Monday, December 30, 2019

Path to Legalization for Illegal Immigrants in the US

Should the United States provide a path to legalization for illegal immigrants? The issue has been at the forefront of American politics for years, and the debate shows no signs of abating. What does a nation do with the millions of people residing in its country illegally? History of Immigrating to the US Illegal immigrants, often referred to as illegal aliens, are defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 as people who are not citizens or nationals of the United States. They are foreign nationals who come to the United States without following the legal immigration process to enter and remain in the country; in other words, anyone born in a country other than the United States to parents who are not United States citizens. The reasons for immigrating vary, but generally, people are looking for better opportunities and a higher quality of life than they would have in their native countries. Illegal immigrants do not have the proper legal documentation to be in the country, or they have overstayed their time allotted, perhaps on a tourist or student visa. They  cannot vote, and they cannot receive social services from federally funded programs or social security benefits; they cannot hold United States passports. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 provided amnesty to 2.7 illegal immigrants already in the United States and established sanctions for employers who knowingly hired illegal aliens. Additional laws were passed in the 1990s to help curb the growing number of illegal aliens, but they were largely ineffective. Another bill for immigration reform was introduced in 2007 but ultimately failed. It would have provided legal status to approximately 12 million illegal immigrants. President Donald Trump has gone back and forth on the immigration issue, going so far as to offer a merit-based legal immigration system. Nevertheless, Trump says he is intent on restoring integrity and the rule of law to our borders, and prompted the longest government shutdown to date (34 days) with his demand of funding for a southern border wall. A Path Toward Legalization The path toward becoming a legal US citizen is called naturalization; this process is overseen by the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Service (BCIS). There are four paths to legal status for undocumented, or illegal, immigrants. Path 1: Green Card The first path to becoming a legal citizen is to obtain a Green Card by marrying a US  citizen or a lawful permanent resident. But, according to Citizenpath, if the foreign spouse and children or stepchildren entered the United States without inspection and remained in the United States, they must leave the country and conclude their immigration process through US consulates abroad to obtain the green card. More importantly, says Citizenpath, If the immigrating spouse and/or children over 18 years of age resided in the United States unlawfully for at least 180 days (6 months) but less than one year, or they remained more than one year, they could then be automatically barred from re-entry to the United States for 3-10 years respectively once they leave the United States. In some cases, these immigrants can apply for a waiver if they can prove extreme and unusual hardship.   Path 2: DREAMers The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is a program established in 2012 to protect illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children. Donald Trumps administration in 2017 threatened to undo the act but has yet to do so. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was first introduced in 2001 as bipartisan legislation, and its main provision was to provide permanent resident status upon completion of two years of college or service in the military. The American Immigration Council states that with the country currently gripped by political polarization, bipartisan support for the DREAM Act has waned. In turn, more narrow proposals have circulated that either restrict eligibility for permanent residency to a smaller group of young people or offer no dedicated path to permanent residency (and, eventually, US citizenship). Path 3: Asylum Citizenpath says that asylum is available to illegal immigrants who have suffered persecution in his or her home country or who has a well-founded fear of persecution if he or she were to return to that country.  Persecution  must be based on one of the following five groups: race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. Also according to Citizenpath, requirements for eligibility include the following: You must be present in the United States (by legal or illegally entry); you are unable or unwilling to return to your home country due to past persecution or have a well-founded fear of future persecution if you return; the reason for persecution is related to one of five things: race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and you are not involved with an activity that would bar you from asylum. Path 4: U Visas The U Visa — a non-immigrant visa — is reserved for crime victims who have assisted law enforcement. Citizenpath says U Visa holders have legal status in the United States, receive employment authorization (work permit) and even a possible path to citizenship.   The U Visa was created by the US Congress in October 2000  by the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. To qualify, an illegal immigrant must have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of a qualifying criminal activity; must have information concerning that criminal activity; must have been helpful, is being helpful or is likely to be helpful in the investigation or prosecution of the crime; and the criminal activity must have violated US laws.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

