Nintendo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Nintendo - Essay Example Nintendo’s mission statement clearly reflects the company’s core purpose, its identity, values and, to a large extent, the company’s main business aims. Nintendo’s vision is expanding its market by creating innovative products that would appeal strongly to the larger gaming population. Through its vision, for example, the company has been able to produce smaller consoles that are not only cheaper, but also easier to use.2 Nintendo’s decision to create smaller consoles boosted its sales and effectively edged out its main competitors i.e. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s play station 3. In addition, while Nintendo’s competitors rushed to creating more powerful and high definition consoles, the company opted to stick with the standard resolution hardware. Instead Nintendo focused its energies to creating a console that would appeal even to non-gamers population. Nintendo’s strategy is to tailor its products according to the needs of its target segments, and one way of achieving the same is being different. The company, for instance, has been able to produce portable gaming into the market effectively challenging Sony’s PlayStation Portable. Nintendo’s Wii that came with improved features, for example, was produced in order to counter Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and help extend Nintendo’s prestige. Nintendo Company has the following strategies in the gaming industry. Following Nintendo’s many years of operation in the gaming industry, the company has gained enormous experience. As a result, the company can use cost advantage through analysis of its cost drivers such as backward integration. While the company’s competitors develop their games using their facilities, Nintendo uses off-the-shelf parts from different suppliers. Rather than produce own chip, Nintendo acquires the same from a supplier and at a cheaper cost. As a result, Nintendo was able to introduce the Wii at a relatively low cost compared to Sony’s PS3

Applications Of Forced Convection Engineering Essay

Applications Of Forced Convection Engineering Essay The experiment was carried out to verify the relationship between Nusselt number , Reynolds number and Prandtl Number using the different concepts of convection. Relative discussions and conclusions were drawn including the various factors affecting the accuracy of the calculated results. The main objective of this experiment was to verify the following heat transfer relationship: Therefore, the experiment is conducted by an apparatus where hot ait from heater is generated and flow through copper tube. Different values of temperatures and pressure were taken and recorded in order to calculate. Besides, graphs plotted and analysed to have a better understanding of convection heat transfer. Thus a Laboratory experiment was conducted where hot air from a heater was introduced through a copper tube with the help of a blower. Thermocouples were fixed in placed at various locations along the length of the copper tube. The different values of temperature and pressure were measured along with the various sections of the tube and other required values were recorded and calculated. Graphs were also plotted with the data obtained and then analysed. INTRODUCTION Heat transfer science deals with the time rate of energy transfer and the temperature distribution through the thermal system. It may be take place in three modes which is conduction, convection and radiation. Theory of convection is presented since this experiment is concerned about convective heat transfer. Convective is the mode of energy transfer between a solid surface and the adjacent liquid or gas that is in motion due to a temperature difference. It involves the combined effects of conduction and fluid motion. There are two major type of convective Forced convection is known as fluid motion generated by blowing air over the solid by using external devices such as fans and pumps. The other type is natural convection which meant by a phenomenon that occurs in fluid segments and facilitated by the buoyancy effect. It is less efficient than forced convection, due to the absence of fluid motion. Hence, it depends entirely on the strength of the buoyancy effect and the fluid viscosity. Besides, there is no control on the rate of heat transfer. Forced Convection Force convection is a mechanism of heat transfer in which fluid motion is generated by an external source like a pump, fan, suction device, etc. Forced convection is often encountered by engineers designing or analyzing pipe flow, flow over a plate, heat exchanger and so on. Convection heat transfer depends on fluids properties such as: Dynamic viscosity ( µ) Thermal conductivity (k) Density (à Ã‚ ) Specific heat (Cp) Velocity (V) Type of fluid flow (Laminar/Turbulent) Newtons law of cooling Where h = Convection heat transfer (W/(m2. °C) A = Heat transfer area = Temperature of solid surface ( °C) = Temperature of the fluid ( °C) The convective heat transfer coefficient (h) is dependent upon the physical properties of the fluid and the physical situation. Applications of Forced Convection In a heat transfer analysis, engineers get the velocity result by performing a fluid flow analysis. The heat transfer results specify temperature distribution for both the fluid and solid components in systems such as fan or heat exchanger. Other applications for forced convection include systems that operate at extremely high temperatures for functions for example transporting molten metal or liquefied plastic. Thus, engineers can determine what fluid flow velocity is necessary to produce the desired temperature distribution and prevent parts of the system from failing. Engineers performing heat transfer analysis can simply click an option to include fluid convection effects and specify the location of the fluid velocity results during setup to yield forced convection heat transfer results. TYPICAL APPLICATIONS Computer case cooling Cooling/heating system design Electric fan simulation Fan- or water-cooled central processing unit (CPU) design Heat exchanger simulation Heat removal Heat sensitivity studies Heat sink simulation Printed Circuit Board (PCB) simulation Thermal optimization Forced Convection through Pipe/Tubes In a flow in tupe, the growth of the boundary layer is limited by the boundary of the tube. The velocity profile in the tube is characterized by a maximum value at the centerline and zero at the boundary. For a condition where the tube surface temperature is constant, the heat transfer rate can be calculated from Newtons cooling law. Reynolds Number Reynolds number can be used to determine type of flow in fluid such as laminar or turbulent flow. Laminar flow occurs at low Reynolds numbers, where viscous forces are dominant. The condition of flow is smooth and constant fluid motion. Meanwhile, turbulent flow occurs at high Reynolds number and is dominated by inertial forces and it produce random eddies, vortices and other flow fluctuations. Reynolds number is a dimensionless number. It is the ratio of the inertia forces to the viscous forces in the fluids. Equation for Reynolds Number in pipe or tube is as below: Where à Ã‚  = Fluid density (kg/m3) V = Fluid velocity (m/s) D = Diameter of pipe ÃŽÂ ¼ = The dynamic viscosity of the fluid (Pa ·s or N ·s/m ²) ÃŽÂ ½ = Kinematic viscosity (ÃŽÂ ½ = ÃŽÂ ¼ / à Ã‚ ) (m ²/s) Q = Volumetric flow rate (m ³/s) A = Pipe cross-sectional area (m2) EXPERIMENT OVERVIEW Apparatus Figure 1 : Apparatus being used The experimental apparatus comprises of a copper pipe, which is supplied with air by a centrifugal blower and heater as figure 1. The test section of the pipe is wound with a heating tape, which is covered with lagging. Six copper constantan thermocouples are brazed into the wall of the test section. Another six thermocouples extend into the pipe to measure the flowing air temperature. In addition five static pressure tapping are positioned in the tube wall. A BS 1042 standard orifice and differential manometer measure the air mass flow rate though the pipe. Experimental Procedure Fully close the valve which controlling the air flow rate. Measure the everage intermal diameter (D) of the test section pipe by using a vernier calliper. Adjust the inclination angle of the manometer bundle ÃŽÂ ± to 30 °. Start the blower and turn the valve to the fully open position gradually, Adjust the power input to the heating tape to its maximum valve and allow the apparatus to attain thermal equilibrium. Take down the data and record Pressure drop through the metering orifice Pressure and temperature downstream of the orifice Ammeter and voltmeter readings Tube wall temperature along the testing section Air temperature along the test section Air pressure along the test section Ambient temperature and pressure. Repeat the foregoing procedure for another four different flow rate and adjust the heater input to give approximately the same wall temperature at each flow rate. DATA AND MEASUREMENT TABLE Property Symbol Units Value Barometric Pressure Pb mm Hg 741.60 Diameter of the test section pipe Dp m 0.038 Density of water (Manometers fluid) à Ã‚  Kg/m3 1000 Angle of the manometers bundle ÃŽÂ ± degree 30 Property Symbol Units Test 1 2 3 4 5 Pressure drop across orifice ΆH mm H2O 685 565 460 360 260 Pressure drop d/s orifice to atmosphere ΆP mm H2O 178 152 120 93 68 Air temperature downstream orifice t  °C 35 38 38 38 39 EMF (Voltage) across tape V Volts 230 200 165 142 129 Current through tape heater I Amps 7.3 6.3 5.5 5.0 4.0 Flowing air temperature t1  °C 35.0 36.9 38.2 40.0 41.4 Flowing air temperature t2  °C 36.1 37.7 38.9 40.6 41.9 Flowing air temperature t3  °C 43.1 43.6 43.4 44.4 45.6 Flowing air temperature t4  °C 42.2 42.4 42.4 43.5 44.6 Flowing air temperature t5  °C 49.6 48.6 47.0 47.3 48.1 Flowing air temperature t6  °C 63.2 59.6 55.7 54.3 54.6 Tube wall temperature t7  °C 38.9 40.0 40.6 41.9 43.0 Tube wall temperature t8  °C 81.20 73.6 65.9 62.2 61.2 Tube wall temperature t9  °C 99.8 89.1 77.5 71.5 69.5 Tube wall temperature t10  °C 105.9 93.9 81.3 74.6 72.4 Tube wall temperature t11  °C 106.5 94.5 81.8 75.1 73.1 Tube wall temperature t12  °C 108.1 95.5 82.3 75.0 72.5 Air static gauge pressure (Άl.sin ÃŽÂ ±) P1 mm H2O 385 324 255 195 145 Air static gauge pressure (Άl.sin ÃŽÂ ±) P2 mm H2O 264 223 175 132 99 Air static gauge pressure (Άl.sin ÃŽÂ ±) P3 mm H2O 210 181 141 108 79 Air static gauge pressure (Άl.sin ÃŽÂ ±) P4 mm H2O 108 97 81 57 42 Air static gauge pressure (Άl.sin ÃŽÂ ±) P5 mm H2O 23 31 20 16 14 Air static gauge pressure (Άl.sin ÃŽÂ ±) P6 mm H2O à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€ 0 Sample Calculations Based on 1st set data, Power Input to the tape heater: Power = = (230 x 7.3)/1000 = 1.679 Absolute Pressure downstream of the orifice: 741.60 + (178/13.6)=754.69 mmHg Absolute Temperature downstream of the orifice: T = t + 273 = 365+ 273 = 308 K The Air Mass Flow Rate: air =5.66x = = 231.88 231.88 Kg/hr = 0.06441 Kg/sec, Since 1 Kg/hr = Kg/sec Average Wall Temperature: = (38.9+81.2+99.8+105.9+106.5+108.1)/6 =90.07 Average Air Temperature: = (35+36.1+43.1+42.2+49.6+63.2)/6 = 44.87 The Bulk Mean Air (arithmetic average of mean air) Temperature: = (35+63.2)/6 =49.1 The Absolute Bulk Mean Air (arithmetic average of mean air) Temperature: 49.1+273 =322.10 K The Properties of Air at Tb: Using the tables provided in Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid Sciences by Yunus A.Cengel From the table A-18 (Page958), Properties of Air at 1atm pressure at K Density, à Ã‚  = 1.1029 kg/m3 Specific Heat Capacity, Cp = 1.006 kJ/(kg.K) Thermal Conductivity, k = 0.0277 kW/(m.K) Dynamic Viscosity,  µ = 1.95 x 10-5 kg/(m.s) Prandtl Number, Pr = 0.7096 The Increase in Air Temperature: 63.2-35 = 28.2 The Heat Transfer to Air: (231.88/3600) x 1.006 x 28.2 =1.827 Where: = Heat Transfer to air = Mass flow rate = Specific heat capacity = Increase in air temperature The Heat Losses: 1.679-1.827 = -0.148 Where: = Heat losses = Heat Transfer to air The Wall/Air Temperature Difference: 90.07-44.87 = 45.2 Where: = Wall/Air temperature difference = Average air temperature The Heat Transfer Coefficient: = ((231.88/3600) x 1.006 x 28.2) / (3.14 x .0382 x 1.69 x 45.2) = 0.199 kW/ (m^2 .k) Where: = Mass flow rate = Specific heat capacity = Increase in air temperature = Average Diameter of the Copper pipe. = Length of the tube = Wall/Air temperature difference The Mean Air Velocity: = (4 x (231.88/3600))/ (1.1029 x 3.14 x (0.0382 ^2) = 50.9575 m/s Where: = Mean air velocity = Mass flow rate = Density = Average Diameter of the Copper pipe. The Reynolds Number: The Nusselt Number: = Nusselt Number = Average Diameter of the Copper pipe. = Thermal conductivity The Stanton Number: Where: St = Stanton Number = Nusselt Number = Prandtl number Re = Reynolds number The Pressure Drop across the testing section: at Tb = 320.1 K = Pressure drop across the testing section = Absolute pressure downstream of orifice. = Barometric Pressure The Friction Factor: RESULT Power Power kW 1.679 1.260 0.908 0.710 0.516 Absolute Pressure downstream of the orifice P mm Hg 754.69 752.78 750.42 748.44 746.60 Absolute temperature downstream of the orifice T K 308 311 311 311 312 Pressure drop across the orifice à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  H mm H20 685 565 460 360 260 Air mass flow Rate air 231.88 209.31 188.57 166.60 141.18 Average wall Temperature tw 90.07 81.1 71.57 66.72 65.28 Average air temperature tair av 44.87 44.80 44.27 45.02 46.03 Bulk Mean air temperature tb 49.1 48.25 46.95 47.15 48.0 Absolute bulk mean air temperature Tb K 322.1 321.25 319.95 320.15 321.0 Density at Tb à Ã‚  1.1029 1.1058 1.1102 1.1095 1.1066 Specific Heat Capacity at Tb Cp 1.0060 1.0060 1.0060 1.0060 1.0060 Thermal Conductivity at Tb K 2.77 2.76 2.75 2.75 2.76 Dynamic Viscosity at Tb ÃŽÂ ¼ 1.95 1.95 1.94 1.94 1.95 Prandtl Number at Tb Pr 0.7096 0.7096 0.7100 0.7100 0.7098 Increase in air temperature from t1 to t6 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  t a 28.2 22.7 17.5 14.3 13.2 Heat transfer to air air W 1.827 1.328 0.922 0.666 0.521 Heat losses losses W -0.148 -0.068 -0.015 -0.044 -0.005 Wall/Air temperature difference à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  t m 45.2 36.3 27.3 21.7 19.25 Heat transfer Coefficient h 0.199 0.180 0.167 0.151 0.133 Mean air velocity Cm 50.9575 45.877 41.167 36.394 30.922 Reynoldss Number Re 110096.353 99380. 144 89994. 330 79509. 225 67204. 418 Nusselt Number Nu 274.4 249 232 209.8 184.1 Stanton Number St 0.00351 0.00353 0.00363 0.0037 0.0039 Pressure Drop across the testing section à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  P 1746.42 1491.59 1176.73 912.57 667.08 Friction Factor f 0.01378 0.0145 0.0141 0.0141 0.0143 Results Plot A Experiment 1 2 3 4 5 Y=ln(Nu x Pr-0.4) 5.75 5.65 5.58 5.48 5.35 X=ln(Re0.8) 9.29 9.21 9.13 9.03 8.89 Y-X -3.54 -3.56 -3.55 -3.55 -3.54 Plot B Experiment 1 2 3 4 5 Y=Nu 274.4 249 232 209.8 184.1 X=Re x Pr 78124.37 70520.15 63895.97 56451.55 47701.69 Stanton number: Reynolds Analogy: Experiment 1 2 3 4 5 Friction factor 0.01378 0.0145 0.0141 0.014 0.0143 Reynolds Analogy 0.00689 0.00725 0.00705 0.007 0.00715 Stanton number 0.00351 0.00353 0.00363 0.0372 0.0386 DISCUSSION In order to get more accurate results, there are some suggestions like cleaning the manometer, checking the insulation on the pipe and making sure the valve is closed tightly. An additional way to prove the heat transfer equation is by re-arranging it. Nu = 0.023 x (Re0.8 x Pr 0.4) Substituting in the experimental values into the above equation from section 5.0 returns the following results below: Experiment 1 2 3 4 5 Y=Nu 274.4 249 232 209.8 184.1 X=Re0.8 x Pr0.4 9415.08 8674.51 8014.48 7258.34 6344.14 Y/X 0.029 0.0287 0.0289 0.0289 0.029 Comparing this to the heat transfer constant, it shows that there is a little difference only which can be negligible. It can also be done by taking the gradient of the line from the plot Nu against (Re0.8 x Pr0.4) as shown below: CONCLUSION A better understanding of the heat transfer was achieved through conducting the experiment. Theoretical sums and experimental values were found to be approximately similar and the different sources of error have been identified. The main objective of this experiment was to verify the following heat transfer relationship: Nu = 0.023 x (Re0.8 x Pr 0.4) Therefore, relation of forced convective heat transfer in pipe is cleared and the objectives were completed.

