Management measures Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management measures - Research Paper Example However, the education system cannot be blamed entirely for this improper mismanagement of personal money, since improper money management is a personal decision. Besides, there are many institutions that should guide an individual on proper time management. This paper analyses how improper money management has affected youths adversely, and what has caused this. The educational system and the interplay of many factors have contributed to these rising cases. These factors include; lack of parental guidance, dysfunctional family units and the economy of the nation. The way society treats suicide varies widely depending on the culture and religion of the affected. All in all, many cultures view taking one’s own life as improper and unjustified. Suicide is a culmination of life frustrations and suffering, whereby, an individual opts to take his/ her life so as to avoid these frustrations. Can this be attributed to improper money management solely? The answer is no. It is true tha t improper mismanagement of money in the society has led to these individuals opting to commit suicide but still life is a struggle, and by missing money does not mean that one should opt for suicide. The educational system mould individuals to be noteworthy managers of time and resources. However, much of this emphasis on money management comes later in life. It is rare for schools to teach pupils in elementary and high school on money management since these students are far from earning. Much of the emphasis is during college and university life. Depending on the individual, this may be sufficient or insufficient in molding life decisions. The educational system has changed very much, in that students are completing school young and most of these students are thrown into the world as young and inexperienced people. They end up earning good salaries, but, due to their inexperience, they spend it unwisely and do not make wise life decisions. This can be blamed on the educational sys tem. Back then, students would complete school fairly older, and this ensured that they had a sense of maturity going into the outside world. These students would be able to handle the rigors and demands of the post-school life, and this ensured that they would be able to spend their money wisel

Achieve dramatic effect Essay Example for Free

Achieve dramatic effect Essay Act three is the boiling point of the crucible. How does Arthur Miller create tension and suspense to achieve dramatic effect?  The crucible was written in 1953 to highlight the atrocities of McCarthyism, the modern parallel to the Salem witch-hunts. Senator Joseph McCarthy was as determined to hunt out communists, as the Salem judges had been to hunt out witches. Like the Salem judges he sought to extract first confessions and then named of alleged associates. Refusal to denounce others in both communities could be punished as contempt of the committee or court therefore many were forced into self-preservation and started to blame others to save themselves. Most of the crucible is centered on the court and theocracy. It was these strong religious beliefs that made the town of Salem, Massachusetts, particularly disrupted by the rumour of witchcraft. Salem was an intensely Puritan village whose religion frowned upon fun; Christmas festivities were forbidden and holidays only meant that they must focus even more time upon prayer and the church. This strict upbringing, without any fun, was partly to blame for the childrens crying out. The boredom they must have suffered led to their accusations so that they may be at the centre of attention. The puritan religion at that time throve on fear of the devil and had an obsession with sin and damnation. Therefore any other justification for the girls behaviour was seen as contempt of the court. It wasnt until much later that mass-hysteria was considered and concluded to be the explanation if the girls behaviour. The cause of Mass-hysteria in this case was the group of childrens boredom; the reason for this is twofold. Firstly it led to dancing and conjuring of spirits in the wood and secondly Abigail Williams boredom gave her a need for attention. Abigails accusing of several witches caused Betty to believe she saw the Devil and a baseless belief, such as this, is often the cause of Mass-hysteria; it begins small with one person in hysteria (Abigail) but travels and inflicts more people and more people. Abigail Williams, a teenage girl, is the most powerful character in The Crucible. During the play she manages to gain control over all but one of the community. However, this person, John Proctor, subjected to Abigails power in the past as we find out later on and is the cause of much irony in act three. Abigail is Reverend Parris niece, his beliefs and his views of witchcraft change as the play progresses. He goes from being totally against witchcraft and tries in to avoid the subject to trying to convict many witches and those who try to stop the accusations in act three. I think that Parris does this is mainly for self-preservation. The first act of self-preservation in the play was made by Abigail, she accused Tituba, Parris slave. I think that she blamed Tituba because she saw it as a way out. I think that when Hale grabbed her up close and asked if she called the Devil she replied I never called him! Tituba, Tituba because it released the pressure off of her. The pressure being released and put onto Tituba meant that Abigail was free and was not under questioning. The courts procedures were very strict in Salem. There were two judges, judge Hathorne and deputy-governor Danforth. Danforth strongly believes in the court and is stubborn in his beliefs; he thinks that people are scared of the court because they are guilty. He wont listen to any reason that may lead him off his path. When Giles Corey proposes his deposition to save his wife (which said that Putnam manipulated the girls) is proposed in act three, Danforth sticks to the way he believes is right, the court. He says that he must go through the proper procedure and that he must submit his evidence in proper affidavit. Miller puts Giles deposition in the play for two reasons. I think that the first is to show how difficult it is to be heard and that they could not protest their innocence, this foreshadows the later events. I think the second reason is to create time for the judges to read it. This time creates tension as the audience are waiting to see what will happen with Mary Warrens deposition, which we know about from act two. Arthur Miller builds up the tension in act three, he uses the tension of the conflict between Danforth, Parris and Hale near the begin and throughout. Theses are three men with different beliefs, rules and procedures, to achieve dramatic effects. He does this by using the conflict to give hope in the audience that the court will crumble.  Later on in act three Miller creates tension by putting Danforth on the spot. He does this by putting Proctor on the scene with his deposition of the evidence of Mary Warren. Again Miller creates tension because we already know from act one about Marys character. She is a shy, naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and subservient girl who wanted to be honest from the start. In act one she says Abby, weve got to tell. We must tell the truth, Abby! however Abigails strong, threatening behaviour stopped her from owning up, we wonder whether Abigail will do this again.

Accenture Is A Global Management Consulting Commerce Essay

Accenture Is A Global Management Consulting Commerce Essay Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 2,59,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the worlds most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. Accenture originated as the business and technology consulting division of accounting firm  Andersen Consulting in 1953. Its first project was to automate payroll processing and manufacturing at General Electronics Appliance Park in Kentucky. Since then, it has been consistently expanding. In 2001 Andersen Consulting adopted its current name, Accenture. The word Accenture is derived from Accent on the future. Accenture felt that the name should represent its will to be a global consulting leader and high performer, and also intended that the name should not be offensive in any country in which Accenture operates. Accentures high performance business strategy builds on its proficiency in consulting, technology and outsourcing to improve its clients performance. Using its technology capabilities and industrial knowledge, it identifies new business and technology trends and develops solutions to help clients around the world enter new markets, increase revenues in existing market, improve operational performance and deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently. Organizational structure: Accenture follows a Matrix Organizational structure. All the employees are given certain basic trainings (known as Green Field Training) based on their previous skills set. People with similar skills are pooled and allocated to work projects based on their suitability. Every project has 2 managers: A project manager and a functional manager. The authority of the functional manager flows vertically downwards and the authority of the project manager flows sideward. Hence, each functional worker usually reports to the functional heads, but does not normally work directly under their supervision. Instead, the worker is controlled by a project manager. This way, each worker has two superiors, who will jointly ensure the progress of the project. Most of the projects in Accenture follow Strong Matrix i.e. most of the authorities lie with the project manager. The project manager has a full time role,  controls the project budget  and he has full time project management administrative staff under him. The functional head may be more interested in developing the most exiting products or technologies, whereas the project manager is more concerned with keeping deadlines and controlling project costs. Leadership style: There is no fixed leadership style in Accenture and it varies from project to project based on the project manager. My project managers leadership style can be best described as Participative. Even though he didnt have much technical knowledge, he used to take all the critical decisions by gathering inputs from the employees working under him and coagulate all the information to reach a final conclusion. This made the group members feel more engaged in the process which made them more motivated and creative. Culture: Accenture has a unique culture in which every new employee is given a KT (Knowledge Transfer) Session by his team members (irrespective of his designation). This session includes an overview on the working style of the project, all the technical details that are supposed to be known by the new member. After this process, the new member is asked to shadow the existing members of the same designation for 1 week during which, he is only supposed to sit, observe and understand the work performed by the existing employees. After the end of 1 week, the new employee is asked to give a Reverse KT which includes a presentation on his learnings during the week in front of a few senior members of the organization. Reverse KT is a measure to determine the grasping power of the employee which helps the manager in deciding the sub-team to which he should be allocated. Also, there is a culture of celebrating all the festivals by wearing traditional clothes and getting sweets from home. Since there is a lot of regional diversity in the company, this helps in gaining knowledge of each others cultures. The whole team sits together for lunch on festive occasions and enjoys the sweets. Accenture has a quarterly awards ceremony in which a few of the best performing employees in the project are given awards (such as Tiger of the Quarter, Shining star of the quarter). They are given certain CP points as rewards which can be used to shop online (1CP point = Rs. 10). This increases the passion, zeal in employees to outperform their peers and win the award resulting in a more dedicated lot of employees. Team Building initiatives: One of Accentures core values is to attract, develop and retain the best talents for their business and foster a collaborative and mutually supportive environment for them. Hence, they give a lot of focus on team building activities. Accenture organizes inter project competitions such as cricket matches, cultural competitions (singing, dance, battle of bands etc.) every month which binds the project co-workers together and increases their interaction. Cricket matches give the project co-workers a sense of unity and improves teamwork amongst co-workers. Accenture also allocates quarterly budgets for group dinners where the whole team is taken out for dinner by the project manager. The budget depends on the performance of the team. Hence, this is another motivational factor for the team to work harder and improve their performance. Also, every team members birthday is celebrated in the office cafeteria with a cake cutting ceremony during which the whole team is present. This improves the team dynamics and keeps the employee enthused. Politics: Power and politics go hand in hand. The same was the case in Accenture. Office politics such as favoritism, groupism existed in Accenture. Individuals used to make use of the power assigned to them for the purpose of obtaining advantages beyond their legitimate authority. On occasions, team leads used to recommend those employees for quarterly rewards with whom they had a good repo irrespective of the work being performed by them. Innovation / Creativity initiatives: There are certain SIMs (Service Improvement initiatives) which can be raised by an employee to add in his creative ideas and innovations. These SIMs follow a specific procedure where they are validated by the functional manager first by checking the feasibility of the idea and the procedure on how to implement it in the existing environment. After testing, they are moved forward to the project manager. Upon attaining his approval, it is passed to the Senior Executive who informs the clients about the innovation. After all the required approvals are taken, the team is asked alter the system by adding the creative idea to the existing environment. Even though this is a time consuming process, it is more methodical and takes into account all the drawbacks and negative impacts of the creative initiative on the existing system. Critique on the current internal scenario / internal environment including people practices: The biggest problem faced by the employees of Accenture is the allocation of projects. Even though there are Accenture Delivery Centers spread out across 7 cities all over India, people are not given their preferred city. A person opting for Delhi might be given Chennai and vice versa. As a result, people have to live away from their hometown which decreases the EQ level as well as results in an additional cost of living which the employee has to bear. Therefore, the satisfaction level of the employees reduces which results in a reduction in their efficiency or even a company switch. Suggestions and recommendations to make the organization a Futuristic or Visionary Firm of Endearment or Conscious Capitalistic organization: Accenture has come a long way since its separation from Arthur Anderson in 2000 to evolve into a mega external service provider with its roots in various industries, regions around the world. Accenture has many opportunities to gain market leadership in various countries which can be done via small/medium sized acquisitions. This will help the company expand it capabilities, service, presence worldwide. Accenture should expand and recruit more people from developing country (like India, Philippines, China) which provide low-cost development and support  to local client-facing personnel in a given domestic market. This will result in a more hardworking set of employees at cheaper costs. Also, the cost of setting up delivery centers in those countries will also be cheaper than the developed countries like UK, USA. To be highly competitive, external service providers such as Accenture should possess strong global capabilities to manage clients and engagements worldwide. Hence, Accenture should plan to increase its low cost work force. Also, the firm should change its project allocation system and focus more on the preferred cities of the employees. Being with their families will keep the employees satisfied. It would also reduce the reallocation charges and brokerage charges that the company usually pays when reallocating an employee to a city which is not his preferred one.

