A Dirty Job Chapter 23

23 A FUCKED-UP DAY It was a fucked-up day in the City by the Bay. At first light, flocks of vultures perched on the superstructures of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, and glared down at commuters as if they had a lot of goddamn gall to still be alive and driving. Traffic copters that were diverted to photograph the ranks of carrion birds ended up covering a spiral cloud of bats that circled the Transamerica pyramid for ten minutes, then seemed to evaporate into a black mist that floated out over the Bay. Three swimmers who had been competing in the San Francisco Triathlon drowned in the Bay, and a helicopter camera photographed something under the water, a dark shape approaching one of the swimmers from below and dragging him under. Numerous replays of the tape revealed that rather than the sleek shape of a shark, the creature had a wide wingspan and a distinctly horned head, unlike any ray or skate that anyone had ever seen before. The ducks in Golden Gate Park suddenly took to the wing and left the area, the hundreds of sea lions that normally lounged in the sun down at Pier 39 were gone as well, and even the pigeons seemed to have disappeared from the City. A grunt reporter who had been covering the overnight police blotter noticed the coincidence of seven reports of violence or missing persons at local-area secondhand stores, and by early evening the television stations were mentioning it, along with spectacular footage of the Book 'em Danno building burning in the Mission. And there were hundreds of singular events experienced by individuals: creatures moving in the shadows, voices and screams from the sewer grates, milk souring, cats scratching owners, dogs howling, and a thousand people woke up to find that they no longer cared for the taste of chocolate. It was a fucked-up day. Charlie spent the rest of the night fretting and checking locks, then double-checking them, then looking on the Internet for clues about the Underworlders, just in case someone posted a brand-new ancient document since he'd last checked. He wrote a will, and several letters, which he walked outside and put in the mailbox out on the street rather than with the outgoing mail on the counter of the store. Then, around dawn, completely exhausted yet with his Beta Male imagination racing at a thousand miles an hour, he took two of the sleeping pills Jane had given him and slept through the fucked-up day, to be awakened in early evening by a call from his darling daughter. â€Å"Hello.† â€Å"Aunt Cassie is an anti-Semite,† said Sophie. â€Å"Honey, it's six in the morning. Can we discuss Aunt Cassie's politics a little later?† â€Å"It is not, it's six at night. It's bath time, and Aunt Cassie won't let me bring Alvin and Mohammed into the bathroom with me for my bath, because she's an anti-Semite.† Charlie looked at his watch. He was sort of glad that it was six in the evening and he was talking to his daughter. Whatever happened while he was sleeping at least hadn't affected that. â€Å"Cassie is not an anti-Semite.† It was Jane on the other line. â€Å"Is too,† said Sophie. â€Å"Be careful, Daddy, Aunt Jane is an anti-Semite sympathizer.† â€Å"I am not,† Jane said. â€Å"Listen to how smart my daughter is,† said Charlie. â€Å"I didn't know words like anti-Semite and sympathizer when I was her age, did you?† â€Å"You can't trust the goyim, Daddy,† said Sophie. She lowered her voice to a whisper. â€Å"They hate baths, the goyim.† â€Å"Daddy's a goyim, too, baby.† â€Å"Oh my God, they're everywhere, like pod people!† He heard his daughter drop the phone, scream, and then a door slammed. â€Å"Sophie, you unlock this door this instant,† Cassie said in the background. Jane said, â€Å"Charlie, where does she get this stuff? Are you teaching her this?† â€Å"It's Mrs. Korjev – she's descended from Cossacks and she has a little residual guilt for what her ancestors did to the Jews.† â€Å"Oh,† Jane said, not interested now that she couldn't blame Charlie. â€Å"Well, you shouldn't let the dogs in the bathroom with her. They eat the soap and sometimes they get in the tub, and then – â€Å" â€Å"Let them go with her, Jane,† Charlie interrupted. â€Å"They may be the only thing that can protect her.† â€Å"Okay, but I'm only letting them eat the cheap soaps. No French-milled soaps.† â€Å"They're fine with domestic soap, Jane. Look, I drew up a holographic will last night. If something happens to me, I want you to raise Sophie. It's in there.† Jane didn't answer. He could hear her breathing on the other end. â€Å"Jane?† â€Å"Sure, sure. Of course. What the hell is going on with you guys? What's the big danger Sophie's in? Why are you being spooky like this? And why didn't you call earlier, you fucker?† â€Å"I was up all night doing stuff. Then I took two of those sleeping pills you gave me. Suddenly twelve hours are gone.† â€Å"You took two? Never take two.† â€Å"Yeah, thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"Anyway, I'm sure I'll be okay, but if for some reason I'm not, you need to take Sophie and get out of the City for a while. I mean like up in the Sierras. I also sent you a letter explaining everything, as much as I know, anyway. Only open it if something happens, okay?† â€Å"Nothing better happen, you fuck. I just lost Mom, and I – why the hell are you talking like this, Charlie? What kind of trouble are you in?† â€Å"I can't tell you, Jane. You have to trust me that I didn't have any choice in the matter.† â€Å"How can I help?† â€Å"By doing exactly what you're doing, taking care of Sophie, keeping her safe, and keeping the hellhounds with her at all times.† â€Å"Okay, but nothing better happen to you. Cassie and I are going to get married and I want you to give me away. And I want to borrow your tux, too. It's Armani, right?† â€Å"No, Jane.† â€Å"You won't give me away?† â€Å"No, no, it's not that, I'd pay her to take you, it's not that.† â€Å"Then you don't think that gay people should be allowed to get married, is that it? You're finally coming clean. I knew it, after all – â€Å" â€Å"I just don't think that gay people should be allowed to get married wearing my tux.† â€Å"Oh,† Jane said. â€Å"You'll wear my Armani tux and I'll have to rent some piece of crap or buy something new and cheap, and then I'll go through eternity looking like a total dork in the wedding pictures. I know how you guys like to show wedding pictures – it's like a disease.† â€Å"By ‘you guys,' you mean lesbians?† Jane said, sounding very much like a prosecuting attorney. â€Å"Yes, I mean lesbians, dumbfuck,† said Charlie, sounding very much like a hostile witness. â€Å"Oh, okay,† Jane said. â€Å"It is my wedding, I guess I can buy a tux.† â€Å"That would be nice,† Charlie said. â€Å"I'm sort of needing the pants cut a little looser in the seat these days anyway,† Jane said. â€Å"Thatta girl.† â€Å"So you'll be safe and give me away.† â€Å"I'll sure try. You think Cassandra will let me bring the little Jewish kid?† Jane laughed. â€Å"Call me every hour,† she said. â€Å"I won't do that.† â€Å"Okay, when you can.† â€Å"Yeah,† Charlie said. â€Å"Bye.† He smiled to himself and rolled out of bed, wondering if this might be the last time he would ever do that. Smile. Charlie showered, ate a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and put on a thousand-dollar suit for which he had paid forty bucks. He limped around the bedroom for a few minutes and decided that his leg felt pretty good and he could do without the foam walking cast, so he left it on the floor by the bed. He put on a pot of coffee and called Inspector Rivera. â€Å"It was a fucked-up day,† Rivera said. â€Å"Charlie, you need to take your daughter and get out of town.† â€Å"I can't do that. This is about me. You'll keep me informed, right?† â€Å"Promise you won't try to do anything stupid or heroic?† â€Å"Not in my DNA, Inspector. I'll call you if I see anything.† Charlie disconnected, having no idea what he was going to do, but feeling like he had to do something. He called Jane's house to say good night to Sophie. â€Å"I just want you to know that I love you very much, honey.† â€Å"Me, too, Daddy. Why did you call?† â€Å"What, you have a meeting or something?† â€Å"We're having ice cream.† â€Å"That's nice. Look, Sophie, Daddy has to go do some things, so I want you to stay with Aunt Jane for a few days, okay?† â€Å"Okay. Do you need some help? I'm free.† â€Å"No, honey, but thank you.† â€Å"Okay, Daddy. Alvin is looking at my ice cream. He looks hungry, like bear. I have to go.† â€Å"Love you, honey.† â€Å"Love you, Daddy.† â€Å"Apologize to Aunt Cassie for calling her an anti-Semite.† â€Å"‘Kay.† Click. She hung up on him. The apple of his eye, the light of his life, his pride and joy, hung up on him. He sighed, but felt better. Heartbreak is the natural habitat of the Beta Male. Charlie took a few minutes in the kitchen to sharpen the edge of the sword-cane on the back of the electric can opener he and Rachel had received as a wedding present, then he headed out to check on the store. As soon as he opened the door to the back staircase Charlie heard strange animal noises coming from the store. It sounded as if they were coming from the back room, and there were no lights on, although he could see plenty of light filtering in from the store. Was this it? Sort of solved the problem of what he was going to do. He drew the sword from his cane and crept down the stairs in a crouch, moving along the edge of each step to minimize squeakage. Halfway down he saw the source of the animal noises and he recoiled, leaping nearly halfway back up the staircase. â€Å"For the love of God!† â€Å"It needed to be done,† Lily said. She was astraddle Ray Macy, her plaid pleated skirt (mercifully) draped out over him, covering the parts that would have caused Charlie to have to tear his eyes out, which he was thinking about doing anyway. â€Å"It did,† Ray agreed breathlessly. Charlie peeked down into the back room – they were still at it, Lily riding Ray like he was a mechanical bull, one bare breast bouncing out of the lapel of her chef ‘s coat. â€Å"He was despondent,† she said. â€Å"I found him giving himself hickies with the shop vac. It's for the greater good, Asher.† â€Å"Well, stop it,† Charlie said. â€Å"No, no, no, no, no,† said Ray. â€Å"It's a charity thing,† Lily said. â€Å"You know, Lily,† Charlie said, covering his eyes, â€Å"you could exercise your charity in other ways, like Salvation Army Santa or something.† â€Å"I don't want to fuck those guys. Most of them are raging alcoholics, and they stink. At least Ray is clean.† â€Å"I don't mean do one, I mean be one. Ring the bell with the little red kettle. Jeez.† â€Å"I am clean,† said Ray. â€Å"You shut up,† Charlie said. â€Å"She's young enough to be your daughter.† â€Å"He was suicidal,† Lily said. â€Å"I may be saving his life.† â€Å"She is,† Ray said. â€Å"Shut up, Ray,† Charlie said. â€Å"This is pathetic, desperate pity sex, that's all it is.† â€Å"He knows that,† Lily said. â€Å"I don't mind,† said Ray. â€Å"I'm doing this for the cause, too,† Lily said. â€Å"Ray was holding out on you.† â€Å"I was?† said Ray. â€Å"How?† Charlie said. â€Å"He found a woman who was buying all the soul vessels. She was with the clients you missed. Somewhere in the Mission. He wasn't going to tell you about her.† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about,† Ray said. Then added, â€Å"Faster, please.† â€Å"Tell him the address,† Lily said. â€Å"Lily,† Charlie said, â€Å"this isn't really necessary.† â€Å"No,† Ray said. There was a loud smack. Charlie opened his eyes. They were still there, doing it, but Ray's right cheek was bright red and Lily was winding up to slap him again. â€Å"Tell him!† â€Å"It's on Guerrero Street, between Eighteenth and Nineteenth, I don't know the number, but it's a big green Victorian, you can't miss it. Three Jewels Buddhist Center.† SMACK! â€Å"Ouch, I told him,† Ray whined. â€Å"That's for not getting the address, BITCH!† Lily said. Then to Charlie: â€Å"There you go, Asher. I want a prime position when you take over the Underworld!† Charlie thought that one of the first things he was going to change when he took over was expanding The Great Big Book of Death to include how to handle situations like this. But instead he said, â€Å"You got it, Lily. You'll be in charge of dress code and torture.† â€Å"Sweet,† Lily said. â€Å"‘Scuse me, Asher, I have to finish this.† Then to Ray: â€Å"Hear that? No more flannel shirts for you, grommet!† SMACK! The grunts coming from Ray increased in frequency and intensity. â€Å"Sure,† Charlie said. â€Å"I'll just go out the other door.† â€Å"See ya,† Ray said. â€Å"I'm never going to look either one of you in the eye again, okay?† â€Å"Sounds good, Asher,† Lily said. â€Å"Be careful.† Charlie crept back up the steps, went out the front door of his apartment and down the elevator to the street entrance, suppressing his gag reflex the whole way. On the street he flagged down a cab and rode into the Mission, trying to wipe the image of his shagging employees out of his mind. The Morrigan had followed the gift souls that had escaped through the drains to a deserted street in the Mission. Now they waited, watching the green Victorian building from storm-drain grates at either end of the street. They were more cautious now, their rapacious nature having been dampened somewhat by having been severely blown up the night before. They called them the gift souls because the little patchwork creatures brought the souls right to them in the sewers – the gifts showing up in the Morrigan's weakest moment. After the accursed Boston terrier had chased them through miles of pipelines, leaving them battered and exhausted on a high ledge at a pipe junction, along marched twenty or so of the darling little nightmares, all dressed up in finery and carrying just what they needed to heal their wounds and replenish their strength: human souls. And thus renewed, they were able to scare away that obnoxious little dog. The Morrigan were back – not to the strength they'd achieved before the explosion, maybe not even enough to fly, but certainly enough to venture Above once again, especially with so many souls at hand. No one was out on the streets tonight except the junkies, the hookers, and the homeless. After the fucked-up day in the City, most everyone had decided that it was just a better idea to stay in, safer. To the Morrigan (for all they cared), they were safer in their homes the same way a tuna fish is safer in a can, but no one knew that yet. No one knew what they were hiding from except Charlie Asher, and he was getting out of a cab right in front of them as they watched. â€Å"It's New Meat,† said Macha. â€Å"We should give him a new name,† said Babd. â€Å"I mean, he's really not that new anymore.† â€Å"Hush,† hushed Macha. â€Å"Hey, lover,† Babd called out of her drain. â€Å"Did you miss me?† Charlie paid the cabbie and stood in the middle of the street looking at the big jade-green Queen Anne. There were lights on in the turret upstairs and in one window downstairs. He could just make out the sign that read THREE JEWELS BUDDHIST CENTER. He started to step toward the house and saw movement in the lattice under the porch – eyes shining. A cat maybe. His cell phone rang and he flipped it open. â€Å"Charlie, it's Rivera. I have some good news; we found Carrie Long, the woman from the pawnshop, and she's still alive. She was tied up and thrown in a Dumpster a block from her store.† â€Å"That's great,† Charlie said. But he wasn't feeling great. The things that had been moving under the porch were coming out. Moving up the stairs, standing on the porch, lining up and facing him. Twenty or thirty of them, a little more than a foot tall, dressed in ornate period costumes. Each had the skeletal face of a dead animal, cats, foxes, badgers – animals Charlie couldn't identify, but just the skulls – the eye sockets empty, black. Yet they stared. â€Å"You won't believe what she said put her there, Charlie. Little creatures, little monsters, she said.