Free Essays on Russia

Comparative Politics RUSSIA: POLITICAL STRUCTURE: Summary: Why the democratic structure in Russia is proving to be unsuccessful. INTRODUCTION: The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, disintegrating into thirteen different states. Ever since the political structure of Russia has been viable and lacks stability. Many reasons can be cited for this instability out of which the bearish economy and a shaky democratic system are the main causes. ANALYSIS: The reforms taken after Russia’s disintegration have yet to be proved fruitful. The economy is in no better shape then before and politically Russia has great set backs in the name of the ongoing war with Muslim freedom fighters in Chechnya. â€Å"The most important factor that needs to be established is economic growth. Successful economic development will ease the transition and enable violence and dissention among the races very avoidable. If resources are abundant and properly distributed then multiple markets can grow. However, when resources run scarce and competition arises for limited assets then violence and animosity become the only plausible alternatives. If two industries fiercely compete for limited resources then one is likely to be forced out of the market. A sound and developing economy is essential for the happiness and orderly conduct of the people (Barner-Barry & Hody, 1995)(1). Another problem cited in the progress is the difficulty of transition from communism to democracy when the government officials are trained in the old system. The process of privatization requires lengths of time and willingness of the people to take upon the businesses for which they require full governmental protection, easy paper work and full rights over their property. â€Å"If Russia is to make the transition, it must rediscover civil society (the informal network of family, church, service organization and the like). Strong civil society provides the polit... Free Essays on Russia Free Essays on Russia Comparative Politics RUSSIA: POLITICAL STRUCTURE: Summary: Why the democratic structure in Russia is proving to be unsuccessful. INTRODUCTION: The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, disintegrating into thirteen different states. Ever since the political structure of Russia has been viable and lacks stability. Many reasons can be cited for this instability out of which the bearish economy and a shaky democratic system are the main causes. ANALYSIS: The reforms taken after Russia’s disintegration have yet to be proved fruitful. The economy is in no better shape then before and politically Russia has great set backs in the name of the ongoing war with Muslim freedom fighters in Chechnya. â€Å"The most important factor that needs to be established is economic growth. Successful economic development will ease the transition and enable violence and dissention among the races very avoidable. If resources are abundant and properly distributed then multiple markets can grow. However, when resources run scarce and competition arises for limited assets then violence and animosity become the only plausible alternatives. If two industries fiercely compete for limited resources then one is likely to be forced out of the market. A sound and developing economy is essential for the happiness and orderly conduct of the people (Barner-Barry & Hody, 1995)(1). Another problem cited in the progress is the difficulty of transition from communism to democracy when the government officials are trained in the old system. The process of privatization requires lengths of time and willingness of the people to take upon the businesses for which they require full governmental protection, easy paper work and full rights over their property. â€Å"If Russia is to make the transition, it must rediscover civil society (the informal network of family, church, service organization and the like). Strong civil society provides the polit... Free Essays on Russia The Rise of Russian Anti-Imperialism After the breakup of the Soviet Union, many observers have wondered how post Cold War Russia would react. Years of Soviet ineptitude in economics and gross overspending in the military have put Russia in a fiscal quagmire. While some clamor for a more dominant Russia, there are greater internal forces that think Russia needs to build economic stability and then the natural order of things should take care of itself. In the article â€Å"The Rise of Russian Anti-Imperialism,† Henry Hale describes a Russia on the brink of financial ruin in 1998. They had suffered an economic collapse that year and he argues that invariably changed Russia’s domestic and foreign policy as well. Little did he know that a strong leader was waiting in the wings to take over for Yeltsin and bring stability to the government and slow down economic reform. Russia has been beset internally with graft and corruption. The failure of the Russian government in the past to reign in these forces has hampered its integration into the world economy. Recently, however, President Putin has begun to consolidate his power and arrested Mikhail Khodorkovsky for fraud and tax evasion. He is trying to send a signal to the rest of the profiteers that the Russian government will not stand by and watch others take advantage of her baby steps towards free markets. There have been attempts to reintegrate the old Soviet Union into a cohesive economic zone. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the former republics agreed to form a Commonwealth of Independent States, however that quickly dissolved. In early 1993, there was an attempt at regaining control of many of the former Soviet Republics that still wanted to use the Russian Ruble as their currency. This tactic was called the Ruble Zone. However, those efforts collapsed because the other republics were trying to use this Zone as a hidden subsidy and Russian economists in the governmen...

