Idea of Critical Thinking

Idea of Critical Thinking The world is paining through a troublesome era. While a few are stubbornly fighting against the nearly intangible enemy that is terrorism, others are suffering. The question is whom should we trust, and who is doing the right thing? What about George W. Bush and his greedy friends? To be well-informed and capable of holding our own opinion in the middle of all this mischief comes down to one essential quality: critical thinking.Sometimes, we receive faulty or biased information. Thus, there needs to be a filter in our thinking that stops this bad information from affecting our judgment towards a manipulated opinion. To me, that filter is the essence of critical thinking. With the help of the knowledge and understanding of fallacies, someone is well-armed to overcome prejudice, illogic deductions and biased information. Critical thinking is to seek all the viewpoints of a given problem before coming to a conclusion.English: There are no symbols that represent skept...It is to require the original sources before assuming the truth of a statement or fact. Also, it consists of separating our immediate feelings from our thinking, in a way that will keep our reasoning to pure logic. Take for example the news media. In TV shows like 'Cops' and most crime news coverage, it has been proven that Africans Americans are seen as outlaws far more often than any other ethnicity. From seeing a majority of criminals being African American on television, people with weak critical thinking may falsely deduct that all of them are evil. The reasoning goes as follows: criminals are evil and most African Americans are criminals, so most African Americans are evil. A person with stronger critical thinking will be able to see the big picture, thus being conscious that not all criminals are Africans Americans and not all African Americans are criminals.In another perspective, creative thinking is an essential quality for good argumentation. It defines whether a statement is logical or i llogical. Sometimes, people tend to use easy arguments, which are nearly impossible to respond to, but that are not funded and illogical. Someone armed with a good sense of critical thinking will be able to use those statements as an asset. Take the example of the exploitation of the poor due to world trade. Someone with weak critical thinking may say: corporations exploit the poor countries and world trade is ruled by corporations, so world trade exploits the poor countries. An opponent with strong critical thinking may simply break the first premise by saying that some corporations exploit the poor countries while others are very human and offer great opportunities to workers from all over the world. Making a deduction from this would mean that world trade offers great opportunities, but once again this is an incomplete fallacy, since some corporations do exploit the poor countries.Finally, I think that being a critical thinker has a sense of self-discipline. People who think in a critical way seek the truth and expect more from themselves, so in my opinion they are the ones who tend to reach higher. Choosing the easy way just because it has no immediate consequences shows no critical thinking at all. On the other hand, to challenge ourselves constantly and be true to our goals is the best way to become a critical thinker. Critical thinking is more than knowing about fallacies; it's a philosophy and an attitude.

Definition and Examples of Doublets in English

Definition and Examples of Doublets in English In English grammar and morphology, doublets are two distinct words derived from the same source but by different routes of transmission, such as poison and potion (both from the Latin potio, a drink). Also known as  lexical doublets and  etymological twins.  When the two words are used together in a phrase  they are called  coupled synonyms or  binomial expressions. Three words of this kind are called triplets: e.g., place, plaza, and piazza (all from the Latin platea, a broad street). Examples and Observations English has many doublets from Latin sources. Usually, the earlier word came from Norman French and the later one came from central French . . . or directly from Latin. Occasionally we have three words, or a triplet, from the same source, as in cattle (from Norman French), chattel (from central French), and capital, all derived from the Latin capitalis, meaning of the head. Another example is hostel (from Old French), hospital (from Latin), and hotel (from modern French), all derived from the Latin hospitale.  Ã‚   (Katherine Barber, Six Words You Never Knew Had Something to Do With Pigs. Penguin, 2007)It is no coincidence that the basic meaning of adamant was diamond. The word diamond is a doublet of adamant, the two words having come ultimately from the same Greek source, adamantos.The present-day adjective, meaning unyielding, inflexible, usually in the phrase to be adamant, is first recorded in the 1930s. It was apparently an extended use of such earlier phrases as an adamant h eart (1677), meaning a heart of stone and adamant walls (1878) stone walls.  (Sol Steinmetz, Semantic Antics. Random House, 2008) Cadet, Caddie, Cad In Medieval Gascon French, a capdet was a little chief, little head, from the Late Latin capitellus, a diminutive form of Latin caput head. The term was originally applied specifically to a younger son of a nobleman, serving as a military officer at the French court, . . .. The term passed into Standard French in this Gascon sense, but later was generalized to mean younger (son, brother).In the 17th century, French cadet passed into English, which reworked the French meanings and, in the process, created the doublet form caddie. During the 17th and 18th centuries cadet was used to mean junior military officer, while caddie meant military trainee. The 18th century also saw the creation of the abbreviated form cad, which seems to have had a variety of senses, all of them suggesting assistant status: assistant to a coach-driver, wagoners helper, bricklayers mate, and the like.