The Downside of Social Media and Technology Essay -- social issues, c

As children of the 90’s, and previously, we spent childhood days outside discovering things in the woods and exploring everything we could. With minds full of ideas and with our imaginations running wild, we were engineers of possibilities. Days were passed playing make-believe and running amuck with friends. Time passed slowly and enjoyment came from the friends we shared our imaginings with. This pure creation has taken a nose dive over the past generations. Imagination is slowly being snuffed out by technology. With the advancements in modern technology, such as social media, people have become more self-absorbed and the pace of life has increased. Not only does this technology spike affect the adult and teen world, but it can cause huge problems in the development of children. The digital world is one of creation and ingenuity; however, this is only partially true because it is actually an escape from reality. With technology, kids no longer have to come up wit h ideas all on their own. Why should they spend their energy being creative when they can find an idea online in about two minutes? Social media is a growing fad in the world. Teenagers are constantly checking for status updates and are posting new things online. Instead of actually enjoying moments with each other our generation has become obsessed with documenting. Pictures and statuses are posted immediately after something occurs. Picture this†¦ A basketball game is tied up at the last minute. One team has the ball and they work their way down the court. The player takes a shot, but misses! There’s only five seconds left and the other team catches the rebound, passes it up the court to a teammate who makes a half court shot just as the buzzer sounds. T... ...olving, it is being over used and is slowly taking control of our lives. Technology may seem to be all glitter and gold, but watch out for the malevolent addiction of it that can pull you in. All good things come in moderation. Return to the days before technology’s domain and go explore and imagine. Escape the digital box. Go dance in the rain, listen to live music, find shapes in the clouds, and don’t forget to enjoy life’s littlest wonders. Works Cited Allday, E. (2013). Technology, a fundamental change in child development. SFGate. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Technology-a-fundamental-change-in-child- 4958199.php Statistic Gate. ( June 8, 2013). Mobile device / cell phone statistics. Statistic Gate. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.statisticbrain.com/mobile-device-cell-phone-statistics/