History of the Scientific Revolution

History of the Scientific Revolution Human history is often framed as a series of episodes, representing sudden bursts of knowledge. The Agricultural Revolution, the Renaissance, and the  Industrial Revolution  are just a few examples of historical periods where it is generally thought that innovation moved more rapidly than at other points in history, leading to huge and sudden shake-ups in science, literature, technology, and philosophy.  Among the most notable of these  is the Scientific Revolution, which emerged just as Europe was awakening from an intellectual lull referred to by historians as the dark ages. The Pseudo-Science of the Dark Ages Much of what was considered known about the natural world during the early middle ages in Europe dated back to the teachings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. And for centuries after the downfall of the Roman empire, people still generally didn’t question many of these long-held concepts or ideas, despite the many inherent flaws. The reason for this was because such â€Å"truths† about the universe were widely accepted by the Catholic church, which so happened to be the main entity responsible for the widespread indoctrination of western society at the time. Also, challenging church doctrine was tantamount to heresy back then and thus doing so ran the risk of being trialed and punished for pushing counter ideas.    An example of a popular but unproven doctrine was the Aristotelian laws of physics. Aristotle taught that the rate at which an object fell was determined by its weight since heavier objects fell faster than lighter ones. He also believed that everything beneath the moon was comprised of four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. As for astronomy, Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy’s earth-centric celestial system, in which heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon, planets and various stars all revolved around the earth in perfect circles, served as the adopted model of planetary systems. And for a time, Ptolemy’s model was able to effectively preserve the principle of an earth-centered universe as it was fairly accurate in predicting the motion of the planets. When it came to the inner workings of the human body, the science was just as error-ridden. The ancient Greeks and Romans used a system of medicine called humorism, which held that illnesses were the result of an imbalance of four basic substances or â€Å"humors.† The theory was related to the theory of the four elements. So blood, for instance, would correspond with air and phlegm corresponded with water. Rebirth and Reformation Fortunately, the church would, over time, begin to lose its hegemonic grip on the masses. First, there was the Renaissance, which, along with spearheading a renewed interest in the arts and literature, led to a shift toward more independent thinking. The invention of the printing press also played an important role as it greatly expanded literacy as well as enabled readers to reexamine old ideas and belief systems. And it was around this time, in 1517 to be exact, that Martin Luther, a monk who was outspoken in his criticisms against the Catholic Churchs reforms, authored his famous 95 theses that listed all of his grievances. Luther promoted his 95 theses by printing them out on a pamphlet and distributing them among the crowds. He also encouraged churchgoers to read the bible for themselves and opened the way for other reform-minded theologians such as John Calvin. The Renaissance, along with Luther’s efforts, which led to a movement known as the Protestant Reformation, would both serve to undermine the church’s authority on all matters that were essentially mostly pseudoscience. And in the process, this burgeoning spirit of criticism and reform made it so that the burden of proof became more vital to understanding the natural world, thus setting the stage for the scientific revolution. Nicolaus Copernicus In a way, you can say that the scientific revolution started out as the Copernican Revolution. The man who started it all, Nicolaus Copernicus, was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who was born and raised in the Polish city of ToruÅ„. He attended the University of Cracow, later continuing his studies in Bologna, Italy. This is where he met astronomer Domenico Maria Novara and the two soon began exchanging scientific ideas that often challenged the long-accepted theories of Claudius Ptolemy. Upon returning to Poland, Copernicus took up a position as a canon. Around 1508, he quietly started developing a heliocentric alternative to Ptolemy’s planetary system. To correct some of the inconsistencies that made it insufficient to predict planetary positions, the system he eventually came up with placed the Sun at the center instead of the Earth. And in Copernicus’ heliocentric solar system, the speed in which Earth and other planets circled the Sun was determined by their distance from it. Interestingly enough, Copernicus wasn’t the first to suggest a heliocentric approach to understanding the heavens. The ancient Greek astronomer Aristarchus of Samos, who lived in the third century B.C., had proposed a somewhat similar concept much earlier that never quite caught on. The big difference was that Copernicus’ model proved to be more accurate at predicting the movements of the planets.   Ã‚   Copernicus detailed his controversial theories in a 40-page manuscript titled Commentariolus in 1514 and in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), which was published right before his death in 1543. Not surprisingly, Copernicus’ hypothesis enraged the Catholic church, which eventually banned De revolutionibus in 1616. Johannes Kepler Despite the Church’s indignation, Copernicus’ heliocentric model generated a lot of intrigue among scientists. One of these people who developed a fervent interest was a young German mathematician named Johannes Kepler. In 1596, Kepler published Mysterium cosmographicum (The Cosmographic Mystery), which served as the first public defense of Copernicus’ theories. The problem, however, was that Copernicus’ model still had its flaws and was not completely accurate in predicting planetary motion. In 1609, Kepler, whose main work was coming up with a way to account for the way Mars’ would periodically move backward, published Astronomia ​nova (New Astronomy). In the book, he theorized that planetary bodies didn’t orbit the Sun in perfect circles as Ptolemy and Copernicus had both assumed, but rather along an elliptical path.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides his contributions to astronomy, Kepler made other notable discoveries. He figured out that it was refraction that allows for the eyes’ visual perception and used that knowledge to develop eyeglasses for both nearsightedness and farsightedness. He was also able to describe how a telescope worked. And what’s less known was that Kepler was able to calculate the birth year of Jesus Christ. Galileo Galilei Another contemporary of Kepler’s who also bought into the notion of a heliocentric solar system and was the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei. But unlike Kepler,  Galileo didn’t believe that planets moved in an elliptical orbit and stuck with the perspective that planetary motions were circular in some way. Still, Galileo’s work produced evidence that helped bolster the Copernican view and in the process further undermine the church’s position. In 1610, using a telescope he built himself,  Galileo began fixing its lens on the planets and made a series of important discoveries. He found that the moon was not flat and smooth, but had mountains, craters and valleys. He spotted spots on the sun and saw that Jupiter had moons that orbited it, rather than the Earth. Tracking Venus, he found that it had phases like the Moon, which proved that the planet rotated around the sun. Much of his observations contradicted the established Ptolemic notion that all planetary bodies revolved around the Earth and instead supported the heliocentric model. He published some of these earlier observations in the same year under the title Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger). The book, along with subsequent findings led many astronomers to convert to Copernicus’ school of thought and put Galileo in very hot water with the church. Yet despite this, in the years that followed,  Galileo continued his â€Å"heretical† ways, which would further deepen his conflict with both the Catholic and Lutheran church. In 1612, he refuted the Aristotelian explanation of why objects floated on water by explaining that it was due to the object’s weight relative to the water and not because an object’s flat shape. In 1624,  Galileo got permission to write and publish a description of both the Ptolemic and Copernican systems under the condition that he does not do so in a manner that favors the heliocentric model. The resulting book, â€Å"Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems† was published in 1632 and was interpreted to have violated the agreement. The church quickly launched the inquisition and put  Galileo on trial for heresy. Though he was spared harsh punishment after admitting to have supported Copernican theory, he was put under house arrest for the remainder of his life. Still,  Galileo never stopped his research, publishing several theories until his death in 1642.   Ã‚   Isaac Newton While both Kepler and Galileo’s work helped to make a case for the Copernican heliocentric system, there was still a hole in the theory. Neither can adequately explain what force kept the planets in motion around the sun and why they moved this particular way. It wasn’t until several decades later that the heliocentric model was proven by the English mathematician Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton, whose discoveries in many ways marked the end of the Scientific Revolution, can very well be considered among one of the most important figures of that era. What he achieved during his time has since become the foundation for modern physics and many of his theories detailed in Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) has been called the most influential work on physics. In Principa, published in 1687, Newton described three laws of motion that can be used to help explain the mechanics behind elliptical planetary orbits. The first law postulates that an object that is stationary will remain so unless an external force is applied to it. The second law states that force is equal to mass times acceleration and a change in motion is proportional to the force applied. The third law simply stipulates that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Although it was Newton’s three laws of motion, along with law of universal gravitation, that ultimately made him a star among the scientific community, he also made several other important contributions to the field of optics, such as building he first practical reflecting telescope and developing a theory of color.

The main threat to earn profits in the long run is the risk Essay

The main threat to earn profits in the long run is the risk - Essay Example The risk in this sense comprises of two major elements. The first one is the probability that the system or the entity will fail to achieve its objectives. And the second is the consequences and results of such failure. In any business organization, risk is inevitable. However, how better the organization cope with such risks depends upon the techniques used by the entity for such purpose. The practice and act of identifying, assessing, handling and controlling risk related situations and issues in an organization is known as enterprise risk management. The process of risk management includes identification and tracking of risk associated areas, development of plans for mitigating risk, performance of risk assessment procedures and handling and monitoring risks. Thus, it may be seen that risk management is a very broad term and includes a number of issues being addressed during the application of risk management techniques. Along with identification and assessment of risks, the prior itization of risks is also an important part of risk assessment procedure. Thus, the process of risk management mainly focus on the probability of occurrence of unforeseen events in future and the impact of these events on the capability of the organization to achieve its objectives. ... All these risks threaten the capability of an organization to achieve its objectives. Following are the risks that usually occur more frequently: 1. Systematic Risk: Systematic risk is a risk which cannot be predicted, mitigated or reduced in any way. This is due to the reason that this risk may occur at any time and is completely out of control. Changes in the government legislation or interest rates prevailing in the economy are examples of systematic risk. To mitigate the impact of such risks, it is advised that the organization should remain prepared for the occurrence of such risks at any time and should undertake proper plans to cope with such risk. 2. Non-systematic Risk: These are the risks which occur due to the features of assets. Changes occurring in the management decisions and employees’ strikes are the examples of this type of risk. These risks can be easily eliminated by using the diversification process. 3. Financial Risk: Financial risk rises when the organiza tions heavily rely on the debts and loans. This type of financing is called debt financing. This type of financing increases the liability of the organization as the organization is liable to pay such money back in future. Thus, it becomes necessary for the organization to keep enough reserves so that this money may be paid back in future. Thus, the degree of risk and uncertainty rises overall. 4. Operational Risk: Operational risk is the risk associated with the operational level of the organization. When this risk arises, organizations do not able to perform its operations properly. Thus, operational risk includes risks arising from business operations, information reporting and leadership and management style adopted by the