(L. G. Heller et al., The Private Lives of English Words. Taylor, 1984) Differences in Meaning and Form Doublets vary in closeness of meaning as well as form: guarantee/warranty are fairly close in form and have almost the same meaning; abbreviate/abridge are distant in form but close in meaning (though they serve distinct ends); costume/custom are fairly close in form but distant in meaning, but both relate to human activities; ditto/dictum share only di and t and a common reference to language; entire/integer are so far apart that their shared origin is of antiquarian interest only. (Tom McArthur, The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, 1992) Doublets in Legal Language [David] Mellinkoff (1963: 121-2) indicates that many . . . legal terms appear in companythey are routinely used in sequences of two or three (doublets are also known as binomial expressions and binomials). . . . Everyday words can be transformed into legal formulae in this way. Melinkoff also points out that many doublets and triplets combine words of Old English/Germanic (OE), Latin and Norman French origins. Examples of doublets of sound mind (OE) and memory (L)give (OE) devise (F) and bequeath (OE)will (OE) and testament (F/L)goods (OE) and chattles (F)final (F) and conclusive (L)fit (OE) and proper (F)new (OE) and novel (F)save (F) and except (L)peace (F) and quiet (L)These expressions are mostly centuries old, and some date from a time when it was advisable to use words of various origins either to increase intelligibility for people from different language backgrounds, or more probably it was intended to encompass previous legal usage or legal documents from both early English and Norman French.  (John Gibbon, Forensic Linguistics: An Introduction to Language in the Justice System. Blackwell, 2003)The non-exhaustive lists below present a selection of doublets and triplets still commonly found in legal documents:Doublets:aid and abet, all and sundry, attached and annexed, ask and to answer, deem and consider, each and all, fit and proper, have and hold, legal and valid, true and correct, totally null a nd void, peace and quiet, son and heir, terms and conditions, last will and testamentTriplets:cancel, annul, and set aside / ordered, adjudged, and decreed / signed, sealed, and delivered(Mia Ingels,  Legal English Communication Skills. Acco, 2006) Morphological Doublets [M]orphological doublets (rival forms) . . . are pairs of synonymous complex words which share the same base but involve distinct formatives, e.g. two different affixes (cf., for instance, the existence of attested doublets in -ness and -ity: prescriptiveness/prescriptivity, etc.). One may predict that this sort of formal fluctuation is not likely to persist for a long time; usually, one of the rival forms eventually takes over and becomes established (thus strengthening the derivational pattern it represents) while the other variant sinks into oblivion (or they acquire specialized meanings, as in historic / historical, economic / economical). (Bogdan Szymanek, The Latest Trends in English Word-Formation. Handbook of Word-Formation, ed. by Pavol Ã…  tekauer and Rochelle Lieber. Springer, 2005) Pronunciation: DUB-lit EtymologyFrom Latin duplus, two-fold

To what extent does Twitter's mission statement reflect its usage Literature review

To what extent does Twitter's mission statement reflect its usage - Literature review Example The organisation claims it to be ‘the fastest, simplest way to stay close to everything you care’ (Twitter, 2012). Twitter is based upon the four fundamentals, namely, Microblogging, Social Networking, Social Media and Computer-Mediated Communication. In recent times, the importance of social networking and media has been noticed largely among the youth generation. Not only have the young people, but also companies in modern days, use social networks to transfer information among the people who are by large the users of these social media. The organisations have been using a tool named microblogging which can be stated as the process of posting smaller digital contents such as, pictures, short videos, links and other media contents in the internet. Although, there are many social networking sites, Facebook has been another social media which have recently gained huge popularity, in comparison to Twitter. The difference between Twitter and Facebook is the class of users, i.e. while Twitter is generally used by most of the celebrities and dignitaries; Facebook is used by all the classes of the society. Micro-blogging According to Java & et. al. (n.d.), Twitter is currently the most accepted microblogging stage which enables users to update their current statuses through short message services (SMSs), digital photos or short videos. In other words, an online community is formed by inviting friends and colleagues who share information of their recent happenings through short texts or audio-visual clips. Furthermore, it can be stated that microblogging in recent times has become an extremely famous media for both personal and professional recreation. Friends use it to keep in touch, professionals use it to co-ordinate business meetings and share important resources; similarly, celebrities and political dignitaries use it for gaining publicity by posting comments regarding their tour schedules, concert presences and film releases (Java & et. al., n.d.). According to a publication of the 17th European Conference on Information Systems (2009), it has been observed that the term microblogging has developed additional terms such as microsharing and activity streaming which are being used commonly by recent users. It has also been noted that Twitter is being used at a higher degree for micro-blogging in comparison to other accessible social networking sites; although, many people have complained about its reliability and functionality (17th European Conference on Information Systems, 2009). As stated by Ehrlich & Shami (2010), posts or ‘tweets’ can be viewed by anyone who is following the person or even attempts to view the public profiles. Furthermore, the authors state that the concept of ‘following’ is very different from ‘friending’ as in social networks consent from both the parties are required to share and view other people’s information. Whereas in the case of Twitter, consent is not necessary and a person can automatically follow other person according to their likes and tastes. Thus, it can be stated that the popularity of Twitter has grown rapidly due to its unique qualities (Ehrlich & Shami, 2010). In this respect, Ebner & Schiefner (2008) observed that the success of microblogging or ‘weblogs’, shortly called as blogs are due to the three factors;

