Reaction paper about Blackfish documentary Essay

Reaction paper about Blackfish documentary - Essay Example As such, the theory postulates that crime and deviance occur because of the lack of adequate constraints. The lack of clear laws that govern the handling and use of wild animals is a fundamental factor that could have led to the criminal behavior of the management of SeaWorld. Orcas are dangerous animals belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. While dolphins are always friendly to humans, the animals are temperamental and their behaviors are always unpredictable. Killer whale is among the largest of the family. They have teeth and are always aggressive especially when agitated. Additionally, the animals are large and travel for up to 160 kilometers in a day. The animals therefore require adequate space and depth to move and live freely. The management of SeaWorld has made a number of decisions some of which may have led to the death of the three individuals killed by the killer whales. The need for increased profitability compelled the management to overlook the safety of the employees and freedom of the animals. Additionally, the pressure to deliver is a fundamental determinant that could have compelled the trainer, Dawn Brancheau, to stress the animal thereby causing his death. Ever since the release of the Blackfish film, SeaWorld has promised to make a number of changes. On 13 May 2014, The Dodo ran a story that explained the spotting of a 103-year-old whale moving around the West Coast of Canada with her children and grandchildren. The spotting of the whale would cause problems for SeaWorld. The company had claimed that the life span of orca to be around 20 years. SeaWorld made such claims to justify the fact that most of their orcas die before reaching the age of 20 owing to the deplorable treatment and the environment in captivity. The company has since promised to increase the capacity of its tanks in order to provide the animals with more space Despite the changes, the company promises

Midterm paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Midterm paper - Essay Example While some people view this process as ethical, others totally disagree with the practice on moral and other ethical considerations. Therefore, this necessitates for an outline of both perspectives. Consequently, the paper will outline both arguments for and against the issue as stipulated in the book before providing a conclusion. Consequently, the paper will first outline the argument against the issue as stipulated by Teresa Savage. Next, it will outline the argument for the issue as stipulated by Sarah Shannon. Thus, both arguments will be outlined with regard to the Ashley Treatment. Therefore, this implies that Sarah’s argument will be in support of the Ashley Treatment whereas Teresa’s argument will be in opposition of the Ashley Treatment. In addition, the paper will also provide an assessment of the issue based on individual views and thoughts. Finally, the paper will conclude by asserting that the process of using steroids and surgery to stunt disabled childre n’s growth is not ethical and morally upright; thus, reinstating the thesis statement that use of steroids and surgery in stunting the growth of disabled children is not ethical. Issue Summary As mentioned earlier, there exist contrasting views with regard to whether or not it is ethical to use steroids and surgery in the stunting of disabled children’s growth. ... On the contrast, Nurse Teresa Savage believes that severely disabled children should have independent advocates championing for them. These advocates should preferably be persons with disabilities. Thus, they offer a more critical judgment to the situation with respect to both the benefits and risks of the proposed interventions. Summary of the Ashley Treatment Ashley was born in 1997 with an extreme brain impairment referred to as encephalopathy. Consequently, this condition implies that Ashley can never develop beyond the level of an infant. Thus, Ashley was developing physically, but her mental ability was limited to that of an infant. Consequently, this situation posed a significant challenge to her parents in regards to her upbringing. Her parents felt that her physical growth would, at some point, become overwhelming, rendering them unable to effectively care for their child. Consequently, they sought for a medical intervention that would stunt her growth and prevent her from p hysically growing. This implied that Ashley would not have fully developed physical organs such as reproductive organs and breasts. It also meant that she would not undergo the menstrual process and that she would also be infertile. Consequently, this process involved the use of sex steroids in effecting stunted growth on Ashley; thus, resulting in crucial moral and ethical issues. In the analysis of the use of steroids and surgery to achieve the desired results, a few factors have to be considered: Ashley’s underlying medical condition Social context surrounding the issue Resources available for caring for severely disabled children Yes: In Support of the Ashley Treatment (Sarah Shannon) In her support of the Ashley Treatment Sarah

