System Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

System Issues - Research Paper Example Likewise, network engineers construct global IP address in to private IP address via sub netting. These private IP addresses are only accessible within the organization and are configured with a unique IP addresses to each node present on the network. Organization named as JKLevering Inc. is having issues with static IP addressing configuration thought out their computer network. However, organization has two options to consider for assigning IP addresses in a corporate wired LAN environment i.e. Dynamic host routing protocol (DHCP) server and static IP addressing. DHCP works in the form of an agent for assigning private IP to the workstations that are logged on the network. Likewise, DHCP is configured on the router, where a network administrator can specify all the parameters related to it. Moreover, static IP address can also be defined by the router, so that a specific device can receive the same IP address every time (Dhcp.2011). Furthermore, all the services associated with DHC P are conducted by a DHCP server (DHCP server.2011). DHCP facilitate organizations to save time by automatically configuring or assigning IP addresses to the Ethernet interface. ... JKLevering Inc. is facing some issues that are caused by static IP addressing. The first issue is related to security. Likewise, if any hacker accomplishes breaking in the system will keep on attacking because he now knew IP address of the workstation. Moreover, organizations allow access of intranet application to employees who work from home. Static IP do not allow employees to access their workstation from home. However, port forwarding enables the option of accessing a private IP address via a global IP address, consequently making network environment more complex and time consuming. Network engineer also find it difficult to embed static IP addresses to every application or server facilitating business operations (Advantages of DHCP, n.d). In order to identify unauthorized threats within the network, a typical DHCP server identifies other DHCP servers on the network. The functionality of a typical DHCP server is to assign an IP address whenever, a client or network node log in t o the network. However, network engineer must define a pool of private IP addresses, as DHCP server will choose any IP from this defined pool. Therefore, whenever a workstation connects to the network, DHCP server provides IP address, subnet Mask, and default gateway. In addition, DHCP server can also provide information related to WINS and DNS, if required (Advantages of DHCP, n.d). DHCP Configuration In order to configure a typical DHCP server, following steps are required: Step 1 Programs ? Administrative Tools ?DHCP Before installing DHCP services in a Windows Server 2008 environment, static IP address is required for the server. As shown in Fig 1.1, all the required options associated with DHCP can be configured in the DHCP console. Figure 1.1 Step 2 The server will

Calculator API Essay Example for Free

Calculator API Essay 4Price Calculator API Updates 4.1RateV3 Response 4.1.1Modified CLASSID and MailService response values 4.1.1.1See Appendix A 4.2RateV4 Request 4.2.1New enumerations: â€Å"Priority Express†, â€Å"Priority Express Commercial†, â€Å"Priority Express CPP†, â€Å"Priority Express SH†, â€Å"Priority Express SH Commercial†, â€Å"Priority Express HFP†, â€Å"Priority Express HFP Commercial†, â€Å"Priority Express HFP CPP† 4.2.2 added to allow for specification of the expected time when providing the package to USPS 4.2.2.1Schema location: Between and 4.2.2.2Optional tag, optional value 4.2.2.3Format: HH:MM 4.3RateV4 Response 4.3.1Modified CLASSID and MailService response values 4.3.1.1See Appendix A 4.3.2 returns availability of extra service for CPP pricing when a CPP service has been requested, e.g. Priority CPP 4.3.3 returns the extra service commercial plus price when a CPP service has been requested, e.g. Priority CPP 4.3.4 response node returned for Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail variants when provided in the request 4.3.4.1 contains the service standard (e.g. â€Å"1-Day†) and is returned for Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail variants when provided in the request 4.3.4.1.1Enumerations: â€Å"1-Day†, â€Å"2-Day†, â€Å"3-Day†, â€Å"Military†, â€Å"DPO†, â€Å" † 4.3.4.2 contains the scheduled delivery date (format: yyyy-mm-dd) and is returned for Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail variants when provided in the request 4.4IntlRate and IntlRateV2 Response 4.4.1Modified Service ID and SvcDescription response values as follows: 4.4.1.1See Appendix B 5Domestic Service Standard API Updates 5.1ExpressMailCommitments 5.1.1 tag added to allow for specification of the expected time when providing the package to USPS 5.1.1.1Schema location: Between and 5.1.1.2Optional tag, optional value 5.1.1.3Format: HH:MM 6Domestic Label API Updates 6.1ExpressMailLabel Request 6.1.1 tag added and will trigger the node in the response when the value = â€Å"true† 6.1.1.1Schema location: After 6.1.1.2Optional tag, optional value 6.1.1.3Emumerations: â€Å"true†,†false† 6.1.2 tag added to reflect acceptance time at post office 6.1.2.1Schema location: Between and 6.1.2.2Optional tag, optional value 6.1.2.3HH:MM 6.1.3 tag added to allow the user to specify if the destination address is a PO box. 6.1.3.1Schema location: Between and 6.1.3.2Optional tag, optional value 6.1.3.3Emumerations: â€Å"true†, †false† 6.2ExpressMailLabel Response 6.2.1 node returned when true provided in the request 6.2.1.1 contains the service standard message (e.g. â€Å"1-Day†) when true provided in the request 6.2.1.1.1Enumerations: â€Å"1-Day†, â€Å"2-Day†, â€Å"Military†, â€Å"DPO†, â€Å" † 6.2.1.2 contains the scheduled delivery date (format: yyyy-mm-dd) and is returned when true provided in the request 6.2.2Label image updates: 6.2.2.1Service banner updates reflecting the name change from Express Mail to Priority Mail Express. For further details, please see: https://www.usps.com/making-priority-mail-better.htm 6.2.2.2Addition of information to the right side below the service banner text: Ship Date, Packaging or Weight, Reference Number, Sender Phone Number, Carrier Route (for USPS use) 6.2.2.2.1See Appendix C for label samples 6.2.2.3New USPS logos will be present on the existing label images 6.2.3Email notification updates to reflect the name change from Express Mail to Priority Mail Express 6.3DeliveryConfirmationV4 Request 6.3.1 tag added and will trigger the Carrier Release endorsement on the label image when the value = â€Å"true†; this endorsement cannot be applied to items requiring a signature at delivery 6.3.1.1Schema location: After 6.3.1.2Optional tag, optional value 6.3.1.3Enumerations = â€Å"true†, â€Å"false† 6.3.1.4Default = â€Å"false† 6.3.2 tag added and will trigger the node in the response when the value = †true†.

Chivalrous Code :: essays research papers

Chivalry began in the 12th century in the form of a knightly code of conduct, with special emphasis on courtly manners toward women. Thirteenth century stories that showed the ways a warrior should behave in romance became popular . Churchmen liked the idea of high standards and made the knighting ceremony a religious occasion with a church vigil and purifying bath. Books on the subject soon began to appear. Many forms of chivalrous code can be found today, from The Cowboy’s Code to the Rules of Courtly Love. These codes are stated with the hope that people will try and follow them to some degree; yet only the perfect could adhere to them all. Considering the fact that such perfection is impossible, the authors merely set out a guideline for honorable behavior. In the context of medieval times, a knight was expected to have faith in his beliefs; for faith was considered to give hope against the despair that human failings create. I chose to use ‘The Code of Chivalry’ for my comparisons on literary characters great successes and failures. For my first example, I chose the brave and fearless Beowulf. According to the 19th code of chivalry, one must ‘Destroy evil in all of its monstrous forms,’ and also ‘Exhibit courage in word and deed.’ Beowulf proclaimed to fight the evil Grendel, saying â€Å"We shall fight for our lives, foe against foe; and he whom death takes off must resign himself to the judgment of God (1200).† After the battle, the terror-filled Grendel crept away, mortally wounded. Beowulf had upheld this particular code with valor and bravery. For my second example, I looked to Sir Gawain. The story of the Green Knight is seeped with instances of chivalry, and honorable men. â€Å"Always keep one’s word of honor,† was an obvious code for this particular story. Not only did Sir Gawain show respect for the codes of chivalry by serving his king, exhibiting courage, and fighting with honor; he kept his words of honor that had been spoken with the Green Knight. Although he was distracted in his course, he kept the appointed new year challenge with the knight. Not a perfect instance of chivalry, yet his example leads nicely into my next character assessment. Don Quixote, if nothing else, must be praised for his valiant efforts to follow the laws of the great knights. After encountering a man beating a half naked youth, he informs him that â€Å"it is a caitiff’s deed to attack one who cannot defend himself.

Abstract on Application of Geophysics in Solving Environmental and Engineering Problem

