Effects on ground water from leaking underground fuel tanks Research Paper

Effects on ground water from leaking underground fuel tanks - Research Paper Example These toxins are released silently into the drinking water supplied in the houses, or workplaces thus creating significant threats to living (Leakage Underground Storage Tanks: A Threat to Public Health and Environment, 1). The study has included detailed learning on the overview of the prevailing problem of ground water contamination due to leaking USTs, the administrative systems and their failure to protect the supplied drinking water, the slowdowns in the processes of cleanups, the dangerous chemicals that are leaked and thus the harmful effects and vulnerability of humans and animals, discussion on few reported cases like Michigan and California, as well as understanding of some probable solutions to the problem. The study is based on the existing literature. However, it can be understood that there are still certain gaps in the studies since the studies have not been able to reach out to conclusions and recommendations that might prove beneficial to the removal of the problem. The current study will try to focus on the existing studies and try to determine the current status of the problem with probable solutions for a safer environment. Method: The study has been based on secondary research. The sources that have been used are from the existing literatures. ... These include studies conducted by the Sierra Club, by New South Wales Government, by Alabama Cooperative Extension System, as well as by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Studies of authors like Nadim et al, have also been considered. Also, few books have been discussed for the study, along with cases reported at Michigan and California that reflect on the experiences of such ground water contamination. Ethical factors have been duly considered while making use of existing literature and drawing analysis and conclusions from them. Moreover the credibility and verification of all the information used have also been taken into concern for the study to be made effective. Observations: Leakage in USTs has become issues of serious concerns in the recent times to the safety of groundwater. Considering countries like America, around 50 percent of the population and almost all the families in the rural areas are known to depend on groundwater for their drinking water purposes. Toxic mat erials are held in these USTs that easily flow through the soil thereby polluting the underground water, making it severely harmful for humans and children. Studies reveal that there are several backlog and rejections in areas where cleanups are necessary. Protections could not be successfully enforced by the federal and the state UST programs such that the pollution may be prevented (Leakage Underground Storage Tanks: A Threat to Public Health and Environment, 2). The Chemicals Stored in USTs and Their Effects: The following chart provides an idea on the chemicals that are stored in the USTs and their probable effects that can occur on humans and animals’ health: Toxic Substance Health Effects Health-Based Drinking Water

Poverty Policy In The Land Of Milk And Honey Essay Example for Free

Poverty Policy In The Land Of Milk And Honey Essay People might think that poverty is the last thing to be occurred in the United States of America –the land of milk and honey as they say, because America is known for having a Tiger Economy ever since. But it is a shame should the government of America admits that they too can experience poverty? Let them allow having an excuse that nothing is perfect. Everything is possible. However, we all know that we can attain the 0% rate of poverty in our country if everyone will work it out together. How the poverty is being measured in the United States of America? The United States Department of Health and Human Services says that there are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure. One is the poverty threshold which is used mainly in Census Bureau for statistical purposes, and the other one is the poverty guidelines which are basically for administrative purposes. (2007). But the US government do not really understand that the only thing this policy or measurement can do is the knowledge about figures and recoded data of how many could pass yearly in the poverty line in accordance to the standards that they have set. They never realize that the poverty measurement has nothing to do with poverty itself and how to totally demolish the poverty problem in the United States of America – the land of milk and honey! As a citizen, all I can say is that we have to go back to the main roots of the problem. What are those problems that lead us to poverty? Are we ready to face them? I guess we should. And it is not just facing them but to act on them for the betterment of any individual or household concern but also for the good of the common people, government and country. Poverty has not to be measured in starvation and emptiness only. There are many factors involve including illiteracy, illegitimacy, immorality, unemployment, dirty politics, bureaucracy, environment, lifestyle, vices, crime, over population, sickness, mortality or even having your own identity and citizenship. But as long as the scarcity and level of consumptions of every household are the major factors that we keep on measuring, we will never resolve the problem of poverty. Again, I suggest that we go back to the main roots of the problem. I affirm to David Brooks’ optimism outlook in his argument â€Å"†¦these rapid improvements (which refers to globalization) at the bottom of the income ladder are contributing to and correlating with declines in illiteracy, child labor rates and fertility rate. † (2004). But there are also some things that should be remembered. Tiger economy or third world country has the equal opportunity of experiencing poverty. However, addressing the issue of poverty lies not to the government alone. Every human beings living on Earth has to do their fair share of opinions and actions in fighting poverty. It could be done by helping others or the nation. But I guess the best poverty alleviation policy is improving first your own quality of life wherever you are; hence, every place you could have been has the chance to be a poverty-free land of milk and honey.

Sponsership Speech :: essays research papers

Sponsership Speech   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In which direction does the future lead us? What obstacles will we have to overcome to survive? Many of these questions and many others are pondered and weighed by scientists and economists throughout origins around the world. They have described that slowly, but surely, our beautiful planet will come to it?s end. Our polution and destruction of the ozone layer has caused a great deal of damage to to life on earth, from plants to animals. Certain causes of destruction include vehicular polution, forrest fires and other related causes, leathal and nonleathal gasses produced by factories and other objects, and many others. It is slowly reducing the percentage of servival, yet it is a well known fact that the world is becoming overpopulated. For every minute that passes by, more and more infants are brought into this world. Our ambition to expand and grow may very well bring us to our end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been said time and time agian that every parents dream is to see their children grow old and have children of their own. What if the world enforces a law that restricts the sexual activity between males and females? Will there be a planet left to continue lives of our own as well as the lives of our future loved ones? These reasons have lead us to believe that our bill should be enforced allowing increased funding and focus on space exploration to find a new home; allowing us to begin anew.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The era through this time period has been intellegent names by our scientists as ?Mankinds Future Iinto Space.? It has been shown through current budget proposals for the year 2002, made by President Clinton, that more will be spent towards the NASA Corporation rather than environmental protection agencies. An increase from 14.3 billion dollars to 14.5 billion dollars towards NASA will be on of the drastic changes pleading to take place. A decrease of .5 billion dollars will be given to environmental agencies giving them only 7.3 billion dollars. Billions of dollars alone have been put towards the recovery from the terrorist attacks on the United States. Also, more money has been wasted by the attack on Afganistan due to the fact of expensive and unnecessary bombing. [Description of Visual]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of the devices made by our Federal and Executive branches of government are going to play key rolls in our future. Our research and development team will also play a key roll in the future we wish to have. This is because they will determine if it is Sponsership Speech :: essays research papers Sponsership Speech   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In which direction does the future lead us? What obstacles will we have to overcome to survive? Many of these questions and many others are pondered and weighed by scientists and economists throughout origins around the world. They have described that slowly, but surely, our beautiful planet will come to it?s end. Our polution and destruction of the ozone layer has caused a great deal of damage to to life on earth, from plants to animals. Certain causes of destruction include vehicular polution, forrest fires and other related causes, leathal and nonleathal gasses produced by factories and other objects, and many others. It is slowly reducing the percentage of servival, yet it is a well known fact that the world is becoming overpopulated. For every minute that passes by, more and more infants are brought into this world. Our ambition to expand and grow may very well bring us to our end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been said time and time agian that every parents dream is to see their children grow old and have children of their own. What if the world enforces a law that restricts the sexual activity between males and females? Will there be a planet left to continue lives of our own as well as the lives of our future loved ones? These reasons have lead us to believe that our bill should be enforced allowing increased funding and focus on space exploration to find a new home; allowing us to begin anew.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The era through this time period has been intellegent names by our scientists as ?Mankinds Future Iinto Space.? It has been shown through current budget proposals for the year 2002, made by President Clinton, that more will be spent towards the NASA Corporation rather than environmental protection agencies. An increase from 14.3 billion dollars to 14.5 billion dollars towards NASA will be on of the drastic changes pleading to take place. A decrease of .5 billion dollars will be given to environmental agencies giving them only 7.3 billion dollars. Billions of dollars alone have been put towards the recovery from the terrorist attacks on the United States. Also, more money has been wasted by the attack on Afganistan due to the fact of expensive and unnecessary bombing. [Description of Visual]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of the devices made by our Federal and Executive branches of government are going to play key rolls in our future. Our research and development team will also play a key roll in the future we wish to have. This is because they will determine if it is