† â€Å"About fourteen inches tall,† Charlie said. â€Å"Yeah, how'd you know?† â€Å"Lots of teeth and claws, like animal parts stuck together, all dressed up like they were going to a grand costume ball?† â€Å"What are you telling me, Charlie? What do you know?† â€Å"Just guessing,† Charlie said. He unclipped the latch on his sword-cane. â€Å"Hey, lover,† came a female voice from behind him. â€Å"Did you miss me?† Charlie turned. She was crawling out of the drain almost directly behind him. â€Å"The bad news,† Rivera said, â€Å"is we found the junk dealer and the bookstore guy from Book 'em Danno – pieces of them.† â€Å"That is bad news,† Charlie said. He started moving up the street, away from the sewer harpy and the porch full of Satan's sock puppets. â€Å"New Meat,† came a voice from up the street. Charlie looked to see another sewer harpy coming out of the drain, her eyes gleaming black in the streetlight. Behind him he heard the clacking of little animal teeth. â€Å"Charlie, I still think you should leave town for a while, but if you don't, and don't tell anyone I told you this, you should get a gun, maybe a couple of guns.† â€Å"I think that would be a great idea,† Charlie said. The two sewer harpies were moving very slowly toward him, awkwardly, as if their nerves were short-circuiting. The one closest to him, the one from the alley in North Beach, was licking her lips. She looked a little ragged compared to the night she'd seduced him. He moved up the street away from them. â€Å"A shotgun, so you won't need to learn to shoot. I can't give you one, but – â€Å" â€Å"Inspector, I'm going to have to get back to you.† â€Å"I'm serious, Charlie, whatever these things are, they are going after your kind.† â€Å"You have no idea how clear that is to me, Inspector.† â€Å"Is that the one who shot me?† said the closest harpy. â€Å"Tell him I'm going to suck his eyeballs out of the sockets and chew them in his ear.† â€Å"You get that, Inspector?† Charlie said. â€Å"She's there?† â€Å"They,† Charlie said. â€Å"This way, Meat,† said the third sewer harpy, coming out of the drain at the far end of the block. She stood, extended her claws, and flicked a line of venom down the side of a parked car. The paint sizzled and ran where it hit. â€Å"Where are you, Charlie? Where are you?† â€Å"I'm in the Mission. Near the Mission.† The little creatures were coming down the steps now, down the walk toward the street. â€Å"Look,† said a harpy, â€Å"he brought presents.† â€Å"Charlie, where exactly are you?† said Rivera. â€Å"Gotta go, Inspector.† Charlie flipped the phone closed and dropped it in his coat pocket. Then he drew the sword from the cane and turned to the harpy from the alley. â€Å"For you,† he said to her, whipping the sword in a flourish through the air. â€Å"That's sweet,† she said. â€Å"You always think about my needs.† The 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was the perfect show-off of death machines. It consisted of nearly three tons of steel stamped into a massively mawed, high-tailed beast, lined with enough chrome to build a Terminator and still have parts left over – most of it in long, sharp strips that peeled off on impact and became lethal scythes to flay away pedestrian flesh. Under the four headlights it sported two chrome bumper bullets that looked like unexploded torpedoes or triple-G-cup Madonna death boobs. It had a noncollapsible steering column that would impale the driver upon any serious impact, electric windows that could pinch off a kid's head, no seat belts, and a 325 horsepower V8 with such appallingly bad fuel efficiency that you could hear it trying to slurp liquefied dinosaurs out of the ground when it passed. It had a top speed of a hundred and ten miles an hour, mushy, bargelike suspension that could in no way stabilize the car at that speed, and undersized power brake s that wouldn't stop it either. The fins jutting from the back were so high and sharp that the car was a lethal threat to pedestrians even when parked, and the whole package sat on tall, whitewall tires that looked, and generally handled, like oversized powdered doughnuts. Detroit couldn't have achieved more deadly finned ostentatia if they'd covered a killer whale in rhinestones. It was a masterpiece. And the reason you need to know all that, is that along with the battle-worn Morrigan and the well-dressed chimeras, a '57 Eldorado was rapidly approaching Charlie. The bloodred lacquered Eldo slid around the corner, tires screaming like flaming peacocks, hubcaps spinning off toward the curb, engine roaring, spewing blue smoke out of the rear wheel wells like a flatulent dragon. The first of the Morrigan turned in time to take a bumper bullet in the thigh before she was dragged and folded under the car and spit out the back into a black heap. The headlights came on and the Caddy veered toward the Morrigan nearest Charlie. The animal creatures scurried back up the sidewalk and Charlie ran up onto the hood of a parked Honda as the Eldo smacked the second Morrigan. She rag-doll-whipped over the hood as the car's brakes screamed, then flew twenty yards down the street. The Caddy peeled out and hit her again, this time rolling over her with a series of thumps and leaving her tossing down the tarmac, shedding pieces as she rolled. The Caddy blazed on toward the final Morrigan. This one had a few seconds on her sisters and started running up the street, her shape changing, arms to wings, tail feathers trying to manifest, but she didn't seem able to make the transformation in time to fly. The Eldo plowed over her, then hit the brakes, reversed, and burned rubber on her back. Charlie ran up on the roof of the Honda, ready to leap away from the street, but the Caddy stopped and the blacked-out electric window wound down. â€Å"Get the fuck in the car,† said Minty Fresh. Minty Fresh hit the final Morrigan again as he speeded off down the block, took two screeching lefts, then pulled the car to the curb, jumped out, and ran around to the front. â€Å"Oh, goddamn,† said Minty Fresh (damn on the downbeat, with pain and sustain). â€Å"Goddamn, my hood and grille are all fucked up. Goddamn. I will tolerate the rising of darkness to cover the world, but you do not fuck with my ride.† He jumped back in the car, threw it into gear, and screeched around the next corner. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"I'm going to run over the bitches again. You do not fuck with my ride.† â€Å"Well, what did you think would happen when you ran them over?† â€Å"Not this. I never ran over anyone before. Don't act like that's a surprise.† Charlie looked at the gleaming interior of the car, the bloodred leather seats, the dash fitted with walnut burl and gold-plated knobs. â€Å"This is a great car. My mailman would love this car.† â€Å"Your mailman?† â€Å"He collects vintage pimp wear.† â€Å"So what are you trying to say?† â€Å"Nothing.† They were already on Guerrero Street and Minty floored it as they approached the target block. The first Morrigan he had hit was just getting to her knees when he hit her again, knocking her over two parked cars and into the side of a vacant building. The second one turned to face them and bared her claws, which raked the hood as he rolled over her with a drumroll of thumps, then he ran over the third one's legs as she was crawling back into the storm sewer. â€Å"Jeez,† Charlie said, turning and looking out the back window. Minty Fresh seemed to turn his full attention to driving safely now. â€Å"What the hell are those things?† â€Å"I call them sewer harpies. They're the things that call to us from the storm sewers. They're a lot stronger now than they used to be.† â€Å"They're scary is what they are,† said Minty. â€Å"I don't know,† Charlie said. â€Å"Have you gotten a good look at them? I mean, they got the badonkadonk out back and some fine bajoopbadangs up front, know what I'm sayin', dog? Buss a rock wid a playa?† He offered his fist for Minty to buss him a rock, but alas, the mint one left him hangin'. â€Å"Stop that,† Fresh said. â€Å"Sorry,† Charlie said. â€Å"Talk Like a Playa in Ten Days or Less – Stone Thug Edition?† Minty asked. Charlie nodded. â€Å"We got the CD into the store a couple of months ago. I practice in the van. How am I doing?† â€Å"Your Negro-osity is uncanny. I had to keep checking to make sure you're still white.† â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said, then, as if a light went on: â€Å"Hey, I've been looking for you – where the hell have you been?† â€Å"Hiding out. One of those things came after me on the BART a few nights ago when I was coming back from Oakland.† â€Å"How'd you get away?† â€Å"Those little animal things, a bunch of them attacked her in the dark. I could hear her screaming at them, tearing them to ribbons, but they held her off until the train pulled into the station, which was full of people. She bolted back into the tunnel. There were pieces of the animal creatures everywhere in the train car.† Minty turned onto Van Ness and started heading toward Charlie's side of town. â€Å"So they helped you? They're not part of the Underworlders trying to take over?† â€Å"They don't appear to be. They saved my ass.† â€Å"So you know some of the Death Merchants have been killed?† â€Å"I didn't know. It wasn't in the paper. I saw where Anton's shop burned up last night. He didn't make it out?† â€Å"They found pieces of him,† Charlie said. â€Å"Charlie, I think I caused this.† Minty Fresh turned and really looked at Charlie for the first time, his golden eyes looking forlorn. â€Å"I failed to collect my last two soul vessels, and all of this started.† â€Å"I thought it was me,† Charlie said. â€Å"I missed two as well. But I don't think it's us. My two clients are alive, I think they're in that house where I was going when you saved me: the Three Jewels Buddhist Center. There's a woman there who's been buying up soul vessels, too.† â€Å"Cute brunette?† Minty asked. â€Å"I don't know. Why?† â€Å"She bought some from me, too. Tried to disguise herself, but it was her.† â€Å"Well, she's in that house back there. I've got to go back there.† â€Å"I don't want anything to do with those bitches with the claws,† Minty said. â€Å"True dat,† Charlie said. â€Å"I had a thing with one of them.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Yeah, she got all up in my grille and shit – had to cut da ho loose.† â€Å"Stop that.† â€Å"Sorry. Anyway, I've got to go back.† â€Å"You sure? I don't think they're dead. Doesn't look like they can be dead.† â€Å"You could run over them again. By the way, how did you know where to find me?† â€Å"After I heard about Anton's place burning, I tried to call him and got a disconnected message, so I went to your store. I talked to that little Goth girl you have working for you. She told me where you went. Talked to her for about ten minutes. She knows about me – I mean us? The Death Merchants?† â€Å"Yes, I told her a long time ago. Wasn't she, uh, busy when you got there? With a guy, I mean.† â€Å"No. She seeing anyone?† â€Å"I thought you were gay?† â€Å"I never said that.† â€Å"Yeah, but you didn't go out of your way to deny it either.† â€Å"Charlie, I run a music store in the Castro, I'd do more business as a gay Death Merchant than a straight shopkeeper.† â€Å"Good point. I never thought of that.† â€Å"Color me surprised. So, she seeing anyone?† â€Å"She's half your age and I think she's a little twisted – sexually, I mean.† â€Å"So is she seeing anyone?† â€Å"She's like a little sister to me, Fresh. Don't you have employees like that?† â€Å"Have you never met anyone who works in a record store? There's no greater repository of unjustified arrogance in the world. I'd poison my employees if I thought I could find replacements.† â€Å"I don't think she's seeing anybody, but since the world is about to be taken over by the Forces of Darkness, you may not have time for dating.† â€Å"I don't know. She seems like she might have an in with the Forces of Darkness. I like her, she's funny in a sort of macabre way, and she likes Miles.† â€Å"Lily likes Miles Davis?† â€Å"You don't know that about your little sister?† Charlie threw his hands up. â€Å"Take her, use her, throw her away, I don't care, she's only part-time. You can date my daughter, too. She's going to be six and probably loves Coltrane for all I know.† â€Å"Calm down, you're overreacting.† â€Å"Just turn around and take me back to that Buddhist center. I've got to stop this thing. It's all on me, Fresh. I'm the Luminatus.† â€Å"You are not.† â€Å"I am,† Charlie said. â€Å"You're the Great Death – with a capital D? You? You know this to be true?† â€Å"I do,† Charlie said. â€Å"I knew there was something different about you, but I thought that the Luminatus would be – I don't know – taller.† â€Å"Don't start with that, okay.† Minty swung the car off Van Ness into a hotel turnaround. â€Å"Where are you going?† Charlie said. â€Å"To run over some sewer harpies again.† â€Å"Back to the Buddhist center?† â€Å"Uh-huh. You have any weapons besides that stupid sword?† â€Å"My cop friend told me I should get a gun.† Minty Fresh reached into his moss-green jacket and came out with the biggest pistol Charlie had ever seen. He placed it on the seat. â€Å"Take it. Desert Eagle fifty-caliber. It'll stop a bear.† Charlie picked up the chrome-plated pistol. It weighed like five pounds and the barrel looked big enough to stick your thumb in. â€Å"This thing is huge.† â€Å"I'm a big guy. Listen, it holds eight shots. There's a round in the chamber. You have to cock it and release the safety before you fire. There and there.† He pointed to the safety and the hammer. â€Å"Hold on to it if you have to shoot. It will knock you on your ass if you're not ready.† â€Å"What about you?† Minty patted the other side of his coat. â€Å"I have another one.† Charlie turned the gun in his hand and watched the streetlights playing off its chromed surface. (Beta Males, who inherently feel they are always at a competitive disadvantage, are suckers for showy equalizers.) â€Å"You have a lot going on under the surface, Mr. Fresh. You are not just the run-of-the-mill seven-foot-tall Death Merchant in a pastel-green suit.† â€Å"Thank you, Mr. Asher. Very kind of you to say.† â€Å"My pleasure.† Charlie's cell phone rang and he flipped it open. Rivera said, â€Å"Asher, where the hell are you? I've been circling the Mission and there's nothing here but a lot of black feathers flying in the air.† â€Å"Yeah, it's okay. I'm okay, Inspector. I found Minty Fresh, the guy who owns the music store. I'm in the car with him.† â€Å"So you're safe?† â€Å"Relatively.† â€Å"Good. Lay low and I'll call you, okay? I want to talk to your friend tomorrow.† â€Å"You got it, Inspector. Thanks for coming to help.† â€Å"Careful, Asher.† â€Å"Gotcha. I'm laying low. Bye.† Charlie snapped the phone shut and turned to Minty Fresh. â€Å"You ready?† â€Å"Absolutely,† said the fresh one. The street was deserted when they pulled up in front of the Three Jewels Buddhist Center. â€Å"I'll go around to the back,† Minty said. Well, cars suck, I can tell you that,† said Babd, trying to keep herself together as the Morrigan limped back to the great ship. â€Å"Five thousand years, horses are fine, all of a sudden we have to have paved streets and cars. I don't see the attraction.† â€Å"I'm not even sure that we need to rise and let Darkness rule,† said Nemain. â€Å"Apparently darkness isn't qualified yet. Speaking as an agent of Darkness, I think it needs more time.† She had been crushed into a half-woman, half-raven form and was shedding feathers as they limped through the pipe. â€Å"It's like that New Meat has someone watching over him,† said Macha. â€Å"Next time Orcus can deal with him.† â€Å"Yeah, let's get Orcus to go after him,† Babd said. â€Å"See what he thinks of cars.†

