Contact---fiction Story :: essays research papers

In 2001the work began on the biggest dam project in history of the human kind. The place chosen was the Great Canyon in Colorado. After six months of heavy digging, workers had found something strange.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John, who was one of the scientists that come to this site, was especially interested in this subject. He in his long black trench coat looked like Germans during World War II. He looked even more familiar to SS man when he took off his hat and sunglasses and showed his blonde hair and blue eyes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His team was already ready to go to the “zero zone';. Their assistant was Michael. He was main contractor of the construction. He showed them the place where they found this “thing';. -So what is it? - Asked John -I don’t know, besides that’s why you’re here to find out. -Right.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon they were on the place. There was this big hole blown by the explosives. The purpose was to make fundaments for dam so that it would not leak the water. The cave was reddish in color as the rest of the landscape. The thing that you couldn’t miss was that after few feet from the entrance it was not a cave anymore. -So this is the place –said John -Yeah, look at this polished walls. -Aha and I’m sure it was not done by water. -Yeah that’s for sure-said Mike with a little excitement in his voice, and added-I worked on similar projects many times and I saw many kinds of caves with really weird shapes, but never like this one. -It’s, it’s just that it is so symmetric-added John   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cave was very large and they had to bring flashlights because they couldn’t see a thing. In the middle of “the room'; John found big object that looked kind of similar to artifacts from Egypt. The object was square in base and as it went up it changed to a triangle and looked similar to pyramid. There were some strange signs that John has never seen before. Later he gave idea that these signs are kind of clue to what this object does or it is. As he was looking for any sign that was similar to him he found few which interested him most. First sign looked like bird at first but after further analysis it looked more like jet plane. The other sign at first looked like ghost or god but later it looked like astronaut in his costume.

Ethical Issues in film Erin Brockovich Essay example -- Ethics Movie M

Ethical Issues in film Erin Brockovich There are many ethical issues in the movie Erin Brockovich. This movie is about a mother of three who uncovers a water poisoning case by Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) in southern California. Once it was proved that the company had knowingly dumped hexavalent chromium into the ground water, the utility company was found liable for a $330 million dollar verdict. Erin has the responsibility to feed and educate her three children and she has a general distrust of people. She begins by forcing her lawyer Ed Masry to give her a secretarial job after he failed to get her a settlement from an auto accident. She makes him feel guilty for the way that she is currently living and blames it on him. She figures this would square things away. However, she doesn't exactly fit in at the firm. Other female co-workers do not approve of her attire and the cleavage that she shows. Women in the office don't include Erin in going out to lunch and even helping her out when she asks for assistance. Once when she asked for assistance, the women refused to help her stating that if she doesn't know the job yet, that is her problem. The women treat her poorly, but I think that they are surprised at the person she really is and what a dedicated hard worker she is. Erin fights for respect and acceptance from a world, which tends to judge from appearance only. Ed accuses her of extortion when she attempts to get raises out of him every time he approves her doing another job with the PG&E case. She asks for increase in salary and at one-point event benefits. Ed ends up giving it to her maybe because he knows that she is on to something and it could end up being really big. However, sh... ...y were living in. They instead chose to protect their corporation by creating a plan to purchase these homes and cover up any evidence that would be around. The company lawyers choose to sacrifice the lives of the neighbors to protect the company assets even though PG&E is a 28 billion-dollar company. It was believed that it would be cheaper for PG&E to dispose of the chemicals illegally since the company officials were more concerned with the profits than about people's lives. The hiding of this critical information had tragic consequences for the people involved. PG&E must have realized that they were guilty since they settled the case for $330 million in private arbitration. All in all, it probably ended up costing PG&E more money than it would have if they had properly lined the water pools and taken care of things the correct way in the beginning.

The United States’ Failure of Battling International Terrorism under Clinton’s Administration :: History Terror Argumentative Persuasive Papers