SWOT Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SWOT Analysis - Essay Example Precisely, Marty and Luke presents their resort as a seasonal lodge to visitor, or rather customers. When not operational, the lodge is closed down to wait for the next spring and summer seasons. This paper take into consideration the ethical position of Marty and Luke, assuming that they duly represents valid and albeit needs of the customers in the entire society. They present this in a contraposition to untainted analysis of business. SWOT Analysis Strengths Silver Bear Lodge has very little remarkable strengths. These strengths are majorly associated with the services and operations of the resort. This implies that the quality of services offered by the Lodge would attract thousands of potential customers at an affordable cost. In addition, Silver bear Lodge has a remarkable mode of marketing that is efficient in reaching the targeted customers in the privacy of their own individual electronic devices such as cell phones and computers. The strength and potential of setting up res orts around this region has proven its might in the past few years; specifically providing services that enable it to grow at a remarkable rate thus making reasonable profits. Silver Bear lodge advertises itself through various social websites such as Facebook and Google; these are places where any interested customer can access the relevant information about this resort. Significant strengths make this new investment to boom. Weaknesses Silver Bear lodge engage a good part of its marketing with the social websites such as Facebook and Google. This kind of marketing appears to have limited the use of television sets and newspapers in that the people who are reached are only those who access Facebook and Google sites. An implication of this is a predictable limitation of growth already depicted at the birth of the business. Moreover, there are a number of ethical criticisms that emerge due to online marketing of Silver Bear Lodge. This kind of investment limits its accessibility to p eople who are technologically fit and aware of whatever is going round in the social world via the internet. Therefore, if one is not a member of these social sites, the Lodge is disadvantaged because there are thousands of people who could visit the resort when informed of its existence through other modes of marketing such as television, newspapers and even radios. A current weakness is the thorough focus on marketing tools used by various organizations to generate income and lure people into accepting their services. For instance, Facebook has become the leading site in convincing people to follow various firms. So, when Facebook buns this kind of sales generation, Silver bear lodge will be forced to come up with complicated strategies for obtaining more customers and increasing their sales. Opportunities The greatest opportunity in-line with this business is quite obvious. Silver Bear Lodge is an infant firm that is just beginning to unfold. This is the time when the person who comes first is served first with the best of services ever. For the starting organizations, profits are still not predictable but extremely probable and promising for new resorts in the industry. Another very crucial opportunity to add on this is the exact position of pioneers occupied by the current developers. This is quite rare because very few young firms can manage to dictate the shape,

Mother and Daughter, a Heavenly Relationship Failed Essay Example for Free

Mother and Daughter, a Heavenly Relationship Failed Essay Daughter and mother relationship is an endless topic for many writers. They are meant to share the bond of love and care for each other. In the real world, however, their relationship is not as successful as it ought to be. The stories How to Talk to Your Mother and I Stand Here Ironing are the examples of this conflict. Lorrie Moore is distinguished for the clever wordplay, irony and sardonic humor of her fiction. How to Talk to Your mother is a short story in her collection Self-Help. It is about a failed relationship of a daughter and her mother over time. Similarly, Tillie Olsens I Stand Here Ironing portrays powerfully the economic and domestic burdens a poor woman faced, as well as the responsibility and powerlessness she feels over her childs life. Both stories have the same theme, but each has different technique, and the conflicts from the characters are opposite. Poor communication over time is the theme both stories share. In How to Talk to Your Mother, Ginny, the author, faded the relationship with her mother as time goes and things changed from 1939 to 1982. In 1952, Ginny started to break away by slamming the door and say Dont I know it (Moore 105) when her mother asks about her crush in junior high. Then, she becomes a young adult with a new life and would not come home for holidays. However, it is not until her mother called her by her sisters name that makes she feels uncomfortable. Learn that you have a way of knowing each other which somehow slips out and beyond the ways you have of not knowing each other at all (Moore 103). The simply How to title belies the complexities of broken communication between mother and daughter. Ginny attempts to communicate with her mother throughout decades, but it never works. In I Stand Here Ironing, the mother faced the same problem with poor communication. Readers feel deeply sorry for the mother as she is economically alone, lonely, overworked and tired. The mother is always busy and preoccupied with other children. I was working, there were four smaller ones now, there was not time for her (Olsen 191). She has little or no time to talk to Emily, the daughter. The only time they met each other is at night, when Emily is struggle over books and the mother be ironing, or do other house chores. In both stories, the mothers and daughters have really  poor communication. Each character has her own life and stared to ignore their love ones. Ginny lives her wild life with romance. On the other hand, the mother in I Stand Here Ironing is so busy with her low-class life. As a result, their relationship failed as time rolls. Although both stories share similarity, each story was written with different styles, point-of-views, and languages. Lorrie Moore presents How to Talk to Your Mother in reverse chronological order, from latest to earliest. This technique supports her main idea by illustrating the broken communication pattern existing since the narrators childhood. With this style, readers find it amusing as they can read forward or backward. Moreover, this kind of writing is very rare in literature. Tillie Olsens I Stand Here Ironing was written in a traditional flashback. It started with the mother blaming herself for Emilys outturn. Then, she remembered all the life events that result in bad decisions she made for Emily. Both stories also have different point-of-view. How to Talk to Your Mother is told in second-person, using you, instead of I. The second-person narration distances the narrator from the pain inflicted by her mother, father, and lovers. This is Moores clever choice. Readers can relate and sympathize with Ginny. On the other hand, I Stand Here Ironing is told in first-person. The mother is telling readers about her faults and her attempts to help Emily through difficult years. Readers can see the hardship the mother faced and understand her situation. Nevertheless, Moore writes the story like one would write in her diary, very informal. The full title is How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes), and the language is not very aesthetic. On the contrast, Olsen writes her story in formal, literature language. In response to her story, Helen Pike Bauer writes: Olsens story is a dialogue between circumstances and desire, constraint and love, absence and presence, silence and speech, power and helplessness. The conflicts of each character are opposite. The primary conflict in How to Talk to Your Mother is between Ginny and herself. She feels like she has her own life and her mother becomes annoying. In 1971, she wrote: Go for long walks to get away from her. Walk through wooded area; there is a life you have forgotten (Moore 103). Throughout the story, readers can see the  broken relationship is resulted from the external events of her life. She has three abortions and involving many relationships with men that she dont even like. Sometimes you confuse her with the first man you ever love, who ever loved you (Moore 102). Ginny almost blamed herself for their relationship. Her mom is always there, in her house since 1967. A year before death, her mother tells her: Is that any way to talk to your mother (Moore 101)? While Ginny experienced the external conflict of her life, the mother in I Stand Here Ironing faced an internal conflict involving Emily. She makes a very meaningful statement at the end of story: help Emily to know that she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron (Olsen 193). The mother constantly referred to the bad decisions she had made for Emily during her childhood. She sent Emily to live with her relatives as a toddler and came back with all baby loveliness gone (Olsen 188). Then, she sent her off again to a convalescent home. These decisions caused the mother to constantly nag at her internal self. Emily turned to a comedic teen is the result of the mothers ignorant and poor relationship, which makes the mother blaming herself. She feels like the conflict is caused by her and Emily deserved a better life. Thackeray says, God cannot be everywhere and therefore he made mother. Parents are the caretaker of their children. From their experiences, they know what is best and they would never mean ill for them. How to Talk to Your Mother and I Stand Here Ironing are short stories that remind readers to cherish their relationships with parents. Both stories have the same theme of communication, but each has different technique, and the conflicts from the characters are opposite. Their situations are very difficult: poverty, low-class, and early motherhood. Lorrie Moore writes How to Talk to Your Mother to mock the popular How-to style. She marks off each stage of the plot by repeated works and ideas of heart, babies, containers, and unsuccessful talks between mother and daughter. Tillie Olsen writes I Stand Here Ironing with many symbolisms. For example, the iron is the torment, outside pressures. The dress is her problem, or Emily. The mother is ironing out the problem from inside her heart. Both stories carry the same message of mother and daughter relationship that most people faced the same path. In the society right now, there are many children experienced  child abuses. As for many parents, they could not get their kids to listen to them. The heavenly relationship failed as lives go on.

