Women in the West Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women in the West - Research Paper Example There are groups of researchers that focused on the exploration of the recorded data related to the women in the west. The information presented the expertise of women in different fields such as in the different industries and arts. One of the characteristics of the women of the west considered of importance is the capability to dominate and to survive a work suited for the male gender. Based on the work of Sally Zanjani, the women had been attached to occupations that had been stereotyped for the gender such as â€Å"maids, laundresses, teachers† etc. Although this is the case even in the early 18th to 19th centuries women in small numbers are involved in different ‘male-dominated occupations’ such as being a ‘blacksmith, doctor, truck driver, rodeo champion and even prospector for mining activities’ (Adjani 7). In the light of the said information, it can be considered that the capability of the women of the west to succeed in jobs stereotyped for men is hindered due to the perceived limitations in terms of different reasons, one of which is the physical strength. This view can be related to the manner of dressing (e.g. corsets and dresses) and in carrying themselves with grace and finesse which is as also referred to as ‘cult of true womanhood’ (Zanjani 7). It can be considered that the west had been recognized as a region of courage and endeavor for both genders. This gave the chance to women pioneers and leaders to excel in different fields. In terms of the mining industry, one of the most important icons that represented women’s strength is Fermina Sarras. She is known as the Copper Queen who had been successful in the field dominated by the male gender (Zanjani 20). Other characteristics of the woman of the west are the inspiration and the vision. These attributes can be considered as the main reason that their hard work can compensate for their

Reasons for Choosing Mortuary Science Field Assignment

Reasons for Choosing Mortuary Science Field - Assignment Example Learners are trained to be morticians by learning biological science, business and social sciences. I think that the study of events relating with death, and how the society prepares for it raises questions are deep rooted in the human sociological lives. The reasons why I chose mortuary science field is because it deals with death, is a common event in the society, offers an opportunity for a well paying job and has objectives that build an individual to become a significant person in the community. Reason 1 The first reason for I chose mortuary science field is because of death factor in the society; hence, trains individuals in an area common, and part of human beings lives. I believe that death is a common occasion that man has accepted in the society and is an unremitting process. Consequently, the program is essential in building and molding skilled individuals who assist the bereaved in planning and organizing the event. The significance of learning the course is because each person has been affected directly or indirectly by death. I chose the field since it makes me an imperative person who is working for the society by acquitting me with skills necessary to assist the society. It is difficult to prepare for death occasion according to societies’ perception, because it happens at an unexpected time when individuals has little time to work on the event. I think that the fact that death is a common event in human beings’ lives, it makes the course and the program exce ptionally significant and relevant in the communal lives. People perceive apprentices working in the society as significant people in the community for the support and services to occasional event happening in our lives (Stair, 46). Reason 2 The second reason I chose the mortuary science field is that the program offers remarkable job opportunities. A person can work as a mortician in funeral homes, which are important in the society (Stair, 46). I think that the job makes individuals well heeled by earning amicable amount of money. The job that a person gets after learning the course is a great job because it acts as a means of expressing the feelings and requirements of individuals. The program provides a platform for individuals having a passion of helping people in the society who lack the skills and knowledge in arranging for emergencies especially in funerals. I agree that the course will provide an excellent platform for me to express the kindness and remorsefulness to the bereaved individuals. The course will instill skills in counseling, proper and legal completion of death certificates and preparation of the body for during burial event. Consequently, selecting Mortuary Science field gives an opportuni ty to an individual interested in getting a legitimate and substantial job that pays satisfactory. . Reason 3 The third reason I chose studying mortuary science field is the program’s objectives, which defines a person’s credibility and competence. I agree that the program enlarges the background and acquaintance of students’ profession on the funeral services (Stair, 46). The program aims at edifying individuals in every phase of funeral services. I believe that students are encouraged to participate in faculty research in funeral services and events that enable the faculty to discover new concepts. A further objective of the program is to encourage acceptable ethical conduct to an individual. I decided this because it ensures a person conducts oneself and interacts well with other individuals in the society. Lastly, a clear objective of mortuary science field is that it provides a set of courses at the post-secondary level of instructions. I believe that the o bjectives make a