A Dirty Job Chapter 9

9 THE DRAGON, THE BEAR, AND THE FISH In the hallway of the third floor of Charlie's building, a meeting was going on between the great powers of Asia: Mrs. Ling and Mrs. Korjev. Mrs. Ling, by holding Sophie, had the strategic advantage, while Mrs. Korjev, who was fully twice the size of Mrs. Ling, possessed the threat of massive retaliatory force. What they had in common, besides being widows and immigrants, was a deep love for little Sophie, a precarious grasp on the English language, and a passionate lack of confidence in Charlie Asher's ability to raise his daughter alone. â€Å"He is angry when he leave today. Like bear,† said Mrs. Korjev, who was possessed of an atavistic compulsion toward ursine simile. â€Å"He say no poke,† said Mrs. Ling, who limited herself to English verbs in the present tense only, as a devotion to her Chan Buddhist beliefs, or so she claimed. â€Å"Who give poke to baby?† â€Å"Pork is good for child. Make her grow strong,† said Mrs. Korjev, who then quickly added, â€Å"like bear.† â€Å"He say it turn her into shih tzu. Shih tzu is dog. What kind father think little girl turn into dog?† Mrs. Ling was especially protective of little girls, as she had grown up in a province of China where each morning a man with a cart came around to collect the bodies of baby girls who had been born during the night and hurled into the street. She was lucky that her own mother had spirited her away to the fields and refused to come home until the new daughter was accepted as part of the family. â€Å"Not shih tzu,† corrected Mrs. Korjev. â€Å"Shiksa.† â€Å"Okay, shiksa. Dog is dog,† said Mrs. Ling. â€Å"Is irresponsible.† Not once was the letter r heard in Mrs. Ling's pronunciation of irresponsible. â€Å"Is Yiddish word for not a Jew girl. Rachel is Jew, you know.† Mrs. Korjev, unlike most of the Russian immigrants left in the neighborhood, was not a Jew. Her people had come from the steppes of Russia, and she was, in fact, descended from Cossacks – not generally considered a Hebrew-friendly race. She atoned for the sins of her ancestors by being ferociously protective (not unlike a mother bear) of Rachel, and now Sophie. â€Å"The flowers need water today,† said Mrs. Korjev. At the end of the hallway was a large bay window that looked out on the building across the street and a window box full of red geraniums. On afternoons, the two great Asian powers would stand in the hallway, admire the flowers, talk of the cost of things, and complain about the increasing discomfort of their shoes. Neither dared start her own window box of geraniums, lest it appear that she had stolen the idea from across the street, and in the process set off an escalating window-box competition that could ultimately end in bloodshed. They agreed, tacitly, to admire – but not covet – the red flowers. Mrs. Korjev liked the very redness of them. She had always been angry that the Communists had co-opted that color, for otherwise it would have evoked an unbridled happiness in her. Then again, the Russian soul, conditioned by a thousand years of angst, really wasn't equipped for unbridled happiness, so it was probably for the best. Mrs. Ling was also taken with the red of the geraniums, for in her cosmology that color represented good fortune, prosperity, and long life. The very gates of the temples were painted that same color red, and so the red flowers represented one of the many paths to wu – eternity, enlightenment – essentially, the universe in a flower. She also thought that they would taste pretty good in soup. Sophie had only recently discovered color, and the red splashes against the gray shiplap was enough to put a toothless smile on her little face. So the three were staring into the joy of red flowers when the black bird hit the window, throwing a great spiderweb crack around it. But rather than fall away, the bird seemed to leak into the very crack, and spread, like black ink, across the window and in, onto the walls of the hallway. And the great powers of Asia fled to the stairway. Charlie was rubbing his left wrist where the plastic bag had been tied around it. â€Å"What, did your mother name you after a mouthwash ad?† Mr. Fresh, looking somewhat vulnerable for a man of his size, said, â€Å"Toothpaste, actually.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Sorry, I didn't know,† Charlie said. â€Å"You could have changed it, right?† â€Å"Mr. Asher, you can resist who you are for only so long. Finally you decide to just go with fate. For me that has involved being black, being seven feet tall – yet not in the NBA – being named Minty Fresh, and being recruited as a Death Merchant.† He raised an eyebrow as if accusing Charlie. â€Å"I have learned to accept and embrace all of those things.† â€Å"I thought you were going to say gay,† Charlie said. â€Å"What? A man doesn't have to be gay to dress in mint green.† Charlie considered Mr. Fresh's mint-green suit – made from seersucker and entirely too light for the season – and felt a strange affinity for the refreshingly-named Death Merchant. Although he didn't know it, Charlie was recognizing the signs of another Beta Male. (Of course there are gay Betas: the Beta Male boyfriend is highly prized in the gay community because you can teach him how to dress yet you can remain relatively certain that he will never develop a fashion sense or be more fabulous than you.) Charlie said, â€Å"I suppose you're right, Mr. Fresh. I'm sorry if I made assumptions. My apologies.† â€Å"That's okay,† said Mr. Fresh. â€Å"But you really should go.† â€Å"No, I still don't understand, how do I know who the souls go to? I mean, after this happened, there were all kinds of soul vessels in my store I hadn't even known about. How do I know I didn't sell them to someone who already had one? What if someone has a set?† â€Å"That can't happen. At least as far as we know. Look, you'll just know. Take my word for it. When people are ready to receive the soul, they get it. Have you ever studied any of the Eastern religions?† â€Å"I live in Chinatown,† said Charlie, and although that was technically kinda-sorta true, he knew how to say exactly three things in Mandarin: Good day; light starch, please; and I am an ignorant white devil, all taught to him by Mrs. Ling. He believed the last to translate to â€Å"top of the morning to you.† â€Å"Let me rephrase that, then,† said Mr. Fresh. â€Å"Have you ever studied any of the Eastern religions?† â€Å"Oh, Eastern religions,† Charlie said, pretending he had just misinterpreted the question before. â€Å"Just Discovery Channel stuff – you know, Buddha, Shiva, Gandalf – the biggies.† â€Å"You understand the concept of karma? How unresolved lessons are re-presented to you in another life.† â€Å"Yes, of course. Duh.† Charlie rolled his eyes. â€Å"Well, think of yourself as a soul reassignment agent. We are agents of karma.† â€Å"Secret agents,† Charlie said wistfully. â€Å"Well, I hope it goes without saying,† said Mr. Fresh, â€Å"that you can't tell anyone what you are, so yes, I suppose we are secret agents of karma. We hold a soul until a person is ready to receive it.† Charlie shook his head as if trying to clear water from his ears. â€Å"So if someone walks into my store and buys a soul vessel, until then they've been going through life without a soul? That's awful.† â€Å"Really?† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"Do you know if you have a soul?† â€Å"Of course I do.† â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"Because I'm me.† Charlie tapped his chest. â€Å"Here I am.† â€Å"That's just a personality,† said Minty, â€Å"and barely one. You could be an empty vessel, and you'd never know the difference. You may not have reached a point in life where you are ready to receive your soul.† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Your soul may be more evolved than you are right now. If a kid fails tenth grade, do you make him repeat grades K through nine?† â€Å"No, I guess not.† â€Å"No, you just make him start over at the beginning of tenth grade. Well, it's the same with souls. They only ascend. A person gets a soul when they can carry it to the next level, when they are ready to learn the next lesson.† â€Å"So if I sell one of those glowing objects to someone, they've been going through life without a soul?† â€Å"That's my theory,† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"I've read a lot on this subject over the years. Texts from every culture and religion, and this explains it better than anything else I can come up with.† â€Å"Then it's not all in the book you sent.† â€Å"That's just the practical instructions. There's no explanations. It's Dick-and-Jane simple. It says to get a calendar and put it next to your bed and the names will come to you. It doesn't tell you how you will find them, or what the object is, just that you have to find them. Get a day planner. That's what I use.† â€Å"But what about the number? When I would find a name written next to the bed, there was always a number next to it.† Mr. Fresh nodded and grinned a little sheepishly. â€Å"That's how many days you'll have to retrieve the soul vessel.† â€Å"You mean it's how long before the person dies? I don't want to know that.† â€Å"No, not how long before the person dies, how long you have to retrieve the vessel, how many days are left. I've been looking at this for a long time, and the number is never above forty-nine. I thought that might be significant, so I started looking for it in literature about death and dying. Forty-nine days just happens to be the number of days of bardo, the term used in the Tibetan Book of the Dead for the transition between life and death. Somehow, we Death Merchants are the medium for moving these souls, but we have to get there within the forty-nine days, that's my theory, anyway. Don't be surprised sometimes if the person has been dead for weeks before you get his name. You still have the number of days left in bardo to get the soul vessel.† â€Å"And if I don't make it in time?† Charlie asked. Minty Fresh shook his head dolefully. â€Å"Shades, ravens, dark shit rising from the Underworld – who knows? Thing is, you have to find it in time. And you will.† â€Å"How, if there's no address or instructions, like ‘it's under the mat.'† â€Å"Sometimes – most of the time, in fact – they come to you. Circumstances line up.† Charlie thought about the stunning redhead bringing him the silver cigarette case. â€Å"You said sometimes?† Fresh shrugged. â€Å"Sometimes you have to really search, find the person, go to their house – once I even hired a detective to help me find someone, but that started to bring the voices. You can tell if you're getting close by checking to see if people notice you.† â€Å"But I have to make a living. I have a kid – â€Å" â€Å"You'll do that, too, Charlie. The money comes as part of the job. You'll see.† Charlie did see. He had seen already: the Mainheart estate clothing – he'd make tens of thousands on it if he got it. â€Å"Now you have to go,† said Minty Fresh. He held out his hand to shake and a grin cut his face like a crescent moon in the night sky. Charlie took the tall man's hand, his own hand disappearing into the Death Merchant's grip. â€Å"I'm still sure I have questions. Can I call you?† â€Å"No,† said the mint one. â€Å"Okay, then, I'm going now,† Charlie said, not really moving. â€Å"Completely at the mercy of forces of the Underworld and stuff.† â€Å"You take care,† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"No idea what the hell I'm doing,† Charlie went on, taking tentative baby steps toward the door. â€Å"The weight of all of humanity on my shoulders.† â€Å"Yeah, make sure you stretch in the morning,† said the big man. â€Å"By the way,† Charlie said, out of rhythm with his whining, â€Å"are you gay?† â€Å"What I am,† said Minty Fresh, â€Å"is alone. Completely and entirely.† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"It's okay. I'm sorry I smacked you in the head.† Charlie nodded, grabbed his sword-cane from behind the counter, and walked out of Fresh Music into an overcast San Francisco day. Well, he wasn't exactly Death, but he wasn't Santa's helper, either. It didn't really matter that no one would believe him even if he told them. Death Merchant seemed a little dire, but he liked the idea of being a secret agent. An agent of KARMA – Karma Assessment Reassignment Murder and Ass – okay, he could work on the acronym later, but a secret agent nevertheless. Actually, although he didn't know it, Charlie was well suited to be a secret agent. Because they function below the radar, Beta Males make excellent spies. Not the â€Å"James Bond, Aston Martin with missiles, boning the beautiful Russian rocket scientist on an ermineskin bedspread† sort of spy – more the â€Å"bad comb-over, deep-cover bureaucrat fishing coffee-sodden documents out of a Dumpster† spy. His overt nonthreateningness allows him access to places and people that are closed to the Alpha Male, wearing his testosterone on his sleeve. The Beta male can, in fact, be dangerous, not so much in the â€Å"Jet Li entire body is a deadly weapon† way but more in the â€Å"drunk on the riding mower making a Luke Skywalker assault on the toolshed† sort of way. So, as Charlie headed for the streetcar stop on Market Street, he mentally tried on his new persona as a secret agent, and was feeling pretty good about it, when, as he passed a storm drain, he heard a female voice whisper harshly, â€Å"We'll get the little one. You'll see, fresh Meat. We'll have her soon.† As soon as Charlie walked into his store from the alley, Lily bolted into the back room to meet him. â€Å"That cop was here again. That guy died. Did you kill him?† To the machine-gun update she added, â€Å"Uh, sir?† Then she saluted, curtsied, then did a praying-hands Japanese bow thing. Charlie was thrown by all of it, coming as it did when he was in a panic about his daughter and had just driven across town like a madman. He was sure the gestures of respect were just some dark cover-up for a favor or a misdeed, or, as often was the case, the teenager was messing with him. So he sat down on one of the high hardwood stools near the desk and said, â€Å"Cop? Guy? ‘Splain, please. And I didn't kill anyone.† Lily took a deep breath. â€Å"That cop that was by here the other day came back. Turns out that guy you went up to see in Pacific Heights last week† – she looked at something she had written on her arm in red ink – â€Å"Michael Mainheart, killed himself. And he left a note to you. Saying that you were to take his and his wife's clothes and sell them at the market rate. And then he wrote† – and here she again referred to her ink-stained arm – â€Å"‘What about â€Å"I just want to die† did you not understand?'† Lily looked up. â€Å"That's what he said after I gave him CPR the other day,† Charlie said. â€Å"So, did you kill him? Or whatever you call it. You can tell me.† She curtsied again, which disturbed Charlie more than somewhat. He'd long ago defined his relationship with Lily as being built on a strong base of affectionate contempt, and this was throwing everything off. â€Å"No, I did not kill him. What kind of question is that?† â€Å"Did you kill the guy with the cigarette case?† â€Å"No! I never even saw that guy.† â€Å"You realize that I am your trusted minion,† Lily said, this time adding another bow. â€Å"Lily, what the hell is wrong with you?† â€Å"Nothing. There's nothing wrong at all, Mr. Asher – uh, Charles. Do you prefer Charles or Charlie?† â€Å"You're asking now? What else did the cop say?† â€Å"He wanted to talk to you. I guess they found that Mainheart guy dressed in his wife's clothing. He hadn't been home from the hospital for an hour before he sent the nurse away, got all cross-dressed up, then took a handful of painkillers.† Charlie nodded, thinking about how adamant Mainheart had been about having his wife's clothes out of the house. He was using any way he could to feel close to her, and it wasn't working. And when wearing her clothes didn't put him closer, he'd gone after her the only way he knew how, by joining her in death. Charlie understood. If it hadn't been for Sophie, he might have tried to join Rachel. â€Å"Pretty kinky, huh?† Lily said. â€Å"No!† Charlie barked. â€Å"No it's not, Lily. It's not like that at all. Don't even think that. Mr. Mainheart died of grief. It might look like something else, but that's what it was.† â€Å"Sorry,† Lily said. â€Å"You're the expert.† Charlie was staring at the floor, trying to put some sense to it all, wondering if his losing the fur coat that was Mrs. Mainheart's soul vessel meant that the couple would never be together again. Because of him. â€Å"Oh yeah,† Lily added. â€Å"Mrs. Ling called down all freaked out and yelling all Chinesey about a black bird smashing the window – â€Å" Charlie was off the stool and taking the stairs two at a time. â€Å"She's in your apartment,† Lily called after him. There was an orange slick of TV attorneys floating on the top of the fishbowl when Charlie got to his apartment. The Asian powers were standing in his kitchen, Mrs. Korjev was holding Sophie tight to her chest, and the infant was virtually swimming, trying to escape the giant marshmallowy canyon of protection between the massive Cossack fun bags. Charlie snatched his daughter as she was sinking into the cleavage for the third time and held her tight. â€Å"What happened?† he asked. There followed a barrage of Chinese and Russian mixed with the odd English word: bird, window, broken, black, and make shit on myself. â€Å"Stop!† Charlie held up a free hand. â€Å"Mrs. Ling, what happened?† Mrs. Ling had recovered from the bird hitting the window and the mad dash down the steps, but she was now showing an uncharacteristic shyness, afraid that Charlie might notice the damp spot in the pocket of her frock where the recently deceased Barnaby Jones lay orangely awaiting introduction to some wonton, green onions, a pinch of five spices, and her soup pot. â€Å"Fish is fish,† she said to herself when she squirreled that rascal away. There were, after all, five more dead attorneys in the bowl, who would miss one? â€Å"Oh, nothing,† said Mrs. Ling. â€Å"Bird break window and scare us. Not so bad now.† Charlie looked to Mrs. Korjev. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"On our floor. We are talking in hall. Speaking of what is best for Sophie, when boom, bird hits window and black ink run through window. We run here and lock door.† Both the widows had keys to Charlie's apartment. â€Å"I'll have it fixed tomorrow,† Charlie said. â€Å"But that's all. Nothing – no one came in?† â€Å"Is third floor, Charlie. No one comes in.† Charlie looked to the fishbowl. â€Å"What happened there?† Mrs. Ling's eyes went wide. â€Å"I have to go. Mah-jongg night at temple.† â€Å"We come in, lock door,† explained Mrs. Korjev. â€Å"Fish are fine. Put Sophie in car seat like always we are doing, then go look in hallway for coast to be clear. When Mrs. Ling look back, fish are dead.† â€Å"Not me! Is Russian who see dead fish,† said Mrs. Ling. â€Å"It's okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"Did you see any birds, anything dark in the apartment?† The two women shook their heads. â€Å"Only upstairs,† Mrs. Ling said. â€Å"Let's go look,† Charlie said, moving Sophie to his hip and picking up his sword-cane. He led the two women to the little elevator, did a quick assessment of Mrs. Korjev's size versus the cubic footage, and led them up the stairs. When he saw the broken bay window he felt a little weak in the knees. It wasn't so much the window, it was what was on the roof across the street. Refracted a thousand times in the spiderwebbed safety glass was the shadow of a woman that was cast on the building. He handed the baby to Mrs. Korjev, approached the window, and knocked a hole in the glass to see better. As he did, the shadow slid down the side of the building, across the sidewalk, and into the storm drain next to where a dozen tourists had just disembarked from a cable car. None of them appeared to have seen anything. It was just past one and the sun was casting shadows nearly straight down. He looked back at the two windows. â€Å"Did you see that?† â€Å"You mean break window?† Mrs. Ling said, slowly approaching the window and peering through the hole Charlie had made. â€Å"Oh no.† â€Å"What? What?† Mrs. Ling looked back at Mrs. Korjev. â€Å"You are right. Flowers need water.† Charlie looked through the hole in the window and saw that Mrs. Ling was referring to a window box full of dead, black geraniums. â€Å"Safety bars on all the windows. Tomorrow,† Charlie said. Not far away, as the crow flies, under Columbus Avenue, in a wide pipe junction where several storm sewers met, Orcus, the Ancient One, paced, bent over like a hunchback, the heavy spikes that jutted from his shoulders scraping the sides of the pipe, throwing off sparks and the smell of smoldering peat. â€Å"You're going to fuck up your spikes if you keep pacing like that,† said Babd. She was crouched in one of the smaller pipes to the side, next to her sisters, Nemain and Macha. Except for Nemain, who was beginning to show a gunmetal relief of bird feathers over her body, they were devoid of depth; flat absences of light, absolute black even in the gloom filtering down through the storm grates – shadows, silhouettes, really – the darker ancestors of the modern mud-flap girls. Shades: delicate and female and fierce. â€Å"Sit. Have a snack. What good to take the Above if you look like hell in the end?† Orcus growled and spun on the Morrigan, the three. â€Å"Too long out of the air! Too long.† From the basket on his belt he hooked a human skull on one of his claws, popped it in his mouth, and crunched down on it. The Morrigan laughed, sounding like wind through the pipes, pleased that he was enjoying their gift. They'd spent much of the day under San Francisco's graveyards digging out the skulls (Orcus liked them decoffinated) and polishing off the dirt and detritus until they shone like bone china. â€Å"We flew,† said Nemain. She took a moment to admire the blue-black feather shapes on her surface. â€Å"Above,† she added unnecessarily. â€Å"They are everywhere, like cherries waiting to be stolen.† â€Å"Not stolen,† said Orcus. â€Å"You think like a crow. They are ours for the taking.† â€Å"Oh yeah, well, where were you? I got these.† The shade held up William Creek's umbrella in one hand and the fur jacket she'd ripped away from Charlie Asher in the other. They still glowed red, but were rapidly dimming. â€Å"Because of these, I was Above. I flew.† When no one reacted, Nemain added, â€Å"Above.† â€Å"I flew, too,† said Babd timidly. â€Å"A little.† She was a tad self-conscious that she'd manifested no feather patterns or dimension. Orcus hung his great head. The Morrigan moved to his side and began stroking the long spikes that had once been wings. â€Å"We will all be Above, soon,† said Macha. â€Å"This new one doesn't know what he is doing. He will make it so we can all be Above. Look how far we've come – and we are so close now. Two Above in such a short time. This New Meat, this ignorant one, he may be all we need.† Orcus lifted his bull-like head and grinned, revealing a sawmill of teeth. â€Å"They will be like fruit for the picking.† â€Å"See,† said Nemain. â€Å"Like I said. Did you know that Above you can see really far? Miles. And the wonderful smells. I never realized how damp and musty it is down here. Is there any reason that we can't have a window?† â€Å"Shut up!† growled Orcus. â€Å"Jeez, bite my head off, why don't you.† â€Å"Don't tease,† said the bullheaded Death. He rose and led the other Deaths, the Morrigan, down the pipe toward the financial district, to the buried Gold Rush ship where they made their home.