The United States’ Failure of Battling International Terrorism under Clinton’s Administration In the wake of the September 11 tragedy, Osama bin Laden once again rang the bell across the North America continent, reminding the Americans of his existence and fatalness. Bin Laden has been quiet for a while after the United States’ bombing in Sudan and Afghanistan in 1998 – a retaliation against his followers’ attacks of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and a mere attempt to stop international terrorism by the Clinton’s administration. By demolishing the World Trade Centre and part of the pentagon with four hijacked domestic aircrafts on September 11, 2001, bin Laden has proven Clinton’s attempt a tragic failure – that it was simply a timeout to the terrorist â€Å"jihad† against the Americans. Thirteen days after the terrorist attack of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Operation Infinite Reach was launched with the approval of a select group of senior advisors from President Clinton’s administration. Numerous Tomahawk Cruise Missiles were sent from U.S. submarines and warships to selected targets in Sudan and Afghanistan. The retaliation, though backed up by many claimed evidence and urge from the administration, has drawn many serious local and international criticisms. These criticisms were raised mostly against the effectiveness and the justification of the military action. With its failure to stop Osama bin Laden from plotting his â€Å"jihad† against the Americans, Operation Infinite Reach seems to have proven most of the criticisms correct. One problem with the bombings of Sudan and Afghanistan is that they were highly ineffective in achieving its intended goal to battle terrorism. The outcome of the bombings has perhaps made its ineffectiveness self-explanatory – the Cruise Missiles were late for an hour to hit bin Laden in the Zhawar Kili Al-Badr Camp near Khoust, Afghanistan. Even though Clinton’s Defensive Secretary Cohen claimed that killing bin Laden was not one of their designs, the failure to root bin Laden and his followers out was obvious. Reports from Afghanistan showed that only less than a hundred members of Al Qaeda were killed or wounded during the attack, and Taliban officials later confirmed that bin Laden has fled the bombing site uninjured. Leaving no serious damage to bin Laden’s terrorist group, the retaliation seemed to have done too little to combat terrorism against the United States.

Planning Document

PLANNING DOCUMENT Planning Document HRM 517 – Managing Human Resource Projects Planning Document Construct a project charter to revamp the compensation and benefits package. The overall goal and strategy of the XYZ Company is to align its total compensation and benefits plan to the financial and operational results of the Corporation and the Business Unit.Alignment of variable compensation to performance is essential to ensure that the supervisory team and identified sole contributors share in the prosperity of the Company when our goals and objectives are exceeded and does not expect or receive variable compensation in those years where failed to meet our key business targets It is essential that each participant in the Supervisory Variable Compensation Plan (SVCP) has a clear understanding of the plan, understands the parameters and guidelines by which SVCP is paid and that a key component is utilizing â€Å"ACTUAL† overall financial and operational year end results.T he Supervisory Variable Compensation Plan (SVRP) is designed to establish the participation, criteria and the process by where variable compensation will or will not be paid out to those individuals who have been identified as participants in the plan and have made a contribution to the financial and operational results of the Business Unit. The following guidelines have been defined to assure that the SVRP is administered fairly and within the parameters required to protect the financial integrity of the Corporation. 1.SVRP payout is based on actual fiscal year financial and operational performance. 2. SVRP will be paid out on an annual basis. 3. Actual payouts are based on individual performance to defined objectives and targets from each qualified participant. 4. Objectives and targets will be established for each participant prior to the beginning of each fiscal year. Objectives and targets will be weighted based on importance. 5. Objectives and targets can be adjusted during th e year to reflect changing Business Unit performance or priorities. 6.A mid-year performance review with each participant with their respective manager is required and performance to date against objectives and targets should be reviewed. Mid- year reviews are to be documented and placed in the participants personnel file with a copy to the participant. 7. SVRP payouts will only be paid to participants who are on staff at fiscal year-end. 8. SVRP payouts are paid on final results achieved for each objective using the weighting established for each target. 9. All payouts will require the approval of two levels of management.In order to qualify for a payout under the Supervisory Variable Compensation Plan the following criteria must be met: 1. Eligibility – Identified first level supervisors, managers and individual contributors in the business units. Eligibility to participate in the plan will start after a 90 day probationary period for new hires. 2. Managers must have been i n the position a minimum of 6 months and performing at a â€Å"fully satisfactory† level. 3. All managers must have a completed Job Performance Evaluations (JPE) for their respective teams.Copies of the JPE must be on file with a copy sent to Human Resources. 4. Meet or exceed performance objectives and targets established at the beginning of the fiscal year. 5. Managers who are on an hourly rate will not qualify for the Supervisory Variable Compensation Plan. 6. For managers who do not have a full year of service will have the SVCP will be pro-rated for the year. SVCP Timeline: ? October 1, 2012 – Business Unit Objectives established ? November 1, 2012 – Individual Performance Plans developed ? May 2013 – Mid Year reviews ? November 2013 – Year End Final Results November 2013 – Final SVCP Calculations completed and submitted for approval ? December 2013 – SVCP payouts [pic] Incentive Plan Calculation Participants will have the opport unity to earn an SVRP payout of 20% of their base salary. The payout will be based on the participant’s performance to their individual objectives and the weighting assigned to each objective. [pic] Design a communication plan for the project. The project's communication plan will consist of the reasons why XYZ Company should revamp their compensation and benefits plan.The purpose of the change will help with productivity as well as seeking more customers within each business unit. It is important that all stakeholders understand why the company should make changes to enhance the business. The managers will see this change as a plus for them since it will include giving them a bonus based on productivity within their business unit. The compensation plan will allow room for hourly and salaried managers to receive incentive pay and this will also help them during performance review for advancement opportunities.The communication plan will include email, conference calls, meetin gs, and voice calls to push our compensation plan and get the information out to the managers. Furthermore; we will hold monthly training sessions for all managers to ensure they are receiving the correct information and training to be successful with this plan. Finally; we will have a Q session which will allow everyone to bring their issues and questions to the table every month.These sessions will help the stakeholders understand what concerns the managers may have or what they may need assistance with to obtain their goals. Define the scope of the project. In order for the plan to be a success there are a few things each business will have to focus on. One of the important factors include errors, if employees are making consistent errors at the customer sites this will cause issues with XYZ Company and the customer. As a team, all will have to determine if all the objectives have been met to include error free installations, and A1 customer service.As a company we have to do it right the first time because there is not guarantee that we will have a second time to correct it. Another important factor is safety, we have to maintain a minimum amount of preventable accidents on a monthly basis. To ensure that we are remaining in compliance, we will have to enforce our safety policy and place sanctions on those who are violating the company policies. Create a work breakdown structure including numbered components. Submit your WBS by creating a table inside your assignment. |Level |WBSCode |Element Name | |1 |1 |Compensation/Benefits Plan | |2 |1. 1 |Initiate Compensation Plan | |3 |1. 1. 1 |Evaluation & Make Recommendations | |3 |1. 1. |Develop Plan | |3 |1. 1. 3 |Present Compensation Plan to Stakeholders | |3 |1. 1. 4 |Stakeholders Review Plan | |3 |1. 1. 5 |Compensation Planned Approved | |2 |1. |Plan for next steps | |3 |1. 2. 1 |Create Scope Statement | |3 |1. 2. 2 |Organize and Select Compensation Team | |3 |1. 2. 3 |Compensation Team Meeting | |3 |1. . 4 |Develop Compensation Plan | |3 |1. 2. 5 |Submit Compensation Plan to Stakeholders | |3 |1. 2. 6 |Milestone: Compensation Plan Approval | |2 |1. 3 |Execution Plan |