APPLICATION OF GEOPHYSICAL METHODS IN SOLVING ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS Lawrence A. Anine, Department of Earth Science, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun. The use of geophysical methods in solving engineering and environmental problems has increased over the years in most developed countries like Japan. During the 60’s, when Japan was still in their developing era, geophysical methods were used in investigation of new construction such as tunnel, dams, buildings and so on.In the present era, geophysical methods are now used in investigating disaster prevention, maintenance of existing construction and soil and ground water pollutions. As a developing country and continent, various geophysical methods should be employed in solving various engineering and environmental problems because they play a vital role in solving such problems. This vital role played by geophysicists, especially in construction of new roads, railways and high-rise buildings wi ll be reflected in the future because, for instance, during construction, huge amounts of concretes are been used and this requires huge amount of sands.So, if low quality sands are used, the performance or quality of the concretes will decelerate, and as such shortens its durable years. Such concretes can cause accident in the future due to its bad quality. Therefore, it is important to an engineer to investigate the health of these concretes (building materials) and this role becomes much more important in the future. Geophysical methods with non-destructive techniques will be employed in testing the construction.Geophysical investigation is employed not only during construction but also for maintenance of existing constructions. Most concretes construction will reach their durable years after about 15 to 20 years and these durable years needs to be extended in order to use them longer than before since the rate of new construction will reduce in the coming era of low rate of econ omical growth. So, existing constructions needs to be well maintained and these quality control and maintenance of the existing construction becomes much more important in the future.As more industries are being created in Nigeria and in other developing countries of Africa, huge amount of waste will be generated and disposed into the ground in and around the factories, polluting the soil and underground water in that area. Geophysical methods are employed in investigation for remediation of the polluted soil and underground water. It plays an important role in solving this problem resulting from increasing amount of environmental pollutions in this area.In investigation of soil and groundwater pollution, geophysical methods can be used as a tool for Estimation of the total area that has been polluted and the degree of pollution. Investigation and detection of the source of the pollution. Studying and understanding the mechanism of pollution. Monitoring of remediation of the polluti on. Geophysical methods used for shallow subsurface investigation can be used in detecting drum cans containing contaminant buried at shallow depths.Flow of contaminant can also be investigated using techniques like the self potential method which can estimate the distribution of impermeable and permeable layers and the flow characteristic of ground water and as such can be used to monitor the remediation process of the pollution. Pumping-up well Visualization of groundwater flow by streaming potential measurements (after Sato et al. , 1997) Geophysics is also employed in Transportation projects and it’s use in geotechnical projects is increasing among transportation agencies like the US state, Federal (i. DOTs-Department of Transportation) and Canadian transportation agencies. Geophysical Edited with the trial version of Foxit Advanced PDF Editor To remove this notice, visit: www. foxitsoftware. com/shopping APPLICATION OF GEOPHYSICAL METHODS IN SOLVING ENGINEERING AND ENVIR ONMENTAL PROBLEMS methods mostly used in transportation projects are Seismic method, Ground penetrating radar(G. P. R) and vibration monitoring and they have been employed in bedrock mapping, mapping soil deposits(soil characterization) and in investigating roadway subsidence.The purpose of using geophysics in transportation projects is to identify and characterize physical properties of subsurface geomaterials in a manner that benefits highway projects and transportation programs in ways like reducing project cost, achieving better and broader subsurface characterization, increasing speed of acquisition and utilizing a noninvasive approach to evaluate subsurface conditions.Application of borehole geophysical methods as applied to the non-petroleum sector have enjoyed a resurgence of growth in recent years as engineers and environmental scientist are beginning to appreciate and use the added value of borehole geophysical data in solving engineering and environmental problems especia lly in developed countries.Advanced borehole geophysical methods such as gamma, resistivity, fluid temperature and resistivity, electromagnetic induction (EM), magnetic susceptibility, P- and S- wave velocity, flowmeter, optical televiewer, borehole video, and crosshole seismic tomography have been used to characterize fractured-rock ground-water flow, delineate bedrock foliation and fracture orientation, map unconsolidated hydrogeologic units, and delineate saltwater intrusion(Stumm, 2003). Geophysics is also employed in the investigation for disaster prevention in areas prone to disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, e. . c. Deep seismic reflection and gravity methods are almost always necessary for delineation of active faults and deep subsurface structure in investigation for earthquake disaster prevention. Key Words: Pollutant Remediation, Disaster Prevention, Borehole Geophysical Methods, Self Potential, Ground Penetrating Radar, Seismic method, Gravity method, Electromagnetic Induction, Gamma, Vibration monitoring, soil characterization. ABBREVIATIONS G. P. R :- Ground Penetrating Radar EM:- Electromagnetic Induction P-wave:- Primary waves S-wave:- Secondary waves DOTs:- Department of TransportationREFERENCES Sato, H. , Shima, H. , and Sakurai, K. , 1997, A study on generation of streaming potential due to pumping-up of groundwater: Proc. of the 97th technical conference of SEGJ, 279-282 (in Japanese). Satoru, O. , Application of Geophysical exploration for Environmental Earth Sciences and Engineering: OYO Corporation, 4-2-6 Kudan-kita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 1-11. Sirles, P. C. , 2006, Use of Geophysics for Transportation Projects; A synthesis of Highway Practice(NCHRP synthesis): Transportation Research Board,Washington D.C. , 1-12. Stowell, J. R, An overview of Borehole Geophysical methods for solving Engineering and Environmental problems: EG&G Mount Sopris Instrument, Colorado, U. S. A. Stumm, F. , Chu, A. , 2003, Application of Advanced surface and Borehole Geophysical methods to environmental and engineering problems on long Island and Manhattan, New York: US Geological Survey, Coram, NY. Uomoto, T. , 2000, Maintenance of concrete structures in the 21 century: BUTSURI-TANSA, (Geophysical Exploration), 53, 499506 (in Japanese).

The Song and Dance Man

Nicole Leroy Instructor Michelle Hudgens English 250 10 October 2012 The Song and Dance Man I choose the book The Song and Dance Man. This book was one of my favorites as a child. It was written by Karen Ackerman and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. The Song and Dance Man received the Caldecott Medal in 1989. The story is about grandchildren coming to visit their grandparents. The grandpa decided to show his grandchildren his past life as a song and dance man and what people did for entertain long before television. The theme of the story is that family is more important than being famous.He shows them that he appreciates his past but loves the life he currently has. The grandpa shows throughout the story how much he loves and cherishes his time with his grandchildren. He also shares with them his former life as a song and dance man on the vaudeville stage and what people use to do for entertainment. In the attic, the grandchildren see the posters of grandpa from the past realizing th at he was once a famous dancer and entertainer. The underlying message is that it is important to stay young at heart. Grandpa danced away even though he had to cushion the corns on his feet.In the story, the grandpa says, â€Å"I wonder if my tap shoes still fit? † all while he is smiling, knowing that the shoes will still fit. The grandpa shows the children that it is ok to make believe and use your imagination to have a good time by sharing his dancing and magic tricks. The grandchildren get to explore their own creativity by trying on old clothes pretending, singing and dancing their selves. The story is told from the point of view of the grandchildren. You can feel the admiration, respect, and love that they have for their grandfather.As the grandchildren watch their grandpa, they clap their hands and call out â€Å"Yay, Grandpa! † This sets the light-hearted, fun, loving mood and tone of the story. The language used by the narrator is calm, loving, with lots of e xcitement and amazement when grandpa begins to dance and becomes a different person, the song and dance man. The narrator shows his amazement when he says that the sounds coming from the shoes is too many to be made with only two feet. The children see their grandpa as a different person when he becomes the song and dance man.When they travel up the steps to the attic it is like they are going back in time. In the story it says, â€Å"We forget that it is grandpa dancing, and all we can hear is the silvery tap of two feet, and all we can see is song and dance man gliding across a vaudeville stage. Occasionally during his performance, he becomes grandpa again when he tries to cure the hiccups of one of the grandchildren. Then he is back to performing telling jokes and playing tricks. The performance is over, he puts the shoes and clothes back in the trunk and heads for the stairway and he is grandpa again.When the children come back down stairs he whispers, â€Å"He wouldn’t trade a million good days for the days he spends with us. † The silver half-moon tap shoes, top hats, and bow ties all symbolize grandpa’s past as an entertainer before he became a husband, father, and grandfather. The posters still hung in the attic shows his love of the past. When they return down stairs, grandpa glances back up the steps it symbolizes his appreciation and fondness of his past life as a song and dance man. The illustrator used many colors in a light, pastel in nature.The use of light instead of bright colors seems to set the stage for happy, calm, and relaxing setting. Two of the main colors used by the illustrator are red and yellow. These colors give a feeling of warmth, cheerfulness, and excitement. Some of the pictures have a lot of blue. The blue seems to represent the calm, serenity of the setting. The pictures have a lot of texture through the picture marts because they draw with some sort of colored pencils. The use of colored pencils helps a dd to the youthful, light heartedness, and fun of the story. Shading shows is used to show depth and at time darkness at the edge of the lighted areas.The illustrator used of lots of empty space in the pictures to show quiet, serene time. For example, at the beginning of the story, before the children arrived, the illustrations are small and do not take up the whole page. Later in the story when the grandpa is dancing, the pages are full of color and pictures to show excitement, movement of grandpa’s performance. The illustrator used many lines around characters and objects to show that they are moving. He used lots of lines, sometimes in a zig zag form, to show fast quick motions like when grandpa is dancing or tossing objects into the air.He used fewer lines to show slower movements and no lines to show lack of movement. The objects in the picture are random and tilted in places to show the relaxed nature of the environment at the grandparents’ house. In the end of t he story, the grandpa and grandchildren returned down the stairs, back to present time, where grandma has dinner ready. He hugs his grandchildren showing them that even though he loved his song and dance life, he loves his grandchildren more. He would not trade them for no amount of fame.

10 Facts About Spanish Conjunctions

10 Facts About Spanish Conjunctions Here are 10 facts about conjunctions that will be useful as you learn Spanish: 1. Conjunctions are a type of connecting word. Conjunctions make up one of the parts of speech and are used to connect sentences, phrases, or words with each other. Generally, a conjunction will link two words, phrases, or sentences of the same type, such as a noun with a noun or a sentence with another sentence. These sample sentences demonstrative just a few of the ways this part of speech can be used: asà ­ que (so): Estoy enferma, asà ­ que no puedo ir a la playa. (Im sick, so I cant go to the beach.)con el fin de que (so, with the goal of): Ella estudiaba con el fin de que sea doctor. (She studied with the goal of being a doctor.)o (or):  ¿Tà © o cafà ©? (Tea or coffee?)porque (because): Ganà © porque soy inteligente. (I won because I am smart.)si (if): Si voy a la tienda, comprarà © un pan. (If I go to the store, I will buy a loaf of bread.)y (and): Me gustan el chocolate y la vainilla. (I like chocolate and vanilla.) 2. Conjunctions can be classified in a variety of ways. One common scheme classifies conjunctions as coordinating (linking two words, sentences or phrases of equal grammatical status), subordinating (making the meaning of a clause depend  on another clause or sentence), and correlative (coming in pairs). Other classification schemes for Spanish list a dozen or more types of conjunctions such as conjunciones adversativas (adversative conjunctions such as but or pero that set up a contrast), conjunciones condicionales (conditional conjunctions such as if or si that set up a condition) and conjunciones ilativas (illative conjunctions such as por eso or therefore that are used in explaining the reason for something). 3. Conjunctions can be made up of more than one word. Spanish abounds with short phrases that are used as conjunctions and function as a single word. Examples include sin embargo (nevertheless), a causa de (because), por lo tanto (therefore), para que (in order that), and aun cuando (even if). (Note that the translations given here and throughout this article arent the only ones possible.) 4. Two of the most common conjunctions change form when coming before certain words. Y, which usually means and, changes to e when it comes before a word that starts with the sound of i. And o, which usually means or, changes to u when it comes before a word starting with the sound of o. For example, we would write palabras u oraciones (words or sentences) instead of palabras o oraciones and nià ±os u hombres (boys or men) instead of nià ±os o hombres. This change of y and o is similar to the way a becomes an before certain words in English, in order to help keep the sound of the first word from disappearing into the second. As with English a becoming and, the change is based on pronunciation rather than spelling. 5. Certain conjunctions are usually or always followed by a clause with a verb in the subjunctive mood. Examples include a fin de que (in order to) and a condicià ³n de que (provided that). 6. The very common conjunction que often doesnt have to be translated to English but is essential in Spanish. Que as a conjunction usually means that as in the sentence Creo que estaban felices (I believe that they were happy). Note how that sentence could also be translated without the that: I believe they were happy. But the que remains essential to the Spanish sentence. The que in such sentences should not be confused with que as a relative pronoun, which follows different grammatical rules and cannot be omitted in translation. 7. A conjunction can come at the beginning of a sentence. Although a conjunction is a linking word, it doesnt always come between the two clauses or words linked. An example is si, the word for if, which often is used to begin a sentence. It also is acceptable to begin a sentence with y, the word for and. Often, y starts a sentence to provide emphasis. For example,  ¿Y las diferencias entre tà º y yo? might be translated as What about the differences between you and me? 8. Many of the words that function as conjunctions can also function as other parts of speech. For example, luego is a conjunction in Pienso, luego existo (I think, therefore I am) but an adverb in Vamos luego a la playa (Were going to the beach later). 9. Distributive conjunctions are made up of two words that are separated by other words. Among these is o ... o, which usually means either ... or as in O à ©l o ella puede firmarlo (Either he or she can sign it). Also common is ni ... ni as in No soy ni la primera ni la à ºltima (I am neither the first nor the last). 10. Some conjunctions are used in explaining when or where something occurs. The most common ones are cuando and donde, respectively. Example: Recuerdo cuando me dijiste donde pudiera encontrar la felicidad (I remember when you told me where I could find happiness).