Individual Assignment Environmental Fundamentals Paper Essay

 · How do you define environmental science ?  · How does the relationship between science and technology affect environmental problems and solutions in today’s society?  · Why is the concept of environmental sustainability important, and why should it be studied? What are the historical patterns surrounding sustainable and unsustainable human interactions with the environment?  · In general, how do human values affect sustainability given current challenges facing society? After reviewing the research on the environment, how do environmental hazards affect human health? Provide at least two examples. It is important to remember that college is not all about studying. College is a significant step into adulthood and should be treated as such. While you should not party the night away, do not keep your nose in your books to the point that you do not get to enjoy this time of your life. This work comprises ENV 100 Week 1 Individual Assignment Environmental Fundamentals Paper   General Questions – General General Questions Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you discuss the fundamental principles of environment science. In your paper, answer the following questions:  · How do you define environmental science ?  · How does the relationship between science and technology affect environmental problems and solutions in today’s society?  · Why is the concept of environmental sustainability important, and why should it be studied? What are the historical patterns surrounding sustainable an†¦ To get this material copy and paste link to browser – https://bitly.com/1xptIgO It is important to remember that college is not all about studying. College is a significant step into adulthood and should be treated as such. While you should not party the night away, do not keep your nose in your books to the point that you do not get to enjoy this time of your life. General Questions – General General Questions Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you discuss the fundamental principles of environment science. In your paper, answer the following questions:  · How do you define environmental science ?  · How does the relationship between science and technology affect environmental problems and solutions in today’s society?  · Why is the concept of environmental sustainability important, and why should it be studied? What are the historical patterns surrounding sustainable and unsustainable human interactions with the environment?  · In general, how do human values affect sustainability given current challenges facing society? After reviewing the research on the environment, how do environmental hazards affect human health? Provide at least two examples.