Pmp Application Sample

PMP Application Work Experience Please enter the number of hours spent on each of these tasks for each project. Please enter a value between 0 and 9999. Hours must be entered in quarter hour increments. 1 Initiating Process Conduct project selection methods to evaluate the feasibility of new products or services Identify key stakeholders and perform analysis to gain buy-in and requirements for the success of the project. Define the scope of the project based on the organization need to meet the customer project expectations. 0. 00 Develop the project charter and review it with key stakeholders to confirm project scope, risks, issues, assumptions and constraints as well as obtain project charter approval from the project sponsor. Identify and document high level risks, assumptions and constraints using historical data and expert judgment. 128. 00 2 Planning Process Identify key project team members and define roles and responsibilities to create a project organization structure to dev elop a communication plan.Create the work breakdown structure with the team to develop the cost, schedule, resource, quality and procurement plans. Identify project risks to define risk strategies and develop the risk management plan. Obtain project plan approval from the customer and conduct a kick off meeting with all key stakeholders. Define and record detail project requirements, constraints and assumptions with the stakeholders to establish the project deliverables. Develop the change management plan to define how changes will be handled to manage the triple constraints. 36. 00 3 Executing Process Manage proactively the resource allocation by ensuring that appropriate resources and tools are assigned to the tasks according to the project plan. Execute the tasks defined in the project plan in order to achieve the project goals. Ensure a common understanding and set expectations through communication to align the stakeholders and team members. Hours 8. 00 Hours Hours Required 450 0 Hours Hours Hours Hours 8. 00 40. 00 40. 00 40. 00 40. 00 40. 00 0. 00 128. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 8. 00 8. 00 40. 00 40. 00 8. 0 40. 00 40. 00 8. 00 40. 00 40. 00 0. 00 136. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 40. 00 20. 00 40. 00 20. 00 8. 00 8. 00 Improve team performance by building team cohesiveness, leading, mentoring, training, and motivating in order to facilitate cooperation, ensure project efficiency and boost morale. Implement a quality management plan to ensure that work is being performed according to required quality standards. Implement approved changes according to the Change Management Plan. Obtain project resources in accordance with a procurement plan.Implement the approved actions and workarounds required to minimize the impact of project risks. 92. 00 4 Monitoring and Controlling Measure project performance using appropriate tools and techniques. Verify and manage changes to the project scope, project schedule and project costs as defined in the change management plan. Monitor the status of all identified risks, identify any new risks, take corrective actions and update the risk response plan. Ensure the project deliverables conform to quality standards established in the project quality plan. 0. 00 5 Closing Process Formalize and obtain final acceptance for the project. Identify, document and communicate lessons learned. Archive and retain project records, historical information and documents (e. g. , project schedule, project plan, lessons learned, surveys, risk and issues logs, etc. ) in order to retain organizational knowledge, comply with statutory requirements, and ensure availability of data for potential use in future projects and internal/external audits. Obtain financial, legal and administrative project closure (e. . , final payments, warranties, contract signoff). 8. 00 8. 00 16. 00 16. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 92. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 8. 00 8. 00 8. 00 8. 00 8. 00 16. 00 40. 00 16. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0 . 00 8. 00 16. 00 16. 00 0. 00 0. 00 8. 00 Release all project resources and provide performance feedback. Create and distribute final project report. Measure customer satisfaction at the end of the project. 64. 00 64. 00 64. 00 856. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 8. 00 0. 00 40. 00 40. 00 0. 00 856. 00

How Sustainable Is A Wind Energy System Environmental Sciences Essay

A The literary significance of sustainability derived from the Latin word which means maintain or support. However, since 1980, sustainability has been used for environment and development related to environment. With the progress of engineering, human lives become more mechanised and modern. In this modern universe we depend on more in engineering than earlier, so more energy is required for our modernised society. To carry through our demands we burn fuel which we get from the natural reservoir. By firing this natural fuel non merely we destroy our natural resources, but besides we increase the C emanation in the environment. The simple definition â€Å" sustainability is bettering the quality of human life while populating within the transporting capacity of back uping eco-systems † , ( hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development ) . â€Å" a sustainable planetary society founded on regard for nature, cosmopolitan human rights, economic justness, and a civilization of peace. † ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/ ) Ethical issueA I choose I chose wind energy systems: is a sustainable and renewable energy which is produced from air current. This sustainable or renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources: air current energy is one of the illustrations of sustainable energy. Wind energy is pollution free, sustainable signifier of energy which can assist us to cut down the traditional dodo based power coevals. Many industrialised states such as US, Canada recognised that air current energy is a lasting, sustainable economic and environmentally friendly, which secured energy monetary value and supply. Wind energy is a green energy which supports long term energy supply to our environment from renewable resources. Wind energy systems Using air current energy system to bring forth power is advantageous in many facets. On the other manus if fossil fuel is used as an energy beginning, it increases the carbon-di- oxide degree in the air and it is dearly-won. Wind energy is pollution free, sustainable signifier of energy which can cut down the traditional dodo fuel energy coevals. If we continue to bring forth the energy by firing the dodo fuel, there will be singular impact and alterations in the environment such as planetary heating, utmost conditions events ( such as inordinate inundation, draught etc ) , and atmospheric instability. Air pollution To bring forth air current energy, there is no demand of any signifier of fuel. Wind turbines are acquiring powered by air current, so wind energy green goodss zero emanation to the environment. Fossil fuel contributes to bring forth acerb rain, smog and every bit good as clime alteration. Harmonizing to western air current energy, â€Å" Using air current to bring forth adequate power for over 200 places ( 2,000,000 kWh ) of electricity alternatively of firing coal will go forth 900,000 kgs of coal in the land and cut down one-year nursery gas emanations by 2,000 metric tons. This is tantamount to taking 417 autos off the route or seting 10,000 trees. † ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.westernwindenergy.com/s/Environment.asp ) Huge sum of green house gas emanation resulted acid rain which destroyed workss, aquatic environment, edifices etc. the chief causes for acerb rain is inordinate sum of sulphur-nitrogen compounds present in the air. These harmful sulphur-nitrogen compounds produced from mills, emanations from motor vehicles and from electricity coevals. Coal power works is the most unsafe agent of bring forthing green house gas. The green house gas from coal power works can go thousand of kilometers before it produce acerb rain. So it polluted our air non merely the mill environing but besides affect nearby state. There is no uncertainty that production of energy by fossil fuel is harm to our environment and life. Furthermore, during geographic expedition, transit, extraction of resources besides effects the environment. Lay waste toing consequence on Marine ecology and on wild life during transit of oil is already good known to everyone. So, this is the clip to switch to utilize alternate energy beginnings that is wind energy. By utilizing air current energy to bring forth power we can maintain the environment clean for our following coevals. Water From the American Wind Energy Association web site, it is found that little sum of H2O required comparison to coal works. â€Å" A typical coal works consumes about 0.49 gallons ( 1.90 liters ) * and an oil works consumes about 0.43 gallons ( 1.60 liters ) of pure H2O per kilowatt hr produced. Relatively, wind energy requires 0.001 gallons ( 0.004 liters ) * per kWh, this H2O is used to clean the turbine rotor blades when rainfall is deficient to unclutter off dust and insect build-up which would deform the form of the aerofoil and degrade public presentation. † ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.awea.org/ ) Cost effectual -to green goods air current energy Producing air current energy is besides sustainable for environment and strong economic system. Global heating and contaminated environment impact the economic system in many ways. These are as follows: The US spends more than $ 20 billion a twelvemonth on lung-related unwellnesss associated with debauched air quality due to fossil-based power coevals. ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.westernwindenergy.com/s/Environment.asp ) Hurricane, inundation harm 100s of house, destroys many lives. Pollution from fossil fuel destroys many marine lives such as fish, H2O works. Green house gases bit by bit increase the mean temperature in the Earth. It besides altering the conditions form in the universe, as a consequence we have flood, cyclone, and tsunami really often now a twenty-four hours. Childs are enduring lung disease which diseases create from air pollution. Low birth weight, premature birth and infant deceases besides result of smog. Lake H2O besides contaminated by quicksilver, a toxic heavy metal. However, wind power workss besides have some inauspicious consequence to the environment but the effects are much lower than fossil fuel energy.AFact and recommendations Energy is required in every facet from our day-to-day life to industrial intents. We should travel to utilize air current energy to bring forth power which is more sustainable. We need to believe about this alternate energy resources to carry through our demands while continuing the environments to maintain the environment clean for our future coevalss. Fig 1: adapted from wikipedia ( hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development ) Following are the recommendation to diminish the environmental pollution and move to utilize green energy that is wind energy: Production of energy utilizing renewable beginnings that is wind energy which led to cut down the green house gas emanation to the environment. Increase the environmental and ethical consciousness of the people to switch to green power. Environmental consciousness can be done by advertise the inauspicious consequence of dodo fuel energy. Mutuality regulations are required to maintain the environment clean. Government of different developed states need to hold to bring forth green energy by utilizing air current energy system. Merely few states now a twenty-four hours bring forth energy from wind energy systems. As green house gas can go few 100s of stat mis, it can impact many life every bit good destroy the ecological rhythm. Finally, its clip to travel air current energy system to bring forth power for the industrialised universe. Decision The chief intent to utilize weave energy system is to maintain clean our environment for the following coevals. The concluding end of utilizing air current energy is the manner to bring forth energy in a sustainable manner. Using air current energy to bring forth power non merely sustainable for the environment but besides economically feasible. Our nonsubjective, at this clip, is to impel the company into a outstanding market place. In this century, around the universe terrible emphasis is noticed in every sector either economic or environmental. Increase in Population is besides a large issue of this emphasis. Energy ingestion additions quickly with the addition of population. Peoples are non taken attention of their environment at good. To carry through the energy demand we destroy our environment but we besides destruct our life and sustainability of environment and economic system in this universe. Now is the clip to take attention of our life and environment by utilizing alternate air current energy systems to bring forth energy and power for our day-to-day life and for our industrialised society.