Summer Law School Reading List for 1Ls

Summer Law School Reading List for 1Ls If you enjoy reading and would like suggestions for legal-themed books before you begin your first year, you’ll find a summer law school reading list for 1Ls below. If you want to check out some other reading list suggestions, check out these lists from the ABA:   The  25 Greatest Law Novels Ever  and   30 Lawyers Pick 30 Books Every Lawyer Should Read.   Sometimes before law school it can be fun to get excited about the law. And what better way to do that then reading some quality fiction and non-fiction. This list wont necessarily make you an excellent law student, but it will get you excited about the law and also entertain you while you are relaxing over the summer.   But before we dive into the list of things to read this summer, a note on what not to read law school textbooks and supplements. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to read them in law school. I wouldnt worry about the substantive law during your pre-law summer. Instead, think about working on the skills needed to  make you the best law student you can be.   Legal Fiction   The Paper Chase  by John Jay Osborn Jr.  This book, which is also a well-known legal film, follows the story of James Heart who attends Harvard Law School. You will watch him struggle in class, study for exams and fall in love. (Little known fact, the author is now a law professor himself. I have taken his class and he is not as intimidating as Prof. Kingsfield in the book!) Billy Budd  by Herman MelvilleBilly Budd is about a sailor on a British Warship. But, when he is falsely accused of mutiny he strikes back, killing another person on the ship. He is tried at sea and the book takes you through the case.   To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeOne of my favorite-all-time books. The book highlights Atticus Finch who is a lawyer that has inspired new lawyers and law students for generations. If you didnt read it in school, pick up a copy today (or watch the movie which is also excellent).   The Firm by John Grisham  Mitch McDeere is recruited as a high paid associate at a l aw firm, but he learns he is actually working for a crime family. If you would rather, you can also check out the movie. A Time to Kill  by John GrishamIf you are interested in the death penalty, you might enjoy this book. This is John Grishams first novel and many think his best. There is also a movie if you would rather have a movie night.   Presumed Innocent by  Scott TurowThis is Turows first novel about a prosecutor accused of murdering his colleague. There is political intrigue, legal maneuvering and a quality ending.   Defending Jacob  by William Landay  The author is a prosecutor-turned-novelist. He takes the transcript of a trial and turns it into a very riveting story (which is not an easy thing to do). I actually listened to it as a book-on-take during a road trip and I thought the story was excellent!   Non-Fiction   A Civil Action by Jonathan HarrThe book discusses a toxic tort case in Massachusetts and gives you a window into how this type of litigation works. You might have also seen the move about this case too. Becoming Justice Blackmun  by Linda GreenhouseThis book discusses the mysterious world of the Supreme Court.    One L by Scott TurowA well known account of a first year law student at Harvard Law. I will warn you, it might stress you out about your 1L experience. You have been warned (and really, 1L year isnt that bad).   Personal History by Katharine Graham  Not necessarily about the law, but if you are interested in the press and freedom of the press, you will be interested in the later chapters of this book.   My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor  This is a nice read about Justice Sotomayor of the United States Supreme Court. Her book is honest and interesting for those just beginning their law school   Mindset by Carol Dweck  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹This is a fantastic book that ha s nothing to do with law school, but also everything to do with law school. This book teaches you about two different mindsets. One that can really help you be successful in law school and one that will stand in your way of success. Which one will you choose?

Learn how to get only As for your paper!

Learn how to get only As for your paper! How to End Failing Grades in Paper Writing Failing grades on papers in college is a GPA â€Å"killer.† When a major research paper can be fully one-third of a course grade, it is easy to understand that no one ever wants a â€Å"D† or â€Å"F† on one of them. And yet those grades are quite common, when students submit writing paper assignments that are just not up to the standards that college-level work demands. If you are the recipient of some of these kinds of grades, you know you have to something to fix the issues you have. But you can’t fix those issues unless you first identify them. So, here are common causes of poor writing grades, and if you can identify yours, you’ve made the first step toward grade recovery. Course overload: Some students are just too ambitious and enroll in either too many courses or in too many really challenging courses. And many students have part-time jobs that they must keep due to their financial situations. Take a long hard look at the courses you are currently in. If it is early in the semester, you might want to consider dropping ones in which you are struggling and picking up a â€Å"fluff† course to keep your credit load the same. This will naturally give you more time to spend on the essay and paper writing for the remaining courses. Time Management/Procrastination: If you are not organizing your time efficiently, you will always end up trying to get those essays and papers completed at the last minute. This is a â€Å"death knell,† because you will never do a good job when rushed. And if you are the type of person who is continually putting things off and choosing social time instead, you will always have your â€Å"back up against the wall† when you finally do have to get a paper in. Students who get consistently good grades on writing assignments schedule time for them in advance and stick to a schedule of daily assignments, time for work on longer-term essays and papers, down-time to just chill, job, and other co-curricular and social activities. If you manage yourself well, you will have time for all of these things. Lack of Motivation: If you are forced to take a course in which you have no interest, do not feel alone. Every college student faces this issue, and it is really hard to get motivated to write an essay or a paper on a topic you really dis-like. There is no cure for this, but you will have to force yourself to put together a credible piece of writing anyway. One thing you can do is get online and read sample essays and/or papers on the topic, and these will give you some good ideas for development and perhaps some current resource materials that you can use. A word of caution: all of your professors have plagairism-detection software at their disposal, and, in fact, a number of colleges now require that a student submit a TurnItIn report with their essays and papers. Don’t try to â€Å"game the system!† Organizing Information/Data from Several Sources: Writing a paper that will earn a good grade means that information and data is presented in an organized fashion. When several sources are used, synthesizing that content can be a challenge, especially when you have to be very careful about the specific source of each piece. If you struggle with combining the results of research into logical sub-topics, you need an organizing system. In high school, you probably used note cards, and that works for many students. If it doesn’t work for you, try listing each sub-topic at the top of a page and then enter information that pertains to that sub-topic (with the source and page number of course) all on two or three pages. You can then print those page out, lay them before you, and have a complete picture of the information you have on a sub-topic. Combining similar pieces of data from different sources is then an easy task. English writing skills: If you do not have proficient composition skills, you probably already know it. Even though a paper may be for a history class, lack of good writing automatically lowers a grade. Professors are, after all, human, and they get frustrated when they have to read anything that is poorly written – they cannot focus on your content, no matter how good it is. You must get help if this is your issue, and here are your options: First, commit to remediating your skills through an online course or a tutor. This will take time but eventually pays off. Make use of the writing lab on your campus – it’s free, and there are good writers there to help you. Write your rough draft and have a friend who is a good writer review and edit it for you. Get a writing style app that will find your major errors and give you solution suggestions. Contact a custom paper writing company and get original custom writing of your essays and papers. The additional â€Å"plus† of this option is that you can study the pieces as you work to improve your own skills.

UP level accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

UP level accounting - Essay Example When a semi-variable cost is treated as a variable cost for the purpose of variance analysis, the charge of overhead is exceeded. This is because semi-variable costs do not vary with each unit of activity, but change depending upon the level of activity achieved.Therefore, by granting the status of variable costs to semi variable costs, the overheads are hiked and thus profitability is reduced. Similarly, fixed costs remain fixed over a period of time, irrespective of the levels of activity. By assigning the status of fixed costs to semi-variable costs, during times of lowered levels of activity, there is a high overhead charge which significantly erodes profitability.The result of treating a step-fixed costs, for the purpose of variance analysis, as a variable one would be that, if the costs need to be calculated on the shortest time frame, there may not be material variations, but if taken on the long time, the impact of the step fixed costs would not be realized, or in other words , profits may be over stated. For example, the costs of running a single machine for several months would be different from running several machines for a single month. (Blocher et al, 2008) Thus by assigning the nature of variable to a step fixed cost would overstate profits over a period of time.When an operation entails both fixed and variable costs, and if all costs are taken as variable, it would wrongly inflate profits and underestimate costs. The element of fixed costs is generic to all cost centers, and very conspicuous in the cases of Health Care Providers, since investments in hospital machinery, equipments and infrastructure are quite substantial. (Blocher et al, 2008). In case of high level of activities, by not assigning the rightful fixed costs, profits become inflated; however, if all overheads are accounted for as fixed, during lowered levels of activities, costs become higher than booked and this could be disastrous, especially for smaller companies with low revenue generations. Question 2 (i) The key drivers for profitability in an organization would be the correct assessment and implementation of cost factors- fixed, variable, semi-variable and step-fixed costs since any mis-match could lead to derailed planning, execution and incorrect decision-making. What is even more important is the correct booking of the overheads, since overheads not booked at all, or wrongly booked could lead to a host of critical problems later. The top management takes strategic decisions based on the cost data provided and it is therefore, it is essential that it be factually correct. (ii) The two variances depicted in Exhibit 3 consider the recovery of fixed overheads when the actual procedures performed, instead of the standard 50,000 procedures, was actually only 49,000 procedures. Fixed costs were considered at $50, 00,000 for the predetermined standard 50,000 procedures. But the actual procedures billed were only 49,000 and therefore $ 100 X 1000 - $ 100,000 was unrealized. (Blocher et al, 2008). (iii) Regarding Exhibit 4, the mismatch occurred because the aspect of fixed cost overheads was not correctly judged. The mismatch occurred because of the 460 examinations made, only 310 were billed, leading to 150 examinations carried out but not billed and the profits have been inflated by (460 - 310) X $ 20 = $ 3000. This is the reason why the profits are overstated. (Blocher et al, 2008). Question 3 (i) Traditional standard costing is a system by which predetermined value / efficiency standards are assigned for each element of cost. The actual performance is then matched against their Standard costs, and the variances, positive or negative are determined. This is an invaluable management tool since there is a complete breakup of cost components and determinants, and for each item of costs, it is possible to know the standard, the actual and the resultant variances. Hence adverse variances could be effectively monitored by