Our Reliance on Computers :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"The society in which we live in has been so profoundly affected by computers that historians refer to the present time as the information age.† (Presley, 16) Comments like this show how computers have changed how we live, work, and play. For example, combined with the Internet, computers have incorporated many forms of communications into a universal one. The computer’s role in the world continues to grow in importance even as we sometimes take it for granted. We must realize how greatly computers have affected our lives. Computers have become such an integral part of our lives because we rely on them for numerical calculations, storage of data, communication, and technological processes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of computing began at the start of civilization. The computer’s long history makes it, â€Å"†¦ one of the most interesting and important machines ever invented† (Anonymous). Computers are simply complex counting devices. The abacus was an ancient computer which used beads to solve math problems. The abacus was strictly manual and the desire for an automated machine grew. One of the earliest automated machines was invented in the nineteenth century when French weaver, Joseph Jacquard, created a loom that could be programmed. Large hole punched cards were used by the loom to create geometric patterns. Aside from producing beautiful patterns, the punched cards were later modified to become the main form of computer input. The system of punch cards led to the first successful semi-automated computer, a punch-card tabulating machine invented during the 1880s by American Herman Hollerith. It was used to tabulate the results of the U.S. censu s. Each punch card contained the data of each individual. Operators fed the countless cards into the computer. When the spring-mounted nails of the computer passed through the holes of the punch-card, an electric circuit was completed. As seen in diagram C, the results of each card were displayed on rows of dials. Hollerith’s company, the Tabulating Machine Company, was eventually sold and was renamed the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in 1911, which still exists today. The first electronic computers were very large and elaborate machines that required a lot of money to build and use. The entire computer industry might never have taken off without government funding. World War II created a need for the U.S. military to calculate missile trajectories quickly, so Dr. John Machly was hired by the military to build a machine for this task.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 39~41