News Program Analysis Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

News Program Analysis - Research Paper Example This will include and analysis of this students findings. How are the three different forms of coverage portrayed and how the segment framed with regard to the presentation and the bias? X- Reports the floods in the south are historic this May 19, 2011. It crested at 57.1 feet Thursday, and the weather service predicts the crest will hold through at least Saturday morning in Vicksburg. The flood also claimed the first victim in the state. Vicksburg resident Walter Cook, who died after pulled from floodwaters, according to the Warren County coroner, who said Thursday it is not clear how Cook results in them. For some, the cresting floodwaters, which damaged hundreds of homes and displaced 2,000 Vicksburg residents, was cause for relief. For others, it was a reason to celebrate. Y reports VIDALIA, La. - Natchez, Mississippi occupies a prominent bluff overlooking the big river. Tourist attractions, the city is well off and mostly dries, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds. Just across the water, in the lowlands, lies Vidalia, Louisiana. A, working class town, is on the edge of a ruinous flood. At least 300 people are out of work and riverfront businesses there are out of commission. The convention center, the hotel, hospital, and medical building are inches from inundation and losing as much as $1 million a month. The flooding on the Mississippi River is sure to cost billions of dollars in damage and lost business and diverting floodwaters away from New Orleans may not reduce the cost of this disaster by much. How much will the flooding cost the southern-flooded areas and the rest of the U.S.? CBS News business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis said on "The Early Show" Tuesday that the area affected by flooding is very significant to the national economy because of its gasoline resources. Z reports, Eddie Simmons relieved to hear that the Mississippi River crested slightly lower than expected north of him in Vicksburg LA, confident his house woul d survive the flooding that is plaguing many states. Simmons, a retired logger, is recovering from hip-replacement surgery and can barely leave his bed. Despite water swamping his front yard and creeping beneath his house in Port Gibson, he has decided to ride it out. "It's God's work. You have to deal with him. You can run to high ground, but if God wants to come there, he can come there. You might as well stay put, he said". The Mississippi River crested at more than 14 feet above flood stage in Vicksburg on Thursday, slightly lower than expected, easing worries about water potentially spilling over a nearby levee and inundating thousands more acres of farmland. Still, officials warned that the flood was by no means over. The river expected to stay at its crest for several days before beginning a long, slow retreat. It could remain above flood stage until mid-June. Television stories are subjective or objective, informal or formal to represent the TV story reporting a certain appr oach. The definition of objective and subjective: Objective/formal this statement is completely unbiased. The speaker’s previous experiences or tastes have nothing to do with the report. It is verifiable by looking up facts or performing mathematical calculations. Subjective/informal the character of the speaker or writer colors this statement. It often has a basis in reality, but reflects the perspective through with the speaker views reality. It cannot be verified using concrete facts and numbers. We use our examples listed above, X appears to have an objective point of view. This

Jesus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jesus - Essay Example Paul certainly made a concerted effort to distance the persona of Jesus from His Jewish background, by elevating Him to a supernatural and transcendent platform. While addressing his Corinthian congregations, Paul says that "If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and our faith has been in vain. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). 2. The most rampant misconception about Judaism in the academic and theological circles is that the Jewish theology and law happens to be an utterly monolithic entity that is devoid of all the versatility and elements of dissent, the attributes so essential to claim validity and social and popular acceptance in the modern world. Not only is this impression far from reality, but utterly dilutes the reality that like other valid religions, Judaism is a living, vibrating and ever evolving religion that is seriously sensitive to the needs of the times and the altering aspirations of the masses. Ample evidence pertaining to this fact exists in the Jewish religious texts. Several learned and influential sources have done their best to establish that Judaism is basically misogynistic and is peculiarly harsh to the issues and problems faced by the women in the past and the present. Many people believe that Jesus' injunctions against divorce were an attempt to safeguard the women of His times against the injustices of the Jewish laws. The fact is that prejudices rampant against women in the times of Jesus were not peculiar to Judaism only, but were a generalized phenomenon that was common to the Jewish and non-Jewish societies of those days. Hence, misogynist tendencies cannot be solely attributed to the Jews, when the Church itself has its share of prejudices against women and other marginalized segments of the society. 3. The Liberation Theology and the World Council of Churches can definitely re-fabricate their version of Christianity to be more contemporary so as to extend their scope for justice and reconciliation to incorporate a Jewish context, by accepting the Jewish background of Jesus to begin with. 4. Levin's message of interfaith dialogue seems to be in consonance with Jesus' understanding of religion as Jesus assessed the faithful by their conduct, which left ample scope for the participation of non-Christians. However, this does not hold true for Paul's understanding of religion. 5. A. A Marcionite is a person who recognizes Jesus to be the savior sent by God and regards Paul to be His chief apostle, but is intolerant of Yahweh and Hebrew Bible. B. Constantine I also known as Constantine the great was the first Roman emperor who was affiliated to Christianity. C. A Gnostic is a person who owed allegiance to a series of religions that originated in the antiquity, which had elaborate and sometimes contradictory belief systems. The Jewish mystical studies of Kabbalah owe a lot to Gnostic ideas. D. Shema stands for an affirmation of the Jewish faith and a firm belief in one God. Jews are expected to say Shema in the morning and at night.

The Talk Show in Relation to the Free and Democratic Debate Dissertation

The Talk Show in Relation to the Free and Democratic Debate - Dissertation Example Mirzoeff (2002) posits that the evolution of the talk show is a prime example of re-narrativizing everyday experiences through a participatory format spearheaded by Phil Donahue, paving the way for Oprah, Sally Jesse Raphael, and Jerry Springer. Additionally, Mirzoeff highlights the point that the key factor to the popularity in the talk show programs is the use of guests that â€Å"tend to be both ordinary in their resemblance to other middle-class Americans and exceptional in that their function is to narrate some form of transgressive or unconventional behavior† (p..453). However, on the other side of the spectrum, the popularity of the talk show format has fuelled polarised academic debate as to whether television talk shows are a valid new public sphere on a par with pre-existing political institutions as a form of public debate, particularly for marginalized social groups (Mirzoeff, 2002, p.453). Alternatively, critics of the televisual format argue that the confessional aspect of the talk show undermines the validity of the talk show as a genuine public sphere for debate and propose that the talk show is essentially a manipulated format of television, creating the illusion of participation with the overall purpose to entertain and thereby controlled by the programming objectives. For example, in the US the term â€Å"talk show† includes chat shows that feature groups of guests as well as the confessional Jerry Springer format. With regard to the latter participation format, this will involve guest participation and the host will typically undertake the role of mediator, which is an important distinction to make in considering how the talk show operates as a media experience (Tolson, 2001, p.7). To this end, Tolson asserts that â€Å"if the talk show is the most controversial TV genre then much academic commentary seems impelled to line up either for or against the terms of the controversy (2001, p.7).

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts Paper Essay

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts Paper - Essay Example Organizational behavior plays an important role in achieving the company’s goal. Therefore, positive attitude and behavior towards the company’s goal should be present throughout the organizational hierarchy; regardless of employees’ authoritative power within the company. According to Sweringa and Wierdsma (1992), â€Å"the more complex the rules and less transparent their formation, the harder they are to change.†1 This statement applies to organizational behavior. Meaning, the older the organization exists, the harder it is to change employees’ behavior and rules within the work place. Whenever the management is planning to change the company rules, it is more efficient to change the organizational behavior first. Organizational culture refers to a collective attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values shared by group of people within an organization. Organizational values could develop into an organizational norm, guidelines or expectations that are prescribe as an appropriate and accepted behavior of employees in a specific situation.2 Culture pertains to a pattern of beliefs and expectations shared by the members of an organization. Culture produces norms in shaping the behavior of both individuals and groups within an organization. It is usually long-term, strategic, and difficult to change because it is rooted in beliefs and values. Organizational culture represents a shared sense of the way employees in which organization do as a critical factor in guiding day-to-day behavior and shaping a future course of action. Organizational culture is classified as: strong culture or weak culture. Strong culture exists when employees would immediately do things because they believe that it is the right thing to do. Weak culture is present when there is a little misalignment in the organizational values that needs extra control by using an extensive procedures and bureaucracy. Diversity includes the differences in religion, age, sexual

