Compassion

I never considered myself a particularly spiritual, or for that matter, a religious person. But I've found that in writing The Osgoode Trilogy, particularly the third, A Trial of One, that compassion has become very strong theme which runs through all three novels. I just found this quote from Thomas Aquinas — "I would rather feel compassion than know the meaning of it." Surely, this must be the difference between the understanding of the head and the heart. In the first novel in the trilogy, Conduct in Question, we have a man dubbed by the media as the "The Florist" who is a serial killer — so named because he tries to capture the easy flow of the line of the master painter, Matisse, in his carvings on his victims. He is a sadistic killer with an artistic bent. You may feel [as I do] that the world has plenty of novels with serial killers and so, rather than detailing his rampages, I wanted to add some provocatively human touches to the character of the "Florist." More than anything else, he wants to experience the emotion of compassion. When he speaks to his mother, who is long since dead, he says in frustration — "I know what the word compassion mean, mother, but what does it feel like?" As the story nears its conclusion, the "Florist" gets his wish — a fleeting sense of compassion. About to murder his next victim, John, who is a truly simple soul — the church caretaker — the "Florist" is overcome with a compassionate sense and decides to spare him. When the Florist silently stepped into the room, a strange sensation passed over him. Was this what Mother spoke of? As if disoriented, he stopped and shook his head. Was this compassion? "It’s you!" said John, his smile radiating a sweetness the Florist had never seen before. He saw the muscles of the huge man flex; John's damp white shirt was matted to his skin. He saw the thinning but baby-fine hair, neatly combed in place. Suddenly he saw the simple man as more than an obstacle in his path. He thought that life could not have been easy for such an imbecile. He should be spared. Mother would be proud of his act of compassion. In Final Paradox, our hero, Harry Jenkins learns that compassion means stepping into another's shoes and understanding what it feels like. Easy to say — hard to do! When Harry was eight, his father withdrew from almost all contact with his family after the death of Anna, his daughter — Harry's sister. Now, years later, while his father is in surgery for a brain aneurysm, Harry waits in the Quiet Room trying to understand how his father could have abandoned him as a child. At the very moment of his asking, Harry gets his answer as he witnesses the following played out before him. Harry caught his breath. An unearthly wailing came from the hallway. The door to the Quiet Room flew open. A tall, bony woman, wearing a mauve dress and yellow shawl, clung desperately to the arms of two men. One was old and hunched and the other muscular and attentive. The florescent lighting illuminated the woman's face raw with agony. "No! No!" As if possessed, she shook violently and her voice slid up octaves. "By the blood of Christ, no!" Clasping her hands to her ears, she began to moan, her eyes ricocheting about the room. She screamed at the ceiling. "Why have you cursed me? He cannot be taken so soon." Harry pressed his hands against his face. With all his heart, he wanted to pray. He had just witnessed the unholy wrenching of the spirit at the loss of a child, caused by blind hatred. As he touched the tears on his face, he began to understand. "God forgive me," he whispered. "I have known nothing! My father died along with Anna. I did nothing to help." And that's exactly where Harry begins to understand his father and compassion — by actually experiencing his pain and loss. True, you may study compassion and quote clever sayings about it, but if you never feel another's pain and suffering in your heart and your gut, as if it were your very own, you do not know what it is. Do you think some people are naturally more compassionate? In A Trial of One, Harry's beloved, Natasha has her own struggles with compassion. She is forced to choose between two people she loves — Harry and her friend Sheila. Natasha recollects a conversation, years back, between her mother, Renee, and her Aunt Mila. The boss has demanded that Renee sleep with him so she can advance in the business. "Oh, Renee! You poor kid!" After a long silence, her mother said softly, "Once we'd done it, his eyes looked so sad and ashamed, like being him just wore him down." Mila was aghast. "You felt sorry for him?" "No, not really. But I can see how loneliness can make you crazy." Afterwards, we talked a bit, sitting on the bed in the motel. He was living all alone there because his wife had run off with the kids." Natasha’s compassionate nature makes choosing between Harry and Sheila so difficult for her. Hurt and angry, Sheila has betrayed Natasha who now considers her next step as she wanders the beach. Natasha turned and walked slowly past the riot of weeds and up to the cottage. Soon she would drive back to the city. She knew Harry was her passion, the one who had awakened her to herself. But she still heard Sheila's cry — one of all humanity — because it hurts! Sheila's pain, from fear of loss, was a pain shared by the whole world. She did not reach it by reason, but she knew there was only one thing she could do — act with love, care, and compassion. Talking about love and compassion… having to decide between two people who love her, [Harry and Sheila] Natasha must find that balance between passion and compassion. Easy to say: hard to do!

