Writing Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing Experience - Essay Example The essay "Writing Experience" presents the story about the writing experience. The author tells that he started developing the art and zeal of creative writing at the tender age in elementary school. He could learn and practice writing using anything that could draw or make simple lines.I could sit at my desk in school and trace out simple letters on gray papers that afterward smudged when I engaged eraser harshly on the paper. My conscious was vivid; I wanted to emerge the best creative writer in Kindergarten class. I believed in creative writing. It had taken control of my thinking, and I remained at its mercy.My desire to excel in creative writing grew in me throughout the years in school. I developed the zeal to write better-compared to authors in the vast number of books, which I read. I had become jealous of other creative writers. Each day, I could write many times and compare my work with other notable authors. I was so passionate about writing better than the existing liter ary scholars that my mother had to intervene. Mother informed me that if I could engage my soul in writing, I would be the most famous literary writer than authors of the books that I read. Henceforth, I believed in the company of my soul in writing an appealing and understandable literature. I trusted in my mother’s words and later came to the realization that human mind has the power of letting words flow naturally during writing. I also learned that I would have the most interesting and convincing voice in my literary works.

Advocating for the Inclusion of a Person Essay Example for Free

Advocating for the Inclusion of a Person Essay Some of the greatest medical advancements in the modern age involve the use of many different types of radiation. Radiation therapy is used in treating multiple different types of cancer, and radiation from certain elements are put in X-ray tubes to save countless lives and prevent permanent injury wherever possible. Many organisations also use it for security, as well as the general use in the everyday home. These advancements and many more were based on the work of Marie Curie, renowned female physics researcher. To make a list of people that changed the world for the better we need a way to separate the great, from the truly amazing. One important factor is that they helped people in their time period, and this is made more impressive if they sacrificed themselves to do this. Their work needs to still be felt today, either directly through their efforts, or from advances that have built on what they started. Finally, if the person has been recognised for other awards then that obviously bolsters their position as they have already proven to others that they are worthy of recognition. To change the world for the better, you must do something that helps people. Curie spent all of her working life developing technologies that were used in medicine, directly helping the people around her. She focused most of her energies on discovering, and then researching the properties of Radium and Polonium1. The properties of these elements, Radium in particular, were used to burn away diseased cells in the body2, which we now know to include cancer. As well as this, she also helped make X-Rays more accessible and discovered further ways in which they could be used. This is demonstrated in the work Curie did with her eldest daughter during WWI, setting up 20 mobile X-ray units3 and teaching people how to operate them, as well as taking their own unit to the Western Front. Throughout the war over 1 million people were X-rayed, helping doctors save lives and prevent people from being permanently maimed. In her later life Curie was the director of the Radium Institute in Paris. She recognised that science had become a more specialised field and organised the laboratory with this in mind. It was a major institute devoted to the study of radium and its properties, but it did so by separating scientists into small groups that focused their energies on a particular aspect of radiology. These efforts increased the rate of new innovations and increased our overall knowledge of radiation’s uses and dangers. It is these dangers that constitute part of her posthumous bid for this title. While not essential to be a person who changed the world for the good, if you put yourself through difficult trials and tribulations society puts your efforts in higher regard, as others are less likely to do so. For example, many people would say that although Bill Gates helped the world with the advent of Microsoft, but for all of his contributions the world values him less because of the wealth he has accumulated. In complete contrast to this, the research Curie did that has helped billions of people over the years since her discoveries ended up killing her. Her death in itself helped people, as she was likely the first person to die from radiation poisoning it became apparent that these elements could be dangerous in high dosages and adequate care must be taken. While it cannot be denied that she won a substantial amount of money from receiving two Nobel prizes as well as other awards she put this back into her research as can be observed through her campaigning to receive funds so she could afford another gram of radium for her research4. During the first World War Marie Curie created a real use for the more reliable and effective X-tubes she had developed. To help fund these 20 lifesaving devices, Curie sold off the gold Nobel prize medals she and her husband won4. After they were sent to the Front it became apparent that the medical staff were not aware of how to fully take advantage of the technology, as it had not yet entered most hospitals. To help relieve this issue, Ms Curie herself joined these X-ray units and travelled the Western Front. She did this on a battlefield in which it is estimated that around 8 million people died on over the course of the war. This put her in the way of much harmful radiation with none of the protection that is offered today, and with less developed X-ray machines that created a greater amount of harmful rays. There had already been mutterings of the harmful effects of exposure to these conditions, so it cannot be claimed she took these risks in ignorance of the dangers. Nevertheless, she continued contributing to the war effort, saving more lives than any brilliant tactical manoeuvre which have attracted far more praise. We still use Curies research today in the treating of many different types of illnesses. It was her initial mothering of Radiation that has meant that these discoveries have been possible in the current timeframe. While it cannot be doubted that if it wasn’t for her we still would have discovered some of these properties, we would potentially be many years behind in the battle against cancer, which would mean hundreds more unnecessary deaths every year. X-rays still form a big part of treatment plans in hospitals worldwide5 with it being the main method to quickly look at a person’s skeletal structure and diagnose broken bones as well as finding foreign objects inside someone. While there are other more accurate methods of finding information about peoples interior, they are more time consuming and often not suited to trauma cases where the line between life and death is mere seconds wide. The research into radiation has also been applied for other more mundane purposes. Some of Marie Curie’s research is used at airports in the X-ray scanners that protect over 100 million people every year6 from potential threats. It has the unique ability of being able to scan through all bags quickly without damaging the contents, revealing everything that could be potentially dangerous. Radiation is also used in high quality smoke detectors and luminous watches. Other uses include the tubes of some older TV’s, without which we may never have invested the resources into developing better, more cost effective means of producing what is today such an essential part of everyday life7. Curie’s life has also taught people about the dangers faced by scientists and how their work can lead to many different types of illnesses. It is because we know this we can now protect ourselves from the possible harmful effects of radiation. Whilst not essential criteria to be added to this list, if other organisations have recognised her contribution for their prizes, then we should take their considerations into account. Because she has qualified for these other awards it adds credibility to the claim that she has changed the world for the better. Throughout her life, Curie received many awards, most notably two Nobel Prizes, in Physics and Chemistry, she was the first to receive two Nobel prizes, and the only woman to have done so to this day. She has also been given the Davy Medal, for a discovery in Chemistry (Discovery of new elements), as well as the Matteucci Medal for making fundamental discoveries in Physics. This means that she has actually done ground-breaking work, creating an entirely new field – the field of Radiology, which today is a significant medical specialty. She has also been given the Elliot Cresson Medal for her discovery of the properties of Radon and applying them to the use of X-rays, m aking them more effective and easier to use, as well as the application of her discoveries to the treatment of cancer. 8 To be included on a list of people that have changed the world for the better is a huge honour. We all like to think that we have made a difference, but to be so committed that you will forgo your own safety takes a special kind of person. Marie Curie demonstrated to the world that she is this person. In addition, her efforts have been felt for many years after her life, and will continue to be appreciated indefinitely. Throughout her life Marie Curie worked tirelessly for the expansion of scientific knowledge in the area of radiation, and found many uses for her discoveries. Her life, and even her death helps mankind to save the lives of thousands of people every day and this is why she should be recognised as having one of the greatest positive impacts on the world to date. References http://www.xrayrisk.com/faq.php#q19 http://www.aip.org/history/curie/contents_text.htm http://www.biographyonline.net/scientists/marie-curie.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=madamecurie http://www.spaceandmotion.com/physics-marie-curie-biography.htm http://www.discoveriesinmedicine.com/To-Z/X-ray-Machine.html#b http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2009/bts019_09/html/bts019_09.html http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q824.html

Countee Cullen :: essays research papers

Countee Cullen Countee Cullen (Porter) was considered by many to be the most talented of the Harlem Renaissance poets. Cullen was a novelist and a playwright, but he was known by most as a poet. He was born on March 30, 1903 in New York. Cullen was adopted at some point between the time of his birth and 1918. By 1921, he changed his last name to Cullen, from his adopted mothers last name. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School between (1918- 1921). During this time he was editor of his schools newspaper and of the magazine Magpie, and during High School he wrote his first poetry that received notice. He also attended New York University for four years. Not much is known of the early years of his childhood up until 1918. Between the time of Cullen’s birth 1918 he was adopted by Rev. Frederick A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and Carolyn Bell (Mitchell) Cullen of the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church in Harlem. It is unknown how old Cullen was when he got adopted. Rev. Cullen regained Countee Cullen’s faith back in himself by getting him to understand that any goal or dream that he had to fulfill it. Countee received much help both mentally and physically from his adopted father, it is said that if Countee would not have been adopted by the Reverend he would not have gone as far as he eventually did. Countee Cullen was considered one of the most talented of the Harlem Renaissance poets. A lot of his poetry was written during his high school and college years. During high school Cullen won his first contest, a citywide competition, with the poem â€Å"I Have a Rendezvous with Life,† a non-racial poem. Cullen was also the editor of his high school paper and a literary magazine Magpie. He furthered his wisdom and education at Countee Cullen :: essays research papers Countee Cullen Countee Cullen (Porter) was considered by many to be the most talented of the Harlem Renaissance poets. Cullen was a novelist and a playwright, but he was known by most as a poet. He was born on March 30, 1903 in New York. Cullen was adopted at some point between the time of his birth and 1918. By 1921, he changed his last name to Cullen, from his adopted mothers last name. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School between (1918- 1921). During this time he was editor of his schools newspaper and of the magazine Magpie, and during High School he wrote his first poetry that received notice. He also attended New York University for four years. Not much is known of the early years of his childhood up until 1918. Between the time of Cullen’s birth 1918 he was adopted by Rev. Frederick A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and Carolyn Bell (Mitchell) Cullen of the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church in Harlem. It is unknown how old Cullen was when he got adopted. Rev. Cullen regained Countee Cullen’s faith back in himself by getting him to understand that any goal or dream that he had to fulfill it. Countee received much help both mentally and physically from his adopted father, it is said that if Countee would not have been adopted by the Reverend he would not have gone as far as he eventually did. Countee Cullen was considered one of the most talented of the Harlem Renaissance poets. A lot of his poetry was written during his high school and college years. During high school Cullen won his first contest, a citywide competition, with the poem â€Å"I Have a Rendezvous with Life,† a non-racial poem. Cullen was also the editor of his high school paper and a literary magazine Magpie. He furthered his wisdom and education at

