Hot Legs at Night

For those of you who have had problems getting to sleep due to having hot legs at night you may not even know the cause of it. The most basic and underlining cause of any heat emulating from the body is from inflammation. But what, you're asking now, is what is the cause of the inflammation. To help you with that burning sensation in your legs, read on for two helpful tips that have helped me a lot.

Growing up I suffered from the symptoms of having hot legs at night and the burning sensation would very often keep me awake for hours. I knew from my own research that it was most likely caused by inflammation. However, it was not until college when my Health Ecology Professor told me that over 70% of all Americans deal with an chrono infection that I started to get a better Idea of ​​what was going on on my body. I've been dealing with yeast and Candida my entire life and I want to share the information I have gathered over the years with you! I know how awful and taxing having hot legs at night can be so here are a few tips on how to fix the problem.

Tip # 1: I know you're tired from the lack of sleep, believe me I know! The only true way to kill Candida will take some time, time your body requires to heal itself. For a quick fix and a good night's sleep tonight take to Aleve or Motrin (any anti inflammatory over the counter pill) and lay a cool damp cloth over each leg. It works; I've done it many times!

Tip # 2: Now that we've got a good night sleep under your belt lets talk long term treatment to calm those legs down at night. We know the problem is a yeast infection and an overgrowth of Candida so how do we kill these microorganisms? The fastest and most effective way to do this is to cut off the bacteria's food supply. Simply put, a yeast organism eats simple sugar that you consume in the form of soda, candy, starch, bread, pasta and any simple or complex carbohydrates. When a colony of yeast receives enough nutrients through your diet, it will blossom into full blown Candida and you will start having hot legs at night.

Tip # 3: The reason that Candida is always worse during the night has to do with the interaction of hormone release during your sleep cycle. To kill the Candida you will need to put yourself into a state of ketoses for at least 3 straight days. When your body enters ketoses you use fatty acids as fuel rather than the usual carbohydrates. This will eliminate the fuel source to the Candida and kill it. To put yourself into ketosis you must limit your diet to 30 carbohydrates per day and no more than 5 at any one time (so, lots of snacking). Eat lots of veggies, meat, fish and a little cheese. Done correctly, it will take about a day and a half to put you into a state of ketoses.

Tip # 4: Remember to drink plenty of water! In drinking over a gallon of water daily, you will help with the elimination of yeast colonies. Water is a universal solvent and taking in enough of it will literally stsrt to flush out all the yeast in your body.

Thomas Nagel And His Article On Death

Thomas Nagel begins his collection of essays with a most intriguing discussion about death. Death being one of the most obviously important subjects of contemplation, Nagel takes an interesting approach as he tries to define the truth as to whether death is, or is not, a harm for that individual. Nagel does a brilliant job in attacking this issue from all sides and perspectives, and it only makes sense that he does it this way in order to make his own observations more reliable.

He begins by looking at the very common views of death that are held by most people in the world, and tells us that he will talk of death as the "unequivocal and permanent end to our existence" and look directly at the nature of death itself (1). The first view that Nagel decides to discuss is the view that death is bad for us because it deprives us of more life. Most people are in the view that life is good; even though some experiences in life can be bad, and sometimes tragic, the nature of life itself is a very positive state. Nagel also adds that when the experiences of life are put aside, this state is still positive, and not simply "neutral" (2).

Nagel goes further to point out some important observations about the value of life. Mere "organic survival" can not be said to be a component of value (2). Nagel gives the example of death and being in a coma before dying. Both of these situations would have equally bad situations. Another observation is that "like most goods" the value can become greater with time (2).

Looking now at what is bad about death instead of what is good about life, Nagel presents some obvious thoughts regarding this point. Life is good because we have the conscious ability to experience and appreciate all that life has to offer. So death is bad because it deprives us of these experiences, not because the actual state of death is bad for us.