Women and Revolution in China and Iran

Women and Revolution in China and Iran During the 20th century, both China and Iran underwent revolutions that significantly changed their social structures. In each case, the role of women in society also shifted enormously as a result of the revolutionary changes that took place - but the outcomes were quite different for Chinese and Iranian women. Women in Pre-Revolutionary China During the late Qing Dynasty era in China, women were viewed as the property first of their birth families, and then of their husbands families. They were not really family members - neither the birth family nor the marriage family recorded a womans given name on the genealogical record. Women had no separate property rights, nor did they have parental rights over their children if they chose to leave their husbands. Many suffered extreme abuse at the hands of their spouses and in-laws. Throughout their lives, women were expected to obey their fathers, husbands, and sons in turn. Female infanticide was common among families who felt that they already had enough daughters and wanted more sons. Ethnic Han Chinese women of the middle and upper classes had their feet bound, as well, limiting their mobility and keeping them close to home. If a poor family wanted their daughter to be able to marry well, they might bind her feet when she was a small child. Foot binding was excruciatingly painful; first, the girls arch bones were broken, then the foot was tied with a long strip of cloth into the lotus position. Eventually, the foot would heal that way. A woman with bound feet could not work in the fields; thus, foot-binding was a boast on the familys part that they did not need to send their daughters out to work as farmers. The Chinese Communist Revolution Although the Chinese Civil War (1927-1949) and the Communist Revolution caused enormous suffering throughout the twentieth century, for women, the rise of communism resulted in a significant improvement in their social status. According to communist doctrine, all workers were supposed to be accorded equal worth, regardless of their gender. With the collectivization of property, women were no longer at a disadvantage compared with their husbands. One goal of revolutionary politics, according to the Communists, was womens liberation from the male-dominated system of private property. Of course, women from the property-owning class in China suffered humiliation and the loss of their status, just as their fathers and husbands did. However, the vast majority of Chinese women were peasants - and they gained social status, at least, if not material prosperity, in post-revolutionary Communist China. Women in Pre-Revolutionary Iran In Iran under the Pahlavi shahs, improved educational opportunities and social standing for women formed one of the pillars of the modernization drive. During the nineteenth century, Russia and Britain vied for influence in Iran, bullying the weak Qajar state. When the Pahlavi family took control, they sought to strengthen Iran by adopting certain western characteristics - including increased rights and opportunities for women. (Yeganeh 4) Women could study, work, and under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavis rule (1941 - 1979), even vote. Primarily, though, womens education was intended to produce wise, helpful mothers and wives, rather than career women. From the introduction of the new Constitution in 1925 until the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iranian women received free universal education and increased career opportunities. The government forbade women from wearing the chador, a head-to-toe covering preferred by highly religious women, even removing the veils by force. (Mir-Hosseini 41) Under the shahs, women got jobs as government ministers, scientists, and judges. Women got the right to vote in 1963, and the Family Protection Laws of 1967 and 1973 protected womens right to divorce their husbands and to petition for custody of their children. The Islamic Revolution in Iran Although women played an important role in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, pouring out into the streets and helping to drive Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi out of power, they lost a considerable number of rights once the Ayatollah Khomeini took control of Iran. Just after the revolution, the government decreed that all women had to wear the chador in public, including news anchors on television. Women who refused could face public whipping and prison time. (Mir-Hosseini 42) Rather than having to go to court, men could once more simply declare I divorce you three times to dissolve their marriages; women, meanwhile, lost all right to sue for divorce. After Khomeinis death in 1989, some of the strictest interpretation of law were lifted. (Mir-Hosseini 38) Women, particularly those in Tehran and other large cities, began to go out not in chador, but with a wisp of scarf (barely) covering their hair and with full makeup. Nonetheless, women in Iran continue to face weaker rights today than they did in 1978. It takes the testimony of two women to equal the testimony of one man in court. Women accused of adultery have to prove their innocence, rather than the accuser proving their guilt, and if convicted they may be executed by stoning. Conclusion The twentieth-century revolutions in China and Iran had very different effects on womens rights in those countries. Women in China gained social status and value after the Communist Party took control; after the Islamic Revolution, women in Iran lost many of the rights they had gained under the Pahlavi shahs earlier in the century. Conditions for women in each country vary today, though, based on where they live, what family they are born into, and how much education they have attained. Sources Ip, Hung-Yok. Fashioning Appearances: Feminine Beauty in Chinese Communist Revolutionary Culture, Modern China, Vol. 29, No. 3 (July 2003), 329-361. Mir-Hosseini, Ziba. The Conservative-Reformist Conflict over Womens Rights in Iran, International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Fall 2002), 37-53. Ng, Vivien. Sexual Abuse of Daughters-in-law in Qing China: Cases from the Xingan Huilan, Feminist Studies, Vol. 20, No. 2, 373-391. Watson, Keith. The Shahs White Revolution - Education and Reform in Iran, Comparative Education, Vol. 12, No. 1 (March 1976), 23-36. Yeganeh, Nahid. Women, Nationalism and Islam in Contemporary Political Discourse in Iran, Feminist Review, No. 44 (Summer 1993), 3-18.

Free Essays on Contract Creation

A contract is formed any time two people make an agreement to do, or not to do something. Contracts can take on many forms, from a verbal agreement sealed with a handshake, to a formal complex written contract. Certain types of contracts, involving commercial transactions, must be in writing in order to be valid. The parties may only modify written contracts through written agreement. In addition, if an estimate is incorrect or the scope of work changes in a contract, the parties need to write an addendum and both parties need to sign it to modify the original agreement. Business clients can rarely define every requirement and foresee every implication that may result. Project managers cannot foresee every risk or problem that may come up on their projects. The key to successfully managing the project is to make sure that there is agreement on a process for revising the requirements when needed. Amendments should contain the same degree of specificity for changes that the original contract contained. The principle areas where changes are made and for which amendments are required include scope of work, costs, and period or performance. (www.ofm.wa.gov) The contract between Span and Citizen-Schwarz (C-S) is a very complex contract which involved the efforts of many people over an extended period of time. While the goal of every reputable contractor is to deliver a high quality product, sooner or later a customer may be unhappy with the quality of the work on a particular project. On occasion, this may lead to a dispute of the terms of the contract. In the past months, we have earnestly attempted to meet C-S new requirements, which have caused us to have to spend time reviewing the changes, incorporating them into the workflow, which has caused us to fall behind in our delivery schedule. When any one aspect of a project is delayed, it can create a domino effect for the subsequent phases of the project. It is very important to review wh... Free Essays on Contract Creation Free Essays on Contract Creation A contract is formed any time two people make an agreement to do, or not to do something. Contracts can take on many forms, from a verbal agreement sealed with a handshake, to a formal complex written contract. Certain types of contracts, involving commercial transactions, must be in writing in order to be valid. The parties may only modify written contracts through written agreement. In addition, if an estimate is incorrect or the scope of work changes in a contract, the parties need to write an addendum and both parties need to sign it to modify the original agreement. Business clients can rarely define every requirement and foresee every implication that may result. Project managers cannot foresee every risk or problem that may come up on their projects. The key to successfully managing the project is to make sure that there is agreement on a process for revising the requirements when needed. Amendments should contain the same degree of specificity for changes that the original contract contained. The principle areas where changes are made and for which amendments are required include scope of work, costs, and period or performance. (www.ofm.wa.gov) The contract between Span and Citizen-Schwarz (C-S) is a very complex contract which involved the efforts of many people over an extended period of time. While the goal of every reputable contractor is to deliver a high quality product, sooner or later a customer may be unhappy with the quality of the work on a particular project. On occasion, this may lead to a dispute of the terms of the contract. In the past months, we have earnestly attempted to meet C-S new requirements, which have caused us to have to spend time reviewing the changes, incorporating them into the workflow, which has caused us to fall behind in our delivery schedule. When any one aspect of a project is delayed, it can create a domino effect for the subsequent phases of the project. It is very important to review wh...

How to Write a Contract

How to Write a Contract Learning how to write a contract can save you a lot of money and aggravation. Typically people find themselves in a position where they need to hire a lawyer to negotiate the terminology of a contract. This can get quite costly, especially when the parties keep going back and forth changing certain items. By knowing how to write a contract you’ll be aware of each word and phrase that’s being utilized in this document. This puts you in a better position of knowledge. Many have tried to save money by writing their own contract only to find that they’ve neglected to include details that may be needed to make the contract binding. These are very important documents and should not be attempted unless you learn how to write a contract. Contracts can be long and complicated documents or they can be short and sweet. Knowing how to write a contract is simply a matter of common sense. You must be aware of what information is essential to the matter at hand and including details that will avoid any future confusion should the matter ever come to a dispute. Keep in mind that you need to clearly state any detail that could be attacked in court. Ask how certain terms would hold up against a skilled lawyer in a courtroom. If you find yourself able to argue points included in your contract then perhaps you need to go back and rephrase or make your point clearer. The whole point of knowing how to write a contract is to make it so that there is no question surrounding the terms of the document. Before beginning a contract, write out an outline of the terms included in the agreement. Ask questions about those terms outlined to try and foresee any possible complications. Know and understand the terminology that is typically used in a contract. Many times confusion over a simple word or phrase can break apart a contractual agreement between parties. Using a good contract form is essential to knowing how to write a contract. The proper form provides a strong foundation upon which to build a contract. Typically one begins with the parties involved in the transaction. It’s important to include their full legal names as well as nicknames so that there is no confusion over who is involved. Throughout the document, always refer to the parties by the names you have them listed as in the beginning of the contract and avoid any misspelling. Another important thing to know is that the date should be listed in the first paragraph of this paper. Key a blank space within the paragraph so that the date can be written in as the parties both sign the agreement. Knowing how to write a contract means being organized with your thoughts as you type this document up. Keep it simple yet concise. Avoid any loose terminology that could be misinterpreted. Avoid any creative writing and do not rely on grammatical rules that you may have learned in school. Contract writing needs to be absolutely clear leaving no room for misinterpretation. Never try to speed read through your contract when editing it, as you will certainly leave lots of room for misinterpretation that can cost you a lot of money. Once you have learned how to write a contract, you’ll find that it is quite simple as long as you know and understand the rules. Knowing how to write a contract can be quite profitable for those who engage in business practices regularly but find that attorney fees for writing contracts can get quite steep. In the beginning, it may be helpful to seek out advice from an experienced person but once you have the essentials of contract writing down, you should be able to write contracts with ease.

