Concert reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Concert reflection - Essay Example The music texture is a combination of homophony and polyphony. The use of imitation is also dominant in the concert. The organizing principle of the music is based on contrast and variations. It has a clear flow of ternary form. The music has a slow speed with uneven spacing. Its dynamics is characterized with softness with a piano play. The concert has a wide voice range. It has a combination of soprano, alto, and tenor. The musical instrument families associated with the concerts include Keyboard instruments, chordophones, and brass. The type of singing group in the concert is known as choral groups. This is evident in acappella singing that features in the performance when all voices sing at the same time. It has a clear Chamber music ensemble as revealed by the pattern used. The singers occasionally remain silence while a single singer sings in certain parts. This was a duet performance in Philadelphia by a great artist known as Pink. Her music is known to follow the romanesca melodic formula. This performance is done at times while seated or standing and has a number of accompaniments which may be limited to the mood of the song. The mood of the song is determined by the message in the song. The rhythm is slow and organized in the basic meters. In has much syncopation in almost all the lines of the music. The music is based on major scale. â€Å"The melody is derived from the singer’s vocal tone that aligns well with the instrumentalist.†(O’toole 123) The vertical events sound in line with the music providing good harmony. Being a western music in the present generation, it borrows much from the lineage having major scale. The concert had a high central tone that could ignite the audience. The music had a dissonance musical space. The texture of her this concert is known to be monophony. It has some sections that take the imitation texture. The music form of the concert is has basic elements of contrast and repetition. This form of music

Phd research propsal - Impact of Diabetes among the Lebanese Community Essay

Phd research propsal - Impact of Diabetes among the Lebanese Community in Sydney - Essay Example The potential research questions for this study include; According to a study conducted by World Health Organization (WHO)1, the number of people with diabetes is sharply on the rise in recent years. This study found out that in the year 2000 the number of people affected with the disease was about 171 million worldwide. But more alarming is the projection for the year 2030, if we continue to adopt the existing lifestyle. It has been projected that by 2030 this figure might reach a whopping 366 million. Though, India and China top the list of countries with maximum number of diabetes cases, the share of developing nations is certainly on the rise in the coming years. The increasing cases of diabetes amongst Lebanese people too are a cause of worry. Kristensen et al. (2007) find out that Lebanese population too has a high prevalence of diabetes, and their cultural and belief systems about healthcare worsen the situation of glycaemic regulation. Sydney is host to a large number of Lebanese people, who have been there in search for better job opportunities and better living standards. Now the pertinent question is why to have a focus on the Lebanese population in Sydney. Well, the foremost reason is - to have a focused approach while conducting the research study. In addition, a number of other reasons makes it an interesting topic. Bautista & Engler (2005) state that the Lebanese population in Sydney tends not to have any acculturation to the native Australian culture. There are many studies indicating increased prevalence of diabetes mellitus in these families. These have been ascribed to hereditary factors, food habits, prevalence of metabolic syndrome, and increased consanguinity over many generations (Abou-Daoud, 1969). Acculturation is a social phenomenon where family values tend to play important roles, and social and cultural factors related to the immigrant race determine the patterns of acceptance or resistance of newer cultural

British Petroleum (BP) Strategic Change Management

British Petroleum (BP) Strategic Change Management BP is most widely associated with its fuel stations and forecourt retail operations; it also has a wide range of activities. The exploration of oils, gas, extraction, transportation, and the processing and selling of fuels. Bp has developed a low carbon energy strategy such as wind farms and solar power. BP operates the Wild Bean Cafà © brand in the UK, Europe, South Africa and Australia. The convenience store brand is also in the US. However, Wild Bean Cafà ©s are focused on quality food and coffee, having a strategy of differentiation from competitors offering poorer quality Refreshments. 1.1.1. Companys Mission The company aims to be competitive on the low pricing of its fuels, and this is evident on garage forecourts where drops in oil prices have been passed on to their consumers more rapidly than some of its competitors. In all BPs activities they seek to display some unchanging fundamental qualities, integrity, honesty, honest dealing treating everyone with respect and dignity, striving for mutual advantage and contributing to human progress. The group aims To have the best competitive corporate, operating and financial performance. To improve and to be accessible, inclusive and diverse. To engage the creative talents of their employees, and develop and apply leading Cost- effective technology and intellectual creative to enhance innovation and new ideas. To carry on its business in an environmentally responsible manner, and develop cleaner energy and renewable energy sources. The group is committed to the responsible treatment of the planets resources and to the development of sources of lower- carbon energy. BP expresses that their group value fewer than four headings Performance People and capability Health, safety and environment External relationships GROUP VALUE PERFORMANCE Compliance with the law and ethics > to comply with all applicable laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the group operates. All BP employees will be required to comply with the code of conduct, which prohibits illegal, corrupt or unethical practices and high standards of decency. Continuous improvement > improve continuously in pursuit of the group values by setting targets and through encouragement of our employees. Internal targets > to establish realistic and reasonable targets in the group plan. Any Progress against targets will be reported internally and analysed transparently and in a timely manner so that progress and variations can be understood voluntarily. PEOPLE AND CAPABILITY Human capability and technology > to nurture human capability and ensure that the right technology, skills, behaviours and intellectual property are available for the pursuit of the broad goals. 1.1.2. Challenges BP is currently underperforming due to TNK BP in Russia is currently experiencing power struggles between British executives running it and Russian billionaire shareholders Its safety record has been questioned The company has experienced an explosion at the Buncefield in 2005 which killed 15workers and the spill in the United States of America which caused pollution. The company has also lost consumer confidence. Financial problems Bp also has been responsible for the spill in the Gulf of Mexico (Online). TASK 1 Understand issues relating to strategic change in an organisation The importance of strategic change management in any organisation cannot be overemphasised. Change management has increasingly become a necessary business concept among business firms especially in the wake of the recent dynamic global business environment. Strategy is the direction and the scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations. Strategic change management is a systematic approach to dealing with change, both from the perspective of an organisation and on the individual level including adapting to change, controlling change, and effective change. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE GURUS Julia Bologun (2001) describes strategic change as Arising from management trends such as culture change, business process swings, empowerment and total quality. Other change initiatives are driven by the need for organisations to reposition themselves in the wake of changing competitive business conditions. Strategic change is context specific in any organisation and the way it is managed has no simple formula or universally agreed framework that will work in all cases (Bologun, 2001). Organisations have different challenges and issues that affect them and when the change process is deemed necessary to undertake, the roadmap is always different per case study. Different theorists have made attempts by giving and emphasised that strategy must be context sensitive. The culture web framework is introduced as a means of addressing the softer issues, which is a critical first step, as barriers to change must be identified. The strategy kaleidoscope will help managers to understand the change context and plan for transition. According to Gray Hampel his refered strategies as Strategic decay the notion that the value of all strategies, no matter how brilliant decays overtime. (Gray Hampel 2000) Abell.D also came up with his own understanding of strategy as Strategic windows and stressed the importance of the timing both entrance and exit of any given strategy (Abell .D 1978). Henry Mintzberg looked at the changing world around him and concluded that there are five types of strategies (Henry Mintzberg 1988) Strategy as plan Strategy as ploy Strategy as pattern Strategy as position Strategy as perspective The entire three theorists were talking about the equivalent things to which I do agree with. For an organisation such as BP to prevail in this ever changing market their strategies have to change and not stick to the same strategy for too long because it wont be as effective as it was, timing is of importance to an organisation, where and planning, of the strategy is vital. AC2.1 Examine the need for strategic change in BP All organisations are currently undergoing some type of change. Many of the organisation change programmes arising from management fads such as customs change, business process engineering, empowerment and total quality, branding, reputation. For instance BP had the need to change because of its Experience of controversies regarding business practices, environmental damage, and hazards to workers. Other large energy companies have come under fire for releasing huge amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. For some time, BP is trying to turn a new leaf in its history book toward a more environmentally-friendly future through investments in renewable energy and a support of ethics and compliance initiatives. British Petroleum changed its name to BP and then tried to rebrand itself as Beyond Petroleum. As an organisation its important to change with time and surroundings. There is need for change because of the external and internal developments and internal factors. These factors bring attention to the organisation to formulate and implement strategies to survive in the competitive market. There is need for strategic change because it  is also necessary in order to gain competitive advantage  enables the organisation to be focused  also enables adaptability BP has been able to enjoy a large market share and gain competitive advantage over its competitors because of accepting to change with its surroundings and by learning what its customers need and want from them as a company. Change has also enabled Bp to adapt in any environment; For example the company has gone green to protect the environment and have become the big campaigners for going green and change has also enabled the organisation to be focused on what is important to their stakeholders. AC2.2 Assess the factors that are driving the driving the need for strategic change According to Johnson, Scholes, Whittington (2006) the major influence of change in organisations is categorised as six factors namely Political, Economic, Social, Technology, Environment, and Legal otherwise known as the PESTEL framework P- POLITICAL: Government stability, Taxation policy, foreign trade regulations and the social welfare policies. E-ECONOMIC: Business cycles, GNP trends, interest rates, Money supply, inflation, unemployment, and disposable income. S-SOCIO-CULTURAL: Analyzing the population demographics, income mobility, life style changes, Attitudes to work and leisure, Consumerism, levels of education. T-TECHNOLOGY: Has unleashed a process that has been called perennial gale of creative destruction.Technological change can make established products obsolete overnight and simultaneously create host new product possibilities. Thus technological change is both creative and destructive both an opportunity and a threat. E-ENVIRONMENT: specifically stands for green issues, such as pollution and waste. L-LEGAL: embraces legislative constraints or changes, such as health and safety legislation or restrictions on company mergers and acquisitions. INTERNAL The employment of a new leader. Benchmarking exercise against external organisation Senior management dissatisfaction with the status equo Employee -Management conflict. Bp has been affected by the political and the environmental aspect. It had a spill in the USA which had an intervention of the politicians. The organisation had to respond to the demands and controversy from the media, consumer and politicians of the state by changing alot of its strategies in place. BP agreed to the demands of the politicians (foreign trade regulations and social welfare policies) to compensate the residents affected by the spillage. All these problems needed Bp to change its strategies. The world is advancing in technology and for it to compete in the ever changing business world, Bp has to be ready to change and adapt to those changes. The organisation has come up with programs that can help its staff to have knowledge of the new and advancing technology; For instance they needed to improve on the machinery that they use to drill. Bp has advanced in technology by using sophisticated technologies and tried- and true techniques to be able to find oil and gas. The company also incurred a loss when they lost alot of oil in the spillage which affected their financial situation. The spillage affected their market share by its price dropping in the global market; the other factor which affected Bp was the environmental factor. The spillage polluted the water and hence affecting the residents livelihood and it also affected the wildlife. BP had to come up with a strategy to stop the spillage which resulted to large sums of money being spent. Bp has changed and responded to change by striving to secure and make sure that it isnt affecting the environment since they are big campaigners of climate change and going green. In the case of BP, management was dissatisfied with the way Tony Hayward Group Chief Executive handled the Mexico oil spillage. Tony Hayward resigned and this called for replacement of new management. A.C2.3 Assess the resource implications of the organisation not responding to change There are severe resource implications to an organisation such as BP for not responding to strategic change. The response should be implemented at the right time and BPs call to sort out the spillage needed a response at the time; had they not responded and acted as efficient as possible their reputation would have been damaged further. If BP as an organisation does not respond to change, this will affect its entire resources adversely. Human resources normally includes the Restructuring Redundancies Interviewing Hiring Training Layoffs Physical resources mainly affect the non-current assets of an organisation such as Equipment Vehicles buildings reputation Financial resources have an impact and it may also have a huge one on the Costs of training Redundancy costs Relocation costs New building Refurbishments of existing buildings For BP to manage the changes effectively, Human Resource has to implement strategies that would enhance change: Training is a vital aspect of human resource and ensuring that its members of staff and employees are well trained. The organisation bought together a project team to develop