportunities in work based and experiential learning across the board. increased peer to peer networking and collaboration. the need for design specifications for a secure online all-purpose data repository accessible by different browsers according to device at hand. Other emerging issues for mobile learning in HE and FE include both ethical and practical implications. These include cultural barriers and resistance to change amongst lecturers and associated teaching professionals. Examples are: fears for the erosion of lecturers’ personal time; concerns over security related to the increasing amount of information and number of images to be stored and privacy issues related to the ease with information can be captured in a range of locations. There is also the opportunity to reconsider assessment practices, recording the process of developing an assignment rather than simply marking the product. One last issue, one that is in need of urgent attention, is the need for the development by students and staff of agreed practice, establishing how mobile devices are to be used responsibly in institutions before inconsiderate use or ignorance of their potential to enhance learning results in banning a valuable learning tool. Acknowledgements The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the contributions made by members of the Adding a Mobile Dimension to Teaching and Learning network who played a major part both in the scenario development activities at the workshops on which this paper is based and to the review of the scenarios generated. We are also grateful for the financial support from JISC via the Emerge community for this project. 1 Introduction This report details the scenarios developed in a series of discussion workshops exploring visions of how mobile technologies and devices will influence the practice of users in Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) in the future five years hence. The workshop series was funded by the UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) as part of the Emerge Community within JISC’s own Users and Innovation research programme. This current exploration focuses on identifying emerging issues for the sector arising with the increasingly likely large scale use of Smartphones and mobile phones with the capability to record both video and audio by learners both on campus and in the workplace in HE and FE. These devices have become well established throughout the student community, a survey of 177 students at the University of Southampton found that 94% were regular users and owners of mobile phones (Davidson and Lutman 2007). This dovetails with data from Ofcom (2008) which shows that mobile phone ownership in the 15-24 age group of the UK population is stabilising at around 95% and students to come will be even more experienced in their use. For example, older students in schools that ostensibly ban mobile phones are now regularly being allowed to use the cameras on their ‘phones to record special events or experiments in lessons to help them revise. What is mobile learning? The field of mobile learning has been developing fast as a research topic over the past eight years and accordingly ideas of what exactly mobile learning is have also developed. Winters (2006) noted how various groups researching mobile learning have used definitions that fall into four categories: one – mobile learning as technocentric, where learning is seen as something that makes use of mobile devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones; two – defined by its relationship to e-learning, where mobile learning is seen as an extension of elearning; three – as augmenting formal education and four – as learner centred, enabling the possibility of lifelong learning. These does not address the unique selling point of mobile learning which is closely linked to the capability of the mobile learner moving between traditionally separate contexts such as the work place and the teaching base supported by handheld technology that they can work with interactively to capture, access and store quantities of information in different multimedia formats. Thus mobile learning can be best described as â€Å"the processes (both personal and public) of coming to know through exploration and conversation across multiple contexts amongst people and interactive technologies† (Sharples, Arnedillo Sanchez, Milrad & Vavoula 2007). Mobile learning in post-compulsory education in the UK A presentation from Traxler & Sugden (2007) places the current state of mobile learning in the UK as consisting of considerable numbers of small scale trials and pilots taking place over fixed periods of time. Confirmation that the practice of using mobile technology to support learning in post-compulsory education is not yet embedded in current practice within institutions was demonstrated during the search for previous research for this paper, where no ongoing large scale uses were found. From currently available sources there is little or no indication as to the extent to which mobile devices are being used in Higher and Further Education. Findings from interviews conducted by Bird and Stubbs (2008) with mobile learning innovators in ten Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were surprisingly consistent with most respondents reporting that they experienced or expect to experience the same kind of issues. These were mostly in the form of barriers to establishing and sustaining an m-learning innovation in a university 2 environment. Issues which dominated were: skills gaps (in IT support and especially academic staff and somewhat unexpectedly students who despite being heavy users ), lack of technical support (IT services provision), procurement and accounting policies based around PC usage, inclusion issues due to cost of devices and/or data, ethical and legal issues, quality assurance especially with respect to data ownership, sustainability (all projects were based on external funding), device limitations, standards churn, privacy and security, and lack of a ‘killer application’ for the context. Interviews with users trialling PDAs at the Open University (Pettit and Kukulska-Hulme, 2008) indicated that the wireless infrastructure was widely regarded as a critical factor in influencing adoption of the device. Most papers reviewed for the current investigation referred to theoretical speculation about future potential, others discussed projects outside of the UK in Europe or East Asia, however, in the remaining 20%, an impressive range of pilots with different handheld devices was described. These indicate that there is considerable potential for engaging and supporting learners via mobile technologies. These pilots point to greater use of context relevant information especially images and video in learning and to greater collaboration enabled by easily portable, handheld devices connected to the internet via wi-fi or broadband. The following examples indicate the range of activities tested and are included by sector. Higher education Lecturers have evaluated a range of devices from multi-function PDAs and Smartphones to simple texti messaging (SMS). In one of the first examples of the use of PDA’s in an undergraduate setting Ramsden (2005) successfully tested giving undergraduate Economics students at the University of Bristol access to VLE’s and course materials via internet-enabled PDAs. As well as enabling access to course resources any time, anywhere, having the PDA allowed the students to hold question and answer sessions via the online discussion board during lectures which they found this particularly helpful. The University of Birmingham has evaluated the use of PocketPC handheld computers to offer multiple mobile applications to university students in the form of a ‘mobile learning organiser’. The main uses were for issues of time and course management and access to course materials. Other functions included the ability to communicate via email and instant messaging and to organise notes. The participating students made good use of the calendar and timetable facilities as well as communication tools and were keen for more content to be delivered in this manner. (Corlett et al, 2005) At London Metropolitan University the Reusable Learning Objects (RLO) Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) works on the design, development and use of learning objects many of which run on mobile phones. Smith et al (2007) discuss the motivation they have seen in students (sports science in this case) to learn via subject specific learning objects (programs) such as Flash animations of muscle groupings and movements that run on their own or loaned mobile phones. Other animated tutorials, language learning for example, include multiple choice quizzes (Tschirhart et al, 2008). In another study Cook, Pachler and Bradley (2008) found that loaning postgraduate students Nokia N91 phones to make notes and take images for upload to web based media board such as Lifeblog and tribal’s Mediaboard led to blurring the boundaries between study, work, and personal time and between formal and informal practice. In the Spatial Literacy in Teaching (SPLINT) CETL at the Universities of Nottingham and Leicester applications aimed at Geography students are being developed for PDAs and tablet PCs where the PDA screen is held up towards the real scene to offer additional information about that scene, ‘augmenting’ reality for the user (Priestnall and Polmear, 2007). For example, trials of a PDA application designed to teach the geomorphology of the Lake District, NW England showed that students the students learned to appreciate the power of geocontextualised visualisation to support their understanding of landscape processes (Jarvis et al, 2008). The University of Nottingham has used mobile phones and similar software to enable group blogging as a tool to support Chinese students in the process of enculturation as they get used to a new society and to enter the local community. The â€Å"learners showed a obvious interest in flexibility of time and space that potentially extends ‘antennas’ of the group blog to deeper insight of local culture. † (Shao, Crook & Koleva, 2007). Other examples used simpler devices and text messaging. The Mobiles Enhancing Learning and Support (MELaS) project saw the University of Wolverhampton test using text messaging with first year undergraduates in five departments aiming to enhance the student learning experience. In all 27 staff successfully interacted with 938 different students through at least one of: one way (staff to learner) communication, formative assessment with feedback, and a collaborative learning discursive tool (Brett, 2008). In another study sports education students at the University of Bath reported that SMS messages to their mobile phones from faculty were found welcome in assisting them to learn time management skills and as an extension of the tutor’s voice beyond the traditional lecture environment. This helped to reduce the perceived psychological distance between students, their peers and tutors (Jones, Edwards & Reid, 2008). SMS messaging has been trialled in lecture theatres too. Elliman (2006) reports successfully using a system that allowed students to provide feedback by SMS on their level of comprehension during a lecture. The system displays a histogram showing understanding level which is continually updated during the lecture together with comments and question in a scrolling area of the screen. At Brunel University, first year undergraduate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) students found that revision podcasts, downloaded to their personal digital media players were popular and perceived as more effective than revising from traditional textbooks (Evans 2008). In a review of podcasting to support distance learning in the Open University, UK Minocha and Booth (2008) conclude that audio technologies such as podcasts can not only support mobile learning but also entice, motivate, inform and reinforce. Further Education Mobile technology has been used in a number of colleges as a means to bring new learning opportunities to students who might otherwise not have access to college education. Many of these projects have been funded by the Learning and Skills Council under the MoleNET initiative or by the JISC e-Learning Programme. At Pembrokeshire College, an mlearning trial project was carried out from 2005-7 to support NEET students (NEET – not in education, employment or training) with reentry to education, training or work. Giving students access to PDA’s helped to engage them and improve communication with a difficult to reach group. The use of SMS messaging enabled the teachers to keep in touch with this very transient group of learners and helped identify opportunities for learning as when they occurred. (Pembrokeshire College 2007). Similar projects working with NEET learners have also been carried out at Accrington and Rossendale College, Tower Hamlets College and Weston College (MoLeNET 2008). 4 Having the capability to learn anywhere by means of handheld PDAs allowed Dewsbury College and Bishop Burton College, West Yorkshire to provide learners in outreach centres and workplace learning environments with similar access to learning resources as their peers on the main college campus (JISC 2005a). Mobile phones have also been found useful to help in location based learning. The City of Southampton College has been assisting ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) students to improve their opportunities for meaningful language interactions. Visiting locations within the city to help get to know their locality, students were asked location specific questions answered through SMS messaging and posting images to an interactive website. The project found that such techniques enhanced the students’ literacy and numeracy skills and helped to engage hard to reach learners such as those from the multiethnic Southampton community where many students have English as a second language (JISC 2005b). As in Higher Education bulk text messaging services to support managing learning have proved popular with most students. There are those for whom this sort of service is particularly useful. Derwen College (JISC, 2008a) found that their students who have varying degrees of physical disabilities and learning difficulties responded well to reminders to students for things like surgery and other appointments, dinner times and class notifications. Simple text based interaction was also used at Lakes College West Cumbria (JISC, 2008b) who piloted the use of iPod nanos to provide multiple choice revision quizzes for Construction students, many of whom have learning difficulties and struggle with paper-based revision processes. The iPod quizzes proved popular with every student in the cohort making use of the iPods during the revision period. The use of handheld devices to record or view multimedia to support learning is also proving popular. At Southwark College students are using low-priced, pocket-sized camcorders to overcome some of the technical and organisational barriers to using video in the classroom and for recording evidence of learning (JISC, 2008c). Examples included recording students’ oral presentations in English which were then used by the students for practice and reviewing with each other and Level 2 students in Art and Design recording technique demos and talking about their work to inform Level 1 students hoping to progress. Other projects, such as My Podcast at New College, Swindon (Warren, 2008), involve podcasting with lecturers creating both audio and video podcasts that students can download and play on handheld PDA’s or MP3 players for revision or extra support with a topic wherever they happen to be, in the workplace, at home or in college or moving between the two. Work Based Learning Both HE and FE institutions place students training for professions, whether medicine, building, teaching or hairdressing etc. in the workplace for a significant proportion of their course. Students, often at considerable distance from their teaching bases, need online access to course materials and other context specific information, to communicate with their tutors and to produce records of their progress and assignments for assessment. Mentors in the workplace need to authenticate and support this student learning. A number of pilots have been set up to test how mobile technologies can successfully be used to support students on work placements. For instance, mobile devices have been used to give instant hands on access to information that would be difficult to carry around on the job. At the James Cook University Hospital in 5 Middlesborough, 5th year medical students tested the use of PDA’s providing access to formulae, clinical guidelines, electronic portfolios and other web-based materials. They found portable access to these facilities useful, as was the ability for supervisors to ‘sign-off’ log books using their normal signatures on the PDA. (Cotterill et al, 2008). Reynolds et al (2007) found that a PDA proved to be a convenient and versatile mode of access to online education for dentistry students at King’s College, London. The 12 students were most positive about being able to make notes for individual study, to keep a diary of their commitments to teaching sessions and to having on the spot access to online support materials, particularly videos. Teaching is another profession where students need access to a wealth of information. Wishart et al (2007) found that when student teachers trialled the use of PDA’s in school they deemed the calendar or diary to be articularly supportive. Email was also used, primarily to maintain contact with other students and the university tutor, and the web browser was used to access information both in class and for personal reasons. Some students used spreadsheets to record pupils’ attendance and grades and most, in this pilot involving 14 trainees, used the word processor to make notes from meetings and on lesson observations for essays. However, the prevailing sociocultural climate where mobile phones are often banned and PDA’s a rarity meant that trainees often felt uncomfortable using their device on school premises. In FE mobile technology has been used in the work place for just in time problem solving, such as through the Hairdressing Training programme developed by the University of Manchester’s data centre, Mimas, and now used by 500 students at Stockport College, which offers step-by step guides to hairdressing techniques for styling, colouring and cutting (Smith, 2008) Also PDA’s have been found to be useful in connecting work based learners in FE who may otherwise be isolated from learning opportunities. Such devices have been used to assist apprentices in remote rural locations in Lincolnshire to give flexible learning options and to build achievement and self-esteem (Lambourne, 2008) and to provide learning and social networking opportunities to care workers in schools and nursing establishments in the Bourneville area of Birmingham (Brown, 2008). Finally, one of the largest trials of mobile technology in the workplace, currently ongoing with around a 1000 students in five universities in Yorkshire, is that being run by the Assessment of Learning in Practice Settings (ALPS) CETL1, a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning that focuses on assessment and learning in practice settings and involving nursing and allied health care practitioner trainees. Initial indications (Dearnley et al, 2008) showed that both students and lecturers were positive about a range of benefits having a PDA enables however, introducing mobile technology into the clinical setting will require a significant shift in culture and a significant level of training and support. 1 http://www. alps-cetl. ac. uk/ 6 Summary While the above mentioned projects demonstrate the range of learning activities that have been trialled in UK institutions, recent advances in the abilities of the mobile devices themselves offer the chance to deliver new services to learners that have not yet been tested. The 2009 Horizon Report notes how the adoption of novel interfaces (like the iPhone), the new ability of mobile devices to download applications and to be location aware through GPS signals, all offer new opportunities for learning. With the addition of broadband-like data connections, the boundary between what is a mobile phone and a portable computer are being ever more blurred (New Media Consortium 2009). It is in this technology context that the workshop participants came together to imagine future scenarios for the use of mobile technology in learning, drawing on their wide experiences of previous research projects and contemplating how developing mobile technologies could open up new opportunities for connecting learners and teachers. 7 Methods: Developing Future Scenarios In this project three different tools were used to support future predictions. The first used for the workshop focusing on the practice of users in Higher Education (HE) in the future five years from today was the Cognitive Foresight toolkit available from the UK Government Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Office of Science and Technology, 2005). It was developed for strategic futures planning and provides guidance on different techniques that can be used in the different stages of developing future scenarios and the ways they can be combined. This first workshop employed driver analysis to build internally consistent future scenarios from an assessment of the way current trends and drivers are influencing the present use of mobile technologies in HE. First the workshop participants ‘brainstorm’ a range of drivers for the currently observable trends. Next scenarios are produced by taking the drivers identified as having the highest importance and highest impact as orthogonal pairs of axes and visualising up to four scenarios that match the chosen combinations. This method is illustrated in the example below. More of †¦ Scenario Decrease in †¦ Increase in †¦ Less of †¦ The second used the Futures Technology Workshop method (Vavoula and Sharples, 2007) to look at future scenarios in work based learning. This is a structured method whereby people, in this case with experience in the specific area of the use of mobile technologies in education, envision and design the interactions between current and future technologies and an activity. Through a series of structured workshop sessions they collaborate to envisage future activities related to technology design, build models of the contexts of use for future technologies, act out scenarios of use for their models, re-conceive their scenarios in relation to present-day technologies, list problems with implementing the scenarios exploring the gap between current and future technology and activity. The workshop method was edited slightly within the time constraints of the day so that the structured sessions comprised: i. i. Imagineering: brainstorm on desired future learning activities. Modelling: in groups, producing models that demonstrate the envisioned activities, complete with related props. 8 iii. iv. Retrofit: developing a role play for another group’s scenario using only current technologies. Futurefit Requirements: listing requirements for the future technologies that have to be in place for the scenario to be realised. The third workshop on future scenarios in Further Education (FE) followed a method devised by FutureLab, an educational thinktank aimed at transforming the way people learn that focuses on the potential offered by digital and other technologies. This method for developing scenarios uses non-specific images of people of different ages in different locations printed on cards as a stimulus to thinking. The workshop used cards such as these shown below from the Building Visions for Learning Spaces sequence of cards. The workshop participants are then asked to envision first a range of learning activities that could be happening within the image and the people involved in them, then the anticipated outcomes and the technological resources that will be needed. One of these activities is then chosen by each of the groups for fuller development into a future scenario. In each of the above three cases the workshop was set up to start with two initial keynote presentations designed to stimulate thought and discussion from recognised experts. These keynotes (found under workshops 8-10) are available from the Adding a Mobile Dimension to Teaching and Learning web site2. These were followed by a series of discussion activities informed by the futures prediction method being used and facilitated by the research team. A discussion workshop is a recognised method of collaborative knowledge construction through discussion and debate amongst peers or experts. The workshops were run as focus groups with the facilitator encouraging discussion and debate and following a qualitative, phenomenological research approach.