The Current Economic Crisis in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Current Economic Crisis in Australia - Essay Example Banks may be unable to reconstruct for the huge losses which have rooted or incurred by borrowers, default on interest as well as principle repayments. Another impact if investors and banks will not be able to make for the losses would be the increase credit card rates as well as other bank charges to make consumers compensate for the irresponsibility of the financial institutions and other banks. ABC News (2009) reported that, the economic meltdown will result to political instability. The impact of rigorously declined economic activity will spectacularly impact on Australia due to the fact that, narrow economic base, latent as it does on mining as well as agriculture, the former reliant on sales to China while the latter on the wheat sales, wool and meat. The Australian Business (2009) reported that, National Australia Bank warned regarding bad debts which were on the rise; the global economic catastrophe was hurting all its businesses. The economic crisis that Australia is now suffering may be the outcome of the credit expansion. This present crisis is the unavoidable development to a boom that necessarily follows each boom spawned by the effort to decline the "natural rate of interest" by escalating the fiduciary media. The unprofitability of numerous branches of production as well as the unemployment of a substantial portion of the workers can apparently not be owed to the deceleration in business single-handedly. Both the unprofitability and the being without a job are quite intensified by the general depression. Nonetheless, the populations are confronted with a new problem which is not yet fully answered by principles of cyclical changes alone (Ludwig Von Misses Institute,... This essay highlights the key reasons for the current economic crisis in Australia and discusses the likely effects to the country. The road to crisis in today’s economic crisis can be linked to the drastic privatization in Australia, to name some include: airports, port facilities, railways power, water, telecommunications. The economic crisis may also be the outcome of the credit expansion. This present crisis is the unavoidable development to a boom that necessarily follows each boom spawned by the effort to decline the â€Å"natural rate of interest† by escalating the fiduciary media. The unprofitability of numerous branches of production as well as the unemployment of a substantial portion of the workers can apparently not be owed to the deceleration in business single-handedly. Both the unprofitability and the being without a job are quite intensified by the general depression. The populations are confronted with a problem which is not yet answered by principles of cyclical changes alone The severity of the growth turn down will depend upon what happens to China. The Australian federal government has been alleged of being a government in no power to control the big banks as well as corporations. The huge institutions have apprehensive words of the Federal Treasurer. It seems that the banks are no longer ready to be restrained by the Reserve Bank or federal government . Australian federal government should restore some control over the economic direction since it is more essential than any further privatization.

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 9

Assignment 2 - Essay Example In his book, Diamond argues against this notion, and in its stead, he proposes the environmental and geographical theory. In his postulates, he attributes Eurasian success on various environmental and geographical factors that played a significant role in their civilization’s development and advancement. These attributes are reflected in the book’s title, in the sense that their civilization produced guns, steel and germs that were used as weapons against other lesser civilizations. The dog is scientifically referred to as Canis lupus familiaris and as ‘man’s best friend’ due to the fact that it is a widely accepted that it was the first animal to be domesticated by man. Archeological evidence indicates that man began domesticating wolves approximately 33,000 years ago (Diamond 94). According to Diamond (88), dogs are a subspecies of the gray wolf, with DNA evidence indicating that there was an evolutionary split between wolves’ and dogs’ lineage at around 100,000 years ago (Diamond 211). This is attributed to disruptions and variations in climate, and the subsequent changes in the environment that led to genetic and morphological adaptations to facilitate continued survival of the species. This is reflective of Diamond’s postulate that the environment played a key role in influencing the supremacy of the Eurasian civilizations. Dogs are used for various purposes, uses and needs in the daily lives of humans, where they have been kept for working, as pets, for hunting, protection and in assisting handicapped people. The initial domestication of dogs was to aid in man’s hunting activities, which was one of his basic modes of acquiring food, with the other method being foraging or gathering of wild fruits, seeds, tubers and roots. According to Diamond (162), the Eurasian region was geographically conducive for the domestication of more wild animals than other in the world. The earliest signs of dog or wolf

Effectiveness of higher education Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effectiveness of higher education - Coursework Example The metrics of measuring or appraising the effectiveness of higher education are vast and essential. Higher education is perceived as any post-secondary school education which aims at modeling students to be professionals in various fields of interest. In order to measure the effectiveness of higher education, specific variables are considered based on their roles and the influence they have on both students and the institutions. In this synthesis essay, identified are sources that provide in-depth analysis of how effectiveness in higher education can be achieved. Additionally, the sources show how difference variables are deployed in various higher education settings and how efficient they make higher education. Among the factors considered in this case include productivity, effectiveness, unit cost, and efficiency. With reference to the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness, there are various perspectives that influence how each of these properties of higher education can be u sed to measure the overall effectiveness of the education system. While different sources provide varying arguments regarding how effective higher education is, a universal element is considered in most of these sources. Technology is mentioned in various sources as a factor that influences the effectiveness of higher education. This synthesis essay seeks to agree while at the same time offering a different perspective since most sources are peer-reviewed and offer quality appraisal metrics regarding the effectiveness of higher education.

Strategic Operations Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Operations Management - Assignment Example On the basis of the relationship with the consumer, the company can capture new orders. This will give the ability to meet the requirement of customers and make the qualitative product. Price and delivery speed are also important factors that seem to be valuable in the stage of OEM. Prices and quick delivery are also a vital part of this market. At the stage of spares, competitive prices also have to set, and the delivery of the product must be fast and quick so to satisfy the customers. Demands of the customer can be change within the period it is essential to provide the product at the right time and reasonable price. It is also needed to focus on other sales that come during these two segments (Malaval & BÃ ©naroy, 2002). Automotive Market distribution of sales is in the way that 10 percent is covered by prototype, 60 percent by OEM and 30 percent by the spares. This market usually works in OEM stage at which the price and delivery of the product become more insightful. The aim is to decrease the cost of the product and produce within a specified time so control the inventory that is under production. This market is specialized in providing the services related to the product for quite long period. The company provides 12 weeks contracts with a material commitment for the same period. Price become less sensitive and demand become less predictable. The spare companies help in extending the relations with the customers. It will lead the product to be sold after the contracting period. Basically, this market will help to sell the product in the near future (Lipsyte, 2010). Industrial sales depend 10 percent on prototype, 45 percent on OEM and rest on spares. At the stage of prototype the orders are won on the quality of giving quick response to the inquiry of the customers. The proposal must include the reasonable price in accordance with the price of the identical product in the market. At OEM stage

Biocidal Hand Products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Biocidal Hand Products - Essay Example The number of hospitals using waterless alcohol hand sanitizer has doubled since 2001. These findings apply to nurses washing hands during routine patient-care activities on the general patient floor as well as to pre-op surgical preparation and post-op hand washing in the hospital operating recovery room. Hand hygiene is widely acknowledged as the single most important activity for reducing the spread of disease. (Boyce J M, Pittet D 2002) Hand washing is a simple habit that requires minimal training and no special equipment and is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick. Despite the proven health, benefits of hand washing many people do not practice this habit as often. Infectious diseases commonly spread through hand-to-hand contact as the common cold, flu and several gastrointestinal disorders such as infectious diarrhoea. (A A P, 2003) Inadequate hand hygiene also contributes to food-related illnesses such as Salmonella and E.Coli infection. Hand washing is considered the most effective way of reducing cross infection and the number one way to prevent disease. (Boyce J M, 2001).Earlier people washed their hands with water, sand, animal products, sanitary wipes, bar, liquid, flake and foam soaps.The waterless hand sanitizer gels and sprays is the most recent development in hand washing products. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers that do not require water are an excellent alternative to hand washing particularly when soap and water are not available. (Kelliher S, Vallande N, 2000) They are actually more effective than soap and water in killing bacteria and viruses that cause disease. There is decreased skin irritation and dryness. (Kampf G, et al 2005) The active ingredient in these sanitizers is alcohol. 1.1 There are two different products for hand hygiene: 1.1.1 Antiseptic wash lotions: rinse-off products 1.1.2 Alcohol based liquids: leave-on products used for hand disinfection. The European requirement for medicated soaps in bacterial suspension testing, require a reduction of at least 3 log 10 steps against the test bacteria. Alcoholic hand disinfectants are required to reduce the count of test bacteria by a minimum of 5 log 10 steps within the same application time. The safety margin for the user is 100-fold higher with alcohol-based rub-in products. 1.2 Alcoholic hand wash gels are transparent, uniform, easily deformed dispersed systems consisting of at least two components. One is a fluid acting as a dispersing agent and the other a structure-giving component, a solid colloidal material. This stabilizes the fluid part by forming a three dimensional network. There are many types of gels: 1.2.1 Hydro gels: consist of fluid and water. 1.2.2 Alcohol gels: consist of fluid and alcohol. 1.2.3 Lipogels: fluid and liquid fats e.g. Paraffin. 1.2.4 Surfactant gels: fluid and water or surfactant mixture. Hydro gels and Alcohol gels have a distinct cooling effect mainly due to the evaporation of the water or alcohol. The structure-giving component is organic or inorganic, hydrophilic or lipophilic, synthetic or natural. Polyacrylic acid that has a marked penetration effect is used in alcohol gels. 1.3 Antiseptics and disinfectants are extensively used in hospitals and other health care settings for a variety of topical and hard-surface applications. A wide variety of active chemical agents called