Effects of Training Hours on Cardiovascular System

Effects of Training Hours on Cardiovascular System Imran Osman The effect of the average training hours per week on the cardiovascular fitness of sport participants: Studies such as that by Shannan E. Gormley et al. (2008) and Tabata et al. (1996) clearly show that exercise and regular training have a positive effect on the heart (circulatory system) and the respiratory system and therefore on the cardiovascular fitness of the individual. The aim of this study was to further endorse and determine the effect that training hours have on cardiovascular fitness of sport participants. Both the resting heart rates and VO2 max of sport performers were taken into account when measuring the cardiovascular fitness. Frequent training is of key importance for sport participants. Regular training should increase the aerobic fitness of the performer due to increasing their VO2 max and decreasing their resting heart rate. The hypothesis suggested that an increase in average training hours per week would results in an increase in VO2 max and decrease in heart rate. This is based on the fact that ‘VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can utilise per minute during intense exercise’ (Elizabeth Quinn, 2011) which is said to be an accurate measure of cardiovascular fitness. Resting heart rate is also a determinant of the fitness of sport participants. The resting heart rate of those who exercise and train more frequently should be lower because less effort is needed from the heart to pump blood.(Source?) Found this as a source; can’t find a author though.  http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/physical-activity/exercises-effects-on-the-heart.html Try to f ind a journal that says it because they prefer you to use peer reviewed sources Fifty sport participants, 25 male and 25 female took part in the study. The experiments included measurements of each participant’s VO2 max, resting heart rate and average training hours per week in their specific sport. In addition to this, alcohol intake and whether or not the participants smoked were recorded, as all of these factors may affect the results. Ethical issues were considered before the tests on these subjects were carried out. For example participants had given informed consent, they understood their role in the experiment, as well as having the choice to withdraw at any time. The subjects had volunteered to take part and were not pressurised to participate. If the participants had an injury or disease they would not be chosen to take part as this may have adversely affect their health during the experiment and have a negative impact on results. VO2 max was measured using the ‘Astrand 6 minute cycle VO2 max test’ which was performed using a cycle ergometer. A heart rate monitor, weighing scales and a stopwatch were also required. Resting heart rate is the number of beats per minute when the performer is at complete rest (Elizabeth Quinn, 2011), and was measured using the heart rate monitor. Many experiments involving the measurement of VO2 max have used the Astrand cycle test such as that by R.E. Cink et al.(1981) and it was said to be successful, also a study by G. Keren et al.(1980) on the Comparison of Various Methods for the Determination of VO2 max came to the conclusion that the Astrand-Rhyming procedure can be a reliable measure for maximal oxygen consumption. Therefore this test was chosen for the investigation. Before each participant carried out the test, the seat height was adjusted appropriately where the knee was almost straight and the pedalling position made to be comfortable for the subject. In advance to the participant took part in a 3 minute warm-up. The initial cycle work rate was set to 125 kilogram-force meter/minute. This setting was chosen as it was appropriate when looking at the age of each participant also this setting should raise the participant’s heart rate to 130-160bpm after 2 minutes cycling at 50rpm before the test starts. The participants would start the test on command and the stopwatch was then started. The performer(s) pedalled at 50rpm for 6 minutes whilst maintaining their heart rate between 120-170 bpm. The heart rate was chosen to be maintained at this range as recommended by G. Keren (1980), who is one of many others who carried out studies using the Astrand technique. He said that the procedure can only be a reliable measure for maximal oxygen consu mption if done properly in the way that Astrand, (1985) carried it out so that heart rate should be kept between 120-170 beats/min. The participant’s heart rate was recorded each minute and after 2 minutes if the participant’s heart rate was not in the target range of 120-170bpm then the work rate wattage was adjusted accordingly. The heart rate rose to a level in the target range and then levelled off, staying relatively constant during the last few minutes of exercise. After 6 minutes the test stopped and the final work rate wattage was recorded. To estimate VO2 max using this protocol, the Astrand-Ryhming nomogram was used, similar to the study by Stephen. F.Siconolfi (1985), where the nomograph technique is carried out where the heart rate (left of nomograph) is plotted and then the workload (right of nomograph), which helps find the VO2 max (middle of nomograph). Once the estimated VO2 max value had been determined the calculation-based formula was used where the estimated VO2 max value was multiplied by the appropriate correction factor (based on age). A treadmill or a stationary bike could have been used to measure the VO2 max and it was important to stay with the same apparatus for each participant to maintain an accurate and fair test. The bicycle ergometer was chosen over the treadmill because it is less expensive, requires less space and is easily transported. It also makes it easier to take heart rate or attach an ECG and requires little training or practice. Furthermore, mechanical efficiency of individuals on stationary bikes varies less than the mechanical efficiency of during running protocols. It is also relatively easy to calculate the external work done on a bike, whereas the work done on a treadmill could be quite variable. Due to variation in mechanical efficiency of a treadmill, bike tests were seen to be better at identifying differences between subjects VO2 max. The mean resting heart rates and mean VO2 max of each participant (male and female) were calculated. As well as the standard deviations of resting heart rate and VO2 max, to see the number of variations that can exist from the average and to determine how numbers varied and how spread out they are. Results: The average resting heart and average VO2 max of each participant as well as the standard deviations: Note; (Do Quantitative comparison; here)-comparing males and females vo2 and resting HR?.. Table of general results: Subject number Gender Average Training Hours per week VO2 Max (ml/kg/min) Resting HR (bpm) 1 Female 20 48 54 2 Female 9 44 59 3 Female 22 32 74 4 Female 18 41 66 5 Female 6 35 69 6 Female 18 36 69 7 Female 16 42 65 8 Female 10 42 67 9 Female 12 47 66 10 Female 8 41 66 11 Female 24 50 61 12 Female 14 31 75 13 Female 20 60 48 14 Female 18 59 48 15 Female 18 41 66 16 Female 20 60 56 17 Female 12 48 64 18 Female 11 41 65 19 Female 10 43 63 20 Female 26 46 61 21 Female 22 67 40 22 Female 16 54 50 23 Female 16 36 69 24 Female 16 56 62 25 Female 12 50 57 26 Male 18 39 68 27 Male 8 43 68 28 Male 12 46 66 29 Male 9 47 62 30 Male 16 46 58 31 Male 16 38 72 32 Male 16 44 58 33 Male 12 40 60 34 Male 20 42 58 35 Male 22 41 68 36 Male 18 44 60 37 Male 16 55 56 38 Male 16 34 69 39 Male 18 44 65 40 Male 14 35 69 41 Male 18 62 43 42 Male 20 45 70 43 Male 9 34 75 44 Male 16 44 54 45 Male 8 38 67 46 Male 8 32 70 47 Male 9 43 63 48 Male 14 43 55 49 Male 18 60 53 50 Male 10 47 62 Imran I don’t think you need the info for every subject, just the averages. Otherwise there’s too much data to read. The results vaguely show that as the number of training hours increase, the cardiovascular fitness for both genders increases. Figure 1 vaguely shows that the VO2 max increases for both genders, and figure 2 vaguely shows that for both genders as the average number of training hours increases the resting heart rate decreases. Figures 1 and 2 show that there was a large variation in results and that the results are not all close to the line of best fit, the data has anomalies, although there is a weak correlation. The variation could be down to factors such as the participants smoking and/ or having high alcohol intake, therefore affecting the VO2 max and resting heart rate. The participants may also have carried out different types of training and training in a way that was specific to their individual sports. Their activities may have been aerobic or anaerobic training and this was not taken into account. The biggest limitation is the fact that the results are varied and not all are similar, there are many outliers, and as discussed this may be due to the differing types of training of the participants and so a future recommendation would be to carry out the experiment with a sample of participants who have preferred sports of which are only anaerobic or only aerobic. Shannan E. Gormley et al. (2008) undertook a similar study to determine the effects of regular aerobic training on VO2 max and resting heart rate, and whether various intensities of aerobic training differentially affected VO2 max as well as resting HR and resting blood pressure. Sixty one healthy young adults took part in the study, they were matched for sex and VO2max and were randomly assigned to a moderate, vigorous near-maximal-intensity, or a non- exercising control group. Intensity during exercise was controlled by having the subjects maintain target HR. Exercise volume was controlled across the three training groups by varying duration and frequency. Fifty-five subjects completed a 6-wk training protocol on a stationary bicycle ergometer and pre and post testing. The researchers concluded that VO2 max had significantly increased in all exercising groups ‘by 7.2, 4.8, and 3.4 ml/kg/min in the near-maximal, the vigorous, and the moderate-intensity groups, respectively’. Therefore showing that Vo2 max increases with intensity of exercise as well as frequency of exercise. Other studies show similar results. Carleton B. Chapman and Robert. S. Frazer (1954) implies that regular exercise training increases cardiovascular function of an individual by increasing their cardiac output and therefore lowering the resting heart rate of the individual. A trial performed by Tabata et al. (1996) showed that after two experiments involving individuals whom are also young sport participants that took part in training programmes, and that after this regular training VO2 max of these individuals increases significantly. In conclusion, the results do not follow the hypothesis in that the data does not clearly show correlations of the effect of average training hours on the resting heart rates and VO2 max of this group of people. This however is only for this specific group of people and may be down to other factors influencing these results such as their alcohol intake, if they smoke or not, and also more importantly, what is involved in their training. One participant may be mainly focusing on agility, whilst another on strength. Furthermore, their particular sporting activity may be aerobic or anaerobic which may have affected the results also. Moreover, this sample size was small also, which means that the results cannot be generalised. References: Elizabeth Quinn. (2011). What Is VO2 Max. [Online] [Accessed 20/02/2014] Available from: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/VO2_max.htm. Elizabeth Quinn. (July 26, 2011). Resting Heart Rate. [Online] [Accessed 20/02/2014] Available: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/qt/Resting-Heart-Rate.htm. Tabata et al. (1996). (Department of Physiology and Biomechanics, National Institute of Fitness and Sports, JAPAN) Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and  ·VO2max. [Online] [Accessed 20/02/2014] Available from : http://jeffosadec.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/effects-of-moderate-intensity-endurance-and-high-intensity-intermittent-training-on-anaerobic-capacity-and-e280a2vo2max.pdf. Carleton B. Chapman and Robert S. Frazer. (1954). Studies on the Effect of Exercise on Cardiovascular Function: Cardiac Output and Mean Circulation Time. [Online] Last accessed 19/02/2014.Available from: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/9/1/57.full.pdf+html Shannan E. Gormley et al.(2008) Effect of Intensity of Aerobic Training on VO2max. [Online] [Accessed 20/02/2014] Available from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/576846 REFERENCE THE ONES BELOW CORRECTLY.. -STEVEN F. SICONOLFI, CAROL EWING GARBER, THOMAS M. LASATER AND RICHARD A. CARLETON (1985) http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/121/3/382.full.pdf+html R.E. Cink, T.R. Thomas. (1981) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1858756/pdf/brjsmed00255-0036.pdf EXERCISES EFFECTS ON THE HEART, New york times http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/physical-activity/exercises-effects-on-the-heart.html -A comparison of various methods for the determination of VO2max. Keren G, Magazanik A, Epstein Y. (1980). VO2 max ;(use this to replace all throughout essay) Usefull links? http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0101/cf.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2644030 http://www.sfu.ca/~leyland/Kin343%20Files/Bike%20Lab.pdf http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/52_06_VO2_Not_Gold_Standard.pdf Links to do with the method/ Amstrad test;†¦ http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0072844221/123981/laba3_3.pdf and http://web.sls.hw.ac.uk/teaching/level3/A33TT3/A33TT3/Practical%202%20Astrand%20Rhyming.prn.pdf http://www.brianmac.co.uk/cycle6min.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ2adzoaVdI (This link here will help find studies using the test; )=http://www.vo2konsulten.se/artiklar/dan_andersson_astrand_ryhming.pdf

A Feminist Analysis of Perceval, Tristan and Isolt, and Aucassin and Ni

A Feminist Analysis of Perceval, Tristan and Isolt, and Aucassin and Nicolette  Ã‚   Currently, there is a debate among feminists as to whether the demeaning portrayal of women in popular media causes or is caused by negative attitudes in modern culture. A similar debate exists among historians of the late middle ages as to whether the rise in popularity of the cult of the Virgin, her portrayal in art, and the code of chivalry caused or was caused by changing attitudes towards women. Many factors in the late middle ages coincided to create an entirely new role for women: contact with the Muslim world in Spain, the rising popularity of religious life, and the aforementioned cultural changes. All of these factors are intertwined with the new attitudes that arose around women. Virginity became exalted, femininity was lauded, courtly love turned women into objects of devotion rather than objects of desire. In short, women were placed on a pedestal. The cultural paradox of this shift in attitudes is that by being placed on that pedestal, women became objects rather than individuals. This dichotomy between respect for women as a group and respect for individual women is clearly shown in three Medieval Romances. Perceval, Tristan and Isolt, and Aucassin and Nicolette may vary greatly in plot, tone and style, but the underlying assumption is the same. In the Medieval Romance, women may be objects of devotion, but they are still merely objects to earned, won, owned and do minated. The first example of this attitude is the saga of the damsel whom Perceval boorishly assaults. This woman, never named, is utterly enslaved and abused by men. Perceval, not heeding her protests, forces her into a compromising situation and then robs he... ...band is a Muslim. The Christian king of Biaucaire, by contrast, does not honor her right to self-determination. The Muslim roots of Nicolette's relative freedom serve as one answer to the question of whether this literature is derivative of the culture or whether it shaped the culture. From this evidence, it seems that the former is true. The pervasiveness of the oppressive attitudes demonstrated in these texts show clearly the dichotomous view of women in the late middle ages. The respect of womanhood which was so central to the chivalric code did not translate into greater freedom for women themselves. Modern opponents of feminism claim that the Women’s Movement has reversed this dichotomy, namely that individual freedoms have devalued women as a group. Perhaps we should ask why our culture has a problem with valuing womanhood and valuing women concurrently. A Feminist Analysis of Perceval, Tristan and Isolt, and Aucassin and Ni A Feminist Analysis of Perceval, Tristan and Isolt, and Aucassin and Nicolette  Ã‚   Currently, there is a debate among feminists as to whether the demeaning portrayal of women in popular media causes or is caused by negative attitudes in modern culture. A similar debate exists among historians of the late middle ages as to whether the rise in popularity of the cult of the Virgin, her portrayal in art, and the code of chivalry caused or was caused by changing attitudes towards women. Many factors in the late middle ages coincided to create an entirely new role for women: contact with the Muslim world in Spain, the rising popularity of religious life, and the aforementioned cultural changes. All of these factors are intertwined with the new attitudes that arose around women. Virginity became exalted, femininity was lauded, courtly love turned women into objects of devotion rather than objects of desire. In short, women were placed on a pedestal. The cultural paradox of this shift in attitudes is that by being placed on that pedestal, women became objects rather than individuals. This dichotomy between respect for women as a group and respect for individual women is clearly shown in three Medieval Romances. Perceval, Tristan and Isolt, and Aucassin and Nicolette may vary greatly in plot, tone and style, but the underlying assumption is the same. In the Medieval Romance, women may be objects of devotion, but they are still merely objects to earned, won, owned and do minated. The first example of this attitude is the saga of the damsel whom Perceval boorishly assaults. This woman, never named, is utterly enslaved and abused by men. Perceval, not heeding her protests, forces her into a compromising situation and then robs he... ...band is a Muslim. The Christian king of Biaucaire, by contrast, does not honor her right to self-determination. The Muslim roots of Nicolette's relative freedom serve as one answer to the question of whether this literature is derivative of the culture or whether it shaped the culture. From this evidence, it seems that the former is true. The pervasiveness of the oppressive attitudes demonstrated in these texts show clearly the dichotomous view of women in the late middle ages. The respect of womanhood which was so central to the chivalric code did not translate into greater freedom for women themselves. Modern opponents of feminism claim that the Women’s Movement has reversed this dichotomy, namely that individual freedoms have devalued women as a group. Perhaps we should ask why our culture has a problem with valuing womanhood and valuing women concurrently.