Sounding the Oirish: OBrien versus Synge :: Essays Papers

Sounding the Oirish: O'Brien versus Synge "Synge was perhaps the most monstrous phony and buffeon ever to enter our celtic toilet, but he won international fame and money because foreigners extracted strange meanings and nuances from the language he used." Flann O'Brien was a writer obsessed with both nationhood and language, and saw the two as inextricably entwined. Nowhere was this more apparent than in his writings under the pseudonym of Myles na Gopaleen. One particular target of O'Brien's scorn was J. M. Synge's Playboy of the Western World. O'Brien felt that with the success of Synge's play, the stage-Irishman as he appeared in Dion Boucicault's works of the mid-1800s had become the prime symbol of Irishness (although, it may be argued, both Boucicault and Synge are putting forward a subversive version of the stage Irishman who had been a staple part of English drama for centuries). The main thrust of O'Brien's knife is this: "The set-up is this. These people turn angrily on the British and roar: 'How dare you insult us with your stage Irishman, a monkey-faced leering scoundrel in ragged knee-breeches and a tail coat, always drunk and threatening anybody in sight with his shillelagh? We can put together a far better stage Irishma n ourselves, thank you. The Irish Stage Irishman is the best in the world.'" The pig-in-the-kitchen image of Ireland was, as far as O'Brien was concerned, the main effect of the nationalistic firing of half-cocked muskets. Rather than subverting the English stage Irishman, Boucicault, Synge and their ilk merely augmented its dubious itinerary (I never said that the pro-subversion argument was a winning one). The crippling stroke O'Brien applies to Synge deals exclusively with language: "[T]he worst was Synge. Here we had a moneyed dilettante coming straight from Paris to study the peasants of Aran not knowing a syllable of their language, then coming back to pour forth a deluge of homemade jargon all over the Abbey stage ..." From such jargon has emerged such wondrous entertainments as Darby O'Gill and the Little People, The Quiet Man, and even the recent offerings Far and Away and Waking Ned (add to this truncated role of dishonour umpteen others, and don't forget that amadan in Braveheart). Although Synge may have had subversive intentions, the legacy such work has given us is not subversive at all. Instead it bedecks the politics of colonialism with praties, shillelaghs, and a bottle of the aul' poitin.

Of MIce and Men: Curley’s Wife Essay

Names have been an important facet of society for as long as Homo sapiens have existed. A name is defined as â€Å"a word or symbol used in logic to designate an entity. † In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck teaches a lesson about the nature of human existence and shows how grim and isolated people become without hope. Steinbeck neglects to address Curley’s wife’s character by name in order to emphasize her position as a literary element and provide commentary on society in the time period during which he lived. Curley’s wife is never named because Steinbeck wished to emphasize the ubiquitous dislike of her throughout the farm. Whilst reading the novella, it is implied that no one on the farm likes Curley’s wife. However, there isn’t necessarily a flaw in her personality from which this aversion to her stems. The characters avoid interaction with her because they fear retribution from her possessive, short-tempered husband. The men on the farm begin to foster hatred toward her because her constant need for attention puts their livelihoods in danger. The men can’t ever get too familiar with her because they are distanced by the fact that she is Curley’s wife. Steinbeck constantly reminds the readers and the characters in the book of this fact by denying her a proper name. Second in the litany of reasons why Curley’s wife remains unnamed throughout the entire novella is that Steinbeck wishes to superimpose over the entire story the idea that she was a possession of Curley’s and not an independent entity. During the course of the novella, we run across multiple instances in which Curley is angered by even the idea of his wife consorting with other men, even in a platonic manner. As previously stated, Curley would even resort to firing men if he was unpleased with the way the interacted with his wife. The reader is able to draw a parallel between the way Curley treats and acts toward his wife and the way someone would act when dealing with an object of theirs. It is very clear that she is expected (by Curley and the other men, save Lennie) to obey Curley at all times. At the period in time in which the novella is set, women are expected to submit to their husband wordlessly and this is thoroughly explored in Of Mice and Men through Curley and his wife’s relationship. The zeitgeist of 1937(the year in which the book was published) and its subsequent influence on literature written around that time period is another reason Curley’s wife remains nameless. In that time, women were considered inferior to men and weren’t nearly as important in the public eye. One must remember when reading Of Mice and Men that the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote only became an addendum in 1920. The novella was set during The Great Depression a time during which women did not have the amount of authority in society as they do today. Curley’s wife was used to depict women as troublemakers that disrupt the flow of life for men. Steinbeck failed to assign Curley’s wife a name because it was acceptable at the time for women to be undermined and overlooked. By constantly referring to her as â€Å"Curley’s wife† Steinbeck undermines her character as an independent person because she is forced to always be associated to Curley. With this â€Å"minor oversight† Steinbeck was able to use her character in idiomatic ways to enhance his writing. As indicated previously, Steinbeck writes Curley’s wife as a literary element to enhance the story as opposed to a character in the story. Almost humorously, one of the outcomes of refusing her a proper name (which I suspect was intentional) is that it caused the reader to direct more attention to her than anyone else in the story. Steinbeck is commonly known as an author who utilizes descriptions as a way to portray his characters. Curley is often mentioned as â€Å"the boss’s son. † Slim is introduced as the â€Å"jerkline skinner. † Crooks is solely referred to as â€Å"the stable buck† or simply ‘nigger’ until chapter 4. Despite the fact that all these characters have names, they are relatively miniscule parts of the story when push comes to shove, the nameless wife is the one who causes things to happen and mandates attention from every angle, be it real or fictitious (by which I mean from both readers and characters within the story). The most convincing reason yet as to why Curley’s wife remains unnamed lays in something Steinbeck once said in an interview. Steinbeck described her character as a symbol. He was recorded to have said â€Å"She has no function, except to be a foil – and a danger to Lennie. † She was the antagonist who provided the main characters something to be anxious about; she was the force that put up massive hurdles for the protagonists to overcome. A villain is defined as â€Å"The person or thing responsible for specified trouble, harm, or damage. † Inadvertently, such was the purpose of Curley’s wife. It wasn’t her plan to end Lennie’s life. She simply pursued what she felt she deserved: male attention. Her need to fill this desire for attention became so intense that it ultimately caused tragedy. In conclusion, Curley’s wife not being assigned a name was not just a mere oversight at the hands of John Steinbeck. She was an instrument used to undermine the position of women in society. Steinbeck purposefully left out her name in order to enhance his writing, and address issues during the time period in which he lived. Curley’s wife was used to depict women as the ones who threatened the happiness and well-being of men. Denying Curley’s wife a name was an integral part in the writing of Of Mice and Men. (c) Raquel Bracey, December 2012

Lorrie Moore

In the story â€Å"How to Become a Writer†, Lorrie Moore takes the reader through what seems to be her own Journey on how she became a writer. The story is told in Second Person. The way she writes, in second person, she seems to take the reader personally through her Journey on â€Å"How to Become a Writer†, but you, the reader are the character. Moore writes about how â€Å"you† will apply to college, â€Å"you† will show up to the wrong class, and â€Å"your† mother will not understand this writing gig.Her style eems to draw the reader in hanging on for the next thing that will happen in â€Å"your† life. She effectively makes the audience feel like they are at college, in the wrong class or that they are simply standing in their kitchen showing their mom the haiku they wrote at the ripe age of fifteen and she stares at them â€Å"Blank as a donut† (Moore p. 652) and she says â€Å"How about emptying the dishwasher†(Moore p. 652). The common theme of this story is that â€Å"you† are always struggling with a plot, and o one quite understands â€Å"your† writings.This struggle is a relevant struggle for Moore, as well as many young college students. Through out the short story she explains this common trend of â€Å"no plot† and even still you read on and can not help thinking is there a point to this story? The no plot theme seems to take a deeper role. As most will struggle with the choices of life and a fair amount of people will even feel as if they have remained stagnant and really not done too much.Moore really drives this point home. She makes the reader really relate. College students can especially relate. With all the dysfunction a college student endures with choosing what to do and then like Moore having second thoughts and changing their major. This story was witty and sarcastic. Leaving you with a perm-a-grin, because you can totally relate. The style of writing was som ething unusual for me to be reading but I greatly enjoyed it. Although weird it was intriguing.