Hate Crimes and The Mitchell v. Wisconsin Decision Essay -- Hate Crime

Hate Crimes and The Mitchell v. Wisconsin Decision The American Heritage Dictionary defines hate as intense dislike or animosity. However, defining hate as the basis for a crime is not as easy without possibly jeopardizing constitutional rights in the process. Hate crime laws generally add enhanced punishments to existing statues. A hate crime law seeks to treat a crime, if it can be demonstrated that the offense was a hate crime differently from the way it would be treated under ordinary criminal law. Since the 1980s, the problem of hate crimes has attracted increasing research attention, especially from criminologists and law enforcement personnel who have focused primarily on documenting the prevalence of the problem and formulation criminal justice responses to it. Lawmakers have passed legislation to encourage data collection and attach enhanced penalties to hate crimes at both state and federal levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Americans are assaulted merely because of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, or disability, the law should be as tough on their assailants as it currently is tough on criminals who attack based on racial, religious, or ethnic bias. Yet only in rare circumstances can the federal government investigate and prosecute hate violence against gays, lesbians, or bisexuals. Attempts have been made to reach a definition of hate crime, including that it is a crime, most commonly violence, motivated by prejudice, bias or hatred towards a particular group of which the victim is rarely significant to the offender and is most commonly a stranger to him or her. The current law (18 U.S.C. 245) permits federal prosecution of a hate crime only if the crime was motivated by bias based on race, religion, national origin, or color, and the assailant intended to prevent the victim from exercising a "federally protected right" (e.g. voting, attending school, etc.) T his dual requirement substantially limits the potential for federal assistance in investigating or prosecuting hate crimes, even when the crime is particularly heinous.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hate crimes demand a priority response because of their special emotional and psychological impact on the victim and the victims’ community. The damage done by hate crimes cannot be measured solely in terms of physical injury or dollars and cents. Hate crimes may effectively intimidate other members of the vi... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Law." Human Rights 22 (1995): 32-33 Dennis, Valerie. MTV remembers Matthew Shepard with 17-hour program on hate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  crimes, University Wire, 01-10-2001 Feingold, Stanley. "Hate Crime Legislation Muzzles Free Speech." The National Law  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Journal 15 (July 1, 1993): 6, 16 Franke-Folstad, Kim. Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer, HATE-CRIME   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  LAWS NOT A BLACK-WHITE ISSUE. Denver Rocky Mountain News, 01-18-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1999, pp 6A Gellman, Susan. "Sticks And Stones." UCLA Law Review 39 (December, 1991):  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  333-396 Patrick, Robert F. Cops find hate often has broad definition, The Washington Times, 04-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  02-01, pp C1 R.A.V. v. St. Paul (505 U.S. 377) Texas v. Johnson (491 U.S. 397) The Associated Press, Reno Fights Hate Crimes, Newsday, 01-09-1998, pp A21 The Christian Science Publishing Society 30 Brad Knickerbockers, Staff writing of The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christian Science Monitor, Hate Crimes: Should they receive special attention?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Christian Science Monitor, 06-23-200, pp 22 U.S. v. O'Brien (391 U.S. 367) Wisconsin v. Mitchell (508 U.S. 476) Wooley v. Maynard (430 U.S. 705) W.V. State Board of Education v. Barnette (319 U.S. 624)

Against Same Sex Marriage Essay

The legalization of the marriage between same sex couples will permanently change the rite of marriage in our society. The legalization of homosexual marriage will quickly destroy the traditional family. Marriage is the institution that forms and upholds for society, the cultural and social values and symbol related to procreation. That is, it establishes the values that govern the transmission of human life to the next generation and the nurturing of that life in the basic societal unit, the family. Through marriage our society works out the relationship of two people who will together create and nurture a new generation. To change the definition of marriage to include same sex marriage couples would destroy its capacity to function in many ways. It could no longer represent procreative relationships of opposite sex marriages.Reproduction is the fundamental occurrence on which the future of life depends. It is the primary reason why marriage is so important to society. In same sex marriages procreation would be eliminated entirely. First, when the state sanctions homosexual relationships and gives them its blessing, the younger generation becomes confused about sexual identity and quickly loses its understanding of lifelong commitments, emotional bonding, sexual purity, the role of children in a family, and from spiritual prospective, the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is reduced to a partnership that provides attractive benefits and sexual convenience. Cohabitation and short term relationships are the inevitable result. Second, the introduction of legalized gay marriages will lead to polygamy and other alternatives to the one man, on woman unions. Why will gay marriage set the table for polygamy? Because there is no place to stop once the line has been crossed. Historically, the definition of marriage has rested on a foundation of tradition, legal precedent, theology, and the overwhelming support of the people. After the introduction of marriage between homosexuals it will be supported by nothing more substantiated than the opinion of a single judge or by a black-robed panel of justices (Marriage under Fire). After their decision, the family will consist of little more than someone’s interpretation of rights. Given that unstable legal judgment, it is certain some self-possessed judge, somewhere, will soon rule that three men or three women can marry. How about group marriage or marriage between cousins, or marriage between parent and child? How about marriage between a man and his animal? Anything allegedly linked to civil rights will be doable. The legal underpinnings for marriage will have been destroyed. These other couples restricted from marrying are not equivalent to homosexual couples, but are necessary to illustrate that marriage is heavily regulated, and for good reason. When a state recognizes a marriage, it bestows upon the couple certain benefits which are costly to both the state and other individuals. Collecting a deceased spouse’s social security, claiming an extra tax exemption for a spouse, and having the right to be covered under a spouse’s health insurance policy are just a few examples of its costly benefits associated with marriage. In a sense, a married couple receives a subsidy. A marriage between two unrelated heterosexuals is likely to result in a family with children. For this reason, states have, in varying degrees, restricted from marriage, couples unlikely to produce children. One may argue that lesbians are capable of procreating via artificial insemination, so the state does have an interest in recognizing lesbian marriages, but a lesbian’s sexual relationship, committed or not, has no bearing on her ability to reproduce (Single Parent: What Helps, What Hurts). However, there is ample evidence that children need both female and male parent for proper development. It is essential for a child to be nurtured by parents of both sexes if a child is to learn to function in a society made up of both sexes (Life without Father). With the legalization of homosexual marriage, every public school in the nation will be required to teach that this lifestyle is the moral equivalent of traditional marriage between a woman and a man. Textbooks, even in conservative states, will have to depict man/man and woman/woman relationships and stories written for children as young as elementary or even kindergarten, will have to give equal space to homosexuals. Every public school will also be forced to teach that same sex marriage and homosexuality are perfectly normal. They will teach little boys  and little girls that husband and wife and father and moother are merely optional for a family and therfore, meaningless (No Gay Marriage). Same sex families deny children either a mother or father. In certain cases, the same sex family is not driven by the needs of children, but rather by the radical wishes of a small group of adults. Thousands of published social science, psychological and medical studies show that children living in fatherless families, on average, suffer dramatically in every measure of well-being. These children suffer from higher levels of loneliness, physical or mental illness, behavior problems, educa tional failure or criminal troubles. The third reason marriage between homosexuals will destroy traditional marriage is that this is the ultimate goal of activists, and they will not stop until they achieve it. Homosexual activists, with their inner power and exhilaration, feel the political climate is right to tell us what they have wanted all along. Gay marriages are likely to do for gay rights what the rallying cry of â€Å"abortion on demand† did for the Equal Rights Amendment and the women’s movement. It diverts the real debate on every level. It reduces the cause of gay rights to a single issue. But the real deal is most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. They do not want to entangle themselves in all sorts of legal constraints (Single Parent What Helps, What Hurts). In a perfect democratic world, gay marriage would be an option for those who want it. However, this world is not a perfect democracy, and the fight for gay marriage is the wrong fight at the wrong time (Focus on Family). In conclusion, the reason for excluding same sex couples from marriage matters: If the reason for denying homosexual marriage is that we have no respect for same sex couples and their relationships and want to give the message that homosexuality is wrong, then that is discrimination and that is wrong. On the other hand, if the reason is to keep the very nature, essence and substance of marriage intact, and the essence is to protect the procreative relationship, then excluding same sex couples from marriage is ethically acceptable. This such refusal is not discrimination. Ethics requires us to take the least invasive, least restrictive alternative, reasonably available and likely to be effective in achieving a justified  goal. Maintaining a traditional marriage and legally recognizing same sex partnerships fulfills that ethical requirement (Why Marriage Matters). Gay and lesbian people have a right to form meaningful relationships. They do not have a right to redefine marriage for all of us. What will happen to society if marriage becomes anything or everything or nothing? The short answer is that the state will lose its compelling interest in marital relationships altogether. After marriage has been redefined, divorces will be obtained instantly, will not involve a court, and will take on the status of a driver’s license or hunting permit. With the family out of the way, all rights and privileges of marriage will accrue to gay and lesbian partners without the legal entanglements and commitments associated with it. These are a few reasons why I am against homosexual marriage. Legalizing it will change everything, especially the institution of the family. Every society needs natural marriage- as many men as possible each finding a woman, caring for and committing himself exclusively to her- working together to create and raise the next generation.