39 Showtime The Sky Priestess rolled over in bed and slapped the beeping intercom as if it was a mouthy stepchild. â€Å"I'm sleeping here,† she said. â€Å"Get in character, Beth. We have an order, due in Japan in six hours.† â€Å"Why don't these fuckers ever call at a civilized hour?† â€Å"We guarantee freshness. We have to deliver.† â€Å"Don't grow a sense of humor on me at this point, Sebastian. The shock might kill me. Who's the chosen?† â€Å"Sepie, female, nineteen, a hundred and ten pounds.† â€Å"I know her,† the Sky Priestess said. â€Å"What about our pilot?† â€Å"I'm putting two of the staff on him to make sure he stays in his bungalow.† â€Å"He's still going to hear it. Are you sure you don't want to sedate him?† â€Å"Use your head, Beth. He has to fly. We'll do it with smaller explosions. Maybe he'll sleep through it.† She was wide awake now and starting to feel the excitement and anxiety of a performance. â€Å"I'll be ready in twenty minutes. Have the ninjas start my music.† Tuck had Favo in a headlock and was administering affectionate noogies to the old man's scalp. â€Å"I love this fuckin' guy. This fuckin' guy is the best. I love all you fuckin' guys.† Malink had never seen noogies and wondered why this bizarre ritual had never showed up in the party scenes in People. He prided himself on understanding white people's habits, but this was a new one. Favo didn't seem to be enjoying the ritual nearly as much as Tuck was. The tuba had all been drunk. Maybe it was time to rescue his friend. â€Å"Now we go find the girl-man,† Malink said. Tuck looked up, still holding Favo, whose eyes were starting to bug out a little. â€Å"‘Kay,† the pilot said. Malink led them into the village, his bowlegged gait more wobbly than normal. A dozen Shark men and Tucker crashed and staggered behind him. As they passed by the bachelors' house and onto the trail that led to Sarapul's side of the island, the music started: big band sounds with easy liquid rhythms echoed through the jungle. The Shark men stopped in their tracks and when the music paused, just for a second, they shouted, â€Å"Pennsylvania 6-5000!† and the music began again. â€Å"What's that?† Tucker asked. Women and children were stirring from their sleep, creeping off into the bushes to pee, rubbing sleepy eyes and stretching creaky backs. Malink said, â€Å"The Sky Priestess is coming.† â€Å"Who?† Tuck finally released Favo, who he had been dragging by his head. The old man gasped, then grinned and sat splayed-legged on the trail. â€Å"We have to go,† Malink said. â€Å"You should go back now.† The music paused and Malink, along with the rest of the Shark People, shouted, â€Å"Pennsylvania 6-5000!† â€Å"Go now,† Malink ordered, once again the chief. â€Å"The Sky Priestess comes. We must get ready.† He turned and strode back into the village. The other Shark men scattered, leaving Tucker standing on the trail by himself. Tuck heard the sound of large prop planes mixing with the big band music. The Shark People were draining out of the village onto the trails that led to the runway. Within seconds, the village was deserted. Tuck staggered back to the beach where he'd left his fins and mask. As he stepped over the logs of the drinking circle, there was an explosion and he thought for a moment that he'd found another land mine until he realized that the sound had come from the direction of the runway. Not trusting himself to find the path through the village, Tucker decided to follow the beach back to the compound. After he'd gone a hundred yards or so, he saw something white lying on the beach and bent to pick it up. A long spiral notebook. The moon was high in the sky and he could see a name printed on the cover in bold permanent marker: JEFFERSON PARDEE. Beth Curtis, dressed in surgical greens, waved the guards away from Tuck's door and knocked. She waited a few seconds and knocked again, then walked in. She could just make out a sleeping figure through the mosquito net. â€Å"Case, get up. We've got to fly.† The body did not stir. â€Å"Case?† She pulled aside the netting and poked the sleeping figure. A green coconut rolled out of the bed and thumped at her feet. â€Å"You sleep with a coconut? You pathetic bastard.† She jumped back and a groggy Tucker Case groaned. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Wake up. We fly in half an hour.† Tuck rolled over and blinked through the hangover fog. The sun was coming up and the roosters were going off all over the island. The room was only half-lit. â€Å"What time is it?† â€Å"It's time to go. Get the plane ready.† Beth Curtis walked out. Tuck rolled out of bed, crawled to the bathroom, and emptied his stomach into the bowl with a trumpeting heave. 40 Unfriendly Skies Tuck spooled up the jets as he watched the guards scramble around the Lear. Each time one walked past the nose, Tuck flipped on the radar and chuckled. The microwave energy wasn't enough to boil the guards in their skins, which was Tuck's fantasy, but he could be reasonably certain that they would never have any children and he might have planted the seeds of a few choice tumors. Once in Houston a maintenance man made the mistake of walking in front of Mary Jean's jet with an armload of fluorescent bulbs meant for the hangar, and Jake Skye had shown Tucker a little trick. â€Å"Watch this, Jake had said.† He flipped on the radar and the bulbs, bombarded by the microwaves from the radar, lit up in the maintenance man's arms. The poor guy threw the bulbs in the air and ran off the field, leaving a pile of glass shards and white powder behind. It was the second-coolest thing Tucker had ever seen, the first being the time they had used the Gulfstream's jets to sandblast the paint off a Porsche whose owner in-sisted on parking on the tarmac. Tuck was waiting for one of the guards to walk behind the jets when Beth Curtis came on board. She wore her business suit and carried the briefcase and the cooler, but this time she sat in one of the passenger seats in the back and fell asleep before they took off. Tuck took the opportunity to suck some oxygen from the emergency supply to help cut through his hangover. When they were five hundred miles out over the Pacific, Tuck peeked into the passenger compartment to make sure Beth Curtis was still sleeping. When he was sure she was still out, he checked the fuel gauges, then pushed the yoke forward and dropped the Lear down to level off at a hundred feet. Traveling at almost six hundred miles per hour at only a hundred feet off the water did exactly what Tuck had hoped it would. He was absolutely ecstatic with an adrenaline rush that chased his hangover back to the Dark Ages. He dropped another fifty feet and laughed out loud when some salt spray dashed the windscreen. It was a clear sunny day with only a few wispy columnar clouds rising off the water. Tuck flew under and through them as if they were enemy ghosts. Then a speck appeared on the horizon. A second later Tuck recog-nized it as a ship and pulled the jet up to two hundred feet. Suddenly something rose off the ship's deck. A helicopter, going out to spot and herd schools of tuna for the factory ship. Tuck pulled up on the yoke, but the helicopter rose directly into his path. There wasn't even time to key the radio to warn the pilot. Tuck threw the Lear into a tight turn while pulling the jet up and whizzed by the helicopter close enough to see the pilot's eyes go wide. He could just make out men shaking fists at him from the deck of the factory ship. â€Å"Eee-haa!† he shouted (a bad habit he'd picked up in Texas cowboy bars, and if this wasn't cowboy flying, what was?). He steered the jet back on course and leveled off at two hundred feet. He was still dangerously low and burning fuel four times faster than he would at altitude, but hell, a guy had to have some fun. He wasn't paying for the fuel, and there hadn't been much low-level flying when he'd worked for Mary Jean. People on the ground might have trouble remembering the numbers on the side of the plane to report to the FAA, but you don't soon forget a pink jet flying close enough to the ground to cool your soup. â€Å"What in the hell was that?† Beth Curtis appeared in the cockpit doorway. â€Å"Why are we so low?† A wave of panic akin to being caught smoking in the boys' room swept over Tuck, but he couldn't think fast enough to come up with a viable lie. He said, â€Å"You haven't surfed until you've surfed in a Learjet.† Much to his amazement, Beth Curtis said, â€Å"Cool!† and strapped herself into the copilot's seat. Tuck grinned and eased the jet down to fifty feet. Beth Curtis clapped her hands like an excited child. â€Å"This is great!† â€Å"We can't do it for long. Burns too much fuel.† â€Å"A little while longer, okay?† Tuck smiled. â€Å"Maybe five more minutes. We can catch a tailwind at altitude that'll save us some time and fuel.† â€Å"Is this what you were doing the night you crashed?† Tuck winced. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Because I could understand if it was. What a rush!† She reached out and grabbed his shoulder affectionately. â€Å"I love this. How could you let me sleep through this?† â€Å"We can surf some more on the way back,† Tuck said. And with that his resolve was gone. He'd planned to ask her about the music and explosions from last night. He'd planned to ask her about Jefferson Pardee's notebook, which he carried in his back pocket, but he didn't want to break this mood. It had been too long since he'd had any attention from a beautiful woman, and he gave himself to it like a jonesing junkie. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said, â€Å"but you'll have to wait here.† Beth Curtis retrieved her briefcase and cooler from the back of the plane and met the dark-suited Japanese on the tarmac. There was another Lear spooling up nearby and a couple of workmen in coveralls waited beside a large cardboard carton. Tuck watched as Beth Curtis handed the cooler to one of the suits, who ran to the waiting Lear. Within seconds, the door was pulled shut and the other Lear was taxied out to the runway. Another one of the suits handed Beth a thick manila envelope, which she stashed in her briefcase. She turned and ran back into the plane. She stepped into the cockpit and put her briefcase behind the copilot's seat. â€Å"I'll be right back, ten minutes max. I've got to make sure these guys get my TV on board unbroken.† â€Å"TV?† â€Å"Thirty-two-inch Trinitron,† she said with a smile. â€Å"To replace the one that you're using.† â€Å"I want a thirty-two-inch Trinitron,† Tuck said to her back, but she was already out the door. He looked out the window to make sure she was busy with the television, then pulled her briefcase from behind the seat and threw the latches. To his amazement, it was unlocked. He removed the manila envelope. Under it lay a small automatic pistol. He could take it, but then what? Hold it on Beth Curtis until she confessed to whatever she and the doctor were doing? And what was that? Research? There was no law against that. He left the gun untouched and opened the envelope. He wasn't sure what he expected to find: research notes, bearer bonds, stock certificates, cash, something that would shed some light on all this clandestine behavior for sure. What he found was four issues of People magazine and four issues of Us. Beth Curtis was smuggling American cheese out of Japan and that was it. He put the envelope back into the briefcase and slid it behind the seat, then pulled Jefferson Pardee's notebook out of his pocket. Perhaps there was something inside that would tell him how the notebook had gotten to a beach some seven hundred miles from where its owner was supposed to be. He flipped though the pages where Pardee had scribbled phone numbers, dates, and a few notes, but the only things he recognized were his own name, the names of Sebastian Curtis and his wife, and the word â€Å"Learjet,† followed by â€Å"Why? How? Who paid?† and â€Å"Find other pilot.† Pardee was obviously asking the same questions that were circling in Tuck's mind, but what was this about another pilot? Had Pardee come to Alualu looking for the answers? And if he did, where was he now? â€Å"What's that?† Beth Curtis said as she came through the cockpit door. Tuck flipped the notebook shut and stuffed it in his back pocket. â€Å"Some flight notes. I'm used to keeping a log for the FAA. I guess I brought this along out of habit.† In the midst of the lie, he almost panicked. If she asked where he had gotten the notebook in the first place, he was dead. Maybe better to confront her here in Japan anyway – while he knew where the gun was. She said, â€Å"I didn't realize there was any paperwork to flying a plane.† â€Å"More than you'd think,† Tuck said. â€Å"I'm still getting used to how this plane handles. I'm just writing down things I need to remember, you know, climb rates and engine exhaust pressures, fuel consumption per hour at altitude, stuff like that.† Right, he thought. Baffle her with bullshit. â€Å"Oh,† she said with what Tuck thought was indifference until she reached behind her seat and pulled out her briefcase. He held his breath, waiting for the gun to appear. She took out an issue of People and opened it on her lap. She didn't look away from the magazine until they were well over the Pacific, heading home. â€Å"You know, we haven't seen much of you lately. Maybe you should come up to the house and have dinner with Sebastian and me tonight.† She had slipped on her fifties housewife personality. Tuck had been thinking about Pardee's notebook and where he'd found it. He wanted to get back to the village tonight. If Pardee had come to Alualu, maybe the old chief knew something about it. â€Å"I'm a little tired. We got a pretty early start. I think maybe I'll just fix up something quick at my place and get to bed early.† She yawned. â€Å"Maybe tomorrow night. Around seven. Maybe we can try out my new TV.† â€Å"That'll be fine.† Tuck said. â€Å"I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you and the doc anyway.† â€Å"Good,† she said. â€Å"I think we should spend more time together. Now explain to me what all these gauges mean.