20 Synonyms for Expert

20 Synonyms for Expert 20 Synonyms for â€Å"Expert† 20 Synonyms for â€Å"Expert† By Mark Nichol Just as the many synonyms for beginner should be picked over with care to capture the correct connotation, the numerous alternatives available for referring to an expert have sometimes unique or specific senses appropriate for some contexts and unsuitable for others. Here’s a usage guide to such words: 1. Ace (ultimately derived from the Latin word as, â€Å"one,† â€Å"unit†): Originally, a combat pilot with at least five (later, ten) confirmed kills, or enemy planes shot down, and by extension a highly skilled person. The slang designation stems from the most valuable card in a deck and far predates powered flight; it was used to denote excellence, and eventually â€Å"top of the deck† athletes were so designated. The term is still employed in sports, as in gaining a point on a serve in tennis or hitting a hole in one in golf, as well as in the scholastic sense of performing well in a course or on a test. 2. Adept (from the Latin word adeptus, â€Å"having reached, attained†): Usually has the connotation of a mystical or secret pursuit or body of knowledge; this sense stems from the use of the term in Middle English to refer to an alchemist, and the term is widely used in heroic-fantasy literature featuring wizards and sorcerers and in writing about mysticism, though it is appropriate for general usage. 3-4. Artist (ultimately from the Latin word ars): Originally referred solely to a practitioner of art, but now often applied to someone who demonstrates skill with an artistic flourish in any pursuit. The French form, artiste, is used only facetiously or by or in reference to the pretentious. 5. Authority (from the Latin word auctoritatem, â€Å"advice, opinion†): Connotes the go-to source for, well, authoritative information or advice, or the governing agency or institution for a body of knowledge. As you may have guessed, the Latin term from which this word derives is also the source of author. 6-7. Connoisseur (from the Latin word cognoscere, â€Å"to know†): Usually employed in gustatory or artistic contexts, identifying someone with a refined taste in wine, for example, or a specific school of painting. The term, which comes to English from French, has an Italian cognate, cognoscente, which, when borrowed into English, has the same sense or that of â€Å"one in the know.† (The plural is cognoscenti.) 8-9. Doyen (from the Middle French word meaning â€Å"leader of ten,† stemming from the Latin term decanus, and ultimately from the Greek term dekanos, both with the same meaning): Carries a connotation similar to that of connoisseur or maven, of a person with knowledge about or skill in a rarified topic or area. Dean, sometimes used to denote an expert in or master of a specific field as well as in its academic sense, derives from doyen. 10. Guru (from the Hindi word for â€Å"teacher† or â€Å"priest,† from the Sanskrit term guru-s): Originally denoted a spiritual mentor, but the meaning was later extended to a secular sense and then generally to an expert. 11. Hotshot: Originally referred to a headstrong person or a headlong object; it now is usually employed in the sarcastically derogatory sense of someone who considers themselves more knowledgeable or capable than they are. 12. Initiate (from the Latin word initium, â€Å"beginning†): Originally, this word identified one who had undergone or was about to undergo an initiation ceremony, but now it is also a designation for one privy to certain knowledge or skills. 13-14. Maestro (from the Italian word for â€Å"master,† ultimately from the Latin term magister): A term for a gifted composer, later extended to orchestra conductors and now sometimes used facetiously to refer to those with pretensions of genius. The English form master denotes both an academic leader (hence â€Å"master of arts† and so on) and one who is eminent in any given field of endeavor. 15. Maven (from the Yiddish word, meyvn, â€Å"one who understands,† ultimately from the Hebrew term mebhin): Generally used in the sense of someone with expertise in a sophisticated area of study or skill. 16. Pundit (from the Hindi payndita, â€Å"learned man,† ultimately from Sanskrit payndita-s): Usually employed to refer to commentators, analysts, or consultants, often with a negative sense because of the widespread realization that one can find â€Å"experts† who will support or attack any position one favors or opposes. 17. Scholar (from the Latin word schola, â€Å"school,† ultimately from the Greek term skhole): Originally, referred to a student, but now, except in formal or jocular contexts, denotes an academician. 18. Virtuoso (from the noun form of the Italian word meaning â€Å"skilled, learned,† from the Latin term virtuosus, â€Å"virtuous†): Originally applied to highly talented musicians, but now appropriated in many other contexts to refer to manual or mental dexterity. 19-20. Wizard (from Middle English wys, â€Å"wise,† and -ard, â€Å"one who [is]†): The supposedly traditional connotation, that of a person with magical powers, supplanted the original meaning of â€Å"wise man,† and the modern sense, outside of fantasy-literature and computer-gaming circles, is of someone astonishingly good at a certain endeavor. Whiz is either a short form of wizard or a variant of the onomatopoeic whizz, â€Å"humming, hissing sound or movement.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†How to Style Legislative Terms