In Depth Analysis of HorizontalDrilling in Old Conventional Pools Research Paper

In Depth Analysis of HorizontalDrilling in Old Conventional Pools - Research Paper Example Case studies and recommendations are included. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦....p. 1. Background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....†¦....p. 2. Purpose†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...p. 3. Scope†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....p. 2.0 HORIZONTAL DRILLING IN WESTERN CANADA TECHNOLOGIES†¦...†¦p. 2.1 Horizontal drilling†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..p. 2.2 History of Horizontal Drilling†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..p. 2.3 Advantages of Horizontal Drilling†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..p. 2.4 Stimulation methods used in Horizontal Drilling completion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦...p. 2.4.1 Hydraulic Fracturing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......p 2.4.2 Multi-Stage Fracturing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦.†¦ p. 2.4.3 Hydraulic Fracture Fluids†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.†¦.p. 3.0 HORIZONTAL DRILLING IN OLD CON VENTIONAL POOLS.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....p. 3.1 Benefit of using horizontal drilling in conventional wells†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....p. ... ....................P. 4.1Current Operational Data from the oil industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..P 4.2 Advantages of using horizontal drilling in old conventional pool†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦P. 4.2.1 Economical Advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦...P. 2.2. Environmental Advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..P. 4.3 Limitations of using Horizontal drilling old conventional pool†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦..p. 5.0 ACASE STUDY OF ORIZONATL DRILLING IN OLD OIL RESERVOIRS†¦P. 1. Pembina Cardium†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..p. 2. Bakken†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..p. 6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.p. 1.0. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background The ongoing march of technological progress pursuant to both the production and discovery of natural oil reserves is a persistent development of increasing relevance in our interconnected world. Specifically, a necessary avenue of development are the challenges and applications pursuant to horizontal drilling technology, which is increasing in utility as technology advances, sparking great interest worldwide in recent decades. This investigation is an exploration in a technical sense of the applications of horizontal drilling practices pertaining to specific types of oil deposits, some – such as oil shales may have been neglected previously due to a cost-benefit analysis between the difficulty of their extraction and the price at which oil could be sold. Over ti me, this balance changes. Prospects for improvement in the oil industry, and relevant applications for advancements in pre-existing techniques are also

What best explains peoples willingness to work hard Essay

What best explains peoples willingness to work hard - Essay Example Motivation is something abstract and the difficulties arise when one tries to explain its meaning and application. A wide variety of assumptions have been made on motivation by observing the resultant behaviour of motivation. Based on these assumptions and research findings, motivation has been defined in a number of ways. Vroom defines motivation as a process, which governs choices made by persons or lower organisms among alternative forms of voluntary activity. (Vroom, 1964 as cited in Putti) Motivations are the act of inducing an individual to follow a desired course of action. The desired course of action may be for the good of the individual or for the one who is inducing the individual towards a desired course of action or both. Zedeck and blood contend that motivation is a predisposition to act in a specific goal-directed way. (Sedeck & Blood, 1974 as cited in Putti) Atchison further defines Motivation as the immediate influence on the direction, vigor, and persistence of beha viour. (Atchison, 1964 as cited in Putti) on the other hand Gellerman defines motivation as steering one’s actions towards certain goals and committing a certain part of one’s energies to reach them. (Gellerman, 1963 as cited in Putti) In the view of Shartle, motivation is â€Å"a reported urge or tension to move in a given direction or to achieve a certain goal. (Shartle, 1956 as cited in Putti) Hence, Motivation can make the employees get all the targets settled by the Organisations. There are several ways by which employees can be motivated the most important is to address the needs of the employees. Just as the definition of basic human needs is a highly complex task, it naturally follows that there are no easy assumptions concerning what employees really want from the organisation. In various surveys, the following are some of the more typically specified wants. The first and the

Case Study 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

3 - Case Study Example This will cover the whole incident involving Brad Hutchinson. The cause and the circumstances of the incident will be highlighted. It is necessary to protect the reputation of the esteemed TV station. Additionally, the station personnel in the security department should help in investigating the incident in order to obtain substantial information to provide to the public. The incident has compromised the integrity standard, which every media employee should comply with all the time. The effect of this mundane act to the society is that the station will be associated with drug trafficking. The station usually condemns the vice of drug trafficking. This situation will compromise the moral stand of the station. The duty of care regulation for the media station has also been compromised because Hutchinson did not care to avoid criminal activities like indulgence in cocaine trafficking. This will imply that the station will file a case against him for his misdeeds. The other issue, which the station must contend with, is the connection of the station to drug trafficking because Hutchinson works like a WWES-TV station agent. In this regard, the station must engage its lawyer in order to establish the merits of the case and the evidence, which will corroborate the evidence of the police investigators. Pat Albright should be at the forefront in defending the name of WWES-TV station. Additionally, the station should fire Hutchinson immediately and seek another qualified news anchor to replace him. According to Berkman (2008), the station can outsource the news anchor from its peer TV stations or promote its employee to the position for a news anchor. Moreover, this move should be publicized in order to show the public that the station has a good employee disciplinary system. This incident will also erode all the strides the Hutchinson had made as a new anchor at the WWES-TV station. The incident will also affect the relationship of the TV station

Italian Aggression in Abyssinia Essay Example for Free

Italian Aggression in Abyssinia Essay Background: Benito Mussolini was the dictator of Italy. He wanted to increase Italian influence in Abyssinia (today’s Ethiopia). Long before Mussolini came to power, Italy had tried to take over Abyssinia in 1896 and had suffered an embarrassing defeat. Mussolini wanted revenge for this defeat. He also wanted the natural resources of Abyssinia. Mussolini dreamed of building a big empire for Italy that would be like the ancient Roman Empire. The attack: In 1934, Mussolini made plans to invade Abyssinia. The Emperor of Abyssinia, Haile Selassie, asked the League of Nations for help. Between January and October 1935, Mussolini held talks with the League about avoiding a war in Abyssinia. However, he continued to prepare his army for an invasion of Abyssinia. In October 1935, Mussolini began a full-scale invasion of Abyssinia. The Italian Army had an advantage because it was more modern than the Abyssinian Army. The Italians had guns and planes, while the Abyssinians had spears and bows. What the League did: The League held a meeting to discuss the crisis in Abyssinia. The League’s members had a long debate before deciding that they would stop selling their goods to Italy. However these goods only included rubber and metal. The League took a longer time to decide if it should ban the export of oil to Italy. The League had another way of stopping the war. The fastest way for Italy to send Italian troops and supplies to Abyssinia was by ship and these ships had to pass through the Suez Canal to get to there. The Suez Canal was under British control, so the British could have blocked the Italian ships that were on their way to Abyssinia. However, they did not do this as they thought it would lead to war with Italy. British Foreign Minister Samuel Hoare and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval held secret talks with Mussolini. They wanted to avoid a war, so they were willing to give Mussolini two-thirds of Abyssinia if he withdrew his troops. Britain and France called it the Hoare-Laval Plan. News of these talks was leaked by the French press. People in Britain and France were angry that their governments had not stopped the Italian invasion. They forced their governments to drop their plan to give Italy control of Abyssinia. The fighting in Abyssinia continued, so Mussolini turned to Hitler for help. Italy completed its takeover of Abyssinia in May 1936. Reasons for adopting policy of appeasement Reason 1 * How can anyone forget World War 1? If we do not make peace with Hitler today, then there will be another war in Europe and millions of young men will die. We are willing to give Hitler what he wants as long as it prevents another war in Europe. Reason 2Â  * The British economy was badly damaged by World War 1 and the Great Depression. The government needs to rebuild the economy. The economy would be destroyed by another war. Reason 3 * Germany has modernised its military and is ready to fight a war. Britain and France are not ready. Appeasement will give us more time to modernise our armies. Reason 4 * We are having problems in many parts of our big empire. The colonies, like India and Palestine, want independence. We do not have the troops to keep order in our colonies and fight a war in Europe at the same time. Reason 5Â  * Britain and France cannot win a war against Germany. We can only win if the USA supports us. However, the USA is currently following a policy of isolation. It won’t get involved with other nations. Reason 6Â  * Most Britons feel that Communism is a far greater threat than Nazism. A strong Germany will prevent Communism from spreading to Central and Western Europe. Reason 7 * Many Britons believe that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair to Germany. Hitler is merely making this treaty less unfair. Once these problems are solved, Germany will become a peaceful nation again. The Munich Agreement Chamberlain went to Germany three times in September 1938 to ask Hitler not to start a war in Europe. At the first meeting on 15 September, Hitler said that he only wanted those parts of the Sudetenland where there were many Germans and only if they voted to join Germany. Chamberlain felt that Hitler’s request was reasonable. On 19 September, the British and the French informed the Czechs of the outcome of the meeting and that it was agreed to let Hitler have certain parts of the Sudetenland. At the second meeting on 22 September, Hitler said that he wanted all of the Sudetenland. He said the Czech government was ill-treating the Germans living there. It looked as if Hitler was ready to go to war at any moment. The British Army was mobilized but Chamberlain was still determined to avoid war. He wanted a third meeting. The third meeting, arranged by Mussolini, was held in Munich, Germany on 29 September. Representatives from Britain, France, Italy and Germany attended the meeting, which was called the Munich Conference. Czechoslovakia and the USSR were not invited. Britain and France said that they would not stop Germany from taking the Sudetenland. In exchange, Germany promised Britain and France that it would not take any more land in Europe. Chamberlain returned to Britain a very happy man. He had prevented war from breaking out. He said that the Munich Agreement had brought about ‘peace for our time.’ The Course of WW2 in Europe, 1939 – 1945 From 1939 to 1941, Hitler and his allies won many battles. They conquered most of Europe, except Britain. In 1941, Hitler turned East and invaded the USSR. The harsh winter and strong Russian defence forced the Germans to retreat by December 1942. By early 1944, the Soviet Army began to regain most of the land that it had lost. It also liberated the East European countries and the Balkans from the control of German troops. By 1945, it began to move towards Berlin. In the Battle of El Alamein, the Allied powers won and drove the combined forces of the Germans and Italians out of North Africa. They soon moved into Italy through the island of Sicily on 10 July 1943, with the Italian capital of Rome falling to the Allies on 4 June 1944. On 6 June 1944, a multinational force of British, American, Canadian and other Allied soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in Northern France. These amphibious landings became known as the D-Day landings. In August the same year, Paris was freed from Nazi rule. Soviet troops were advancing rapidly into the German capital of Berlin from the East, while the combined British and American forces moved in from the West. On 30 April 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide so that he would not be captured by British, American or Russian troops. On 7 May 1945, Germany’s armies surrendered. The war in Europe was over.