A Change in Thinking.

A Change in Thinking. A Change in ThinkingIn The Hammer Man, a young black girl learns about racial inequality through an event in her life. Realizing that being black is different than being white, she must change her way of thinking and acting in order to survive. The author, Toni Cade Bambara, wants to explain how racial inequality is not learned but experienced by black people because of their environment.The young girl grew up in an inner city neighborhood. She survived the neighborhood by becoming a tough tom-boy. She did not have much of a home life. She was not very close to her mother; however, she was closer to her father because she was the only girl. Miss Rose was a neighbor who was more like a mother to her. She listened to her problems and would take up for the little girl.Manny is a boy who wants to beat up the little girl because she said bad things about his mother.Sir mannyHe waited for her around her house for days, but she was inside hiding from him. It was around this time when Manny got on the roof and fell off. When she found out he was hurt she came out of her house. She did not see Manny very much after this accident.A youth center opened in the neighborhood and her mother pushed her into joining because she did not want her around. When at the center, she looked in the files and found out that she "was from a deviant family in a deviant neighborhood". One night after being thrown out of the center, she saw Manny practicing his lay-ups. She stood there and watched Manny for an hour and did not know why. The next thing she knew is that two cops are asking...

The Distraction of Prepositional Phrases in Noun-Verb Agreement

The Distraction of Prepositional Phrases in Noun-Verb Agreement The Distraction of Prepositional Phrases in Noun-Verb Agreement The Distraction of Prepositional Phrases in Noun-Verb Agreement By Mark Nichol The question of whether to use the singular or plural form of a verb in a sentence can be complicated by the distracting presence of a prepositional phrase- one that includes a preposition such as of, in, or to followed by a noun directly or after one or more an intervening verbs and/or adjectives. But as the following examples demonstrate, such a phrase should (with a key exception) be disregarded when identifying which noun the sentence’s key verb should agree with. 1. The rapid and almost ubiquitous deployment of smartphone technologies across the globe has/have put sophisticated technology in the hands of consumers. The multiplicity of nouns preceding has- deployment, technologies, globe- can throw a writer off, but the noun in a prepositional phrase (such as in â€Å"of smartphone technologies† or â€Å"across the globe†) is irrelevant, so the first in series of nouns in this sentence (â€Å"deployment . . . has†) is the pertinent one: â€Å"The rapid and almost ubiquitous deployment of smartphone technologies across the globe has put sophisticated technology in the hands of consumers.† 2. There is/are, however, a set of technologies and innovations that have already reached a point where they are robust enough to have real-world applicability. This sentence also features a distracting prepositional phrase, but it follows the key verb, rather than preceding it, as the one in the preceding example does, so the writer may not recognize the applicability of the previously mentioned rule; the pairing is â€Å"is . . . a set,† not â€Å"are . . . technologies and innovations†: â€Å"There is, however, a set of technologies and innovations that have already reached a point where they are robust enough to have real-world applicability. (Notice, however, that the subsequent verbs have and are apply to â€Å"technologies and innovations† rather than set, so they are correct in plural form.) 3. A number of factors have led to the increasing use of technology in relation to regulatory compliance. Note, however, an exception to the rule about the irrelevance of prepositional phrases in noun-verb agreement- when the prepositional phrase follows the phrase â€Å"a number†; in that case, the more substantial noun in the prepositional phrase, rather than the vague word number, is pertinent: â€Å"A number of factors have led to the increasing use of technology in relation to regulatory compliance.† You can test the exception by realizing that â€Å"a number of† can be replaced with the adjective many; the correct form of the verb following â€Å"many factors† is obvious. (This post provides a more detailed discussion of the issue.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals10 Techniques for More Precise WritingDouble Possessive

US in the Middle East

US in the Middle East Introduction Being the world’s leading superpower, it is quite likely that the United States will use every tactic to establish its presence in many places across the world. It is thus no wonder that they are involved in various peace and humanitarian initiatives globally.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on US in the Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This notwithstanding, the interest of the United States in the Middle East is questionable. Although the world has been made to believe that the involvement of the US in Middle East was purely for security reasons, there is a very high possibility that it was for the United States’ economic interests. This paper presents various arguments pointing to the fact that the United States’ presence in the Middle East was for their own economic benefits. Why the US was in the Middle East for their Economic Interests As has already been menti oned, there is a price to being a superpower. One strategy used by most leading nations is to ensure that they can stay ahead of the rest. Owing to the fact that a close association between America’s competitors and those in the Middle East could be a threat to its operations, it is quite obvious that the United States would want to be in control of most activities in the Middle East as well as in other states that export gas and oil. This led to United States entering the Middle East region as a friend with good intentions. The United States is also known for its prowess in manufacturing weapons. To ensure a steady market and great profits for weapon manufacturers, it is clear that the United States had to be heavily involved in the militarizing the Middle East region (Day, 2000). Apparently, most weapons imported into the Middle East region come from the United States. As a result, the US weapon industry continues to grow and weapon manufacturers keep on enjoying hefty prof its from their involvement in the oil and gas business.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the process, the economy of the United States also grew and jobs were created for the American citizens (Sullivan, 2009). This explains why the United States has on several occasions been opposed to the determination by the Middle East states in coming up with their own weapons of mass destruction. Most of the world’s oil reserves are found in the Middle East (Habibi Woertz, 2009). Given that the oil reserves in other regions may soon be depleted, the intention of the United States has been to maintain a steady supply of gas and oil by establishing a strong presence in the Middle East (Snider, 2011). Consequently, the security of the Middle East region remains a matter of national importance to the US and other interested nations (Ewane, 2010). Major atte mpts have thus been made by the United States to create and keep close alliances with oil monarchies of the Middle East. Apparently, the US also benefits from providing transport services for gas and oil products within the region (Fund, 2006). A number of oil firms in the United States have also benefited through involvement in partnerships with major oil companies in the Middle East (Dobson Marsh, 2007). However, while the United States has worked so hard to create strong ties with allies in the Middle East, efforts have also been made to frustrate their opponents (Marc, 2011). In the recent past, the supremacy of the United States in the region has been threatened by countries such as China and India whose consumption of oil and gas products has been increasing over the years as a result of growth in their economies (Habibi Woertz, 2009). The growing interest by China and India is partly responsible for the loss of business to American firms that previously almost faced no comp etition or resistance from other nations. The presence of the United States in the Middle East is also meant to keep a tight control on the activities of Islamic groups involved in activities that threaten stability in various places across the world (Hassassian, 1997).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on US in the Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is alleged that over the years, insecurities experienced in various parts of the world including the United States are spearheaded by radical Islamic groups operating mainly from within the Middle East region (Legrenzi Momani, 2013). Considering that this can stifle economic growth in the United States, part of the reason for the involvement of the US in the region is to frustrate the activities of such groups and render them useless (Baxter Akbarzadeh, 2008). Conclusion The involvement of the United States in the Middle East has been criticized by ma ny, including those whose very existence may be threatened by the activities within the region. There are also concerns that the United States is assuming a role reserved for the United Nations Security Council. Although it is the sole responsibility of the UN Security Council to authorize any form of military interventions, the United States went ahead to make a unilateral decision to do so. Considering the views presented in this paper, it is clear that the United States was in the Middle East for its own economic reasons. This is contrary to the wide spread belief that the United States moved into the region to help restore peace and stability in order to create a healthy and secure environment. References Baxter, K. Akbarzadeh, S. (2008). US Foreign Policy in the Middle East: The Roots of Anti-Americanism. New York, NY: Routledge. Day, A. (2000). US Foreign Relations with the Middle East and North Africa: A Bibliography: Supplement 1998. Reference Reviews, 14(2), 12 – 13 .Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Dobson, A. P. Marsh, S. (2007). US Foreign Policy since 1945. New York, NY: Taylor Francis. Ewane, F. E. (2010). United States’ Involvement in the Middle East Peace Process. Munich, Germany: GRIN Verlag. Fund, M. (2006). World Economic Outlook 2006. Washington, DC: Intemational Monetary Fund. Habibi, N. Woertz, E. (2009). US-Arab Economic Relations and the Obama Administration. Middle East Brief, 34. Hassassian, M. (1997). U.S. National Interests in the Middle East. Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture, 4(3), 1. Legrenzi, M., Momani, B. (2013). Shifting Geo-Economic Power of the Gulf: Oil Finance and Institutions. Burlington VT: Ashgate Publishing. Marc, L. (2011). The Big Think behind the Arab Spring. Foreign Policy, 190, 46 – 47. Snider, E. A. (2011). The Arab Spring: U.S. Democracy Promotion in Egypt. Middle East Policy, 18 (3), 49 – 62. Sullivan, P. (2009). President Barak Hussein Obama and the Middle East: The Peace Process, Iran, Iraq and Reasonable Expectations. Jordan Journal of International Affairs, 2(4), 9 – 36.

