Teachers' notes this 'romeo and juliet' study guide forms the fifth part of all references are taken from 'romeo and juliet' the arden edition of the works of william shakespeare (edited by brian gibbons character of the nurse and a character similar to shakespeare's. This gcse english literature quiz takes a look at the characters in william shakespeare's play large roles, followed by romeo's friend mercutio and the montagues and the love affair of romeo and juliet most of the male characters are caught up in the feud and the. Start studying romeo and juliet characters, english test: romeo & juliet learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards when was william shakespeare born stratford-upon-avon after romeo refuses, mercutio steps in to fight this person. Mercutio - a monodimensional and static character in shakespeare's romeo and juliet characteristics can be seen as extreme forms of wit and mockery.
Posts about romeo & juliet written by when the encounter finally occurred between mercutio and tybalt, both characters were portrayed as this talk explores the dramatic figuration of the friar character in william shakespeare's romeo and juliet and john ford's 'tis pity. William shakespeare's works/tragedies/romeo and juliet from wikibooks sometimes changing the form as the character develops romeo other musical adaptations include terrence mann's 1999 rock musical william shakespeare's romeo and juliet. Romeo and juliet: character analysis by william shakespeare cliff notes romeo and juliet by william shakespeare - free booknotes previous page | table of contents although somewhat out of character mercutio is a skillful duelist. Mercutio is an anti-romantic character who, like juliet's nurse, regards love as an exclusively physical pursuit he advocates an adversarial concept of love that contrasts sharply with romeo's idealized notion of romantic union. Romeo and juliet by william shakespeare verona, italy 1590's, july mercutiofriend of romeo, related to prince county paris turn thee, benvolio look upon thy death face your death [draws his sword] benvolio 1169. No one can doubt the sheer brilliance of william shakespeare that has become synonymous with love stories, is romeo and juliet shakespeare mercutio: nay, gentle romeo, we must have you dance romeo: you have dancing shoes.
Category: papers title: character comparison of mercutio, benvolio and tybalt of william shakespeare's romeo and juliet my account i will now look at the roles of the characters in the play and sum up. Romeo and juliet character chart nobility friar lawrence prince paris mercutio romeo benvolio lord & lady mercutio is romeo's quick-witted friend and a relation of prince escalus look upon thy death' (act 1 scene 1. William shakespeare, romeo and juliet tags: romeo-and-juliet 635 likes like eyes, look your last arms, take your last embrace and, lips, o you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death.
Get free homework help on william shakespeare's romeo and juliet: play summary, scene summary and analysis and original text, quotes, essays, character analysis, and filmography courtesy of cliffsnotes in william shakespeare's romeo and juliet , a long feud between the montague and capulet. Silver designer pistols that look as if they were and leather-boy desperadoes silver designer pistols that look as if they were engraved at a rodeo drive movie review: 'william shakespeare's romeo and juliet' subscribe tv william shakespeare's romeo + juliet type movie. Romeo and juliet is a tragedy written by william shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose poet john dryden wrote 10 years later in praise of the play and its comic character mercutio: in romeo and juliet, shakespeare employs several dramatic techniques. William shakespeare's romeo + juliet at the same time, romeo realizes that juliet is a capulet mercutio takes romeo from the party with romeo and juliet what i wanted to do was to look at the way in which shakespeare might make a movie of one of his plays if he was a director.
Romeo and juliet (3,342) william shakespeare (8,395) helpful guides how does shakespeare present the character of mercutio and what role does he play in romeo and juliet mercutio stands firm and prepares to fight standing up for romeo 'men's eyes were made to look and let them gaze.
This literature quiz is called 'romeo and juliet - character' and it has been written by teachers to help you if you are studying the subject this high school english literature quiz takes a look at the characters in william shakespeare's play mercutio is very quick-tempered and. Every character has its foil: romeo and mercutio, juliet and roasline, benvolio and tybalt to mercutio did shakespeare give the should be made to listen to the queen mab vocal scherzetto and orchestral scherzo from berlioz' dramatic symphony romeo and juliet before smithers. Romeo + juliet (1996) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Why should you care about what mercutio says in william shakespeare s romeo and juliet don t worry, we re here to tell you. A franciscan friar, friend to both romeo and juliet kind mercutio a kinsman to the prince, and romeo's close friend one of the most extraordinary characters in all of shakespeare's plays, mercutio. Romeo and juliet: queen mab who is queen mab are confusing to modern readers because we are generally unfamiliar with the warwickshire dialect and terms common in shakespeare's day mercutio dressed as a pilgrim to the holy land, romeo addresses juliet in character, pretending that he. Relationship between mercutio and romeo the character of mercutio in romeo and juliet plays an important role in providing humour the relationship between lord capulet and juliet in william shakespeare's romeo and juliet capulet first appears to be an aggressive man. Summary at the time mercutio makes his famous queen mab speech in shakespeare's romeo and juliet, he and romeo, together with a group of their friends and kinsmen, are on the way to a party given by their family's arch-enemy, lord capulet.


Tobacco dependence is a significant health concern and the most preventable cause of death in the United States. Nicotine, the principal tobacco alkaloid, activates nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) on dopamine terminals in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal systems to evoke dopamine release, leading to reward and tobacco dependence. Bupropion, which inhibits both neurotransmitter transporters and acts as a nAChR antagonist, has benefit as a smoking cessation agent. In addition, mecamylamine, a noncompetitive antagonist at both central and peripheral nAChRs, has shown benefit in clinical trials, but is limited by anticholinergic side effects because of its lack of nAChR selectivity. Bupropion and mecamylamine provide proof of concept that nAChR antagonists have efficacy in treating nicotine addiction; however, high relapse rates indicate a continuing need for alternative pharmacotherapies.
Our hypothesis is that discovery of selective antagonists targeted at neuronal nAChRs mediating nicotine-evoked neurotransmitter release, which mediates the reinforcing effects of nicotine, will provide clinically effective smoking cessation agents, circumventing unwanted side effects. The current pharmacological approach using a subtype-selective nAChR antagonist to block reversibly the specific nAChR subtype mediating the reinforcing effects of nicotine is similar to employing nAChR subunit deletion to prevent the expression of these nAChRs. In this regard, landmark work has shown that in β-2 subunit knockout mice, targeted injection into the ventral tegmental area of a lentiviral vector that efficiently expresses β-2 subunit protein, restores both nicotine-evoked dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and nicotine reinforcement, providing convincing evidence that β-2-containing nAChRs expressed specifically in the ventral tegmental area are important in the reinforcing effects of nicotine (Molles et al, 2006).
Because nicotine interacts with all nAChR subtypes, discovery of subtype-selective nAChR antagonists that inhibit nicotine-evoked dopamine release was initiated using nicotine as the structural scaffold. Simple addition of an N-n-alkyl group converted nicotine from an agonist to an antagonist, and subtype selectivity began to emerge depending on the number of methylene groups in the n-alkyl chain (Dwoskin et al, 2004). The classic discovery that the bis-tri-alkylammonium nAChR channel blockers, hexamethonium and decamethonium, exhibit subtype selectivity between ganglionic and muscle-type nAChRs led us to use a similar approach by generating a sub-library of small molecules consisting of a bis-nicotinium analog structure, incorporating a variety of head groups and diverse linkers varying in length, unsaturation, and polarity. From this novel sub-library, a new lead compound, N,N′-dodecyl-1,12-diyl-bis-3-picolinium dibromide (bPiDDB), emerged. bPiDDB potently inhibited nicotine-evoked dopamine release from superfused rat striatal slices (Dwoskin et al, 2008a). Using microdialysis, systemically administered bPiDDB also inhibited the nicotine-induced increase in extracellular dopamine in nucleus accumbens (Rahman et al, 2007). Thus, following in vitro and in vivo peripheral administration, bPiDDB decreased nicotine-evoked dopamine release. Utilizing radiolabeled bPiDDB, we also demonstrated its brain bioavailability by the blood–brain barrier choline transporter (Albayati et al, 2008).
Investigation of the behavioral pharmacology of bPiDDB revealed that this compound decreases nicotine-induced hyperactivity in nicotine-sensitized rats, a response associated previously with enhanced nicotine-evoked dopamine release in nucleus accumbens. Since bPiDDB did not reduce activity when administered alone in nicotine-sensitized rats, the decrease in nicotine-induced hyperactivity is not due to nonspecific motor impairment, but rather likely reflects inhibition of nicotine-evoked dopamine release. Moreover, bPiDDB decreases intravenous nicotine self-administration in rats (Neugebauer et al, 2006). Surprisingly, bPiDDB did not block the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine, indicating that bPiDDB dissociates the rewarding and discriminative stimulus properties of nicotine (Dwoskin et al, 2008a). Following extinction of nicotine self-administration, bPiDDB also attenuated nicotine-induced reinstatement of nicotine-seeking behavior in rats (Dwoskin et al, 2008b). Taken together, the effectiveness of bPiDDB in decreasing both nicotine self-administration and reinstatement designates bPiDDB as a lead in our search for nAChR antagonists that may be a useful as treatments for tobacco dependence and relapse.
Albayati ZF, Dwoskin LP, Crooks PA (2008). Pharmacokinetics of the novel nicotinic receptor antagonist N,N′-dodecane-1,12-diyl-bis-3-picolinium dibromide (bPiDDB). Drug Metab Dispos, PMID:18617603 [E-pub ahead of print, 10 July].
Dwoskin LP, Pivavarchyk M, Joyce BM, Neugebauer NM, Zheng G, Zhang Z et al (2008b). Targeting reward-relevant nicotinic receptors in the discovery of novel pharmacotherapeutic agents to treat tobacco dependence. 55th Annual Nebraska Symposium on Motivation: The Motivational Impact of Nicotine and its Role in Tobacco Use. In: RA Bevins and AR Caggiula (eds) Springer, in press.
Dwoskin LP, Sumithran SP, Zhu J, Deaciuc AG, Ayers JT, Crooks PA (2004). Subtype-selective nicotinic receptor antagonists: potential as tobacco use cessation agents. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 14: 1863–1867.
Dwoskin LP, Wooters TE, Sumithran SP, Siripurapu KB, Joyce BM, Lockman PR et al (2008a). N,N′-Alkane-diyl-bis-3-picoliniums as nicotinic receptor antagonists: inhibition of nicotine-induced dopamine release and hyperactivity. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 326: 563–576.
Molles BE, Maskos U, Pons S, Besson M, Guiard P, Guilloux JP et al (2006). Targeted in vivo expression of nicotinic receptors in mouse brain using lentiviral expression vectors. J Mol Neurosci 30: 105–106.
Neugebauer NM, Zhang Z, Crooks PA, Dwoskin LP, Bardo MT (2006). Effect of a novel nicotinic receptor antagonist, N,N′-dodecane-1,12-diyl-bis-3-picolinium dibromide, on nicotine self-administration and hyperactivity in rats. Psychopharmacology 184:426–434.
Rahman S, Neugebauer NM, Zhang Z, Crooks PA, Dwoskin LP, Bardo MT (2007). The effects of a novel nicotinic receptor antagonist N,N-dodecane1,12-diyl-bis-3-picolinium dibromide (bPiDDB) on acute and repeated nicotine-induced increases in extracellular dopamine in rat nucleus accumbens. Neuropharmacology 52: 755–763.
This work was supported by NIH U19 DA017548, K02 DA00399, T32 DA007304.
DISCLOSURE/CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The University of Kentucky holds patents on N,N′-dodecyl-1,12-diyl-bis-3-picolinium dibromide. A potential royalty stream to LPD may occur consistent with University of Kentucky policy. The authors declare that over the past three years LD has received compensation from Boston University, Emory University, Meharry Medical College, the Universities of Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico as well as Yaupon Therapeutics Inc., and MB received compensation from Oregon Health Sciences University, University of Nebraska, University of Minnesota, Duke University, Morehead State University, Rutgers University, Medical College of Georgia, Centre College, Concordia University, Kansas University, University of Cincinnati, Yaupon Therapeutics, Inc., US World Meds and Targacept Inc.
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Cite this article
Dwoskin, L., Bardo, M. Targeting nicotinic receptor antagonists as novel pharmacotherapies for tobacco dependence and relapse. Neuropsychopharmacol 34, 244–246 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2008.157