Andrew oilfield, located in the North Sea. Since discovery about 20 years earlier, attempts had been made to develop the field, but each conceptual plan floundered and Andrew had gained a reputation as being too difficult to achieve economic sanction. Bp brought in consultants who coached Bp engineers and contractors in ways of working together and think out of the box to solve Andrews technical and economic problems Interviewing is paramount for the succession of Bps organisational aims and objectives. Bp has to have the right employees in place so as to be able to compete with its competitors in the ever changing environment A.C 3.1 DEVELOPING SYSTEMS TO INVOVLE STAKEHOLDERS IN BP Stakeholder is a person, group, or organisation that has direct or indirect stake in an organisation because it can affect or be affected by the organisations actions, objectives and policies. Stakeholders in every organisation play a very important role in day to day running of an organisation. It is vital to develop a system that involves stakeholders in the planning of change. The systems need to be appropriate, applicable and workable in the organisation chosen. Most importantly concentration must be devoted to the most influential stakeholder. Stakeholders include Government, suppliers, competitors, owners, customers, unions and these can be internal stakeholders or external stakeholders. Its important for Bp to have knowledge of its business surroundings for them to identify market segments to fulfil customer need. The expectations of BP will certainly be an increase in profit maximisation, growth in market share, capital investment, high product quality and high quality performance. Systems to involve stakeholders A system is a structured collection of parts that are highly incorporated to accomplish an overall goal. The system has various inputs, which go through certain processes to generate certain outputs, which collectively, accomplish the overall required goal for the system. So a system usually brings in stakeholders to perform in different aspects to achieve organisational objectives. (Online) Configuration system An organisations configuration consists of the structure, processes and relationships in the course of which the organisation operates. The reason for configuring challenges is vital to organisational success. Functional structure- Once an organisation grows beyond a very basic level of size and complexity, it has to start dividing responsibilities. This system is based on the primary activities that have to be undertaken by an organisation such as production, finance and accounting, marketing, human resource and research and development. Convergence system- This is where previously separate industries begin to overlap in terms of activities, technologies, products and customers. (G. Johnson et al 2008) A.C3.2 Develop a change management strategy with stakeholders Management strategy is an arrangement to manage stakeholders according to the level of power and level of interest. It is a key concept for business to survive /grow by responding to any environmental changes. A strategy is the direction and scale of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment throughout its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of satisfying stakeholder expectations. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS (MAPPING) Stakeholder analysis helps an organisation to define whom to try to involve when designing a process of change. It also helps to determine in which way and how to include the stakeholder in the organisation. The process allows the organisation to find out whose information needs should be considered. A KEY PLAYERS Involve them Increase effort and level of interest B KEEP INFORMED Engage and update Involve C KEEP SATISFIED Lest important Communication and update D MINIMAL EFFORT Participate Increase level of interest The stakeholder analysis has two axis and four quadrants: The x axis represents influence The y axis denotes power The quadrants are: HH high high HL high low LH and LL low high and low low High power, interested people these are the people you must fully keep and make the greatest efforts to satisfy. High power, less interested people: put enough work in with people to keep them satisfied, but not so much that they become uninterested with the message. Low power, less interested people keep these people adequately informed, and talk to them to ensure that no major issues are arising. These people can often be very helpful with the detail of your project. Low power, less interested people: again, monitor these people, but do not turn them off with undue communication For the analysis to be effective the following should be carried out: Their interests, values, and concerns What sources of stakeholder power What claims they might make on the organisation Who the most important stakeholders are from the organisations perspective Map the relationship between them Identify the resultant strategic challenges A.C3.3 Evaluate the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change Six steps need to be taken into consideration so as to involve stakeholders in the planning of change: Indentify: who the stakeholders are (government, customers, investors, suppliers) Prioritise: Stakeholders will have varying degrees of power, influence and interest in planning. Its important to identify, prioritise and understand the impact they will have on the decisions made. Map their profiles: This will show their different responsibility and who will have greater influence on the stakeholders. Develop an engagement strategy: one way of engaging with the stakeholder is by using a stakeholder light traffic strategy. Using the traffic light image is a useful way to flag up what strategy is appropriate with the different relationships in place at any given time. Optimise their support to make good of the support they are giving you in the planning of change. This is by ensuring that you keep those stakeholders satisfied. Monitor changes to ensure that any changes are put across to those stakeholders. Its important to give frequent updates. BP stakeholders can be involved through meetings such as the Annual general meetings where all aspects of the company are discussed with members of the BP board and Carl- Henric Syanberg as chairman. The chairman informs other stakeholders on the different plans and issues that were discussed by board and what projects they were ready to take as an organisation as an organisation. Change in Bp happens all the time and I think that out of the four systems I have picked the stakeholder analysis because it is effective and it gets involves all stakeholders and Bp is able to operate for the best intentions of its stakeholders. A.C3.4 Create a strategy for managing resistance to change In every company there are forces involved when a company decides to adopt new strategies. There are resistive and driving forces. In this case the resistive forces are those that dont want to accept any kind of change brought about in the company and sometimes there those who are in the favour of change. Its important to put in place strategies of how to manage any resistance going on in the organisation INDIVIDUAL RESISTANCE Individually, people may resist, although this is generally limited to the extent of their personal power. For those with lower power, this may include passive refusals and covert action. For those with more power, it can include open challenge and criticism. COLLECTIVE RESISTANCE When people find a common voice in organized resistance, and then their words and actions can create a significant threat to the change, even though they are individually less powerful. An organised resistance is usually a sign of a deep divide. People will not go to the bother of organizing unless they have serious issues with the change. PASSIVE RESISTANCE Passive resistance occurs where people do not take specific actions. At meetings, they will sit quietly and may appear to agree with the change. They may agree and then do nothing to fulfil their commitments. ACTIVE RESISTANCE- Occurs where people are taking specific and deliberate action to resist the change. It may be overt, with such public statements and acts of resistance, and it may be covert, such as mobilizing others to create an underground resistance movement. 