Aloe Vera as Paper Glue Essay

Abstract This research work is about creating a new invention out of Aloe Vera. Thereare hundreds of products made from this plant but we have to think of a unique one thatcan be useful in our everyday lives. We decided to make an â€Å"Aloe Vera Paper Glue† thatis combined with additives that have a sticky effect to come up with our desired product.This discovery is eco-friendly because it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals thatwill have negative results or side effects. Aloe Vera is extracted and blended withunprocessed, natural substances unlike any other paper glues which contain chemicalsthat can affect the sensitivity of a person using it.Can we make paper glue out of Aloe Vera extract? It is a question than was givenan answer on this research. We successfully made this work valid by giving explanationsto queries and discussing the uses of Aloe Vera plant, methods used and many other things that require thinking, experimenting and analysis.Because of the substances found within the plant, we were able to make a fineglue out of it. With the help of resources like internet, encyclopedia and old highschoollectures, we searched for substances, mixtures and ingredients that can help improve thestickiness of our product.People should embrace the birth of this newly-discovered product because of itseffectiveness and cheapness. Aside from that, it has no effects in the environment, it isdifferent, and it helps support the use of Aloe Vera plant in the industry Introduction Aloe Vera as the Main Component of the Product Aloe Vera has been widely used today in the form of lotions, soaps, astringents,ointments and other kinds of products. In this study, we will use Aloe Vera to create asticky and fine paper glue that can be used at home and school. This study leads to theenrichment of Aloe Vera and discovery of a product that will replace the kinds of gluecurrently available in the market.Aloe Vera, the main component of the product holds the scientific name,Aloe barbadensis miller liquid. It is an herb, which is known mainly for its cosmeticfunctions. However, this plant is also rich in substances that aid in several illnesses andailments. The aloe Vera plant has been found to have great contributions to health, bothinternally and externally. Research studies have shown that it has properties comprisingof inhibitory, anti-inflammatory, regenerative, and anti-bacterial functions.Preparations made with Aloe Vera as the primary ingredient have been effectivein reducing pain and allergies. In the same way, some of its properties are responsible for cell regeneration that causes close cuts and hemorrhages to heal easily and more rapidly.Its purgative properties, brought about by the existence of six antiseptic agent substancesin the plant (that is, cinnamic acid, lupeol, sulphur, salicylic acid, phenol and ureanitrogen), make it ideal in eradicating parasites, harmful bacteria, and fungi in theintestinal tracts. Sabila can be used externally for the treatment of acne, pimple burns,insect bites, and for moisturizing and hydrating the skin.There’s a reason Aloe Vera is trusted in products you see every day and thatreason dates back thousands of years. Aloe Vera is being used by human being for morethan 5000 years now. The earliest civilizations revered this extraordinary botanical for itsastonishing properties. Aloe Vera uses are legendary and this information has beenpassed down through time, enhanced by scientific innovation and centuries of experience. Research Objectives and HypothesesOBJECTIVES This study aims to create a cheaper and more effective type of paper glue from theleaves of Aloe Vera that is processed in a natural way and mixed with natural substancesthat can contribute to the stickiness of the product.It also aims to show the utilization of Aloe Vera not only in medicinal andcosmetic purposes but for school use as well. HYPOTHESESNull Hypothesis: Aloe Vera, when extracted, will not form a gel-like substance called â€Å"drug-aloe†which gives the stickiness of the glue made out of Aloe Vera. Alternative Hypothesis: Aloe Vera, when extracted, will form a gel-like substance called â€Å"drug-aloe†which gives the stickiness of the glue made out of Aloe Vera. Literature ReviewHistory of Aloe Vera Plant Aloe Vera is a species of Aloe, native to Northern Africa. It is a stem less or veryshort-stemmed succulent plant growing to 80-100 cm-tall, spreading by offsets and rootsprouts. The leaves are lanceolate, thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with a serratedmargin. The flowers are produced on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower pendulous,with a yellow tubular corolla 2 to 3 cm long.Many ancient works, including the Bible, refer to the use of aloe. One of the firstdocumented users of aloe vera was Cleopatra, who lived from 68 to 30 B.C. She is said tohave used the gel on her skin as protection from the sun, and to have thought the gelhelped to keep her skin young-looking. In fact, the Egyptians may have used aloe vera intheir embalming of bodies, among other uses. For over 3,500 years, tales of â€Å"healing Aloe Vera† plants have been handed downthrough centuries by word of mouth. From the Bible’s mention of removing Christ fromthe cross and wrapping his body in aloes and myrrh, (John 19:39), we find Aloe Veramysteriously appearing in every phase of history, with many testimonials to its greatmedicinal values. The earliest documented use of Aloe Vera comes from the ancientEgyptians, but it was also grown and used by King Solomon, who was said to havevalued it highly.Alexander the Great conquered the island of Socotra in order to have the Aloe for his army. During his fabled travels in the Orient, among the many marvels recorded byMarco Polo were his descriptions of the many applications of the Aloe Vera plant. TheSpanish Conquistadors discovered various herbal medicines in use in Tenochtitlà ¡n.At the heart of many of the Aztec cures, it is known that Aloe Vera was theeffective agent. These Aztec herbal medicines were transported back to Europe by theSpanish, during the sixteenth century, where they became the foundation for modernWestern medicine. Aloe Vera has been found described in writings in many differentcultures and as far bask as the Greek, Egyptians, and Roman Eras. References have alsobeen found in writings from the Indian and Chinese Early cultures. Uses of Aloe Vera Aloe Vera plants are readily available and some people keep a potted plant in thekitchen. A leaf spike may be cut open and the gel applied directly to a cut or burn. For other uses, particularly for internal use, commercial gels and juices, which are processedunder strict controls, can be found at most health food stores as well as manysupermarkets.Animal studies and anecdotal reports claim that drinking Aloe Vera juice or taking it as a tablet or capsule can reduce swelling and inflammation in arthritic joints.Drinking Aloe vera juice may also help those asthmatic patients who are not dependenton cortico-steroids. In 1997, University of San Antonio researcher Jeremiah Herlihy,Ph.D., conducted a study to observe any negative effects of drinking Aloe daily. Rather than exhibiting negative effects, however, test animals receiving daily Aloe showed aremarkable reduction in leukemia, heart disease, and kidney disease.Dr. Herlihy concluded, â€Å"We found no indication of harm done to the rats even athigh levels.† In fact, the Aloe-drinking animals actually lived 25 percent longer thanthose in the control group (IASC Conference, Texas, 1997) Adopting aloe products intoour daily nutrition habits is a great way to improve by a natural way, our health, our body’s regeneration and our beautiful appearance. At the same time we acquire balance of the mind and body and overall wellness. When we feel good, healthy, beautiful and overall regenerated –a healthy mind inhealthy body–, we avoid frequent visits to the doctor and acquire positive energy. Our external appearance and image is improved. And all this is apparent in all looks. Theunique and beneficial for our health, components of aloe show that this natural dietarysupplement is essential in our nutrition.It is noteworthy, that so many different products in various categories nowcontain aloe. And there is no wonder why food – health and wellness industries, consider products from aloe as the key to their up growth in the decade 2010 to 2020. Dailynutrition habits, which includealoe Vera juice, bee productsand other natural nutritional supplements, contribute greatly to how healthy we appear, feel and think. Composition of Aloe Vera Plant The active substances of Aloe Vera are found in the leaves whichare composed of the rind, juice and a gel-like substance, the pulp. The active substancesare polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, yellow sap (Aloin, or anthraquinones) and Barbaloins (a glycoside), etc. The pulp of Aloe Vera is composed of 96% water and 4% polysaccharides and other substances.The plant contains many vitamins, excluding vitamin D but including theimportant antioxidant vitamins A, C and F. Vitamins B (thiamine), niacin, vitaminB 2 (riboflavin), choline and folic acid are also present. Some authorities suggest that thereis also a trace of vitamin B 12 (Coats1979). Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium,manganese, copper, zinc, chromium and iron are all found in the aloe plant. Magnesiumlactate inhibits histidine decarboxylase and prevents the formation of histamine from theamino acid, histadine (Shelton 1991). Histamine is released in many allergic reactionsand causes intense itching and pain. The prevention of its formation may explain theantipuritic effect of Aloe Vera.Sugars are derived from the mucilage layer of the plant under the rind,surrounding the inner parenchyma or gel. They form 25 per cent of the solid fraction andcompriseboth mono- and polysaccharides. By far the most important are the long chainpolysaccharides, comprising glucose and mannose, known as the gluco-mannans (Beta -(1, 4) – linked acetylated mannan). Unlike other sugars which are broken down prior toabsorption, the polysaccharides are absorbed complete and appear in the blood streamunchanged. Here, they act as immuno-modulators  capable of enhancing and retardingthe immune response.. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Aloe vera gel provides 20 of the22 necessary amino acids required by the human body and seven of the eight essentialamino acids which the body cannot synthesise. These must be ingested in food. Sallycylicacid is an aspirin-like compound possessing anti-inflammatory and antibacterialproperties. Topically, it has a kerolytic effect which helps to debride a wound of necrotictissue. Plants have sterols which include Campesterol, f3 Sitosterol and Lupeol (Coats1979). Saponins are soapy substances form 3 per cent of the gel and are generalcleansers, having antiseptic properties (Hirat and Suga 1983). It could be said that itworks because the Aloe Vera plant produces at least 6 antiseptic agents: Lupeol, salicylicacid, urea nitrogen, cinnamonic acid, phenols, and sulphur.All of these substances are recognized as antiseptics because they kill or controlmold, bacteria, fungus, and viruses, explaining why the plant has the ability to eliminatemany internal and external infections. The Lupeol and salicylic acid in the juice explainswhy it is a very effective pain-killer.Next, it could be said that Aloe Vera contains at least three anti-inflammatoryfatty acids, cholesterol, campersterol and B-sitosterol (plant sterols) which explains whyit is a highly effective treatment for burns, cuts, scrapes, abrasions, allergic reactions,rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever, acid indigestion, ulcers, plus many inflammatoryconditions of the digestive system and other internal organs, including the stomach, smallintestine, colon, liver, kidney, and pancreas.B-sitosterol is also a powerful anti-cholestromatic which helps to lower harmfulcholesterol levels, helping to explain its many benefits for heart patents.If we add that Aloe contains at least 23 polypeptids (immune stimulators),then we understand why Aloe juice helps control a broad spectrum of immune systemdiseases and disorders, including HIV and AIDS. The polypeptids, plus the anti-tumor agents Aloe emodin and Aloe le ctins, explains its ability to control cancer . Observations and Justification of Research Work In our findings, Treatment A and C are much better than treatment B because itresulted in a sticky glue. The concentration of vinegar affected the low effectiveness of the glue used in Treatment B and the even distribution of substances used in Treatment Aaffected the high effectiveness of glue. The concentration of Aloe Vera glue affected theslight effectiveness of the glue used in Treatment C.Can we make paper glue out of Aloe Vera extract? It is the research problem thatneeds to be solved in this report. Based on the methods performed, the amount of AloeVera gel used should be measured and tested in different trials and treatments in order tomake the research work valid.The research design supports the alternative hypothesis presented in a tablebecause of testing the amount of Aloe Vera gel used to achieve the usefulness of thedesired paper glue. It was tested in an accurate and precise manner because of carefulanalysis and experimenting.The findings were successful and evidence was stated in the previous pages so wedon’t have to test again. The experiment was created in a step-by-step manner and testedin different levels of concentration and mixtures. Conclusion Based on the experiments performed and results obtained, Aloe Vera, whenextracted will form a gel-like substance called â€Å"drug-aloe† that is used in order to achievethe effectiveness and stickiness of the paper glue. During the research experiment, threetreatments were tested with different levels of substances used including the maincomponent, the Aloe Vera gel. Among the treatments (A, B, C), Treatment A, was thestickiest and most effective. Treatment A contains 20 % of Aloe Vera gel, 20 % of water,20% of baking soda, 20% of vinegar and 20% of powdered milk combined to form the100% concentration of the glue.The factors which affected the efficiency of the paper glue are the evendistribution of substances and the careful use of materials and methods involved in theglue making. During the process, we gathered information and listed every essential datato have good findings and results.Aloe Vera, the main component of the product was proven to be a useful kind of plant not only in terms of medicinal and beauty products but in making a paper glue aswell References David R. Caprette (caprette@rice.edu), Rice University 25 Aug Boudreau MD, Beland FA (April 2006). â€Å"An evaluation of the biological andtoxicological properties of Aloe barbadensis (miller), Aloe Vera†. Journal of environmental science and health. Part C, Environmental carcinogenesis & ecotoxicologyreviews 24(1): 103–54.Vogler BK, Ernst E (October 1999).†Aloe Vera: a systematic review of its clinicaleffectiveness†. The British journal of general practice: The Journal of the Royal Collegeof General Practitioners 49Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 6(13). Retrieved February 6, 2011 fromhttp://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=6&n=13Basic Steps in the Research Process, Retrieved fromhttp://www.crlsresearchguide.org/How to Write an A+ Research Paper, Retrieved from http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html