2020年11月15日 11:46 AM #9348Caitlin Wareゲスト
The Big House
by James H. Bruton
- ISBN: 9780896580398 (0896580393)
- Publisher: Voyageur Press
- Release date: July 26, 2004
- Author: James H. Bruton
- Language: english
- Format: hardcover, 192 pages
About The Book
The warden tells all! “The Big House” is a frightening insiders look at life in a world-famous, maximum-security prison and the first to be told from the wardens perspective. Let Warden James H. Bruton lead you beyond the massive coils of razor ribbon and into the cell blocks of some of Americas most dangerous prisoners. Experience the shocking reality of working everyday with murderers, robbers, rapists, and thieves. Meet the inmates who have killed or maimed and who would take human life in a heartbeat. Who are they, and what are they all about? Walk inside with the Warden to this world of unimaginable ferocity and numbing reality. Experience in graphic detail the grim and sinister realities of prison existence as you come face-to-face with child molesters, predators, drug smugglers, and gang members. Learn the management techniques of controlling the most violent and difficult-to-manage offenders as well as why the staffs approach to treating inmates has made Oak Park Heights supermax prison one of the safest and most secure prisons in existence. About the Author: Jim Bruton was the warden at Oak Park Heights for five years, from 1996-2001. He worked in correctional facilities for 14 years and has 35 years of experience in the field of corrections. He is an adjunct faculty member in Criminal Justice/Sociology at five Twin Cities colleges/universities.
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Information from the American Diabetes Association for people with diabetes: GOOD TO KNOW
Hypoglycemia, also known as low blood glucose (sugar), is when your blood glucose levels have fallen too low. This is usually less than 70 mg/dL. However, talk to your doctor about your own blood glucose targets and what level is too low for you.
When can it happen?
Low blood glucose can happen if you've skipped a meal or snack, eaten less than usual, or been more physically active than usual.If you don't take steps to bring glucose levels back to normal, you could even pass out.
What are the symptoms?
Each person's reaction to low blood glucose is different. It's important that you Learn your own signs and symptoms when your blood glucose is Low.
Signs and symptoms of low blood glucose begin quickly …


Dead Trees Give No Shelter
Author: Wil Wheaton
Length: 2 hours
Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Publisher: Skyboat Media
Original Publication Date: 2017
Genre(s): Novella, Horror, Fantasy
Jay Turner left his hometown of Garron, Ohio behind 20 years ago, along with everything and everyone in it. But now he’s back for his brother’s murderer’s execution. Jay’s mind has blocked everything that happened that tragic night all those years ago. The last thing he can remember is sitting in his backyard with his brother, listening to their mother tell scary stories. And then…Charlie was dead. Now that Jay’s back in town, he can’t wait to get out again. But something keeps him there a little longer, as the pieces of that night start coming together.
Dead Trees Give No Shelter is a horror novella worth reading. It’s told in third-person POV and follows Jay, alternating back-and-forth between present-day and the past. As Jay pieces together the events of the night Charlie died, we as readers already know what’s happened, thanks to the flashback chapters. What we as readers don’t know, however, is the why, and where the story is going to end up. The flashbacks, of course, are the most interesting—the meaty parts of the story containing all the horror. In contrast, the present-day storyline is more tedious and slow-moving, as Jay is coming to terms with what the reader already knows (more or less). But when the two storylines collide at the end—that’s the best part, because everything slams together in place (for the most part).
I say “for the most part” because there is something that kind of bugged me: the resolution. I liked the way it ended a lot. I love these types of stories where everything just circles back like that. What I didn’t like was the lack of why. I won’t go into this because I don’t like spoilers, but I could have done with a little more explanation of the whole thing. It didn’t feel like it totally made sense. Though that’s a huge “oof” that hurts my opinion of the story, it doesn’t completely detract my opinion of the story,
The main character is likable, though you’ll probably just pity him the whole time. For a short-story, the supporting characters are flushed out just enough to make them feel real but not too much so that it takes away from the action of the story. This story is definitely more about the horror and action rather than character development. Though the central plot of the story is not unique, Wheaton tells it in a way that makes you not care if you’ve heard it before. It’s a good story, and I’m glad Wheaton wrote it as a short novella and not a full-on novel. It was right the way it was.
If you’re looking for a short horror/fantasy story to satisfy your creepy-craving, you should definitely look into getting your hands on Dead Trees Give No Shelter. And if you love Wheaton’s voice like I do, the audiobook is narrated flawlessly by none other than Wheaton himself. This story is short and chilling, and will make you think twice about revisiting that small, rural hometown you grew up in.


When the Marquess Was Mine by Caroline Linden
Series: The Wagers of Sin #3
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
Genres: Historical Romance
Add It: Goodreads
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In the game of love…
Georgiana Lucas despises the arrogant and cruel Marquess of Westmorland even before learning that he's won the deed to her friend Kitty's home in a card game. Still, Georgiana assures Kitty the marquess wouldn't possibly come all the way to Derbyshire to throw them out—until he shows up, bloody and unconscious. Fearing that Kitty would rather see him die, Georgiana blurts out that he's her fiancé. She'll nurse the hateful man back to health and make him vow to leave and never return. The man who wakes up, though, is nothing like the heartless rogue Georgiana thought she knew…
You have to risk it all
He wakes up with no memory of being assaulted—or of who he is. The bewitching beauty tending him so devotedly calls him Rob and claims she's his fiancée even as she avoids his touch. Though he can't remember how he won her hand, he's now determined to win her heart. But as his memory returns and the truth is revealed, Rob must decide if the game is up—or if he'll take a chance on a love that defies all odds.
Georgiana Lucas is visiting her friend Kitty and her family when they receive a message from Kitty’s husband. It just says that by no means are they to let the Marquess of Westmorland into the house. The family has no idea what’s going on as Kitty’s husband is non-specific as to why. When Georgiana is out riding with a groom, she sees a man being attacked and insists on scaring off the attackers and helping the man back to Kitty’s house.
When they finally get the man back to the house, some of the mud from the road rubs off and Georgiana sees that it’s the Marquess of Westmorland. Georgiana knows that Kitty can be vindictive (at least she could be when they were in school together) and since her husband told her not to let Westmorland enter the house, Georgiana knows that Kitty might not help him, even though he’s injured. Georgiana panics and tells Kitty that the man is her fiancé Robert Sterling.
Georgiana stays with Westmorland day and night while he fights for his life, and the family is touched by how dedicated she is when in fact she’s just scared he’ll wake up and utter his true identity. Fortunately for Georgiana, Westmorland wakes up and has no idea who he is. Before Georgiana can tell him the truth, the doctor spouts that he is Robert Sterling and that he’s Georgiana’s fiancé. Oops.
So begins the romance of Georgiana and Rob. Rob believes that Georgiana is his fiance, so he treats as he would a fiance – with kindness, compliments and love. He’s also amazed that the beautiful woman by his side is his. I loved watching Georgiana fall in love with Westmorland and learn that he wasn’t the complete ass she believed him to be. He’s actually very sweet and kind and I loved him to pieces! Yes, he liked to gamble and drink, but what young buck of that time didn’t? Their time spent together was lovely and Linden did a great job with this couple.
When Rob gets some of his memory back, he’s not upset at Georgiana for not telling him the truth – he’s too in love with her by that time. He’s encouraged by his family to forget her, but he just can’t. He heads back to London and his friend reminds him how he had agreed to help him catch a smuggler. This was subtly mentioned at the beginning of the book but not in any detail. Though there was that mention, it still felt as if this part of the book was tacked on and I didn’t really care for it.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. When I read a Linden book it reminds me of how much I like her as an author and now I need to go read more of her stories.
Rating: 4 out of 5
This does sound appealing, Tracy. Thanks for your review.