What is British Cinema?

British cinema is the most respected industry in the world and has the impact on modern cinema. This industry is characterized by its constant debate about its distinctiveness which includes cultural and economic issues and the influence of American and European cinemas. The golden age of British cinema started in 1940 from the studios of Rank and Korda. This industry had given many actors, directors and many motion pictures (Curran and Porter, 1993). This paper covers certain aspects of British cinema industry and discusses two movies of the Drama genre released in 2009 and 2010.Both the movie is based on young generation that shows full of inspiration and enthusiasm for a particular dance form. The movies have been targeted to the youth and did good business. The movies also provided a good presentation of the present day’s culture in terms of settings, food, and clothing of characters, family types, issues faced by children in home and schools and others. These teenagers pr esented in this movie represent a different class of children altogether that have so much passion for their favorite art forms.In the recent past there have been lost of development in various forms of arts from music to dancing. Number of British, American, and Australian, Italian and many other singers and musicians are rocking the world with their music and the increased fan followings for these artists have increased. Teenagers are particularly inspired by them. The glamour of these arm forms attract millions to watch and perform. Discussion British cinema had faced the times of recession and boom. There are many factors which can be used to know the growth of this film industry.The growth can also be known by the number of movies produced. This cinema industry was boomed first time in 1910 but they again seen recession in 1920 just due to the competition with the US. The protective measures, which lead to the recovery and for the high production, Cinematograph Films Act 1927 h as been launched in 1936 Curran and Porter, 1993. As British cinema was just got recovered from the first waves of recession, it was hit by other recession waves in mid of 1970. This continued till 1980’s. Due to renewal of private and public investment, British cinema again got recovered in 1990’s.There were some movies produced during recession like Chariots of Fire (1981), which was the successful movie. Like this movie they have released many other movies and they were successful too. British industries have also launched the better technologies to edit the movie and now the movies are releasing in better picture quality. The movies have got worldwide success and these movies earn much higher as they have good picture quality, sound and the storyline like historical, cultural and artistic dimensions. These movies are also well known due to the educational behavior as these movies have some moral into it (Murphy, 2009).Many movies were produced in 2000’s but there were some movies which were highly appreciated by the viewers. Two of the movies are Fish Tank (2009) and Nowhere Boy (2009), which are from the same genre (drama) but the movies are based on the lives of teenage. Movie 1: Fish Tank (2009) Fish Tank is the movie which is based on the life of a teenage girl who got influenced by the street dancers and describes their dancing as being horrible. In this movie, Mia who is just 15 years old girl and living with her mother and sister on Essex Council Estate.She never go out of her estate as she was secured in her house because as she move out, the authorities starts troubling her and that’s why she had left her schooling. She just drinks cider most of the times, in her house. She only came out of her house when she does the street dancing otherwise she remain in her lonely flat and practice inside the house only. Once when she was roaming around in her estate, she saw a horse which was trying to get free but the horse was una ble to get free. She found it painful and brought the hammer to help the horse but she faced the anger of its three owners.Two of the owners have grabbed her to stop her but she get away from them after struggling with them. She got free just because of the dog of Mr. Billy, the third owner of the horse and explained everything to Mia. He told her that the horse is not thin but it is ill and it is in its last stage. After this meet they both have became friends. Connor, Mia’s mother’s boyfriend, while preparing the tea in the kitchen, interacted with Mia regarding the music video that Mia was watching. Connor works as the security guard in the hardware store and wanted to be a father figure for the two children.Connor always carries Mia to her room and also removes shoes and put blanket on her. Mia’s mother, Joanne, was enthusiastic as when she asked for the trip, both of the girls got ready to attend her mother and Tyler had shown much interest. When they were on trip, Connor asked about the animal and played the songs of California Dreaming. Mia always tried to impress Connor as when he was catching fish she helped him and also when her mother got hurt in the river, Connor avoided Joanne to give a piggy-back ride to Mia.Mia was slowly attracting towards Connor and she was having some thought in her mind related to Connor. She reacts angrily with the Connor and due to which Connor came to know that she is the witness of the intercourse between him and Mia’s mother. Connor borrowed the camera and gave that to Mia as she wants to go for the auditions of the local dance. In between that time Mia came across the social worker who was introduced by her mother to restart her schooling which she had left. But Mia refused to go and had a drink from kitchen and went out of house.She had seen the video on street dancing on YouTube and took the help of Billy to search the car parts to buy the alcohol for her self. After she sent her video, sh e received the call for the audition. When they were celebrating by having the drink, Connor asked Mia to show her dance steps. She performed on California dreaming and was asked by Connor to sit along with him. As Joanne went upstairs, Connor and Mia had sex and then he was embarrassed by the thing he had done with Mia. So he told her not to reveal the secret to Joanne.The very next day she came to know from her mother and Tyler that Connor had left and Mia knows the place where she can find Connor. Mia found him in his house in Tilbury and talked with him so he told her that he is unable to go back again to her mother which directly indicates that he doesn’t even want to meet Mia again. She didn’t made any issue of the age difference but Connor given her money before the goodbye kissing and left her to the station to get herself back home. She wasn’t ready to back her home but she again reached to the Connor’s home from the back window and entered into it as she found it empty.In Connor’s house, she came to know that Connor is married and also he’s having the daughter named, Keira and she had a call of nature over there on the floor. Mia then came out of the house and made a move but she have seen Keira playing on her scooter, also she convinced Keira to set off across the field along with her that she’ll give her an ice-cream as told by the Keira’s mother to Mia. Keira started kicking Mia as they were running through the field and approaching towards river. As Keira became upset, then she started troubling Mia, and as Mia got frustrated, she pushed her and Keira fallen down into the river.Then Mia saved Keira with the help of the Branch of the tree otherwise Keira might have drawn completely. After saving Keira, they both returned back towards the home as the Keira was wet and feeling cold too. Then in between their way to home, Connor arrived and slapped Mia and pushes back her. He then took Keira and drive back towards the home. Many days have been passed and then Mia came to the audition for which she had been called and seen the exotic dancer performing. Her turn came and she came on stage and music started.Then she had seen the fellow semi-nude auditionees and she walked off from the stage and went out to find Billy. She came to know that the horse which she cared for was dead and started weeping. Then Billy came and tried to stop her weeping and ask her to accompany him as he was leaving for Cardiff. Mia got ready and packed her bags and after having a dance with her mother and sister on the song â€Å"Life is a Bitch and then you die†, she went off. While she was leaving her mother didn’t reacted as she said good bye and then she sat with Billy and drive away for the new life.The movie is full of drama and sequence of events that keeps the interest of audiences. Mia in the Fish Tank is struggling with her own emotions, desires and issues of morality. The clim ax of the movie is a mixer of the feelings where in one hand she leaves the audition that was for erotic dancer, her favourite horse dies and she decides to move ahead to explore better opportunity and before that she enjoys with her family. Movie 2 Another movie which was also based on the same genre was â€Å"Nowhere Boy†. In this movie a teenage boy, Johnson, got success just because of his aunt and uncle.His aunt, Mimi, who is loving, inspirational and reserved kind of woman while her husband, George, is companion for the lively and intelligent boy. John was overwhelmed, when her uncle died due to cancer. During the funeral, John met his cousin Stan who showed him the place where his mother lives and was shocked that the house is nearby to his aunt’s and there he met Julia. Julia was fun loving girl whereas her aunt was strict. Julia’s clothes and her hair have the matching which work as the attraction for John towards Julia. The relationship became deeper b etween Julia and John which was unfair to Mimi.Julia teaches John to play Banjo and also introduced him to â€Å"Rock n Roll†. Mimi unknowingly bought a guitar for John and due to which he failed to improve in the school and was suspended. Then he moved along with Julia to her home where he met with Bobby. In that night he heard Julia and Bobby’s conversation with which he recognized that Julia is soft hearted and next day she again moved back to her aunt’s house. Then he met with the young guitarist who just looks like a twelve years old kid but he can play the guitar better than any other band.They started the rehearsals together and the band also started creating buzz. Soon he started getting fame and he enjoyed that. Then on Julia’s birthday, he met her after a long time span and found out the truth that why he got irritated in his life. And after that his life started moving smoothly and he got success to every point. The movie shows the struggle of the teenager to deal with the past and move ahead with life. The events and the presentation of events have been very impressive in entire movie.In both the movies, the main aspect was to show the life of the teenage girl and a boy that how the society deals with. In Fish Tank, Mia was the girl who got admired by the street dancers who were performing and in Nowhere Boy also, John got admired from the guitarist who can be able to play much better than the band. And in both the movies, director had shown clearly that the future is influenced by the past. So Mia got tensed in the movie Fish Tank as she heard that Connor had left them and in Nowhere Boy, John was also got irritated due to his past.These movies was generally built for the young generation people as they already have pressure of studies and their hobbies and what they want to be in their life. Society also provide pressure to them which result in making pressure in the mind of the child and due to this many children left studying and they got distracted from their hobbies too. Reference British Film Industry available at http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/in_depth/entertainment/2003/british_film_industry/default. stm Curran and Porter, 1993 British Cinema History, London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson 9-23Murphy, R. ed. , 2009 The British Cinema Book, London: BFI, 1-64, 65-142 Fish Tank official website http://www. michaelfassbender. org/episodesfte. html http://www. hollywoodreporter. com/hr/film-reviews/fish-tank-film-review-1003973214. story Image Fish Tank from http://www. movieroar. com/images/fish-tankpster1. jpg Nowhere Boy Movie Review http://www. futuremovies. co. uk/review. asp? ID=1110 No Where Boy movie details available at http://www. nowhereboy. co. uk/ http://www. hollywoodreporter. com/hr/film-reviews/nowhere-boy-film-review-1004031851. story

My Travel Experience in Sri Lanka Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Travel Experience in Sri Lanka - Essay Example I was feeling really excited about the days ahead of me and could barely wait for the plane to touch down. Finally, the plane landed. It was hot and humid in June. It was almost a 3 hour long drive from the air port to Galle where my host family lived. Mr. Smith, a plump and pleasant man was my host and he welcomed me .After a short introduction I was led to what was considered the biggest room in his house. I entered the room and felt a bit ill at ease since the room was very narrow with only two beds. Everything in the room was dark brown in colour. The full length mirror was stained to the extent that one could not see anything on it. I felt suffocated but rested on my bed while talking to other volunteers. Soon it was time for the meal and I inquired about the menu to which I received a very strange smile from my friend. Laid on the table were four yellow dishes and I immediately recognized that they were all curries. The water spinach was chopped up and cooked in curry, the tuna fish was cooked in curry, the potato and carrots were cooked in curry. I filled up my plate with boiled white rice and tried each curry. The curry on the table tasted very different from Indian, Thai or Japanese curry. It has its own special herb smell and was very salty as well as spicy. What surprised me was that the rice was also salty and spicy. Suddenly, I saw some little ants and spiders walking on the table. I was startled for a second and looked around. I saw everyone enjoying their meal and hence I kept quite. I finished off my meal with lots of water and went back to the small room quickly. The next day was my first day of volunteering at an orphanage. Our responsibility was to take care, feed and play with the babies at the orphanage. We hired a â€Å"tu-tu† the motor pedicab to reach our destination and paid only rupees 80(about 0.6 USD) for

Discussion post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Discussion post - Essay Example As indicated in the regulations and guidelines issued by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the IRB teams should comprise of at least five individuals including a representative of the community. This enables the IRB to review a proposed research on the basis of community, legal and professional acceptability (Codina, 2014). After going through ‘Protecting Human Research Participant’ course, I had an opportunity of discussing with a nurse engaging in research about prevention of ventilator pneumonia in babies in the ICU. From information gathered, the nurse had completed the initial training in research ethics prior to submission of a protocol. She was able to undertake the online training offered by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), for engaging institutions (Mateo & Foreman, 2013). In my workplace, the IRB comprises of two hospital administrators, clinicians, nurses, a professional in medical ethics, two lay individuals from the community, and a statistical professional. The IRB maintains an equal gender ratio. The IRB acts as a screening centre for issues of conflict of interest in research or institution and is also responsible for monitoring difficulties in the study. The IRB is governed by FDA, and its practices and policies are reviewed periodically for cert ification (Zenios et al.,

The Global Future Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Global Future - Case Study Example This will present the company's strengths and critical issues which will impact the company's success in the new market. The report explains how Grapevine will use its capabilities to sustain and increase profitability. The report gives an overview of the organization's mission, vision and objectives and then explains the environmental factors which affect the business. The environment is scanned with using both the SWOT and PEST analysis. The results are used to identify key strategic areas for the company to focus on. Within the next five years Grapevine will be a leader in the market and will help clients grow and expand their businesses by providing innovative, reliable and effective marketing solutions. We will remain a financially firm company and work towards securing our employee and customer interests. Our company works towards providing consultation in addition to a complete range of cost effective marketing solutions for businesses that require rapid results to meet their market and financial goals. The analysis of the environment is essential for understanding the future potential of the organization and its business success ( Covello & Hazelgern, 2005). This section looks into the current and potential situation of the environment in which the company will operate. ... To be recognized as a leader in marketing consulting and communication services. To provide a complete range of innovative marketing services that meet customer needs To keep our overall goals and objectives in line with those of our clients To establish long lasting relationships with our clients To keep our overall mission, vision, objectives and values in line with those of our customers 3.4 Position Our company works towards providing consultation in addition to a complete range of cost effective marketing solutions for businesses that require rapid results to meet their market and financial goals. 4. Environmental Scan The analysis of the environment is essential for understanding the future potential of the organization and its business success ( Covello & Hazelgern, 2005). This section looks into the current and potential situation of the environment in which the company will operate. The first portion of the environment scan is the macro-scan which examines the environment at a broad level. The second portion is the micro-scan which analysis the situation at the organization level. 4.1 Part 1 Macro-scan 4.1.1 PESTEL Framework The acronym PESTEL stands for political, economic, social, technological, environment and legal factors. The PESTEL analysis is a framework that categorizes the environmental influences. This analysis describes how successful or profitable a business will be and how attractive it is for investment (Martin & Thompson, 2005). Political Situation The legislation in the host country market favors entry into the market particularly in case of licensing and franchising. However, the future of the legislation and the political situation of the country are

