Characters of Dark City :: Dark City

Characters of Dark City  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        I did my book report on Dark City by Frank Lauria.   The main characters in the book were John Murdoch, Mr. Hand, and Mr. Book.   Since Murdoch woke up in the icy bathtub in a strange room, he has been suspicious of everything. He is wanted for a series of brutal murders which he can’t remember committing.   He later finds out that he posses a power called tuning, which allows you to stop time and alter peoples perceptions.   Sort of like brain manipulation.   He soon finds out that he is being pursued by an alien race who call themselves the Strangers.   They want him because he is immune to their brain manipulation, so he is a threat to their bizarre world order.   John Murdoch is the protagonist in this book and he seeks to unravel the twisted puzzle of his past and identity.   Mr. Hand is a smart character who also possesses the method of tuning.   When he found out that Murdoch knew how to tune, Mr. Hand was injected with Murdoch’s memories so he could think like Murdoch, and defeat him. Mr. Hand is a Stranger himself, he takes orders from Mr. Book.   Mr. Book is the antagonist in the book. He is the leader of the Underworld ruled by the Strangers.   He is very wise and thinks up the procedures for taking over the city.   He assigns each one of the strangers to a sector in the city.   When he got news that a man named John Murdoch was immune to their tunning, he knew he has to think up something fast.   Mr. Book can also tune. Same with the other Strangers.      The secondary characters were Inspector Frank Bumstead, Dr. Daniel Poe Schreber, Emma Murdoch, Mr. Rain, Mr. Sleep, Mr. Quick, Mr. Wall, and all the rest of the Strangers that weren’t named.   Frank Bumstead plays the role of an inspector.   Dr. Schreber is Murdoch’s source. He helps him always stay one step ahead of the Strangers.   He also works for them but secretly provides information to Murdoch.   Emma is John Murdoch’s wife. She played a part of triggering Murdochs suspiciousness when she told him she was his wife, and he didn’t know.   The rest of the Strangers such as Mr. Wall and the ones that weren’t named work with Mr.

The Attic

My task had been set and so with trepidation, I gingerly climbed the ladder that led to the attic. I balanced on the top rung of the ladder and flung open the trap door. The door crashed against the diirt blackened floorboards loudly. The musty smell hit me, as a flurry of the dust cascaded onto my head. I carefully levered myself up onto the floor above me. I looked around the peculiar room to see beckoning shadows on the walls, as daylight tried to filter through a worn curtain, which graced the solitary window in the room. I stumbled forwards in the half-light, my outstretched hands grabbing a low beam to steady myself. The wood felt gritty and cold beneath my fingers and I looked at my hands, which were now blanketed in grime. I walked carefully to the end of the large attic room, and drew back the faded red velvet curtain, which stretched across the tiny window. The light violated the darkness, and dispelled the gloom. The room was now really quite entrancing, the task of cleaning the room, which I had initially perceived to be a horrible chore, had now turned into a beautiful privilege. I gazed at the room that was cluttered with memorabilia of a bygone era. Under the window stood an oval, walnut coffee table. On its dusty and worn surface stood several ornaments. I bent down and carefully picked up a grey figurine. I blew on it and the dust flew away. It was a white porcelain statuette that I now held; it was a delicate figurine of a ballet dancer. The ballerina was with her slender raised arms stood on points and her beauty contrasted with her shabby surroundings. I gently and with reluctance placed her back on the table I looked over the walls. They were painted yellow once, but now they were a dull cream. I walked over to the wall and ran my hand over the rough surface a thick layer of dust lay on my hand. Disgusted, I wiped my hand against my thighs of as I had worn my old jeans. The wall now had a small track of where I had removed the dust, a light yellow contrasted against the tedious cream. I looked up to see the spiders crawl over the beams, they were now the current tenants of this once beautiful place. The webs spread across from one corner of the room to the other. I lowered my eyes and my gaze met a picture that hung askew on the shabby wall. It was a painting of a horse, with a glossy deep brown coat that stared back at me. I looked at the surroundings in the picture, with its familiar red bricks and rose bushes, and I recognised it, as my back garden. I approached the painting to get a better look and screwed into the wooden frame was a brass plaque engraved with ‘High Princess- 1843'. I smiled and diverted my attention the double pushchair that seemed so out of place, as antiques surrounded it. I recalled the days of when I was once sat in the double pushchair with William, my brother. Memories flew back to me, memories of sitting there with ice cream trickling down my chin, as Will and I happily watching the world go by. Now it stood there, the navy blue material paler and worn, the once polished metal now rusted but the memories are as vivid as yesterday. I stood to exit, and the floorboards creaked beneath my feet, footprints left from where I had been inspecting the ornaments that lay in the room. I headed towards the trapdoor to go and inform my parents on what I had found in our now amazing attic. But something caught my eye, a small jewelry box. I was drawn to it; I walked towards it and picked it up. It was an ornately carved rosewood box from India. I opened the box carefully to reveal a green velvet lined interior. Inside laid unusual pieces of jewelry. I held an emerald necklace, the heavy strange jewel amazed me by its rich deep colour. I placed it carefully back down on its velvet cushioning to pick up another piece of jewelry. A ring. A ruby lay in its centre; I love rubies, as they are my birthstone and had to remind myself to ask Dad if I could have it. Once again, I replaced it. I looked out of the small window that lay behind me and saw that the sun was beginning to get low. I had to leave this room, which had intrigued me for hours. I knew I would return and I knew that at my next visit there would be even more revelations awaiting me.