Modern Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Modern Management - Research Paper Example Application of these factors in career includes reviewing when product sales are dropping and trying to determine the cause for it. This could include creating market research studies to find commonalities in product sentiment from customers or conducting auditing of multiple business divisions to find out whether failures are human-related or process-related. After identifying the cause, planning can determine potential solutions for improving motivation in workers or changing systems to be more adaptable to customer needs for better product outputs. Resistance to change is one challenge expected in both of these factors. Fairholm (2009) identifies that people are resistant to change if they do not feel loyalty or trust the manager. Scanning the organizational environment for failures would raise suspicions in employees and depending on their attitudes and values, they will resist providing information about new operational planning as it relates to their job roles. The human resource perspective will be required to prevent change, since it focuses on relationship development, improving loyalty and motivation, and responds to the emotional and values-based needs of employees. Planning should be linked with employee empathy more than scientific

The different sources of cultural bias

The different sources of cultural bias Sources of Cultural Biases can be interpreting through different frameworks which meaning is attributed. Sue and Sue (1990) attributed class, culture bound values; differences in verbal, emotional, and behavioral expressiveness, differences in causes and effect orientation, and differences in patterns of communication. The discrepancy in attributional systems that are culturally different clients and counselors bring to their interactions may present a barrier. The interactions may fail because of underlying mechanisms of culturally mediated attributional differences. The relationship between subjective culture (Triandis, (1972) and attributional processes are illuminated by theoretical and empirical work conducted by social psychologists as well as important insights from the field of linguistics. The occurrence, form and meaning of a particular behavior in a particular situation may differ from culture to culture because of differences in norms, values, role perceptions, expectatio ns, and historical experience. Individuals from different cultural traditions bring to cross-cultural interactions different implicit, as well as explicit, frameworks for interpreting these experiences (Albert, 1983). These differences in interpretation may lead culturally different people to view the same situation or behavior very differently. There is a great range of within-group variation in the attribution and cause and meaning, between-group variation may account for failed interactions because of differential attributions likely to occur (Salzman, 1990). The silence of an individual from one culture may be interpreted by a culturally different as indifferent or hostility when it was intended as respectful noninterference. The behavioral consequences of this discrepancy could interfere with the development of mutually respectful, cooperative, professional and personal relationships. Attributions are inferences about the causes of behavior. Heider (1958) indicated that humans are constantly engaged in the process of making inferences about behavior that is observed. Even though the behavior in any interactions that are or not performed can be important, it is the interpretations that are given to these behaviors that are critical (Albert Triandis, 1979). A compliment can be interpreted as a way to manipulate, help can be seen as demeaning and a gift as a bribe. These interpretations have predictable behavioral consequences and may serve to define the interaction. Discrepant attributions have been found to result in misunderstandings, low personal attraction, rejection and even conflict (Albert, Trianis, 1979; Salzman, 1990). It is thought that such discrepancies are more likely to occur in cross-cultural interactions because of differences in norms, roles, values and expectation that each culture has developed in adapting to life geographically, economically and historical circumstances. Heider (1958) saw all people behaving as naÃÆ'Â ¯ve scientists, constantly engaged in making inferences about events and observed behaviors by attributing causes and motives. Casual attributions, then answer the why questions about behaviors. They serve as mediators between all stimuli encountered in the world and responses made to these stimuli. Humans do not respond directly to events around us, we respond to the meanings or interpretations given to these events (Albert and Triandis, 1979). Pedersen (1987) noted that one source of bias is the implicit assumption that normal means the same to people of different social, economic, political and cultural backgrounds. Instead he argued that what is considered normal will change according to the situation, the cultural background being judged and the time during which a behavior is being displayed or observed Pedersen (1987), p. 16). He pointed out the dangers of diagnostic errors when using definitions of normality generated from the perspective of one culture with people of different cultures. Rogers objected to therapists making diagnosis of clients on their own evaluations (Rogers, 1951). He believed however that the individual client should be the only one who should make specific evaluations and set goals. Rogers (1980) advocated the location of power in the person not in the expert. Rogers espoused the view that only the individual embedded in a particular social, cultural and historical context could define normal be havior for him or herself. Pedersen (1987) asserted that many counselors neglect the development of the family, organizations and society in favor of emphasis on the welfare of the individual. According to Pedersen, counselors are encouraged to focus on changes in the individual client, sometimes blaming the group demands for the client adjustment problems and disregarding the effects of individual change on the groups to which the client belongs. Traditional counseling approaches according to Pedersen (1987) have all too often neglected other academic disciplines that speak to problems and issues of humanity such as sociology, anthropology, theology and medicine. Counselors tend to view their clients problem from a very limited perspective; however their problems are not confined to the disciplines of psychology and counseling. Pedersen (1989) believed that it is important for counselors to go outside the boundaries of their specialized knowledge and interest, to examine the issue or problem from the clients cultural perspective. According to Pedersen (1989) many counselors downplay the role of