Summary of an article that discusses how microsoft office is being Essay

Summary of an article that discusses how microsoft office is being used in Nursing - Essay Example These devices are larger than a mobile telephone but smaller than a laptop computer. The authors note that there is an increasing tendency for nurses to be required to use microsoft applications for such tasks as making list, accessing clinical reference materials, writing progress notes, and referring to protocols etc. The advantages of mobile devices with this software include a decrease in medical errors, because mobile notes are more reliable than memory, and an increase in self-efficacy for the students. This is important in nursing because even students have a busy working day and deal with heavy demands in terms of holding and using information. It transpired that stundents could quite easily transfer skills from desktop computing, such as word processing and spreadsheets. Knowing Windows and how it works was a big help in giving the students confidence with the new devices. One hindrance in the use of microsoft technology in a clinical setting is that many hostpitals do not p ermit the use of wireless equipment near patients because of the possibility of interference with medical equipment.

Identify Potential Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Identify Potential Issues - Essay Example Deaths in police custody are usually the result of torture to extort information or to teach the person concerned a lesson (Pucl Bulletin October 1981). Leigh, A., Johnson, G. & Ingram, A. (1998) established this as a problem. The police are expected to detain individuals they believe to have broken the law. However, they also have a duty to protect any individual they have arrested or detained for their own safety. It is this dual responsibility that makes any death in police custody disturbing and potentially controversial. For families of the deceased it can be particularly distressing to learn not only that someone they were close to has died, but also that this happened whilst they were in police custody. For the police officers involved, the death itself will have been traumatic and the resulting inquiries are likely to place them under intense personal pressure. Though this is not possible to fully eradicate this problem, value of correcting this problem will come in terms of social benefits. The detained, the police and the near and dear one of the detainee all will have relief when they will be provided assurance by law not to occur deaths in the custodies. By any means if the virtual situation of not taking place any death in police custody comes true, the people will not fear to go in the custody. Police, women and promotion: "The lot of policewomen has been a difficult

Module 8 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Module 8 - Research Paper Example fuel consumption, this behaviour is different from what is observed in other countries, like the United States, where cost saving and practicality surpass brand names. This information is essential in determining the brand of cars the will make the greatest sales in china. This attraction to brand names goes hand in hand with how the consumer’s view the manufacturers’ image. Another factor in the determination of the brand is the opinion of the user’s friends. This plays a significant role in the choice of car that they will make. The use of the internet is also growing rapidly among the population, with this comes the growth of e-commerce. Monitoring the users’ preferences on products could also provide good information in determining the marketing strategy to improve on sales (Hague & Peter, 2002). The selection of field workers would comprise of a group of a certain age group and preferably from different cultures (Martin and Tamara, 2005). The training of field workers would involve, giving them guidelines to what questions to ask the consumers, the use of questionnaires to gather data and analysis of this data. The training would also show the fieldworkers how to use the analysed data to generate and compile reports about the research. The supervision would involve the use of guidelines is followed strictly, and the fieldworkers use questionnaires effectively. In the analysis, of the overall customer satisfaction, the frequency distribution indicated that the bigger percentage was satisfied with their dell computers; this came with 95.4 of the percentage interviewed. In the following question, of referring dell to a friend, 81.7% of the interviewees agreed that they would recommend it to a friend or relative. The next question was asking the interviewees the probability of making a dell purchase if they were buying a computer. The frequency was distributed towards the positive with a large percentage of 96.2 saying that they would make the choice

The Human Aspects of Project Management and its Influence on Project Essay

The Human Aspects of Project Management and its Influence on Project Performance - Essay Example In the book Leading Change, Kotter has used the word urgency to describe the first phase so as to get a head start into the process of project management. This has to do with taking stock of competitive and market realities with a focus on crises and opportunities. (Kotter, 1996; Pp 242 - 340) This has been paralleled in Organizational Behavior and Management through a focus on competitive advantage which can be described as follows: (Ivancevich et al, 2004; Pp 49 - 53) This brings us to a discussion on the technicalities of the model proposed by Porter. Porters Five Forces model provides suggested points under each main heading. When taken into consideration individually, each of these gives rise to the development of a broad and sophisticated analysis of competitive position. (Barney, 2007; Pp 10 - 34) This may further be used during the creation of a strategy, plans, or even where making investment decisions about a business or organization is concerned. These five competitive forces determine industry profitability and attractiveness apart from being responsible for shaping the prices that firms can charge, the costs they have to bear, and the required investments to engage in industry level competition. We are concerned with the fact that Porter’s essentially ahistorical approach cannot provide a full account of either a nation’s competitive advantage and corporate strategies or the growth and development of industrial clusters. (Porter, 1998; Pp 35 - 42) According to Kotter, this phase has to do with teamwork and leadership with a focus on integrating the two so as to bring out the best in each individual employee. (Kotter, 1996; Pp 242 - 340) To begin with, the way Ivancevich et al have described the principles of teamwork closely resembles the principles of scientific management as laid down by F W Taylor. Developed by Frederick W Taylor in the early 20th century, Scientific Management is a science based system of organizing the

Discuss the theme of how it reflects to the play Essay

Discuss the theme of how it reflects to the play - Essay Example In this book, Henrick Ibsen shows a clear opposition of a male’s society and the women’s lives in the golden cages, and nothing is better than freedom, and money cannot substitute wings. Henrik Ibsen’s  A Doll’s House intrigues the audience by first developments of the feminism discourse. Oppression of a woman in the nineteenth century by males is represented by the writer as a common thing. Nora is just a doll and she is not an entity, she is the â€Å"other† pretty thing of her husband. Her husband gives funny names for her, such as â€Å"squirrel†, a â€Å"song bird† or a â€Å"little skylark†. He thinks that she does not have valuable ideas and her brain is empty. However, Nora is not a silly woman, because she realizes this ever existent oppression and she confirms that her father told her about his ideas all the time and, finally, these ideas became her own ideas. Actually, this woman was passed from her father’s hands to the hands of her husband like a fragile and empty thing. She feels uncomfortable and she suffers from her wasted life (Goldman 38). It is more comfortable to be a doll and to live in a dollâ €™s house in case a woman has experienced lobotomy, but a sound mind can never accept such a daily humiliation. Nora’s husband is strong enough to shelter and comfort her, but Nora feels like a bird in a golden cage. Material concerns of her husband and her father prevent her from making her own desires and wishes come true. She lacks freedom and does not have an opportunity to satisfy her material needs (Templeton 345). She borrows money from another person, but she cannot become a happy person. Torvald oppresses her and treats her like a child. It seems like he has some mental illness, because it is an inappropriate behavior of a modern, strong man to project his father’s feelings onto his wife. Because of material problems and the lack of social power, Nora did not have an opportunity to make friends even with women, because her

The Human Aspects of Project Management and its Influence on Project Essay

The Human Aspects of Project Management and its Influence on Project Performance - Essay Example In the book Leading Change, Kotter has used the word urgency to describe the first phase so as to get a head start into the process of project management. This has to do with taking stock of competitive and market realities with a focus on crises and opportunities. (Kotter, 1996; Pp 242 - 340) This has been paralleled in Organizational Behavior and Management through a focus on competitive advantage which can be described as follows: (Ivancevich et al, 2004; Pp 49 - 53) This brings us to a discussion on the technicalities of the model proposed by Porter. Porters Five Forces model provides suggested points under each main heading. When taken into consideration individually, each of these gives rise to the development of a broad and sophisticated analysis of competitive position. (Barney, 2007; Pp 10 - 34) This may further be used during the creation of a strategy, plans, or even where making investment decisions about a business or organization is concerned. These five competitive forces determine industry profitability and attractiveness apart from being responsible for shaping the prices that firms can charge, the costs they have to bear, and the required investments to engage in industry level competition. We are concerned with the fact that Porter’s essentially ahistorical approach cannot provide a full account of either a nation’s competitive advantage and corporate strategies or the growth and development of industrial clusters. (Porter, 1998; Pp 35 - 42) According to Kotter, this phase has to do with teamwork and leadership with a focus on integrating the two so as to bring out the best in each individual employee. (Kotter, 1996; Pp 242 - 340) To begin with, the way Ivancevich et al have described the principles of teamwork closely resembles the principles of scientific management as laid down by F W Taylor. Developed by Frederick W Taylor in the early 20th century, Scientific Management is a science based system of organizing the

Fundamental health law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fundamental health law - Essay Example Mr. Russell wants to go ahead and sue the state that giving him the vaccine against his will is a complete violation of his personal autonomy under the 14th amendment of the constitution of the United States. Mr. Russell has a valid argument in his wish to file for a case against the state, despite the fact that the U.S constitution does not have any direct rights to privacy, however one is entitled to a right of privacy under the personal autonomy, an individual is allowed to choose whether to take part in precise activities, or subject themselves to particular acts. This precise personal autonomy is a liberty that is safeguarded by the due process clause of the 14th amendment; this liberty is defined in a general and narrow way whereby one is entitled to the rights of privacy in the family, child rearing ad other social activities. With this in mind, it is legal for Mr. Russell to refuse to be vaccinated. A good references case to why Mr. Russell have a viable argument in court the Jacobson v. Massachusetts in 1905 at the United States .Supreme Court. The implication of the Jacobson v. Massachusetts in relation to the one of Mr. Russell’s vs. the State is the rights to pressure citizens in circumstances that are not applicable. The case at hand was whether the state had the right to force Mr. Jacobson to receive a vaccination. This is after a law had been passed in the Massachusetts sin the year 1902 that required all people who had not received any vaccination for the last five years to receive one, failure to that would result to a fine. Jacobson declined to this order and the fine as well and filed for a case against the state, his argument was the state invaded on his personal autonomy. The Supreme Court in Massachusetts ruled in favor of the state, this was because despite the legal personal autonomy rights that an individual

