Physics of Superconductors Essay -- physics superconductor

As most people know (or don't know, whichever is the case) the component of an electrical circuit that causes energy loss is called "resistance," which can be defined as a materials opposition to current being passed through it. Usually, this resistance results in the production of heat, sound, or another form of energy. In many cases, this transformation of energy is useful in such applications as toasters, heaters, and light bulbs. Even though it is a useful property, resistance often gets in the way of performance in such cases as high voltage transmission wires, electric motor output, and other cases where internal system energy losses are unwanted. This is where the phenomenon of superconducting materials comes into play and may present the solution to this energy loss problem. Superconductors are materials that display zero resistance under certain conditions. These conditions are called the "critical temperature" and "critical field," denoted Tc and Hc respectively. The Tc is the highest temperature state the material can attain and remain superconductive. The Hc is the highest magnetic field the material can be exposed to before reverting to its normal magnetic state. Within the substances currently known to superconduct, there is a divide between what has come to be called type I and type II superconductors. Type I are composed of pure substances, usually metals, and type II are composite compounds, usually some sort of ceramic. Additional differences between type I and type II exist, mainly that type II display superconducting qualities at much higher temperatures and can remain superconductive in the presence of much higher magnetic fields. While type I have Tc's that hover just a few degrees from absolute zero, t... ...e the track and is propelled by the magnetic forces caused by the induced currents. Another use of superconductors is in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, in which the superconductor helps in creating a non-invasive method of looking at a persons brain activity. Yet another area where superconductors would be especially helpful is in the power and electronics industry where power losses arise from a systems internal resistance. If a power generator was constructed with superconducting components the efficiency of the motor would be greatly increased. The electronics industry would benefit from faster switching times, smaller components, and greater circuit efficiency. The world of superconductors is expanding at a tremendous rate. As the uses and possibilities for their use become more apparent, our society might see them more and more in everyday life.

Drivers of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Essay

Drivers of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Introduction                   Sustainability in all operations of a business is a contemporary issue that ensures firms gain competitive advantage. Supply chain management is a discipline dealing with the reorganization of a firm’s extra-supply activities to achieve a competitive edge in the market and take advantage of customer value. It is also concerned with the suppliers attempt to establish and effect supply chains which are both efficient and economical for them. An organization’s supply chain is a multidimensional activity covering most aspects ranging from manufacturing, to goods and services development, and the information systems.The drivers of a sustainable supply chain management can be either internal or external. Internal sustainability drivers include internal business processes while the external are legislation, environmental drivers, customers, and social drivers (Hanuv 35).                   Legal requirements compliance is a fundamental drive in achieving a sustainable supply chain management. It is the starting point because failure to comply to regulations implies that the business is illegal (Cohen 80). Regulatory issues include general environmental laws that may give direction to products disposal and recycling. Compliance to the law enhances the supply chain and hence making it sustainable.                   Financial drivers are also vital for a sustainable supply chain management. Sustainable supply chain management leads to efficiency and effectiveness in business operations that result to good financial performance. This is brought by reversed logistics that result to cost minimization and saving.                   Sustainability is also driven by internal business processes such as offering warrants, product leases, and replacements. These activities enhance effectiveness in production to minimize replacements and hence in the long run a business attains a sustainable supply chain.                   Customers are the most important stakeholders to any business and they greatly drive firms into adopting sustainable supply chain management (Hugos 56). The clients have large number of substitute goods at their disposal, which gives them the driving force to impact the operations a firm. As firms work to accumulate customer’s pressure such as buying from companies with green image, they end up attaining sustainable supply chain management. References Cohen, Shoshanah. â€Å"Contemporary Supply Chain Management.† Strategic Supply Chain Management: The Five Disciplines for Top Performance:2nd Revised Edition. New York: Mcgraw-hill Professional, 2013. 80-132. Print. Hanuv, Mann. Drivers of Sustainable Supply Chain Management. The IUP Journal of Operations Management. Vol. IX. No. 4(2010): 1-58 Hugos, Michael H. â€Å"Sustainability in Supply Chain Management.† Essentials of Supply Chain Management. 3rd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. 56-124. Print. Source document

Buy Anyzone Gold Today Essay