family and peers in providing support to a troubled individual and instead emphasize their professional services. He argued that counselors should attempt to incorporate the client natural support system into a treatment plan, which in some cultures is more acceptable than disclosing intimate information to the counselor, who is likely to be a stranger. Pedersen (1987) argued that too often counselors assume that their role is to change the individual to fit the system and too often fail to question whether the system should be changed to fit the individual. Counseling and therapy has a history of protecting the status quo against change, at least as perceived by minority cultures, through what has become to be called scientific racism (D.W. Sue Sue 2003). Counseling psychology has been slow to respond to evidence of cultural bias. Sampson (1993) suggests that psychology and counseling have at best accommodated add on eclectic strategies in response to culturally different movements and special interest groups without fundamentally transforming conventional frameworks of understanding. Wren (1962) first introduced the concept of cultural encapsulation. The perspective assumes five basic identifying features. First, reality is defined according to one set of cultural assumptions. Second, people become insensitive to cultural variations among individuals and assume their own view is the right one. Third, assumptions are not dependent upon reasonable proof or rational consistency but are believed true, regardless of evidence to the contrary. Fourth, solutions are sought in technique oriented strategies or quick and simple remedies. Fifth every one is judged from the viewpoint of ones self-reference criteria without regard for the other persons separate cultural context. There is evidence that the profession of counseling is even more encapsulated now than it was then when Wren wrote his original article (Albee, 1994; Wren, 1995). Counselors bias coming from two sources, such as their own cultural backgrounds and their professional training were highlighted in studies their actions toward groups other than whites. In a study examining this particular source of bias, the degree of cultural stereotyping among practicing counselors was explored using structured interviews (Bloombaum, Yamamoto, James, 1968). The results indicated that counselors attitudes toward Mexican Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans and Jews reflected the similar degree of cultural stereotyping usually found in the general population. Counselors must recognize racism, prejudice and discrimination, and accept them as real to better understand the living reality of clients who without the benefit of choice find themselves members of minority groups on the basis of differences from the dominant culture in our society, (Glauser, 1999). Each individual counselor must identify and accept his/her personal capacity to help or hinder clients whose life experiences, beliefs and physical makeup and or culture are different from their own. A counselor who is aware of his/her own limitations, when working with members of minority groups will conform to ethical guidelines and assure that their clinical efforts have the potential to help rather than do harm. Research has shown that prejudicial responses, in the form of stereotype activation, can persist long after an individual makes a conscious break with habitual prejudice thinking (Devine, 1989). Individuals in low prejudice tend to carefully scrutinize messages from minority groups to guard against unfair reactions. The care they take may interfere with the communication process in interaction with minority group and hinder full engagement by a counselor in the therapeutic setting (Petty, Fleming and White, 1999). The following examples indicate the types of cultural issues and their effects on the counseling situation. In the cultural value system of the Chinese American passivity rather than assertiveness is revered, quiescence rather than verbal articulation is a sign of wisdom and self-effacement rather than confrontation is a model of refinement(Ching and Prosen, 1980). Since humility and modesty is so valued it is difficult for counselors to draw out responses from a Chinese American in a group setting. The reticence which reinforces silence and withdrawal as appropriate ways of dealing with conflict may be interpreted as resistance by the uneducated counselor. Democratic counselors may also be uneasy with the role of the all knowing father that the Chinese respect bestows upon them (Ching and Prosen, 1980). African Americans place great value on family, especially their children, who are seen as a gift from God and on social relationships with a great emphasis on community and their pla ce in it. In this context social conflict resolution becomes important, so that peace and equilibrium may be restored to the community while personal conduct becomes secondary. (McFadden and Gbekobov, 1984). In his discussion of counseling the Northern Natives of Canada, Darou (1987) notes that counseling is seen as cultural racism when it does not fit native values. These values are cooperation, concreteness, lack of interference, respect for elders, and the tendency to organize by space rather than time and dealing with the land as animate not an inanimate object. Bernard and Flores-Ortiz (1982) point out that Latin cultures view the family as primary support for its members. Any suggestions that the family is not fulfilling that obligation can bring shame, added stress and an increased reluctance to seek professional services. Involving family members in treatment will most likely ensure successful counseling outcomes with Latinos. In examining the aspect of grief, the way the client reacts to it should be noted and respected this helps them to normalize their experience. The counselor should not try and fix the persons pain, but be as present as possible and pay attention to what the person is telling you in the moment. Give clients the permission to talk; they may have a need to tell their story over and over, as a part of the healing process. The counselor should give the client room to express their feelings and not censor them. It is okay to ask culturally different clients how grief and loss are addressed in their culture. As counselors we must be aware of our own feelings about grief and loss from personal experiences. Self-awareness helps avoid expecting clients to act like we would in a similar situation. Alcohol and other drug treatment programs continually report relatively low success rates among African-American participants. There is a need to consider treatment approaches that are more culturally competent. Counselors must view the identity and the development of culturally diverse people in terms of multiple interactive factors rather than strictly cultural framework (Romero, 1985). A pluralistic counselor considers all facets of the clients personal history, family history, and social and cultural orientation (Arcinega and Newlou, 1981).

