Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 11

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Employees may submit, in writing, any comments or documentation related to their job performance. If a performance review contains a recommendation to refute a salary increase, the supervisor or Chief Executive Officer must give clear and logical action for the employee to follow to get the increment. An employee’s performance must be re-evaluated after six months and, if required, the increment is permissible. Informal reviews may take place throughout the year; however, for any information to be included in the employee’s personnel file, the review must hold a written document read and signed by the employee. Other than the formal review and any informal reviews conducted by employees’ supervisor, the Executive Director can talk about performance with any employee regularly. Such discussions may be followed up by written statement, a copy of which will be placed in the staff member’s file. Health Benefits: The employees are given a choice between HMO (health maintenance organization) and a PPO (preferred provider organization). Also, the Company will bear 80 percent of the cost of medical insurance for employees and their dependents. Dental coverage is also included in the health benefit. The Vision plan is also a part of the health benefit offered by the Company which includes free yearly eye test and an annual allowance for new glasses or contact lenses.   Based on the judgment of the Chief Executive Officer, the Company may top up an employee’s salary while he/she is on short-term disability. The amount of the â€Å"top up† will be one-third of the staff person’s salary at the time of the disability leave. Educational Assistance: The Company also offers financial back up for educational assistance for the employees and his/her immediate family. This entails in-house educational programmes for the employees, scholarships and educational loans for employees’ children. Our Company believes in safeguarding the rights of female

Conclusion and Decisions Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conclusion and Decisions - Term Paper Example The earnings per share of the company were $1.99 and it had a declared dividend of $0.99. The return on capital of the firm was 19%. Based on the basic financial analysis performed it seems as if Sysco is a sound financial investment. I would invest $1 million in SYY common stocks. The two other decisions regarding Sysco is whether or not invest in Sysco corporate bonds and to decide if Sysco is worthy of a bank credit line for its short term needs. The best way to determine how good the corporate bonds of the company are is by testing if the firm has the ability to pay off its long term debt. A ratio that can help determine if the firm can pay its long term debt is the debt ratio. The debt ratio is calculated dividing assets by liabilities. The debt ratio of Sysco is 1.59. A good debt ratio is one above 1.0. Based on these results I would recommend a $500,000 investment in Sysco bonds. The final decision is regarding whether the company deserves a line of credit for its short term n eeds. A liquidity ratio that helps determine the ability of the company to pay off its short term debts is the current ratio. The current ratio is calculated dividing current assets by current liability. A current ratio is good is it is above 1.0. The current ratio of Sysco is 1.69. Based on the ratio analysis result I would recommend the bank approve a $1 million credit line. Work Cited Page Sysco.com. 2011.

Electricity From Municipal Solid Waste Of Lahore Environmental Sciences Essay

Electricity From Municipal Solid Waste Of Lahore Environmental Sciences Essay This research is based on production of electricity from Municipal solid Waste of Lahore. Different studies have been done in world to find out low cost method for the production of electricity. This research is considered useful to collect results of this study and compare them with costs of electricity production from other energy sources. The comparison can then be used to provide a correct perspective of the economic and environmental aspects of the different means of production of electricity. In this research production of electricity was through incineration of municipal solid waste of Lahore. The primary data regarding waste collection, transportation and management of waste was collected from different local municipal waste management authorities and Lahore compost limited. Secondary data concerning procedure for the production of electricity from the MSW and the prices of machinery and equipment was gathered by consultation of literature in different libraries, from the pub lished material by different concerned establishments and cost analysis done by different organization like IAEA. Pakistan is a developing country, it is currently facing many problems and among these is electricity and waste management. Lahore is capital of Punjab and has a population of approximately 10 million. Its current municipal waste management and disposal system is the reason for its rapidly deteriorating waste problems. About 4500 tons/day of municipal solid waste out of a total 5800 tons/day is collected at five different landfill site of Lahore. Primarily business, household and commercial waste are collected and disposed of by burying in landfills site. Most of this waste is without any sorting. This research is based on production of electricity from Municipal solid Waste of Lahore. Different studies have been done in world to find out low cost method for the production of electricity. This research is considered useful to collect results of this study and compare them with costs of electricity production from other energy sources. The comparison can then be used to provide a correct perspective of the economic and environmental aspects of the different means of production of electricity. In this research production of electricity was through incineration of municipal solid waste of Lahore. The primary data regarding waste collection, transportation and management of waste was collected from different local municipal waste management authorities and Lahore compost limited. Secondary data concerning procedure for the production of electricity from the MSW and the prices of machinery and equipment was gathered by consultation of literature in different libraries, from the pub lished material by different concerned establishments and cost analysis done by different organization like IAEA. The objective of this research is to find whether electricity production from MSW of Lahore can be used as an alternative source of electricity production with increase environment and social benefit. Following are the targets for research. Utilization of MSW to generate energy Find feasibility for using MSW as source of electricity production Reduction of MSW Reduction of environmental and social problems at the disposal site Improvement of MSW management services. Background of the topic Energy is very important for the socioeconomic development of any country and is also considered as lifeline of the economy.it is necessary for lightening our cities, power our vehicles and to run machinery in factory and industrial units etc. Demand for energy is increasing on daily basis due to increase in population and development of industries but supply of energy is not increasing with the same rate because of which a bottle neck is created in the supply of energy which is causing energy crisis in Pakistan. Pakistans energy infrastructure is not well developed, rather it is considered to be underdeveloped and poorly managed. Currently the country is facing severe energy crisis. Despite of strong economic growth and rising energy demand during past decade, no serious efforts have been made to install new capacity of generation. Moreover, rapid demand growth, transmission losses due to outdated infrastructure, power theft, and seasonal reductions in the availability of hydropower have worsened the situation. Consequently, the demand exceeds supply and hence load-shedding is a common phenomenon through power shutdown.   During 2009-10, Energy supply and per capita availability of energy witnessed a decline of 0.64 % and 3.09 % respectively in comparison to previous year.  