Labor Unions in Hospitals

Organizing and other labor union activity in the hospitals has drawn increasing attention for many years. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the largest and oldest professional association of registered nurses in the USA (Martin, 2001). The ANA and state nurses associations are committed to the rights of registered nurses (RN), the largest group of health professionals. The ANA represents registered nurses through organizing and bargaining collectively. The ANA is definitely for creation of labor unions in hospitals (â€Å"Physicians and Unions: Implications for Registered Nurses†, 1998). This paper focuses on the development of these unions and outlines that union activity has an important role for nurses in addressing the benefits and salaries and in providing the appropriate care for patients. Labor Unions in Hospitals The leadership of formal nursing organizations historically reviewed labor unions and labor legislation with suspicion, if not with direct distaste. In the early of the 20th century, the American Nurses Association (ANA) did not consider the nursing discipline as a profession and its practitioners as professionals (D'Antonio, n.d.). On the contrary, practicing clinical nurses were somewhat more receptive to the idea of unions. The Nurses Associated Alumnae, founded in 1896, became the American Nurses Association in 1911, and nurses successfully lobbied for strict registration credentials. (â€Å"United American Nurses, AFL-CIO†, n.d.)   But the initial registration laws were voluntary (D'Antonio, n.d.).   Nurses joined together at the end of century to fight the lack of standardization among quickly development of nursing schools, hard working conditions and exploitation of nursing students. Nurses also sought a means to work together in a professional organization to establish a code of ethics, elevate nursing standards and promote the nurses interests. The first nurse staffing ratios were set by the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. The first permanent hospitals were established during that war—but it wasn't until 1872 that America could boast its first professionally trained nurse, Linda Richards. (â€Å"United American Nurses, AFL-CIO†, n.d.) During the early 20th century, nurses joined other workers looking for such benefits as an eight-hour workday and paid vacations. By the 1930s, ANA and state nurses associations were considering the question of unionization for nurses — a responsibility ANA confirmed in 1946. During the 1920s and 1930s many nurses left the private-duty labor market to work in hospitals (D'Antonio, n.d.) They saw that the professionalization rhetoric did not forward their fight to control the quality as well as the conditions of their day-to-day work. Gradually the unionization idea helped to some hospitals' nursing staffs to secure contracts that improved wages and hours worked. In the early 1940s state nurses' associations, without the support of the ANA that was opposed to formal organizing, began their own collective bargaining units (D'Antonio, n.d.).   But in 1946 the ANA formally sanctioned the idea of â€Å"professional† collective bargaining by its constituent state nurses' associations (D'Antonio, n.d.). In the post-World War II era nurses gained contract after contract.   Also in 1946 the ANA began the establishment of its Economic and General Welfare Program (â€Å"The Role of Collective Bargaining and Unions in Advancing the Profession of Nursing†, 1998). That decision was made because of some of the same problems that nurses and nursing continue to face and from a desire to use collective wisdom and strength to effect necessary change. Nurses were represented on a national level as well, including a decades-long battle against the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act that left private RNs without coverage under the National Labor Relations Act. Since then, collective bargaining has provided for significant accomplishments in salaries, benefits, and the professional practice of nurses. Historically, the nursing profession has worked to assure the public of   its commitment to their health needs through the establishment of professional licensure, practice standards and guidelines, and a code of ethics. Nurses have moved from the hospital into academe, research, long-term care, community and home health, school systems, the legislature, the military, law, and entrepreneurial enterprise.   Each avenue broadens professional perspective and adds value to the body of expertise and influence. By the late 1960s the trade union movement had again resurfaced as a strategy for professional autonomy and economic security (D'Antonio, n.d.). Unions such as Local 1199 of the Hospital Workers Union reorganized to allow nurses separate guilds; and strikes, although deeply regretted, were no longer unthinkable tactics (D'Antonio, n.d.). ; Labor unions representing nurses In the past 20 years, nurses in hospitals and health care agencies all over the world have unionized in an effort to achieve   appropriate wages and benefits based upon the skill level and risk involved in successfully fulfilling their job responsibilities (Klein, n.d.). There are some examples of active unions representing nurses. The UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers Union)   represents nearly 40,000 working men and women in the health care profession in the North America who work in hospitals, nursing homes, medical and dental laboratories, and home health care (Klein, n.d.). Members include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, unit assistants, certified nursing assistants, pharmacists, technicians, and caretakers. This union claims to have improved safety in the workplace and tackled a myriad of important issues, including restructurings, staffing levels, and compensation. Additionally, to being committed to workplace issues, the UFCW periodically sponsors training and education seminars to promote professional development among health care employees. The United Nurses of America represents 45,000 registered and licensed practical nurses and is an AFSCME affiliate (Klein, n.d.). AFSCME is the voice for 360,000 health care employees, 76,000 of whom are nurses   (Klein, n.d.).   For its members, AFSCME provides training programs, information on workplace violence, a health and safety newsletter and fact sheets, and updates on union actions. The ANA has also created the new United American Nurses (UAN) to strengthen collective bargaining states' efforts to retain and recruit members. Now, according to the ANA, 24 states or U.S. territories have collective bargaining for nurses; 29 do not (the total of 53 includes Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia) (Hellinghausen, 1999).   Today's   UAN, the nation's largest union of staff RNs, began from the nurse unionization movement before World War II. (â€Å"United American Nurses, AFL-CIO†, n.d.) For more than 50 years, nurses, through their state nurses associations, have organized to advocate for fair wages, good working conditions and staffing levels that ensure patient safety. State nurses associations struggled for state measures to pick up the slack, and the 1974 health care amendments to the NLRA finally extended such protections. Amendments to the NLRA passed in 1983 extended Social Security coverage to non-profit workers. The United American Nurses' forerunner, the Institute of Constituent Member Collective Bargaining Programs, met for the first time in September 1990. Nurses' efforts through the Institute to find the solutions of workplace problems led to the organisation of a separate labor arm of ANA—the United American Nurses—in 1999. The UAN held its first National Labor Assembly in June 2000, as representatives of 100,000 nurses working under collective bargaining agreements elected Cheryl Johnson as the union's first president and Ann Converso as the union's first vice president. UAN affiliated with the AFL-CIO in 2001. With the addition of the UAN, the AFL-CIO represent now 1.2 million health care workers. (Martin, 2001) AFL-CIO unions bargain to provide health insurance for more than 40 million workers and family members –   accounting for one out of every four Americans with employment-based coverage. Johnson of the UAN said nurses are organizing into unions at an increased pace to gain a voice on the job and on behalf of quality patient care, and that giving nurses a voice can address the nationwide staffing crisis. Now the UAN has offered strike support on a national level to nurses on the picket line; provided media training, organizing assistance and collective bargaining help through the annual Labor Leader Institute; provided a massive and meticulous contract information database to state nurses associations and nurse leaders; and provided testimony to national leaders on patient care, staffing and other issues. Problems of nursing unions In fact, the American Nurses Association (ANA) is â€Å"wed† to organized labor and in some states, such as California and Michigan, the state Nurses Associations act as labor unions. (â€Å"Subject:Union Debate†, 2003) Most labor unions and Nurses' Associations claim that by organizing nurses, they can increase salaries, improve benefits and working conditions, and draw more nurses into the profession. It sounds plausible, but a union cannot address the real underlying problem: Money. Unions cannot produce revenue. They can only extract dollars from the healthcare system. Nurses' salaries and benefits are typically a hospital's greatest expense. A hospital's primary source of revenue is from reimbursement for patient services. While hospital operating costs have steadily gone up, reimbursement for patient services by Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance have not kept up with increased operating costs. In a February 13, 2003 Press Release by the American Hospital Association (AHA), entitled â€Å"Rising Demand, Increasing Costs of Caring Fuel Hospital Spending,† rising hospital cost is cited as one the primary drivers of an increase in hospitals' spending (â€Å"Subject: Union Debate†, 2003). While organized labor would lead to believe there is an increased need for unionization, their popularity has declined. In our nation's past history, organized labor played an important role in ensuring employee safety in the workplace. Currently, standards for employee safety have been established by Occupational Safety & Hazard Association (OSHA), Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and other regulatory and accrediting bodies. Therefore, the need for unions has declined. Especially because recent changes in healthcare have subjected nurses to the effects of cost cutting, shuffled duties and reorganization, not to mention a chronic nursing shortage. Just 17% of the nation’s 2.2 million RNs belong to unions, and labor groups are looking to nursing to boost their dwindling ranks (Salcedo, n.d.). Two AFL-CIO affiliated unions actively pursuing nurses are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). There have been several instances of already formed collective bargaining units represented by the state nurses’ association switching to AFL-CIO affiliated unions. The American Nurses Association is reeling from the defections, including the defection of the 20,000 member CNA from the ANA in 1995 (Salcedo, n.d.). The California affiliate complained that the national leadership wasn’t doing enough to combat layoffs and staff shortages. (Jaklevic, 1999) Each state nurses association (except now California) is a member of the ANA. Each state nurses association is divided into two branches, a policy branch and a collective bargaining branch. The ANA is loudly protesting that â€Å"only nurses should represent nurses†, however, unions such as the SEIU charge that the associations are much more geared toward policy making and academic issues than collective bargaining. So, there is currently a critical shortage of nurses in USA. As long as nurses continue to feel disenfranchised, unprotected and under siege by doctors and health care administrators, interest in unions will grow stronger. Nurses organize not only to protect themselves, but also to protect the patients under their care, as evidenced by the recent activity regarding staffing levels and acuity systems. As an example, nurses, traditionally uninterested in the distractions of organized labor, are showing new eagerness to embrace unions (Seeman, 2000). But rather than objecting to pay scales or benefits plans, experts say, they are aiming more often at working conditions – depleted staffs, reduced time with patients, jobs that increasingly intrude upon their personal lives. Union membership is rising. The string of strikes in 1999 – 21 – was five times the number just four years earlier. (Seeman, 2000). More than 1,000 nurses are currently off the job. (Seeman, 2000). In California, union nurses have pushed lawmakers to guarantee more nurses on hospital floors. Hospital officials and insurers characterized the grievances as understandable but difficult to assuage. Current health care dynamics, they said, are testing the limits of all segments of the industry. What's unknown is whether nurses' relationship with labor will gain more momentum, and what long-term effects that might have on the nation's medical network. In the early part of the decade, with the price of health care soaring, managed care gained currency as a strategy to encourage competition and control costs. Insurers notified hospitals that reimbursements for medical treatments would decline. That prompted hospitals to squeeze budgets, including the money spent on nurses, who typically represent about a quarter of a hospital's work force. Hospital patients, meanwhile, grew sicker. Diseases that might have been fatal in an earlier age now left patients alive but ailing. Hospitals, under pressure to save money, discharged the less sick patients to focus on the direly ill. Technology made nursing much more complicated. In the past three years, about 15,000 nurses have become unionized by joining the Service Employees International Union. (Seeman, 2000).   About 105,000 nurses now belong. (Seeman, 2000). Another 170,00 belong to the American Nurses Association (Seeman, 2000).   Of those, about 60 percent use the organization for collective bargaining, according to the ANA. (Seeman, 2000). The overall numbers remain relatively small. Only about 15 percent of America's 2.6 million nurses are unionized, according to government and industry estimates. (Seeman, 2000). The BNA, echoing the nurses unions, said that walk-outs are more likely rooted in complaints about mandatory overtime, inadequate staffing and worries about patient care. In California, the new law supported by union nurses requires the state to set nurse-to-patient ratio standards for general, psychiatric and special hospitals. Hospitals will also be banned from requiring unlicensed employees from performing traditional nursing duties such as giving medicine or assessing treatment. The bill was signed in October by Gov. Gray Davis. Its requirements were phased in through 2002. (Seeman, 2000). Massachusetts, meanwhile, has become very important for union activity. The Massachusetts Nurses Association persuaded about 1,550 nurses at five hospitals to unionize in a 12-month period in 1997-'98, according to Judith Shindul-Rothschild, associate professor at the Boston College School of Nursing. (Seeman, 2000). So, administrators should try to understand nurses. If to give the possibility to nurses to effectively care for their patients, half the battle is won. Better healthcare would mean better labor management relationships. Conclusion So, the American Nurses Association (ANA), along with its constituent state nurses associations, has a decades-long responsibility to the right of registered nurses, the largest group of health professionals, to represent through organizing and bargaining collectively, in labor unions (â€Å"Physicians and Unions: Implications for Registered Nurses†, 1998). Such activity can play an important role in addressing wages as well as benefits, and the many employment conditions that have a direct bearing on nurses' ability to practice their profession and to grant the highest quality care for their patients. One of the most essential problems of unions is that there are no â€Å"guarantees† as to what will be included in a contract between management and the bargaining unit. Everything depends on contract negotiations. In other words, nurses may achieve less salary and/or benefits than before unionization. Still, unionism is only one of some options to ensure nurses' control over their practice. For nursing always has and always will need different organizing alternatives, whether through unions or specialized practice associations. References 1. D'Antonio, P.   (n.d.). Labor Unions: Nurses' Unions. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/women/html/wm_019610_nursesunions.htm 2. Hellinghausen, M. A. (1999, August 9) ANA's creation of labor entity worried the TNA. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.nurseweek.com/features/99-8/tex-ana.html 3.Jaklevic, M. (1999, July 5). Associations join pro-union ranks’ Doc, nurse organizations want to give their members a stronger voice, new services. Modern Healthcare, 6. 4. Klein, J. A. (n.d.). Unions in Nursing. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.nursingnetwork.com/union.htm 5. Martin, S. (2001, June 28) Largest Independent Nurses Union Votes to Affiliate with the AFL-CIO. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.needlestick.org/pressrel/2001/uan_afl.htm 6. Physicians and Unions: Implications for Registered Nurses. (1998, September) Vol. 3, No. 9. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.needlestick.org/readroom/nti/9809nti.htm  © 2004 The American Nurses Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved 7. Salcedo, K. (n.d.). Labor Unions and Nursing. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.oppapers.com/print.php?id=33122;idenc=KxyHiuJa 8. Seeman, B. T. (2000) Working Conditions Drive Hospital Nurses Toward Unions. Newhouse News Service. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.newhouse.com/archive/story1a041300.html 9. Subject: Union Debate. (2003, February 24) Nurses for Preservation of Professional Ethics (NPPE). Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.nppe.org/dialog34.htm 10.The Role of Collective Bargaining and Unions in Advancing the Profession of Nursing. (1998, February)   Vol. 3, No. 2. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.needlestick.org/readroom/nti/9802nti.htm  © 2004 The American Nurses Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved United American Nurses, AFL-CIO. (n.d.) Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://nursingworld.org/uan/uanhistory.htm  © 2004 The United American Nurses and The