Induced Theraputic Hypothermia after Cardiac Arrest Research Paper

Induced Theraputic Hypothermia after Cardiac Arrest - Research Paper Example This technique involves cooling of a patient to about 32 to 34 degrees Centigrade. Although introduced in 1950’s, it was abandoned due to certain difficulties however it was re-introduced in 1980’s after animal studies. After some successful studies, it is now approved by American Heart Association and is a part of their updated resuscitation standards. Given below is an insight into the steps involved, side effects and possible prognosis of induced therapeutic hypothermia. Therapeutic hypothermia is also known as ‘targeted temperature management’. Michelle E. (2011) has discussed in detail about the induction of therapeutic hypothermia and its outcomes in patients undergoing open cardiac surgery. She defines the therapeutic hypothermia as a ‘deliberate reduction of the core body temperature’ typically to a range of about 32 to 34 degrees Centigrade (89.6 to 93. 2). This is especially true for those patients who are unable to regain consciousness as the blood starts to circulate again following a cardiac arrest. During an open heart surgery, there is significant risk of neurological injury on account of the lack of oxygen supply to brain as the circulation comes to a halt. In the absence of oxygen, the brain undergoes anaerobic metabolism as reported by Michelle E. (2011). This leads to damage to ATP dependent cellular functions with a resulting increase in calcium and glutamate excretion. The brain cells thus become more active, consuming more oxygen. With the increasing hypoxemia, further damage occurs leading to cell death. The resultant cerebral edema further enhances the damage. Also, as a result of all these processes, the blood brain barrier also becomes ineffective further contributing to cerebral edema As soon as the circulation returns after the heart starts pumping again, reperfusion injury occurs which adds up to the ongoing damage. Meanwhile, there is already an onset of the inflammatory reaction as a result of

Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Finance - Assignment Example 2. A firm that uses RADR to evaluate investment projects would be most likely to apply the highest risk-adjusted discount rate to which of the following projects? a) The overhaul and repair of a large piece of machinery that it has been using for five years. b) An investment in a new piece of machinery to produce new products to be sold in China. c) An investment in a fleet of trucks to be used for delivery of its products. d) An investment in a new machine that will be used to improve the production process for one of its more successful products it has been producing for about 7 years. 3. A corporate bond with ten years to maturity pays $45 interest semi-annually. If the current market rate of interest on bonds in the same risk class is 9 percent; this bond will be selling for: a) Much less than $1000 b) Much more than $1000 c) Approximately $1000 d) There is not enough information here to be able to determine the answer to this question. 4. You have just calculated the NPV on an i nvestment. It is a negative ($3.33). The IRR on this investment is: a) Equal to the cost of capital b) Higher than the cost of capital c) Lower than the cost of capital d) There is not enough information here to be able to figure out the answer to this question. 5. A firm has daily remittances (collections) of two million dollars and can earn 9 percent on investments of surplus cash. The maximum this firm should pay for a cash management system that will reduce collection time by three days is: a) $5,400,000 b) $1,800,000 c) $540,000 d) $180,000 e) $3,000,000 6. Which of the following courses of action in regard to financing working capital would be taken by a firm, wishing to take moderate risk and earn a moderate profit? a) Long-term financing and a relatively low level of liquid current assets. b) Long-term financing and a relatively high level of liquid current assets. c) Short-term financing and a relatively low level of liquid current assets. d) None of the above represents a position of moderate risk and moderate profits. 7. A firm does not maintain a single, exact, debt/equity ratio at all times because: a) It will want to sell debt when interest rates are low and sell common stock when stock prices are high. b) It will want to take advantage of timing its fund rising in order to minimize the cost of capital over time. c) The â€Å"market† allows some leeway in the debt/equity ratio before it begins to penalize the firm with higher required rates of return. d) All of the above help explain why a firm does not maintain a single, exact debt/equity ratio at all times. 8. The relationship between the price of a bond and market interest rates: a) Is a positively correlated linear relationship b) Is an inverse relationship c) Cannot be determined d) Cannot be determined without more information than is presented here. 9. The closer the correlation coefficient between two investment projects is to (-1), the greater is the a) Risk of the â€Å"portfoli o† when the two projects are combined b) Risk reduction on the â€Å"portfolio† when the two projects are combined c) Return on the â€Å"portfolio† when the two projects are combined. d) Variation on the â€Å"portfolio† returns as compared to the returns on the individual projects. 10. When comparing three investment projects, if the expected cash flows from one project have a higher standard deviation than the cash flows of the other two, which of the follow

Operations Management Definition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operations Management Definition - Essay Example According to Westland (n.d., pp. 1), project is defined as to perform certain activities for the completion or execution of work which is planned to get delivered within a specific time. Projects have specific characteristics. For example, they are unique i.e. every project is different from the other. Another example is that there is certain amount of money in which they have to be completed in a specific time. Operations:According to Shim and Siegel (1999, pp.2), operations can be defined as the labor undertaken for making goods and services available. They have to be completed in time set by the customer and the manufacturer.Project and Operations ManagementAccording to Shim and Siegel (1999, pp.2), project and operations management is the management of all the processes or in other words, activities which are associated to the manufacturing of goods and services. According to Westland (n.d., pp.1), the project can be completed with the help of certain apparatus and dexterity. Wit h the help of talented people and good management project can be completed with success. With the help of dexterity, cleverness and skill the risks associated with in a project can be reduced. Experienced people are hired in management for this purpose. The tools or apparatus used to complete a project related to building a house may include pens, gauges, nails, wood, budgeting, CAD software and checklists etc. Methods or processes used for completing a project are divided in different and small tasks.

Critically appraises the concept of the public sphere in the context Coursework

Critically appraises the concept of the public sphere in the context of contemporary digital media - Coursework Example The intent also acts as a public sphere where people bring together their opinion. The opinion generated from the public sphere can be channelized to the ruling government to act appropriate in regard to the need of the society. The societies consider the public sphere to be channel that they can use to voice their problems (Hauser 2005). In the modern world and in a more democratic society, public sphere has been of great resource to the ruling government. Ideas and dialogue from their subject are posed in the You Tube and therefore they can easily read them. In most circumstance it is the source of production and circulation of the discussions that are critical to the state. The circulation process doe not only reach the state but the society as a whole (Rutherford 2004). In this respect the voice of the poor is herd and given the equal chances in the development project in the community. Dialogue, act of speeches, debate and discussion can be held together even though people are in different locations. The convergence of the information in one source makes retrieval for the future references in the societies (Goodnight 2007). While the digital society appreciates the modern public sphere in the internet, it has become the major sources of propaganda and rumor mongering. The internet does not include the public opinion in totality. Only the a few people who are accessible to new technology enjoy while the rest does not. The poor’s voices cannot be herd while the rich continue to dominate creating the inequality the major challenge of modern democracy (Habermas 2009). Facts may be posed in the internet whose sources cannot be identified properly. In such cases it becomes arena of rumor and propaganda that cannot be relies upon. This is the major challenge that seems to hinder the well functioning of the public sphere in the modern society. Even though the use of technology is still advancing to mature, most of the

Java Programing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Java Programing - Assignment Example Java is also simple in that software that can run in small machines can be constructed in java. This feature in java enable clean definition of of interfaces and makes it possible to provide reusable software. Object orientation focuses on the design on the data or objects and on the interfaces to it. Java language has an extensive library of routines for easily coping with TCP/IP protocols like Http and ftp. This allows java application to open and access objects across the net via URLs with the same ease the programmers are used to accessing a local file system. Java is a very environmentally flexible language since it can be easily run in multiple operating system. An interface can be multiply-inherited and they can be used in a more flexible way than the usual rigid class inheritance structure. Java one can compute a data type name and have it trivially dynamically linked into the running system. By making interconnections between modules later in the execution of the program, java will completely avoid problems and make the use of object-oriented paradigm much more straightforward, Libraries can freely add new methods and instance variables without any effect on their clients. Shows a set of use cases and actors (a special kind of class) and their relationships. Use case diagrams address the static use case view of a system, these diagrams are important in organizing and modeling the behaviors of a system. The goal of the use case is to identify all the features that the users of the system expects the system to support, but it does not reveal any details about the implementations of these features. The system can be run in systems from windows XP that has MS_Access as the database management software. The hardware minimum hardware requirements of the system that will be used to implement the system are Pentium II and above. Ram of -1gb and at-list a hard disk capacity of 20gb. This are the images in the system that users will upload

Critically appraises the concept of the public sphere in the context Coursework

Critically appraises the concept of the public sphere in the context of contemporary digital media - Coursework Example The intent also acts as a public sphere where people bring together their opinion. The opinion generated from the public sphere can be channelized to the ruling government to act appropriate in regard to the need of the society. The societies consider the public sphere to be channel that they can use to voice their problems (Hauser 2005). In the modern world and in a more democratic society, public sphere has been of great resource to the ruling government. Ideas and dialogue from their subject are posed in the You Tube and therefore they can easily read them. In most circumstance it is the source of production and circulation of the discussions that are critical to the state. The circulation process doe not only reach the state but the society as a whole (Rutherford 2004). In this respect the voice of the poor is herd and given the equal chances in the development project in the community. Dialogue, act of speeches, debate and discussion can be held together even though people are in different locations. The convergence of the information in one source makes retrieval for the future references in the societies (Goodnight 2007). While the digital society appreciates the modern public sphere in the internet, it has become the major sources of propaganda and rumor mongering. The internet does not include the public opinion in totality. Only the a few people who are accessible to new technology enjoy while the rest does not. The poor’s voices cannot be herd while the rich continue to dominate creating the inequality the major challenge of modern democracy (Habermas 2009). Facts may be posed in the internet whose sources cannot be identified properly. In such cases it becomes arena of rumor and propaganda that cannot be relies upon. This is the major challenge that seems to hinder the well functioning of the public sphere in the modern society. Even though the use of technology is still advancing to mature, most of the

Death According to Socrates and Roland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Death According to Socrates and Roland - Essay Example A majority of sixty voted to convict Socrates, and he jokingly offered to pay a fine of 100 drachmae, a fifth of his property. The prosecutor was not happy with this and pushed for the death, a penalty of which the jury agreed by a margin of 360 to 140. Although his supporters encouraged him to flee, Socrates did not and would not repent for his actions professing that he would rather die in his own manner than live like those who had condemned him. Socrates stated, "I say, gentlemen, to those who voted to kill me, that vengeance will come upon you immediately after my death, a vengeance much harder to bear than that which you took in killing me" (Plato 40). In essence, Socrates believed his death would teach others to hold fast to their convictions, even in the face of condemnation by an unjust society. The Song of Roland is touted as the oldest known major work of French literature. It is written as an epic poem depicting heroic deeds that took place in 778 A.D., when Charlemagne's retreating army was attacked by pagan armies. Roland was an army soldier, said to be a nephew of Charlemagne. The tale speaks of betrayal and revenge within Charlemagne's army, with Roland and his fellow soldier Oliver being left with only an army of twelve peers when thousands of Franks attack. Oliver pleads to Roland to retreat, however, Roland states, "Hold the field, let us not be beaten! The French say: 'A curse on the man who runs away! Until death itself not one of us will fail you'" (Merwin 35). Roland and his peers are successful in battle after a bloody fight which includes slicing off limbs. Roland eventually suffers a severe injury to his temple, not through battle but by blowing his horn at the urging of a comrade to call Charlemagne's troops. "Count Roland, in pain and anguish, and in grea t sorrow, blows a blast on his ivory horn, and the bright blood flows from his mouth, and the veins burst on his forehead, but the sound of the horn swells and mounts" (Merwin 55). Roland continues to fight, despite his injury, tries to unsuccessfully break his sword, and then "His brains have begun to seep out through his ears. He prays for the peers, asking God to summon them to His presence, and then for himself he calls upon the angel Gabriel.appearRoland is dead and God has taken his soul into heaven" (Merwin 69 & 73). It is clear that Roland fought a valiant fight and his honor and morality would not allow him to surrender even in the face of impossible odds. Therefore, Roland believed that his death would teach others to never give up on beliefs and values, even if faced with certain demise and destruction. How Does Socrates' and Roland's Beliefs Reflect the Values of Athens and Medieval Europe Socrates' beliefs do not appear to reflect the values of ancient Athens. He was not satisfied with accepting the mores of the day and questioned the influential figures of the time, whose reputations for wisdom and virtue he debunked through his questioning. Socrates also taught his students this method of inquiry, which greatly upset the established order and moral values of Athens. Socrates criticized democracy, including the local voting process, yet he also fought and argued for obedience to local