Neorealism essays

Neorealism essays Neorealism and Beyond-Bicycle Thieves and La Strada Webster's Dictionary - neorealism: a movement especially in Italian filmmaking characterized by the simple direct depiction of lower-class life Neorealism was a style that overtly rejected the illusionism of Italian fascist and Hollywood film, rejecting certain dramatic and cinematic conventions in order to challenge the audience. Neorealist films often used location shooting, non professional actors, deep focus with long takes and/or camera movement, and approximate real time. The use of long takes and deep focus are used as a way to respect the spatial and temporal relations of the situation being filmed. Likewise, the films emphasizes relationship between characters and their economic, political, and physical environment and the personal impact of social conditions. Some critical work on Italian neorealism has pointed out its relationship to the neorealist literary movement from the same period, in which social reality is dealt with in an overtly symbolic or mythical sense. These books also tend to use unreliable narrators in way that distinguish these stories from traditional realist novels of the 19th century, and they used language and form in ways that were not simply mimetic or realist. Similarly cinematic neorealism showed situations taken from daily life and political reality, but also explored cinematic form and the differences between representation and reality (Bondanella). Looked at this way, the movement does not have to be set apart form the diversity of Italian filmmaking in the 50s and 60s, as it often is. For one thing, the central years of neorealist filmmaking from 1945 to 1953 also encompassed a wide range of styles and philosophies, although they were united by a certain drive toward a more honest and confrontational use of film to represent social relations in postwar Italy. These films tended to deal with basic issues of the period: the...

Creation of an International Criminal Court essays

Creation of an International Criminal Court essays Cases of genocide (the Holocaust or Rwanda), crimes against humanity, and serious war crimes are all reasons why diplomats from over 150 countries met in Rome on June 15 to finalize the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC). To this day the Rome Treaty has been signed by 139 countries and as of November 1, 2001 ratified by 43 of the countries. The United States has signed it but because of the controversy over the ICC it has not yet been ratified and probably never will be. The dream of an ICC will become a reality in the near future when the sixtieth country ratifies the treaty. The treaty is an important step towards institutionalizing the rule of law intentionally and breaking the cycle of impunity that too often benefits those who commit the worst atrocities (LCHR, (n.d.), summary 2). If this International Criminal Court does become a reality, it will be a permanent, treaty-based international tribunal that will bring to justice individuals, not countries, of those accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes. The ICC will complement existing national judicial systems and step in only if national courts are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute such crimes (CoE, 2001, 20). The potential impact of the ICC is enormous. By holding individuals personally accountable, the Court could be an extremely powerful deterrent to the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes that have plagued humanity during this century. Not only is the establishment of the Court an opportunity to provide critical redress to victims and survivors, but potentially to spare victims from the horrors of such atrocities in the future. If effective, the ICC will extend the rule of law internationally, impelling national systems to them selves investigate and prosecute the most heinous crimes thus strengthening those systems while guaranteeing that where they fail, the ICC can oper...

Create The Perfect Social Schedule With Social Templates [Demo] - CoSchedule Blog

Create The Perfect Social Schedule With Social Templates [Demo] Blog We all know better, compelling messages get more clicks, so why not share more of them, more often? In a recent survey, nearly 77% of you said you only share your content 1-3 times on social media! Get more engagement, social shares, and traffic out of your content with reusable social templates! Create the perfect social schedule with social templates. [Demo]Create The Perfect Social Schedule With Social Templates Schedule your social messages in bulk with reusable social templates, so you can share posts faster and drive more traffic to your blog. Never copy/paste again. Fill your entire social queue with social helpers, so you can focus on crafting quality messages that increase user engagement and clickthroughs. Keep your social schedule consistent by pre-planning days, weeks, and months in advance. Keep your social schedule consistent by pre-planning days, weeks, and months in advance.Create a Social Template in Your Calendar (1:55) (3:26) Create custom text and graphics for each social platform with  social helpers (5:10) How to add variety to your social template with social helpers (9:22)  Applying your first social template (11:33)  Customize and add variety to your social campaign by filling in your social helpers How Builds a Social Template for Their Own Editorial Calendar (16:54) (19:15)  How s marketing team customizes social helpers for each piece of content. Recommended Reading:  This Is The Social Media Posting Schedule That Will Boost Your Traffic By 192% in oneplace. Save 20 hrs this week alone and every weekafter. If youve ever kicked the tires on , nows the time to see what its reallylike. Schedule Your Demo Success! Your download should start shortly. Clean up the chaos with your editorial calendar! With , youll Save time with blogging, social, and email think HOURS every week Schedule your social posts in batches and increase your posting frequency super easily Get your sht together and hold yourself accountable to publishing like the boss you are! Now’s the perfect time to start your 14-day free trial to see for yourself! Start Your Free Trial

Financial Reporting Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Reporting Problem - Essay Example et, the receivables should then be reported, representing those items on the balance sheet that are expected to yield cash in the near future like the prepaid expenses or the inventory. Further, the money owed to the company by its debtors follows closely, being the total receivables reported for the period, that they will expect to be paid in the near future. To this end, cash and cash equivalents provide the liquid assets of the company and should have therefore have been outlined last in the balance sheet. The company’s assets are classified based on their liquidity and on whether they provide long term or short-term service to the company. On the aspect of liquidity, it is plausible to note that the least liquid assets have been placed together, including goodwill, long-term investments and deferred tax assets. On the other hand, receivables, which are more liquid are placed in the same class, which details the amounts of cash that the company anticipates to receive from debtors and operating activities of the company. These are items like the prepaid expenses, the deferred tax assets and inventory. Still, in terms of liquidity, it is notable to state that the most liquid assets have been recognized and placed in the same category in the uppermost part of the balance sheet. In terms of the extent of service anticipated, the company’s assets are also classified in terms of whether they provide long-term usefulness or help the company meet its short-term obligations. In t his perspective, it would be important to note that the fixed or non-current assets have been classified in the same way, while the current assets are also placed in the same category. Cash equivalents are a class of assets on the balance sheet, which represent a category of investments on which the company is able to derive term payments, mostly known as interest. This amount of money paid as interest is calculated as a percentage of the money committed as an investment by the company,

Accommodations and Modifications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accommodations and Modifications - Assignment Example Accommodations and modification have been helpful when administering instructions and assessment for students with special needs. This is because accommodations strategies are designed to meet the needs of every individual that ensures equal delivery, as well as standard academic contents. In this research work, the student with specific learning disability (SLD) will be considered. This disability makes the victim to have difficulty in understanding and acquiring language both written and spoken. In addition, being a student learning English as a second language, the student also has a disability of English learning. In specific, the student suffering from this disorder has problems of listening, spelling, writing, speaking and performing complicated puzzles together with doing mathematics (Beech 23). Such student can be supported by the use of the accommodation and modification. This strategy is organized into four categories namely presentation, response, scheduling, and setting. Presentation involves setting the student to access the relevant information. Since this student has difficulty in reading, instructions and assessment can be administered in form of illustrations and graphics such as audio, visual, or tactile. However, this approach cannot be effective in some cases where the information to be relayed cannot be either graphed or illustrated. Additionally, preparing theses illustrations and graphics is difficult and time consuming. For response, the student can be introduced to alternative ways of responses as opposed to the conventional ways such as writing, speaking, and drawing. The alternative methods of response, that student should be introduced to include scribes, computers, or word processors, braille, and word prediction software. Other alternative methods of response are voice recorders, portable sound recording

People, Management & Organisations Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

People, Management & Organisations - Case Study Example It is clear from the case study that Cox’s Container Company is suffering from several internal issues related to the workplace culture and organizational behaviour. It is highly important for an organization to adopt and implement effective change management process in order to overcome the current issues and challenges. However, it is highly important for the Cox’s Container Company to implement change management process in the organizational culture in order to enhance strategy development and decision making process. In addition to this, it will help the organization to overcome the current issues that is affecting the profitability and business performance of the organization. This case analysis will outline and analyze the current internal issues and problems related to the organizational structure, organizational behaviour and work culture of the company. In addition to this, this report will discuss about motivation and change management theory that can be imple mented in the management of the organization in order to overcome the issues. Lastly, the study will provide some recommendation plans in order to overcome the current issues. Being one of the leading and profitable organizations, the management of the Cox’s Container Company failed to overcome the organizational behaviour related issue. The organization was founded by Harold Cox. This part of study will outline and analyze the problems that are affecting the business performance of the organization. The management of the organization was following family ownership structure. It can be considered as the consideration, adoption and implementation of the centralized decision making process. The organization faced several issues due to the adoption of centralized decision making process. It is highly important for an organization to ensure effective strategy development and decision making process in order to overcome the issues (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010, p.73). Poor

The Flight from Conversation by Sherry Turkle Essay

The Flight from Conversation by Sherry Turkle - Essay Example The researcher states that Sherry Turkle says that people assume the constant connection to digital devices is similar to having a real conversation but this is not the case. In her analyses, she feels that people have forgotten the value of face-to-face communication to grow as individuals. This creates a sense of loneliness even if one is connected to many people through technology; hence, it remains a lonely situation because there is no deep connection and trust built through online contacts. I partially agree with Turkle’s opinion because the constant use of technology has reduced the need for face-to-face conversations. Turkles argues that technology today has engulfed every part of people’s lives and face-to-face relations are already forgotten. It is clear that at home, at work, among friends, and anywhere people are the habit of â€Å"alone together† is more appreciated. This means that people do not meet with each other but connect through mobile phones and other digital devices only a scenario where people are with each other and elsewhere at the same time connected through technology. Turkle asserts that the young people are especially engulfed with technology without taking time to relate through oral conversations. Nevertheless, they are not the only ones, as Turkle claims that even business people, mothers at home, and even children we are all consumed with technology â€Å"each of us is in our own bubble†. Turkle believes that this behavior is rampant because people like to be in control, just pay attention to only what they want, and manage the communication. She argues that face to face communication develops slowly, requires patient, and one is not in control, even in instances when it becomes boring, therefore, many try to avoid it. People assume that in the real world nobody listens, while technology like social media connects a person to many others. In this way, people feel they will be heard, focus on what the y want, and do have to be lonely. Turkle posits that this technology separates people instead of uniting them and therefore, it is important to start listening to one another. Critical Evaluation I largely agree with Turkle that technology has engulfed the society and has changed how people communicate since it is common to see people with cell phones all the time while eating, reading, and in social events. It is true that technology separates people because by being engaged with the technological devices such as phones or computers all the time implies that one has less time connecting with people in the real world. The mode of communication a decade ago is extremely different from modern times considering that chatting and emailing especially on social media is a common norm for many people whether in workplaces, in school, or even at home. Young people are especially vulnerable to technology since they have grown in an era where technology is everywhere, and to make it worse sti ll many of these kids search for homework material or assignments from the internet and not in books. Group discussions are less common today in school than it was years ago because many would rather be on their iPads. Personally, being one of the users of technology in many aspects of my life, I always carry my cell phone everywhere I go to ensure that I do not miss a call, tweet or a text from friends. Having a cell phone is a usual habit for many people since it is easy to use, convenient, and above all, it is always available when needed.