Compare/Contrast Greek and Roman Cultures Essay

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Case study 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Is Levittown (N.Y) a symbol of American progress, or should it be Essay

Is Levittown (N.Y) a symbol of American progress, or should it be considered a symbol of American prejudice - Essay Example Nevertheless, the long seeded racism cultivates in the town against all races other than Caucasian. Even today, a vast majority of the inhabitants of Levittown are white Americans. According to the 1990 census, 97.37 percent of the inhabitants of Levittown were White Americans (The New York Times, 1997, p. 2). Three years later, in the 2000 census, â€Å"[t]he racial makeup of the CDP was 94.36% White, 2.45% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races† (Hispanis Dose, n.d.). Owing to the subdued rights of non-Caucasian Americans in Levittown, it is a symbol of prejudice for America. Cultivation of racism in the Long Islands is detrimental even for the racists. Long Islanders have conventionally made every attempt to keep their Island from according with the notion of â€Å"becoming just like Queens† (Newsday, 2002). The fundamental ideology of Long Islanders is that to be Queens-l ike is to be urban, which is not something to feel proud of. In order for the Long Islands like Levittown to be considered good, they have to be suburban with a lot of wealth, safety and most importantly, whiteness! However, â€Å"[i]n their effort to keep things as they are, however, Long Islanders are strangling their own chance of maturing as an economic center and as a vibrant, viable region† (Newsday, 2002). By making the Long Islands race specific, the developers have narrowed the chances of occupancy of their own children on them. They tend to ruin all opportunities to solve the usual issues of protecting open space, controlling overdevelopment, revitalizing the downtown regions, limiting taxes, and most importantly, handling racism. Racism in Long Islands like Levittown moves from private life of individuals to the societal arena. It may frequently show up in public gatherings in terms of racial appellations displayed on the buildings, and humiliation offered to the f amilies of color by the white people residing in the neighborhood. Beatings find origin in racism in such circumstances. Levittown is one of the Long Islands where this happened in particular. Levittown is the first suburb for the American nation after the war. Black soldiers were denied access to this largest housing scheme in the history of America. Since that time, the town has increased in subtleness manifolds, assisting the establishment of a wide range of institutions ranging from schools and boutiques to hospitals. The consequential circumstances have made it difficult for the establishment to take care of the mushrooming problems. The disparity between the rights of Caucasian Americans and non-Caucasian Americans is detrimental for the peace of the town. Long Islanders tend to achieve self control and develop the economic ability to become indifferent to the state of the rest of the nation. The multiple government layers that results in such a system adds so much volume to t he taxes that they promote isolation of the racial grounds. The process of development is curbed by the fragmentation of leadership and it becomes much harder to abolish racism. The price of houses in the Long Islands like Levittown has conventionally been the maximum among all states in the US. The unusually high prices also find a relation to the racism. If the houses become affordable to the public in general, they

Soviet Unions Involvement in Israels 1967 six day war and the gains Research Paper

Soviet Unions Involvement in Israels 1967 six day war and the gains - Research Paper Example Soviet Union played a major role in causing the 1967 six day war between Israel and Arab countries. Soviet Union was one among the strongest supporters of Israel earlier at the time of Israel’s formation. However, Soviet Union released later that because of the cultural similarities, Israel was getting more polarized towards United States. Israel’s increasing relationships with America, forced Soviet Union to look for other options in the Middle East. On the other hand, Arab countries were looking for an opportunity to establish stronger relationships with Soviet Union in order to counter the combined threats of America and Israel. Thus, Soviet Union established stronger relations with many of the Arab countries including Egypt in the 1960’s. Soviet Union was the major arm supplier for the Arab countries during this period. â€Å"The Soviet Union’s growing influence in the Middle East worried Israel as did Egypt’s ever growing hauls of Soviet weapo ns†1 Soviet Union had other intentions in strengthening the tension between Arab countries and Israel. In fact they were trying to catch fish from the muddy water.They calculated that the Arab countries had less powerful intelligences and it is easy to mislead these countries to with false information. In other words, Soviet Union supplied false intelligence to Arab countries in the 1960’s in order to strengthen their interests in Middle East region. One such false intelligence information supplied to Egypt by Soviet Union resulted in the six day war in 1967 between Israel and Arab countries... Soviet Union and Six Day war In 1960’s, â€Å"Soviets took on the role of armorer for both Syria and Egypt, supplying them with modern tanks, aircraft and later missiles†3. Israel had certain concerns about the increasing weapon accumulation by the Arab countries. They rightly calculated that these weapons may one day use against them if a war breaks out. Soviet Union did everything possible to increase the concerns of both Israel and the Arab countries. On one side, Soviet Union gave a strong message to Israel that they are ready to attack Israel’s critical places and on the other side, Soviet cultivated a feeling of insecurity among the Arab nations because of the fabricated threats from Israel. Western diplomats also played their own role in causing the six day war. A British foreign ministry official told an Israeli diplomat during this period that â€Å"the Soviet Unions would give it backing to Egypt if and when the latter decided to launch a preemptive wa r†4. In short, both Soviet Union and the Western countries played their parts in causing the six day war. However, Soviet Union seems to be more interested than the westerners in conducting this war because of their strategic interests in the Middle Eastern region. â€Å"Soviet Union’s objectives in the Middle Eastern region were included the control of Suyez Canal and cutting the oil supplies to the European powers†5. Soviet Union expected two birds for one shot by conducting the six day war. They thought that with the help of a war between Israel and Arab countries, they could have destabilized Israel from one end and cut the transport of oil supplies to European countries. During this period, all the commercial

No topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No topics - Essay Example Police crackdowns can target specific crimes, individuals, or geographic areas. They can involve an increased police presence, a commitment to more severe punishment, or other forms of legal sanctions. In Boston, Kennedy reported on how the local authorities would reach out to the gangs and communicate their intention to reduce violence by bringing every available legal tool to bear on them. This process of 'pulling levers' would dramatically increase the cost to a gang for committing acts of violence. Instead of just one member being arrested and prosecuted for a murder, the system would up the enforcement level of probation, outstanding warrants, and illegal street activities on all the gang members. Sherman reported that similar results were shown in regard to a variety of other settings and crimes. Sherman noted that increased enforcement and greater sanctions can reduce crime. However, the strategy needs to be flexible, because as the crackdown continues it may loose its effectiveness. It may be more effective to move geographical locations and targets on an ongoing basis. Reducing crime in New York City is a never-ending task, as officers put pressure on the streets and target selected criminals and criminal activities.