Freedom of Expression in the Philippines Essay

â€Å"Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties. – JOHN MILTON Individual freedom and collective expression in the Philippines, I’d say, is the most exercised and an unmistakable sign of this country’s democracy. Our individual rights and freedoms, the most basic, the essential to the complex and critical ones define our identity as Filipinos, and the basic extension of our humanity. That need to express, to communicate, and to reach out to one another without the fear of judgment or even criminal prosecution. We have the freest press, the most uncensored and unrestricted provisions on our freedom to express ourselves, to seek other people’s take on relevant issues and sometimes just so, because we want to and because we can. And when these are stripped of us, we resist. We react, and to some extent violently and rebelliously just so we can send that fierce message that as a democratic country, with the collective freedoms and rights declared in our charter, no one has the right to deny us of those rights and freedoms. But sometimes, too much freedom can mean abuse of freedom. And restrictions or not, these freedoms aren’t absolute. One is still liable to what he says, especially in public. As professionals and practitioners of the press, they are responsible for balanced views and opinions. Slander, libel, false accusations and any other form with malicious intent is tolerated by freedom of expression. One cannot accuse someone of something and invoke his freedom of expression, and expect it to give him immunity from the law. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: â€Å"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.† Article 19 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirms: â€Å"Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include  freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.† Under the Bill of Rights of the Philippine Constitution, Article III, Section 4 declares: â€Å"No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.† But it wasn’t too long ago when the infamous Cybercrime Bill was signed by the president. It bore flawed provisions that largely outraged advocates of freedom of speech. It awakened this fire not only to these advocates but to ordinary Filipinos who was suddenly faced with the possibility of being denied of this freedom. It scared some. And now the Bill is on a temporary restraining order after much protest that involved hacktivists hacking government servers and websites. The President’s website down to other departments weren’t spared from their wrath. Rallies and demonstrations plagued the major government offices. Even the press expressed its dismay on the unreasonable grounds the bill imposed. And thus, this freedom prevailed. Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. – GEORGE BERNARD SHAW How many times have we seen major political figures get away with it? How often have seen them actually pay for their wrongful actions? Seldom, if not never. I’m not going to expound much on the issue of legal independence, though it’s another critical criteria of good governance that somehow connects with this issue. The ‘influence’ of the executive and legislative branches respectively, to our judiciary, though less people wants to admit it, is not unheard of. I would even go as far as saying that appearances aside, alliances between people from these three legs of our system speaks volumes if we want to talk about partiality, of justice being served, or of the  judiciary protecting people from the other two branches. Ex-chief justice Renato Corona’s historic impeachment can attest to this connection. People have been talking about Corona’s alleged alliance with GMA ever since he was appointed by the latter, have sprouted suspicions and dirty allegations and from that standpoint, when the chief justice’s public image is tainted, people will not just talk of injustice. Regardless of its truth or falsity, in their eyes, the then chief justice must no longer be a chief justice. Then came his impeachment, which was on the grounds of not declaring assets and liabilities on his SALN, which then comes to light a public official’s dishonesty or honest mistake of omission, we will never know. After that excruciating days of examining the facts and arguing from point A to point B about this and that in the senate, I don’t think it had achieved much but prove a point. A point that I guess is a starting step into holding a public official responsible for his action. It’s a welcomed change. But let’s look at our former president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Somehow, she’s still out of the clutches of accountability to her grave misdeeds in office. Her audacity not to resign when reasonable proof has been unearthed of her alleged influence on the 2004 Presidential elections. Evidences, though illegal or circumstantial surfaced, or did you forget the wiretapping Hello Garci scandal. Those tapes allegedly suggested that Arroyo ordered the rigging of the national elections for her to win by around one million votes against the late Fernando Poe, Jr. However, she indeed conversed with COMELEC commissioner Virgilio Garciliano, and it was a ‘lapse of judgment’ on her part and made the most talked about apology in television. Her alleged cheating and electoral sabotage induced public protests, to no avail. Several impeachment attempts have followed. Three separate complaints ensued. One in 2005, and then another in 2006. All defeated and trashed in the House of Representatives. Now what does that say of our system under her presidency? In October 2007, lawyer Alan Paguia filed an impeachment complaint against Arroyo in connection with the issue of bribery. Paguia’s complaint was based on the revelation of Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio that various governors received half a million pesos from Malacaà ±ang. The impeachment case, as of the middle  of October 2007, has already been referred to the House of Representatives Committee on Justice. Now what? Is it sitting there somewhere in the House with dusts and was ultimately forgotten? Her presidency, shrouded in controversy, was probably the worse after Marcos, though in the same light, we can’t deny their contributions in the country’s economical improvement. But accountability, CGMA seems to be immune to. We saw progress on November 18, 2011 after a Pasay court issued a warrant of arrest against her, following the filing of a complaint for electoral sabotage by the Commission on Elections. At the time, she was in the hospital, so it was a House Arrest. The Supreme Court had issued a Resolution enjoining attempts by the Department of Justice to prevent her departure from the Philippines to seek medical treatment overseas. But oh well, The House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. issued a travel permit allowing her to have treatment in Germany despite the Department of Justice hold departure order. She was released from hospital arrest on bail and refused to enter any plea on charges she misused $8.8 million in state lottery funds during her term in office. These pile of charges seemed to hang up there again, as she is currently seeking treatment in Germany. Not to be insensitive with her health conditions, nor would I wanna say that her health conditions are just convenient lies to evade prosecution, but one has to admit of it being at the right place at the right time. Joseph Estrada was convicted of plunder and was placed on house arrest. Well at least that is some form of penalization we saw. But then, Manila had to elect him as their Mayor in the recent polls. Now what does that say about us learning from our mistakes? How can we trust a public official who had already broken our trust in the worst way possible and then elect him again and put him into a position where he can do it again? I am but a keen observer and naturally has not enough professional or political mandate to be accusing the lady of anything. However, it is my constitutional right to express myself though facts and informed judgments and personal opinions. At this juncture, if one has to violently disagree with me and confront me in the form of a lawsuit (God, I hope not), I leave the world of Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, Mahar Mangahas. â€Å"If any citizen is free to openly agree, but not to openly disagree, then freedom of expression does not prevail. An individual’s option to openly express disagreement without risk of any personal injury is a key part of the definition of a free society.†

Business Plan Project Essay

BUSINESS NAMES V-cigs. The V stands for vapor and victory. Vapor is the substance identical to smoke while Victory is the victory that all the heavy smokers out there will get when they manage to quit smoking. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS Our business will be a distributor of Electronic cigarettes where we get the item shipped straight from US. An electronic cigarette is a battery powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine or non-nicotine vaporized solution. It is an alternative to smoked tobacco products such as, cigarettes, cigars or pipes. In addition to purported nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no smoke or combustion is actually involved in its operation. An electronic cigarette takes the form of some manner of elongated tube, though many are designed to resemble the outward appearance of real smoking products. Another common design is the â€Å"pen-style†, so named for its visual resemblance to a ballpoint pen. Most electronic cigarettes are reusable devices with replaceable and refillable parts. FORM OF BUSINESS OWNERSHIP It will be a sole proprietorship because it’s a startup company and we’re planning to lay low and go small at first and see how it goes, so it’s easier to form by one owner and it doesn’t need high startup costs and we’ll get tax benefits. IDEAL CUSTOMER We try to target on adults and teenagers in the range of age from 18 to 55 years old. Not just males but females too because in this century now the population of females who smokes is slightly equal to males who smokes. But our priority is the ones who have health problem, a pregnant lady and ones who have basic desire to quit smoking. OUR ADVANTAGES V-cigs carries some of the finest electronic cigarettes and supplies on the market. Our selection of kits and accessories for both new & advanced vapers truly offer a unique alternative to smoking in an incredibly lower price. It is designed for the people who want the freedom to smoke anywhere without having to put it out. Apparently it is more eco-friendly because it does not emit the same toxins as a traditional cigarettes. It provides nicotine while not producing carbon dioxide and other harmful fumes and chemicals. We don’t have any direct competition but we do have indirect competitors and they are; All the companies that make cigarette locally and internationally like Dunhill, Winston, Marlboro, Salem and etc. Shisha Cigar Pipes Competitive substitute Our advantages THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT Environmental Variables Key impacting factors Political Economic Socio-Cultural Trend of anti-smoker have wide-spread Technological BUSINESS PLAN PROJECT TEMPLATE PART 2: THE BUSINESS OF MANAGING MISSION STATEMENT â€Å"To protect the environment and provide a complete freedom to smoke anywhere, anytime without any harmful effects to the body and environment as well and also to give the same real taste of traditional cigarette but with style†. We strive to maintain that type of customer service at V-cigs. We want to be available to our customers to answer your questions as you continue to vamping. We want to be approachable and helpful and ready to help you with all of your vamping needs and desires. Our main reason for being a vendor is so that we can help people when and where they need it. Though our customers come from all walks of life and several parts of the country, we hope to continue to have a local atmosphere. BUSINESS GOALS Every company has its goals while ours are; Short-term goal Our short-term goal is a target of 400 customers by the end of the first year, where each customer spends a minimum of RM150 per purchase. Intermediate goal Our intermediate goal is to open few branches when net profits reach RM20 000. SWOT ANALYSIS The purpose of the SWOT analysis is to know the V-cigs strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that are internal and external.