Improvign quality through training and education Essay

Improvign quality through training and education - Essay Example ..6 Establishing a Corporate University†¦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‚¬ ¦6 The Focus†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 Conducting the Training and Education†¦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‚¬ ¦.8 The Delivery Method†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 Further Plans†¦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¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Conclusion†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 References†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦12 Appendix A†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 Appendix B†¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..14 Abstract The company must realize that another value adding practice is that of developing the human resource. By pursuing higher levels of training and education for its employees the company should put itself in the position of higher quality outputs. By being skilled and equipped to deal with the problems of the company, each employee will be able to share the burden of problem solving and identification that was once wrongly monopolized by the managerial positions. This will result to a swifter and more efficient workforce organization that will benefit the company in more ways than one. Also, by empowering the employees, the company allows them to share their vision and goals and hold them parallel to the mission and vision statements of the company. With everybody on board the plans and the shared vision for the future of the company, the whole organization will be much more unified and effective in matters of communicating and steering in the direction of business success and development. Establishing a corporate university is a way to do this. Although it will be costly on the initial stages, if the profit objectives are still met then such university, in essence, just also paid for itself and will continually have dividends in the longer run and in the future stability of the company. Improving Quality Through Training and Education Introduction Technology and advancements can dictate the pace and performance of a company, but it pales in comparison to the importance of a good manpower sector in an organization. Manpower is essential in all departments, businesses, and organizations for it functions as the brain and driving force of the whole system. Without well and proper-trained individuals to man the company, chances are strong that it will not be navigated in the right direction to achieve profit objectives, stability, and future sustainability. It is also important to empower employees for the betterment of the whole organiza tion internally. What must be understood is that the whole company must function as one in order to optimize its capabilities. By empowering employees, the management allows them to share the company’s vision and goals and also make it as their own. With a unified sight for what needs to be done, the whole organi

Biocidal Hand Products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Biocidal Hand Products - Essay Example The number of hospitals using waterless alcohol hand sanitizer has doubled since 2001. These findings apply to nurses washing hands during routine patient-care activities on the general patient floor as well as to pre-op surgical preparation and post-op hand washing in the hospital operating recovery room. Hand hygiene is widely acknowledged as the single most important activity for reducing the spread of disease. (Boyce J M, Pittet D 2002) Hand washing is a simple habit that requires minimal training and no special equipment and is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick. Despite the proven health, benefits of hand washing many people do not practice this habit as often. Infectious diseases commonly spread through hand-to-hand contact as the common cold, flu and several gastrointestinal disorders such as infectious diarrhoea. (A A P, 2003) Inadequate hand hygiene also contributes to food-related illnesses such as Salmonella and E.Coli infection. Hand washing is considered the most effective way of reducing cross infection and the number one way to prevent disease. (Boyce J M, 2001).Earlier people washed their hands with water, sand, animal products, sanitary wipes, bar, liquid, flake and foam soaps.The waterless hand sanitizer gels and sprays is the most recent development in hand washing products. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers that do not require water are an excellent alternative to hand washing particularly when soap and water are not available. (Kelliher S, Vallande N, 2000) They are actually more effective than soap and water in killing bacteria and viruses that cause disease. There is decreased skin irritation and dryness. (Kampf G, et al 2005) The active ingredient in these sanitizers is alcohol. 1.1 There are two different products for hand hygiene: 1.1.1 Antiseptic wash lotions: rinse-off products 1.1.2 Alcohol based liquids: leave-on products used for hand disinfection. The European requirement for medicated soaps in bacterial suspension testing, require a reduction of at least 3 log 10 steps against the test bacteria. Alcoholic hand disinfectants are required to reduce the count of test bacteria by a minimum of 5 log 10 steps within the same application time. The safety margin for the user is 100-fold higher with alcohol-based rub-in products. 1.2 Alcoholic hand wash gels are transparent, uniform, easily deformed dispersed systems consisting of at least two components. One is a fluid acting as a dispersing agent and the other a structure-giving component, a solid colloidal material. This stabilizes the fluid part by forming a three dimensional network. There are many types of gels: 1.2.1 Hydro gels: consist of fluid and water. 1.2.2 Alcohol gels: consist of fluid and alcohol. 1.2.3 Lipogels: fluid and liquid fats e.g. Paraffin. 1.2.4 Surfactant gels: fluid and water or surfactant mixture. Hydro gels and Alcohol gels have a distinct cooling effect mainly due to the evaporation of the water or alcohol. The structure-giving component is organic or inorganic, hydrophilic or lipophilic, synthetic or natural. Polyacrylic acid that has a marked penetration effect is used in alcohol gels. 1.3 Antiseptics and disinfectants are extensively used in hospitals and other health care settings for a variety of topical and hard-surface applications. A wide variety of active chemical agents called

Multiple Sclerosis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Multiple Sclerosis - Assignment Example The organization’s environment offers a friendly atmosphere, the shared value among all employees, which assists in easy assimilation of all levels of multiple sclerosis stages. The Jackson Center for Multiple Sclerosis has the assumption that all patients have the right to good health as upheld in the constitution. The behavioral character absorbed by the entire fraternity of employees assists their patients and families by offering openness from both parties, from the acquired information from the families and patients; offering education or furthering research is eased. This support offers a significant role in the lives of those living with multiple sclerosis and their families (Pakenham, 2007). The founders were catalyzed to this organizational culture from dissatisfaction from concern and existing services, losses encountered by patients and families in their lives’ prime resulting from multiple sclerosis. The Jackson Center for Multiple Sclerosis leads in the treatment and study of multiple sclerosis. The families a given a high priority by being offered the opportunities to share their multiple sclerosis experience with others who can identify and understand them (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2002). Gathering at this center upholds the organizational culture by ensuring a fun, positive and educational atmosphere; this is what makes it unique. The center enhances strategies to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and bring acceptance within the society. The Jackson Center for Multiple Sclerosis organizations environment puts patients and their families first by offering individual appointments, support groups, care givers and family sessions. In conclusion, this makes the center an icon and pillar in establishing strategies underwritten in their organization culture, improving the lives of multiple sclerosis patients and their