Maritime Transport Essay Example for Free

Maritime Transport Essay Hereby it is analysed that there are three different kinds of categories which have not given any offer on MTS. The first one are nations which are willing to make offers but would rather wait until the major maritime players like the US have shown their effort to make an offer. The second group are members which fail to meet to have the professional knowledge and the technical know how to deal with the possibilities of offers. The last one is composed of players in the maritime industry which are not willing to open their maritime industry at all or on a multilateral basis as they fear that this action might end up in increased international competition and therefore they rather stick to their internal policies than taking the risk to loose their power in the market place. One significant example for the last category are the US which are unwilling to include MTS in their schedule. Another issue is the one of the different interest of country groups which were already an obstacle to the former Uruguay round. On the one hand there are the developing countries, among them mainly the EU members which â€Å"are keen to go further into the inland part of the transport chain beyond the sea leg by proposing the inclusion of feeder services and multimodal transport (mainly by Japan)†. [7] On the other hand developing countries and one of the major maritime nations the US can not accept such liberalization due to a number of economic reasons whereas the most significant argument against it is the loss of jobs of domestic workers which are engaged in the shipping industry. Although there are again lots of issues to be solved in order to reach an agreement and implementation under GATS there are yet some positive signs for a positive outcome. First of all as per data available most of the offers on MTS were from developing countries which involves members of different economic positions including more developed nations like Hong Kong and Singapore but at the same time also less developed nations e. g. Albania. According to Zhang’s thesis this can have at least two positive effects.