The next point that Nagel makes is that there are certain indications that show how people do not object to death simply because it "involves long periods of nonexistence" (3). It is said that people would not look at the temporary "suspension" of life as a terrible misfortune, because the fact that it is temporary tells us that this will extremely bring the state back to that of conscious life. Also, we do not look at the state being before we are born as a misfortune, or deprivation of life, because that life has not yet begun and, (as Nagel states later), he refutes the possible argument that the person could have been Born earlier and had more life, with the fact that if that person was born substantially earlier, he would stop to be that person, but instead someone else entirely.

Nagel discusses next three problems. The first is a view that there are no evils that are not rooted in a person consciously "minding" those evils. Nagel puts this view in to easier terms by saying that this is the same as saying "what you do not know can not hurt you" (4). There are several examples that can illuminate this theory. People who think this way would say that it is not a harm for a person to be ridiculed behind his back, if he does not know about it. If he does not experience the evil, it is not bad for him. Nagel thinks this view is wrong. The natural discovery here is that it is bad to be betrayed, this is what makes the whole situation unfortunate; not because the discovery of this betrayal makes us unhappy.

The second problem is that which has to do with who the subject of harm caused by death is, and when exactly this occurs. Harm can be experienced by a person before death, nothing can be experienced after death, so when death itself experienced as a harm? The third problem deals with posthumous and prenatal existence.

Contemplating the good or bad aspects of death, Nagel observes that we must look at the possible circumances surrounding a death, and the pertinent history of the person who dies. This is important because we miss a lot that is important to the argument if what we take into consideration is exclusively the state of the person at the moment of death. Nagel gives an example of a very intelligent man sustaining an injury that causes him to regress to the mental capacity of an infant. His needs can be fulfilled like those of an infant and be kept happy as long as simple needs are met. His family and friends would look at this as a terrible misfortune, even though the man himself is not aware of his loss. This situation is unfortunate because of the deprivation of what might have been had not been injured in this way. He could have gone on to accomplish great things for the world and his family, and live out his life through old age as an accomplished and acclaimed individual. This would have lead him to great happiness, but it can be observed that this same man in a state of mental capacity to match that of a child is also happy, but Nagel agrees that what happened to this man is a tragedy because of the terrible loss of the life the intelligent man could have led. This situation can refer to death in this way of thinking about deprivation. Death is bad because it robs you of what could have been.

After making these observations, Nagel states that "This case should convince us that it is arbitrary to restrict the goods and evils that can befall a man to non-relational properties ascribable to him at particular times" (6). There are infinite circumstances and happenings going on that affect a person's fortune or misfortune. Many of these never coincide directly to the person's life. We must consider that there is no way to pinpoint the exact position of a misfortune in a person's life, nor a way to define the origin. People have dreams and goals in life that may or may not be fulfilled. There is no way to find all of the circumstances and possibilities that go into whether or not these hopes and dreams are actually fulfilled, but Nagel tells us that we must simply accept that "If death is an evil, it must be accounted for in these terms, and the impossibility of locating it within life should not trouble us "(7).

There are some who view the time before birth and the time after death as the same. We exist in conjunction, though Nagel argues that there is a difference. This whole essay has expressed exactly his view that although we do not exist in either case, death deprives us of time that we could have been living our lives.

Nagel makes an interesting observation about whether we can assign as a misfortune an event or aspect of life which is normal to all humans in general. We all know that we all will die and that the maximum amount of life is somewhere around 100 years. So is it still plausible to say this is a misfortune? He also gives the example of moles, which are blind. It is not a misfortune for a mole to be blind because they are all blind, and they will never know sight and be able to appreciate it. But Nagel also presents the example of a situation in which everyone goes through six months of pain and anguish before dying. Everyone knows that this is going to happen, but that does make the event any less of an event to dread and fear?

