Birthday Customs and Traditions in Germany

Birthday Customs and Traditions in Germany Many people, both young and old, love celebrating their birthday. In Germany, like in most countries around the world, cake, presents, family, and friends bring in the fun for such a special day. In general, birthday customs in Germany are similar to American birthday celebrations, with a few peculiar exceptions sprinkled here and there throughout German-speaking countries. German Birthday Customs and Traditions(Deutsche Geburtstagsbruche und Traditionen) Never wish a German a happy birthday before their birthday. It is considered bad luck to do so. There are no well-wishes, cards or presents given before a German’s birthday. Period. On the other hand, if you live in certain parts of Austria, it is customary to celebrate your birthday on the eve of. If somebody in Germany invites you out for their birthday, the tab is on them. And don’t try insisting on paying for yourself - it won’t work. If you live in northern Germany and happen to be single going on thirty, a few chores may be expected from you. If you’re female, your friends will want you to clean a few doorknobs for them with a toothbrush! If you’re male, then you’ll most likely be sweeping the stairs of town hall or some other busy public place.There is a way to be freed from such menial tasks, however - by a kiss from someone of the opposite sex. Of course, if you dont want to be so mean to your friend, there are alternatives. For instance, the doorknob chore is sometimes executed by having the birthday girl clean a series of doorknobs attached to a wooden board instead, right at her party and not in public. But you cant let them off so easy; it is also tradition to comically dress the birthday girl and boy as they perform their tasks. Other birthday customs include: 16th Birthday: This birthday child should run for cover as his or her friends will undoubtedly pour flour on top of his or her head. Common in northern Germany.18th Birthday: Cracking eggs over the head of someone turning 18.25th Birthday: Once again, if you are an unmarried man, the whole town will know! A Sockenkranz, a type of garland of socks is strung outside the home and around the birthday boy’s property leading to his party. As he follows the garland of socks, he’ll down an alcoholic drink every few meters. Why socks? In German, you have the expression alte Socke (an old sock), more of a derogatory way of saying confirmed bachelor.† A similar experience awaits unmarried women turning this age. They follow a garland of cigarette cartons instead (or other similar-sized cartons if they are non-smokers). These single women are nicknamed eine alte Schachtel (an old box), similar in meaning to old maid. Geburtstagskranz These are beautifully decorated wooden rings that usually contain ten to twelve holes, one for each year of life as a child. Some families opt to light candles in such Geburtstagskrnze instead of on the cake, though blowing out candles on a birthday cake is frequently observed in Germany as well. A bigger Lebenskerze (life candle) is put in the center of these rings. In religious families, these Lebenskerzen are given at the time of the child’s christening.