A Quantitative Critique for Predictors for NCLEX Success in Nursing Essay

A Quantitative Critique for Predictors for NCLEX Success in Nursing Students - Essay Example The purpose of the following study is to examine the correlation between the NCLEX success and scores of the NET and PreRN examination scores. NCLEX-RN is a national multiple choice exam overseen and administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. It was first introduced in 1982 as a paper-and-pen two-day exam to a computer-adaptive test in 1994 which is also the present test form. TM was introduced in 1997 there are not many similar studies therefore. According to Rubino (1998) there exists a correlation between NCLEX success and NET scores. Among others, according to the Alexander and Brophy (1997) study the firmest predictors of NCLEX success were SAT verbal scores, nursing grade point average (GPA) and National League for Nursing (NLN) Comprehensive Achievement Test scores. Another study by Barkley, Rhodes and DuFur (1998) detect a bond between on standardized test scores and NCLEX, while Beeson and Kissling (2001), Briscoe and Anema (19999), Endres (1997), Swenty (1998), Wescott (1997) employed academic and non-academic variables for their stidoes: the Mosby Assess Test, NLN Achievement Tests, RN Entr ance Examination and ACT. These former content a high GPA is a predictor of success in nursing courses, and above the average scores on standardized tests were predictors of success on the NCLEX exam. Finally the study by Beeman and Waterhouse (2001) suggest that the results of NCLEX could be accurately via available student data. Study Framework, Research Objective and Study Design A drop in NCLEX-RN scores in 1997 led to exploration of failures rates and finding ways to overcome these. Defining predictors of NCLEX-RN such are the Nurse Entrance Test (NET) and Pre-RN exams of the Educational Resources, Inc. (ERI) and part of the Total Testing (TM) package. Total Testing is a monitoring technique held during the course of study and aims to increase NCLEX success evaluating student diverse performance under diverse conditions. The study at hand utilized for the purpose of the paper is a correlational comparative study utilizing the formerly mentioned NET and Pre-RN exams to answers the following questions: Is Pre-RN is the proper tool for NCLEX-RN success rate forecast Is NET is the proper tool for entrance to a nursing school program Are both Pre-RN and NET are predictors to successful performance on the NCLEX-RN exam Variables Analysis was performed using descriptive statistics with inferential statistics employing strength of relations between the measured variables, difference between groups' means, and confidence interval in a two-tailed test (Sayles, 2003). Demographic variables are used as independent along with average point and other marks, grade point average, ACT and additional test scores, taken courses and work experience. Sample, Population and Setting The studied sampled included the senior 83 students of an Associate in Nursing Degree Program (AND) and was held in 2001. (Sayles, 2003) with 78 students graduating and 68 of them taking the test for the first time. Data were obtained by university records and records form the nursing college and were divided in four categories of demographic data, applications to nursing courses, NET and Pre-RN data and the NCLEX results. The analysis and correlation

What do you understand by the term racism Using examples from one of Essay - 1

What do you understand by the term racism Using examples from one of the areas of policy we have covered, explain the existence of racism in contemporary Brit - Essay Example Upon making contact with the natives of these lands, the Westerners had the idea of dominating and subjugating the populace of these lands for providing them cheap labour etc to get benefited from the already existing bountiful resource base. The Renaissance had of course given a fillip to dynamism of ideas in Europe but these ideas were meant only to elevate the immediate environment and such enlightenment was not required for experimentation in the lands which were later to be colonized. It was a deliberate policy devised at the highest levels and its implementation was ensured to keep the status-quo in favour of the would-be colonizers intact. This probably must explain the background in respect of all that we associate racism currently with. And wherever the European colonizers went, they had neither any compulsion to neither extend respect to the way of life under their territories nor incorporate whatever wisdom these lands had to offer in return. Earlier, similar enterprises by powers other than those of Europe and the West also exhibited the same pattern (1). Arabs also under the zeal of their religion became colonial powers and controlled far more territories permitted by their strength in their time. In so far as a comparison is sought to be drawn between Arabs and the West, the former did understand their people and themselves changed in a way that suited their political and social correctness. The Westerns did not learn the same from Arabs despite their same religious and civilizational origins in the Semitic nature of their religion and culture. Racism is generally nourished as a sort of belief that the races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that endows some races with an intrinsic superiority. This belief accordingly involves abuse and aggressive behaviour towards members of another race. Social scientists are of the opinion that ethnic groups have or do create a sense of grouping

Human Obesity is not Caused Merely by a Weak Will Essay

Human Obesity is not Caused Merely by a Weak Will - Essay Example The UK government in its Foresight programme (2007) recorded a rapid rise in the number of overweight and obese people in Britain, and at an average estimate predicted that by 2050 more than 50% of the UK adult population would become overweight or obese (Foresight, 2007, 5). The recent spurt in global obesity has led to the derivation of a number of factors related to environmental determinants of this epidemic, amongst which eating habits driven by food marketing and reduction in physical activities due to technological advancement, are considered the two major causes (the ‘Big Two’). Despite the popularity amongst of these two factors, it is necessary that other causal factors of obesity are also identified, since an overall understanding of all probable factors are necessary, in order to control this global health hazard.   Discussion Mechanisms that control human appetite or regulates feeding pattern For appropriate regulation of body weight, there must be a good coordination between intake of food and energy output. The current global epidemic of overweight and obesity is owing to the fact that energy requirements of a human are very near to his/her BMI, thus, allowing it to be easily crossed, making it necessary to focus on appetite control. This function of controlling feeding or appetite is performed by hypothalamus, located between pituitary and thalamus in the brain (Legg and Booth, 1994). Neuron clusters are present within the hypothalamus and one such cluster (arcuate nucleus), forms to be the appetite centre. The arcuate nucleus controls the hormones and metabolites through the vagus nerve, while regulating metabolism through the coordination of adipose tissue, intestines, kidneys, and liver activities. Hypothalamus, which controls feeding while coordinating it with appropriate amount of energy expenditure by the body is, therefore, indirectly responsible for maintaining body weight, by balancing physical activities with the amount the food to be eaten (Logue, 2004). Appetite centre is comprised of primary neurons (that control hormonal and metabolite levels), and secondary neurons that after receiving information from the primary neurons, regulate body functions. The primary neurons have cells that can stimulate hunger via production of agouti-related peptide or AgRP and neuropeptide or NPY. It is also comprised of cells that can supress hunger by production of proopiomelanocortin or POMC. Therefore, either activation of AgRP or NPY or stopping the production of POMC can bring about a feeling of hunger (Smith, 1998). Various hormones play major roles in control feeding via the appetite centre. One such hormone is ghrelin, which activates NPY/AgRP and stimulates hunger. The arcuate nucleus also reacts to the hormones leptin and insulin, and here it is seen that insulin suppresses appetite by stopping AgRP or NPY producing neurons and by activating POMC producing neurons. Leptin levels respond to the levels of body fat, and observations reveal that there is an increase in circulating levels of leptin within obese individuals (Schwartz and Morton, 2002). Leptin may suppress appetite by activating inhibitory neurons; however, the arcuate nucleus may also become leptin-resistant. Individuals who are overweight or obese are often seen to possess high levels of leptin, but arcuate nucleus often fails to respond to such high levels. Aberration in the

Competency in Information and Technology Literacy Essay Example for Free

Competency in Information and Technology Literacy Essay The dynamic changes in information technology has advocated for nurses highly qualified in nursing informatics. This paper discusses some barricades allied to the employment of essential Nursing Informatics competencies into undergraduate nursing websites. Introduction Information Literacy is the set of skills needed to discover, repossess, evaluate, and use information. The Changes in information technology have led to new changes in the way nurses operate on patients. These nurses have to undergo various competencies. This paper discusses the changes and the required competencies. Discussion Information literacy is important in the nursing researches and practical working with the nursing informatics equipment. It is not just for students to learn but for practicing nurses and other healthcare practitioners as well. The practice of nursing in which the nurse makes medical decisions based on the best existing research proof, his or her own clinical expertise, and the needs and inclinations of the patient is referred to as evident based nursing. The nurses should learn to practice Information system to design and maintain their healthcare information. For instance, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant or Patient Data) could allow nursing scholars to access various decision support systems that would offer them with professional guidance relating to specific care and treatment matters at their patient’s bedsides. There are various sources where one can learn about information literacy and find ideas about relationship between them. These include the website, libraries, journals, electronic full-text for nursing, that is, books, journals, virtual libraries, other articles and databases. To evaluating a website containing medical records, determine the website goal; discover the website objectives; website content description, evaluation questions, sources of evaluation data, methods of data collection. The steps performed are performed systematically. First and foremost, find out if the results have been reproduced in other research laboratory or by other scholars. Next step involves an attempt to conclude the study’s credibility. Look keenly at the material of study that is, if investigators essentially compare two sets of topics or did they just make bservations? If a control was used were the group results comparable? Evaluate the criteria used to conclude this study. Consider the modification and duration of the study. The next step is to look at the conclusions. Consider if they are warranted by the evidence. If one can’t find useful solutions in the website, then it is time to address some questions like: does one have to take illegalized results? How does one know that the product in question is the right one? If the product is or could be the right one, then, what guarantees this? Moreover one must to know more information on the product. Any information that is relevant should be taken into account. If the person still decides to take the product, he or she should be sure to tell the doctor who can make observation on the side effect about the product. Conclusion Nursing informatics is very important in today’s dynamic technological application. It is very important for nursing professionals to have the knowledge of nursing informatics as this will help them to participate fully in the technology enabled nursing.