Writing book reports

If you are a student, writing a book report is something you will probably have to do at some time whether you want to or not. It has never been a favorite activity for most but it is always valuable. It is valuable because it allows you to think about the book you have read, in terms of the setting, characters, plot and finally examine your feelings and thoughts about what you have read. You learn how to give an analysis and develop your own point of view. Is it any wonder that teachers continue to give students book report assignments? With this in mind let's examine the components that will allow you to write good book reports. Writing a Book Report is in some ways similar to writing a review. You don't want to give away the entire plot. However you do want to give an effective summary and give a firm analysis of the story. The first thing you should do is to tell the title of the book and the author, the year the book was published and state whether the work is fiction or non-fiction. A book report should tell your readers about the setting of the story, that is, the country, state or city in which it takes place. You should also mention the time frame in which the story takes place. Is the story set in our time, the past or the future? You need to report on the main character or protagonist. Who is this person? Describe their character but never give away too much detail. You can report on other characters as well, discuss their role in the story but remember not to give away too much here either. When writing a book report your feelings and point of view become very important. Which part of the story did you enjoy the most? Why did you enjoy it? Who was your favorite character? Why was this person your favorite character? A book report requires that you examine the impact that a story has had on you personally. Some other questions you should ask yourself are: What did you learn from the story? Did it teach you anything that you think would be valuable to your daily life? If it did don't hesitate to mention it. What were the strong points and what were the weaknesses that you found? Every story thrives on conflict. Conflict is necessary for good drama. In writing your book report you must speak about the conflict or conflicts in the story. Again you want to summarize and not go into unnecessary details. Conflict in a story is usually resolved in some way by the end of the story. Here you can also summarize the resolution and give your opinion on why you think the conflict was resolved satisfactorily or unsatisfactorily. If you don't like the way the conflict was resolved you may suggest other ways it could have been resolved. Book reports can sometimes seem like a chore but if you use the steps outlined above it should make the whole process a lot easier.

Credit card

Credit card anyone? The emergence of electronic age made almost everything possible to people. Determining and curing terminal diseases made convenient, reaching uncharted territories became a possibility, and most of all; everyday life of people is made easy by the technology. We now have more convenient stores, easier means of transportation and a variety of gadgets that makes work and pleasure almost effortless. When it comes to finances, technology—through efficient banking system and services—has given people better alternatives and options how to manage their finances.

Among the so many financial management schemes that emerged, one alternative stands out among the rest—the credit card. Credit card, especially to working people and those who live very busy lives, has become an ultimate financial “savior.” More than just being a status symbol or an add-on to expensive purses and wallets, credit card has revolutionized the way people spend their money. But, more than the glamour and the convenience credit card brings, there is much more to this card than most people could ever imagine. Credit Card 101 Before indulging much into the never-ending list of the advantages and disadvantages of having a credit card, it is very important for people to first have a brief realization of what credit card really is in order for them to maximize its potentials. In layman’s terms, credit card is a card that allows a person to make purchases up to the limit set by the card issuer. One must then pay off the balance in installments with interest payments. Usually, credit card payment per month ranges from the minimum amount set by the bank to entire outstanding balance. And since it is a form of business, the longer the credit card holder wait to pay off his or her entire amount, the more interest pile up. Since having a credit card is a responsibility, only those people who are of legal age and have the capability to pay off the amount they are going to spend through their credit card, is allowed to have one. Actually, most of the adults in the U. S. use credit card because this is very convenient compared to carrying cash or checks every time they have to purchase something. It is also equally important to be familiar with the different types of credit cards before you begin to build up credit card balances and to avoid having a nightmare of debt. Since credit cards are indispensable to most consumers, it is a must that they understand the types of card that include charge cards, bankcards, retail cards, gold cards and secured cards. All of these types come in one of two interest rate options—the fixed and variable. Actually, it doesn’t really matter if you decide to have a fixed-rate credit card because the interest rate remains the samepared to variable rate cards where rate may be subject to change depends upon the credit card issuer’s discretion, fixed-rate carry higher interest rates. Basically, credit card grantors issue three types of accounts with basic account agreements like the “revolving agreement” a. k.a. Typical Credit Card Account which allows the payer to pay in full monthly or prefer to have partial payments based on outstanding balance. While the Charge Agreement requires the payer to pay the full balance monthly so they won’t have to pay the interest charges, the Installment Agreement, on the other hand, asks the payer to sign a contract to repay a fixed amount of credit in equal payments in definite period of time. Another category of credit card accounts includes the individual and joint accounts where the former asks the individual alone to repay the debt while the latter requires the partners responsible to pay. The common types of credit cards available through banks and other financial institutions also include Standard Credit Cards like Balance Transfer Credit Cards and Low Interest Credit Cards; Credit Cards with Rewards Programs like Airline Miles Credit Cards, Cash Back Credit Cards and Rewards Credit Cards; Credit Cards for Bad Credit like Secured Credit Cards and Prepaid Debit Cards; and Specialty Credit Cards like Business Credit Cards and Student Credit Cards. Now that you have an idea how many types of credit card there is, it is now time to review your goals before applying for one. Some of the things you should consider is how will you spend with the credit card monthly, if you plan to carry a balance at the end of the month, how much are you willing to pay in annual fees, if you have a strong credit history and is does your credit in need of rehabilitation. Once you have an idea of what you are looking for choose the right credit card for you by researching the information you need that will fit your basic needs. You may also review the credit cards you’ve research and compare them. Shopping for a credit card? Regardless of the type of credit card you choose, be sure to discuss your specific financial needs with your financial advisor or accountant before applying for any credit card. It is a must that you understand the benefits of having a credit card like safety, valuable consumer protections under the law, and the accessibility and availability of services. The most popular credit cards include Chase Manhattan Bank, Citibank, Bank of America, BankOne, American Express, Discover® Card, First Premier Bank, Advanta, HSBC Bank, and MasterCard Credit Cards. Although having a credit card is synonymous to invincibility, this may also trigger a person’s thirst for material things and may lead into the temptation of buying something they don’t really need. A credit card bearer should always have in min that having a credit card is a big responsibility. If they don’t use it carefully, these may owe more than they can repay. It can also damage their credit report, and create credit problems that are quite difficult to repair.