Coyote Blue Chapter 30~31

CHAPTER 30 Like Flies They heard the bikers before they saw them: raucous laughter and Lynyrd Skynyrd from a boom box. They followed the road around a long, gradual curve that descended into a valley, stepping carefully to avoid the deep puddles. The trees were thinning out now and Sam could make out the light of a huge bonfire below them in the valley, and figures moving around the fire, a lot of them. Someone fired a pistol into the air and the report echoed around the valley. â€Å"Do they have sentries or something?† Sam whispered to Calliope. â€Å"I don't remember. I was pretty drunk when I was here before.† â€Å"Well, we can't just walk in.† â€Å"This way,† Coyote said, pointing to a path that led away from the road. They followed the trickster up the path, through thick undergrowth, and up onto a ridge that looked down on the clearing. From the top of the ridge they could see the entire camp. The fire was burning in the center of the camp with perhaps a hundred bikers and women gathered around it, drinking and dancing. The bikes were parked by the road leading in. There was a stand of tents and smaller campfires on the opposite side of the camp, with two pickup trucks parked nearby. Lynyrd Skynyrd sang â€Å"Gimme Back My Bullets.† â€Å"I don't see Grubb,† Calliope said. â€Å"Or the woman,† Coyote said. â€Å"Wait,† Calliope said. â€Å"Listen.† Amid the din of rock and roll, laughter, shouts, screams, and gunfire, they heard the sound of a baby crying. â€Å"It's coming from the tents,† Coyote said. â€Å"Follow me.† Coyote led them further down the ridge until they were about fifty yards from the tents and could see four women sitting around a campfire drinking and talking. One of them was holding Grubb. â€Å"There he is,† Calliope said. She started down the ridge and Sam caught her arm. â€Å"If you go down there that woman will call for Lonnie and the others.† â€Å"What can I do? We have to get him.† â€Å"Take off your clothes,† Coyote said. Sam sneered at the trickster, â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Here, take this,† Coyote said, handing something to Sam. Sam couldn't make out what it was in the dark, but it felt warm and soft. He recoiled and dropped it. â€Å"Ouch,† Coyote said, his voice soft now, feminine. â€Å"Is that any way to treat a lady?† Sam looked, moved closer to the trickster, and saw that he was no longer a he. Still in his black buckskins, he had changed into a woman. â€Å"I don't believe it,† Sam said. â€Å"You're lovely,† Calliope said. â€Å"Thanks,† Coyote said. â€Å"Give me your clothes. These don't fit me now.† He started undressing. In the dim moonlight that filtered through the trees, Sam watched the women undress. Calliope was right, the trickster was gorgeous, a perfect female mirror of the male Coyote, an Indian goddess. Sam felt a little sick at the thought and looked away. Coyote said, â€Å"I'll go down and get the child. Be ready to run. And pick that up, I'll need it.† He pointed to the ground where Sam had dropped his penis. Sam picked up the member in two fingers and held it out as if it would bite him. â€Å"I'm not comfortable with this.† â€Å"I'll hold it,† Calliope said, now dressed in the black buckskins. â€Å"No you won't!† Sam said. â€Å"Well.† She cocked a hip and waited for him to make a decision. Sam put the penis in his jacket pocket. â€Å"I'm not comfortable with this, I want you to know.† â€Å"Men are such babies,† Coyote said. He hugged Calliope, girl to girl, and made his way down the hill. Sam watched the trickster move away from them toward the fire. Unable to look away, he became nervous with his own thoughts. Calliope patted his shoulder. â€Å"It's okay,† she said. â€Å"In my jeans he really does have a great ass.† -=*=- Tinker lay in the bed of the pickup sulking, listening to the nearby women going on about how badly they were treated by their men and how cute the baby was. The little bastard had been crying for an hour. What the fuck had Lonnie been thinking, bringing a crumb-snatcher to a rally? From time to time Tinker sat up and looked over the edge of the pickup to pick out which of the women he would fantasize about getting a blow job from. Fat chance, stuck here in the truck. Fucking Bonner and his military discipline. â€Å"This is a business trip,† Bonner had said. â€Å"A business trip we wouldn't be taking if Tinker would have taken care of business. So Tink, you guard the truck. No partying.† What was the point rallying with your bros if you couldn't get fucked up and start a few fights? Fuck this action. At least it had stopped raining. Tinker peeked over the edge of the truck to see a new chick coming up to the fire. What a piece she was! Right out of Penthouse or something. She looked Indian, long blue-black hair. What a fucking body. He watched her fawn over the baby and touch Cheryl's face. Lonnie had fucked her up, bad. Tink wondered what it was like to hit a chick. He was getting hard thinking about it. The Indian chick was holding the baby now, walking around the fire rocking it. She walked behind one of the tents, then ducked down. Tinker saw her shoot out the other side in a crouch, headed up the hill with the baby. Two people were coming down to meet her. â€Å"Hey, bitch!† Cheryl yelled. The other women were on their feet, yelling – going after the Indian chick. Tinker jumped out of the truck and started to circle around and up the hill to head off the Indian chick. As he ran he drew his Magnum from his shoulder holster. He slipped, fell to one knee, and drew down on the Indian chick. No, fuck it. If he hit the rug-rat Bonner would have his ass. He climbed to his feet and lumbered across the hill, watching the Indian chick hand the rug-rat to a blond chick. They were on the path at the top of the ridge. Gotcha! He'd take the lower path and be waiting for them. They had to come out at the road. As Tinker made his way up the dark path he heard scooters firing up below him. Good. Bonner would get there and he would already have it handled. He'd be out of the doghouse. He reached the spot where the two paths intersected and stopped. He could hear them coming up the path, the baby still crying. He leveled his Magnum down the path and waited. If the dude showed first he'd waste him without a word. He saw a shadow, then a foot. Tinker cocked the Magnum, put the sight where the chest would appear. A rush went through him, waiting, waiting. Now! A vise clamped down over the gun and he felt it wrenched out of his hand, taking skin with it. Another clamp locked down on his neck and he looked up into the eyes of his deepest fear. He felt his face come down on something hard and the bones of his nose crush. His head was wrenched back and slammed down again, then it went dark. -=*=- â€Å"Shade!