A New Horizon On Cannabis For Texans - 1567 Words

A New Horizon in Cannabis for Texans Marijuana has been a hot button topic for the past couple of years. It recently made headlines earlier in the state of Texas. On Monday, June 1st 2015 Governor Greg Abbott signed The Compassionate Use Act (senate bill 339) by Senator Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler). Sb 339 â€Å"†¦will allow individuals with intractable epilepsy to access cannabidiol (CBD oil) to reduce seizures† (State of Texas). What this bill stands for is the belief that the marijuana plant can produce some lifesaving health benefits. It is a citizen’s responsibility to inform and educate themselves on what is going on around them. I specifically chose this topic because I believe that for us Americans this is the next big frontier. Not only could this plant helps save some people’s lives, but it could also help alleviate the pressure on our national debt. As long as we continue to do research and try to understand the complexity of this issue, then we should be able to grow in our mind frames of how this could be beneficial to a lot of people. There will always be the other side of this issue that it could do more harm than help, but if we continue to monitor and maintain control of these herbal medicines we can begin the steps towards a safer path. The new law states that â€Å"The state will regulate and distribute the oils to patients whose symptoms have not responded to federally approved medications† (Hershaw). In this day and age, there are more people who are looking

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Life World of Alfred Schutz Free Essays

The world of everyday life is known as the life-world in Schutz’s sociology. People are oriented to the life-world in the natural attitude, in which the world is taken for granted until a problematic situation emerges. Schutz maintained that the life-world is defined by six characteristics. We will write a custom essay sample on The Life World of Alfred Schutz or any similar topic only for you Order Now First, it is characterized by wide-awakeness in which the actor gives full attention to life and its requirements. Second, the world is taken for granted; actors suspend any doubt of the existence of the life-world. Third, people work in the life-world — they â€Å"gear into† the life-world. Fourth, people experience the working self as the total self in the life-world. Fifth, the social life of the life-world is characterized by intersubjectivity. Sixth, the actor’s flow of time intersects with the flow of time of society. The life world is an intersubjective world, one that existed before our birth; it was created by our predecessors and it was given to us to experience and interpret. One’s life-world, in other words, predates an individual’s birth and is given to them to struggle with and attempt to transform. The life-world is therefore constraining, and people are always trying to shape or dominate it Cultural world was created by people in the past as in the present because it originates in and has been instituted by human actions; all cultural objects such as tools, symbols, languages, art, and social institutions point back to the origin and meaning of human action In his analysis of the life world Schutz was mainly concerned with the shared social stock of knowledge that leads to more or less habitual action Schutz views knowledge as the most variable element in our stock of knowledge because in a problematic situation we are able to come up with innovative ways of handling the situation Two aspects of stock of knowledge that is less likely to become problematic: 1. Knowledge of skills- most basic knowledge that rarely becomes problematic 2. Useful knowledge- definite solution to a situation that was once problematic How to cite The Life World of Alfred Schutz, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Email Creating the Language of Leadership

Question: Discuss about theEmail for Creating the Language of Leadership. Answer: From: To: Dear Sir/Madam, It is with great appreciation this will find you well and sincere hope you will go through it and consider the views that are raised towards the idea of technology growth. Our team have experienced the high rate of technology growth in both our very own country and the world at large. We believe that with the help and support of you organisation we can be able to strengthen digitalization and take it to the next level. Obviously, the merits and demerits of involving you into this were considered and we decided to draft this email since we found that benefits are advantageous to both the organisation and society (Kim Heldman, 2009). We have contacted other organisation about the same and it is our pleasure to inform you that many of them took this positively. The use of internet has come with many benefits to the people and organisations around the world. Research has shown that as many people would like to access the internet but internet service providers (ISPs) have failed to meet the demand making the internet expensive to individual users. It is cheaper for an organisation such as yours to afford the installation of the internet to their premises (Fairhurst, 2010). Having a lot of internet associated gadgets at the disposal of our society; people have turned into smart life hence making the internet a necessity. If your organisation agrees to offer, free Wi-Fi to the society around, you can be guaranteed of wide clientele base and greater productivity in the near future. Internet is the biggest source of information today. Making it easily accessible to students will make them achieve necessary skills. They are the future employees of organisations around us. An organisation that offers internet access to the students is indirectly offering free training to its future professional (Kerzner, 2009). Many people nowadays visits places like restaurants and coffee shops to check their emails. Some end up spending money by buying pizzas and coffee for mere intention of accessing free Wi-Fi. Internet offers a good platform for customers to compare products against competitors. Organisation with quality services and products leaps the best. This where your organisation now comes in since we recognise your organisation that values their products and their customers. An organisation with free Wi-Fi will attract a big number of internet users than its fellow counter parts without. As per now with smarts gadgets in hands of the society, everyone has become inter net user. Iain Gillott, president of a surveying company was quoted, in the near future businesses will consider Wi-Fi as fundamental to their success as electricity or running water. This is a big opportunity to your company and I hope you will take this chance and be ahead of your competitors. Hope to hear from you soon. With regards, Team member References Fairhurst, G. T., 2010. The Power of Framing: Creating the Language of Leadership. Hoboken, New Jersy: John Wiley Sons,. Kerzner, H. R., 2009. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 10, illustrated ed. Hoken New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Kim Heldman, V. M., 2009. PMP Project Management Professional Exam Review Guide. Hoboken New Jersey: John Wiley Sons.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s “the Open Boat” free essay sample

Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s â€Å"The Open Boat† Naturalism has been defined in literature as emphasizes the role of environment upon human characters (Flanagan). Stephen Crane’s,â€Å"The Open Boat†, naturalism in his story is nature as uncaring, the universes had no signs and the men had no purpose. In the book it expresses the waves and the water as being uncaring. The waves kept trying to get in the dingy as they were in open sea. It seemed no matter what or how tired or even close to death nothing would give. There was no hope for the men, no signs of something good to come. Negative signs were given any chance such as the birds flying over the dingy. After it had been discouraged from the pursuit the captain breathed easier on account of his hair, and others breathed easier because the bird struck their minds at this time as being somehow gruesome and ominous. We will write a custom essay sample on Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s â€Å"the Open Boat† or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Reaching the house of refuge they thought a boat would be sent out but nothing came of it just people on the shore line doing nothing.With the land in a tease reach, the men are exhausted and the occurring thought was this, If I am going to be drownedif I am going to be drownedif I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees? Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to nibble the sacred cheese of life? Through all they have been though they clearly deserve to be on land out of the uncaring sea.When they finally do they have to jump into the water and it was also a struggle just like their journey all along. The correspondent still had negative thoughts till the end. â€Å"In his struggle to reach the captain and the boat, he reflected that when one gets properly wearied, drowning must really be a comfortable arrangement, a cessation of hostilities accompanied by a large degree of relief, and he was glad of it, for the main thing in his mind for some months had been horror of the temporary agony.He did not wish to be hurt. † Even in hope he thought about death. This story was unusual; I had to read it a couple times to really understand it. Crane portrays many naturalism things in his story as explained, the uncaring nature of the waves, the lack of signs by the universe, and the men had no purpose.