Natural cleaning, Healthy living Air, water, residual agricultural chemicals (pesticides/herbicides) and unpleasant odours (food, bathroom, refrigerator, cigarette smoke and turbid indoor air odours all contribute to our daily toxic load. Most of the solutions developed by industry for ridding ourselves of these pollutants contain additional chemicals, which increase our exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. How Anyzone Gold helps: It’s for the whole family †¢ Disposes harmful bacteria in meat and fish †¢ Removes chemical residue, larva  and pesticides  from vegetables and fruits †¢ Gets rid of unpleasant odor from food Improves skin metabolism and reduces allergy †¢ Removes washing detergent residues and bacteria from household items and utensils †¢ Preserves freshness in food Sterilization and disinfection Germs such as E. coli, colon bacillus, Salmonella, vibrio staphylococcus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are sterilized and disinfected by str ong oxidation reaction. â€Å"Disinfects without using chemical washing or boiling. † Deodorization and air purification Effective in deodorizing refrigerator odours, food odours, indoor odours, bathroom odours and many more. Indoor air, cigarette odours and unpleasant odours are eliminated and turned into refreshing natural air. Air purification cigarette smoke test sight Before use 10 second 20 seconds Pillow Meat, fish, vegetable and fruits Residual agricultural chemical and harmful elements are decomposed through oxidation. Revives freshness and improves flavour. â€Å"Not a single tested pesticide has ever been proven safe. † Professor Dennis Parke, former Chairman of WHO Joint Meeting’s statement on pesticide residues. What is anion and ozone? Anions are electrons with negative electricity, also known as â€Å"vitamins in the air†. Oxygen anions have the capability to eliminate dust, germs and cigarette odours through purification. It is odorless, tasteless and invisible; we could only inhale it in abundance near waterfalls, mountains and oceans. It also helps in maximizing our brain activity. Ozone is composed of 3 oxygen atoms and has a distinctive and peculiar fish-like odour. It is a light blue gas and has strong oxidizing power, used for sterilizing beverages. It decomposes and destroys residual agricultural chemicals on vegetables and fruits through oxidization. It is also used for sterilization of kitchen and baby goods by filtering out harmful components, biological beings and foreign substances. Ozonated water is safe and effective for: †¢ Bathing pets †¢ Regenerating and removing bacteria and parasites form plants. Just water them and/or spray their leaves †¢ Cleaning fish tanks. Drop your ozone nozzle in the water and watch your tank clean itself! Fish are invigorated by ozone water †¢ Eliminating bacteria on kitchen surfaces †¢ Washing hair. Ozone water protects damaged hair, restoring its colour and manageability; PLUS, it is a great treatment for dandruff! Effective treatment for skin problems, including acne, rashes, eczema †¢ Sinus problems †¢ Leucorrhoea, vaginal thrush. Use the water as a douche. †¢ You can set the Anyzone to run while sleeping giving you that mountain/seaside fresh air in your room. Ozonated air is environmentally safe for: †¢ Disinfecting and â€Å"debugging† closets, and cupboards. †¢ Freshening, deodorizing and disinfecting bedding, linens, and clothing. Place linens in plastic bags with ozone nozzle for just a few minutes. It’s so simple! Company Profile †¦ Global Healthy Link Sdn Bhd with its main office in Petaling Jaya is currently actively involved in the distribution of Ozone/ Anion sterilization equipment, health-related products and water filtration system for both household and commercial use. One of our goals is to exceed the expectations of every customer we come in contact with by offering outstanding customer service, value-added functionalities and operational efficiency. GHLSB strives to provide environmental-friendly, safe, durable and reliable products to its valued customers and will not compromise on product and service quality. Our associates are distinguished by their functional and technical expertise combined with their hands-on experience, thereby ensuring that our customers receive the most effective and professional product recommendation and services. We pride ourselves on our proven track record of having hundreds of satisfied customers since the company started operation in 2004. Functions and Effectiveness of Anyzone Gold Anion Ozone Sterilizer Summary †¢ Removes chemical residue and pesticides on vegetables and fruits †¢ Disposes harmful bacteria in meat and fish †¢ Get rids of unpleasant odor from food Expunges parasites and larva on vegetables and fruits †¢ Ozonated water improves skin metabolism and reduces allergy †¢ Removes washing detergent residues and bacteria from household items and utensils †¢ Preserves freshness in food Sterilization †¢ Food – food are exposed to pathogens (illness causing bacteria) and harmful chemicals during the growing per iod and handling †¢ Kitchen sponges and rags – effective as a germicide/ fungicide to destroy germs, molds, bacteria and any microbes. Does not produce chemical residues during cleaning as in other cleaning agents †¢ Utensils and dishes – Salmonella, E. Coli and many pathogens can cause food poisoning, if not properly cleaned. Thus soaking the utensils and dishes in ozonated water can rid these pathogens. †¢ Pets accessories – Bacteria is common in the stool of pets, thus washing the accessories can rid these bacteria †¢ Children toys – If not cleaned and sterilized properly, can lead to illness and infections †¢ Baby’s Utensils – Babies are sensitive to illness, tooth decay and diarrhea if utensils are not properly cleaned especially bottle nipples and pacifiers. Soaking in ozonated water will help destroy bacteria †¢ Medical instruments – Economical way to sterilize equipment Purification †¢ Drinking water – 90% bottled water uses ozone for purification. The taste of Ozonated water is improved. †¢ Fish tanks/ aquariums – Ozone can destroy algae and bacteria in fish tank with no harmful effect on the fish. Within 20 minutes, ozone will change back to oxygen, due to the instability of the 3rd oxygen, thus increasing the level of dissolved oxygen, keeping the water clearer and the fish healthier. Work as fridge purifier (reduces fodd spoiling and illnesss) – Ozone destroys food spoiling bacteria and mircroorganisms and organic chemicals, maintaining the freshness of meat and vegetables. †¢ Hot tub, spa and bath water – Ozone is far cheaper than chlorine at destroying bacteria and microorganisms without any adverse effect on sensitive skin †¢ Air purifier – Ozone destroy impuriti es in the air such as bacteria, molds, smoke etc. It also reduces dust and other particles because of the negative ions produced as a by product.