Analyse Friends Essay Example for Free

Analyse Friends Essay You have been watching various episodes of the popular sitcom FRIENDS. Using this to support your essay, think about the idea of sitcom? What is it? Why is it so popular? Analyse FRIENDS taking into consideration, stereotyping, representation, audience and the sitcom genre. Friends is an American sitcom based in glamorous city, New York. Like most sitcoms from America, this has been a hit all over the world. Friends are about six people in their mid-twenties doing every day things. Theres fusspot Monica (Courtney Cox Arquette), Clueless Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Shopaholic Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Sweet, neurotic Ross (David Schwimmer) and hunky Joey (Matt Le Blanc). And then theres wisecracking Chandler (Matthew Perry). They all live in New York, in expensive and desirable apartments. This conveys to as viewers that their lives are very busy, normal and they are well off with good jobs. Joey and Chandler share an apartment together and across the hallway live Rachel and Monica. Phoebe and Ross live some where else but in the later series Ross moves in to an apartment that is opposite Chandler and Monicas block, the very same apartment where the big fat ugly naked guy used to live! He was a character who always parades around his apartment in the nude. In one episode they tried to poke him taped up chopsticks all the way from they apartment block. I think his purpose, as a character is to show that we all get weird neighbours but we all are the same and all run different lives. This is evidence on how comedy is created, showing things that we would never do or even dream of doing, but we can see the consequences straight from our black box in the lounge. Rachel is the sexy one. She is fashion conscious, always wears nice clothes. Shes really sensitive, cries really easily and always forgetful. She went to high school with Monica. Rachel was about to marry her boyfriend Barry but dumped him at the altar. This perhaps is stereotyping that a young beautiful girls should maybe have more boyfriends before they got married, having a bit of fun. She later met up with Monica and is staying in her apartment, taking over Phoebes room, as she couldnt stand Monicas cleanness any more, which resulted, to her moving. This is a stereotypical images stating that blondes have more fun and must make mess in order to be normal. She is represented by her looking her best at all times and with the best hair dos that all teenage girls would die for. Her parents are really wealthy and she used to live off them. But her friends made her get a job as a waitress in cafi called Central Perk, where they all socialise. As everyone needs to set off by themselves and grow up in the real world. Monica is the clean one. She is obsessed with cleanliness/hygiene and is always cleaning up after her friends. She was very overweight when she was at high school but fought that and is now very slim. This represents that if you want to lose weight, never give up because she did it. This also shows that teenage girls worry about a their appearance a lot as they are teased and bullied at school and results to how far it will take to change their look and image and be normal. Shes also skilful at sports and is a perfectionist; shes got to be the best and always needs to win. This obsession could have been triggered by her success in losing so much weight, which could have made her in believe any dream is worth chasing for, because you will reach it eventually. Monica s wonderful at cooking as she is a chef at a restaurant, but it wasnt easy at first as in her first job, all her colleagues wanted to kill her! Or at least it seemed that way. But she fights her way through, as once, she shouts at them as she couldnt take it any more, and they immediately listen to her. She is represented by always dressing smartly, and is the more mature one of the group. Phoebe is the weird one. She always says strange and bizarre things that have nothing to do with the subject that her friends are talking about. She comes from a strange background, She lived on the streets when she was a kid, her brother (Frank) likes to burn stuff and she has a twin sister called Ursula in which Joey falls in love with at one point. She plays the guitar and comes up with weird and wacky songs like her famous Smelly cat, which she plays in Central Perk. She is represented as stereotypical veggie She loves animals and wouldnt hurt them but in one episode she wore a minx coat but didnt really mind as she said minxes are horrible, this adds to the humour, as she is known to love all living things good or bad and there we see her wearing animal fur. I think she just might be putting on an act to look nice. She is superstitious as she is a bit psychic and she thought a cat was her mum. This is stereotyping blondes by making out that she is a dizzy blonde and is a bit slow at sometimes. Phoebe hasnt got a stable job as its different all the time. They range from a masseuse to collecting money for the poor to selling dead Christmas trees. Joey is the slow-witted one. When someone tells a joke it takes a while for Joey to understand which just adds to the humour. Hes the one who mostly brings back girls to his bachelor pad, which annoys Chandler, as he doesnt get much luck with woman. This is stereotype that Italians are all hunks and womanisers. Can also be described as a Casanova. The Italian Stallion loves sports, especially American Football, Basketball, Baseball and Ice Hockey. He is quite childish as he makes up games like Ultimate Fireball where a ball is on fire and you have to flick it through a hoop. Joey comes from a large Italian family, which consists of his parents and his 7 sisters. Hes a struggling actor, who has started off in a commercial advertising a milk pourer, plays and then in a soap called Day Of Our Lives which he plays a neurosurgeon. But the produces reviled him so they killed him off by making him fall down an elevator shaft. He is represented by having very amusing phrases How you doin which fits into the situation perfectly when he says it. Chandler is the funny one. Hes the one that cracks jokes to people and makes fun of them. He is best friends with Joey and shares an apartment with him. But the friendship was hanging by a thread at one point when chandler slept with one of Joeys girlfriend. But made up later as true friends do as the sitcom shows the ups and downs of friendship. Joey and him love watching Baywatch and have even set his alarm on his microwave to the time it starts so they wont miss it. This is stereotypical as they are saying two single men in their earlier twenties, with their testosterone running high, would to all this trouble just to gulp at a slim female body running on a beach. He is well educated and has a stable job. But they stereotype him by him having another side of him. He is also very sarcastic, which shows he is a insecure person inside and has to make fun of others for him to feel good. He comes from a broken family where his father left him when he was young and his mum smokes a lot and he was mainly neglected during his childhood. This shows that every one comes from different backgrounds and that we should respect that. He is represented by having a lot gestures with the hands and the jokes he cracks to his friends. Ross is the dinosaur guy. He seems to be unlucky with girls. He has three unsuccessful marriages already! His first wife, Susan, turned out to be a lesbian but he had already had a child with her. His second wife, Emily, and him were doing very well and tied the knot, but when saying each other names in the marriage process, he blurted out Rachel instead of Emily. His third wife, a girlfriend for years, Rachel, and him, were in Las Vegas visiting Joey and his new job. Things got a bit out of hand including a huge amount alcohol, which forced them to stumble to a cheap marriage service where got wedded there. This unusual situation just adds to the humour of the show! Throughout the show we see how he copes with this, but it seems he is doing fine thanks to his best friends giving him some advice. Representing that friends are always there for you, you just have to ask. He is sophisticated and well educated, like his sister. He is a palaeontologist, which is the study of past geological periods and fossils. His parents are more fond of him over Monica, although Monica tries so hard to change their views, which reflects real life sibling rivalry where there is always a favourite child. He is represented by constantly changing the tone of his voice to suit the mood he is in, mostly very whiney. Sitcom is informal situation comedy. It is based on realistic situation that happen in our everyday lives. But some how makes it funny and pleasant for the viewers to watch. I think Friends target their audience at 15 35 years olds because this is the time where you need your friends the most. When you start finding a job or wanting a shoulder to cry on, your friends are always there to help. Friends show that if you dont have any friends, you dont get to do what they do on the show. Friends is set in New York, the largest city in the United States. The States are filled with cars, people and their famous yellow taxis, as there are more than 11 million people that live there. Their apartments are on the Island of Manhattan where some of the worlds tallest skyscrapers tower above its streets. Chandler and Monicas apartment block is on top of their favourite hang out, Central Perk. Their apartments are quite modern and new as we can see from the inside. In Monica and Rachels apartment there is nothing you wont find in a normal home. They have a balcony, two bedrooms, one bathroom and a lounge and kitchen that are attached together. Their apartment is quite large where as Chandlers and Joeys are much smaller. They dont have a balcony but everything else is the same. They have a foosball table that doubles as a dining table, so they can play and eat at the same time! They also have two leather chairs, a homemade unit (by Joey) and a duck and a chicken running around. Joey calls it his Bachelor Pad but Monica criticizes him How many girls have you actually brought up here? I find that American sitcoms are much better and more amusing than the British sitcoms. And American ones are much more successful. We can look at Friends and Men Behaving Badly for example. Friends can be seen all over the world, I went to Hong Kong and they were showing it on TV. Men Behaving Badly can only be seen in the UK. This could be because the produces of Men behaving Badly had their target audience on the English viewers and only intended the program to be watched by the Brits and no one else. Where as Friends may have targeted a worldwide audience at the beginning and started from there. But all of the best sitcom that are successful all tend to be American ones. Its just something about their comedy that we cant resist. Also Friends is filmed with a live audience, which shows Friends is more professional in a way as we, the audience, can see what they get up to while filming, seeing all the outtakes. Men Behaving Badly is filmed in an enclosed studio with only the crew inside. Camera angles play a very important part in a sitcom; the mood, the angle and the way it is shot can change the whole scene into a good or bad one. In Series 4 Episode 1 The One With The Jelly Fish the sitcom friends starts off with a taster of what is to follow after the title music, it shows you a bit of the action before it actual starts, just to get the audience going and getting them worked up. It starts off with Joey telling us what happened previously about the story of the whole Ross and Rachel thing. We see Joeys whole body, lying on the ground. Then it shows us clips of it, with Joey narrative guiding us through the scenes. He speaks in a fast pace to show how exciting this is and makes us listen up closely. After the title music, there is an establishing shot of the beach house they were staying at. In Ross and Rachels conversation, when Ross asks Rachel a question, there is immediately a fade in shot of Rachels reaction. It was a mid shot so we could see Rachels facial expressions and the gestures she conducts to occupy her line. Which helps us understand the true meaning. In sitcoms, I found out that they mostly use a mid shot to film the scenes. Because this angle shows everything, the actors and the background, without losing any detail of the other when using another angle. While watching that episode, I noticed that they only use a long shot when someone is entering or leaving the room. Like when Ross entered the room to meet Rachel, the Camera switched to a long shot, to see both their whole body, walking together towards the middle and kiss. This method is to show maybe what they are wearing on that episode to give the wardrobe manger some credit! They also use a lot of establishing shots to set the scene that is to follow. They have establishing shots of the apartment block they live in and the city life. American sitcoms tend to have more sexual diminuendos than British ones. I think this makes it a lot more funnier and in whole a better sitcom. I think Friends is so successful because it deals with universal themes Falling in love, falling out of love, getting a job, losing a job Stuff that everybody can relate to. Fact During the last season, Friends became the most watched sitcom in the world, viewed by more than 30 million people in the US and Britain alone.

The Evolution Of The Microprocessor :: essays research papers fc

Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. The Microprocessor has been around since 1971 years, but in the last few years it has changed the American calculators to video games and computers (Givone 1). Many microprocessors have been manufactured for all sorts of products; some have succeeded and some have not. This paper will discuss the evolution and history of the most prominent 16 and 32 bit microprocessors in the microcomputer and how they are similar to and different from each other. Because microprocessors are a subject that most people cannot relate to and do not know much about, this paragraph will introduce some of the terms that will be in- volved in the subsequent paragraphs. Throughout the paper the 16-bit and 32-bit mi- croprocessors are compared and contrasted. The number 16 in the 16-bit microproces- sor refers how many registers there are or how much storage is available for the mi- croprocessor (Aumiaux, 3). The microprocessor has a memory address such as A16, and at this address the specific commands to the microprocessor are stored in the memory of the computer (Aumiaux, 3). So with the 16-bit microprocessor there are 576 places to store data. With the 32-bit microprocessor there are twice as many places to store data making the microprocessor faster. Another common term which is mentioned frequently in the paper is the oscil- lator or the time at which the processors â€Å"clock† ticks. The oscillator is the pace maker for the microprocessor which tells what frequency the microprocessor can proc- ess information, this value is measured in Mega-hertz or MHz. A nanosecond is a measurement of time in a processor, or a billionth of a second. This is used to measure the time it takes for the computer to execute an instructions, other wise knows as a cy- cle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different types of companies of which all have their own family of processors. Since the individual processors in the families were developed over a fairly long period of time, it is hard to distinguish which processors were introduced in order. This paper will mention the families of processors in no particular order. The first microprocessor that will be discussed is the family of microprocessors called the 9900 series manufactured by Texas Instruments during the mid-70s and was developed