When a grammar-school boy I learned from the game "Quotations" that Louis Agassiz, scientist, had written the sentence with which I introduce a final appeal for living that will permit physical and civic efficiency. Agassiz has been called "America's greatest educator," and again "the finest specimen yet discovered of the genus homo, of the species intelligens." The story of his long life as teacher of teachers reads like a romance. But among his gifts to education and citizenship none can be made to mean more than the simple proposition that natural law is as sacred as a moral principle. All who remember this "beatitude" will be helped to solve many perplexing problems of dress, diet, play, education, philanthropy, morals, and civics.
Reverence for the natural carries with it a distaste for the unnatural. Those who obey natural law soon come to regard its violation as a nuisance when not immoral. On the other hand, compromise with the unnatural, like compromise with vice, quickly leads first to toleration and thence to interest and practice. Therefore the importance of giving children Agassiz's conception of the sacredness of the laws that govern the human body. A passion for the natural is a strong foundation for habits of health and a priceless possession for one who wishes to know morality in its highest sense.
"Natural" is less attractive to us than it would be had Agassiz first interpreted it for us rather than Rousseau or present-day exponents of "the simple life," "back to nature," and "back to the land." It is too often forgotten that no one sins against natural law more grievously than the primitive man or the isolated man in daily contact with non-human nature. Communing with nature seems not only to require communing with man but to give joys in proportion as the nature lover is concerned for the human society of which he is a part. Natural law does not become a moral principle until man is benefited or injured by man's use of nature's resources within and about him. Natural living according to natural law must be something sounder, more beautiful, and more progressive than can be read into or out of mountains, trees, brooks, and sky, or primitive society.
Natural law points to a Nature Fore as well as a Nature Back, to a Nature Up and Beyond as well as a Nature Down and Behind. The Nature that was yesterday will not do for to-morrow, any more than a man is willing to give up his nature aspirations for the careless, animal ways of romping childhood. Civilization is constantly urged at each step to repeat the prayer of Holmes's old man who dreams for the Autocrat of the Breakfast Table:
But every experiment in turning back exalts the present and the future. Gifts as well as problems are seen to come with complexity, and civilization flatly refuses to relinquish these gifts. Sound maturity is better than youth or age:
Problems of health and of civics can never be solved by appealing to Nature Back, when only the few could be healthy, when one baby in three died in infancy, when old age was toothless and childish, when infection ravished nations, when the average life was twenty years shorter than now, and when unspeakable filth was tolerated in air, street, and house. They can all be solved by appeals to Nature Fore, which holds up an ideal of mankind physically able to enjoy all the benefits and to conquer all the dangers of civilization. It is not looking back, but looking in and forward that reveals what natural law promises to those who obey it.


Hi, I’m Kate !
scholar | poet | blogger | consultant
I hold an MFA degree in poetry, an MA degree in Rhetoric and Composition, and I am currently pursuing a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition at the University of Massachusetts.
I post weekly on my blog, The Tending Year, which aims to make self development and productivity accessible and applicable.
My publications include a book of poetry (Ghosty Boo, A-Minor Press, 2015), a peer reviewed academic article (Journal of Lesbian Studies, 2017), and many poems in print and online.
I am currently writing both my dissertation and a biography on the writer and musician Lisa Ben. Using queer and feminist methods, I analyze the ways that Ben rhetorically reeducated her readers and audiences about lesbianism during the mid-20th Century. I was recently one of nine applicants awarded a 2018 LGBTQ Research Fellowship, courtesy of the ONE Archives Foundation, Inc.
The Tending Year
I am the creator and author of The Tending Year, a year-long blog project that aims to make self development and productivity resources accessible and applicable. I recently created and released a print version of my blog post, “To Hold in The Hand: A Guide to Maintaining.”
Coaching & Consulting
In addition to my own research and writing, I am a trained copyeditor and work as a professional writing consultant. My past and current clients include: the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.


When I was a child; heck, I have said it as a parent…”I discipline you because I love you. If I didn’t care–I would let you roam free and destroy yourself.” So it is with God our father. When we see the world running amok and they seem to be paying no price for their behavior–we as God’s chosen feel like it is not fair. They get away with anything they want. Well God’s response is simply–They are not mine to discipline.
Make no mistake, God does not prevent them from experiencing the effects of their decisions; but, he does not train those he does not love. In our lives, it seems that we are always being pointed back to the Lord. If we sin we are caught, if we fail to follow him, we lose control and are miserable. We try to do life on our own and we mess it up. That is God leading, guiding and directing us into a life that he directs and blesses us. When we follow Him, we experience His blessing and comfort. We see things from an eternal perspective. It is in that place that we really experience God’s love in our lives. Thank you Lord, that you discipline those you love.
God Bless You
Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord,
the one you teach from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,
till a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;
he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.