We are brought into this world and brought up with aspects of our lives that we appreciate. The deprivation of these things that we learn to appreciate is a misfortune, because we have learned to live with these privileges. It is unfathomable for a human being to grasp the concept of a finite life, in the truest meaning of understanding. We do not think of our lives right now as a set out plan or a finite sequence of events. We do not live day to day thinking of what we should do according to how much time we have left. Our lives are essentially an open-ended sequence of good and bad circumstances and possibilities. Death is the abrupt interruption of this sequence that we can not help but be in the mindset will never end. This is how death is a deprivation, and quite, a bad thing for a person.

In conclusion, Nagel offers a good argument in his essay on death about death itself being a harm. Whether a person believes in the immortal life or not, it must still be considered that dying deprives you of the goods and experiences of life. This view looks unavoidable. A person who dies at age 92 has lived a full life to the best of his ability and has experienced more than someone who dies at age 32. The person dying at age 32 had many things that he wished to accomplish and experience in his life, and since the event of death has taken away all possibility of any of these goals coming to pass, and undermines all the work that he has put forth up to that point in pursuit of his goals, death is a terrible tragedy for him.

Work Cited
Nagel, Thomas. Mortal Questions. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1979.

Provisions and Benefits of a Shareholders' Agreement

It is a good thing if you have sole proprietorship on your business. You are the only person to make decisions on the direction of your enterprise. But in the situation where you own the business together with other individuals, you need to have a clear sense of agreement. This is where a shareholders' agreement comes in.

So what is a shareholders' agreement?

It is a written agreement among the shareholders of a Company. The shareholder's agreement stays privately within the owners of the company because it is no necessity to register it at Companies House.

Know what the shareholders' Agreement provides:

• The agreement lays out a controlled structure for all shareholders to ensure that their rights are protected and their obligations and responsibilities in the Company are clearly defined.


• Regulations on how an individual can join the company as a new shareholder.


• Stipulating the process of buying and selling shares, the individuals who are allowed to trade them, and the time when they can be traded.


• Lays out the decision to new shares issued by the Company.


• Shareholding value control when business is being sold. Provided resolutions should Disputes about such arise during the process.


• A clear stipulation on requirement of shareholders agreement in certain decisions that affects the management of the company is provided.


• The powers of non-owner Company directors are identified. Process of use of powers for the benefit of the shareholders and the Company is defined.


• Stipulations with regards to a shareholders incapability to perform his / her function due to health issues if the Company is owner-managed.


• Insurance that the shareholders touches base with the business. Even without necessary government, the agreement regulates the administrative process of the company rendering it efficient.


• If no resolution is settled on how to operate the business, the agreement provides a process to resolve such issue.

Know when to set up a Shareholders' Agreement

It may seem to people who are starting with a business investment with other individuals that the shareholders' agreement is not an urgent matter. This is especially true with off-the-shelf businesses. It is but a huge risk for both parties to set along drawing of such agreement especially if the business is already making profits. There are business hurdles you have to face when you are in operation and you have to process, terms, and conditions to refer to. A partner might want to sell their share and some other might fall out and you will not have a resolution for situations like these.

There is no specific time when the shareholders' agreement is drawn. It can be manufactured anytime during the development of the Company. It is advisable however, that it is drawn at the earliest time you decide to put up a business partnership with other investors. Alterations can be made to it along the way, provided that all shareholders agree to such changes before it is put into writing and signed.

Should you wish to draw up a shareholders' Agreement that is correct and accurate, it is wise to seek the counsel of a business law solicitor so that all your requirements will be laid down properly. It is a necessary benefit to safeguard all involved parties.

How to Survive the Financial Crisis

There are signs all around us that the world economic crisis is worsening, and this could also affect the US economic recovery, which continues to be fragile. For example, the University of Michigan reported that its confidence index, a key economic indicator, fell dramatically to 74.5 in December from 82.7 in November. Meanwhile, a recent survey revealed that some 40% of Americans regularly live from paycheck to paycheck. It is clear that hard economic times are ahead as the world economic crisis continues to intensify. Here are some ways that you can survive hard economic times.