Hortatory Discourse in Rhetoric

Hortatory Discourse in Rhetoric Speech or writing that urges or commands an audience to follow (or not follow) a particular course of action. It is also called hortatory rhetoric. Examples of Hortatory Speeches: I want you to get mad!I dont want you to protest. I dont want you to riot. I dont want you to write to your Congressman, because I wouldnt know what to tell you to write. I dont know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street.All I know is that first, youve got to get mad.Youve gotta say, Im a human being, goddammit! My life has value!So, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell, Im as mad as hell, and Im not going to take this anymore!(Peter Finch as Howard Beale in Network, 1976)Please forget that we are anarchists. Forget that it is claimed that we propagated violence. Forget that something appeared in Mother Earth when I was thousands of miles away, three years ago. Forget all that, and merely consider the evidence. Have we been engaged in a conspiracy? Has that conspiracy been proven? Have we committed overt acts? Have those overt acts been proven? We for the defense say they have not been proven. And therefore your verdict must be not guilty.(Emma Goldman, address to the jury on July 9, 1917) Young America, dream. Choose the human race over the nuclear race. Bury the weapons and dont burn the people. Dreamdream of a new value system. Teachers who teach for life and not just for a livingteach because they cant help it. Dream of lawyers more concerned about justice than a judgeship. Dream of doctors more concerned about public health than personal wealth. Dream of preachers and priests who will prophesy and not just profiteer. Preach and dream!(Jesse Jackson, speech at the Democratic National Convention, July 18, 1984) Observations: Discourse as a Play: Narrative, Expository, and Hortatory[A] metaphor that has proven particularly useful in several theoretical approaches to discourse and communication . . . is summarized as discourse is a play. The idea is that a person who intends to communicate an idea is like the director of a play. The speaker has an image in mind, and uses linguistic tools to encourage some audience to create a similar image in their minds. . . . The scene may be an actual or fictional series of events occurring over time, in which case we may say that the discourse produced is narrative. Or the scene may involve a description of some concrete thing or abstract idea, in which case the speaker engages in expository discourse. Sometimes a speaker will use language to describe ways the speaker would like the audience to behave. This would be called hortatory discourse.(Thomas E. Payne, Understanding English Grammar. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2011)In hortatory discourse, the composer of the discour se is especially likely to get involved with his subject matter and his audience and to urge on them a certain course of conduct by virtue of the prestige invested in this person.(Robert E. Longacre, The Grammar of Discourse, 2nd ed. Springer, 1996) Hortatory discourse can be seen as valuable in its own right. It can be seen as having a different purpose from the conveying of factual information. And the argumentation that is used to fulfill it, can be seen as legitimate in its own right, as a type of discourse distinct from information-seeking discourse.(Douglas Walton, Ethical Argumentation. Lexington Books, 2003) Pronunciation: HOR-teh-tor-ee

Accelerated Reader Student Software Program Review

Accelerated Reader Student Software Program Review Accelerated Reader is one of the world’s most popular reading programs. The software program, commonly referred to as AR, is designed to motivate students to read and to assess their overall understanding of the books that they are reading. The program was developed by Renaissance Learning Inc., which has several other programs closely related to the Accelerated Reader program. Although the program is designed for student’s grades 1-12, Accelerated Reader is especially popular in elementary schools across the country. The programs main purpose is to determine whether or not the student has actually read the book. The program is designed to build and encourage students to become lifelong readers and learners. In addition, teachers can use the program to motivate their students by providing rewards that correspond to the number of AR points earned by the student. Accelerated Reader is essentially a three-step program. Students first read a book (fiction or nonfiction), magazine, textbook, etc. Students may read individually, as a whole group, or in small group settings. Students then individually take the quiz that corresponds to what they just read. AR quizzes are assigned a point value based on the overall level of the book. Teachers often set weekly, monthly, or yearly goals for the number of points they require their students to earn. Students who score below 60% on the quiz do not earn any points. Students who score 60% - 99% receive partial points. Students who score 100% receive full points. Teachers then use the data generated by these quizzes to motivate students, monitor progress, and target instruction. Internet-Based Accelerated Reader is Internet-based meaning that it can be accessed easily on any computer that has Internet access. Being Internet based allows Renaissance Learning to automatically update the program and to store key data on their servers. This makes it much easier on a school’s IT team. Individualized One of the best things about Accelerated Reader is that it allows the teacher to dictate how the program is used including the ability to limit students to a reading range that is on their level. This keeps students from reading books that are too easy or too difficult. Accelerated Reader allows students to read on their own levels and to read at their own pace. It does not dictate which book a student reads. There are currently over 145,000 quizzes available to students. In addition, teachers may make their own quizzes for books that currently are not in the system or they may request that a quiz is made for a particular book. Quizzes are added continuously for new books as they come out. Easy to Set Up Students and teachers can be quickly added to the system either through large batch enrollment or individualized addition. Accelerated Reader allows teachers to customize individual reading levels. Teachers can get these reading levels from a STAR Reading Assessment, standardized assessment, or individual teacher assessment. Classes can be quickly set up to allow the teacher to monitor whole class reading progress and to compare individual students within that class. Motivates Students Every quiz in the Accelerated Reader program is worth points. Points are determined by a combination of the difficulty of the book and the length of the book. Teachers often set goals for the number of points each student must earn. The teacher then rewards their students by giving things such as prizes, parties, etc as motivation to meet their goals. Assesses Student Understanding Accelerated Reader is designed to determine whether or not a student has read a particular book and the level at which they understand the book. A student cannot pass the quiz (60% or higher) if they have not read the book. Students who pass the quizzes demonstrate that they not only read the book, but they have a proficient level of understanding of what the book was about. Uses the ATOS Level The ATOS book level is a readability formula used by the Accelerated Reader program to represent the difficulty of a book. Each book in the program is assigned an ATOS number. A book with a level of 7.5 should be read by a student whose reading level is somewhere around the 7th grade and fifth month of the school year. Encourages Using the Zone of Proximal Development Accelerated Reader encourages the use of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The Zone of Proximal Development is defined as the range of difficulty that will challenge a student without causing the student to become frustrated or lose motivation. The ZPD can be determined by the STAR Reading assessment or the teacher’s best professional judgment. Allows Parents to Monitor Progress The program allows parents to do the following: Monitor a student’s progress towards reading goals.Conduct book searches.Review results, view the number of books read, words read, and quizzes passed. Provides Teachers With Tons of Reports Accelerate Reader has about a dozen fully customizable reports. These include diagnostic reports, history reports; quiz usage reports, student point reports, and many more. Provides Schools With Technical Support Accelerated Reader allows you to receive automatic software updates and upgrades. It provides live chat support to answer questions and provide immediate resolution to any issues or problems you have with the program. Accelerated Reader also provides software and data hosting. Cost Accelerated Reader does not publish their overall cost for the program. However, each subscription is sold for a one-time school fee plus an annual subscription cost per student. There are several other factors that will determine the final cost of the programming including the length of the subscription and how many other Renaissance Learning programs your school has. Research To date, there have been 168 research studies that support the overall effectiveness of the Accelerated Reader program. The consensus of these studies is that Accelerated Reader is fully supported by scientifically based research. In addition, these studies concur that the Accelerated Reader program is an effective tool for boosting students’ reading achievement. Overall Assessment Accelerated Reader can be an effective technological tool for motivating and monitoring a student’s individual reading progress. One fact that can’t be ignored is the program’s immense popularity. Observations show that this program benefits many students, but the overuse of this program can also burn many students out. This speaks more to how the teacher is using the program than it does to the overall program itself. The fact that the program allows teachers to quickly and easily assess whether a student has read a book and the level of understanding they have from the book is a valuable tool. Overall, the program is worth four out of five stars. Accelerated Reader can have immense benefits for younger students but can lack in maintaining its overall benefits as students get older.

The Architecture of a Propeller

The Architecture of a Propeller On the surface, a propeller seems like a simple device. Once you learn to measure some common prop dimensions and ponder the nearly limitless combinations of these variables you see that it is very complex. Then at some point, after much studying, you will attain prop enlightenment and the propeller will become simple again. There are no promises of prop enlightenment or other engineering magic here, just some basic terms and measurements to help you see how a prop interacts with the rest of the vessel and the elements. With this knowledge, you will be able to determine prop performance characteristics. Architecture of a Propeller Hub – This is the central portion of the prop that fits onto the prop shaft. It is a hollow cylinder where the bases of the blades are attached.Blades – These are the large, flat pieces that radiate out from the hub. This is what pushes the water making the boat move forward.Root – This is where the blade attaches to the hub.Leading Edge - This refers to the edge of a blade that is moving into the water.Trailing Edge – This is the edge of a blade that is opposite the leading edge.Blade Face – The wide part of the blade, often divided into fore and aft faces. Propeller Variables Diameter – The diameter of a prop is the distance across the propeller. If you are viewing a prop from the rear of a boat and imagine the prop making a solid circle as it spins the diameter will be the distance across that circle. To measure this dimension measure one blade from the center of the hub to the tip of the blade then double that number to get the diameter. Pitch – This measurement is the mystery for many people but the definition is very simple. The pitch of a prop tells us the maximum distance a propeller will move a vessel forward through the water. Take note of the word maximum in this description. Pitch is often referred to as a theoretical measurement because no prop operates at one hundred percent efficiency. The laws of fluid dynamics tell us that there is a significant loss of power at the prop which can be as much as one-third of maximum efficiency. This means that a prop with a pitch of 21 inches will only move a boat forward fourteen inches in the real world. To measure pitch, you need to take several measurements. These measurements are going to be much more accurate if you have the prop off the shaft and can lay it flat on a table. Don’t worry if you need to do this while it is still attached to the vessel, it will be slightly less accurate but this is not a precision engineering measurement. First, find the widest part of one blade and draw a line across the face from edge to edge. Then measure the distance from the front of the hub to the points where your line meets each edge of the blade. You can do this best while viewing the prop from the side. Take the smaller measurement and subtract it from the larger. Next use a protractor, angle gauge, or carpentry square to measure the triangle formed by the two points at either end of the line drawn across the widest part of the propeller blade and the center of the hub. The narrow, pointy end should be at the center of the hub. Measure the angle between the two lines radiating out from the center of the hub. Now take the first measurement and multiply it by 360. Then take the result and divide it by the angle you found in the second measurement. The resulting number is the pitch of the prop. For example, a prop that has a three-inch difference between the leading and trailing edge at the center of a blade and has a thirty-degree angle between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the blade will have a pitch of ​36 inches. This is calculated as; 3 x 360 / 30 36. There are also inexpensive prop gauges available but where is the fun in that approach. Rake – Rake is the angle between the cylinder that forms the hub and an imaginary line from the blade root to the tip of the blade. This is best measured with a protractor or angle gauge since the measurement will be a fairly small number. Prop Markings The easiest way to find prop diameter and pitch is to read the markings stamped or cast into the hub. These are two numbers separated by a dash. The first number is the diameter and the second is the pitch.