Introduction: Tamoxifen treatment has been shown to reduce the recurrence and mortality rates in hormone receptor-positive breast cancers independent from chemotherapy. This benefit increases with the prolongation of the use of tamoxifen but with increasing side effects. In this study, we aim to evaluate the presence of urogenital symptoms in breast cancer patients on tamoxifen and compare them with those who are not on any hormonotherapy.
Materials and methods: This study was performed on patients diagnosed as early-stage breast cancer. The study group consisted of hormone receptor-positive patients given tamoxifen as adjuvant hormonal therapy. The control group consisted of breast cancer patients who had no hormonotherapy. Patients with a complaint of urinary incontinence with onset after tamoxifen usage were evaluated with Urogenital Distress Inventory Short Form (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire Short Form (IIQ-7) and Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QOL).
Results: A total of 137 early-stage breast cancer patients were included in this study; 74 estrogen receptor-positive patients on tamoxifen therapy (study group) and 63 hormone receptor-negative patients with no hormonotherapy (control group). The median age was 44 (30-65) years for tamoxifen users and 49 (27-64) years for the control group. The stages of the patients were similar for both groups. 78.4% of the women in the tamoxifen group and 49.2% in the control group were in the premenopausal period. The groups were similar in regard to body mass index and parity. The complaint of urinary incontinence was more frequent in the study group compared to controls (39 (52.7%) vs. 5 (7.9%)). Women with the complaint of urinary incontinence were evaluated with self-reported UDI-6, IIQ-7 and I-QOL forms and the scores were similar for both study and control groups. A statistically significant relation was observed between cigarette smoking and the presence of urinary incontinence. The percentages of smokers were 50% of those with incontinence and 24.7% of those without incontinence.
Conclusion: Urinary incontinence is positively correlated with tamoxifen usage in early-stage breast cancer patients.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women globally and it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer . With a 43.0/100,000 age-standardized cancer rate, breast cancer is also the leading cancer in women in Turkey . In hormone receptor-positive breast cancer subtype, constituting about 75% of all cases, endocrine treatment has been shown to reduce the recurrence and mortality rates, independent from chemotherapy . Adjuvant endocrine treatment shows its effect via creating estrogen deprivation, either at the receptor level (SERMs) or by blocking its synthesis (aromatase inhibitors); the latter being an option for the postmenopausal group.
Extended five-year follow-up analysis of tamoxifen studies have shown reduced locoregional and distant breast cancer recurrence rates for up to 10 years (approximately 50% lower than that in the control group in the first five years and 30% lower during the next five years) and reduced breast cancer mortality by about one-third throughout 15 years as carry-on effect (p<0.0001) irrespective of age, nodal status, or use of chemotherapy . Long term follow-up data from estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients who received adjuvant tamoxifen therapy for five years, has shown that distant recurrences occurred at a steady rate for at least another 15 years after the end of the five-year treatment period, the risk being strongly correlated to tumor and nodal status and varying between 10%-41% . This finding had led to several randomized trials that investigated the effects of extended use of hormonal therapies. In the Adjuvant Tamoxifen: Longer Against Shorter (ATLAS) trial and Adjuvant Tamoxifen Treatment Offer More (aTTom) trial, it was shown that additional five years of tamoxifen (a total treatment period of 10 years) treatment led to improved relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) when compared with five years of tamoxifen treatment [6-7].
However, all this benefit of tamoxifen was at the expense of increased risk of side effects with extended treatment . The side effects of tamoxifen are mostly onset or exacerbation of menopausal symptoms and urogenital side effects that affect the quality of life of the patients [9-10]. Since the female urogenital tract is extremely sensitive to estrogen, low levels caused by hormonotherapies can lead to urogenital symptoms such as vaginal dryness, burning, irritation, urgency, urinary incontinence, and sexual dysfunction. The effect of tamoxifen for urinary incontinence has not been extensively studied and reported, so there is only inconclusive information in the literature. In this cross-sectional study, we aim to evaluate the presence of urogenital symptoms in breast cancer patients on tamoxifen and compare with those who are not on any hormonotherapy to see if tamoxifen has any effect.
Materials & Methods
Patients with a diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer from a single oncology center in Ankara were included in this study. Patients who are still on primary therapy as radiotherapy or chemotherapy; those with a recurrent/metastatic disease; those with a history of urological problems as resistant urinary infections or presence of a complaint of urinary incontinence before the start of hormonotherapy; those with a history of neurologic or musculoskeletal problems and patients who are on aromatase inhibitor treatment were excluded from the study. All available subjects were questioned for any type of urinary incontinence, either stress or urge type onset before hormonotherapy and only urinary continent women were included in the study. Hormone receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer patients were included if they were on tamoxifen as adjuvant hormonal therapy. Control group consisted of breast cancer patients who had never taken hormonal therapy. From those patients on tamoxifen, patients with a complaint of urinary incontinence that had started during tamoxifen usage were evaluated with Urogenital Distress Inventory Short Form (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire Short Form (IIQ-7) and Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QOL).
Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Continuous data were given as mean ± standard deviation. Categorical data were given as a percentage (%). Kolmogorov Smirnov test was used for normal distribution of data. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare two groups of data that did not conform to normal distribution among the groups; Student's t-test was used to compare normal distribution data. Chi-Square test was used to compare frequency data between two groups. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Seventy-four estrogen receptor-positive and 63 hormone receptor-negative early-stage breast cancer patients were included in this study. The demographic characteristics of the patients are shown in Table 1. The median age was 44 (30-65) years for tamoxifen users and 49 (27-64) years for the control group (p:0.061). The stages of the patients were similar for both groups (p:0.952). In the control group, 49.2% of the patients were premenopausal, whereas it was 78.4% in the tamoxifen group and the difference was significant (p<0.001). Since body mass index and parity are important factors for the occurrence of urinary incontinence, they were also evaluated for the two groups; however, the differences were statistically insignificant (p values were 0.563 and 0.755 respectively). Median tamoxifen usage time: 24 months (6-84)
The number of patients with the complaint of urinary incontinence was 39 (52.7%) in the tamoxifen group and 5 (7.9%) in the control group (p<0.001). These 44 patients with the complaint of incontinence were evaluated with self-reported UDI6, IIQ7 and IQL forms and the scores were similar in between tamoxifen users and control group (p values were 0.118; 0.067 and 0.084 respectively) (Table 2).
In the multivariate analysis, there was no relation in between the presence of urinary incontinence and age, menopausal status, stages of patients, presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, parity, whether or not having chemotherapy. Although there was a strong relation of urinary incontinence with tamoxifen usage, the duration of treatment was not found to be associated with increased symptoms. Only there was a statistically significant difference detected for cigarette smoking and presence of urinary incontinence as 50% of those with incontinence were smokers; whereas, 24.7% of those without incontinence were smokers (p:0.003).
In this cross-sectional study, we have found that there was a statistically significant correlation between tamoxifen usage and the presence of urinary incontinence. The difference was not directly related to either menopausal status, age, presence of comorbid diseases or the duration of tamoxifen usage.
The effects of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) on the urethral epithelium of castrated female rats were evaluated in two different studies and hormonal therapy was found to reduce/reverse the incidence of urinary incontinence. In one of these studies, urethral thickness and weight were measured 30 days after the exposure of Tamoxifen and a significant increase in both the mean thickness and the mean weight of urethra was observed compared with the control rats (p<0.001) . In the second study, a significantly increased distal urethral epithelial thickness was observed in castrated female rats given raloxifene . Also in the in vitro cell culture models it was shown that estrogen and SERMs may help reduction of urinary incontinence by different mechanisms, either increasing collagen production in the extracellular matrix or increasing the muscle bundles [13-14]. However in another in vitro model, it was postulated that estrogen and raloxifene can cause urinary incontinence by reducing urethral resistance through a decrease in the expression of molecules that take part in the Rho-kinase signaling pathway . There are conflicting data in these studies and the clinical relevance of these experimental results are still not clear.
In the study investigating hormone-related symptoms in a sample of 803 breast cancer survivors, it was reported that urinary incontinence complaints and scale was not significantly correlated with tamoxifen use, however, the severity was found to be worse in postmenopausal compared with premenopausal women .
In a population-based cross-sectional study, Baumgart et al. have evaluated 97 postmenopausal breast cancer patients on adjuvant endocrine treatment (47 of them on tamoxifen) and 105 age-matched postmenopausal control subjects for the prevalence and degree of urogenital symptoms. IIQ-7 and UDI-6 forms were used for urinary incontinence evaluation. It was reported that there was no difference in urinary incontinence symptoms between tamoxifen users, aromatase inhibitor users and control groups with or without estrogen treatments. The frequency of incontinence symptoms was between 54.4% and 67.6% in the groups that is higher than our results especially for the control group (it was found as 7.9% in our study) . All of the patients were postmenopausal in the study of Baumgart et al. different from our study however we have found that the difference was independent from menopausal status.
In the study by Landi et al., self-reported urogenital symptoms data from 468 premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer patients, of whom 49% were receiving hormonal therapy either tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, were examined. Totally 18.4% of participants reported urinary incontinence, lower than reported prevalences in our study and the literatüre [18-19]. When compared with those breast cancer patients not using hormonotherapy, there was no significant association detected between urinary incontinence and endocrine therapy use either overall or tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitör .
In the case reported by Hasanov et al., a 67-year-old postmenopausal female patient receiving tamoxifen and having complaints of urinary incontinence was assessed by two questionnaires (IIQ-7 and UDI-7). The results revealed that she had severe incontinence. Two weeks after the cessation of tamoxifen the complaints completely resolved. When the hormone therapy was administered again the complaints were found to arise similarly supporting the worsening effect of tamoxifen on urinary symptoms as in our study .
Our study has some limitations. One is the limited sample size and consequently the lack of power for some statistical analyses. Since the number of patients with the complaint of incontinence was small, the insignificant results of the comparison of short questionnaire forms between groups may not be reflecting the real results. Another limitation is that the prevalence of urinary incontinence in control groups has been found to be quite different between studies in the literature and in our study. In some studies, healthy control was used but in this study, breast cancer patients not using hormone therapy was chosen as the control group and the complaint of urinary incontinence was only present in 7.9% of them, a significantly lower rate compared to most of the other studies.
In this study, we have found that tamoxifen usage is correlated with urinary incontinence in early-stage breast cancer patients. The majority of women with a diagnosis of especially hormone receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer are expected to be long-term survivors and the impact of side effects of any treatment that may affect the quality of life should be examined, studied and enlightened more extensively. Further controlled studies on larger number of patients and controls are warranted for the effect of tamoxifen on urinary incontinence in the era of extended hormone therapies. Particular attention should be directed in future studies to compare different SERM types and urinary incontinence subtypes (stress incontinence and urge incontinence).
- Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A: Cancer statistics, 2017. CA Cancer J Clin. 2017, 67:7-30. 10.3322/caac.21387
- Turkish Cancer Statistics Database. (2014). Accessed: July 1, 2019: http://kanser.gov.tr/Dosya/ca_istatistik/2014-RAPOR.
- Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG): Effects of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy for early breast cancer on recurrence and 15-year survival: an overview of the randomised trials. Lancet. 2005, 365:1687-717. 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66544-0
- Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG): Relevance of breast cancer hormone receptors and other factors to the efficacy of adjuvant tamoxifen: patient-level meta-analysis of randomised trials. Lancet. 2011, 378:771-84. 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60993-8
- Pan H, Gray R, Braybrooke J, et al.: 20-year risks of breast cancer recurrence after stopping endocrine therapy at 5 years. N Engl J Med. 2017, 377:1836-46. 10.1056/NEJMoa1701830
- Davies C, Pan H, Godwin J, et al.: Long term effects of continuing adjuvant tamoxifen to 10 years versus stopping at 5 years after diagnosis of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer: ATLAS, a randomised trial. Lancet. 2013, 381:801-16. 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61963-1
- Gray RG, Rea D, Handley K: ATTom: long-term effects of continuing adjuvant tamoxifen to 10 years versus stopping at 5 years in 6,953 women with early breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2008, 31:5. 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67887-7
- Van Hellemond IEG, Geurts SME, Tjan-Heijnen VCG: Current status of extended adjuvant endocrine therapy in early stage breast cancer. Curr Treat Options in Oncol. 2018, 19:26. 10.1007/s11864-018-0541-1
- Chin SN, Trinkaus M, Simmons C, Flynn C, Dranitsaris G, Bolivar R, Clemons M: Prevelance and severity of urogenital sypmtoms in postmenopausal women receiving endocrine therapy for breast cancer. Clin Breast Cancer. 2009, 9:108-117. 10.3816/CBC.2009.n.020
- Alfano CM, McGregor BA, Kuniyuki A, et al.: Psychometric properties of a tool for measuring hormone related symptoms in breast cancer survivors. Psychooncology. 2006, 15:985-1000. 10.1002/pon.1033
- dos Santos AR, Lopes-Costa PV, de Castro JC, et al.: Morphometric analysis of the urethra of castrated female rats treated with tamoxifen. Maturitas. 2008, 59:275-80. 10.1016/j.maturitas.2008.02.010
- dos Santos AR, Lopes-Costa PV, Borges CS, Pires CG, de Sousa JM, de Castro JC, da Silva BB: Effects of raloxifene on the urethra of adult castrated female rats. Climacteric. 2008, 11:483-8. 10.1080/13697130802354049
- Tomaszewski J, Adamiak-Godlewska A, Bogusiewicz M, Brzana W, Juszczak M, Rzeski W, Rechberger T: Collagen type III biosynthesis by cultured pubocervical fascia fibroblasts surrounding mono and multifilament polypropylene mesh after estrogens and tamoxifen treatment. Ginekol Pol. 2010, 81:493-500.
- Schultens A, Becker T, Balmer D, Seidlová-Wuttke D, Wuttke W: In vivo properties of the urinary bladder wall and their modulation by estradiol and raloxifene in a rat model. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2004, 112:514-9. 10.1055/s-2004-821314
- Peters SL, Schmidt M, Michel MC: Rho kinase: a target for treating urinary bladder dysfunction?. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2006, 27:492-7. 10.1016/j.tips.2006.07.002
- Alfano CM, McGregor BA, Kuniyuki A, et al.: Psychometric properties of a tool for measuring hormone-related symptoms in breast cancer survivors. Psychooncology. 2006, 15:985-1000. 10.1002/pon.1033
- Baumgart J, Nilsson K, Stavreus-Evers A, et al.: Urogenital disorders in women with adjuvant endocrine therapy after early breast cancer. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2011, 204:26-1. 10.1016/j.ajog.2010.08.035
- Chin SN, Trinkaus M, Simmons C, Flynn C, Dranitsaris G, Bolivar R, Clemons M: Prevalence and severity of urogenital symptoms in postmenopausal women receiving endocrine therapy for breast cancer. Clin Breast Cancer. 2009, 9:108-17. 10.3816/CBC.2009.n.020
- Sousa MS, Peate M, Jarvis S, Hickey M, Friedlander M: A clinical guide to the management of genitourinary symptoms in breast cancer survivors on endocrine therapy. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2017, 9:269-285. 10.1177/1758834016687260
- Landi SN, Doll KM, Bensen JT, Hendrix L, Anders CK, Wu JM, Nichols HB: Endocrine therapy and urogenital outcomes among women with a breast cancer diagnosis. Cancer Causes Control. 2016, 27:1325-1332. 10.1007/s10552-016-0810-x
- Hasanov E, Hasanov M, Kuria IM, Hasanov R, Rzazade R, Jonasch E, Altundag K: Effects of tamoxifen on urinary incontinence: case report and review of literature. Medicine. 2017, 96:6785. 10.1097/MD.0000000000006785
Is Tamoxifen Use a Factor Affecting Continence in Breast Cancer Patients?
Ethics Statement and Conflict of Interest Disclosures
Human subjects: Consent was obtained by all participants in this study. Local Ethics Committee of Dıskapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital issued approval decision no: 45/18. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
Cite this article as:
Imamoglu G, Eren T, Arzu O, et al. (August 18, 2019) Is Tamoxifen Use a Factor Affecting Continence in Breast Cancer Patients?. Cureus 11(8): e5417. doi:10.7759/cureus.5417
Received by Cureus: August 05, 2019
Peer review began: August 07, 2019
Peer review concluded: August 14, 2019
Published: August 18, 2019
© Copyright 2019
Imamoglu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 3.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