Free Essays on Living With Anorexia Nervosa

Living with Anorexia Nervosa In American society women are given the message starting from a very young age that in order to be successful and happy, they must be thin. Eating disorders are on the rise; it is not surprising given the value which society places on being thin. Generally in Western cultures â€Å"thin is beautiful†. Television, newspapers and magazines are full of pictures of slim, attractive young men and women. When looking in a popular magazine I came across an article about models in the nineties compared to today. The difference was drastic; they were actually ten to fifteen pounds slimmer. In the opinion of the writers as well as mine, the models actually looked healthier and better when they were heavier. This example shows that even over the past ten years there has been a vast difference in the appearance of body image. TV and magazines push miracle diets and exercise plans to enable us to mold our bodies to the look of these artificial, idealized figures, to conform to the shape the media tell us we should be. As a result, almost everybody diets at some time or other. It is easy to see how this social pressure might cause some young women to diet excessively, and eventually to develop Anorexia. The person with Anorexia actually â€Å"believes they are doing what many others in our society are doing-dieting† (Sherman & Thompson, 4). Thinness is also demanded in sports. This leads to â€Å"eating disorders being more of a problem for some athletes than for the general population† (Sherman & Thompson, 21). Many athletes are asked to lose weight to perform better. Track athletes are known to lose weight so they can run quicker to get better times for their race. What they do not realize is when you lose a lot of weight your body becomes unhealthy. Malnutrition leads to fatigue and poorer performance, which cancels out the weight loss factor (Bruch, 6). A factor of Anorexia Nervosa is excessive exercise.... Free Essays on Living With Anorexia Nervosa Free Essays on Living With Anorexia Nervosa Living with Anorexia Nervosa In American society women are given the message starting from a very young age that in order to be successful and happy, they must be thin. Eating disorders are on the rise; it is not surprising given the value which society places on being thin. Generally in Western cultures â€Å"thin is beautiful†. Television, newspapers and magazines are full of pictures of slim, attractive young men and women. When looking in a popular magazine I came across an article about models in the nineties compared to today. The difference was drastic; they were actually ten to fifteen pounds slimmer. In the opinion of the writers as well as mine, the models actually looked healthier and better when they were heavier. This example shows that even over the past ten years there has been a vast difference in the appearance of body image. TV and magazines push miracle diets and exercise plans to enable us to mold our bodies to the look of these artificial, idealized figures, to conform to the shape the media tell us we should be. As a result, almost everybody diets at some time or other. It is easy to see how this social pressure might cause some young women to diet excessively, and eventually to develop Anorexia. The person with Anorexia actually â€Å"believes they are doing what many others in our society are doing-dieting† (Sherman & Thompson, 4). Thinness is also demanded in sports. This leads to â€Å"eating disorders being more of a problem for some athletes than for the general population† (Sherman & Thompson, 21). Many athletes are asked to lose weight to perform better. Track athletes are known to lose weight so they can run quicker to get better times for their race. What they do not realize is when you lose a lot of weight your body becomes unhealthy. Malnutrition leads to fatigue and poorer performance, which cancels out the weight loss factor (Bruch, 6). A factor of Anorexia Nervosa is excessive exercise....

Actuar Conjugation in Spanish, Translation and Examples

Actuar Conjugation in Spanish, Translation and Examples Actuar is a common Spanish verb that means to act in most senses of the English verb, such as to take an action, to behave, and to perform a role. It can be used in a wide variety of contexts. Actuar Conjugation Actuar is conjugated the same way as other -ar verbs,  but with a twist: When a regular conjugation of actuar would end up putting the accent on the first syllable, the u gets an accent mark to shift the accent to the second syllable. Under the rules of strong and weak vowels, placing the accent on the à º makes the vowel into a separate syllable. So, I act becomes actà ºo,  and is pronounced ahk-TOO-oh. The accent is required on some of the indicative present, subjunctive present, and imperative forms. The other forms- indicative preterite, indicative, and future; the imperfect subjunctive; the gerund; and the past participle- are unaffected. About two dozen verbs ending in -uar are conjugated the same way. Among the most common are continuar (to continue), evaluar (to evaluate), fluctuar (to fluctuate), situar (to situate), and valuar (to value). Present Indicative Tense of Actuar Yo acto I act Yo acto con impunidad. T actas You act T actas en la pelcula de terror. Usted/l/ella acta You/he/she acts Ella acta como una dictadora. Nosotros actuamos We act Nosotros actuamos para prevenir una emergencia. Vosotros actuis You act Vosotros actuis con violencia innecesaria. Ustedes/ellos/ellas actan You/they act Ellos actan con entusiasmo. Actuar Preterite The preterite is a past tense that is used for actions that concluded at a definite time. It contrasts with the imperfect tense, which is used for background actions or actions that didnt have a definite ending. Yo actu I acted Yo actu con impunidad. T actuaste You acted T actuaste en la pelcula de terror. Usted/l/ella actu You/he/she acted Ella actu como una dictadora. Nosotros actuamos We acted Nosotros actuamos para prevenir una emergencia. Vosotros actuasteis You acted Vosotros actuasteis con violencia innecesaria. Ustedes/ellos/ellas actuaron You/they acted Ellos actuaron con entusiasmo. Imperfect Indicative Form of Actuar The imperfect indicative in Spanish is equivalent to  the used to verb or was/were verb -ing forms in English. Yo actuaba I was acting Yo actuaba con impunidad. T actuabas You were acting T actuabas en la pelcula de terror. Usted/l/ella actuaba You/he/she was acting Ella actuaba como una dictadora. Nosotros actubamos We were acting Nosotros actubamos para prevenir una emergencia. Vosotros actuabais You were acting Vosotros actuabais con violencia innecesaria. Ustedes/ellos/ellas actuaban You/they were acting Ellos actuaban con entusiasmo. Actuar Future Tense Yo actuar I will act Yo actuar con impunidad. T actuars You will act T actuars en la pelcula de terror. Usted/l/ella actuar You/he/she will act Ella actuar como una dictadora. Nosotros actuaremos We will act Nosotros actuaremos para prevenir una emergencia. Vosotros actuaris You will act Vosotros actuaris con violencia innecesaria. Ustedes/ellos/ellas actuarn You/they will act Ellos actuarn con entusiasmo. Periphrastic Future of Actuar Although it is colloquial, the periphrastic future has become so common that it  has come close to replacing the simple future tense in everyday speech in some regions. It is formed by using the indicative present of ir followed by a and an infinitive. Yo voy a actuar I am going to act Yo voy a actuar con impunidad. T vas a actuar You are going to act T vas a actuar en la pelcula de terror. Usted/l/ella va a actuar You/he/she are/is going to act Ella va a actuar como una dictadora. Nosotros vamos a actuar We are going to act Nosotros vamos a actuar pronto para prevenir una emergencia. Vosotros vais a actuar You are going to act Vosotros vais a actuar con violencia innecesaria. Ustedes/ellos/ellas van a actuar You/they are going to act Ellos van a actuar con entusiasmo. Present Progressive/Gerund Form of Actuar The gerund is used in the progressive or continuous tenses to emphasize  the ongoing nature of an action. Gerund:  actuando  (acting) Ella est actuando como una dictadora.   Past Participle of Actuar The past participle is used with haber to form the perfect tenses. Participle:  actuado  (acted) Ella ha actuado como una dictadura.   Conditional Form of Actuar The  conditional tense, sometimes known as the hypothetical future, is used for actions that would take place if some other condition is met. Yo actuara I would act Yo actuara con impunidad si no tuviera conciencia. T actuaras You would act T actuaras en la pelcula de terror si no tuvieras miedo a las serpientes. Usted/l/ella actuara You/he/she would act Ella actuara como una dictadora, pero es demasiado agradable. Nosotros actuaramos We would act Nosotros actuaramos si hubiera una emergencia. Vosotros actuarais You would act Vosotros actuarais con violencia innecesaria si no fuera peligroso. Ustedes/ellos/ellas actuaran You/they would act Ellos actuaran con entusiasmo si tuvieran buenos papeles. Present Subjunctive of Actuar Que yo acte That I act La corte no permite que yo acte con impunidad. Que t actes That you act El director quiere que t actes en la pelcula de terror. Que usted/l/ella acte That you/he/she act Es lamentable que ella acte como una dictadora. Que nosotros actuemos That we act La alcaldesa quiere que nosotros actuemos para prevenir una emergencia. Que vosotros actuis That you act Es triste que vosotros actuis con violencia innecesaria. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas acten That you/they act Samantha quiere que ellos acten con entusiasmo. Imperfect Subjunctive Forms of Actuar Either of these forms of the imperfect subjunctive can be used without a difference in meaning. The first option is used more often. Option 1 Que yo actuara That I acted La corte no permita que yo actuara con impunidad. Que t actuaras That you acted El director quera que t actuaras en la pelcula de terror. Que usted/l/ella actuara That you/he/she acted Era lamentable que ella actuara como una dictadora. Que nosotros acturamos That we acted La alcaldesa quera que nosotros acturamos para prevenir una emergencia. Que vosotros actuarais That you acted Es triste que vosotros actuarais con violencia innecesaria. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas actuaran That you/they acted Samantha quera que ellos actuaran con entusiasmo. Option 2 Que yo actuase That I acted La corte no permita que yo actuase con impunidad. Que t actuases That you acted El director quera que t actuases en la pelcula de terror. Que usted/l/ella actuase That you/he/she acted Era lamentable que ella actuase como una dictadora. Que nosotros actusemos That we acted La alcaldesa quera que nosotros actusemos para prevenir una emergencia. Que vosotros actuaseis That you acted Era triste que vosotros actuaseis con violencia innecesaria. Que ustedes/ellos/ellas actuasen That you/they acted Samantha quera que ellos actuasen con entusiasmo. Imperative Forms of Actuar Imperative (Positive Command) T acta Act! Acta en la pelcula de terror! Usted acte Act! Acte como una dictadora! Nosotros actuemos Lets act! Actuemos para prevenir una emergencia! Vosotros actuad Act! Actuad con violencia innecesaria! Ustedes acten Act! Acten con entusiasmo! Imperative (Negative Command) T no actes Dont act! No actes en la pelcula de terror! Usted no acte Dont act! No acte como una dictadora! Nosotros no actuemos Lets not act! No actuemos para prevenir una emergencia! Vosotros no actuis Dont act! No actuis con violencia innecesaria! Ustedes no acten Dont act! No acten con entusiasmo!