Pakistan needs around 15,000 to 20000 MW electricity per day, however, currently it is able to produce about 11,500 MW per day hence there is a shortfall of about 4000 to 9000 MW per day. This shortage is badly hampering the economic growth of the country Many years have passed since the electricity production from waste was welcomed as cheap source of electricity production in the world. However the main motivation for this program is to provide an affordable and secure source of electricity both for the short and long term. The cost at which electricity can be provided is a highly important issue. For many years, the relative costs of different methods of electricity generation have been estimated and compared by a wide range of organizations in order to develop a proper perspective. The history of producing of electricity from incineration of solid wastes in Pakistan is not very old. There was no concept of producing electricity from waste for a long time period after creation of Pakistan. Initially it started at some sugar mills that started this activity by burning of sugar cane bagasse that is fibrous waste left after extraction of sugar cane juice from sugar cane. This material is normally used as a fuel for supplying of heat in multiple effect evaporators applied for the concentration of clarified sugar cane juice to produce crystalline sugar an in the manufacture of pulp and paper in some paper mills. It has turned out to be an economical practice. Many mills these days are applying it to produce electricity for their local needs. It is interesting that some are producing electricity not only for their own needs but also are selling surplus to the national grid. Importance of the study with respect to the world World energy resources are depleting very quickly and demand for energy is increasing with the development. Now world is searching for alternative sources of energy to continue development and save resources for our future generations. With decreasing resources cost of energy is increasing and its important to look for alternatives that are cheap in term of cost and economically feasible. Waste is an important topic in every country. The amount of waste produced has strongly grown in the last decades and continues to do so. Further, the treatment of waste has strong impacts on the environment as well as on the health status of the population. The only sustainable way for waste management is to reduce its amount through prevention, reuse and recycle of materials. Waste can be seen as a sign of inefficiency. The less efficiency the more waste. Inefficiency combined with continuous waste growth, means depleting earths material resources. The resources on earth are limited. In order to preserve them for our next generations they deserve to be used efficiently. More waste means more treatment. Nearly all waste treatments have emissions. These emissions result in impacts on human health and environment. In heavily populated regions, it becomes steadily more difficult to find space for disposal sites. Also cost of collection and treatment of waste is increasing so we need to utilize the waste in such a way that it can give us some return to cover these costs. Electricity is very important for world to develop and progress. It has not only made our lives easier but also provided safety. Different organizations in world are trying to find out cost effective sources of producing electricity and production of electricity from waste is one option under consideration. For whole world it is a cost effective and environmental friendly source of energy which can help in reduction of carbon dioxide and GHG emission for mankind. Although some other options like electricity from nuclear are considered cheapest source of electricity but these are quickly dangerous too in case of any natural disaster example of recent days is catastrophe of Japans nuclear reactors which has left man to rethink is it wise to generate energy at the cost of mankind or our earth. Production of electricity from MSW would be less catastrophic as compare to atomic or other resources. Importance of study with respect to Pakistan Population of Pakistan is increasing day by day and the demand of electricity is also increasing due to the increasing consumption. Electricity Crisis is the prime issue in Pakistan which has, more or less, affected all sectors of Pakistans machinery ranging from economy to industry, agriculture to social life, inflation to poverty and it is hampering national progress in a drastic manner. Nonetheless, threat of energy crisis can be overcome by government through making effective policies and its proactive implementation. One of their options can be looking for alternative source of producing electricity like production of electricity from MSW. Its a new entity in power generation during last 1-2 decades. It is a cheap resource in many ways for man which needs less infrastructure, cost and resources. Moreover it is a renewable source of energy which will put no stress on our natural resources and these biofuel resources can be preserved for future generations. It will help in meeting the need of local farmers by fertilizers production. It will create job opportunities which will help to eliminate poverty from Pakistan. Simultaneously, it is the responsibility of us, the people of Pakistan, to utilize the available energy astutely and wisely to play our due role for progress of the country. A typical solid waste management system in our country displays an array of problems, including low collection coverage and irregular collection services, crude open dumping and burning without air and water pollution control. These public health, environmental, and management problems are caused by various factors which constrain the development of effective solid waste management systems. This research can be used as to prevent from waste by reusing the waste for production of electricity. This process will lead to less GHG and acidic gases emission. Much needed land used for dumping this everyday waste can be used for other purposes. It will also help in facilitating the municipal corporation, restaurants and other commercial producers of waste in managing waste and efficient collection of municipal waste will lead to clear environment and healthy society. Municipal solid Waste Definition Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is defined as waste collected by a municipality. It concerns waste from households (82 % of total MSW), small business, office buildings and institutions such as schools, hospitals, government buildings, waste from parks and street cleaning (Eurostat, 2003, pp. 16). Municipal solid waste, also called trash, garbage, refuse and rubbish, is the stuff we throw away every day. In our trash are everyday items such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspaper, appliances, and batteries that we dont need any more. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is generated by people and by businesses. Not counted as MSW are other discarded materials such as construction and demolition debris, municipal wastewater treatment sludge, and non-hazardous industrial wastes. Although these materials often end up in landfills. Figure depicts the composition of MSW. The yearly amount of MSW collected in Lahore is 1,642,500 tons/year. That is 4500tons/day. Municipal Solid Waste management Many researchers believe waste can be viewed as an indication of inefficiency. If inefficiency continues with waste that mean earth material resources are draining. We already have limited resources so we need to look for alternatives that can help us in preserving these resources for our future generations. No waste is not possible so we need to find a solution which can maintain it to a sustainable level. If we want to reduce waste amount heavily it cannot be done unless we compromise our comfort of living. Also only reducing waste will not solve our issues its a complex problem can only be solved if we are considering many options. There are a number of methods of solid waste disposal. Many countries have adopted Waste management hierarchy to maintain waste to a sustainable level. Following directives have been given to European states for their waste management. (Eurostat, 2003, p85; www.europa.eu.int). The waste management hierarchy: Prevention, re-use, recycling and recuperation of energy and materials get priority. Principle of Best Available Technology (BAT): disposal facilities must be equipped with the best available technology. The BAT is selected on technological, environmental and economic criteria. Principle of proximity: Waste must be treated as close as possible to the place of production or collection. Principle of Self-sufficiency: Every member state, every community is responsible of its own waste. Polluter Pays Principle (PPP): Waste disposal facilities must not be paid by tax payers money, but by the polluter. Following are some MSW management options Prevention Its first option for waste management authorities because it has no harmful effect to the preservation of resources, environment and has no cost associated with it.It is also called source reduction because it eliminates pollution at the sources. Recycling Recycling is process in which waste is changed to a valuable resource that can be used for financial, environmental and social benefits. It prevents the emission of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants. It also decrease burden from natural resources. It saves energy necessary to produce new materials. Composting In this method organic matter is broken down through uncontrolled anaerobic processes, releasing all produced methane into the atmosphere. There are no technical and investment barriers to this option. It is a feasible option but with severe environmental consequences. Incineration The reduction in available land for landfill and the growing amount of garbage have become a major problem for many municipalities. Therefore incineration has become a solution for this problem, reducing significantly the volume of waste. Despite this advantage, Municipal Waste Incineration has many environmental problems that need to be overcome before using incineration processes as the major waste management option. Land-filling: Sanitary landfill is the cheapest satisfactory means of disposal, but only if suitable land is within economic range of the source of the wastes; typically, collection and transportation account for 75 percent of the total