Monday, November 25, 2019

How to Use a Thesaurus - Word Reference Books

How to Use a Thesaurus - Word Reference Books A thesaurus is a tool you can use to search for synonyms and antonyms of other words. There are different types of thesauri and different methods for accessing information from them. Thesauri can come in the form of a book, an electronic device, a web site, or a word processing tool. When to Use a Thesaurus How many times have you struggled to find the best word to describe a feeling, a scene, or an impression? A thesaurus is used to help you become more precise (if you are working on a technical paper) and descriptive (if you are writing a creative piece) in your writing. It provides a list of suggested â€Å"replacements† for any word you have in mind. The thesaurus helps you zero in on the best word choice. A thesaurus can also be used as a vocabulary builder. You can use a thesaurus to discover new ways of expressing yourself. Accessing a Thesaurus If you are typing a paper in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect, you can access a thesaurus at any time by searching under the â€Å"tools† list. You may also right-click on a word and find alternate word suggestions.If you are working on a computer with Internet access, you can visit Thesaurus.com and conduct a word search.You can purchase a handbook or an electronic thesaurus and carry it along in your backpack. When You Shouldnt Use a Thesaurus Some teachers ask students to limit their use of a thesaurus. Why? If you rely too much on a thesaurus as you write a paper, you can end up with a paper that sounds amateurish. There is an art to finding a perfect word; but the nuance of expressions can work against you as easily against you as it could work for you. In short: don’t overdo it! Be a little parsimonious (thrifty, prudent, economical, sparing, careful, penny-wise, skimping, sparing, frugal) when using a thesaurus.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Budget Planning and Control Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Budget Planning and Control - Assignment Example Budgets are highly important in obtaining debts from the financial institutions. Banks and trade creditors usually examine the financial stability of the company to ensure that their debts are well secured by the assets of the company. Effective budgets reflect the plans and cash flows of the company that makes it easier for the creditors to decide whether or not to grant debts (Kemp, 2003). Effective budgets assist the management in determining the costs with accuracy. If the company determines the costs and expenses in advance, it will help them in making pricing decisions and in implementing the cost control policy. Thus it is necessary to prepare effective budgets in order to establish strategies that are important in highly competitive markets. 1. Nordstrom should decide on budget committee and the participants that should be involved in the budget setting process. Participation of managers is essential to consider their point of view while establishing budgets. 8. Review the performance on a timely basis and determine any variation in actual results about budget. Investigate the problem and reasons behind the variation to resolve the matter on efficiently (Shapiro, 2008). An important aspect of budget management is employee participation. Managers of individual departments should be informed on regular basis about any updates and alterations made in the budgets. By getting regular updates, it will become easier for the managers to implement the budgets and changes on a timely basis. Another advantage of the employee participation is that it motivates the employees and create the sense of ownership among them (Donovan, 2005). For long-term and effective implementation of budgets, it is necessary to keep track of resources to determine whether or not they are sufficient to fulfill future needs. In case of lack of resources or destruction of resources, budgets should be altered in such a way

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Multimedia Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Multimedia - Coursework Example rsity in the development of massive open online course (MOOC) that use multimedia in engaging learners in an interactive online training and educational program The most generally used multimedia applications are World Wide Web, hypermedia courseware, video conferencing, video-on-demand, interactive TV, groupware, online shops, games, virtual reality, digital video editing and production systems, multimedia database (Marshall, 2001a, p. 1). Experts posit that the broadly used applications are hypermedia systems through world wide web; multicast backbone that is strategically digitizing TV and radio streaming; and the enabling technologies which composed of carrier, switching, protocol, application, coding or compression, database, processing, system integration technologies (Marshall, 2001a, p. 1). Multimedia is also about developing a visual design hence, those who’d be working on website development for the Training Company must have deep knowledge on themes and styles which could either be comic, or simply informative or interesting, or must have some great ability for morphing, texture tastes and some techie explosions to make it attractive and impressive in its construction (Marshall, 2001b, p. 1). a. Social networks- this encourage creation of personalized pages and connect this to friends and associates or organizations to share content, statuses, photos, shouts, and ideas. This is also called as microblogs. The largest networks considered are, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn (W3Schools, 2012, p. 1). b. Blogs- this is a web space where a person can register and subscribe to write their stories, opinions and experiences. Blogs can either be personal, political, business, ‘almost media’, and mainstream media (W3Schools, 2012, p. 1). c. Wikis – this is a web where people and institution provide information, reports, and data as communal database. The most prominent wiki is Wikipedia that has been considered as the leading online

Monday, November 18, 2019

Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) - Assignment Example It is conclusive to state that although some companies adopt various leadership styles due to other factors such as incompetence, the main determinant of an organization’s leadership is its desired organizational effectiveness. However, it is important to note that leadership is also affected by other factors such as personality, attitude, and beliefs. The core task of leadership in an organization is to establish, develop and sustain an effective organizational culture. Organizational culture refers to the beliefs, feelings, and values of the organization’s personnel. Effective leadership should steer an organizational culture, positively promoting team dynamics, motivation and commitment to the organization’s operations. Organizational leadership plays a significant role in enhancing job satisfaction in an organization’s workforce. According to Quinn and Rohrbaugh, job satisfaction translates into organizational effectiveness. This is because job satisfaction optimizes the productivity of an organization’s workforce. Although there are other parameters that are used to assess organizational performance, the main factor of consideration is productivity. Organizational performance is based on set goals and objectives which are mainly based on the organization’s productivity. Organizational effectiveness is realized through role modeling and strong service organizational leadership.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Williams Syndrome A Genetic Disorder Psychology Essay