Two discussion questions see below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Two discussion questions see below - Essay Example In the same country, approximately 1 million truly disadvantaged experience crime first hand (Siegel, 2006). This means that in every three truly disadvantaged people in south Belmont, one of them is more prone to crime than the rest and lack the joy of being a young citizen since he or she has to commit crime for sustenance (Siegel, 2006). To both adolescents and adults, crime among the truly disadvantaged is tremendously painful and there is nobody who does it out of fun but influence from parents, friends or politicians. The truly disadvantaged from families that are violent are likely to suffer from social, behavioral, psychological and academic problems than those brought up in good atmospheres. The best criminology theory to explain the Virginia Tech Massacre would be the Interactionist view of crime. It is according to this view that laws banning murder, rapes, and robbery have political undertones. The conflict view of crime has a few of examples of crimes in the society including police brutality, inadequate childcare and price fixing. This view of crime states that reality does not exist and therefore crimes are termed either as good or evil. The best example for this view of crime is people viewing some films while others cannot because they think they are not appropriate (Siegel, 2006). Criminals condemned under this view of crime in the Virginia Tech Massacre are mostly labeled outcasts because they went against the social consensus and norms. All the three perspective views have good points but I think I would go for the conflict view of crime because I is important to acknowledge the differences between the lower classes compared to the upper class and this is the only perspective that can truly address the problem at

Contrasts between Public and Private Organizations With Special Essay

Contrasts between Public and Private Organizations With Special Reference to Activity Management Practices - Essay Example The over whelming acceptance of the first assumption is often triggered in the absence of analytical studies of culture, operational requirements and difference of focus and approach in public and private sector organizations. There is an increased awareness at all levels of public administration to bridge the gap between the effectiveness and efficiency of a public and private organization. The awareness has given rise to comparative studies which can surface more logical and methodical approaches and technologies that can be useful to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of public sector organizations. Theory of Activity Management practices has recently got huge focus in this connection and many researchers have critically analyzed the adoption trends of this theory in public and private sector organizations. Baird, K. (2007) has also described the critical analysis of the theory from public sector organizations perspective as the basis of his article, â€Å"The study address es the gap in the literature examining the adoption of activity management practices in the public sector.† ... Gosselin defines Activity Analysis as process that is, â€Å"consists of identifying the activities and procedures carried out to convert material, labour and other resources into outputs† (Cited in Baird, 2007). Koopmans (1970) describes AA in these words, â€Å"Activity Analysis is concerned with the construction of the conceptual models to study and appraise criteria, rules, and practices for the allocation of resources.† The definition of Activity Analysis delimits boundaries for various resources in the organization. The actual contribution of a resource toward the final production of the service or product is the basic criteria which sets these boundaries. Therefore, the importance of human resource or a material can be described in terms of its role in the process of production. If a resource does not have any impact on the productivity or have least effect on it, it should be allocated with minimal or no resources at all. The exclusion of this resource from reso urce allocation is a step towards efficient and effective cost management of the resources which ultimately contributes towards the organizational effectiveness and efficiency. This efficiency, however, must not cause the reduction of any other production variable. â€Å"A combination of activities is called efficient if it does not permit increasing any net output without decreasing another, within the given limitations or primary factors.† (Koopmans). Therefore, despite being necessary, the decision of exclusion for a resource can only be efficient if every possible result is foresighted in terms of productivity and cost. However, the behavior towards inefficient resource management is usually different in public and

Benefits Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Benefits - Research Paper Example tended sick and vacation days, medical plan, profit sharing, stock option plans, pensions, IRA, 401k, maternity leave, paternity leave, wellness programs, flexible time, and telecommuting. A trend in the medical plans companies offer to its employees is increased costs. In 2013 medical costs in the United States are expected to increase by 5% (Mercer, 2012). Companies have to keep track of the medical profession since the government in the future might implement a universal health plan that would put the burden of the nation’s medical costs on the government, instead of the private industry. In the 21st century employees care a lot about having a work-life balance. A benefit that can help employees achieve that goal is flexible time. Flexible time is a work arrangement that gives the employees the ability to set their own hours during the workweek. Telecommuting is also a hot trend. Telecommuting involves having employees perform work from their homes. Telecommuters communicate and upload work tasks by connecting to the company’s information system using the internet. Some important factors to consider when designing a benefit plan are composition of lab or force, size of workforce, and budget allocated for employee

Regional Trade Agreements versus Global Trade Liberalization Annotated Bibliography

Regional Trade Agreements versus Global Trade Liberalization - Annotated Bibliography Example This journal was written on the backdrop of renewed interest in regional trade agreements, with many policymakers and scholars analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of regional trade agreements versus trade liberalization. This book discusses the proliferation of regional trading relationships in the world, particularly in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and the resulting policy concerns on their impact on excluded countries and generally the global trading system. It has been observed that multilateral system may fracture due to the overt discrimination policies advanced by the regional blocs. The book relies on empirical analysis to explore new forms of preferential trade agreements that concentrate their trades within such regions. In a twist, the author further assesses the regional blocs on what he terms as natural or supernatural and their impacts on the global welfare. in conclusion, the book talks about complete liberalization within blocs without reduction in barriers between them pushes the trading system into the super-national sphere of too much regionalization Many reason underlie the need for regional integration among which include strategic alliances mainly for security purposes, access to a larger chunk of the international market, and lock in domestic policy reform as is with the case with Mexico and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Ensuring of fair returns among the member is also a priority of regionalism as it ensures the disparities that exist among the members do not tilt the scale in favor of any particular member. The article reviewed the theoretical and empirical literatures that have been penned down on regionalism. The regional trade agreements have been to some extent the most liked form of reciprocal form of trade liberalization in the past decade or so. The paper highlights certain aspects of regionalism that have often been forgotten by writers, and theses aspects are key

Webcomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Webcomics - Essay Example The internet provides the freedom to the artist to provide web comics at global level. They provide the advantage over the traditional paper comics in different forms. The artist are now free to publish their comics easily on the web site The internet enhance different artist to freely show their thoughts and feelings in the form of comics, in simple word they are free to draw their voice. Above all, this is a less costly and more enhanced way of providing the comics at global level.Background and context: the very first comic was appears in 1986, by T.H.E Fox which was published on CompuServe and Quantum link and the comic was head as "Where the buffalo roam"1. By this first web comic, the web comic fields boost up in 1993 where different artist start their comic art on internet. In 1994, the Net comic weekly started on the net and keeps on running till 1999. By 2000, the trend in the web comics rises and thus takeover the position of traditional web comic paper media.Aims and Objec tives of the research: the aim of this paper is to evaluate that either the web comics are providing more advantages to the readers or artist or the traditional paper comics are still better then the web comics. We will provide different objectives that web comics are providing, holding a literature review and different data, and in the end we will conclude a comprehensive result of the whole research paper. We will compare the paper media and electronic media in providing the comic service and will elaborate that which of the media is more useful for the web comics. Rational statement: Web comics and Distribution: Do they offer an advantage over the traditional print comic medium YES! The web comics and distribution offer an advantage over the traditional print comic medium. LITERATURE REVIEW The print media comic is now becoming less effective, more time consuming and provide less opportunity for the artist to provide its services at broader area. Some authors think that Scott McCloud2 that he web comics provide the freedom to the artist. It enhance artist to show its art, feelings and thought at global level. On the other hand, there is no limitation to the artist in designing specific comics showing specific thoughts. The comics are the substitute of words in which a feeling is provided showing what actually the artist is thinking. The comics didn't require the expressions as the art itself is very expressive and showing the entire basic theme. Another comic, Mark Fiore3 still feels inconvenient in web comics and still using the paper media. According to him the comics is a special field and the internet provides the opportunities to those who know few or nothing about the comic field. Therefore, many artists are misusing this field and its quality and motives remain n or more same as it was in 19th century. The web comics rather enhancing the field of comic, making it more poor and ineffective. Similarly the famous artist, Gallagher's shows4 that the internet is enhancing the comics fields because the comic is actually a simple way that helps the people in describing their feelings and thought, so comics should not remain as the part of artist field rather every one should have freedom in using the comics to express what they want to say. Similarly the filed of web comics is becoming more popular and now different firms, companies and specially the consumers are trying to express their feelings and thought through comics about any event, product or service. The artist Joe Cameau5 stated that web comic are better then the paper media comics due to the unique capabilities of web. Where as, in the case of paper media the artist need more effort and have fewer resources in order to sketch the required animation. On the other han