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Film Prompt(you can make any topic by your idea) Movie Review

Film Prompt(you can make any topic by your idea) - Movie Review Example It helps to commemorate this fact that a white man can be spared and all black men can be killed just because of different of color. Lee is saying through his film that because racism underpins all forms of entertainment even today, racist stereotypes are still alive. For me, the most poignant moment in the film came near the end. There is this horrible shootout between the police and the rap group who is there to perform. There is a mix of black and white performers in that rap group. But, all the black group members are killed by the police and one white member is spared. This makes the white man realize that no matter how hard he may try to mingle with another race, the society will still not let go of the idea of white supremacy. The modern day minstrel show created by Lee is different from a typical or traditional show. For example, when Glover is dancing and his partner jumps in to dance in rhythm, it is different because what he does is â€Å"an occupation traditionally held by African Americans†

Balancing Work, School, and Family Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Balancing Work, School, and Family Life - Essay Example Human capital is fundamental for high productivity levels, stable personal relationships and successful educational pursuits. Reconciliation of work, education and family obligations is becoming a challenge to numerous persons and hindering substantial progress in each of these sectors (Mettler, 2007). The effective integration of these functions requires strategic planning that will enable allocation of ample time to each segment. Occupation and family constitute a chief part of women’s lives, and a considerable number of them are opting to forego the maternal route and solely focus on their careers. This paper examines the challenges of effectively integrating work, family and educational obligations and analyzes strategies to overcome the imbalance. Challenges of Balancing Work, School, and Family Life Work and educational and family responsibilities are not easily compatible especially if one is demanding significantly more time than the other. The urgency to generate suff icient income through undertaking more courses and the yearning to endow one’s children with utmost concern do not have to be equally exclusive. Numerous organizations and individuals perceive this as an escalating societal challenge that can affect the productivity of their employees. One of the challenges of this balancing act is increased workload; in instances where an employee’s job specification entails numerous responsibilities, it will be difficult to allocate time to indulge in family functions. The employee is bound to direct effort to their professions, and this can harm the child development. The absence of personal attention to the child during his/her development can influence that child to seek that attention elsewhere (Mettler, 2007). The likelihood of this child partaking in devious endeavors is high since the parents are not close to monitor his activities. In addition, in the contemporary societal arrangement women are increasingly becoming career or iented. Their ambition contradicts their former roles that were to manage the domestic duties including nurturing children to a level of self-sufficiency. The alterations of these responsibilities are due to economic conditions and shifting of societal perceptions that women need to match up to their male compatriots. There is a rise in the employment rates of women illustrating that this is a growing trend. Numerous women who are committed to extreme occupations tend to refer their children to daycare centre’s relieving themselves of the liability of monitoring the child’s actions (Mettler, 2007). The delegation of their parental responsibilities can haves serious implications for the family cohesion. Secondly, the current society advocates for high educational and professional threshold that individuals must attain. This increases the pressure to fulfill the necessities of these two obligations. Organizations nowadays engage in numerous transactions that require the employees to dedicate themselves wholly to their occupations to avoid impending discrepancies that can occur. For a learning employee, prolonged hours in a workplace can impede his performance in educational exams (Mettler, 2007). The insufficient attention to academic work and parental obligations initiate constraints, which impede the productivity of the employee. Moreover, these three obligations

Creative Writing and High School Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing and High School Essay Creativity is Everything: You can Make Writing Fun by being Creative If someone was to come up to me and ask me what kind of writer I am, I’d say that I someone who enjoys making up fairy tales along with reading and watching movies about fairy tales. I am a writer who likes to use their imagination, this is due to the kinds of books that I use to read. I wanted to be the next Dr. Seuss. Growing up, my imagination is all I really had. My family had to move a lot because my dad always had to switch jobs. We’d move to different states every couple of months, sometimes we’d stay for a year or two. I never really had anything stable. I couldn’t participate in any sports or extra-curricular activities. There was one thing that I did have though, I had my imagination. With my imagination, I drew the weirdest pictures and wrote from the most magical to the most gruesome stories I could. I always had myself occupied with my stories. I was never bored when we were on the road, I’d be writing random ideas for stories in my spiral notebook if we were on the road and read books like there was no tomorrow. I made writing and reading fun for myself and I enjoyed doing it. My Timeline with Reading As with all children, they being with their parents reading bedtime stories to them. I loved being read to at night. My favorite bedtime books were several Dr. Seuss books like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and Green Eggs and Ham. As I got older I began to read poetry more than anything. My all time favorite author is Shel Silverstein; he is one of the most brilliant and talented poets. He has helped me improve in my reading, as well as my writing. Some of the books I could never put down was The Missing Piece, The Giving Tree, and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Throughout my elementary days to middle school and high school, I have read at least over one hundred books, written vigorious reports over the years and have changed my point of view towards reading and writing all together. 1984 by George Orwell did it for me, along with Lord of the Flies; I read these two books my senior year and they really made an impact on me. 1984 really freaked me out, it had me thinking, what if there really is a Big Brother in our world; Lord of the Flies made me realise that there are monsters in all of us, and only some of us are pure and innocent, like Simon was. Transforming from Doodle Writer to Competitive Writer In 2004, I was located in the Belleville/Canton area here in Michigan. I attended Henry Ford Elementary. My teacher’s name was Ms. Dixon. This wonderful woman was the one who really started to get me into writing a lot more . At Henry Ford, we had an annual fourth and fifth grade writing contest. No fourth grader ever wanted to enter it, but they still did to try to impress each other with their stories. Looking back, I felt skeptical about doing the writing contest. I had no idea what I should write about! I was having a writer’s block. No good ideas came to mind; I was stumped. A few students in my class chose to write about their pets or what they wanted to be when they grew up, but that just wasn’t my style. After a couple of days, something popped into my head. Halloween was around the corner shortly; I decided to try to come up with a nasty, disgusting story that formed around the Halloween theme. I started to brainstorm, then it hit me. The perfect idea for a story. It was gruesome, disturbing, creepy, and just nothing you’d think a fourth grader would write about. My very short, scary, story was about a two-headed baby who was found behind a dumpster on evening, the parents took the baby into their home. Come to find out the baby is a cold-blooded murder; one who slaughtered anything in its path (I told you that you wouldn’t think that a fourth grader would write about something like this). I ended up winning second place in the writing contest, that’s when my writing started to expand. Progressing throughout School with Writing and Reading As time went on, I was out of elementary school and into middle school. This was the time when book reports really made me not like writing. As much as I am a book reader over a writer, writing papers on books†¦ It was just wrong in my mind. I wrote book reports on Helen Keller, astronauts, Rosa Parks, the Holocaust, etc. I never really enjoyed the reports, they took the fun out of reading for me. Eighth grade came we started to write about who our heroes were; I wrote about my baby cousin that had died a year before. He was my rock. That was basically my main focus point for all my papers. After I left middle school, I started to attend the high school, Lincoln High School. This school has had me on a roller coaster since day one. We immediately began to read, How to Kill a Mockingbird, we had to analyze and write about the morals of the story. As time went on, I found out that I qualified for several AP English classes. Junior and senior year, I took AP British Literature, AP Issues in Fiction, and AP Creative Writing. The only class that I enjoyed going to was my creative writing class. In that class I was able to write about anything that I wanted. I wrote about fairy tales, I wrote a children’s book for the elementary kid, short stories, everything! I felt at home, comfortable with writing rather than I felt in my other two English classes. I am a creative writer, I write what comes out of my heart and mind. Everything I wrote just had an amazing flow, I never ever want to stop writing as long as I can make it fun for myself; and make it interesting for others to enjoy too! Where I am Today as a Reader and Writer I am in college now, so there is a lot that has changed. Im still a very creative writer, there isnt a class that Ive came across yet that I can take where I can express my creativity in writing. I am hoping that down the road Ill come across a class that is somewhat like my high school creative writing class. I still read regularly, I just finished the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy by E. L. James, and Ive got to say, I never thought that Id have so much interest in a book that has such a vulgar topic. I know deep down that I have room for improvement with my writing skills as well as my reading, and Im hoping to improve myself better throughout the next four years that Im going to be spending at Eastern.

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay It was once thought that when a person gets out of high school, he is invisible. He can do whatever he wants, achieve all his dreams and aspirations, and become the person that he always envisioned himself to be. It probably never daunted him that he will become independent and responsible for the consequences of his actions; he would have treated those like simple challenges anyway. Obstacles that he needed to conquer in order to make him a stronger person and to reach his destination. And all this he would achieve, amazingly with the help of the environment. The environment does not literally translate to the trees, the suburbs, or the urban metro that we have come to know as an environment. It essentially means much more than that. It is how a person adapts to where he is. It is how he makes things work to his advantage, and at the same time not harming those around him. It is how he makes his life work, whatever the given circumstance. There are several ways on how to mold the environment and make it a part of the learning experience that will help an individual achieve his goals, find better jobs, and have self-satisfaction. It is important to note that a student has to realize the importance of getting a college degree. He will realize that the environment is competitive enough to require it. It is through what he experiences that he will come to know the importance of getting into college and in learning through the environment, he will realize that he has succeeded Time management is one of those ways on how the environment plays a key role in a person’s learning experience. As much as every person would want to control time, there are instances wherein it will always spin out of control. The heavy traffic, the weather, the floods, the mode of transportation – these are all elements that we cannot predict and therefore we cannot control. Due to the unpredictability of these factors, one must always manage his time wisely, with allotment for situations like this. Being organized, following a routine and a flow of tasks also says that a person is disciplined. He has the strength to say no to distractions because he knows that he has allotted an ample time for everything, even for play. And temptation is one of the numerous obstacles that humans go through in dealing with their daily lives. The environment’s role in being able to overcome obstacles is that when we look hard enough, the answers are just out there, around us. It is magical that we sometimes have the answers right in front of us and yet we fail to recognize them. Everybody knows that we will never be given problems that we cannot solve. In trying to solve our problems, we get to know and discover ourselves more; the things that make us stronger, the emotions that make us weak. In discovering these unknown side of ourselves we create more options, we get to know more. If a person once said to himself that getting a college degree is not worth his time, effort, and money, this may not hold true if he was faced with an employment problem. The environment today is competitive enough to want more from its employees, and these employers do compensate for this. It is during the toughest times that we get to see the real attitudes of the people. Those who strive to outshine the rest will not just settle for a high school diploma, but for a higher one. Everybody’s goal in life is to become successful in whatever his or her endeavors are. It may be as small as finishing a 5-kilometer run or as big as running for the presidential seat, what we all want is success. For the individual whose environment shapes him to become the next big CEO, more qualifications have to be met. A college degree or an MBA will definitely make him go places and put an edge to his resume. It is not only in this career path that a higher education will prove to be useful, in fact, in all career paths, a higher education is always a better credential. Becoming a lawyer, a physician, an engineer, or a nurse may put you through the worst, sleepless nights you have ever had, but the end game is always a win. While one may not always understand why people want to have success and always feel like achieving a desire or attaining a goal, it is important that they know that they are working hard for themselves. There is nothing better than knowing that you have worked hard for something and you got what you wanted in the end. Reaping the fruits of your labor brings a sense of pride and self-satisfaction to one’s self. Everything that one has to work hard for, the stress of the environment, the pressure of achievement, overcoming these is necessary in order to achieve lifetime goals. In conclusion, working on lifetime goals allow people to see how hard work and studying can pay off for the future. The changing environment affects everyone differently. Employer’s at times allow employees to work on their studies while they are at work and offer the students reimbursements for their college work. For students who finish their degree, it will open many doors for them in advancing at their current professions. Students that complete their degree will have a sense of pride and accomplishment that was taken by them for all of their hard work and effort. The environment of each student is different. The variation of the stressful environments is different for each student. Some have family stress and some have work stress. Time management is a determining factor in each of these areas. It is crucial that the student completes all required materials when the assignments are due. When students look back and realize what they have accomplished they will know that they bettered themselves by working in this new environment. References: Jewell, D, (2008). One vision many paths. ProQuest Database, 16(9), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://proquest. umi. comezproxy. apus. edu Khalifa, M. Lam, R. (2002). Web based learning: Effects on Learning Process and Outcome. Academic Search Premier Database, 45(4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from, http://apus. agent-graphics. com. ezproxy. apus. edu Littky, D (2004). The big picture: Education is everyone’s business. APUS online library, Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apus. edu/ehost/detail .Ramey, S. Ramey, C. (2008). The Learning environment, learning process, academic outcomes and career success of university graduates: The transition to school. Academic Search Premier Database, 33(4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apus. edu/ehost/detail Williams, K. (2006) Introducing Management: A Development Guide. APUS online library, Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://apus. agent-graphics. com. ezproxy. apus. edu Zygmunt-Fillwalk, E. (2006). Encouraging School Success through family Involvement. Proquest Database, 82 (4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://proquest. umi. comezproxy. apus. edu.