cost of solid waste management. Gases are generated in landfills through anaerobic decomposition of organic solid waste. If a significant amount of methane is present, it may be explosive; proper venting eliminates this problem. The methane produced in the landfills is an excellent fuel. If can be collected through the pipes and subsequently supplied for producing heat, electricity and light. Research Question Secondary research in this topic show that there is a very limited research done on the ways of producing electricity from different alternative resources. When we look at the condition of Pakistan, we are facing with a lot of energy crisis and a lot of work in required in looking for alternative ways of producing electricity. So my research question is Is production of electricity from municipal solid waste of Lahore financially feasible? Literature Review Faaij , A. et al. (1997) in this study the technical feasibility and the economic and environmental performance of atmospheric gasification of biomass wastes and residues integrated with a combined cycle for electricity production are investigated for Dutch conditions. Both secondary and primary sources were used. Secondary source used were previous studies done on gasification of biomass waste and primary experiment was done in which the system selected for study is an atmospheric circulating fluidized bed gasifier-combined cycle (ACFBCC) plant based on the General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine and atmospheric gasification technology, including flue gas drying and low-temperature gas cleaning. The results of study shows that the kWh costs are very sensitive to the system efficiency but only slightly sensitive to transport distance; this is an argument in favor of large power-scale plants. As a waste treatment option the concept seems very promising. There seem to be no fundamental te chnical and economic barriers that can hamper implementation of this technology. Mark H. et al.(2002) examined the recovery of energy by pre-processing the combustible components of MSW and using them as a fuel in a properly designed combustion reactor and thermoelectric plant to generate electricity and process steam. Data was collected using secondary sources. Secondary source used were the article on waste management from which author abstracted data. They concludes in his study that waste minimization by means of better design of products and packaging is highly desirable. Also, the best way of managing municipal solid wastes is by recovering recyclable materials. The results of this study also indicate that energy recovery from MSW can reduce considerably the amount of land consigned annually to landfilling and also decrease to a small extent dependence on fossil fuels. Murphy J and McKeogh E. (2003) have done technical, economic and environmental analysis of energy production from MSW. In this article Primary research was done in order to quantify the MSW and Secondary research was done to find out the four technologies which produce energy from municipal solid waste. They explained that residual components of MSW are incinerated producing electricity at an efficiency of 20% and thermal products at an efficiency of 55%. They further explained in his article that gasification produces more electricity than incineration but it requires a smaller gate fee than incineration and when thermal product is not utilized generates less greenhouse gas per KWh than incineration. Both biogas technologies require significantly less investment costs than the thermal conversion technologies (incineration and gasification) and have smaller gate fees. Of the four technologies investigated transport fuel production requires the least gate fee. Dubois M. et al. (2004) carried out a study on municipal solid waste treatment in the European Union. This study goes through most of the available techniques related to disposal of waste, as well as the environmental and health impacts created by them and different ways of treating municipal solid waste: Recycling, composting, incineration and land filling. Secondary sources are used for collecting data about the municipal solid waste treatment and for its quantification. The researchers defined Municipal Solid Waste Management as the generation, separation, collection, transfer, transportation and disposal of waste in a way that takes into account different parameters, such as public health, economics, environment, conservation, and aesthetics and is responsive to public demands. They reported that yearly amount of MSW collected in Western Europe was 210 million tons/year. The authors recommended that Principle of Best Available Technology (BAT): disposal facilities must be equippe d with the best available technology. The BAT is selected on technological, environmental and economic criteria and Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) must be strictly followed. In response, landfill directive was introduced which aimed at prevention or reduction of negative impacts of land filling on the environment and health. The waste prevention is the highest priority in EU. The study indicates that the major stress in European Union is on recycling and minor on its disposal by incineration to produce electricity. And in the end it concludes that only sustainable way for waste management is to reduce its amount through prevention, reuse and recycle of materials. Renbi B and Sutanto M. (2000) reviewed the practices and challenges of solid waste management in Singapore. This article gives an overview of current solid waste management situation and provides a brief discussion of the future challenges. Due to the rapid industrialization and economic development there is a tremendous increase in solid waste generation in Singapore. The solid waste incineration has been identified as management saw that land is extremely scarce. Therefore solid waste incineration has been identified as the most preferred disposal method. Barry, F (Barry, 1973) has done a study on waste heat utilization. In this article, different sources of waste heat have been discussed. Uses of waste heat in closed-agriculture offer a way to use thermal discharges from power plants and industrial processes. The use of waste heat in aquaculture is highly possessive. Along with development, some technological problems have been highlighted. Ernst B (Ernst, 1996) carried out study on clean fuels from municipal solid waste for fuel buses in metropolitan areas. In this case he explained that due to increasing MSW, costs of landfills are increasing day by day. So he gave an idea that MSW can be used for production of fuel which can be very cost efficient. He compared different costs and shown that production of fuel form MSW is most convenient and cost efficient way. Kagawa S. et al. (1999) undertook a study which aimed at the utilization of low temperature thermal energy. Both primary and secondary sources were used. Secondary source used were the articles on utilizing waste to produce thermoelectricity. Primary research was done by an experiment in which a thermoelectric generator was applied to a municipal solid waste incinerator. Oil was used on the hot side as the heat transfer medium and water was used on the cold side. A running test was passed out with 22 times on/off heat cycles. The operating time was 115 hours. No significant degradation of the thermoelectric module was observed throughout the test period. Judith D. et al. (1965) emphasizes in his article that thermal power is one of the key element which lead towards the economic development. That is why technology should be effectively managed, as it is going to save ones resources. He compares the thermal power with the hydroelectric and makes the hydroelectric superior over the thermal in contributing to the economic development. Sufian M and Bala B,k carried out a study on modeling of electrical recovery from urban solid waste system. Data was collected from Dhaka City Corporation .They took the case of Dhaka city in which he described that the percentage of total electricity demand supplied from solid waste decreases with time. However MSW could still supply a significant electricity demand of Dhaka. So adoption of a policy for electrical recovery from urban solid waste of Dhaka should be dictated by the economies and the environmental implications. Thomas S (Thomas, 1993) has studied the energy resources of India and explains their underdevelopment in terms of lack of energy resources. He further says that alternative resources should be used to cover the problem of scarce resources in India. Inefficiency of production and distribution is one of the reason which gave rise the problem of scarce resources. Methodology Research Type Qualitative data will be acquired from a mix of primary and secondary data. The focus would be on secondary research along with analysis of in-depth interviews conducted of Lahore compost limited (a private limited company set up to operate compositing facilities) representatives. Data Type and Research Period Both primary and secondary data will be gathered. The primary data will be collected through in-depth interviews. Interviews from Waste management authorities will be based upon collection procedure, quantity and nature of solid waste. Secondary data will be about production of electric power from solid waste. Secondary data will be cross sectional. Sources of Primary Data Different sources of data that supplied information about the solid waste include Lahore Compost Limited Lahore Urban Unit Lahore Waste Management Company City District Government Lahore. Sources of Secondary Data The secondary data will be collected from literature in different libraries and published material by different people who have recently done work in this field and by reading various articles on Internet. Dependent Variable: Electricity Production Independent Variables: Biodegradable waste Recyclable  material Inert  waste Composite wastes Domestic  hazardous waste  Ã‚  toxic waste Operational Definitions Biodegradable waste: is a type of waste, typically originating from plant or animal sources, which may be degraded by other living organisms. Biodegradable waste can be commonly found in municipal solid waste (sometimes called biodegradable municipal waste, or BMW) as green waste, food waste, paper waste, and biodegradable plastics. Recyclable material: Recyclable waste or materials can be processed and used again. Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics. Inert waste: Inert waste is waste which is neither chemically or biologically reactive and will not decompose. Examples of this are sand, drywall, and concrete. This has particular relevance to landfills as inert waste typically requires lower disposal fees than biodegradable waste or hazardous waste. Composite wastes: Composite waste material is a product of material waste such as vegetable waste, plant waste, dungs, food product, waste clothing, Tetra Packs, waste plastics such as toys. Domestic hazardous waste toxic waste: Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered to be household hazardous waste or HHW. Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special care when you dispose of them. Relationship between variables: There is a positive relationship between the Independent variables and dependent variables. As with the increase in independent variables which are our types of municipal solid waste there will be an increase in total quantity of MSW. So with the greater quantity of MSW we can produce more and more of steam and fuel gasses which can further produce higher quantity of electricity for us. Research Hypotheses The following hypotheses were developed to study the relationship of the variables: Hypothesis1: H0: increase in Biodegradable waste will not increase quantity of electricity produced. H1: increase in Biodegradable waste will increase quantity of electricity produced. Hypothesis2: H0: decrease in Recyclable material will not decrease quantity of electricity produced. H1: decrease in Recyclable material will increase quantity of electricity produced. Hypothesis3: H0: increase in Inert waste will not increase quantity of electricity produced. H1: increase in Inert waste will increase quantity of electricity produced. Hypothesis4: H0: decrease in Composite wastes will not decrease quantity of electricity produced. H1: decrease in Composite wastes will decrease quantity of electricity produced. Hypothesis5: H0: increase in Domestic hazardous waste toxic waste will not increase quantity of electricity produced. H1: increase in Domestic hazardous waste toxic waste will increase quantity of electricity produced. Techniques Cost analysis will be done by using NPV technique. Steam power generation will be used in production model through gas insertion at it has low gate fee. Process used for production of electricity Different plants are developed in order to increase the efficiency of electricity production from waste. The process and plant we will be using is of REIs Recovered Energy Systemà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ developed by PIAENERGY. (http://www.piaenergy.com) Process Flow Description The following is a description of REIs Recovered Energy Systemà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ process for transforming Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into energy and useable by-products. The process can be broken down into four sub-systems: material handling, thermal transformation or plasma gasification, gas clean up, and steam and energy production. A flow diagram is shown at the end. Material Handling The incoming waste is weighed in and then deposited on the tipping floor from any of the trucks currently in use that pick-up and or transfer MSW. No tedious sorting or handling is needed. The only separation that is required will be large oversized pieces that wont fit into the shredder, heavy metal items like engines that may slow down the shredder or items that need special pre-processing. Hazardous waste and medical waste are handled separately and not co-mingled with normal waste. The system is designed to process waste as quickly as possible. During delivery hours the waste is delivered faster than it can be gasified. Part of the waste is stored for processing at night and on weekends and holidays. Any oversized material is shredded and then conveyed to storage. The waste is completely cycled every 3-4 days. Should unscheduled shutdowns occur, the waste received from the municipality goes into the storage area which is designed to handle normal surges and continue accepting the waste. Thermal Transformation The waste is injected into the upper part of thermal transformer (also referred to as the plasma gasifier or reactor) and piles up in the body of the reactor. The plasma torches located at the bottom of the reactor generate a flame that is between 5000-8000 ° F. The organic material does not burn because there is not enough oxygen. The organic matter is transformed to a gas composed primarily of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N). This gas contains substantial energy and can be used in a variety of ways. The hot gas rises up through the waste piled in the reactor and begins the gasification process on the material piled in the reactor. By the time the waste has reached the bottom of the reactor, the high temperature, oxygen starved environment has totally transformed all organic compounds into a gas. The gas that exits from the top of the reactor and is made up of primarily carbon monoxide, hydrogen, water and nitrogen. Small amounts of chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, particulate, carbon dioxide and metals with boiling points less than 2280 ° F are contained in the gas. Because of the low oxygen atmosphere and high temperature, the base elements of the gas cannot form toxic compounds such as furans, dioxins, NOx, or sulfur dioxide in the reactor. As the gas exi

United States Involvement in The Second World War (WWII) Essay

World War II   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As totalitarian sates emerged into power, the United States got involved with World War II to help control these groups and to promote democracy in the European theatre of the world. The party with the most power at the time was the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler. This socialist party was led by a powerful dictator who broke away from the League of Nations and began to conquer vast amounts of territory at a fast rate. The United States wanted to leave foreign affairs alone in fear of another world war. The United States could not avoid the fact Hitler was taking over Europe and help was needed. The United States became fully involved in the European theatre of World War II when Hitler led his armies on a series of blitzkrieg’s, taking over Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland, northern France, and by breaking the Nazi-Soviet pact.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States, under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, wanted to remain neutral and wanted to stay out of foreign affairs. People like Lindbergh strongly opposed any aid to foreign affairs, but Roosevelt felt American security and Democracy was in jeopardy if no help was given. As Hitler began his campaigns in Europe, especially in Poland, the United States sent aid to France and Britain to resist the Nazi’s. Germany defeated Poland and easily took over weaker countries, sometimes without Keith 2 firing a single shot as in Czechoslovakia. The United States remained...

Smoking Speech

Hi, the topic that I have chosen for my speech is â€Å"that smoking causes death† well that’s a pretty boring topic right . I’m going to be talking about the main effects, how many people die each year things like that. So do you want to die before reaching the age of 30? 1. Smoking has a massive effect on health; smoking causes around 5000 deaths in New Zealand each year. 1. 3 billion people smoke around the world. Smoking causes 1 in 4 cancer deaths in New Zealand including cancers in the lung, mouth and throat which is where the smokes goes.When you breathe smoke, the smoke goes into your lungs and stars putting black tar into your lungs. This means it is harder to breath and your heart has to pump harder to get the oxygen around your body. That is bad for your heart. 2. Smoking is so dangerous why don't people stop? Stopping is more difficult than starting. Nicotine is addictive this means that the nicotine in the cigarettes makes you want more and more and you can't stop you keep wanting cigarettes. So you keep on buying more smokes and waste a lot of money.Even people who don't smoke may be killed by other people's smoking. Around 350 New Zealanders are killed each year because of second hand smoking. 3. Everyday in Britain about 450 children start smoking, 1 in 4 who turn into regular smokers by the age of 15. Would you want your child to become addicted to smoking? Cigarettes smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals and 69 are known to cause cancer. Why is smoking so harmful? 1. Nicotine: is a highly addictive drug, which stimulates the nervous system. 2.Tar: is a Sticky substance contains many toxic chemicals and causes cancer. The number of smoke related deaths is also equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing everyday of the year! That is about 330 people each day, 120 thousand people every year. In 1994 over 1154 million cigarettes were smoked by 11 to 15 year olds. 30% of all cancer deaths are because of smoking. In conclusion I think tha t smoking does cause death and I hope you agreed with me. So be wise and don’t chose to walk the smokers path, thank you for listening and hoped you enjoyed my speech.