Feasibility of putting up vegan restaurant Essay

INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the business profile and general description of vegan restaurants, which fall under the consumer foodservice industry. This chapter includes the background of the study, rationale of the study, objective of the study, scope and limitation, significance of the study, research methodology, research design, and locale of the study, data gathering tool, data gathering procedure and the definition of terms. 1.1 Background of the study Vegan was termed in England in 1944 by Donald Watson which means â€Å"non-dairy Vegetarian†. It opposed the use of eggs as a food. Later, the definition of vegan was extended and it means that â€Å"man should live without exploiting animals†. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism.) Cafà © is an establishment that focuses on serving coffee. It may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. â€Å"Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬  is a French word which means coffee. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9.) People give extra importance when it comes to health. One of its reasons is the sudden existence of many diseases that threatens the lives of the people. Obviously, when we talk about health, it always entails a healthy diet. Eating Vegetables and fruits is the best thing we know how to prevent such life ominous diseases because of its vitamins and mineral content with the absence of bad cholesterol. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a vegetarian diet is associated with lower levels of obesity and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. There are varieties of restaurants registered here in General Santos City and most of the foods offered in these restaurants are meat and animal products. To make a variation and since there is a rapid growth of health and beauty conscious people, the researchers aim to provide an exceptional and accommodative vegan restaurant with cafà © for the people who need a place for chatting, to  make transactions and other personal activities. With its extraordinary structure and location, food lovers especially vegetarians might find it a good place to unwind, socialize and experience eating in a vegan way with a Pinoy touch. This proposed vegan restaurant will be the first vegetarian restaurant in General Santos City. Since it is vegan, it serves vegetable cuisine and plant products like beverages from fruit extracts and pasta with the recipe culture of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Italian that serves as the asset from the competitors. It also has a cafà © that could make an edge among other restaurant. The place is a Wi-Fi hot spot and a Zen style ambiance which makes customers feel relaxed while eating or staying inside. Special room for conference meetings and other events is also offered. 1.2 Statement of the Problem The researchers will aim to determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant in San Miguel Street, General Santos City. Specifically, this study has the following objectives: a) To present the business descriptions of the existing restaurants in terms of their: a.1) products and services a.2) major players in the industry a.3) capacity of the industry a.4) key success factors a.5) the market a.6) the government role b) To conduct a structural analysis of Vegan Restaurant with cafà © in General Santos City b.1) Threats of Potential Entrants b.2) Threats of Substitutes b.3) Bargaining power of the suppliers b.4) Bargaining power of the customers b.5) Competition in the Industry c) To determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant with cafà © in General Santos City considering the following aspect: c.1) Management and organizational; c.2) Marketing c.3) Technical c.4) Financial 1.3 Specific Objectives This refers to the specific objectives of this study which will comprise of the management organization, the technical production, the marketing aspect, the financial study, and the social significance. 1.3.1 Management and Organization This aspect includes the form of business organization, organizational structure, personal qualifications, duties, and responsibilities and personnel salary structure. 1.3.2 Technical and Production It deals with the equipment and facilities needed in the vegan restaurant and its operation. It also deals with the architectural design of the restaurant. 1.3.3 Marketing Aspect It focuses on the trends, the competition, target market and the size of the market. Also it presents the design and implementation of the marketing activities of the vegan restaurant. 1.3.4 Financial Study It determines the operating cash requirements, cash flow, the financial statements and the financial analysis; and also, it provides the viability of the project. 1.3.5 Social Significance It focuses on the impact of the society and the economy. 1.4 Significance of the Study The business â€Å"Greens N’ Coffee† vegan restaurant is socially significant since it would create income, development, additional leisure, and improvement and therefore, progress. Basically, vegan restaurant is an income generating activity, for the exchange of output of money, since any businesses’ concern is profitability. The following beneficiaries of the study were identified by the researchers: To the public, that they may  appreciate the health benefits that will be offered by the vegan restaurant. To the Generals who are seeking for employment, they may be able to find jobs in which they can generate income to support them in their daily lives. To the future restaurant owners who are planning to put up a vegan restaurant, that they may be able to have a new perspective on the design and strategies essential to the effectiveness, stability and productivity of the business. To the local Government of General Santos City, for they can obtain taxes and other income from this business that they can use once the study is proven feasible To the future researchers, they may be able to use this as their reference for future studies regarding on vegan restaurants. 1.5 Scope and Limitation This study aims to determine the feasibility of putting up a vegan restaurant with cafà © in San Miguel Street, General Santos City. The respondents of this study will only be limited to the restaurants in General Santos City. This study discusses the management and organization aspects, technical and production aspects, marketing aspects, financial study aspects and social significance aspects of the industry. This research study will be conducted in the months of July to September 2011 within the locality of General Santos City. The researchers will choose 4 players of the restaurant industry registered at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the city. The researchers will be interviewing 4 managers or supervisors from the said members of the restaurant industry. 1.5 Research Design and Methodology This refers to the research method, the respondents of the study, the locale of the study, the research instrument that will be used for this study, and the data gathering procedure. 1.6.1 Research Method In this study, a descriptive method of research will be used which will deal with information that can be easily understood, while the process of this goes beyond mere gathering and tabulation of data. It involves the elements of interpretation of the meaning or significance of what is described. See figure 1 for the research flow. 1.6.2 Respondents The respondents of this study are the managers, and assistant managers of the Grab A Crab Restaurant, Ranchero Restaurant, Taps N’ Mix, and Dimsum Diner in General Santos City. 1.6.3 Locale of the Study This business will be located at San Miguel Street, Lagao, General Santos City. The city is the southernmost port city of the Republic of the Philippines. It is one of the most populous urban centres in the country with a population of 530,129 as per data of 2007 census (http://www.census.gov.ph/data/census2007/index.html). GenSan is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province namely Alabel in the East of the city, and Maasim in the South. General Santos City is a component of province South Cotabato. 1.6.4 Research Instrument The researchers will be using a primary and a secondary instrument as a research tool in order to acquire information from the respondents. An interview guide will be used as the primary instrument. The sources of the primary data are the managers, supervisors or representatives of the restaurant in General Santos City. The interview guide which will be used to gather data from the members of the industry consists of questions regarding the management and organizational, technical, marketing and financial aspects of the restaurant industry. This type of gathering tool will most probably benefit this study. Along with this, observation will also be used to collect further information which will be helpful in conducting the study. The secondary tools that the researchers will apply are the library resources, internet data, periodicals, published and unpublished materials. 1.6.5 Data Gathering Procedure The researchers will make preliminary visitations to the location of the four (4) major players of the restaurant industry. Letters of permission will be sent to the respondents and eventually approvals are expected as a response. After a positive response, there will be a planned interview with the managers, supervisors, or representatives from the respondents. Afterwards, data will be gathered, classified and interpreted with respect to the objectives of this study.

Bio-ecological systems theory

Bio-ecological systems theory Abstract This paper is about the Bio-Ecological Systems theory of Urie Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenners’s Bio-Ecological Systems Theory concerns the environmental influences on a child’s development. He observed that these influences were comprised of relationships around the child and these relationships have layers of interaction between the child’s and the child’s environment. He called these layers ‘systems’. These events start with direct influence on the student and progress outward until the events have only minimal, indirect influence. Next it will discuss a minority population which is deafness. There are two main forms of hearing loss and five levels of severity. After the child’s hearing loss is identified the parents need to choose what technology they want their child to use. The next obstacle for parents is how and where to educate their child. Then it will discuss how the theory applies to a particular student of this min ority population. And lastly it will discuss the educational considerations and recommendations revealed from applying the theory to this student. It will also consider which educational theorists apply to this student. By considering the student more holistically, rather than only what happens presently in the classroom, it will help the instructor develop a teaching plan for this student to maximize his learning potential. Bronfenbrenner’s Bio- Ecological Systems Theory: As Applied to a Deaf Student Bronfenbrenners’s Bio-Ecological Systems Theory concerns the environmental influences on a child’s development. He observed that these influences were comprised of relationships around the child and these relationships have layers of interaction between the child’s and the child’s environment. He called these layers ‘systems’ and they consisted of five different levels of influence. These events start with direct influence on the student and progress outward until the events have only minimal, indirect influence. The five systems that were recognized by Bronfenbrenner are as follows: 1. Microsystems- the immediate environment of the child which has the most impact on the child’s development, for example the relationship between the child and his parents, the child and his peers, or the child and his school. 2. Mesosytems- the connections between the microsystems, where the systems overlap, these also have a direct impact on the child’s development; for example, the interaction between the child’s peers and the child’s parent or the interaction between the child’s parents and the child’s school. 3. Exosystems- the next level of events in the environment are further from the child but nevertheless have impact on the child’s development; for example, problems with the parents’ work (indirect events) which causes tension in the home (direct event) 4. Macrosystems- the larger cultural environment that the family lives in; for example the economy of the area the family lives which contributes to the work opportunities for the parents 5. Chronosystems- the transitional events in the child’s life as he grows up; for example the changes incurred by moving from middle school to high school. The â€Å"otheredness† of my student is deafness. I believe deafness is a minority condition because the â€Å"National Center for Health Statistics places the number of profoundly deaf in the U.S. at more than 400,000, while people classified as hard-of-hearing number over 20 million, or about 8 percent of the total population†. (Bacon, 2002) Even though deafness has received some attention through television shows and movies, there are still many misconceptions about deaf people and their social and educational needs.