The Role of Fate in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet

The Role of Fate in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Theres no real consensus among Shakespearean scholars about the role of fate in Romeo and Juliet. Were the star-crossd lovers doomed from the start, their sad futures determined before they even met? Or are the events of this famed play a matter of bad luck and missed chances? Lets take a look at the role of fate and destiny in the story of the two teenagers from Verona whose feuding families cant keep them apart.  Ã‚   The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliets story begins in the streets of Verona. Members of two feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets, are in the midst of a brawl. When the fight is over, two young men of the Montague family (Romeo and Benvolio) agree to secretly attend a Capulet ball. Meanwhile, young Juliet of the Capulet family is also planning to attend the same ball. Romeo and Juliet meet at the ball and instantly fall in love. Each is horrified to learn that their love is forbidden, but they nevertheless secretly marry. A few days later, in another street brawl, a Capulet kills Romeos dear friend Mercutio, and Romeo, enraged, in turn, kills the Capulet. Romeo flees and is banned from Verona. Meanwhile, however, friends help him and Juliet to spend their wedding night together. After Romeo leaves the next morning, Juliet is counseled to drink a potion that will make her appear to be dead. After she is laid to rest, Romeo will rescue her from the crypt and they will live together in another city. Juliet drinks the potion, but because Romeo doesnt learn of the plot, he believes she is really dead. Seeing her dead, he kills himself. Juliet wakes, sees Romeo dead, and kills herself. The Theme of Fate in Romeo and Juliet The story of Romeo and Juliet asks the question are our lives and destinies preordained? While it is possible to see the play as a series of coincidences, bad luck, and bad decisions, most scholars see the story as an unfolding of events predetermined by fate.   In the opening lines of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare allow the audience to be party to his characters’ destiny. We learn early on what is going to happen to the title characters: â€Å"a pair of star-crossd lovers take their life.† Throughout the story, the words of the play encourage the audience to think about fate and to what extent our actions and outcomes are preordained.Before the Capulets party, in Act 1, Scene 3, Romeo is already feeling that fate is planning his doom. He wonders if he should attend the party, as my mind misgives/Some consequence yet hanging in the stars.  Ã‚  When Mercutio shouts â€Å"a plague on both your houses† in Act 3, Scene 1, hes foreshadowing whats to come for the title couple. This bloody scene in which characters are killed gives us a glimpse of whats to come, marking the beginning of Romeo and Juliet’s tragic downfall.Later, when Mercutio dies, Romeo himself foreshadows the outcome: This days black fate on more days doth depend/This but begins the woe, others must end. The others upon whom fate later falls, of course, are Romeo and Juliet. In Act 5, when he hears of Juliets death, Romeo swears he will defy fate: Is it even so? Then I defy you, stars! Later, in Juliets tomb, as he plans his own death, Romeo says: O, here/Will I set up my everlasting rest,/And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars/From this world-wearied flesh. This brave defiance of fate is especially heartbreaking because Romeos suicide is the event that actually leads to Juliets death. The idea of fate permeates many of the events and speeches in the play. Romeo and Juliet see omens throughout the play, continually reminding the audience that the outcome will not be a happy one. Their deaths are a catalyst for change in Verona: The dueling families are united in their grief and create a political shift in the city. Perhaps Romeo and Juliet were  fated to love  and die for the greater good of Verona. Were Romeo and Juliet Victims of Circumstance? A modern reader, examining the play through the lens of happenstance and coincidence, may feel that Romeo and Juliets fates were not wholly predetermined, but rather a series of unfortunate and unlucky events. Here are just a few of the coincidental or unlucky events that force the story into its apparently preordained track: Romeo and Benvolio happen to meet and talk about love on the very day of the Capulets ball. Had they had the conversation the following day, Romeo would not have met Juliet.Friar Lawrences messenger to Romeo, who would have explained the plan by which Juliet was to pretend death, is detained. As a result, Romeo doesnt get the message.Juliet wakes just moments after Romeos suicide. Had Romeo arrived just a few moments later, all would have been well. It is certainly possible to describe the events of Romeo and Juliet as a series of unfortunate events and coincidences, but that was almost certainly not Shakespeares intent. By understanding the theme of fate and exploring the question of free will, modern readers still find the play challenging and intriguing.

Leadership - Strategic Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership - Strategic Communication - Essay Example Six years later, Bill Clinton, would come out with a book as if to explain to the world what it really was. My life is a 1024 pages autobiography of a former president named William Jefferson Clinton or Bill Clinton who left his office in the shadow of scandal. Clinton tells about his difficult childhood and his political accomplishments, painstakingly registering his greatest successes and failures, which are perceived by some quarters as "trying to face and banish his private demons." Clinton grew up with a second father, the abusive Roger Clinton. But it is said, Mr. Clinton never told any of his friends what was going on at home. As he writes in his book, he has lived "two parallel lives" -- the public one everyone knew about, and a dark secret one he says he never talked about. His mother and he had made the decision to carry on, and just go on and try to make a normal life. Clinton had a beautiful wife, Hilary, whom he adored but unfortunately cheated; and an only daughter, Chelsea who was his pride. He, too, had thousands of men and women in his life, whether in politics, in domestic life, or in whatever social circle they were found. They were all there in Clinton's book - either as a loving mother, a father he hadn't seen and who had provided the puzzles he had wanted all to solve, an aunt who gifted Clinton with short letters from strangers about a father he never saw and which letter he was to hug later on, a half-brother he found too late, a half-sister he never met, a barber, an author invited for dinner, politicians from all spheres, and news reporters and authors. Clinton was able to name them all in his book, and with his photographic memory, sketched the instances when they figured in his life. Why was he doing this with a thousand pages The giant of a book is full of interesting stories about the workings of government and an insight into the man behind the news. It is a riveting account of a president under systematic combined assaults from his enemies, and how he survived and prevailed. The book is heavily a history of Clinton's ascent in politics and the trials of his presidency. Clinton describes an almost day-by-day account of his time in the White House. Bill Clinton started with a quiet life that had allowed him to study and work and read the thoughts of great men. At the age of ten, Clinton observed politics unfold in the family's TV set. His interest in the political process manifested every on while he studied in college, worked as an intern for Senator William Fulbright; joined the Vietnam War protest movement at Oxford, campaigned for Democratic candidates at Yale Law School, and ran for Congress, attorney general, and governor. Clinton had become a leader. But a fallen leader alas! Some see him as able to survive seemingly contradictions and draw them in as one. The stories he related showed some pain he had to struggle with, especially with politics which he described as "a contact sport." The strategy, the fighter in him said, was to "take the first hit, then counterpunch as hard as I could". My Life showed what counterpunch that was in terms of answering his enemies. The good-looking one had the ladies swooning over him which he could not resist, while the men from the other side of the fence gave him the opportunity to show his being a fighter. In this book, Clinton provides a different view to the loads of press releases and news he had