It Governance on One Page
18 Pages Posted: 9 Feb 2005
Date Written: November 2004
As firms strive to generate value from information technology (IT), managers are increasingly aware that IT-related decisions and behaviors must be aligned with organizational performance goals. But many individuals throughout organizations make daily decisions influencing the value received from IT. IT governance is the process by which firms align IT actions with their performance goals and assign accountability for those actions and their outcomes. To be effective, IT governance must be actively designed, not the result of isolated mechanisms (e.g. steering committee, office of IT architecture, service level agreements) implemented at different times to address the challenge of the moment. Based on the best practices of 300 enterprises in 23 countries this paper offers an assessment and a one-page framework to help firms design and communicate IT governance.
Keywords: IT governance, governance framework
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation


“Twists and turns abound as Fernandez precisely knits facts with imagination to entertain and to educate in a genuine page-turner too irresistible to put down.”
LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, March 29, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ — Senator Jeffrey Lance was found dead in the Amazon Rainforest under mysterious circumstances. Years before, holistic doctors throughout the country had also died from shadowy causes. Could they be connected? There was only one answer in the irrepressive mind of Maxine Ford. With the scent of a hound dog, she swings into action as these deaths raise doubts. In hot pursuit, she uncovers some baffling revelations that sends her off to New Mexico to track down a beekeeper. Following a bizarre chain of events, she is thrust into the throes of a far-reaching investigation that looms larger with the introduction of Big PhRMA and the FDA. As it becomes clear that her adversaries are on her trail, you will find Max digging in her stilettos for another nail-biting thriller. Could a beekeeper hold the secret to solving the mystery?
The risks did not deter Max from plunging ahead in her usual no-holds-barred style to uncover the answer. Neither the President, an international-supranational body, nor an assassin at her doorstep, could dissuade her from discovering what was behind the potentially explosive, high-stakes game they were playing.
Fernandez has confected an exciting fictional plot doused with alluring intrigue, while offering the reader a gripping story of a contemporary subject matter. The facts from her precise research added to the stew only underscores the validity of the narrative. Readers will be engrossed in a page-turning plot that provides a visit behind the scenes of a vital subject of current interest.
“Sally has taken another current and controversial subject and delivered an entertaining, compelling and gripping story – this time relating to the much debated health treatments,” noted publisher David Dunham.
• Publication Date: April 10, 2018
• Trade Paperback ISBN: 9780999664629
• eBook ISBN: 9780999664636
About the Author
As a novelist of provocative political thrillers steeped in facts, Fernandez wasn’t always twisting facts with fiction. Heavily endowed with skills acquired in banking, she embarked on her writing career. Her focus on computer technology, business consulting, and project management, enhanced by business and technical writing, proved to be a boon. Her books of fiction also reflect the knowledge garnered from her business experiences, while living in New York City, San Francisco, and Hong Kong. Readers have said she pens riveting plots of intrigue and political awakening, seamlessly blending fact with fiction…or fiction with fact.
Fernandez’ foray into writing fiction officially began in 2007 when the presidential election cycle was in full swing. The overwhelming political spin by the media compelled her to question the frightening possibilities the political scene could generate. As a confirmed political junkie, she took to the keyboard armed with unwinding events and discovered a new and exciting career.
The Beekeeper’s Secret is Fernandez’ sixth novel and the second in the “Max Ford Thriller” series, preceded by Climatized, featuring Maxine Ford as the female protagonist.
As a world traveler, she has visited every continent and over fifty countries. Her adventure travels with her husband include a scientific expedition in Antarctica, four African safaris, archaeological digs in Majorca and Peru, along with high-altitude treks in Bhutan, Tibet, and Mongolia. She and her husband, also the editor-in-residence, continue to travel extensively throughout the world.
About Dunham Books
Dunham Books is a Tennessee-based boutique publisher of general trade books in multiple genres including fiction and non-fiction. For more information go to www.dunhamgroupinc.com
Dunham Group Inc
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Source: EIN Presswire


The television adaptation may still be going strong on AMC, but the world already knows how The Walking Dead comic book ends after the long-running series wrapped in 2019. TWD creator Robert Kirkman always claimed his comic book series was destined to run at least 300 issues, and up until TWD #193 that seemed likely to be the case. Then, in the heartfelt letter that closes out the issue, Kirkman confirmed it would be the series’ last. The unexpected finale caught both fans and retailers by surprise.
Having debuted in October 2003, TWD's 16-year run is an impressive accomplishment for a series that was initially ordered as a six-issue mini. In that time, the plot of the comic has drifted quite a bit from the happenings that AMC viewers are familiar with - but Kirkman's conclusion to the comic almost certainly contains some hints about how The Walking Dead will end on television.
Some Characters Perish Sooner In The Comics Than They Do On The Show
From the first season onward, AMC’s The Walking Dead makes notable changes to the plot of the comic series it is adapted from, which creates an unfamiliar cast of characters for fans who have only read the comics.
Several characters bite the dust a lot earlier in the comics than they do on the show. Notable casualties includes Carol - who expires long before she has the chance to develop into a strong and independent warrior - and Judith Grimes, who never escapes infancy. Others who meet a grimmer fate in the comics than in the adaptation include Rosita and King Ezekiel - both of whom feature prominently on the pikes of the Whisperers - along with Morgan.
Another significant difference between the two versions of the franchise is that Daryl Dixon does not exist in the comics, and never has. He’s a TV-only character.
Some Characters Live A Lot Longer
An even starker contrast between the two versions of TWD is that several important characters stick around in the comics much longer than they do on the show.
Carl Grimes never experiences a tragic demise, and his father Rick does not disappear from the series. Carol’s daughter Sophia survives until the end of the series - and spends much of her life as the adopted daughter of Maggie Greene.
The comic book version of Andrea is completely divergent from her antagonistic TV adaptation, and lives significantly longer. It is Andrea, not Michonne, who ends up in a romantic relationship with Rick Grimes, and the two of them eventually marry. Carl Grimes even comes to think of Andrea as his mom - before she’s tragically taken away from her new family in TWD #167.
Despite Its Plot Differences, The Comic Also Features The 'Whisperer War'
Though the plots of the comic and its television adaptation diverge at numerous points, both series reach their turbulent peaks in the "Whisperer War."
In the comic book version of the tale, Rick Grimes and his allies are successful in repelling the Whisperers and annihilating their ranks. Negan himself strikes a fatal blow against Alpha in a surprise attack. Following these events, the series settles down for a brief moment - before everything suddenly changes for the people of Alexandria.
Following Those Grisly Events, Eugene Makes Contact With A Community Unlike Any They’ve Seen Before
The next chapter of TWD is engineered by Eugene Porter, who uses his scientific prowess to construct a long-range radio in an attempt to discover other post-apocalyptic communities. Eugene’s plan works better than he could have ever imagined when he contacts someone from the Commonwealth: a group of people unlike any Rick Grimes and his friends have ever encountered before.
After a cautious courtship, a retinue of Alexandrians are invited to the Commonwealth, which is several days’ journey away in Ohio. Upon arrival, they find a thriving network of communities that have rebuilt society from the ground up - a veritable empire compared to the likes of Alexandria and the Hilltop.


