Social Psychology and the Sustainable Future Essay

What has Global warming, Ozone Layer Depletion, Soil Erosion, Air Pollution, Carbon Emissions, and other environmental issues have to do with Social Psychology? One of the reasons for writing this paper, is to answer that question by showing the relationship between the environment in which we live and social psychology. I will endeavor to do this by looking at a root cause behind our ecological dilemma, as well as offering possible solutions and suggestions for social behavioral changes that each one of us could employ, as not only caring human beings, but as Christians fulfilling our God-given mandate to rule over the earth He created in the capacity of caretakers and stewards. As explained by Dr.  David G Myers in his excellent book entitled â€Å"Exploring Social Psychology†, the study of social psychology is a study in which â€Å"social psychologists scientifically explore how we as humans think about, influence, and relate to one another† [ Myers 2009 p. 1]. He goes on to quote novelist Herman Melville’s poignant observation, which states, â€Å"we cannot live for ourselves alone, for our lives are connected by 1000 invisible threads† [Myers 2009 p. 1]. And therein lies the root cause of our ecological problems. Because of our social orientation [being our personality psychology or â€Å"psychodynamics† which forms our â€Å"worldview† by the way we’ve been taught to think and act within the society in which we grew up], most people and societies, if not all, are inherently self-centered. A perfect example of this societal â€Å"self-centeredness† is clearly seen here in the United States of America, more so than in any other place in the world. The unrestrained, unbridled, and unprecedented consumerism and waste has sadly become this countries â€Å"social norm†. Generally speaking, we as humans, tend to give little thought, either intentionally or unintentionally, about how our attitude, actions, and behaviors might affect others in the society in which we live: or for that matter, the rest of the world. Because our lives are connected by 1000 invisible threads, our attitude, behavior, and actions cannot help but effect others. We are connected in many different ways, but primarily we are connected by being members of one and the same human race, sharing an earth which we all call home. Therefore, social psychology and the sustainable future of our environment are connected in the sense that as human beings, sharing the same earth, social psychologist can positively influence societies to bring about change through implementing strategies within a society through educational and other means, that would address the need for â€Å"other-centeredness†, as opposed to â€Å"self-centeredness† within our societies. This hopefully, through educational campaigns, would over time alter social norms throughout global societies, and help to positively shape our attitudes, behaviors and actions toward the environment in which we live, and encourage a more sustainable environmental future. The purpose of environmental education, is to bring â€Å"social awareness†of how each individual’s attitude actions and behavior, can and does have an environmental affect [whether positive or negative], not only themselves and their own environment, but on the environment of others also. So, environmentally speaking, this means that each individual person, group, society and nation’s environmental habits and lifestyle [which is mainly guided by the â€Å"social norms†of the country and the culture in which they are living], can have a global environmental impact. Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 4 Social, psychologically formed thought processes, cause individuals and groups within a society or culture, to behave in ways that are considered normal to them, even though they’re ttitude, behavior and actions are environmentally devastating. One of the ways I can illustrate the fact of how our attitudes, behaviors, and actions [another words what we do and how we live], can and does affect others environment [even though they may be living on the other side of the world], is by looking at the worldwide issues of air pollution and its causes. Air is something that every living thing needs, as the famous 70s hit song sung by the British group†The Hollies† states, â€Å"all I need is the air that I breathe. Another translation of that song humorously states â€Å"I need to be able to breathe. † That we need air to breathe is an axiom, a self evident truth, for without it we die. In actual fact, air is one of the reasons why Earth is the only planet within our solar system that can sustain life, and in which life can be found. Air supports life, but the air has to be clean for life to be sustained. We don’t really need to be told that the air is polluted these days because we can see it. This is especially true if you happen to live in the city of Los Angeles, which for many years has been the butt of â€Å"smog† jokes, and recently topped the American lung Association’s bad air list of â€Å"most polluted cities in America† [GMA news 2012]. Why is the air polluted so badly? How did it get that way? The city of Los Angeles, like many other places in the world today are to a great degree responsible for producing much of the â€Å"bad air† in their cities. However, â€Å"bad air† is now being found in cities and other places where there is no air polluting factories or industry to blame. This is because air pollution does not recognize international boundaries, and like the proverbial trapeze artists, pollution in the form of toxic emissions can and do â€Å"fly through the air with the greatest of ease. † Because of this, â€Å"bad air† has † turned up† in places where it did not originate; such as National Parks and wilderness areas in remote parts of the United States. This is due to the fact that one countries air polluting practices can have a dramatic effect on another countries air quality located on the other side of the world. Toxic pollutants and emissions rise from factory smokestacks, power plants, and exhaust emissions , from countries who have no â€Å"clean air act† and therefore are under no threat of penalty or prosecution for noncompliance. These toxic emissions, are the result of unrestrained air polluting practices by countries who show little or no interest in environmental conservation. This toxic pollution rises into the wind currents and jet-streams, which carry the poisonous air hundreds, or even thousands of miles away to another part of the world, where it then affects the air quality of the place where it settles, creating health hazards and pollution within that cities population and location. So, the irresponsible polluting behavior and actions of one group/country, can have a drastic negative effect on another person/s, group/s, country/or countries, causing them to suffer debilitating health hazard consequences for which they were not responsible in creating. So you see in this one small illustration, how another person/s, group/s, or even other countries irresponsible attitude, actions, and behavior toward environmental conservation issues, can inadvertently and negatively affect another person/s, group/s, or even a whole country’s population’s health and well being. Many first world countries have environmental laws that heavily penalize companies for noncompliance, and therefore helps to limits air pollution to varying degrees. Yet there are more countries who don’t have any environmental laws, restrictions, or boundaries in place, and who Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 6 do not recognize or practice environmental conservation. And so these developing countries by their â€Å"who cares, it’s business as usual† attitude and behavior, become one of the major contributors of â€Å"bad air† on a global scale, through their uncontrolled, unrestrained, release of toxic emissions into the atmosphere where it becomes an international traveler. However, air pollution caused by toxic emissions is only one of the environmental concerns facing humanity today. Another environmental concern, which we are being constantly reminded of through the news reports, newspapers, Internet, etc. is the issue of â€Å"global warming†. This is also known as â€Å"climate change†. Scientists use the name, or term global warming, so as to identify what types of climate change is actually happening i. e. , the planet is not getting cooler but warmer, ergo, global warming. One of the reasons they state this is happening is due to the excessive amount of a gas known as CO2. This is carbon dioxide, which is something that we, after taking in oxygen through the air, actually exhale. While CO2 is an odorless, tasteless, inert gas, it is also a byproduct of combustion, which is generally contributed to automobile emissions. However, while CO2 is a byproduct of automotive engine gasoline/diesel/natural gas combustion, it is also a byproduct of combustion associated with the burning of coal and oil to generate electricity and heat buildings. In fact, anything that burns will have CO2 as one of its emission byproducts. Because of the increase of automobiles, trucks, factories, etc. here is an excessive amount of carbon dioxide constantly being released into the atmosphere. Along with the deforestation of whole rainforests [note: trees absorb CO2 gases and convert CO2 into oxygen by the process of â€Å"photosynthesis†. This is one of God’s brilliant ideas for replenishing the oxygen we use. However, by cutting down all the trees in the forest, we re destroying the earth’s Co2 converter], Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 7 and the combination of other greenhouse gases , which come from agricultural and industrial sources, global warming is the result. However, there is also another detrimental effect of having too much CO2 in the air that has to do with one’s respiratory health, and is known by a condition called hypoxia, or hypoxiation. [West, 1995 p. 22] This is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole, or region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. This is due to the fact that the body is deprived of oxygen because CO2 in the lungs is inhibited from being released, and so accumulates causing too much CO2 to be where oxygen needs to be, and therefore death ensues as a result. West, 1995 pp. 22]. The use of CO2 displacing oxygen is great for firefighting is actually a preferred fire extinguisher in place of chemical powder for distinguishing fires, but it’s no good for breathing. The world climate is changing because CO2 is in excess, and humans are the reason why it is so. So far we’ve looked at some causes of air pollution and how it can originate from one part of the the world an d through air currents effect everybody globally. But in discussing social psychology in the sustainable future air pollution is only one component of many. There are many environmental concerns for a sustainable future, which also include water pollution. Just as we need clean air to survive, so also we need clean water for both drinking and food. In actual fact, it is quite possible for a person to go many days and even weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Clean water is essential for drinking as well as sustaining aquatic and marine life in our rivers and oceans. However, with the high human demand for oil, environmental catastrophes and disasters such as the â€Å"Exxon-Valdez oil spill†off the coast of Alaska in 1989, and most recently the BP oil Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 8 spill of 2010, have polluted the life-sustaining ocean waters and left a path of ecological destruction, which much like the fallout from an nuclear bomb, may take forever, if ever, to recover. Even now as I write this, we’re told by BP officials and their advertising campaigns, that the waters in the Gulf are back to pre-oil spill status. However, a recent study reported by Brian Williams on NBC national news states that marine life such as dolphins are seriously ill and due to â€Å"health problems consistent with exposure to oil. Illness ranging from lung disease, kidney malfunctions and liver disease has been found throughout dolphin population which cause has been attributed to the ingesting of oil† [NBC nightly news March 23 2012]. Basically what we’re being told through the million-dollar advertising campaign by BP, is not true. We are still reaping the consequences caused by the massive oil spill where oil spewed out from the ground unrestrained for months. On top of water pollution, the sea is being devastated daily by the huge nets and â€Å"Longlines† of commercial fishing vessels. Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique. It uses a long line called the main line which can be up to 50 miles long, with thousands of baited hooks attached at intervals of approximately every 20 yards. Hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks can hang from a single line. Although â€Å"Longliners† commonly target tuna, cod, halibut, unfortunately a baited hook is not very selective and many other species are caught and killed inadvertently. This is very troublesome, especially for those animals, mammals, and fish species that are on the endangered list, i. e. The Leatherback Sea Turtle. [Seaturtles. org 2003] Can you imagine a 50 mile long fishing line with corks set at every 20 yards, or huge Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 8 dragnets, scraping the bottom of the sea for its fish, crap, shrimp and other marine life. This is all done to fulfill the growing populations appetite for seafood. Yet he growing need for bigger harvest is only one part of this very important ecological problem. Another part is the damage that is caused by the implements used in harvesting. I have personally seen the damage to the bottom of the sea caused by the nets being used to harvest fish from along the bottom of the sea beds. These nets are called â€Å"drag-nets† for good reason, as they scrape the bottom of the ocean’s floor so that nothing escapes. As they scrape along the bottom of the sea, they â€Å"drag† every kind of a marine life you can imagine into the net. The ocean floor then looks like it’s just been â€Å"plowed†. Thus, these â€Å"drag-nets† leave behind a path of destruction in their wake, by destroying all aquatic plants, and marine life forms and the environment in which they live. Another issue that is caused by fishing trawlers using dragnets, is waste. Nets are by no means † selective† as anything and everything gets caught in the net. Once these nets are hauled in, much of what is caught in the nets is not used, but thrown out for reasons of either being under size, wrong variety, or in some way illegal etc. Some of the seafood is kept, and the other is thrown out to die. The fish and marine species that are caught in the nets or on the long lines as a â€Å"byproduct†, sea turtles, including the extremely endangered â€Å"Leatherback sea turtle†, various sharks, including some species which are also endangered, and also others. Seeing there is no international laws to reduce â€Å"bycatch†, we can expect that many more species will be added to the endangered list as part of the long-term decline, caused by these devastating fishing practices. So apart from destroying the environment which sustains our fish and marine life in our oceans, rivers and waters through pollution, waste and harvesting practices, we continued the Psychology and Sustainable Future 9 devastation by â€Å"overfishing† the waters to to the extent that fish that were once found in abundance 50 years ago, are now at the point of extinction and have been placed on the endangered list. Two of the fish species I would like to talk about here were, up till recently, very common. One is the Atlantic cod, and the other the Giant Bluefin Tuna. These two fish species once abundantly populated the Atlantic Ocean until the implementation of gill nets, drag nets, and now the dreaded long-lines of commercial fishing vessels. In a relatively short amount of time, the use nets and long lines have devastated the cod and tuna populations worldwide through â€Å"overfishing†. Even though size limits and harvesting amounts have been supposedly set by international bodies, Atlantic Cod, Bluefin Tuna, and many other fish species are â€Å"under the gun†, and may never recover, especially the majestic bluefin tuna, which is much coveted by â€Å"sushi chefs† and is considered a delicacy in Japan. Maybe it is for this reason that Japan, under the guise of supposedly abiding by the international fishing laws, have reportedly and consistently ignored the international laws for size limits and harvesting amounts. Through their longline fishing vessel fleet have continued at a ever increasing rate to catch bluefin tuna, to the point that they, could be considered to be the major contributing factor, as to why this fish species is numerically declining to a point of having to be put on the endangered fish species list. [Glover, Charles. The End of the Line. 2008]. It is a well-known fact that the Mitsubishi Corporation. Not only owns several long line ships which go out to sea for months at a time and don’t come back until their freezes are all full of bluefin tuna, but is the major purchaser of bluefin tuna. As well as fishing for bluefin tuna with their own fishing vessels. They have also been known to purchase as much bluefin tuna as they Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 10 can, from other fishing vessels. These vessels are known as â€Å"Pirate Fishing Vessels†, ignore international fishing laws and catch all they can in what you might call an â€Å"undercover operation†. These pirate fishing vessels have, within the past 10 years, come under a lot of scrutiny by the Greenpeace organization: who sail the seas searching for these pirate fishing vessels so as to â€Å"catch them in the act. † Of illegal fishing, netting, long lining etc. [Greenpeace. org 2011]. Although many nations, including the United States, supposedly participate as international management bodies to maintain global tuna populations, the species continues to decline at an alarming rate and are now on top of the endangered species list because it’s numbers have depleted to such a point that it may never be able to recover. As you can tell air and water pollution combined with overfishing is a concern of mine, mainly because I see it is preventable, but for the selfish, self-centered, all-consuming greed of people from all walks of life I could continue on for quite some time, however I must bring this article assignment to a conclusion by talking about causes of environmental damage. As much as we like to blame tornadoes and hurricanes for most of the environmental damage, the biggest cause of environmental damage is man himself. Mankind is now the number one cause of all the destruction happening on Earth. We are the major cause of environmental disasters, beginning with the industrial exploitation of the resources of the Earth, which has become especially bad since the population of the Earth has trippled in the last fifty years to a point which, even with more efficient means of distribution, there is simply not enough food to go around. Obviously the reasons for the possible future scarcity of food, water, among other things, is the wasteful lifestyles that we have become accustomed to, especially here in the United States. All you need to do is look around in any restaurant here in the United States and see the huge Social Psychology and a Sustainable Future 11 amounts of food being thrown out in the trashcan while people on the other side of the world starve. It’s been noted in the book, exploring social psychology by David G Myers, that the human demand for things such as land, timber, fish, and fuels is increasingly exceeding the Earth’s regenerating capacity. [Myers, 2009 p. 378-379]. My point is this, with the present consumption of resources by our, wasteful habits and devastating harvesting techniques, coupled with the destined growth of population, further pollution, global warming, and environmental destruction, seem inevitable unless there is change. For the average American who lives with luxuries unknown by even royalty just a century ago, our lifestyle of unrestrained, unbridled, ever wanting more consumerism will be brought to a screeching halt unless there is change. Let’s face it our wasteful lifestyles cannot continue forever. For beyond the sunny skies of comfort and convenience. Dark clouds of environmental disaster at gathering. Sciences have accredited this coming ecological, environmental disaster to increasing population and increasing consumption. [Myers, 2009 p377]. I come to this conclusion; due to my observations of the wasteful practices I see around me every day of my life here in the United States I offer this small yet effective illustration of the environmental conservation. In Australia where I was raised, we grew up with â€Å"tank water. † Where you rely on the rain to fill a tank that is used for your drinking water, bathing, and bathroom uses etc. Under these conditions you learn to conserve and not waste water in every way possible. One of the ways I taught my children to conserve water was not to leave the tap running when they were brushing their teeth. They were instructed to turn the tap on to wet the brush, then turn the tap off while they apply the toothpaste to the brush and brush their teeth. After they had brush their teeth, they could then turn the tap on to rinse out their mouth and clean their toothbrush. Idiosyncratic? Not really. Just letting my children learn not to waste water and to appreciate the God-given resources we have available to us.