John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Essays Papers

Of Mice and Men - Critical Evaluation ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a book, which deals with the issues of loneliness, dreams and friendship, the author of this book, is John Steinbeck and it was first published in 1937. The story this book tells is of two friends who travel together looking for work during the recession in America in the 1930’s. The men are George and Lennie. George has to look after Lennie because he is a bit dumb and gets into trouble a lot. They both have a dream of owning their own farm one day. All the characters in the novel show aspects of the main themes, the two main characters, George and Lennie, illustrate these themes throughout the book. They travel together for companionship and for someone to talk to. George and Lennie have nothing in common and therefore the only reason they are friends is to stop each other from becoming lonely. Lennie isn’t all that smart and he worships George utterly, but sometimes George gets annoyed with Lennie’s stupidity and shouts at him, for example, in the first chapter when Lennie was annoying him about ketchup he shouts â€Å"God a’ mighty if I was alone I could live so easy†. Deep down George knows this isn’t true because he doesn’t want to be alone. Also, George cares about Lennie and tries to make sure nothing bad happens to him. Another Character that shows these themes is Crooks. He is isolated from the rest of the workers due to racist prejudice. He lives alone in a shed beside the barn and has very little contact with other people. He is probably the loneliest person on the ranch because know one will speak to him apart form Lennie. He is so lonely he is going insane which is shown when he says â€Å" a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody, don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya†. This really sums up Crooks feelings, all he wants is someone to talk to. On a broader scale the whole structure of the book gives the impression of loneliness. For example, the story is set in a town called Soledad, which is Spanish for loneliness. Also the first chapter starts by giving you a detailed description of the surroundings, the landscape of the Salinas River and â€Å"the strong and stony Gabilan mountains†. John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men :: Essays Papers Of Mice and Men - Critical Evaluation ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a book, which deals with the issues of loneliness, dreams and friendship, the author of this book, is John Steinbeck and it was first published in 1937. The story this book tells is of two friends who travel together looking for work during the recession in America in the 1930’s. The men are George and Lennie. George has to look after Lennie because he is a bit dumb and gets into trouble a lot. They both have a dream of owning their own farm one day. All the characters in the novel show aspects of the main themes, the two main characters, George and Lennie, illustrate these themes throughout the book. They travel together for companionship and for someone to talk to. George and Lennie have nothing in common and therefore the only reason they are friends is to stop each other from becoming lonely. Lennie isn’t all that smart and he worships George utterly, but sometimes George gets annoyed with Lennie’s stupidity and shouts at him, for example, in the first chapter when Lennie was annoying him about ketchup he shouts â€Å"God a’ mighty if I was alone I could live so easy†. Deep down George knows this isn’t true because he doesn’t want to be alone. Also, George cares about Lennie and tries to make sure nothing bad happens to him. Another Character that shows these themes is Crooks. He is isolated from the rest of the workers due to racist prejudice. He lives alone in a shed beside the barn and has very little contact with other people. He is probably the loneliest person on the ranch because know one will speak to him apart form Lennie. He is so lonely he is going insane which is shown when he says â€Å" a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody, don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya†. This really sums up Crooks feelings, all he wants is someone to talk to. On a broader scale the whole structure of the book gives the impression of loneliness. For example, the story is set in a town called Soledad, which is Spanish for loneliness. Also the first chapter starts by giving you a detailed description of the surroundings, the landscape of the Salinas River and â€Å"the strong and stony Gabilan mountains†.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 10