Reduce the amount of debt that you have. Most households have at least some credit card debt, as well as other kinds of debt such as mortgages and car loans. These debts could easily spiral out of control if you lose your job or even have to suffer a pay cut. You can reduce your debt by paying more than the minimum amount every month and paying down more than you usually do. This requires that you reduce your monthly expenses to free up more money for debt payments. Here, you will have to sit down and make a list of your monthly expenses to see where you can cut down. You might be surprised at how many ways you can cut back your expenses without having to sacrifice your quality of life.

Look for ways to augment your income. The best way to do this is to build a small home business that you can take care of in your spare time. For example, you can enroll to be an affiliate marketer and market a vendor's products on your website or blog. You will be given a special link to the merchant's site, and whenever a visitor to your site clicks on it and makes a purchase, you will earn a small commission. In order to effectively do this, you will have to drive traffic to your site and then place interesting and unique content on it that will encourage visitors to buy the products you're promoting.

Avoid getting into new debt. Once you've paid down a lot of your loans, stay debt-free so that you will not be burdened again. One way that you can do this is to cut up your credit cards once you've paid off the balances on them, and avoid availing of new credit cards, even if they're offered to you on a pre-approved basis. Another is to manage your credit more wisely. There are many credit management strategies that are available from free PDF books download that you will not have to spend a penny on.

How Painful Headaches Can Be Caused by Computer Neck

What is Computer Neck and why does it cause your head to hurt?

There are a number of reasons to get this type of problem, and working a desk job is one of the most notable. There are 8 small muscles under the base of the occiput (the big bumpy part on the back of your head). These muscles are called the suboccipitals because they are connected underneath the occiput.

They are small but responsible for a lot of work lugging an 18-20 lb head around. When you tilt your head down to read something on your desk, or more so when jutting your chin forward to look at the computer screen, these muscles are hard at work. These movements are often over exaggerated in the work place and done repetitively all day long. This leads to strain and overuse. Often the tension or pain will creep down into the shoulders. Sometimes it finds its way up to the back of the head or even across the scalp to just above your eyebrows. By the time this happens, you're probably already in the grasp of a headache.

You mean there are more side effects?

As a side effect of these repetitive neck motions the muscles on the sides and front of the neck will often get sore and tight as well. These flat muscles are called the scalenes. Once they become tight, they tend to continue being tight until massaged out. Because of the location, it's really hard and impractical to try and stretch them. It's not uncommon to feel a burning or pulling sensation when a massage therapist performance deep tissue work and trigger point therapy on them, however, you'll probably be grateful when it's done.

Slumping can cause pain

This is by far the most common structural issue I have come across with headache clients. These 8 little muscles get so overworked that they can not help but end up in spasms and develop trigger points. Trigger points (TrP) can develop in tight or damaged muscle tissue and often show up as nodules (knots) of bundled tissue. When pressed and released, they can release the pain pattern across a whole muscle or muscle group.

Your spine can be twisted or injured which will trigger a headache

I find that my clients also store a lot of emotional baggage in the muscles of the shoulders and neck. By far and large, headaches of this nature are the most common ones mistaken for migraines, and much more frequently than you might think. Most of my "migraine" sufferers do not generally seem to have the symptoms of migraines and are "fixed" by tension head techniques within minutes.

What do I do to diffuse the headache?

I like to work the neck with my client lying on their back. With the head being as heavy as it is, I can use gravity to get good pressure into the muscles. I like to perform a couple of stretches like the one mentioned in # 2 above. The passive stretching is done much easier by someone else, which lets you focus on relaxing. Typically, I'll combine multiple techniques such as steady direct pressure, hot towels, and essential oils to address the problem from all the angles I can fit into a session. Muscles really respond to multiple techniques at once.

So what can you do right now for this pain? A slow series of exercises can treat headache pain.

1. Lie back in a tall chair or on a bed to allow your neck muscles to rest and recover at night.

2. From a standing position , drop your chin to your chest and let gravity stretch out those muscles for 30-90 sec. You can also make big, slow, full circles with your neck to loosen things up.