Assess the View on Whether or Not Roles in Relationships

H/W Assess the view that roles and relations among couples are becoming more equal (24 Marks) Numerous sociologists have suggested that a large number of relationships are now becoming more symmetrical in compare to the traditional families looking back 40, 100, 200 years ago. They say that the traditional male and female roles are no longer as they were before, it has all fallen apart, and hence relationships have been becoming more equal. Some sociologists such as Wilmot and Young argue that in symmetrical families, normal domestic duties are most likely to be shared by both parties and they are both very likely to be working.Thus it all undoes the tradition of the past in which a woman would care for the children and the home, and the man being the ‘breadwinner’ would head out and work. Some sociologists also argue that the decision making is no longer only within the man’s hand as it once was, but also in the woman’s hands, the symmetrical family has an equal partnership in decision making. All this evidence leads some sociologists to view the roles and relations of couples to have been becoming somewhat more equal in compare to the past.On the other hand, some sociologists such as Morgan(1996) argue that women now take part in an act known as the ‘Triple Shift’, this is when women go out and work, but then also do domestic work when at home and give emotional support to partner and children. As a result, many feminists would argue that the roles and relations of couples are not equal, but actually unfair, the woman is doing so much more than her partner. This views result in some sociologist believing that roles and relations have changed in compare to the past, but in a path towards the woman doing more work than the man, making her the ‘breadwinner’.In conclusion, many sociologists believe that the roles and relations of couples have been becoming more equal, but there are some who still view it to not being equal at all, and some even arguing that women are doing more work than the men. From this evidence it is clear to say that it is not clear whether or not roles and relations are becoming more ‘equal’, but many sociologists argue that there has been a big change in compare to the past traditions, but whether or not it’s towards the path of the ‘more equal’ is still being argued by many. Siad Mohamed Siyad