1-Participation and involvement: Is a strategy which is used when dealing with key stakeholders of the organisation. Participation and involvement is usually adopted when the key stakeholders are neither keen nor interested in company matters and every time the company tries to adopt change for the benefit of the company they resist that change. Using such a strategy can be very helpful to achieve the objectives and on the other hand it is time consuming for the company. 2-Education and communication: Is a strategy which is applied when stakeholders are not aware of benefit of the strategy. Its important to educate and communicate with the stakeholders so as to get them to understand the reason for the change. The major advantage of the strategy is that the stakeholders will cooperate productively and positively. Using this strategy can be time consuming and costly too. 3-Negotiation and compromise: The strategy of negotiation and compromise take place when there is a group division. By this strategy a company convince the both groups at working together for the benefit of company. Its also promotes unity which is very good for a company. It is cost effective. The current situation for Bp Company is not good because there is division of groups. This groups are the Russian shareholder and the British shareholder. This means that there can be experiences of groups opposing each others opinions hence bringing about resistance for change. In my opinion if BP as a Company has to sustain their rank in international market then they should work together and be united as an organization. Stakeholders should be ready compromise for the benefit of the company. TASK2 AC 1.1 Discuss models of strategic changes There are many theories about how to accomplish change. Many begin with leadership and change management guru, John Kotter. A professor at Harvard Business School and world-renowned change expert, Kotter introduced eight-step change process.(Lecture Notes) Step One: Create Urgency For change to happen, it helps if the whole company really wants it. Develop a sense of urgency around the need for change. This may help you spark the initial motivation to get things moving. This isnt simply a matter of showing people poor sales statistics or talking about increased competition. Open an honest and convincing dialogue about whats happening in the marketplace and with your competition. If many people start talking about the change you propose, the urgency can build and feed on itself. Step Two: Form a Powerful Coalition Convince people that change is necessary. This often takes strong leadership and visible support from key people within your organization. Managing change isnt enough you have to lead it. Step Three: Create a Vision for Change When you first start thinking about change, there will probably be many great ideas and solutions floating around. Link these concepts to an overall vision that people can grasp easily and remember Step Four: Communicate the Vision What you do with your vision after you create it will determine your success. Your message will probably have strong competition from other day-to-day communications within the company, so you need to communicate it frequently and powerfully, and embed it within everything that you do. Step Five: Remove Obstacles If you follow these steps and reach this point in the change process, youve been talking about your vision and building buy-in from all levels of the organization. Hopefully, your staff wants to get busy and achieve the benefits that youve been promoting. Six: Create Short-term Wins Nothing motivates more than success. Give your company a taste of victory early in the change process. Within a short time frame (this could be a month or a year, depending on the type of change), youll want to have results that your staff can see. Without this, critics and negative thinkers might hurt your progress. Step seven Build on the Change Kotter argues that many change projects fail because victory is declared too early. Real change runs deep. Quick wins are only the beginning of what needs to be done to achieve long-term change. Step Eight: Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture the market Finally, to make any change stick, it should become part of the core of your organization. Your corporate culture often determines what gets done, so the values behind your vision must show in day-to-day work. (Lecture class) Models of Strategic Change Lewins Change Management Model was developed in the 1950s by a psychologist named Kurt Lewin (Syque, 2007). According to Lewin for change to occur in an organisation he looked at three stages, which are still widely used today: unfreeze, transition, and refreeze. Unfreeze Most people tend to stay within certain comfortable zones and are usually hesitant of change. Employees tend to become comfortable in this unchanging environment and become uncomfortable when any change occurs, even if it is not a major one. To overcome this frozen state, we must initiate an unfreeze period, which is done through motivation. Motivation is important in any organisation, even when it is not changing. Transition -This period is when the change is occurring, which is a voyage and not a step. The transition period takes time because employees dislike change. This is when leadership transition period is good for the company as well as the employees. Refreeze At the end of the transitional voyage, comes the next stage refreeze. At this stage its where the company once again becomes stable. BP has encountered several problems but they have been able to change with its challenging and demanding surroundings. BP as a company has changed its strategies for it to survive in this competitive business world. As an organisation there has been need for change and it has improvised strategies, so as to adapt to this ever changing world AC1.2 Evaluate the relevance of models of strategic change to BP in the current economy All organisations are currently undergoing some type of change. Many of the organisation change programmes arising from management fads such as customs change, business process engineering, empowerment and total quality, branding, reputation. For instance BP had the need to change because of its Experience of controversies regarding business practices, environmental damage, and hazards to workers. Other large energy companies have come under fire for releasing huge amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. For some time, BP is trying to turn a new leaf in its history book toward a more environmentally-friendly future through investments in renewable energy and a support of ethics and compliance initiatives. British Petroleum changed its name to BP and then tried to rebrand itself as Beyond Petroleum. The different models of strategic change are of relevance in the current economy because the group will be able to compete with other oil companies such as Shell strategically. These models assist on the sustainability of the group, the growth of the group and the market share by using the different models. AC1.3 Assess the value of using strategic intervention techniques in organisations Contingency Theory There are many forms of contingency theory. Contingency theories are a class of behavioural theory that challenge that there is no one best way of organising or leading and that an organisational or leadership style that is efficient in some situations may not be successful in others (Fiedler, 1964). In other words: The most favourable organisation or leadership style is dependent upon various internal and external constraints. There are also contingency theories that relate to decision making (Vroom and Yetton, 1973). The effectiveness of a decision process depends upon a number of aspects of the situation such as the importance of the decision quality and acceptance; the amount of appropriate information possessed by the leader and subordinate and the likelihood that subordinates will accept an autocratic decision or assist in trying to make a good decision if allowed to participate; the amount of disagreement among subordinates with respect to their preferred