3. Get 2 tennis balls and put them in a long sock and tie it off so they do not roll around or slip. Lie down with the tennis balls nuzzled up under the base of your head on either side of your spine. Lay there (as long as it's comfortable) up to 2-5 min. Gravity will take your head and apply pressure to those muscles with the tennis balls. * hint - depending on your size / structure, you may need to hold the tennis balls with your hands to keep them from sliding under the weight of your head.

4. Use a tool such as a Thera Cane or an accu-massager to pinpoint tension in this area and release the trigger points (tight bundles of muscle, TrP). Find these bunched up "knots" and apply pressure slowly for up to 1-2 minutes at a time to get them to let go.

5. You can us Essential Oils to heal and relax Computer Neck. Use a drop or two of Therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil on the chin or under the nose and / or rub 2-4 drops on the base of the head under the occiput. The scent of peppermint has been shown to reduce or tie heads. The oil itself has been shown to absorb into the skin and relax musculature.

6. Use an ice pack. Put an ice pack or cool towel across your forehead and under the base of the head at the occiput.

So whether you work in a desk job or slip in front of a tv, you now have a solution for "Computer Neck" headaches.

The World's Financial Crisis: By Hindsight in 2014

Overview

A financial crisis occurs when the value of a country's financial assets drops rapidly. The crisis is often associated with bank runs, investors panic, and massive withdrawal of funds from the banking institutions. These scenario foretells that everything is going downhill - since, the need to withdraw all savings and investments from all financial sectors.

When assets are deemed overvalued, rapid sales-offs occur that leads to a financial crisis. If left unchecked, the situation can further lead to a decrease of assets values ​​and the massive withdrawals by investors. The income is mass hysteria that makes the economy to go under towards recession or depression.

The economy is on a tailspin if:

• There is a significant drop in the housing sector;
• A surge or increase in the numbers of jobless;
• There is an appropriate declination in economic output.

Investments can be affected if the financial markets go into a nose dive. Recession always comes after a peak in the business cycle is achieved. There is decline in earnings and employment after every expansion. Recession occurs when this scenario occurs with wages and prices of goods remaining the same as in the peak period.

This then leads to a declining economy that results to a trough or depression. The length of time of the trough is critical since it determines the gravity of employment and economic output bottling out, while waiting for the next cycle of recovery to begin.

World's Financial Markets on a Tailspin?

All global central banks are in panic mode by the 4th quarter of 2013. All the world's economies assessed the situation as bleak and embarked on strategies for damage control. The big story about the bubble burst centered on China's interbank liquidity problems and overnight rates that are spiraling upward.

China's stock market is now in a free fall and has fallen by 20% at present. The Central Bank of China tried to appease investor confidence by assuring the market that there is liquidity in the banking sector. But the market did not react and investors became wary behalf of assurances from China.

In the United States, there were acrimonial debts about the Fed's ability to control Quantitative Easing (QE) by late 2013 to the middle of 2014. Based on historical data, the Fed had miserably failed to spur economic growth. It had only managed to create stock market bubbles while draining the financial markets of high quality collateral instruments.

The leverage situation today is worse than that of 2008 due to Fed's intervention. However, as seen in recent weeks, the bond and stock reaction to Fed's market intervention is critical; and if it backs off support - the entire system may be at risk.

With the collapse of the bond markets in Europe, there is the fear that what would come next next are higher interest rates. This new emerging market scenario is catastrophic with all economies in the world frozen in a debt bubble. The world's central banks can only watch, while they lose control of the financial markets. The emerging scenario looks bleak with industry stalwarts saying that the situation may be worse than what happened in 2008.

The Economic Bust in 2007 and 2008

What transpired in this two year period may be akin to the pre - Federal Reserve era. The market was in a state of panic with people difting their assets thereby driving prices down to unpredictably low levels. What happened then, people were getting out - all at the same. time. The mass hysteria affected short term instruments like repos, bonds, stocks, commodities, and real estate.