Economic Perspective of the Liancourt Rock Dispute Research Paper

Economic Perspective of the Liancourt Rock Dispute - Research Paper Example The claims of sovereignty over the offshore territory where the islands are lying are mostly triggered by the economic value of the islands and its surrounding amenities. The area was found to be rich in aquatic or marine animals that are a potential source of income. The economic value of the area is said to be realest reason why both countries, Japan and South Korea, are very effortful in acquiring control over these areas. What are Liancourt Rocks? These are actually bundled formations of small islets that are mostly composed of rock formations. For the Japanese, the Islands are called â€Å"Takeshima† and for Koreans, it is called â€Å"Dokno†. These islands are havened in the Sea of Japan. The islands are situated around 87 kilometers in the eastern part of Ulleung Island, a South Korean island; 157 kilometers in the Northwestern portions of Oki Islands in Japan. The area is very pristine and is mostly uninhabited. 2 What are the economic values of Liancourt Rocks? One of the probable reasons of the dispute that led to the conflict between these two nations, with regards to the sovereignty and control over the islets, would be its economic values. ... n this law, â€Å"Parties to UNCLOS are entitled to as much as 200 nautical miles†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , (equivalent to 370.4 kms), â€Å"..of maritime and jurisdictional exclusivity†. To discuss this topic thoroughly, it is ideal to divide these economic benefits in two: first, the economic benefit brought about by the â€Å"establishment of sovereignty†; second, the natural benefits of the islets, either direct or indirect. First, an establishment of sovereignty over an offshore territory, as stated above, will eventually grant a certain nation a control to the seas that are legally part of their territory and would therefore give them an exclusive economic zone or EZZ. What is exclusive economic zone? This is a right of a country to perform economic operations in different forms like exclusive fishing and mining operations on the seabed. Seen this way, certain holes revealed that these two contesting nations are grimly pouring all their efforts to gain sovereignty over the islets so that they can make use of the islets to boost their economy. This will serve both countries economically. However, this remains an unresolved issue for the mean time for the reason that South Korea and Japan are discussing the arguments with too much friction. 3 What are the economic benefits of EZZ? Certainly, EZZ would bring a great impact to the economy of a certain country. If you cogitate on the idea that a country will have an exclusive access and use on all resources that can be found within the offshore territory, there is a great chance to generate and exhaust these natural resources and be utilized as economic boosters. In 1998, the Korea-japan fisheries agreement had set a parameter that considers the waters surrounding the Liancourt Rocks as a â€Å"neutral territory† which means that in an

Physical Chemistry Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Physical Chemistry - Lab Report Example Technically, incorporation of lead into the brass increases the mechanical properties the alloy. On the other hand, substantial concentration of copper imparts germicidal and antimicrobial properties into the brass alloyi. In laboratory settings, methods used to quantitatively determine the amounts of heavy elements in alloys include Gravimetric analysis, Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, and Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy among others. Each of these quantitative determination methods possesses particular advantages, setbacks, and accuracy and precision levels. In the experiment, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy was used to measure the amounts of lead and copper in brass. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy is a versatile quantitative technique capable of analyzing presence of over 70 elements. Technically, this technique functions by exploiting the atomization properties in form of electronic transition of elements’ atoms in gaseous phases. After atomization, light absorption level of atoms is detected and Beer’s law of absorbance vs. concentration is used to determine the quantity of analytes in the atomized samples. Besides Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy, the experiment employed Gravimetric analysis in the determination of lead in brass. Despite being one of the oldest methods in quantitative analysis, the gravimetric technique remains accurate and precise when used for determination of metals with insoluble salts like lead. Finally, the experiment employed Anodic Stripping Voltammetry in determination of copper. Anodic Stripping Voltammetry relies on the electric conductivity of analytes, and is specifically suited for quantitative analysis of minute traces of heavy metalsii. Subsequent sections of this lab report contain procedural steps, results and discussions pertaining to application of the three aforementioned quantitative determination techniques. Based on theoretical procedures provided, stock solutions of unknown brass,

Economic Perspective of the Liancourt Rock Dispute Research Paper

Economic Perspective of the Liancourt Rock Dispute - Research Paper Example The claims of sovereignty over the offshore territory where the islands are lying are mostly triggered by the economic value of the islands and its surrounding amenities. The area was found to be rich in aquatic or marine animals that are a potential source of income. The economic value of the area is said to be realest reason why both countries, Japan and South Korea, are very effortful in acquiring control over these areas. What are Liancourt Rocks? These are actually bundled formations of small islets that are mostly composed of rock formations. For the Japanese, the Islands are called â€Å"Takeshima† and for Koreans, it is called â€Å"Dokno†. These islands are havened in the Sea of Japan. The islands are situated around 87 kilometers in the eastern part of Ulleung Island, a South Korean island; 157 kilometers in the Northwestern portions of Oki Islands in Japan. The area is very pristine and is mostly uninhabited. 2 What are the economic values of Liancourt Rocks? One of the probable reasons of the dispute that led to the conflict between these two nations, with regards to the sovereignty and control over the islets, would be its economic values. ... n this law, â€Å"Parties to UNCLOS are entitled to as much as 200 nautical miles†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , (equivalent to 370.4 kms), â€Å"..of maritime and jurisdictional exclusivity†. To discuss this topic thoroughly, it is ideal to divide these economic benefits in two: first, the economic benefit brought about by the â€Å"establishment of sovereignty†; second, the natural benefits of the islets, either direct or indirect. First, an establishment of sovereignty over an offshore territory, as stated above, will eventually grant a certain nation a control to the seas that are legally part of their territory and would therefore give them an exclusive economic zone or EZZ. What is exclusive economic zone? This is a right of a country to perform economic operations in different forms like exclusive fishing and mining operations on the seabed. Seen this way, certain holes revealed that these two contesting nations are grimly pouring all their efforts to gain sovereignty over the islets so that they can make use of the islets to boost their economy. This will serve both countries economically. However, this remains an unresolved issue for the mean time for the reason that South Korea and Japan are discussing the arguments with too much friction. 3 What are the economic benefits of EZZ? Certainly, EZZ would bring a great impact to the economy of a certain country. If you cogitate on the idea that a country will have an exclusive access and use on all resources that can be found within the offshore territory, there is a great chance to generate and exhaust these natural resources and be utilized as economic boosters. In 1998, the Korea-japan fisheries agreement had set a parameter that considers the waters surrounding the Liancourt Rocks as a â€Å"neutral territory† which means that in an

Old house Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Old house - Essay Example Today, people are able to communicate with the rest of the world instantly and can operate from anywhere in the world as there are faster modes of transport that move people from one place to another. Most people depend on the modern appliances to survive as it proves to be easy and time consuming to use them. For example the emergence of the microwave has made people become lazy as they use it t cook and warm food. One day after ten thousand years, someone will discover my house that was buried six feet below the ground. The house will be in a bad state but will still be intact. Upon entry, one is welcomed by a bad odour and this is due to the rotten and spoilt items in the house. On the walls hang pictures of my family and the rewards I won when I was a college student. One cannot help but notice a wall clock that is not functional. In addition, there are wall writings as well as different arts from different people. Most of the items in the old house will represent the kind of life the people in that generation had. For instance, the presence of the old television and a home theatre that stands at one corner of the living room. My home theatre is infested with insecticides and is worn out. The home theatre is one of the gadgets that almost every home had. The remote lies next to the television and one can barely see the wordings on top of it and at the look at the batteries, they are worn ou t. Moreover, the presence of an air condition shows that at the time, people used the machine to regulate the amount of heat in the house. This is proof that during summer, when it was hot people made their lives cool by using the air condition. Moreover, there was the refrigerator. On opening it, nothing was inside apart from a bad smell that came out of it. People used the fridge to store and conserve food to be used later. Because of the busy work schedules, people used to prepare food and store in the fridge.