alternatives. Kurt Lewin and his colleagues did different leadership decision research in 1939 and acknowledged that there were three different styles of leadership, particularly about decision-making. Participative Style A leader who involves others in decision-making improves the perceptive of the issues involved by those who must carry out the decisions. Individuals are more committed to actions where they have been involved in the relevant decision-making. A leader will find that people are less competitive and more collaborative when they are working on united goals. When people make decisions jointly, the social commitment to one another is greater and that increases their commitment to the decision. Several people deciding collectively make better decisions than one person alone. Autocratic In this case the leader takes decisions without consulting with others. A leader makes a decision without any form of consultation. In Lewins research he found that he this type of style caused the most level of discontent. An autocratic style works when there is no requirement for any input on the decision, In style it means that the decision would not change as a result of input, and where the driving force of people to carry out subsequent actions would not be affected whether they were or were not involved in the decision-making. Management Intervention There are always teams in organisations that are there and the possibility of getting different results. No matter how dedicated a team is there will be tim

Homestead Act Essay example -- essays research papers fc

I THESIS STATEMENT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Homestead Act of 1862 made surveyed lands obtainable to homesteaders. The act stated that men and women over the age of 21, unmarried women who were head of households and married men under the age of 21, who did not own over 160 acres of land anywhere, were citizens or intended on becoming citizens of the United States, were eligible to homestead. This paper will show how the Homestead Act came to be enacted, who the homesteaders were and the effects of the Homestead Act on the pioneers. II WHAT EVENTS LEAD TO THE HOMESTEAD ACT? The distribution of Government lands had been an issue since the Revolutionary War. Early methods for allocating unsettled land outside the original 13 colonies were chaotic. Boundaries were established by stepping off plots from geographical landmarks. As a result, overlapping claims and border disputes were common. The Land Ordinance of 1785 finally implemented a standardized system of Federal land surveys that eased boundary conflicts. Territories were divided into a 6-mile square called a township prior to settlement. The township was divided into 36 sections, each measuring 1 square mile or 640 acres each. Sale of public land was viewed as a means to generate revenue for the Government rather than as a way to encourage settlement. Initially, an individual was required to purchase a full section of land at the cost of $1 per acre for 640 acres. The investment needed to purchase these large plots and the massive amount of physical labor required to clear the land for agriculture w ere often insurmountable obstacles. According to all available indexes of growth, the United States grew enormously between 1840 and 1860. The continental limits of the nation were reached, with the exception of Alaska, by 1854 through the acquisition of the Mexican Cession territory and the Gadsden Purchase. The population continued its upward spiral, moving from slightly over seventeen million in 1840 to over thirty-eight million in 1860. New canals, steamboats, turnpikes, and railroads knit the nation together into an integrated economic unit. Hundred of thousands of people crossed the Atlantic to take up residence in the dynamic nation, while other hundreds of thousands moved into the Western regions of the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legislative efforts to improve homest... ..., September 8). New Homestead Act would help rural America. Grand Forks Herald. Potter, L. A. (1999). The Homestead Act of 1862. Cobblestone, 20(2), 4. Red River Valley Genealogical Society (n.d.). Time passages, genealogy of the Dakotas. Retrieved from, Web site: http://www.fargodigital.com Schaetzl, R. J. (n.d.). Settlement of the new frontier: The Homestead Act of 1862. Retrieved from Michigan State University, GEO333: Geography of Michigan and the Great Lakes Region Web site: http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/ South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development (n.d.). Prairie Pioneers. Retrieved from South Dakota Department of Tourism Media, Web site: http://www.mediasd.com/ facts/pioneers.asp US Department of Education ERIC (2003, January 14). The Homestead Act of 1862. Retrieved from US National Archives & Records Administration Web site: http://www.archives.gov/ digital_classroom/lessons/homestead_act_1862/homestead_act.html U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (1995, 1998). Homestead Act (1862). Retrieved from Teaching with Documents: Using Primary Sources From the National Archives Web site: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=31

Chapter Review Questions

There are several different meanings to Web server. There is e-mail server. E-mail server handles incoming and outgoing e-mail and manages e-mail activity. Another type of Web server Is database server. The server computer on which database management software runs is database server. The computer in which a company runs its accounting and inventory software is called transaction server. These are all different types of computer hardware and software that may be found In electronic commerce operations.Our company utilizes each different Web server names mentioned above. If the company computers are down we contact our IT Department so they can analyze what part of the server has failed. 6. The difference between client-level and server-level e-mail filtering is basically one Is managed on an Individual users' computer and one Is managed on a mall server of a company and/or an individual's computer. Spam can get through one filter but be trapped by another filter even though both cli ent-level and server-level are utilized. Both filtering systems Identify black lists and white lists. Which are common basic content-filtering techniques.A black list spam filter can be implemented at the individual, organization, or ISP level. Some companies review a black list, such as Spam and Open Relay Blocking System to Identify spammed. However. The black list spammed change their e-mail servers, making it difficult for businesses to keep up. The white list spam filter is examined by From addresses and compares them too list of known sender addresses. This filter Is usually applied at the Individual user level. The drawback of using this filer is that sometimes it will not recognize an address ND will reject the email or place in a separate folder to review at a later time.Our company utilizes both client-level and server-level e-mail filtering to protect proprietary information. Exercise 1. ALEX – Phonologic Exchange is a company that supports Apache Web server softwa re. The company will provide technical support and has a support team that will provide: Research and Recommendations, Configure and usage, and Troubleshooting and bugs. Phonologic gives you one number to call for all your support needs. The company will automatically give you 2417 product support hotlist and developer support. You can customize the services you need with Penology.The company allows for you to customize your support needs by offering different packages: Silver, Gold & Platinum. The company will give you support whether the problem originated or as a result of complex Interactions between software. As well the company has front line support experts on Apache Web Server to answer questions and pinpoint the source of the problem. ALEX also offers Apache toy 2 to assist you. IBM Support for Apache Greenroom is another company that offers support. IBM offers expert technical support from the Apache Software Foundation.The companies key benefits include: Multiple Support Options, You can choose from entry or enhanced support, Direct Leakage to the Apache community, thus ensuring that IBM will contribute all bug fixes and ensure new features are added, and offer value-added products. The IBM site lists the system requirements should you choose to use their product. If you choose to purchase the entry level support the cost is $1,090 for 12 months of support. The IBM site is very basic and doesn't give a great deal of product information for Apache. However, the site does cross sell other products and services that IBM offers.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 29~31