The wave of terror not only affected short term investments but long term instruments as well. This worldwide debacle caused the collapse of bedrock companies like Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual, Wachovia, and Countrywide Financial.

The next financial crisis is expected to be the same as what happened in 2008, 1987, 1929, 1907 and so on. The bank run will be systemic, credit will freeze, great number of people lose their jobs, and millions of people will have their lifetime savings decimated. It happened in the 19th century when the central banks were still non-existent, and did not stop even after the appearance of the Fed in 1913.

There is no triggering factor that would determine if the crisis had started. Depositors in banks like Wells Fargo, Citibank, and Bank of America did not panic to alert the nation. It was the Fed who took notice that the major banks were under-capitalized, over leveraged, and insolvent before it came in with a bailout package.

The 2007-2008 economic debacle affected the stock market when it realized that the banking community did not have the resources to absorb the run. What transpired was a lack of confidence in the stock market that made it suffer immensely. What saved the day was the guarantees made by the Fed and the Treasury on the stock markets, that it would guarantee bank deposits of up to $ 250,000 and inject billions of capital to save the country from total financial collapse.

It has been discussed most seriously at present that to save the financial markets from future runs, there should be sufficient capital or fortress funds to meet its obligations from the run. Losing confidence on the banks and lenders pulling out their funds from one or more banks can be disastrous on the banking system. The continued incoming streams of short term funds are needed by banks to meet their long term obligations. Without this continuity, it would be inevitable for another bank run to begin.

Can The Global Economy Handle Another Financial Crisis?

It has to be reiterated that the world economy is connected to many pundits believed. While it is important to be aware of how the US economy is faring, it is still part of the global economy where many players are positioned at the top. China had become one economic dragon to rival that of the US for top position. China has the presence in many parts of the global economy that include commodities and the material sectors.

The more recent moves by China in shifting from an outward driven economy towards its domestic markets is causing significant problems with its trading partners. The Gross Domestic Product of China is watched most carefully since the global arena is heavily dependent on its rapidly rising economy. Financial debacles in China are observed keenly by global markets, since its downfall could wreak havoc in all of the world's economies

Crossing the Mangrove by Maryse Conde

"Crossing the Mangrove," by Maryse Conde is set in 1986 on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The story is told through the eyes of the many inmates of the island who are uncomfortable with the arrival of a strange foreigner who has come to live amongst them. Francisco Alvarez-Sanchez mysterious story invokes themes of past and present Caribbean life and stories from the villagers are combined to connect the fascinating tale. The novel reflects the Creolite diversity of the inhabitants of Guadeloupe.

In "Crossing the Mangrove," several recurring themes prominent in Caribbean life are evident. Colonization and class perspective are among the more dominant themes. Guadeloupe was colonized by France in the 17th century and, like many Caribbean islands, Guadeloupe became a slave trading center. A story told by the strange recluse Xantippe shows how colonization ideals of the past are still present on the island today. As a young man Xantippe was happy go lucky. This fence the French rule gendarmes (police) reason to interrogate him. They insinuated that he had enemies and burned his cabin down. Xantippe describes how he lost everything and his life was changed for the worse, forever. This activity is reminiscent of Cesaire's equation: colonization = "thingification."

Class perspective exists on the island of Guadeloupe but to a lesser extent than in the previous novels. The Ramsaraz and Lameanes families are upscale. They own land for farming and flower nurseries. They have large houses and they drive French built Peugeots. Although a peasant and servant population exists it is not featured prominently in the novel. Instead, something of a middle class society combines the major class of the characters. Moise the mailman, Emile Etienne the historian, and Lucien Evarist the writer are among a cast of Francis middle class friends. But it is assumed that Francis belongs to the upper class due to his tales of travel and adventure, his ability to purchase the aging Alexis estate, and daily truck deliveries of household appliances such as a TV set, a refrigerator, a stereo set. The inmates of Riviere au Sel are envious of this and question his occupation and work ethic as a writer. They ask, "Was a writer a do-nothing, sitting in the shade for hours on his veranda, staring at the ridge of mountains for hours on end while the rest sweated it out under the Good Lords hot sun." One must get the sense that the class perspective presented in "Crossing the Mangrove," is a good representation of society in Guadeloupe today.