Leadership in healthcare

Leadership in healthcare Student Number: 3226029 AHP_6_011 Leadership for Allied Health Professionals At the opening ceremony of the Singapore Healthcare Management Congress 2013, Singapore Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that strong management capabilities and leadership quality in the healthcare sector are extremely crucial to lead the growing healthcare needs of an ageing population, constant threat of global pandemics and rising non-communicable diseases. There is a need to constantly innovate and find ways to keep the population healthy and deliver the healthcare services more effectively (Gan, 2013). â€Å"One of the things that a leader needs to learn is that the traditional models of leading change are not very effective.† (Kent, 2014). The context for healthcare is changing due to changing expectations, changing disease profile and greater emphasis on ‘predict and prevent’ (Hartley, et al., 2008). Definition of Leadership Leadership in healthcare can be viewed in many different ways. Clinical leadership can come from hands-on care, from maintaining clinical expertise and may sometimes be separated from management with the goal of leading staff through transformational change to develop better services for the local community (Bishop, 2009). In the recent years, leadership is seen as something to be used by all but at different levels (National Leadership Council (NLC) Clinical Leadership workstream, 2011). It can be described to be a team effort (The Kings Fund, 2012) or also known as â€Å"sharedness† of leadership processes (Wang, et al., 2013) in an organisation. Shared leadership is displayed in terms of mutual influence, shared responsibility among the staff and leading each other towards the goal achievements. Shared leadership expands the extent of leader prototypicality (Wang, et al., 2013) as team members are given a chance to take on decision-making process and leadership role. â€Å"Gone is the heroic individual with a monopoly on the vision; it is replaced by a commitment to building shared visions with a range of stakeholders.† (The Kings Fund, 2012). Wang, et al., (2013) divided shared leadership into 3 categories which are shared traditional leadership, shared new-genre leadership and cumulative, overall shared leadership. The subgroups on the types of leadership under each category such as transactional, visionary and transformational leadership can be seen in Appendix A. Shared traditional leadership is where the leader uses methods such as contingent rewards towards staff to achieve team goals and satisfy staff’s needs (Wang, et al., 2013). Shared new-genre leadership emphasizes transformational, visionary and charismatic leadership which empowers the staff towards development and change (Wang, et al., 2013). Cumulative, overall shared leadership is displayed within the team level, in which each individual team member demonstrate a degree of leadership. Importance of leadership Leadership is important as it can determine the functionality of a basic team unit as it strongly influences key team processes. It can determine and clarify the objectives of the team, giving the team a clear view on the goals and the pathways to take to achieve the goals (Hartley, et al., 2008) such as improving patient experience and outcome (NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2011). Having leadership can encourage participation from the staff, allowing the staff to contribute and pool great ideas, supporting innovation in the team. It also enhances the commitment to quality, as having a leader ensures primary quality objectives are met in the day to day workings within the staff (Hartley, et al., 2008). Guidance to the changes in the healthcare in many aspects There are many aspects of healthcare that are constantly changing such as new techniques and technologies in healthcare. As such, there is a constant need to find new ways of working within and across teams, and with patients (Hartley, et al., 2008). Therefore, strong leadership that support a vision for change with a clear articulation of what needs to be achieved, by whom and with what, would likely to succeed in healthcare organisations (Gifford, et al., 2013). Leadership is also crucial when it comes to finding new approaches to continuous improvement which rely a lot on ‘people management’ (Hartley, et al., 2008). Bishop, (2009, p. 83) stated that leadership in Allied Health is no longer just about ‘managing’ the service and being a ‘therapy lead’, it is about leading the staff and the service to a new position. To achieve this, clinical leaders such as nurse educators, clinical nurse specialist and practice developers are to influence research use through their roles in mentoring, providing information and assisting in the development of policies and procedures to support professional practice (Gifford, et al., 2013). Leaders have to constantly think of methods to support staff so as to make and sustain improvement efforts in order to improve service to the patient. This is important because patient’s expectations have increased as the healthcare industry develops over the years. Future-looking system There are new challenges in healthcare such as the kinds of illnesses or even trends are changing (Hartley, et al., 2008). Leadership is important to anticipate rather than just react to changes in demographic and disease profiles (Hartley, et al., 2008). Leaders have to anticipate the multiple diseases associated with a larger elderly population and chronic diseases due to lifestyle choices such as obesity. For example, the rising numbers of cancer cases in Singapore as reported in The Straits Times (Lai, 2014) was made known to awareness among the public. Networking Gantz, et al., (2012) stated that collective leadership complements healthcare globalisation. They recognised healthcare globalisation as a way to close disparity gaps and improve public health on a global scale through resource and information sharing. There are new health goals where ‘treatment’ is not the only goal now but also ‘predict and prevent’ illnesses for the public health (Hartley, et al., 2008). As such, there are more hospitals that network with each other and disseminate evidence-based practices throughout their regional and local communities (MacPhee, et al., 2013). Therefore, leadership is important to shape these new goals and to ensure that there is a close link between ideas and practice on the front-line and between different partners. Clinical decision making According to Hartley, et al., (2008), leadership clarity is associated with better team processes, and with actual innovation – and ambiguity about leadership was associated with low levels of innovation. This corroborates the view of the role of leadership in helping to create compelling direction and ensure participation of team members in decision-making (Hartley, et al., 2008). One of the thing that a leader needs to do is to make good decision based on in-depth understanding of all the constituent parts, all the tradition and cultures that accompany the existing professional structures and values (Bishop, 2009, p. 83). Therefore, it is important for a leader to have good decision-making skill so as to have a smooth efficient workflow and quality service. In Singapore’s healthcare setting, although the decisions made are largely based on the patients’ choice, their family members still exercise significant influence over the level of revelation of prognosis information and final action taken (Foo, et al., 2012). Familial-centred approach is common in Asian setting especially if it involves poor prognosis. As such, a leader in this situation has to consider the various views and make a final decision that gives the best outcomes for the patient and family, even if it means that they have to withhold information about patient’s expected poor clinical outcomes to the patients (Foo, et al., 2012). Good decision-making is achieved based on the good understanding of the culture and tradition of the context. The need for decision-making may arise at any one point while in a clinical setting. For example, the below anecdotal incident (see Appendix B) about clinical decision-making is analysed using Gibb’s reflective cycle (Waugh, 2013) (see Appendix C). The incident is about a disagreement I had with a senior colleague about him deviating from the treatment protocol regarding the verification of the treatment area. I felt frustrated that I was the only one wanting to do the right thing and find a solution despite voicing out my concerns. After the incident, I felt sad and unjust that my colleague was angry at me for refusing to proceed with the treatment. The positive experience was that my decision prevented an incident report and an inaccurate delivery of radiation dose. I stepped out of my comfort zone and voiced out my concerns to the oncologists. Conversely, my long decision-making time resulted in a queue of patients and delayed appointments. According to the Fielder’s contingency model (see Appendix D), I am a task-oriented leader, and the incident calls for a leader with a low Least-Preferred Co-Worker (LPC). As such, I’m a fitting leader for the task as I handled the situation which prevented errors from being made in the treatment. On the whole, I took a long time to make my decision waiting for my colleague to share his opinions, which turned out to be fruitless. Such disagreements can be avoided if there are mutual understanding and better treatment protocol knowledge. I should have sought assistance from the other seniors right away. After the incident, we had a discussion on the treatment protocols, directing more focus on the importance of protocols and the adherence to them should any similar incidents occur in the future. Future leadership Nobody stays stagnant in the workforce. For example, a radiation therapist from North Carolina realised that he needed more leadership skills when he progressed from the treatment aspect to administration and then managing (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2013). The King’s Fund (2012) refers to leadership as a ‘cognitive catalyst’, where the leader’s choice of actions and ideas are focused on as learning points in order to spur learning in the work place by the other team members. In order to change an organisation, leaders need to change themselves first and be open to changes. â€Å"If our leaders grow and help others to grow, our organisation will not only succeed in their changes efforts- they will be an example for other leaders and organisations around the world.† (Kent, 2014). More leaders are required in Singapore because the healthcare service is expanding rapidly so as to cater for the aging population (Bishop, 2009). As such, the Ministry Of Health Singapore has launched a SingHealth Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management and Leadership programme in Singapore Management University. It aims to groom a new generation of healthcare professionals who excel in both healthcare management and business leadership which is a skill that is high in demand in today’s evolving healthcare industry (Gan, 2013). Additionally, the Ministry Of Healthcare has also provide sponsorships such as the Healthcare Administration Scholarship (HAS) where outstanding scholars will be given opportunities to be developed for top leadership position within the public healthcare sector (MOH Holdings Pte Ltd, 2013). Competency frameworks have also become a widely used approach to thinking about the skills of leadership. For example, the healthcare in UK are using the NHS Leadership Qualities Framework (see Appendix E) (National Leadership Council (NLC) Clinical Leadership workstream, 2011). It sets out the key skills or competencies for leaders in healthcare (Hartley, et al., 2008). Leadership skills are seen to be very important in the healthcare industry worldwide so much so there are many studies and programmes to train future leaders to meet the demands of the ever changing and growing industry. 1