Training of Airline Pilots Essay Example for Free

Training of Airline Pilots Essay This motto goes: â€Å"One mile of runway can take you anywhere†. Through my little time of being an aviator this has proven to be true. Aviation is an incredibly exciting field of interest that has no limits as to how far an individual can take it. Flying airplanes for a living can be very challenging, fun, and exciting; however looking past the outer shell, aviation is a main component of what makes the global economy work. According to Airsaftey.Aero, the aviation industry supplies 4. 5 million jobs directly related to airports and has a multiplier of 1.7, meaning that for every 100 jobs in aviation their are 170 jobs in associated industries. They also state that the total global value is US $880 billion. The industry allows faster, cheaper, and more efficient ways to travel for business, tourism, cargo, and mail. As you can see aviation is a huge power in the development and success of the global economy. The companies can make big profits and the economy is obviously better off with this industry. One item that is in direct correlation with the revenue of these companies is safety. Some people say that a pilot will make his whole life’s earnings in one flight and that may or may not be true, but the fact that the training of these pilots is crucial cannot be denied. This paper will discuss the attitude needed to become a pilot, the medical requirements to become a pilot, the beginning steps of becoming a pilot, the three main routes to become a professional pilot, and the continuing training required to maintain a professional pilot’s license. Attitude of Becoming a Pilot A pilot’s attitude can be the most important and valuable asset he has, yet it can also be the most dangerous. Decision-making is what separates a good pilot from a bad pilot. Every decision is a reflection of the attitude that a pilot has. Human factors are the number one cause of all aircraft accidents, and most of these stem from undesirable attitudes. It does not take an outstanding set of physical talents to become a pilot. Most people need to understand that the skills are within themselves to become a professional pilot. Aviation is very unforgiving to those who push the limits. There have been five hazardous attitudes identified that can be most detrimental to becoming a successful pilot. These attitudes have been classified as: Anti-Authority, Impulsive, Invulnerability, Macho, and Resignation. (Haz) The Anti-authority attitude is found in pilots who do not like anyone telling them what to do. This pilot may disregard rules, regulations, and procedures as silly or unnecessary. They have a â€Å"Don’t tell me† type of attitude and the proper antidote would be to say, â€Å"Follow the rules: they’re usually right†. The Impulsive attitude is displayed when the pilot feels the need to make decisions without fully thinking through the situation. Instead of saying â€Å"do something quickly,† this pilot should be saying, â€Å"Not so fast, think first†. Pilots who tell themselves that accidents and malfunctions cannot happen to them face the invulnerability attitude. Instead of â€Å"It can’t happen to me† pilots need to think, â€Å"It can happen to me†. Another undesirable attitude is described as macho. This is when the pilot has the attitude that he can take risks and that he is invincible. Instead of saying â€Å"I can do it,† pilots with a macho attitude need to train themselves to say, â€Å"Taking a chance is foolish†. The fifth category of undesirable attitudes is resignation. Pilots have no room for blaming occurrences on bad luck and that is what this attitude is. The pilot blames an undesired situation on luck and gives in. Someone with this attitude usually says, â€Å"What’s the use,† when they should have the attitude that â€Å"I can make a difference.† Pilots need to be committed to keeping a positive, levelheaded attitude. A good way to do this is to review human factors before every flight, recognizing the outside factors such as stress, money, commitments, etc. that will effect the decisions they make (Haz). Obtaining a Medical Certificate Obtaining an FAA medical certificate is required of every aviator, whether he will be at the controls as a student pilot or an Air Transport pilot. In this process a certified AME (aviation medical examiner) will perform what seems to be a basic physical examination on the patient. The examiner will check the patient’s eyes for distant visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses, near vision of 20/40 or better, the ability to perceive colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties, and normal fields of vision. Next he will check the ears, nose, and throat of the patient making sure a certain decibel level can be heard, and that no preexisting issues can be identified within the nose and throat. Those are some of the main things that the examiner will be looking for in the physical components of the exam; however the rest of the examination will also include mental health, neurologic health, cardiovascular strength, and anything left that falls under general medical condition. It is recommended that if one wants to become an airline pilot that he obtain an FAA First Class Medical Certificate rather than the required Third Class Medical rating before beginning training as he cannot and will not be hired without one. The FAA does have an option to give waivers to those who may be on the border of passing one of these sections of the medical exam; however with the costs of training being very high it would be wise to make sure to meet all job qualifications prior to training (Con). Beginning Steps Now that the attitude required to be a professional aviator as well as the medical requirements have been discussed, the next step is to ask oneself some very important questions before beginning the actual training. The first question should be, â€Å"how much will this all cost?† There is no concrete number, but expect non-military training to cost somewhere around $60,000 for all the ratings. The next question to ask is, â€Å"how long will it take?† Again, there is no set time frame on this as some might learn faster or slower than others. From personal experience, expect two to four years to obtain all of the ratings unless doing military training, which is an accelerated program. Another question to ask would be, â€Å"what topics will you need to learn?† Most professional aviators did not just wake up one day and decide that they were going to try to be pilots. They have a passion for what they do and that is what makes them stand out in the fierce competition of the industry. This leads to the desire to learn many different aviation subjects such as Aircraft systems, Aerodynamics, Navigation, Weather, Aircraft operations, and Regulations. The last question one should ask is, â€Å"where should I go for flight training?† This question leads to the discussion of the three main types of flight training, which include Part 61 civilian, Part 141 flight schools, and military training. After considering whether one has what it takes to become an aviator, then the next step is to evaluate the fastest, cheapest, and most efficient way to obtain the required ratings while looking good on a resume. Part 61 Civilian Training While there is no college requirement to be an airline pilot, most employers will look for some college time and prefer a bachelor’s degree. Part 61 training is probably the simplest and easiest to complete, as there is no set time requirement for completion. The private pilot license, instrument rating, commercial license, and multi-engine license can all be obtained through part 61 training. This type of training is usually done outside of a school and all bookwork is done using a self-study style. A certified flight instructor will give all of the endorsements needed to complete the ratings up to the point when the student must fly with an FAA examiner. The timeframe is set on the student’s urgency and is usually a little less expensive than a Part 141 program. The most attractive attribute of a Part 61 flight school is the flexibility it gives its students. Even though this path has the least direction from the FAA, the pilots get a well-rounded training experience. Part 141 Civilian Training Part 141 flight schools have a more focused curriculum that requires not only flight checks but ground courses also. The FAA gives a lot of direction to the trainees. There are clear outlines for every part of the training to obtain each rating including the ground lessons, flight lessons, and stage checks. This is the best option for pilots who are serious about making a career out of flying and not interested in serving in the military. As with Part 61 training, there are several check rides required before completing flight training. The curriculum of the flight portion is set up to save flight hours creating a less expensive alternative. A Part 61 school requires a minimum of 40 hours, whereas a Part 141 schools only requires 35 hours. This may seem appealing, but many students at part 141 schools need over the 35 required hours. According to Patch on hubpages.com â€Å"The place where you may want to look at a part 141 school is when you go on to your advanced ratings. This is where your decreased requirements may actually have a true cost savings for you. For example, if youre getting your instrument rating at a part 61 flight school, youll need to have logged 50 hours cross country as pilot in command (PIC). Thats not a requirement for part 141 schools. Thats a considerable cost savings for most students.† Military Training Military aviator training is the toughest, least expensive to the pilot, and most desired because one can build turbine time. In the United States Air Force, officers go through a 4-phase program leading to receiving their wings. Phase-one is academic classes and pre-flight training. In this phase pilots learn and test in subjects such as Aerospace Physiology, Altitude Chamber, Ejection Seat / Egress Training, Parachute Landing Falls, Aircraft Systems, Basic Instruments, Mission Planning / Navigation, and Aviation Weather. In phase-two the officers begin primary aircraft training. This phase includes approximately 90 hours of flight training, lasting 22 weeks, with the Purpose of teaching students basic flying skills, Focus, Contact, Instruments, Formations, and Navigation. At the end of this 6-month phase, students pick which Advanced Track in which they wish to fly. Students pick based on their performance ranking in Phase-2. In Phase-3, advanced aircraft training begins. After Approximately 120 hours of flight instruction in 24 weeks of training, the hope is to put these pilots in fighter/bomber aircraft. Finally these select few are ready for phase-4, which is graduation. After roughly 52 weeks of training, officers receive their silver wings and are awarded the aeronautical rating of pilot (Spe). This method of training is desirable because one can get paid to become a pilot, can receive instruction from the worlds best, and can build turbine time before applying for an airline job (assuming the pilot are placed in a fixed-wing aircraft). The negatives of this path, on the other hand, is the competition and risk that one may end up not being a pilot, as well as a contract requiring a lengthy commitment to service. Overall this can be the way to go if one is confident in his own skills and abilities. Airline Training Once one has completed getting all of the ratings, certificates, and licenses and thinks all the training is over, well guess again. The airlines require even more training. Joel Freemen of Howstuffworks.com says: â€Å"Regardless of your background, the airline will train you based on its procedures and its FAA-approved training curriculum. Even though all airlines fly the same kinds of airplanes, each airline has slightly different methods and procedures. The goal of an airline is to train you to be qualified in your position and to be standard. Standardization is one of the pillars of a safe airline. The concept is that, within the airline, cockpit behavior and procedure will be the same in every flight, no matter which pilots are at the controls, to prevent confusion and misunderstanding.† The initial training includes regulations and company-specific procedures. The pilot will then spend two weeks learning specific systems and equipment that they will be operating. Next is the simulator training. The airline will simulate every emergency procedure and mishap imaginable to ensure the ability of the pilot before allowing them to fly their million dollar airplanes. Next the pilot will be fly to obtain initial operating experience. This experience includes at least 25 hours of flight time. After this, the pilot is released to operate scheduled flights as a crewmember. What to Expect From an article on nytimes.com here are three short testimonies of the life of a few regional pilots: â€Å"Alex Lapointe, a 25-year-old co-pilot for a regional airline, says he routinely lifts off knowing he has gotten less sleep than he needs. And once or twice a week, he says, he sees the captain next to him struggling to stay alert. Neil A. Weston, also 25, went $100,000 into debt to train for a co-pilot’s job that pays him $25,000 annually. He carries sandwiches in a cooler from his home in Dubuque, Iowa, bought his first uniform for $400, and holds out hope of tripling his salary by moving into the captain’s seat, then up to a major carrier. Assuming, that is, the majors start hiring again. Capt. Paul Nietz, 58, who recently retired from a regional airline, said his schedule wore him down and cost him three marriages. His workweek typically began with a 2:30 a.m. wake-up in northern Michigan and a 6 a.m. flight to his Chicago home bases. There, he would wait for his first assignment, a noon departure.† These scenarios go to show that it takes a lot of hard work, passion, and love for aviation to be an airline pilot. These guys start off making awful wages, are kept away from home, get little sleep, and eat unhealthy fast food most of the year until they obtain seniority. Conclusion Pilots are the poster child’s of the aviation business. They are the most seen by the public; therefore it is essential that they demonstrate professionalism when they put on the uniform. Professionalism is not something that a pilot obtains when he/she begins making money for an airliner but rather a personality that shows respect to his/her crew, passengers, and aircraft. Professionalism is what airlines are looking for when they are hiring, they are looking for a potential Captain. Being an airline pilot isn’t for everyone though. You can probably tell from the rest of this paper that it really requires a passion as well as a great deal of sacrifice to make it through the rigorous and lengthy training. The sacrifices don’t end there, as pilots are often in major debt for years before they make enough to pay off the loans they acquire, they sacrifice time spent with their families, and they are physically tested from day one. Although this all seems negative, it is a must. Hopefully the passengers see these as a positive. The more training a pilot has, the safer he/she will be in the cockpit. The excess in training provides more protection to the passenger and/or the cargo. Training also improves accident rates therefore keeping passengers flying and keeping aviation stimulating and allowing our economy to grow.