29 Safe in the Hands of Medicine â€Å"How are you feeling today?† Sebastian Curtis pulled the sheet down to Tuck's knees and lifted the pilot's hospital gown. Tucker flinched when the doctor touched the catheter. â€Å"Better,† Tuck said. â€Å"That thing is itching, though.† â€Å"It's healing.† The doctor palpated the lymph nodes in Tucker's crotch. His hands were cold and Tuck shivered at the touch. â€Å"The infection is subsiding. This happened to you in the plane crash?† â€Å"I fell back on some levers while I was trying to get a passenger out of the plane.† â€Å"The hooker?† The doctor didn't look up from his work. Tuck wanted to throw the sheets over his head and hide. Instead, he said, â€Å"I don't suppose it would make a difference if I said I didn't know she was a hooker.† Sebastian Curtis looked up and smiled; his eyes were light gray flecked with orange. With his gray hair and tropical tan, he could have been a re-tired general, Rommel maybe. â€Å"I'm not really concerned with what the woman was doing there. What does concern me is that you had been drinking. We can't have that here, Mr. Case. You may have to fly on a moment's notice, so you won't be able to drink or indulge in any other chemical diversions. I assume that won't pose a problem.† â€Å"No. None,† Tuck said, but he felt like he'd been hit with a bag of sand. He'd been craving a drink since he'd regained consciousness. â€Å"By the way, Doc, since we're going to be doing business together, maybe you should call me Tucker.† â€Å"Tucker it is,† Curtis said. â€Å"And you can call me Dr. Curtis.† He smiled again. â€Å"Swell. And your wife's name is?† â€Å"Mrs. Curtis.† â€Å"Of course.† The doctor finished his examination and pulled the sheet back up to Tuck's waist. â€Å"You should be on your feet in a few days. We'll move you to your bungalow this afternoon. I think you'll find everything you need there, but if you do need anything, please let us know.† A gin and tonic, Tuck thought. â€Å"I'd like to find out what happened to the guy who was piloting my boat.† â€Å"As I told you, the islanders found you and a few pieces of your boat.† There was a finality in his voice that made it clear that he didn't want to talk about Kimi or the boat. Tuck pressed on. Respect for authority had never been his long suit. â€Å"I guess I'll ask around when I get out of here. Maybe he washed up on a different part of the island. I remember being hung in a tree with him by an old cannibal.† Tuck saw a frown cross the doctor's face like a fleeting shadow, then the professional smile was back. â€Å"Mr. Case, there haven't been any cannibals in these islands for a hundred years. Besides, I will have to ask you to stay inside the compound while you are here. You'll have access to beaches and there's plenty of room to roam, but you won't be having any contact with the islanders.† â€Å"Why, I mean if they saved me?† â€Å"The Shark People have a very closed society. We try not to intrude on that any more than is necessary for us to do our work.† â€Å"The Shark People? Why the Shark People?† â€Å"I'll explain it all to you when you are feeling better. Right now you need to rest.† The doctor took a syringe from a metal drawer by the wall and filled it from a vial of clear fluid, then injected it into Tuck's IV. â€Å"When do you think you'll be ready to fly?† Tuck felt as if a veil of gauze had been thrown over his mind. Everything in the room went soft and fuzzy. â€Å"Not real soon if you keep giving me that stuff. Wow, what was that? Hey, you're a doctor. Do you think we taste like Spam?† He was going to ask another question, but somehow it didn't seem to matter anymore. The Sorcerer stormed into the Sky Priestess's bungalow, stripped off his lab coat, and threw it into the corner. He went to the open kitchen, ripped open the freezer, pulled out a frosty fifth of Absolut, and poured a triple shot into a water glass that froze and steamed like dry ice in the humidity. â€Å"Malink lied,† he said. Then he tossed back half the glass and grabbed his temples when the cold hit his brain. The Sky Priestess looked up from her magazine. â€Å"A little stressed, darling?† She was lying out on the lanai, naked except for a wide-brimmed straw hat, her white skin shining in the sun like pearl. The Sorcerer joined her and fell onto a chaise lounge, a hand still clamped on his temples. â€Å"Case says there was another man with him on the island. He said an old cannibal hung them in a tree.† â€Å"I heard him,† the Sky Priestess said. â€Å"He's delirious?† â€Å"I don't think so. I think Malink lied. That they found the boat pilot and didn't tell us.† She moved next to him on the chaise lounge and pried the glass of vodka out of his hand. â€Å"So send the ninjas on a search mission. You're paying them. They might as well do something.† â€Å"That's not an option and you know it.† â€Å"Well, then go yourself. Or call Malink on it. Tell him that you know there was another man and you want him brought here chop-chop.† â€Å"I think we're losing them, Beth. Malink wouldn't have dared lie to me a month ago. It's that dream. He dreams that Vincent is sending them a pilot, then you tell him it's not true, then a pilot washes up on the reef.† The Sky Priestess drained the glass of vodka and handed it back to him empty. â€Å"Yeah, nothing fucks up a good religion like the intervention of a real god.† â€Å"I wish you wouldn't talk that way.† â€Å"So what are you going to do, after you get a refill, I mean?† The Sorcerer looked up at her as if noticing her for the first time. â€Å"Beth, what are you doing out here? The Priestess of the Sky does not have a tan.† She reached under the chaise lounge and came up with a plastic bottle of lotion. â€Å"SPF 90. Relax, ‘Bastian, this stuff would keep me creamy white in a nuclear flare. You want to rub some on me?† She pushed her hat back on her head so he could see the predator seriousness in her eyes. â€Å"Beth, please. I'm on the cusp of a crisis here.† â€Å"It's not a crisis. It's obvious why the Shark People are getting restless.† â€Å"It is?† â€Å"No one has been chosen in over two months, ‘Bastian.† He shook his head. â€Å"Case isn't ready to fly.† â€Å"Well, get him ready.† 30 Fashion Statements Kimi sat under a coconut palm outside of the bachelors' house sulking. His flowered dress was gone and he wore a blue thu, the long saronglike loin-cloth worn by the Shark men. Gone too was his blond wig, his high heels, and his best friend, Roberto, who he had not seen since the cannibal tree. Now it looked as if he had no place to sleep. Sepie had thrown him out. Sepie came out of the bachelors' house wearing Kimi's floral dress and glared at him. She paused on the coral pathway. â€Å"I am not a monkey,† she said. Then she picked up a stone from the path and hurled it at him, barely missing his head. Kimi scuffled to the leeward side of the tree and peeked around. â€Å"I didn't say you were a monkey. I said that if you didn't shave your legs, you would soon look like a monkey.† A rock whizzed by his face so close he could feel the wind of it. She was getting more accurate with each throw. â€Å"You know nothing,† she said. â€Å"You are just a girl-man.† Kimi dug a stone from the sand at his feet and hurled it at her, but his heart wasn't in it and it missed her by five feet. In English he said, â€Å"You just a poxy oar with a big mouth.† He hoped this verbal missile hit closer to home. They were the last words of Malcolme, Kimi's pimp back in Ma-nila. In retrospect, Malcolme's mistake had been one of memory. He had forgotten that the overly made-up little girl standing in front of him with a machete was, in fact, a wiry young man with the anger of hundreds of beatings burning in his memory. â€Å"I no have the pox,† Kimi said to Malcolme, whose look of surprise remained fixed even as his head rolled into the corner of the hotel room, where a rat darted out and gently licked his shortened neck. â€Å"I no have the pox,† Sepie said in English, punctuating her statement with a thrown lump of coral. â€Å"I know,† Kimi said. â€Å"I'm sorry I say that.