Perkin Warbeck Essay Example for Free

Perkin Warbeck Essay Explain why Perkin Warbeck remained a threat to the security of Henry VII for so many years. Perkin Warbeck was the second Yorkist pretender to the English throne after Lambert Simnel was defeated at the Battle of Stoke in 1487. Between the years 1491-99, he posed a significantly destabilising threat to Henry VII in dynastic terms, impersonating Richard of York, the younger son of Edward IV. The successes of Warbeck, which led him to remain a threat to the Kings security, may be largely categorised into the support from foreign powers during this period and discontent existing in England due to Henrys methods of ruling with relation to sustaining an authoritative and respected status both within his own country and abroad. Whilst it is possible to challenge such a concept of a threat, Warbeck was eventually executed in November 1499, demonstrating in a modern context that the Kings perception of this pretender was one of great concern for his position. Steven Gunn has suggested that Henry was a usurper and carried with him the problems of this title. Upon taking the English throne, it was inevitable that Henry would face opposition to his rule, particularly in consideration of his lack of familiarity with English politics and those supporters of the Yorkist claim. With the knowledge that Richard III intended John de la Pole to inherit the crown and having already fought at the Battle of Stoke to secure his position, it would seem almost equally likely that Henry would be a paranoid character by the time that Perkin Warbeck came to attention, and he could not predetermine the reactions of the De la Pole family, who were largely responsible for the pretenders. It is significant not only that Warbeck was the second embodiment of discontent within Henrys reign, but also that political unsettlement had been apparent under his predecessor also a usurper. Henry is likely to have feared reaching the same fate as Richard III, whose reign had been plagued with suspicions surrounding the Princes in the Tower controversy and indeed, the dating of his coronation to appear three days before his victory at Bosworth suggests paranoia existing even before his rule. Thus Warbeck is best viewed in one sense as a non-military threat, being an encouragement of this paranoia through the exploitation of Henrys potentially weak position. He reminded the King of the existence of dissatisfaction within his own country and later among foreign powers. The princes had never been seen again and were presumed murdered by their uncle, Richard III. In this way, there was an immediate simplicity for Warbeck to exploit the lack of clarification as to what had happened to them. Whereas Lambert Simnels claim was flawed in that Henry was able to parade the true Earl of Warwick through London during the crisis, Warbeck was imitating Edward IVs younger son, Richard of York. Hence this crisis was much more serious, for Henry was unable to prove the existence of the true Richard and if Warbeck truly was the prince he impersonated, his claim to the English throne would have been superior to that of Henry. The threat of Warbeck was enlarged by the context in which it occurred those behind the pretender were able to follow a potentially fatal method by which Henrys position could be destabilised. In order to ascertain why any pretender to the throne would become a prolonged threat, the nature of the monarchs rule must be evaluated. The view of Steven Gunn could be expanded upon to maintain that Henrys rule naturally had characteristics of that of a usurper: unlike a hereditary monarch, he required more stringent methods of discipline to enforce his position as a ruler. In addition to passing attainders against those involved with the pretenders (Edmund de la Pole was fined à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5000 to inherit some of his brothers lands and never inherited the dukedom of Suffolk for his involvement with Simnel) Empson and Dudley greatly assisted in coordinating the increased use of bonds and recognisances against subjects. Then in 1497, Perkin Warbecks forces rallied the rebels during the second Cornish Rising in protest against raised taxes to support the invasion of Scotland and together, they nearly took the city of Exeter. In this way, it can be observed that Warbeck becoming a threat was in a paradoxical sense Henry needed to use more powerful methods of rule to secure his own position and dynasty than an ordinary monarch due to his status, though the discontent which such methods brought about led to resentful individuals turning to the diversion of Warbeck. Threats in military terms from Perkin Warbeck during this period may be largely attributed to foreign support. Indeed, Warbeck potentially had concern also from nobility such as Sir William Stanley, as Margaret of Burgundy, sister of Edward IV, proclaimed him as her long-lost nephew. The role of France was crucial in causing Warbeck to remain a threat to the security of Henrys position. In 1491, he moved to the French court and was treated similarly to a prince by Charles VIII, which illustrated to Henry a possibility of an invasion the French had funded his own invasion of England in 1485 to overthrow Richard III, and the case could potentially have been that this claimant was genuine. The threat was heightened by Charles discontent in 1492 after Henrys assistance of the Duchess of Brittany in an attempt to retain her independence from France, whilst the 1489 Treaty of Medina del Campo with Spain led the French to encourage James IV of Scotland to invade England. It was Henrys invasion of France in 1492 which appeared to be a very drastic action with regard to this pretender it was clear that with foreign military backing, his position could be significantly threatened. However, in this respect, it must be noted that the threat was not Warbeck as an individual, but rather the concept of the proceedings and those supporting him. He became a focus for French discontent with Henry VII in the same way that he had been a Yorkist focus in England. A prolonged threat from any pretender to any throne can always be attributed to discontent with a monarchs rule. Conformingly, Perkin Warbeck was often able to exploit this to enlist support and increase opposition to the King. It is clear that the level of foreign support given to the pretender ultimately was the greatest contributing factor in threatening Henrys security due to the possibility of a successful invasion, though the paranoia and the methods of rule enlisted to secure his dynasty were equal factors in causing Warbeck to remain a threat. In contrast, it is very significant that Warbeck was never a primary threat as an individual, but merely a strong secondary threat behind the foreign powers and nobility that supported him it was the concept that destabilised the position of Henry VII.

Interventions for Ventilator Associated Pneumonia

Interventions for Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Ventilator associated pneumonia is defined as pneumonia developing in persons who have received mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours (Shi et al., 2010). It is a major threat to critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation (Feider, Mitchell, Bridges, 2010) and it is the most common complication of patients in Intensive Care Units (Soh et al., 2011). Nosocomial pneumonia is caused by bacteria that colonize within the oral cavity of patients in the ICUs (Ewig et al., 1998). Bad oral health is pivotal in the pathogenesis of this harmful complication (Blot, Vandijck Labeau, 2008). Thus, good oral hygiene measure has a critical role in preventing the spread of these bacteria from the oral cavity to the lower respiratory tract thereby reducing the chances of nosocomial pneumonia (McNeill, 2000 cited in Abidia, 2007). There are a couple of interventions which are recommended to prevent Ventilator – Associated Pneumonia. The Institute of Healthcare Improvement suggested the VAP bundle of interventions in preventing Ventilator Associated Pneumonia. (Fields, 2008) In addition to these interventions, oral hygiene care is a nursing intervention that may also help prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (Feider, Mitchell Bridges, 2010). Evidence shows that comprehensive oral care is an effective preventive strategy to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients receiving mechanical ventilation (Cutler Davis, 2005). There are a lot of research studies supporting oral hygiene care in reducing VAP cases among mechanically ventilated patients. In the study of Mori et al., (2006), the incidence of VAP was significantly lower in patients who received oral care than the patients who did not. Similarly, Fields’ (2008) study showed that VAP rate dropped to zero within a week of beginning the every hours tooth brushing regimen in the intervention group. Another study shows that pneumonia, febrile days, and death from pneumonia decreased significantly in patients with oral care (Yoneyama et al., 2002). Various methods and equipment in providing oral care for intubated patients were also studied. Toothbrushes and topical antimicrobials (Binkley, Furr, Carrico McCurren, 2004; Grap, Munro, Ashtiani Bryant, 2003), oral decontamination (Bergmans et al., 2001) and oropharyngeal decontamination with 0.12% Chlorhexidine Gluconate oral rinse (Shi et al., 2010; Tantipong, Morkchareonpong, Jaiyindee Thamlikitkul, 2008; Koeman et al., 2006; Houston et al., 2002; Genuit, Bochicchio, Napolitano, McCarter Roghman, 2001; DeRiso, Ladowski, Dillon, Justice Peterson, 1996) were found to be effective in reducing the bacteria in the mouth and in reducing the incidence of VAP. The AACN (2010) came up with a comprehensive oral hygiene program for patients in critical care and acute care settings who are at high risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia. This includes brushing teeth, gums and tongue at least twice a day using a soft pediatric or adult toothbrush; providing oral moisturizing to oral mucosa and lips every 2 to 4 hours; and using an oral chlorhexidine gluconate (0.12%) rinse twice a day during the perioperative period for adult patients who undergo cardiac surgery. The routine use of oral chlorhexidine gluconate (0.12%) in other populations is not recommended at this time. These interventions are supported by the existing evidence of oral hygiene. Past research studies have focused on assessing the oral care knowledge, attitude and practices among ICU nurses. Studies had shown that ICU nurses lack sufficient knowledge on oral care (Jordan, Badovinac, Ã…  palj, Par, Ã…  laj PlanÄ ak, 2014; Chan Hui-Ling Ng, 2012). The methods used to provide oral care were also found to be varied between nurses in the same unit (Soh et al., 2011; Chan Hui-Ling Ng, 2012). Moreover, the oral care currently provided in ICUs may be ineffective in eradicating dental plaque and respiratory pathogens that may cause VAP to ventilated patients (Binkley, Furr, Carrico, McCurren, 2004). There was also existing discrepancies between reported practices and policies on oral care provided to intubated patients (Feider, Mitchell Bridges, 2010). Though oral care is perceived to be high priority in mechanically ventilated patients, difficulties, problems and barriers still exist in providing the care (Rello et al., 2007; Feider, Mitchell Bridges, 20 10; Soh, Soh, Japar, Raman Davidson, 2011). These challenges include mechanical barriers and equipment issues, perception on the importance of oral care and empathy to patients’ discomfort by nurses, altered patient sensory perception and discomfort, and communication problems. (Berry Davidson, 2006) The existence of variation in oral care practices, the ineffective provision of oral care and the lack of sufficient knowledge of ICU nurses warrants a standardized protocol or guideline that is based on existing evidence. (Soh et al., 2011; Lin, Chang, Chang Lou, 2011) In the past years, Evidence – Based Practice (EBP) is gaining its momentum in the healthcare sector. It has been the focus of discussions and research in the medical field. Its importance to the medical practice has been evident and thus encouraged to be integrated in the practice. However, translating evidence into clinical practice remains a big challenge at the moment. Significant gaps between what is known to improve health, and what is done to improve health is evident (Holmes, Scarrow Schellenberg, 2012). These gaps maybe caused by unawareness or unfamiliarity of clinicians to EBP guidelines or recommendations; or the clinicians disbelief towards the EBP recommendations; or the clinicians personal opinion on the recommended management; or the clinicians’ perception that the guideline is too complicated or difficult to use in their own practices; patient-related factors; and the mentality that altering established practice is often difficult. (Pierson, 2009) Evide nce – based guidelines for providing oral care to patients in mechanical ventilators were formulated by international organizations, but, not all intensive care unit nurses are knowledgeable about it. Past study indicated that nurses lacked the evidence-based knowledge to deliver proper care (Chan, Lee, Poh, Ng Prabhakaran, 2011). In addition, a study also showed that ICU nurses did not follow procedures and steps recommended by current evidence-based practice (Lin, Chang, Chang Lou, 2009). Various knowledge translation strategies such as opinion leaders, audits and feedback, small group consensus, provider reminder systems, incentives, clinical information systems, and computer decision support systems can be utilized to integrate EBP into the clinical world. These knowledge translation strategies should be attempted and researched in clinical setting and should be used to further improve clinical practice. (Ganz et al, 2013) Therefore, the focus of this current research is to translate knowledge of Evidence based oral care practice guideline for mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients to clinical practice using a provider reminder system strategy. Further, it will determine the effect of the provider reminded system strategy in improving the Evidence – Based oral care practices for mechanically ventilated patients among ICU nurses. Provider reminder system is one of the Quality Improvement (QI) strategies. Example of provider reminder system includes reminders in charts for providers, computer – based reminders for providers, and computer – based decision support. (Hughes Hughes, 2008)

Fred as a Foil to Scrooge in A Christmas Carol :: Christmas Carol Essays

Fred as a Foil to Scrooge in A Christmas Carol In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Scrooge's selfish, cold, melancholy nature is contrasted with Fred, Scrooge's light-hearted nephew. At the beginning of the novel, Fred and Scrooge are complete opposites, but, as the novel progresses, they become more and more alike. Throughout the novel, Dickens uses Fred to show Scrooge's transformation from a cold, unfeeling man to a man of warmth and compassion. The first time Fred is seen is on page 5 when he greets Scrooge with, "A merry Christmas, Uncle! God save you!" Scrooge's reply is "Bah! Humbug!" The statement Fred makes shows that he cares about even the coldest beings. Scrooge's reply shows that he is closed to joyous things and it also hints that he is not saved. From their first meeting in the book, their character differences are obvious. During their conversation, Fred and Scrooge reveal their definitions of the word "good." Fred tells Scrooge, "There are many things from which I might have derived good by which I have not profited" This shows that Scrooge's definition of Good is money. Later on, Fred states that he has always thought of Christmastime "as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time." This defines Fred's "good" as kind, forgiving, charitable, and pleasant. After Fred leaves, two gentlemen come to Scrooge and ask for money for the poor. His response is, "Are there no prisons? And the union workhouses? Are they still in operation?" One of the gentlemen replies, "They are. Still, I wish I could say they were not." Scrooge's remark shows that he doesn't care about poor people. He does not care if they live or die, just as long as he is comfortable. The two gentlemen are shocked by this. At the beginning of Stave II, Scrooge lies awake considering that he could, "no more go to sleep than go to heaven." This shows that he probably isn't going to heaven. On page 43, Dicken's gives a glimpse of Scrooge's warm personality that has been muted by the cold, horrible events that have happened to him. When he says, "Why, it's old Fezziwig! Bless his heart; it's Fezziwig alive again!" Scrooge uses the word "bless" to show that he cared for Fezziwig.