Unforgiven Film Well Deserving Of Best Picture Film Studies Essay

Every twelvemonth, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award one film the privilege of Best Picture. Many times, they give the award to a movie that many, in the general populace, have ne'er heard or one that many feel was a complete waste of clip. For case, last twelvemonth, the movie The Artist was given this award. This was a soundless movie that was two hours of complete ennui in black and white and one that used no address at all until the really terminal of the movie. However, this error was non made in 1992, when Unforgiven won Best Picture. This film was really much a â€Å" through-back † to many of the â€Å" Spaghetti Westerns † that old coevalss have enjoyed and one that brought an wholly new coevals into an grasp of Western movies. The film takes a dramatic bend at the terminal and is non really predictable. With a combination of unbelievable playing, expansive scenery, great costumes, a alone secret plan line, and a batch of gun-slinging, it is easy to see why Unforgiven won the Black Marias and heads of many, including the award of Best Picture. First, the movie does non focus on on an overly high budget the manner many movies do. The movie merely cost about 15 million dollars to shoot, which is relativity cheap. Many manufacturers will travel out and pass anyplace from 100 million to 200 million dollars hiting a movie. Those movies normally rely to a great extent on computer-generated particular effects to sell their merchandise. However, with a great book and a highly-talented dramatis personae, one does non necessitate to pass that sort of money to set together an award-winning production. A great secret plan line and unbelievable playing are what makes great movies and non the sum of money spent. It would besides be difficult to mess up a movie that has some of America ‘s most highly-acclaimed histrions in it. The movie does an unbelievable occupation in puting a â€Å" Wild West † tone. The chief town in the movie was Big Whiskey, Wyoming and looks really much like what one would comprehend the old West to look like. It is besides a clever and â€Å" catchy † name to give a town in the old West, seeing as how a batch of whisky was consumed at that place in those yearss. It had barrooms, shops, and assorted forte stores all along the chief retarding force of the town and all had the old vacillation doors that were common in the old West. The outskirts of the town are rugged terrains of comeuppances and mountains that are really common for the western U.S. The spectator truly gets a great image, although likely a somewhat overdone one, of life was like in the old West. Following, another great facet about this movie is that it is one where the secret plan line is non predictable. Many times, Westerns are really cliche and about comedic. They normally involve a â€Å" good cat † killing the â€Å" bad cats. † There is besides normally a batch of hiting with the sound of slugs bouncing of the sides of edifices. Many besides end with two work forces holding a gunfight on the chief retarding force of town. Many viewing audiences get a â€Å" seen one, seen them all † attitude towards Westerns. This, nevertheless, is non the instance in Unforgiven. The movie centres on a group of brigands that who go to a barroom, acquire rummy, and purchase cocottes. One of them becomes angry with one of the misss for express joying at him and slices her face up with a knife. The proprietor, so, puts out a premium on the work forces head ‘s who were responsible for the payment for what he called â€Å" damaged goods. † William Munny ( Clint Eastwood ) who is an old ex-bounty huntsman gets up with an old friend, Ned Logan ( Morgan Freeman ) to ship on what may be their really last premium Hunt. At first, Munny is â€Å" rusty. † He can non hit every bit directly as he used to. Both work forces, nevertheless, are in despairing demand of money, and more so than that, each one wants to hold one concluding Hunt and be able to retire for good from that line of work. However, the sheriff of the town, Little Bill ( Gene Hackman ) , a former gunman himself, does non take kindly to bounty huntsmans in his town. One premium huntsman, English Bob, comes to Big Whiskey seeking for the wages and is about beaten to decease by Little Bill and his deputies to put an illustration for what happens to bounty huntsmans in his legal power. In a blunt contrast to most Westerns, Munny is non a â€Å" good cat † at all. He is decidedly the sort of cat you would non desire to upset. Eastwood demonstrates this well in the faces of his face he makes throughout the movie. He really much corsets true to the â€Å" travel in front hood: do my twenty-four hours † attitude that he is known for. He, from his ain admittance, has â€Å" killed everything that has walked or crawled at one clip or another. † The Equus caballus he rides in a white Equus caballus. This is evidently a mention to the rider of the white Equus caballus in The Book of Rvelations who symbolizes decease. And Small Bill, although he is the sheriff, is far from a â€Å" good cat † either. Towards the terminal of the movie, Munny gets word that Ned went into town without him, had been captured, tortured, and killed. Angry and now merely seeking retaliation, Munny caputs to town non for money, but for requital for the decease of his friend. Outside a local barroom, Ned ‘s organic structure is displayed in a casket with a mark that reads, â€Å" This is what happens to bravos in Big Whiskey. † The spectator can truly see the hurting and disgust on Munny ‘s face. Outnumbered about 15 to one on a dark and showery dark with rain dripping off his chapeau, Munny enters the barroom and inquire who owns it. The proprietor raises his manus and shooting dead by Munny. Little Bill calls him â€Å" a cowardly SoB † for hiting an unarmed adult male. Munny explains that the adult male â€Å" should hold armed himself if he wants adorn his barroom with my friend. † After a brief gunfight, Munny tells the others, â€Å" any adult male that do n't desir e to acquire killed better clear on out the dorsum. † The movies ends with Munny standing over a changeable Little Bill and Bill stating, â€Å" I do n't merit to decease like this, † and Munny, before killing him, answers, â€Å" deserves got nil to make with it. † The spectator, so, hears a loud knock and Munny drinks a shooting of whisky and foliages. Finally, Unforgiven is possibly the greatest Western movie of all-time. The movie starts with work forces looking to roll up a premium and ends with Munny seeking retribution. Clint Eastwood, in his early 60s at the clip the movie was shot, is eventually able to sit off with what many say is his all-time best work. It is one of those movies that starts off slow and takes a piece for the spectator to acquire into. However, the flood tide at the terminal of the movie is good worth the delay. The last 10 proceedingss or so are considered by many to be one of the greatest scenes in film of all time. This is a movie that should be on everyone ‘s â€Å" to watch † list. This was merely the 3rd clip in the history of the Oscars for a Western, and besides the last movie of that genre to make so, to win Best Picture. The best facet of the movie is the fact that it is one that even a individual who wholly hates Western movies would wish if they would take the clip to watch it.