Romantic Period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Romantic Period - Essay Example Beethoven, probably the most famous composer in all of history, is more difficult to place. His first compositions are unmistakably Classical in style. However, his later works, which includes the majority of his most celebrated compositions, is just as unmistakably Romantic. Music from the Romantic Era is characterized by more heavier, graver textures with intrepid dramatic distinctions. Very extremely emotional, this style of music gave more liberty in arrangement and design for the composers to work on. It expressed a more penetrating personal manifestation of emotion in which imagination, creativity and a pursuit for adventure play a significant role. Romantic music is not as dependent on repetition as it was did in the Classical period. The music frequently directly told a story. In the Romantic era, music developed philosophical or poetic implication. Antiquity, folktale, history and striking cultures were observed as likely sources of vision and

The Advantages of Paying Cash Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Advantages of Paying Cash - Essay Example It should be noted that compared to credit cards, cash payments make an individual more conscious of his expenditures, exempt him of annual charges, and motivates the individual to save.As opposed to cash payments, credit cards allow an individual to spend more than the money that he actually has. For example, when shopping a person with credit card tend to spend more on items that he does not necessarily need. With cash, a person will be constrained by the amount that he carries.Secondly, without credit cards, an individual is exempt from paying annual fees and other interest charges. The $200 charge by companies annually is often enough to purchase some necessities. Also, interest charges are additional expenses which one doesn't want to shoulder.Lastly, cash payments motivate a person to save. It should be noted that since you only spend what you have, you are not tempted to allot money for unnecessary purchases. This together with the absence of financial charges motivates you to save money.If I am faced with the important decision of choosing the place where I want to spend all my life, I will choose to stay in the city. Away from the solace and the boredom of the small town, a city provides a quality of life which will enable me to develop my strengths to the fullest. The big city often offers the best schools in the country, the more exciting and challenging job opportunities, and the best companies to work for. I always believe in developing my competencies through education which can be best secured by a huge and reputable university in the city. Universities in big cities often invest so much in the quality of the education that they offer thereby allowing their students to be the best in their respective fields. Secondly, there are more job opportunities in the city. In a small town, jobs are limited and are often non-challenging to an adventurous person like me. In a big city, jobs require the completion of tasks which are more exciting. Having these tasks will enable me to learn more. Big cities also house the best companies to work for. Recognizing the quality of the people that they have, these companies offer huge compensation together with nonfinancial rewards. Working with the best company also has the advantage of working with the best in the industry. A big city represents the life that I choose for myself. As opposed to the small, quiet town it provides opportunities of growth for me. In the big city, I can be equipped with better education, work more challenging jobs, and can be a part of the world's best organizations. How to Do Your Laundry Who says that you always need to bring your dirty clothes in the laundry shops for cleaning It is often disappointing to find out that people are relying so much and paying for these services when washing clothes is just an easy task. Doing your laundry can be done in three major steps namely, the pre-washing preparations, the actual washing, and drying. In order make washing easier, it is best to always separate the colored from the whites. This way, the colors will be maintained and color fast clothes are also protected. Before putting them in the washing machine, all foreign objects such as clips, pens, wallets, and other should be removed from the clothes. Also, it is best to prepare the machine by following the manufacturer's instructions. During the actual washing, the procedure of the washing machin

An innovative Leadership Development Programme (LPD) Coursework

An innovative Leadership Development Programme (LPD) - Coursework Example This was in line with the innovation to be practical and simple to grow into how leaders operated the business. The leadership in all the branches of GE has been included in the program. The leaders have learned how to transfer the opportunities and leadership ideas into initiatives that produce results. The launch of the new program focused on global growth in all the branches across the world. This required an assessment on what has been worked on and what is needed for improvement to achieve the expected results. LIG success had relevance and value that surpassed GE. Innovating can be taught to leaders and teams in organizations to achieve the expected outcome. For example, PwC US also launched a Genesis Park which is a development program that is unique and intensive. The program is designed to create business leaders of tomorrow. The programs help employees to integrate what they learn and how they operate in the daily activities. Govindarajan (2011) contends, â€Å"Most organizations achieve the expected outcomes by use of the new programs by developing innovations that include; keeping intact teams as one for development; leverage actionable programs; sharing best practices; create a common language; secure leadership support; and conduct extensive follow up†. Keeping intact teams as one for development; innovation requires teams to work together. This task seems easy but, it is one that differentiates many innovation programs. The leadership development programs at times fail to drive the real change expected as the leadership or managers do not go together in the course of the learning process. The effect of bringing the entire team together is significant. This helps the teams to build consensus more easily and quickly. In addition, the process fosters a greater commitment in applying the changes for the operations of the organization. Leverage actionable innovative leadership development programs;

Individual report on the social marketing campaign (summative) and Essay

Individual report on the social marketing campaign (summative) and Group presentation on a social marketing campaign (summative - Essay Example Non smokers are also affected through passive smoking as they will be exposed to the risk of inhaling tobacco substances from the smokers. Thus, everyone has a responsibility to promote safe health among all the people. As such, this reflective report is primarily concerned with reviewing the following brief: â€Å"role of social marketing campaign in influencing behaviour change towards smoking.† The report seeks to critically discuss the main factors that can influence a successful social marketing campaign. In some instances, social marketing campaigns fail to achieve their objectives given that the marketers will overlook some of the important aspects that can lead to behaviour change towards smoking. Thus, the main weakness in the presentation of the brief above is that it did not meet the criteria of implementing a successful social marketing campaign and it is going to address the necessary procedures that can be taken in order to design and implement an effective commu nication campaign. Why social marketing? Social marketing is very effective in promoting behaviour change through the use of communication campaigns. ... gn is a purposive attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate behavioural changes in a well defined and large audience generally for non commercial benefits to the individuals and society at large by means of organised communication.† Tobacco smoke produces chemicals that can flow to every part of the body but the immediate effects of these chemicals may not be readily visible to the human eye in a short period of time which is the reason why some of the smokers end up developing what is termed cognitive dissonance. This is a situation whereby the smokers will find solace in the fact that they have been smoking for a long period but have never experienced illnesses related to this bad habit (Rice &Atkin 1989, as cited in McQuail 2000). However, the media play an important part since the campaign is intended to change the behaviour of the targeted audiences. In this particular case, there is need for the group to take into consideration the theories of communication and the media i n order to successfully implement the anti tobacco smoking campaign. For instance, the agenda setting theory in the media posits to the effect that the repeated conveyance of the message will be setting an agenda for the public (McQuail, 2000). In most cases, there is need for the marketers involved in the social marketing campaign to target the opinion leaders since these have greater influence on the behaviour of the targeted audiences. Individuals are more likely to be influenced by people who are similar to them while at the same time they will be perceived as more trustworthy than the strangers. Peer education which derives from this theory is effective in combating this particular problem whereby it can be noted that a particular group of targeted audience is likely to be influenced

Cango Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cango - Essay Example With respect to the firm CanGo, it should be noted that the firm is aware of what industries it seeks to expand in; in addition to what industries they want to continue to remain a viable competitor. Therefore, if the firm is able to increase its sales numbers, the researchers within CanGo will find it necessary to conduct in depth analyses as a means of determining the best approach that should be made. With this accomplished, the research division, as well as the remainder of the firm, will have a means of understanding which markets are the most appealing, which require too high a level of investment, and which should be immediately engaged with. In this manner, Evolve Professional Business Consulting, has set out a baseline criteria through which CanGo should effectively research the options that are presented to them and make informed decisions based upon them. One of the most important steps that should be taken before the research itself is conducted is the question of who CanGo wishes to appeal to/sell to. Although this is something of a simplistic step, it is absolutely integral if the firm wishes to approach the research from an informed and effective standpoint. Far too many firms overlook this aspect of preliminary inquiry and set off to perform further research with incorrect assumptions that ultimately serve in misguiding the information that they are able to retrieve. Additionally, CanGo also should consider performing research for current and future sales; as a means of determining what movements in consumer markets are likely to impact the firm within the coming months and years. Market size is another fundamental aspect of business strategy and review of performance and projected business engagement that is essential in performing effective planning. As such, by identifying the target market, CanGo will be effectively able to seek to meet consumer needs within the current time frame; as well as in the near

Destruction Art of Yoko Ono Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Destruction Art of Yoko Ono - Research Paper Example The research paper "Destruction Art of Yoko Ono" highlights Yoko Ono’s work based on â€Å"destruction art†. The life of Ono and her work received misunderstanding from many people. The art was an ethical matter where the survivors tried exposing the violence and their histories. Most of the artists were both concerned with destruction of physical materials and objects and using media to address the issues of violence and destruction. In the entire career of Yoko Ono, she defied the usual contemporary of arts by making use of the concept power to convey the philosophical and aesthetic meaning. Yoko Ono’s work has since addressed the issues related to destruction through modification of objects, presentation of objects, conceptual instructions, and conceptual performance. Incorporating the issues of destruction in her work, promoted creative thinking, drawing the destruction reality hides in the social and physical body. Most of her works are an annexed with the u nusual experiences in the beginning of her life. Today, Yoko is an artist that was influential because he pushed the boundaries of film, art, and music and theatre media. Yoko Ono’s ideas and work had an enormous influence on a whole generation in 60s and early 70s. It has remained a crucial mark in the development of various forms of art in every part of the world today. Yoko Ono used intangible and ephemeral materials to draw the audience back to the philosophical and conceptual state. She plays with silence and noise and created temporary pieces from shadows and touch.

