Bald Mountains

The Pacific Northwest tree octopus (Octopus paxarbolis) can be found in the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula on the west coast of North America. Their habitat lies on the Eastern side of the Olympic mountain range, adjacent to Hood Canal. These solitary cephalopods reach an average size (measured from arm-tip to mantle-tip,) of 30-33 cm. Unlike most other cephalopods, tree octopuses are amphibious, spending only their early life and the period of their mating season in their…

Journey!!!!!! More like climbing a mountain and there were many times I almost fell off but thanks to family, friends and Bosom Buddies (an amazing breast cancer support group in Canberra) I made it to the top, bald but I made it! I only wish that someone had told me climbing down the other side was just as hard, if not harder. Thrown into early menopause, my hormones and emotions…

"Soma, you father got caught--" "Again?" I groaned. It was the fourth time this year Ma brought me the news. For some reason, my father, Akaash Choudri, managed to get caught drinking blood. I always had to go and meddle with the mind of the person who caught Pa red-handed. Red-fanged, more accurately. Pa entered the living room with a guilty expression and took a seat next to me. "Except this time it was more than one person. There 's already suspicion about the unknown deaths and your…

I had not heard of the Moomins before my stay in Finland, but after arriving, I quickly realized that they were everywhere. There were plushes, and home items, and pretty much anything you could imagine with Moomin on it. I have the privilege of living with some Finnish girls, and I asked her once, “What are these things? Why are they everywhere?” She showed me this enormous collection she had of Moomin merchandise, though most of what she had were collectable glasses and plates. She told me…

Toni Onley uses his 1988 “China diary” in various ways to construct himself as a kind of adventurer, artist and worldly figure. Jennifer Douglas in her text, “The Archiving “I”: A Closer Look in the Archives of Writers” argues that the real or historical versions of authors like Onley, are “unknown and unknowable” to the researcher (54). Rather Onley acts “the narrating I”, and decides what is included in his text, and construct the “narrated I” (54-55). The “narrated I” is the representation of…

Steven is a 40-year-old Canadian male. He stands 5’11” tall, weighs 175 pounds, and has bald/brown hair and blue eyes. He appears a tall, trimmed and presents himself as well kept. He describes his personality as being an intense person. He states that he is loving, kind and has a protective nature. He also states that he has a goofy sense of humor and enjoys being a provider to his family. Steven is a Permanent Residence of the Unites States and he speaks English and French. Is this a…

Death As Inevitability In ‘Totem’ Plath once described this poem as “a pile of interconnected images like a totem pole” (Padel, 2013). Even the title resounds a spiritual significance. A totem is kinship related, and the interconnected images that compose the poetic totem explore an almost ritual, visceral blood relationship to death in which all life forms are implicated. Life, thus, is adopted as an emblem for death. Plath’s Totem is in fact a culmination of her fatalistic attitude, the…

When most people hear the word cult, they think of people in dark cloaks worshipping Satan or bald monks who live in mountains as hermits. That is not always the case though. It is not as easy as one may think to spot cult members as they come from varying walks of life. The purpose of this paper is to define cults, to explain why people join cults, and to apprise the danger that cults pose. Although most religions start as cults, there are many qualities, criteria, and traits that…

Despite a veritable Noah’s Ark of imperiled species (bull trout, gray wolf, woodland caribou, grizzly bear, wolverine, lynx, fisher, harlequin duck, golden eagle, bald eagle, grate gray owl, peregrine falcon, bog birch, crested shield-fern, water howellia…etc.) none of the biodiverse wilderness of the Yaak valley is protected. “The Book of Yaak” is, at its heart one long plea from Bass to help save his home. He puts…

In the Shiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for Shiva’s phallus it is used as a symbol for the worship of Shiva. The origin of the lingam dates back to the early Indus Valley civilization. The Lingam is not mentioned in the Vedas yet still the Lingam is a major symbol of worship to many. Even with its absence from the Vedas, the Shiva Lingam is of importance in many other major Hindu scriptures, including the Puranas. As stated by…