A Marxist Analysis of the Accra Mall

3rd December, 2012. Marxist analysis of the Accra Mall Marxist describes the power struggle between different social classes in society. Marxism is further explained by certain concepts, such as ideology and hegemony, base and superstructure and reification. Ideology is a set of ideas or viewpoints that one social class has of another which influences the way they behave towards each other while hegemony refers to the way people act based on the ideas or ideologies that they hold and act out regarding other classes.Base and superstructure refers to the system whereby the working class, which represents the majority of the people, is ruled by the few, the owners of the sources of production. Marxism in essence can be seen in all walks of life and in various parts of our society. The Accra mall in Greater Accra is one such place. The Accra Mall is more than just an avenue to shop. The Accra Mall is the place to see and be seen. It is strategically located at the very tip of the Spintex Road, at the Tetteh Quashie Roundabout, in close proximity to a number of hotels, high end residential apartments and corporate buildings.In essence the mall caters to a certain class of people; the affluent in the Ghanaian society. It contains about twenty or so shops with mostly overpriced goods. There is a food court located right in the middle of the shopping mall with a playground for children. The mall’s general ambience, of money, expensive food, high end clothing and a large parking lot, usually overcrowded with flashy and expensive cars gives one a good idea of what to expect in the mall.The air of spending is further heightened by the presence of the numerous automated teller machines (ATM) placed at one part the mall. The neighborhood and the mall in general gives a clear cut distinction of who they serve and who serves them- it caters for the rich and wealthy that are served by the working class or the poor. The large parking lot mentioned earlier, constantly has a greater ratio of flashy cars to a very small number of not so nice cars. Without a doubt, it is evident that the mall is frequented by the upper classmen, or those who can afford to drive them.The price tags does not encourage the lower class to frequent the place because the products or items sold at the mall are above the financial means of a person for instance, the price of a bottle of soda at Rhapsody’s, one of the restaurants is ludicrously expensive and hence caters to the high class or the middle class that can spend extravagantly. On the other hand a restaurant like Pizza Inn prices the goods somewhat moderately to cater to all the classes. Another case is of two supermarkets, Game and Shoprite. It is common to see people coming out Game with few items.In contrast, Shoprite prices their goods that most people could at least buy a cookie from their bakery or a little toy for their children or a plate of nicely decorated and somewhat tasty meals. The people in the m all fall into two categories, as society dictates; the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. The proletariat is made up of the janitors, the shop attendants, security guards and basically people who are not likely to spend in the mall. The other group, mainly made up of the business men and women, doctors and lawyers are mainly the customers; the proletariat.The shop attendants, the janitors and security guards depend on the purchasing and patronized services of the customers, in this case the bourgeoisie, to spend at the mall, so that they can earn money. The bourgeoisie are catered to by the proletariat at the mall. They serve them at the mall and are the people who work â€Å"behind the scenes† to make things the way they are for the bourgeoisie to enjoy. The proletariats on the other hand are employed by the bourgeoisie and depend on them for their livelihood. At the Accra Mall, there is a general reaction by the shop owners and the other people, based on the way people look.P eople are profiled into either whether they are of high class or a low class, in other words, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The society has a way of classifying people by the way they dress. If your clothes appear trendy or fashionable enough then you must be in the upper class. The proletariats on the other hand are looked down upon immediately because they are judged to be the lower class based on their dressing and are hence treated as potential shoplifters or people up to no good. Marxism permeates all areas of our society; healthcare, in education and in a number of other aspects of life. The Accra Mall is one such place.People of all sorts can be identified here, and there in lie the groups of the bourgeoisie and proletariat. There is a constant, somewhat passive struggle for power. While the bourgeoisie (the rich, upper class, wealthy customers) continue to revel in their spending and high end lifestyle, the proletariat (the janitors, the security guards and staff in g eneral) work long hours to try to attain a respectful position in life, to become like the bourgeoisie. As long as the society continues to go on in this manner, Marxist theory of power struggle will continue to be relevant in explaining such conflict.

What Dramatic Devices Were Used in the Inspector Calls

A little help with Analyse of The Inspector Calls by J. B Priestly. Detailed explanations of Dramatic devises used, backing quotes in an essay format. Within the play An Inspector Calls J. B Priestly uses numerous dramatic devises to get across his message of moral, class and political influence. In this essay I am going to explore and illustrate some key and subtle points in act one and further, of these themes of which Priestly works towards to influence the audience and finds himself involved in. The first hints of his central themes are imposed when J. B describes the scene and setting of the first act.An immediate perception is given off towards the audience of ‘heavily comfortable house. ’ With this being a place of constant setting, a reflection of real time and naturalism is released. The lighting prescribed for the scene also creates the mood of the play. Priestly states within his stage directions the lighting should be ‘pink and intimate’ prior to the inspector arrives a shaded glow of rose tint then should grow ‘brighter and harder’. In context and example of these stage directions are as pursued. ‘The dining room of a fairly large suburban house, belonging to a prosperous manufacturer.It has good solid furniture of the period. At the moment they have all had a good dinner, are celebrating a special occasion, and are pleased with themselves. ’ Subtly is added to the atmosphere presented to the audience when the notion of not all is as it seems is suggested. Initially the ambience obtained appears slightly forced. This is exemplified trough the mannerism of Eric’s nervousness, Shelia’s unknowing curiosity of Gerald’s whereabouts the previous summer and the reasons behind Gerald’s parents, Lord and Lady Croft, for not attending the engagement dinner.The spectators of the play may be stimulated due to the use of this dramatic devise, of the unknowing, indefinite being impli ed on what should