Warning: remember this is YA Lit.
I went in believing this was about badass assasins (just look at that amazing cover!), but this is YA and YA is about an appealing young protagonists through a "coming of age" process.
It is truly sad that the characteristics of this book that make it a YA fiction are the things that frustrated me. The settings, the world, the characters have so much potential
that it hurts seeing the author not taking enough advantage of it!!
So... This book is a light fantasy
(right next to Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor). This books are beautifully developed in a fantastic world, but mantaining the lightness of a chick-lit novel.
Our heroin is Celaena Sardothien (awesome name, yes!). At 18, she has managed to become the most deathly and feared assasin of Adarlan. But she was betrayed, so she ended up slaving on the salt mines of Endovier. There is where she's found by Prince Dorian, who has an offer: She must be his champion on a competition for becoming the king's personal assasin during 4 years in exchange for her freedom.
Are you picturing a strong, proud, beautiful, intelligent woman
that always speaks her mind no matter what? Yes, she is all that, but she also enjoys sweets, pretty dresses, shoes and being coquette (told you, chick-lit). Deep down, she's just a little girl that has been shaped into a lethal weapon.
The story developes inside the Glass Casttle, core of the rising empire of King Havilliard. Along the competition, Celaena will get to know Chaol better (her scowling escort/trainer and captain of the royal guard), she will tease prince Dorian, she will meet princess Nehemia (another strong woman from a land in process of conquest) and she will find out that even though magic is forbidden, it has not yet disappeared.
This might be helpfull:
I'm really sad that having developed a complex world like Erilea, Sarah J. Maas decided just to stay in one place. On a positive side, this gives enormous room for expantion in the next book [b:Crown of Midnight|17167166|Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)|Sarah J. Maas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391580481s/17167166.jpg|21581860] (that I will totally read!)
The mistery....well, there is no such thing as mistery. The whole plot is quite predictable
, but that doen't make it less enjoyable.
“I hate women like that. They're so desperate for the attention of men that they'd willingly betray and harm members of their own sex. And we claim men cannot think with their brains! At least men are direct about it.”
This doesn't really feels like 4 stars, this could have been EPIC. But, in the end I think this could be an extraordinary read for young girls
. So I guess I'm rating acording to the genre now.


In 1991, Ireland was in the midst of a devastating recession; thousands of young Irish men and women had emigrated over the previous decade, and divisive social and moral debates on abortion and divorce had rocked Irish society. The great pillars of society - politics and religion - were beginning to crumble, a process that continued in subsequent years as both institutions were hit by scandal. A questioning of the values on which Ireland had been built had begun, with an apparently unbridgeable divide opening between "traditionalists" and "modernizers". At the start of the decade, the modernizers appeared to have won, with the election as President of the iconic Mary Robinson.
Irish Times columnist John Waters captured the zeitgeist of the time with the hugely successful Jiving at the Crossroads, which sold over 50,000 copies. A defining book of the era, its success was partly due to its remarkable blending of social/cultural commentary with personal memoir. At the emotional core of the book was the relationship between John and his father, and the story of Ireland was intricately woven into this powerful narrative. It was the first in a long line of books to question the very notion of modern Irish identity, and to examine the deep-rooted tensions at the heart of the Irish psyche.
Twenty years later, much has changed in Ireland, and yet Jiving at the Crossroads remains a deeply resonant book, particularly in the light of the remarkable rise and precipitous fall of the Celtic Tiger, and the fresh questioning of how we got where we are now. This twentieth anniversary reissue of a landmark book, with a new Afterword, will be welcomed by those who remember it, and will be a fascinating insight for a new generation of Irish people.


UNITY AND INDIVIDUALS: LOVE, ABOVE ALL
||CHRIST'S HANDS ACROSS THE INTERNET|
Where christians come to share, pray and study.
By Michael Hawkinson
|1 Corinthians 13 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
The main block to unity is a lack of real love. We have discussed religion and its false righteousness, fake love, phony faith and forced works. The lack of love among the religious has been clearly discussed from many angles. I would like to take some time to look at the positive side of the unity that Jesus demanded of us, his followers.
The major confusion to us today comes from seeming contradictions. For the sake of simplicity I will use you and I as an example. Although it is true that I am to love you and you are to love me. That I am to submit to you and you are to submit to me. That you are to encourage, help, admonish, exhort, build up, care for and pray for me (and vice versa) ... The problem occurs when one of us demands these things from the other. That is where relationship and religion sharply divide.
What is the contradiction? Well, in a nut shell it is loving others who try our patience, disagree with us, worship differently or generally do not like us. What is the answer? There is only one answer. Love.
|1 John 4:7,8 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
There are no clearer words than those of John. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." We are told to love our enemies. To give to them without expecting return. We are told to pray for those who persecute, turn our other cheek to those who strike us, give more than what is asked for and to love our neighbor as ourself. We are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty. The scriptures which show us how to love and what is expected are too numerous to ignore and yet too often we fall into the trap of religion and find reasons to withhold the love commanded of us.
Love is patient. Are you patient? Really? When family or friends are not on time, do you lose your temper? When you order something from Fingerhut and it takes 4 months to get it, do you let customer service know how you feel? When God is working on someones heart to spend more time with Him do you harp at them about praying or reading the Bible? Patient does not mean apathy. Patience means praying, helping, listening, sharing and not giving up on those who resist fellowshipping, struggle with bad habits, who do not like us or think us fanatics and even those who are trapped by religion. If God has not given up on them, should we? We run across people every day who try our patience. Have you stood in a 10 item line behind someone with 15 items? How about waiting for help from someone on the phone who is obviously on a personal call? Ever been in a long line at the bank with a teller who seems to have nothing to do but won't say "Next!" Whenever we worry about time, remember that Jesus let Lazarus die even though He could have rushed over and been there to heal him before he was buried. Take time to pray, ask yourself, "what can I do with this time?" If there are others around, try being friendly. If you are alone, get out your new testament and read a few verses.
Love is kind. (Also: It is not rude) Now here is a tough one. Mind you that I am not saying that any of these things are easy, at least not all of the time. Kindness. How easy is it to snap at someone? Especially those we love and yet who are around us all the time. Being kind takes some time. There are many ways to show kindness. There are many tasks we do every day and others that need to be done once in awhile. A simple thank you, a smile, a few minutes to share something positive, a "Good morning!" or even a hug can mean a lot. In this age of tensions, expectations and division--kindness goes a long way. Cards, emails, taking out the trash, cleaning your room, making dinner, etc. There are many ways to show kindness.
Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. If you are like me, by this time you are realizing that you are going to spend the rest of your life trying to do these things. (Not to mention trying to remember them!) Envying others is always a mistake. God made us and we have as much potential to serve him and have joy as anyone else. It is very easy to take credit for the blessings, abilities and skills we have... but easy and wise are two different things entirely. I think one of the most beautiful Psalms to those who envy is Psalm 73. Take some time to read it and think about what it says.
Psalm 73 "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like-always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."
It is not self-seeking. We are constantly around others. Family, friends, co-workers.. we are never far from the "maddening crowd." It is easy when serving others to tire and ask "When is it my turn?" I am sure Jesus had the right to think it many times and yet He did not decide to seek what was easiest for Him. An interesting thing is that many times we find our greatest joy in serving others rather than being served. While being served seems great at times, if it continues then it becomes taken for granted and we lose the gratitude and appreciation that makes being served a joy. On the other hand even if we love and yet think our service is unappreciated... then we tire of serving. But I want to tell you that you are never unappreciated. "Wait!" you say, "but people do not always appreciate us!" Yes that is true. But God does and He is very proud of us. It is God who puts love in our hearts and love which is at work in our lives giving us hope and joy in every circumstance. There is never a time that we can say we are unappreciated. As the Psalm above said, "And earth has nothing I desire besides you." and that includes the praise of others.
It is not easily angered (it keeps no record of wrongs.) Jesus told Peter, forgive 70 times 7. Yet we all know that He wants us to always forgive wrongs against us. In the famous prayer He taught, it says "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Those words have brought me to me knees many times. I know I cannot hold a grudge or be bitter about any action against me no matter how horrible. I must forgive. I must not let the sun go down on my anger. We all have pasts. We all hide things in our lives. Maybe not from everyone. What I am saying is that we do not drag out "the dirty laundry" for all to see every time. It is not necessary to do so, although we do need to be open and honest about our needs and struggles for God to work on our hearts and for God to work through others. People fail. You will be at peace if you do not tally up those mistakes. (And "people" includes you! Do not tally your failures... confess them to God!)
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. We do not find joy in or accept that which is evil. We do not rejoice when "they get their just desserts" or when "they reap what they sow." We rejoice when the wicked repent and when anyone comes to know the truth! What awesome joy when one can forgive those who repent. It is not God's will that the wicked perish, but rather that they would repent and be saved. As a side note, since truth always exists, should not we always be rejoicing? Evil never really triumphs. It may feel like it some times, but it is an illusion. Understanding love changes our perspective on many things.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. When we do not protect, when we stop trusting, when we lose hope or when we fail to persevere... we have failed to love and "Love never fails." We have forgotten God. I know that always is one of those words that makes any action seem impossible, but one day we will be like Him. Perservering means continuing against the odds or in spite of resistance. Failures and mistakes, by us and others, are not the defeat of God... they are the reason for God's plan and the very of the reason that God's love (from Him and in us) is so absolutely necessary. What does taking apart Paul's definition of love have to do with unity? Unity occurs when one loves another so much that the interests of another supercede our own selfishness. The only way to love someone that much in the right way is to love them as God does. To understand that "God is love." and to learn that to be obedient to God is to love. Many people love others and make sacrifices, but it is for an ulterior motive that involves some kind of gain for themselves. It is love which allows us to have the ability to listen, the compassion to help, the patience to endure, the selflessness to give, the kindness to forgive, the courage to protect, the faith to trust, the peace to hope and the grace to persevere. Without love we will fail in true unity and all apparent unity is but a lie and a game. It is but religion and does not have the ability to please God. It is on the basis on love that all unity must be built. Not false love, self love or love of anything other than God. In the coming months, each article will illustrate true love from false and hopefully help us to see how to deal with the challenges of todays religion.
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Stumbling Through Adulthood
Posted by Literary Titan
In Stumbling Through Adulthood, author John Sheirer delivers a collection of intricately linked short stories which are connected, some more loosely than others, by their central theme. This theme is summed up by the title. As stumbling implies that progress is being made, albeit slowly and not without its setbacks, the stories feature numerous instances of relatable mishaps and mistakes as the characters progress through adulthood. Take one character, for example, who ends up locked out of their home, or another who manages to consume an entire donut in one go. Sheirer’s characters appear throughout the collection from different perspectives and at different stages of their lives, as we see snapshots of them doing their best to stumble through adulthood.
Sheirer writes engagingly, making even the most mundane or trivial moments entertaining. This, combined with the relatability of many of the challenges the characters face and the sprinkling of subtle humor throughout, ensures that you will remain hooked. Underneath this humor, Sheirer addresses some severe and somber themes such as race, politics, and mental health. These topics are handled in a thought-provoking manner that ensures you’ll never be left entirely without hope.
However, the most important theme addressed in Stumbling Through Adulthood is revealed through the construction of the collection itself. Jumping between various characters in a short space of time would appear to invite comparisons between them. Still, ultimately Sheirer’s writing rejects this idea as every character and story, despite being suspended in a web of relationships with the others, are still stand-alone stories. Instead, every short story is a perfectly compact moment of a character’s life who is doing their best and who we will revisit as we smile or worry along with them as they stumble through their own personal adulthood.
Stumbling Through Adulthood is an intriguing collection of short stories that will appeal to adults in all stages of life. These stories are brought together by the common thread of just getting through life as an adult. With humor and realism giving the stories character and energy, they will stay with readers long after they are done with the book.
Pages: 233 | ASIN : B0996BQ6ZN
About Literary TitanThe Literary Titan is an organization of professional editors, writers, and professors that have a passion for the written word. We review fiction and non-fiction books in many different genres, as well as conduct author interviews, and recognize talented authors with our Literary Book Award. We are privileged to work with so many creative authors around the globe.
Posted on April 29, 2022, in Book Reviews, Four Stars and tagged anthologies, author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fiction, goodreads, John Sheirer, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, short stories, story, Stumbling Through Adulthood, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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The Way of Zen
Comments and mentions from HN threads:
Ask HN: Books with a high signal to noise ratio?
tomp: (I listened to it as an audiobook). It changed the way I think and feel (or at least how I react to feelings).
Ask HN: Books on specific topics that have applied to many areas of your life?
wu-ikkyu: The book is a historical analysis of the culmination of zen buddhism from its roots in hindu, buddhist, and toaist philosophies. Watts presents a perspective on how to approach your everyday life (relationships, communication, work, play, boredom, stress, anxiety, happiness, sadness) that is contrary to how we're taught to live in the "western world".