Chateau Lafite Rothschild (China) Essay Example for Free

Chateau Lafite Rothschild (China) Essay Situation in China: China is one of the most important markets in the world, and with a growth of the Chinese economy in the past decades; it has encouraged international suppliercompaniess to enter the Chinese market. Living standards as well as purchasing power parity have improved since the countries openness to a market-oriented economy. Due to this openness foreign companies have attracted the consumption of wine from the middle-class, generating an increase in the last years of wine sales. Wine consumption continues to grow at a rapid rate in the country. The Chinese wine market is a complicated due to its numerous wine producers (local producers) and wine companies entering china to exploit the wine market. China as the most populated country in the world is a commercial paradise for all the enterprises wanting to expand to new markets. By the gain in market share by the introduction of new products to the Chinese market, foreign companies take advantage of a growing market. In the last years the French wine companies have been exporting to china expecting to gain market share in the wine sector taking advantage of one of the world’s fastest growing economy. For French wine export companies, it is important to understand the market, due to the Chinese wine companies and local wine production and how they have been gaining ground in the wine market. Due to the countries emerging economy and the growth in economical aspects the population in china have been entering a new era of consumption of foreign products, and due to this reasons most foreign companies have set up subsidiaries or the most common joint ventures with other Chinese companies to enter the country’s market and gain some ground on the major cities. One of the most important and emerging sectors in the Chinese society are the luxurious products. After the purchasing power of the individuals, luxurious products have acquired more interest and represent an improvement in status of the Chinese population either local or international status. The wine sector represents an important sector for upcoming expenditures for the Chinese population, although the purchase of wine is more business oriented than for personal consumption. The preferred wines for this type of consumption are the high-end French wines (Bordeaux and Burgundy). The market situation is very open nowadays due to the facility of the Chinese consumers o access wines imported from major foreign producing countries as well as local produced wines (France, Italy, USA, Chile and Australia). To have great success in the Chinese wine market the companies have to apply a strong marketing promotion compared to the local mass promotions by Chinese producers. The foreign brands have to apply a strong marketing promotion, but due to lack of resources the advertisements from foreign companies has a limited reach. To improve the image of foreign wine brands, foreign companies must intensify their promotions and advertisements, generate a consumer education by creating events, wine demonstrations and wine-food events, as well as lowering the prices to accommodate them to the population’s purchasing power (different levels of purchasing power). STRENGHTS: †¢ Luxurious and high-end wine. †¢ Renown wine company over the world. †¢ French presence and popularity in the wine market. Bordeaux and Burgundy wines considered one of the best wines in the world. WEAKNESES: †¢ Weak marketing. †¢ High product prices. OPORTUNITIES: †¢ Fastest growing market in the world. 20% growth from 2006-2011 and with a forecasted growth of 54% for 2015. †¢ Most populated country in the world. †¢ Economy has been growing at over twice the world’s average, generating future markets for imported products. †¢ Wine market in china is expected to continue its growth, placing itself in 4th place in the world’s markets. †¢ Elevated purchasing power from the Chinese consumers. Accelerated increase in consumption. THREATS: †¢ Corruption and smuggling from the neighboring countries. †¢ Chinese wine producers awakening. Chinese wine companies have gained the majority of market share in the country. †¢ Growth of china’s vineyards has surpassed the production from three countries combined (Australia, Chile and South Africa).