All About Screw Pumps Engineering Essay

All About Screw Pumps Engineering Essay Screw pumps are rotary, positive displacement pumps that can have one or more screws to transfer high or low viscosity fluids along an axis.   A classic example of screw pumps is the Archimedes screw pump that is still used in irrigation and agricultural applications.   Although progressive cavity pumps can be referred to as a single screw pumps, typically screw pumps have two or more intermeshing screws rotating axially clockwise or counterclockwise.   Each screw thread is matched to carry a specific volume of fluid.   Like gear pumps, screw pumps may include a stationary screw with a rotating screw or screws.   Fluid is transferred through successive contact between the housing and the screw flights from one thread to the next.   Geometries can vary.   Screw pumps provide a specific volume with each cycle and can be dependable in metering applications.   The geometries of the single or multiple screws and the drive speed will affect the pumping action required.   The capacity of screw pumps can be calculated based on the dimensions of the pump, the dimensions of the surface of the screws, and the rotational speed of the rotor since a specific volume is transferred with each revolution.   In applications where multiple rotors are used, the load is divided between a number of rotating screws.   The casing acts as the stator when two or more rotors are used.   Based upon the needs of the application, timed or untimed rotors may be chosen. Untimed rotors are simpler in design.   The combination of factors relating to the drive speed, flow, and the characteristics of the fluid transferred may affect the flow rate and volume fed through each cavity. In water and wastewater treatment applications, a less viscous solution will require a lower power drive compared to untreated sewage, excess sludge, or concentrated slurries, which may require a higher power motor.   The viscosity of the fluid transferred and the lift required may affect the speed and power required.   Indicators of pump malfunction include decrease in flow rate or increased noise. The efficiency of screw pumps requires that each rotor turns at a rate that allows each cavity to fill completely in order to work at full capacity.   Theory Screw pumps are a unique type of rotary positive displacement pump in which the flow through the pumping elements is truly axial. The liquid is carried between the screw threads on one or more rotors. The liquid is then displaced axially as the screws rotate and mesh. In other types of rotary pumps, the liquid is forced to travel circumferentially, however the screw pump has an axial flow pattern and low internal velocities. It provides a number of advantages in many applications where liquid agitation or churning is objectionable. Screw pumps are classified as two different types: the single rotor and the multiple rotor. The multiple rotor is further divided into timed and untimed categories. Timed rotors rely on outside means for phasing the mesh of the threads and for supporting the forces acting on the rotors. Untimed rotors rely on precision and accuracy of the screw forms for proper mesh and transmission of rotation (Fraser, et. al., 1986.). History: The screw pump is the oldest type of pump. The first applications, dating back to the third century B.C., included irrigation and land drainage. The screw pump is thought to have been first used in Egypt (Ewbank, 1972). After several other types of pumps were invented, the screw pump was not used as much because these other pumps could handle higher head capacities. However, later it was found that these pumps could not handle wastewater like the screw pump could. Because of this, the screw pump became widely used for such an application. The Dutch were the first to design a spiral lift screw in 1955. After this, double screw units were put into operation for flood control in the Netherlands and in municipal sewage installations in Europe. Based on excellent results from the pumps used in Europe, the trend extended to Canada and United States and are currently used today (Cheremisinoff, et. al., 1992) [2]. How a Screw Pump Works: Screw pumps for power transmission systems are generally used only on submarines. Although low in efficiency and expensive, the screw pump is suitable for high   pressures   (3000   psi),   and delivers   Ã‚  fluid   Ã‚  with   Ã‚  little   Ã‚  noise   Ã‚  or   Ã‚  pressure pulsation. Screw   pumps   are   available   in   several   different designs;   however,   they   all   operate   in   a   similar manner.   In   a   fixed-displacement   rotary-type   screw pump (fig. 1, view A), fluid is propelled axially in   a   constant,   uniform   flow   through   the   action of just three moving parts-a power rotor and two idler   rotors.   The   power   rotor   is   the   only   driven element,   extending   outside   the   pump   casing   for power   connections   to   an   electrical   motor.   The idler  rotors   are   turned   by   the   power   rotor   throu gh the   Ã‚  action   Ã‚  of   Ã‚  the   Ã‚  meshing   Ã‚  threads.   Ã‚  The   Ã‚  fluid pumped   between   the   meshing   helical   threads   of the idler and power rotors provides a protective film to prevent metal-to-metal contact. The idler rotors   perform   no   work;   therefore,   they   do   not need to be connected by gears to transmit power. The   enclosures   formed   by   the   meshing   of   the rotors inside the close clearance housing contain the fluid being pumped. As the rotors turn, these enclosures   move   axially,   providing   a   continuous flow.   Effective performance   is   based   on   the following   Ã‚  factors: The rolling action obtained with the thread design   of   the   rotors   is   responsible   for   the   very quiet pump operation. The symmetrical pressure loading   around   the   power   rotor   eliminates   the need   for   radial   bearings   because   there   are   no radial   loads.   The   cartridge-type   ball   bearing   in   the pump   positions   the   power   rotor   for   proper   seal operation.   The   axial   loads   on   the   rotors   created by discharge pressure are hydraulically balanced. The key to screw pump performance is the operation   of   the   idler   rotors   in   their   housing bores. The idler rotors generate a hydrodynamic film   to   support   themselves   in   their   bores   like journal bearings. Since this film is self-generated, it   depends   on   three   operating   characteristics   of the   pump-speed,   discharge   pressure,   and   fluid viscosity. The strength of the film is increased by increasing   the   operating   speed,   by   decreasing pressure, or by increasing the fluid viscosity. This is why screw pump performance capabilities are based   on   pump   speed,   discharge   pressure,   and fluid   viscosity. The supply line is connected at the center of the pump housing in some pumps (fig. 1, view B).   Fluid   enters   into   the   pumps   suction   port, which   opens   into   chambers   at   the   ends   of   the screw assembly. As the screws turn, the fluid flows between the threads at each end of the assembly. The   threads   carry   the   fluid   along   within   the housing   toward   the   center   of   the   pump to the discharge port [1]. Three Basic Types : Single Screw The single screw pump is more commonly known as the Archimedean screw. It is quite large; typical dimensions include a diameter of 12 inches or greater, and a length up to about 50 feet. It is normally used as a water-raising pump with the screw arranged at an angle of 30 degrees. It can also be used for handling liquids containing solids in suspension with either vertical lift or horizontal transport. The design of single screw pumps allows very little fracturing of particles and little abrasion damage to the pump. One disadvantage is the considerable bulk necessary to achieve high capacities since rotational speeds are of the order of 30-60 rpm (Warring, 1984) [5]. Intermeshing Screw Pump The intermeshing screw pump is commonly called a rigid-screw pump. This type of pump is suitable for a wide range of sizes, and can be run at high speeds. The larger screw pumps are used for bulk handling of oils and similar fluids. The basic type is suitable for handling most clean fluids with low flow velocities and at low heads (Warring, 1984)[5]. Eccentric screw pump The eccentric screw pump is versatile. It is capable of handling a variety of liquids and products with high efficiency. It comprises of a rigid screw form rotor rolling in a resilient internal helical stator of hard or soft rubber with a moderately eccentric motion. It can handle viscous liquids, slurries, pastes, solids in suspension, and delicate products. This is because of the low flow velocities through the pump (Warring, 1984)[5]. Applications: There are several applications of the screw pump that include a wide range of markets: utilities fuel oil service, industrial oil burners, lubricating oil service, chemical processes, petroleum and crude oil industries, power hydraulics, and many others (Fraser, et. al., 1986). Listed below are some typical situations where a screw pump is used. The benefits of using a screw pump in each of these situations are discussed (Cheremisinoff, et. al., 1992)[2]. Raw sewage lift stations: Can handle variety of raw sewage influent, are non-clogging, require little attention, are resistant to motor overloads, and are not affected by running dry Sewage plant lift stations: Used for sewage lifts up to 40 feet and have self-regulating lift capacity (Normal lifts are 30 feet, while high lifts are 40 feet high.) Return activated sludge: Little floc disintegration, nonturbulent discharge into effluent channel, low horsepower requirements, improved activated sludge treatment. Stormwater pumping: Are ideal because of large capacity at low heads, no prescreening necessary Land Drainage: Used for flood control, can pump large volumes of water over levees. Capacity : The delivered capacity of any screw pump is the theoretical capacity minus the internal leakage. In order to find the capacity of a screw pump the speed of the pump must be known. The delivered capacity of any rotary screw pump can be increased several different ways. The capacity can be increased by simply increasing the speed, increasing the viscosity, or decreasing the differential pressure. The capacity of the pump depends on several factors (Cheremisinoff, et. al., 1992)[2]: Diameter of the screw Speed of the screw Number of flights mounted on the screw shaft Flights: Single, double, and triple flights are often used. Flights are also known as helixes. With each increase in flights, there is a 20% increase in capacity. Therefore, a single flight pump has a capacity that is 80% of a double flight pump, which in turn has a capacity that is 80% of a triple flight capacity. The three-flight pump can handle the most capacity in the least amount of space. Angle of inclination of the screw The greater the angle of inclination, the lower the output. The output lowers approximately 3% for every degree increase over a 22 inclination. Level of influent in the influent chamber Ratio of the diameter of the screw shaft to the outside diameter of the screw flights Clearance between screw flights and trough Advantages : Wide range of flows and pressures Wide range of liquids and viscosities Built-in variable capacity High speed capability allowing freedom of driver selection Low internal velocities Self-priming with good suction characteristics High tolerance for entrained air and other gases Minimum churning or foaming Low mechanical vibration, pulsation-free flow, and quiet operation Rugged, compact design easy to install and maintain High tolerance to contamination in comparison with other rotary pumps (Fraser, et. al., 1986)[4]. Disadvantages : Relatively high cost because of close tolerances and running clearances Performance characteristics sensitive to viscosity change High pressure capability requires long pumping elements (Fraser, et. al., 1986)[4]. Characteristics and Efficiency of Screw Pumps: The screw pump has a number of very important advantages compared with centrifugal due to recovery of velocity head at the discharge pumps. In order, however, to appreciate fully pipe are not as great, what the screw pump will do as compared with the centrifugal pump, particularly for low head operation, it is necessary to have a thorough knowledge of the characteristic curves of both types of pumps. The three curves which are reproduced here show an actual comparison between a screw pump and a 36-in. centrifugal pump. A great deal of care has been taken to make this comparison as fair as possible; but owing to the dissimilarity of the characteristics of the two pumps, a perfect comparison is practically impossible. For this reason , wherever it is impossible to make the conditions coincide exactly for the two different pumps, the centrifugal pump has been given every advantage, yet even under rather severe handicaps, the screw still maintains its supremacy under low head conditions. The combined curve shown in Fig. 3 illustrates that at all heads lower than 12.6 ft. the screw pump is the more efficient of the two pumps. It will be noticed that the 42-in. centrifugal has not been compared with the 42-in. screw pump because the screw pumps are designed for such very low heads that the suction and discharge sizes are made larger than the connections for centrifugal pumps which handle the same capacity. In other words, the 42-in. centrifugal pump would have a capacity so much greater than that of the 42-in. screw that comparison would be impossible. All of the total heads which are shown in the three curves are total dynamic heads, and this includes the velocity head. Therefore, the water delivered from the screw pump is moving at a lower velocity because of the size of pipe, and hence it is in a more usable form. The entrance losses of the suction pipe and the losses due to recovery of velocity head at the discharge pipe are not as great. It has often been stated that the speed of a screw pump can be much higher than that of a centrifugal operating under the same conditions. These curves demonstrate this beyond a doubt. It will be noted that the centrifugal pump operates at 224 r.p.m., while the screw pump operates at a speed more than 50 per cent in excess of this, namely, 360 r.p.m. The advantage in the cost and the efficiency of a motor for operating these two pumps is distinctly in favor of the screw pump. Furthermore, the screw pump is a much lighter pump, requiring less expensive foundations, and it is easier to install. The 42-in. screw pump weighs 9,000 pounds, while the 36-in. centrifugal pump weighs 21,000 pounds. This shows that the body of the screw pump is much smaller than that of the centrifugal pump in spite of the fact that the pipe sizes are larger than the latter. In addition to this, the arrangement for pumping over levees, or between canals at different levels, is much more simple for the screw pu mp than for the centrifugal pump. The property through which the canal runs is always long and narrow and the screw pump, together with its prime mover, makes a long narrow installation which lends itself to the shape of the property in which it is to be installed. The centrifugal pump is usually a more costly pump to produce than the screw pump, and this is especially true of the pump with the characteristics shown in Fig. 2 because of the fact that this 36-in. pump has a Francis runner. The Francis runner is known for its efficiency at low heads and in this case the curve reaches the unusually high maximum point of 90 per cent. This is partly due to the special design and partly due to the very careful workmanship and careful testing of the unit in question. The screw pump, on the other hand, had a caststeel runner whose surfaces were only partially smooth. No great effort was made to bring up its point of maximum efficiency, and therefore it does not exceed 76 per cent at any point. Yet, even in the face of these handicaps of workmanship and finish on the particular units which were selected for this comparison, the screw pump is shown to be inherently a more efficient pump at low heads. It does not take a great deal of imagination to see how the screw pump efficiency curve of Fig. 3 would compare with the centrifugal pump efficiency curve had its blades been made of bronze and highly polished so as to reach a maximum point somewhere above 80 per cent. The curves shown in Fig. 3 are out of the ordinary in that they are plotted against the total head rather than against the conventional gallons per minute. This is done because the comparisons are at low heads rather than at a given capacity. By using this method of plotting, it can readily be observed that at low heads the efficiencies of the two pumps can be read directly from the chart. For example, at a head of 6 ft. the efficiency of the screw pump is 57 per cent while that of the centrifugal pump is only 42 per cent. This same information could be taken from the other curves but it would be inconvenient to do so. To get the efficiency from Fig. 1 it is necessary first to read the capacity. At 6 ft. the capacity is approximately 37,000 g.p.m. The efficiency is quite indefinite on account of the steepness of the curve; but it is apparent that it checks approximately with the reading given in Fig. 3; namely, 57 per cent. Also in Fig. 2 it is necessary first to read the capacity and then the efficiency, which checks with Fig. 3 and is 42 per cent. In addition to this, Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 would not make a graphical comparison even if plotted on the same sheet. The important point which should be kept in mind is that these curves may not show up the screw pump to advantage when read in their entirety but that at the extreme right where the points of low working heads exist the advantages of the screw pump begin to assert themselves. It is under these conditions that a screw pump should be used. In general, these curves have demonstrated, directly or indirectly, most of the advantages of the screw pump over the centrifugal as follows: Higher efficiency at low heads, higher speed, lighter weight, smaller dimensions, lower first cost, lower cost of installation, cheaper motor, more efficient motor, low head installation. [6].