be a comfortable scene, this works because of natural human curiosity searching for something deeper amongst the characters and setting. Another devise used to enhance the play writer’s dramatic concepts is the use of dramatic irony and tone. These are used when the knowledge of the audience exceeds those of the characters within the play. This technique of dramatic irony is in attendance when Mr Birling makes self-assured conjectures about the coming war and the ship Titanic being unsinkable.For example J. B Priestley uses techniques to expose Birling’s naivety and generation gap, for example Birling’s speech, ‘Why a friend of mine went over this new liner last week – the Titanic – she sails next week – forty six thousand eight hundred tons – New York in five days – and every luxury – and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable. That’s what you have got to keep your eye on, facts like that, prog ress like that –and not a few German officers talking nonsense and a few scaremongers here making a fuss about nothing. Now you three young people just listen to this – and remember what I am telling you now.In twenty or thirty years’ time – let’s say in 1940 – you may be giving a little party like this – your son or daughter may be getting engaged – and I tell, by that time you’ll be living in a world that’ll have forgotten all these Capital versus Labour agitations and all these silly little war scares. There’ll be peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere – accept of course in Russia, which will always be behindhand naturally. ’ This tactic makes the spectators of the play feel involved with the play due to their knowledgeable, advantaged background.Tension is also secured throughout the play as each character holds significant connection with the suicide victim, Eva Smith, who rep resents the universal populace. By making Eva a representation rather than a real character the moral of the play is taken more literally. The contribution from each character also produces a deeper and more involved structure towards the play’s plot. The Inspector, the true voice/mouth piece of Priestly adds a dramatic tone. The character is directed with the use of pace and tension and presents each idea and enquiry without conjunction, by observing and exposing each statement from an individual’s account.This method slowly throws light on the core of Eva’s life and the real effect of classes on a wider population. Another devise used by the inspector is an aura of menacing, ominous gloom, with is brought on with the added value of his ability to manipulate and influence the rest of the people in conjunction with his line of enquiries, due to his dominance. This is presented at the end of Act one and further on during the play and an example of this is ‘ That’s what I asked myself tonight when I was looking at that dead girl.And then I said to myself â€Å"Well, we’ll try to understand why it had to happen? † And that’s why I’m here, and that’s why I’m not going until I know all that happened. Eva Smith lost her job with Birling and Company because the strike failed and they were determined not to have another one. At least she found another job- under what name I don’t know- in a big shop, and had to leave there because you were annoyed with yourself and passed the annoyance on to her. Now she had to try something else. So first she changed her name to Daisy Renton-‘The final devises of great importance are tension and timing. Within the performance copious alterations in tone are witnesses. A key example of this is the attitude and confidence of Mr Birling showing amendment and supplanted actions, initially with self-justification endeavouring to elucidate his function in the bereavement of Eva/ (the citizens of the world in the class struggle). ‘, and as it happened more than eighteen months ago- nearly two years ago- obviously it has nothing whatever to do with the wretched girl’s suicide. Anxiety is then portrayed by Mr Birling ‘Oh well-put like that, there’s something in what you say. Still, I can’t accept and responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it? ’ Timing which features is a critical decisive; with stage directions of speech, movement exits, entrances and sounds. A strategic illustration of this is the arrival of the Inspector instantaneously, subsequent to Mr Birling notifying Gerald about his imminent knighthood and regards of how ‘a man has to look after himself and his own. In conclusion many devises are used throughout act one, some overlapping and although some ar e subtle, each technique holds great presence and importance within the play to convey J. B Priestley’s ideology of class struggle. Citizenship values are portrayed and the dependence each person shares to one another come through. This is voiced through the inspector as Priestley’s own mouth piece and with Eva as example of consequence from such actions.

A Dirty Job Chapter 27

27 BITCH'S BREW Lily had been looking all night for a way to approach Minty Fresh. She'd made eye contact with him a dozen times over the course of the evening, and smiled, but with the atmosphere of dread that fell over the room she was having trouble thinking of an opening line. Finally, when an Oprah movie of the week came on the television and everyone gathered around to watch the media diva beat Paul Winfield to death with a steam iron, Minty went to the breakfast bar and started flipping through his day planner, and Lily made her move. â€Å"So, checking your appointments?† she said. â€Å"You must be feeling optimistic about how things will go.† He shook his head. â€Å"Not really.† Lily was smitten. He was beautiful and morose – like a great brown man-gift from the gods. â€Å"How bad can it be?† Lily said, pulling the appointment book out of his hand and flipping through the pages. She stopped on today's date. â€Å"Why is Asher's name in here?† she asked. Minty hung his head. â€Å"He said you've known all about us for a while.† â€Å"Yeah, but – † She looked at the name again and the realization of what she was seeing was like a punch in the chest. â€Å"This is that book? This is your date book for that?† Minty nodded slowly, not looking at her. â€Å"When did this name show up?† Lily asked. â€Å"It wasn't there an hour ago.† â€Å"Well, fucksocks,† she said, sitting down on the bar stool next to the big man. â€Å"Yeah,† said Minty Fresh. He put his arm around her shoulders. With Charlie pulling on the legs of the bobcat guy (who was doing some impressive screaming considering he had prototype vocal cords) and the squirrel people dog-piling onto the Boston terrier, they were eventually able to extricate their lieutenant from the jaws of the bug-eyed fury with only a few snags in his Beefeater's costume. â€Å"Down, Bummer,† Charlie said. â€Å"Just chill.† He didn't know if chill was an official dog command, but it should be. Bummer snorted and backed away from the surrounding crowd of squirrel people. â€Å"Not one of us,† said the bobcat guy, pointing at Bummer. â€Å"Not one of us.† â€Å"You shut up,† Charlie said. He pulled a beef jerky from his pocket that he'd brought for emergency rations, tore off a hunk, and held it out to Bummer. â€Å"Come on, buddy. I told the Emperor I'd look out for you.