Fair Values in Accounting for Financial Instruments Essay - 2

Fair Values in Accounting for Financial Instruments - Essay Example Along with the depth development of financial instruments and fair value accounting practices by national standard setting bodies in many countries, fair value measurements have helped to create a more accurate representation of fact. Because of this, the FASB, IASB and other agencies continue to improve the recognition and measurement standards of financial instruments. For instance, in 1990, Richard C Breeden, the chairman of the SEC pointed out that historical cost for financial reporting does not help to prevent and/or defuse financial risk. As such, fair value accounting should be taken as the measurement of financial instruments (SEC, 1990). Although many people support the implementation of fair value, the debate about this has not stopped and has become fierce; especially after a financial crisis. As means of providing an example, FASB No. 157 provides a definition of â€Å"fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.†(Deans, 2007) There also have another defines set out by IASB including IAS 32 (presentation of Financial Instrument) and IAS 39 (recognition and measurement) which Fair value is defined as â€Å"the amount for which an asset could be exchanged, or a liability settled, between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s length transaction. (IASB) IAS 39 defines fair value slightly differently from SFAS 157† (Laux & Leuz, 2009). Firstly, the information provided by the fair value accounting method can be considered as more relevant. Generally speaking, such information should satisfy the requirements of relevance and reliability at the same time. Brath explains the quality characteristic of accounting information. In this way, he proposes that it includes reliability, relevance, predictive, timely, neutrality, comparability, etc. (Ball, 2006). Historical costs

Homeland Security Essay Example for Free

Homeland Security Essay Homeland Security is a cabinet level agency in the federal government. Its birth came after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Its main goals were to deter terrorism on U. S. soil and the safety of the American infrastructure. It has been reported many times the trouble this department is having getting off the ground. â€Å"Hardly a day goes by without some fresh report on a contract gone bad, a new technology that does not work, a new Coast Guard cutter that is not seaworthy, or more cargo that slips through port without inspection† (Light, 2007). Every year new assessments of the department including Congress, the 9/11 Commission and the departments own inspector general gives it low grades for job satisfaction, management, and leadership. Just some of the problems it is having are high turnover, internal bureaucratic struggles and structural problems. So with all that said it is having problems reaching many of its outlined goals. It still needs funding, authority, better strategy for protecting American soil, personnel, better screening at airports for passengers and employees, and better technology to find weapons such as explosives. Improved intelligence capabilities are probably the most important. Border security issues were the founding fathers main focus when he was with the agency and I am in agreement. Securing our countries boarders on a daily basis is the Homeland security’s main concern. The military that has done that job up until now but with the world being global we need to separate the two and give each their own set of ground rules to operate at an optimum level. The merging of immigration and customs enforcement can only help in making this department function at a level the American public can be proud of with the goals of this office being completed (Magleby, O’Brien, Light, Peltason, Cronin, 2006). Even with all its imperfections I still believe that it is a needed department in our government. A somewhat more rigid department to handle military type action on homeland soil was needed and was realized on 9/11. We had been living in a glass house and it was just a matter of time. The partnership it is creating with state and local governments especially with intelligence from federal sources will build a safer America. After the disaster of Katrina in 2005 it was more obvious that this newly formed department would need some redesign in its structure. But I think with having Homeland Security it will help to build a better military. This would allow more forces to be deployed outside our borders when needed. I think now if Homeland Security had been up to par, would we still be in Iraq or would the troops the Republicans so desperately want to send be there and back by now? Reference: Light, P. (2007, Spring). The homeland security hash. Wilson Quarterly, 31(2). Magleby, D. B. , O’Brien, D. , Light, P. , Peltason, J. W. , Cronin, T. E. (2006). Government by the People: National, State, and Local 21st. Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Circuit City - Internet Business Strategy :: Web Business Strategy