† He skulked off down the beach. Sepie stood outside the bachelors' house watching him, totally disarmed. No man had ever apologized to her before. Kimi hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. Sometimes it takes a thick skin to trade beauty tips with a girlfriend. Sepie was naturally pretty, but she didn't understand fashion. Why bother to put on a pretty dress if you're going to have monkey legs and tufts of hair hanging out from under your arms making it look like bats hanging there? Bats. Kimi missed Roberto. The Shark men wouldn't talk to him, the women ignored him, except for Sepie, who was angry at him now, and even Tucker had been taken away to the other side of the island. Kimi was lonely. And as he walked down the beach, past the children playing with a trained frigate bird, past the men lounging in the shade of an empty boathouse, his loneliness turned to anger. He turned up the beach and took a path into the village to look for a weapon. It was time to go see the old cannibal. Outside each of the houses, near the cook sheds, stood an iron spike – a pick head that was driven into the ground and used to husk coconuts. Kimi stopped at one house and yanked on the spike, but it wouldn't budge. He moved between the houses, vacant now in the early morning, the women working in the taro field, the men lounging in various patches of shade. He peeked into a cook shed, and there, by the pot that held the crust of this morning's rice, he found a long chef's knife. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching, then bolted into the shed and snatched the knife, fitting it into his thu so that only the handle protruded at the small of his back. Ten minutes later he was hiding in a patch of giant ferns, watching the old cannibal roll coconut husk fibers into rope on his leathery old thighs. He sat with his back against a palm tree, his legs straight out in front of him, pulling the fibers that had been soaked and separated out of a basket and measuring by feel the right amount to add to the coil of cord that was building on the ground beside him. From time to time he stopped and took a drink from a jar of milky liquid that Kimi was sure was alcoholic tuba. Good, he was drunk. Kimi moved slowly around the house, staying in the undergrowth of ferns and elephant ears, careful not to kick up any of the coral gravel that rang like broken glass if you didn't place your feet carefully. Once he was behind the old man, he drew the knife from the small of his back and moved forward to kill that man who had eaten his friend. From the window of his new quarters Tucker Case watched the Japanese guards move through the compound carrying palm fronds and broken branches, detritus of the typhoon, which they piled in an open space at the side of the hangar to dry in the sun. They were dressed like a police SWAT team, in black coveralls with baseball caps and paratrooper boots, and if he squinted, they looked like giant worker ants cleaning out the nest. From time to time one of the guards would look toward his bungalow, then quickly turn away when he saw Tucker standing in the window in his pajamas. He had given up waving to them after the first hour of being ignored. He'd been in the one-room bungalow for four days now, but this was the first time he'd felt well enough to get up and move around, other than to use the bathroom, which to his surprise, had hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, and a shower stall made of galvanized metal. The walls were tightly woven grass between a sturdy frame of teak and mahogany logs; the floor was unfinished teak, sanded smooth and pink; and the furniture was wicker with brightly colored cushions. A ceiling fan spun languidly above a double bed that was draped with a canopy of mosquito netting. The windows looked out on the compound and hangar on one side and through a grove of palm trees to the ocean on the other. He could see sev-eral bungalows perched near the beach, a small dock, and the cinderblock hospital building, its tin roof arrayed with antennae, solar electric panels, and a massive satellite dish. Tuck backed away from the window and sat down on the wicker couch. A few minutes on his feet and he felt exhausted. He was twenty pounds lighter than when he had left Houston and there wasn't a six-inch patch of skin on his body that didn't have some kind of bandage on it. The doc had said that between the cuts on his arms, knees, and scalp, he had taken a hundred sutures. The first time he looked in the little mirror in his bathroom, he thought he was looking at a human version of the mangy feral dog he'd seen on Truk. His blue eyes lay like dull ice in sunken brown craters and his cheeks were drawn into his face like a mummified bog man's. His hair had been bleached white by the sun and stuck out in straw-dry tufts between pink patches where the doctor had shaved his scalp to stitch him up. He took small comfort in the fact that there were no women around to see him. No real women, anyway. The doctor's wife, who came several times a day to bring him food or to change his bandages, seemed robotic, like some Stepford/Barbie hybrid with the smooth sexless carriage of a mannequin and a personality pulled out of an Eisenhower-era soap commercial. She made the straight-laced cosmetic reps from his past seem like a tribe of pillbox ny mpho hose hunters. There was a tap on the door and Beth Curtis breezed in carrying a wooden serving tray with plates of pancakes and fresh fruit. â€Å"Mr. Case, you're up. Feeling better today?† She set the tray down on the coffee table in front of him and stepped back. Today she was in pleated khaki pants and a white blouse with puffed shoulders. Her hair was tied back with a big white bow at the back of her neck. She might have just walked out of a Stewart Granger safari movie. â€Å"Yes, better,† Tuck said, â€Å"But I wore myself out just walking to the window.† â€Å"Your body is still fighting off the infection. The doctor will be by soon to give you some antibiotics. For now you need to eat.† She sat on the chair across from him. Tuck cut a divot out of the stack of pancakes with a fork and speared it through a piece of papaya. After the first bite, he realized how hungry he really was and began wolfing down the pancakes. Beth Curtis smiled. â€Å"Have you had a chance to look over the manuals for the airplane?† Tuck nodded, his mouth still full. She'd left the operations manuals on his bed two days ago. He'd leafed through them enough to know that he could fly the thing. He swallowed and said, â€Å"I used to fly a Lear 25 for Mary Jean. This one is a little faster and has longer range, but basically it's the same. Shouldn't be a problem.† â€Å"Oh, good,† she said, sporting one of her plastic smiles. â€Å"When will you be able to fly?† Tucker put down his fork. â€Å"Mrs. Curtis, I don't mean to be rude, but what in the hell is going on around here?† â€Å"Regarding what, Mr. Case?† â€Å"Well, first, regarding the man I came to this island with. I was sick, but I wasn't hallucinating. We were strung up in a tree by an old native guy and cut down by a bunch of others. What happened to my friend?† She shifted in her chair, and the wicker crackled like snapping rat bones. â€Å"My husband told you what the islanders told us, Mr. Case. The natives live on the other side of the island. They have their own society, their own chief, their own laws. We try to take care of their medical needs and bring a few souls into the fold, but they are a private people. I'll ask them about your friend. If I find out anything, I'll let you know.† She stood and straightened the front of her slacks. â€Å"I'd appreciate that,† Tuck said. â€Å"I promised him I'd get him back to Yap and I owe him some money. The natives didn't find my backpack, did they? My money was in it.