† Coyote said. Minty Fresh threw Tinker's unconscious body aside and looked up at the Indian woman. â€Å"Who are you?† Sam said, â€Å"M.F., what are you doing here?† â€Å"The name is Minty Fresh.† He held Tinker's Magnum out to Sam, then let it drop. â€Å"I'm learning how to sneak up on people.† He saw the baby and smiled. â€Å"You got him.† â€Å"It was a fine trick,† Coyote said. â€Å"Who are you?† Minty insisted. â€Å"It's your old buddy Coyote.† Coyote cupped his breasts. Minty stepped back from the woman to get a better look. â€Å"Something's different, right? Haircut?† â€Å"We have to go,† Calliope said. â€Å"To where?† Minty said. Calliope looked at Sam, panicked, confused. Sam had no answer. Coyote said, â€Å"Montana. The Crow res. Come with us, shade. It'll be fun.† Minty turned to the roar of bikes behind him. â€Å"They're coming up the road,† he said. â€Å"I'll block them as long as I can with the limo.† They made their way down the path to where the Z was parked. The limo was parked in front. â€Å"I'll drive,† Sam instructed. â€Å"Cal, you and Grubb in the back.† They got in the car as lights from the Harleys broke through the woods. Minty got in the limo, started it, and pulled it forward to make way for the Z. Sam pulled the Z into the road, careful not to spin the wheels in the mud. You guys okay?† he said to Calliope, who had curled herself around Grubb. â€Å"Go,† she said. The bikers broke into view, Lonnie Ray in front. Minty hit the brights on the limo, hoping to blind them. He checked the mirror to see the Z pulling away, then started to back the limo up, careful to keep it in the middle of the road to block the bikes. As Lonnie approached the limo he drew a pistol from his jacket and leveled it at Minty through the windshield. Minty ducked and hit the gas. The limo revved and stopped, the back wheels of the heavy car buried in the mud. Lonnie jumped off his bike onto the hood of the limo and braced himself on the roof as he aimed and fired at the Z. At the sound of the shot Minty looked up to see the barrel of Lonnie's pistol pointing at him through the windshield. The other bikers, unable to get past, moved up around the limo. â€Å"You're finished, spook,† Lonnie hissed. He cocked the pistol. â€Å"Move the car out of the road.† â€Å"I don't think so,† Minty said. Lonnie jumped off the hood of the Lincoln and stuck the pistol through the window into Minty's temple. â€Å"I said move it.† â€Å"You move it,† Minty said. He pushed the limo door open, knocking Lonnie to the ground. Two bikers yanked him from the car and rode him to the ground. Minty felt a boot in his kidney, then a fist in the stomach, then the blows fell on him like rain. He heard Calliope's Z downshifting in the distance and smiled. -=*=- Sam pulled the Z back onto the pavement and floored it. â€Å"Everyone okay?† Grubb was still crying. Sam shouted, â€Å"Calliope, are you okay?† Coyote turned in the passenger seat and reached back. â€Å"She's hit. There's blood.† â€Å"Oh fuck, is she-â€Å" â€Å"She's dead, Sam,† Coyote said. Part 4 Home Coyote Hears His Heart It is an old story, from the time of the animal people. Coyote was in his canoe, and had paddled all day and all night, only to find that he didn't know where he wanted to go. He sat in his canoe, drifting for a while, thinking that something was wrong. He wanted to do something, but he didn't know what it was, so he made some mountains and gave them names. But that didn't make him happy. He tried to think, but he wasn't very good at it, and he kept hearing a thumping noise that bothered him. â€Å"Where should I go? What should I do? How can I think with all this noise?† Coyote was becoming sad because he could not think, so he called out to the Old Mother, who was the Earth. â€Å"Old Mother,† he said. â€Å"Can you stop this thumping noise so I can figure out where I am supposed to be?† Old Mother heard Coyote and laughed at him. â€Å"Silly Coyote,† she said. â€Å"That thumping noise is the sound of your own heart beating. Listen to it. It is the sound of the drums. When you hear your heart you must think of the drums – the sound of home.† â€Å"I knew that,† Coyote said. CHAPTER 31 There Are No Orphans Among the Crow It was five hours from Sturgis to Crow Agency, and Coyote, back in his black buckskins, drove the whole way. Sam sat in the passenger seat, dazed, staring but seeing nothing, holding Grubb, rocking the baby in a rhythm to a pulsing emptiness in his chest and trying not to look at Calliope's lifeless body in the back. Mercifully, there was no thinking or remembering – his mind had shut down to protect him. Coyote was quiet. As they drove through town an old warning sounded deep in Sam's mind and he mumbled, â€Å"I shouldn't be here. I'm in trouble.† â€Å"You have to go home,† Coyote said. â€Å"Okay,† Sam said. He thought he should protest but he couldn't think clearly enough to remember why. â€Å"When we get there, no tricks, okay? Act human for a while, please.† â€Å"For a while,† Coyote said. A mile out of town Coyote pulled the Z into the muddy driveway of the Hunts Alone house. â€Å"Stay here,† Coyote said. He got out of the car and went up the cement steps to the door. Sam looked around, seeing the house like a memory. It hadn't changed much. The house had been painted and peeled a couple of times and there were two horses, a paint and a buckskin, in the back field. An old Airstream trailer was parked by the sweat lodge and there were a couple more abandoned cars rusting in the side lot. It all felt wrong, to have run so long to end up back where he had started – the danger that he had run from was still here, and now, with Calliope dead, he felt even weaker than the fifteen-year-old who had left so many years ago. As frightening as it had been to leave, it had been a beginning, full of hope and possibility. This felt like the end. Coyote knocked on the door and waited. A Crow woman in jeans and a sweatshirt, about thirty, answered. She was holding a baby. â€Å"Yes?