† Bummer trotted over to Charlie and took the beef jerky from him, then turned to face down the squirrel people as he chewed. The squirrel people made clicking noises and brandished their weapons. â€Å"Not one of us. Not one of us,† chanted Bob. â€Å"Stop that,† Charlie said. â€Å"You can't get a mob chant going, Bob, you're the only one with a voice box.† â€Å"Oh yeah.† Bob let his chanting trail off. â€Å"Well, he's not one of us,† he added in his defense. â€Å"He is now,† Charlie said. To Bummer he said, â€Å"Can you lead us to the Underworld?† Bummer looked up at Charlie as if he knew exactly what was being asked of him, but if he was going to find the strength to carry on, he was going to need the other half of that beef jerky. Charlie gave it to him and Bummer immediately jumped up to a higher, four-foot pipe, stopped, barked, then took off down the pipe. â€Å"Follow him,† Charlie said. After an hour following Bummer through the sewers, the pipes gave way to tunnels that got bigger as they moved along. Soon they were moving in caves, with high ceilings and stalactites in the ceiling that glowed in various colors, illuminating their way with a dull, shadowy light. Charlie had read enough about the geology of the area to know that these caves were not natural to the city. He guessed that they were somewhere under the financial district, which was mostly built on Gold Rush landfill, so there would be nothing as old-looking or as solid as these caves. Bummer kept on, leading them down one fork or another without the slightest hesitation, until suddenly the cave opened up into a massive grotto. The chamber was so large that it simply swallowed up Charlie's flashlight and headlamp beams, but the ceiling, which was several hundred feet high, was lined with the luminous stalactites that reflected red, green, and purple in a mirror-smooth black lake. In the middle of the lake, probably two hundred yards away, stood a great black sailing ship – tall-masted like a Spanish galleon – red, pulsating light coming from the cabin windows in the rear, a single lantern lighting the deck. Charlie had heard that whole ships had been buried in the debris during the Gold Rush, but they wouldn't have been left preserved like this. Things had changed, these caves were all the result of the Underworld rising – and he realized that this was just a hint of what was going to happen to the City if the Underworlders took over. Bummer barked and the sharp report echoed around the grotto, sending a cloud of bats into the air. Charlie saw movement on the deck of the ship, the blue-black outline of a woman, and he knew that Bummer had led them to the right place. Charlie handed his flashlight to Bob and set his sword-cane on the cave floor. He drew the Desert Eagle from the shoulder holster, checked that there was a round in the chamber, cocked the hammer, then reset the safety and reholstered the pistol. â€Å"We're going to need a boat,† Charlie said to Bob. â€Å"See if you guys can find something we can make a raft from.† The bobcat guy started down the shore with Charlie's flashlight, scanning the rocks for useful flotsam. Bummer growled, tossed his head like he had ear mites or perhaps to indicate that he thought Charlie was insane, and ran out into the lake. Fifty yards away he was still only in water up to his shoulder. Charlie looked at the black ship and realized that it was sitting way, way too high out of the water – that, in fact, it was sitting with its hull on the bottom in only about six inches of water. â€Å"Uh, Bob,† Charlie said. â€Å"Forget the boat. We're walking. Everyone quiet.† He unsheathed his sword and sloshed onward. As they approached the ship they could make out details in its construction. The railings were fashioned from leg bones lashed together, the mooring cleats were human pelvises. The lantern on the deck was, in fact, a human skull. Charlie wasn't exactly sure how his powers as Luminatus were going to manifest themselves, but as they reached the hull of the ship he found himself very much wishing it would happen soon, and that levitation would be one of the powers. â€Å"We're fucked,† said Bob, looking up at the black hull curving above them. â€Å"We're not fucked,† Charlie said. â€Å"We just need someone to climb up there and throw us a rope.† There was some milling around amid the squirrel people, then a lone figure stepped out of the little crowd – this one appeared to be a nineteenth-century French dandy with the head of a monitor lizard. His outfit – the ruffles and the coat – actually reminded Charlie of pictures that Lily had shown him of Charles Baudelaire. â€Å"You can do it?† Charlie asked the lizard guy. He held out his hands and lifted one foot out of the water. Squirrel paws. Charlie lifted the lizard guy as high as he could up to the hull, and the little creature caught ahold in the black wood, then scurried up the side of the ship and over the gunwale. Minutes passed, and Charlie found himself listening hard for some hint as to what was going on above. When the thick rope splashed down next to him, he leapt two feet in the air and barely contained blasting out a full-blown man-scream. â€Å"Nice,† said Bob. â€Å"You first, then,† Charlie said, testing the rope to see if it would hold his weight. He waited until the bobcat guy was about three feet over his head before he tucked the sword-cane down inside the Lexan plate strapped over his back and started the climb himself. By the time he was three-quarters of the way up the rope, he felt as if his biceps were going to pop like water balloons and he entwined his motocross boot into the rope to rest. As if being granted a second wind by the gods, his biceps relaxed and when he resumed climbing he felt as if he might really be gaining his power as the Luminatus. When he reached the railing, he grabbed one of the bone mooring cleats and swung himself up until he sat straddling the rail. He swung around and his headlamp caught the black shine in her eyes. She was holding the bobcat guy like an ear of corn, her claw driven through his skull, pinning his jaw shut. There was flesh and goo glowing dull red, running down her face and over her breasts as she tore another bite out of the Beefeater. â€Å"Want some, lover?† she said. â€Å"Tastes like ham.† At the breakfast bar in Charlie's apartment, Lily said, â€Å"Shouldn't we tell them?† â€Å"They don't all know about us. About this.† Minty held the date book. â€Å"Just Audrey.† â€Å"Then shouldn't we tell her?† Minty looked at Audrey, who was sitting on the couch entwined in a sleepy pile with Charlie's sister and one of the hellhounds, looking very content. â€Å"No, I don't think that would serve any purpose right now.† â€Å"He's a good guy,† Lily said. She snatched a paper towel off the roll on the counter and dabbed her eyes before her mascara went raccoon on her again. â€Å"I know,† Minty said. â€Å"He's my friend.† As he said it, he felt a tug on his pant leg. He looked down to where Sophie was staring up at him. â€Å"Hey, do you have a car?† she asked. â€Å"Yes, I do, Sophie.† â€Å"Can we go for a ride?