Coyote Blue Chapter 25~26

CHAPTER 25 Wheels, Deals, and the Persistance of Visions Las Vegas Calliope sat in her car shivering and watching. She was parked up the street from a Vegas Harley-Davidson shop where she had once gone with Lonnie on a delivery for the Guild. The street was deserted, and dark except for the odd glow of neon in the window of a closed pawnshop. Litter danced in dust devils of desert wind that had grown cold through the night. Calliope curled up in the driver's seat and tried to cover herself with one of Grubb's blankets. The smell that came off the blanket, a mix of sour milk and sweet baby, made her sad, and even though she had stopped breastfeeding months ago, her breasts ached for her son. She caught some motion out of the corner of her eye: two figures coming out of an alley onto the sidewalk: men. They were walking toward the car. Calliope slid down in the driver's seat. The mother instinct, the feeling of righteous invincibility that had filled her when she had come here, was leaking away. Right now she was not protecting her child; she was afraid for herself. As the men approached she saw that they were young toughs, swaggering with their own willingness to violence, even as they staggered from the effect of some drink or drug. She slid farther down in the seat, and when their shadows fell across the car's hood she twisted down and covered herself with Grubb's blanket. She heard their footsteps scrape and stop at the car, heard their voices above her. â€Å"Check out this motherfucker.† â€Å"Some tall dollars here – there's a grand in tires on this thing.† â€Å"Pop the hood.† Calliope heard someone trying to open the door. â€Å"Locked.† â€Å"Hang on a minute, I saw a brick back a ways.† Footsteps away. The car rocked with the continued yanking at the door handle. Calliope could hear the keys swinging in the ignition. The second man was coming back. Her breath caught. She waited for the crash. Sweat trickled down her forehead and dripped onto the gearshift knob. â€Å"No man, not the windshield. You can't drive it with a broken windshield.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Calliope braced herself for the impact of the brick, then something in her mind screamed NO! Her feet were still on the pedals. She pushed the clutch and gas to the floor, reached out from under the blanket, and turned the key. The Z roared to life, thundered, then screamed as she kept the gas to the floor. She sat up and glanced at the two startled men, who were cowering a few feet away. Instantly their surprise turned to anger and the taller of the two raised the brick. Calliope popped the clutch and fought to keep the car straight as the tires burned off on the asphalt. She heard a loud crack behind her and felt splinters of glass hit her from behind. She power-shifted through three gears, turning over the tires and kicking the car sideways with each slam of the shifter. By the time she backed off the gas the speedometer was threatening 110. There was a thumping coming from the engine and a high-pitched wailing coming from somewhere. She looked into the rearview mirror to see the hole in the back window and, behind it, flashing red and blue police lights. She hesitated only long enough to throw Grubb's blanket off her shoulders, then slammed the Z into third, floored it, and said a quick prayer to Kali the Destroyer. -=*=- If Lonnie Ray Inman had ever made the connection that whenever he read the words American Standard, spelled out in cornflower blue against white porcelain, he felt a sudden urge to urinate, he might have understood why Grubb, upon seeing white plastic bundles piled haphazardly on the motel-room floor, crawled doggedly to, and whizzed gleefully on, twenty thousand dollars' worth of methamphetamine. To Grubb, the bundles looked like Pampers, a fine and private place to pee. â€Å"Jesus Christ, Cheryl,† Lonnie yelled. â€Å"He crawled out of his diaper. Can't you keep an eye on him for a fucking minute?† â€Å"Fuck you. You watch him, stud. He's your kid.† Cheryl threw a pillow at Lonnie as she stormed naked into the bathroom. â€Å"You were the one that said you'd make a good mother. Throw me a towel.† Cheryl stood in front of the mirror working her jaw back and forth. â€Å"Get your own towel. I think you fucked up my jaw.† â€Å"I did? I didn't do shit.† â€Å"That's the problem, isn't it?† Cheryl had been lolling Lonnie's limpness around in her mouth for an hour, trying to get a reaction out of him, when she heard a sharp crack in her right ear and felt a painful grating in the back of her jaw. Lonnie grabbed a towel off the rack and went to where Grubb was happily splashing away on the drugs. Lonnie picked up the baby and put him on the bed, then went back to clean off the packages. â€Å"Oh, Christ. Cheryl, clean up the kid, will you?† â€Å"Fuck off.† Lonnie stormed into the bathroom and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back until she was staring up at him. He spoke to her through gritted teeth. â€Å"You clean up the kid now or I'll snap your fucking neck. You understand?† He yanked her head back further. â€Å"I've got to turn this shit early in the morning and then ride to South Dakota, and I need to get some fucking sleep. If I have to kill you to get it I will. You understand?† He relaxed his grip on her hair and she nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes. He dragged her out of the bathroom and threw her on the bed with Grubb, then threw the towel in her face. â€Å"Now clean up the kid.† Lonnie took another towel and wiped each of the packages before packing them into Grubb's diaper bag. Cheryl rolled Grubb over and dried his bottom. â€Å"Last time I take a vacation with you,† she said. â€Å"No gambling, no shows, no fucking. I said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked at him. â€Å"No fu-† The word caught in her throat. He was aiming his pistol at her head. -=*=- Until he saw the orange 280Z rocket by him, the cop thought that the worst thing he was going to have to deal with on this shift was not smoking. He was wearing a patch on his left shoulder that was supposed to feed nicotine into his blood to keep him from craving cigarettes, but the urge to smoke was still there, so he fought it by eating donuts. He'd gained ten pounds in a week, and he was musing over the idea of inventing a donut patch when the sports car roared by him. Out of habit, he butted a half-eaten cruller in the ashtray, hit the lights and siren, and pulled out in pursuit. The Z already had about eight blocks on him and he estimated it was doing about a hundred. He was reaching for the radio to call ahead for help when a black Mercedes pulled out from a side street in front of him. He slammed on the brakes and threw the cruiser sideways, bringing it to a stop not ten feet from impact. The Mercedes was at a dead stop, blocking both lanes. The cop watched the Z's taillights fade in the distance on the other side. He killed the siren and switched the radio to the public address system. â€Å"Get out of the car, now!† He waited but no one got out of the car. In fact, he couldn't see a driver at all, yet the Mercedes was still running. He considered calling for backup, then decided to handle it himself. He stepped out of the cruiser with his gun drawn, careful to stay behind the car door. â€Å"You, in the Mercedes, get out slowly.† He saw something move in the car, but it didn't look like a person. Holding his revolver at ready, he shined his flashlight at the car. Movement, but no driver. He saw three possibilities. The driver was unconscious, or was waiting to peel away when he moved away from the cruiser, or was lying in wait with a shotgun to blow his head off. He decided it would be safest to assume the last, and without further warning he crept to a spot just under the open driver's-side window. He heard a scratching sound just above his head and came up, gun first, to catch a glimpse of the back end of the skunk just as it sprayed him in the face. As he wiped his eyes he heard laughing and the Mercedes pulling away. -=*=- Clyde, owner of Clyde's Cash for Your Car, said, â€Å"No offense, chief, but you don't see many Indians in Mercedes.† He kicked a tire and bent down to look at the lines of the paint job for signs of bodywork, keeping a hand on his head to steady his toupee. â€Å"Looks clean.