† Coyote said, â€Å"I've brought your cousin home. We need help.† â€Å"Come in,† she said. Coyote went into the house and came back to the car a few minutes later. He opened the door, startling Sam. â€Å"Let's go inside,† Coyote said. â€Å"I told the woman inside what happened.† He helped Sam out of the car and pointed him to the door where the woman waited. Sam walked stiffly up the steps and past the woman into the house. He stood in the center of the living room, rocking Grubb. Coyote came in the door behind him. â€Å"Can I bring her in?† he asked the woman. The woman looked horrified at the thought of a dead body in the house. Sam turned suddenly. â€Å"No, not in the house. No.† Coyote waited. The woman looked uncomfortable. â€Å"You could put her in the trailer out back.† Coyote went back out. The woman came to Sam and pulled the blanket away from Grubb's face. â€Å"Has he eaten?† â€Å"I?CI don't know. Not for a while.† â€Å"He needs a change. C'mon, give.† She put her own baby on the couch and coaxed Grubb out of Sam's arms. She spread the blanket on the coffee table and laid Grubb down on his back. â€Å"I've heard about you,† she said. â€Å"I'm Cindy. Festus is my husband.† Sam didn't answer. She took Grubb's dirty diaper off him and set it aside. â€Å"He's at work now, with his dad. They have their own shop in Hardin. Harry works with them too.† â€Å"Grandma?† Sam said. She looked up and shook her head. â€Å"Years ago, before I met Festus.† She brightened, trying to change the subject and the mood. â€Å"We have three other kids. Two other boys and a girl. They're in school – the little one in Head Start.† Sam stared over her head at the elkhorn hat rack hung with baseball caps, an old Stetson, and a ceremonial headdress. An obsidian-point buffalo lance hung beside it, next to an old Winchester and a Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendar. â€Å"He's a strong baby,† Cindy said, grabbing Grubb's fidgeting fists. Sam looked back at her. â€Å"Pokey?† He looked down and away, a wave of grief washing over him. He walked to the kitchen doorway and stared at the ceiling, the first tears stinging as they welled up. â€Å"Pokey's okay,† Cindy said. â€Å"He went into the clinic last week. He almost – He was real sick. They wanted to move him to the hospital in Billings but Harlan wouldn't let them.† Cindy finished diapering Grubb and propped him up on the couch next to her own baby. â€Å"I'll fix him a bottle.† She walked past Sam into the kitchen. He turned away from her as she went by. â€Å"Do you want some food? Coffee?† Sam turned to her. â€Å"She never hurt anybody. She just wanted her baby back.† He covered his face. Cindy moved to him and put her arms around him. Coyote came in the front door. â€Å"Sam, we have to go.† Sam took Cindy by the shoulders and gently pushed her away, then turned and looked at Grubb, who was dozing on the couch. â€Å"He'll be okay,† Cindy said. â€Å"I'll watch him.† Sam didn't move. â€Å"Sam,† Coyote said, â€Å"let's go see Pokey.† -=*=- Heading back through Crow Agency to the clinic, Sam noticed the new, modern tribal building and the new stadium behind it. Wiley's Food and Gas was still across the highway, just as it had been before. Kids were still hanging around outside the burger stand. Two old men shared a bottle outside the tobacco store. A mother led a pack of kids out of the general store, each carrying a bag of groceries. â€Å"I shouldn't be here,† Sam said. Coyote ignored him and kept driving. The clinic was housed in an old two-story house at the far end of town. A line of people – mostly women and kids – waited outside. Coyote pulled into the muddy parking lot next to a rusted-out Buick. They crawled out of the car and walked up to the door. Some of the kids whispered and giggled, pointing at Coyote. An old man who was wheeling an oxygen cylinder behind him said, â€Å"Crow Fair ain't 'til next summer, boy. Why you dressed for a powwow?† â€Å"Be cool,† Sam said to Coyote. â€Å"Don't scare him.† Coyote shrugged and followed Sam into the waiting room, a ten-by-ten parlor with a checked linoleum floor and mint-green walls hung with racks of pamphlets. Twenty people sat in folding chairs along the walls, reading old copies of People or just staring at their shoes. Sam approached a window where a Crow woman was absorbed in scribbling on index cards, intent on not looking at those who waited. â€Å"Excuse me,† Sam said. The woman didn't look up. â€Å"Fill this out.† She handed a form and a stick pen over the counter. â€Å"When you hand it in – with the pen – I'll give you a number.† â€Å"I'm not here for treatment,† Sam said, and the woman looked up for the first time. â€Å"I'm here to see Pokey Medicine Wing.† The woman seemed annoyed. â€Å"Just a minute.† She got up and walked through the door into the back. In a moment a door into the waiting room opened and everyone looked up. A young, white doctor poked his head out, spotted Sam and Coyote, and signaled for them to come in. Everyone in the waiting room looked back down. Inside the door the doctor looked them up and down, Sam in his dirty windbreaker and slacks, Coyote in his buckskins. â€Å"Are you family?† â€Å"He's my clan uncle,† Sam said. The doctor nodded to Coyote. â€Å"And you?† â€Å"Just a friend,† Sam said. â€Å"You'll have to wait outside,† the doctor said. Sam looked at Coyote. â€Å"Keep it under control, okay?† â€Å"I said I would.† The trickster went back into the waiting room. â€Å"He should be in a real hospital,† the doctor said. â€Å"He was technically dead, twice. We brought him back with the defibrillator. He's stable now, but we don't have the staff here to watch him. He should be in an ICU.† Sam hadn't heard a word of it. â€Å"Can I see him?† â€Å"Follow me.† The doctor turned and led Sam down a narrow hallway and up a flight of steps. â€Å"He was severely dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia. I think he'd been drinking even before he went on the fast. It leached all the fluids out of his body. His liver is shot and his heart sustained some damage.† The doctor stopped and opened a door. â€Å"Just a few minutes. He's very weak.† The doctor went in with Sam. Pokey was lying in a hospital bed, tubes and wires connecting him to bottles and machines. His skin was a brown-gray color. â€Å"Mr. Medicine Wing,† the doctor said softly, â€Å"someone is here to see you.† Pokey's eyes opened slowly. â€Å"Hey, Samson,† he said. He smiled and Sam noticed that he still hadn't gotten false teeth. â€Å"Hey, Pokey,† Sam said. â€Å"You got bigger.