Web Database Based Inventory System

Web Database Based Inventory System Web database based inventory system is for management of items, orders, customers and payment. This system helps in Stock management, payment, and orders. This system allows conducting payment for customers and for ordered items in the purchase order. The main objective of this project is about the design of Web-based inventory system. Bakery feyasse use traditional paper based inventory system to manage his information concerning customer, ordered item, item and payment. There are several problems with this system such as time consuming, hard labour and sometimes lost of information. The sales growth and order misplacement cause a great deal of work for Bakery Feyasse. The manual system is prone to errors resulting major complaints from customers. The volume of data and complexity of analysis to be conducted seems overwhelming using their manual system which sometimes raises suspicions of returned results which are also difficult to correct or verify. After careful investigation, discussion thorough analysis of existing method, it was agreed that a new effective system is required to solve Bakery Feyasse problems. After reviewing the possible design choices, it was decided that MySQL database and PHP script language is the best economical fit for Bakery Feyasse system in terms of cost, ease of maintenance, interface design and upgradability using Microsoft windows platform. The database would be link to the companys website via PHP script language. The online server will enable employee to enter, create, update and delete information online. 1.1. Project objectives 1. To create a system that will assist the Bakery employee at their different task 2. To explore the ideas involved in the development of a web database inventory site. This web database inventory system will include the main function as following: Select data from database Update information into the database Delete information from database And add information into database The objectives of this project are: Design a relational database Implement this database Testing the new system Evaluate the system 1.2. Personal objectives My personal objective for this project is to complete the project on time. I set up a monthly time table to carry out different task. My enthusiasm is that after completing this project. I will gain more knowledge in computer technology. To enable me to succeed this project, I used the skills I gain last year in MySQL, and SQL. I also learn how to create a dynamic web site which I did not know. I learn new script language which is PHP. 1.2. 1. Career objectives Gain my BSc Honours Degree. Gain more skills in Programming language, Computing science and Information Systems Technologies. 1.2. 2. Academic objectives 1.Learn programming language such as PHP and MySQL Learn how to use PHP script language to create a form to retrieve information from website Learn how to connect MySQL Database with dynamic Website How to use PHP code to retrieve information from MySQL database How to create HTML form How to use HTML form to retrieve information from database How to create database table using MySQL application. 1.3. Project Limitations I am entirely conscious that my assignment is to create a web database system which is not an easy task and I am also aware of the short I have got to accomplish this task. So the time is my target. I am thinking of finish on time. Time management has been considered because; I also got one exam to prepare. 1.4. Gantt chart 1.5. Literature review At the start of my project, the researches have been made to gathering information because many activities go into the development of a new system. Understanding system requirements, choosing database-tier software, designing databases, and building the tier are the first steps in successful web database application development. The following issues have been explored: Information System Analysis Database Database management systems Database Server Database tier Information Systems Analysis System Analysis System Design This phase show how the system run. Prototype This phase will enable the employee to understand the functionality of the new system. Implementation Development of the new system Testing The new system is tested in order to verify its functions Database A database is a collection of related data. The data stored is rows, which make up a simple customers, items, orders and payment details. Database Management System Database Management System enables the users to retrieve relevant information. It refers to information infrastructures that compose of relevant information. Database system creates and maintains a database and enables individual business application to extract the data in order to create report. Database server Database server is a system designed to manipulate the database. Its function is to store, retrieve, and manage information. Its plays an important role in web services and provides the n-tier connection through the Internet users via their web browser. Database tier Database tier is the base of a web database application. In a three-tier architecture application, the database tier manages the data. The data management typically includes storage and retrieval of data, as well as managing updates, access by more than one middle-tier process, providing security, ensuring the integrity of data, and providing support services such as data backup. 1.6. Technical review The web based database inventory system is creating using MySQL application and PHP script language. The interface of the system is developed with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). The system is accessible anywhere that have access to Internet. 1.6.1. Wed Based Database Systems development tools Dreamweaver CS3 Dreamweaver CS3 Dreamweaver is a full-featured Web application development tool. Its features not only assist with creation and editing Web pages, but also with managing and maintaining the entire Web site. MySQL MySQL implies the Client /Server architecture, which compose of a server process and client process. A server process manages the logical database management. A sever process takes of how the data is stored and organized. The client process would be described as process that accesses the server in order to store, retrieve, update and alter the database schema. SQL SQL (Structured Query Language) SQL used to communicate with most databases. You can manage your database, retrieve data from it, or add data to it using SQL queries. You build and send an SQL query to the database. The database responds by performing the action defined by the query or, if the database is unable to perform the requested operation, its returns error message with information about the problem. Cold Fusion ColdFusion is a tagged language, developed by Macromedia, who is also the developer of Dreamweaver. A stand-alone Web server is also included as part of ColdFusion. The stand-alone server is fine development, but you should use a more powerful Web site. ASP ASP Application Server Pages (ASP) is Microsoft technology. It built into IIS (Internet Information Server).When you use ASP technology; you have your choice of languages VBScript or JScript. When you set up your Dreamweaver site, you specify which language you want to use. 1.6.2. Web Based Database development technologies PHP PHP is a Scripting Language that is interpreted on the web server before the webpage is sent to a web browser to be displayed. This can be seen in the expanded PHP recursive acronym  PHP-Hypertext  Pre-processor. 1.7. Technologies used 1.7.1. PHP and MySQL PHP and MySQL work in combination, where the database is MySQL and the script language is PHP. How PHP and MySQL work together? PHP collect information and MySQL store information. PHP will create retrieve information form for the system, but MySQL keep the information in a format PHP. 1.7.2. Why use PHP and MySQL PHP and MySQL combine together make easy the development of a dynamic Web page. HTML creates useful web pages with the addition of PHP and MySQL where you can collect information. 1. 8. Methodologies Approach 1.8.1. Prototyping Prototyping is most appropriate methodology for systems that include data querying, online data updating, and on-line data reporting functions. It is used to create appropriate data access interfaces for users and to help identify the capabilities that users wants in the system, such as the options on a menu used by the a system. 1.8.2. Rapid Application Development Its basic process is to get systems personnel and users together in formal meetings, where they rapidly develop systems that provide users with their information needs. 1.8.3. Chosen Methodology Prototyping Methodology Development choice has been influenced by several factors: 1. Clarify the user requirements 2. Familiarity with the base technology 3. System complexity 4. Need for the system reliability 5. Time pressure 6. Need to see progress on the time schedule. 7. And when timelines are short because they best enable me to adjust the functionality in the system on the basis of a specific delivery date. CHAPTER 2 ANALYSIS 2.1. Bakery Feyasse profile Bakery Feyasse is a Bakery that was created by Malan Kouao in 1988. The business started in 1988 with one Bakery and after continuous progress a second Bakery has been created in 2008. The diagram below show the Bakery Structure Production manager Sale manager Manager Chairman Department manager Department manager Department manager Fig: Bakerys Feyasse structure 2.2. Existing system (appendices) The Bakery use traditional paper based where the employee checks the availability of the items by querying the items books, and fills the book by using paper and pen. Moreover the ordering process is made by pen and hand and it is time consuming to contact the production and it causes slow moving for the customer order and there is risk of mistake caused by the employee. All employee access the same data, share the same information .The salesperson check the availability of the items by querying the production department. The production department check the availability of the items from the book register manually. After knowing the availability, he fills up the availability book manually so that the salesperson will know which item is available. The account manager checks the stock items manually in order to re order the product. The information about the item, the customers, and the suppliers is kept in a temporary contact book 2.2. Current Systems The proposed system is a web based inventory system. The staff of each department can work peacefully at their department. The system allows the staff to fill up the order payment, the order, the item order form. The objective of the new system is to create an online access database to store all data concerning the Bakery. The main activities performed by the system are. The system provides data processing and storage. The system display system functionality. The system functionality is accessible by clicking selected task. The system will allow the staff to insert information through the selected page. The system will allow the staff to cancel information. The system will allow the staff to process a payment. The system will allow the staff to update information. 2.2.1. Benefits with current system 1. To increase the good organisation in item availability, customers details, orders, ordered items and payment data inputting by using database system. 2. Salespersons will be able to view the list of items produced by the production department anytime 3. Customers details can be kept 4. Order can be kept for future monthly report. System Requirement Analysis At this stage I met the user to obtain a detailed understanding of Bakery needs. A functional specification, process model, logical model are defined. Analysis of the problem where Bakery Feyasse try to find a solution with the new system Defining the problem Identify the problem causes Specifying the solution Identifying the users requirements, And identifying new opportunity for using new technology 2.2. Users Requirements Define the objectives of the new system and develop a detailed description of the function that the new system will perform The system provides data processing and storage. The system display system functionality. The system functionality is accessible by clicking selected task. The system allows the staff to insert information through the selected page. The system allows the staff to cancel information. The system allows the staff to process a payment. The system allows the staff to update information. The manager shall be able to do the job of the salesperson 2.3. System Specification The system would enable end-users (employee) to create, update information All information about customer, item, order and payment will be stored in a database, which the web database inventory system will display through different interfaces Allows the deletion and appends information Facility to query the database Enables the manipulation of sales activities Tracking user activities using the system 2.4. Use Cases Select order/customer details Add order/customer details Delete order/customer details Update order/customer details Use cases description (appendices) CHAPTER 3DESIGN 3.1. Architectural Design Logical design Physical design 3.1.1. Entities and Attributes Bakery Feyasse will have a relational database system with the following entities and attributes. customer (cust_id, cust_name, cust_address,cust_city) order(order_id,cust_id*,item_id*, quantity,item_price, total_price) payment(order_id*,payment_id, payment_type, payment_description, amount) item(item_id ,item_name, item_price, item_description) 3.1.2. Connecting To Database In order to issue MySQL data manipulation statements, we must specify a username, a password and a database to use. This information will have been provided by your systems adminsistrator. If you are running MySQL yourself, then skip ahead to the section on  Creating a Database in Part 6   then come back to this point. Either way you should now have in your possession a database name, a valid password for that database and a password. For the purposes of these workshops the following example values will be used. Database Name vworksDB Valid MySQL Username vworks Password mypass In order to log into MySQL correctly we must pass information to the MySQL client program when we start it. This is done with the following commands and syntax. $ mysql -u -p 3.1.2. Database Design using MySQL MySQL database is made up of database which contains tables. A table is a section of the database for storing information. mysql> show columns from item; ++-++++-+ | Field | Type | Null | Key | Default | Extra | ++-++++ | item_id | int(11) | NO | PRI | NULL | auto_increment | | item_name | varchar(50) | YES | | NULL | | | item_price | float(6,2) | YES | | NULL | | | item_description | text | YES | | NULL | | ++-++++-+ mysql> show columns from order; a refaire +-+-++++-+ | Field | Type | Null | Key | Default | Extra | ++-++++-+ | order_id | int(11) | YES | | NULL | | | item_id | varchar(50) | YES | | NULL | | | quantity | int(11) | YES | | NULL | | | item_price | float(6,2) | YES | | NULL | | | total_price | float(6,2) | YES | | NULL | | +-+-++++- mysql> show columns from customer; ++-++++-+ | Field | Type | Null | Key | Default | Extra | ++-++++-+ | cust_id | int(11) | NO | PRI | NULL | auto_increment | | cust_name | varchar(20) | YES | | NULL | | | cust_address | varchar(20) | YES | | NULL | | | cust_city | varchar(25) | YES | | NULL | | | cust_phone | varchar(25) | YES | | NULL | | ++-++++-+ mysql> show columns from payment; ++-++++ | Field | Type | Null | Key | Default | Extra ++-++++ | payment_id | int(11) | NO | PRI | NULL | auto_increment | order_id | int(11) | YES | | NULL | | order_date | date | YES | | NULL | | payment_type | varchar(10) | YES | | NULL | | payment_description | varchar(20) | YES | | NULL | | amount | float(6,2) | YES | | NULL | ++-++++ 3.4. Database Normalisation (Appendices) 1NF customer(cust_id,cust_name,cust_address,cust_city) order (order_id, cust_id*,item_id*, quantity, item_price,total_price) payment(order_id*,payment_id,payment_type,payment_description,amount) 2NF customer(cust_id,cust_name,cust_address,cust_city) order (order_id,cust_id*,quantity,total_price) payment(order_id*,payment_id,payment_type,payment_description,amount) item(item_id ,item_name, item_price,item_description) 3NF customer(cust_id,cust_name,cust_address,cust_city) ordered_item(order_id,quantity,total_price) payment(order_id*,payment_id,amount) item(item_id ,item_name, item_price, item_description) payment_type(payment_type,payment_description) 3.5. Entity Relationship There are three kinds of relationship. One-to-one relationship means that one of each thing is used in the relationship One-to-many relationship means one row in one table is linked to many row in another table. Many-to-many relationship means many rows in one table are linked to many rows in another table. 3.5. SQL QUERIES Talking to Databases Using SQL SQL is an abbreviation for Structured Query Language. It is a surprising natural language that allows us to talk to relational databases, such as MySQL, to request and modify data. It also allows us to get information about and modify the framework that contains the data, databases themselves, and tables within them. The queries formed with SQL can range from the simple to the very complex, which makes it an extremely powerful tool for working with data Inserting, Updating, Selecting and Deleting. Insert data into database table The INSERT INTO statement is used to add new record in a table. Syntax INSERT INTO table_name VALUES (value1, value2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) [reference] mysql> INSERT INTO CUSTOMERS VALUES( -> 10,Gnahore Hortense,34 webster road,Bermondsey), -> (11,Kouakou Nkruma,10 salisbury court,London); mysql> SELECT * FROM CUSTOMERS; ++++ | CustID | NAME | ADDRESS | CITY ++++ | 10 | Gnahore Hortense | 34 webster road | Bermondsey | 11 | Kouakou Nkruma | 10 salisbury court | London ++++ Select data from a database table. The SELECT statement is used to select data from a database. Syntax SELECT column_name [reference] FROM table_name mysql> SELECT * FROM CUSTOMERS; ++++ | CustID | NAME | ADDRESS | CITY ++++ | 10 | Gnahore Hortense | 34 webster road | Bermondsey | 11 | Kouakou Nkruma | 10 salisbury court | London ++++ Update data in a database existing records in a table. The UPDATE statement is used to modify data in a table. Syntax UPDATE table_name SET column1=value, column2=value2à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [Reference] WHERE some_column=some_value. mysql> UPDATE CUSTOMERS -> SET ADDRESS =45 clement road -> WHERE CustID =11; Delete data in a database The DELETE FROM statement is used to delete records from a database. Syntax DELETE FROM table_name WHERE some_column= some value [reference] 3.6. Web Database Structure Home page Description of home page: 3.6.1. Menu structure BAKERY FEYASSE MAIN MENU CUSTOMER ITEM ORDER PAYMENT Page description: 3.6.1.1. Order page structure BAKERY FEYASSE ORDER SELECT ORDER ADD ORDER UPDATE ORDER DELETE ORDER Page description: 3.6.1.2. Select Order page 3.6.1.3. Add Order Page 3.6.1.4. Update Order page 3.6.1.5. Delete Order page SQL is not exclusive to MySQL, nor should it be mistaken as being a part of PHP. Its also not the only database query language out there. It is, however, the most popular. If you learn how to speak SQL, that knowledge translates to a range of other popular database products. Working with Existing Databases through PHP Whether you are using PHP and MySQL, or another combination, the same basic procedure for working with a database applies. First, a connection to the database server is established. This connection usually lasts for the lifetime of the running script. Additionally, as you will later see, there are instances where they can be contiguous across scripts. Next, a specific database is selected to work with. Only one database at a time can be selected per connection, but you can switch to different databases without terminating the connection. You can also have multiple connections established within the script, each with an independent selected database. Finally, once you have a connection established and a database selected, you can begin to work with the tables within them by using SQL to issue various commands. Data can be retrieved, added, modified, or deleted, and changes can be made to the selected database itself. When finished, the connection to the database server is terminated manually with mysql_close(), or automatically with the end of the script. Lets take a closer look at each step separately Things to Remember MySQL is a popular relational database product SQL is a language used to communiate with MySQL (and other databases). It allows information to be retrevied, modified, and deleted. It also provides a means to modify databases and tables. Databases are similiar to associative arrays. Each database can contain one or more tables. Each table is composed of records divided into fields. Working with a database through a PHP script follows this basic process: Connect to the server, select a database, perform any queries on the database, close the connection. SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE make up SQLs data manipulation commands. The data retreived from a table can be limited in different ways: Specific columns can be returned by including them within the query, the WHERE clause can be used to to include or exclude specific records, and LIMIT can cap the number of entries that are returned. Results can be sorted using the ORDER BY clause. By default, String Type fields are sorted alphabetically; Numeric Type fields are sorted from smallest to largest. When creating a new table in a database, a unique table name must be specified. In addition, a name, field type, and length are defined for each column in the table. In almost every case, a table should have an AUTO_INCREMENT Primary ID column defined. All of PHPs MySQL handling functions return FALSE if there is an error in the query or the query fails. Using mysql_error() returns the exact error reported by MySQL. Connecting to MySQL Just like a multi-user computer system or an FTP server, MySQL allows different user accounts to be established with individual levels of access. To establish a connection to MySQL, three pieces of information are required: the hostname of the database server, the username for the account, and the associated password. This information is passed to the mysql_connect() function, which attempts to establish the connection: $connect = mysql_connect(hostname,username,password); The function returns a value TRUE on success, and FALSE on failure, so it is useful (though not necessary) to assign the function to a variable. In the above example, $connect is used. It can be evaluated to avoid performing any additional queries if the connection attempt failed: if ($connect==FALSE) { print Database connection failed; exit; } It is also useful to store the results in a variable because the function returns a unique connection identifier upon success. The variable then can be passed to any of PHPs MySQL handling functions (typically as the second parameter) to specify that  this  database connection should be used, as opposed to any other active ones within the script. Selecting a Database Once a connection is set up, the next step is to select a database. To do this, all that is needed is the name of an existing database: mysql_select_db(database); As with mysql_connect(), this function returns TRUE or FALSE depending on whether the database was successfully selected. To specify which connection the function should use, we can pass a connection identifier to the function: mysql_select_db(database,$connect); Without the second parameter, the function uses the database connection that was last established within the script. Querying the Database The mysql_query() function is essentially a PHP wrapper for performing SQL commands. Any valid and complete SQL statement can be passed as a parameter to this function. Four types of queries make up SQLs data manipulation statements. They are as follows: SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE. SELECT The SELECT query is used to retrieve data from one or more tables within a database. As youll learn later, we can also select data from multiple tables using Table Joins, but the simplest type of SELECT statement works with only one table at a time. The syntax looks like this: SELECT * FROM users Essentially, this statement says, Select all the fields in all the rows of the table called users. The asterisk is a wild card character that tells MySQL that it should grab anything available in the specified tables. To request this data from a PHP script, we pass the query to the mysql_query () function. Because we are expecting records to be returned from the database, the function must be assigned to a variable. The query is a string, so PHP requires it to be surrounded by quotes. (Variables are often passed as part of queries and SQL requires that string values in WHERE clauses and INSERT statements be surrounded with single quotes. Though single quotes can be used here, it is generally preferable to use double quotes for clarity.) $result = mysql_query (SELECT * FROM users); Just like mysql_connect () and mysql_select_db (), this function will return FALSE if there is an error in the SQL. If the function is successful, however, $result will hold a resource identifier. Because the variable just holds an identifier, we cannot get any of our records by outputting $result. To get the data, we need to pass the result to another PHP function, mysql_fetch_array (). This function returns an array of each record from a SELECT query, line by line. Unless you know for a fact that your query will only return a single record, it is advisable to use a while loop to itinerate through each row of the result set. The function maintains an internal place mark of which record it is on, so the loop will terminate once all of the records have been returned. Lets return to our sample database from the start of the article and the select statement above to see how you would output the data: while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   print $row[id].,.$row[name].,.$row[email].; } Notice that the array indexes of $row match the column names of the table. The array generated by mysql_fetch_array() can optionally be an associative or a numeric array. By default, records are accessible by both types of keys. So, the id column (the first column in the table) can be accessed as $row[id] or $row[0]; INSERT INSERT is used to add a new record to a table. The syntax looks like this: mysql_query(INSERT INTO users (id,name,email) VALUES(,Name, [emailprotected]'); By now, the first part of this query should look fairly familiar to you. It begins with the SQL command we are going to perform, in this case INSERT. Because we are inserting a new record, INTO is included, followed by the name of the table we are adding it to. The first set of parentheses surrounds a list of the fields within the table. These must be listed in the same order that they occur in the actual table. The second portion defines the values that are going to be added. They must match the order of the fields within the query and the table for them to be inserted in the proper location. Like the field names, SQL requires that each value be surrounded by quotes, because they are strings. If there is no value to be inserted, the position for the value must still be reserved by using empty quotes. If you are inserting values for all of the fields, the field listing may be left out: mysql_query(INSERT INTO users VALUES(,Name, [emailprotected]'); MySQL will insert the values into the columns in the order that they appear. UPDATE So far weve covered sele