Beliefs of filipino women: Traditional feminine gender

Beliefs of filipino women: Traditional feminine gender A 2 (US women vs. Filipino women) X 2 (daughters vs. mothers) ANOVA matched group design with the OKelly Women Beliefs Scale (2010) scores as the dependent variable was conducted to study irrational beliefs about traditional feminine gender schema from a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) perspective (Ellis, 1956) in a sample of Filipino women living in the US. Results indicated significant main effect for cross-cultural differences among the two racial groups, but no significant main effect was found for generational differences among the groups. A Post-hoc Least Significant Difference (LSD) performed on the four subscale scores of the OWBS also showed significant differences in Demand with Filipino women scoring higher than their US counterparts, and scores of both groups in Awfulizing, Negative Self-talk/Rating, and Low Frustration Tolerance (LFT) were not significantly different. Keywords: Filipino women, irrational beliefs, gender schema, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, OKelly Women Beliefs Scale Irrational Beliefs about Traditional Feminine Gender Schema of Filipino Women Living in the United States This study evaluates the cross-cultural and intergenerational differences among Filipino women and US women living in the United States in regard to their beliefs about the traditional feminine sex role using the OKelly Women Beliefs Scale (2010). Several factors of acculturation greatly affect the international migration, economic globalization, and political conflicts that arise in the creation of multicultural societies (Enrile Agbayani, 2007), that studies regarding this matter are essential in understanding it in a deeper sense. There is a great quantity of literature regarding feminine topics written within the conceptual scheme of the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy or REBT (Wolfe, 1985; Wolfe Naimark, 1991). The founding practitioner of REBT, Albert Ellis, developed this form of psychotherapy to assist his clients in the reconstruction of how they perceive their distress by asserting the importance of taking it on with a more philosophical outlook. When Ellis changed Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) to its present name of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), he acknowledged the possible odds in using the term rational as ideas concerning it may vary across cultures (Ellis, 1999). Ellis always emphasized the importance of taking his clients cultural background into consideration when analyzing their viewpoint and attitude towards life. It has been considered that the development of the Womens Belief Scale coincide with the criteria described by Locksley and Colten (1979), who highlight that the use o f a term within a questionnaire involves self-evaluations and supposes comparisons of itself that were not present like in Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974) in the developmental process of the items; this allows a significant effect of measurements on the representation of the feminine gender that provides a distinct point of view of what behaviors are appropriate for females. The view of womans proper place being in the home fulfilling their domesticity, motherhood and pleasing their husbands, isolated from the public world of men did not always dominate the Western culture (OKelly, 1980). It was not until the rise of capitalism when independent businessmen could afford to support their dependent wives and children kept within the confines of a private home, that this view of womens roles started to greatly influence the modern Western culture (OKelly, 1980). By the eighteenth century, these roles sporadically spread to the less affluent classes and eventually became the Western ideal for women (OKelly, 1980). In the recent years, with the help of the feminist movement, dramatic changes in the Western social roles expected from women are continuously taking place. Feminists insist that those customary views of womens roles immensely limit and restrain them from taking their places as full adults in the society (OKelly, 1980). However, less developed countries continue to have strict views on the roles of the women in their society and they intend to maintain their cultural beliefs regarding this matter. There are hardly any studies done to examine the influence and effects of these societal roles placed on women from less developed countries, like the Philippines, in their response to acculturation and attitude towards life. The OKelly Womens Belief Scale was developed within the scheme of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy or REBT, reflecting the process of beliefs about Demand, Awfulizing, Global Rating, Low Frustration Tolerance (LFT) and Negative Self Rating. To develop this scale, 2,562 questionnaires were sent to women that worked in great companies. With the data obtained of 974 questionnaires, the OKelly subscales were developed: Demand, Awful, Low Frustration Tolerance (LFT) and Rating, which are irrational nuclear conclusions or beliefs previously mentioned. Each of these scales has internal consistency. The test-retest reliability and validity have been established by the results of a sample that consisted of 285 women, wherein 37 also completed The OKelly Womens Belief Scale a month later. In the measurement of the irrational thought from an REBT perspective, previous studies (Lega Ellis, 2001; Kumar, Lega, Bladiwalla, 2007) indicate cross cultural and generational differences in the samples of USA, Latin America, Europe and India. Filipino Americans are one of the fastest growing minority groups in the United States as they are the second largest Asian American ethnic group, and the second largest number of immigrants to the United States (Ong Loksze, 2003). Recent studies suggest that acculturation, changes in attitude or values that result from the contact of one culture with another (Berry, 1997), may have something to do with attitudes towards women (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). According to Berry (1997), there are four acculturation strategies: separation, marginalization, integration, and assimilation. Separation refers to favoring ones original culture and refraining from interacting with the host culture, whereas marginalization is when one does not actively maintain either his own original culture or the host culture (Choi Thomas, 2007). On the other hand, integration refers to favoring ones own culture while at the same time interacting with the host culture, and assimilation is when one abandons his o riginal culture in favor of the host culture (Choi Thomas, 2007). The international relationship between United States and the Philippines has a rich and unique history that has made the Filipinos very well familiar to the American culture that even allowed them to easily adopt the English language, educational institutions, democratic belief system, and faith in the American Dream (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). Most Filipino immigrants arrive in the United States with a vast knowledge about the local culture and the English language (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). Filipino women living in the US, mostly as immigrants, try to adapt to their host countrys cultural values while striving to preserve their own at the same time. Like other individuals from impoverished nations, especially those who have spent most of their lives in their native countries, Filipinos are also well aware of how difficult it can be to live in a country of limited opportunities like the Philippines. However, like other immigrant groups, they also praise the United States as a land of s ignificant economic opportunity but simultaneously denounce it as a country inhabited by corrupt and individualistic people of questionable morals (Espiritu, 2001). Parents of first generation Filipino children enforce high expectations especially on their daughters. Espiritus interviews suggest that there is an idealized notion of womanhood based on traditional Filipino values and beliefs (Espiritu, 2001). This idealized notion of womanhood is for a woman to think of her family (collective vs. individual values), to gain good education (in order to help better the family), remain chaste, dutiful, and obedient (Agbayani-Siewert, 1994). Older children, girls in particular, are expected to care for their younger siblings and perform household duties even at an early age (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). Past studies suggest that while the older female is given more responsibilities, privileges are made easily accessible usually to males in the family. Most Filipino women, who participated in past studies, also reported that their parents treated them more strictly while growing up as compared to their brothers (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). As they grow older, Filipino women are expected to display characteristics of a Maria Clara, or the proper, marriage-minded, Filipino Catholic woman with good morals (West, 1992). This stereotyped representation of an ideal Filipino woman continues to exist in the present time. Filipino women were taught and encouraged to be publicly submissive so that it will appear that men are the ones in control (Cimmarusti, 1996). Almirol (1982), a researcher who performed a qualitative study on Filipino American farm laborers from Salinas, California, found that a higher value was placed on males over females and that women were discouraged to display power in public. Scholars have shown that the Maria Clara stereotype is not only used by certain Filipino feminist nationalist, but also by first generation Filipino immigrants (Ignacio, 2000). Prior researchers show that despite the high cultural expectations enforced on Filipino children by their parents, they appear to have easily assimilated into the American society as the Filipino population in the US has a high rate of college graduates, and most of these graduates are immigrants from the Philippines (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). Different perspectives suggest the existence of change and differences in attitudes and interests from one generation to the other, as well as in the cross-cultural factor. This study was conducted in the USA wherein Filipino daughters and mothers, and their counterparts used The OKelly Women Beliefs Scale examine the differences in gender roles and the ethno-cultural scheme. Method Participants Two matched groups according to age of daughters (from 17-25 yrs. of age) vs. their mothers (45 75 yrs. of age) and culture of origin (70 Filipino vs. 70 USA) living in the USA participated in the study. Instrument The OKelly Women Beliefs Scale (OKelly, 2010) was used. The scale consists of 92 items in which the participant indicated the degree of agreement or disagreement using a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). This is divided into four subscales: Demand, Awfulizing, Low Frustration Tolerance and Negative Self Rating. Procedure The participants completed the questionnaires individually and anonymously. It took approximately 45 minutes to complete. Participants were also advised to refrain from answering the questionnaire with their mother/daughter. Results A 2-way ANOVA (culture and generation) with total OWBS scores as the dependent variable showed a significant main effect for Culture, F(1, 140) = 37.681, p .05) Posthoc (LSD) comparisons between Filipino and US women for all four subscale scores of the OWBS showed significant differences, with Filipino women scoring higher than US women in Demand: F(1, 140) = 5.265, p .05). No significant results were found for Generation, or for the interaction between Culture x Generation (p>.05) Discussion As one of the fastest growing groups of Asian immigrants, Filipino immigrants are purposely trying to become part and to develop a positive attitude towards acculturating to the host culture, at least to some extent. However, it is understandable that the process of acculturation have a distinct influence in the immigrants viewpoint and attitude towards life. The results suggest that the overall total scores of US-Filipino compared to US women were higher than the latter. Recent studies might suggest that acculturation may play a part in Filipino womens irrational beliefs about themselves. A past study on acculturation by Phinney and Flores (2002), affirms that the two dimensions of the phenomenon (mainstream adaptation and ethnic retention) can be independent and have different influences to its outcomes. The results of their study showed that the bicultural (integrated) individual is more likely to be involved in mainstream American society as well as to manifest sex role attitudes closely similar to that of the mainstream, and yet manage to retain their own racial social networks and native language. Later generations of immigrants are also expected to be more prone to changes associated with both dimensions of acculturation; that is, they typically retain less of their ethnic culture and tend to be more accepting of the host culture t han earlier generations (Phinney Flores, 2002). On the other hand, the present study showed no significant effect for generational differences (mother vs. daughter) in either culture (US-Filipino or US women). It was expected that Filipino women would score higher than their US counterparts because of societal expectations and traditional gender schema on women. Filipino women are expected to manifest certain characteristics such as capability of building a family, running the household and responsibility for taking care of others need before her own to name a few. Some researchers propose that immigrants do not simply yield their old or native values for new ones, but rather select, and modify to adapt to the new environment (Choi Thomas, 2007; Buriel, 1993; Mendoza, 1989). Although most Filipino immigrants eventually become accustomed to their new environment, they also retain their traditional cultural traits, beliefs, values, and mores which may result to a conflict in their b elief system and a higher level of irrational belief. However, when it comes to Generation, the non-significant differences between Filipino daughters and mothers may be found in that the cultural expectation of both generations (Filipino mothers vs. Filipino daughters) has rooted its ideals from our past generations belief as a collective community as opposed to individualistic values. It is an integral characteristic of the ideal Filipino family to have children who highly adhere to the familys values and principles and to behave according to these passed on standards. Daughters are taught to greatly exhibit the same positive qualities that their mothers exhibit and this practice have a substantial influence on the non-significant differences in the point of view of both generations. In terms of posthoc comparisons, where individual sub scale scores were obtained for Demand, Awfulizing, Negative Self Talk and LFT, a significant effect was only found on Demand of Filipino women vs. US women. This suggests that Filipino women experience higher emotional stress than their US counterparts. First generation immigrants, as they are called, sometimes experience acculturation and cultural pressure to adapt. Cultural adaptation to the host country may suggest conflict with the traditional culture of the heritage country while parents try to raise their children on both cultures. Prior researches show that Filipino immigrants tend to lose their traditional customs and values as they acculturate to ways of life in the United States (Del Prado Church, 2010). Being torn between adhering to their conservative cultural values and the ability to access the opportunities of their contemporary American culture can create stress and conflict (Napholz Mo, 2010). The Socio-cultural differences that include the Asian collective culture versus the American individual culture, extended versus dominant nuclear family lifestyle, isolative American lifestyle, womens roles, communication styles, and child-rearing practices have a vast impact on the Filipino immigrant womens self-esteem and sense of control over their lives (Napholz Mo, 2010). As Filipino women become more acculturated to their host countrys cultural values, factors such as their origins, psychosocial and economic stress, as well as their compliance to traditional cultural values may have an influence in the nature and quality of their present lives (McBride, Morioka-Douglas, Yeo, 1996). High scores on each subscale according to the OKelly Women Belief Scales or OWBS (OKelly, 2010) suggest that Filipino women have higher irrational beliefs on the traditional feminine gender role as their culture may have manifested on them over the years. The Demand subscale (element at which people reveal their musts and shoulds) suggests that Filipino women need to reach certain expectations according to their culture. A high score in this subscale suggests that Filipino women, compared to US women strive more to reach expectations set forth by their society as a result from a collectivist point of view. Almost every society has prescribed roles that women and men are expected to satisfy, however the strictness of these standards vary across cultural societies. In the Filipino culture, individuals that belong to the society are expected to respect and conform to the rules of the society as exactly as possible. Deviating from the accepted norms and social roles brings forth unforgiving criticisms not just from the society at large, but by ones own immediate family as well. A traditional Filipino family is not usually inclined to being tolerant to issues and practices foreign to them, as they believe that everyone should behave accord ing to what is widely accepted. Thus, the process of acculturating to a new culture that has some aspects that conflict with the Filipino culture can be very perplexing and stressful to Filipino women striving to develop positive attitudes toward the process. An example question from this subscale was I must have a child to be fulfilled; Filipinos are expected to be capable of building a family and both generations (mother vs. daughter) must reach this expectation as their society and past generations expects them to. This idealized notion of womanhood is for a woman to think of her family (collective vs. individual) (Agbayani-Siewert, 1994) as mentioned came from most of the Oriental cultures belief of collectivism vs. individualism. In short, the expectation that Filipino women would score higher than their US counterparts because of societal expectations and traditional gender schema on women was confirmed.