Green Walls: Benefits in the Contemporary City

Green Walls: Benefits in the Contemporary City INTRODUCTION Green wall and its necessity The living, organic systems characterized by green walls, are integrated with the inorganic and lifeless structures are dominating modern architecture and holds the promise of a new type of living architecture. Green walls are generally walls that are part of the Building covered with vegetation. They are like vertical garden mostly formed with creeper system on the exterior wall with the roots on the ground or with free standing vertically framed wall with different native plants grown on the surface. They are also termed as bio walls or living walls since they act as natural air-conditioner as they purifies and cools the ambient air to a large extent creating a healthy environment. The deepest threat of global warming is the rapid urbanization and deforestation. There is a considerable increase of co2 emission and heat transfer. This impact is extreme in the urban condition where the vegetation/ greenery are sparse. Also in the urban conditions mostly all the buildings are glazed and air-conditioned with out any ways of neither thermal insulation, nor are they shaded with thick surrounding landscape. This is basically due to the space constraints and optimization. In such challenging cases Green wall is the best alternative which acts as a good shading device against heat gain and energy losses, pollution etc. Hence, Green walls are must in urban conditions. Economic and Environmental benefits of Green walls The economic and environmental benefits are many. They result in substantial energy savings, extension of building life, CO2 capture, acoustics and Aesthetics. Energy Conservation: Vegetation on walls can assist in cooling buildings in summer and insulating them in winter. Reduction of thermal loading to buildings results lower heating and cooling costs which in turn lowers carbon emissions. Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) Health: These climbing plants on green walls filter out dust and other pollutants. Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) Reduction of heat island effect results in less reflected heat. Air purification: plants filter pollution especially when used inside buildings. Noise attenuation: It acts as sound barrier resulting in quieter buildings and streets. Green walls can collect over 30kgs per m2 of rainwater. Increased urban biomass. Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) clears the fact that There is a widespread belief that plants are inimical to built structures, ripping out mortar and prising apart joints with their roots. The evidence suggests that these problems have been greatly exaggerated, except where decay has already set in and then plants can indeed accelerate the process of deterioration. There is little evidence that plants damage walls. In fact in most of the cases the exact opposite is true, with plants covering the wall helps in protecting the wall from harmful elements, solar radiation which in turn reduces the thermic tensions within the structure. Indigenous sustainable elements and their benefits Indigenous sustainable elements are the simple elements which are locally available and considered as waste or least prioritized. For example, the coconut shells in the country like India which are available in abundance are just disposed or burnt to ashes even though they have high thermal coefficient and suitability for insulation/ acoustics. Similarly, materials like Clay, Bamboo, Jungle/ Pine/Rubber wood, Cork etc carry untarnishing effect in the field of sustainable Architecture when used appropriately. Apart from their interesting characteristic they are also economic. RESEARCH QUESTION/OBJECTIVE: Does green wall need to be green? The realistic objective of this research is to create more enjoyable greener cities which in turn bring numerous benefits to the surrounding environment. In the almost all the Urban locations of the world where the CO2 emission is extremely high due to various factors have hardly any good vegetation to control environmental pollution. Unfortunately, in such locations the concept of sustainability like Green wall gets relegated to the second spot due to construction and maintenance cost. The idea is to address to these areas and also to enhance the benefits of Green walls with some medicinal value. This needs to be achieved by identifying native herbal plants and also, to study and innovate in the area of low cost indigenous elements like coconut shells, bamboo, cane, Jute, cork, ect as construction materials to supplement to sustainable design. LITERATURE REVIEW: Green walls are slowly gaining value and are considered valuable for cooling the Urban space than green roofs in countries like Japan. But the green wall is still new to countries like India and china. Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) states that This is a great pity, because even in those cities relatively well endowed with greenspace many areas can justifiably be regarded as deserts in biological terms. Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury (2004) Green wall is widely practiced in Europe and it is quite common in France and Germany to see house covered in Virginia creeper or vines which are influenced by Mediterranean climate. Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) states that We need appropriate development which incorporates an ecological approach to building and landscape. This means that the land lost in the construction of buildings and roads should be replaced with a layer of plants on the hard surfaces. By this way green skin can be strategically added to create a new net work of vegetation linking roofs, courtyards, walls and open spaces. Different types of green walls There are two different types: Green facades and Living walls Green faà §ades: are wall systems where plants cover supporting structures rooted at the base of the structure. Supporting structure can either be a existing wall or built as freestanding structures. Living walls: (also called bio walls or vertical gardens) composed of pre-vegetated modular panels that are fixed to a structural wall or freestanding frame. Modular panels comprises of polypropylene plastic containers, geotextiles, irrigation system, growing medium and vegetation. Living walls can be installed on the exterior of a building in full sun, shade, and interior of a building. They grow well in both tropical and temperate climate. Due to huge variety of plants used, living walls require more intensive maintenance than green facades like regular watering, adding nutrients and fertilizers. Different types of green faà §ade support structures The two primary types are Modular trellis systems: Panels which are rigid and lightweight are installed vertically as wall-mounted or freestanding. They can also be used on tall buildings along side with intermediate planters. Modular trellis systems are essential where the physical growth of climbing plants is restricted. Freestanding structures: are rigid panels such as green columns or canopy forms that can be placed on either on building walls where either the space is limited or load is restricted. The panels can also be used as shading devices for a open parking area. Cable and rope wire systems: this system consist high-tensile steel cables, wire trellises, spacers, and additional equipment. Vertical and horizontal wires are connected through cross clamps to form a trellis system of desired sizes and patterns. Stainless steel wire-rope net is supported on flexible or rigid frames to cover large areas. Best plant types to use for green walls Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) Considering the relationship between the types of plant used and the aspect of the walls where they will grow is also a very important aspect. Deciduous plants are the most suitable on the south side of a building. In the summer their dense foliage shields the building from sunlight and creates cooling effect. In winter leaves are shed, allowing sunlight to reach the surface of the wall so helping to warm the interior of the building. Similarly on a west-facing wall it is sensible to use evergreens to protect the building from rain and provide a cushion of air to help insulation. North facing walls are best for supporting native herbs and wider ranges of plants. East walls may fall into either category. Plants used on exterior building walls are exposed to harsher climactic surroundings than those of indoors. Hence for building that intend to reach great heights, more hardy species of plants should be selected. Similarly, for less plant friendly climates, climbers that are tolerant for wind and heat should be selected. Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury (2004) On wooden walls and other structures, species with very heavy growth or a thick branching habit should be avoided, as the structure may not be able to support the weight. Plant selection will have major impact on the design of the supporting system. For instance, a denser and faster growing plant will require a larger space between supports than less aggressive plant species. The density of plant life further impacts the underlying structure. Greater the leaf surface area, the more impact rain will have on the weight of the system. Green wall installation and maintenance Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) Small herbaceous species are able to grow on walls by taking root in the substance of the wall itself. But other species are naturally adapted to climbing up and over obstacles such as rock faces, trees and shrubs. Some kind of support structure is essential for these plants to grow successfully. For example, climbers such as hops support themselves by spiralling upwards around an object. They will require timber battens, trellis work, steel cables or plastic ropes. Although some creeper can cling directly onto walls by their roots, they require a rough surface to enable them to do so. Rambling plants such as bramble and climbing rose need wide-meshed grid structures to which they can be attached. A 50x50cm latticework of treated timber mounted on wooden posts (or an equivalent structure using cables, rope or netting) will provide an adequate support for a range of species. Whenever possible it is sensible to leave little gap between the faà § ade of the building and the supporting structure to maximise the effects of summer cooling and winter insulation. The structures help in distributing the weight of the plants across the supporting structure and wall. In cable and rope wire systems, anchors and turnbuckles have to be installed at the end of each cable for tightening and adjustments as and when required. Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) Polypropylene cladding tiles incorporates waterproof membranes and their own irrigation system. Plants could be established on these and then hung on the outside of a building. Depending on species, climbing plants generally require a good supply of water and occasional pruning. Supporting structures require less maintenance, with only occasional monitoring of the supporting structure. Jacklyn Johnston and John Newton (2004) For climbing plants the ground should be prepared just like for any tree or shrub by creating a pit and adding in some compost to the top 30cm.Pre-grown panels for living walls needs 6-12 months for plants to grow prior to delivery and installation. The panels are grown horizontally until it is shipped to the site after which it can be mounted vertically. Climbing plants should be selected that do not provide a food source for unwanted pests and insects. Excessive growth or dead wood should be removed periodically and standing water should be avoided. LEED points for using green walls LEED has several credits for green walls when used in buildings. Sustainable Sites Credit 7.1: Landscape Design that Reduces Urban Heat Islands (1 point). Solar reflectance of a building is greatly reduced by exterior green walls, thus reducing the urban heat island effect. Water Efficiency Credits 1.1, 1.2: Water Efficient Landscaping (1 to 2 points). Harvested stormwater can be used for watering the plants of the green walls. Usage only collected, recycled, or nonpotable water may also add on to this credit. Water Efficiency Credit 2: Innovative Wastewater Technologies (1 point). Green walls can act as a medium for utilizing wastewater treatment. Energy and Atmosphere Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance (1 to 10 points). Buildings mechanical systems usage can be reduced greatly by green walls which acts as additional insulation for the structure and also provides natural cooling. Innovation in Design Credits 1-4: Innovation in Design (1 to 4 points). Green walls can contribute to innovative wastewater management or ventilation systems. KNOWLEDGES AND GAPS What is the awareness on Green walls in the countries like India? Green Building Movement in India Catalysts and Course India is witnessing incredible growth in infrastructure and construction sector. The construction industry in India happens to be one of the largest economic activities. As this sector is growing speedily, preserving the environment poses lot of challenges and at the same time presents opportunities. The construction sector therefore needs to contribute towards environmental responsibility. Green wall concepts are at emerging stage in India primarily due to high initial cost and lack of a native product to address the same. But still it offers great potential which asks for greater understanding and evolving an indigenous product by Indian Architects/ Landscape designers. How cost conscious developed countries are and how it is important? Most of the developed countries are focused on the technology of future and the art of modern architecture plays vital role where the value of simple indigenous elements gets neglected. In that case, even in the name of modernization most of the developing countries are also getting inspired by the developed countries. Cost effective design always carries value at the time of crisis and recession. It also speaks its untouched charm as they are formed mostly with natural elements. INNOVATION: An Indian based Agriculturalist who tried organic farming elunkathir pannai with the protection of bio fence created with the native herbals and plants. The result proved to be astonishing and achieved good yield. The interesting secrete behind it is, all the air born pests are filtered and killed by naturally available herbal predators. This inspires and even strengthens the concept of Green walls for the urban spaces also. And that is one of my initiative and part of the research using native herbals to achieve medicinal benefits. Sustainability is largely being practised in various fields. But in most of the cases they are not cost effective. The other part of my innovation is to adapt low cost sustainable design with simple indigenous elements like Coconut shell, Clay plaster, Cork, Bamboo, Jungle/pine wood etc. at appropriate areas. DATA AND INFORMATION TO BE COLLECTED: Details of Green wall construction/installation Supports and frames Plants species for indoor and out door Irrigation system details Lighting details Maintenance Samples How to collect data and How to analyse it? Already gathering information from the service providers of various places on green wall construction and maintenance aspects. In the process of getting associated with a Horticulturalist/ Agriculturalist to get details on the plants species and their behaviour. Apart from the above, I have collected sufficient literature to move forward. Also, analysis of each element will be carried out through models and tools by collecting all the required samples from the mentioned resources. PLANNING The concept of green wall has to be incorporated in design and the same will be detailed and fine-tuned towards the research topic as a study model. As part of innovative design the usage of indigenous sustainable elements will also be adopted. Characteristics of the indigenous elements available in the developing countries like India are enormous. Will plan them appropriately in design specification based on their characteristics and also, complying with ergonomic standards. POSSIBLE OUTCOME Considering all the urban spaces which are completely responsible for the curse Global warming on this mother earth, as a responsible Architect would work towards through my dissertation to manifest and