Cango Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cango - Essay Example With respect to the firm CanGo, it should be noted that the firm is aware of what industries it seeks to expand in; in addition to what industries they want to continue to remain a viable competitor. Therefore, if the firm is able to increase its sales numbers, the researchers within CanGo will find it necessary to conduct in depth analyses as a means of determining the best approach that should be made. With this accomplished, the research division, as well as the remainder of the firm, will have a means of understanding which markets are the most appealing, which require too high a level of investment, and which should be immediately engaged with. In this manner, Evolve Professional Business Consulting, has set out a baseline criteria through which CanGo should effectively research the options that are presented to them and make informed decisions based upon them. One of the most important steps that should be taken before the research itself is conducted is the question of who CanGo wishes to appeal to/sell to. Although this is something of a simplistic step, it is absolutely integral if the firm wishes to approach the research from an informed and effective standpoint. Far too many firms overlook this aspect of preliminary inquiry and set off to perform further research with incorrect assumptions that ultimately serve in misguiding the information that they are able to retrieve. Additionally, CanGo also should consider performing research for current and future sales; as a means of determining what movements in consumer markets are likely to impact the firm within the coming months and years. Market size is another fundamental aspect of business strategy and review of performance and projected business engagement that is essential in performing effective planning. As such, by identifying the target market, CanGo will be effectively able to seek to meet consumer needs within the current time frame; as well as in the near

Pips distress at the end Essay Example for Free

Pips distress at the end Essay Thus Pip pleads with Ms. Havisham explaining the reasons why he cannot play. He begs Ms. Havisham to empathize with him. We can already see the reasons of Pips distress. He has entered an unfamiliar and frightening environment against his will. He is afraid of Ms Havisham and although he is awestruck by Estellas beauty, he is to some extent afraid of her scorn and her arrogance. Ms Havisham then asks Pip to call Estella, when he tells her he cannot play. Ms. Havisham instructs Estella to play cards with him. Estella is reluctant to do so, she thinks of Pip as beneath her and refers to him as a common labouring boy. Estella mocks Pip for referring to the knaves as jacks. She also derides his coarse hands and thick boots. Pip respects Estella since he feels that she is a part of high society. Pip like most people is concerned with wealth and wants to become rich. Later in the story we can see his obsession with becoming a gentleman. However Pip feels that all members of the elite classes and the prosperous are meant to be idolized and their opinions or judgments valued. This causes him to agree with Estella. As Pip says- I had never thought of being ashamed of my hands before; but I began to consider them a very indifferent pair. Her contempt for me was so strong, that it became infectious and I caught it. Here Pip is humiliated and mocked by Estella. She makes him feel that he is coarse, common and unfit to be in a noble house. This further reduces Pips self-confidence. Ms. Havisham then asks Pip for his opinion of Estella, to which he replies that she is proud, pretty and insulting. He tells Ms. Havisham that he would like to go home. Ms. Havisham consents and tells Pip that he can have something to eat. She asks Pip when he will come again. He tells her that the present day is Wednesday. She interrupts him and tells him that she knows nothing of the days of the week and tells him to come again after six days. Here, too Ms. Havisham rebuffs Pip. She seems to suggest that knowledge of the days of a week is superfluous. Although her view is blatantly eccentric, Pip who regards the genteel as always right is more ashamed of himself and his commoness. Estella the leads Pip down to the courtyard. She rudely tells Pip to wait in the courtyard while she gets something for him. Pip says- She came back, with some bread and meat and a little mug of beer. She put the mug down on the stones on the stones of the yard, and gave me the bread and meat without looking at me, insolently as if I were a dog in disgrace. I was so humiliated, hurt, spurned, offended, angry, sorry- I cannot hit upon the right name for the smart- God knows what its name was- that tears started to my eyes. After Estella leaves Pip breaks down and weeps. He does so because he has been scorned, embarrassed and derided by the genteel, people who he now thinks of as admirable. Pips self-confidence has been destroyed. He feels that he is common and trivial. Pip realizes that someone he has admired all his life, is actually not respect-worthy. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.

The PC Preventive Maintenance Information Technology Essay

The PC Preventive Maintenance Information Technology Essay Preventive maintenance is a routine maintenance actions aimed at the prevention of breakdowns and failures of computer (Weibull, 2007). The main aim of preventive maintenance is to prevent the failure of equipment before it actually occurs. These include tests, measurements, adjustments, and parts replacement, performed particularly to prevent faults from happening. Two types of PC preventive maintenance are planned maintenance and condition based maintenance. Planned maintenance is maintenance that is performed on a regular basis in order to prevent a machine from deteriorating or breaking down. Condition based maintenance is maintenance when need arises. This is when one or more indicators show that equipment performance is deteriorating. Regular maintenance such as cleaning up, backing-up data, removing obsolete programs, Microsoft updates, security updates and defragmentation are precautions one must take while doing preventive maintenance. We require preventive maintenance because it helps to prevent breakdowns, failures, secure data and information of computers. It increases the efficiency and speed of the equipment and it also saves you from spending too much money when the machine breaks down completely and requires a big time repair or a replacement. Preventive maintenance cost lesser than repairs and replacement. Software maintenance and software deployment are software preventive maintenance. Software deployment is all of the activities that make a software system available for use (Wikipedia, 2010). The method consists of several interrelated activities with possible transitions between them and this is done at the producer site or consumer site. Software maintenance is modifying a software product after delivery to remove errors and improve performance. Software upgrade is replacing a software program with a new improved version. Software upgrade can keep the computer more secure, up-to-date, and performing at its best. Computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a file system that is accessed by another computer. Malware, adware, and spyware programs are computer viruses that can harm the computer. Keeping the computer updated, use of patches, firewall and protected internet access are the safe techniques to keep the PC virus free. Backup is making copies of data on a medium other than your hard disk. Full backup, image backup, selective backup, differential backup and incremental backup are types of computer backup. Full Backup backs up all selected files. Image backup is a backup of an entire hard drive by means of creating its image. An incremental backup backs up only those files created or changed since the last backup. Differential backup contain all files that have changed from the time when the last full backup. Selective backup this when you select specific files and directories to back up. Back up is required in case a file is lost, hard failure or deleting wrong file. By the use of backup you can recover the lost files. Floppy disks, tapes and hard disks drives are types of backup media. Tape is a sequential recording system. Tape drives use magnetic tape to store data and to access data the tape drive must rewind and fast forward to different segments of a tape to retrieve data. Hard disk is a storage device that store programs and data. Hard disks stores data even when the power is off; they do need power to perform read and write functions during usage. Floppy disk is a soft magnetic disk used by computers to store data magnetically. Floppy disks are inexpensive, portable and most computers have the hardware to use them. They have now been outdated by USB flash drives, external hard disk drives, CDs and memory cards. Hardware maintenance is an understanding of how the PC hardware maintenance function should operate and be managed. Hardware plays an important role within a computer and this is why it is very essential for the users to be aware of the need to know some important aspects related to computer hardware maintenance. The users must take necessary actions to avoid the computer from being damaged or protecting the computer components running well as long as possible so that we might not spend too much money too often in order to acquire new computer components. In addition hardware maintenance is taking steps to keep the hardware working properly, for example; cleaning computer hardware, not drinking or eating when using a computer, implementing security hardware and keeping you computer well ventilated. The purpose of preventive maintenance of a PC is to minimize or eliminate expensive repairs. This is done by inspection, testing and reconditioning a system at regular intervals to prevent failures in service or deterioration (Answers.com). When working on a computer always be very careful with Electro- Static Discharge (ESD). ESD occurs when two objects of dissimilar charge come in contact with each other such as your body and a computer component. We require antistatic strap while doing preventive maintenance because it equalizes the electrical potentials between you and the server. The antistatic strap is designed to drain electric charges away and provide safety to the user. Four PC components that require preventive maintenance are keyboard, monitor, mouse and CD-ROM/DVD. Dirty CD-ROM/DVD and floppy drives can cause errors while reading and writing. Floppy disk cleaner and CD lens cleaner should be used. Security and removing dust are PC hardware maintenance tasks. Due to hackers, spyware sources and virus codes spreading on the internet, security on a PC is very important. Antivirus programs, firewall, patches and regular software updates can help to protect the computer from viruses and hackers. Computer hardware gathers dust and debris floating around the air and this dust can cause the computers fan to stop cooling off the computer, resulting in an overheated computer. Regular cleaning of a PC will improve the computers performance. Keyboard may not operate due to various reasons such as wear and tear, heavy usage and accidents such as spilled drinks or exposure to extreme temperatures. Keep drinks away from your keyboard and always handle the computer with extra care. Check the mouse connection on the back of the computer for any signs of wear and tear or any other type of damage. Proper ventilation for the video can help with the moisture problem. In summary, taking good care of the computer is very important. Preventative maintenance allows computers run efficiently and prevents breakdowns or failures. Regular cleaning of different parts of a computer; keyboard, mouse, monitor, case, interior, DVD / CD drives and hard drive can improve system reliability, decrease maintenance costs and can as well save you from buying another computer.