Kids Baseball, A Great American Tradition :: Art

Kids Baseball, A Great American Tradition Kids’ baseball is a really great American tradition. Fathers can relate to their kids who play Little League because male adults remember the experience as something vital that taught them life-skills and socialization during their youth. Little League is as American as apple pie and now the rest of the world is finally wonderfully acclimated to enjoying everything American including baseball. Even an institution as wonderful as Little League has its critics. Some complain that it emphasizes competition too much and that the lesser skilled kids ought to get more playing time. Others cite that the risk of injury is all too real. I believe that Little League is a terrific â€Å"coming of age† growth experience. It teaches kids organizational skills, division of labor, cooperation and competition. By organization I mean nine kids have to function like one unit working under one main coach. In division of labor those same nine kids must perform different tasks and responsibilities. They must cooperate with each other in order to defeat the opposing team in competition. Varga’s Drugstore versus Kiwanis is a small-scale version of Compaq going up against IBM or General Motors taking on Ford. That’s what makes Little League so uniquely American and why it helps to perpetuate this country’s unparalleled â€Å"free enterprise† value system. For those critics who claim LL is dangerous, there is danger and risk everywhere. If every young boy or girl lived in a protective bubble, no kids would ever interact. Those vocal LL critics should not cross streets, should not walk down crowded aisles in Wal-Mart and should not mow their lawns or drive to Wildwood on summer vacation because something threatening might unexpectedly happen. Dangers are all around us, and in Little League competition, injuries happen by accident and they are not deliberately or maliciously inflicted. I guess that’s one particular reason I absolutely love Little League’ baseball. I have always been quite fascinated by physical danger and by competition, especially in sports. In 1953 I played Hammonton Little League ball for the town Exchange Club. My coach was Mr. Reid, and his son Bruce was also on the team. Frank Reid would come to the practices and help his dad work with the players, and ironically, Frank’s son Scott wound-up working for me in my boardwalk arcade in Ocean City, Maryland two decades later. From my own life experience, there’s no doubt in my mind that LL promotes an appreciation of the American free-enterprise economic system.

Open Silences in Shakespeares Measure for Measure :: Shakespeare Measure for Measure

How Productions from 1720 to 1929 Close Shakespeare's Open Silences in Measure for Measure Prologue: Playtext. Performance. and Open Silences In the Preface to his edition of Shakespeare's plays, and even as he vigorously defended the playwright against attacks by other neo-classical critics, Samuel Johnson nonetheless also offered his own survey of Shakespeare's weaknesses. Among the more well-known and provocative remarks is his assessment of the endings of the plays: It may be observed, that in many of his plays the latter part is evidently neglected. When he found himself near the end of his work, and in view of his reward, he shortened the labour, to snatch the profit. He therefore remits his efforts where he should most vigorously exert them, and his catastrophe is improbably produced or imperfectly represented. [Preface, in Sherbo VII: 71-72.] That Measure for Measure, in particular, was taken to be an example of Shakespeare's tendency to "remit his efforts," and that these failures created problems about the ending of the play symptomatic about larger issues of genre, is testified to by Charlotte Lennox's often quoted criticism: The comic Part of Measure for Measure is all Episode, and has not Dependence on the principal Subject, which even as Shakespeare has managed it has none of the Requisites of Comedy. Great and flagrant Crimes, such as those of Angelo, in Measure for Measure, are properly the Subject of Tragedy, the Design of which is to show the fatal Consequences of those Crimes and the Punishment that never fails to attend them. The light Follies of a Lucio may be exposed, ridiculed and corrected in Comedy. That Shakespeare made a wrong Choice of his Subject, since he was resolved to torture it into a Comedy, appears by the low Contrivance, absurd Intrique, and improbable Incidents he was obliged to introduce in order to bring about three or four Weddings instead of the one good Beheading, which was the Consequence naturally expected. [Lennox, I: 27, quoted in Vickers, 4: 112.] As we shall see, these strictures reappear in at least one edition of the play, namely in Francis Gentleman's commentary on the play in the 1773 edition (Bell's edition) examined below. In this presentation, and concentrating on the issues raised by Johnson, rather than the wider issues raised

The Life-Threatening Experience :: essays research papers

I was a freshman in high school and invited to the biggest party an underclassman could attend. I had no reason to think that attending this party would put me in a life-threatening situation. I thought the party would be exciting and fun. Instead, it turned into a night that ends so tragically. One Friday night some friends and I decided to attend our high school's football game. Upon arriving, the stadium was already covered with overjoyed, and exciting fans. During the game, there was excited chattering about the party. Everyone was talking about going. Finally, the game was in the last seconds of the fourth quarter,a nd oru team was winning. The crowd was all fired up. When the game endend, everyone stampeded to theri cars and headed to the party leaving the once filled stadium deserted. When we finally arrived to the party, I could feel my body trembling with excitement and nervousness. It was a couple minutes after 10 pm and the party was already jumping off. Wehn entering the main room, you could see people dancing, clowning, and just having a good time. Althought the room wasn't that big, I begin to dance and enjoy myself as well. All of a sudden a fight broke out. You would have thought someone screamed free food the way everyone was running. People were falling all over the place trying to avoid the fight, but no one would break it up. When the fight was brought to a halt, everyone was ordered to leave. Everyone was stumbling trying to get out the house and to their cars, until one of the guys fighting decided the the issues wasn't resolved. He pushed his way back into the house, pulled out a gun and begins shooting. I was so close that I could hear the bullets flying by my ears, and I could see the sparks from the gun. I couldn't move; it was like someone turned my knees into the off position. Suddenly, I was pulled to the floor for protection. The shooting finally stopped. Everyone raced to their cars as if they were in a marathon. Out of nowhere, a low-pitched scream was heared. Two of my friends were found bleeding due to bullet wounds to the head.