† She shook her head. â€Å"Just the clothes you had on. We burned them. Fortunately, you and Sebastian are about the same size. Now, if you'll ex-cuse me, Mr. Case, I have some work to do. Sebastian will be along in a bit with your medicine. I'm glad you're feeling better.† She turned and walked out the door into the blinding sunlight. Tucker stood and watched her walk across the compound. The Japanese guards stopped their work and leered at her. She spun on them and waited, her hands on her hips, until one by one they lost their courage and returned to their work, not embarrassed but afraid, as if meeting her direct gaze might turn them to frost. Tuck sat down to his half-eaten pancakes and shivered, thinking it must be the fever. A half hour later the doctor entered the bungalow. Tucker was spread out on the couch descending into a nap. They'd been doing this since they'd moved him to the bungalow, tag-teaming him, one showing up at least every hour to check on him, bring him food or medicine, change the sheets, take his temperature, help him to the bathroom, wipe his forehead. It looked like concerned care, but it felt like surveillance. Sebastian Curtis took a capped syringe from his coat pocket as he crossed the room. Tuck sighed. â€Å"Another one?† â€Å"You must be feeling like a pin cushion by now, Mr. Case. I need you to roll over.† Tuck rolled over and the doctor gave him the injection. â€Å"It's either this or the IV. We've got this infection on the run, but we don't want it to get a foothold again.† Tuck rubbed his bottom and sat up. Before he could say anything, the doctor stuck a digital thermometer in his mouth. â€Å"Beth tells me that you're worried about your friend, the one you say came to the island with you?† Tuck nodded. â€Å"I'll check into it, I promise you. In the meantime, if you're feeling up to it, Beth and I would like you to join us for dinner. Get to know each other a little. Let you know what's expected of you.† He pulled the thermometer out of Tuck's mouth and checked it but made no comment. â€Å"You up for dinner tonight?† â€Å"Sure,† Tuck said. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Good. We'll eat at seven. I'll have Beth bring you down some clothes. I'm sorry about the hand-me-downs, but it's the best we can do for now.† He started to leave. â€Å"Doc?† Sebastian turned. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You've been out here, what, thirty years?† The doctor stiffened. â€Å"Twenty-eight. Why?† â€Å"Well, Mrs. Curtis doesn't look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes, Beth is quite a bit younger than I am. But we can talk about all that at dinner. You should probably rest now and let those antibiotics do their work. I need you healthy, Mr. Case. We have a round of golf to play.† â€Å"Golf?† â€Å"You do play, don't you?† Tuck took a second to catch up with the abrupt change of subject, then said, â€Å"You play golf here?† â€Å"I am a physician, Mr. Case. Even in the Pacific we have Wednesdays.† Then he smiled and left the bungalow. 31 Revenge: Sweet and Low in Calories Sarapul twisted the last of the fibers into his rope and drew his knife to trim the ragged end. It was a good knife, made in Germany, with a thin flexible blade that was perfect for filleting fish or cutting microthin slices from coconut stems to keep the tuba running. He'd had the knife for ten years and he kept it honed and polished on a piece of tanned pig hide. The blade flashed blue as he picked it up and he saw the face of vengeance re-flected in the metal. Without turning, he said, â€Å"The young ones are going to kill you.† Kimi stopped, his knife held ready to strike the old man in the neck. â€Å"You ate my friend.† Sarapul gripped his knife blade down so he might turn and slash at the same time. There was no quickness in his bones, though. The Filipino would kill him before he got halfway around. â€Å"Your friend is with the white Sorcerer and Vincent's bitch. Malink took him away.† â€Å"Not that one. Roberto. The bat.† â€Å"Bats are taboo. We don't eat bats on Alualu.† Kimi lowered his knife an inch. â€Å"You are not supposed to eat people either, but you do.† â€Å"Not people I know. Come over here where I can see you. I am old and my neck won't turn that far around.† Kimi walked a crescent around the tree and crouched at ready in front of the old man. Sarapul said, â€Å"You were going to kill me.† â€Å"If you ate Roberto.† â€Å"I like that. Nobody kills anybody anymore. Oh, the young ones are talking about killing you, but I think Malink will talk them out of it.† Kimi cleared his throat. â€Å"Were you going to eat me when they killed me?† â€Å"Someone brought that up at the drinking circle. I don't remember who.† â€Å"Then how do I know you did not eat Roberto?† â€Å"Look at me, little one. I am a hundred years old maybe. Sometimes I go to the beach to pee and the tides change before my water comes. How would I catch a bat?† Kimi sat down on the ground across from the old man and dropped his knife in the gravel. â€Å"Something happened to Roberto. He flew off.† â€Å"Maybe he found a girl bat,† Sarapul said. â€Å"Maybe he will come back. You want a drink?† The old cannibal offered his jar of tuba to Kimi, who leaned forward and snatched it before retreating out of knife range. Kimi took a sip and grimaced. â€Å"Why are they going to kill me?† â€Å"They say you are a girl-man and that you make Sepie forget her duties as mispel. And they don't like you. Don't worry, no one kills anyone anymore. It is just drunk talk.† Kimi hung his head. â€Å"Sepie sent me away from the bachelors' house. She is mad at me. I have nowhere to go.† Sarapul nodded in sympathy, but said nothing. He'd been exiled for so long that he'd gotten used to the alienation, but he remembered how he had felt when Malink had first banished him. â€Å"You speak our language pretty good,† Sarapul said. â€Å"My father was from Satawan. He was a great navigator. He taught me.† â€Å"You're a navigator?† In the old days the navigators stood above even the chiefs – and just below the gods. As a boy, Sarapul idolized the two navigators of Alualu. The long-dead dream of his boyhood surfaced and he remembered learning from them, watching them draw star charts in the sand and stand at the beach lecturing on tides and currents and winds. He had wanted to be a navigator, had begun the training, for in the rigid caste system of the Yapese islands it was the one way for a man to distin-guish himself. But one of the navigators had died of a fever and the other was killed in a fight before he could pass on his knowledge. The navigators and warriors were ghosts of the past. If this girl-man was a navigator, then the bachelors were piss ants to talk of killing him. Sarpul felt infused with an energy he hadn't felt in years. â€Å"I can show you something,† Sarapul said. He tried to climb to his feet and fell back into a crouch. Kimi took him by a bony arm and helped him up. â€Å"Come,† Sarapul said. The old man led Kimi down the path to the beach and stopped at the water's edge. He began to sing, his voice like dried palm leaves rattling in the wind. He waved his arms in arcs, then threw them wide to the sky so that his chest looked as if it might crack open like a rotten breadfruit. And the wind came up. He took handfuls of sand and cast them into the wind, then clapped his hands and resumed singing until the palms above them were waving in the wind. Then he stopped. â€Å"Now we wait,† he said. He pointed out to sea. â€Å"Watch there.† A column of fog rose off the ocean at the horizon and boiled black and silver into a huge thunderhead. Sarapul clapped his hands again and a lightning bolt ripped out of the cloud and across the sky like a jagged white fissure in blue glass. The thunderclap was instant, deafening, and crackled for a full ten seconds. Sarapul turned to Kimi, who was staring at the thunderhead with his mouth open. â€Å"Can you do that?† Kimi shook off his astonishment with a shiver. â€Å"No, I never learned that. My father said he could send the thunder, but I didn't see him do it.† Sarapul grinned. â€Å"Ever eat a guy?† Kimi shook his head. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Tastes like Spam,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I heard that.† â€Å"I can teach you to send the thunder. I don't know the stars, though.† â€Å"I know the stars,† Kimi said. â€Å"Go get your things,† Sarapul said.