Assessment of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi

Assessment of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi Quantitative Assessment of Fungi and bacteria in air inside Bradford Apartment Abstract The experiment was conducted from the week from 10/26/2014 to 11/02/2014 at the Bradford apartments. Different types of agar media were used to estimate and quantitatively assess fungi and bacteria in air within an air-conditioned apartment unit. Fungi are essential to our environment, due to their function of decomposing organic materials. Nevertheless, airborne fungal spores can cause irritations and allergies and can even compromise the human immune system in less maintained buildings. Inappropriate humid control or water damage, as seen in the apartment used for this experiment, can lead to high loads of fungal spores. Thus, this study focuses on the qualitative assessment of Fungi and bacteria in air inside a Bradford Apartment by using different agar media, which were incubated at two different temperatures corresponding to human body temperature (37 °C) and room temperature (25 °C) . Noticeable is that almost all agars incubated at 25 °C show a greater count of colonies than those incubated at 37 °C. Introduction The Apartment of interest is on the top floor and recently experienced some water damage due to a leak in the roof structure. It currently houses an Oceanic 29 gallon Biocube, which evaporates about one gallon of water within a week. The Apartment temperature was set to 25 C while conducting the experiment. The building contains vaulted ceilings and central air conditioning, which creates various microclimates favorable by fungi and bacteria. In addition, the living room and bedroom of the apartment contains carpet. Airborne fungal spores can cause irritations and allergies and can even compromise the human immune system in less maintained buildings (Taylor et al. 2014). The kingdom Fungi includes funguses or fungi, which represent a large group of eukaryotic organisms. All fungi are heterotrophs, which means they absorb nutrients through their cell walls and cell membranes. They are essential to our environment, because they decompose organic material and therefore, recycle nutrients essential for plant growth. Besides yeast, all fungi consist of elongated filaments, also called hyphae. When the hyphae grows bigger in size, it creates a network called mycelium. Once fruiting, they become mushrooms or molds. Fungi are abundant everywhere, such as dead matter, air, and soil but also in symbiosis with plants, animals and/or with other fungi (Van De Graaff, Kent M. et al, 2009). Bacteria belong to prokaryotic microorganisms, which lack a true nucleus and bounded organelles. They appear in different shapes such as spiral, spherical or rod-shaped. It is believed that bacteria were the first life form on our planet and are therefore present in soil, water, deep in the earth crust, and extreme conditions such as nuclear reactors. Most bacteria are harmless and can be found on and in the human body like the gastrointestinal tract. They also live in symbiosis with other animals and plants. One of their roles is to break down surrounding organic materials by converting them into absorbable compounds. (Van De Graaff, Kent M. et al, 2009). The media for this lab includes Rose Bengal Agar (RBA), Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and trypticase soy Agar (TSA). In past research experiments PDA and RBA have been used to cultivate fungi. TSA is used for Bacterial growth (Neogen 2011). Frequent sinus infections were traced back to severe allergic irritations in eyes and sinuses, which compromised the renter’s immune system and caused illness. Therefore, this experiment focuses on bacterial and fungi abundance in air regarding different locations with three different growth media. Due to the structure of the apartment, greater fungal counts should be expected at 25oC than at 37oC. Methods Experiment was conducted from 10/26/2014 until 11/02/2014. Each agar was prepared with 500 ml deionized water, which was added into three different 1 liter conical flasks. Each dehydrated medium was weighed according to each Agar type: 16 g of Rose Bengal Agar, 39 g of Potato Dextrose Agar, and 40 g of Trypticase Soy Agar. Each dehydrated media was added into its own flask, it was well shaken and mixed. After sealing each flask with aluminum foil and autoclave tape, all three flasks were autoclaved at 15 PSI (120 °C) for 20 minutes. Once safe to open the autoclave machine, the flasks were taken out and allowed to cool down. Meanwhile, 4 petri dishes were labeled for each location, Patio, Bedroom, Living room and bathroom. Each flask was tilted sideways before removing the aluminum foil to prevent contamination through air entering the flask. The solution was then poured into 24 petri dishes. All dishes were left out for about 30 minutes to cool down and solidify. After sealing each petri dish, there were transported to the location of interest. Two petri dishes of each agar were exposed for 15 minutes at each location besides the patio location, which were exposed for only 5 minutes. Of the two petri dishes from each location, one was incubated at 25 °C while the other one was incubated at 37 °C. All petri storage units were sterilized before exposed petri dishes were placed upside-down inside of it. The first storage united only contained petri dishes incubated of 25oC, where as the second unit contained only dishes incubated for 37 °C. Each united was labeled accordantly and placed in its according incubation set to 25 °C or 37 °C. After a week, plates were examined and number of colonies were noted. Only fungi colonies were recorded on Rose Bengal and Potato Dextrose agar, while Trypticase Soy Agar only noted Bacteria colonies. Results Note that high numbers of 35 and 26 fungi colonies have been counted on RBA and PDA which were exposed outside for 5 minutes and incubated at 25 °C. In contrast, TSA only showed 7 bacterial colonies at the same conditions. TSA shows great numbers of 19 bacterial colonies at 25 °C in the bathroom, while Rose bengal only counts fungi colony for the same location. On the other hand, Potato Dextrose counts 4 fungal colonies. Noticeable is that almost all agars incubated at 25 °C show a greater count of colonies than those incubated at 37 °C, except PDA for the bathroom (Table 1). Discussion Fungi are present everywhere in great numbers and play an important role in decomposing organic matter. Our subtropical climate outside contains heat and moisture, which can affect the building structure. Furthermore, the apartment houses a 29 gallon Oceanic Biocube, which evaporates approximately one gallon within a week. The greatest amount of colonial growth was noted outside on my patio in PDA and RBA. PDA is composed of Potato Starch and Dextrose that encourages fungal growth, because dextrose and starch are a sugar unit called glucose. It functions as an energy source for fungal sporulation. This explains why 26 fungi colonies have been noted on PDA. The final pH of PDA is 5.6 +/- 0.2 which inhibits most bacterial growth but provides a good base for fungi. Some of the components in Rose Bengal Agar are soy pentose and dextrose. These substances provide nitrogen, vitamins, and energy encouraging fungal growth. Rose Bengal is a major ingredient in the Agar to avoid rapidly growin g molds and inhibits bacterial growth. Another ingredient is Magnesium Sulfate, providing trace elements essential for good fungal growth. All the ingredients provide a perfect base for fungal growth, explaining the 35 colonies counted. On the other hand, the air inside the apartment is filtered, dried, cooled down, and distributed by the air conditioner. Nevertheless, the water vapor from the aquarium causes high humidity within the apartment and changes the air conditions within the rooms. Some fungi and bacteria live in symbiosis within the human gastrointestinal tract. This explains why the greatest number of bacterial colonies were present in the bathroom. One ingredient in TSA is Pancreatic Digestion of casein, which provides nitrogen, vitamins and carbons for good bacterial growth. A majority of bacteria and fungi are known to survive very harsh conditions known to humans. Therefore, even though the bathroom is frequently cleaned, some bacteria and fungi are able to survive. As a result, 19 colonies in the bathroom were collected and incubated. Bacteria and fungi grow in many environments with different temperatures, from the cold arctic to hot springs. Therefore, the optimum growth temperatures vary. Bacteria can be psychrophilic, mesophilic, or thermophilic, with wide ranges of temperatures. Bacteria living within the human digestive system are exposed to a temperature of 37 °C, explaining the colonial count at 37 °C (Eddleman 1998). Fungi can live in different ranges of temperatures just as Bacteria, but the ranges differ. Most fungi are mesophilic, which lay between 18 °C-22 °C. Some fungi are tolerant to temperature changes, meaning they can survive or even grow in higher or lower temperatures varying from their optimum temperature. On the one hand, if the temperatures rise below the optimum temperature range, it can slow down or even inhibit chemical reactions, which can slow down growth. On the other hand, higher temperatures lead to denaturation of enzymes causing death of the cell. Therefore, the petri dishes incubated at 25 °C have a greater number of colonies than the ones incubated at 37 °C (Neogen 2008). References Dr. Burge, Harriet. â€Å"How Does Heat Affect Fungi.† The Environmental Reporter. Environmental Mircobiology Laboratory, Inc. March, 2006. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-13. Ph. D. Eddleman, Harold. â€Å"Optimum Temperature for Growth of Bacteria.† Indiana Biolab, Palmyra IN. Revision #3. 23 January 1998. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-5. Neogen. â€Å"POTATO DEXTROSE AGAR.† Acumedia. 4 April, 2011. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-2. Neogen. â€Å"ROSE BENGAL CHLORAMPHENICOL AGAR.† Acumedia. 2 January, 2012. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-2. Neogen. â€Å"TRYPCTIC SOY AGAR.† Acumedia. 6 November 2010. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-3. Van De Graaff, Kent. Crawley, John L. â€Å"A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory.† Morton Publishing Company. 6th Edition. Englewood, Colorado, 2009. 63-76. 27-28. Print. Taylor, Michael. Gaskin, Sharyn. Bentham, Richard. Pisaniello, Dino. â€Å"Airborne fungal profiles in office buildings in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia: Background levels, diversity and seasonal variation.† Indoor and Built Environment. 14 August 2013.