The Age of Technology Essay -- Technology Society Information Essays P

The Age of Technology From the time you are born until the day you die one thing will remain constant and that is the progress of technology. Everyday there is something new brought into our world. Whether it be a revision of an old technology or just a new discovery, it doesn ¹t matter, there is always progress. Today we live in a culture where technology has effected everything. Technology has come in to play a role in religion, science, and even the imitation of humankind. Today it is hard to find one thing that technology does not play a role in. With technology there is always progress and until the end of time it will always be in motion. Recently, I have had to do some research concerning the progress of technology and it ¹s effects on humankind throughout history. Throughout my research one thing became obvious to me and that is technology, in a short period of time, has progressed drastically. Whether you agree with the bible that Cain was the first inventor(Genesis 4) or simply believe in the mythological character Thamus, it doesn ¹t matter. Somehow and somewhere technology began and since then it has never stopped growing. To research this topic I went to a cultural critic who is an expert in analyzing technology ¹s effect on culture. In the technological world Neil Postman is a well regarded as a cultural critic for his opinion and for his view of technology today. He is also known for other books such as, The Disappearance of Childhood, and Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk. The book that I concentrated on was a book entitled Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. In this book Neil Postman reasons tha t ultimately the technological world will render us more harm, than benefit. Also, he goes on at length abou... ...ngulfed him with technology and now lives in a technopoly. Postman went on to show that today for every old world belief there is a technological answer. Man, no longer needs to depend on his culture, rather he could depend on technology. For prayer, he would take penicillin. For reading, just switch on the television and for sin all you need is psychotherapy. You can see clearly that man has left their God entirely. He went from total dependency to total independence, just as Cain did. I believe that throughout the whole book of Technopoly, Mr. Postman ¹s stressed one thing the most and that is that man has left God, has replaced God, and realizes that unless something is done to bring man back, he has surrendered his life to technology. BIBLIOGRAPHY TECHNOPOLY: THE SURRENDER OF CULTURE TO TECHNOLOGY. Neil Postman. Random House Inc. NEW YORK. C1992