Veronica Decides To Die :: essays research papers

What is reality? Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary defines it as: something that exists independently of ideas concerning it; something that exists independently of all other things and from which all other things derive; something that constitutes a real or actual thing, as distinguished from something that is merely apparent. So, what defines reality? I mean can anyone, in all honesty, construct a concrete reproduction in which to turn and point proclaiming once and for all, â€Å"There, I give you reality in the flesh.† The answer simply is no. For as, the character, Dr. Igor stated â€Å". . . Other things, however, become fixed because more and more people believe that’s the way they should be (167).† Reality is nothing more than a socially accepted opinion – a perception inherently subjective. This very principle is the driving force behind Paulo Coelho’s introspective novel, Veronica Decides To Die. Veronica Decides to Die is an interesting story about a young woman called "Veronica" who wants to die but her suicide is not successful and she finds herself in "Villet", a place for the both the insane, as well as, the sane. Although she insists on pursuing the end she has chosen, some events, relationships, and her doctor's trick changes her view toward life. This novel is colored by the author's intimate knowledge of the world of mental hospitals, the relationships, and the comfort and anxiety of living in such a place. Coelho’s story of insanity and madness in contrast to the monotony of life provokes the feeling of self-discovery and the power of challenging all limitations and traditions. In this atmosphere created by Coelho, you learn that being different doesn't mean being mad and you understand that reality is something the majority deems to be, not necessary the best or the most logical one. It is in the vivid moments of Veronica Decides To Die that you can feel love and religious beliefs are the most important feelings one can have in one's life. You also recognize how one can stop one's feelings like fear, hatred and love and let them emerge in a way which makes one fresh without any "vitrol" (mind's bitterness), the poison believed to be the cause of insanity. Paulo Coelho first won my heart with his work entitled, The Alchemist, and with Veronica Decides To Die he secured a permanent place there. I must say that this particular novel was, at times, hard for me to read – not for any technical fault on Coelho’s part – because the story being told in many ways is my life.

Educational Goals and Philosophies Essay -- Education Teaching Philoso

Educational Goals and Philosophies For the past seven years, I have had the same dream - to someday be a high school math teacher. I am finally on my way to turning that dream into a reality. Along the way, I am learning a lot of things and forming a number of opinions. One of the main areas in which I am forming new beliefs is in relation to what methods I will use in teaching my class and what aspects of what philosophies I will employ. First of all, however, I must reach the point where I have a class to teach. How am I going to reach my goal of becoming a teacher? I believe I am taking the most important step right now by attending a good college where I am gaining further knowledge in many areas, especially math and education, as well as gaining practical experience in the public school system. At the present time, it is not my plan to attend graduate school. Since I took some extra time to earn an Associate of Arts in Bible, I will have already been in college for five years when I graduate, and I am eager to get out there and start teaching now. Math teachers are in short supply right now, and if I am able to get a good teaching position with only a Bachelor of Science, I would rather do that than continue on with further schooling. I know that teachers with their Master’s Degree make more money, but I am not worried about money. If I were, I would not become a teacher. I want to teach because I love math, I love to be able to help other people, and I love young pe ople. I realize that if I decide to teach college level math someday, I will need to go to graduate school, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it if I ever do. At the moment, it is just my desire to teach high school. When I am teaching in a high school someday, what philosophies will be evident in my classroom? What methods will I use to reach my students? In my present education, I am beginning to think carefully and deeply about these issues. From what I have read and learned and from comparing various philosophies with each other, I have come to realize that I am a strong essentialist, and I also see many strong points in progressivism and behaviorism. Essentialism, made popular by William Bagley in the 1930’s, is the form of education most of us know well from our schooling experiences. It has also been called the â€Å"... ...ng that is based on behaviorist principles. Students work at their own pace to reach a certain goal. When they pass that phase, they move on to the next one; otherwise, they repeat it until they can reach the objective. Mastery learning often provides rewards or reinforcement. Programmed learning is a type of mastery learning in which students work with an interactive program on a computer. The material is broken into small portions, and the computer provides immediate feedback to the student’s answers. Students are able to work at a speed comfortable for them. I want to be the best possible teacher I can be. I want to communicate well with my students, and I want to be able to help them both now while they are in school and provide them with tools they will use when they are finished with school. In order to be a good teacher, I will use various methods and ideas from the philosophies of essentialism, progressivism, and behaviorism. I want to be open and willing to try new things and to always keep in mind the reason I became a teacher – to help my students learn math, in whatever way I can. When all is said and done, I want my grade as a teacher to be an â€Å"A.†