Essay --

South Africa, a beautiful country located at the southern tip of the African continent with about 3000 kilometers of coastline, is the largest and most developed country in Africa. With eleven official languages and people from various ethnic backgrounds, South Africa is home to distinct cultures that coexist. Despite this diversity, South Africans faced one of the harshest racism in the world. The Dutch first settled in South Africa in 1652 as a stopping point for ships on their way to the East Indies. However, it became a British colony in 1815 after the Napoleonic wars. The Dutch moved inland to escape the British but broke out into war against the Shaka tribe in the northern part of South Africa. The Dutch Boers won, and so they established an Afrikaner state in the north. In 1899, the British tried to annex this Afrikaner state resulting in the Boer Wars. Finally in 1910, the war ended in a coalition between the Afrikaner States and the British. During this period (1910-1948), the Union government enforced several laws that restricted the rights of the black people. They were denied job reservations, the right to form unions and equal citizenship. One Such law was the Pass Law, which required blacks to carry identification pass books with them at all times. In 1948, South Africa gained its independence from British rule, but this did not mean freedom in any shape or f orm for the indigenous South Africans. What this meant was that the Dutch settlers, the â€Å"Boers† now had full right to treat the blacks as they wished and they certainly did. Between 1948 and 1999, a harsh system of racial segregation called apartheid, or â€Å"apartness† in Afrikaans was practiced in the Republic of South Africa. Under this regime, the white minori... ...ter testament to the basic dignity of ordinary people everywhere than the divestment movement of the 1980s.† (tutu, p.1). Today, South Africa is a free nation and it enjoys democratic rights. However, life is still not good. â€Å" It has changed for some people, not for others. Some people still have no jobs. People are hungry.† (Mpumalanga) Nonetheless, numerous NGOs and countries around the world are working towards providing a better life to Africans. Different organizations raise money to help African children receive better education and food. One example of such an organization is â€Å"World Vision Africa† that allows you to sponsor a child in Africa and also visit him/her. With organizations such as these, South Africa will hopefully emerge out of its apartheid shell. With more time, energy and love, we can live as a part of the world and not as a part of a race.