prove Green walls and other simple indigenous materials as affordable solution for all the Urban conditions and justify the usage of green wall for a space which is non-Air-conditioned. The other issue which is threatening the world is the recession which also calls for innovative cost effective practise in the construction and specification. Initiative to achieve the same with cost effective indigenous materials is a challenge yet it will be proven possible. It is always better to plan and protect, rather than repent and repair Bibliography: Property World- August 2009 The Hindu-Elunkathirpannai- Arunachlam-Thursday,2008 The Architects Journal, Building Library Starting with Plants-Dougherty, David Green walls Austrialia Pvt ltd. www.greenscreen.com http://www.greenscreen.com/home.html http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/379033-6_Things_You_Need_to_Know_About_Green_Walls.php Green Building Movement in India Catalysts and Course Was the League of Nations a Success or Failure? Was the League of Nations a Success or Failure? In what ways was the League of Nations a predecessor to the UN? Was the League successful in its goal of protecting minorities throughout Europe in the wake of WWI? While the League of Nations was created after the end of World War One to prevent war from ever breaking out again, a few years later World War Two broke out shocking the world with its lack of response to defuse the situation. Though many people only discuss the epic failure of the League of Nations it is important to realize that the League of Nations was semi-successful in its goal of protecting minorities throughout Europe after World War One and was a predecessor to the United Nations. To understand the League of Nations it is important to go over the reasons why it was created and its organizational structure. Based on President Woodrow Wilsons, 1918 address to the United States Congress, where he spoke of his desire to create a world dedicated to justice and fair dealing(Wilson 1918) which later became the Fourteen Points program. This program included explicit references to the rights to self-determination and statehoods for nations seeking freedom (Wilson 1918). The League of Nations was created after the end of World War One to prevent war from ever breaking out again. After the turmoil, the Versailles Treaty in 1919 established the League of Nations to bring stability to the world. The world was horrified by the slaughter that had taken place in what was meant to be in the civilized part of the world. The only way to avoid having such atrocities to repeat, a need for an international body whose sole purpose was to maintain world peace and sort out internation al dilemmas when and if they ever occurred again was needed (Clapham 2007). Other than the United States, who was too busy with the root of isolationism, support for the League of Nations was strong. The League of Nations was to be based in Geneva, Switzerland as it was a neutral county and had not been involved in World War One. With its establishment the League of Nations and its Covenant, addressed the rights of minorities, workers rights, right of women and children, refugees and slavery (Freeman 2005). Also according to the League of Nations Covenant there were three things that could be done to resolve a dispute. One way it states to resolve this dispute is to have the states in the dispute sit and discuss their problems in an orderly fashion in the Leagues Assembly, which is similar to a parliament or the current United Nations parliament. If there is an aggressor then the League would and can verbally warn the aggressor nation. If nothing came from the Assemblys decision then the League of Nations could propose to introduce economic sanctions against the aggressor nation (Covenant 1919). The logic behind this action was to financially aggravate the aggressor country so th ey would follow and give into the League of Nations and their requirements. The League of Nations could order other League Members to not trade with an aggressor nation and if this failed as well then militarily force would be used to put the aggressor nation into place. The only problem with this concept was that the League of Nations did not have a military force that they could use and no member of the new League of Nations was required to provide any military help under the terms of joining which is different from the current United Nations where if joined with the United Nations military help is a requirement. This lead to the League not being able to carry out any of its threats. Due to the atrocities and severe depletion of many major armies it was hard for even first world nations such as Great Britain and France to provide military strength to help the League of Nations. Another weakness that the League of Nations had was the lack of support from the founding fathers country; the United States. Though Woodrow Wilson came up with the the foundation of the League of Nations with his Fourteen Points speech, he refused to join the League of Nations as the United States was fulling its desire for isolation. This was a serious blow to the prestige of the League. A few other problems with the League of Nations was that Germany was not allowed to join because it had started World War One, according to the Versailles treaty. This was a great low point for both the League of Nations and Germany, as they both could not help each other out again other aggressor nations such as Russia and Japan. Russia was not allowed to join because in 1917 there was a communist government that created fear in western Europe. This also created a hole in the League of Nations because this depleted them of another potential military power to help keep order in the world. Though the weaknesses were mentioned earlier in the paper is it important to remember the successes that the League of Nations also had. The League aimed to promote international cooperation in economic and social affairs. Under the League of Nations the council was active in the protection of workers rights. Their goal of fair and humane conditions of labor for all men, women and children (Covenant 1919) became the central focus of the International Labor Organization (ILO) which still continues to be one of the United Nations specialized agencies (Clapham 2007). Workers rights were to be recognized and protected even though they were in place by governments for their own state interests rather than individual interests. Some governments feared their population would turn communist and thus recognized workers rights. The League of Nations was also successful in setting up a commission on slavery and adopted the 1926 Slavery convention, putting an end to slavery. They also developed conventions on the traffic of women and children (Clapham 2007) A few of the League of Nations decisions protected the rights of minorities in Europe while it was in existence. In the Aaland Islands, 1921, near Finland and Sweden, most of the islanders wanted to be governed by Sweden even though traditionally it had always been governed by Finland. Neither Sweden nor Finland could come to a decision as to who owned the islands and in 1921 they asked the League to adjudicate. The Leagues decision was that they should remain with Finland but that no weapons should ever be kept there. Both countries accepted the decision and it remains in force to this day. Though the minorities did not get as they wanted they were given the opportunity to speak up to the League and help make a decision peacefully. The face that the decision is still in force today is a wonderful concept. Though the League of Nations was a political failure it established a groundwork for the current United Nations and its strong commitment to Human Rights. Turkey (1923) The League failed to stop a bloody war in Turkey (see League failures) but it did respond to the humanitarian crisis caused by this war. 1,400,000 refugees had been created by this war with 80% of them being women and children. Typhoid and cholera were rampant. The League sent doctors from the Health Organisation to check the spread of disease and it spent  £10 million on building farms, homes etc for the refugees. Money was also invested in seeds, wells and digging tools and by 1926, work was found for 600,000 people. A member of the League called this work the greatest work of mercy which mankind has undertaken. Greece and Bulgaria (1925) Both these nations have a common border. In 1925, sentries patrolling this border fired on one another and a Greek soldier was killed. The Greek army invaded Bulgaria as a result. The Bulgarians asked the League for help and the League ordered both armies to stop fighting and that the Greeks should pull out of Bulgaria. The League then sent experts to the area and decided that Greece was to blame and fined her  £45,000. Both nations accepted the decision. The failures of the League of Nations Article 11 of the Leagues Covenant stated: Any war of threat of war is a matter of concern to the whole League and the League shall take action that may safe guard peace. Therefore, any conflict between nations which ended in war and the victor of one over the other must be considered a League failure. Italy (1919) In 1919, Italian nationalists, angered that the Big Three had, in their opinion, broken promises to Italy at the Treaty of Versailles, captured the small port of Fiume. This port had been given to Yugoslavia by the Treaty of Versailles. For 15 months, Fiume was governed by an Italian nationalist called dAnnunzio. The newly created League did nothing. The situation was solved by the Italian government who could not accept that dAnnunzio was seemingly more popular than they were so they bombarded the port of Fiume and enforced a surrender. In all this the League played no part despite the fact that it had just been set up with the specific task of maintaining peace. Teschen (1919) Teschen was a small town between Poland and Czechoslovakia. Its main importance was that it had valuable coal mines there which both the Poles and the Czechs wanted. As both were newly created nations, both wanted to make their respective economies as strong as possible and the acquisition of rich coal mines would certainly help in this respect. In January 1919, Polish and Czech troops fought in the streets of Teschen. Many died. The League was called on to help and decided that the bulk of the town should go to Poland while Czechoslovakia should have one of Teschens suburbs. This suburb contained the most valuable coal mines and the Poles refused to accept this decision. Though no more wholesale violence took place, the two countries continued to argue over the issue for the next twenty years. Vilna (1920) Many years before 1920, Vilna had been taken over by Russia. Historically, Vilna had been the capital of Lithuania when the state had existed in the Middle Ages. After World War One, Lithuania had been re-established and Vilna seemed the natural choice for its capital. However, by 1920, 30% of the population was from Poland with Lithuanians only making up 2% of the citys population. In 1920, the Poles seized Vilna. Lithuania asked for League help but the Poles could not be persuaded to leave the city. Vilna stayed in Polish hands until the outbreak of World War Two. The use of force by the Poles had won. War between Russia and Poland (1920 to 1921) In 1920, Poland invaded land held by the Russians. The Poles quickly overwhelmed the Russian army and made a swift advance into Russia. By 1921, the Russians had no choice but to sign the Treaty of Riga which handed over to Poland nearly 80,000 square kilometres of Russian land. This one treaty all but doubled the size of Poland. What did the League do about this violation of another country by Poland? The answer is simple nothing. Russia by 1919 was communist and this plague from the East was greatly feared by the West. In fact, Britain, France and America sent troops to attack Russia after the League had been set up. Winston Churchill, the British War Minister, stated openly that the plan was to strangle Communist Russia at birth. Once again, to outsiders, it seemed as if League members were selecting which countries were acceptable and ones which were not. The Allied invasion of Russia was a failure and it only served to make Communist Russia even more antagonistic to the West. The invasion of the Ruhr (1923) The Treaty of Versailles had ordered Weimar Germany to pay reparations for war damages. These could either be paid in money or in kind (goods to the value of a set amount) In 1922, the Germans failed to pay an installment. They claimed that they simply could not rather than did not want to. The Allies refused to accept this and the anti-German feeling at this time was still strong. Both the French and the Belgiums believed that some form of strong action was needed to teach Germany a lesson. In 1923, contrary to League rules, the French and the Belgiums invaded the Ruhr Germanys most important industrial zone. Within Europe, France was seen as a senior League member like Britain and the anti-German feeling that was felt throughout Europe allowed both France and Belgium to break their own rules as were introduced by the League. Here were two League members clearly breaking League rules and nothing was done about it. For the League to enforce its will, it needed the support of its major backers in Europe, Britain and France. Yet France was one of the invaders and Britain was a major supporter of her. To other nations, it seemed that if you wanted to break League rules, you could. Few countries criticised what France and Belgium did. But the example they set for others in future years was obvious. The League clearly failed on this occasion, primarily because it was seen to be involved in breaking its own rules. Italy and Albania (1923) The border between Italy and Albania was far from clear and the Treaty of Versailles had never really addressed this issue. It was a constant source of irritation between both nations. In 1923, a mixed nationality survey team was sent out to settle the issue. Whilst travelling to the disputed area, the Italian section of the survey team, became separated from the main party. The five Italians were shot by gunmen who had been in hiding. Italy accused Greece of planning the whole incident and demanded payment of a large fine. Greece refused to pay up. In response, the Italians sent its navy to the Greek island of Corfu and bombarded the coastline. Greece appealed to the League for help but Italy, lead by Benito Mussolini, persuaded the League via the Conference of Ambassadors, to fine Greece 50 million lire. To follow up this success, Mussolini invited the Yugoslavian government to discuss ownership of Fiume. The Treaty of Versailles had given Fiume to Yugoslavia but with the evidence of a bombarded Corfu, the Yugoslavs handed over the port to Italy with little argument The social successes of the League of Nations At a social level the League did have success and most of this is easily forgotten with its failure at a political level. Many of the groups that work for the United Nations now, grew out of what was established by the League. Teams were sent to the Third World to dig fresh water wells, the Health Organisation started a campaign to wipe out leprosy. This idea of wiping out from the world a disease was taken up by the United Nations with its smallpox campaign. Work was done in the Third World to improve the status of women there and child slave labour was also targeted. Drug addiction and drug smuggling were also attacked. These problems are still with us in the C21st so it would be wrong to criticise the League for failing to eradicate them. If we cannot do this now, the League had a far more difficult task then with more limited resources. The greatest success the League had involving these social issues, was simply informing the world at large that these problems did exist and that they should be tackled. No organisation had done this before the League. These social problems may have continued but the fact that they were now being actively investigated by the League and were then taken onboard by the United Nations must be viewed as a success. In order to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war, by the prescription of open, just and honourable relations between nations, by the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among Governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another, Agree to this Covenant of the League of Nations.