Circuit City - Internet Business Strategy Introduction In the fifty years since Circuit City opened its first store, the company has become one of the best-known sources of consumer electronics in the world. Today Circuit City boasts over 600 stores and more than 50,000 associates. The company consistently strives to offer low, competitive prices, high service standards, and a wide selection of products to meet consumer needs. Circuit City has long prided itself on the outstanding shopping experience it offers to customers. In the 1990 ’s the company was early to see the value of the Internet for making that experience even better. However, they shunned the then-popular approach that many bricks-and-mortar retailers were adopting, where online channels were viewed as replacements for or alternatives to the traditional channel. Instead, Circuit City saw the Web as a way to complement its retail outlets and provide customers with more reasons to visit a store. To define, develop, and deploy its web strategy, Circuit City wanted a robust site that would replicate the customer experience in its Superstores while leveraging the advantages of 24-hour Internet access. Detailed product information, comparison capabilities, depth of selection, and immediate inventory information were critical features that the Circuit City web site required. Key Business Issues Circuit City has competition at local markets—traditional electronic retailers as well as Internet-only players, including catalogers and national distributors. To expand upon its national reputation as a leading high-service, low-price retailer, Circuit City wanted a site that would leverage its national store presence. To do this, the site needed to seamlessly integrate its retail shops with a powerful e-Superstore that could provide quality service online while providing advantages of â€Å"express pickup† from nearby stores. The web strategy would then be tightly interlinked and interdependent with Circuit City’s core retailing business, helping drive more revenue to local stores while maximizing the company’s national and international web presence. Key Business Challenges: †¢Use the Web as a means to improve overall company success †¢Get into production quickly with novel approach to e-commerce †¢Provide superior online experience for customers in every respect Solution Snapshot In January of 1999 Circuit City commenced development, using Sun Enterprise servers that had just become available from a subsidiary company. To reach the market as quickly as possible with its novel concept, Circuit City determined to base its Internet presence on prepackaged solutions that minimized development time. This led to the choice of BroadVision to provide e-commerce software.

Should the Coast be Managed?

Every year land is both lost and gained in coastal areas due to physical processes, including the action of the sea. Much time and money is spent in an attempt to limit the change, seen as â€Å"damage†, that occurs. More advanced methods of coastal defence are tested and put into place and research is carried out. Yet coastal management remains as a piece-meal approach, with different areas of coast dealt with using widely varying methods, some of which are the cause of this â€Å"damage† further along the coast. â€Å"Coastal defences, by their very nature, disrupt the natural processes operating on the coastline† (www. orth-norfolk. gov. uk) and it is this fundamental fact that should be considered by all those responsible for coastal management. Although this disruption is sometimes intentional, often it is not and thus more coastal defences must be put in place in order to correct the harm done by the original scheme. Conversely, there exists much land that is considered to be valuable in terms of its economic, social and environmental significance. It may seem a waste to simply watch this land being taken by the sea when there are preventative measures that can be employed. This essay will look at why the coast is protected, from what, and will give some examples of how as well as the advantages and disadvantages of coastal management strategies including taking no action against the work of the sea. The uses of the coastal area are numerous and diverse, making it difficult to prioritise on what should and should not warrant protection. Land that is situated close to the sea is often the location of homes with a high economic value in addition to the obvious emotional attachment of the owners. Historically valuable features such as buildings or monuments are important in terms of heritage and in turn tourism. Land that provides an income, i. e. farmland and camping ground is often situated along the coast and due to the natural beauty of coastal areas, attracts tourists as well as being aesthetically appealing for those that live close to it. Another natural feature is, of course, the precious habitats that are contained by the cliffs, and the scientific interest in those habitats. Settlements were originally located close to the sea for the purpose of transport and for many coastal locations, the import and export of both people and goods remains their principal function. Indeed, it is estimated that around 60 percent of the global population live within 50 km of the sea (Briggs, Smithson, Addison and Atkinson 1997). Consequently all of these activities and uses have strong arguments as to why they justify the time, expense and risk of affecting other locations in a detrimental way, that coastal defence schemes entail. The purpose of this essay is not to evaluate which of these is the most deserving but simply to acknowledge that all of these valuable features can be found in coastal locations and are therefore at risk from erosion by the sea. The processes that affect the coastline involve the action of the sea against the vulnerable beach and cliffs. Waves attack the coast in two fundamental ways. Firstly waves are formed and their energy increased by a combination of wind, tide and current. The force of this wave action is often enough to cause fractures in the rock and sometimes failures and de-stabilization through the trapping of air. The structure and geology are obviously major contributing factors when the severity of â€Å"damage† is considered. The second way in which the waves attack the coastline is really a strengthening of the first method and this is by the transport of sediments in the water. A wave that is carrying material that it has eroded or that is originally from the seabed has more power to potentially erode. This shoreline abrasion relies on both wave energy as well as a supply of material with which to attack (Summerfield 1991). Another coastal process is weathering which also occurs inland but is exacerbated at the coast due to the very nature of the area. This includes the wetting and drying cycles and also the existence of salt. Salt weathering has a greater effect on rock that can absorb seawater as this allows the salt to penetrate the rock and so work on its structure as opposed to only the external surfaces. Coastal defences obviously do not directly combat weathering as even if the land behind is protected from the sea, salt is ubiquitous and so will still reach it. So it is this persistent force from which the shoreline is, in some locations, protected. The methods used in this protection vary in construction and purpose but also in their efficiency, with each method exhibiting both positive and negative aspects. The best defence against erosion†¦ by the sea is a natural wide beach topped off at the inshore end with either high deep sand dunes or a shingle bank† (www. north-norfolk. gov. uk). Unfortunately not every coastal location has this advantage either for natural reasons or where the beach material has been removed for human use, for example building. In the case where there is erosion occurring and shoreline assets are threatened, artificial defences are put into place. One example of a coastal engineering method is the sea wall. These were widely used in the early stages of coastline management and some modern designs have since emerged which now play a major role in defence from the sea. The sea wall is intended to reflect the wave away from the land behind as opposed to a natural beach which absorbs and dissipates the wave energy. Another form that is frequently seen is the utilization of groynes. Groynes prevent the loss of beach material by creating an obstacle. They also encourage the build-up of sediment by interrupting and thus slowing the inshore tidal current. Combined, this means that there is a â€Å"natural† defence in the form of a more substantial beach in order to dissipate wave energy, consequently less erosion occurs at that particular site (see figure 1). Revetments are another commonly employed type of defence, constructed mainly from wood or concrete. The idea is that a surface sloping towards the beach dissipates wave energy meaning that less energy is available for erosion and also that sediment builds up in front of the revetment (www. north-norfolk. gov. uk). Type of defence Cost per metre (i) Revetment 500 Seawall 5000 Groyne 1000 There are, of course, many more coastal engineering methods but for the purpose of this essay, only three have been outlined. All methods, however, have their advantages and disadvantages. Management of the coastline in the UK, in terms of erosion, is generally taken as a piece-meal approach. That is to say each area is dealt with almost in isolation, and only relatively recently have the r elevant authorities become aware that the interference in one place is likely to have a considerable effect on another, further along the coast. An example of this is the implementation of groynes. The prevention of material loss and the subsequent build-up of sediment through interruption of the inshore tidal current can, in some cases, starve beaches further along, of the material that is required to maintain size and stability. So although one area is benefiting and a â€Å"problem† being solved, other areas can lose out and thus another problem is created. Conversely if groynes are correctly designed, they can work very well and they essentially do exactly what they are designed to. As many were constructed before it was realised that harm could be caused as well as good, the knock-on effects were not taken into account. Modern groynes are designed to be permeable in order that some sediment may pass through them and reach beaches further along. These have been used successfully on the north Norfolk coast where erosion and its prevention is of great significance. Sea walls work best on large beaches, where the sea only reaches the highest point of the beach during a storm (www. orth-norfolk. gov. uk). Then, should it happen that high tide and a storm coincide, the land behind the sea wall is protected from flooding and erosion. Sea walls require regular maintenance such as in the case of Ostend in north Norfolk, where annual maintenance is required (see figure 2 for approximate cost of initial building of sea defences). In addition to the costliness, there exists the situation of beach scouring caused by the waves reflected from the sea wall. This can, over time, lead to the collapse of the wall but also means that valuable sediment is being taken away from the beach – so reducing what little natural defence there was. A controversial approach to coastal management is that of leaving it to nature. This â€Å"do nothing† strategy has been adopted in numerous locations on the north Norfolk coast, including the area between Cromer and Overstrand where the present groynes are not being maintained and will eventually fail and be removed (see figure 3). A variation of this â€Å"do nothing† policy is the so-called managed retreat. This is where, again, the existing defences are no longer maintained or their maintenance is limited but in some locations a method of soft engineering is employed for example beach replenishment. The issues surrounding these types of â€Å"management† are not as simple as may be first thought. For example the financial benefit arising from either no defence being put in place or no longer maintaining the existing defence seems rather insignificant when the loss of valuable assets is taken into consideration. It is, however, almost completely natural, with material that is eroded form one location being accreted at another. The natural processes are, in this way, allowed to continue and the lack of interference would eventually ensure that there are no negative consequences at other locations as a result of coastal defence action. Despite this, it must be considered that once action is taken to defend the coast from the erosive power of the sea, it creates an issue as to at what point the management should cease and where. To suddenly no longer protect an area of coast may generate new problems and perhaps more expense. So the proposal of an integrated shoreline management strategy seems appealing. This is looked at in much depth by Karen Nichols in her paper â€Å"Coming to terms with Integrated Coastal Management†. Fundamentally, it would involve the linkage of all areas of the coastline in terms of action taken upon them. One possible solution could consist of a review followed by the implementation of a fully integrated coastal defence scheme combined with managed retreat. If this was undertaken on a national scale, with the co-ordination of all resources and authorities, perhaps loss of important assets and further damage in the course of protecting those assets would gradually be reduced to a minimum. It seems to be that the protection of our coastal locations will remain a much-debated issue, with the needs and wants of people contrasting greatly with the power of the sea's natural activities. It is interesting that the focus of coastal management is to reduce coastal erosion yet it is the erosion of coastal land that supplies the beach with much of its material. As discussed earlier, a natural beach is the best form of shoreline defence†¦.. In conclusion it can be said that coastal protection is essential in certain localities but that it is an integrated management plan that will be most likely to succeed.

The First Presidential Debate in 2000

For the first time face to face the first debate of the 2000 presidential election was held at the campus of the University of Massachusetts. For ninety minutes last night, Democratic candidate Vice President Al Gore and Republican Candidate Governor of Texas George W. Bush battled one another over tax cuts, prescription drugs, Social Security, energy policy, abortion, and education. On issues such as tax cuts, the Vice President proposed a plan, which cut taxes for middle class families, balance budgets every year, and pay down the national debt. He accused the Governor of cutting taxes for only the wealthiest 1% of the population. Gore†s plan was for every $1 given to things like education and health, another $1 would be given for middle class tax cuts, and for every dollar spent there, $2 would be expended to bring down the national debt. Gore felt that it was important to resist squandering the budget surplus. He also felt the prosperity should be used to enrich families and help parents strengthen families, making sure the schools they attended were safe, and preventing exposure to â€Å"cultural pollution.† Governor Bush†s views on tax cuts differed. His proposal was to put one half towards Social Security, one fourth towards important projects and the remaining one fourth to the people who pay the bills. Also accusing Gore of â€Å"Medi Scare,† he said he would make sure all seniors have Medicare and a variety of options to choose from. He also proposed a plan, Immediate Helping Hand, in which seniors could get immediate healthcare if they needed it. Gore opposed his Medicare payment plan saying that it would fail to help seniors for the first four to five years and that Bush†s plan spends â€Å"more money on tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent, than all the spending he proposes for education, health care, prescription drugs and national defense combined.† He also had much to say about the energy crisis. He wants to explore local areas for gas and oil, thus reducing dependency upon foreign sources. Gore agreed that reliance overseas for oil should be reduced but had something else in mind to reduce it. He proposed the idea of new trucks, cars, and machinery that reduces pollution and uses less energy. Bush felt that we should, rather than import one million barrels of oil a day from Saddam Hussein, drill the oil here. He wants to also join Canada and Mexico in exploring the land for oil reserves. Out of all the comments that Bush made about Gore last night, the most prominent one probably was when he kept on asking why Gore†s priorities haven†t been accomplished by now. For example, on prescription drugs, he said, † It seems like they can†t get it done† And on energy policy to prevent future shortages he said,† He should have been tackling it for the past seven years.† Another would be when Gore did the math on Bush†s tax plan and demonstrated why it would not be a good decision, Bush replied that he was doing â€Å"fuzzy math.† and â€Å"phony numbers† They couldn†t even agree on the size of the tax cut. Bush said that he would return $1.3 trillion of the predicted ten-year budget surplus to taxpayers. Gore said it would be $600 billion more than that.