† 41 What's a Kidney? Privacy is a rare commodity on a small island and secrets weigh heavy on their keepers. Malink was weary with the burden of too many secrets. If he could only go to the drinking circle and let his secrets out, let the coconut telegraph carry his secrets to the edges of the island and let him walk light. But that wasn't going to happen. Secrets sought him out now, even from the old cannibal. He stood with Sarapul and Kimi examining an eighty-four-foot breadfruit tree with a trunk you couldn't get your arms around. Kimi held an ax on his shoulder, waiting for Malink's judgment. â€Å"Why so big?† Malink asked. â€Å"This tree will give much breadfruit.† â€Å"This is the tree,† Sarapul said. â€Å"The navigator has chosen it.† Kimi said, â€Å"We will plant ten trees to take its place, but this is the one.† â€Å"Why do you need such a big tree?† â€Å"I can't tell you,† Sarapul said. â€Å"You will tell me or you won't cut the tree.† â€Å"If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone else?† Malink sighed. Yet another secret. â€Å"I will tell no one.† â€Å"Come. We'll show you.† Sarapul led Malink and Kimi through the jungle to an overgrown spot piled with dried palm leaves. Malink leaned on a tree while the old cannibal pulled away the palm fronds to reveal the prow of a canoe. Not just any canoe. A forty-foot-long sailing canoe. Malink hadn't seen one since he was a small boy. â€Å"This is why we need the tree,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I have hidden it here for many years, but the hull is rotten and we need to fix it.† Malink felt something stir in him at the sight of the big eye painted on the prow. Something that went back to a time before he could remember, when his people sailed thousands of miles by the eye of the canoe and the guidance of the great navigators. Lost arts made sad by this reminder. He shook his head. â€Å"No one knows how to build a sailing canoe anymore, Sarapul. You are so old you don't remember what you've forgotten.† â€Å"He can fix it,† Sarapul said, pointing to Kimi. Kimi grinned. â€Å"My father taught me. He was a great navigator from Satawan.† Malink raised a grizzled eyebrow. â€Å"That is where you learned our language?† â€Å"I can fix it. And I can sail it.† â€Å"He's teaching me,† Sarapul said. Malink felt the stirring inside him grow into excitement. There was something here he hadn't felt since the arrival of Vincent. This was a secret that lifted him rather than weighing him down. But he was chief and dignity forbade him from shouting joy to the sky. â€Å"You may cut the tree, but there is a condition.† â€Å"You can't tell anyone,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I will not tell anyone. But when the canoe is fixed, you must teach one of the young ones to be a navigator.† He looked at Kimi. â€Å"Will you do that?† Kimi nodded. â€Å"You have your tree, old man,† Malink said. â€Å"I will tell no one.† He turned and walked and fell into a light bowlegged amble down the path. Kimi called to him, â€Å"I hear my friend, the pilot, was in the village last night.† Malink turned. The coconut telegraph evidently ran even to Sarapul's little corner of the island. â€Å"He asked about you. He said he will come back.† â€Å"Did he have a bat with him?† â€Å"No bat,† Malink said. â€Å"Come tonight to the drinking circle. Maybe he will come.† â€Å"I can't,† Kimi said. â€Å"The boys from the bachelors' house hate me.† â€Å"They hate the girl-man,† Malink said, â€Å"not the navigator. You come.† After a nutritious dinner of canned peaches and instant coffee, Tuck checked the position of the guards, turned out the lights, and built his coconut-headed surrogate under the mosquito netting. Only the second time and already it seemed routine. There was none of the nervousness or anxiety of the night before as he crawled below window level to the bathroom and pried up the metal shower tray. He dropped through the opening and was reaching up to grab his mask and fins when he heard the knock on the front door and froze. He heard the door open and Beth Curtis call, â€Å"Mr. Case, are you asleep already?† He couldn't let her see the dummy in his bed. â€Å"I'm in the bathroom. Just a second.† He caught the edges of the shower opening and vaulted back into the bathroom. The metal tray fell back over the opening, sounding like the Tin Man trying to escape from a garbage can. He heard Beth Curtis pad to the bathroom door. â€Å"Are you all right in there?† â€Å"Fine,† Tuck said. â€Å"Just dropped the soap.† He snagged a bar of soap off the sink and placed it in the bottom of the shower tray, then threw open the bathroom door. Beth Curtis stood there in a long red silk kimono that was open in a narrow canyon of white flesh to her navel. Whatever Tuck was going to say, he forgot. â€Å"Sebastian wanted me to bring you this.† She held out a check. Tuck tore his eyes from her cleavage and took the check. â€Å"Five thousand dollars. Mrs. Curtis, this is really more than I bargained for.† â€Å"You deserve it. You were very sweet to take the time to explain all the instrumentation to me.† She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, keeping the warm pressure of her lips there a little too long. Tuck imagined her tongue darting though his skull and licking his brain's pleasure center. He could smell her perfume, something deep and musky, and his eyes locked on her breasts, which were completely exposed when she leaned forward. He felt as if he had been staring at an arc welder and that creamy powdered image would travel across his field of vision for hours. A chasm of silence opened up and wrenched his attention back into the room. â€Å"This is very generous,† he said. â€Å"But it could have waited. It's not like I have anywhere to spend it.† â€Å"I know. I just wanted to thank you again. Personally, without Sebastian around. And I thought you might be able to explain some of the finer points of flying a jet. It's all so exciting.† Never a man of strong resolve, the combination of sight, scent, and flattery activated Tuck's seduction autopilot. He glanced toward the bed and the switch clicked off. Sexual response was replaced by the dummy Tuck shaking its coconut head. He looked back at her and locked on her eyes – only her eyes. â€Å"Maybe tomorrow,† he said. â€Å"I'm really bushed. I was just going to catch a shower and go right to bed.† For an instant her pouty smile disappeared and her lips seemed to tighten into a red line, then just as quickly the smile was back, and Tuck wasn't sure he'd seen the change at all. â€Å"Well, tomorrow, then,† she said, pulling the front of her kimono together as if she had only just noticed that it had fallen open. â€Å"We'll see you at seven.† She turned at the door and threw Tuck a parade queen wave as she left, once again the darling of the Eisenhower era. When she was safely out of the bungalow, Tuck ran to the bed and picked up the green coconut. â€Å"What in the hell was that about?† The coconut didn't answer. â€Å"Fine,† Tuck said, fitting the head back on the sleeping dummy. â€Å"I am not impressed. I am not shaken, nor am I stirred. Weirdness is my business.† Even as he said it, he dismissed the hallucination as his own good sense manifesting a warning, but the duel cravings for a drink and a woman yanked at his insides like dull fishhooks. He turned off the light and let the cravings lead him out the bathroom hatch to the moonlit sea. Forty minutes later he took his place in the circle of the Shark men. Chief Malink stood and greeted Tuck with a jarring backslap. â€Å"Good to see you, my friend. How's it hanging?† â€Å"It hangs with magnificent splendor,† Tuck said, his programmed response to the truck drivers and cowboys who used that expression, although he wondered where Malink had heard it. â€Å"But I'm a little parched,† he said. A fat young man named Vincent was pouring tonight and he handed Tucker the coconut cup with a smile. Tuck sipped at first, fighting that first gag, then gulped down the coconut liquor and gritted his teeth to keep it from coming back up. The older men in the group seemed festive and yattered back and forth in their native language, but Tuck noticed that the younger men were sulking, digging their toes into the sand like pouting little boys. â€Å"Why so glum, guys? Someone kill you dog?† â€Å"No,† Malink said, not quite understanding the question. â€Å"We eat a turtle today.† Having your dog killed must mean something different here than it means back in Texas, Tuck realized. Malink sensed Tuck's confusion. â€Å"They are sad because the Sky Priestess has chosen the mispel from their house and she will be gone many days now.† â€Å"Mispel?† â€Å"The girl you followed last night is mispel of the bachelors' house.† â€Å"Sorry to hear that, guys,† Tuck said, acting as if he had the slightest idea what a mispel or being chosen was. He figured that maybe it had something to do with PMS. Maybe when the women started getting cranky with the old Sky Priestess cramps, they just checked her into a special â€Å"chosen† hut until she mellowed out. He waited until the cup came around the circle before he brought it up again. â€Å"So she was chosen by the old Sky Priestess, huh? Tough luck there. Did you try giving her chocolate? That takes the edge off sometimes.† â€Å"We give her special tuba when she comes,† Malink said. â€Å"Tastes like shit!† several of the men chanted. Abo, the fierce one, said, â€Å"I am chosen and now Sepie is chosen. I will marry her.† Several of the other young men seemed less than pleased at Abo's announcement. â€Å"Come on, man,† Tuck said. â€Å"You might need a little attitude adjustment, but you're not chosen.† â€Å"I am,† Abo insisted. â€Å"Look.† He turned his back to the group and ran his finger across a long pink scar that ran diagonally across his ribs. â€Å"The Sky Priestess chose me for Vincent in the time of the ripe breadfruit.† Tuck stared at the scar, stunned, hoping that what he was thinking was as far off as his PMS theory had been. â€Å"The Sky Priestess? That was the music last night, all the noise?† â€Å"Yes,† Malink said, â€Å"Vincent brings her in his airplane. We never see it, but we hear it.† â€Å"And when someone is chosen, then does the jet always fly the next day?† Malink nodded. â€Å"No one was chosen for a long time until Vin cent sent you to fly the white airplane. We thought Vincent was angry with us.† Tuck looked to Abo, who seemed satisfied that the chief was backing him up. â€Å"Where do you go when you are chosen?† â€Å"You go to the white house where the Sorcerer lives. There are many machine.† â€Å"And then what? What happens in the white house?† â€Å"It is secret.† Tuck was across the circle in Abo's face. â€Å"What happens there?† Abo seemed frightened and turned away. Tuck looked around at the other men. â€Å"Who else here has been chosen?† The fat kid who had been pouring twisted so Tuck could see the scar on his back. â€Å"What's your name, kid?† â€Å"Vincent.† â€Å"I should have known. Vincent, what happens in the white house?† Young Vincent shook his head. Tuck turned to Malink. â€Å"What happens?† Malink shook his head. â€Å"I don't know. I have not been chosen.† A familiar voice called out of the dark, â€Å"They make them sleep.† Everyone turned to see Kimi coming down the path from the village. The old cannibal creaked along behind him. Abo barked a reproach to Kimi in his native tongue. Kimi barked back something in the same language. Tuck didn't have to know the language to know that Kimi had told the fierce one to fuck off. â€Å"Kimi, are you okay?† Tuck barely recognized the navigator. He was wearing the blue loincloth of the Shark men and he seemed to have put on some muscle. Tuck was genuinely delighted to see him. The navigator ran to him and threw his arms around the pilot. Tuck found himself returning the embrace. Several of the young men had stood and were glaring at Kimi. One of the jugs of tuba had been kicked over, but no one seemed to notice the liquor running out on the sand. â€Å"Kimi, do you know what's going on here?† â€Å"A pretty white woman with yellow hair. She come out of the fence and take the girl away. They will put her to sleep and when she wakes up she will have a cut here.† He drew his finger across the back of his ribs. â€Å"No!† Abo screamed. He leaped over the crouching Malink to get to Kimi. Without thinking, Tuck swung around and caught Abo under the jaw with a roundhouse punch. Abo's feet flew out from under him and he landed on his back. Tuck rubbed his hand. Abo tried to struggle to his feet and Malink barked an order to two of the young Vincents. Re-luctantly, they restrained their friend. â€Å"Vincent has sent the pilot,† Malink reminded them. Tuck turned back to Kimi. â€Å"What happens then?† â€Å"You owe me five hundred dollars.† â€Å"You'll get it. What happens then?† â€Å"The chosen has to stay in bed for many days. There are tube stuck in them and they are in much pain. Then they come back.† â€Å"That's it?† â€Å"Yes,† Kimi said. Malink stood now and addressed Kimi. â€Å"How do you know this?† Kimi shrugged. â€Å"Sepie tells me.† Malink turned to Abo, who had stopped struggling and now looked terrified. â€Å"She said she would not tell. The girl-man put a spell on her.† Tuck stood rubbing his knuckles, watching this little tropical opera and feeling like someone had snapped on a light and found him french-kissing a maggoty corpse. The cooler, the surgical garb, the flights on short notice, the second jet waiting on the tarmac in Japan, the guards, the secrecy, the money. How had he been so fucking stupid? Malink was hurling a string of native curses at Abo, who looked as if he would burst into tears any second. â€Å"You dumb motherfuckers!† Tuck shouted. Malink stopped talking. â€Å"She's selling your kidneys. The doc is taking out your kidneys and selling them in Japan.† This revelation didn't have quite the effect that Tuck thought it would. In fact, he seemed to be the only one concerned about it at all. â€Å"Did you hear me?† Malink looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"What is a kidney?†