Child Poverty in the UK Essay

Poverty means people are unable to live their lives to the minimum standard of the society in which they live. Inadequate income is the overall deciding factor of poverty when basic material needs cannot be met and people are excluded from taking part in their society because of this situation. Third world countries are the stereotypical places that people associate with poverty yet according to The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP, 2012) there are 3. 6 million children living in poverty in the UK today. That’s 27 per cent of children, or more than one in four. Therefore, the face of poverty is now a child from a heavily populated urban area in the UK, living in poor quality social housing, where local governments are operating on reduced budgets and wages for the employed aren’t sufficient enough to cover the rising costs of childcare. The effects of child poverty in the UK create a cycle of intergenerational poverty including poor health, low educational attainment and limited social mobility. Children need to be educated to a standard to enable them to gain employment, contribute to society and therefore eliminate the cost to our society. Barnardos (2012), states that the risk of children living in poverty is greatly dependent upon circumstance. The unemployed face benefit cuts resulting in low income; large families are at risk due to increased costs in providing for additional children and young parents just beginning in the world of employment will earn low salaries due to their age. Working families and lone parents deal with government cuts to tax credits; closures of Sure Start Centres and are living on the ‘bread line’ because the minimum wage is low and often they do not progress onto higher paid jobs or better prospects in employment. Children from poor families show low levels of educational attainment as supported by (End Child Poverty, 2012) where it is stated that â€Å"poverty predicts educational outcomes† and children from poor backgrounds do not perform as well academically or achieve the qualifications required to secure well-paid jobs. Therefore, the cycle of poverty remains unbroken, which is a result of intergenerational poverty. A restricted benefits system along with low paid jobs creates an economic inequality gap as suggested by (TED, 2011) which results in limited social mobility. According to The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC, 2012), children that have low educational attainment also become disadvantaged in other areas of their lives. This can be carried into adulthood limiting their employability and the opportunity for progression. Behavioural and psychological issues arise from educational failures and feelings of social inequality and personal failure can contribute towards on-going mental health problems. Therefore, it is apparent that child poverty increases health issues and costs to The National Health Service (NHS) spanning several years of a person’s life time. D Acheson (1998) draws attention to how poverty effects maternal health and increases low birth weights which are linked to disabilities, poor physical and emotional health in childhood and even deaths. This again is the result of the poverty cycle which creates a long term social cost as argued by Polly Toynbee (BBC Today, 2011) where the view is held that child poverty is creating a social deficit that is becoming harder to get out of. To stop this social deficit growing there are changes that need to be made by the government and by society as a whole to eradicate child poverty. As concluded in the research by D Hirsch, (2006) increased benefits and tax credits directed specifically towards poor families and extra payments for larger families are needed. Provisions for affordable child care will give incentives to work and enable parents to be able to afford to work. Looking longer term to solve the problem, emphasis is made upon educating the parents of tomorrow by supporting the disadvantaged in education now. The government’s commitment to end child poverty, (Child Poverty Act 2010) has, according to L Judge (2012, p. ) shown significant improvement in educational attainment and students staying on in further education as well as a decrease in income poverty, mental health issues and homelessness. There are many charities campaigning from different angles and in different problematic areas to end child poverty; for example, Barnardos (2012 ) are campaigning for a fairer and more accessible financial system through banks and post offices, since their investigation revealed that poor families are vulnerable to having to pay extortionate prices to purchase essential items they need via expensive rent-to-own schemes . Society must acknowledge and take responsibility for the snowballing effects of child poverty as it is partly to blame for its existence. Decisions in voting for government along with attitudes held by people within the UK can fuel child poverty’s growth or eradicate its existence. Just as poverty limits a child’s potential, this in the long term limits society and the economies chance to reach its full potential, thus affecting all inhabitants within the UK whether or not they are rich or poor. To ensure a healthy, positive, lucrative, secure and trusting future environment for all to live in, society today must care about the existence of the next generation and care about today’s children in their communities. In this day and age in a country considered rich within Europe, there should not be children going hungry, missing education or feeling the cold. Children are vulnerable and they have only adults to rely on to make the right decisions for them and to guide them. These are the reasons why we should care about Child Poverty in the UK because it is the responsibility and duty of society to care.

Earthworms

An earthworm can grow only so long. A well-fed adult will depend on what kind of worm it is, how many segments it has, how old it is and how well fed it is. An Lumbricus terrestris will be from 90-300 millimeters long. A worm has no arms, legs or eyes. There are approximately 2,700 different kinds of earthworms. Worms live where there is food, moisture, oxygen and a favorable temperature. If they don’t have these things, they go somewhere else. In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms. The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail. Worms tunnel deeply in the soil and bring subsoil closer to the surface mixing it with the topsoil. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants. The sticky slime helps to hold clusters of soil particles together in formations called aggregates. Charles Darwin spent 39 years studying earthworms more than 100 years ago. Worms are cold-blooded animals. Earthworms have the ability to replace or replicate lost segments. This ability varies greatly depending on the species of worm you have, the amount of damage to the worm and where it is cut. It may be easy for a worm to replace a lost tail, but may be very difficult or impossible to replace a lost head if things are not just right. Baby worms are not born. They hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice. The Australian Gippsland Earthworm grows to 12 feet long and can weigh 1-1/2 pounds. Even though worms don’t have eyes, they can sense light, especially at their anterior (front end). They move away from light and will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long (approximately one hour). If a worm’s skin dries out, it will die. Worms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs. Worms mate by joining their clitella (swollen area near the head of a mature worm) and exchanging sperm. Then each worm forms an egg capsule in its clitellum. Worms can eat their weight each day.