Cosmetic Surgery: Risky and Unnecessary Surgery Essay -- plastic surge

Is cosmetic or plastic surgery helpful, or damaging to an individual’s mind and body? The two main branches of plastic surgery are reconstructive and cosmetic (â€Å"Plastic Surgery Addicts†). This is the reason why the terms cosmetic and plastic are used interchangeably in the medical field. Some people may think that all surgery is the same, although cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries are not identical. The difference is that reconstructive surgery is used to fix parts of the body that are damaged (Lee). Cosmetic surgery is used in removing, altering or rearranging tissues of the body (Lee). The word plastic does not actually refer to real plastic. â€Å"Plastic surgery† comes from the Greek word â€Å"plastikos†, which means to shape or mold (Olesen 10). The significant issues of cosmetic surgery, such as self-esteem problems, surgeons making mistakes, risks and people becoming addicted make me believe that it is unnecessary. There is a one in 250,000 chance of dying when going under the knife, but why risk going under for cosmetic surgery at all? (Olesen 50).Plastic surgery is not something that has just been recently developed. It has been around since as far back as 800 B.C. in India (â€Å"Cosmetic†). As one of the punishments, people’s noses were removed. Surgeons would try to repair them to the best of their ability. War also played a large role in plastic surgery. This was considered reconstructive surgery because soldiers who had it done were usually severely hurt in battle. Cosmetic surgery became more modern and well known in the 1960’s and 70’s (â€Å"Health Questions†). Cosmetic surgery is sure to expand its influence in the future as technology continues to improve. There are many reasons why patients have low self-esteem and assum... ...y." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2010. Print. Matthews, Sarah. "Addicted to Plastic Surgery: The Facts." Plastic Surgery. 29 May 2009. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. Mimon, Diana. "Tara Reid Talks About Plastic Surgery." About.com. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. Olesen, R. Merrel., and Marie B. V. Olesen. Cosmetic Surgery for Dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2005. Print. Pilcher, Georgie. "How Could She?; This Woman Faked Cancer to Con Money for Plastic Surgery." EBSCOhost 18 Nov. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. "Plastic Surgery Addiction." Breast-Plastic-Surgery.Org. 5 Jan. 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2010. "Plastic Surgery Addicts." Medical News Today. 6 Nov. 2007. Web. 29 Apr. 2010. "Teens and Cosmetic Surgery." Issues and Controversies on File 9.22 (2004): 465-72. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. "What Is Cosmetic Surgery? What Is Plastic Surgery?" Medical News Today. 30 June 2009. Web. 5 May 2010.

Free Essays: The World of the Odyssey and Todays Society :: Homer Odyssey Essays

The World of the Odyssey and Today's Society In the book the Odyssey by Homer violence, deceit, disorder, absence of law enforcement, and it's principal of self-sufficiency, obviously differs from our modern society today. In modern world today we have laws and law enforcers, which is to help keep away from as much violence as possible. We have legal systems and courts to decide whether people deserve punishments, and this shows in many ways how the present differs from the past. That is why many leaders of the past couldn't be successful leaders in running today's society. Odysseus went by his own rules and made up his own rights, which he lived by, and would set the tone for the rest of his crew. Odysseus would be a poor leader in today's society based on his leadership skills in the book. Odysseus would be a terrible leader today because his way of being just and solving problems is to kill people. He believes in no sound reasoning and cares about himself and how much of a great fighter he is. " Lady, it's not possible to interpret this dream in any other way. You have learnt from Odysseus himself how he will make the dream true. Clearly, the Suitors are all of them doomed: there is not who will escape his destined death (p.301)." When Odysseus heard of the suitors in his home, he had it set in his mind to kill them all before even trying to reason with them or asking them to leave. Also, he plans to take revenge and kill his servants when he believes that they were disloyal and instead of giving them the chance to explain why they had been disloyal to him. In today's society you can't go out and kill someone because you feel what they are doing is wrong. For that we have legal systems where people have the right to prove their innocence if thought to be guilty. If Odysseus killed someone today because he didn't like what they were doing, he would be jailed. If killing people were the answer to everyone's problems, then there would never be peace in our society today. Odysseus had his own way of thinking and doing things and in today's society that

tragoed Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) as Greek Tragedy :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Oedipus The King as Greek Tragedy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The genre of drama is wide and contains works of varied forms and subjects. The first drama, on which all later works are based, developed in Greece and dealt with religious and social issues. According to AristotleÕs The Poetics, a Greek Tragedy must deal with a serious purpose, arousing a sense of pity or fear in the audience. The emphasis must be on plot over character development and the playwright must utilize suspense and unity of time, place and action. Aristotle writes that a tragic hero is a character who is renowned and prosperous, not necessarily perfect, but not an evil person either. The tragic hero must meet with a reversal of fortune brought about by either folly or fate. Based on these criteria, Oedipus the King by Sophocles is considered the prototypical Greek Tragedy. Oedipus, the playÕs main character, is also considered the model of a Greek tragic hero. Oedipus the King deals with several serious purposes, the greatest of which being the agnosticism Sophocles perceived in his community. Through Iokaste who ÒÉwould not waste a second thoughtÉÓ on oracles, Sophocles shows his audience the perils of disbelief in the gods, since each prophecy made by oracles in the play ended up coming true (l. 813). Sophocles uses his play to perform serious religious functions as well as to entertain theatre-goers. The fulfillment of the predictions made by the oracles led to the downfall of Oedipus, which created a catharsis in the audience, brought by arousing feelings of pity and fear for the fallen king. The Choragos gives the lesson, ÒÉlet none presume on his good fortune until he find life, at his death, a memory without painÓ (l. 1473-5). This scene allows the audience to leave the theater feeling purged of their pity and fear. The plot is the most important component of Oedipus the King, as it is of every Greek Tragedy. Development of characters is secondary, and the audience rarely Ôgets insideÕ any of the characters. Only characters crucial to the plot are introduced; there is no extraneous action on stage. This development of plot is a challenge. A tragedian must present a story with which the audience is already familiar and still make it interesting