Truth Exposed in An Indians Looking-Glass for the White Man :: Synthesis Essays

Truth Exposed in An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   William Apes, in his essay "An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man," argues that to profess Christianity and still distinguish between races is a hypocrisy not supported by the Bible. In the first part of his essay Apes asks several questions such as why, if God loves white people so much, did he create fifteen colored people for every white one; and of all the races, who has committed the most heinous crimes? He goes on to emphasize that neither Jesus nor his disciples were white skinned. He also questions the white person's right to control Native Americans. Apes asks his predominately white, Christian audience to reexamine their own prejudices and concludes his essay pleading "pray you not stop till this tree of distinction shall be leveled to the earth, and the mantle of prejudice torn from every American heart--then peace shall pervade the Union." Apes accurately portrays the racism that Native Americans suffer. Racism exists in both the individual and within politics. During the late 1800's, when this article was written, it was illegal in Massachusetts for whites and Indians to intermarry. He labels this as a clear infringement on individuals to make their own decisions. He also raises the point that many white people do not even consider the Indian to be qualified for the rights of an individual. This dehumanization allows white people to steal the Indians' land and murder them with out a second thought. He calls on the whites, as Christians, to reassess these racist views. People cannot call themselves Christians and persecute others, based on skin color, in the name of Christianity. Apes says that words must be supplemented by actions, backing himself up with scripture such as I John 3:18, "Let us not love in word but in deed." Although Apes convincingly argues against the biases within the Christian community, he bases h is arguments on several assumptions, neglecting to address problems such as the language barrier and problems that arise when two different cultures try to occupy the same land. When Apes uses Christianity as his tool to dispel racism he makes several unbacked assumptions. To begin with, he forgets that whites and Indians rarely use the same language let alone have the same religious values, therefore no one tool can be used for both cultures. Besides just the obvious language barrier, whites and Indians use entirely different words and phrases to express concepts.

Space Flight: The Dangers of Weightlessness Essay -- Research Paper Es

Space Flight: The Dangers of Weightlessness In the awe-inspiring event of man experiencing interstellar travel many detrimental problems arise. Before 1970, the majority of biomedical studies on space flight were conducted immediately before and after flight. They examined the changes and readaptation processes for astronauts from a weightless to a gravitational environ-ment. After the successful Skylab space station projects from 1973-1974 and the Soviet Salyut missions from 1977-1982, biomedical research and experiments commenced in space. These experiments in space have shown that the physiological aspects can be deadly if not prepared for correctly and adequate medical support is not available. Although problems due to weightlessness and lack of exercise have been thoroughly researched and new machines and procedures have been developed to overcome these difficulties, there is still the opportunity to further understand weightlessness. The majority of difficulties that arise can be traced back to the zero gravity environment in which humans experience physiological changes which can be detrimental to their health. When humans enter weightless space they become dis-oriented due to the neurovestibular interactions, those that are processed in the brain cavity (DeHart 840). These cause side effects, such as space motion sickness or Space Adaptation Syndrome (SAS) (Shipman, Humans 99). As astronauts enter zero gravity they experience a nauseous sensation which returns with fast actions or movement from a small to a large space in the space vehicle. Those who are more susceptible to this illusory sensation develop space motion sickness and have personalities that are introversive, neurotic, or fearful (DeHart 840-841). Thi... ... Space Flight October 1997: 350-354. Harris, Philip R. Living and Working in Space: Human Behavior, Culture and Organization. New York: Ellis Horwood Limited, 1992. "Measuring Bone Response to Spaceflight." 26 Nov. 1996. ORBD NRC News You Can Use. Online. Netscape. 8 Oct. 1997. Pirie, N.W., ed. The Biology of Space Travel. New York: Hafnet Publishing Co., 1961. Seedhouse, Erik. "The Use of Biological Response Modifiers by Astronauts." Space Flight October 1997: 357-358. Shipman, Harry L. Humans in Space: 21st Century Frontiers. New York: Plenum Press, 1989. ----------. Space 2000: Meeting the Challenge of a New Era. New York: Plenum Press, 1987. Siconolfi, Dr. S., Dr. S. Fortney, Dr. V. Mikhaylov, and Dr. A. Kotov. "Aerobic Capacity Using Graded Bicycle Ergometry." NASA Shuttle-Mir Web: NASA/Mir Experiment. Online. Netscape. 8 Oct. 1997.

Lu Theology 201 Quiz 5 Study Guid

QUIZ 5 STUDY GUIDE Towns: Chapter IV What is foretelling? prophesying, predicting future events p 182 What is forthtelling? a preacher to people Why is it essential that Christ was born of a virgin? he would no be able to save himself because he would not be a sinless savior p 185; to have parents without a sin nature What was Christ’s threefold office? prophet, priest, king p 180 What is the incarnation? â€Å"the word became flesh and dwelt among us† p 191; god took on human flesh p 191 What does the act of the kenosis as stated in Philippians 2 mean? ade himself of no reputation; emptied himself; veiling his glory, accepting the limitations of human nature; voluntarily giving up the independent use of his comparative attributes p 191 â€Å"christ surrendered no attribute of deity but that he did voluntarily restrict their independent use in keeping with his purpose of living among men and their limitations p 192 What is hypostatic union? jesus is both god and man, the union of two distinct natures in one person, jesus christ the god man p 197-198 What does â€Å"temptability† mean? enerally understood as the enticement of a person to commit sin by offering some seeming enticement p 208 to have an appeal What does â€Å"impeccability† mean? christ could not and did not sin p 209 What is vicarious suffering? suffering endured by one person in the stead of another p 215 What is a vicar? a substitute, one who takes the place of the other and acts in his stead p 215 What does â€Å"redemption† mean? to be freed p 220 to buy back p 219 What does â€Å"propitiation† mean? the turning away of wrath by an offering p 220How is every person a sinner on three counts? guilty of personal sin, imputed sin, sin nature p 224 What is the difference between judicial guilt and personal guilt? judicial: non experiential condition of the sinner who stands guilty before god (born in sin , has sin nature, personally commits sin); personal: experiential, how a sinner feels convicted of sins p 225 What theory taught that Christ did not really die on the cross but that the soldiers just thought he did? swoon theory p 233 Know the 12 proofs of the resurrection. p 236What is the biblical definition of death? separation of a person's body and spirit p 239 True or False Christ was not God when he was on earth. false Without the shedding of blood, there is no payment for sins. true The law is a unit; to break one is to break all. true Man is not reconciled to God through the blood of Christ; rather, the blood is a metaphor for the moral and noble life we should live. False The disciples were surprised at Christ’s resurrection. True At the resurrection, Christ’s body and spirit were reunited. True

Control Theory in Today’s Society

While many theories have been established through the years, the Control Theory established and researched by Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi in 1990 has inspired a large amount of research and proposed the most likely reason that people commit crimes. In addition to their initial theory, Harold Grasmick also presented another facet, the Self- Control Theory, claiming that people commit crimes simply because they lack the capacity to use self- control. These theories are both considered psychological theories, involving the way the human mind works in relevance to crime and the choice to commit crime. It is apparent in several past criminal cases that lack of self- control has been the leading factor in the criminal act. (Hay & Forrest, 2009) Gottfredson and Hirschi asked the question, â€Å"What is Crime? † and thus began to research the theories associated with crime and what drives people to commit criminal acts. Nearly all crimes, they concluded, are mundane, simple, trivial, easy acts aimed at satisfying desires of the moment. (Schmalleger, 2009) For example, a young child steals a candy bar from the local convenience store, simply because he wants the candy bar; this is not a violent or large- scale criminal act, but is still a violation of the law. The general theory of crime asserts that the operation of a single mechanism low self- control, accounts for â€Å"all crime, at all times†; including acts ranging from vandalism to homicide, from rape to white- collar crime. A person’s likelihood to engage in criminal activity or not can supposedly be explained through low self-control, the same way high self-control explains an individual's tendencies of conforming to social norms and laws. (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990) Thus, some people have a lasting tendency to ignore the long term consequences of their behavior. These people tend to be impulsive, reckless, and self- centered. Crime is the end result of their tendencies. (Schmalleger, 2009) The Control Theory is considered a theory and not a perspective since it is not Gottfredson and Hirschi’s opinion, it is a theory that they proposed towards the rationality of crime and why people commit crimes. Several researchers, including K. A. Snedker and J. R. Herting have sought out to see the impact of youth and learning, their affect on self- control on children, as young as seven years of age. Different levels of social control and the culture the children are raised in often seem to have an effect on their personal level of self- control. In the study performed, the majority of the children that were exposed to behavior with â€Å"good† children often ended up having higher levels of self- control, and appeared less likely to behave in criminal behavior. However, the children that were associated with delinquent peers for large amounts of time were seen to have lower levels of self- control, and were also more likely to take part in deviant behavior with said peers. (Snedker & Herting, 2004) It can also be asserted that serial killers generally have a lack of self- control. In the case of Aileen Wuornos, who is labeled as the first know female serial killer in the Western world. The original theory of Gottredson and Hirschi can be used to explain why Aileen had the specific experiences she did, and committed such a large number of crimes. She even went so far as to state that, â€Å"murder was merely her solution to the problem as it presented itself on those seven occasions. † This clearly indicates one of the facets of the self- control theory, that criminals will do whatever necessary in the present situation, for self- gratification or other reasons. While Wuornos claims that she killed seven men in self- defense because they were raping her, she was subsequently convicted of murder and sent to death row. (Adams, 2009) The facts of Aileen Wuornos’ childhood have not be confirmed, but she admitted to smoking, drinking, irresponsible sex (she earned money as a prostitute), all at a fairly young age. These behaviors follow Gottredson and Hirschi’s exact assertions that those involved in criminal activity often start exhibiting short- term gratification at a young age. In the original control theory, Gottfredson and Hirschi low self- control sets as an internal condition between the ages of eight and ten years. According to Cindy Adams, a crime examiner on an internet â€Å"blog†, Wuornos’ deviant behavior began at the tender age of nine, so it can be assumed she lacked the proper socialization with her family members and caretakers. She never learned to show affection or share as most children do. Because of this, her relationships as a child failed her completely, and led her down a path of crime, prostitution, and eventually murder. It can be assumed that if Wuornos experienced a better childhood, she would have developed a higher level of self- control. According to the self- control theory, disciplined and supervised children generally will not look for self- gratification and commit criminal acts. (Adams, 2009) The story of Aileen Wuornos is a clear- cut example of why Gottfredson and Hirschi’s control theory is valid. Had she received the proper love and affection at a young age, she would not have offered sexual favors at the age of nine, become a prostitute at the fourteen, and looked for the abusive and destructive relationships she did throughout her life. The story of Wournos is only one confirmation of the Control Theory, and there are certainly many more if the cases and correlating information were to be researched. Travis Hirschi also went into greater detail concerning the Self- Control Theory, implicating that Individuals possess three (3) sets of traits: (1) traits composing low self-control; (2) traits predicting involvement in crime; and (3) other traits that are the result of socialization. Low Self- Control (LSC) traits appear in the first six or eight years of life, and include only â€Å"factors affecting calculation of the consequences of one's acts†. The second set of traits includes low intelligence, high activity level, physical strength, and adventuresomeness. The third set of traits includes impulsivity, insensitivity, and inability to delay gratification. These traits can be seen in criminals, for example, drug users. Consider the logical structure of drug use. Here, even drugs that do not affect mood (tobacco) are correlated with crime because they share features that satisfy both criminality and the requirements of crime. Both crime and drug use provide short-term, immediate, and easy pleasure, and more importantly. In this view, drug use is not attributable to peer pressure, but to the fact that it is prohibited and has an adverse impact on health. LSC personalities must logically come prior to criminality because they are predisposed to disregard legal prohibitions and negative consequences for their own health. Drug users are people who â€Å"tend toward criminality†, and may self-destruct in any number of ways. Another way of saying this is that LSC is the domain and criminality only covers a portion of this domain. LSC allows almost any deviant act that is â€Å"logically† possible. (Hirschi, 1969) References Adams, C. 2009-07-27 â€Å"Crime 101: What is the link between self- control theory, serial killing, and Aileen Wuornos? † Retrieved from http://www. examiner. com Gottfredson, M. and Hirschi, T. (1990). A General Theory of Crime. Stanford University Press. Hay, C. and Forrest, W. â€Å"The Development of Self Control: Examining Self Control Theory's Stability Thesis† Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) . 010-04-03 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p121508_index. html Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of Delinquency. Berkeley: Univ. of Ca Press. Longshore, D. , Turner, S. , and Stein, J. (1998). â€Å"Reliability and Validity of Self-Control Measure: Rejoinder. † Criminology 34:175-182. Sampson R. J. and Laub, J. (1993). Crime in the Making Pathways and Turning Points Through Life. Harvard University Press. Schmallege r, F. (2009). Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction Fifth Edition. Prentice Hall. Snedker, K. A. and Herting, J. R. , 2004-08-14 â€Å"Revisiting Hirschi’s Social Control Theory: Examining Changes in Self- reported Delinquent Behavior among Youth† Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association 2010- 04-17 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p110751_index. html Wenk, D. , Hardesty, C. , Morgan, C. and Sampson, L. B. (1994). â€Å"The Influence of Parental Involvement on the Well-Being of Sons and Daughters. † Journal of Marriage and the Family 56:229-234.