Elder abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elder abuse - Essay Example Remember that perpetrators spend months, and sometimes years, to set up their victims for exploitation. Conclusion: By the time Patricia Murtaugh was finished with her two victims, she had emptied their bank accounts of almost half-a-million dollars and used the money to open up a business and purchase homes, cars, and a boat. Her victims were broke and although Murtaugh was arrested and convicted for her crimes, it is doubtful that they will ever see their money again. Murtaugh went to jail, but most victimizers get away with their crimes. Breton, T. (January 9, 2007). A Trust Betrayed: How Two Women in Their 90s Were Fleeced by a Helper. Rhode Island News. Retrieved from http://www.projo.com/news/content/Murtaugh_01-07-07_2034LD5.21a31c1.html. We’ve all heard, I’m sure, of severe cases of elder abuse, in which older people are physically abused by younger people, usually family members. There are some horrific cases of the elderly being victimized, sometimes to the point of death. I’d like to talk about another type of elder abuse—economic exploitation, which is often just as devastating. One of the most notorious cases of economic exploitation of the elderly happened in 2007 in New York. Patricia Murtaugh swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from two women in their nineties, women who had spent fifty years wisely saving their money. Over a period of months, she gained their trust and then stole their life savings. At first, she was helpful, providing both women with the assistance so that they could keep their independence, in the form of bill paying and much-appreciated companionship. Eventually, she was able to gain access to their finances, a common approach of many a victimizer. This kind of elderly abuse is more common than you may think. One in five elderly Americans are victims of financial exploitation, and in some areas, that figure may be as high as 50%.

Regional Trade Agreements versus Global Trade Liberalization Annotated Bibliography

Regional Trade Agreements versus Global Trade Liberalization - Annotated Bibliography Example This journal was written on the backdrop of renewed interest in regional trade agreements, with many policymakers and scholars analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of regional trade agreements versus trade liberalization. This book discusses the proliferation of regional trading relationships in the world, particularly in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and the resulting policy concerns on their impact on excluded countries and generally the global trading system. It has been observed that multilateral system may fracture due to the overt discrimination policies advanced by the regional blocs. The book relies on empirical analysis to explore new forms of preferential trade agreements that concentrate their trades within such regions. In a twist, the author further assesses the regional blocs on what he terms as natural or supernatural and their impacts on the global welfare. in conclusion, the book talks about complete liberalization within blocs without reduction in barriers between them pushes the trading system into the super-national sphere of too much regionalization Many reason underlie the need for regional integration among which include strategic alliances mainly for security purposes, access to a larger chunk of the international market, and lock in domestic policy reform as is with the case with Mexico and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Ensuring of fair returns among the member is also a priority of regionalism as it ensures the disparities that exist among the members do not tilt the scale in favor of any particular member. The article reviewed the theoretical and empirical literatures that have been penned down on regionalism. The regional trade agreements have been to some extent the most liked form of reciprocal form of trade liberalization in the past decade or so. The paper highlights certain aspects of regionalism that have often been forgotten by writers, and theses aspects are key

Elder abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elder abuse - Essay Example Remember that perpetrators spend months, and sometimes years, to set up their victims for exploitation. Conclusion: By the time Patricia Murtaugh was finished with her two victims, she had emptied their bank accounts of almost half-a-million dollars and used the money to open up a business and purchase homes, cars, and a boat. Her victims were broke and although Murtaugh was arrested and convicted for her crimes, it is doubtful that they will ever see their money again. Murtaugh went to jail, but most victimizers get away with their crimes. Breton, T. (January 9, 2007). A Trust Betrayed: How Two Women in Their 90s Were Fleeced by a Helper. Rhode Island News. Retrieved from http://www.projo.com/news/content/Murtaugh_01-07-07_2034LD5.21a31c1.html. We’ve all heard, I’m sure, of severe cases of elder abuse, in which older people are physically abused by younger people, usually family members. There are some horrific cases of the elderly being victimized, sometimes to the point of death. I’d like to talk about another type of elder abuse—economic exploitation, which is often just as devastating. One of the most notorious cases of economic exploitation of the elderly happened in 2007 in New York. Patricia Murtaugh swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from two women in their nineties, women who had spent fifty years wisely saving their money. Over a period of months, she gained their trust and then stole their life savings. At first, she was helpful, providing both women with the assistance so that they could keep their independence, in the form of bill paying and much-appreciated companionship. Eventually, she was able to gain access to their finances, a common approach of many a victimizer. This kind of elderly abuse is more common than you may think. One in five elderly Americans are victims of financial exploitation, and in some areas, that figure may be as high as 50%.

Fossil fuels Essay Example for Free

Fossil fuels Essay Fossil fuels belong to non-renewable sources of energy that are accountable for giving the energy required around the world for many families and industrial facilities like electrical generators and others. Deposits of these kinds are generally found deep within the earth surface which is often needed to be mined. Fossil fuels are also rich in carbon remains of prehistoric civilization and other creature that have lasted in severe heat and pressure deep within the earth over millions of years. Researchers said that there are three types of fossil fuels which can be utilized for energy consumption such as natural gas, oil and coal. Natural gas is a gas that consisted primarily of methane (CH4) substance. It is in the form of gaseous fossil fuels that are very flexible, plentiful and comparatively clean compared to oil and coal. It is also created and formed from the remains of marine microorganisms such as plankton and other type of small water creatures like algae. However, compared to the other types of fossil fuel, it is relatively a new kind of energy supply. In 1999 more coals are used than natural gas since people were scared that like oil, the supplies of natural gas will run out. For example, developed countries like United States, Japan and others have overtaken the consumption of coal than natural gas (Miller 1999). Moreover, some researchers forecasted that the supply of natural gas will run out by the end of 21st century. Since it is primarily consists of methane, the gas is highly compacted in a small volumes at huge depths of the earth. In terms of getting this kind of fossil fuel, it needs to be conveyed to the surface by drilling. Moreover, in terms of supply, it reserves are can be seen around the globe since it were evenly distributed unlike oil. On the other hand, oil is a liquid type of fossil fuel that is created and formed from the remains of marine organisms just like natural gas. The process is so complex that after millions of generations, the deposits will end up in a sediment and rock where oil is ensnared in small holes. Just like the natural gas, it needs to be conveyed by drilling in able to get the residue (commonly called as crude oil). Today, this kind of fossil fuel is widely used type of non-renewable sources of energy (Miller 1999). Crude oil contains various types of organic components which are brought to refining establishment to further transform the product in a more refined residue. Many types of industries including cars, jets, electricity, roads and many others utilize this kind of fossil fuel. However, oil is a kind of non-renewable sources of energy which cannot be found everywhere on earth. Thus, various events like wars resulted in shortage of search of kind of fossil fuel just like what happened in the Gulf War in 1991. Lastly, coal is a solid kind of fossil fuel that was created and formed over millions of generations by decomposes remains of land vegetation. This is formed when layers are compressed and heated over time. The results are natural deposits that are eventually turned into coal. In comparison with the two types of fossil fuel, coal is more abundant in supplies. However, some researchers forecasted that the use of coal around the world will heighten as oil supplies become inadequate. They predicted that current supplies of the coal in the world will last for at least 200 years or more. In the recent study conducted by various researchers, they found out that the use of coal was doubled in the middle of 20th century. However, at the start of 1996, there is a decline in the use of coal (McKinney and Schoch 2003). Many developing countries were the primary consumer of this kind of non-renewable sources of energy since they cannot afford the high price of natural gas and oil. Traditionally, these three kinds of fossil fuels were in abundant supply that was simple to have and transport. But now, signals are showing that these supplies are beginning to be depleted. It is a fact that it needs millions of years before these fuels will be replenished. Then one may ask, â€Å"Why are we still using fossil fuel in huge amount? † Thus, the answer is very simple and easy to explain. Fossil fuels are cheaper than any kind of reasonable alternative energy that human known. Compare to renewable energy like wave, wind and solar energy, they need large amount of money in able to obtain them. However, many scientists have already forecasted that fossil fuel will increase in price because of scarcity. Therefore this may lead to an eventual transfer from non-renewable to renewable sources of energy in the coming years. BIBLIOGRAPHY McKinney, M. L. and Schoch, R. M. (2003), Environmental Science, Systems and Solutions. 3rd ed. University of Tennessee, Knoxville USA. Miller, G. T. (1999). Living in the Environment: Principles, connections and solutions. 4th ed. Cole Publishing Company, Pacific Grove, USA.