Williams Syndrome A Genetic Disorder Psychology Essay Williams Syndrome is a genetic disorder that is caused by a deletion of genes on chromosome seven. It is a rare disorder, occurring in about every 1 in 20,000 births and affects males and females equally. Small upturned nose, wide mouth, full lips, small wide-spaced teeth, a relatively low IQ, cardiovascular disease and an irregular cognitive profile are some classifications of Williams Syndrome. (Laing, Butterworth, Ansari, Gsodl, Longhi, Panagiotaki, et al., 2002). Many of the physical features of Williams Syndrome are due to the deletion of the gene elastin on chromosome seven. There are some aspects of language that appear to be intact for those with Williams Syndrome including social interaction, however, spatial language, number, planning and problem solving appear to be impaired in most individuals (Laing et al., 2002). Not all features of language are affected in children and adults with Williams Syndrome. Williams Syndrome has a characteristic language delay and there is evidence to suggest that language development follows an alternate pathway than what is seen in language development of a typical child (Laing et al., 2002). Laing et al. performed three experiments in order to assess joint attention, pointing and precision grips. The same children were used over the course of all three experiments and mental age of typically developing children was calculated to match those in the Williams Syndrome group. In the first experiment it was found that the children with Williams Syndrome performed atypically on tasks set to deduce the level of joint attention these children were providing. The second experiment administered was used to establish credibility findings of the first experiment. The researchers are observing if the children with Williams Syndrome can establish reference and therefore test t heir ability to point in response to specific stimuli. Laing et al. found that children with Williams Syndrome produced few pointing behaviors. The third experiment determined if the reason for the difference in pointing between the control group and the Williams Syndrome group was due to impaired motor skills. This was found to not be an issue as the children with Williams Syndrome and those in the control group were relatively similar in their motor skills. These issues in joint attention are thought to be part of the reason there is a language delay among children with Williams Syndrome as joint attention and pointing are both critical in language development (Laing et al., 2002). A study performed by Mervis and John (2008) was designed to tests strengths and weaknesses of children with Williams Syndrome with their vocabulary abilities. Mervis and John performed three experiments in order to determine the specific strengths and weaknesses in abilities of Williams Syndrome children in relation to vocabulary. The first experiment used the following standardized tests; the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (vocabulary and matrices) the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-third edition (concrete vocabulary, including object names, action words, and descriptors) and the Test of Relational Concepts (conceptual/relational language). The first experiment compared typically developing children against Williams Syndrome children in two assessments of vocabulary: concrete vocabulary and conceptual/relational vocabulary. Mervis and John found that the Williams Syndrome group performed better on concrete vocabulary than conceptual/relational vocabulary. Even though the scores fo r children on concrete vocabulary were high for children with Williams Syndrome, performance on these tests showed signs that even this area of language is not completely undamaged. The second experiment took the results of the first three standardized tests and included the Differential Ability Scales Pattern Construction subtest. Mervis and John examined the relation between conceptual/relational language comparative of visuospatial construction. The children with Williams syndrome performed better on tests related to conceptual/relational language as compared to scores on the visuospatial construction tasks. Mervis and John (2008) note that Williams Syndrome is distinguished by strengths and weaknesses within the vocabulary element of language. The third experiment used the formulated sentences subtest on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-fourth edition (CELF-4), in order to evaluate a variety of relational concepts. This experiment measured the knowledge of some m ore evolved relational concepts using the CELF-4. It was concluded that not all, but most children with Williams Syndrome have difficulty in simple relational words and it encompasses both relational terms meant to link two words or short phrase and also to relational terms meant to connect simple sentences into one complex sentence (Mervis and John, 2008). Mervis and John determined that children with Williams Syndrome do seem to have strength in vocabulary in general but rather concrete vocabulary. Laing and Jarrold (2007) sought to determine the spatial language skills of children with Williams Syndrome as compared to typically developing children. While noting that some aspects of language are usually intact for children with Williams Syndrome, spatial skills and non-verbal skills are usually the most impaired. In this experiment, the sample included 17 children with Williams Syndrome and 17 children that were classified as typically developing. There were several tests administered: Picture matching tasks, semantic picture matching, Spatial picture matching, grammatical knowledge task, perception task, naming task, and animal knowledge task. The test was given on a computer that displayed 4 pictures at the same time. There was a target sentence presented for each trial, which appeared on the screen and changed depending on the task. Results found that the Williams Syndrome group and the typically developing group performed with no significant differences on any measure excep t perception scores. There was also found to be a significant difference between the groups on the spatial picture-matching task. Due to the problems with understanding the semantics of spatial skills, it was hypothesized that this lends to problems in language processing in general (Laing Jarrold, 2007). For those with Williams Syndrome, there may be a great effort to form appropriate spatial mental models that may form the foundation for the production and comprehension of verbal descriptions of space (Laing Jarrold, 2007). Research performed by Laws and Bishop (2004) studied social communication, which is normally thought of as a relative strength for the Williams Syndrome population. Laws and Bishop performed a study on the different pragmatic facets of language. Groups of 19 children with Williams Syndrome, 24 with Downs Syndrome, 17 with specific language impairment and 32 typically developing children were studied. The Childrens Communication Checklist (CCC) was used in order to obtain data on social interaction for these four groups. On the checklist, there are two subscales that describe speech production: speech output and syntax. There are five subscales that describe the childs communication behaviors: inappropriate initiation, coherence, stereotyped conversation, use of conversational context conversational rapport. Two more subscales assess aspects of development: social relationships and interests. The raters were asked to respond to these items and rate them on a scale of four possibilitie s: does not apply, applies somewhat, definitely applies and unable to judge (Laws Bishop). When analyzed, experimenters found that individuals with Williams Syndrome had pragmatic impairments. The areas that were found to be the most impacted were the inappropriate initiation of conversation and the use of stereotyped conversation (Laws Bishop, 2004). The children do however have very strong expressive language skills and tend to be very social individuals (Laws Bishop, 2004). Since Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder occurring in every 1 in 20,000 live births more information is needed regarding their communicative abilities. There is evidence to suggest that their language delay is due information traveling through a different pathway than with typically developing children. Spatial language is also a problem that with intervention can be improved along with conceptual and relational vocabulary. Pragmatic language is an issue, however the Williams Syndrome population tends to be overly friendly and very strong expressively. It was found that as these issues seem to dissipate in adulthood as well as the Williams Syndrome population, depending on the severity level, these children can live independently or with support.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Dandelion Wine :: essays research papers