Chapter 1 The Riddle House

The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it â€Å"the Riddle House,† even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. It stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its windows boarded, tiles missing from its roof, and ivy spreading unchecked over its face. Once a fine-looking manor, and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around, the Riddle House was now damp, derelict, and unoccupied. The Little Hangletons all agreed that the old house was â€Å"creepy.† Half a century ago, something strange and horrible had happened there, something that the older inhabitants of the village still liked to discuss when topics for gossip were scarce. The story had been picked over so many times, and had been embroidered in so many places, that nobody was quite sure what the truth was anymore. Every version of the tale, however, started in the same place: Fifty years before, at daybreak on a fine summer's morning when the Riddle House had still been well kept and impressive, a maid had entered the drawing room to find all three Riddles dead. The maid had run screaming down the hill into the village and roused as many people as she could. â€Å"Lying there with their eyes wide open! Cold as ice! Still in their dinner things!† The police were summoned, and the whole of Little Hangleton had seethed with shocked curiosity and ill-disguised excitement. Nobody wasted their breath pretending to feel very sad about the Riddles, for they had been most unpopular. Elderly Mr. and Mrs. Riddle had been rich, snobbish, and rude, and their grown-up son, Tom, had been, if anything, worse. All the villagers cared about was the identity of their murderer – for plainly, three apparently healthy people did not all drop dead of natural causes on the same night. The Hanged Man, the village pub, did a roaring trade that night; the whole village seemed to have turned out to discuss the murders. They were rewarded for leaving their firesides when the Riddles' cook arrived dramatically in their midst and announced to the suddenly silent pub that a man called Frank Bryce had just been arrested. â€Å"Frank!† cried several people. â€Å"Never!† Frank Bryce was the Riddles' gardener. He lived alone in a run-down cottage on the grounds of the Riddle House. Frank had come back from the war with a very stiff leg and a great dislike of crowds and loud noises, and had been working for the Riddles ever since. There was a rush to buy the cook drinks and hear more details. â€Å"Always thought he was odd,† she told the eagerly listening villagers, after her fourth sherry. â€Å"Unfriendly, like. I'm sure if I've offered him a cuppa once, I've offered it a hundred times. Never wanted to mix, he didn't.† â€Å"Ah, now,† said a woman at the bar, â€Å"he had a hard war, Frank. He likes the quiet life. That's no reason to -â€Å" â€Å"Who else had a key to the back door, then?† barked the cook. â€Å"There's been a spare key hanging in the gardener's cottage far back as I can remember! Nobody forced the door last night! No broken windows! All Frank had to do was creep up to the big house while we was all sleeping†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The villagers exchanged dark looks. â€Å"I always thought that he had a nasty look about him, right enough,† grunted a man at the bar. â€Å"War turned him funny, if you ask me,† said the landlord. â€Å"Told you I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of Frank, didn't I, Dot?† said an excited woman in the corner. â€Å"Horrible temper,† said Dot, nodding fervently. â€Å"I remember, when he was a kid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By the following morning, hardly anyone in Little Hangleton doubted that Frank Bryce had killed the Riddles. But over in the neighboring town of Great Hangleton, in the dark and dingy police station, Frank was stubbornly repeating, again and again, that he was innocent, and that the only person he had seen near the house on the day of the Riddles' deaths had been a teenage boy, a stranger, dark-haired and pale. Nobody else in the village had seen any such boy, and the police were quite sure Frank had invented him. Then, just when things were looking very serious for Frank, the report on the Riddles' bodies came back and changed everything. The police had never read an odder report. A team of doctors had examined the bodies and had concluded that none of the Riddles had been poisoned, stabbed, shot, strangles, suffocated, or (as far as they could tell) harmed at all. In fact (the report continued, in a tone of unmistakable bewilderment), the Riddles all appeared to be in perfect health – apart from the fact that they were all dead. The doctors did note (as though determined to find something wrong with the bodies) that each of the Riddles had a look of terror upon his or her face – but as the frustrated police said, whoever heard of three people being frightened to death? As there was no proof that the Riddles had been murdered at all, the police were forced to let Frank go. The Riddles were buried in the Little Hangleton churchyard, and their graves remained objects of curiosity for a while. To everyone's surprise, and amid a cloud of suspicion, Frank Bryce returned to his cottage on the grounds of the Riddle House. â€Å"As far as I'm concerned, he killed them, and I don't care what the police say,† said Dot in the Hanged Man. â€Å"And if he had any decency, he'd leave here, knowing as how we knows he did it.† But Frank did not leave. He stayed to tend the garden for the next family who lived in the Riddle House, and then the next – for neither family stayed long. Perhaps it was partly because of Frank that the new owners said there was a nasty feeling about the place, which, in the absence of inhabitants, started to fall into disrepair. The wealthy man who owned the Riddle House these days neither lived there nor put it to any use; they said in the village that he kept it for â€Å"tax reasons,† though nobody was very clear what these might be. The wealthy owner continued to pay Frank to do the gardening, however. Frank was nearing his seventy-seventh birthday now, very deaf, his bad leg stiffer than ever, but could be seen pottering around the flower beds in fine weather, even though the weeds were starting to creep up on him, try as he might to suppress them. Weeds were not the only things Frank had to contend with either. Boys from the village made a habit of throwing stones through the windows of the Riddle House. They rode their bicycles over the lawns Frank worked so hard to keep smooth. Once or twice, they broke into the old house for a dare. They knew that old Frank's devotion to the house and the grounds amounted almost to an obsession, and it amused them to see him limping across the garden, brandishing his stick and yelling croakily at them. Frank, for his part, believed the boys tormented him because they, like their parents and grandparents, though him a murderer. So when Frank awoke one night in August and saw something very odd up at the old house, he merely assumed that the boys had gone one step further in their attempts to punish him. It was Frank's bad leg that woke him; it was paining him worse than ever in his old age. He got up and limped downstairs into the kitchen with the idea of refilling his hot-water bottle to ease the stiffness in his knee. Standing at the sink, filling the kettle, he looked up at the Riddle House and saw lights glimmering in its upper windows. Frank knew at once what was going on. The boys had broken into the house again, and judging by the flickering quality of the light, they had started a fire. Frank had no telephone, in any case, he had deeply mistrusted the police ever since they had taken him in for questioning about the Riddles' deaths. He put down the kettle at once, hurried back upstairs as fast as his bad leg would allow, and was soon back in his kitchen, fully dressed and removing a rusty old key from its hook by the door. He picked up his walking stick, which was propped against the wall, and set off into the night. The front door of the Riddle House bore no sign of being forced, nor did any of the windows. Frank limped around to the back of the house until he reached a door almost completely hidden by ivy, took out the old key, put it into the lock, and opened the door noiselessly. He let himself into the cavernous kitchen. Frank had not entered it for many years; nevertheless, although it was very dark, he remembered where the door into the hall was, and he groped his way towards it, his nostrils full of the smell of decay, ears pricked for any sound of footsteps or voices from overhead. He reached the hall, which was a little lighter owing to the large mullioned windows on either side of the front door, and started to climb the stairs, blessing the dust that lay thick upon the stone, because it muffled the sound of his feet and stick. On the landing, Frank turned right, and saw at once where the intruders were: At the every end of the passage a door stood ajar, and a flickering light shone through the gap, casting a long sliver of gold across the black floor. Frank edged closer and closer, he was able to see a narrow slice of the room beyond. The fire, he now saw, had been lit in the grate. This surprised him. Then he stopped moving and listened intently, for a man's voice spoke within the room; it sounded timid and fearful. â€Å"There is a little more in the bottle, My Lord, if you are still hungry.† â€Å"Later,† said a second voice. This too belonged to a man – but it was strangely high-pitched, and cold as a sudden blast of icy wind. Something about that voice made the sparse hairs on the back of Frank's neck stand up. â€Å"Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail.† Frank turned his right ear toward the door, the better to hear. There came the clink of a bottle being put down upon some hard surface, and then the dull scraping noise of a heavy chair being dragged across the floor. Frank caught a glimpse of a small man, his back to the door, pushing the chair into place. He was wearing a long black cloak, and there was a bald patch at the back of his head. Then he went out of sight again. â€Å"Where is Nagini?† said the cold voice. â€Å"I – I don't know, My Lord,† said the first voice nervously. â€Å"She set out to explore the house, I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You will milk her before we retire, Wormtail,† said the second voice. â€Å"I will need feeding in the night. The journey has tired me greatly.† Brow furrowed, Frank inclined his good ear still closer to the door, listening very hard. There was a pause, and then the man called Wormtail spoke again. â€Å"My Lord, may I ask how long we are going to stay here?† â€Å"A week,† said the cold voice. â€Å"Perhaps longer. The place is moderately comfortable, and the plan cannot proceed yet. It would be foolish to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over.† Frank inserted a gnarled finger into his ear and rotated it. Owing, no doubt, to a buildup of earwax, he had heard the word â€Å"Quidditch,† which was not a word at all. â€Å"The – the Quidditch World Cup, My Lord?† said Wormtail. (Frank dug his finger still more vigorously into his ear.) â€Å"Forgive me, but – I do not understand – why should we wait until the World Cup is over?† â€Å"Because, fool, at this very moment wizards are pouring into the country from all over the world, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty, on the watch for signs of unusual activity, checking and double-checking identities. They will be obsessed with security, lest the Muggles notice anything. So we wait.† Frank stopped trying to clear out his ear. He had distinctly heard the words â€Å"Ministry of Magic,† â€Å"wizards,† and â€Å"Muggles.† Plainly, each of these expressions meant something secret, and Frank could think of only two sorts of people who would speak in code: spies and criminals. Frank tightened his hold on his walking stick once more, and listened more closely still. â€Å"Your Lordship is still determined, then?† Wormtail said quietly. â€Å"Certainly I am determined, Wormtail.† There was a note of menace in the cold voice now. A slight pause followed – and the Wormtail spoke, the words tumbling from him in a rush, as though he was forcing himself to say this before he lost his nerve. â€Å"It could be done without Harry Potter, My Lord.† Another pause, more protracted, and then – â€Å"Without Harry Potter?† breathed the second voice softly. â€Å"I see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"My Lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy!† said Wormtail, his voice rising squeakily. â€Å"The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all! It is merely that if we were to use another witch or wizard – any wizard – the thing could be done so much more quickly! If you allowed me to leave you for a short while – you know that I can disguise myself most effectively – I could be back here in as little as two days with a suitable person -â€Å" â€Å"I could use another wizard,† said the cold voice softly, â€Å"that is true†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"My Lord, it makes sense,† said Wormtail, sounding thoroughly relieved now. â€Å"Laying hands on Harry Potter would be so difficult, he is so well protected -â€Å" â€Å"And so you volunteer to go and fetch me a substitute? I wonder†¦perhaps the task of nursing me has become wearisome for you, Wormtail? Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert me?† â€Å"My Lord! I – I have no wish to leave you, none at all -â€Å" â€Å"Do not lie to me!† hissed the second voice. â€Å"I can always tell, Wormtail! You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look at me, feel you shudder when you touch me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No! My devotion to Your Lordship -â€Å" â€Å"Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice. You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go. How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours? Who is to milk Nagini?† â€Å"But you seem so much stronger, My Lord -â€Å" â€Å"Liar,† breathed the second voice. â€Å"I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of the little health I have regained under your clumsy care. Silence!† Wormtail, who had been sputtering incoherently, fell silent at once. For a few seconds, Frank could hear nothing but the fire crackling. The second man spoke once more, in a whisper that was almost a hiss. â€Å"I have my reasons for using the boy, as I have already explained to you, and I will use no other. I have waited thirteen years. A few more months will make no difference. As for the protection surrounding the boy, I believe my plan will be effective. All that is needed is a little courage from you, Wormtail – courage you will find, unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Voldermort's wrath -â€Å" â€Å"My Lord, I must speak!† said Wormtail, panic in his voice now. â€Å"All through our journey I have gone over the plan in my head – My Lord, Bertha Jorkin's disappearance will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I murder -â€Å" â€Å"If?† whispered the second voice. â€Å"If? If you follow the plan, Wormtail, the Ministry need never know that anyone else has died. You will do it quietly and without fuss; I only wish that I could do it myself, but in my present condition†¦Come, Wormtail, one more death and our path to Harry Potter is clear. I am not asking you to do it alone. By that time, my faithful servant will have rejoined us -â€Å" â€Å"I am a faithful servant,† said Wormtail, the merest trace of sullenness in his voice. â€Å"Wormtail, I need somebody with brains, somebody whose loyalty has never wavered, and you, unfortunately, fulfill neither requirement.† â€Å"I found you,† said Wormtail, and there was definitely a sulky edge to his voice now. â€Å"I was the one who found you. I brought you Bertha Jorkins.† â€Å"That is true,† said the second man, sounding amused. â€Å"A stroke of brilliance I would not have thought possible from you, Wormtail – though, if truth be told, you were not aware how useful she would be when you caught her, were you?† â€Å"I – I thought she might be useful, My Lord -â€Å" â€Å"Liar,† said the second voice again, the cruel amusement more pronounced than ever. â€Å"However, I do not deny that her information was invaluable. Without it, I could never have formed our plan, and for that, you will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"R-really, My Lord? What -?† Wormtail sounded terrified again. â€Å"Ah, Wormtail, you don't want me to spoil the surprise? Your part will come at the very end†¦but I promise you, you will have the honor of being just as useful as Bertha Jorkins.† â€Å"You†¦you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Wormtail's voice suddenly sounded hoarse, as though his mouth had gone very dry. â€Å"You†¦are going†¦to kill me too?† â€Å"Wormtail, Wormtail,† said the cold voice silkily, â€Å"why would I kill you? I killed Bertha because I had to. She was fit for nothing after my questioning, quite useless. In any case, awkward questions would have been asked if she had gone back to the Ministry with the news that she had met you on her holidays. Wizards who are supposed to be dead would do well not to run into Ministry of Magic witches at wayside inns†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Wormtail muttered something so quietly that Frank could not hear it, but it made the second man laugh – an entirely mirthless laugh, cold as his speech. â€Å"We could have modified her memory? But Memory Charms can be broken by a powerful wizard, as I proved when I questioned her. It would be an insult to her memory not to use the information I extracted from her, Wormtail.† Out in the corridor, Frank suddenly became aware that the hand gripping his walking stick was slippery with sweat. The man with the cold voice had killed a woman. He was talking about it without any kind of remorse – with amusement. He was dangerous – a madman. And he was planning more murders – this boy, Harry Potter, whoever he was – was in danger – Frank knew what he must do. Now, if ever, was the time to go to the police. He would creep out of the house and head straight for the telephone box in the village†¦but the cold voice was speaking again, and Frank remained where he was, frozen to the spot, listening with all his might. â€Å"One more murder†¦my faithful servant at Hogwarts†¦Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail. It is decided. There will be no more argument. But quiet†¦I think I hear Nagini†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And the second man's voice changed. He started making noises such as Frank had never heard before; he was hissing and spitting without drawing breath. Frank thought he must be having some sort of fit or seizure. And then Frank heard movement behind him in the dark passageway. He turned to look, and found himself paralyzed with fright. Something was slithering toward him along the dark corridor floor, and as it drew nearer to the sliver of firelight, he realized with a thrill of terror that it was a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long. Horrified, transfixed, Frank stared as its undulating body cut a wide, curving track through the thick dust on the floor, coming closer and closer – What was he to do? The only means of escape was into the room where the two men sat plotting murder, yet if he stayed where he was the snake would surely kill him – But before he had made his decision, the snake was level with him, and then, incredibly, miraculously, it was passing; it was following the spitting, hissing noises made by the cold voice beyond the door, and in seconds, the tip of its diamond-patterned tail had vanished through the gap. There was sweat on Frank's forehead now, and the hand on the walking stick was trembling. Inside the room, the cold voice was continuing to hiss, and Frank was visited by a strange idea, an impossible idea†¦This man could talk to snakes. Frank didn't understand what was going on. He wanted more than anything to be back in his bed with his hot-water bottle. The problem was that his legs didn't seem to want to move. As he stood there shaking and trying to master himself, the cold voice switched abruptly to English again. â€Å"Nagini has interesting news, Wormtail,† it said. â€Å"In-indeed, My Lord?† said Wormtail. â€Å"Indeed, yes,† said the voice, â€Å"According to Nagini, there is an old Muggle standing right outside this room, listening to every word we say.† Frank didn't have a chance to hide himself. There were footsteps and then the door of the room was flung wide open. A short, balding man with graying hair, a pointed nose, and small, watery eyes stood before Frank, a mixture of fear and alarm in his face. â€Å"Invite him inside, Wormtail. Where are your manners?† The cold voice was coming from the ancient armchair before the fire, but Frank couldn't see the speaker. the snake, on the other hand, was curled up on the rotting hearth rug, like some horrible travesty of a pet dog. Wormtail beckoned Frank into the room. Though still deeply shaken, Frank took a firmer grip on his walking stick and limped over the threshold. The fire was the only source of light in the room; it cast long, spidery shadows upon the walls. Frank stared at the back of the armchair; the man inside it seemed to be even smaller than his servant, for Frank couldn't even see the back of his head. â€Å"You heard everything, Muggle?† said the cold voice. â€Å"What's that you're calling me?† said Frank defiantly, for now that he was inside the room, now that the time had come for some sort of action, he felt braver; it had always been so in the war. â€Å"I am calling you a Muggle,† said the voice coolly. â€Å"It means that you are not a wizard.† â€Å"I don't know what you mean by wizard,† said Frank, his voice growing steadier. â€Å"All I know is I've heard enough to interest the police tonight, I have. You've done murder and you're planning more! And I'll tell you this too,† he added, on a sudden inspiration, â€Å"my wife knows I'm up here, and if I don't come back -â€Å" â€Å"You have no wife,† said the cold voice, very quietly. â€Å"Nobody knows you are here. You told nobody that you were coming. Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Muggle, for he knows†¦he always knows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Is that right?† said Frank roughly. â€Å"Lord, is it? Well, I don't think much of your manners, My Lord. Turn 'round and face me like a man, why don't you?† â€Å"But I am not a man, Muggle,† said the cold voice, barely audible now over the crackling of the flames. â€Å"I am much, much more than a man. However†¦why not? I will face you†¦Wormtail, come turn my chair around.† The servant gave a whimper. â€Å"You heard me, Wormtail.† Slowly, with his face screwed up, as though he would rather have done anything than approach his master and the hearth rug where the snake lay, the small man walked forward and began to turn the chair. The snake lifted its ugly triangular head and hissed slightly as the legs of the chair snagged on its rug. And then the chair was facing Frank, and he saw what was sitting in it. His walking stick fell to the floor with a clatter. He opened his mouth and let out a scream. He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled. He was dead before he hit the floor. Two hundred miles away, the boy called Harry Potter woke with a start.