Chapter 10 LOVE, KICKED TO THE CURB â€Å"You did what?† Lena said, then adding, â€Å"And take that bat off your head, it's unnerving to have a hat looking at you like that.† â€Å"Like what?† Tuck said. â€Å"Don't change the subject. You blackmailed Theo Crowe?† She was pacing her kitchen. Tuck sat at the counter, wearing a gold oxford-cloth shirt that complemented the bat on his head while accentuating the sea blue of his eyes. The bat, for once, wasn't wearing sunglasses. â€Å"Not really. It was only sort of implied. He'd figured out that I'd been in your ex-husband's truck. He knew. Now he'll just forget it.† â€Å"He may not. He may have some integrity, unlike some people.† â€Å"Hey, hey, hey. Let's not point the finger here, my ex is still living well in the Caymans on money that I rightfully stole from an organ-smuggling doctor, while yours, need I remind you –  » â€Å"Dale's death was an accident. Everything since then, all this craziness, has been your doing. You come into my life at the worst possible moment, like you had a plan all along, and things have gone more and more out of control. Now you're blackmailing my friends. Tucker, are you insane?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Sure? Just like that? Sure, you're insane?† â€Å"Sure, everyone is. If you think anyone is sane you just don't know enough about them. The key – and this is very relevant in our case – is to find someone whose insanity dovetails with your own. Like us.† He flashed what Lena thought was supposed to be a charming grin, which was somewhat defused by his trying to untangle one of Roberto's wing claws from his hair. Lena turned from him and leaned against the counter in front of the dishwasher, hoping to steel herself for what she had to do. Unfortunately Tuck had just run a load of dishes and the steam from the vent in front was streaming through her thin skirt and making her feel inappropriately moist for righteous indignation. She spun around with resolve and allowed the dishwasher to steam her backside as she made her pronouncement. â€Å"Look, Tucker, you are a very attractive man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She took a deep breath on the pause. â€Å"No way. You're breaking up with me?† â€Å"And I do like you, despite the situation –  » â€Å"Oh, right, you don't want to have anything to do with an attractive guy who you like, heaven forbid – ; â€Å"Would you shut up!† The bat barked at her tone. â€Å"You, too, fur face! Look, in another time and place, maybe. But you're too – I'm too – you just accept things too easily. I need –  » â€Å"Your anxiety?† â€Å"Would you please let me finish?† â€Å"Sure, go ahead.† He nodded. The bat, now on his shoulder, nodded as well. Lena had to look away. â€Å"And your bat is freaking me out.† â€Å"Yeah, well, you should have been around when he used to talk.† â€Å"Out! Tucker! I need you out of my life. I have too much to deal with – you are too much to deal with.† â€Å"But the sex, it was great, it was – ; â€Å"I understand if you want to go to the authorities – I may even go myself – but this just isn't right.† Tucker Case hung his head. Roberto the fruit bat hung his head. Tucker Case looked at the fruit bat, who, in turn, looked at Lena, as if to say, Well, I hope you ‘re happy, you broke his heart. â€Å"I'll get my stuff,† Tuck said. Lena was crying, and she didn't want to be crying, but she was. She watched Tuck pick up his things around the house and stuff them into a flight bag, wondering how he had spread so much crap around her house in only two days. Men, they were always marking territory. He paused at the door and looked back. â€Å"I'm not going to go to the authorities. I'm just going to go.† Lena rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache but mainly to cover her tears. â€Å"Okay, then.† â€Å"I'm going, then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Good-bye, Tucker.† â€Å"You won't have anyone to sex up under the Christmas tree†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lena looked up. â€Å"Jeez, Tuck.† â€Å"Okay. I'm going now.† And he did. Lena Marquez went into her bedroom to call her friend Molly. Maybe crying over the phone to a girlfriend would bring a sense of normalcy back into her life. Sour Nerds? Cinnamon Geeks? Or Gummy Boogers? Sam Applebaum's mom was picking out a ;nice; reasonably priced Cabernet, and Sam was allowed one item of candy from the rack at Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines. Of course the Boogers would last the longest, but they were all mundane green-apple finish, while the Nerds proffered a fruity variety and an impudent little top note of tang. Cinnamon Geeks had a rich nose and a bit of a bite up front, but their tiny certified-public-accountant shape betrayed their bourgeois origins. Sam was learning wine words. He was seven and he very much enjoyed unnerving adults with his wine-word vocabulary. Hanukkah had just ended and there had been a lot of dinners at Sam's house over the last week, with a lot of wine talk, and Sam had joyfully freaked out a whole table of his relatives by pronouncing after the blessing that the Manischewitz blackberry (the only wine he was allowed to taste) was a â€Å"tannacious little cunt of a red, but not without a certain buttery geranium charm.† (He finished dinner in his room over that one – but it was tannacious. Philistines.) â€Å"You are one of the Chosen?† said a voice up and to the right of Sam. â€Å"I destroyed the Canaanites so your people would have a homeland.† He looked up and saw a man with long blond hair wearing a long black duster. A jolt went through Sam like he'd just licked a battery. This was the guy that had scared his friend Josh so badly. He looked around and saw his mom was in the back of the store with Mr. Masterson, the owner. â€Å"Can I get these with this?† asked the man. He had three candy bars in one hand, and a small silver coin about the size of a dime in the other. The coin looked very old. â€Å"That's a foreign coin. I don't think they take it.† The man nodded thoughtfully and looked very sad at the news. â€Å"But Nestle's Crunch is a fine choice,† said Sam, trying to buy time, and keep the guy from going off on him. â€Å"A bit naive, but an undergrowth of ambergris and walnut gives it legs.† Sam looked around for his mom again. She was still talking wine with Mr. Masterson, flirting about it – Sam could be cut up in pieces and put away in freezer bags and she wouldn't notice. Maybe he could get the guy to leave. â€Å"Look, they aren't looking. Why don't you just take them?† â€Å"I can't,† said the blond man. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because no one has told me to.† Oh no. This guy looked like a grown-up, but actually he had the mind of a dumb little kid inside. Like that guy in Sling Blade, or the president. â€Å"Then I'll tell you to, okay?† Sam said. â€Å"Go ahead. Take them. You'd better get going, though. It's going to rain.† Sam couldn't remember ever talking to an adult like this before. The blond man looked at his candy bars, then at Sam. â€Å"Thank you. Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men. Merry Christmas.† â€Å"I'm Jewish, remember? We don't celebrate Christmas. We celebrate Hanukkah, the miracle of the lights.† â€Å"Oh, that wasn't a miracle.† â€Å"Sure it was.† â€Å"No, I remember. Someone snuck in and put more oil in the lamp. But I will grant a Christmas miracle tomorrow. I must go.† With that, the blond man backed away, hugging his candy bars to his chest. â€Å"Shalom, child.† And in an instant he was just gone. â€Å"Great!† Sam said. â€Å"Just great. Throw that in my face!† Kendra – the Warrior Babe of the Outland, combat mistress of the hot-oil arena, slayer of monsters, menace to mutants, scourge of the sand pirates, sworn protector of the cud-beast herdsmen of Lan, and intramural Blood Champion of the Termite People (mounds seven through twelve inclusive) – enjoyed cheese. So it came to pass, on that twenty-third of December, with her noodles wet and congealing in the colander, that she did raise her well-muscled arm to the sky and call the wrath of all the Furies down upon her higher power, Nigoth the Worm God, for allowing her to leave the mozzarella at the Thrifty-Mart checkout counter. But the gods do not concern themselves in the affairs of lasagna, so the sky did not explode with vengeful fire (or at least not that she could see from the kitchen window) to incinerate the mingy god who would dare desert her in her most dire hour of cheese. What happened was nothing at all. â€Å"Curse be unto yon, Nigoth! Would that my blade was not broken, I would track you to the ends of the Outland and sever your thousand and one eyestalks, just to make sure I got your favorite. Then I would feed them raw to the most heinous –  » Then the phone rang. â€Å"Helloo,† Molly sang sweetly. â€Å"Molly?† Lena said. â€Å"You sound out of breath. Are you okay?† â€Å"Quick, think of something,† said the Narrator, â€Å"Don't tell her what you were doing.† The Narrator had been with Molly almost constantly for the last two days, mostly an irritation, except that he had remembered how much oregano and thyme to use in the red sauce. Nevertheless, she knew that he was a sign she needed to get back on her meds ASAP. â€Å"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Lena. Just buffing the muffin. You know, gray afternoon, storm coming in, Theo's a mutant – I thought I'd cheer myself up.† There was a long silence on the line, and Molly wondered if she'd sounded convincing. â€Å"Completely convincing,† said the Narrator. â€Å"If I wasn't here, I'd swear you were still doing it.† â€Å"You're not here!† Molly said. â€Å"Pardon?† said Lena. â€Å"Molly, I can call back if this is a bad time.† â€Å"Oh, no, no, no. I'm okay. Just making lasagna.† â€Å"I've never heard it called that before.† â€Å"For the party.† â€Å"Oh, right. How's it going?† â€Å"I forgot the mozzarella. Paid for it, then left it at the check stand.† She looked at the three cartons of ricotta sitting on the counter, mocking her. Soft cheeses could be so smug. â€Å"I'll go pick it up and bring it over.† â€Å"No!† Molly felt a jolt of adrenaline at the thought that she'd have to push through a long girlfriend session with Lena. Things were getting so blurry between Pine Cove and the Outland. â€Å"I mean, it's okay. I can do it. I enjoy cheese – shopping for cheese.† Molly heard a sniffle on the other end of the line. â€Å"Mol, I really need to help you with the goddamn lasagna, okay? Really.† â€Å"Well, she sounds as nutty as you are,† said the Narrator. Molly swatted at the air to shut him up – did a finger-to-lip emphatic rocking shush mime. â€Å"She's a crisis junkie if I ever saw one.† â€Å"I need to talk to someone,† Lena said with a sniff. â€Å"I broke up with Tucker.† â€Å"Oh, I'm so sorry, Lena. Who's Tucker?† â€Å"The pilot I was seeing.† â€Å"The guy with the bat? You just met him, didn't you? Take a bath. Eat some ice cream. You've known him two days, right?† â€Å"We shared a lot.† â€Å"Cowboy up, Lena. You fucked him and kicked him to the curb. It's not like he stole your design for a coldfusion reactor. You'll be okay.† â€Å"Molly! It's Christmas. You're supposed to be my friend.† Molly nodded at the phone, then realized that Lena couldn't hear her. True, she wasn't being a very good friend. After all, she was sworn protector of the cud-beast herdsmen of Lan, as well as a member of the Screen Actors Guild, it was her duty to pretend she cared about her friend's problems. â€Å"Bring the cheese,† she said. â€Å"We'll be here.† â€Å"We?† â€Å"Me. Bring the cheese, Lena.† Theo Crowe showed up at Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines just in time to miss everything. Robert Masterson, the owner of Brine's, had called him as soon as he'd seen the mysterious blond man talking to Sam Applebaum, and Theo had rushed right over, only to find that there was nothing to find. The blond guy hadn't hurt or threatened Sam, and the boy seemed fine, except that he kept babbling about changing his religion and becoming a Rastafarian like his cousin Preston who lived on Maui. Theo realized midway through the interview that he was not the guy to enumerate the reasons why one should not spend his life smoking dope and surfing like Sam's cousin Preston because he: (A) had never learned to surf, and (B) didn't have the foggiest idea how Rastafarianism worked, and (C) would eventually have to use the argument: And look at what a complete loser I am – you don't want that for yourself, do you, Sam? He left the scene feeling even more useless than he had after the verb al bitch-slapping he'd taken from the pilot at Lena Marquez's house. When Theo pulled into his driveway at lunchtime, hoping he might be able to patch things up with Molly and get some sympathy and a sandwich, he saw Lena's truck parked in front of the cabin and his heart sank. He debated shuffling over to the commercial pot patch and smoking a sticky bud before going in, but that sounded an awful lot like the behavior of an addict, and he was simply on a little slide from grace, not a blowout. Still, he came through the door humbled, not sure at all how he was going to handle Lena, who might be a murderer, let alone Molly. â€Å"Traitor!† Molly said from over a pan of noodles she was layering into a pan with sauce, meat, and cheese. She had sauce on her hands up to her elbows and looked like she'd been engaged in some very messy surgery. The back door out of the kitchen had slammed shut as he came in. â€Å"Where's Lena?† Theo said. â€Å"She went out the back. Why, are you afraid she'll reveal your secret?† Theo shrugged and approached his wife, his arms out to the side in a â€Å"gimme a break† gesture. Why was it that when she was angry her teeth looked really sharp? He never noticed that any other time. â€Å"Mol, I was just doing it so I could get you something for Christmas – I didn't mean to – ; â€Å"Oh, I don't care about that – you're investigating Lena. My friend Lena. You just went to her house like she's a criminal or something. It's the radiation, isn't it?† â€Å"There's evidence, Molly. And it's not that I got high. I found fruit-bat hairs in Dale's truck and her boyfriend has a fruit bat. And the little Barker kid said – † Theo heard a car start up outside. â€Å"I should talk to her.† â€Å"Lena wouldn't hurt anyone. She brought me cheese for Christmas, for Christ's sake. She's a pacifist.† â€Å"I know that, Molly. I'm not saying that she hurt anyone, but I need to find out –  » â€Å"Besides, some fuckers just need killing!† â€Å"Did she tell you – ; â€Å"I think it's the pot that makes you reveal your mutant self.† She had a lasagna noodle in her hand and was waving it at him. It sort of looked like she was shaking a living creature, but then, he was still a little buzzed. â€Å"Molly, what are you talking about, ‘my mutant self'? Are you taking your meds?† â€Å"How dare you accuse me of being crazy. That's worse than if you asked me if it was my time of the month, which it isn't, by the way. But I can't believe that you'd imply that I need to be medicated. You mutant bastard!† She flung the noodle at him and he ducked. â€Å"You do need to be medicated, you crazy bitch!† Theo didn't deal well with violence, even in the form of soggy semolina, but after the initial outburst, he immediately lost the will to fight. â€Å"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. Let's just – ; â€Å"Fine!† Molly said. She wiped her hands on a dish towel, then tossed it at him. In dodging it, he felt like he was moving in blurred bullet time in the Matrix, but in truth he was just a tall guy who was a little baked and the towel would have missed him anyway. Molly stomped through the little house, into their bedroom, and dropped to the floor on the far side of the bed. â€Å"Molly, you okay?† She came up holding a package the size of a shoe box wrapped in Christmas paper with a few dust bunnies clinging to it. She held it out to him. â€Å"Here. Take it and go. I don't want to see you, traitor. Go.† Theo was stunned. Was she leaving him? Asking him to leave her? How had this gone so wrong so fast? â€Å"I don't want to go. I'm having a really bad day, Molly. I came home hoping to find a little sympathy.† â€Å"Yeah? Okay. Here you go. Aw, poor stoned Theo, I'm so sorry that you have to investigate my best friend the day before Christmas Eve when you could be out playing in an illegal pot patch that looks like the jungle plateau of the gibbon people.† She held out his present and he took it. What the hell was she talking about? â€Å"So it is about the victory garden?† â€Å"Open it,† she said. She didn't say a word more. She put a hand on her hip and fixed him with that â€Å"I am so going to kick your ass or fuck your brains out† look that excited and terrified him, as he wasn't always sure which way she would go with it, only that she was going to get satisfaction one way or the other and he was going to be sore the next day because of it. It was a Warrior Babe look, and he realized fully, then, that she was having an episode. She probably really was off her meds. This had to be handled just right. He backed away a few steps and tore the paper off the package. Inside was a white box with the silver seal of a very exclusive local glassblower, and inside that, wrapped in blue tissue, was the most beautiful bong he'd ever seen. It was like something out of the Art Nouveau era, only fashioned from modern materials, blue-green dichromatic glass with ornate silver branches running through it that gave it the appearance of walking through a forest as he turned it in his hand. The bowl and handle, which fit his hand perfectly, appeared to be cast of solid silver with the same organic tree-branch design seeming to leap right out of the glass. This had to have been made just for him, with his tastes in mind. He felt himself tearing up and blinked back the tears. â€Å"It's beautiful.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Molly said. â€Å"So you can see it's not your garden that bothers me. It's just you.† â€Å"Molly, I only want to talk to Lena. Her boyfriend threatened to blackmail me. I was only growing – ; â€Å"Take it and go,† Molly said. â€Å"Honey, you need to call Dr. Val, maybe see if she'll see you –  » â€Å"Get out, goddammit. You don't tell me to see the shrink. Get out!† It was no use. Not now, anyway. Her voice had hit the Warrior Babe frenzy pitch – he recognized it from the times he'd taken her to the county hospital before they'd become involved as lovers. When she'd just been the town's crazy lady. She'd lose it if he pressed her any more. â€Å"Fine. I'll go. But I'll call you, okay?† She just gave him that look. â€Å"It's Christmas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  One last try maybe. The look. â€Å"Fine. Your present is on the top shelf in the closet. Merry Christmas.† He dug some underwear and socks out of the drawer, grabbed a few shirts out of the closet, and headed out the front door. She slammed it hard enough behind him to break one of the windows. The glass hitting the sidewalk sounded like a summary of his whole life.