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 2 Flight

TRANTOR-†¦ The capital of the First Galactic Empire†¦ Under Cleon I, it had its â€Å"twilight glow.† To all appearances, it was then at its peak. Its land surface of 200 million square kilometers was entirely domed (except for the Imperial Palace area) and underlaid with an endless city that extended beneath the continental shelves. The population was 40 billion and although the signs were plentiful (and clearly visible in hindsight) that there were gathering problems, those who lived on Trantor undoubtedly found it still the Eternal World of legend and did not expect it would ever†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 6. Seldon looked up. A young man was standing before him, looking down at him with an expression of amused contempt. Next to him was another young man-a bit younger, perhaps. Both were large and appeared to be strong. They were dressed in an extreme of Trantorian fashion, Seldon judged-boldly clashing colors, broad fringed belts, round hats with wide brims all about and the two ends of a bright pink ribbon extending from the brim to the back of the neck. In Seldon's eyes, it was amusing and he smiled. The young man before him snapped, â€Å"What're you grinning at, misfit?† Seldon ignored the manner of address and said gently, â€Å"Please pardon my smile. I was merely enjoying your costume.† â€Å"My costume? So? And what are you wearing? What's that awful offal you call clothes?† His hand went out and his finger flicked at the lapel of Seldon's jacket-disgracefully heavy and dull, Seldon himself thought, in comparison to the other's lighthearted colors. Seldon said, â€Å"I'm afraid it's my Outworlder clothes. They're all I have.† He couldn't help notice that the few others who were sitting in the small park were rising to their feet and walking off. It was as though they were expecting trouble and had no desire to remain in the vicinity. Seldon wondered if his new friend, Hummin, was leaving too, but he felt it injudicious to take his eyes away from the young man who was confronting him. He teetered back on his chair slightly. The young man said, â€Å"You an Outworlder?† â€Å"That's right. Hence my clothes.† â€Å"Hence? What kind of word's that? Outworld word?† â€Å"What I meant was, that was why my clothes seem peculiar to you. I'm a visitor here.† â€Å"From what planet?† â€Å"Helicon.† The young man's eyebrows drew together. â€Å"Never heard of it.† â€Å"It's not a large planet.† â€Å"Why don't you go back there?† â€Å"I intend to. I'm leaving tomorrow.† â€Å"Sooner! Now!† The young man looked at his partner. Seldon followed the look and caught a glimpse of Hummin. He had not left, but the park was now empty except for himself, Hummin, and the two young men. Seldon said, â€Å"I'd thought I'd spend today sight-seeing.† â€Å"No. You don't want to do that. You go home now.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"Sorry. I won't.† The young man said to his partner. â€Å"You like his clothes, Marbie?† Marbie spoke for the first time. â€Å"No. Disgusting. Turns the stomach.† â€Å"Can't let him go around turning stomachs, Marbie. Not good for people's health.† â€Å"No, not by no means, Alem,† said Marbie. Alem grinned. â€Å"Well now. You heard what Marbie said.† And now Hummin spoke. He said, â€Å"Look, you two, Alem, Marbie, whatever your names are. You've had your fun. Why don't you go away?† Alem, who had been leaning slightly toward Seldon, straightened and turned. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"That's not your business,† snapped Hummin. â€Å"You're Trantorian?† asked Alem. â€Å"Also not your business.† Alem frowned and said, â€Å"You're dressed Trantorian. We're not interested in you, so don't go looking for problems.† â€Å"I intend to stay. That means there are two of us. Two against two doesn't sound like your kind of fight. Why don't you go away and get some friends so you can handle two people?† Seldon said, â€Å"I really think you ought to get away if you can, Hummin. It's kind of you to try to protect me, but I don't want you harmed.† â€Å"These are not dangerous people, Seldon. Just half-credit lackeys.† â€Å"Lackeys!† The word seemed to infuriate Alem, so that Seldon thought it must have a more insulting meaning on Trantor than it had on Helicon. â€Å"Here, Marbie,† said Alem with a growl. â€Å"You take care of that other motherlackey and I'll rip the clothes off this Seldon. He's the one we want. Now-â€Å" His hands came down sharply to seize Seldon's lapels and jerk him upright. Seldon pushed away, instinctively it would seem, and his chair tipped backward. He seized the hands stretched toward him, his foot went up, and his chair went down. Somehow Alem streaked overhead, turning as he did so, and came down hard on his neck and back behind Seldon. Seldon twisted as his chair went down and was quickly on his feet, staring down at Alem, then looking sharply to one side for Marbie. Alem lay unmoving, his face twisted in agony. He had two badly sprained thumbs, excruciating pain in his groin, and a backbone that had been badly jarred. Hummin's left arm had grabbed Marbie's neck from behind and his right arm had pulled the other's right arm backward at a vicious angle. Marbie's face was red as he labored uselessly for breath. A knife, glittering with a small laser inset, lay on the ground beside them. Hummin eased his grip slightly and said, with an air of honest concern, â€Å"You've hurt that one badly.† Seldon said, â€Å"I'm afraid so. If he had fallen a little differently, he would have snapped his neck.† Hummin said, â€Å"What kind of a mathematician are you?† â€Å"A Heliconian one.† He stooped to pick up the knife and, after examining it, said, â€Å"Disgusting-and deadly.† Hummin said, â€Å"An ordinary blade would do the job without requiring a power source.-But let's let these two go. I doubt they want to continue any further.† He released Marbie, who rubbed first his shoulder then his neck. Gasping for air, he turned hate-filled eyes on the two men. Hummin said sharply, â€Å"You two had better get out of here. Otherwise we'll have to give evidence against you for assault and attempted murder. This knife can surely be traced to you.† Seldon and Hummin watched while Marbie dragged Alem to his feet and then helped him stagger away, still bent in pain. They looked back once or twice, but Seldon and Hummin watched impassively. Seldon held out his hand. â€Å"How do I thank you for coming to the aid of a stranger against two attackers? I doubt I would have been able to handle them both on my own.† Hummin raised his hand in a deprecatory manner. â€Å"I wasn't afraid of them. They're just street-brawling lackeys. All I had to do was get my hands on them-and yours, too, of course.† â€Å"That's a pretty deadly grip you have,† Seldon mused. Hummin shrugged. â€Å"You too.† Then, without changing his tone of voice, he said, â€Å"Come on, we'd better get out of here. We're wasting time.† Seldon said, â€Å"Why do we have to get away? Are you afraid those two will come back?† â€Å"Not in their lifetime. But some of those brave people who cleared out of the park so quickly in their eagerness to spare themselves a disagreeable sight may have alerted the police.† â€Å"Fine. We have the hoodlums' names. And we can describe them fairly well.† â€Å"Describe them? Why would the police want them?† â€Å"They committed an assault-â€Å" â€Å"Don't be foolish. We don't have a scratch. They're virtually hospital bait, especially Alem. We're the ones who will be charged.† â€Å"But that's impossible. Those people witnessed the fact that-â€Å" â€Å"No people will be called.-Seldon, get this into your head. Those two came to find you-specifically you. They were told you were wearing Heliconian clothes and you must have been described precisely. Perhaps they were even shown a holograph. I suspect they were sent by the people who happen to control the police, so let's not wait any longer.† Hummin hurried off, his hand gripping Seldon's upper arm. Seldon found the grip impossible to shake and, feeling like a child in the hands of an impetuous nurse, followed. They plunged into an arcade and, before Seldon's eyes grew accustomed to the dimmer light, they heard the burring sound of a ground-car's brakes. â€Å"There they are,† muttered Hummin. â€Å"Faster, Seldon.† They hopped onto a moving corridor and lost themselves in the crowd. 7. Seldon had tried to persuade Hummin to take him to his hotel room, but Hummin would have none of that. â€Å"Are you mad?† he half-whispered. â€Å"They'll be waiting for you there.† â€Å"But all my belongings are waiting for me there too.† â€Å"They'll just have to wait.† And now they were in a small room in a pleasant apartment structure that might be anywhere for all that Seldon could tell. He looked about the one-room unit. Most of it was taken up by a desk and chair, a bed, and a computer outlet. There were no dining facilities or washstand of any kind, though Hummin had directed him to a communal washroom down the hall. Someone had entered before Seldon was quite through. He had cast one brief and curious look at Seldon's clothes, rather than at Seldon himself, and had then looked away. Seldon mentioned this to Hummin, who shook his head and said, â€Å"We'll have to get rid of your clothes. Too bad Helicon is so far out of fashion-â€Å" Seldon said impatiently, â€Å"How much of this might just be your imagination, Hummin? You've got me half-convinced and yet it may be merely a kind of†¦ of-â€Å" â€Å"Are you groping for the word ‘paranoia'?† â€Å"All right, I am. This may be some strange paranoid notion of yours.† Hummin said, â€Å"Think about it, will you? I can't argue it out mathematically, but you've seen the Emperor. Don't deny it. He wanted something from you and you didn't give it to him. Don't deny that either. I suspect that details of the future are what he wants and you refused. Perhaps Demerzel thinks you're only pretending not to have the details-that you're holding out for a higher price or that someone else is bidding for it too. Who knows? I told you that if Demerzel wants you, he'll get you wherever you are. I told you that before those two splitheads ever appeared on the scene. I'm a journalist and a Trantorian. I know how these things go. At one point, Alem said, ‘He's the one we want.' Do you remember that?† â€Å"As it happens,† said Seldon. â€Å"I do.† â€Å"To him I was only the ‘other motherlackey' to be kept off, while he went about the real job of assaulting you.† Hummin sat down in the chair and pointed to the bed. â€Å"Stretch out, Seldon. Make yourself comfortable. Whoever sent those two-it must have been Demerzel, in my opinion-can send others, so we'll have to get rid of those clothes of yours. I think any other Heliconian in this sector caught in his own world's garb is going to have trouble until he can prove he isn't you.† â€Å"Oh come on.† â€Å"I mean it. You'll have to take off the clothes and we'll have to atomize them-if we can get close enough to a disposal unit without being seen. And before we can do that I'll have to get you a Trantorian outfit. You're smaller than I am and I'll take that into account. It won't matter if it doesn't fit exactly-â€Å" Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I don't have the credits to pay for it. Not on me. What credits I have-and they aren't much-are in my hotel safe.† â€Å"We'll worry about that another time. You'll have to stay here for an hour or two while I go out in search of the necessary clothing.† Seldon spread his hands and sighed resignedly. â€Å"All right. If it's that important, I'll stay.† â€Å"You won't try to get back to your hotel? Word of honor?† â€Å"My word as a mathematician. But I'm really embarrassed by all the trouble you're taking for me. And expense too. After all, despite all this talk about Demerzel, they weren't really out to hurt me or carry me off. All I was threatened with was the removal of my clothes.† â€Å"Not all. They were also going to take you to the spaceport and put you on a hypership to Helicon.† â€Å"That was a silly threat-not to be taken seriously.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I'm going to Helicon. I told them so. I'm going tomorrow.† â€Å"And you still plan to go tomorrow?† asked Hummin. â€Å"Certainly. Why not?† â€Å"There are enormous reasons why not.† Seldon suddenly felt angry. â€Å"Come on, Hummin, I can't play this game any further. I'm finished here and I want to go home. My tickets are in the hotel room. Otherwise I'd try to exchange them for a trip today. I mean it.† â€Å"You can't go back to Helicon.† Seldon flushed. â€Å"Why not? Are they waiting for me there too?