Innocence is becoming a myth and a legend of a world which no longer exists.
The Twilight Zone, no longer science fiction or an alternate world, but has become our reality.
A promise, no longer a promise because our words have become empty sounds of weightless wonder.
Light has become darkness and darkness, light, but still, we’re all blind to see.
Truth is no longer the truth, everything is subjective and reality has become a virtual reality.
Yet we find ourselves empty grasping for what no longer exists in a world that can only be known and touched in the pages of history books.
We’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy,
and Oz has become our nightmare.
Bradford Lee Mace


My A.I. Is My Co-Writer: A Double Book Launch with Sasha Stiles and K Allado-McDowell
This event will explore the nascent, fascinating intersection of writing and Artificial Intelligence, introducing the creative and imaginative potential of this technology to an audience of curious readers and writers who may be interested in exploring AI's potential for themselves.
It will explore the craft of authoring a text with a nonhuman writing partner, and into the questions of what authorship and inspiration really are.
Can a neural net be creative? Can a poem generated by a machine truly move us, and if so, what does that mean about our own human consciousness?
At the same time, the event will seek to open up an important dialogue about the cultural and social implications of AI natural language processing, and artificial intelligence more broadly.
What is GPT-3 technology, and how does hold a mirror up to humanity, for better and for worse?
Most of all, it will expand and update our approach to reading and writing poetry by asking what we can learn about ourselves by collaborating with intelligent machines to discover our own poetry.
Ana Maria Caballero
Ana Maria Caballero is a first-generation Colombian-American poet and writer. Her work has won multiple awards, including the Beverly International Prize for Literature and Colombia’s 2014 José Manuel Arango National Poetry Prize. She’s been a finalist for the Academy of American Poets Prize, Ploughshares’ Emerging Writer’s Contest, the Essay Press Book Prize and the Tarpaulin Sky Book Award, among others. Her writing has appeared in numerous outlets, including L.A. Review of Books, Tupelo Quarterly, Sundog Lit, The Southeast Review, SWWIM and Jai-Alai Magazine. She believes poems should be valued as works of art and is excited about making this value manifest via blockchain technology.
K Allado-McDowell is a writer, speaker, and musician. They are the author, with GPT-3, of the books Pharmako-AI and Amor Cringe, and are co-editor of The Atlas of Anomalous AI. They record and release music under the name Qenric. Allado-McDowell established the Artists + Machine Intelligence program at Google AI. They are a conference speaker, educator and consultant to think-tanks and institutions seeking to align their work with deeper traditions of human understanding.
Sasha Stiles is a first-generation Kalmyk-American poet, artist, and transhuman translator working at the intersection of text and technology. The poetry mentor of A.I. BINA48 and inventor of “cursive binary,” Stiles recently exhibited her art and read her work at Art Basel Miami and SXSW.


Warning: … One bad word. Whoo.
Notes: Written for xelloss_poo Request details. 22nd fic for June fic-a-day. Only these one verse of the poem was translated, but it really got my muses poking me.
Behind the gates of the wealthy
food lies rotting from waste
Outside it's the poor
who lie frozen to death
- Du Fu, On Route from the Capital to Fengxian
His empty stomach growled and a stab of pain ripped through him. How long had it been since he'd last eaten? A week, maybe. Violet eyes peered out into the streets. He was huddled against the wall at an opening to an alley. His eyes searched almost desperately for someone to steal from, or beg for food. No one dared venture out into the biting cold though. He looked in the direction of where people lived outside the city; there were large estates scatted further and further from the city. They all left which only helped speed the turning of the city into slums. They never dared to come near the areas struck by poverty if they could avoid it. They turned up their nose and shunned them. "Rich bastards." He whispered. He curled up more, trying to stay warm. Some people had begun to freeze or starve to death. He wouldn't be one of those people though. He'd survive. Somehow.


DOMINO by •Dawn McTeigue Auction your comics on http://www.comicbazaar.co.uk
My body is a cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love but my mind holds the key.
An Exquisite Paradox
The book cover of DragonLance Chronicles, the Annotated Edition. My favorite series growing up!
FUCK YEAH, GIRLS WITH TATTOOS : Photo


|Reviews for Time of the Month|
| Kusami32 chapter 1 . 10/13/2012
lol not at all what i was expecting when you said "time of the month" were you trying to make it sound like she was on her period? lol rofl
| Charice-Claire-Vizziny chapter 1 . 7/25/2011
Haha, I wonder how Emi would react when she saw the photos... nice fic.
| lulu halulu chapter 1 . 10/4/2009
LOL! Cute story!
| vanessa chapter 1 . 11/14/2008
| a.dancing.blue.flame15 chapter 1 . 7/29/2008
I shouldn't have read this. Not because it's bad, but because I'm in a room full of sleeping children, and now my side hurts from trying not to laugh!
| MopMustache chapter 1 . 7/2/2008
Wow. That was perfect, priceless and pretty darn funny. That time of the month must be torture. Especially for poor Narumi...
| beauty-pop13 chapter 1 . 6/30/2008
can't wait for the next chapter
and well we all not what time of month it is
| Lobaa chapter 1 . 6/17/2008
| Lilith D'Aubigne chapter 1 . 6/15/2008
Oh my god! I couldn't stop laughing! XD I give it 5 stars! _~
| Staccato-Tenuto chapter 1 . 6/15/2008
Haha! I love this story! i could just picture the whole thing in my head! hahahaha! poor narumi!
| Cinereal chapter 1 . 6/5/2008
| BlackMoonTiger chapter 1 . 6/4/2008
lol this great! I LOVE IT! Great Ending!
| Roxanne chapter 1 . 6/4/2008
I loved this story, i loved it! Truly the ebst story ever, well, not really bu, this was just classic... love it!
| Near-roboboy97 chapter 1 . 6/4/2008
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAh!That was hilarious I cant wait for the next chapter!
| ami-chan - the frenchie chapter 1 . 6/4/2008
WAAH! CUTE! X3 FLUFF!
I love it! Awesome!
Emi's gonna get mad XD