Dandelion Wine is a book written by Ray Bradbury. Dandelion Wine is a book about a summer through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy. It establishes a change of Douglas’s childhood to manhood. It will show how a young, orgulous boy goes through many stymies. Douglas Spaulding is a boy growing up in a somewhat deserted town. The time was 1928. Douglas’s house is an el dorado. Doug lives near an umbra, to others though it is just a ravine. It is just going to be the start of a new summer when Douglas finally realizes that he is free and alive. Douglas goes through many changes along the way, some for the best and some for the worst. There are many ways to describe a boy amazing as Doug, but three characteristics come to mind. Doug is mature, smart, and lively. Maturity can be used in many ways. For Douglas it is this particular summer when Doug starts out as a boy and by the end he has become more educated about life and learns to handle many difficult situations well. How many 12 year olds can cope with death of important people at that time of their lives? Douglas is forced to deal with it quite a few times. One day Doug meets an old man named Colonel Freeleigh. The Colonel is 100 years of age. The Colonel is a very old man who is quite sick and lonely. The Colonel is at the point in his life where he needs a nurse to take care of him. The Colonel is overjoyed to receive company. The Colonel regales Doug and two of his friends with stories of when he was younger. The Colonel shares stories such as the Civil War, Ching Ling Soo, and Pawnee Bill. After Doug had visited the Colonel he passed away that night. This is the first death Doug had to come to terms with. Doug was emotionally distraught, but learned that the Colonel died for what he believed in, happiness. Doug is best friends with Jon Hugh. Doug had known Jon his whole life. One day Jon decided to tell Doug that his dad got a job and they were going to move that night. A myriad of emotions ran through Doug’s head at this time. Doug wondered if he would ever get to see Jon again. The realization that they had so little time and so much to do kicked in.