Design And Construction Fundamentals Of Earth Dams Environmental Sciences Essay

Design And Construction Fundamentals Of Earth Dams Environmental Sciences Essay This paper focuses on earth dams, one of the oldest earth dams. Forming service reservoir for domestic water supply and irrigation purpose, earth dams comprise the most numerous class. The design and construction of Earth dams are complex because of the nature of the varying foundation conditions and the different properties of the materials available for the construction of the embankment. Last but not least, an understanding of the potential failure of Earth dams is important in the design and construction process of the Earth dams. Earth dams, also called earthen or earth-filled dams are generally built in or near drainage line which has the variety of purposes including domestic water supplies, agricultural irrigation, water for landscape improvement and others. One advantage of the Earth dams is because it can adapt to a weak foundation provided proper consideration is given to the foundation and design of the Earth dams. However, failure of any important part of the Earth dams such as seepage, structural and foundation will lead to the collapse of the whole dam. Types of Earth Dams Constructed as a simple homogenous embankment of well compacted earth, earth dams are classified as Homogenous Earth Dams, Zoned Earth Dams and Diaphragm Dams. A brief discussion of the types of dams is as follow: Homogenous Earth Dam is a kind of common earth dams which consist of two main components; the impervious to semi-pervious structure and the toe filter and the drain. The purpose of the filter and the drain is to provide a through way for seepage to exit the dam structure without causing erosion. This type of dam is usually built on an impervious foundation such as solid rock or clay. The next type of Earth dam is Diaphragm Dam. A diaphragm dam, can be used when there is no impervious layer below the dam and modification of the dam can be made to suit at an impervious layer. Besides, this type of dam is limited to a height of 8.0m in order to keep seepage forces at a safe level. Last type of Earth Dam is Zoned Dam. A Zoned Dam is known to be the most efficient use of soil as each material is used to its greatest potential. The slope protection protects the shoulder from erosion and wave action, the core retains the water and the shoulders stabilize the core. Lastly, figure 1 shows the 3 types of earth dams. Figure 1. Cross section of Homogenous Earth dam, Zoned earth Dam and Diaphragm Dams 2. DESIGN OF EARTH DAM Earth dam is built for the purpose of storing water and is made of compacted earth. It is usually more convenient when concrete is expensive and timber is scarce. 2.1 Foundation A site investigation should be conducted prior to construction so as to investigate the nature of the foundation. By knowing the actual foundation condition at site, the earth dam can then be designed according to it. A dam foundation is said to be adequate if it is capable of providing a stable support for the embankment under all condition of saturation and loading and that it provide enough resistance to seepage to avoid excessive loss of water (Bureau of reclamation 1987). According to Bureau of reclamation (1987), dam foundation can be generally classified into three types namely foundations of rock, foundations of coarse-grained material and foundation of fine-grained material. These foundations may need to be treated to stabilize any weakness as well as to reduce seepage. For instance, coarse-grained, pervious foundations present no difficulties in the matter of settlement or stability whereas a fine-grained, weak foundation is subject to settlement or displacement usually present no problem in seepage. Rock foundation on the other hand must be checked for erosive leakage and excessive uplift pressure. If such conditions exist, grouting to the foundation must be considered. 2.2 Soil Earth dam is usually built with clay, sand and gravel and hence is also known as earth fill dam. The type of soil used in the construction of an earth dam must be suitable to allow for optimum compaction as well to reduce seepage. Soil permeability is one of important criteria to be considered in dam design, seepage-confinement units, drainage and other structural elements (Goldin, AL Rasskazov, LN 1992). Seepage usually occurs in fine-grained soils such, with greater permeability, as well as in some coarse-grained soils (Goldin, AL Rasskazov, LN 1992). Higher frictional resistance and greater permeability in granular soils is the reason for its greater stability as compared to cohesive soils. Greater permeability permits rapid dissipation of pore water pressures resulting from compressive forces. 2.3 Embankment In determining the height of the embankment, it is necessary to allocate for a settlement between 5 to 10 percent. This is to prevent its height becoming lower than the spillway height (Figure 1) since settlement is unavoidable despite having a good compaction since air and water out are being forced out of the voids by the weight of the dam, hence causing consolidation (Shaw, R Smout, I 2009). During compaction, equal effort should be applied throughout the dam to prevent differential settlement. The minimum compaction effort should not be less than 95% of the Standard Maximum Dry Density (Department of Primary Industries and Water 2008). The stability of the embankment depends largely on its ability to resist shear stress which comes from internally applied loads such as the weight of the soil and the embankment slopes, and externally applied loads such as reservoir and earthquake loads. As mentioned earlier, steeper slopes can be adopted for granular soils since they are more stable. In contrast, a gentler slope needs to be applied for homogenous material with low permeability. Figure 1. Cross section of an earth dam 2.4 Spillway Spillway plays an important role in earth dam since it allows excessive water to flow without overtopping the dam wall. There are two types of spillway namely the cut spillway (Figure 2) and natural spillway. Figure 2. The position of a cut spillway In order to reduce water velocity and subsequently minimize erosion, a gentle slope for the spillway must be provided. However, for steep slope, loose stones or geotextile can be provided to reduce erosion. Apart from that, adequate capacity of the spillway must be provided to prevent overtopping and to enable the spillway to effectively handle run-off. 3. CONSTRUCTION ON EARTH DAMS Stripping Organic soil and vegetation must be removed from the area that will covered by the dam base. The removed organic soil are stockpiled and used on the downstream slope of the fill. Key trench Key trench which is also known as cutoff trench is excavated below the base of the fill to a minimum of three feet deep for dam with 10 to 12 feet height. The key trench is included in the dam design to secure the dam to the base material and to prevent seepage under the fill. Diversion tunnel Diversion channels are excavated before the dam can be constructed. This tunnel often lined with concrete. The tunnel is built around the dam construction area at one side of the valley. In the drill holes, explosive materials are placed and blasting will takes place. The soil or broken rock is then removed. The steps are repeated until the tunnel is completed. Figure : Building a diversion channel In Figure, after the dam construction is completed, the diversion channel is closed o allow the lake to begin filling. Figure : Closure of diversion tunnel Cofferdam In summer, the construction on diverting the river starts when the river levels are low. At the upstream of the upstream of the main dam construction area, small dam which is also called as cofferdam are built. It is built using earth-moving equipment. The cofferdam will acts as a barrier to the river and the water will flow to the diversion tunnels. The second cofferdam will be built downstream of the main dam construction area. At this area, the cofferdam will prevent the river flow to flow back into the construction area. Figure : Cofferdams act as barriers to the river Foundation Grouting Grouting consists of lines or a line of holes that are drilled into the dam foundation. The types of foundation grouting are curtain and consolidation grouting. Curtain grouting Curtain grouting consists of a single row of gout holes that are drilled and grouted in sequence by packer testing to the base of the permeable rock or to a depth that acceptable hydraulic gradients are achieved (Fell et al 2005). Based on Figure, primary holes are drilled first. The last hole spacing will normally be 1.5m or 4m, but also may be as close as 0.5m (Fell et al 2005). This approach allows control over the efficiency of the curtain grouting. Figure : Curtain and consolidation grouting (Fell et al, 2005) Figure :Grouting downstage with packer (WRC, 1981) Fill construction Earth dam is usually constructed from impervious material which is clay or clay-based material. The construction materials, taken from the surrounding area have to be placed and compacted horizontally in the fill. Dry soil are usually added with moisture and compaction equipment such as a sheepsfoot packer used to obtain the proper compaction. The construction started by filling the cutoff trench with well-compacted material and six inch layers is added until the maximum height is obtained. The top of the dam at the center of the draw is usually built 10 per cent higher than the design to allow settlement of the fill. Based on Figure, a riparian pipe is placed through the bottom of the fill and a frost-free valve is placed on the riparian pipe. This pipe and valve system function is to allow water to be released downstream to other water storage facilities during water shortages. Figure : Elevation view of dam 4. POTENTIAL FAILURES OF EARTH DAMS Potential failures of dams have always been great importance and much attention has been given to safety evaluation and research due to their disastrous effects. According to Fell, MacGregor, Stapledon and Bell (2005), 79% of Earth dams with less than 30m high suffer more failures than higher dams. This may reflect better design, monitoring and surveillance of larger dams. Potential failures of earth dam can be grouped into three categories: Hydraulics failure, seepage failure and structural failures. A detail discussion of the types of potential failure of earth dam is as follow: 4.1 Hydraulics Failure Hydraulics failure occurs by the surface erosion of the dam by water. Hydraulics failure is due to several reasons. One of hydraulics failure is overtopping of dams. Overtopping failure occurs when the level of the reservoir exceeds the capacity of the dam. According to Fell, MacGregor, Stapledon and Bell (2005), over-topping is one of the main causes of failure in Earth dams. Overtopping may also be caused by insufficient freeboard provided. Next, erosion of upstream force due to continuous wave action caused erosion of the dam. However, this can be avoided if the surface is protected by stone rip-rap and filter. The next reason is due to erosion of downstream slope by rain water. Although the downstream face of the embankment is not affected by reservoir water, it may get eroded by heavy rain flowing down the face of the dam, causing the formation of gullies and finally collapse of the whole dam. 4.2 Seepage failure Seepage failure is also known as piping failure. Seepage failures are generally caused by pervious foundation, leakage through embankments, conduit leakage and sloughing. All dams have seepage as the impounded water seeks path of least resistance through the dam structure and its foundation. If the surface seepage intersects the upstream face of the dam, erosion may occur which will lead to possible failure of the dam. Typical method used to control the quantity of seepage is rock fills installed at the downstream toe or gravel blankets to intersect the line of seepage before it reaches downstream toe as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Seepage through a dam or embankment with rock toe or gravel blanket. 4.3 Structural Failure Structural failure includes failure of the upstream, downstream slopes of the earth dam, foundation as well as cracking deformation and settlement of the dam structure that may lead to overtopping or seepage failure. Slides in Embankment occur when the slopes are too steep for the shear strength of the embankment material to resist the stresses imposed. Failure of this type usually cause by faulty design and construction. As for foundation failure, it occurs because of excessive pore water pressure which reduces the strength of the soil which it may not be able to resist the shear stresses induced by the embankment. Furthermore, damage caused by burrowing animals lead to structural failure. This causes seepage water to flow out quickly, carrying fine materials along which consequently leads to piping failure within the structure of the dam and finally lead to a complete collapse of the dam. 5. CONCLUSION