Deception Point Page 50

With calm bred from the performance of countless executions, Delta-One dialed a ten-second delay into the grenade's screw-dial, slid out the pin, and threw the grenade down into the chasm. The bomb plummeted into the darkness and disappeared. Then Delta-One and his partner cleared back up onto the top of the berm and waited. This would be a sight to behold. Even in her delirious state of mind, Rachel Sexton had a very good idea what the attackers had just dropped into the crevasse. Whether Michael Tolland also knew or whether he was reading the fear in her eyes was unclear, but she saw him go pale, shooting a horrified glance down at the mammoth slab of ice on which they were stranded, clearly realizing the inevitable. Like a storm cloud lit by an internal flash of lightning, the ice beneath Rachel illuminated from within. The eerie white translucence shot out in all directions. For a hundred yards around them, the glacier flashed white. The concussion came next. Not a rumble like an earthquake, but a deafening shock wave of gut-churning force. Rachel felt the impact tearing up through the ice into her body. Instantly, as if a wedge had been driven between the ice shelf and the block of ice supporting them, the cliff began to shear off with a sickening crack. Rachel's eyes locked with Tolland's in a freeze-frame of terror. Corky let out a scream nearby. The bottom dropped out. Rachel felt weightless for an instant, hovering over the multimillion-pound block of ice. Then they were riding the iceberg down-plummeting into the frigid sea. 56 The deafening grating of ice against ice assaulted Rachel's ears as the massive slab slid down the face of the Milne Ice Shelf, sending towering plumes of spray into the air. As the slab splashed downward, it slowed, and Rachel's previously weightless body crashed down onto the top of the ice. Tolland and Corky landed hard nearby. As the block's downward momentum plunged it deeper into the sea, Rachel could see the foaming surface of the ocean racing upward with a kind of taunting deceleration, like the ground beneath a bungee-jumper whose cord was a few feet too long. Rising†¦ rising†¦ and then it was there. Her childhood nightmare was back. The ice†¦ the water†¦ the darkness. The dread was almost primal. The top of the slab slipped below the waterline, and the frigid Arctic Ocean poured over the edges in a torrent. As the ocean rushed in all around her, Rachel felt herself sucked under. The bare skin on her face tightened and burned as the saltwater hit. The flooring of ice disappeared beneath her, and Rachel fought her way back to the surface, buoyed by the gel in her suit. She took in a mouthful of saltwater, sputtering to the surface. She could see the others floundering nearby, all of them tangled in tethers. Just as Rachel righted herself, Tolland yelled out. â€Å"It's coming back up!† As his words echoed above the tumult, Rachel felt an eerie upwelling in the water beneath her. Like a massive locomotive straining to reverse direction, the slab of ice had groaned to a stop underwater and was now beginning its ascent directly beneath them. Fathoms below, a sickening low frequency rumble resonated upward through the water as the gigantic submerged sheet began scraping its way back up the face of the glacier. The slab rose fast, accelerating as it came, swooping up from the darkness. Rachel felt herself rising. The ocean roiled all around as the ice met her body. She scrambled in vain, trying to find her balance as the ice propelled her skyward along with millions of gallons of seawater. Buoying upward, the giant sheet bobbed above the surface, heaving and teetering, looking for its center of gravity. Rachel found herself scrambling in waist-deep water across the enormous, flat expanse. As the water began pouring off the surface, the current swallowed Rachel and dragged her toward the edge. Sliding, splayed flat on her stomach, Rachel could see the edge looming fast. Hold on! Rachel's mother's voice was calling the same way it had when Rachel was just a child floundering beneath the icy pond. Hold on! Don't go under! The wrenching yank on her harness expelled what little air Rachel had left in her lungs. She jerked to a dead stop only yards from the edge. The motion spun her in place. Ten yards away, she could see Corky's limp body, still tethered to her, also jolting to a stop. They had been flowing off the sheet in opposite directions and his momentum had stopped her. As the water ran off and grew more shallow, another dark form appeared over near Corky. He was on his hands and knees, grasping Corky's tether and vomiting saltwater. Michael Tolland. As the last of the wake drained past her and flowed off the iceberg, Rachel lay in terrified silence, listening to the sounds of the ocean. Then, feeling the onset of deadly cold, she dragged herself onto her hands and knees. The ‘berg was still bobbing back and forth, like a giant ice cube. Delirious and in pain, she crawled back toward the others. High above on the glacier, Delta-One peered through his night-vision goggles at the water churning around the Arctic Ocean's newest tabular iceberg. Although he saw no bodies in the water, he was not surprised. The ocean was dark, and his quarry's weather suits and skullcaps were black. As he passed his gaze across the surface of the enormous floating sheet of ice, he had a hard time keeping it in focus. It was receding quickly, already heading out to sea in the strong offshore currents. He was about to turn his gaze back to the sea when he saw something unexpected. Three specks of black on the ice. Are those bodies? Delta-One tried to bring them into focus. â€Å"See something?† Delta-Two asked. Delta-One said nothing, focusing in with his magnifier. In the pale tint of the iceberg, he was stunned to see three human forms huddled motionless on the island of ice. Whether they were alive or dead, Delta-One had no idea. It hardly mattered. If they were alive, even in weather suits, they'd be dead within the hour; they were wet, a storm was coming in, and they were drifting seaward into one of the most deadly oceans on the planet. Their bodies would never be found. â€Å"Just shadows,† Delta-One said, turning from the cliff. â€Å"Let's get back to base.† 57 Senator Sedgewick Sexton set his snifter of Courvoisier on the mantelpiece of his Westbrook apartment and stoked the fire for several moments, gathering his thoughts. The six men in the den with him sat in silence now†¦ waiting. The small talk was over. It was time for Senator Sexton to make his pitch. They knew it. He knew it. Politics was sales. Establish trust. Let them know you understand their problems. â€Å"As you may know,† Sexton said, turning toward them, â€Å"over the past months, I have met with many men in your same position.† He smiled and sat down, joining them on their level. â€Å"You are the only ones I have ever brought into my home. You are extraordinary men, and I am honored to meet you.† Sexton folded his hands and let his eyes circle the room, making personal contact with each of his guests. Then he focused in on his first mark-the heavyset man in the cowboy hat. â€Å"Space Industries of Houston,† Sexton said. â€Å"I'm glad you came.† The Texan grunted. â€Å"I hate this town.† â€Å"I don't blame you. Washington has been unfair to you.† The Texan stared out from beneath the rim of his hat but said nothing. â€Å"Twelve years back,† Sexton began, â€Å"you made an offer to the U.S. government. You proposed to build them a U.S. space station for a mere five billion dollars.† â€Å"Yeah, I did. I still have the blueprints.† â€Å"And yet NASA convinced the government that a U.S. space station should be a NASA project.† â€Å"Right. NASA started building almost a decade ago.†