Metereology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Metereology - Essay Example When a body of air rises, it moves from higher pressure to lower pressure. In so doing it must expand, and as it does so, its temperature is reduced. One can calculate the amount of cooling to be expected when the air is lifted by a fixed amount. If the air is dry and no heat is added or taken away as the air ascends, it cools at the rate of 1.0C per 100 meters. This is known as the dry adiabatic lapse rate. Once a cloud has begun to form, the cooling effects caused by the expansion of the rising air are partially offset by the heat released during the condensation process. Evaporation causes cooling. When condensation occurs, the reverse is true; heat is added. If the rate of ascent of air, which may be called the updraft speed (Sloane and Tesche 1991), is quite high, the air may cool so fast that condensation cannot proceed fast enough to keep the air at saturation. In this case the air may become supersaturated. The equations show that once this happens the smaller droplets grow m ore rapidly than the large ones. The final condition is one with clouds having a narrow range of droplet sizes. The main processes which influences cloud formation are condensation or deposition (Brasseur et al 1999). The difference in temperature always causes a difference in atmospheric pressure, which in turn causes the wind. When the resulting winds are confined to small areas, not more than a few miles in extent, they blow directly from high pressure to low pressure, as one would expect. Weather front can be identified as a boundary between air masses of hot and cold air (Brasseur et al 1991). The main types of fronts are cold front and warm front, stationary front and occluded front. The typical wind circulation about a well-developed low or a well-developed stationary high is often useful in predicting lower-level winds. Several hundred feet above the ground, these circulatory winds blow nearly parallel to the isobars. Fronts are always described as zones of transition, the types of the front depends upon the direction and air masses (Sloane and Tesche 1991). The cold front, extending southward and southwestward from the low center, is also a wedge of cold air underlying warm air -but an a ctive, undercutting wedge, a steeper wedge than the warm front, a wedge that is steadily advancing eastward and southeastward in such a way as to crowd out the warm air more or less violently and to thrust it aloft. The warm front extends east and southeast from the low center, with the warm sector advancing behind it from the southwest and the colder air retreating slowly ahead of it towards the north (Sloane and Tesche 1991). Occlusion is the combination of warm and cold fronts where the latter has overtaken the former. The occlusion itself usually extends gradually southward as more and more of the warm sector is forced above the surface by the closing wedges of colder air. Stationary front is defined as a front which does not move (Sloane and Tesche 1991). Weather Systems: hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms The term hurricane is usually used to describe tropical storms and cyclones. Also, hurricane can be defined as the strongest level of wind according to the Beaufort scale. Unstable air above these steaming areas of warm and azure sea is continually building up

Daoism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Daoism - Essay Example Yang argues that, although there is no amount of offering faith, one must offer two golden rings to receive this. Gold was always charged when one wanted to offer faith. Yang Xi passed messages to Xu Mi and eventually Xu left the secular world and decided to devote himself to the scriptures. Both of them had similar aspiration towards the physical transformation of human body. Yang Xi was the communicator with the gods in the service of Xu Mi. Yang is skilled in giving people the kind of the answers they wanted to their questions concerning their religious life. He acts as intermediate whereby he writes the words of his people using his own intelligent words. During the time of Yang some eight perfected beings descended. Among these, there was a young one, but was just normal. Yang constructed his own teachings and he was great in his arguments. He tried to convince Xu the importance of leaving the workforce of court and society and concentrate on pursuing on the discipline of self-perfection. He also encouraged a sense of amalgamation amongst people. On the hand, Xu purifies his heart and only advances to the level he could only when given the aptitude. His heart is pure and he uses his intelligent mind carefully. For the perfected to appear to him, he only requires keeping his lascivious thoughts locked. Xu had some flaws, which prevented him from learning the Dao. He is said to mix in world issues even though he is bright and upright true. His mind reflected what is within and outside the field and with white threads reduced thrice. Yang Xi introduced a religious literature that was in line with taste of many people. He also produced a religious system and he was highly devoted to his culture. He worked hand in handwih Xu Mi towards transforming lives whereby they wanted to encourage individual value and make them recognize their faith even though for whoever wanted to offer

Frederick douglass question Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Frederick douglass question - Coursework Example Covey. 2. Why does Mr. Covey buy the slave Caroline? Mr. Covey showed interest in buying the slave Caroline, because she provided him exactly what he was looking for- a breeder. She had already borne a child, she was healthy, she was strong and she was able to work. He seemed to be pleased by the purchase of this slave and it rejoiced his mood in those particular days. His pleasure got double profound when the slave bore twins as a result of the one year capacity and mastering by Mr. Covey. Mr. Covey wanted kids, and this woman gave him just what he had desired for, thereby his purchase turned out well and this was the sole reason behind her purchase. 3. What are the first six months of Douglass’ stay with Mr. Covey like? The first Six months of Douglass with Mr. Covey were unprecedented one. He was made to suffer all kinds, he suffered physically, mentally and psychologically, he was being targeted and brutalized in every aspect possible. It was the time which at once forced him thinking of bringing an end to the entire suffering, by first taking Mr. Covey’s life and then his own, however it was hope that kept him from this madness. Yet these days saw no relief with mere exceptions on Sundays. Apart from it, days, nights, seasons, cold, hot sensation, he knew nothing of them, for he had to work, and live in the dire situations as it was the only option at hand. He was mentally and physically broke, and these six months got the toll out of him in the worse possible way. It can be said that those six months were the most difficult ones for Douglass during his entire episode of stay with Mr. Covey(Trotman, 2011). 4. Douglass talks to the boats on the Chesapeake Bay. What kinds of things does he say to them? Why does he envy the boats? Douglass is engaged in a soliloquizing conversation with the boats that are around, he envies them for they are free, he expresses his heart by narrating that u have liberty to move where ever u may, yet I am chained, you get to taste different places, yet I am chained, both mentally and physically. He expresses his sorrow, and the truth state he is in, he expresses what he is going through, what he wishes for, being a free man, being able to swim, being able to fly, being able to walk free and disappear from the sight and visible eyes. He compares the two by presenting the differences such as being free and being caged. He talks to it, and tells it of how he would want to escape, how he may take up the plan, he expresses his deep feeling, and then to console his heart, knowing that there is little hope, he tells the boats that he is not the only one being the slave, thereby he should live with it 5. Douglass spends several days avoiding Mr. Covey. What happens? Douglass always wanted an end to the suffering, the humiliation, the torture, in bid to avail that he spent few days and made some effort avoiding Mr. Covey. For this purpose he decides to lodge a complaint against him at St. Michaels. He had to walk the difficult seven miles for it, and the entire journey was another difficult part of the overall suffering filled tale where he got no supper, no breakfast and covered the distance limping and covered in blood after being beaten by Mr. Covey earlier. However his endeavor comes to a fail as he is being told that Mr. Covey is the right man and Douglass should

The impact of Sports on Media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The impact of Sports on Media - Research Paper Example Sporting events are frequently played on the media, and celebrated through advertisements and sponsorship. The way that sports are perceived is also a cultural phenomenon and as such this varies significantly depending on what part of the world is being examined. For example, Britain is well-known for behavior known as soccer hooliganism, which consists of violence occurring between soccer fans (Dunning, 2000). Although violence between fans is observed with other sports, such as the beating of fans (CBS News, 2011) in football (Roberts & Benjamin, 2000), the way that this occurs with soccer fans is unique, and can result in behaviors such as mobs of fans rushing the field (Dunning, 2000). Because of these differences, this paper will focus on the four major sports within North America, hockey, basketball, football and baseball, rather than considering sports globally. Both popular culture and the media are subject to two distinct, contradictory pressures. The first of these is the dissatisfaction with current forms of entertainment, and a desire to find new focuses, or to access a broader market. The second pressure is where people seek out the forms of entertainment that interest them, while avoiding those that do not. Sports have the potential to impact the media in either way. They could act as a unifying force, bringing together people with a wide range of different viewpoints. Alternatively, the media could treat sports as being a niche interest that is only a relatively small number of people care about. The purpose of this essay is to examine what effect sports has on the media, whether the media responses to sports are unifying or diversifying and if this changes depending on the type of sport or sporting event that is being shown. There is a substantial relationship between the media and sports within the United States, and the media has a

Eric Fromm and his human needs theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Eric Fromm and his human needs theory - Essay Example Erich Fromm, who was born in Germany in the year 1900, was exposed to the horrors of the first world war (Boeree, n.d., p.3). The evil nature of the leaders, the mute submission of the civilians to the dictatorship and the way the society functioned developed Erich Fromm’s interest in psychology and social structure. He tried to find the answer to his search for the question, â€Å"what drives man to behave the way he does?†, in the psychoanalytical theories of Freud and social theories of Karl Marx (Boeree, n.d., p.4). However, he found that both the theories are incomplete as they treat man either as an individual or as a social animal (Boeree, n.d., p.4). He thinks that human being’s personal and social aspects are related and hence, his behavior and motives cannot be explained by separating the individual and the social aspects of his life (Boeree, n.d., p.4). Hence, Erich Fromm postulated a theory called ‘Human Needs Theory’, to explain those ne eds of human beings which drive them to behave the way they do and in doing so, has touched every aspect of the human personality(Boeree, n.d., p.10). By explaining how human behavior is not just a result of personal needs but also is a result of his dynamic relationship with existential aspects of life, Erich From has given us one of the most complete theories of human behavior (Boeree, n.d., p.10). According to Erich Fromm, the conditions of the society in which the human being exists, give birth to his needs (Wozniak, 2000, p.44). He does agree with other behaviorists when they say that every human being has basic biological needs like adequate nourishment and shelter, and meeting those biological needs can provide them with a sense of satisfaction

The Phenomenon of Harmful Algal Blooms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Phenomenon of Harmful Algal Blooms - Essay Example Among these species, some comes out as a harmful breed for other aquatic animals and human who comes in contact with them because they release toxins which disables certain aquatic lives to breathe or can be dangerous because of their accumulated biomass. These harmful algal blooms are formerly known as â€Å"red tides†, because many were found composed of dinoflagellates with red pigments, which cause discoloration of water in red, but can also discolor water into brown or green. Algal blooms refer to a large concentration of marine microorganism and they get harmful when they start excreting poisonous toxins and become as a contributing factor in hundreds of mortalities of aquatic mammals, fishes, birds and other marine and coastal species which happens at the exposure of a potent neurotoxins. Excretion of toxins can result in deaths of a large number of aquatic species. Harmful Algal Blooms also put a negative impact on natural beauty and have bad odors produced by the deca ying of biomass. Theory Researchers and investigation teams are still unable to know the root cause and it is still controversial. Some theories are underlined, for explaining some of the causes that might be the reason of such dangerous Algal Blooms, threatening millions of aqua marine lives. It is believed that toxin blooms are often in result of one or more species of Cyanobacteria which are blue and green algae and grow on nutrient pollution. These spread during warm season of the year and produces both green (chlorophyll) and blue (phycocyanin) which appears as blue and green discoloration of water. It was previously referred as Red Tides, but with the passage of time, things got clear that these harmful algal blooms are not associated with the movement of tides and can vary in color from red to brown, green and blue, therefore they are now known as HABS (Harmful Algal Blooms). They are dangerous because of their toxins or the manner in which the physical structure of the cell affect co occurring species and alter food web process. It can be extremely dangerous when the water is clear with low concentration of cell in the presence of toxic HABs. Micro or Macro-algae is termed for seaweeds as well which sometimes out grows and causes serious ecological problems like habitat alteration, indigenous species and lowers oxygen level in deep water. Moreover, some HABs are not algae but small animals, who do not grow with photosynthesis but get their nutrition by grazing. A continuous research is going on since decades to get to the root cause of harmful algal blooms. Things are getting clear with the study but root issues are still inapproachable. Contributing Factors A study was carried out to find out the factors that contribute in the massive growth of harmful Algal Blooms. In some coastal regions, they appeared to be completely natural with a seasonal coastal upwelling and with the movement of ocean currents but in some areas, it is noticed that human activi ties are helping them grow massively. They are getting nutrition through human loading. Coastal pollution is the biggest factor, helping HABs to develop at large scale through systematic increase in water temperature and human waste disposal. Iron rich dust influx from large deserts can highly promote the cause of HABs. It is still unclear that what initiates this dangerous algae but research is still going on to reach the root issue. They grow quickly with an abundance of nitrates and phosphates which gets to coastal areas through agricultural run outs or storm water runs, coinciding with warmth which ultimately provide the best atmosphere to grow. Once the bloom is initiated it travels or spread hundreds or thousands of kilometers through coastal currents by wind deviation. Threats It