Christmas article 7

7. Christmas Around the World Christmas in the Birthplaces of Traditions -- Bethlehem, Germany and England Christmas as celebrated today is a culmination of centuries of traditions that are religious and secular and which came from different countries around the world. It is interesting therefore to look at some of the general ways in which Christmas is celebrated in these countries. The traditions examined for each country will be examples of some of the things that are unique to that country and which are done today, or which were once done by people in those countries. To begin, it is symbolic to look at the town of Bethlehem, which is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. The Church of the Nativity is located in Bethlehem and at Christmas it is decorated with a lot of flags and other Christmas decorations. A very large crowd usually gathers at The Church of the Nativity on Christmas Eve to see a dramatic parade procession of horsemen, led by police who are mounted on Arabian horses. Following the police in the procession is a lone horseman who carries a cross, followed by churchmen and government officials. Members of the procession solemnly enter the doors of The Church of the Nativity and place an ancient effigy of Jesus in the church. A silver star located deep in an underground cave-like section of the church marks the site where Jesus was born. A star is also set atop a pole in the town's square. In Bethlehem, homes of Christians usually have a cross over the door and a manger scene is usually set up inside the house. In Germany, home of the Christmas tree tradition, the Christmas tree is not seen until Christmas Eve. The tree is usually kept in a special room, or elsewhere, and decorated in secret with lights, ornaments, tinsels, angels, candies, nuts and cookies. It is then lighted, the presents placed underneath and then shown to the delight of Children on Christmas Eve. In Germany, Dec. 6 is known as St. Nicholas Day when Santa visits the homes of boys and girls. On the day before, Dec. 5, children leave a shoe or boot outside or by the fireplace for Santa Claus. If they were good, he places gifts and candies inside the shoe. But if they were naughty, children will find twigs or a rod in their shoe. Dinner on Christmas Day includes roast goose, long loaves of bread filled with raisins, nuts and dried fruits. Other sweet delicacies are also enjoyed. Many traditions in England are similar to those in the United States because such traditions originated in England and were brought to the United States by immigrants. The tradition of sending Christmas greeting cards started in England and is still popular at Christmas, as well as the tradition of neighborhood caroling on Christmas Eve. Children also hang stockings on Christmas Eve in anticipation of Santa Claus filling them with Christmas gifts or treats. The holly, ivy and mistletoe are also used a lot in Christmas decorations. In England, the traditional Christmas Dinner is roast turkey, goose or chicken with stuffing, vegetables and roast potatoes. Dessert consists of the British or Christmas pudding with brandy sauce. A rich, fruit-filled Christmas cake may also be enjoyed later in the day. A tradition of pulling Christmas crackers also goes with the serving of food on Christmas Day. A cracker is a paper tube that contains a party hat, riddle, toy or trinket, and is brightly colored and twisted at both ends. It gives out a crack as the contents pop out when it is pulled at each end. Also on Christmas afternoon, the Queen broadcasts a Christmas message to the nation, which is heard on radio and television. The day after Christmas is also a holiday that is known as Boxing Day.