Virtual Reality :: essays research papers

When a sound source is visible and auditory cues conflict with visual cues, vision always predominates over audition. When a sound source presents no visible cues, the most important role of vision is in the monitoring of head movements. The visual field provides important feedback about the nature and degree of head movement so that deliberate disturbance to the visual field causes significant disruption in the ability to localize and invisible sound source. This is essential in ensuring the success of virtual reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All the applications of the technology of television have been dominated by entertainment. Because of this, the vast majority of televised scenes have been of familiar landscapes; domestic rooms; churches; courtrooms and even the open prairie. In each case, the viewer is able to bring a vast amount of his or her experience to bear in interpreting the missing third dimension.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, as applications of television broaden to include displays for molecular modeling programs for surgery for instance, the televised scenes become unfamiliar and interpretation of the depth cues become more difficult.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Just as in the cinema, the human eye’s persistence of vision means that we experience consecutive still images as a continuously flowing moving image. But, despite constant development in video display technology (better colour, higher definition images etc.), all television systems present a completely ‘flat’ 2-D image. Therefore, it is essential to understand various techniques used by virtual reality engineers to ensure a realistic visual stimulation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Depth Enhancement Techniques   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many applications of television technology, which would benefit from conventional 2-D display to 3-D systems, are deprived of this transformation due to other considerations. Nature has solved the lack of binocular vision in animals not equipped with two forward-facing eyes by furnishing them with a mechanism for extracting depth information from motion parallax cues. Humans cannot do this without artificial aid and so require the assistance of video depth enhancement systems like the Pulfrich Effect and Depth Enhanced Vision (DEV).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Pulfrich Effect is named after a nineteenth century discoverer who noticed that if a neutral density filter is placed over one eye, a swinging pendulum appears to swing in an ellipse. Depending on the direction of motion, objects on a video screen also appear to recede into the screen or advance out of the screen. This effect is due to the filter that causes the brain to process two identical retinal images at different speeds, which results in motion parallax being misinterpreted by the nervous system.

Plato Essay example -- essays research papers

The great philosopher, Plato, wrote two specific dialogues; the book Timaeus and the book Critias. Plato was a professional teacher who valued intelligence immensely. Plato founded the first Philosophical Academy in Athens in the early fourth century BC. He devoted his life to philosophy and the teachings of his friend Socrates. Plato learned from Socrates and passed on his knowledge to his students. After his friend's sudden death, Plato became dissatisfied with the government in Athens. He filtered away from his family and lived his dream of researching and teaching philosophy. Plato focused on many philosophical aspects and wrote numerous dialogues. In the book Timaeus, Plato spoke of the beginning of the world and the creation of living creatures. Plato believed the human body and soul were created with precise, divine planning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book Timaeus, Plato described the Father of the universe as a very masterful being and a divine planner of the human body. Plato revealed that the Father told the other Gods to create mortal figures of them. Plato recalled the words of God, â€Å"There are three kinds of mortal creature yet uncreated, and unless they are created the world will be imperfect, as it will not have in it every kind of living creature which it must have if it is to be perfect† (57). The Father of the universe is very precise in the way the beings are created. He tells his Gods to use the mixture from the soul of the world to create the ...

Deception Point Page 27

The gaping hole in the ice now looked like a small swimming pool in the middle of the habisphere. The surface of the two-hundred-foot-deep pool of melted water sloshed for a while against the icy walls of the shaft and then finally grew calm. The waterline in the shaft was a good four feet beneath the glacier's surface, the discrepancy caused by both the removal of the meteorite's mass and ice's property of shrinking as it melts. Norah Mangor immediately set up SHABA pylons all around the hole. Although the hole was clearly visible, any curious soul who ventured too close and accidentally slipped in would be in dire jeopardy. The walls of the shaft were solid ice, with no footholds, and climbing out unassisted would be impossible. Lawrence Ekstrom came padding across the ice toward them. He moved directly to Norah Mangor and shook her hand firmly. â€Å"Well done, Dr. Mangor.† â€Å"I'll expect lots of praise in print,† Norah replied. â€Å"You'll get it.† The administrator turned now to Rachel. He looked happier, relieved. â€Å"So, Ms. Sexton, is the professional skeptic convinced?† Rachel couldn't help but smile. â€Å"Stunned is more like it.† â€Å"Good. Then follow me.† Rachel followed the administrator across the habisphere to a large metal box that resembled an industrial shipping container. The box was painted with military camouflage patterns and stenciled letters: P-S-C. â€Å"You'll call the President from in here,† Ekstrom said. Portable Secure Comm, Rachel thought. These mobile communications booths were standard battlefield installations, although Rachel had never expected to see one used as part of a peacetime NASA mission. Then again, Administrator Ekstrom's background was the Pentagon, so he certainly had access to toys like this. From the stern faces on the two armed guards watching over the PSC, Rachel got the distinct impression that contact with the outside world was made only with express consent from Administrator Ekstrom. Looks like I'm not the only one who is off-the-grid. Ekstrom spoke briefly with one of the guards outside the trailer and then returned to Rachel. â€Å"Good luck,† he said. Then he left. A guard rapped on the trailer door, and it opened from within. A technician emerged and motioned for Rachel to enter. She followed him in. The inside of the PSC was dark and stuffy. In the bluish glow of the lone computer monitor, Rachel could make out racks of telephone gear, radios, and satellite telecommunications devices. She already felt claustrophobic. The air inside was bitter, like a basement in winter. â€Å"Sit here, please, Ms. Sexton.† The technician produced a rolling stool and positioned Rachel in front of a flat-screen monitor. He arranged a microphone in front of her and placed a bulky pair of AKG headphones on her head. Checking a logbook of encryption passwords, the technician typed a long series of keys on a nearby device. A timer materialized on the screen in front of Rachel. 00:60 SECONDS The technician gave a satisfied nod as the timer began to count down. â€Å"One minute until connection.† He turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Rachel could hear the bolt lock outside. Great. As she waited in the dark, watching the sixty-second clock slowly count down, she realized that this was the first moment of privacy she'd had since early that morning. She'd woken up today without the slightest inkling of what lay ahead. Extraterrestrial life. As of today, the most popular modern myth of all time was no longer a myth. Rachel was just now starting to sense how truly devastating this meteorite would be to her father's campaign. Although NASA funding had no business being on a political par with abortion rights, welfare, and health care, her father had made it an issue. Now it was going to blow up in his face. Within hours, Americans would feel the thrill of a NASA triumph all over again. There would be teary-eyed dreamers. Slack-jawed scientists. Children's imaginations running free. Issues of dollars and cents would fade away as petty, overshadowed by this monumental moment. The President would emerge like a phoenix, transforming himself into a hero, while in the midst of the celebration, the businesslike senator would suddenly appear small-minded, a penny-pinching Scrooge with no American sense of adventure. The computer beeped, and Rachel glanced up. 00:05 SECONDS The screen in front of her flickered suddenly, and a blurry image of the White House seal materialized on-screen. After a moment, the image dissolved into the face of President Herney. â€Å"Hello, Rachel,† he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. â€Å"I trust you've had an interesting afternoon?† 29 The office of Senator Sedgewick Sexton was located in the Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building on C Street to the northeast of the Capitol. The building was a neo-modern grid of white rectangles that critics claimed looked more like a prison than an office building. Many who worked there felt the same. On the third floor, Gabrielle Ashe's long legs paced briskly back and forth in front of her computer terminal. On the screen was a new e-mail message. She was not sure what to make of it. The first two lines read: SEDGEWICK WAS IMPRESSIVE ON CNN. I HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU. Gabrielle had been receiving messages like this for the last couple of weeks. The return address was bogus, although she'd been able to track it to a â€Å"whitehouse.gov† domain. It seemed her mysterious informant was a White House insider, and whoever it was had become Gabrielle's source for all kinds of valuable political information recently, including the news of a covert meeting between the NASA administrator and the President. Gabrielle had been leery of the e-mails at first, but when she checked out the tips, she was amazed to find the information consistently accurate and helpful-classified information on NASA overexpenditures, costly upcoming missions, data showing that NASA's search for extraterrestrial life was grossly overfunded and pathetically unproductive, even internal opinion polls warning that NASA was the issue turning voters away from the President. To enhance her perceived value to the senator, Gabrielle had not informed him she was receiving unsolicited e-mail help from inside the White House. Instead, she simply passed the information to him as coming from â€Å"one of her sources.† Sexton was always appreciative and seemed to know better than to ask who her source was. She could tell he suspected Gabrielle was doing sexual favors. Troublingly, it didn't seem to bother him in the least. Gabrielle stopped pacing and looked again at the newly arrived message. The connotations of all the e-mails were clear: Someone inside the White House wanted Senator Sexton to win this election and was helping him do it by aiding his attack against NASA. But who? And why? A rat from a sinking ship, Gabrielle decided. In Washington it was not at all uncommon for a White House employee, fearing his President was about to be ousted from office, to offer quiet favors to the apparent successor in hopes of securing power or another position after the changeover. It seemed someone smelled Sexton victory and was buying stock early. The message currently on Gabrielle's screen made her nervous. It was like none other she had ever received. The first two lines didn't bother her so much. It was the last two: EAST APPOINTMENT GATE, 4:30 P.M. COME ALONE. Her informant had never before asked to meet in person. Even so, Gabrielle would have expected a more subtle location for a face-to-face meeting. East Appointment Gate? Only one East Appointment Gate existed in Washington, as far as she knew. Outside the White House? Is this some kind of joke? Gabrielle knew she could not respond via e-mail; her messages were always bounced back as undeliverable. Her correspondent's account was anonymous. Not surprising.