The sheets wadded around her, leaving her feeling as trapped in the bed as her mind was in the dream that haunted her. Again and again, the same dream, the same dream, the same dream—the nightmare she’d lived once and relived far too many nights. Mel prayed for an ending, for the memory she could not recall. Would the dreams end? Would they truly end if she could unlock the door to that piece of her mind where something mysterious lay buried?
Her left foot itched, and Mel groaned in frustration. There was no foot to scratch, making the itch a tormenting hint of what purgatory must be. She used a technique she’d learned while in recovery at Bethesda, one taught not by a physical therapist or doctor, but by a fellow vet, an old man, his own leg lost decades before in Southeast Asia. They’d both been outside, wheelchair bound, breathing fresh air and feeling sunshine, which Mel gobbled at like a starving woman handed a loaf of bread. Too long she’d been trapped in a field tent, then hospital ship, then the hospital itself. The spring morning felt wonderful, but her foot itched, the one she no longer had. From a few feet away, the old man looked up and watched as she lifted her leg, the one that ended like an incomplete sentence. She scratched tenderly, desperate to end the itch but mindful of the still healing flesh.
“Find the line,” he said with a shaky voice.
She looked at him for the first time, seeing a yellowish face, one that spoke of the alcohol that had helped him survive the years.
“What line?” she asked.
“Nerves go in a line. Find the one that led to your foot. Scratch up it ‘til you find the right spot.”
Feeling a tad foolish but ready to try anything, Mel did as he instructed. She started near the stump, surprised that she instinctively knew she’d found the right “line.” Up she went, scratching along the way—up the calf, then thigh, along the hip and to her stomach until she found a spot that, like magic, felt exactly like she was scratching the phantom foot. She sighed in relief.
“Thanks,” she said. She grasped the metal hand rim attached to the chair’s wheels and deftly maneu-vered closer, facing the man. “That’s a good trick. I appreciate you sharing.”
“We’re all in this together,” the man answered. He pointed to her left leg. “That will get better.” His eyes were an intensely faded gold as he looked her full in the face. “Have the dreams?”
Mel’s breath caught in her throat. “Yes,” she answered, ashamed of the break in her voice.
“Those may not,” he added.
He’d been right.
Mel found the spot on her stomach, one she could now find without searching and scratched the phantom foot, eliciting a sigh of relief. Using her good leg, she kicked at the covers, breaking free of their bondage. She swung around to sit on the side of the bed. Ignoring the prosthesis hanging from a bedpost, she hopped the few feet from the bed to the door of the master bathroom. She paused, leaning on the doorframe for a moment before hopping again to the toilet to pee then to the sink where she gripped the sides of the porcelain, taking unexpected comfort in the cold, smooth surface. She looked in the mirror at the dark circles under her eyes, a fresh streak of gray beside her right temple, adding a new dimension to the auburn of her hair. Her face still reflected the beauty that had been a blessing and a curse all her life, but there was a gauntness. A haunting, oddly beautiful in its own way, replaced the passion in the blue of her eyes, but her reflection held a strangeness for her. She wondered who this woman was. Gone was Navy Captain Melinda Morris. She saw a shadow of that confident, courageous woman, one whom she’d been proud to know, proud to be.
“Broken,” she whispered. “You’re broken,” she said to that stranger in the mirror. Then she saw a flash of anger in the reflected blue of the eyes. She grasped a glass on the shelf below the mirror and launched it toward the linen closet door, smiling viciously at the rewarding sound of breaking glass.
“I’ll whip this, you hear me!” she yelled into the mirror, jabbing at the image with a forefinger. Then her voice took on a softer note as she looked sympa-thetically at the reflected face. “We’ll whip this.”
Mel shook her head then turned the cold water on full blast, leaning toward the sink to splash her face, hands, and arms. She brushed her teeth, using her cupped hand for water to rinse the froth away, improvising with the absence of the now broken glass. She swiveled on her only foot toward the door, pausing as she looked at the broken glass scattered between her and her only egress.
“Shit,” she mumbled. “That was stupid.”
She grasped the edge of the sink for support and lowered herself to the floor, pulling a trash container toward her with one hand and a small towel from the rack beside the sink with the other. She carefully picked up the large shards of glass, placing them in the container, systematically following behind with the damp towel to retrieve the smaller pieces from the floor. By the time she’d ooched all the way across to the door, the glass was retrieved, and she felt it was safe to stand. She threw the towel on top of the glass in the container and set it to the side, knowing she could now add it to the large trash can on the service porch that she would later take to the rural dump station ten miles away, one that served farms and ranches within a twenty-mile radius. Mel used the doorknob to pull herself to a standing position, once again ignoring the prosthesis hanging from the bed post. She hopped to the closet and, from a shelf, pulled another prosthesis from where it rested beside a well-worn running shoe. The left shoe rested beside it, not as worn. She threw the shoe and spring-like pseudo-foot onto the bed then pivoted to the dresser where she pulled fresh, clean running shorts, t-shirt, sports bra, underwear, and a single sock from a drawer.
Shorty pajamas were abandoned, and Mel dressed quickly, craving the run that she knew would clear her mind and ease the pain of her heart. For much of her life, running had been her go-to when life was too much, whether it be pain or joy. Only time spent on the back of a horse had ever surpassed the simple comfort and ecstasy she found in running. Well, not the only thing. Mel shook her head, pushing that thought aside. She wasn’t ready to think of a woman, any woman. Even as fantasy, the possibility of the level of pleasure of soft flesh, smooth skin, and the intensity of simple arousal seemed too far away, too unattainable—too vulnerable. Some days, most days actually, she still managed to function by keeping the flood of emotions behind a dam of self-control. To lower the floodgates, even for the prospect of love, risked a deluge of emotional pain that could drown her, and she knew it.
“Whatever happens, sweet Melinda, the ranch is here. Come home if you need us.” Mel heard her father’s voice through the echoes of memory. It had been at the airport as he’d seen her off, a frightened young woman, her college sheepskin still fresh, leaving for a twenty-five-year adventure as she entered Officer Candidate School for the US Navy.
He was dead now; a heart attack abruptly ended his presence as the cornerstone of the family. Her mother lived in a nursing home; the Alzheimer’s had finally become more than her brother and sister-in-law could manage on their own. Her parents were gone, but her father had been right. The ranch was still there, and she’d come home. She had come home broken. The house and the room that had been her parents’ was now hers. The New Mexico prairie had been her first love, but the sea had been her life. No longer. She must fan the coals of her love of the land. It had sustained her once. She prayed it would again.
Mel stood abruptly, unable to overcome decades of Navy habit as she fought to control the chaos of covers caused by her restless night. Finally, the bed was made, ship-shape. She bounced a time or two as she finished the task. She smiled, pleased at the surprising exhilaration she felt at the motion made possible by the prosthesis specifically designed for her as a runner. She bounced out of the bedroom and past the kitchen, pausing only for a quick glass of orange juice. Breakfast would come later. She knew she needed to eat or face the nagging of a well-intended sister-in-law, troubled at the weight Mel lost during her long recovery. She had always been fit and lean, a fact that had been somewhat detrimental during her recovery. A few extra pounds would have been a nice reserve.
The screen door slammed behind her as she stepped outside. The horses were out to pasture and the chicken house was empty, so there were no chores to delay her sprint into the cool of the morning. Mel headed out of the driveway and down the county road, knowing there would be no traffic to slow her. Only three ranches had headquarters along this road, and the nearest was five miles away. As she felt the rush of air around her and the motion of her own body, for a time, all the pain, the nightmares, the grief were forgotten. She was lost in the animalistic joy of motion, of the thump of her heart and the rhythm of her running steps, actually enhanced by the artificial foot that gave her extra power.
But prostheses are made for city sidewalks or cinder tracks, not rutted caliche roads. The tip of the spring foot caught a clod in the road, and Mel’s joyous run turned into a tumultuous fall. As she lay in the dirt, she realized more than her body had crashed. Perhaps it was having achieved a momentary high that made the unexpected fall so tragic. Despite a life-habit of determination and courage, despair covered Mel like a suffocating blanket. Not for the first time, she remembered the 9mm in her nightstand drawer. How easy it would be to end the pain.
“You’re a Morris.” Mel heard her father’s stern voice through the ears of memory. “And we don’t give up.”
She remembered the first time she heard that litany. Her father had dried her childish tears, checked her for broken bones, then set her on her feet and simply pointed at the paint pony that had so recently dumped her. Five-year-old Mel had sniffled, but she got back on the horse.
Mel stood, looked at the blood on her arm from a long scrap from elbow to wrist.
“I hear you, Daddy,” she mumbled.
The run home was slower, hampered by a limp, but she ran. After all, she was a Morris, and they don’t give up.
A love of words and an appreciation for the power of language has been a life-long passion for Kayt Peck. Her career as a writer has included journalist, public affairs officer in the Naval Reserve, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and a long-time career as a grant expert/writer having raised over $30 million for public and nonprofit organizations both domestic and international. Peck’s goal to lead a full life has given her diverse fodder for her work. In addition to growing up on Texas farm and ranch, she is a longtime volunteer firefighter, currently serving as assistant chief for her department, and was a long-time New Mexico Search and Rescue volunteer. She currently has seven novels in print with Sapphire Books, and she is a two-time winner in the Rocky Mountain Voices playwriting competition. Three of her novels were finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Competition.