Organic vs Non Organic Foods Essay

It’s hard to walk into a grocery store and not notice a certain new kind of trend. There is a growing urge to have more organic items on shelves. The general belief is that organic items tend to be better for the consumer and the environment when compared to non-organic items. Although many people cant tell the difference, there are multiple pros and cons between organic and nonorganic. In terms of consumer health, both organic and processed foods have their benefits. The benefits of processed foods are that scientists can place additives that increase the nutritional value. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz (2010), this helps to â€Å"prevent neural-tube defects and certain childhood cancers, boost brain development and may increase intelligence, and reduce the incidence of rickets. † This means that theres nutrients that can be added to aid in helping the country with disease prevention. Organic foods lack the ability to be genetically modified but offer their own benefits as well. According to Maria Rodale (2010), some organically grown foods have â€Å" more conjugated linleic acid, which is a powerful cancer-fighting nutrient. † Both these types of food can help consumers healthy and prevent disease. There are some alarming differences between organic and processed foods especially when considering agriculture. â€Å"Organic† means that a food is grown without the aid of pesticides or fertilizers. Organic farmers use manure and nothing else to grow fruits, vegetables, and grains. It says in The Organic Myth that this can lead to some bad cases of E. Coli that wouldn’t be present in foods grown with pesticides since there are all sorts of bacteria in the manure (2004). The reverse is that without all those chemicals being sprayed on crops, you tend to have less pollution. Rodale states, â€Å"Growing foods organically prevents thousands of toxic chemicals from entering the environment and poisoning our soil, our wells, our wildlife, our children and ourselves† (2010). Organic goods also tend to cost more leading to them being classified as a luxury item. The downside is that most cattle and genetically altered crops have â€Å"unwanted additives like growth hormone and chemicals† (Oz 2010). It’s hard to know whether it’s worth the money to go organic or just stick with the usual. Foods grown without the aids of pesticides seem to be beneficial to the consumer and the environment, which is a big selling point for those who want to go green. On the other hand they are much more costly than non-organic crops. Many people would rather risk the potentially harmful additives to shave a few bucks of the price. It all depends on preference and beliefs but its definitely easy to see where they offer there own pros and cons. Miller, M. (2004). The Organic Myth. National Review, 56(2), 35-37. Oz, M. (2010). The Organic Alternative. Time, 176(9), 46-46. Rodale, M. (2010). 15 WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD (and your life)†¦ ONE APPLE AT A TIME. Men’s Health (10544836), 25(3), 113-138.

Essay about TRUST COMPANIES

Essay about TRUST COMPANIES Essay about TRUST COMPANIES Why The U.S. Should Leave Iraq. We have been in Iraq since President George Bush launched the invasion on Iraq in March 2003. Since then the war the U.S. has spent about seven hundred million dollars. While we still are in fighting to try to rebuild Iraq when we should be trying to save the U.S. from the down fall of our own economy since March of last year. From the National Priorities Project website I found this chart that shows the cost by year the money we are spending on the war in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. Another reason why staying in Iraq is just a bad idea, as John Weiss states, â€Å"We face a paradox in Iraq: the longer we stay, the stronger our enemies become. We cannot defeat either the insurgency or the civil war resulting from our invasion and occupation; in fact, both have grown stronger. Nor can we protect the Iraqis we came to save. A corrupt Iraqi government wastes the billions we have allocated for rebuilding, while the middle class flees to avoid the danger. The Pentagon trains Iraqis to fight, but we may well be training the army of our future enemies.†(Weiss) The longer we are there the more the people there will learn how to hurt the U.S. learn the ways to operate our own military forces. The longer we leave our troops the longer the people of Iraq have time to see what we do in the middle of war. The longer we stay the longer our nation stays unprotected, think about it we have all these troops across seas fighting when and if there is another terrorist attack we in a way have our shields down. It will take longer for us to get prepared or try to reassemble what just happened. Also I ask the question why are we sending more troops? Costing the nation more money, endangering the lives of more Americans? If we are doing what needs to be done and we are doing our job why send more? If they are fighting back harder than we are wasting our time trying to save a lost cause. Hurting our own nation

How Wasps Build Their Nests From Wood

How Wasps Build Their Nests From Wood Paper wasps, yellowjackets, and bald-faced hornets all make paper nests, though the size, shape, and location of their nests differ. Paper wasps build umbrella-shaped nests suspended underneath eaves and overhangs. Bald-faced hornets construct large, football-shaped nests. Yellowjackets make their nests underground. Regardless of where a wasp builds its nest or what shape the nest is,  the process wasps use to construct their nests is generally the same. Turning Wood Into Paper Wasps are expert paper makers, capable of turning raw wood into sturdy paper homes. A wasp queen uses her mandibles to scrape bits of wood fiber from fences, logs, or even cardboard. She then breaks the wood fibers down in her mouth, using saliva and water to weaken them. The wasp flies to her chosen nest site with a mouth full of soft paper pulp. Construction begins with finding a suitable support for the nest – a window shutter, a tree branch, or a root in the case of subterranean nests. Once she has settled on a suitable location, the queen adds her pulp to the surface of the support. As the wet cellulose fibers dry, they become a strong paper buttress from which she will suspend her nest. The nest itself is comprised of hexagonal cells in which the young will develop. The queen protects the brood cells by building a paper envelope, or cover, around them. The nest expands as the colony grows in number, with new generations of workers constructing new cells as needed. Old wasp nests degrade naturally over the winter months, so each spring new ones must be constructed. Wasps, yellowjackets, and bald-faced hornets dont overwinter. Only the mated queens hibernate during the cold months, and these queens choose the nesting sites and begin the nest building process in spring. Which Wasps Make Nests? The wasp nests we frequently encounter are made by wasps in the family Vespidae. Vespid wasps that construct paper nests include paper wasps (Polistes spp.) and yellowjackets (both  Vespula  spp. and  Dolichovespula  spp.). Although we commonly refer to them as hornets, bald-faced hornets are not true hornets (which are classified in the genus  Vespa). Bald-faced hornets, Dolichovespula maculata, are actually yellowjackets. Controlling Wasps Nests Although paper wasps, yellowjackets, and bald-faced hornets can and will sting if threatened, that doesnt mean you need to destroy every nest you find.  In many cases, you can leave the nests alone. If a family member has a venom allergy, thats certainly a legitimate reason for concern and measures should be taken to minimize the risk of a potentially lethal sting. If wasps located their nest in close proximity to or on a play structure, that can be a concern as well. Use your judgment, but dont assume every wasp nest will put you at risk of being stung. Why should you let a colony of stinging wasps live in your yard? Nest-making social wasps are largely beneficial insects. Paper wasps and bald-faced hornets prey on other insects and play an important role in controlling plant pests. If you eliminate these wasps entirely, you may give garden and landscape pests free reign to destroy your prized ornamentals and vegetables. Many yellowjackets are also entirely predatory and therefore beneficial, but there are a few species that scavenge on carrion or dead insects and also forage on sugars. These are the wasps that cause us trouble because theyll gladly sip your soda and then sting you when you try to swat them away. If scavenging yellowjackets are a problem in your yard, then it might be worth taking measures to prevent wasps from establishing nests.  Problem wasps include: western yellowjackets (Vespula pensylvanica)eastern yellowjackets (Vespula maculifrons)common yellowjackets (Vespula vulgaris)southern yellowjackets (Vespula squamosa)German yellowjackets (Vespula germanica) - introduced to North America Resources and Further Reading Cranshaw, Whitney, and Richard Redak. Bugs Rule!: an Introduction to the World of Insects. Princeton University, 2013.Gullan, P. J., and P. S. Cranston. The Insects: an Outline of Entomology. 4th ed., Wiley Blackwell, 2010.Jacobs, Steve. â€Å"Baldfaced Hornet.† Department of Entomology (Penn State University), Pennsylvania State University, Feb. 2015.

Microbiology on Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi Case Study

Microbiology on Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi - Case Study Example All bacterial cells have a definite shape attributed to their characteristic cell wall and have a naked DNA. Bacteria cells take up different shapes including a spherical shape, straight rods and spiral rods. Different bacteria strains further indicate unique cell organization including single cells, a pair of cells, a chain of rods, and long trichomes. However, some bacteria may not conform to these shapes such as Bacillus anthracis which appears as rods with straight blunt ends among other bacteria. Characteristics of the bacterial cell wall enable different bacteria strains to survive different environs including hypotonic and other forms of physical stress. Gram-positive bacteria have thicker cell walls (20-80 nm) than Gram-negative bacteria (10-15nm) (Kango, 2010). Different bacterial cell wall also has different chemical composition. Bacillus anthracis forms one of the most potential bioterrorism agents due to its highly infectious and lethal nature. The most important characte ristic that makes it appropriate for bioterrorism revolves around the ability of the bacterial cell to form a capsule that protects it from the human immune system (Bouzianas, 2007). Formation of the capsule enables the bacteria cell to survive amidst the human antibodies and immune cells allowing it to multiply and killing most immune cells. The capsule characteristic can be exploited by counter-bioterrorists to develop vaccines to prevent the lethal effects of the bacteria on the humans.Viruses are identified as unicellular microorganisms having either RNA or DNA, capable of reproducing inside other living cells (Kango, 2010). Viruses lack cellular organization and enzymes necessary for the synthesis of nucleic acids and protein. They depend on enzymes of the host cells to synthesize their proteins and follow a complex multiplication process. In addition, viruses are ultramicroscopic, enabling them to filter through barriers that retain bacterial cells.

Architectural ACOUSTICS-The Athens Concert Hall Dissertation

Architectural ACOUSTICS-The Athens Concert Hall - Dissertation Example ......... p. 34 eiv. †¦................ p. 36 F. THE ATHENS CONCERT HALL †¦................ p. 38 fii. †¦................ p. 39 fiii. †¦................ p. 40 G. CONCLUSIONS †¦................ p. 40 gi. †¦................ p. 40 REFERENCES †¦................. p. 43 B. ARCHITECTURAL ACOUSTICS bi Acoustics represents the scientific discipline whereby the construction of the building can be influenced in the initial design stages to maximize desired audio qualities, while minimizing unwanted noise. As such various items will be discussed throughout this analysis describing mechanisms for the isolation of sound from where it is not wanted, as well as other strategies to amplify desired sounds within the specified areas of the structure. The characteristics of architectural acoustics is characterized by fundamental rules which have stood the test of time. Design rules in the past were relatively simple, but as the science of acoustics advances a greater c omplexity is permitted in architectural designs, with the potential of room acoustic simulations and newer analytical tools integrated for the improvement of the old techniques. With the proper understanding acoustic design can meld with standard architecture as an integral component of the overall design process, rather than an intrusive addendum. During the course of this analysis, there are many opportunities where an approach grounded in physics would be possible, but the focus in this instance will represent structural choices more than pure mathematics. Mathematics are included as necessary for comparison purposes, but the number of equations used will be limited. As the physics of architecture has its purpose, but there are a wide range of design choices which might prove equally viable from a purely scientific standpoint, but the architect must render aesthetic and stylistic choices in some cases, as well as a consideration for efficiency. There are many structures possible based upon pure physics, but financial considerations, as well as the preferences of the presumed occupants eliminate certain choices made valid from the perspective of pure science. The architect's role is to bridge the gap between pure aesthetics and hard mathematics. One equation will be included as an example, but there are many avenues the architect may choose from, and this analysis will diminish the role of physics in favor of economic considerations; as well as those concerning appearance. bii. Acoustics are an essential process even for structures not specifically dedicated towards the enhancement or amplification of particular types of sounds. Clearly, optimization of certain sounds are critical for concert halls and opera houses, which require specialized engineering to optimize the abilities of peripatetic performers playing within the structures1, but acoustics are also essential as even for more mundane structures such as office buildings or homes. The principal object ives for these buildings is to permit sound transmission with in the same enclosed area – often from one person to another. Yet at the same time as unwanted noises from outside the building or enclosed room should be impeded as much as possible. This fundamental principle could also extend to opera houses and concert halls, but with more specialized requirements. However, it may not be desirable to completely cancel all external noises from an interior room, for the sake of emergency information. The noise from an alarm or an explosion should be audible within an enclosed room so that