Homeworks and Study Guides in English Essay

I rolled myself, patting and searching for the alarm clock with my eyes closed. When I reached it, I turned it off and got myself up to get ready for school. I barged in the bathroom with my still sleepy eyes, washing my face as I put some toothpaste in my toothbrush. Brushing my teeth, I walked in my closet to choose some outfit. After five minutes of choosing, I throw the clothes at the bed then turned to take a bath. I relax myself as I feel the tingling sensation of hot water seducing my whole body. After fifteen minutes of showering, I finally rinsed and walked out of the shower room. Opening the drawer, I got my hair dryer and make-up. I blow my hair for ten minutes then I dressed-up. Glancing at the clock and seeing that I still have time, I decided to put some light make up. After finishing my mascara, I took a step back, glancing at the mirror to take a full look at my outfit before going downstairs. Today was the first day of my senior year at Jacksonville Highschool. I was wearing a white tank top that showed my flat tummy and my piercing, a pink hollister shorts that showed my long tanned legs, and a high cut converse to finish the look. Fully contented with the outfit, I sighed, running my hands through my blonde hair as I walked out of the bathroom. I took my bag which was hanging at the side of my bed and stormed downstairs. When I finally get down, I went straight to the kitchen to grab my breakfast, which is apple and milk. Yay, the perks of being a vegetarian. I found my dad sitting peacefully with a newspaper in his hands, his eyebrows are scrunching. â€Å"Good morning dad† I greeted him, munching my apple. Silence. He didn’t greet me back because he was too preoccupied with the article he’s reading. I frowned and stop to look at the front page, which read â€Å"Boston Bombing†. Oh yeah, the latest news. I rolled my eyes, gulping my fresh milk. After I finished my breakfast, I got up, walking outside to find my mom in the garden watering her so-called â€Å"little daughters†. â€Å"Hey mom† â€Å"Good morning, honey. Have you eaten your breakfast?† â€Å"Yup, I’m finished. So where’s Anna?† I asked, looking around. Annabelle Jacobs is my best friend. She always picks me up in the morning so that we could go to school together. â€Å"Oh, she texted me this morning, she says she’ll be 5 minutes late† I rolled my eyes. I know exactly why she’s late. She always have those lame excuses telling me that her toothbrush got lost, she run out of panties, the flush won’t work, the rats ate her clothes etc. I shook my head at the sudden thought. â€Å"Okay mom.† I kissed her in the cheek. â€Å"I’ll just check on Simon first† Simon is the love of my life. He’s a puppy actually, but whatever. I run at the back, finding my shih tzu stiffing some flowers. â€Å"Heeeeeeeey Simooooon† I cooed in a sweet, girly girl voice while picking him up. I spin him around giggling while his licking my face. Gross I know. After a minute of playing around, I heard Anna’s car pulled up so I put him down and kissed him goodbye. I ran back inside to say one last goodbye to my parents then i ran towards the car as fast as I can. â€Å"Samantha!!!† Anna shouted when I got inside. I smiled at her. â€Å"Hey there! What’s up?†   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do I look like I’ve lose some weight?† She immediately respond. I burst out laughing then I looked at her figure up and down. Annabelle, well Anna, look a lot like me. We have the same weight and height. We’re also popular in a way, but we didn’t like being the center of attention so we stay low. The only difference we have is our hair. She has brown hair while me, well I’m blonde. â€Å"Ugh, you have a perfect figure. Why do you have to work your butt out? And yes, you’ve lost some fats† â€Å"Really? Yay!† She screeched. â€Å"You see, I need to work out because I’m planning to eat a whole box of pizza later† She added. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Yeah, right. So, what’s the plan?† â€Å"Well, I was thinking that maybe we should go shopping after school. You’ve got your credit card in you, right? She asked. â€Å"Uh yeah, sure. Meet me at my locker around four† I said, finishing the conversation. She parked the car then we walked together inside the school grounds. We made our way to our lockers since our lockers are right next to each other. I opened mine to get my history textbook, -since it’s my first class- switching it with my english. Closing my locker, I said goodbye to Anna, telling her to see me at lunch because we don’t have the same schedule for the first four classes. We waved goodbye to each other and started walking the opposite way. After a minute of walking and goofing around, I’m finally face to face with the door that leads to my first class. I took a deep breath before opening it. Just as I was turning the door knob, a boy passed quickly to get inside first, causing me to fall backwards with the rest of my stuff. â€Å"What the hell† I said in a low voice. I heard him groan in an annoyed voice, then he started walking back towards me, closing the door in the process. â€Å"Hey, no need to swear neighbor† Then it hit me. I looked up, wide eyes to see my oh-so-handsome neighbor aka the most popular boy in school, Spencer Young. You see, I’ve known him since we were young. Our mothers, both Filipina, were married to some Canadian which means we’re half filipino, half american. I also know a lot about him since our bedroom are next- well, let’s just say parallel to each other. I know that he loves switchfoot, the script and matchbox twenty because his room are full of their posters. I also know his favorite book, food and stuffs. And also when I was 14, in my sophomore year, I used to have a little crush on him ever since the first time I saw him half naked walking around his room. But that was freaking before. I got myself up, thinking of shouting at him for his rude manners. But before I do that, he spoke first. â€Å"Sorry about that† He said, pinching both of my cheeks. I was thinking of pushing him back. But I sighed, realizing that we’re already late in class. Instead, I rolled my eyes, ignoring him as I made my way inside the classroom. When we walked inside, the class went full silent at first. Then, they started whispering to each other, probably wondering why their â€Å"Queen Bee† and â€Å"Mr. Popular† are together. Yay, perks of being a popular student. â€Å"Mind explaining to me why you’re both 5 minutes late, Ms. Reynolds and Mr. Young?† Our professor, Mr. Lantican asked. Wow. I didn’t realize it took that long outside. Spencer speaks first. â€Å"Well sir, w-we bumped into each other a-at the hallway† He stuttered. â€Å"And it took 5 minutes? Well done, kids. And good job at lying. Now, as your punishment, I want you both to stay here after class and go straight to the detention room to-† â€Å"WHAT?!† I shouted, startling the whole class. I can’t believe it. I really can’t believe it. This is my first time to get a detention and I know for a fact that I didn’t deserve it. â€Å"No offense sir, but I’m a straight A student and this will greatly affect my grades.† I stopped, catching my breath. â€Å"And just so you know, I have a scheduled meeting with-† I stopped, realizing that i’m pushing the limits. â€Å"Never mind† I gave up, finding the way to my seat. Yeah, detention at the very first day of my senior high. Great right? – Spencer’s POV I stare at her from a good distance. She sits at the front row with some geeky nerds while me, well, I’m at the far left side of the back with Blake Morgan and Nathan Brooks, my bestfriends. I felt really bad that I bumped her earlier. The detention will surely drive her crazy, and it was all because of me. She always makes sure to get perfect A’s, which I couldn’t understand. It’s like she’s going to die if she gets B or lower. I look up at her again memorizing her perfect back features, hoping that I wouldn’t get caught, but i was wrong. â€Å"HOLYSHITBALLS† Blake and Nathan both hissed. â€Å"WHAT?† I said, wincing and rubbing my ears. â€Å"We can tell it dude† This time, it’s just Blake who spoke. â€Å"Ugh. What is it, again?† â€Å"You like her right? I mean, Samantha Reynolds† Nathan spat. â€Å"WHAT?! Oh no, you’re seeing it wrong man.† I spat back. â€Å"Okaaaaaaaaaay, whatever you saaaaay maaaaan† They both sang in a girly voice. I rolled my eyes. It was a misunderstanding. I, Spencer Young, will never stoop that low. Sure, she’s rich, sexy, gorgeous or to make it short, she’s miss perfect. But she’s not really my type. I don’t know though, because in some way, I find her actions weird and cute. My room is facing hers and I can see all of her actions or whatever. Her room is very neat and she always make sure that all her things are in place. She also has a very strict schedule of sleeping, waking up, exercising and eating. Not that I’m stalking her, of course. Anyway, I really don’t understand her. I feel like she’s hiding something even from her next-miss perfect bestfriend, Annabelle Jacobs. And that’s what I’m going to find out. Finally, the bell rang signaling us to our next class. I stand up, eagerly wanting to get the hell out of here before our beloved old teacher call up to me. But then again, I was wrong. â€Å"Mr. Young and Ms. Reynolds can I have a word with you two?† Mr. Lantican asked. I groaned mentally, turning back to face his old crooked face. I saw Samantha glaring at me. Man, was she sexy. I shot her an apologetic look before walking towards Mr. Lantican. â€Å"Yes, Mr. Lantican?† I asked, raising an eyebrow. He took a deep breath before answering â€Å"I want the two of you to be at the detention room at exactly four. Have I made myself clear?† â€Å"Yes sir† We both said. â€Å"Okay, the two of you may go now† He finally dismissed us. â€Å"Thank you, sir.† I said lastly to him then I got out of the classroom. Just as I started to make my way upstairs to my next class, I saw Sam alone leaning at one of the bars, smiling at me. Confused, I made my way to her. â€Å"What’s with the smiling, Sammy?† I asked. â€Å"Thank you, Spence† She suddenly said. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. What was that? A while ago, she was throwing fires at me by the way she glares. And now? Man, was she bipolar? â€Å"Fo-for what?† I manage to say. â€Å"I’ve said enough, Spence. I just want you to know that I’m very happy that you save me† She look at me gratefully then suddenly, she kissed my cheek, then left. I was pretty sure that my jaw hit the ground. Samantha’s POV In chemistry, which is my third class, I loiter towards the back of the room, waiting for everybody to file in their seats. Mr. Maruso has this rule that whoever you choose to sit with on the first day of class, becomes your lab partner for the entire year. Needless to say, seat selection is definitely critical. Since the sciences aren’t really my thing, I search around for someone who I think might do well with the laboratory stuffs. I must’ve been busy daydreaming; thinking about what happened earlier because when i look up, they are all paired up. Which leaves me standing awkwardly at the back with my books. Embarrassed, I scan the room until I spotted two empty chairs in front. I made my way there and I can see that my â€Å"suppose-to-be-partner† isn’t there. I wonder if he or she is just late or absent. I sighed heavily, praying in every god that he or she better have some brains or else I’ll be doomed. Five minutes later, Mr. Maruso’s disscussion of ‘safety precautions’ and ‘proper handling of equipments’ was interrupted by a student who just barged in through the room. I turn around to look at my â€Å"partner† which is†¦.. OH BLOODYHELL is that Spencer? Oh great. I forgot that we also have the same class. But really, this can’t be happening. It will be too friggin’ awkward to have him as my partner. Not to mention, FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. You see, the moment I kissed him earlier, I immediately regret it. I was also shocked. I didn’t know what comes through my mind or what made me do that I REALLY DON’T KNOW. I guess I was just so grateful from the fact that he saved me from the ‘shopping plan’ Annabelle and I were going to have. Shoping isn’t really my thing. Especially with Annabelle. I brought all my clothes, shoes and bags online. And Anna, being Anna, you won’t like it. She was sooo shopaholic. She buys all the possible clothes and shoes she can get. One time, she runs out of money and i’m forced to let her use my credit card. Not that I’m selfish, of course. It’s just that I’m saving some of my money for my own car. Nobody knows about that except Simon. Shaking my thoughts, I look at Spencer again only to find him talking to Mr. Maruso. He was probably saying some crappy excuses or whatsoever. I saw them nodded in agreement then Spencer turned around to look for some seat. Our eyes met as he spotted the empty seat beside me. Oh bloody great. He raised his eyebrows at me, doing his famous smirk that showed his dimples. How cute. He made his way to his chair. â€Å"Hey partner, Sammy† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Don’t call me that. It sounds gayish† He laughs in a carefree way â€Å"So does Spence† I tried to hide my smile but I couldn’t. Minutes passed and we stopped talking to scribble some notes that our professor told us to copy. As I was writing, I notice him looking down at me whilst playing with my hair. How romantic. I stopped writing. â€Å"What?!† I asked. A little annoyed. â€Å"Nothing. I was just wondering why little miss perfect is bipolar† He said coolly. I gritted my teeth. â€Å"First, I’m not little. We have exactly the same height. And second, I’m not bipolar† He raised an eyebrow â€Å"Oh really? I thought-â€Å" â€Å"Ahem† He was interrupted by a girl. We both turned our heads to see who may that be. Unsurprisingly, it’s Lilly Thompson, one of the oh-so-popular girls. â€Å"What do you want, Lilly?† I asked. This time I was really annoyed. How dare she interrupt us? â€Å"You’re flirting with my boyfriend† She hissed, faking smile. My eyes went wide and I look at Spencer. He too, has the same expression as me. Will someone please tell me what the heck is happening? â€Å"Pardon me? I don’t even know you† Spencer spat. I turned to look at Lilly, who was faking hurt. â€Å"What do you mean? We chatted on facebook last week and you ask me to be your girlfriend. Don’t you remember?† She asked in a flirtatious way. Someone give me a bucket Spencer raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Well, that isn’t me. Nathan and Blake knows my password. They’re the ones who probably ask you out. Besides, I haven’t open my account for ages. You should go and ask them.† He sighed. Lilly was close to tears. â€Å"So you mean, I don’t stand a chance to be with you?† She said in a weak voice. This time I interrupted. â€Å"You slut, will you please cut the act? Just look at him. This-† I gestured at spencer’s body. â€Å"-is the definition of perfect. And you? You’re just a whore who has nothing to do but to seek attention.† I finished. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Spencer smiling at me. I ignore him as I gave Lilly the death glare. But this time, she looked angry as hulk â€Å"You bitch!† She shouted, causing some students to look at the three of us. â€Å"Is there a problem?† Mr. Maruso asked. I turned to answer him â€Å"Oh yeah, there’s a snake wandering around here. Poor snake, SHE probably doesn’t know where she belongs.† I fake crying, causing the whole class to errupt in laughter. I smiled proudly to myself. Good job, Samantha! At that moment, the bell finally rang. Talk about being saved by the bell. I quickly grab my things, said a quick goodbye to Spencer, then I hurried to the door to meet Annabelle at the cafeteria. When I got there, everyone at the school had already heard about the confrontation. Yeah, news travels fast in Jacksonville Highschool. I saw Anna already buying her lunch so I catch up next to her in line. â€Å"Yo anna† I said while putting a carbonara, salad and a boxed milk at my tray. â€Å"Hey there, Sam. Soooo, fighting with Lilly huh?† She asked, waggling her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"She made me do it† I said, finishing the conversation. After paying the bill, we made our way to our table which is located at the far side of the cafeteria. Our table is the circle one with the four silver chairs. Actually, it’s just the three of us who sits there. Me, Annabelle and our boy-bestfriend, Max Carter. We found him already sitted, stuffing sandwich in his mouth. When he notice us, he greeted us with a smile. â€Å"Yo girls! So how’s the two queen coping up?† He asked. Anna raised her eyebrows † Coping up? Haha, we’re fine.† â€Å"As always† I added, winking at him. Time passed and we’re already finished with our lunch. Max started telling us some jokes which cause Anna and I to laugh hysterically. That is until Spencer Young decided to come at our table to remind me of the detention. â€Å"I know† I said, giving him the death glare and signaling for him to leave before I pull out both of his mighty eyeballs. Thankfully, he obeyed and left. Slowly and carefully, I turn to face the now angry Anna who was looking at me with an intense glare. â€Å"I-i’m sorry, anna† I stuttered. I was looking at the floor, twiddling my fingers. I was waiting for her to shout at me but instead, she put an arm around my shoulder, looking worried. â€Å"What happened?† She asked. â€Å"You know that this is your first time getting a detention right?† I nodded. â€Å"Well, Spencer and I were late and Mr. Lantican got mad† I explained. â€Å"This is unfair† She said. â€Å"What about our shopping?†She raised an eyebrow. Great. I really expected that. I was thinking of shouting at her, telling her that she has so many freaking goddamn clothes. But instead, i come up with an idea. â€Å"Well, Max will be honored to accompany you† I said, smirking at Max. Max widened his eyes in horror. â€Å"I AM NOT GOING NEAR THE VICTORIA’S SECRET!† He shouted dramatically causing all of us to laugh again. â€Å"I guess we’ll just go shopping on friday night then† Anna said. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Yeah, sure.† NOTE: On friday, make sure to forget my credit card at home. Spencer’s POV After lunch, i made my way to the locker room to change for the basketball practice. I flicked the combination to my locker and opened it. Just as I was grabbing my clothes, Blake came up behind me. â€Å"Spencer! You ready?† He asked. â€Å"Yeah, give me a second to change† I said, going inside the comfort room. Seconds later, I got out of the comfort room, completely dressed. I grab a bottle of cold water and started gulping. I need to stay hydrated. â€Å"So, do you like her too?† Blake suddenly asked. I scrunched my eyebrow in confusion. â€Å"What are you talking about, man? â€Å"Are the two of you going out now? He asked again, ignoring my question. I glared at him. â€Å"Who exactly are we talking about, blake?† I spat. â€Å"Uh, Lilly Thompson.† He said nervously. Huh? Who is Lilly and why are we talking about her? I don’t care about her, duh. Then it hit me. â€Å"YOU!† I shouted. â€Å"It was you who chatted her!† He rubbed the back of his neck. â€Å"Sorry, man. It’s just that-† â€Å"Let me guess† I interrupt him. â€Å"You like her. Am I right?† He nodded. â€Å"Yeah. I really liked her since we were sophomore. I know a lot about her and i know that she likes you so much. That’s the reason i used your account without permission. To be able to talk and ask her out† He finished. I sighed. â€Å"I forgive you, man. But i won’t trust you anymore. I’m going to change my password the moment i got home.† I joked, then i continue. â€Å"You shouldn’t be ashamed to ask her out, Blake. I’m sure she’ll like you† I said, finishing the conversation. â€Å"Thanks, man† He said, punching my arm lightly. We made our way to the court where Nathan was. We saw him sitting and waiting impatiently, spinning a ball in his thumb. When he saw us, he shouted. â€Å"You two! What took you so long?† He asked in an annoyed voice. I faked sigh. â€Å"Sorry, nate. We can’t take it anymore.† I replied, smiling flirtatiously to Blake. Blake just laughed while Nathan, realizing what i’m talking about, gave us a dirty look. â€Å"You’re both disgusting† He said. â€Å"But you love us† I cooed, patting his shoulders. â€Å"Come on, let’s play† Somehow, we managed to play smoothly for one and a half hour. When were finished, the three of us jogged our way back to the shower room, dying for a cold shower. When we’re finished with our cold showers, we separate ways to go to our last class. I check my schedule to find out what class am i having. French. Oh oui, mon sujet favori! Just as i was making my way, i remember something. Something that i’ve been dreading to know. I turn around, running downstairs to catch up with Blake. I saw him making his way to the registrar’s office. â€Å"Blake!† I shouted. He turned around. â€Å"Huh?† He asked, confused. I ran towards him. â€Å"I have a question† I said, panting. He laughed. â€Å"Is it that important that you have to-† â€Å"Why Lilly?† I interrupted. He looked at me, startled. â€Å"What do you mean, man?† He asked, raising an eyebrow. I sighed. â€Å"What made you like her?† I asked again. He just look at me blankly for a couple of seconds. Finally, after realizing what i meant, he let a huge sigh of relief. â€Å"Okay, fine. You see spencer, you wouldn’t just want to know the outside, aren’t you?† He asked and I nodded. Then he continue. â€Å"Think about it. For you to know the person completely, you have to also see the inner beauty. For every person in this world, there’s a reason why they’re like that. There’s a reason behind why their attitudes and personalities are like that. That’s why we should not judge first.† He said, looking at me sadly. â€Å"You know, I always thought that Lilly will be always like that. People keep saying that she’s a bitch, a slut, a whore, an attention seeker but you know what, spencer? In my eyes, i see her differently. The minute i saw her at the orphanage playing with the little kids, man, i was lovestruck. I didn’t expect that, especially from a Lilly Thompson. She’s a type of girl who would change her attitude so that people will not recognize her nor to be able to see through her. That’s what made me like her, spencer.† He finished, smiling mostly to himself. I was pretty sure that there were tears forming in my eyes. Gayish i know. â€Å"I, uh- thanks a lot, blake. And, good luck.† I stuttered, patting his back. â€Å"No worries† He shrugged. I checked my watch. Three minutes till the last bell. â€Å"Uh, spencer?† Blake called. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Always remember, don’t judge the book by it’s cover. And, if you like someone, learn to love her flaws first.† He finished, then he left. Samantha’s POV I stared at the clock, counting the time in my head. â€Å"56†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"57†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"58†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"59†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"RIIIIINNNGGGG!† Shoot. I got up as fast as I could then hurried my way towards the door then down the stairs. Great, I thought to myself. It’s just a detention, Sam. Calm down. It’s just a detention†¦. just a detention†¦ Just a fuc- â€Å"SAM!† Someone shouted, taking me into realization. I stopped in my tracks to find whoever who was calling me. I saw Spencer waving at me frantically, gesturing the way to the detention room. Right. What the hell am I thinking and why am I walking the other way?! I shrieked, thinking to myself. I made my way to Spencer who was now laughing like there’s no tomorrow. Embarrassed, I tried to cover up. â€Å"Why are you laughing?† I asked, faking innocence. He stifled some laugh. â€Å"You looked a little.. lost. Do you really study here? Why are you walking the other way? You do know that the detention room is here, right? He asked, pointing to the room. â€Å"Who said that I was going there first?† I asked, keeping my face blank. â€Å"Where were you going, then?† He asked, challenging me. â€Å"To the ladies room† I said confidently, hoping he’d buy it this time. He just stared at my blankly. Then he started laughing. Harder and louder this time. â€Å"Samantha! HAHAHAHAHA! You’re f-fucking hi-hilarious! The la-dies room i-is upsta-irs!† He manage to say between laughs. My mouth formed a small ‘o’ as I realize that he was right. I was left utterly speechless and really embarrassed. I can feel my cheeks turning bright red. I look up at him and he’s still laughing. This time, with no noise coming out. â€Å"Are you done making fun of me?† I asked, raising my eyebrow. He finally stopped laughing, clutching his hard-abs stomach as he spoke. â€Å"Yeah. You didn’t tell me you’re a good comedian, Sam.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"I know right? It’s one of my hidden talents.† â€Å"Absolutely right. By giving me a good laugh everyday, I won’t have to work out anymore.† He waggled his eyebrows at me. I smiled. This man surely made my day. Who would have thought that Mr. Spencer Young is like that? Maybe, if we hang out a long time ago, we would be bestfriends by now. And did I mention that he looked hot in his outfit? From v-neck to skinny jeans, perfect. â€Å"Are you done checking me out?† He asked, gesturing to his body. I rolled my eyes and started walking towards the detention room, worry and nervous free. As we walked inside, we realized that we’re not the only ones who got detention. We saw a girl and a boy -probably freshman- lurking around the room waiting for Mr. Lantican. At last, he came inside, holding a cup of coffee and a large notebook in his hands. We all stand up to greet him. â€Å"Good afternoon, sir.† â€Å"Good afternoon, kids.† He replied. â€Å"Now, I will group and assign you all to your works† He said, looking and flipping through the notebook. â€Å"Let’s see†¦ Luke and Miley†¦ both of you will be at the movie room to fix all the cd’s and equipments† He finally said. The two student nodded, then left. â€Å"As for you two†¦-† He said, looking at us intensely. â€Å"-I’ll be assigning you to the library to fix and rearrange some books. You may now proceed† He finished, then left. I made my way to the library with Spencer, eager to finish the task. We stormed downstairs, taking a left to the library. When I opened the door, we were surprised on how messy it was. You’ve got to be kidding me. We can’t finish this in one hour â€Å"What happened here?† Spencer asked. â€Å"I don’t know† I said, stretching. â€Å"Let’s get working.† *After one hour* â€Å"Woooooh!† I shouted, wiping my head with the back of my hand. We’ve been cleaning for an hour, throwing and stacking some books here and there. Spencer isn’t much of a help though. While I was working my butt out, rearranging some books, he thought it would be fun to just sit there and draw some silly faces on the book covers. But somehow, thankfully, we’ve managed to clean the library. When we’re contented with our work, we turned the lights off then we headed out of the school. â€Å"Uh, Spencer? I asked, realizing something. â€Å"Yeah?† He replied whilst looking at his watch. â€Å"I-uh, would you give me a lift? I mean, Anna is usually the-† â€Å"No problem, milady† He interrupted. I smiled at him. â€Å"Thanks.† As I got up to his car -which is a grey Porsche carrera gt- I pulled out my phone and saw that I have two messages coming from Anna and mom. I opened mom’s first: ‘Honey, where are you? You didn’t tell me you’re going to be late’ I immediately hit the reply button: ‘Sorry, mom. Just got detention. I’ll explain it to you later, love you.’ After sending, I read Anna’s message: ‘How’s detention with Mr. Young? ;)’ I smiled, typing: ‘We’ve been asked to clean the library. I hate to admit it, but it’s fun. Never thought Mr. Young has a great sense of humor ;)’ I hit the send button then I put my phone back in my pocket. Minutes passed and I started to feel some ‘awkwardness’ so I decided to play some music. I reached for the Switchfoot album, then pushed the CD inside. I stared at the window just as while â€Å"You† was playing. Great. I look like an emo There’s always something in the way†¦ There’s always something getting through†¦ But it’s not me, it’s you†¦ At exactly 6:00 pm, Spencer pulled up in front of my house. I thanked him and waved goodbye, then he left. I sighed heavily, thinking of the very tiring day. I pushed myself to the door and I walked inside. â€Å"Moooom?† I shouted, looking for her. â€Å"At the kitchen!† She shouted back. I made my way to the kitchen, dropping my bag at the bottom of the stairs as I walked by. â€Å"MOM!-† I immediately talk. â€Å"-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be late in class, I swear it won’t happen again and I just want you to know that I’ll still be getting straight A’s and also-† â€Å"Samantha! Calm down! We’re not mad, okay?† She interrupted. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. â€Å"Huh? Why are you not mad? You’re supposed to be shouting at me for letting you down.† I said in a weak voice, tears starting to fall. â€Å"Shhh, Samantha. Don’t ever think about that. Actually, your dad and I were happy that it happened. You’re experiencing the things you’ve never experience before. We’re so proud of you, honey.† I stopped crying then I studied her face. Was she serious? Things that I’ve never done before? That would be parties, drinking alcohol, taking drugs and†¦ sex. I stared at her in horror. â€Å"Sam, are you okay?† Mom asked, waving a hand to my face. She must have noticed that i’m not breathing. I came back into realization. â€Å"Uh yeah, mom. I’m just.. tired. I should go up and change now† I said, kissing her cheeks. I walked pass the dining room, grabbing a banana to calm myself down. I picked up my bag and jogged my way upstairs. Just as I was about to walk inside my room, my father appeared in the hallway â€Å"Your mom’s right, Sam. You should live your life the way you wanted.† He said, holding back tears. I just nodded then I locked myself inside the room.

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Innovation Report - Essay Example This paper will examine the impact of innovation on Apple, Microsoft, Nike Inc. and describe how each company’s strategy, processes, products, and or services have been affected by innovation. To understand the impact of innovation on strategy, processes, products and services the definition of innovation needs to be understood. Innovation is not about designing new products, innovation is about creating or delivering to customer’s products or services they don’t even know they want but now they must have (Harvard Business Review 2009). Innovation is the thought of a new creative method; process or idea to a service or product already in existence and that has worked well but now has been changed or modified to fulfill a different need, market or demand. The change or modification will then bring additional revenue to the organization as a result of the innovative process. (Burns, T., and Stalker, 2006, 02) Strategy refers to how the organization will obtain the ends it seeks to achieve; strategy refers to a position taken by the organization. Processes are the learning, designing and planning of the strategy. Products are the results of goods through manufa cturing or a service. Services are the efforts or work by one person or group of persons who benefit another person or group of people, services are considered to be intangible (Betina, 2003). The impact of innovation is clear when looking at how any organization reacts and interacts with the changes of the market. The first organization that will be evaluated is Microsoft. Microsoft is one of the most profitable, most innovative and successful organizations in the world. Microsoft has successfully used innovation to maintain a competitive advantage and market share. Founded in 1975 Microsoft is the world leader in software services, solutions, applications and services that help business operate and stay competitive (Human resource management 2008). Microsoft is at the forefront of innovation and

Iron Ore Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Iron Ore - Dissertation Example However, most of the reserves that harbor such natural ores have now been depleted. Pig iron is made out of iron ore. This pig iron is one of the main raw materials used in the making of steel. Iron ore is believed to contribute more to the global economy than any other commodity in the world. Hematite is the main iron ore in the Brazilian miles (Axinn 2006). In the global world, metallic world is virtually unknown. It is the fourth most abundant element in the world, though, silicate or carbonate minerals are the vastest minerals. Formidable and extremely energy intensive barriers often are used to separate supremely pure iron from other minerals (David 2006). Before the industrial revolution, most of the iron used was obtained from goethite, which was widely available. Societies during the pre historic times used laterite as the main source of ore. Most of the iron ore used by the emergent industrialized societies was obtained from haematite. These deposits are often called the nat ural ores. The increased iron ore demands in conjunction with the depletion of the most high quality haematite in the United States of America led to development of low quality sources of iron. This happened especially after Second World War. These lower sources of iron require beneficiation to improve on their quality. Magnetite on the other hand, is used due to its magnetic properties. Therefore, it is able to be separated easily from other minerals and was able to produce high quality concentrate with minimal impurities. The mining of these iron ores vary considerably with the type of ore that is being mined. Currently, there are four types of ores of iron being worked on. The business of mining ore is often a low margin one due to the significant low level of iron than other base metals. It is expensive to mine, meaning it is extremely capital intensive. It requires a heavy investment in infrastructure such as rail transport in order to transport the ore from the mining sites to the freight ship. Therefore, mining of ore is concentrated among the majority few. The world leading and largest iron producer is Brazil. This mining corporation is referred to as vale. Other developed countries follow the line due to the high costs involved in the mining and transportation of the ore. My research question arises from my curiosity to find out how iron ore is produced, consumed and distributed in the global market. This is because I understand that the cost involved in its mining process and transportation is quite high. Therefore, I would like to find out how extreme the ore is mined and the processes used in the mining process (Edward 2007). Executive Summary This research is concerned with the production, consumption and distribution of iron ore globally. In other words, it seeks to show candidly the cycle of iron ores from its mining and separation from impurities until the moment it is processed and distributed to the global market for various uses. The researc h shows all the methods used in extraction of these iron ores and how it is separated from other metallic substances or impurities. It also reveals research rationale that is used in carrying out my research. In addition, this research paper has addressed my research question based on the prevailing international market and all the key findings that emerge (Institute 1997). Moreover, the methodology I use to address the research question is emergent in the research paper. The paper

Not one less (film review) Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Not one less (film ) - Movie Review Example Specifically, teachers in the school can go for several months without payment, important tools of delivering education are in scarcity, and beds are not enough for every student. The film is based on the tenets of the deplorable state of poverty the Chinese rural areas are undergoing. Poverty is prominent when Wei Minzhi is forced to share a bed with a lot of other fellow students. Further, poverty is evident in that the schools are suffering from the scarcity of important materials like chalks for writing. In fact, poverty is the real issue that faces most rural parts in china. The state of affairs in such parts of the country is best described in this movie. In a nutshell, the unfolding of events in this film is a true representation of what is taking place in the rural parts of china, where most pupils are forced to abandon schooling due to abject poverty. The political structure is another prominent theme articulated by Zhang Yimou. The film exposes how verbal negotiation, bureaucracy, and struggle are the main attributes that characterize the contemporary politics in the china’s society. Zhang Yimou creates scenery that pits Wei as the only female who has the guts to withstand her obstacles despite the fact that she does not have money. Most of the characters in this film seem to be very blind to following all that the corrupt authority offers. These characters do not have the courage to question anything that is being proposed by the authority, they only accept and move on. Though Wei is poor and does not have any powers in the society, she stands tall against her obstacles because of her persistency. In this case, Wei is a representation of the few courageous people in the Chinese country who are ready to face difficulties while challenging how the leaders conduct things. The determination of Wei through speech is an example of heroes in the society. Heroism requires perseverance of the highest order

The Case Against Evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Case Against Evolution - Essay Example In order to understand the dangers of teaching evolution, it is first necessary to define the term. Evolution refers to the attempt to establish the origins of life on Earth. This approach is based upon the scientific and naturalistic theories of narrow-minded scientists. The approach is most often espoused by astrophysicists, geologists and biologists (Creation-Evolution Controversy). The scientific method is the sole method of analysis. Morals and the supernatural are irrelevant. Evolutionists argue that the universe was created instantaneously from nothing, that life forms developed slowly, and that life as we know it today is the result of mutations and adaptation to our environment. It is an extraordinarily insular analysis that excludes many other possibilities. It is an exclusionary philosophy. That is dangerous. As an initial matter, it is well-established that evolution is an imperfect science. Although it can be established, through fossils, that mutations have occurred, it cannot be established with any certainty that we originated from a Big Bang. Nor can it be established with any certainty that the Big Bang actually occurred or that there was nothing of substantial existence prior to the Big Bang. These theories are, at best, speculative.

The influence of payment cards on currency demand in United Kingdom Essay

The influence of payment cards on currency demand in United Kingdom (2001-2010) - Essay Example There are many things that can be seen when the major effects of money demands are debated with the use of empirical analysis. These factors have a clear impact over how things work in the economic terms around the globe. The modern world is the new place for investing money in new things, and when money is to be invested, a lot of research and analysis is required to base the decision upon. There are many factors at play, with a great many implications that need to be considered. For this reason, factors like increasing globalization, along with other things like growth in capital markets, as well as the ever changing (yet flexible) forex exchange rates, are playing a very important role for the many people who are making new discoveries in the already present literature. Most of the time, money bankers and other analysts are not focusing their attention on the major factors that drive business on an international basis; however, with the presence of these factors, these researchers and analysts are paying all due attention towards central banks, their powers, and the factors which have an impact on them to understand money demand analysis.. Making a demand for money is not the only thing that is being put into account; however, these analyses and estimations about money demands can also be problematic. Studying such analysis is not always an easy job. Investment of money cannot always provide anyone with good returns. Demand and supply rules are the basics of any economic system and of trading. Same goes for money as well. For this reason, you are taking money into account when you consider the different routes for money to change hands. Hence, you can take cash or bank deposits into the equation. In short, money could be M1, M2 or M3, depending on t he situation. There are other terms which are regularly given to accommodate the flow of money into an economy. When you consider interest-bearing assets, then the M1 can be given the definition of store of value, and when transactions are done, then the M1 will be denoted as the liquidity. Hence, the fine line between transactions and interest-bearing assets can be taken into account. Thus liquidity can help money rotation while interest amount can take care of the other factors. There is a great deal of demand when the other major things are considered, and for this reason, the capitalist society [believes that the formation of a person’s wealth should be given utmost importance. Hence, in the bigger economies or the macro-economies, holding of wealth is usually not equal. This creates transaction motives and asset motives. Further classifications can also show the micro-economic

Community Oriented and Problem Oriented Policing Term Paper

Community Oriented and Problem Oriented Policing - Term Paper Example The police department must relate well with the community in order for COP to work. COP involves a firm commitment to necessities and values of the citizen input (1). Problem Oriented Policing (POP) is a policing approach where discrete police business pieces are subjected to microscopic examination hoping that what has been freshly learnt concerning each problem will result in the discovery of more effective strategies for dealing with them. POP values new responses, which are naturally preventive, that are independent of the criminal justice system. It also values the engagement of other public agencies, the private sector and community when their engagement has significant potentials of reducing the problem. Its commitment is related to the implementation of new strategies, full evaluation of its effectiveness, and then reporting the results to other police agencies, in a way that is beneficial to them. As well as help in building of a knowledge body that further supports police p rofessionalization (2). COP has three key components: community partnership, organizational transformation and problem solving. Comparisons between Community Policing and Problem Oriented Policies Historically, COP and POP were considered to be similar. In as much as they overlap in practice and philosophy, they also differ in the way they are performed in problem solving. First, the primary emphasis of community oriented policing is community engagement in the process of policing while in POP, solving problems within the police mandate. Community and police always collaborate in COP, while in POP collaboration is determined based on the prevailing situation; problem by problem. In problem analysis, POP gives first priority to thorough analysis which is only encouraged which is less significant to community collaboration in COP. Enforcement of criminal law is also preferred in POP, while COP prefers responses that collaborate with the community. However, unlike my supervisor, I beli eve that the role of police and community organization and mobilization is only advocated when the problem being addressed is warranted in POP while COP strongly emphasizes the police role. Adoption of the Community Oriented Policing In the late 1960s, there was increased tension between police and communities, especially the communities that were minority. Studies were conducted to determine the problem and it was found that a large number of minority African Americans negatively perceived the police. 3 say that the Michigan movement of 1960 wanted the relationship between police and people much closer. Louis Radelet brought a closer attention to COP so as to solve the problem (4). In 1996, he founded the National Institute on Police and Community Relations, where leaders discussed common problems between themselves. Increasing crime rate and ineffective conventional police methods also triggered the adoption of COP (5). Concerns about riots, racial conflicts, demonstration of civi l rights and political protests confronted the police (5). There was need to research on how such problems could be peacefully solved. There was also increased fear that overwhelmed the public, making them avoid shopping centers, parks, neighborhoods, and public transport (3). According to the research findings and recommendations, it was found that such problems cou

Journal Article Review Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal Article Review Assignment - Essay Example Alcohol abuse or dependence emerged in the investigation, which in particular has significant relation to the occurrence of crime such as actual suicide and suicide attempts. Suicide attempts, as crime-related scenarios were remarkable in various geographical contexts, but there is no significant amount of studies trying to investigate the actual contribution of alcohol use disorder on the prevalence of suicide attempt. In the chosen study, the proponents have remarkably investigated this concern by employing older adults who were hospitalized in connection with a suicide attempt. In order to further understand this claim, the proponents investigated further the suicidal behaviors of respondents with suicidal attempting experience even if they have AUD or not. This is to remarkably create a link to a significant gap in the literature concerning this issue. The specific individuals included in the study were 70 years or older, who were having hospital treatment due to suicide attempt during 2003-2006. Out of the 133 eligible participants, 103 of them were enrolled in the study, which comprised the 47 men, 56 women, and both groups with average age of 80 years and a response rate of 77%. Random sampling technique was employed. Statistical analysis involved was correlation, because the proponents were after of finding the actual level association between the variables. In order to implement this, the case comparison was initiated. â€Å"AUD was observed in 26% of the cases and in 4% of the comparison group (odds ratio [OR]: 10.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.9–22.5). Associations were noted in men (OR: 9.5; 95% CI: 4.0–22.8) and women (OR: 12.0; 95% CI: 2.4–59.5). More than half of the cases with AUD and  a third of those without AUD had made at least one prior suicide attempt. In these, AUD was associated with a longer interval

Management Strategies Wal-Mart should undertake for Successful Global Essay

Management Strategies Wal-Mart should undertake for Successful Global Presence - Essay Example Decrease in government restriction resulted in increased opening up of the China retail market. Global retailers such as Wal-Mart took advantage and opened store in China. Though Wal-Mart started as a small, store in Arkansas, it spread rapidly and dominated the retail sector in United States. Wal-Mart’s founder, Walton, believed that discounting was crucial in retail business. He opened stores in neglected areas and sold goods at considerably cheap prices (Glass, 2012). The use of â€Å"Everyday low prices† gave Wal-Mart a competitive advantage over its competitors. Additionally, Wal-Mart developed a strong marketing culture such that it remained popular even when its competitors, Kmart and Woolco, closed down. However, Wal-Mart’s entry into China was not successful. China opened up its market for foreign retailers in 2005, which Wal-Mart saw as a great opportunity. This is because China’s thriving economy provided a great opportunity for profitable retailing. Despite Walton’s insistence on discount prices, Wal-Mart remained less popular in China (Farhoomand & Wang, 2006). One of the main drawback was the resignation of Cassian Chueng, the president of Wal-Mart China, which happened at the time when the entry plan was at the initial stages of implementation. Irrespective of being the world largest retailer, Wal-Mart is ranked at position twenty in China in terms of its sales (Glass, 2012; Wang, & Jha, 2011). One of issues facing Wal-Mart is managements’ refutation of employee’s unionization. Sam Walton opposed formation of union by War-Mart employee’s rights from the initial stages. ... The Wal-Mart employees have attempted to demand for salary increment and they feel that such grievances have not been clearly addressed (Wang, & Jha, 2011). To create a successful global presence and ensure the success of Wal-Mart in meeting its goals and mission, the management must address the issue of Unionization. This issue has been criticized strongly, which could affect Wal-Mart performance. Additionally, the success of any organization greatly depends on the level of satisfaction among the employees. It is thus inevitable that Wal-Mart should consider accommodation unionization to ensure the employees’ grievances are addressed accordingly (Glass, 2012; Farhoomand & Wang, 2006). Another issue that has affected Wal-Mart’s entry into China is their expansion strategy. In United States, Walton preferred opening stores in small towns, which gave Wal-Mart a competitive advantage. However, Chinas economic growth is more rampant in large cities, particularly those along the coastal region. It is thus significant for Wal-Mart to reconsider the positioning of its store in China. Although there are existing barriers such as resistance from China authorities to let Wal-Mart expand in large cities, the management should consider forming venture in such regions (Glass, 2012; Farhoomand & Wang, 2006). An alternative that would enable Wal-Mart to retain cheap prices and expand its operations would be to change their marketing strategies. The US market environment is quite different from that of China. This is mainly due to cultural differences. Wal-Mart should thus consider exposing its employees to Chinese culture to understand the needs of their consumer appropriately. As opposed to US where the

Early Photography Essay Example for Free

Early Photography Essay Photography nowadays becomes an accessible form of hobby. The latest technology used for photography appears to be affordable for everybody who wants to pursue a skill in taking photos. Before the digital age, photography is known to be a pricey and a hard task to be an expert with but due to the accessibility that modern technology offer, photography is enjoyed by people coming from all walks of life. Capturing a real still-life image is the groundbreaking phenomenon that photography presented when it was created. The moment photography came to life; it opened an array of opportunities when it comes to media such as the television. Photography became established around early 1800s. The campaign for realism in any artistic endeavor flourished during the Renaissance period and the invention of photography was made out of that pursuit. Realism manifested in every form of art such as in sculpture, drawings, and paintings where the real-life images have been the goal of every artist to attain. Though photography has been established as a branch of art and science, capturing images was a subject of research during ancient civilizations such as in the time of the great Greek philosophers. Simple devices were developed in attempting to capture real images and as realism became an intense motivation in the arts and the study of science, the invention of photography contributed to various disciplines of its capability to capture real images. The invention of photography provided a whole new venue and easier way of capturing reality. Its popularity increased when sophisticated devices were further created and visual arts was taken into a different level. However, through the creation of photography, the interests to arts began to focus on taking real life pictures disregarding other forms of visual arts which were well-practiced before. Photography threatened painting and drawing because it brought the fullness and particularity of past reality alive in the present, a quality Benjamin calls the ‘spark of contingency. ’ The extension of industrial and mechanical means of reproduction to cultural products had a potentially transformatory impact on the traditional form of art. (Dant 115) This impact can be considered as the convenient use of cameras in photography. Unlike painting and drawing, producing does not take up so much time, inexpensive, and can be easily reproduced. Photography is indeed a breakthrough in the field of arts. It recorded the most important events in history with just one press of the shutter and reproduced and preserved throughout the years. Technology became an artist’s company in terms of executing his or her own concepts. Photography is a discipline of art which has been enhanced by modern technology. Without its invention, there would be no visual records of historical details which can be shown to the future generations. The photos generated by early photography served as a time machine to show what happened in the past. The preservation of such events like the two major World Wars became possible because of photography. Restoration and reproduction became easier and did not require lots of work, unlike with painting and drawings. Photography is an art. Just like painting and drawing, capturing the images from reality can be manipulated with usage of devices. In photography, to be able to achieve different results, natural light is the element in which it can be manipulated to be able to came up with an enhanced or various effects of a real image. The creative vision of the artist is the main tool for photography to consider as an art because the camera is just a tool and the settings are provided for the photographer’s use. This vision is being performed in photography in manually positioning of artificial and natural light and the object itself through the lens. The works of modern photographers such as Cindy Sherman became known for their photos where they determine the position of lights and the objects. Photography is a discipline where there are theories to follow but for it be called an art, it is highly dependent on the execution of the photographer. References Dant, T. (2003). Critical Social Theory. USA: Sage.

Tribological Audit Of Rolling Element Bearings

Tribological Audit Of Rolling Element Bearings 1. INTRODUCTION: In the current scenario, conservation of material and energy is very much important. As the principal cause of material wastage is wear, any reduction in wear leads to savings. Friction is the main cause of wear which leads to energy dissipation and damage to equipments. [1] Friction occurs when one surface drags upon another surface. The magnitude of frictional force depends upon the interaction of mating surfaces. All surfaces consist of minute asperities and depressions even though the surface has high degree of finish. From close observation it is clear that frictional force is produced due to the distortion of the micro asperities when one surface slides over the other. As most of the surfaces are elastic up to a limit, the original shape is regained afterwards. In extreme cases the asperities get removed due to plastic flow of materials. [4] This process of removal of material from one or both of two surfaces in contact is known as wear. [6] Lubrication is the most effective me thod to lower the friction and to control wear and tear. Lubrication is the process of interposing a solid liquid or gaseous lubricant in between two surfaces in relative motion in order to decrease wear and tear. [6] Tribology is the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion and of related subjects and practices. [5] Tribology is derived from the Greek word Tribos which means rubbing. It deals with relative motion of the bodies, friction, wear and lubrication. The motion of the bodies includes sliding, rolling, spinning, bouncing or combination of these. [5] The written history of tribology is as old as about five thousand years. In olden days itself people were concerned about friction and the ways to reduce it. Assyrians used rollers made of wood to move massive stones. [2] Later carts are developed as rolling friction is less than sliding friction. Although the ways to reduce friction was highly concerned from the olden days itself, the word tribology was introduced in 1966. [5] The minimum film thickness in tribological machine elements was in the order of 10 µm to 100 µm at the start of the century. Later advance in the tribology led to the development of components with film thickness up to 1 µm. The thickness is further reduced to 0.1 µm by the end of the century. In short, tribolo gy in the important factor in design of machine elements and selection of lubricants. [5] 2. ROLLING BEARINGS: Invention of wheel led to minimise the effort of moving an object as rolling friction is less than that of sliding friction. Even though rolling motion produces less friction, man was seeking different ways to decrease the rolling friction. This led to the discovery that bearing based rolling motion consumes less power. Hence it was implemented in all rolling systems including complex machine mechanisms. In earlier periods the roller bearings was not able to compete with the hydrodynamic sliding bearings as it cannot meet with the endurance characteristics of the other. The roller bearing was universally accepted in the 20th century by the development of superior bearing materials and advanced techniques. This helped to manufacture roller bearing assemblies with extreme accuracy and long life. The competition among the manufacturers increased in early 1970s which led to a sudden increase in the production of high quality products at relatively low costs. [2] Rolling bearing includes all types of bearings to permit minimum friction between two moving surfaces relative to one another. The main application of roller bearing is to rotate a shaft relative to some fixed or oppositely rotating structure. It also allows relative linear motion of a fixture in a fixed direction provided by a stationary shaft. [3] Usually a bearing consists of two steel rings each of which consists of a hardened raceway. The hardened steel balls or rollers roll in these raceways. These rolling elements are usually held in an angular spaced structure which is called separator or retainer. [2] ball.gif Figure 1- Ball Bearings [7] There are different types of roller bearings based on their analysis of operation. A brief description on various types of bearings is explained below. 2.1 BALL BEARINGS: 2.1.1 Radial Ball Bearings: Radial ball bearings are the most popular rolling bearings. This type of ball bearings has an inner and outer raceway grooves in between the balls are inserted. The grooves have curvature radii of about 53% of the size of the ball diameter. The inner groove is concentrically fixed inside the outer groove and the ball bearings are present in between the grooves. The bearings are separated uniformly. A cage is used to maintain the separation. Deep groove ball bearings have the capacity to carry more loads as it is having large ball diameter. It can carry radial as well as thrust loads. Seals are present to keep the lubricant in and protect from external dirt. [2] Figure 2- Radial Ball Bearings [8]radial-bearings.jpg 2.1.2 Angular Contact Ball Bearings:406px-Angular-contact-ball-bearing_single-row_din628_type-b_120.png Angular contact bearings are designed to withstand heavy thrust loads or a combination of both thrust and radial loads. The ball bearings have a contact angle which does not exceed 40 degrees. Single and double row ball bearings are usually used depending upon the nature and magnitude of force to withstand. In this type of ball bearings, the outer raceway is the part of a sphere. The load applied on the outer raceway is minimised as the balls do not conform well into it. By using large balls the load on each ball can be minimised. This type of bearings can be used in applications where the parallelism of shaft and the housing are not exact to each other. [2] Figure 3- Angular Contact Ball Bearings [9] 2.1.3Thrust Ball Bearings: thrust-ball-bearing_din711_ex.png Thrust bearings are those bearings having a contact angle of 900 which can withstand thrust loads. These types of bearings are meant for high speed applications. The thrust bearings are mounted on spherical seats to obtain high degree of alignment ability. These bearings cannot be used to hold any radial loads. [2] They are mainly used in automotive, marine and aerospace applications. These increase smoothness and help in noise reduction thereby reducing friction in the attached part. Small size, reduced friction and long life are the main advantages of thrust bearings. [10] Figure 4- Thrust Ball Bearings [11] 2.2 ROLLER BEARINGS: Roller bearings are used in applications where the bearings have to support very high loads. Rollers are used in these bearings instead of balls. In these roller is cylindrical in shape and so line contact is formed between rollers and raceways. This spreads the load out a large area. Hence they have more load supporting capability. [12] They supply more fatigue endurance than ball bearings. Also the cost of manufacturing is high. These bearings consist of two concentric raceways which consist of rollers in between the two. To increase the load carrying capacity, cylindrical bearings with two or more rows of rollers are constructed. Different types of roller bearings include needle roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, thrust roller bearings and spherical roller bearings. [2] Roller-Bearing.jpgLB_OP_Linear_Motion_Bearing_250x250.jpg Figure 5- Roller Bearings [13] Figure 6- Linear Motion Bearing [14] 2.3 LINEAR MOTION BEARINGS: Linear motion bearings are the recent products developed in order to provide free motion in one dimension. In machine tool slide ways, very high friction is developed. Linear motion bearing consists of balls which carry the loads laterally in a particular direction and hence wear and tear can be minimised. They provide smooth, precision, guiding surface. The rolling element of a linear bearing rides over it thereby reducing friction. [15] 3. TRIBOLOGICAL FACTORS: Tribology deals with friction, wear and lubrication. The two key factors related to tribology are interacting surfaces and relative motion. It is clear that tribology is concerned with two surfaces in relative motion which are adequately close to one another. Usually a poor tribological interface is designed and then various lubricants are used to lower the friction between the surfaces. The most acceptable way is to design a better interface which includes the selection of a good lubricant also to minimise the friction and wear to the lowest. [5] Various tribological factors are to be taken into consideration while taking a situation. The important tribological factors include: Material Surfaces Lubricants Operating Conditions [5] 3.1 MATERIAL: The initial step to be taken while designing a product is the material selection. There are various factors which are taken into consideration while selecting the material. For tribological point of view the following factors are to be given importance before material selection. Basic Mechanical Properties Friction Wear Resistance Compatibility [5] 3.1.1 Basic Mechanical Properties: The basic mechanical properties of the material such as elastic modulus, Poissons ratio, yield stress, hardness, fatigue resistance, ultimate tensile strength and thermal conductivity are to be analysed. [5] Also the availability and cost of the material are also taken into account. Based on these observations the best material suitable for the manufacturing of bearings is selected. The selection of material used for bearings is to be done carefully based on standard specifications. The material plays an important role in the performance of the bearings. This affects the overall performance of the machinery also. The selected material is used to manufacture the load bearing parts of the bearings like raceway grooves and balls or rollers only. Retainers and cages are made from some other soft materials with desired qualities. [17] 3.1.2 Friction: Friction is the resistance offered by two interacting surfaces in relative motion. The degree of friction is denoted by coefficient of friction  µ. [6] Friction occurred during sliding is known as sliding friction and which occurred during rolling is known as rolling friction. The main factors which cause friction are adhesion between surfaces, surface hardness, asperities etc. [6] 3.1.2.2 Laws of Friction: There are different laws of friction which are applicable to dry friction between interacting surfaces. The first and second laws were put forward by Leonardo da Vinci and third law was introduced by Coulomb. [6] The first law of friction states that force required to initiate or sustain sliding FT is proportional to FN, the normal force. [6] Thus FT ÃŽ ± FN or FT =  µ.FN [6] Where  µ = Coefficient of friction The second law of friction states that the friction force FT is independent of the apparent area of contact Aa [6] The third law of friction states that friction is independent of sliding speed. [6] It was found that the first two laws of friction are obeyed in almost all experimental conditions. Lubrication systems can be used to lower the friction developed within the bearings. Friction in bearings depends upon the viscosity of lubricant and shear rate. Self lubricated bearings are widely used as it offers only very low friction. [20] 3.1.3 Wear: Wear can be termed as the material loss or volume loss from the surface of the materials in contact. [21] The main types of wear occurring on material surfaces are adhesive wear, abrasive wear, fatigue wear, corrosive wear. The local pressure at the asperities becomes extremely high when the normal pressure is acted upon the mating surfaces. When the pressure exceeds a certain limit, the asperities deform plastically until the area of contact increased sufficiently to withstand the load. The wear produced due to adhesion process has been explained by Archard equation. Wad = K [22] Where Wad = wear rate K = wear coefficient F = normal load H = hardness of softer material When two dissimilar materials slide over one another, the softer material gets scratched away. Thias type of wear is called as abrasive wear. Fatigue wear occurs when a rotating shaft is subjected to reversal of bending stresses. Corrosive wear is due to the reaction of the material surface with the environment or an external agent. [6] Wear occurs in ball and roller bearings due to corrosion, shock loading of fatigue. Atmospheric agents like dirt and girt are the other external factors which are responsible for wear. [4] 3.1.4 Compatibility: Alloys are usually selected as bearing materials. Alloy is a solid composition consisting of two or more metals and elements in fixed proportions. The two alloys which are used to manufacture the bearings are Chrome Steel and Stainless Steel. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. [17] Various other elements like silicon, manganese, phosphorous, sulphur, chromium and molybdenum are added in chrome and stainless steels in order to increase the strength, hardness and corrosion resistance of the alloys. [18] Carbon is used in the alloy to form cementite structure and to formation of pearlite, spheroidite, bainite, and iron-carbon martensite. This improves hardenability of the alloys up to 0.65%. Wear resistance is increased up to 1.5%. Toughness of the alloy reduces and the brittleness increases when carbon is added. Manganese increases the hardness penetration of steel. Chromium is added to increase hardness, toughness and wear resistance to steel. Silicon acts as the deoxidiser during the manufacturing process. [19] 3.1.4.1 Chrome Steel Chrome steel is one of the widely used alloys to manufacture bearings. It is used mainly in high load bearing applications as this material is capable of withstanding very high loads. The machinability of the material is as high as highly finished, less noisy bearings are obtained. Also the life of the bearings is also very high. Under test conditions, the Rockwell hardness of the material is observed as 60 64 C. This material is used in applications where corrosion is not considered. [16] The constituent elements in the chrome steel are given in the table 1. 3.1.4.2 Stainless Steel The standard material used for the bearings is 400 series Martensitic Stainless Steel. This type of steel is highly resistant to corrosion and hence stainless steel bearings are used in applications where corrosion is to be taken into account. It is having less load withstanding capacity when compared to chrome steel. There are three types of 400 series Stainless Steel suitable for making bearings. These materials are developed by manufacturers to be used for certain specific applications. [16] 3.1.4.2.1 DR Stainless steel This material is highly resistant to corrosion and is used in applications which deal with highly corrosive medium. The material can be precisely machined so as to obtain high degree of finish to the surface of bearing. This helps in smooth, low noise operation of the bearings. The Rockwell hardness of the material is observed as 58 60 C. [16] The chemical composition of the material is given in table 2. 