The Pregnancy Life Stage Essays - Nutrition, Biomolecules, Midwifery

The Pregnancy Life Stage Essays - Nutrition, Biomolecules, Midwifery The Pregnancy Life Stage Running head: PREGNANCY LIFE STAGE Pregnancy Life Stage 1 Pregnancy Life Stage SCI/160 University of Phoenix July 25, 2000 Melissa Dolewa Pregnancy Life Stage Does nutrition status affect fertility? Good overall nutrition, rather than eating any specific food, greatly improves your chances of conceiving a child. For women, nutrient deficiencies and low-calorie diets at one extreme, and obesity at the other, can disrupt ovulation. Poor nutrition can also have an impact on male fertility. In order to get pregnant, doctors recommend that both women and men eat healthy, exercise and keep a positive mental attitude to increase chances of fertilization. Eating healthy, exercise and keeping a positive mental attitude are equally important during pregnancy and after pregnancy. According to www.familyinternet.com, carrying a baby for nine months and then providing it with breast milk afterward is a major nutritional stress on a womans body. Food intake increases only 15-20%, but requirements for specific nutrients such as folic acid, zinc, and certain B vitamins may increase by 30-100%. In addition, less than optimal nutrition can result in low-birth weight babies with increased risk of heart disease and non-insulin-dependent diabetes as adults. (www.childbirth-connections.com). Both over-eating and under-eating can adversely affect the qualities and quantities of breast milk, which is explained further under Dietary Requirements During Pregnancy. During pregnancy, nutrients are passed from mother to fetus through the placenta, and after birth, through breast-milk. The main vitamins and nutrients needed by mother and fetus is explained in the chart below: Nutrient/Vitamin Amount Needed Benefit Source Protein Need for pregnant women is increased by 10 to 15 grams daily (1 glass of milk contains 8 grams of protein). Forms structural basis for all new cells and tissues for both the mother and fetus www.tdh.tx.us (Texas Department of Health) Carbohydrates 50-100 g/daily Prevents ketosis, which, during pregnancy, can cause brain damage to the fetus. www.tdh.tx.us Pregnancy Life Stage Nutrient/Vitamin Amount Needed Benefit Source Folate 400-800 micrograms daily Prevents anemia during pregnancy, may prevent miscarriage, preserves the integrity of genetic material, and lowers risk of neural tube defects like spina-bifuda www.familyinternet.com Calcium 1000-1500 mg/daily Milk production and growing bones www.familyinternet.com Iron 30 mg beginning 12th week of pregnancy Binds oxygen to hemoglobin and prevent iron-deficiency anemia Nutrition During Pregnancy, National Academy of Sciences Vitamin D Adequate sun exposure, or 10 mg/daily for complete vegetarians and 5 mg/daily for woman who dont eat vitamin D-fortified foods (dairy products) Promotes fetal growth, bone formation, tooth enamel formation and the proper utilization of calcium www.familyinternet.com Vitamin B-6 2-5 mg/day during 1st higher doses may shut off milk production Manufacture of hormones, hemoglobin, neurotransmitters, many enzymes, and amino acids. www.familyinternet.com Vitamin E 200 IU Decreases risk of premature babies and low-birth weight infants and may lower the risk of miscarriage. www.familyinternet.com Vitamin A Follow the RDA of 2700 IU daily Provides baby with vitamin A reserves and sustains adequate breast-mil concentrations. www.familyinternet.com Zinc 10-30 mg daily is sufficient and considered safe; excessive intake of zinc can lower HDL-cholesterol. Reduces risk of miscarriage, labor complications, neural tube defects and low-birth babies www.familyinternet.com Food plays a major role in promoting a healthy life. However, during the pregnancy cycle, nutrition is of even greater importance because of the effects on both the mother and baby. Many people have said that a pregnant mother is eating for two, which in fact is correct. The mother needs a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, water and fiber in the diet each day. Pregnancy Life Stage One suggested food plan, developed by FamilyWeb.com, suggests that during the first 2 to 3 months of pregnancy, a woman should try eating small amounts frequently throughout the day to keep the energy higher. If the mother only eats larger amounts of food less frequently, she may experience discomfort due to her energy levels reaching highs and lows. The food plan also recommends that the mother eat raw vegetables, fruits, juices, milk, breads and cereals in between meals as a way to keep the metabolic rate and energy steady. Each food group has recommended or suggested serving amounts for a pregnant woman. An outline of the serving amounts for each food group is as follows: The Five Food Groups Suggested Number of Servings Fruits and