Defining Rotation and Revolution in Astronomy

Defining Rotation and Revolution in Astronomy Astro-Language The language of astronomy has many interesting terms such as light-year, planet, galaxy, nebula, black hole, supernova, planetary nebula, and others. These all describe objects in the universe. However, those are just objects in space. If we want to understand them better, we have to know something about their motions. However, to understand them and their motions, astronomers use terminology from physics and mathematics to describe those motions and other characteristics. So, for example, we use velocity to talk about how fast an object moves. The term acceleration, which comes from physics (as does velocity), refers to the rate of an objects motion over time.  Think of it like starting up a car: the driver pushes on the accelerator, which causes the car to move slowly at first. The car eventually picks up speed (or accelerates) as long as the driver keeps pushing on the gas pedal.   In Back to the Future a specially outfitted DeLorean was the vehicle that took the movies characters back and forth in time. One of the requirements for the trip was that it had to accelerate at high speed.   Getty Images/Charles Eshelman.   Two other terms used in science are rotation and revolution. They do not mean the same thing, but they do describe motions that objects make. And, they are often used interchangeably. Rotation and revolution arent terms exclusive to astronomy. Both are important facets of mathematics, especially geometry, where geometrical objects can be rotated and their motion described using mathematics. The terms are also used in physics and chemistry.  So, knowing what they mean and the difference between the two is useful knowledge, particularly in astronomy. Rotation The strict definition of rotation is the circular movement of an object about a point in space. This is used in geometry as well as astronomy and physics. To help visualize it, imagine a point on a piece of paper. Rotate the piece of paper while its lying flat on the table. Whats happening is that essentially every point is rotating around the place on the paper where the point is drawn. Now, imagine a point in the middle of a spinning ball. All the other points in the ball rotate around the point. Draw a line through the center of the ball where the point lies, and thats its axis.   This graphic shows Earth spinning on its axis (rotation) as it orbits the Sun (revolution). Image by Tauolunga, via Wikimedia Commons.   For the kinds of objects  discussed in astronomy, rotation is used to describe an object rotating about an axis. Think of a merry-go-round. It rotates around the center pole, which is the axis. Earth rotates around on its axis in the same way. In fact, so do many astronomical objects: stars, moons, asteroids, and pulsars. When the axis of rotation passes through the object it is said to  spin,  like that top mentioned above, on the point of the axis.   Revolution It is not necessary for the axis of rotation to actually pass through the object in question. In some cases, the axis of rotation is outside of the object altogether. When that happens, the outer object is revolving around the axis of rotation. Examples of revolution would be a ball on the end of a string, or a planet going around a star. However,  in the case of planets revolving around stars, the motion is also commonly referred to as an  orbit. The planets and comets of the solar system follow slightly elliptical orbits around the Sun. Moons and other satellites do the same around their planets. This diagram shows the orbits shapes, although it is not to scale. NASA The Sun-Earth System Now, since astronomy often deals with multiple objects in motion, things can get complex. In some systems, there are multiple axes of rotation. One classic astronomy example is the Earth-Sun system. Both the Sun and the Earth rotate individually, but the Earth also revolves, or more specifically orbits, around the Sun. An object can have more than one axis of rotation, such as some asteroids. To make things easier, just think of spin as something that objects do on their axes (plural of axis).   Orbit is the motion of one object around another. Earth orbits the Sun. The Moon orbits Earth. The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way.  Its likely that the Milky Way is orbiting something else within the Local Group, which is the grouping of galaxies where it exists. Galaxies can also orbit around a common point with other galaxies. In some cases, those orbits bring galaxies so close together that they collide.   Sometimes people will say that Earth revolves around the Sun.  Orbit  is more precise and is the motion that can be calculated using the masses, gravity, and the distance between the orbiting bodies. Sometimes we hear someone refer to the time it takes for a planet to make one orbit around the Sun as one revolution. Thats rather more old-fashioned, but its perfectly legitimate.  The word revolution comes from the word revolve and so it makes sense to use the term, although its not strictly a scientific definition. The important thing to remember is that objects are in motion throughout the universe, whether they are orbiting each other, a common point of gravity, or spinning on one or more axes as they move.   Fast Facts Rotation usually refers to something rotating on its axis.Revolution usually refers to something orbiting something else (like Earth around the Sun).Both terms have specific uses and meanings in science and mathematics. Updated and edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