† Without any hesitation, Charlie whipped the sword-cane out of his back and snapped it down on the Morrigan's wrist. She lost her grip on the bobcat guy, who bolted, screaming, across the deck and over the opposite railing. The Morrigan grabbed the sword-cane and tried to wrench it from Charlie's grasp. He let her – pulled the sword free, then drove it into her solar plexus so hard that his fist connected with her ribs and the blade came out her back, sinking into the wooden hull of the lifeboat she was reclining against. For a split second his face was an inch from hers. â€Å"Miss me?† she asked. He rolled away just as she slashed at him. He got his forearm up just in time to deflect the blow away from his face, the thick Lexan plate on his forearm stopping the claws from taking off his hand. She lunged for him, but the sword kept her pinned to the boat. Charlie ran down the deck away from her as she screeched in anger. He saw light coming from a door that must have led to the cabin at the aft of the ship – that same red glow – and he realized that it had to be coming from the soul vessels. Rachel's soul could still be in there. He was only a step from the hatch when the giant raven dropped in front of him and spread her wings out across the deck, as if trying to block the whole end of the ship. He backpedaled and drew the Desert Eagle from the shoulder holster. He tried to hold it steady as he clicked off the safety. The Raven snapped at him and he leapt back. The beak then pulled back, changed, bubbled into the face of a woman – but the wings and talons remained in bird form. â€Å"New Meat,† said Macha. â€Å"How brave of you to come here.† Charlie pulled the trigger. Flame shot a foot out of the barrel and he felt as if someone had hit him in the palm with a hammer. He thought he had aimed right between her eyes, but the bullet had ripped through her neck, taking half of the black flesh with it. Her head lolled to the side and the raven body flailed its wings at him. Charlie fell backward onto the deck, but pulled the pistol up and fired again as the raven was coming down on him. This one caught her in the center of the chest and sent her flying backward, up onto the cabin roof. The ringing in his ears felt like someone had driven tuning forks into his head and hit them with drumsticks – a long, painful, high-pitched wail. He barely heard the shriek from his left as another Morrigan dropped out of the rigging behind him. He rolled to the railing and brought the gun up just as she slashed at his face. The gun and his forearm pad absorbed most of the blow, but the Desert Eagle was knocked from his grasp and slid down the deck. Charlie did a somersault to his feet and ran after the gun. Nemain flicked her claws at his back and he heard the sizzle as the poison strafed the Lexan pad down his spine and burned onto the deck on either side of him. He dove for the pistol and tried to roll and come up with it pointed at his attacker, but he misjudged and came up with the back of his knees against the bone railing. She leapt, claws first, and hit him in the chest just as he fired the Desert Eagle and he was driven backward over the railing. He hit flat on the water. The air exploded from his body and he felt like he'd been hit by a bus. He couldn't breathe, but he could see, he could feel his limbs, and after a couple of seconds of gasping, he finally caught a breath. â€Å"So, how's it going so far?† asked the bobcat guy, about two feet from Charlie's head. â€Å"Good,† Charlie said. â€Å"They're running scared.† There was a big chunk bitten out of the middle of Bob's torso, and his Beefeater uniform was in tatters, but otherwise he seemed in good spirits. He was holding the Desert Eagle cradled in his arms like a baby. â€Å"You'll likely need this. That last shot connected, by the way. You took off about half of her skull.† â€Å"Good,† Charlie said, still having a little trouble catching his breath. He felt a searing pain in his chest and thought he might have broken a rib. He sat up and looked at his chest plate. The Morrigan's claws had raked the front of it, but in one spot he could see where a claw had slipped under the plate and into his chest. He wasn't bleeding badly, but he was bleeding, and it hurt like hell. â€Å"Are they still coming?† â€Å"Not the two you shot. We don't know where the one you stuck with your sword went.† â€Å"I don't know if I can make it up that rope again,† Charlie said. â€Å"That may not be a _roblem,† Bob said. He was looking up to the ceiling of the grotto, where a whirlwind of squeaking bats was spiraling around the mast, but above them was beating the wings of another creature altogether. Charlie took the pistol from Bob and climbed to his feet, nearly fell, then steadied himself and backed away from the hull of the ship. The squirrel people scattered around him. Bummer let loose with a fusillade of angry yapping. The demon hit the water about thirty feet away. Charlie felt a scream rising in his throat but fought it down. The thing was nearly ten feet tall, with a wingspan of thirty feet. Its head was as big as a beer keg, and it appeared to have the shape and horns of a bull, except for the jaws, which were predatory, lined with teeth, like a cross between a shark and a lion. Its eyes were gleaming green. â€Å"Soul stealer,† it growled. It folded its wings into two high points behind its back, and stepped toward Charlie. â€Å"Well, that would be you, wouldn't it?† Charlie said, a little breathless still. â€Å"I'm the Luminatus.† The demon stopped. Charlie took the hesitation to bring up the pistol and fire. The shot took the demon high in the shoulder and spun him to the side. He turned back and roared. Charlie could smell the creature's breath, like rotting meat, wash over him. He backed up and fired again, his hand numb now from the recoil of the big pistol. The shot knocked the demon back a step. There was shrill cheering from above. Charlie fired again and again. The slugs opened craters in the demon's chest. He wavered, then fell to his knees. Charlie aimed and pulled the trigger again. The gun clicked. Charlie backed up a few more steps and tried to remember what Minty had shown him about reloading. He managed to hit a button that released the clip from the pistol, which plopped into the water. Then he unsnapped one of the pouches under his arm to retrieve an extra clip. It slipped out and fell into the lake as well. Bob and a couple of the squirrel people splashed forward and started diving beneath the water, looking for the clip. The demon roared again, unfurled his wings, and, in one great flap, pulled himself to his feet. Charlie unsnapped the second clip and, with his hands shaking, managed to fit it into the bottom of the Desert Eagle. The demon crouched, as if to leap. Charlie jacked a shell into the chamber and fired at the same time. The demon fell forward as the huge slug took a chunk out of his thigh. â€Å"Well done, Meat!