Coyote Blue Chapter 34~36

CHAPTER 34 Let Slip the Dogs of Irony The owl was still perched on the power pole. Adeline Eats sat in her easy chair reading the Book of Job, trying to keep her dinner down. On the way back from the clinic the kids had elected to have pancakes for dinner and Adeline had eaten a mountainous stack and all the mistakes. Now the matriarchs of breakfast, Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth, were waging a bubbling battle in her stomach while her kids burned with fever and Job suffered boils. Adeline admired Job for keeping his faith. All she had was a house full of sick kids, a husband with a peyote hangover, an owl out front, and a little difficulty reading small print through her sunglasses, and she was ready to pack it in to her reserved spot in Hell. Old Job was quite a guy, especially with God acting like such a prick. What was that about? When her sisters talked about the Bible it was all the Sermon on the Mount and the Song of Solomon, Proverbs and Psalms; never smitings and plagues. And her sisters had never mentioned that God was a racist. He sure hated those old Philistines. Adeline had a cousin in Philadelphia; she wore a little too much eye shadow, but that didn't seem a sin you should get smote and circumcised for†¦. Adeline's religious reverie was interrupted by a tidal surge of acid in her stomach. She put the Bible down and went to the kitchen for some Pepto-Bismol. She found the bottle and wrestled with the child-guard cap for five minutes before deciding to smite its head off with the cleaver Milo used for hacking deer joints. She was raising the cleaver when the doorbell rang like a call from the governor. She waddled to the door and threw it open. An enormously fat white man in a powder-blue suit was standing on the steps, hat in hand, sample case at his side, grinning like a possum eating shit. He looked vaguely familiar. â€Å"Pardon me, ma'am,† he said. â€Å"I was looking for a Mrs. Adeline Eats, but I have obviously stumbled onto the home of a movie star.† Adeline remembered that she was still wearing sunglasses and her hair was piled up on her head. She lifted her glasses. â€Å"I'm Adeline Eats,† she said. She peeked over his shoulder and shuddered. The owl was still on the pole. â€Å"Of course you are. And I'm Lloyd Commerce, purveyor of the worlds finest vitamin supplement and herbal remedy: Miracle Medicine. May I come in?† Adeline eyed him suspiciously. â€Å"Didn't you sell me a vacuum cleaner a long time ago?† â€Å"You've got a heck of a memory, Mrs. Eats. I did have the privilege of bringing to people's lives that beam of brightness known as the Miracle. How's it working?† â€Å"I don't know. I don't have any rugs.† â€Å"Very shrewd, Mrs. Eats. What better way to avoid dirty carpets than to avoid carpets altogether? The very reason that I have turned my efforts to a product that addresses the number one problem facing families today.† â€Å"What's that?† Lloyd put his hat over his heart. â€Å"If you could just afford me a minute of your time, you will reap the benefit of years of research.† â€Å"Okay, come on in. But you got to be quiet. My kids are sick and my husband is resting.† Adeline stepped out of the doorway and the salesman floated by her to the couch. Adeline sat in her chair across from him. Her stomach gurgled and rolled. She stifled a belch. â€Å"Excuse me.† â€Å"Indigestion!† Lloyd exclaimed as if he had discovered the cure for cancer. â€Å"Fortune has smiled on you, Mrs. Eats. I have in my case the bee's knees of indigestion remedies.† He pulled a brown bottle from his case and held it out reverentially. â€Å"Mrs. Eats, may I present Miracle Medicine.† Adeline fidgeted. â€Å"I don't know if I can afford it. I've been off work for a couple of days taking care of my kids.† â€Å"In that case, you can't afford to be without it. And with a house full of illness you can't afford to wait.† â€Å"Will this stuff cure the flu?† â€Å"The flu? The flu?† Lloyd shook the bottle at Adeline. â€Å"The flu doesn't exist when you have Miracle Medicine. It makes them that's sick well, and them that's well better. This is no backward primitive remedy, ma'am, but the finest product that nature and modern science could come up with. Miracle Medicine cures croup, cramps, cankers, and the creeping crud.† â€Å"I don't know†¦,† Adeline said. â€Å"And how could you know until you try it? Why, Miracle Medicine will even raise your self-confidence, as well as doing away with excess mucus, the embarrassment of bad breath, intestinal gas, dandruff, the heartbreak of psoriasis, most mental illness, and the post-peyote dry heaves.† â€Å"I don't think so,† Adeline said. â€Å"You don't think so? Mrs. Eats, may I see your medicine cabinet?† Lloyd pulled a plastic garbage bag out of his sample case. â€Å"I suppose so,† Adeline said. â€Å"The bathrom is in there.† â€Å"Come with me,† Lloyd said. He got up and led Adeline into the bathroom, where he threw open the medicine cabinet. He took a bottle of aspirin from the shelf and held it up. â€Å"What is this for, Mrs. Eats?† â€Å"Headaches.† â€Å"Don't need it.† Lloyd threw the aspirin in the garbage bag. â€Å"Hey,† Adeline said. â€Å"Miracle Medicine makes headaches a thing of the past.† He grabbed the tube of Preparation H and tossed it in the garbage bag. â€Å"Hemorrhoids are behind you, Mrs. Eats.† Next went the cough medicine, the Band-Aids, some Neosporin ointment, and an old prescription for bladder infections. â€Å"Hey, I need that stuff.† â€Å"Not anymore,† Lloyd said. â€Å"Not with Miracle Medicine.† Adeline was starting to get angry. â€Å"Put that stuff back.† Lloyd lifted Adeline's sunglasses and looked her in the eye. â€Å"Mrs. Eats, you say you have a house full of sick kids. What exactly have you done to make them better?† â€Å"I took them to the clinic but we couldn't get in. I've been praying.† Lloyd nodded knowingly. â€Å"Well you can say good-bye to prayer.† He stormed back into the living room, picked up the Bible, and threw it in the garbage bag. â€Å"You don't need prayer when you have a medicine that reduces swelling, increases sex drive, and directly addresses the national debt.† â€Å"No,† Adeline said, following him. â€Å"I don't want any.† He went to the crucifix on the wall, tore it off, and threw it in the bag. â€Å"Quiets coughs, promotes regularity, increases energy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No!† Adeline said. Lloyd took the 3-D picture of Jesus off the television and threw it in the bag. â€Å"Calms nerves.† â€Å"No!† â€Å"Cures acne.† â€Å"No!† â€Å"Cures crabs, spiritual indecision, poison sumac, rabies, and-â€Å" â€Å"No!† â€Å"Gets rid of unwanted owls.† â€Å"How much is it?† Adeline said. â€Å"Cash or check?† Lloyd said. He sat back down on the couch. Adeline heard the bedroom door open. She turned and saw Milo coming into the living room, wearing sunglasses. He couldn't tolerate bright light for a day or two after a peyote ceremony. â€Å"What in the hell is going on out here?† â€Å"I was just talking to this salesman,† Adeline said. â€Å"What salesman?† Adeline turned around. The salesman, his sample case, and the garbage bag full of over-the-counter icons were gone. The brown bottle of Miracle Medicine sat on the table. â€Å"Here honey, take some of this,† she said. â€Å"You'll feel better.† She felt better already. Sam felt as if he were passing out, then the vertigo of falling. The sounds around him faded; Pokey's voice became distant, then silent. He felt his stomach lurch, as if he had just gone into the big drop of a roller coaster, then an impact that flattened him on the ground. He looked up, expecting to see the others around him in the sweat lodge. The lodge, and everyone in it, was gone. There was nothing but blackness and the sound of his own breathing. A thousand questions raced through his brain, but he realized that each one led to another and the best strategy was to maintain a state of automatic action and remember why he was here. He stood and squinted into the darkness. Two golden eyes were floating in front of him. He heard the sound of an animal breathing. Suddenly a stone platform started to glow. On it stood a figure: a man's body with a dog's head, wearing an Egyptian kilt. Except for the golden eyes, he was black, so black he appeared to absorb light. He carried a golden staff tipped with the effigy of a falcon. Beside him on the platform was the source of the breathing sounds: a beast the size of a hippo, with the jaws of a crocodile on the body of a lion. It snorted and snapped at the air, flicking foam from its jaws. Behind them both stood a giant balance scale. Despite all he had been through, Sam felt a wave of mind-blanking terror pass through him. He wanted to run, but couldn't move. With the light coming off the pedestal he could see human bones scattered around him. He realized that he was standing on his toes, every muscle in his body rigid. The black dog man snapped his staff on the platform. â€Å"Okay, up on the scale,† he said. Then he narrowed his gaze and stepped down from the platform. â€Å"Wait a minute, you're alive. Go away. We only do the dead. Out, out, out.† Of all the strange things Sam had seen in the last week, watching the dog mouth forming human speech was the strangest. It looked like the creature was trying to yak up a chicken bone. Suddenly the fear was gone. This was too goofy, like an Alpo commercial filmed in Hell. â€Å"Are you the one I'm supposed to talk to about – about getting some help?† â€Å"Look, I tried to warn you that my brother was going to cause you problems. I sent my agent to help you.† â€Å"Your brother?† â€Å"Coyote is my brother. He didn't tell you?† â€Å"No, he never mentioned a brother. He said I had to find the one that weighs the souls.† The dog man scoffed. â€Å"Well there's the scale. And here I am. Take a wild guess. Go ahead, Einstein, figure it out. I can't believe he didn't mention me.† He sat down, hung his head and began scratching himself behind the ears. â€Å"He's an ingrate.† The monster growled and Sam jumped back. â€Å"That's Ammut,† the dog man said. â€Å"He wants to eat you.† Sam shuddered. â€Å"Maybe later. I'm here to ask a favor.† â€Å"You don't even know who I am, do you? That hurts. You think I don't have feelings?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† Sam said. â€Å"I'm a little preoccupied. I didn't mean to be rude.† Preoccupied? Naked, in a supernatural world, talking to the dog-food god, trying to get back the woman he loved. Excuse my manners, he thought. â€Å"I'm Sam Hunter, and you are?† â€Å"Anubis, son of Osiris. God of the Underworld.† He scratched behind his ears harder and his leg began to bounce with pleasure. â€Å"Osiris? You're Egyptian?† â€Å"My people lived in the Nile Valley, yes.† â€Å"But you said that you were Coyote's brother.† â€Å"He didn't tell you that story either?† Anubis was irritated. â€Å"No, sorry,† Sam said. How could Calliope's life be in the hands of this neurotic canine? He decided to try to placate the god. â€Å"But I'd love to hear it.