† â€Å"Yeah,† Sam said. Seeing Pokey was breaking through his fog, and he was starting to hurt again. â€Å"You look like shit,† Pokey said. â€Å"So do you.† â€Å"Must run in the family.† Pokey grinned. â€Å"You got a smoke?† Sam shook his head. â€Å"I don't think that would be a good idea. I hear you're still drinking.† â€Å"Yeah. I went to some meetings. They said I needed to get a higher power if I wanted to quit. I told them that a higher power was why I was drinking in the first place.† â€Å"He's outside now. Waiting.† Pokey nodded and closed his eyes. â€Å"I had a couple of visions about you meeting up with him. All those years he's quiet, then I get a bunch of visions. I thought you was dead until I had the first one.† â€Å"I couldn't come home. I shouldn't have†¦.† Pokey dismissed the thought with a weak wave of his hand. â€Å"You had to go. Enos would've killed you. He checked on us for years, lookin' in our mailbox for letters, watching the house. He drove himself plumb crazy. He give up on you when Grandma died and you didn't come home.† Sam had listened to the last part of the speech sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to Pokey. His knees had given out at the news that Enos was alive. He stared at the door. â€Å"I don't feel anything,† he said. â€Å"You okay?† Pokey said, trying to grab his nephew's arm. â€Å"There's nothing. I'm not even afraid.† â€Å"What's wrong?† Sam looked over his shoulder at Pokey. â€Å"I thought I killed him.† â€Å"You busted him up real good. Broke both his legs and an arm sliding down the face of the dam. Tub a lard didn't even have the manners to drown.† â€Å"I been running for nothing. I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I should of never give you that Coyote medicine,† Pokey said. His breath was starting to come in rasping gasps. â€Å"I thought if I got rid of it I wouldn't be crazy no more.† â€Å"It's okay.† Sam patted Pokey's arm. â€Å"I don't think you had a choice.† Pokey continued to breathe heavily. â€Å"I saw a shadow that said you were going where there was death. I didn't know where to find you. I told Old Man Coyote. He said he knew.† Pokey gripped Sam's arm. â€Å"He said he knew, Samson. You got to get away from him.† â€Å"Calm down, Pokey.† Sam stood and put his hands on Pokey's shoulder. â€Å"It's okay, Pokey. It wasn't my death. Do you want the doctor?† Pokey shook his head. His breathing started to calm. Sam took a pitcher of water from the bedside table and poured some into a paper cup. He held it while Pokey drank, then helped the old man lie back. â€Å"Whose death?† Pokey asked. Sam put the cup down. â€Å"A girl.† He looked away. â€Å"You loved her?† Sam nodded, still looking away. â€Å"She had a baby. Cindy's watching him.† â€Å"When did it happen?† â€Å"This morning.† â€Å"Was Old Man Coyote with you when it happened?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Ask him to bring her back. He owes you that.† â€Å"She's dead, Pokey. She's gone.† â€Å"I been dead twice in the last two days. I ain't gone.† â€Å"She was shot, Pokey. A bullet went through her spine.† â€Å"Samson, look at me.† Pokey pulled himself up on the bed so he could look Sam in the eye. â€Å"He owes you. There's a story that Old Man Coyote invented death so there wouldn't be too many people. There's another story that his wife was killed and he went into the Underworld to get her. There was a shade there that let her go as long as Coyote promised not to look at her until he got back to the world, but he looked, so now no one can come back.† â€Å"Pokey, I can't do this right now. I can't listen to this.† â€Å"He stole your life, Samson.† Sam shook his head violently. â€Å"This just happened to me. I didn't make any of it happen.† â€Å"Then make it happen now!† Pokey shouted. Sam stopped. â€Å"In the buffalo days they said that a warrior who had counted coup and had an arrow bundle could move in and out of the Underworld. He could hide there from his enemies. Go, Samson. Old Man Coyote can help you find your girl.† â€Å"She's dead, Pokey. The Underworld is just old superstition.† â€Å"Mumbo jumbo?† Pokey said. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Crazy talk?† â€Å"That's right.† â€Å"Voodoo?† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"Like Coyote medicine?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Well?† Sam didn't answer. He was gritting his teeth, glaring at his uncle. Pokey smiled. â€Å"You still hate it when I talk about the old ways. Try it, Samson. What do you have to lose?† â€Å"Nothing,† Sam said. â€Å"There's nothing at all.† The doctor opened the door and said, â€Å"That's enough. He needs to rest.† â€Å"Fuck off, paleface,† Pokey said. Sam said, â€Å"Just one more minute, please.† â€Å"One minute,† the doctor said, holding up his finger as he backed out of the room. Sam looked at Pokey. â€Å"‘Fuck off, paleface'?† He laughed. It felt good. â€Å"Be nice, Squats Behind the Bush. I'm sick.† Sam felt something moving through him as he grinned at Pokey – something warm, like hope. â€Å"Now, quick, before you die again, you old fuck. Where do I get an arrow bundle?† -=*=- Sam came striding out of the clinic and grabbed Coyote by the arm, pulling him away from a group of kids he was lying to. What had been a paralyzing grief had changed to purpose. Sam felt incredibly alive. â€Å"Let's go. Give me the keys.† â€Å"What's going on?† Coyote said. â€Å"Why the hurry? Did the old man die?† Sam climbed into the Z and fired it up. â€Å"I've got to get to a phone, and I've got to get some clothes.† â€Å"What happened in there?† â€Å"You knew she was going to be killed, didn't you?† â€Å"I knew someone would.† â€Å"Pokey says that you can go in and out of the land of the dead?† â€Å"I can? Oh, the Underworld! Yeah, I can. I don't like to, though.† â€Å"We're going.† â€Å"It's depressing. You won't like it.† â€Å"Pokey thinks you can bring Calliope back.† â€Å"I tried that once; it didn't work. It's not up to me.† â€Å"Then we're going to talk to whoever it's up to.† â€Å"Aren't you afraid?† â€Å"I'm a little past that.† â€Å"Why do you need clothes?† â€Å"We're going to Billings first, to get something.† â€Å"It's depressing. You won't like it. There's a big cliff in Billings that was a buffalo jump, but our people never drove the herds over it. The buffalo used to go up to the edge and say, ‘Oh, no, it's Billings, then they'd just jump over out of depression. Nope, you don't want to go to Billings.† Sam pulled into the Hunts Alone driveway, shut off the car, and turned to Coyote. â€Å"What's in the Underworld? What are you so afraid of?†

A Secret Weapon for Samples about the Essay

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