Customer Relationship Management Strategy Essay Example for Free

Customer Relationship Management Strategy Essay 1)Introduction Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become a main focus for businesses with today’s markets becoming more saturated and competitive. ‘Customer Relationship Management is the ultimate challenge for marketing experts in any business. A successful company will use customer information wisely to build relationships with their customers, on the level that together they will work together towards a long-term relationship.’ (Xu et al. 2002) High customer Intimacy can be produced from these processes and strategy. ‘Customer intimacy is an essential factor in the Customer Relationship Management value chain’ (Buttle, 2004). This marketing strategy consists of a business using ways to get close to clients with benefits for a business including improved highly tailored problem solving capabilities and greater adaptation of products to customer needs, as well as higher customer loyalty levels. This customer intimacy has a major impact on the success on a company and we can see this in modern organisations. We see that customer satisfaction alone is not enough,’Oglivy Loyalty Centre found that, although 85% of customers reported being satisfied, only 40% repurchased’ (McKenzie,1995) and therefore customer must use CRM to help improve their customer intimacy. However, to what extent does the strategy and processes involved with CRM help achieve this customer intimacy and in what was are these processes seen as beneficial for both the customer and the company. The focus of this paper is to look at the ways in which organisation use various forms of CRM strategy and processes in order create better, and lasting relationships with their customers. 2)Membership Cards One way in which many companies, especially retail, aim to increase their customer intimacy is through membership card schemes. These can come in many different forms from and offer a variety of advantages for the customer to use. The main feature of all of these themes is that the customer is rewarded in some way, and in effect, keeps the customer happy and encourages repeat trade. However many card schemes go a step further and are used for the advantage of both the customer and the company. ‘Around 80% of UK households participate in at least one customer loyalty card scheme’ (Stone et al. 2008) and they come in different forms such as the Tesco’ Clubcard, Boots’ Advantage Card and Sainsburys’ Nectar Card. The common feature these cards have is that not only do they provide offers for the customer, but they allow companies to collect valuable data which, in turn improves customer intimacy between the business and the customer. ‘Using customer data and targeting those customers helped make the retailer’s transition much more efficient’ (Shaw, 2012). 2.1)Membership Card Achieving Customer Intimacy This data is extremely valuable to a company. They spend millions of pounds each year conducting market research to try and find out their customers’ requirements, expectations and preferences. With the use of this card, the technology builds up this information and stores it all to databases. This provides a company with useful information which will allow them to target their customers in such a way that they can build up an everlasting relationship. ‘Customer Relationship Management is grounded on high quality customer-related data and enabled by information technology, (Buttle, 2009). With this card, a business, such as the market leaders of Tescos and Boots can see everything they wish to know about their buyer. This can vary from the information upon registering their card such as age, geographical location, contact details. Along with this, the card will collect data such as what the customer buys, how much they spend and how often. A company can see trends in a particular region, a need for a particular age group and they can segment their products to a more specialised market. ‘Companies get a clear view as to how their business affects individual customers; associated segmentation and other benefits’ (Stone et al, 2008). In addition, to further improve customer intimacy, a company can target a customer and send offers for the products they buy most through email or by post all of which strengthens this bond between customer and company. Here we see a table which shows us the ladder of customer loyalty. With an increase in customer intimacy, a business can take prospecting purchaser and convey them into a loyal customer (Christopher at al, 1998). 2.2)The Cooperative Membership Card The company to demonstrate is The Co-operative Food. Retail chains are at the fore-front for advances in technology and are competing for ways in which to understand their customers and use the strategies to improve customer intimacy. The purchasing behavior in food retail is the most repetitive of all (Manas, 2011), so to get this customer intimacy correct has never been more important. The Co-operative Food (Co-op) uses their loyalty strategy by having membership scheme available to all colleagues and customers. This card acts as most retail cards do in that they collect a customer’s information which is then fed to the company’s data base. There is a number of ways in which this card creates an improvement in customer intimacy. First of all, unlike all of the other schemes available, twice a year the Co-op gives a share of its profits through the post to all of the members of the scheme. ‘You can enjoy your share of the profits along with exclusive member discounts and offers’ (www.co-operative.coop/membership). Along with this, each customer is sent a seasonal brochure from the company. Inside, it gives a customer details of how the company is operating, information of how the company is helping the community, recipes for things to make with the coop products along with vouchers to spend in store. Another scheme used by the coop is membership coupons which are printed at the till terminal which allow money off the next spend. These strategies allow a mutual benefit; the company is updated with a customer’s information, along with the customer receiving healthy benefits from the company encouraging customer intimacy. 3)Customer Interaction Another strategy that many organisations use to create a high level of customer intimacy is through customer interaction. Many companies use schemes which allow employers to either speak face to face with a customer or give them a platform to have their voice heard. ‘By giving your customers a platform for reaching prospects, your marketing efforts become more objective and inclusive’ (Rast, 2012). This customer interaction can be seen in many different forms, varying form feedback surveys, forums or mystery shopper visits. This can be seen in many different organisations which are customer focused. Examples of these include online survey/feedback forms which can be found for most organisations, customer

Physical Training In Badminton Physical Education Essay

Physical Training In Badminton Physical Education Essay Introduction In Badminton research, the plyometrics training is not extensively researched. This chapter will note the importance of understanding the related factors leading to the idea of conducting this study. The review of the related literature for this study is presented into five main sections: Physical Training in Sports Physical Training in Badminton Agility in Sports Agility Contribution in Badminton Plyometric Training in Improving Agility Physical Training in Sports Physical fitness is a very important factor affecting performance in sports. As in the preparatory phase of periodization plan for any training programme, the physical fitness is always the first to be developed before focusing into other training factors such as technical training, tactical training, and psychological training. Physical fitness contributes to sports performance. It serves as a foundation that leads to a higher possibility of succeeding in competitive arena of sports (Bompa, T. O. Haff, G. G., 2009). Many researchers have studied on various types of physical fitness training, such as balance training, agility training, sprinting training, resistance training, circuit training, interval training, and plyometric training. Many studies found that physical training serve the purpose of improving various physical attributes, such as flexibility, functional performance, muscular control, muscular power, distance running performance, running economy, strength performance, explosive power, vertical jump, initial acceleration, speed, agility, and many other attributes. Physical Training in Badminton Badminton is a highly competitive dynamic sport. At elite level, it is suggest that badminton is characterized by repetitive efforts of alactic nature and great intensity which are continuously performed throughout the match. Badminton players are required to be able to move in multiple directions while smashing and receiving a shuttlecock with fast speed. The speed of a shuttlecock can be up to 421kph (Guinness World Record, 2009). Badminton players are often required to perform speed, agility, flexibility, endurance, and strength capabilities at their limit. It is proposed by Badminton Association of England (2002) that the off-court type of fitness training for badminton can include strength training, aerobic training, speed and agility training, flexibility training, core stability training, and circuit training. As an explosive sport, badminton performance can be enhanced from resistance training. Effective resistance training programme requires a systematic process of analysis, implementation and evaluation to ensure maximum adaptation and improvement. The prescription of resistance training methods can enhance badminton specific performance in jump smashes, lunges, and fast change of direction. Agility in Sports Agility is often considered an essential element for many sports and activities. It is an ability that involves a rapid whole body movement with changes of direction or velocity in response to a stimulus. In many competitive sports such as badminton, the players do not perform at their own pace and move, but are performing in response to the shuttlecock, the opponent, or the partners. As such, agility in badminton is not completely an independent factor. Little and William (2005) proposed that agility is a specific physical attribute that is fundamentally important to sports performance for three reasons. First, developing agility will provide a strong foundation for muscular control and motor skill function, thereby establishing overall performance in badminton. Second, good agility enable players to move fast in balanced and stabled manner, and this proper movement mechanics and this may reduce injury risk. Finally, as an athlete matures, a heightened ability to quickly change directions will enhance overall performance in both proactive offensive and reactive defensive circumstances. According to Young and Farrow (2006) and Vescovi (2008), agility is important as many sports such as badminton performed on a court require high-speed total body movements. Many of these movements are in response to the motion of the shuttlecock, opponents, or partner. As such, fast movement is very important. Deterministic model of agility performance The multifactorial nature of agility has been represented by a deterministic model in Figure 2.1 which indicating the various factors contributing to performance. Figure 2.1 is the model suggested by Young et al. (2002) which indicated that main factors determining agility. Agility can be affected by a few factors, such as visual scanning, anticipation, pattern recognition, knowledge, technique, straight sprinting speed, and leg muscles quality. Agility Perceptual and decision making factors Change of direction speed Straight sprinting speed Technique Pattern recognition Anticipation Visual scanning Knowledge Leg muscle qualities Foot placement Strength Adjustment of strides to accelerate decelerate Power Body lean posture Reactive strength Figure 2.1 Deterministic model of agility performance. Perceptual and decision making factors According to Young et al. (2002), perceptual and decision making is one of the main factor affecting agility. The factors affecting perceptual and decision making included visual scanning, anticipating, pattern recognition, and knowledge. Visual scanning is the ability to process visual information in the competitive environment. In a badminton match, as it is like other ball games, players are paying their visual focus on the trajectory of shuttlecock or ball, or movement of opponent. A common words of à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"eyes on ballà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ , this shows that the badminton players are applying the visual scanning on the shuttlecock and opponent to analyze what is the next step to move. Anticipation and prediction in badminton match influences the movements of a player. From the visual information from visual scanning, badminton player process the information and start to anticipate the move of opponent and the shuttlecock. As the opponent tense up the body with great back swing, it is anticipated that the next move might be a smash; as the opponent remain relax and small actions of racket, it can be anticipated that the next move might be a soft drop. Pattern recognition is the ability to recognize the patterns of play by the opponent. This happened when a player has specific playing habit or favourite shots. It happen as simple as an attacking badminton player has more smashes and a defensive player has more return in high shots. By understanding the pattern, badminton player can be more agile by narrowing the possibility of stimulus to be response. Knowledge from experiencing different game play situations can help predict probable movements of opponent. When a player is out of position and the body is not in favourable position to return a shot, it is likely that the return will go to the front court rather than the back court. As such, a badminton player can be faster and more agile to react to the circumstance. Change of directional speed Young and Farrow (2006) also noted that agility is affected by the change of direction speed. Change of direction speed is influenced by the techniques, straight sprinting speed, and leg muscle quality. Techniques to change direction and change velocity quickly are expected to be influenced by the position of the body while running. A forward lean is required to accelerate, a backward lean to decelerate and stop, and a sideward lean to produce a lateral change of direction. These body positions are necessary in order to produce forces to the ground to evoke reaction forces in the desired direction. If a badminton player is ready to react and move to any direction in court, the ready stance of the body should be slightly knee bend, body leaning forward, and body weight more on toe than on heel (Badminton England, 2002). This ready stance enables the player to make quick adjustments to the running posture to execute a quick change of direction. Such quick adjustments of posture and positioning of limbs is clearly a skill that requires training. Young et al. (2001) conducted a study where found that the straight sprinting speed was improved significantly after six weeks of straight sprint training, but had no gains in changes of direction test. The six weeks change of direction training had limited contribution to straight sprinting speed as well. These findings can be explained by training specificity, and suggest that athletes must train specifically with the movement patterns required in their sports. Badminton requires a lot of sudden sprint and stop, deep lunge, explosive jumping but limited straight sprint. To benefit optimally from the training, badminton player must train specifically on the sudden sprint and stop in various directions but not only the straight sprint. Leg muscles quality is exclusively responsible for change of directional movements. The available research provides little support that leg muscle strength, power, and reactive strength are major contributors to agility performance. However, a rationale was made to suggest that plyometric training program involving jumping exercises that contain single leg lateral takeoffs, such as bounding in a zigzag pattern could potentially be beneficial to change of directional speed development. A better quality of leg muscle in badminton can help to reduce time taken from ready position to move to receive a shot. Agility Contribution in Badminton Motion analysis of a typical badminton match reveals that there are many changes in direction and it requires the athlete to be very agile in all directions . Notational analysis of European players during international tournaments indicated that badminton can be characterized by repetitive, short-duration, high-intensity efforts with high-frequency movement. Badminton is the fastest sport among the racket games with the speed of the shuttlecocks capable of travelling up to 421kph. This means in the court area of approximately 34m2 for badminton singles, the shuttlecock will take not more than 0.15 second to pass through the entire badminton court which is 13.4m in length (Olympics ABC, 2007). As a sport with such a high speed, agility plays a very important role to contribute to the performance. In an elite badminton match, the competition can be played up to more than 60 minutes, and the total running distance can be covered up to 6km. But it does not mean the energy spent for both players are the same. When a player is more agile and faster than opponent, he can play the shot to move opponent around in the badminton court which will lead to greater radius of movement for the opponent. In another word, throughout the match, the player who have better agility are having advantage and spending less effort and energy compare to the less agile opponent. Olympic ABC (2007) also proposed that a player need approximately 0.32 to 0.36 second to move from a ready position towards the shuttle and approximately 0.486 seconds to react to the coming shot. This lead to an idea that a badminton player needs about 0.8 second to react to a shot and move to receive the shot. In this condition, agility is a critical factor affecting the performance. Time taken to react to the coming shot is affecting by the perceptual and decision making factor, while the time taken to move from a ready position towards the shuttle is affecting by the agility, which have the direct relationship with the change of direction speed. Good agility and fast action to move from ready position enable a badminton player to return the shot in a favourable position and have advantage over opponent. Plyometric Training in Improving Agility Plyometrics are training techniques used by athletes in all types of sports to increase strength and explosiveness (Chu, 1998). Plyometric training program involving jumping exercises that could potentially be beneficial to agility development. Plyometric drills usually involve stopping, starting, and changing directions of movement in an explosive manner. These movements are components that can contribute to developing agility . Previous studies found that plyometric training, when used in a periodized manner, can contribute to agility gains . Agility is an explosive movement which can be referred to running speed and changes of direction ability. Fast running speed and quick change of direction contribute to good agility. Explosiveness is affecting the running speed and change of direction ability. Thus, improvement in explosiveness leads to agility development. Plyometrics have been proven to be an effective method to improve on explosiveness. By enhancing balance and control of body positions during movement, agility theoretically should improve . Plyometric activities have been used in sports such as football, tennis, soccer or other sports event. These sports are intermediate sports which require rapid whole body movement with changes of direction or velocity in response to a stimulus, which is similar to badminton. Conclusion Badminton is an intermediate sport which is the fastest among the racket games, it is a very high speed sport which the shuttlecocks capable of travelling up to 421kph (Guinness World Record, 2009), as such, agility is a critical physical attribute affecting the performance. In badminton, a player performed on a court requires high-speed total body movements. Many of these movements are in response to the motion of the shuttlecock, opponents, or partner. Agility permits badminton player to start quickly and efficiently, move in the correct direction, and to change direction or stop quickly to make a play in fast, smooth, efficient, and repeatable manner, in response to a stimulus. A competitive badminton match can be played up to more than 60 minutes, agility allow a player to play the shot to move opponent around in the badminton court which will lead to greater radius of movement for the opponent. In another word, agility lead to the advantage of lesser effort and energy spent than the less agile player. Young and Farrow (2006) noted that agility is affected by change of direction speed. Quality of leg muscles is exclusively responsible for change of directional speed. Better quality of leg muscle and good agility in badminton help to reduce time taken from ready position to move to receive a shot. This enables a badminton player to return the shot in a favourable position and have advantage over opponent. Agility refers to running speed and changes of direction in explosive manner. Fast running speed and quick change of direction is the key of good agility, which is affected by explosiveness. Thus, improvement in explosiveness should leads to agility development. Plyometrics has been proven to be effective and efficient in developing explosiveness. A rationale was made to suggest that plyometric training program involving jumping exercises could potentially be beneficial to agility gain Plyometric drills involve starting, stopping, and change of movement directions in an explosive manner. These movements contribute to agility development. Previous studies showed that plyometric training, when used in a periodized manner, can contribute to agility gains . Miller (2006) and Young and Farrow (2006) proposed that agility should improve by enhancing balance and control of body positions during movement. Plyometric activities have been used in sports which are similar to badminton, such as football, tennis, soccer or other sports event. These sports are intermediate sports which require rapid whole body movement with changes of direction or velocity in response to a stimulus.