† came a female voice from above. Charlie looked up quickly, but then back to the bullheaded demon, who was on his feet again. Then he braced his wrist and fired, and again, walking forward, pumping bullets into the demon's chest with each step, feeling any second as if his wrist would just shatter into pieces from the recoil, until the hammer clicked on an empty chamber. He stopped, just five feet away from the demon when it fell over, facefirst into the water. Charlie dropped the Desert Eagle and fell to his knees. The grotto seemed to be tilting before him, his vision tunneling down. The Morrigan landed on three sides of him. Each had a glowing soul vessel in her claw and was rubbing it on her wounds. â€Å"That was excellent, lover,† said the raven woman standing closest to the fallen demon. Charlie recognized her from the alley. The stab wound his sword had made in her stomach healed over as he watched. She kicked the bullheaded demon's body. â€Å"See, I told you that guns suck.† â€Å"That was well done, Meat,† said the one to Charlie's right. Her neck was still knitting back together. She was the one he'd blasted up onto the cabin roof. â€Å"You guys do bounce back with a certain Wile E. Coyote charm,† Charlie said. He grinned, feeling drunk now, like he was watching all this from another place. â€Å"He's so sweet,† said the hand-job harpy. â€Å"I could just eat him up.† â€Å"Sounds good to me,† said the Morrigan to his left, whose head was still a little lopsided. Charlie saw the venom dripping from her claws, then looked to the wound below his chest plate. â€Å"Yes, darling,† said hand job, â€Å"I'm afraid Nemain did nick you. You really are quite the warrior to have lasted this long.† â€Å"I'm the Luminatus,† Charlie said. The Morrigan laughed, the one in front of Charlie did a little dance step. As she did, the bullheaded demon lifted his head from the water. â€Å"I'm the Luminatus,† said the demon, black goo and water running between his teeth as he spoke. The Morrigan stopped dancing, grabbed one of the demon's horns, then pulled his head back. â€Å"You think?† she said. Then she plunged her claws into the demon's throat. He rolled and threw her off, sending her sailing twenty feet in the air to smash into the hull of the ship. The Morrigan behind Charlie patted his head as she passed. â€Å"We'll be right with you, darling. I'm Macha, by the way, and we are the Luminatus – or we will be in a minute.† The Morrigan fell on the bullheaded demon, taking great chunks of flesh and bone off his body with each slash of their talons. Two took to the air and swept in, taking swipes at the demon, who flailed at them, sometimes connecting, but too weakened from the gunshots to fight effectively. In two minutes it was finished, and most of the flesh had been flayed from it. Macha held his head by the horns like she was holding the handlebars of a motorcycle, even as the demon's jaws continued to snap at the air. â€Å"Your turn, soul stealer,† Macha said. â€Å"Yeah, your turn,† said Nemain, baring her claws. Macha held the demon head out in front of her, driving it at Charlie. He backed away as the teeth snapped inches from his face. â€Å"Wait a minute,† said Babd. The other two stopped and turned to their sister, who stood over what was left of the demon's corpse. â€Å"We never got to finish.† She took one step before something hit her like a ball of darkness, knocking her out of sight. Charlie looked at the demon head coming at him, then there was a loud smack and Macha was yanked to the side as if she'd had a bungee cord attached to her ankle. The screeching started again and Charlie could see the Morrigan being whipped around in the darkness, splashing, and chaos – he couldn't follow what was happening. His eyes wouldn't focus. He looked to Nemain, who was now coming at him with her claws dripping venom. A small hand appeared at the edge of his vision and the Morrigan's head exploded into what looked like a thousand stars. Charlie looked to where the hand had appeared before his eyes. â€Å"Hi, Daddy,† Sophie said. â€Å"Hi, baby,† Charlie said. Now he could see what was happening – the hellhounds were tearing at the Morrigan. One of them broke, jumped into the air and unfurled her wings, then dove at Sophie, screeching. Sophie raised her hand as if she was waving bye-bye and the Morrigan vaporized into a spray of black goo. The souls, thousands of them, that she had consumed over the millennia, floated into the air, red lights that circled the grotto, making the whole huge chamber appear to have been frozen in the middle of a fireworks display. â€Å"You shouldn't be here, honey,† Charlie said. â€Å"Yes, I should,† Sophie said. â€Å"I had to fix this, send them all back. I'm the Luminatus.† â€Å"You†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah,† she said matter-of-factly, in that Master of All Death and Darkness voice that is so irritating in a six-year-old. The hellhounds were both on the remaining Morrigan now, tearing her in half as Charlie watched. â€Å"No, honey,† Charlie said. Sophie raised her hand and Babd was vaporized like the others – the captured souls rose like embers from a bonfire. â€Å"Let's go home, Daddy,† Sophie said. â€Å"No,† Charlie said, barely able to hold up his head. â€Å"We have something we have to get.† He lurched forward and one of the hellhounds was there to brace him. The whole army of squirrel people was coming around the bow of the ship, each carrying a glowing soul vessel he'd retrieved from the ship's cabin. â€Å"Is this it?† Sophie said. She took a CD from Bob and handed it to Charlie. He turned it in his hands and hugged it to his chest. â€Å"You know what this is, honey?† â€Å"Yeah. Let's go home, Daddy.† Charlie fell over the back of Alvin. Sophie and the squirrel people steadied him until they were out of the Underworld. Minty Fresh carried Charlie to the car. A doctor had come and gone. When Charlie came to he was on his bed at home and Audrey was wiping his forehead with a damp cloth. â€Å"Hi,† he said. â€Å"Hi,† Audrey said. â€Å"Did Sophie tell you?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"They grow up so fast,† Charlie said. â€Å"Yeah.† Audrey smiled. â€Å"I got this.† He reached behind his chest plate and pulled out the Sarah McLachlan CD that pulsated with red light. Audrey nodded and reached out for the disc. â€Å"Let's put that over here where you can keep an eye on it.† As soon as her fingers touched the plastic case the light went out and Audrey shuddered. â€Å"Oh my,† she said. â€Å"Audrey.† Charlie tried to sit up, but was forced back down by the pain. â€Å"Ouch. Audrey, what happened? Did they get it? Did they take her soul?† She was looking at her chest, then looked up at Charlie, tears in her eyes. â€Å"No, Charlie, it's me,† she said. â€Å"But you had touched that before, that night in the pantry. Why didn't it happen then?† â€Å"I guess I wasn't ready then.† Charlie took her hand and squeezed it, then squeezed it much harder than he intended as a wave of pain washed through him. â€Å"Goddammit,† he said. He was panting now, breathing like he might hyperventilate. â€Å"I thought it was all dark, Audrey. All the spiritual stuff was spooky. You made me see.† â€Å"I'm glad,† Audrey said. â€Å"Makes me think I should have slept with a poet so I could have understood the way the world can be distilled into words.† â€Å"Yes. I think you have the soul of a poet, Charlie.† â€Å"I should have made love with a painter, too, so I could feel the wave of a brushstroke, so I could absorb her colors and textures and really see.† â€Å"Yes,† Audrey said, brushing at his hair with her fingers. â€Å"You have such a wonderful imagination.