High Crime Neighborhood

Living in high-crime neighborhoods has a great impact on how neighbors socialize with each other. It either brings them together to fight against violence or torn them apart because the violence is promoted among other neighbors. Neighborhood environment serves as a source of socialization, mainly for adolescents. Being exposed to different behavioral models or cultural ideas, disadvantaged neighborhoods are thought to influence how young people make decisions about education, employment and relationships (Hackney, 2011).Adolescents interacting with older people that are unemployed, not going to school and involved in crimes can expose them to cultural models that violate social rules and norms. As mentioned in the article it became â€Å"a street culture that arguments are too often settled only when a body ends up on a slab in the morgue† (Hackney, 2011, p. 3). Cultural values are not respected and instead of having dispute-resolution skills and anger management, violence mo st likely becomes the way of life and solving problems.Socialization is what allows us to be skilled in the ways of the culture we were born into, however, if violence is what one was born into or grew up into that is what they will learn and do. The very fabric of our community has changed, violence has become acceptable by many due to its fast increasing rate but we have to do better (Hackney, 2011). Numerous crimes in neighborhoods destroy socialization although violence is not taught among cultures it could be acquired by its young members if seen promoted by older adults.During adolescence is when youths are developing and exploring new ways of socializing with older adults and that could be dangerous if they are hanging out with the wrong crowd. Young people are highly influenced by their surroundings and if violence is promoted that is what they will learn as a result. Despite the negative impact of violence in neighborhoods it also brings neighbors to work close together in finding solutions for the problem and making their neighborhoods a safer place for their children to grow up and become decent citizens.In Detroit the murder rate has increased and many innocent people were killed by random violence. Public safety plays a great role in socialization therefore the city developed plan to â€Å"strengthen neighborhoods and improve safety† (Hackney, 2011, p. 3). The police patrols were reinforced and many cases were closed with tips from citizens and strong police work.There were programs to get youths engaged in activities other then hanging out in the streets and involved in criminal acts (Hackney, 2011). Working close with youths and getting them involved in activities that can keep them out of the streets can reverse the effects of early exposure to violence and promote a better way of socializing.Reference Hackney, Suzette (2011, November 13). Living with murder: The agony of Detroit’s neighborhoods and their cry for help. Free Press, pp. 1-7.

Electric Cars Speech Essay

Just about everyone wants a car but no one Wants to pay for gas well now thanks to technology we don’t have to yes thanks to the discovery of the electronic car people can travel solely on the power of electricity but most people say that Unless some new type of battery is invented these electronic Car are nothing more than a dream but these are far more than a dream and very much so a part of reality But what does the future hold for these cars. Well electricity is already a large part of our lives so to start using electricity powered cars would not be so much of a change from our normal routine as people may seem to think And they’re already many people using these electrical cars one man mentioned That he uses The Corbin Sparrow (a single person electric vehicle) As his primary commute vehicle he has a 50mi. Total commute To and from work mostly freeway so not that much stop and go traffic but once he gets to work his batteries drained about 50 percent but because the car does not require a special charging stations he can plug it into any standard three prong outlet So he pluges his car and at work and returns home on a 100 percent charge Saving gas and money every day allowing his car to pay for itself but Basically, here’s what the Sparrow offers: ? Seats 1 person, and ample space for laptop, papers and small grocery run.? 13 lead acid batteries, different in detail from conventional automotive batteries, but not fundamentally so. The batteries provide for a very low center of gravity. ?Fiberglass body for keeping the weight down while increasing the energy efficiency considerably. I’m averaging . 16KwH/mile or thereabouts for my typical commute. ?110v charging that takes about 8 hours. However, in my typical usage, I get to 80+% in less than 2 hours, and recharging stations are nearly *everywhere* however an extension cord can be helpful ? and a top speed of about 80mph now this may be good for the average driver or maybe-trips back and forth to and from work but what would you do for a long drive with no time in between to recharge this car. This car would definitely not be the car for the job of but thats where our next car, comes in 25 February 2000 — DaimlerChrysler’s engineers might have missed unveiling their third iteration of the ESX Mybrid (mild-hybrid) concept car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this year but it appears the delay was definitely worth the wait. Last week the company showed the ESX3 to the press in Washington, D. C. , an event which marks the achievement of the first official milestone of the 10 year-long USPartnership for a New Generation Vehicle program in which all three US car makers have now developed fuel-efficient, high mileage vehicles. From the outset of the ESX program, DaimlerChrysler engineers have sought ways to not only achieve the performance goals of PNGV but have striven to reduce the cost premium associated with hybrid electric technology. In the ESX3 they have cut the cost in half from the $15,000 of the ESX2 to just $7,500 in two years time. The five passenger ESX3 achieves 72 mpg, up two miles from the more aerodynamic ESX2. It’s â€Å"mild-hybrid† or mybrid drive train takes a similar approach to that of both Ford and GM PNGV cars, mating a 1. 5 liter, all aluminum direct-injection diesel engine to a 15 kilowatt electric motor. Like the Toyota Prius, the 106 pound lithium ion battery pack is wedged between the rear passenger seat and trunk which provides 16 cubic fee (450 liters) of cargo space. An important component in of the ESX Mybrid system is its EMAT transmission system which utilizes two computer-controlled clutches. The EMAT system combines the smoothness of an automatic transmission with the added fuel efficiency of a manual. The driver sees the normal selection of park, drive, neutral and reverse. One of the most remarkable features of the ESX3 Mybrid drive is its weight which is less than a conventional gasoline engine. The three-cylinder diesel weighs just 250 pounds (113kg) and the air-colored electric motor just 76 pounds (33kg). DaimlerChrysler says that the ESX3 meets all the emissions targets originally set in 1993. However, it acknowledges that there is still much to be done to meet future emissions standards including further work on low sulfur and synthetic fuels, new exhaust aftertreatment technologies and cleaner combustion processes. OMAHA, Nebraska — April 19, 1998. Sport utility vehicles are hot! Sales of the truck-like vehicles are booming in the USA. Once the purview of Jeep, Ford and Jimmy, now virtually every car maker has entered the fray including Mercedes and Lexus. And the folks buying these behemoths don’t seem deterred by their hefty sticker prices and the 70’s era gas mileage that comes with them, not to mention a truck-like ride. While questions are now being raised about both their environmental impact and safety, sales continue to soar. The plain fact is, Ute’s are â€Å"in. † After two years and 300,000 total driving miles in Japan and the US, late last year Toyota began leasing a sensible sport utility vehicle that offers many of the perceived benefits of the standard Ute, but with zero tailpipe emissions. While the RAV4-EV shares many features, including body styling and interior appointments, with its IC-engine sibling, the similarities end there. As Mark Amstock, Toyota’s manager of North American Alternative Fuels Program, states in the video that accompanies this feature, the RAV4-EV is not a conversion. It has been engineered from the pavement up. And while it weighs 500 pounds more than the gasoline version, it offers virtually all the amenities, performance and handling of its fossil-fuel counterpart. In 1995, Toyota placed 20 prototype RAV4-EVs in the field, ten in Japan and ten in the US. These were a mixture of lead-acid and nickel metal hydride battery versions that saw service in LA, San Francisco, Sacramento, Detroit and New York. The lessons learned from these field tests have been integrated into the 1998 model, including improved HVAC system, battery management and cooling systems, 5 door, 5 passenger seating, improved motor torque and lengthened wheelbase for a better highway ride. The heart of the EV model is its 50kW permanent magnet motor and 24 nickel metal hydride batteries rated at 288 volts. The maintenance-free electric motor is neatly integrated into the single speed, front-wheel transaxle and is rated at 67 bhp at between 3,100 and 4,600 rmp. This gives the 3440 lbs. vehicle a combined city/highway driving range of 125 miles and a top speed of 78 mph. According to Armstock, these are â€Å"real world† numbers and not just wishful thinking. One of the advantages of using the SUV platform is battery placement. The high curb-height let Toyota engineers place the 900 lbs of batteries under the floorboard, outside the passenger cabin. This gives the vehicle the same usable space as its IC-engine version. One of the lessons learned from the tests in the US, especially in Michigan and New York was the necessity of an adequate heating and cooling system. HVAC systems in automobiles have huge energy requirements which cut into the range of an EV, even one equipped with advanced batteries. Toyota engineered two new features to address this need. They introduced a new gas-injection heat pump system to handling both heating and air conditioning. They also installed controls which will preheat or pre-cool the vehicle while its being recharged. The vehicle operator sets an onboard timer which begins heating or cooling the SUV while it is still connected to its charging source. Since it takes several minutes for a conventional car to heat up in the winter or for the AC to become effective in the summer, the RAV4-EV’s system offers a distinct advantage. Charging is accomplished by an on-board 220-volt, 30-amp conductive charger that takes about 6. 5 hours to completely recharge the car. â€Å"Refueling† the vehicle can be done at home, the workplace or public charging station. The RAV4-EV has power-assisted 4-wheel, anti-lock (ABS) braking. The system features 10 inch brakes (front disk/rear drum) instead of the usual 9 inch found on the gasoline model to handle the vehicle’s added weight. It also includes regenerative braking which converts much of the vehicle’s forward motion back into electricity to recharge the batteries while driving. As the vehicle slows or the driver taps the brakes, the electric motor switches to generator-mode. This enables the driver to actually add to the RAV4-EV’s range with intelligent driving practices. The hallmark of the current boom in Ute sales is the plethora of amenities that come on these brutes, and the RAV4-EV is no slacker in this regard. It comes equipped with power-steering, deluxe AM/FM stereo cassette audio system, digital clock, power-windows, rear-window defroster, dual airbags, vanity-mirrors, and all the rest. The RAV4-EV is currently available only in California, New York and Massachusetts, due largely to their ZEV mandates which require companies like Toyota have 2% of their sales be zero emission vehicles, this despite the fact that there was (as of December, 1997) only one public charging station in all of New York state. Armstock explained that Toyota’s current marketing efforts are focused on fleet operations, rather than the consumer market; electric utility companies being the earliest customers. They lease for a one-time payment of $16,000 for 36 months, or $477 a month for the same period. I found the RAV4-EV a thoroughly enjoyable driving experience the brief time I was behind the wheel. It handles well, accelerating as briskly as a 4 cylinder IC-engine version. It’s quiet inside, though the low rolling-resistance tires are a bit noisy. It certainly brakes well as I learned when an inattentive driver tried to pull out in front us during our test drive around Disney World. The RAV4-EV will make an ideal intra-city commuter for many motorists. Since the average American workplace commute is under 50 miles round trip, the RAV4-EV can get you there and back again with style and comfort. Toyota’s Armstock made an interesting comment near the end of our test drive. When asked when we can expect to see the RAV4-EV go on sale to consumers, he remarked that the technology is advancing so rapidly that he expects the current model to be as obsolete in thee years as a pesonal computer with an Intel 286 micro-processor is today. That’s an exciting prospect, considering how well integrated the RAV4-EV is even now. Regardless of the pace of technological change, this is one nicely done SUV, one that makes a lot of sense right now, especially now. END STORY/