† Hummin nodded. â€Å"Don't fire up, Seldon. They would be waiting for you there too. Listen to me. If you go to Helicon, you are as good as in Demerzel's hands. Helicon is good, safe Imperial territory. Has Helicon ever rebelled, ever fallen into step behind the banner of an anti-Emperor?† â€Å"No, it hasn't-and for good reason. It's surrounded by larger worlds. It depends on the Imperial peace for security.† â€Å"Exactly! Imperial forces on Helicon can therefore count on the full cooperation of the local government. You would be under constant surveillance at all times. Any time Demerzel wants you, he will be able to have you. And, except for the fact that I am now warning you, you would have no knowledge of this and you would be working in the open, filled with a false security.† â€Å"That's ridiculous. If he wanted me in Helicon, why didn't he simply leave me to myself? I was going there tomorrow. Why would he send those two hoodlums simply to hasten the matter by a few hours and risk putting me on my guard?† â€Å"Why should he think you would be put on your guard? He didn't know I'd be with you, immersing you in what you call my paranoia.† â€Å"Even without the question of warning me, why all the fuss to hurry me by a few hours?† â€Å"Perhaps because he was afraid you would change your mind.† â€Å"And go where, if not home? If he could pick me up on Helicon, he could pick me up anywhere. He could pick me up on†¦ on Anacreon, a good ten thousand parsecs away-if it should fall into my head to go there. What's distance to hyperspatial ships? Even if I find a world that's not quite as subservient to the Imperial forces as Helicon is, what world is in actual rebellion? The Empire is at peace. Even if some worlds are still resentful of injustices in the past, none are going to defy the Imperial armed forces to protect me. Moreover, anywhere but on Helicon I won't be a local citizen and there won't even be that matter of principle to help keep the Empire at bay.† Hummin listened patiently, nodding slightly, but looking as grave and as imperturbable as ever. He said, â€Å"You're right, as far as you go, but there's one world that is not really under the Emperor's control. That, I think, is what must be disturbing Demerzel.† Seldon thought a while, reviewing recent history and finding himself unable to choose a world on which the Imperial forces might be helpless. He said at last, â€Å"What world is that?† Hummin said, â€Å"You're on it, which is what makes the matter so dangerous in Demerzel's eyes, I imagine. It is not so much that he is anxious to have you go to Helicon, as that he is anxious to have you leave Trantor before it occurs to you, for any reason-even if only tourist's mania-to stay.† The two men sat in silence until Seldon finally said sardonically, â€Å"Trantor! The capital of the Empire, with the home base of the fleet on a space station in orbit about it, with the best units of the army quartered here. If you believe that it is Trantor that is the safe world, you're progressing from paranoia to outright fantasy.† â€Å"No! You're an Outworlder, Seldon. You don't know what Trantor is like. It's forty billion people and there are few other worlds with even a tenth of its population. It is of unimaginable technological and cultural complexity. Where we are now is the Imperial Sector-with the highest standard of living in the Galaxy and populated entirely by Imperial functionaries. Elsewhere on the planet, however, are over eight hundred other sectors, some of them with subcultures totally different from what we have here and most of them untouchable by Imperial forces.† â€Å"Why untouchable?† â€Å"The Empire cannot seriously exert force against Trantor. To do so would be bound to shake some facet or other of the technology on which the whole planet depends. The technology is so interrelated that to snap one of the interconnections is to cripple the whole. Believe me, Seldon, we on Trantor observe what happens when there is an earthquake that manages to escape being damped out, a volcanic eruption that is not vented in time, a storm that is not defused, or just some human error that escapes notice. The planet totters and every effort must be made to restore the balance at once.† â€Å"I have never heard of such a thing.† A small smile flickered its way across Hummin's face. â€Å"Of course not. Do you want the Empire to advertise the weakness at its core? However, as a journalist, I know what happens even when the Outworlds don't, even when much of Trantor itself doesn't, even when the Imperial pressure is interested in concealing events. Believe me! The Emperor knows-and Eto Demerzel knows-even if you don't, that to disturb Trantor may destroy the Empire.† â€Å"Then are you suggesting I stay on Trantor for that reason?† â€Å"Yes. I can take you to a place on Trantor where you will be absolutely safe from Demerzel. You won't have to change your name and you will be able to operate entirely in the open and he won't be able to touch you. That's why he wanted to force you off Trantor at once and if it hadn't been for the quirk of fate that brought us together and for your surprising ability to defend yourself, he would have succeeded in doing so.† â€Å"But how long will I have to remain on Trantor?† â€Å"For as long as your safety requires it, Seldon. For the rest of your life, perhaps.† 8. Hari Seldon looked at the holograph of himself cast by Hummin's projector. It was more dramatic and useful than a mirror would have been. In fact, it seemed as though there were two of him in the room. Seldon studied the sleeve of his new tunic. His Heliconian attitudes made him wish the colors were less vibrant, but he was thankful that, as it was, Hummin had chosen softer colors than were customary here on this world. (Seldon thought of the clothing worn by their two assailants and shuddered inwardly.) He said, â€Å"And I suppose I must wear this hat.† â€Å"In the Imperial Sector, yes. To go bareheaded here is a sign of low breeding. Elsewhere, the rules are different.† Seldon sighed. The round hat was made of soft material and molded itself to his head when he put it on. The brim was evenly wide all around, but it was narrower than on the hats his attackers had worn. Seldon consoled himself by noticing that when he wore the hat the brim curved rather gracefully. â€Å"It doesn't have a strap under the chin.† â€Å"Of course not. That's advanced fashion for young lanks.† â€Å"For young what?† â€Å"A lank is someone who wears things for their shock value. I'm sure you have such people on Helicon.† Seldon snorted. â€Å"There are those who wear their hair shoulder-length on one side and shave the other.† He laughed at the memory. Hummin's mouth twisted slightly. â€Å"I imagine it looks uncommonly ugly.† â€Å"Worse. There are lefties and righties, apparently, and each finds the other version highly offensive. The two groups often engage in street brawls.† â€Å"Then I think you can stand the hat, especially without the strap.† Seldon said, â€Å"I'll get used to it.† â€Å"It will attract some attention. It's subdued for one thing and makes you look as if you're in mourning. And it doesn't quite fit. Then, too, you wear it with obvious discomfort. However, we won't be in the Imperial Sector long.-Seen enough?† And the holograph flickered out. Seldon said, â€Å"How much did this cost you?† â€Å"What's the difference?† â€Å"It bothers me to be in your debt.† â€Å"Don't worry about it. This is my choice. But we've been here long enough. I will have been described, I'm quite certain. They'll track me down and they'll come here.† â€Å"In that case,† said Seldon, â€Å"the credits you're spending are a minor matter. You're putting yourself into personal danger on my account. Personal danger!† â€Å"I know that. But it's my free choice and I can take care of myself.† â€Å"But why-â€Å" â€Å"We'll discuss the philosophy of it later.-I've atomized your clothes, by the way, and I don't think I was seen. There was an energy surge, of course, and that would be recorded. Someone might guess what happened from that-it's hard to obscure any action when probing eyes and mind are sharp enough. However, let us hope we'll be safely away before they put it all together.† 9. They traveled along walkways where the light was soft and yellow. Hummin's eyes moved this way and that, watchful, and he kept their pace at crowd speed, neither passing nor being passed. He kept up a mild but steady conversation on indifferent topics. Seldon, edgy and unable to do the same, said, â€Å"There seems to be a great deal of walking here. There are endless lines in both directions and along the crossovers.† â€Å"Why not?† said Hummin. â€Å"Walking is still the best form of short-distance transportation. It's the most convenient, the cheapest, and the most healthful. Countless years of technological advance have not changed that.-Are you acrophobic, Seldon?† Seldon looked over the railing on his right into a deep declivity that separated the two walking lanes-each in an opposite direction between the regularly spaced crossovers. He shuddered slightly. â€Å"If you mean fear of heights, not ordinarily. Still, looking down isn't pleasant. How far does it go down?† â€Å"Forty or fifty levels at this point, I think. This sort of thing is common in the Imperial Sector and a few other highly developed regions. In most places, one walks at what might be considered ground level.† â€Å"I should imagine this would encourage suicide attempts.† â€Å"Not often. There are far easier methods. Besides, suicide is not a matter of social obloquy on Trantor. One can end one's life by various recognized methods in centers that exist for the purpose-if one is willing to go through some psychotherapy at first. There are, occasional accidents, for that matter, but that's not why I was asking about acrophobia. We're heading for a taxi rental where they know me as a journalist. I've done favors for them occasionally and sometimes they do favors for me in return. They'll forget to record me and won't notice that I have a companion. Of course, I'll have to pay a premium and, again of course, if Demerzel's people lean on them hard enough, they'll have to tell the truth and put it down to slovenly accounting, but that may take considerable time.† â€Å"Where does the acrophobia come in?† â€Å"Well, we can get there a lot faster if we use a gravitic lift. Not many people use it and I must tell you that I'm not overjoyed at the idea myself, but if you think you can handle it, we had better.† â€Å"What's a gravitic lift?† â€Å"It's experimental. The time may come when it will be widespread over Trantor, provided it becomes psychologically acceptable-or can be made so to enough people. Then, maybe, it will spread to other worlds too. It's an elevator shaft without an elevator cab, so to speak. We just step into empty space and drop slowly-or rise slowly-under the influence of antigravity. It's about the only application of antigravity that's been established so far, largely because it's the simplest possible application.† â€Å"What happens if the power blinks out while we're in transit?† â€Å"Exactly what you would think. We fall and-unless we're quite near the bottom to begin with-we die. I haven't heard of it happening yet and, believe me, if it had happened I would know. We might not be able to give out the news for security reasons-that's the excuse they always advance for hiding bad news-but I would know. It's just up ahead. If you can't manage it, we won't do it, but the corridors are slow and tedious and many find them nauseating after a while.† Hummin turned down a crossover and into a large recess where a line of men and women were waiting, one or two with children. Seldon said in a low voice, â€Å"I heard nothing of this back home. Of course, our own news media are terribly local, but you'd think there'd be some mention that this sort of thing exists.† Hummin said. â€Å"It's strictly experimental and is confined to the Imperial Sector. It uses more energy than it's worth, so the government is not really anxious to push it right now by giving it publicity. The old Emperor, Stanel VI, the one before Cleon who amazed everyone by dying in his bed, insisted on having it installed in a few places. He wanted his name associated with antigravity, they say, because he was concerned with his place in history, as old men of no great attainments frequently are. As I said, the technique may spread, but, on the other hand, it is possible that nothing much more than the gravitic lift will ever come of it.† â€Å"What do they want to come of it?