6 Ways Nurses Can Stay Healthy During Flu Season

6 Ways Nurses Can Stay Healthy During Flu Season Chances are, the hospital or facility you work at requires you to get your flu shot. But sometimes even that is not enough. Here are 6 more preventative measures you can take to protect yourself from getting sick this season. 1. Treat Your Body Like a TempleJunk food is not your friend. Red Bull and french fries and Snickers bars might get you through a shift, but they won’t get you through flu season. Try and eat healthier (and make sure to include fruits and vegetables!) so your body gets the vitamins and minerals it needs to fight things off. And stay hydrated!2. Get Some SleepYou’re working overtime and the time off you do have is full of holiday activity. Make sure to rest as much and as well as you can so you don’t have to lose work time or play time.3. Be Travel SmartStay hydrated and boost your vitamin intake. Carry Airborne or Zicam or Emergen-C and a packet of sanitizing wipes on planes and trains and buses so you don’t pick up any germs.4. Be Vi gilantStart to get a sniffle or a sneeze? Feel a little achy? Stop what you’re doing and take care of yourself. Take your vitamins, get some rest, drink lots of fluids. Use hand sanitizer often. Get a humidifier. If you’re proactive enough, you can head the flu off at the start.5. Get CleanClean your kitchen and bathroom regularly. But don’t forget to also sanatize the things you carry with you, like your cell phone or your keys. A few disinfectant wipes will do a lot of good in fending off the army of germs. And if you do get sick, remember to change your toothbrush.6. Be an EnforcerYou’re a nurse, so you’re a hand washing and sanitizing pro. But the rest of your family probably isn’t. Get on your soapbox and make sure everyone you love is following the same guidelines. No sick people preparing food! Use tissues to sneeze! Wash hands after coughing! Protect your loved ones and protect yourself.

Man made Surface water drainage settling lagoon Literature review

Man made Surface water drainage settling lagoon - Literature review Example On the other hand, artificial, sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) for the collection and temporary storage of surface runoff, are constructed for the purpose of attenuation or reduction of released water flow volume as well as water purification. These include Basins, Ponds and alternative forms of attenuation. Thus, Basins are of two types: detention basins and extended detention basins. Ponds are of five types: lagoons, balancing or attenuating ponds, flood storage reservoirs, retention ponds and wetlands. Alternative Forms of Attenuation include the use of over-sized pipes as in rainwater harvesting, tanks, and green roofs. Combined infiltration/ attenuation systems consist of swales and filter strips (SUDS, 2011). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the different types of lagoons. The naturally formed coastal lagoons will be examined, followed by a study of the artificial surface water drainage settling lagoon, and the various types of surface run-off storage water bodies, legislation, their management, purpose and concept. Coastal Lagoons are Natural Formations Coastal lagoons are found on all continents, particularly in the low latitudinal zone. They occupy 13 percent of the world’s coastline. These lagoons â€Å"occupy shallow coastal depressions and are separated from the ocean by a barrier† (Kjerfve, 1986 p.63). They are at risk of being completely infilled by sediments, or separated from the sea by littoral drift. In the British Isles there are comparatively few examples of this type of habitat. The coastal lagoon’s physical characteristics and differences are predominantly based on the nature of the channel connecting the lagoon to the adjacent coastal ocean; they are classified as choked, restricted, and leaky systems. Choked lagoons have a single entrance channel which is proportionately smaller in cross-sectional area as compared to the surface area of the lagoon; they are commonly found in coastlines with medium to high wave energy. On the other hand, leaky lagoons have several entrance channels, and have a n aturally large ratio of entrance channel cross-sectional area in relation to the surface area of the lagoon. They are strongly influenced by the ocean’s salinity and tidal variability, and have an occasional significant wave energy. Restricted lagoons form the middle of the spectrum, between the choked and leaky extremes (Kjerfve, 1986). Coastal lagoons are similar to and also different from Manmade surface runoff water collection and storage systems such as ponds, basins and lagoons. Coastal lagoons are characterised by their salt water, and by being impacted by features such as the sea’s tides, the extent of build up of the reefs separating the lagoon from the adjacent sea, and other factors relating to oceanic conditions. These conditions do not affect manmade lagoons. However, natural coastal lagoons as well as manmade lagoons are similarly influenced by rainfall. At the same time, they differ in the surface runoff water that drains into them. Coastal lagoons are m ostly polluted by the soil and other natural debris. On the other hand, the surface runoff that enters ponds, lagoons and basins frequently contains waste materials and sewage from industry, agriculture or other human activities besides soil impurities and natural deposits. Artificial Surface Runoff and Waste Water Drainage Settling Lagoons Ponds constructed for