More parenting tidbits rewrite

More Tips For Parenting * Diapers: Most babies that are fed using the PDF method usually need a diaper change at each feeding time. This means that your baby will need about 6-8 diapers a day or more. Many new parents time the diaper changes with the after dinner bowel movement, but if you miss it, you will just have a few more diapers to change during the day. * Diaper rash: Sensitive skin is a common problem for some babies and they may get a diaper rash due to a food allergy, yeast infection, sitting too long in a wet or messy diaper, or teething. If you notice your baby beginning to get a diaper rash, talk to your pediatrician about which diaper rash medicine will work for your baby. * Growth spurts: Growth spurts can start as early as 10 days after your baby’s birth. Growth spurts usually are preceded by a sleepy, lethargic day and a big jump in appetite. Growth spurts may happen again at 3, 6, and 12 weeks and again at 4 and 6 months. If you begin to notice that your child is not as satisfied with the amount that you have been feeding her previously, then she may be beginning a growth spurt period. If you are breastfeeding, you may want to add a feeding or two to satiate your baby’s appetite and to help increase milk production. * Immunizations: With all of the conflicting reports on immunizations, you may be unsure about whether or not you want your child to receive immunizations. I think that there are simply too many fatal diseases that can be prevented by immunizing your baby to take the chance. If you are unsure, then you need to talk with your pediatrician, but understand that the reason that the infant mortality rate is so low in this country is because immunizations are routinely done. * Pacifiers & thumb sucking: If you breastfeed, do not allow your child to use you as their pacifier. If your baby seems to have a need to suck beyond eating, then you need to give them a pacifier. There is no “nipple confusion” between a breast nipple and a pacifier as they are very different in feel and taste. Babies will know the difference between the two. Some children do not want a pacifier but will suck on their thumb. If you don’t have a problem with it, then let them. * Spitting up: It is very common for babies to spit up, but some babies do it more than others. If your baby is growing normally, then there is no need to worry about it. Projectile throwing up is not the same as spitting up. Projectile throwing up is a violent reaction to reject the contents of the stomach and not just “burping” up a little milk. If your baby does this frequently, consult your pediatrician.

Alamo car rental

Checking out the Alamo car rental One of the more popular and reputable car rental service in the country is the Alamo Car Rental company. It is highly recommended not only thorugh word of mouth, but in the internet as well. The Alamo car rental company is actually a blessing to constant travellers, especially those seeking a way to make their travels be as comfortable as possible, it is best to check out the Alamo car rental company and find out for yourself if they really as good when it comes to their services as they claim to be. The Alamo car rental company actually gives its customers varied service programs that they can choose from, from corporate programs to governement contractor programs to meeting and events probrams. Alamo car rental has your back (plus your head) covered. They can actually provide you with whatever vehicle that you will want (depends on what you actually need that time). Aside from quality service, Alamo car rental actually prides itself for being able to deliver unbeleivably cheaper rates (as compared with their rival car rental services agency) which just goes to show how Alamo car rental has been devoted to its consumer public. By sticking to cheaper rates, Alamo car rental agencies actually give their clients a good value for their money. Alamo car rental is also a good choice for businessmen who are jetting off from one state to another, rather, from one country to another (thus the need for the private vehicle). They actually provide businessmen an exlcusive and unique “business travel program” which obviously is just focused on delivering the needs of valued and busy businessmen. Certain Alamo car rental policies and guidelines include the following: Informing them about an additional driver as well as any disabilities or sickness and complications. Your credit card number, basically how you’re planning fot Alamo car rental’s excellent service. Proper papers, licenses and identification cards. Well there are actually a lot more, But its really best to highlight the more important ones. The Alamo car rental service adheres these strict rules and guidelines in order to maintain service efficiency and their good reputation to the public. Contacting them is actually just a breeze, if you’re not able to locate their listed number in the directory, you can just search for their number instead, on the internet. The internet has a varied and incredibly enormous array of lists that will inevitably lead you to the Alamo’s car rental service’s number. However, you can also reach them through electronic mail. Geared towards providing unparalled service to its loyal customers as well as those who are still looking for a car service rental that they want to try out, Alamo car rental has provided the public with various ways of being able to reach them. And speaking of trying their best to give their curtomers great service, Alamo car rental has actually equipped their vehivcles with other services that might possibly prove to be very useful to their clients. Upon request, one may avail of the various “add-ons’ that only Alamo car rental can provide. From carphones to kiddie chairs. Alamo car rental service has prided itself for always being in the forefront of the car rental industry. Be sure to check the out once you’re having some car rental problems, they’re sure they can help you out.