† asked Seldon. â€Å"Antigrav spaceflight. That, however, will require many breakthroughs and most physicists, as far as I know, are firmly convinced it is out of the question. But, then, most thought that even gravitic lifts were out of the question.† The line ahead was rapidly growing shorter and Seldon found himself standing with Hummin at the edge of the floor with an open gap before him. The air ahead faintly glittered. Automatically, he reached out his hand and felt a light shock. It didn't hurt, but he snatched his hand back quickly. Hummin grunted. â€Å"An elementary precaution to prevent anyone walking over the edge before activating the controls.† He punched some numbers on the control board and the glitter vanished. Seldon peered over the edge, down the deep shaft. â€Å"You might find it better-or easier,† said Hummin, â€Å"if we link arms and if you close your eyes. It won't take more than a few seconds.† He gave Seldon no choice, actually. He took his arm and once again there was no hanging back in that firm grip. Hummin stepped into nothingness and Seldon (who heard himself, to his own embarrassment, emit a small squeak) shuffled off with a lurch. He closed his eyes tightly and experienced no sense of falling, no feeling of air movement. A few seconds passed and he was pulled forward. He tripped slightly, caught his balance, and found himself on solid ground. He opened his eyes, â€Å"Did we make it?† Hummin said dryly, â€Å"We're not dead,† then walked away, his grip forcing Seldon to follow. â€Å"I mean, did we get to the right level?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"What would have happened if we were dropping down and someone else was moving upward?† â€Å"There are two separate lanes. In one lane everyone drops at the same speed; in the other everyone rises at the same speed. The shaft clears only when there are no people within ten meters of each other. There is no chance of a collision if all works well.† â€Å"I didn't feel a thing.† â€Å"Why should you? There was no acceleration. After the first tenth of a second, you were at constant speed and the air in your immediate vicinity was moving down with you at the same speed.† â€Å"Marvelous.† â€Å"Absolutely. But uneconomic. And there seems no great pressure to increase the efficiency of the procedure and make it worthwhile. Everywhere one hears the same refrain. ‘We can't do it. It can't be done.' It applies to everything.† Hummin shrugged in obvious anger and said, â€Å"But we're here at the taxi rental. Let's get on with it.† 10. Seldon tried to look inconspicuous at the air-taxi rental terminus, which he found difficult. To look ostentatiously inconspicuous-to slink about, to turn his face away from all who passed, to study one of the vehicles overintently-was surely the way to invite attention. The way to behave was merely to assume an innocent normality. But what was normality? He felt uncomfortable in his clothes. There were no pockets, so he had no place to put his hands. The two pouches, which dangled from his belt on either side, distracted him by hitting against him as he moved, so that he was continually thinking someone had nudged him. He tried looking at women as they passed. They had no pouches, at least none dangling, but they carried little boxlike affairs that they occasionally clipped to one hip or another by some device he could not make out. It was probably pseudomagnetic, he decided. Their clothes were not particularly revealing, he noted regretfully, and not one had any sign of dcolletage, although some dresses seemed to be designed to emphasize the buttocks. Meanwhile, Hummin had been very businesslike, having presented the necessary credits and returned with the superconductive ceramic tile that would activate a specific air-taxi. Hummin said, â€Å"Get in, Seldon,† gesturing to a small two-seated vehicle. Seldon asked, â€Å"Did you have to sign your name, Hummin?† â€Å"Of course not. They know me here and don't stand on ceremony.† â€Å"What do they think you're doing?† â€Å"They didn't ask and I volunteered no information.† He inserted the tile and Seldon felt a slight vibration as the air-taxi came to life. â€Å"We're headed for D-7,† said Hummin, making conversation. Seldon didn't know what D-7 was, but he assumed it meant some route or other. The air-taxi found its way past and around other ground-cars and finally moved onto a smooth upward-slanting track and gained speed. Then it lifted upward with a slight jolt. Seldon, who had been automatically strapped in by a webbed restraint, felt himself pushed down into his seat and then up against the webbing. He said, â€Å"That didn't feel like antigravity.† â€Å"It wasn't,† said Hummin. â€Å"That was a small jet reaction. Just enough to take us up to the tubes.† What appeared before them now looked like a cliff patterned with cave openings, much like a checkerboard. Hummin maneuvered toward the D-7 opening, avoiding other air-taxis that were heading for other tunnels. â€Å"You could crash easily,† said Seldon, clearing his throat. â€Å"So I probably would if everything depended on my senses and reactions, but the taxi is computerized and the computer can overrule me without trouble. The same is true for the other taxis.-Here we go.† They slid into D-7 as if they had been sucked in and the bright light of the open plaza outside mellowed, turning a warmer yellow hue. Hummin released the controls and sat back. He drew a deep breath and said, â€Å"Well, that's one stage successfully carried through. We might have been stopped at the station. In here, we're fairly safe.† The ride was smooth and the walls of the tunnel slipped by rapidly. There was almost no sound, just a steady velvety whirr as the taxi sped along. â€Å"How fast are we going?† asked Seldon. Hummin cast an eye briefly at the controls. â€Å"Three hundred and fifty kilometers per hour.† â€Å"Magnetic propulsion?† â€Å"Yes. You have it on Helicon, I imagine.† â€Å"Yes. One line. I've never been on it myself, though I've always meant to. I don't think it's anything like this.† â€Å"I'm sure it isn't. Trantor has many thousands of kilometers of these tunnels honeycombing the land subsurface and a number that snake under the shallower extensions of the ocean. It's the chief method of long-distance travel.† â€Å"How long will it take us?† â€Å"To reach our immediate destination? A little over five hours.† â€Å"Five hours!† Seldon was dismayed. â€Å"Don't be disturbed. We pass rest areas every twenty minutes or so where we can stop, pull out of the tunnel, stretch our feet, eat, or relieve ourselves. I'd like to do that as few times as possible, of course.† They continued on in silence for a while and then Seldon started when a blaze of light flared at their right for a few seconds and, in the flash, he thought he saw two air-taxis. â€Å"That was a rest area,† said Hummin in answer to the unspoken question. Seldon said, â€Å"Am I really going to be safe wherever it is you are taking me?† Hummin said, â€Å"Quite safe from any open movement on the part of the Imperial forces. Of course, when it comes to the individual operator-the spy, the agent, the hired assassin-one must always be careful. Naturally, I will supply you with a bodyguard.† Seldon felt uneasy. â€Å"The hired assassin? Are you serious? Would they really want to kill me?† Hummin said, â€Å"I'm sure Demerzel doesn't. I suspect he wants to use you rather than kill you. Still, other enemies may turn up or there may be unfortunate concatenations of events. You can't go through life sleepwalking.† Seldon shook his head and turned his face away. To think, only forty-eight hours ago he had been just an insignificant, virtually unknown Outworld mathematician, content only to spend his remaining time on Trantor sight-seeing, gazing at the enormity of the great world with his provincial eye. And now, it was finally sinking in: He was a wanted man, hunted by Imperial forces. The enormity of the situation seized him and he shuddered. â€Å"And what about you and what you're doing right now?† Hummin said thoughtfully, â€Å"Well, they won't feel kindly toward me, I suppose. I might have my head laid open or my chest exploded by some mysterious and never-found assailant.† Hummin said it without a tremor in his voice or a change in his calm appearance, but Seldon winced. Seldon said, â€Å"I rather thought you would assume that might be in store for you. You don't seem to be†¦ bothered by it.† â€Å"I'm an old Trantorian. I know the planet as well as anybody can. I know many people and many of them are under obligation to me. I like to think that I am shrewd and not easy to outwit. In short, Seldon, I am quite confident that I can take care of myself.† â€Å"I'm glad you feel that way and I hope you're justified in thinking so, Hummin, but I can't get it through my head why you're taking this chance at all. What am I to you? Why should you take even the smallest risk for someone who is a stranger to you?† Hummin checked the controls in a preoccupied manner and then he faced Seldon squarely, eyes steady and serious. â€Å"I want to save you for the same reason that the Emperor wants to use you-for your predictive powers.† Seldon felt a deep pang of disappointment. This was not after all a question of being saved. He was merely the helpless and disputed prey of competing predators. He said angrily, â€Å"I will never live down that presentation at the Decennial Convention. I have ruined my life.† â€Å"No. Don't rush to conclusions, mathematician. The Emperor and his officers want you for one reason only, to make their own lives more secure. They are interested in your abilities only so far as they might be used to save the Emperor's rule, preserve that rule for his young son, maintain the positions, status, and power of his officials. I, on the other hand, want your powers for the good of the Galaxy.† â€Å"Is there a distinction?† spat Seldon acidly. And Hummin replied with the stern beginning of a frown, â€Å"If you do not see the distinction, then that is to your shame. The human occupants of the Galaxy existed before this Emperor who now rules, before the dynasty he represents, before the Empire itself. Humanity is far older than the Empire. It may even be far older than the twenty-five million worlds of the Galaxy. There are legends of a time when humanity inhabited a single world.† â€Å"Legends!† said Seldon, shrugging his shoulders. â€Å"Yes, legends, but I see no reason why that may not have been so in fact, twenty thousand years ago or more. I presume that humanity did not come into existence complete with knowledge of hyperspatial travel. Surely, there must have been a time when people could not travel at superluminal velocities and they must then have been imprisoned in a single planetary system. And if we look forward in time, the human beings of the worlds of the Galaxy will surely continue to exist after you and the Emperor are dead, after his whole line comes to an end, and after the institutions of the Empire itself unravel. In that case, it is not important to worry overmuch about individuals, about the Emperor and the young Prince Imperial. It is not important to worry even about the mechanics of Empire. What of the quadrillions of people that exist in the Galaxy? What of them?† Seldon said, â€Å"Worlds and people would continue, I presume.† â€Å"Don't you feel any serious need of probing the possible conditions under which they would continue to exist.† â€Å"One would assume they would exist much as they do now.† â€Å"One would assume. But could one know by this art of prediction that you speak of?† â€Å"Psychohistory is what I call it. In theory, one could.† â€Å"And you feel no pressure to turn that theory into practice.† â€Å"I would love to, Hummin, but the desire to do so doesn't automatically manufacture the ability to do so. I told the Emperor that psychohistory could not be turned into a practical technique and I am forced to tell you the same thing.† â€Å"And you have no intention of even trying to find the technique?† â€Å"No, I don't, any more than I would feel I ought to try to tackle a pile of pebbles the size of Trantor, count them one by one, and arrange them in order of decreasing mass. I would know it was not something I could accomplish in a lifetime and I would not be fool enough to make a pretense of trying.† â€Å"Would you try if you knew the truth about humanity's situation?† â€Å"That's an impossible question. What is the truth about humanity's situation? Do you claim to know it?† â€Å"Yes, I do. And in five words.† Hummin's eyes faced forward again, turning briefly toward the blank changelessness of the tunnel as it pushed toward them, expanding until it passed and then dwindling as it slipped away. He then spoke those five words grimly. He said, â€Å"The Galactic Empire is dying.†