Lady Macbeth, Macbeths Forceful Woman Essay -- Macbeth essays

Macbeth's Forceful Woman      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare's Macbeth presents to the audience a woman who is more man than woman. Her masculine virtues (or vices) outweigh her feminine strengths. Let us look at her character in this paper.    A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy explains wherein lies the greatness of Lady Macbeth:    The greatness of Lady Macbeth lies almost wholly in courage and force of will. It is an error to regard her as remarkable on the intellectual side. In acting a part she shows immense self-control, but not much skill. Whatever may be thought of the plan of attributing the murder of Duncan to the chamberlains, to lay their bloody daggers on their pillows, as if they were determined to advertise their guilt, was a mistake which can be accounted for only by the excitement of the moment. But the limitations appear most in the point where she is most strongly contrasted with Macbeth - in her comparative dullness of imagination. (340)    In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode enlightens the reader regarding the murderous mind of Lay Macbeth:    The fatal dismissal from consideration of "the life to come" disables the case for the real as against the apparent good to such a degree that Lady Macbeth, even less aware of the spiritual issues and ridiculing as effeminate the merely human reasons against murder, and showing, as against her husband's view, that the thing is possible.   (1309)    Samuel Johnson in The Plays of Shakespeare underscores how ambition by the protagonists leads to detestation on the part of the readers:    The danger of ambition is well described; and I know not whether it may not be said in defence of some parts which now seem improbable, that, in Sh... ...Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972.    Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Mack, Maynard. Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin.    Siddons, Sarah. "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth." The Life of Mrs. Siddons. Thomas Campbell. London: Effingham Wilson, 1834. Rpt. in Women Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts, eds. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1997.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

Comparing Death in Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night and Australia,

Rage against Death in Dylan Thomas’ "Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night", and Judith Wright’s "Australia, 1970" Mortality is a subject often contemplated in both traditional and modern poetry. Traditionally, death has been viewed as a great leveler of people, and as a frightening, yet noble experience that is best approached with a quiet, dignified, Christ-like acceptance. In the work of some modern poets such as Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright, however, the message is a different one altogether. These poets advise the dying to not assume the role of the martyr, teaching by quiet example; rather, the dying are instructed to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas) and "die like the tigersnake" (Wright) in order to send their messages to the living. While these two poets give these startling instructions with different goals in mind, one idea comes across clearly: that the image of the martyr quietly and knowingly accepting death is no longer an image that will satisfy modern poetry as it looks for reason in its examination of impending mortality. In his 1952 poem "Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night", Dylan Thomas examines the idea that entering quietly into death is not the proper way to leave life; instead, as life draws to a close, he instructs his readers to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas). At first glance, this could appear to be futile advice, for raging against an inevitable, unalterable experience such as death obviously does nothing to impede its course, and could therefore be seen as a pointless exercise. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that Thomas’s poem does not attempt to fight or ward off death; rather, it attempts to convince others to live fully and ... ...ugh mercilessly taunted by the turncoat crowds, those dying in these poems are instructed to do so violently and wildly, to kick and scream, yet at the same time accept the fact that death is an unstoppable force. By depicting these violent, unorthodox, traditionally ignoble methods in a positive light and instructing others to partake in them, Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright are disassociating themselves with the ‘beneficial martyr’ outlook on life and death adopted by Christianity and instead aligning themselves with a far more rebellious and modernistic school of thought Works Cited and Consulted Stanford, Derek. Dylan Thomas. New York: The Citadel Press, 1986. 116-118. Thomas, Dylan. "Do Not Go Gentle." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 1996 Thomson, A.K. Critical Essays on Judith Wright, ed. 1968. Wright, Judith. Collected Poems 1994. Comparing Death in Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night and Australia, Rage against Death in Dylan Thomas’ "Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night", and Judith Wright’s "Australia, 1970" Mortality is a subject often contemplated in both traditional and modern poetry. Traditionally, death has been viewed as a great leveler of people, and as a frightening, yet noble experience that is best approached with a quiet, dignified, Christ-like acceptance. In the work of some modern poets such as Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright, however, the message is a different one altogether. These poets advise the dying to not assume the role of the martyr, teaching by quiet example; rather, the dying are instructed to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas) and "die like the tigersnake" (Wright) in order to send their messages to the living. While these two poets give these startling instructions with different goals in mind, one idea comes across clearly: that the image of the martyr quietly and knowingly accepting death is no longer an image that will satisfy modern poetry as it looks for reason in its examination of impending mortality. In his 1952 poem "Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night", Dylan Thomas examines the idea that entering quietly into death is not the proper way to leave life; instead, as life draws to a close, he instructs his readers to "rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas). At first glance, this could appear to be futile advice, for raging against an inevitable, unalterable experience such as death obviously does nothing to impede its course, and could therefore be seen as a pointless exercise. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that Thomas’s poem does not attempt to fight or ward off death; rather, it attempts to convince others to live fully and ... ...ugh mercilessly taunted by the turncoat crowds, those dying in these poems are instructed to do so violently and wildly, to kick and scream, yet at the same time accept the fact that death is an unstoppable force. By depicting these violent, unorthodox, traditionally ignoble methods in a positive light and instructing others to partake in them, Dylan Thomas and Judith Wright are disassociating themselves with the ‘beneficial martyr’ outlook on life and death adopted by Christianity and instead aligning themselves with a far more rebellious and modernistic school of thought Works Cited and Consulted Stanford, Derek. Dylan Thomas. New York: The Citadel Press, 1986. 116-118. Thomas, Dylan. "Do Not Go Gentle." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 1996 Thomson, A.K. Critical Essays on Judith Wright, ed. 1968. Wright, Judith. Collected Poems 1994.

The Heightening of Airport Security after September 11th Essay

The Heightening of Airport Security after September 11th Extraordinary challenges require extraordinary measures. The terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001 required that we reform our nation’s aviation security system in fundamental ways. Three years after the Sept. 11 tragedies, how far has airport and airlines come? It depends on the source. While it is important for airports to heighten security after the attacks of 9/11, the policies of profiling passengers are inadequate and a necessitate revision. The most visible changes to boost airport securities may be on the airplanes themselves. Many planes have installed bulletproof, locked cockpit doors to secure the pilot and crew from the rest of the plane. Increased securities at airports have come along more slowly. The Transportation Security Administration has been unable to fully staff airports with federal screeners, have delayed mandatory baggage screening deadlines multiple times, and have overrun a $350 million budget (TSA). The only way that airlines will be able to recover from the massive economic setbacks they have suffered as a result of the attack is to make an attempt to combine customer service and security. Most of the American public that has flown since 9/11 has been willing to put up with delays, personal searches, and increased security procedures (Young). New airport security measures have added unnecessary inconveniences and hassles. Airport security screeners need to carefully...