† â€Å"I think,† said Charlie, his voice going higher as he breathed harder, â€Å"I should have bedded a scientist so I would understand the mechanics of the world, felt them right down to my spine.† â€Å"Yes, so you could feel the world,† Audrey said. â€Å"With big tits,† Charlie added, his back arching in pain. â€Å"Of course, baby,† Audrey said. â€Å"I love you, Audrey.† â€Å"I know, Charlie. I love you, too.† Then Charlie Asher, Beta Male, husband to Rachel, brother to Jane, father to Sophie (the Luminatus, who held dominion over Death), beloved of Audrey, Death Merchant and purveyor of fine vintage clothing and accessories, took his last breath, and died. Audrey looked up to see Sophie come into the room. â€Å"He's gone, Sophie.† Sophie put her hand on Charlie's forehead. â€Å"Bye, Daddy,† she said. EPILOGUE THE GIRLS Things settled in the City of Two Bridges, and all the dark gods that had been rising to erupt out over the world remembered their place and returned to their domains deep in the Underworld. Jane and Cassie were married in a civil ceremony that was dissolved and sanctioned a half-dozen times over the years. Nevertheless, they were happy and there was always laughter in their home. Sophie went home to live with her Aunties Jane and Cassandra. She would grow to be a tall and beautiful woman, and eventually take her place as the Luminatus, but until then, she went to school and played with her puppies and had a fairly wonderful time as she waited for her daddy to come get her. THE SHOPKEEPERS While Minty Fresh had believed in the adage that in every moment there is a crisis, his belief had been somewhat academic until he started seeing Lily Severo, when it became very practical indeed. Life jumped up several steps for him on the interesting scale, to the point where the Death Merchant part of his existence became the more prosaic of his pursuits. They became renowned around town, the giant in pastels always in company with the short, Gothic chef, but the City really stood up and took notice when they opened up the Jazz and Gourmet Pizza Place in North Beach in the building that had once housed Asher's Secondhand. As for Ray Macy, Inspector Rivera set him up with a lady pawnbroker from the Fillmore named Carrie Lang, and they hit it off almost immediately, having in common a love of detective movies and handguns, as well as a deep mistrust for most of humanity. Ray fell deeply in love, and true to his Beta Male nature, was doggedly loyal to her, although he always secretly suspected her of being a serial killer. RIVERA Inspector Alphonse Rivera has spent most of his life trying to change his life. He'd worked in a half-dozen different police departments, in a dozen different capacities, and although he was very good at being a cop, he always seemed to be trying to get out. After the debacle with the Death Merchants and the strange, unexplainable things that had gone on around it, he was simply exhausted. There had been a brief time when he'd been able to leave police work and open a rare-book store, and he felt as if that might have been the only time he had ever truly been happy. Now, at age forty-nine, he was ready to try it again: take an early retirement and just read and live in a calm, unevent-filled world of books. So he was somewhat pleased when, two weeks after the death of Charlie Asher, he went to his mailbox to find a substantial envelope that could only be a book. It was like an omen, he thought as he sat down at his kitchen table to open the package. It was a book – what looked like a very rare and bizarre children's book. He opened it and turned to the first chapter. So Now You're Death: Here's What You'll Need. THE EMPEROR The Emperor enjoyed a happy reunion with his troops and went on to rule benevolently over San Francisco to the end of his days. For leading Charlie into the Underworld, and for his boundless courage, the Luminatus gave Bummer the strength and durability of a hellhound. It would fall to the Emperor to explain how his now all-black companion – while he never weighed more than seven pounds soaking wet – could outrun a cheetah and chew the tires off a Toyota. AUDREY Audrey continued her work at the Buddhist center and did costuming for a local theater group, but she also took a volunteer job with hospice, where she helped people to the other side as she had done for so long in Tibet. The hospice position also, however, gave her access to bodies that had been recently vacated by their souls, and she used these opportunities to cycle the squirrel people back into the human flow of birth and rebirth. And for a while, there were remarkable instances of people recovering from terminal illness in the City, as she exercised the p'howa of undying. She didn't give up her work with the squirrel people altogether, however, as it was a skill she had come to over a long time and a lot of work, and it could still be extraordinarily rewarding. At least that's how she was feeling as she looked over her latest masterpiece in the meditation room of the Three Jewels Buddhist Center. He had the face of a crocodile – sixty-eight spiked teeth, and eyes that gleamed like black glass beads. His hands were the claws of a raptor, the wicked black nails encrusted with dried blood. His feet were webbed like those of a waterbird, with claws for digging prey from the mud. He wore a purple silk robe, trimmed in sable, and a matching hat with a wizard's star embroidered on it in gold thread. â€Å"It's only temporary, until we find someone,† Audrey said. â€Å"But take my word for it, you look great.† â€Å"No, I don't. I'm only fourteen inches tall.† â€Å"Yeah, but I gave you a ten-inch schlong.† He opened his robe and looked down. â€Å"Wow, would you look at that,† Charlie said. â€Å"Nice.†

Financial Statement Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Statement Analysis - Essay Example This essay stresses that financial statement analysis has its share of limitations. Some of the most significant include the manner by which financial statement may not always be accurate since it can be distorted by inflation or seasonal factors. There are also instances when it is difficult to compare and analyze data on account of the ambiguity in regard to what industry a firm belongs to or due to the sheer number of divisions being operated by a firm. Gapenski further pointed out that there is also a lack of universal accounting practices standards that makes comparison problematic. All in all, there are other weaknesses entailed in using this analytical method. This paper makes a conclusion that financial statement analysis is important for organizations. This is particularly true in the case health care institutions today. Recent developments have significantly eroded their capability to generate profit. Being able to understand how bad the situation is for the organization allows managers to design corrective measures before it reaches crisis level. Being able to forecast opportunities and risks means better outcomes in terms of performance and profitability. Everything boils down to the importance of information. Financial statement analysis provides all the stakeholders the knowledge and, henceforth, the tools necessary to prevent the erosion of the firm’s financial health.