† Anubis pricked up his long ears. â€Å"It was long ago,† he began. â€Å"And the god Osiris brought to the people of the Nile Valley the knowledge to plant grain, and he brought great floods to nourish the grains. With his queen, Isis, he ruled all of civilization, until his brother Set, the dark one, became jealous and killed Osiris, tearing his body into fourteen pieces and scattering them over the valley. â€Å"But Osiris had consorted with Set's wife, Nephthys, and she gave birth to two dog-headed sons, Anubis and Aputet. When Set found the boys he put them into baskets and set them afloat in the Nile. Later, Isis found Anubis and adopted him. But Aputet floated out to sea and across the ocean to another land in the West.† Here the dog-headed god puffed himself up with pride. â€Å"Anubis was always the one bound to duty, the faithful. He found the pieces of our father and bound them together so that Osiris lived again. For that he was given the job of weighing human souls against truth, and taking people to the Underworld. â€Å"And my brother,† Anubis said, â€Å"grew up in a wild land, with the powers of a god and no sense of duty or justice. All he cares about is the stories people tell about him. And he never remembers his brother, who has saved him so many times. He never visits. You're sure Coyote never told you this?† Sam didn't know what to say. He thought of the Coyote tales he had heard as a child, and how this seemed to fit. â€Å"No, I was told he brought my people the buffalo and taught us how to live off the land.† â€Å"He did those things to serve himself. Without a way to live, how could they tell stories about him? He has used me for years to make his stories. Now he has returned to Earth and used you.† It all fit. â€Å"He fucked up my life and got Calliope killed for the stories.† Sam was trying to control his anger. â€Å"I'm here because he wants people to tell stories about him?† â€Å"He had to or he would end up like me.† Anubis lowered his voice. â€Å"Your people don't have a word in their language for ;computer; or ;VCR; or â€Å"television.† The children are losing the old stories, the stories of hunting buffalo and counting coup. That's not their world. Coyote was afraid he would be forgotten, like me. With the new stories he's real again. You lived the stories that will bring him back. He doesn't care about the people, only that they are talking about him. I tried. I sent my agent to help you.† Sam looked at Anubis. â€Å"The big black guy, Minty? You sent him?† â€Å"He's mine, a dutiful son, but he doesn't know it,† Anubis said. â€Å"I can no longer walk in your world because I am a dead god. I died of change. So I sent the black one to help you. He is mine like you are Aputet's.† â€Å"I'm his? What does that mean?† â€Å"You were born for his stories. To live them, to carry them on.† â€Å"He wants little kids to hear stories about killing innocent women? That's supposed to be good for a people?† â€Å"He doesn't care. As long as the stories are told they will hold his people together. He says people need a good bad example. It gives them pride in doing the right thing. I have always done the right thing and my people are gone because of it, swallowed up by the Christian god.† â€Å"So how does the story end?† Sam asked. â€Å"Can I bring back Calliope? She didn't do anything wrong.† â€Å"I weigh the souls of the dead against truth. If there is balance, then the soul passes on. If not, I feed it to Ammut.† The monster snarled at the mention of his name. â€Å"I'm stuck here doing this tedious work while my brother roams the world having fun. It's not fair.† Sam kept pressing. â€Å"Let me take the girl back. It's not her fault that Coyote is a jerk.† â€Å"No,† Anubis said. â€Å"My brother needs to learn a lesson. He has never had to sacrifice anything.† â€Å"Let her live and I'll tell your story. You'll be remembered again. People will believe.† Sam had to keep pressing. â€Å"Like the other stories?† The god affected a whiny, mocking tone. â€Å"‘Then along came Coyote's brother, who jumped over him four times, and he came back to life. I never even get my name mentioned.† â€Å"Please,† Sam pleaded. Anubis shook his head slowly. â€Å"No. Tell my brother he needs to learn to sacrifice for his people. I have done what I can do.† The jackal-headed god stood and walked off the pedestal into the darkness, the monster at his heels. â€Å"Wait!† Sam started to run after him. The pedestal went dark and he felt the loss of his love even as the ground dropped out from under him. Just before dawn Coyote climbed into the sweat lodge and sat beside Pokey. Sam's body was shaking, his eyes still rolled back in his head. â€Å"Wait!† he screamed. He jerked, as if someone had applied a current to his body, and his eyes rolled down. The door flap of the sweat lodge was thrown open and the first light of dawn was spilling through. â€Å"How's my brother?† Coyote asked. Sam lunged for Coyote's throat. â€Å"You killed her for stories!† Pokey caught him from behind in a bear hug. â€Å"No, Samson.† Pokey struggled to hold Sam. â€Å"You were gone all night. Harlan and his boys left. Someone named Minty Fresh called the house for you. He said to tell you that some bikers are coming here to take the child. He said they would be here about dawn.† CHAPTER 35 Crazy Dogs Wishing to Die The Underworld made Calliope's death real, stripping Sam of the last of his hope, leaving him like a raw, screaming nerve. He ran naked out of the sweat lodge and dove into the cooling fire pit. â€Å"Samson, stop it!† Pokey shouted. Sam grabbed handfuls of ashes and rubbed them on his face and chest, then ran through the yard and into the house, Coyote and Pokey close behind him. They found him in the living room, pulling the buffalo lance off the wall. The women had taken the children and retreated to the bedrooms. Pokey could hear them crying. Coyote grabbed Sam by the shoulder. â€Å"Stop this.† Sam shrieked and swung around with the lance, slashing Coyote across the chest with the long obsidian point. The trickster fell back bleeding. Sam ran out of the house. â€Å"Go get him,† Pokey said to Coyote. Coyote got up and ran out the front door in time to see Sam vaulting the fence into the side field. Sam jumped on the back of a buckskin horse and wrapped a hand in its long mane, then dug his heels in and smacked the lance across its hindquarters. The horse shot forward and over the fence into the road, taking a line of barbed wire out with its front legs. â€Å"Sam, wait!† Coyote shouted. Sam pulled the horse up and looked back at the trickster. Pokey joined Coyote on the porch. â€Å"Samson, don't do this,† Pokey said. â€Å"I'm tired of being afraid, Pokey. This is a good day to die.† Sam slapped the horse's flank with the lance and galloped down the road. â€Å"Get the gate,† Coyote shouted to Pokey. He ran to the field, scooping up a handful of mud from some tire tracks as he ran and rubbing it on his face and chest. He vaulted the fence and the paint horse, spooked by the commotion, ran to the other side of the pasture. â€Å"Come,† Coyote commanded. The paint horse stopped as if it had been jerked back by an invisible rope, then turned and galloped back to the trickster. Coyote calmed it, then climbed the fence and jumped on its back. Pokey swung the gate open and Coyote rode the horse through, up the driveway, and down the road after Sam. Rarely does one encounter a combination of human traits quite so frightening as a psychopath with a purpose. Yet, as dawn broke in Crow Agency, forty examples of that particular perversion cruised, in a double column of Harley-Davidsons, off the ramp from Highway 90, under the overpass by Wiley's Food and Gas, and down the main street of town. Lonnie Ray Inman rode at the head of the column, followed closely by Bonner Newton on one side and Tinker on the other. Behind them were the other members of the Guild's Santa Barbara chapter, and behind them joiners from other Guild chapters who, pumped with the mere idea of self-righteous vengeance, had volunteered to come along. Pulling into town, they were losing some of their resolve, and confused glances passed from one biker to another. They knew they were coming to the Crow reservation to get a kid who had been stolen, but now that they were here, what were they supposed to do? No one was out on the street at this hour to observe their fierce show of unity and force. It was rapidly turing into an unsatisfying experience, especially for those who were not used to wearing shoulder holsters and were a little chafed under the arms. Lonnie slowed the column to a creep as he looked down the side streets of Crow Agency for signs of the orange Z. At the edge of town, near the tobacco shop, he signaled the column to stop. It was obvious they were about to head into open ranchland. The big bikes thundered out iron flatulence as they idled, putting up a din that rattled the windows of Crow Agency. A few lights went on in town; a few faces appeared in windows. Lonnie Ray signaled Bonner to join him for a conference. Bonner Newton was moving to his side when they heard the war cry. Lonnie and Bonner looked down the road to see two men on horses charging them, one waving a spear over his head and screaming. Bonner was the first to recover from the shock and started to draw his pistol when a shot went off to his left and the speedometer on his bike exploded, peppering him with splinters of glass and metal. â€Å"I wouldn't draw that.† The voice came from the rooftops. â€Å"I wouldn't fucking move.† Bonner looked up to see someone holding a scoped hunting rifle on them. The horsemen were still bearing down on them. One of the bikers in the column started to draw and a shot came from the other direction, taking the light off his bike. There was another one on the roof across the street. The bikers looked around. There were four men with scoped high-powered rifles pointing down on them from different rooftops. â€Å"I can take a flea off a gnat's ass at two hundred yards with this,† Harlan shouted over his rifle. â€Å"You let them popguns stay where they are.† Sam screamed again, a long rasping wail. â€Å"He's not fucking stopping,† Tinker said. He drew his Magnum and fired before Harlan put a bullet in his shoulder, spinning him off his bike to the pavement. Coyote grabbed his chest and rolled off his horse, bouncing into the ditch. Seeing that Sam wasn't going to stop, Bonner Newton dropped his bike and dove into the gutter, covering his head. Lonnie watched the crazed horseman, streaked with ashes and sweat, bearing down on him. Sam was only a few yards away, raising his lance for the kill, when Lonnie went for his gun. Sam yanked on the horse's mane, jumping it over the front of the bike. One hoof hit Lonnie in the chest; another took off a piece of his right ear before the horse stumbled into the bikers behind him. Sam rolled free and up to his feet. He ran back to where Lonnie lay and raised the lance above his head as Lonnie's eyes went wide and he screamed. â€Å"Samson!