In the lake of the woods Essay Example for Free

In the lake of the woods Essay I believe that everything that happened in the story is an effect of John’s sufferings. We can say that John is the real victim in this book. The story tells us that John, as a child was frequently abused verbally and physically by his alcoholic father, whom to other children seemed the perfect father. John then turns to his fantasy of being a sorcerer in order to treat himself from the abuse. According to Penn State Children’s Hospital, over the long run, abused children are more likely to use drugs, become sexually promiscuous, have low self esteem, exhibit extremely passive or aggressive behavior, have difficulty with interpersonal relationships, perform poorly in school, have frequent nightmares, and experience depression that can lead to attempted suicide. These may explain how John became a not-so normal adult, who now believes that he is in fact, the sorcerer. In one long-term study, as many as 80 percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21 (Child Welfare Information Gateway). Kathy’s disappearance provides us a venue to think of what John could have done. O’Brien, the author of In the Lake of the Woods, lets us readers decide. In a human rights point of view, I firmly believe that child abuse has immeasurable effects as proven by the statements above. A physically abused child may become as violent as his oppressor or even more. With this, I can say that John’s psychological health was affected and this is why Kathy, his wife disappeared. It can be that John, spilled hot water over Kathy when he said he poured the boiling water on the plants. It only manifests that John has violent tendencies. John’s psychological health may have also been deterred by his participation in the Vietnam massacre. He is guilty of his In the Lake of the Woods page 2 participation and is trying to erase the thought by moving to another place. And his plan did not work. We can say that John may have murdered his wife and plans to kill himself afterwards. John’s human right was violated as a child and come his adult life, he has done the same. Keeping human rights in mind, this is what I think happened in the story. This is not exclusive to the book but is also prevalent in today’s society. Wars are waged because someone’s human rights were stepped on, fathers hit their spouses because they were also abused by their fathers. It only says that human rights violation is a disease. It is a social cancer that leads to death and violence. The book tells us how human rights play a role and that it is not just a set of rules but a law that protects our lives and our future. Bibliography â€Å"Long-term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect†. Child Welfare Information Gateway. 9 December 2006. http://www. childwelfare. gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences. cfm â€Å"Child Physical Abuse†. Penn State Children’s Hospital. 9 December 2006. http://www. hmc. psu. edu/childrens/healthinfo/pq/physicalabuse. htm.

The Purpose Of Life - Lifes Journey :: miscellaneous

The Purpose Of Life - Life's Journey "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time... Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." ~ 1 Peter 1:3-5, 13-16, King James Version In a dream, I received a message from God saying, "Life is a journey to holiness." This is truth, for we have been taught the same by our Lord Jesus Christ who said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) And we know that the Heavenly Father is all that is good, beautiful, great, and holy, therefore we must aim to possess such qualities of The Lord. Though we will never reach perfection, we must strive for it with all our heart – in other words, with all our love for God. For it is written, "Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind." (Lord Jesus Christ Quote, Matthew 22:37) Our Lord Jesus Christ is to whom we are to compare ourselves to, for He is the Ideal. He lived the perfect life, and He is therefore the one we must strive to resemble. He is God in the flesh, representing the way we ought to live – for it is written, "And the Word [that is, God] was made flesh [that is, Jesus], and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) Now, my heart has not always been striving for God, for my heart was torn between good and evil – between the ways of God and satan.

Five Traits Essay

1.Define and discuss the importance of the following traits associated with leaders: intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability. Is this list all inclusive? a.Intelligence: Having a strong verbal ability, perceptual ability, and reasoning abilities; Leaders intellectual abilities, however, should not differ too much from their subordinates; Intelligence is also defined as a trait that significantly contributes to a leader’s acquisition of complex problem-solving skills and social judgement skills; Intelligent leaders have the ability to consider every situation individually and make an assessment as to what is the best solution. b.Self-Confidence: The ability to be certain about one’s competencies and skills is self-confidence; Includes both self-esteem and self-assurance; Self-confidence is an essential trait for any leader because without self-confidence it may become harder for followers to fully trust their leader c.Determination: Determination is the desire to get a job done and includes characteristics such as initiative, persistence, dominance, and drive; these people are proactive and have the perseverance to face obstacles; this trait is needed in order for leaders and followers to overcome goals. d.Integrity: Integrity is the quality of honesty and trustworthiness; these people are those who adhere to a strong set of principles and take responsibility for their actions; Leaders need integrity in order to inspire confidence in others since they are trusted to do what they say they are going to do. e.Sociability: A leader’s inclination to seek out pleasant social relationships; people who possess sociability are able to create strong relationships with their fellow followers. f.The five traits described above are all traits in which strong leaders possess. While the list is certainly not all-inclusive, these five seem to be essential in order to produce a strong and successful leade r.

Can Ocean Desalination Solve Worlds Water Shortage

Freshwater scarcity is already posing major problems for more than a billion people around the world, mostly in arid developing countries. The World Health Organization predicts that by mid-century, four billion of us -- nearly two-thirds of the world’s present population -- will face severe fresh water shortages. Population Growth Drives Quest for Water by Desalination With the human population expected to balloon another 50 percent by 2050, resource managers are increasingly looking to alternative scenarios for quenching the worlds growing thirst. Desalination  -- a process whereby highly pressurized ocean water is pushed through tiny membrane filters and distilled into drinking water -- is being held forth by some as one of the most promising solutions to the problem. But critics point out it doesnt come without its economic and environmental costs. Costs and Environmental Impact of Desalination According to the non-profit Food Water Watch, desalinated ocean water is the most expensive form of fresh water out there, given the infrastructure costs of collecting, distilling and distributing it. The group reports that, in the U.S., desalinated water costs at least five times as much to harvest as other sources of fresh water. Similar high costs are a big hurdle to desalination efforts in poor countries as well, where limited funds are already stretched too thin. On the environmental front, widespread desalination could take a heavy toll on ocean biodiversity. Ocean water is filled with living creatures, and most of them are lost in the process of desalination, says Sylvia Earle, one of the worlds foremost marine biologists and a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. â€Å"Most are microbial, but intake pipes to desalination plants also take up the larvae of a cross-section of life in the sea, as well as some fairly large organisms†¦part of the hidden cost of doing business,† she says. Earle also points out that the very salty residue leftover from desalination must be disposed of properly, not just dumped back into the sea. Food Water Watch concurs, warning that coastal areas already battered by urban and agricultural run-off can ill afford to absorb tons of concentrated saltwater sludge. Is Desalination the Best Option? Food Water Watch advocates instead for better freshwater management practices. Ocean desalination hides the growing water supply problem instead of focusing on water management and lowering water usage, the group reports, citing a recent study which found that California can meet its water needs for the next 30 years by implementing cost-effective urban water conservation. Desalination is an expensive, speculative supply option that will drain resources away from more practical solutions, the group says. Of course, the recent California drought sent everyone back to their drawing boards, and the appeal of desalination has revived. A plant providing water for 110,000 customers opened in December 2015 in Carlsbad, north of San Diego, at a reported cost of $1 billion. The practice of desalinating salt water is becoming more common worldwide. Ted Levin of the Natural Resources Defense Council says that more than 12,000 desalination plants already supply fresh water in 120 nations, mostly in the Middle East and the Caribbean. And analysts expect the worldwide market for desalinated water to grow significantly over the coming decades. Environmental advocates may just have to settle for pushing to green the practice as much as possible in lieu of eliminating it altogether. Edited by Frederic Beaudry.