† â€Å"It's a good car,† Coyote said. Clyde narrowed his eyes and smiled. Clyde had seen a little too much sun in his sixty years and this sly smile, what he used to call his ;gotcha; look, made him look like an old Chinese woman. â€Å"And you have the title, right, chief?† â€Å"Title?† â€Å"That's what I thought.† Clyde stepped up to Coyote, his head about level with the trickster's sternum. â€Å"Are you a policeman, or are you working in the service of any law-enforcement agency?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Well then, let's do some business.† Clyde grinned. â€Å"Now, you and I know that we could fry eggs on this car, am I right? Of course I am. And you're not from around here, or you'd have your own connections and wouldn't be here, am I right? Of course I am. And you don't want to take this car out on the interstate where the state patrol would spot it as hot in a second? No, you don't.† He paused for effect, just to make sure everyone knew he was in control. â€Å"I'll give you five thousand dollars for it.† â€Å"Not enough,† said Coyote. â€Å"Look, this car has a machine that tells you where you are.† Clyde glanced inside the Mercedes at the navigation system, then shrugged. â€Å"Chief, you see all these cars?† Clyde gestured to a dozen cars on his lot. Coyote looked around and nodded. â€Å"Well, all these cars got something that'll tell you where you're at. I call them windows. You look out of 'em. Now, do you want to sell a car?† â€Å"Six thousand,† Coyote said. Clyde crossed his arms and waited, tapped his foot, smiled into the night sky. â€Å"Five,† Coyote said. â€Å"I'll be right back with your money, chief. Can I have my boy give you a lift somewhere?† â€Å"Sure,† Coyote said. Clyde went into his office, a mobile home whose entire side functioned as Clyde's sign. In a moment he returned with a stack of hundreds. He counted them into Coyote's hand. A greasy teenager pulled up in an old Chevy. â€Å"This is Clyde junior,† Clyde said. â€Å"He'll take you wherever you need to go.† â€Å"It's a good car,† Coyote said. He handed the keys to Clyde and climbed into the Chevy. As they pulled away Coyote dug into his medicine pouch and pulled out a small plastic box that had once been on Sam's key ring. He pushed the red button once, and a chirping sound came from under the hood of the Mercedes to signal that the alarm was armed. -=*=- Kiro Yashamoto stood in the corner of the treatment room watching two doctors battle for a man's life. One doctor was young, white, and wore a stethoscope around his neck. He was fighting death with electronic monitors, oxygen, a battery of injected drugs, and a degree from Michigan State. The other doctor was an old Indian man, as wrinkled and weathered as the patient, who fought with prayers, songs, and by blowing on the patient through a mouthful of charcoal. He held no degree, but had been called to healing by the trumpeting of a white elk in the Spirit World. Despite the difference in their methods, the two worked as a team. Kiro could see that they respected each other, and he wished that his children were here to see these two cultures working together not for profit, but out of a common compassion. Alas, he had left them outside in the clinic's small waiting room, and neither of the doctors would allow more people in here. A tall, lanky Indian man dressed in denim stood in the corner opposite Kiro. His hair was cut short and shot with gray. Kiro guessed he was in his sixties, but it was hard to tell with these people. He saw Kiro watching and quietly crossed the room. â€Å"My name is Harlan Hunts Alone,† he said, extending his hand. â€Å"How do you do,† Kiro said. He took Harlan's hand and bowed slightly, then caught himself in the inappropriate gesture and felt embarrassed. Harlan patted Kiro's shoulder. â€Å"Pokey is my brother. I wanted to thank you for bringing him here. The doctor said he would have died without your help.† â€Å"It was nothing,† Kiro said. â€Å"Just the same,† Harlan smiled. The medicine man stopped singing and Harlan quickly turned to him. â€Å"He's gone,† the medicine man said. The white doctor looked at the monitor. A steady blip played across the screen. â€Å"He's fine. His blood pressure's coming up.† â€Å"Not dead,† said the medicine man. â€Å"Gone.† Pokey began mumbling, then speaking. Kiro could not hear what he was saying through the oxygen mask. â€Å"That's not Crow. What is that?† asked the white doctor. â€Å"Navaho,† said the medicine man. â€Å"He doesn't speak Navaho,† Harlan said. â€Å"He doesn't even speak Crow.† â€Å"He doesn't here,† the medicine man said. â€Å"He's not here.† On a stone wall: carvings of dead gods and the shadow of a man with the head of a dog. Pokey looks, but there is no figure casting the shadow. He turns to run. â€Å"Stop,† the shadow says. Pokey stops but does not look back. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"Tell him there is death where he goes.† â€Å"Tell who?† â€Å"The trickster. Tell him. And tell him I am coming back.† â€Å"Who are you?† The shade and the wall are gone. Ahead lie prairies. Pokey runs, calls, â€Å"Old Man Coyote!† â€Å"What? I'm busy. Twice in a few days is too much. Don't talk to me for another forty years.† â€Å"A shadow said to tell you that there is death where you are going.† â€Å"A shadow?† â€Å"A man with the head of a dog. I thought it was you playing a trick on me.† â€Å"Nope. So he said that there is death where I am going. He ought to know. Anything else?† â€Å"He said to tell you that he is coming back.† â€Å"Well, no shit. You have to go, old man. You're dying again.† â€Å"I am?† â€Å"Yeah. Didn't you drink that Kool-Aid I left you?† â€Å"There was no water. Who was-â€Å" â€Å"Go now.† -=*=- The green line went flat. The monitor screeched out an alarm. â€Å"We're losing him,† the doctor said. He grabbed a syringe, filled it with epinephrine, and drove it into Pokey's chest. The medicine man began to sing a death song. CHAPTER 26 Hang with a Horse Thief, Wake Up Walking Las Vegas Minty Fresh was staring at nothing and thinking ;Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; when the girl behind the desk grabbed his arm, startling him. â€Å"Are you all right?† she said. â€Å"Fine, what is it?† â€Å"God, on the phone, for you.† â€Å"Thank you.† Minty picked up the phone and tried to drive ;Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah; out of his head. â€Å"M.F. here,† he said. â€Å"Your Indian is back in the building, main entrance. Keep an eye on him.† â€Å"Right.† Minty hung up. He checked his watch and realized that he must have been staring for ten minutes before the call. Why couldn't he shake that song? He hadn't heard it since his grandmother had taken him to see Song of the South when he was a child. Grandma had heard the Uncle Remus stories of Br'er Fox and Br'er Rabbit from her own grandmother, who had been a slave. She said that the stories came with the slaves from West Africa. There, Br'er Rabbit was known as Esau, the trickster. Maybe it was the Indian talking about tricking people that had set it off. Since the Indian had come into the casino, Minty had felt uneasy. It was as if the Indian could look into his soul and see secrets that he himself did not know. He looked up to see the Indian coming through the lobby. Minty smiled. â€Å"Mr. Coyote, you're back.† â€Å"How do you know my name?† Minty was spun by the question. He felt his shell of cool detachment cracking and dropping off like old paint. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know†¦.† â€Å"It's okay,† Coyote said. â€Å"I want everyone to know my name. Not like you. You carry your name like a man with a knife hidden in his boot. You should wear your name like a red bow tie.† â€Å"I'll try to remember that,† Minty said, trying to sound patronizing. If the casino knew his real name they'd have him greeting people in clown shoes and a purple wig within the hour. A red bow tie indeed. Coyote fanned a handful of hundreds and waved them under Minty's nose. â€Å"Did you save my place at the table?† â€Å"I'm sure we can find you a suitable place. Follow me.† Minty led Coyote to an out-of-the-way crap table where only a few players were gathered. One of them, a lanky middle-aged man in a cowboy hat and jeans, turned and looked Coyote up and down, then scoffed and turned to the stickman, shaking his head in disgust. â€Å"Prairie niggers,† he said under his breath. Minty moved up behind the cowboy and bent over until his mouth was even with the cowboy's ear. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† The cowboy spun around and stumbled back against the table, his eyes wide. â€Å"Nothin',† he said. Minty remained crouched over, his face almost touching the cowboy's. â€Å"Is there a problem, sir?† â€Å"No. No problem,† the cowboy said. He turned and scraped his chips off the table and quickly walked away. Minty stood slowly and caught the stickman glaring at him. A wave of embarrassment burned over him. That sort of direct intimidation was completely out of line: bad form, bad judgment. He imagined that there would be a call from God waiting for him when he returned to the desk. He turned to Coyote, who was staring down the front of a cocktail waitress's dress. Minty said, â€Å"Can we get you something to drink?† â€Å"Umbrellas and swords, lots of them.† â€Å"Very good.† Minty nodded to the cocktail waitress. â€Å"Mai tai, extra fruit.† Coyote handed his cash to the dealer. â€Å"Black ones.† The dealer counted the money and handed it to the supervisor. â€Å"Changing five thousand.