† Harlan shouted. Sam put all his weight behind the lance and came down with it, screaming at the top of his lungs. At the last second he spun the lance and touched Lonnie on the chest with the butt end. â€Å"Go away,† he said. Sam stumbled away and dropped the lance. â€Å"That's it,† Harlan shouted. â€Å"Everybody just turn your bikes around and go back the way you came. We'll drop the first one that looks like he's doing the wrong thing.† The bikers looked around in confusion. Festus, Harry, and Billy Two Irons kept their rifles shouldered and trained on the column. Bonner Newton climbed to his feet. â€Å"Turn around,† he said, waving his hand in the air. He looked at Lonnie. â€Å"See if Tink can ride. Let's get the fuck out of here.† Sam walked back down the road to where Coyote had fallen. The trickster was lying naked in the ditch, covered with mud, his leg bent under him. Blood was coursing from a hole in his chest and he was breathing in short, rattling pants. Sam bent over him and held his head. Coyote's eyes slowly opened. â€Å"That's the last coup,† Coyote said. â€Å"You counted the last coup. It's a new world now.† The trickster coughed; foamy blood covered his lips. Sam had no anger left, no thoughts, no words. A minute passed. He heard someone blowing a car horn somewhere, and Harlan saying, â€Å"Let him through.† Finally Sam said, â€Å"What can I do?† â€Å"Tell the stories,† Coyote said. He closed his eyes and stopped breathing. Sam gently lowered the trickster's head and lay down in the ditch beside him. He heard a car pull up on the road above, but did not look up. A car door, footsteps, and hands under his body, lifting him. He opened his eyes to see a battered black face with golden eyes. â€Å"Are you okay?† Minty Fresh said. Sam didn't answer. He felt himself being put in a car. â€Å"I'll take you home,† Minty said. Sam sat in the limo, the car door open, staring at the dashboard. Someone walked up beside him and said, â€Å"Nice outfit, Hunts Alone.† Sam looked up to see Billy Two Irons standing over him: older, and just as thin, but unmistakably Billy Two Irons. Sam managed a weak smile. â€Å"Your face cleared up.† â€Å"Yeah,† Billy said. â€Å"I got laid, too. Only last week, but who's counting after thirty-five years?† Sam looked forward trying to squint back tears. Billy shuffled a bit with discomfort. â€Å"This guy's going to take you home. I'll stop by when things settle down a little.† Sam nodded. â€Å"It was a good day to die.† â€Å"You're always trying to cheer me up,† Billy said. â€Å"Don't take off again, okay?† He patted Sam's shoulder and opened the back door of the limo for Minty Fresh, who laid Coyote's body on the backseat, then closed the door. Minty closed Sam's door, then went around and got in on the driver's side. He put the key in the ignition and paused. Without looking at Sam he said, â€Å"I'm sorry. Your uncle told me about the girl. They beat on me pretty bad and I told them where you were going. I screwed up. I'm sorry. If I could make it up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sam didn't look up. â€Å"How did you get away?† â€Å"They found my casino ID. I think the rumors about the Mafia running the casinos is what stopped them. They were afraid of retribution. I called the casino and got your office number. Your secretary gave me the number here. I called as soon as I got away.† Sam didn't say anything. Minty started the limo and pulled slowly onto the road, headed out of town to the Hunts Alone place. Sam said, â€Å"What are you going to do with his body?† â€Å"I don't know. I guess it will come to me, like everything else I've done in the last two days.† Sam looked at Minty, and for the first time saw the golden eyes, surrounded with bruises. â€Å"Do you know what's happened here? Do you know what we are?† Minty shook his head, â€Å"What we are? No. I was a trouble-shooter in a casino until yesterday. Now I guess I'm a car thief.† â€Å"You didn't really have any choice. But I think it's over now. You're free now.† â€Å"Sure, throw that responsibility on me,† Minty said. He grinned. Sam reached deep down and found he had a smile left, like the last worm in the bait can. They were approaching the Hunts Alone place. Minty turned into the driveway and stopped. â€Å"Do you need any help?† â€Å"No, I'll be okay,† Sam said automatically, not knowing what he needed. He opened the car door. â€Å"Where will you go?† â€Å"Like I said, I guess it will come to me. Maybe San Diego.† â€Å"You can stay here if you want.† â€Å"No, I don't think so. But thanks. I'm feeling like there's still something I have to do.† â€Å"When it comes to you, remember, the sacred number is four. You jump over the body four times.† â€Å"Am I supposed to know what that means?† â€Å"You will,† Sam said. â€Å"Good luck.† He got out of the car and stood at the end of the driveway watching Minty drive away. What now? He hadn't died, and he didn't have a life to return to. Nothing. Empty. Dead inside. He turned and started toward the house. Cindy and another woman appeared at the door, and waited. From the shocked look on their faces Sam realized how crazed he must look: naked, covered with soot, streaked with sweat and tears. He waved to them and headed around the house to wash himself in the barrel back by the sweat lodge. As he walked by the Airstream he heard the door unlatch and looked up. Calliope stepped out of the trailer. â€Å"Sam?† she said. â€Å"I had the strangest dream.† She looked around the yard, then at the trailer. â€Å"I didn't just land on the Wicked Witch of the East, did I?† Sam closed his eyes and took her in his arms. He held her there for a long time, laughing, then sobbing, then laughing again, feeling as if he had, at last, come home. Crazy Dogs Wishing to Die One day, a long time ago, Coyote was coming along when he saw a cowboy sitting on his horse, rolling a cigarette. Coyote watched the cowboy take a little pouch of tobacco out of his shirt pocket, and then some rolling papers. He poured some tobacco into a paper, then pulled the strings of the pouch tight with his teeth and put it back in his pocket. Then he rolled up the paper, licked it, and stuck the cigarette in his mouth. He lit it with a match. Coyote had smoked a pipe many times, but he had never seen anything quite so wonderful as rolling a cigarette. â€Å"I want to do that,† Coyote said. â€Å"Let me do that.† â€Å"You can't,† the cowboy said. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"You ain't got a shirt, so you ain't got a shirt pocket for your tobacco pouch.† Coyote didn't wear a shirt in those days. He looked at his bare chest, then at the cowboy's shirt. â€Å"I can make a pocket in my chest.† â€Å"Well, why don't you do that.† The cowboy unfolded his pocketknife and handed it to Coyote. Coyote looked one more time at the cowboy's pocket, to get the size right, then he made a deep cut in his chest. He looked a little surprised, then he fell over dead. The cowboy got back his pocketknife and rode off. A little while later, Coyote's brother came along and saw the trickster lying dead on the ground. He jumped over Coyote's body four times and Coyote sprang up, good as new. â€Å"You did it again,† Coyote's brother said. â€Å"I really wanted to roll a cigarette like the cowboy.† Coyote's brother shook his head. He said, â€Å"If you're going to live around these white folks, Coyote, you got to learn. Just because you want something, it don't mean that it's good for you.† â€Å"I knew that,† Coyote said. CHAPTER 36 There Ain't No Cure for Coyote Blue There is a saying that goes back to the buffalo days: there are no orphans among the Crow. Even today, if someone stays for a time on the reservation, he will be adopted by a Crow family, regardless of his race. The idea of a person without family makes the Crow uncomfortable. So when Samuel Hunter became, once again, Samson Hunts Alone, he found that there was family waiting for him, as well as his new white wife and her son. Pokey said, â€Å"There ain't near enough blond Indians, if you ask me.† And even as he left his old name behind with his old life, Sam maintained his shape-shifter ways, putting on each face as it was needed. Sometimes he was quick and clever, and other times he was simple, when simple served his purpose. When he spoke for the Crow to the government he wore traditional tribal dress and an eagle feather in his hair. But when he reported to his own people he dug out one of his Armani suits and the Rolex (that had long since stopped running), because that is what they needed to see. He was given the honor of pouring for the sweat, and the responsibility to carry on the old ways, and he programmed a computer to speak Crow, and using it, at the age of eighty, Pokey Medicine Wing learned to speak his own language. And Sam put on many faces when he told the stories. When he told the old stories, of how Old Man Coyote made the world, of how he got his power to change shapes, of Cottontail and Raven and the other animal people, Sam was like the trickster himself, grinning and laughing, making rude noises, his golden eyes shining like fire. When he told the new stories – of the Crow man who had forgotten who he was, of a Japanese businessman who saved the life of an old shaman, of a black man who helped rescue a white child from the enemy, of all the tricks and machines that Coyote used to bring the Crow man home, and of the last coup – his voice took on a melancholy sweetness and his eyes went wide and bright, as if life itself was a delightful surprise. And when he told the story of the journey into the Underworld, of how Coyote's brother let Calliope live again because the trickster gave his own life, Sam became grave and dark, and those who doubted were quickly convinced when they saw the scar on Calliope's back from the bullet that had killed her. But even as Sam put on these faces and wore these personalities, he knew exactly who he was. He was happy. After a while Calliope became pregnant and Sam's peace was again thrown out of balance. He was jumpy and nervous until the day the little girl was born and he saw that she had Calliope's deep brown eyes, not the golden eyes of a trickster. And meanwhile, as Grubb grew, he found that he could frighten his adopted father by hiding and making the sound of a coyote howling, and for this he suffered long lectures from his old Uncle Pokey about respecting his elders. When Grubb was nine, in the time of the new grass, Sam took him to the great medicine wheel for his first fast. During the ride, in Pokey's ancient pickup truck, Sam instructed Grubb on how to enter the Spirit World and prepared him for what to expect there. â€Å"And one last thing,† Sam said as he left the boy on the mountain. â€Å"If a fat guy in a big blue car comes along and offers you a ride, don't get in.† What Grubb saw on his vision, and what happened when he grew up, is a story for another time. But it should be noted here that over the years, as he grew into manhood, his eyes faded gradually from dark brown to a bright, shining gold. â€Å"Coyote medicine will do them white folks some good,† Pokey said with a grin. END