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 11~12

Eleven Catfish Catfish awoke to find a paint-spattered woman padding about the house in nothing but a pair of wool socks, in which she had stuck several sable brushes that delivered ochre, olive, and titanium white strokes to her calves whenever she moved. Canvases were propped on easels, chairs, counters, and windowsills – seascapes every one. Estelle moved from canvas to canvas, palette in hand, furiously painting details in the waves and beaches. â€Å"Y'all woke up inspired,† Catfish said. It was past dusk, they had slept away the daylight. Estelle painted by the light of fifty candles and the orange glow that washed from the open doors of the wood stove. Color correctness be damned, these paintings should be viewed by fire. Estelle stopped painting and raised her brush arm to cover her breasts. â€Å"They weren't finished. I knew something was missing when I painted them, but I didn't know what until now.† Catfish cinched his pants around his waist and walked shirtless among the paintings. The waves writhed with tail and scale and teeth and talon. Predator eyes shone out of the canvases, brighter, it seemed, than the candles that lit them. â€Å"You done painted that old girl in all of 'em?† â€Å"It's not a girl. It's male.† â€Å"How you know that?† â€Å"I know.† Estelle turned and went back to her painting. â€Å"I feel it.† â€Å"How you know it look like that?† â€Å"It does, doesn't it? It looks like this?† Catfish scratched the stubble on his chin and pondered the paintings. â€Å"Close. But it ain't a boy. That ol' monster the same one come after me an Smiley for catchin its little one.† Estelle stopped painting and turned to him. â€Å"You have to play tonight?† â€Å"In a little while.† â€Å"Coffee?† He stepped up to her, took the brush and palette from her, and kissed her on the forehead. â€Å"That sho' would be sweet.† She padded to the bedroom and came back wearing a tattered kimono. â€Å"Tell me, Catfish. What happened?† He was sitting at the table. â€Å"I think we done broke a record. I'm sore.† Estelle smiled in spite of herself, but pressed on. â€Å"What happened back then, in the bayou? Did you call that thing up out of the water somehow?† â€Å"What you thinkin, woman? I can do that, you think I be playin clubs for drinks and part the door?† â€Å"Tell me how you felt back then, when that thing came out of the swamp.† â€Å"Scared.† â€Å"Besides that.† â€Å"Wasn't nothing besides that. You heard it. Scared is all there is.† â€Å"You weren't scared after we got back here last night.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Neither was I. What did you feel back then? Before and after the thing came after you.† â€Å"Not like I'm feelin now.† â€Å"And how is that?† â€Å"I'm feelin real good to be here talkin to you.† â€Å"No kidding. Me too. How about back then?† â€Å"Stop doggin me, girl. I'll tell you. But I gots to go play in an hour and I don't know that I can.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"The Blues ain't on me. You done chased 'em off.† â€Å"I can throw you out in the cold without a shirt if you think it will help.† Catfish squirmed in his chair. â€Å"Maybe some coffee.† Catfish's Story After we gets some distance from whatever chasin us, we stop the Model T Ford and me and Smiley put that big ol' catfish thing in the backseat – his tail hangin out one side an' his head out't'other. Now this ain't at all what I expected, and Smiley ain't got the Blues on him, but I'm gettin me a grand case myself. Then I realizes we got us five hundred dollar coming, and them ol' Blues done melt right away. I say, â€Å"Smiley, I believes we should have us some celebratin, startin with some liquor and endin up with some fine Delta pussy. What you say?† Ol' Smiley, like usual, don't wanna piss on the parade, but bein who he is, he point out we aint got no money and Ida May don't approve of no pussy more'en a hundred yard from the house. But he feelin it too, I can tell, and before long we headed down a back road to find a bootlegger I know down there name of Elmore that sells to colored folk. That ol' white boy ain't got but two teeth, but he grindin 'em when we pulls up, all mad and wavin his shotgun like we come to bust up his still. I say, â€Å"Hey, Elmore, how your lovely wife and sister?† He say she fine, but lessin we shows some money quick, he gonna shoot him some niggers and get back to her before she cool off. â€Å"We a little short,† I say. â€Å"But we have us five hundred dollar come morning iffin you kind enough to give us a jug on credit.† An' then I shows him the catfish. That boy liked to shit his pants, and I was hopin he would, just to cover the smell comin off him natural, but instead he say, â€Å"I ain't waitin 'til mornin'. You want a jug, you give me a hunk o' that catfish right now. A big hunk.† Smiley and I thinks it over, and before long we got us a half-gallon of corn mash and ol' Elmore got hisself enough catfish to feed his wives and children and them-thats both for a week or more. Up the road a spell and this old whore name of Okra givin us the same speech about money, plus she sayin we need to take us a bath before she let us anywhere near her girls. And I comes back with the five-hundred-dollar story. She say five hundred dollar tomorrow and we can come in tomorrow, but if we want some pussy tonight, she want a hunk of that old catfish in the back. Them hos can eat some catfish too, I'm tellin you. I thought Smiley finally gettin the Blues on him when I hears him sayin how he give up a hundred dollar worth of catfish just for a bath. But that his choice. He wait in the car 'til I'm done and we head off to find a place to sleep 'til morning when we can cash in the fish. We pulls down a side road into some bushes, and we commencin to get us some sleep after a drink or two, when who come out the woods but a whole bunch of boys wearin them white sheets and pointy hoods, sayin, â€Å"Nigger, I guess you didn't read the sign.† And they tie us up to that ol' catfish and make us drag it back in the woods to a big ol' fire they got goin. That sho' a chill, I gots to tell you. To this day I can't walk by sheets hangin on a line without my backbone freeze up. I knows we sho' gonna die now, sayin my prayers and all best I can, while them boys kickin me in the mouth an' such while eatin catfish pieces what they roasted on sticks. Then I feels it and the kickin stops. I see ol' Smiley lyin in the dirt, coverin his head with his arms, one ol' bloody eye lookin' over at me. He feel it too. Them Klansmen staring into the woods like they long-lost momma gonna come out, big ol' grins on they faces, half of 'em rubbin they dicks through they pants. And she come out, all right. Big as a train, a howl like to make your ears bust and bleed. She take two of them in the first bite. I don't have to write Smiley no letter. Before we can say somethin, we up and runnin, still tied up to what left of that catfish carcass, running back for the road. We finds us a knife in the car and we gets loose lickety-split – Smiley crankin that ol' Model T and me behind the wheel workin the choke. Hollerin and screamin comin out the woods sounding like music now, them Klansmen gettin all eat up. Then it get quiet, just the sound of our breath and Smiley crankin the Model T. I'm yellin for him to hurry, I can hear that thing crashin though the woods. And finally, the Model T cranks over, but I can hardly hear it, 'cause that old dragon thing done broken out the woods and lets go a roar. I tells Smiley to get in, but he run back to the back of the car. â€Å"What you doing?† I say. â€Å"Five hundred dollar,† he say. And I see he throwing the catfish in the backseat. That stinky thing ain't nothin but a head now, so Smiley throw it in by hisself. Then he makes to jump on the running board and I looks over and he just snatched out the air. Gone. And them jaws coming down for the second time when I pull that ol' Model T in gear and take off. Smiley gone. Gone. Next day I find that white man say he pay five hundred dollar for the catfish, and he look at that big fish head and jus laugh at me. I say I lose the best friend I ever had, he better give me my goddamn money. But he laugh and tell me go away. So I hit him. Took that old fish head to court with me, but it don't make no difference. That judge give me six months in jail – hittin a white man and all. He tell the bailiff, â€Å"Take Catfish away.† They call me Catfish since. I don't tell the story no more, but the name still there. Had the Blues on me ever since, but they ain't no makin amends. By the time I get out, Ida May die of grief, and I ain't got a friend alive. Been on the road since. That thing on the beach, make that sound, she lookin for me. Catfish â€Å"It's a male,† Estelle said. She didn't know what else to say. â€Å"How you know?† â€Å"I know.† She took his hand. â€Å"I'm sorry about your friend.† â€Å"I just wanted him to get the Blues on him so we can make us a record.† They sat there at the table for a while, holding hands. Catfish let his coffee go cold in the cup. Estelle ran the story around in her head, both relieved and fearful that the shadows in her paintings now had a shape. Somehow, as fantastic as it was, Catfish's story seemed familiar. She said, â€Å"Catfish, did you ever read The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway?† â€Å"He that boy write about bullfights and fishing? I met him once, down Florida way. Why?' â€Å"You met him?† â€Å"Yeah, that sumbitch didn't believe that story neither. Said he like to fish, but he don't believe me. Why you ask?† â€Å"Never mind,† Estelle said. â€Å"If this thing eats people, don't you think we should report it?† â€Å"I been tellin folks about that monster for some fifty years, ain't no one believed me yet. Said I was the biggest liar ever come outta the Delta. I'd have me a big house and a stack of records if not for that. You call the law and tell them 'bout this, they gonna call you the crazy woman of Pine Cove.† â€Å"We already have one of those.† â€Å"Well, ain't no one gonna get eat but me, and if I lose this gig 'cause they thinkin I'm crazy, I have to be movin on then. You understand?† Estelle took Catfish's cup from the table and placed it in the sink. â€Å"You'd better get ready to go play.† Twelve Molly To distract herself from the dragon next door, Molly had put on her sweats and started to clean her trailer. She got as far as filling three black trash bags with junk food jetsam and was getting ready to vacuum up the collec-tion of sow bug corpses that dotted her carpet when she made the mistake of Windexing the television. Outland Steel: Kendra's Revenge was playing on the VCR and when the droplets of Windex hit the screen, they magnified the phosphorescent dots, making the picture look like an impressionist painting: Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Le Grande Warrior Babe perhaps. Molly froze the frame on the gratuitous shower scene. (There was always a shower scene in the first five minutes of her films, despite the fact that Kendra lived on a planet almost completely devoid of water. To address this problem, one young director had gotten the bright idea of using â€Å"anti-radioactive foam† in the shower scene and Molly had spent five hours with whipped Ivory Snow suds being blown on to her by an offscreen Shop-Vac. She ended up playing the rest of the film in a Bedouin burnoose to cover the rash that developed all over her body.) â€Å"Art film,† Molly said, sitting on the floor in front of the TV, dowsing it with Windex for the fiftieth time. â€Å"I could have been a model in Paris in those days.† â€Å"Not a chance,† said the narrator. He was still around. â€Å"Too skinny. They liked fat chicks back then.† â€Å"I'm not talking to you.† â€Å"You've used half a bottle of Windex for this little trip to Paris.† â€Å"Seems like cheap travel to me,† Molly said. Even so, she got up and took two glasses from the top of the TV. She was taking them to the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She opened the door with the rims of the glasses pinched in one hand. Outside, two women in dresses and heels and lots of hair spray were standing on her steps. They were both in their early thirties, blonde, and wore stiff smiles of either insincerity or drug use, Molly couldn't be sure which. â€Å"Avon?† Molly asked. â€Å"No,† the blonde in front said with a titter. â€Å"I'm Marge Whitfield, this is Katie Marshall, we're from the Coalition for a Moral Society. We'd like to talk to you about our campaign to reinstate school prayer. I hope we haven't caught you at a bad time.† Katie was in pink. Marge in pastel blue. â€Å"I'm Molly Michon. I was just cleaning up a little.† Molly held up the two glasses. â€Å"Come on in.† The two women stepped in and stood in the doorway as Molly took the glasses to the sink. â€Å"You know, it's interesting,† Molly said, â€Å"but if you put Diet Coke in one glass, and regular Coke in another, and let them sit for, oh, say six months, then come back, there will be all sorts of green stuff growing on the regular Coke, but the Diet Coke will be as good as new.