Global Warming: Causes, Effects and Possible Measures Essay

Global warming is the term used to describe some of the drastic changes that are taking place in the earth’s climatic conditions. Over the recent years, the term global warming has been the subject of much debate and different people have come up with different views regarding this subject. While many people continue to hold to the view that global warming is a natural phenomenon that cannot be prevented, others are of the opinion that natural as well as man-made factors have accelerated a natural phenomenon to the extent that it has become an international problem, and a threat to human existence. Without global warming, the earth would naturally be a cold uninhabitable place. Through a process that is referred to as the green-house effect, atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons have been responsible for trapping the heat radiated from the earth’s surface and subsequently warming the earth. It is through this natural phenomenon that the earth’s average temperatures have been maintained at around 60? Fahrenheit. However, atmospheric temperatures have been rising above the naturally expected rates, and scientists as well as environmentalists have raised concern over these changing climatic conditions, and the effects they will have on human existence. Rising atmospheric temperatures have been attributed to both natural and man-made factors and various suggestions have been raised that hold possible solutions to global warming and its effects on the earth (Peach 2-3). 2. Causes and Effects of Global Warming One of the major causes of global warming is the greenhouse effect. Although the greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon without which the world would be uninhabitable, there has been a high increase of heat trapping gases in the atmosphere. These gases trap more heat while less of it is radiated back into the outer space, subsequently resulting in global warming. The atmosphere is a combination of many gases which not only enable the sun’s rays to reach the earth’s surface, but also prevent the heat energy that is reradiated by the earth’s surface from escaping back into the atmosphere. Atmospheric gases deflect and scatter about 30% of the sunlight that hits the earth back into space. Through infrared radiation, the rest of the sunlight is reflected back to the atmosphere in the form of slow-moving energy and is absorbed by atmospheric gases which subsequently slow down its escape from the atmosphere. This absorption of energy by atmospheric gases creates a warm-air blanket around the earth; without which this planet would probably be one massive glacier and would not be able to sustain any life (Gonzalez and Sherer 374; Flannery 1-4). Increased human activities such as agriculture, oil production, industry and mining have resulted in an equally increased level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Fossil fuel production and use has especially led to increased carbon dioxide emission and apparently, to 50 % of all human-induced global warming. Since the industrial Revolution, burning of fossil fuels and the use of chlorofluorocarbons and nitrogen fertilizers has led to increased levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, agricultural production improved, population grew and urbanization expanded extensively to cater for the urban working masses. All these processes have resulted in massive clearing of forests and other vegetation cover as land is cleared for more food production, for settlement and for mining. Trees naturally help to retain most of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and with the increased loss of trees, the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased and this has led to global warming. Solar activity and volcanic emissions have also contributed to global warming. Scientists argue that the sun has gradually been increasing in strength and since it is the main source of energy, the earth’s atmosphere absorbs approximately 70% of the solar flux. It is the solar flux that has led to increased temperatures not only in the earth’s atmosphere but also in its land and oceans. As climatic and temperature changes occur on the surface of the earth, the sun continues to emit more radiant energy (Peach 3-4, 19-27, 55; Flannery78-79). Global warming adversely affects life on the face of the earth. Various scientists have blamed global warming for rapid changes in weather patterns around the globe and subsequent severe and long draughts in several parts of the world. Spells of dry weather have also been blamed for the catastrophic wild fires that have frequently razed through vast tracts of inhabited land in California, U. S. A as well as for the heat waves that swept through Europe during the summer of 2003 and caused the death of about 35,000 people. Scientists have also suggested that rising atmospheric temperatures could be the cause of severe storms, tornadoes and hurricanes such as those experienced in southeastern U. S. A and other parts of the world (Flannery 132-141). Excessive heat transferred back to the atmosphere causes strong winds and also fuels the storms. Rising atmospheric temperatures have also been blamed for the massive melting of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica as well as most mountain tops of the world. As these glaciers retreat, the melted ice in turn flows down into the seas and has attributed for rising ocean levels. According to experts, the sea level is expected to rise by about 30 cm by the year 2100 and may cause flooding or even disappearance of coastal towns. About two thirds of the world’s major cities have been built along coastlines and their existence as well as that of their future developments will continue to rest upon the effects of global warming (Valsson 17-25; Peach 38-39). While it is common to conceptualize the impacts of such scenarios and effects upon humans, there is definitely truth in claiming that the detrimental effects of global warming affect all life on the planet. To further explain, a vast number of creatures or organisms throughout the world. In general, encompassing changes to the temperature of the Earth would mean that creatures would have another concern to tackle in order to maintain survival. Specifically, both flora and fauna which currently reside in a given location, live optimally at the particular climate present at the aforesaid region; changes in temperature may result in the proliferation of illnesses and even extinction (Craighead 123). In contrast, some creatures might further proliferate in the presence of global warming. The growth of squids for example have been known to be enhanced by the increasingly warmer oceans which resulting in a considerable increase in its number throughout the seas (AtKisson 44). While this may seem beneficial, it is important to emphasize that ecological balance would potentially be compromised by such effects of global warming. Furthermore, while migration to other areas would have been the expected course of action for animals and even plants to survive the region altering effects of global warming it is now virtually impossible to accomplish as human activities and settlements have considerably spread (Schneider and Root 3). Before dismissing the abovementioned effects of global warming as secondary to its implications upon humans, it is essential to point out that human survival heavily relies on the riches of nature. 3. Possible Solutions to Global Warming Processes such as increased agricultural production, industrialization and urbanization have contributed to massive loss of the world’s vegetation cover and subsequent global warming; but are quite difficult to control or reverse. But global warming can be controlled through responsible environmental management procedures. Re-forestation probably remains the most practical and perhaps most effective measure of reducing the effects of a warmer earth. Through reforestation, the atmospheric cycle will be maintained at close to normal levels and in such way, atmospheric temperatures will be reduced; in relation to this, the rate at which forested land is being converted to other land use activities should also be continuously checked. Public transport should be encouraged especially when traveling for short distances because this helps to put a check on the burning of so much fossil fuel. Complete rehabilitation of destroyed environment takes hundreds of years; and preserving the existing forest cover through sustainable development becomes very crucial towards preserving the temperate and tropical forests that face destruction every year. It is also advisable to educate the masses on the advantages of using electric appliances that use less heat as well as the use of energy-saving bulbs (Peach 45-55). Aside from creating positive changes in the manner of energy production, resource management, and daily living, means to limit and eventually eliminate the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere should also be highlighted. Considering the state of technology and manufacturing today, it would be appropriate to assume that immediately eliminating all the industrial processes which create greenhouse gases is an impossible feat. However, there are ways to gradually make corporations and firms worldwide to reconsider more environmental methods of production and energy usage. One of the most promising of which is the implementation of a strict, and possibly internationally applied, carbon tax. To explain, as carbon is considered to be one of the most common greenhouse gases derived from industrial endeavors due to the use of fossil fuels, a taxation system which results in greater expenses for heavy users of fossil fuel would supposedly result in transitions to the use of clean energy (McKinney and Schoch 434). Subsequently similar policies, either worldwide or specific to a country, should be drawn that advocate more dependence on renewable energy such as solar, wind and geo-thermal and less dependence on fossil fuel. While global warming may be partly addressed through lifestyle changes which are depended upon personal choice as discussed beforehand, it is undeniably that the actions of governments or world leaders are essential if the world would indeed survive and resolve the issues brought forth by global warming; such leaders and politicians hold the key to actualizing the needed transitions in society. 4. Conclusion Global warming and the potential effect it has on the environment and global human societies are still difficult to put on scale because of the uncertainties that accompany the scope of the problem; despite such, it is irrefutable that the detrimental effects of global warming upon human lives, as well as both flora and fauna, have become an evident proof of the presence of the concern. As industrialization advanced greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere on a very large scale and global temperatures have been on the increase. But there is increased international attention directed towards reduction of these gases from man-made sources; as well as drawing of policies towards the best methods of adapting to the possible impacts that global climatic change will bring along. A long-term solution will however require the global cooperation since global warming has been the result of greenhouse emissions from all countries of the world. Since emitted gases continue to have their effect, more emission should be controlled. Both short-term and long-term policies should be put into consideration (Peach 44-45, 57). Therefore, in order for humanity to resolve the issue of global warming and ensure that life on Earth would ensue in its rightful manner, continuous vigilance of the changes in the environment as well as superb planning and problem solving skills are all of great importance, but not as essential as establishing global awareness and unity. Works Cited AtKisson, Alan. The ISIS Agreement: How Sustainability Can Improve Organizational Performance and Transform the World. Sterling, VA: Earthscan Publishing, 2008. Craighead, Lance. Bears of the World. St. Paul, MN: Voyageur Press – MBI Publishing Company, 2000. Flannery, Tim F. The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth. New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006. Gonzalez, Joseph and Thomas E Sherer. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geography. Phoenix, AZ: Alpha Books, 2004. McKinney, Michael L. and Robert M. Schoch. Environmental Science: Systems and Solutions. 3rd Edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2003. Peach, Dexter J. Global warming: Emission Reductions Possible As Scientific Uncertainties Are Resolved. Darby. PA: DIANE Publishing, 2005. Schneider, Stephen H. and Terry L. Root. Wildlife Responses to Climate Change: North American Case Studies. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2002. Valsson, Trausti. How the World will Change with Global Warming. Reykjavik, Iceland: University of Iceland Press, 2006.

Bag of Bones CHAPTER SEVEN

The little girl actually she wasn't much more than a baby-came walking up the middle of Route 68, dressed in a red bathing suit, yellow plastic flip-flops, and a Boston Red Sox baseball cap turned around backward. I had just driven past the Lakeview General Store and Dickie Brooks's All-Purpose Garage, and the speed limit there drops from fifty-five to thirty-five. Thank God I was obeying it that day, otherwise I might have killed her. It was my first day back. I'd gotten up late and spent most of the morning walking in the woods which run along the lakeshore, seeing what was the same and what had changed. The water looked a little lower and there were fewer boats than I would have expected, especially on summer's biggest holiday, but otherwise I might never have been away. I even seemed to be slapping at the same bugs. Around eleven my stomach alerted me to the fact that I'd skipped breakfast. I decided a trip to the Village Cafe was in order. The restaurant at Warrington's was trendier by far, but I'd be stared at there. The Village Cafe would be better if it was still doing business. Buddy Jellison was an ill-tempered fuck, but he had always been the best fry-cook in western Maine and what my stomach wanted was a big greasy Villageburger. Now this little girl, walking straight up the white line and looking like a majorette leading an invisible parade. At thirty-five miles per hour I saw her in plenty of time, but this road was busy in the summer, and very few people bothered creeping through the reduced-speed zone. There were only a dozen Castle County police cruisers, after all, and not many of them bothered with the TR unless they were specifically called there. I pulled over to the shoulder, put the Chevy in PARK, and was out before the dust had even begun to settle. The day was muggy and close and still, the clouds seeming low enough to touch. The kid a little blondie with a snub nose and scabbed knees stood on the white line as if it were a tightrope and watched me approach with no more fear than a fawn. ‘Hi,' she said. ‘I go beach. Mummy ‘on't take me and I'm mad as hell.' She stamped her foot to show she knew as well as anybody what mad as hell was all about. Three or four was my guess. Well-spoken in her fashion and cute as hell, but still no more than three or four. ‘Well, the beach is a good place to go on the Fourth, all right,' I said, ‘but ‘ ‘Fourth of July and fireworks too,' she agreed, making ‘too' sound exotic and sweet, like a word in Vietnamese. ‘ but if you try to walk there on the highway, you're more apt to wind up in Castle Rock Hospital.' I decided I wasn't going to stand there playing Mister Rogers with her in the middle of Route 68, not with a curve only fifty yards to the south and a car apt to come wheeling around it at sixty miles an hour at any time. I could hear a motor, actually, and it was revving hard. I picked the kid up and carried her over to where my car was idling, and although she seemed perfectly content to be carried and not frightened a bit, I felt like Chester the Molester the second I had my arm locked under her bottom. I was very aware that anyone sitting around in the combined office and waiting room of Brooksie's Garage could look out and see me. This is one of the strange midlife realities of my generation: we can't touch a child who isn't our own without fearing others will see something lecherous in our touching . . . or without thinking, way down deep in the sewers of our psyches, that there probably is something lecherous in it. I got her out of the road, though. I did that much. Let the Marching Mothers of Western Maine come after me and do their worst. ‘You take me beach?' the little girl asked. She was bright-eyed, smiling. I figured that she'd probably be pregnant by the time she was twelve, especially given the cool way she was wearing her baseball cap. ‘Got your suitie?' ‘Actually I think I left my suitie at home. Don't you hate that? Honey, where's your mom?' As if in direct answer to my question, the car I'd heard came busting out of a road on the near side of the curve. It was a Jeep Scout with mud splashed high up on both sides. The motor was growling like something up a tree and pissed off about it. A woman's head was poked out the side window. Little curie's mom must have been too scared to sit down; she was driving in a mad crouch, and if a car had been coming around that particular curve in Route 68 when she pulled out, my friend in the red bathing suit would likely have become an orphan on the spot. The Scout fishtailed, the head dropped back down inside the cab, and there was a grinding as the driver upshifted, trying to take her old heap from zero to sixty in maybe nine seconds. If pure terror could have done the job, I'm sure she would have succeeded. ‘That's Mattie,' the girl in the bathing suit said. ‘I'm mad at her. I'm running away to have a Fourth at the beach. If she's mad I go to my white nana.' I had no idea what she was talking about, but it did cross my mind that Miss Bosox of 1998 could have her Fourth at the beach; I would settle for a fifth of something whole-grain at home. Meanwhile, I was waving the arm not under the kid's butt back and forth over my head, and hard enough to blow around wisps of the girl's fine blonde hair. ‘Hey!' I shouted. ‘Hey, lady! I got her!' The Scout sped by, still accelerating and still sounding pissed off about it. The exhaust was blowing clouds of blue smoke. There was a further hideous grinding from the Scout's old transmission. It was like some crazy version of Let's Make a Deal.' ‘Mattie, you've succeeded in getting into second gear would you like to quit and take the Maytag washer, or do you want to try for third?' I did the only thing I could think of, which was to step out onto the road, turn toward the Jeep, which was now speeding away from me (the smell of the oil was thick and acrid), and hold the kid up high over my head, hoping Mattie would see us in her rearview mirror. I no longer felt like Chester the Molester; now I felt like a cruel auctioneer in a Disney cartoon, offering the cutest li'l piglet in the litter to the highest bidder. It worked, though. The Scout's mudcaked taillights came on and there was a demonic howling as the badly used brakes locked. Right in front of Brooksie's, this was. If there were any old-timers in for a good Fourth of July gossip, they would now have plenty to gossip about. I thought they would especially enjoy the part where Mom screamed at me to unhand her baby. When you return to your summer home after a long absence, it's always nice to get off on the right foot. The backup lights flared and the Jeep began reversing down the road at a good twenty miles an hour. Now the transmission sounded not pissed off but panicky please, it was saying, please stop, you're killing me. The Scout's rear end wagged from side to side like the tail of a happy dog. I watched it coming at me, hypnotized now in the northbound lane, now across the white line and into the southbound lane, now overcorrecting so that the left-hand tires spumed dust off the shoulder. ‘Mattie go fast,' my new girlfriend said in a conversational, isn't-this-interesting voice. She had one arm slung around my neck; we were chums, by God. But what the kid said woke me up. Mattie go fast, all right, too fast. Mattie would, more likely than not, clean out the rear end of my Chevrolet. And if I just stood here, Baby Snooks and I were apt to end up as toothpaste between the two vehicles. I backed the length of my car, keeping my eyes fixed on the Jeep and yelling, ‘Slow down, Mattie! Slow down!' Cutie-pie liked that. ‘S'yo down!' she yelled, starting to laugh. ‘S'yo down, you old Mattie, s'yo down!' The brakes screamed in fresh agony. The Jeep took one last walloping, unhappy jerk backward as Mattie stopped without benefit of the clutch. That final lunge took the Scout's rear bumper so close to the rear bumper of my Chevy that you could have bridged the gap with a cigarette. The smell of oil in the air was huge and furry. The kid was waving a hand in front of her face and coughing theatrically. The driver's door flew open; Mattie Devore flew out like a circus acrobat shot from a cannon, if you can imagine a circus acrobat dressed in old paisley shorts and a cotton smock top. My first thought was that the little girl's big sister had been babysitting her, that Mattie and Mummy were two different people. I knew that little kids often spend a period of their development calling their parents by their first names, but this pale-cheeked blonde girl looked all of twelve, fourteen at the outside. I decided her mad handling of the Scout hadn't been terror for her child (or not just terror) but total automotive inexperience. There was something else, too, okay? Another assumption that I made. The muddy four-wheel-drive, the baggy paisley shorts, the smock that all but screamed Kmart, the long yellow hair held back with those little red elastics, and most of all the inattention that allows the three-year-old in your care to go wandering off in the first place . . . all those things said trailer-trash to me. I know how that sounds, but I had some basis for it. Also, I'm Irish, goddammit. My ancestors were trailer-trash when the trailers were still horse-drawn caravans. ‘Stinky-phew!' the little girl said, still waving a pudgy hand at the air in front of her face. ‘Scoutie stink!' Where Scoutie's bathing suitie? I thought, and then my new girlfriend was snatched out of my arms. Now that she was closer, my idea that Mattie was the bathing beauty's sister took a hit. Mattie wouldn't be middle-aged until well into the next century, but she wasn't twelve or fourteen, either. I now guessed twenty, maybe a year younger. When she snatched the baby away, I saw the wedding ring on her left hand. I also saw the dark circles under her eyes, gray skin dusting to purple. She was young, but I thought it was a mother's terror and exhaustion I was looking at. I expected her to swat the tot, because that's how trailer-trash moms react to being tired and scared. When she did, I would stop her, one way or another distract her into turning her anger on me, if that was what it took. There was nothing very noble in this, I should add; all I really wanted to do was to postpone the fanny-whacking, shoulder-shaking, and in-your-face shouting to a time and place where I wouldn't have to watch it. It was my first day back in town; I didn't want to spend any of it watching an inattentive slut abuse her child. Instead of shaking her and shouting ‘Where did you think you were going, you little bitch?' Mattie first hugged the child (who hugged back enthusiastically, showing absolutely no sign of fear) and then covered her face with kisses. ‘Why did you do that?' she cried. ‘What was in your head? When I couldn't find you, I died.' Mattie burst into tears. The child in the bathing suit looked at her with an expression of surprise so big and complete it would have been comical under other circumstances. Then her own face crumpled up. I stood back, watched them crying and hugging, and felt ashamed of my preconceptions. A car went by and slowed down. An elderly couple Ma and Pa Kettle on their way to the store for that holiday box of Grape-Nuts gawked out. I gave them an impatient wave with both hands, the kind that says what are you staring at, go on, put an egg in your shoe and beat it. They sped up, but I didn't see an out-of-state license plate, as I'd hoped I might. This version of Ma and Pa were locals, and the story would be fleeting its rounds soon enough: Mattie the teenage bride and her little bundle of joy (said bundle undoubtedly conceived in the back seat of a car or the bed of a pickup truck some months before the legitimizing ceremony), bawling their eyes out at the side of the road. With a stranger. No, not exactly a stranger. Mike Noonan, the writer fella from upstate. ‘I wanted to go to the beach and suh-suh-swim!' the little girl wept, and now it was ‘swim' that sounded exotic the Vietnamese word for ‘ecstasy,' perhaps. ‘I said I'd take you this afternoon.' Mattie was still sniffing, but getting herself under control. ‘Don't do that again, little guy, please don't you ever do that again, Mommy was so scared.' ‘I won't,' the kid said ‘I really won't.' Still crying, she hugged the older girl tight, laying her head against the side of Mattie's neck. Her baseball cap fell off. I picked it up, beginning to feel very much like an outsider here. I poked the blue-and-red cap at Mattie's hand until her fingers closed on it. I decided I also felt pretty good about the way things had turned out, and maybe I had a right to. I've presented the incident as if it was amusing, and it was, but it was the sort of amusing you never see until later. When it was happening, it was terrifying. Suppose there had been a truck coming from the other direction? Coming around that curve, and coming too fast? A vehicle did come around it, a pickup of the type no tourist ever drives. Two more locals gawked their way by. ‘Ma'am?' I said. ‘Mattie? I think I'd better get going. Glad your little girl is all right.' The minute it was out, I felt an almost irresistible urge to laugh. I could picture me drawling this speech to Mattie (a name that belonged in a movie like Unforgiven or True Grit if any name ever did) with my thumbs hooked into the belt of my chaps and my Stetson pushed back to reveal my noble brow. I felt an insane urge to add, ‘You're right purty, ma'am, ain't you the new schoolteacher?' She turned to me and I saw that she was right purty. Even with circles under her eyes and her blonde hair sticking off in gobs to either side of her head. And I thought she was doing okay for a girl probably not yet old enough to buy a drink in a bar. At least she hadn't belted the baby. ‘Thank you so much,' she said. ‘Was she right in the road?' Say she wasn't, her eyes begged. At least say she was walking along the shoulder. ‘Well ‘ ‘I walked on the line,' the girl said, pointing. ‘It's like the cross-mock.' Her voice took on a faintly righteous tone. ‘Crossmock is safe.' Mattie's cheeks, already white, turned whiter. I didn't like seeing her that way, and didn't like to think of her driving home that way, especially with a kid. ‘Where do you live, Mrs. ?' ‘Devore,' she said. ‘I'm Mattie Devore.' She shifted the child and put out her hand. I shook it. The morning was warm, and it was going to be hot by mid-afternoon beach weather for sure but the fingers I touched were icy. ‘We live just there.' She pointed to the intersection the Scout had shot out of, and I could see surprise, surprise a doublewide trailer set off in a grove of pines about two hundred feet up the little feeder road. Wasp Hill Road, I recalled. It ran about half a mile from Route 68 to the water what was known as the Middle Bay. Ah yes, doc, it's all coming back to me now. I'm once more riding the Dark Score range. Saving little kids is my specialty. Still, I was relieved to see that she lived close by less than a quarter of a mile from the place where our respective vehicles were parked with their tails almost touching and when I thought about it, it stood to reason. A child as young as the bathing beauty couldn't have walked far . . . although this one had already demonstrated a fair degree of determination. I thought Mother's haggard look was even more suggestive of the daughter's will. I was glad I was too old to be one of her future boyfriends; she would have them jumping through hoops all through high school and college. Hoops of fire, likely. Well, the high-school part, anyway. Girls from the doublewide side of town did not, as a general rule, go to college unless there was a juco or a voke-tech handy. And she would only have them jumping until the right boy (or more likely the wrong one) came sweeping around the Great Curve of Life and ran her down in the highway, her all the while unaware that the white line and the crossmock were two different things. Then the whole cycle would repeat itself. Christ almighty, Noonan, quit it, I told myself. She's three years old and you've already got her with three kids of her own, two with ringworm and one retarded. ‘Thank you so much,' Mattie repeated. ‘That's okay,' I said, and snubbed the little girl's nose. Although her cheeks were still wet with tears, she grinned at me sunnily enough in response. ‘This is a very verbal little girl.' ‘Very verbal, and very willful.' Now Mattie did give her child a little shake, but the kid showed no fear, no sign that shaking or hitting was the order of most days. On the contrary, her smile widened. Her mother smiled back. And yes once you got past the slopped-together look of her, she was most extraordinarily pretty. Put her in a tennis dress at the Castle Rock Country Club (where she'd likely never go in her life, except maybe as a maid or a waitress), and she would maybe be more than pretty. A young Grace Kelly, perhaps. Then she looked back at me, her eyes very wide and grave. ‘Mr. Noonan, I'm not a bad mother,' she said. I felt a start at my name coming from her mouth, but it was only momentary. She was the right age, after all, and my books were probably better for her than spending her afternoons in front of General Hospital and One Life to Live. A little, anyway. ‘We had an argument about when we were going to the beach. I wanted to hang out the clothes, have lunch, and go this afternoon. Kyra wanted ‘ She broke off. ‘What? What did I say?' ‘Her name is Kia? Did ‘ Before I could say anything else, the most extraordinary thing happened: my mouth was full of water. So full I felt a moment's panic, like someone who is swimming in the ocean and swallows a wave-wash. Only this wasn't a salt taste; it was cold and fresh, with a faint metal tang like blood. I turned my head aside and spat. I expected a gush of liquid to pour out of my mouth the sort of gush you sometimes get when commencing artificial respiration on a near-drowning victim. What came out instead was what usually comes out when you spit on a hot day: a little white pellet. And that sensation was gone even before the little white pellet struck the dirt of the shoulder. In an instant, as if it had never been there. ‘That man spirted,' the girl said matter-of-factly. ‘Sorry,' I said. I was also bewildered. What in God's name had that been about? ‘I guess I had a little delayed reaction.' Mattie looked concerned, as though I were eighty instead of forty. I thought that maybe to a girl her age, forty is eighty. ‘Do you want to come up to the house? I'll give you a glass of water.' ‘No, I'm fine now.' ‘All right. Mr. Noonan . . . all I mean is that nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I was hanging sheets . . . she was inside watching a Mighty Mouse cartoon on the VCR . . . then, when I went in to get more pins . . . ‘ She looked at the girl, who was no longer smiling. It was starting to get through to her now. Her eyes were big, and ready to fill with tears. ‘She was gone. I thought for a minute I'd die of fear.' Now the kid's mouth began to tremble, and her eyes filled up right on schedule. She began to weep. Mattie stroked her hair, soothing the small head until it lay against the Kmart smock top. ‘That's all right, Ki,' she said. ‘It turned out okay this time, but you can't go out in the road. It's dangerous. Little things get run over in the road, and you're a little thing. The most precious little thing in the world.' She cried harder. It was the exhausted sound of a child who needed a nap before any more adventures, to the beach or anywhere else. ‘Kia bad, Kia bad,' she sobbed against her mother's neck. ‘No, honey, only three,' Mattie said, and if I had harbored any further thoughts about her being a bad mother, they melted away then. Or perhaps they'd already gone after all, the kid was round, comely, well-kept, and unbruised. On one level, those things registered. On another I was trying to cope with the strange thing that had just happened, and the equally strange thing I thought I was hearing that the little girl I had carried off the white line had the name we had planned to give our child, if our child turned out to be a girl. ‘Kia,' I said. Marvelled, really. As if my touch might break her, I tentatively stroked the back of her head. Her hair was sun-warm and fine. ‘No,' Mattie said. ‘That's the best she can say it now. Kyra, not Kia. It's from the Greek. It means ladylike.' She shifted, a little self-conscious. ‘I picked it out of a baby-name book. While I was pregnant, I kind of went Oprah. Better than going postal, I guess.' ‘It's a lovely name,' I said. ‘And I don't think you're a bad mom.' What went through my mind right then was a story Frank Arlen had told over a meal at Christmas it had been about Petie, the youngest brother, and Frank had had the whole table in stitches. Even Petie, who claimed not to remember a bit of the incident, laughed until tears streamed down his cheeks. One Easter, Frank said, when Petie was about five, their folks had gotten them up for an Easter-egg hunt. The two parents had hidden over a hundred colored hard-boiled eggs around the house the evening before, after getting the kids over to their grandparents'. A high old Easter morning was had by all, at least until Johanna looked up from the patio, where she was counting her share of the spoils, and shrieked. There was Petie, crawling gaily around on the second-floor overhang at the back of the house, not six feet from the drop to the concrete patio. Mr. Arlen had rescued Petie while the rest of the family stood below, holding hands, frozen with horror and fascination. Mrs. Arlen had repeated the Hail Mary over and over (‘so fast she sounded like one of the Chipmunks on that old ‘Witch Doctor' record,' Frank had said, laughing harder than ever) until her husband had disappeared back into the open bedroom window with Petie in his arms. Then she had swooned to the pavement, breaking her nose. When asked for an explanation, Petie had told them he'd wanted to check the rain-gutter for eggs. I suppose every family has at least one story like that; the survival of the world's Peties and Kyras is a convincing argument in the minds of parents, anyway for the existence of God. ‘I was so scared,' Mattie said, now looking fourteen again. Fifteen at most. ‘But it's over,' I said. ‘And Kyra's not going to go walking in the road anymore. Are you, Kyra?' She shook her head against her mother's shoulder without raising it. I had an idea she'd probably be asleep before Mattie got her back to the good old doublewide. ‘You don't know how bizarre this is for me,' Mattie said. ‘One of my favorite writers comes out of nowhere and saves my kid. I knew you had a place on the TR, that big old log house everyone calls Sara Laughs, but folks say you don't come here anymore since your wife died.' ‘For a long time I didn't,' I said. ‘If Sara was a marriage instead of a house, you'd call this a trial reconciliation.' She smiled fleetingly, then looked grave again. ‘I want to ask you for something. A favor.' ‘Ask away.' ‘Don't talk about this. It's not a good time for Ki and me.' ‘Why not?' She bit her lip and seemed to consider answering the question -one I might not have asked, given an extra moment to consider and then shook her head. ‘It's just not. And I'd be so grateful if you didn't talk about what just happened in town. More grateful than you'll ever know.' ‘No problem.' ‘You mean it?' ‘Sure. I'm basically a summer person who hasn't been around for awhile . . . which means I don't have many folks to talk to, anyway.' There was Bill Dean, of course, but I could keep quiet around him. Not that he wouldn't know. If this little lady thought the locals weren't going to find out about her daughter's attempt to get to the beach by shank's mare, she was fooling herself. ‘I think we've been noticed already, though. Take a look up at Brooksie's Garage. Peek, don't stare.' She did, and sighed. Two old men were standing on the tarmac where there had been gas pumps once upon a time. One was very likely Brooksie himself; I thought I could see the remnants of the flyaway red hair which had always made him look like a downeast version of Bozo the Clown. The other, old enough to make Brooksie look like a wee slip of a lad, was leaning on a gold-headed cane in a way that was queerly vulpine. ‘I can't do anything about them,' she said, sounding depressed. ‘Nobody can do anything about them. I guess I should count myself lucky it's a holiday and there's only two of them.' ‘Besides,' I added, ‘they probably didn't see much.' Which ignored two things: first, that half a dozen cars and pick-em-ups had gone by while we had been standing here, and second, that whatever Brooksie and his elderly friend hadn't seen, they would be more than happy to make up. On Mattie's shoulder, Kyra gave a ladylike snore. Mattie glanced at her and gave her a smile full of rue and love. ‘I'm sorry we had to meet under circumstances that make me look like such a dope, because I really am a big fan. They say at the bookstore in Castle Rock that you've got a new one coming out this summer.' I nodded. ‘It's called Helen's Promise.' She grinned. ‘Good title.' ‘Thanks. You better get your buddy back home before she breaks your arm.' ‘Yeah.' There are people in this world who have a knack for asking embarrassing, awkward questions without meaning to it's like a talent for walking into doors. I am one of that tribe, and as I walked with her toward the passenger side of the Scout, I found a good one. And yet it was hard to blame myself too enthusiastically. I had seen the wedding ring on her hand, after all. ‘Will you tell your husband?' Her smile stayed on, but it paled somehow. And tightened. If it were possible to delete a spoken question the way you can delete a line of type when you're writing a story, I would have done it. ‘He died last August.' ‘Mattie, I'm sorry. Open mouth, insert foot.' ‘You couldn't know. A girl my age isn't even supposed to be married, is she? And if she is, her husband's supposed to be in the army, or something.' There was a pink baby-seat also Kmart, I guessed on the passenger side of the Scout. Mattie tried to boost Kyra in, but I could see she was struggling. I stepped forward to help her, and for just a moment, as I reached past her to grab a plump leg, the back of my hand brushed her breast. She couldn't step back unless she wanted to risk Kyra's slithering out of the seat and onto the floor, but I could feel her recording the touch. My husband's dead, not a threat, so the big-deal writer thinks it's okay to cop a little feel on a hot summer morning. And what can I say? Mr. Big Deal came along and hauled my kid out of the road, maybe saved her life. No, Mattie, I may be forty going on a hundred, but I was not copping a feel. Except I couldn't say that; it would only make things worse. I felt my cheeks flush a little. ‘How old are you?' I asked, when we had the baby squared away and were back at a safe distance. She gave me a look. Tired or not, she had it together again. ‘Old enough to know the situation I'm in.' She held out her hand. ‘Thanks again, Mr. Noonan. God sent you along at the right time.' ‘Nah, God just told me I needed a hamburger at the Village Cafe,' I said. ‘Or maybe it was His opposite number. Please say Buddy's still doing business at the same old stand.' She smiled. It warmed her face back up again, and I was happy to see it. ‘He'll still be there when Ki's kids are old enough to try buying beer with fake IDS. Unless someone wanders in off the road and asks for something like shrimp tetrazzini. If that happened he'd probably drop dead of a heart attack.' ‘Yeah. Well, when I get copies of the new book, I'll drop one off.' The smile continued to hang in there, but now it shaded toward caution. ‘You don't need to do that, Mr. Noonan.' ‘No, but I will. My agent gets me fifty comps. I find that as I get older, they go further.' Perhaps she heard more in my voice than I had meant to put there people do sometimes, I guess. ‘All right. I'll look forward to it.' I took another look at the baby, sleeping in that queerly casual way they have her head tilted over on her shoulder, her lovely little lips pursed and blowing a bubble. Their skin is what kills me so fine and perfect there seem to be no pores at all. Her Sox hat was askew. Mattie watched me reach in and readjust it so the visor's shade fell across her closed eyes. ‘Kyra,' I said. Mattie nodded. ‘Ladylike.' ‘Kia is an African name,' I said. ‘It means ‘season's beginning.† I left her then, giving her a little wave as I headed back to the driver's side of the Chevy. I could feel her curious eyes on me, and I had the oddest feeling that I was going to cry. That feeling stayed with me long after the two of them were out of sight; was still with me when I got to the Village Cafe. I pulled into the dirt parking lot to the left of the off-brand gas pumps and just sat there for a little while, thinking about Jo and about a home pregnancy-testing kit which had cost twenty-two-fifty. A little secret she'd wanted to keep until she was absolutely sure. That must have been it; what else could it have been? ‘Kia,' I said. ‘Season's beginning.' But that made me feel like crying again, so I got out of the car and slammed the door hard behind me, as if I could keep the sadness inside that way.