† The other players looked up at Coyote, then Minty, then quickly looked down to avoid eye contact. A pair of fresh-faced newlyweds stood at the head of the table, exchanging kisses and whispers. The stickman pushed the dice to the woman, who giggled as she picked them up. â€Å"That's my lucky girl,† her husband said, kissing her ear. â€Å"New shooter coming out,† the stickman said. â€Å"Is she lucky?† Coyote asked. â€Å"She's made me the luckiest man in the world,† the young husband said. The girl blushed and buried her face in her husband's shoulder. Minty found that he was irritated by the couple's fawning and wondered why. He saw it ten times a day: newlyweds at the tables acting like they were the first to discover love, glued together for a few days of starry-eyed public foreplay between bouts in a hotel bed. And they'd be back in twenty years, separating when they hit the door, her locking onto a slot machine while he played blackjack and dreamed of sneaking off to a jiggle show. Minty wanted to warn them that time would make hypocrites of them. One day you'll wake up and find that you're married to a husband and a father, a wife and a mother, and you'll wonder whatever happened to the lover that you swapped spit and sweetness with over a crap table. But why did it matter? It never had before. It's this Indian, Minty thought. He's making me lose it. Coyote placed all his chips on the pass line. â€Å"Are you lucky?† he said to the bride. She smiled and nodded. Her husband placed a two-dollar chip on the pass line. â€Å"Go ahead, honey.† He held her shoulders, bracing her against the weight of the dice, and the girl let fly. â€Å"Two! Snake eyes! No pass!† The stickman raked in the bets. Coyote dove over the table and caught the woman by the throat, riding her to the floor. The husband stepped aside as the light of his life went down. â€Å"You are not lucky!† Coyote screeched. â€Å"You lost all my money! You are not lucky!† The girl clawed at his face with lace-gloved hands. Minty Fresh caught Coyote by the back of the neck and pulled him off the girl with one hand, waving away the security jesters who had appeared with the other. â€Å"I've got this handled.† He nodded to the girl on the floor and the jesters helped her to her feet. Minty dragged Coyote away from the table. â€Å"She lied. She lied.† â€Å"Perhaps you'd like to rest for a while,† Minty said, as if he was taking Coyote's hat rather than dragging him across the floor. â€Å"Can we get you something to eat? The dining room is closed, but our snack bar is open.† Minty was acutely aware that he was in the process of losing his job. He should have turned the Indian over to security. After years as the officer of order, he was falling apart. â€Å"I need to get more money,† Coyote said, calming down now. Minty set Coyote on his feet, keeping a restraining hand on the trickster's neck. â€Å"You're sharing a room with Mr. Hunter, aren't you? I'll have the bellman take you up to the room.† Coyote thought for a moment. â€Å"No, my money is at another hotel and I don't have a car.† â€Å"That's not a problem, sir. I'll call around a limo and drive you myself.† Minty steered Coyote out a side exit of the casino and walked him to the valet booth, where he ordered a limo from the attendant. In a moment a stretch Lincoln pulled up to the curb and an eager squire held the door while Coyote climbed in. Minty adjusted the seat before climbing in; still, his knees were up around the wheel. As he drove he tried to form some sort of rationalization for his mistakes – something to wash him clean with the management. Perhaps the Indian would lose enough money to justify the lapses of judgment. â€Å"Where are you staying, sir?† â€Å"The Frontier.† Minty nodded and pulled out onto the strip. â€Å"Call Camelot,† he said. A series of beeps sounded in the car and a woman's voice came on the speaker. â€Å"Camelot.† â€Å"Desk, please.† â€Å"Thank you.† A series of clicks and a different voice. â€Å"Camelot, reservations.† â€Å"This is M.F.,† Minty said. â€Å"I'm taking a customer to the Frontier. I'll return in a few minutes.† â€Å"Very good, sir. There's a message for you from upstairs. Do you want me to put you through?† â€Å"No. Thank you.† There was no sense in rushing to the mailbox if you knew there was a letter bomb waiting for you. â€Å"Off,† Minty said. There was a click. Coyote was hanging on the back of the seat, looking down at the cellular phone. â€Å"You can talk to machines?† â€Å"Just this one. Voice activated so you can keep your hands on the wheel.† â€Å"I can talk to animals. Can you take other forms?† Minty smiled. The Indian was a nut case, but at least he was an amusing nut case. â€Å"Actually,† he said. â€Å"This is another form. In real life I'm a short Jewish woman.† â€Å"I wouldn't have known,† Coyote said. â€Å"It must be the sunglasses.† He looked at the dashboard. â€Å"Does this car tell you where you are?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Ha! Mine is better.† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"Follow that car,† Coyote said, pointing ahead to a 280Z with a shattered back window turning off the strip. For a second, Minty was tempted to follow the car, then he caught himself. â€Å"I can't do that, sir.† What was it about this Indian that he could twist the world? If he wasn't fired when he got back to the casino, Minty decided he would hire a hooker to rub his temples and tell him that everything was okay until he believed it or ran out of money, whichever came first. Maybe the Indian was right about people wanting to be tricked. â€Å"I need cigarettes,† Coyote said. â€Å"We have complimentary cigarettes at the casino, sir.† â€Å"No. I need some now. At that store.† Coyote pointed to a minimart across the strip. â€Å"As you wish,† Minty said. He pulled the limo into the minimart and turned off the engine. Coyote said, â€Å"I'm out of money until we go to my motel.† â€Å"Allow me, sir,† Minty opened the car door and unfolded himself onto the curb. â€Å"I'll pay you back.† â€Å"Not necessary, sir. Camelot will take care of it.† â€Å"Salems,† Coyote said. â€Å"A carton.† Minty closed the door and walked into the minimart. He found the cigarettes, then grabbed a package of Twinkies off the shelf for himself. He checked the date on the Twinkies: July 1956. Good. They had another thirty years of guaranteed freshness. He fell in line behind a drunk man who was waving a gas card at the clerk. â€Å"Look, man, it's this simple. You charge my card for forty bucks' worth of gas and give me twenty in cash. You get a hundred-percent profit.† Minty listened to the clerk try to explain why this couldn't be done and smiled in sympathy, as if to say, â€Å"They lose their money, then they lose their minds.† The clerk rolled his eyes as if to say, â€Å"This might take a while.† Minty looked outside to check on his passenger and saw the limo backing away from the curb. He tossed the cigarettes and Twinkies on the counter and ran out, losing his glasses as he ducked to get through the doors. He reached the street as the limo accelerated out of reach, then stopped and stared down the strip, watching the Lincoln's taillights until they blended into a million other lights. Acid panic rose in his throat, then subsided, replaced by the resolved calm of the doomed. He turned and walked slowly back to the minimart to find his glasses. As he reached the door, the drunk, his gas card still in hand, stumbled through and Minty caught him by the shoulders to avoid a collision. The drunk looked up, then tore himself away and stepped back. â€Å"Jesus Christ, boy! What happened to your eyes? You been sittin' too close to the TV?† Minty raised his hand to cover his golden eyes, then dropped it and shrugged. â€Å"Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,† he said with a grin. -=*=- Dawn was starting to break and the sky was turning from red to blue. Coyote sat in the limo, which was parked a block behind Calliope's orange Z, which was parked a block away from Nardonne's Harley-Davidson Shop. Lonnie's bike was parked outside. â€Å"Call Sam,† Coyote said. Nothing happened. He pounded on the car phone. â€Å"I said, call Sam.† Nothing happened. â€Å"Call Sam's room,† Coyote said to the phone. Nothing happened and the trickster yipped with anger. â€Å"Call Sam's room or I'll rip your cord off.† He picked up the receiver and beat it on the dashboard, then he saw a sticker with the casino's logo stuck to the receiver. â€Å"Call Camelot,† he said. The phone lit up and beeped through some numbers. The phone rang once and a woman answered. â€Å"Camelot.† â€Å"I want to talk to Sam.† â€Å"Do you have a last name, sir?† â€Å"No, just Coyote.† â€Å"I'm sorry, sir, we have no guest listed under Coyote.† â€Å"Not me, I'm here. His name is Hunter.† â€Å"We have no Coyote Hunter. There's a Samuel Hunter.† â€Å"That's him.† â€Å"One minute while I connect you.† â€Å"I'll bet you're ugly in person.† â€Å"What?† Sam's sleepy voice came over the phone. â€Å"Sam, I found the girl.† â€Å"Where? Where are you? What time is it? Who's ugly?† â€Å"Morning. You have to come here. I'm at a place called Nardonne's Harley-Davidson Shop. The girl is here, and the motorcycle with her picture on it is parked outside.† â€Å"Give me directions. I'll be there in a few minutes. Keep Calliope there. I have to check out and get the car.† â€Å"Take a cab.† â€Å"You didn't take my car?† â€Å"No, this car is better. You can talk to the phone. Your car is gone. I sold it.† â€Å"You what?