† Molly returned to the living room. â€Å"Can I get you two something to drink?† â€Å"No thank you,† Marge droned in robot response. She and Katie were staring at the paused image of a wet and naked Molly on the television screen. Molly breezed by them and flipped off the television. â€Å"Sorry, an art film I made in Paris when I was younger. Won't you sit down?† The women sat down next to each other on Molly's tattered couch, their knees pinched together so tight they could have crushed diamonds to powder. â€Å"I love your air freshener,† Katie said, trying to pull out of her terror. â€Å"It smells so clean.† â€Å"Thanks, it's Windex.† â€Å"What a cute idea,† Marge said. This was good, Molly thought. Normal people. If I can hold myself together for normal people like these, I'll be okay. This is good practice. She sat down on the floor in front of them. â€Å"So your name is Marge. You don't hear that outside of detergent commercials anymore. Did your parents watch a lot of TV?† Marge tittered. â€Å"It's short for Margaret, of course. My grandmother's name.† Katie jumped in. â€Å"Molly, we're very concerned that our children's education is totally without any spiritual instruction. The Coalition is collecting signatures for reinstatement of prayer in school.† â€Å"Okay,† Molly said. â€Å"You're new in town, aren't you?† â€Å"Why, yes, we've both moved here from Los Angeles with our husbands. A small town is just a better place to raise children, as I'm sure you know.† â€Å"Right,† Molly said. They had no idea who she was. â€Å"That's why I brought my little Stevie here.† Stevie was Molly's goldfish who had died during one of her stays in County. Now he lived in a Ziploc in her freezer and regarded her with a frosty gaze every time she retrieved some ice. â€Å"And how old is Stevie?† â€Å"Uh, seven or eight. I forget sometimes, it was a long labor.† â€Å"He's a year behind my Tiffany,† Marge said. â€Å"Well, he's a little slow.† â€Å"And your husband is†¦?† â€Å"Dead.† â€Å"I'm so sorry,† Katie said. â€Å"No need, you probably didn't kill him.† â€Å"Anyway,† Katie said, â€Å"we'd really like to have your signature to send to the state senate. Single mothers are an important part of our campaign. And we're also collecting donations for the campaign to have the Constitu-tion amended.† She put on an embarrassed smile. â€Å"God's work needs funding too.† â€Å"I live in a trailer,† Molly said. â€Å"We understand,† Marge said. â€Å"Finances are difficult for a single mother. But your signature is just as important to God's work.† â€Å"But I live in a trailer. God hates trailers.† â€Å"Beg pardon?† â€Å"He burns them up, freezes, them out, tears them up with tornadoes. God hates trailers. Are you sure I wouldn't be hurting your cause?† Katie giggled. â€Å"Oh, Mrs. Michon, don't be silly. Just last week I read where a woman's trailer was picked up by a tornado and dropped almost a mile away and she survived. She said that she was praying the whole time and that God had saved her. You see?† â€Å"Then who sent the tornado in the first place?† The two pastel women squirmed on the couch. The blue one spoke first. â€Å"We'd love to have you at our Bible study group, where we could discuss that, but we have to be getting along. Would you mind signing the peti-tion?† She pulled a clipboard out of her oversized purse and handed it over to Molly with a pen. â€Å"So if this works, kids will be able to pray in school?† â€Å"Why, yes.† Marge brightened. â€Å"So the Muslim kids can turn to Mecca seven times a day or whatever and it won't count against their grades?† The blue and pink pastel ladies looked at each other. â€Å"Well, America is a Christian nation, Mrs. Michon.† Molly didn't want them to think she was a pushover. She was a smart woman. â€Å"But kids of other faiths can pray too, right?† â€Å"I suppose so,† Katie said. â€Å"To themselves.† â€Å"Oh good,† Molly said as she signed the petition, â€Å"because I know that Stevie could move up to the Red Jets reading group if he could sacrifice a chicken to Vigoth the Worm God, but the teacher won't let him.† Why did I say that? Why did I say that? What if they ask where Stevie is? â€Å"Mrs. Michon!† â€Å"What? He'd do it at recess,† Molly said. â€Å"It's not like it would cut into study time.† â€Å"We are working on behalf of the One True God, Mrs. Michon. The Coalition is not an interfaith organization. I'm sure that if you had felt the power of His spirit, you wouldn't talk that way.† â€Å"Oh, I've felt it.† â€Å"You have?† â€Å"Of course. You can feel it too. Right now.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Molly handed the clipboard back to Katie and stood up. â€Å"Come next door with me. It'll only take a second. I know you'll feel it.† Theo Theo's hopes of finding Mikey Plotznik rose as he drove through the residential areas of Pine Cove. Nearly every neighborhood had two or three people out searching with flashlights and cell phones. Theo stopped and took reports from each search party, then made suggestions as if he had the slightest idea what he was doing. Who was he kidding? He couldn't even find his car keys half the time. Most of Pine Cove's neighborhoods were without sidewalks or street-lights. The canopy of pine trees absorbed the moonlight and darkness drank up Theo's headlights like an ocean of ink. He plugged his handheld spot-light in the lighter socket and swept it across the houses and into the vacant lots, spotting nothing but a pair of mule deer eating someone's rosebuds. As he drove by the beach park – a grass playground the size of a football field, surrounded by cypress trees and blocked from the Pacific wind by an eight-foot redwood fence – he spotted a flash of white moving on one of the picnic tables. He pulled into the parking strip beside the park and pointed the Volvo's headlights, as well as the spotlight, at the table. A couple was going at it right there on the table. The flash of white had been the man's bare ass. Two faces turned into the light, eyes as wide as the two deer Theo had surprised earlier. Normally, Theo would have driven on. He was used to finding people â€Å"in the act† in cars behind the Head of the Slug, or parked along the more rugged strips of coastline. He wasn't the sex police, after all. But tonight he was irritated by the scene. It had been almost a whole day since he'd had a hit from his Sneaky Pete. Maybe it's a symptom of withdrawal, he thought. He turned off the Volvo and got out, taking his flashlight with him. The couple scrambled into their clothes as he approached, but didn't try to es-cape. There was nowhere for them to go except over the fence, where a narrow beach was bordered on both sides by cliffs and washed by treach-erous, freezing rip tides. When he was halfway across the park, Theo recognized the fornicators and stopped. The woman, a girl really, was Betsy Butler, a waitress down at H.P.'s Cafe. She was struggling to pull down her skirt. The man, bald ing and slack-chested, was the newly widowed Joseph Leander. Theo flashed on the image of Bess Leander hanging from a peg in the spotless dining room. â€Å"A little discretion's in order here, you think Joe?† Theo shouted as he walked toward them. â€Å"Uh, it's Joseph, Constable.† Theo felt his scalp go hot with anger. He wasn't an angry man by nature, but nature hadn't been working the last few days. â€Å"No, It's Joseph when you're doing business or when you're grieving over your dead wife. When you're boning a girl half your age on a picnic table in a public park, it's Joe.† â€Å"I – we – things have been so difficult. I don't know what came over us – I mean, me. I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't suppose you've seen a kid around here tonight? A boy, about ten?† The girl shook her head. She was covering her face with one hand and staring into the grass at her feet. Joseph Leander's gaze darted around the park as if a magic escape hatch would open up in the dark if he could only spot it. â€Å"No, I haven't seen a boy.† Technically, Theo knew he could arrest them both on the spot for indecent exposure, but he didn't want to take the time to process them into County Justice. â€Å"Go home, Joe. Alone. Your daughters shouldn't be by themselves right now. Betsy, do you have a ride?† Without uncovering her face, she said, â€Å"I only live two blocks away.† â€Å"Go home. Now.† Theo turned and walked back to the Volvo. No one had ever accused Theo of being clever (except for the time at a college party when he fashioned an emergency bong out of a two-liter Coke bottle and a Bic pen), but he was feeling somewhat less than clever for not having investigated Bess Leander's death more carefully. It was one thing to be hired because you're thought to be a fool, it's quite another to live up to the reputation. Tomorrow, he thought. First find the kid. Molly Molly stood in the mud with the two pastel Christian ladies looking at the dragon trailer. â€Å"Can you feel it?† â€Å"Why, whatever do you mean?† Marge said. â€Å"That's just a dirty old trailer – excuse me – mobile home.† Until a second ago, she had only been concerned with her powder-blue high heels sinking into the wet turf. Now she and her partner were staring at the dragon trailer, wide-eyed. They could feel it, Molly could tell. She could feel it too: a low-grade sense of contentment, something vaguely sexual, not quite joy, but close. â€Å"You're feeling it?† The two women looked to each other, trying to deny that they were feeling anything. Their eyes were glazed over as if they'd been drugged, and they fidgeted as if suppressing giggles. Katie, the pink one, said, â€Å"Maybe we should visit these people.† She took a tentative step toward the dragon trailer. Molly stepped in front of her. â€Å"There's no one there. It's just a feeling. You two should probably go fill out your petition.† â€Å"It's late,† said powder blue. â€Å"Maybe one more visit, then we have to go.† â€Å"No!† Molly blocked their path. This wasn't as fun as she thought it would be. She had wanted to freak them out a little, not harm them. She had the distinct feeling that if they got any closer to the dragon trailer, school prayer would be losing two well-groomed votes. â€Å"You two need to get home.† She took each by a shoulder and led them back to the street, then pushed them toward the entrance of the trailer park. They looked longingly over their shoulders at the dragon trailer. â€Å"I feel the spirit moving in me, Katie,† Marge said. Molly gave them another push. â€Å"Right, that's a good thing. Off you go.† And she was supposed to be the crazy one. â€Å"Go, go, go,† Molly said. â€Å"I have to get Stevie's dinner ready.† â€Å"We're sorry we missed meeting your little boy,† Katie said. â€Å"Where is he?† â€Å"Homework. See ya. Bye.† Molly watched the women walk out of the park and climb into a new Chrysler minivan, then she turned back to the dragon trailer. For some reason, she was no longer afraid. â€Å"You're hungry, aren't you, Stevie?† The dragon trailer shifted shape, angles melting to curves, windows going back to eyes, but the glow wasn't as intense as it had been in the early dawn. Molly saw the burned gill trees, the soot and blistered flesh between the scales. Soft blue lines of color flashed across the dragon's flanks and faded. Molly felt her heart sink in sympathy. This thing, whatever it was, was hurting. Molly took a few steps closer. â€Å"I have a feeling you're too old to be a Stevie. And the original Stevie might be offended. How about Steve? You look like a Steve.† Molly liked the name Steve. Her agent at CAA had been named Steve. Steve was a good name for a reptile. (As opposed to Stevie, which was more of a frozen goldfish name.) She felt a wave of warmth run through her amid the sadness. The monster liked his name. â€Å"You shouldn't have eaten that kid.† Steve said nothing. Molly took another step forward, still on guard. â€Å"You have to go away. I can't help you. I'm crazy, you know? I have the papers from the state to prove it.† The Sea Beast rolled over on his back like a submissive puppy and gave Molly a pathetically helpless look, no easy task for an animal capable of swallowing a Volkswagen. â€Å"No,† Molly said. The Sea Beast whimpered, no louder than a newborn kitten. â€Å"Oh, this is just swell,† Molly said. â€Å"Imagine the meds Dr. Val is going to put me on when I tell her about this. The vegetable and the lizard, that's what they'll call us. I hope you're happy.† Peer Pressure â€Å"But I don't want to go among mad people,† Alice remarked. â€Å"Oh, you can't help that,† said the cat. â€Å"We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.† â€Å"How do you know I'm mad?† said Alice. â€Å"You must be,† said the cat, â€Å"or you wouldn't have come here.† – LEWIS CARROL, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland