Design a Risk Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Design a Risk Assessment - Assignment Example This risk assessment will therefore be done in order to assess the effect of the expansion plans that was carried out that involved installation of four new wire drawing machines and enlargement of the HCL tank. Even though the company has scheduled risk assessment plans and daily plant machine safety checks, the expansion project falls out of the scope of the scheduled plant assessments that are usually carried out at intervals as the expansion is a new thing in the company hence needing urgent assessment of the risks and how to handle them effectively. The main aim for undertaking this risk assessment is to identify the hazards and risks linked with the expansion work that was done in the wire drawing section and the galvanizing section, analyze the risks and find a solution to them. This assessment to be carried out will be specific in that it will only involve two sections of the plant: wire drawing and GIP section. The hazards in each of the two sections will be identified by four means. The first method of identifying the hazards will be to examine information about the new equipment installed in these two sections (Royer, 2004). The second means will be by consulting the employees and operators who work in these two sections so that they can help identify the potential hazardous situations in their areas of work. The third method will be to determine the potential hazards by examining the work places in the two sections under consideration. The final method will involve brainstorming as a team to help identify and think of the hazards that might be associated with the expansion work. After identifying the hazards, they will be recorded in the Hazard Summary sheet after which risk analysis will be done (Laird & Mccutcheon, 2007). The analysis and assessment done will help in coming up with the ways to counter any hazard that will be identified in the course of this

Auditing theory and practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Auditing theory and practice - Essay Example fy these weaknesses or considered as risks associated with these financial statements, we perform comparative year-on-year and ratio analyses which may be effective for us to identify possible problem areas for additional analysis and audit testing and for which we can provide other assistance. Among other: The company’s short-term debt paying ability. We analyse the company’s liquidity status, such as its current ratio is 1.28 (lower than 1.31 in 2004) but it indicates that the company should have sufficient fund to pay its short-term debts. Our calculation also indicates that the company will be able collect the amount owed by its customers, except the average day of collecting payment of 82 days (15 days longer than the previous year). This may have an affect on negative cash flow. Since the company does not have sufficient cash to meet its short-term obligations, the company may consider lengthening the time it takes to convert less liquid assets into cash. Short-term liquidity. The company’s balance sheet shows that it has negative cash balance. It is likely that the company or that the record shows that the company cannot meet its obligation. Therefore, its debt-paying ability would be the length of time it takes the company to convert its current assets into cash. The company’s balance sheet indicates a huge amount of bank overdraft. In case of necessary, the company has 2.5 times cash turnover rate (down by .89), 4.36 times of receivables turnover rate (down by .94), can recover the value of its fixed assets 51.17 (down from 56.93), and over all, 2.5 times (down from 3.2) chance to convert its assets into cash to cover bank over draft. With the absence of inventory, it may be possible that the company is having inventory obsolescence problem. Ability to meet long-term debt obligations. The company’s debt-to-equity ratio is 3.35, down from 3.97 in 2004. There is a possibility that the company would be able to raise fund through borrowing.

Quality of Artesian Water | Analysis

Quality of Artesian Water | Analysis Evaluation of the microbiological and physicochemical quality of Artesian well water used for irrigation in ArRiyadh Sulaiman Ali Alharbi1*, M.E.Zayed1, Arunachalam Chinnathambi1, Naiyf S. Alharbi1 and Milton Wainwright1,2 Abstract The quality of water from artesian wells used for irrigation was analyzed. Water samples were collected from 12 wells from different farms along a 8.5 km transect of the Hayer which is an area located approximately 35 km south of ArRiyadh. The major parameters for assessment of the groundwater quality used here were analysis of the major cations (K+, Na+and NH4 +) and the major anions (Cl-, SO42-, NO3- and PO43-). A total dissolved solid (TDS) is a summation of the all major constituents. pH, temperature and electrical conductivity (EC) were also measured as important indicators of groundwater quality. The samples were also tested for the presence of total and fecal coliforms bacteria. All the samples were free from contamination by coliforms bacteria; the physicochemical parameters of the all of the samples were not however, within the acceptable limits prescribed by WHO and FAO. Key words: Physicochemical quality, Artesian well water quality, Irrigation, coliforms, Cations      Ã‚   Introduction Water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater aquifers is an essential human resource and is needed for direct consumption as well as for recreational purposes1. Groundwater is a vital source for fresh water in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding Gulf states2; groundwater being the major source of both potable and irrigation waters in Saudi Arabia. As the population of Saudi continues to increase, especially in the big cities such as ArRiyadh, the demand for adequate and high-quality groundwater resources continues to increase. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (about 2.25 million km2) is one of hottest and most arid countries in the world, with an average summer temperatures of 46oC and an average rainfall of 120 mm per year over most of the country2. The available surface water and groundwater resources is limited, precipitation rates are low, while evaporation is high. With increasing population and agricultural use there is an increasing need for high quality water in Saudi Arabia 3. The total population of Saudi Arabia has increased from about 7.7 million in 1970 to 11.8 million in 1990 and is expected to reach 19 million in 2010, if the present growth rate of 3 per cent per annum continues. Consequently, domestic water demand has increased from about 446 MCM in 1980 to about 1,563 MCM in 1997, and is expected to reach 2,800 MCM in 20104,5. Agriculture accounts for some 88% of water use, while industry consumes only around 3%6. Saudi Arabia faces severe water problems and as a result, is in need of new water policies to achieve sustainable development in its harsh environment. Problems include balancing supply and demand while facing aridity and water scarcity, nonrenewable supplies, poor quality of ground water, poor distribution of supplies, salt water intrusion, and the overuse and contamination of aquifers7. Available water resources in Saudi Arabia are a) conventional, i.e. groundwater and surface water, and b) non-conventional such as desalinated seawater and treated waste water. About 88 percent of the water consumption in Saudi Arabia is met from groundwater supplies2.Groundwater is generally presumed to be ideal for human consumption and is used as a potential source of drinking water, agricultural development, urbanization and industrialization8. Around 47% of the water supplied in ArRiyadh is groundwater pumped from local aquifers9. It is estimated that 18% of worldwide cropland is irrigated, producing 40% of all food. Irrigation water and any foliar applied water, in intimate contact to the developing or mature edible portions of fresh produce, is likely to lead to contamination with human waste, although irrigation using surface water is likely to pose a greater risk to human health than irrigation water obtained from deep aquifers drawn from properly constructed and protected wells10. Water-borne pathogens infect around 250 million people and result in 10 to 20 million deaths world-wide each year. An estimated 80% of all illness in developing countries is related to water and sanitation, with some 5% of all child deaths under the age of five years occurring in developing countries resulting from diarrheal diseases 11,12. Pathogens pose a risk to human health as a result of the various uses of water (Figure 2). For example, it was suggested that contaminated irrigation water was a possible source of a recent outbreak of E. coli across USA13. Fruit and vegetables are frequently contaminated impacted by fecally-polluted irrigation water14. As a general rule, surface water resources are more susceptible to microbial contamination than are groundwater supplies. Microbial contamination introduced through sprinkler irrigation systems may also affect the surface of a crop for varying periods of time, and the risk is increased when the irrigated crop is consumed raw and so metimes unwashed15. Pathogen-contamination of fresh, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables is a significant issue in agriculture. In many cases, fecal-oral pathogens such as toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella spp., and norovirus are the causative agents16. Fecally contaminated irrigation water is frequently a possible or likely source of contamination of fresh, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables17. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)18, at least 12 percent of foods borne outbreaks during the 1990s were attributable to fresh produce, and the economic cost of food borne illness is estimated at around $10 to $83 billion per year19. Water is subject to varying degrees of fecal pollution, and consequently fresh waters are a vector transmission of many pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Fecal pollution can reach water resources as the result of human activities, such as sewage treatment plants and communities where sewage treatment is not available. Many diseases are related to fecal polluted water, but the majority is caused by enteropathogenic microorganisms, and not surprisingly therefore, the presence of enteric pathogens in waters is of considerable concern. For this reason, maintaining the microbiological safety of water is very important issue relating to the protection of public health1. Washing and disinfection practices are less effective against pathogens which in penetrate the plant interior20., and for this reason the prevention of water-borne contamination is considered to be an important primary means of controlling health risk associated with food borne pathogens19. The quality and safety of farm irrigation water determines the quality and safety of the resultant crop, and the safety of water depends on its source. Human pathogens can be introduced into irrigation water via run-off of manure from animal production facilities, from domestic/urban sewage systems or directly from wildlife. Extreme rainfall (which lead to storm overflows), spills of manure, or human waste can all increase the probability of the occurrence of contamination21. The quality of water needed for various uses is determined by its physical characteristics, chemical composition, biological parameters and the conditions of use and all surface or sub-surface waters contain varying amounts of salts which increase in irrigated soil due to evaporation. The aim of the work reported here was to determine the microbiological and physicochemical quality of waters obtained from artesian wells used for irrigation near the city of Riyadh. Materials and methods Description of the artesian wells: The samples were taken from wells of depth ranging from (60-100 m); some wells were open while others were closed. Sampling collection: Sampling: All ground water sampling (chemical or microbial) was conducted with the existing well pumps which were run for a sufficient time (10-15 minutes) in order to replace the old water in the pipes with fresh water and thereby obtain reliably stable readings of pH, specific conductance and temperature. Well water depths were measured with a graduated (l/l00th foot) steel tape. A total of three water samples were collected from 12 different wells located in different farms along a 8.5 km transect of the Hayer, which is an area located some 35 km south of Riyadh, during November 2010. The water samples were collected in plastic bottles, pH, EC and TDS were measured on site; samples were subsequently transported to the laboratory in an ice box. Each sample was divided into three portions; one for cation analysis, one for anion determinations and the third for coliform analysis. The concentration of total dissolved ions, Na, K, P, Cl, S04, NH4 and N03 were determined. The analytical procedures used for these determinations were those described in standard methods or the examination of water and wastewater. The evaluation of the suitability of groundwater for irrigation purpose is based here on the irrigation water specification provided by the Saudi Arabian Standards organization (SASO), irrigation water standards 1993, and water quality for use in agriculture by the FAO (1994). (Table 1) shows the concentration (mg/l) of individual constituents, groundwater, hardness, electrical conductance and pH of the groundwater. Coliform determination: Sample Preparation: The samples were diluted in the range- 10-1 to 10-6 and the original water sample were aseptically diluted into 9 ml buffered peptone prepared in three series. The number of total and fecal coliforms was determined using the MPN method and statistical tables were used to interpret the results. From each dilution, 1ml was removed and added aseptically to triplicate tubes containing 5ml of lauryl tryptose broth (LSB). The tubes were then incubated at 37  °C for 48 hours. Tubes showing color change or gas production were recorded as positive, and the number of positive tubes at each dilution was referred to MPN tables to obtain the number of bacteria present in the original sample. Results and Discussion Microbiological analysis: None of the water samples obtained from any of the wells contained coliforms, a fact which shows that the general sanitary conditions around the wells are excellent. Analysis of physicochemical parameters: Physical Characteristics: Table 1 shows the laboratory determinations used, together with the acceptable range to evaluate common irrigation water quality, as prepared by FAO 1994. Table 1. Laboratory determinations used to evaluate common irrigation water quality problems. Water parameter Symbol Unit1 Usual range in irrigation water SALINITY Salt content Electrical Conductivity ECw dS/m 0 3 dS/m (or) Total Dissolved Solids TDS mg/l 0 2000 mg/l Cations and anions Calcium Ca++ me/l 0 20 me/l Magnesium Mg++ me/l 0 5 me/l Sodium Na+ me/l 0 40 me/l Carbonate CO3 me/l 0 .1 me/l Bicarbonate HCO3- me/l 0 10 me/l Chloride Cl- me/l 0 30 me/l Sulphate SO4 me/l 0 20 me/l NUTRIENTS2 Nitrate-Nitrogen NO3-N mg/l 0 10 mg/l Ammonium-Nitrogen NH4-N mg/l 0 5 mg/l Phosphate-Phosphorus PO4-P mg/l 0 2 mg/l Potassium K+ mg/l 0 2 mg/l MISCELLANEOUS Boron B mg/l 0 2 mg/l Acid/basicity pH 1-14 6.0 8.5 Sodium Adsorption Ratio3 SAR (me/l)1, 2 0 15 1 dS/m = deciSiemen/metre in S.I. units (equivalent to 1 mmho/cm = 1 millimmho/centi-metre) mg/l = milligram per litre à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã†â€™ parts per million (ppm). me/l = milliequivalent per litre (mg/l à · equivalent weight = me/l); in SI units, 1 me/l= 1 millimol/litre adjusted for electron charge. Table 2. Physical parameters of analyzed groundwater samples Sample ID Parameters Temperature (Degree Celsius) pH E.C* (ms/cm) T.D.S** (mg/L) Turbidity (NTU) Total Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3) A 25.0 8.15 3.87 2476 11.30 1800 B 25.5 8.13 8.89 5689 28.70 3000 C 24.5 8.17 4.48 2867 20.50 1200 D 25.5 7.98 3.74 2393 18.00 1400 E 23.5 8.19 5.49 3513 6.24 1000 F 24.5 8.05 9.41 6022 2.98 2600 G 28.0 8.02 9.19 5881 0.73 2800 H 25.0 7.84 10.78 6899 21.90 3600 I 26.5 8.29 9.41 6022 0.94 3200 J 26.0 8.07 10.29 6585 5.78 3200 K 27.0 8.06 11.13 7123 12.30 3800 L 27.0 8.11 10.16 6502 5.63 3600 * E.C = Electrical Conductivity ** T.D.S = Total Dissolved Solids Table 2 shows the physical parameters of the groundwater samples; the data reveals the following: pH: The pH values of all gr the groundwater samples tested was alkaline (around 8); a pH which is generally not conducive to optimal crop plant growth Total dissolved solids (TDS) : Suspended solids and total dissolved solids (TDS) are indicators of polluted water. The value for TDS of the samples ranged from 2393-7123 mg/l. Most of these values are outside the standard values generally considered to be suitable for irrigation purposes. TDS values exceeding 3000 mg/l are high values for irrigation of some crop types. The high TDS values found in groundwater sampled from the study area are likely to be due to high concentrations of sodium, chloride, sulfate and nitrate. Conductivity: Electrical conductivity gives a measure of all of the dissolved ions in solution. Electrical conductivity values measured in this study varied from 3.74 to 11.13 ms/cm with sample-K exhibiting the highest conductivity (11.13) and sample D the lowest, (3.74). The acceptable limit of conductivity is 1.5 ms /cm22. Generally, the conductivity of clean water is lower but as water moves down the soil profile it leaches and dissolves ions and also picks up organic from the biota and detritus23. Generally the conductivity values recorded for wells sampled here were not within the acceptable limit prescribed by WHO and FAO limits. Total Water Hardness: Water hardness is primarily a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium, and to a lesser extent, iron in a water sample. Water hardness is measured by summing the concentrations of calcium, magnesium and converting this value to an equivalent concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO3); a value which is expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L) of water. Water with hardness greater than 200 mg/L is considered to be of poor quality and water with hardness greater than 500 mg/L is normally considered to be unacceptable for domestic purposes. The analyzed samples for hardness, had hardness concentrations ranges between 1200 to 3800 mg/L been found then the samples would be assessed as belonging to the fourth category with very hard water and unacceptable for domestic purpose without treatment. Cations and anion loads of the groundwater samples: Table 3 shows the cations and anions loads of groundwater samples, the data shows the following: Sodium: An infiltration problem related to water quality occurs when the normal infiltration rate for the applied water or rainfall is appreciably reduced and water remains on the soil surface for long periods, or infiltrates too slowly to supply the crop with sufficient water to maintain acceptable yields. The infiltration rate of water into soil varies widely and can be greatly influenced by the quality of the irrigation water. The two most common water quality factors which influence the normal infiltration rate are water salinity (total quantity of salts in the water) and sodium content relative to the content of calcium and magnesium. Water which is highly saline will increase infiltration, while a low salinity water, or a sample with high sodium to calcium ratio will decrease infiltration; both of these factors may operate simultaneously. One serious side effect of an infiltration problem is the potential to develop plant disease and vector (mosquito) problems. An infiltration problem related to water quality in most cases occurs in the surface few centimetres of soil and is linked to the structural stability of this surface soil and its low calcium content relative to that of sodium. When a soil is irrigated with sodium-rich water, a high sodium surface soil develops which weakens soil structure. The surface soil aggregates then disperse into much smaller particles which clog soil pores. The problem may also be caused by an extremely low calcium content of the surface soil. In some cases, water low in salt can cause a similar problem but this is related to the corrosive nature of the low salt water and not to the sodium content of the water or soil. In the case of the low salt water, the water dissolves and leaches most of the soluble minerals, including calcium, from the surface soil. Analyses of the ground water samples tested here shows that that all have sodium ranges over 500 (mg/L);sodium contents greater than 500 mg/L are normally c onsidered unacceptable for irrigation according to water quality standards used by the FAO for agricultural use. Table 3. Cations and anion loads of the groundwater samples Sample ID Parameters Sodium Na (mg/L) Potassium K (mg/L) Phosphorus P (mg/L) Sulphate SO4 (mg/L) Ammonia NH3 (mg/L) Nitrate NO3 (mg/L) Chloride Cl (mg/L) A 500 17.0 0.53 1437 0 2.0 1250 B 1375 28.0 0.37 3275 0 10.0 2500 C 750 15.0 0.15 1302 0 5.5 1500 D 500 15.0 0.11 1380 0 2.0 1250 E 750 23.0 0.10 1607 0 4.0 1500 F 1500 27.0 0.00 3675 0 3.5 2850 G 1375 26.0 0.33 3275 0 13.5 2500 H 1375 27.0 0.25 2587 0 49.5 3000 I 1125 30.0 0.81 1737 0 138.0 2750 J 1375 27.0 0.00 2987 0 35.0 2750 K 1375 31.0 0.00 3075 0 142.0 3250 L 1125 30.0 0.25 1595 0 158.0 3000 Nitrates: The nitrate content of the analyzed groundwater samples ranges between 2 mg/l in well A and D and reaches a maximum of 158mg/l in well L .Many of the sampled groundwater wells contain nitrate exceeding the guideline values for irrigation water prescribed by FAO (0-10 mg/l), with most of the nitrogen present being probably derived from the biosphere. The nitrogen originally fixed from the atmosphere, is mineralized by soil bacteria into ammonium, which is converted into nitrate by nitrifying bacteria under aerobic conditions24. The main sources of nitrate result from either natural or anthropogenic activities rainfall and dry fall out, soil nitrogen, nitrate deposit, sewage, septic tank and animal waste, manure or compost, green manure and plant residues, atmospheric nitrogen fixation, fertilizer nitrogen from irrigated overflow water outlets and industrial effluent25. Nitrate is the end product of the oxidation of nitrogen in the environment. Particularly high nitrate concentrations indicate pollution from either sewage or agricultural fertilizer waste. Nitrate is without doubt an essential plant nutrient, but is equally a potential threat to human health when present in excess concentrations in the drinking water 26. The data obtained from the samples tested here shows that the ground waters examined contain high level of nitrate, concentrations which exceed the permissible limits for drinking purposes (Table 3). Ammonia: The term ammonia includes the non-ionized (NH3) and ionized (NH4+) species. Ammonia originates in the environment from metabolic, agricultural and industrial processes and from disinfection with chloramines. Natural levels in groundwater and surface water are usually below 0.2 mg/liter27. Anaerobic ground waters may contain up to 3mg/liter. Intensive rearing of farm animals can give rise to much higher levels in surface water. Ammonia contamination can also arise from cement m

The 1886 Mount Tarawera Eruption :: volcano, Mount Tarawera

In this essay I will tell you about the 1886 Tarawera Eruption. More specifically I will tell you about the effects the 1886 eruption had on the natural environment and ton the local communities of the region. 10th of June 1886, soon after midnight. Mt Tarawera light up like fireworks. BOOM! Molten rock came flying out of the crater, with a cloud of ash rising 9.5km into the sky. People as far as Blenheim could hear the thunder like noises but had no idea what it could be. Although the people of Rotorua knew exactly what was happening Mount Tarawera was erupting! The Mt. Tarawera eruption was the largest eruption in New Zealand for 800 years. Before the eruption, many people claimed to see a ghostly canoe on Lake Rotomahana. Maori say it was warning them that death is coming. The lake temperatures were also changing as well as more waves. Sadly nobody linked those back to Mt. Tarawera. The eruption caused the land to dramatically change. In my mind I think the biggest loss would have to be the pink and white terraces. The loss of pink and white terraces was a huge blow to New Zealand's tourist industry. People around the world came to bathe in these marvels which covered a 3 ha (hectares) area and descending 30 metres, they were massive. The pink and white terraces were about to be named one of the seven wonders of the world. No tourists would want to come and see the ash over the terraces. Millions of dollars lost. After the eruption, the region of Tarawera was covered by infertile ash. The eruption layered the volcanic ash which is very poor in nutrients. This meant that the people could no longer grow their food or graze animals. Maori used to call the central North Island â€Å"Kaingaora† Meaning Lean and hungry land. The native bushes and scrub land close to Tarawera's eruption was burnt and a lot of vegetation have never recovered. This resulted in another source of food and building materials was destroyed, making it an even harder area to live in. For one village, Te Wairoa, was covered in ash. This meant that the people had to move and start a new village and life. Around Tarawera the lakes and rivers became heavily polluted with ash.

Auebach Enterprises Essay

These are not presented in scholarly discussion, but are simply the solutions. Student papers are expected to be written in scholarly discussion following APA formatting guidelines incorporating solutions and supported with scholarly research. CASE 3A – AUERBACH ENTERPRISES Auerbach Enterprises manufactures air conditioners for automobiles and trucks manufactured throughout North America. The company designs its products with flexibility to accommodate many makes and models of automobiles and trucks. The company’s two main products are MaxiFlow and Alaska. MaxiFlow uses a few complex fabricated parts, but these have been found easy to assemble and test. On the other hand, Alaska uses many standard parts but has a complex assembly and testing process. MaxiFlow requires direct materials costs which total $135 per unit, while Alaska’s direct materials requirements total $110 per unit. Direct labor costs per unit are $75 for MaxiFlow and $95 for Alaska. Auerbach Enterprises uses machine hours as the cost driver to assign overhead costs to the air conditioners. The company has used a company-wide predetermined overhead rate in past years, but the new controller, Bennie Leon, is considering the use of departmental overhead rates beginning with t he next year. The following planning information is available for the next year for each the four manufacturing departments within the company: Overhead Machine Costs Hours Radiator parts fabrication†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. $ 80,000 10,000 Radiator assembly, weld, and test†¦. 100,000 20,000 Compressor parts fabrication†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 120,000 5,000 Compressor assembly and test†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 180,000 45,000 Total $480,000 80,000 Normally, the air conditioners are produced in batch sizes of 20 at a time. A production batch of 20 units requires the following number of hours in each department: MaxiFlow Alaska Radiator parts fabrication†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 28 16 Radiator assembly, weld, and test†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 30 74 Compressor parts fabrication†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 32 8 Compressor assembly and test†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 26 66 Total 116 164 Required: 1. Compute the departmental overhead rates using machine hours as the cost driver. 2. Compute a company-wide overhead rate using machine hours as the cost driver. 3. Compute the overhead costs per batch of MaxiFlow and Alaska assuming: (a) The company-wide rate. (b) The departmental rates. 4. Compute the total costs per unit of MaxiFlow and Alaska assuming: (a) The company-wide rate.  (b) The departmental rates. 5. Is one product affected more than the other by use of departmental rates rather than a company-wide rate? Why or why not?

A Game of Thrones Chapter Seventy-two

Daenerys The land was red and dead and parched, and good wood was hard to come by. Her foragers returned with gnarled cottonwoods, purple brush, sheaves of brown grass. They took the two straightest trees, hacked the limbs and branches from them, skinned off their bark, and split them, laying the logs in a square. Its center they filled with straw, brush, bark shavings, and bundles of dry grass. Rakharo chose a stallion from the small herd that remained to them; he was not the equal of Khal Drogo's red, but few horses were. In the center of the square, Aggo fed him a withered apple and dropped him in an instant with an axe blow between the eyes. Bound hand and foot, Mirri Maz Duur watched from the dust with disquiet in her black eyes. â€Å"It is not enough to kill a horse,† she told Dany. â€Å"By itself, the blood is nothing. You do not have the words to make a spell, nor the wisdom to find them. Do you think bloodmagic is a game for children? You call me maegi as if it were a curse, but all it means is wise. You are a child, with a child's ignorance. Whatever you mean to do, it will not work. Loose me from these bonds and I will help you.† â€Å"I am tired of the maegi's braying,† Dany told Jhogo. He took his whip to her, and after that the godswife kept silent. Over the carcass of the horse, they built a platform of hewn logs; trunks of smaller trees and limbs from the greater, and the thickest straightest branches they could find. They laid the wood east to west, from sunrise to sunset. On the platform they piled Khal Drogo's treasures: his great tent, his painted vests, his saddles and harness, the whip his father had given him when he came to manhood, the arakh he had used to slay Khal Ogo and his son, a mighty dragonbone bow. Aggo would have added the weapons Drogo's bloodriders had given Dany for bride gifts as well, but she forbade it. â€Å"Those are mine,† she told him, â€Å"and I mean to keep them.† Another layer of brush was piled about the khal's treasures, and bundles of dried grass scattered over them. Ser Jorah Mormont drew her aside as the sun was creeping toward its zenith. â€Å"Princess . . . † he began. â€Å"Why do you call me that?† Dany challenged him. â€Å"My brother Viserys was your king, was he not?† â€Å"He was, my lady.† â€Å"Viserys is dead. I am his heir, the last blood of House Targaryen. Whatever was his is mine now.† â€Å"My . . . queen,† Ser Jorah said, going to one knee. â€Å"My sword that was his is yours, Dacnerys. And my heart as well, that never belonged to your brother. I am only a knight, and I have nothing to offer you but exile, but I beg you, hear me. Let Khal Drogo go. You shall not be alone. I promise you, no man shall take you to Vaes Dothrak unless you wish to go. You need not join the dosh khaleen. Come east with me. Yi Ti, Qarth, the JadeSea, Asshai by the Shadow. We will see all the wonders yet unseen, and drink what wines the gods see fit to serve us. Please, Khaleesi. I know what you intend. Do not. Do not.† â€Å"I must,† Dany told him. She touched his face, fondly, sadly. â€Å"You do not understand.† â€Å"I understand that you loved him,† Ser Jorah said in a voice thick with despair. â€Å"I loved my lady wife once, yet I did not die with her. You are my queen, my sword is yours, but do not ask me to stand aside as you climb on Drogo's pyre. I will not watch you burn.† â€Å"Is that what you fear?† Dany kissed him lightly on his broad forehead. â€Å"I am not such a child as that, sweet ser.† â€Å"You do not mean to die with him? You swear it, my queen?† â€Å"I swear it,† she said in the Common Tongue of the Seven Kingdoms that by rights were hers. The third level of the platform was woven of branches no thicker than a finger, and covered with dry leaves and twigs. They laid them north to south, from ice to fire, and piled them high with soft cushions and sleeping silks. The sun had begun to lower toward the west by the time they were done. Dany called the Dothraki around her. Fewer than a hundred were left. How many had Aegon started with? she wondered. It did not matter. â€Å"You will be my khalasar,† she told them. â€Å"I see the faces of slaves. I free you. Take off your collars. Go if you wish, no one shall harm you. If you stay, it will be as brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.† The black eyes watched her, wary, expressionless. â€Å"I see the children, women, the wrinkled faces of the aged. I was a child yesterday. Today I am a woman. Tomorrow I will be old. To each of you I say, give me your hands and your hearts, and there will always be a place for you.† She turned to the three young warriors of her khas. â€Å"Jhogo, to you I give the silver-handled whip that was my bride gift, and name you ko, and ask your oath, that you will live and die as blood of my blood, riding at my side to keep me safe from harm.† Jhogo took the whip from her hands, but his face was confused. â€Å"Khaleesi, † he said hesitantly, â€Å"this is not done. It would shame me, to be bloodrider to a woman.† â€Å"Aggo,† Dany called, paying no heed to Jhogo's words. If I look back I am lost. â€Å"To you I give the dragonbone bow that was my bride gift.† It was double-curved, shiny black and exquisite, taller than she was. â€Å"I name you ko, and ask your oath, that you should live and die as blood of my blood, riding at my side to keep me safe from harm.† Aggo accepted the bow with lowered eyes. â€Å"I cannot say these words. Only a man can lead a khalasar or name a ko.† â€Å"Rakharo,† Dany said, turning away from the refusal, â€Å"you shall have the great arakh that was my bride gift, with hilt and blade chased in gold. And you too I name my ko, and ask that you live and die as blood of my blood, riding at my side to keep me safe from harm.† â€Å"You are khaleesi,† Rakharo said, taking the arakh. â€Å"I shall ride at your side to Vaes Dothrak beneath the Mother of Mountains, and keep you safe from harm until you take your place with the crones of the dosh khaleen. No more can I promise.† She nodded, as calmly as if she had not heard his answer, and turned to the last of her champions. â€Å"Ser Jorah Mormont,† she said, â€Å"first and greatest of my knights, I have no bride gift to give you, but I swear to you, one day you shall have from my hands a longsword like none the world has ever seen, dragon-forged and made of Valyrian steel. And I would ask for your oath as well.† â€Å"You have it, my queen,† Ser Jorah said, kneeling to lay his sword at her feet. â€Å"I vow to serve you, to obey you, to die for you if need be.† â€Å"Whatever may come?† â€Å"Whatever may come.† â€Å"I shall hold you to that oath. I pray you never regret the giving of it.† Dany lifted him to his feet. Stretching on her toes to reach his lips, she kissed the knight gently and said, â€Å"You are the first of my Queensguard.† She could feel the eyes of the khalasar on her as she entered her tent. The Dothraki were muttering and giving her strange sideways looks from the corners of their dark almond eyes. They thought her mad, Dany realized. Perhaps she was. She would know soon enough. If I look back I am lost. Her bath was scalding hot when Irri helped her into the tub, but Dany did not flinch or cry aloud. She liked the heat. It made her feel clean. Jhiqui had scented the water with the oils she had found in the market in Vaes Dothrak; the steam rose moist and fragrant. Doreah washed her hair and combed it out, working loose the mats and tangles. Irri scrubbed her back. Dany closed her eyes and let the smell and the warmth enfold her. She could feel the heat soaking through the soreness between her thighs. She shuddered when it entered her, and her pain and stiffness seemed to dissolve. She floated. When she was clean, her handmaids helped her from the water. Irri and Jhiqui fanned her dry, while Doreah brushed her hair until it fell like a river of liquid silver down her back. They scented her with spiceflower and cinnamon; a touch on each wrist, behind her ears, on the tips of her milk-heavy breasts. The last dab was for her sex. Irri's finger felt as light and cool as a lover's kiss as it slid softly up between her lips. Afterward, Dany sent them all away, so she might prepare Khal Drogo for his final ride into the night lands. She washed his body clean and brushed and oiled his hair, running her fingers through it for the last time, feeling the weight of it, remembering the first time she had touched it, the night of their wedding ride. His hair had never been cut. How many men could die with their hair uncut? She buried her face in it and inhaled the dark fragrance of the oils. He smelled like grass and warm earth, like smoke and semen and horses. He smelled like Drogo. Forgive me, sun of my life, she thought. Forgive me for all I have done and all I must do. I paid the price, my star, but it was too high, too high . . . Dany braided his hair and slid the silver rings onto his mustache and hung his bells one by one. So many bells, gold and silver and bronze. Bells so his enemies would hear him coming and grow weak with fear. She dressed him in horsehair leggings and high boots, buckling a belt heavy with gold and silver medallions about his waist. Over his scarred chest she slipped a painted vest, old and faded, the one Drogo had loved best. For herself she chose loose sandsilk trousers, sandals that laced halfway up her legs, and a vest like Drogo's. The sun was going down when she called them back to carry his body to the pyre. The Dothraki watched in silence as Jhogo and Aggo bore him from the tent. Dany walked behind them. They laid him down on his cushions and silks, his head toward the Mother of Mountains far to the northeast. â€Å"Oil,† she commanded, and they brought forth the jars and poured them over the pyre, soaking the silks and the brush and the bundles of dry grass, until the oil trickled from beneath the logs and the air was rich with fragrance. â€Å"Bring my eggs,† Dany commanded her handmaids. Something in her voice made them run. Ser Jorah took her arm. â€Å"My queen, Drogo will have no use for dragon's eggs in the night lands. Better to sell them in Asshai. Sell one and we can buy a ship to take us back to the Free Cities. Sell all three and you will be a wealthy woman all your days.† â€Å"They were not given to me to sell,† Dany told him. She climbed the pyre herself to place the eggs around her sun-and-stars. The black beside his heart, under his arm. The green beside his head, his braid coiled around it. The cream-and-gold down between his legs. When she kissed him for the last time, Dany could taste the sweetness of the oil on his lips. As she climbed down off the pyre, she noticed Mirri Maz Duur watching her. â€Å"You are mad,† the godswife said hoarsely. â€Å"Is it so far from madness to wisdom?† Dany asked. â€Å"Ser Jorah, take this maegi and bind her to the pyre.† â€Å"To the . . . my queen, no, hear me . . . â€Å" â€Å"Do as I say.† Still he hesitated, until her anger flared. â€Å"You swore to obey me, whatever might come. Rakharo, help him.† The godswife did not cry out as they dragged her to Khal Drogo's pyre and staked her down amidst his treasures. Dany poured the oil over the woman's head herself. â€Å"I thank you, Mirri Maz Duur,† she said, â€Å"for the lessons you have taught me.† â€Å"You will not hear me scream,† Mirri responded as the oil dripped from her hair and soaked her clothing. â€Å"I will,† Dany said, â€Å"but it is not your screams I want, only your life. I remember what you told me. Only death can pay for life.† Mirri Maz Duur opened her mouth, but made no reply. As she stepped away, Dany saw that the contempt was gone from the maegi's flat black eyes; in its place was something that might have been fear. Then there was nothing to be done but watch the sun and look for the first star. When a horselord dies, his horse is slain with him, so he might ride proud into the night lands. The bodies are burned beneath the open sky, and the khal rises on his fiery steed to take his place among the stars. The more fiercely the man burned in life, the brighter his star will shine in the darkness. Jhogo spied it first. â€Å"There,† he said in a hushed voice. Dany looked and saw it, low in the east. The first star was a comet, burning red. Bloodred; fire red; the dragon's tail. She could not have asked for a stronger sign. Dany took the torch from Aggo's hand and thrust it between the logs. The oil took the fire at once, the brush and dried grass a heartbeat later. Tiny flames went darting up the wood like swift red mice, skating over the oil and leaping from bark to branch to leaf. A rising heat puffed at her face, soft and sudden as a lover's breath, but in seconds it had grown too hot to bear. Dany stepped backward. The wood crackled, louder and louder. Mirri Maz Duur began to sing in a shrill, ululating voice. The flames whirled and writhed, racing each other up the platform. The dusk shimmered as the air itself seemed to liquefy from the heat. Dany heard logs spit and crack. The fires swept over Mirri Maz Duur. Her song grew louder, shriller . . . then she gasped, again and again, and her song became a shuddering wail, thin and high and full of agony. And now the flames reached her Drogo, and now they were all around him. His clothing took fire, and for an instant the khal was clad in wisps of floating orange silk and tendrils of curling smoke, grey and greasy. Dany's lips parted and she found herself holding her breath. Part of her wanted to go to him as Ser Jorah had feared, to rush into the flames to beg for his forgiveness and take him inside her one last time, the fire melting the flesh from their bones until they were as one, forever. She could smell the odor of burning flesh, no different than horseflesh roasting in a firepit. The pyre roared in the deepening dusk like some great beast, drowning out the fainter sound of Mirri Maz Duur's screaming and sending up long tongues of flame to lick at the belly of the night. As the smoke grew thicker, the Dothraki backed away, coughing. Huge orange gouts of fire unfurled their banners in that hellish wind, the logs hissing and cracking, glowing cinders rising on the smoke to float away into the dark like so many newborn fireflies. The heat beat at the air with great red wings, driving the Dothraki back, driving off even Mormont, but Dany stood her ground. She was the blood of the dragon, and the fire was in her. She had sensed the truth of it long ago, Dany thought as she took a step closer to the conflagration, but the brazier had not been hot enough. The flames writhed before her like the women who had danced at her wedding, whirling and singing and spinning their yellow and orange and crimson veils, fearsome to behold, yet lovely, so lovely, alive with heat. Dany opened her arms to them, her skin flushed and glowing. This is a wedding, too, she thought. Mirri Maz Duur had fallen silent. The godswife thought her a child, but children grow, and children learn. Another step, and Dany could feel the heat of the sand on the soles of her feet, even through her sandals. Sweat ran down her thighs and between her breasts and in rivulets over her cheeks, where tears had once run. Ser Jorah was shouting behind her, but he did not matter anymore, only the fire mattered. The flames were so beautiful, the loveliest things she had ever seen, each one a sorcerer robed in yellow and orange and scarlet, swirling long smoky cloaks. She saw crimson firelions and great yellow serpents and unicorns made of pale blue flame; she saw fish and foxes and monsters, wolves and bright birds and flowering trees, each more beautiful than the last. She saw a horse, a great grey stallion limned in smoke, its flowing mane a nimbus of blue flame. Yes, my love, my sun-and-stars, yes, mount now, ride now. Her vest had begun to smolder, so Dany shrugged it off and let it fall to the ground. The painted leather burst into sudden flame as she skipped closer to the fire, her breasts bare to the blaze, streams of milk flowing from her red and swollen nipples. Now, she thought, now, and for an instant she glimpsed Khal Drogo before her, mounted on his smoky stallion, a flaming lash in his hand. He smiled, and the whip snaked down at the pyre, hissing. She heard a crack, the sound of shattering stone. The platform of wood and brush and grass began to shift and collapse in upon itself. Bits of burning wood slid down at her, and Dany was showered with ash and cinders. And something else came crashing down, bouncing and rolling, to land at her feet; a chunk of curved rock, pale and veined with gold, broken and smoking. The roaring filled the world, yet dimly through the firefall Dany heard women shriek and children cry out in wonder. Only death can pay for life. And there came a second crack, loud and sharp as thunder, and the smoke stirred and whirled around her and the pyre shifted, the logs exploding as the fire touched their secret hearts. She heard the screams of frightened horses, and the voices of the Dothraki raised in shouts of fear and terror, and Ser Jorah calling her name and cursing. No, she wanted to shout to him, no, my good knight, do not fear for me. The fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don't you see? Don't you SEE? With a belch of flame and smoke that reached thirty feet into the sky, the pyre collapsed and came down around her. Unafraid, Dany stepped forward into the firestorm, calling to her children. The third crack was as loud and sharp as the breaking of the world. When the fire died at last and the ground became cool enough to walk upon, Ser Jorah Mormont found her amidst the ashes, surrounded by blackened logs and bits of glowing ember and the burnt bones of man and woman and stallion. She was naked, covered with soot, her clothes turned to ash, her beautiful hair all crisped away . . . yet she was unhurt. The cream-and-gold dragon was suckling at her left breast, the green-and-bronze at the right. Her arms cradled them close. The black-and-scarlet beast was draped across her shoulders, its long sinuous neck coiled under her chin. When it saw Jorah, it raised its head and looked at him with eyes as red as coals. Wordless, the knight fell to his knees. The men of her khas came up behind him. Jhogo was the first to lay his arakh at her feet. â€Å"Blood of my blood,† he murmured, pushing his face to the smoking earth. â€Å"Blood of my blood,† she heard Aggo echo. â€Å"Blood of my blood,† Rakharo shouted. And after them came her handmaids, and then the others, all the Dothraki, men and women and children, and Dany had only to look at their eyes to know that they were hers now, today and tomorrow and forever, hers as they had never been Drogo's. As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons. THE END

4 Scientific Ways To Convince Your Boss to Say Yes Every Time

4 Scientific Ways To Convince Your Boss to Say Yes Every Time As marketers, every month seems like the equivalent of a year in other industries. Marketing has  changed more in last few years than in the last 50 before them. Not only do we have to be awesome at being leaders, conversion experts, project managers, advertisers, copywriters, email wizards, and 48 other skills we have to build the skill of leading change. weve gotta kill the status quo before it kills us. and of course, we have to convince our bosses to go along with it all. This boils down to our ability to influence others. But, if youve ever read about the psychology of influencing others, it can be deflating. Doubly so when it comes to how to convince your boss or peers to try new stuff. 4 Ways To Convince Your Boss to Say Yes Every Time (Backed By Science)The Slightly Depressing Reality Of Influence One of the first principles of influence you come across is called the halo effect. In the 1920s, psychologist Edward Thorndike piloted a study of how military officers judge their subordinates. He found more physically attractive soldiers were were rated higher across the board on a four-point scale: intelligence, physique, leadership, and character. This means positive reactions to physical appearance were projected onto other areas of the soldiers. And as much as we hate to admit it, the rabbit hole goes deeper. This principle holds true in elections, as well. In a study called Beauty at the Ballot Box, researchers theorized that since physical attractiveness is a cue toward good health, we may be biologically programed to esteem it. Meaning were naturally inclined to favor attractive people. The halo effect is at work in our restaurants, as well. Another study called Beauty and the feast found that attractive servers earn roughly $1261 more per year than unattractive servers. And counterintuitively, Beauty matters more for female than male customers. Meaning pretty female waitresses get bigger tips from women. Oh yeah, and then theres this happy stat Pretty people earn 12% more money than average-looking humans. From politics to pot pies, something as shallow as looks play a major role in influencing others. However, when it comes to convincing your boss to say yes to that new process a fresh software tool obliterating makeshift marketing a flexible work-from-home policy we have more science-backed levers to pull than just our faces. 4 Ways To Convince Your Boss To Say Yes With The Power Of Science 🚀 In this post, Ill share the best research on ethical approaches to convince your boss to say yes to anything. No makeup required. Youll learn four tactics: How to position what youre asking for in concrete terms, How to align your change with team objectives, Why to conduct a trial run with a mini post-mortem conversation, And how to win by starting big, then going small. One of the most powerful changes we see is crushing the bug we call makeshift marketing. A major change to the marketing landscape is the volume of tools available. But, most of them dont play well together. This means marketers are awash in single-function tools that arent actually designed with marketers in mind. This makes your life more difficult and hurts your results. So, well walk through examples of leading change to combat it. Alright, saddle up. Its time to convince your boss to say yes every time. #1: Convince Your Boss To Say Yes Through Loss Aversion First up, lets talk opportunity cost. An opportunity cost is the benefit someone could have gained, but gave up, in favor of another action. When you choose one action over another, you lose the benefits of the alternative choice. With this first approach, we will capitalize on the principles of loss aversion and prospect theory. People fear loss more than they desire benefit. And this greatly influences the way they choose between options (aka: prospects). This means people will overweigh even the smallest opportunities for loss. A Nielsen Norman Group article summarizes it like this: When choosing among several alternatives, people avoid losses and optimize for sure wins because the pain of losing is greater than the satisfaction of an equivalent gain. For example, lets say you want to adopt a new marketing tool  like to replace a less effective one (or even multiple tools). Because there is a chance the new tool will cost more than its worth in hard cash  and  in lost productivity, your boss may be instantly loss averse. This will impact her choice between the prospects of status quo and potential loss. To capitalize on this understanding, simply structure your ask in two parts: If we do [thing you want] it will add [positive value]. If we dont do [thing you want] it will cost [negative value]. In this example, your ask might sound like: If we [adopt this new tool], it will give us a [55% lift in productivity per team member]. If we dont [adopt this new tool], we are actually losing [$1,255 per week in lost productivity]. The idea here is to highlight the gain as specifically as possible. Then showcase the loss of the alternative option - in this case changing nothing - as specifically as possible. This way, you can position the facts according to the emotional principles at play. Make loss aversion your friend and get to yes faster. #2: Convince Your Boss By Aligning Change With Team Goals Next, marketers have goals to hit. In fact, a recent study we conducted found that marketers who set goals are 429% more likely to be successful. To warm up your boss to a change, use this stat to your advantage. If you have goals, like driving  1,000 qualified leads every month Cash in on alignment theory. In essence, it posits that the most successful people understand their strengths and then arrange their lives in alignment with them. This theory works for individuals and is also portable for groups. Successful organizations tick using this principle. And the power of alignment is possible when strategy, goals, and purpose mutually reinforce one another. To put it to work with your boss, structure your ask for change like this: Our team is trying to achieve [goal]. But we have [failed] for the past [timeframe]. I think the best way we can do this right now is by [thing you want]  [based on prior success]. In keeping with our 1,000 qualified leads example, the ask might be: Our team is trying to achieve [1,000 qualified leads every month]. But weve [only reached 70% of that goal] for the [past three months]. I think the best way we can do this right now is by [focusing exclusively on driving traffic] [to our top-performing landing pages]. The change youre after is a shifted focus: driving more traffic. However, the goal youre trying to achieve is the same: 1,000 qualified leads. Its also super important to notice the last part of that statement based on prior success. If your team has had any related successes in the past, highlight them for leverage as proof.If your team has had any related successes in the past, highlight them for leverage as proof. In this example, it was top-performing landing pages. In their fantastic book, Switch, authors Chip and Dan Heath call these prior wins bright spots. Theyre extremely powerful because they showcase that positive results  are possible, because you have achieved them in the past. Youre team is capable of the results. So, youre aligning your methods accordingly. Bonus: This is also a great chance to sharpen your goal-setting strategy if it needs a little work. #3:Convince Your Boss With A Post-Mortem Post-mortems sound depressing but can I confess something? I think theyre awesome. A post-mortem is an analysis held after any project. Usually, its aim is to figure out: How on earth did things go so wrong?! However, I love them because theyre amazing chances to learn. Theyre even beneficial to hold on the heels of successful projects. No matter how well a project has gone, there are always things that can be improved.  They promote healthy self-reflection and can benefit your entire team. In this case, I want you to hold a mini post-mortem with your boss in advance of your ask. The reason is twofold. You can learn why similar changes have failed in the past. You can pre-empt legitimate objections your boss will have ahead of time. Why Have Other Things Failed? By learning why other initiatives have failed, you can learn what pitfalls to avoid. For instance, if youre proposing a move from spreadsheets to   - or a similar transition from a clunky way of doing things - how helpful would it be to learn that the last tool transition to be shot down actually had the support of your manager, but got squashed by the CFO? An easy way to phrase this question is, When was the last time we wanted to get budget for a new project, idea, or tool in our department? If the last attempt failed, you can follow with, Why do you think it failed? And is there any way it could have been approved? If it succeeded, even better! You can ask, Why was it successful? And how has it panned out? Overcoming Legitimate Objections Next, you can glean what legitimate objections your boss may have to your idea. Almost every boss Ive ever had loved to say, Yes! to great ideas. But so many of my attempts at leading a new change as the underling failed because I didnt understand their field of visibility. Field of visibility means their viewpoint informed by the things they know that I dont. Often, its the difference between someone standing on a balcony and someone in the crowd below. Company execs sit in meetings that you dont. They hear forecasts, plans, and upcoming constraints that you dont. They understand organizational dynamics you may have missed. They see your team from a broader perspective than you might. This means understanding their field of visibility is incredibly beneficial. With an informal post-mortem, you can dig into why a similar change failed. This will help you position your ask to overcome your bosss legitimate (or even illegitimate) objections. Whether its data  A project champion up the chain Or competitive research You can gain insight beforehand to have great answers to tough questions. #4: Convince Your Boss By Asking Big, Then Small Last, if youre a marketer, youve probably heard of the rule of reciprocity. Psychologist and mega best-selling author Robert Cialdini explains it in his book  Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion like this. He says, The rule says that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us [and] by virtue of the reciprocity rulewe are  obligated to the future repayment of favors, gifts, invitations, and the like. The idea is to do something for someone else  before you ask them to do something for you. When you do so, youre far more likely to get that coveted yes. But honestly, this principle might be effective, but its too manipulative for me to entertain actually doing this. Call me a boy scout, but that seems like a pretty sketchy move. And worse, an infringement on a healthy relationship. Now that Ive taken a stand on my moral high ground, Ill share with you a version of this rule Id happily endorse 😎 Cialdini also shares a specific application of this rule called bargaining, saying, Bargaining is frequently used in the negotiation process, which involves reciprocal concessions. That is, if Person A rebuffs a large request from Person B, and Person B then concedes by making a smaller request, Person A will feel obligated to reciprocate this concession with a concession of his or her own by agreeing to this lesser plea. In 1975, researchers on the Arizona State University campus cracked the code on exactly how this works. Their experiment was pretty slick. Half of the students in the test were asked, Will you chaperone juvenile-detention-center inmates on a day trip to the zoo? Only 17% of them said yes. The other half of the test subjects were asked a leading question first: Will you volunteer as a juvenile-detention-center counselor for two hours per week for the next two years? Everyone said no to the first question. However, almost 50% said yes to the second question about chaperoning the zoo visit! The angle for our marketing purposes is pretty obvious. Construct two versions of your ask.

The Dangers of Inflation essays

The Dangers of Inflation essays The article Time To Pop The Party, written by Bernard Baumohl, demonstrates that inflation is a inevitable occurrence in our society. Even though the United States economy continues to grow and prosper it still faces the problem of inflation. Some people describe inflation as the decrease in the value of a doller. During a period of inflation the general price rises. In its extreme form inflation can have catastrophic effects on a nation. No matter how much a nation may thrive economically it still must face the problem of inflation. As shown in the article Time To Pop The Party the United States is under going a unprecedented economic time of prosperity. The United States has been increasing its gross domestic product every year for the past eight years, which is the longest in the history of the United States. Consumer spending has increased and unemployment is at a record low. After all this economic success our nation still under goes the problem of inflation. Inflation may be caused by several different reasons. Inflation may be a direct result of goods and services being in great demand and the economy not being able to satisfy this demand which is called down-pull inflation. Another reason for a rise in the level of prices is when the cost of doing buisness is increased which is called cost-push inflation. When the Federal Reserve raises the rates of interest financial markets increase their prices. Inflation can have disastrous effects on any economy as demonstrated in Germany following World War one. The year before the war 4 marks could be exchanged for one doller. But after the war 4,000,000,000,000 marks were neccessary in order to exchanged for one doller. As a result of this drastic inflation the German people needed a barrel full of money to buy a single newspaper. People who depend on fixed incomes are hurt by inflatio ...

How Sequestration and Mandatory Federal Spending Cuts Work

How Sequestration and Mandatory Federal Spending Cuts Work Sequestration is the federal governments way of applying mandatory spending cuts across most programs and agencies during the budgeting process. Members of Congress use sequestration to reduce spending across the board when the governments annual deficit reaches a point that is unacceptable to them. Congress imposed spending caps on discretionary portions of federal spending through 2021, a move that was designed to save taxpayers about $1.2 trillion over nearly a decade. Sequestration  Definition The Congressional Research Service defines sequestration  this way: In general, sequestration entails the permanent cancellation of budgetary resources by a uniform percentage. Moreover, this uniform percentage reduction is applied to all programs, projects, and activities within a budget account. However, the current sequestration procedures, as in previous iterations of such procedures, provide for exemptions and special rules. That is, certain programs and activities are exempt from sequestration, and certain other programs are governed by special rules regarding the application of a sequester. Whats Affected By Sequestration When Congress uses sequestration, spending cuts happen to to both military and non-military spending, including important social programs such as Medicare. Most of the mandatory spending cuts come from non-military agencies and programs in the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Environmental Protection, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, NASA and Transportation. Whats Not Affected by Sequestration Several programs - most notable those for senior citizens, veterans and the poor - are exempt from sequestration cuts. They include Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Medicaid, food stamps and Supplemental Security Income. Medicare, however, is subject to automatic cuts under sequestration. Its spending cannot be reduced by more than 2 percent, however. Also exempt from sequestration are congressional salaries. So even though federal works are furloughed or laid off to save money, elected officials still get paid. Sequestration  History The idea of imposing automatic spending cuts in the federal budget was first put in place by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Sequestration is rarely used, however, because of the negative consequences severe spending cuts have on programs and services for citizens. Even when Congress uses sequestration, it does so as a political tool to force voluntarily spending reductions and often doesnt allow the full cuts to take effect. Modern Examples of Sequestration The most recent sequester was used in the Budget Control Act of 2011 to encourage Congress to reduce the annual deficit by $1.2 trillion by the end of 2012. When lawmakers failed to do so, the law triggered automatic budget cuts to the 2013 national security budget. A super Congress made up of a select group of 12 members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate was chosen in 2011 to identify ways to reduce the national debt by $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The super Congress failed to reach an agreement, however. The sequestration cuts imposed in the 2011 legislation took effect in 2013 and continue through 2021. Opposition to Sequestration Critics of sequestration say spending cuts threaten national security through Defense Department reductions and harm the economy because federal works are often furloughed or laid off. These cuts will make it harder to grow our economy and create jobs by affecting our ability to invest in important priorities like education, research and innovation, public safety, and military readiness, said President Barack Obama, who was in office when the sequestration cuts of 2013 took effect.

Kosovo is Albania Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kosovo is Albania - Thesis Example Kosovo was the core of Yugoslavia and southern region of Serbia. It is true that being an independent country, people of different ethnic groups used to live in Kosovo. According to several criticisms of the historians, it can be stated that the largest ethnic group in Kosovo that are generally identified are the Albanians. There is huge controversy among the historians regarding the ethnic identity of Kosovo. This particular essay will discuss in favor of following thesis statement. Before going into the controversial debate, it is highly important for the readers to determine and understand the history. â€Å"Albanians can be considered as the largest ethnic group in Kosovo†. This particular community can be called as Kosovan or Kosovo Albanians or Kosovar. According to the Yugoslav census in the 1991, there were more than 80 percent Albanians used to live in Kosovo. However, this particular census had been boycotted by the Albanians due to several reasons. â€Å"It has been mentioned earlier that Kosovo got independence in the year 2008†. Since medieval period several Albanians used to live in Kosovo. It is true that, slowly and gradually several Albanians started to shift in Kosovo way before First World War. â€Å"In addition to this, when the Serbs used to expel major number of Albanians, then these Albanians started to settle in Kosovo during the year 1878† (Vickers, 2001). Moreover, these Albanians were recognized as the muhaxher. In addition to this, in the year 1912 during the war of Balkans in this First World War era, maximum of the Eastern Kosovo part was captured by the strong Kingdom of Serbia. â€Å"On the other hand, western part of the Kosovo was captured by the strong Kingdom of Montenegro† (Clark, 2000). However, as a result the Colonist Serb families started to move into Kosovo. Therefore, the percentage of Albanian population used to decrease significantly in Kosovo. â€Å"More than 10 percent

Individual case study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual case study - Research Paper Example On ethical issues, Nike was faced with the challenge of providing the required wage for its workers. Although the company provided jobs for the locals of contractor countries, the pay was less, and this was unethical. In Vietnam worker were being paid about $1.6 per day, a pay that was way below their daily wage of $3 a day. In addition, workers were not given protective wear during work within Vietnam and other countries working on behalf of the company. For instance, it was confirmed that those working in areas with dangerous chemicals were not wearing glove and those in areas with poisonous gases were not given masks as is required by safety procedures. In amidst of all these, the company was reporting large profits and various organizations felt that the company was exploiting people and especially underage workers (Carroll, 2009). Nike experiences a challenge in developing a strict monitoring system to use in its contactor countries. This would ensure that issues like the amount of wages paid to workers and even working conditions are improved. In addition to this, such a system would ensure that workers are given protective wear and paid acceptable wages. The other challenge is the difficulties in establishing and hiring a competent body that would ensure proper and accurate accounting records. This has resulted to poor payment terms of those employed to work for the company and improper records. In addition to this, company has difficulties in determining the countries in which it would establish its branches. This is because of the legal requirements required by the countries in which it plans to establish its other companies. The host government in various countries played crucial roles in the establishment of contractors. For instance, host countries were involved in licensing Nike to carry out its manufacturing activities on their land. In addition to

Company Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company Analysis Paper - Essay Example Dell has been successful in the computer industry while other companies such as Sony and Toshiba have not made as much as Dell. In the computer industry the products that are produced have a very short life cycle and for this reason products quickly become obsolete. Toshiba and Sony have only tried to make a steady supply of their products but in the computer industry this is not very important, what is important in the computer industry is flexibility. Flexibility means that a volume of one product is supplied quickly and when there is a change in technology a company must switch quickly and offer the new product to the market.1 Dell has succeeded in changing their products when a new technology emerges. This is followed by a well organised supply chain where products are offered in the market, for this reason therefore Dell has been successful due to their quick adoption to new technology that emerge in the production of computers and computer products. The other reason why Dell has been successful is the adoption of a sophisticated supply network, Dell products are shipped directly from the supplier to the end customer, customers will only order their products and they are directly delivered to them, this has ensured a very effective supply chain which has led to the success of Dell, its competitors like Toshiba and Sony have not adopted such supply networks and for this reason they have not been in a position to succeed in this industry.2 Performance measures in the computer industry: Performance measures are those indicators that help a company to define and measure the progress of the company, the computer industry has come up with benchmarks to measure performance, the Raw speed is one of benchmark used to measure performance in this industry, it is a measure from SPEC which stands for standard performance evaluation Corp, this benchmark measures the central processing unit, however this measure does not consider how fast data can be retrieved from the hard disk and this measure is complicated. Another test checks the CPU integer performance. This means checking how the CPU handles simple tasks, the other measure is the SPECINT95 which checks how the product handles complex mathematics. Another performance measure is the graphic performance benchmark, it is aimed at measuring how fast computers will run graphic intensive applications, and the graphic performance measure is provided by the GPC which stands for Graphic performance committee. Project two: SWOT analysis: Strengths: Strength of the Dell company is that the company offer customised products to its consumers, the company products are built to order, the customer orders and he or she is shipped the product, for this reason therefore the customer gets what he or she wants, this is a strength through which the company is able to communicate with its customers and they are able to understand their needs which is a key to success in every business. The other strength is the introduction of internet order of products, customers order through the internet which enable a swift and improved distribution process, this also enables the expansion of value added services, through the introduction

Developing Hospitality Properties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Developing Hospitality Properties - Essay Example The next step is deciding the best ways to raise money which will be discussed in this paper. Debts are very available and utilizable sources of funds for any purpose. According to (Walker, 2009), commercial banks are among the best and most common sources of loaning finances. Such funds come in the form of loans which are usually sufficient for all needs. Such loans are classified according to the repayment period. Term loans are repayable over a long period probably longer than a year, an intermediate loan is repayable within five years and there are those loans that take longer periods of over 20 years. However, such loans are not easily acquired and this is one of its restrictions. Barrows and Powers (2008) explicitly state other limitations of such loans as; security is mandatory, some interest rates are very high and the risk of receiving due to defaulting the loan are usually high. A lot of capital is required in this restaurant keeping in mind the myriad of services it is int ended to offer. According to Hunt (2008) this is one property of a high risk business because the surety of the population feeding on spicy Indian cuisine is not 100% guaranteed. Therefore, he states that the other kind of debt can be through venture capital. In this case, the venture capital source is refunded through owning equity in the restaurant. One of the advantages of such a debt according to Burrows and Powers (2008) is that it is readily available especially for new businesses such as this. Secondly, it creates an environment where public relations and advertising are made easier and easy success of the business. Lastly, it has less risks compared to most loans. However, the mother company may end up losing complete control of the business operations, and also the risk of receivership in case of defaulting payment. Investors or rather angel investors as Leman and DuFrene (2010), are not really classified under debts. These are just people who have to be convinced of the su ccess of one’s business before they invest in it. They are looked at as more of private banks by most people and authors too. The two authors state that recently, this concept has been made easier by the knowledge of availability of such investors through networking and other business professionals. An agreement is made on how and when to pay the investor back depending on the businesses flexibility. Among its advantages is that it is readily available, flexibility in payment and in some cases, the investors double up as advisors. Walker (2009) states that such kinds of debts are usually more expensive and it is very difficult to find an investor who is willing and able to raise the required amount. In a way, debts are also provided by small business investment companies. Apparently, such companies are sometimes ostensibly stated as banks but they are completely the opposite. Longnecker, Etty, Palich, and Hoy (2009) have explicitly shown how some of these businesses sometimes partner with the government in providing small or medium sized loans. All they demand is a percentage of ownership in the restaurant which they will hold on to until all their money is paid back. The reimbursement period is usually flexible and the investment funds are easily acquired. However, Walker (2009) states that ownership in small business investment companies is tantamount to almost total control. Making decisions for such companies takes a long time as all the stakeholders have to be consulted and unanimously

Any topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Any topics - Essay Example Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment by Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2010) is an investigative study article post by the means of idealism research that applies specific psychosocial early childbearing and pregnancy predictors within a single reproductive woman risks factor (Ramsay and Gennady, P. 14). The article uncovers vividly through extensive discussion multivariate Eriksonian developmental perspective approach for nurses to integrate unique of an unaltered body of mothers of reproductive age. In Ideal environment, the article denotes both quantitative and empirical for of research technique with much utilization of a mail survey to evaluate the evaluative behavior, aspiration factors and psychosocial well-being of reproductive mothers. The article employs a sample population of 2635 participants aged 18 to 20 years selected from the Australian longitudinal study of the survey undertaken for women health (Ramsay and Gennady, P. 16). The article generation is based on the reality that, women of reproductive age psychological factors play a significant role in managing and understanding early childbearing and pregnancy risk issues in women of reproductive age. The research findings presented in the article provide nurses with opportunities to investigate and evaluate the process. In simple terms, the article provides the means of effective nursing interventions or nursing care plan (Ramsay and Gennady, P. 22). The means effective nursing intervention provided by the article helps nursing professions in achieving the best nursing practice in the care of early pregnancy and childbearing women based on the Eriksonian Developmental point of view. The article’s study exploits Erikson psychological development theoretical framework that has been understudied in longitudinal nursing research. Therefore, of all psychosocial factors that may face women

Summary of the film The lives of others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of the film The lives of others - Essay Example The film elicited criticism despite receiving widespread acclaim. Roger Ebert described the film as quiet while Wolf Biermann criticized it for lacking originality in its political details (The Guardian). However, the impeccable production of The Lives of Others attracted awards and nominations. The film was nominated for Australian Film Critics Association in the category the Best Overseas Film, BBC Four, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and European Film Academy. The movie also won awards in German Film Critics Association, Sarasota Film Festival, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Deutsche Film, and European film Academy (Nytimes.com). The purpose of this analysis is to highlight concerns of political power, cruelties, a vindictive administration, trust, love and mistrust that result into a tragic end in the film. The film deals with oppressive powerful regimes, but on a small scale level (Gritten, The Telegraph).The beginning of the film affirms the prevailing powerful regimes in East Berlin in 1984. The detention center of Stasi houses political informants to known details of all citizens and intervene in all possible controversies. Spying on Georg Dreyman affirms that the tension between the population and the government. The political power elicits trust and sacrifice concerns. A suffocating society has little room for expression and happiness (French, The Guardian). For example, the East Berlin bureaucrats do not disclose the real reasons for the surveillance of Dreyman. Wiesler sacrifices his position in the Stasi team after learning that Minister Bruno Hempf is coveting with her girlfriend, Christa. Wiesler uses mistrust to avoid the brutal administration. Donnersmarck’s production is an eye-opener to state assassinations and cruelties carried out under the guise of socialism (Gritten, The Telegraph). The dominant mood of a tragedy engulfs the film that shows a man,

Any topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Any topics - Essay Example Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment by Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2010) is an investigative study article post by the means of idealism research that applies specific psychosocial early childbearing and pregnancy predictors within a single reproductive woman risks factor (Ramsay and Gennady, P. 14). The article uncovers vividly through extensive discussion multivariate Eriksonian developmental perspective approach for nurses to integrate unique of an unaltered body of mothers of reproductive age. In Ideal environment, the article denotes both quantitative and empirical for of research technique with much utilization of a mail survey to evaluate the evaluative behavior, aspiration factors and psychosocial well-being of reproductive mothers. The article employs a sample population of 2635 participants aged 18 to 20 years selected from the Australian longitudinal study of the survey undertaken for women health (Ramsay and Gennady, P. 16). The article generation is based on the reality that, women of reproductive age psychological factors play a significant role in managing and understanding early childbearing and pregnancy risk issues in women of reproductive age. The research findings presented in the article provide nurses with opportunities to investigate and evaluate the process. In simple terms, the article provides the means of effective nursing interventions or nursing care plan (Ramsay and Gennady, P. 22). The means effective nursing intervention provided by the article helps nursing professions in achieving the best nursing practice in the care of early pregnancy and childbearing women based on the Eriksonian Developmental point of view. The article’s study exploits Erikson psychological development theoretical framework that has been understudied in longitudinal nursing research. Therefore, of all psychosocial factors that may face women

The perception of the perfect body image Essay Example for Free

The perception of the perfect body image Essay It is only now she realises that she got favoured over the less attractive staff and got more pay rises than most people do. He didnt even know my cousin, but flirted with her constantly because of her outside appearance. This eventually grew until she could take no more. Unfortunately she had to leave her job as a consequence. All because she was the victim of the perfect body beautiful. He hadnt known what her personality was like, he just seen a woman and abused that fact. This too is becoming a huge problem, not only is it the ugly people being targeted but also, the beautiful people. So what is it better to be? There are problems on both sides of unwanted attention and heavy flirtation that can become overwhelming and a nuisance yet these women shouldnt have to suffer because of their appearance. There is no escaping this type of prejudice. How could this be allowed to surface in the first place? Yet again it shows how shallow our society has become, when is it going to stop? Will it ever stop? Has it gone to far beyond repair? Theres no doubt about the influence of the media on womens self-esteem and appearance. On ITV they had a program Make me Beautiful, this is added pressure of women feeling so insecure about themselves that they are prepared to undergo plastic surgery to see themselves as beautiful. The program in itself is wrong as it is recognising that women have an issue with beauty, but is letting them change their bodies to justify this and make the social image of the perfect body beautiful become acceptable. This is also against Christian beliefs but because it isnt recognised as such, it makes it hard to deem an act against Gods word. Nevertheless, women should not become reconciled to the medias pressure. They neednt stick to the artificial images, but instead try to be beautiful in their own way. Women even tend to diet often which can lead to serious illnesses that include eating disorders, this is because of the media attention that is given to attractive women. People are fooled into thinking that if they can be a size six they will be beautiful, but often this isnt the case, and when the result isnt pleasing. Depression slides into play. It is an evil downward spiral of deceit that comes from the media pressure of celebrities. As most celebrities themselves support a range of diets and are painfully thin. This can be seen my Lindsey Lohan, a well-known teen actress who has suffered from strain of the public eye and has became increasingly thin. Which is worrying, as she is a role model for teenage girls. Yet there are some magazines that acknowledge this, we open The Sun and go to Bizarre column and we see the latest gossip about who is too thin. Although this has been recognised, the media and society do nothing to follow through their findings. A womans beauty comes from the centre; it is where her heart lies, where her personality beams up her whole body, it can be her interests, or what makes her happy. Or it can be just her simple loving thought. Women are cheated of their right to happiness. It isnt fair but until the public address the seriousness of this situation, when eating disorders rise, when suicides from bullying rocket and when more and more women become depressed, it may make the world wake up. The government is solving the waste problem; it is solving the peace problem, even the health problem with the recent non-smoking ban. But when will the time come to solve the body image problem that plagues our streets and will become one of the worlds top killers, which has been proved by Anorexia Wastes Life Association. The time to act is now, but is it too little too late when the statistics show death? Two weeks later the woman in this picture aged 22, died of Anorexia. All because she too wanted the Perfect Body Beautiful. i i Stefanie Jameson Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Analysis of Heavy Metals Found in Vegetables

Analysis of Heavy Metals Found in Vegetables Analysis of heavy metals found in vegetables from some cultivated irrigated gardens in the Amravati City, India. Arvaind Chavhan, Dhote Jayashree  and Ingole Sangita Introduction Irrigation is the artificial addition of water to soils in order to meet plants’ needs to overcome drought limitations and improve the crops’ yields. However, other factors such as soil and water quality and management practices are also important. Wastewater irrigation is known to contribute significantly to the heavy metal contents of soils (Mapanda et al., 2005; Devkota and Schmidt, 2000). In Zimbabwe, Nyamangara and Mzezewa (1999) implicated land disposal of sewage and industrial effluents as the chief source of heavy metal enrichment of pasturelands and agricultural fields. Barrow and Webber (1972), Pike et al. (1975) pointed out the dangers of repeatedly treating soils with metallurgical slag because of the possible build up of elements to toxic concentrations. Juste (1974) observed that the spreading of some organic wastes (town refuse, domestic and industrial effluents etc) might contribute to increased levels of nonessential metals in soil, which could cause poor plant growth. Studies conducted by Kisku et al. (2000) in Kalipur, Bangladesh, on the uptake of Cu, Pb, Ni and Cd by Brassica oleracea from fields irrigated with industrial effluent indicated widespread contamination from heavy metals despite showing a healthy and gigantic external morphology. High levels of accumulation of heavy metals from soil by common garden vegetables have been reported by many env ironmental researchers (Boon and Soltanpour, 1992; De Pieri et al., 1997; Xiong, 1998). Therefore, heavy metal contamination of vegetables cannot be underestimated as these foodstuffsare important components of human diet. Vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibers, and also have beneficial anti-oxidative effects. However, intake of heavy metal-contaminated vegetables may pose a risk to the human health. This is because, heavy metals have the ability to accumulate in living organisms and at elevated levels they can be toxic. It has been reported that prolonged consumption of unsafe concentrations of heavy metals through foodstuffs may lead to the chronic accumulation of the metals in the kidney and liver of humans causing disruption of  numerous biochemical processes, leading to cardiovascular, nervous, kidney and bone diseases  (Trichopoulos,1997; Jarup, 2003). Determination of the chemical composition of plants is one of the most frequently used methods of monitoring environmental pollution. Various plants have been used as bioindicators (Kasanen and Venetvaara, 1991). Several studies have been reported on the accumulation of environmental pollutants in plants. In Israel, for example lichen and higher plant species were exposed near industrial areas in order to detect the accumulation of heavy metals in these plants (Naveh et al., 1979). Tree barks and their leaves remain in the environment for a long period and are sensitive indicators of the environmental contamination with heavy metals, sulphur and fluorine (Ayodele and Ahmed, 2001). Batagarawa (2000), analyzed moss plant in Kano metropolis for heavy metals and reported high levels of lead, zinc and cadmium from industrial areas of Sharada, Bompai and Challawa. Nuhu (2000) also reported high levels of cadmium, manganese and lead in mango leaves obtained from industrial areas of Bompai, Challawa and Sharada in Kano metropolis.Kano is one of the highly populated cities in Nigeria. It lies within longitude 8 ° 32’E and latitude 11 ° 58’N, within a topographical drainage of River J akara flowing north east. The vegetation of the area is the savannah type, with more grasses than hard wood trees. The average annual rainfall of the area is 817 mm and the temperature varies between 27 to 35 °C with a moderate relative humidity. Study area Jakara (JKR) and Kwakwachi (KKC) gardens are irrigation sites alongside Jakara river valley at Ahmaddiya and Sabon-gari areas respectively, while Sharada (SRD) garden is located in the middle of industries at Sharada industrial estate all in the Kano metropolis. In these three sites, farming activities are carried out throughout the year but with domestic and industrial wastewaters being used to treat the soils during dry seasons. Thomas (TMS) Dam is another irrigation site outside Kano metropolis where fresh water from the dam is being used to treat the  soils during dry seasons.   The objectives of this study were to analyze the vegetable samples from the irrigation sites for heavymetals and to compare results obtained with one another and with those of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) safe limits, while using vegetable (spinach, okra, onions and tomatoes) samples from Thomas Dam as control. The metals of interest include cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). The results obtained from this study will be useful for assessing the metals contamination and as well as determining the need for remediation. The results would also provide information for background levels of metals in the vegetables in the study area. MATERIALS AND METHODS Analytical reagent (AnalaR) grade chemicals and distilled water were used throughout the study. All glassware and plastic containers used in this work were washed with detergent solution  followed by 20%( v/v) nitric acid and then rinsed with tap water and finally with distilled water. Sampling and sample treatment The vegetables analyzed include spinach, okra, tomatoes and onions. Samples were collected twice in the year 2002 from three different farms in each site. The first round of sampling was carried out in May towards the end of the dry season while the second round was in September at the peak of the rainy season. Each sample was randomly handpicked, wrapped in a big brown  envelope and labeled. In the laboratory, each sample was washed with tap water and thereafter with distilled water and then dried in an oven at 80 °C (Larry and Morgan, 1986). At the end of the drying, the oven was  turned off and left overnight to enable the sample cool to room temperature. Each sample was grounded into a fine powder, sieved and finally stored in a 250 cm3 screw capped plastic jar  appropriately labeled. Digestion procedure A 2.0 g of the sample was weighed out into a Kjaedahl flask mixed with 20 cm3 of concentrated sulphuric acid, concentrated perchloric acid and concentrated nitric acid in the ratio 1: 4: 40 by volume respectively and left to stand overnight. Thereafter, the flask was heated at 70 °C for about 40 min and then, the heat was increased to 120 °C. The mixture turned black after a while (Erwin and lvo, 1992). The digestion was complete when the solution became clear and white fumes appeared. The digest was diluted with 20 cm3 of distilled water and boiled for 15 min. This was then allowed to cool, transferred into 100 cm3 volumetric flasks and diluted to the mark with distilled water. The sample solution was then filtered through a filter paper into a screw capped polyethylene bottle. Instrumental analysis An Alpha 4 model atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Chemtec Analytical, UK) equipped with photomultiplier tube detector and hollow cathode lamps was used for the determination of metal concentrations. Working standards were also prepared by further dilution of 1000 ppm stock solution of each of the metals and a calibration curve was constructed by plotting absorbance versus concentration. By interpolation, the concentrations of the metals in sample digests were determined. Statistical analysis All analysis was performed in triplicates. Results were expressed by means of  ±SD. Statistical significance was established using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Means were separated according to Duncan’s multiple range analysis (p RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The mean concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in different vegetable samples from the three effluent irrigated sites and the control are listed in Tables 1A and B. The results generally show significant levels (p However, there are a few cases in the control site where negative values were recorded for percentage loss of metal in rainy season samples over those of the dry season, thus indicating an increase in metal levels in the rainy season samples over those of the dry season (Table 2). This may be attributed to the possibility of the runoffs from the surrounding land containing metal salts being washed into the control site. Generally, the mean concentration range of Cu in all vegetables analyzed was 0.30 to 7.50 mg/Kg, with the highest concentration recorded for Jakara onions and the lowest for spinach from the control site. The maximum value recorded is below the National Agency for Food  and Drug Administration and Controls (NAFDAC) maximum tolerable Cu concentration of 40 mg/Kg in fresh vegetables (Figure 1). Ni was below detectable level in the control samples while the highest level of 2.02 mg/Kg was obtained in SRD spinach. Also Pb was below the detectable level in control samples while SRD spinach recorded the highest level of 1.60 mg/Kg. The highest values obtained for Pb and Ni are below the NAFDAC safe limits for these metals (2.00 and 2.70 mg/Kg, respectively) in fresh vegetables. The mean concentration range for Co was found to be 0.12 to 1.14 mg/Kg with the highest concentration recorded in JKR onions and the lowest in tomato from control site. The mean concentration range for Cr was found to be 0.16 to 0.85 mg/Kg with the highest concentration recorded in JKR spinach and the lowest in the okra from control site. The results indicated the mean concentration range of Zn to be 0.67 to 18.89 mg/Kg with the highest concentration found in JKR onions and the lowest in tomatoes from the control site. However, the highest value obtained is still below the NAFDAC safe limit of Zn (50 mg/Kg) in fresh vegetables. The results  obtained in this study are comparable with some literature values of similar studies reported previously (Onianwa et al., 2001; Erwin and Ivo, 1992; Pennington et al., 1995). Consequently, from the results, the general trend for the mean levels of metals analyzed in all vegetables sampled from the three effluent irrigated sites as well as the control for both dry and rainy seasons showed that for the concentrations of Cu and Zn, JKR > KKC > SRD > Control; for Co and Cr concentrations, JKR> SRD> KKC > Control; for Ni concentration, SRD> JKR > KKC > Control, and for Pb concentrations, SRD > KKC > JKR > Control (Figure 1).These sequences indicated that the metal contents of the vegetables are higher in areas being treated with wastewater. The observation is in good agreement with other studies elsewhere (Sharma et al., 2006; Sawidis et al., 2001) which suggested that uptake of metals by plants is proportional to their concentrations and availabilities in soils. Dasuki (2000) had earlier reported high levels of Cr (1.5 to 3.8 mg/Kg) in effluents from Sharada and Challawa industrial estates while Batagarawa (2000) had also reported high levels of Cu (1.74 to 1 1.54 mg/Kg), Pb (10.38 to 154.64 mg/Kg), and Zn (11.40 to 87.34 mg/Kg) in the samples of moss plant from Bompai and Sharada industrial estates in Kano metropolis. The trend also shows that JKR garden recorded highest mean concentrations in four out of six metals analyzed (Co, Cu, Zn and Cr), while SRD garden recorded highest concentrations in two metals (Ni and Pb). Hence, the trend for the level of contamination by metals in the irrigation gardens is JKR > SRD > KKC > control (Figure 1). The high mean levels of Pb and Ni in SRD samples could be attributed to industrial emissions (Yilmaz and Zengin, 2004) while the high level of Pb in KKC could be attributed to automobile emissions as a result of its proximity to the road side in addition to the possible high levels of metal in contaminated wastewater being used for irrigation. The close relationship between lead concentrations and traffic intensity has been  demonstrated in detail by many authors (Li et al., 2001; Viard et al.,2004). Furthermore, the relative high levels of Zn, Cu, Co and Cr in JKR and KKC samples may be attributed to the contaminated Jakara stream (Ogbalor, 1991; Dasuki, 2 000) used for treating soils at the two  sites, as many industrial and domestic waste waters are discharged into it. Conclusion This study further confirms the increased danger of growing vegetables on soils irrigated with contaminated industrial and domestic wastewaters. However, the levels of the metals are currently within the NAFDAC safe limits guidelines. But, if the practice of treating the soils in the irrigation gardens with contaminated waters is not controlled, it may lead to health hazard on the part of consumers of the vegetables on the long term. Therefore, there is the need to continually monitor, control and take necessary policy decisions so as to limit and ultimately  prevent these avoidable problems. However, in the mean time, farmers from the study areas are hereby encouraged to use well water for irrigation in their gardens instead of contaminated streams. Table :1 Heavy metal concentration of Waste water of Amravati ciy, Maharashtra India. (mean Value)