† â€Å"Take a cab. I'm in a big black car. Off.† The phone clicked, cutting Sam off in the middle of a tirade. Coyote didn't know whether the girl had a phone in her car, but he decided to try. â€Å"Call the girl,† he said to the phone. The phone beeped through the numbers. â€Å"This is Carla,† a sexy woman's voice said. â€Å"Would you like this on your phone bill or your credit card?† â€Å"Phone bill,† Coyote said. â€Å"If you like leather, press one,† Carla said. â€Å"Twins, press two. For California blondes, press three. Big bottoms, press-† Coyote picked up the handset and pressed three. Another sexy voice came on, â€Å"Hi, I'm Brandy, who are you?† â€Å"Coyote.† â€Å"Would you like to know what I'm wearing, Coyote?† â€Å"No, I have to tell the girl to stay here until Sam comes.† â€Å"We'll take as long as Sam needs. Is Sam getting hard?† â€Å"No, he's pissed off about his car.† There was a pause and the sound of her lighting a cigarette. Brandy said, â€Å"Okay. Let's start over.† -=*=- Minty waited for the second limo at the pay phone outside the minimart. He flipped through his address book until he found the detective's number, then dialed. The phone rang twice, then there was the sound of the receiver rattling and falling. Finally a sleepy, hostile man's voice said, â€Å"What?† Minty said, â€Å"Jake, this is M.F., at Camelot.† â€Å"Fuck that. This is harassment. It's†¦ it's five thirty in the morning. You said I could have all the time I needed to pay.† â€Å"I'm not calling about that, Jake. I need a favor. One of the limos has been stolen.† â€Å"Why call me at home? You guys have Lo-Jack beacons in those limos, don't you? Call the station. They'll track it and have it back in half an hour.† â€Å"I can't call the station, Jake. This is delicate. I need to get it back without bringing the police into it.† â€Å"You're fucked. The Lo-Jack trackers are installed in the cruisers.† â€Å"Can you put one in one of our limos? Just until I find the stolen one.† â€Å"No way. The tracking system takes hours to install.† â€Å"Jake, I need a favor. Just a favor. I haven't mentioned what you owe us.† â€Å"This strong-arm shit isn't your style, M.F.† â€Å"But you can get use of a unit with the Lo-Jack tracker in it?† â€Å"Meet me at the station in a half hour.† â€Å"What's the range on the tracker?† â€Å"About a mile, depending on the terrain. Farther in the desert. You're not going to be able to cover much area with only one car.† â€Å"Then make it fifteen minutes. And Jake-â€Å" â€Å"What?† â€Å"Thank you.† Minty hung up. So much for the police, he thought. Now if I can get it back before the casino finds out. If not, I guess it's time to go shopping for a red bow tie. -=*=- Calliope was sure she could do it: if Grubb was trapped under a Chrysler she could lift the car and pull him out. You heard about it all the time: Hundred-Pound Mom Lifts Two-Ton Car to Save Trapped Tot. It seemed to happen often enough that it should be part of Lamaze training. â€Å"Okay, now breathe, focus, grab the bumper†¦ now lift!† Yep, she could do it – a Chrysler on each arm if she had to. She wasn't so sure about getting Grubb back from Lonnie. Maybe if that other woman wasn't with him, being so hostile and negative. She was feeling a little better now that the sun was coming up. She'd been shivering since the punks had broken her back window, from nerves and the cold. And she didn't have enough gas money to leave the Z running with the heater on while she waited for Lonnie to come out of the Harley shop. She might not have enough to make it home as it was. Besides, something was wrong with the car; she'd tached it too high while running from the police and something had given way in clatter and smoke. As she watched, Lonnie came through the front door of the shop carrying Grubb's diaper bag. Calliope swallowed hard, trying to push down her fear – fear of failure. She got out of the Z. The woman followed Lonnie holding Grubb in her arms. Calliope ran toward them, then stopped when she saw the woman's face. It was like one painful purple bruise with eyes. â€Å"Lonnie,† Calliope called. Lonnie and the woman turned. Grubb saw his mother and reached out. Lonnie pushed down Grubb's hand. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"I came to get Grubb. You shouldn't have taken him.† â€Å"Talk to the judge. He's mine half the time.† He was right. Calliope had gone to Social Services once before when Lonnie took Grubb on a road trip. Her caseworker told her that the law couldn't do anything to help. â€Å"You don't want him. You just want to hurt me.† Lonnie laughed, threw his head back, and shook with laughter. For all the times he had postured and threatened and screamed and pounded, he had never really scared her. She was scared now. â€Å"You shouldn't take him on a run like this, Lonnie. What if you get busted?† â€Å"Run? What run? We're just on a little family camping trip, aren't we, Cheryl?† The woman tucked her face behind Grubb. â€Å"Give him to me, please,† Calliope pleaded. Lonnie climbed onto his bike grinning and hit the starter. The bike fired up and Lonnie shouted over the engine, â€Å"Go home. I'll bring him back in a few days.† Cheryl climbed on behind him and he dropped the bike into gear. â€Å"No!† Calliope started to run after them. Lonnie gunned the bike and roared off. She shuffled to a stop and saw Grubb reaching out over Cheryl's shoulder. Her eyes blurred with tears. She turned and ran to her car, wiped her eyes, and saw the limo parked down the street. Someone was sitting in it, just watching her. â€Å"What are you looking at?† she screamed. -=*=- Sam made the chambermaid help him search the hotel room for his wallet for fifteen minutes before giving up and leaving her with a promise of a tip on the credit card. He was thinking This is like being stuck in some Kafkaesque Roadrunner cartoon when the taxi from the Acme Cab Company pulled up, the driver wearing a fez. Animated by Hieronymus Bosch, Sam thought. In the cab, he said, â€Å"Do you know a Harley-Davidson shop called Nardonne's?† â€Å"Bad part of town. Cost you double.† â€Å"It's broad daylight.† â€Å"Oh, it is. My shift is over. Sorry.† â€Å"Okay, double,† Sam said. Why quibble? He couldn't pay the guy anyway. When they pulled in behind the limo, Sam said, â€Å"Wait here, I'll get your money.† He got out and looked down the street to the Harley shop, then went up to the limo and pounded on the blacked-out window. The window whirred down. Coyote grinned. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"Took off. Just now.† â€Å"Why didn't you stop her?† â€Å"She didn't want to be stopped. We'll find her – she's following the biker, and we know where he's going.† The cabdriver beeped his horn. â€Å"Give me my wallet,† Sam said. Coyote handed the wallet out the window. Sam rifled through it and came up empty. â€Å"There's no money left.† â€Å"Nope,† Coyote said. The cabdriver leaned on the horn. Sam signaled for him to wait, ran around to the other side of the limo, and got in. â€Å"Go,† Sam said. â€Å"What about the cabdriver?† â€Å"Fuck him.† â€Å"That's the spirit.† Coyote started the limo and peeled away. He checked the rearview mirror. â€Å"He's not following.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"He's talking to his radio. Got a smoke?† Sam dug a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, tapped one out, and lit it. â€Å"Where's my car?† â€Å"I sold it.† â€Å"You can't sell it without the title.† â€Å"I got a good deal, five thousand.† â€Å"Are you nuts? Five thousand wouldn't buy the stereo.† â€Å"I needed to win my money back. I won a lot of money on the machine you put the cards in, but a shaman with a stick won it back from me.† Sam butted his cigarette in the ashtray and hung his head in his hands, trying to let it all sink in. â€Å"So you sold my car for five grand?† â€Å"Yep.† Coyote snatched the mashed cigarette and relit it. â€Å"And where is that money?† â€Å"The shaman had strong cheating medicine.† â€Å"That's the kind of thinking that got Manhattan sold for a box of beads.† â€Å"So they still tell that story? It was one of my best tricks. They gave us many beads for that island. They didn't know that you can't own land.† Sam sighed and slouched in his seat, thinking he should be angry, or worried about his car, but strangely he was more concerned with catching Calliope. They were on the highway now. Sam glanced at the speedometer. â€Å"Slow down to the speed limit. We don't need cop trouble. I'm assuming you stole this car.† â€Å"I counted coup: stealing a tethered horse.† â€Å"Tell me,† Sam said. Coyote told the story of Minty and the limo, turning it into a fable full of danger and magic, making himself the hero. He was coming to the part about the car phone when it rang. Sam reached for the answer button and pulled back his hand in disgust. â€Å"What's this gunk all over the phone? It looks like-â€Å" â€Å"I'm not to that part of the story yet.† â€Å"Then you answer it.† â€Å"Speak,† Coyote said, and the phone lit up and clicked. â€Å"Is that you, Brandy?† A very deep, calm voice came over the speakerphone, â€Å"I want the car back, now. Pull over and stop. I'm a couple of minutes behind you. The police are-â€Å" â€Å"Off,† Coyote said. The phone hung up. Coyote turned to Sam. â€Å"This is a good car. You can talk to the phone. Her name is Brandy. She's very friendly.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Sam said. â€Å"That wasn't her.† â€Å"Pull off at the next exit.†