Strong themes that are current to Guadeloupe society are that in a male dominated society women are forced into the practice of arranged marriages. But many of the women of Riviere au Sel have tried towards their estranged husband's and their fathers who make the unusual arrangements. Forced marriages are common and based in tradition in this island society but oddly enough explanations are not provided as to why a parent would want to marry off their young and attractive daughters to older men with dubious intentions. What is the motivation of the parents who take part in this practice? Yes, these men are wealthy and the young women will live in comfort, but are the parents receiving some compensation for their generous contribution to the men? The young women all seem to come from families that are well established. Do the parents take into consideration the trauma and unhappiness their daughters will suffer?

In Riviere au Sel, Dinah's father arranged for her to marry Loulou. Dinah was in favor of this but later became repulsed by her husband. Dinah said, "It's been years since Loulou slept in my bed. Once darkness has fallen I lock my door and curl up like a fetus between my sheets." Rosa, of Indian decent, is forced to marry Sylvester; the practice of arranged marriages is also common in India where a social caste system still exists. In her passage in the novel she wanted it to be known that, "When they married me off to Sylvester Ramsaran, nobody asked for my opinion" and "Sylvester hurt me.

Just as her Indian mother before her, Vilma's marriage was to be arranged. Vilma's father Sylvester, arranged for her to marry a man named Marins Vindrex. But Vilma revolted by running away from home saying, "Marins Vindrex. But I do not love him." In the ultimate act of vengeance against her father she took up with the hated Francis Sanchez. Now in a position to forever poison the appalling marriage to the dreadful Vindrex, she allowed herself to become impregnated by Francis. Sylvester is defenseless to act while the questionable motives of Francis intensify among the villagers of Riviere au Sel who are already suspicious of him.

Conde connects the vinettes together in "Crossing the Mangrove," by establishing the relationship each villager had with Francis Sanchez as the story progresses. Every member has a strong opinion or emotion about Francis. Some of those thoughts are positive and some are negative. Central to the story is the wake of Francis which is held in Riviere au Sel. It rains a lot in Riviere au Sel and on the Thursday afternoon of Francis wake, it was no different. The rain seemed to act on behalf of Mother Nature in cleansing the congregation of friends, enemies, and former lovers who gathered to witness Francis swan song.

Moise, the mailman is the first character that Conde provides us with insight into the relationship he had with Francis. Oddly enough there was some speculation in the community that there may be a homosexual relationship involving Moise and the great womanizer Francis Sanchez. There were something fishy about that friendship and the two men were Makoumeh! (Homosexuals). These allegations side, the two were friends but the friendship was awkward and unusual. One moment we see Moise cradling Francis in his arms when something upset Francis.

But Francis also had his enemies. Both Loulou Lameaulnes and Sylvester Ramsaran have similar reasons for despising Francis. Francis had sexual affairs with their daughters impregnating both of them. To these two men Francis was a villain for his indiscretions but in both cases it was the young women who approached Francis. Both women hated their fathers and hated the lives they led under their father's roofs. Perhaps the fathers should have accused themselves for forcing their daughters out of their arms and into the bed of Francis. Vilma and Mira both shared the same bed with Francis and both attended his wake. They did not speak to each other. Oddly, Loulou and Sylvester were also in attendance and both felt a strong sense that in Francis death justice had been served.

The congregation exited the wake with the sober realization that they had just mourned for a man that they severely knew. Francis had that ability. People were drawn to him but they did not know why. The novel ends with the inmates of Riviere au Sel raising the same ironic questions about Francis as when they had first laid eyes on him. "Who was Francis Sanchez? And subsequently," Who was this man that chooses to die amongst us?