3.1.4.2.2 AISI 440C Stainless Steel AISI 440C Stainless Steel is highly resistant to corrosion and is easily available. But it is not widely used now a day when more modern materials are developed. The Rockwell hardness of the material is 58-60 C. [16] The chemical composition is given in table 3. 3.1.4.2.3 ES1 Stainless Steel: This material is highly resistant to corrosion and has high machinability. Thus highly finished surfaces can be produced. The material is having a Rockwell hardness number of 58 60 C. [16] The composition of the material is given in table 4. 3.2 SURFACE: Surface quality of the materials is one of the major tribological factors which determine the efficiency of the product. [4] Surface finish decides the amount of friction and wear of the material. Surface texture and conformity are the terms which are to be given importance. 3.2.1 Surface texture: The surface of the material is the part which interacts with the environment. The surface may not be highly finished due to several reasons. It may be due to the imperfections caused during manufacturing, due to external agents or due to loads acting on the surface. The deviations observed on the surface can be mainly classified into three which includes roughness, waviness and error of form. [23] Roughness is the surface irregularities which consist of rises and valleys. This creates an uneven surface pattern. Waviness is the small ups and downs on the surface which is having less amplitude that of roughness. These may be caused due to work piece deflections, vibration or heat treatment. Error of form is the slight deviations from the nominal shape. [6] The surface profiles can be traced by using different apparatus like Abbott profilometer, Tomilson surface finish recorder and Talysurf surface finish recorder. [4] 3.2.2 Conformity: Conformity is the degree of agreement between the surfaces. [5] An interface consisting of two plates is said to have high conformity. Journal bearing is an example for high conformity material. An interface consisting of a plate and a ball is said to be having low conformity. Ball bearing is an example for low conformity material. Conformity is an important factor which is to be considered as it has an important role in determining the pressure, shear stress and temperature in the interface. [5] Figure 7- Surface Texture [23] 3.3 LUBRICANTS: Lubrication is the technique employed to reduce wear by the interposition of a solid, liquid or gas between the two surfaces which come into contact with one another. It was a persistent problem for man for centuries from the day he used to move materials. Friction consumes and wastes energy whereas wear leads to the damage of the equipment which are undesirable and it has to be avoided at any cost. Every moving part of machinery is subjected to friction leading to wear and tear which has to be avoided. Lubrication plays a vital role in avoiding the friction between mating surfaces. The history of lubricant begins thousands of years before. It was found that the ancient Egyptians used lubricants to avoid friction in the wheels of chariots. [24] In ancient times lubricants were of animal, plant and marine origin. Later mineral oils were started to use as lubricant. The new science of lubrication based on hydrodynamics came in 1880s. [24] Lubricants are of solids, liquids and gases but liquid lubricants are widely used. These include mineral oil, synthetic oil, grease, vegetable oil and water. Lubrication is done by applying a thin film of lubricant between the surfaces in contact. [6] Thus undesirable problems like friction, wear, noise and vibrations can be reduced to a very high extent. 3.3.1 Viscosity: Viscosity of a lubricant is the main characteristic which is taken into account before selecting it for a specific application. Friction, heat generation, film thickness and load carrying capacity depend upon the viscosity of lubricant used. Generally viscosity can be stated as the hindrance of the fluid to flow. But based on lubrication, viscosity is the measure of ability of fluid to maintain lubrication at specific operating conditions. [24] 3.3.2 Lubrication Regimes: Lubrication can generally be classified into four different regimes based on the thickness of the fluid film in between the surfaces in contact. They include: Hydrodynamic Lubrication Boundary Lubrication Mixed Lubrication Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication 3.3.2.1 Hydrodynamic Lubrication: image8.jpg Figure 7- Hydrodynamic Lubrication [25] In hydrodynamic lubrication, a fluid film is formed in between the two surfaces in contact. Thus one surface floats on the other and there occurs no direct contact between the surfaces. In microscopic level the surfaces of the materials consist of asperities. In normal condition without lubrication, the asperities are in direct contact with each other. When one surface slides over the other, the asperities get deformed producing friction and hence wear. Hydrodynamic lubrication helps avoid the friction as there is no direct contact between the surfaces. The viscosity of the lubricant helps to increase the fluid pressure in between the surfaces. Thus the lubricant layer holds the surfaces apart. As the lubricant layer formed is thicker than the surface roughness of the material, one material slides over the other without damaging the surface. It is observed that the thickness of the film is more than 1 µm. [24, 25] The surface is separated apart by hydrostatic lift. A fluid flowing over a surface immediately takes the speed of the surface. Similarly when the fluid moves in a converging gap, the pressure increases and the surface is lifted. [25] 3.3.2.2 Boundary Lubrication: Boundary lubrication is a type of lubrication in which the surface roughness of the material is same as that of the fluid layer thickness. Thus when one surface moves upon the other, the asperities comes into contact. When load is applied the asperities gets plastically deformed which leads to friction and wear. As friction is not desirable different methods are also adopted to reduce friction in this type of lubrication. This includes the use of various additives to the lubricants. The additives are classified according to the surface action exhibited on the material surface. They are mainly of three types. Physically absorbed layers Chemically absorbed layers Chemical reaction layers 3.3.2.2.1 Physically adsorbed layers: When the lubricant is applied, it forms a layer on the material surface. The weak intermolecular force called van der Walls force exerted by the layer of the lubricant helps to attach to the surface. This layer lubricates and allows the other surface to slide over the other without causing friction. As the lubricant is not undergoing any chemical reaction, the process is reversible. The bonds formed by van der Walls force are weak and it can be removed. The main disadvantage of the physically adsorbed lubricants is that they have a temperature limit above which the lubricant melts. 3.3.2.2.2 Chemically adsorbed layers: Chemically adsorbed layers are those formed due to the chemical reaction with the surface material. Chemisorption is a type of adsorption in which the molecules are hold tight by the valence force of the molecules of the lubricant. The bonds created are stronger than the physically adsorbed layers. Usually chemically adsorbed lubricants form long chain fatty acid molecules, which has high affinity to metal surfaces. Fatty acid additives like stearic and oleic acid forms chemically adsorbed layers. The typical thickness of the boundary film is about 3 µm. As chemical reaction takes place in the interface, the adsorbed layer can be removed only under extreme conditions like high temperature, vacuum or by using some chemical treatments. [26] 3.3.2.2.3 Chemical reaction layers: Chemical reaction layers are formed by the reaction of additives in the lubricant with the surface of the material on which it is applied. In this adsorption is not taking place, instead a chemical reaction that bonds the lubricant and the material occurs. Thus the layers formed are permanent. The main disadvantage of physisorption and chemisorptions is the temperature limit above which the lubricant gets ineffective. In this type of reaction the working temperature is not a factor. Hence this type of lubrication is used in high speed and high load operating systems as high temperature is developed in these cases. Zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) is widely used as an additive to produce effective chemical reaction films. [24] 3.3.2.2 Mixed Lubrication: Mixed lubrication has the features of both hydrodynamic lubrication and boundary lubrication. In hydrodynamic lubrication the contact surfaces are separated apart by the pressure of the lubricant interposed between the surfaces. Hence there will not be any contact between the two surfaces in motion. But in boundary lubrication, one surface rests on the other. When the surface moves the asperities gets plastically deformed which causes friction and wear. Mixed lubrication acts between the two extremes of hydrodynamic and boundary lubrication. In mixed lubrication regimes a fluid film layer is developed where contact takes place between the asperities of the surfaces. Thus a slight deformation is formed while sliding occurs which is highly desirable. The film thickness ranges from 0.05 µm to 0.1 µm. [25] 3.3.2.3 Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication: Elastohydrodynamic lubrication is a type of lubrication which brings together hydrodynamic lubrication, hertzian contact and change in viscosity with pressure. In this method of lubrication, the surface is modified to minimise friction. Elastohydrodynamic lubrication is used in applications where low conformity and highly loaded tribological interfaces are present. Roughness of the wearing surface is taken into consideration in this lubrication. Roughness is taken as the average of high and low points of the surface which is called as the centreline average. [27] A non conformal contact can produce pressure to a very high level. When the pressure increases it directly affects the viscosity of the lubricant. In normal conditions the viscosity of the lubricant is less noticeable but during elastohydrodynamic lubrication the viscosity increases which makes the lubricant act as a semi solid. This creates a thin film of oil in between the mating surfaces. [25] 3.4 OPERATING CONDITIONS: Operating conditions are the main aspect to be taken into account while designing a mechanical component including bearings. There are different factors which comprises the operating conditions. Load Relative Motion Temperature Environment 3.4.1 Load: The load applied on each ball and roller is to be determined to manufacture the bearings which can operate at the desired applications without failure. In order to calculate the load deflection relationship is to be developed for roller element contacting raceways. In almost all the applications the outer or inner raceways is in steady state rotation. The speed of the rotation may not be large enough to affect significantly the distribution of the load equally on each roller or ball elements. The rigidly supported bearing is subjected to radial load which may lead to deflection. The radial deflection at any rolling element is given by ÃŽ ´ÃË† = ÃŽ ´r cos ψ  ½ Pd [2] Where ÃŽ ´ÃË† = radial deflection r = ring radial shift ÃŽ ¨ = angular location Pd = diametral clearance Thrust load and roller bearings are also subjected to thrust loads which are distributed equally among the rolling elements. The thrust load can be calculated using Q = Fa / Z Sin ÃŽ ± [2] Where Q = thrust load Fa = applied load Z = number of rollers per row ÃŽ ± = contact angle 3.4.2 Relative Motion: Relative motion is the motion of either one or both surfaces with respect to each other. There are different forms of relative motion depending upon the style of motion. They include sliding, rolling, spinning and bouncing. Sliding refers to the smooth movement over a surface maintaining the contact between each other. Rolling is the movement by revolving within the axis. Spinning is the rotation of a material within its axis. Bouncing is the rebounding due to an impact. Chance for sliding occurs in the rolling bearings due to thrust loads. Bouncing may occur due to sudden fluctuation in loads which may lead to destruction of bearing material. 3.4.3 Temperature: Operating temperature is a factor which is to be taken into consideration for the smooth functioning of the bearings at load conditions. Temperature rise may occur in the bearings during operation which may be due to different reasons. One factor which causes the rise in temperature is the application of excess load. If excess load is applied, the material may not be designed to withstand that much high load. So it may lead to failure. Another reason for the temperature rise is the absence of lubricant. The lubricant should be interposed to the surfaces in contact. If it fails to continuously supply the lubricant to the surface, friction is produced which results in gradual rise in temperature. Various coatings are also used to overcome temperature extremes. 3.4.4 Environment: Nature of environment is the feature which can influence the efficiency and life of the bearings. There are different agents which affect the operating conditions of the bearings which may be harmful. These include contaminations like dust, wear particles, air, water, process fluid etc. Insulations are to be provided to avoid exposure to these external agents. This can be done by using seals or coatings. 4. CONCLUSION: The various tribological factors are to be considered while designing rolling bearings. This tribological audit looks for the different factors which affect the performance and life of the bearings. The major tribological factors found include material, surface, lubrication and operating conditions. Different solutions are available which can be applied to each factor to lower the friction. Material should be wisely selected which can be easily machined to obtain highly finished surfaces and should possess the strength to withstand the loads applying on it. The material should be selected according to the application. Surface texture and conformity of the material is to be carefully observed as the surface finish is one of the major factors which cause friction. Lubrication plays a major role in the performance of the equipment. Right method of lubrication is selected. Elastohydrodynamic lubrication forms the film with minimum thickness which is the most desirable in bearings. Operat ing conditions affects the performance and life of the bearings which includes contaminations like dirt, wear particles, water, corrosive process fluid etc. Proper measures are to be taken to avoid exposure to these agents. From this audit it is clear that we have to take care of the tribological factors and select the most suitable ones to obtain maximum performance and life to the rolling bearings.