Laidlaw by William McIlvanney :: Laidlaw William McIlvanney

Laidlaw  by William McIlvanney Laidlaw is a novel written by the famous Scottish born author William McIlvanney. His inspirational style of writing has delivered him prestigious awards for all his high quality novels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laidlaw is set in the urban city of Glasgow in the 90's and delivers a cutting insight to big industries and crime in society. McIlvanney creates a stunning atmosphere and examines the fascinating issues of why people commit murder and the devastating results of violence. One of the reasons I selected this novel wasn't just because of the quality and origin of the author and the setting , it was because of the infuriating character of Cheif Detective Inspector Jack Laidlaw , he is the main character and the most memorable one.   He is the spearhead of the investigations into the murder of a teenage girl , he has to do this in a city of hard men, villains and fat cat businessmen.   To look more deeper into the mysterious character of Laidlaw and his personality , we need to look at his interests and prejudices , Laidlaw is the main focus , in this novel and he captures everyone’s imagination and thoughts . He is an unorthodox det ective who is always wondering about the nature of society , threading his way through pubs and clubs trying to find the murderer of an apparently innocent girl. Laidlaw is such a memorable character who requires to be looked at and examined closely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack Laidlaw is a universe apart from other examples of detectives , he examines the more intriguing issues of how and why people can commit the reprehensible crime of murder and the harrowing aftermath of crime and violence. Jack Laidlaw can deeply understand people more than anyone could ever imagine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack Laidlaw is an odd sort detective, and this is an odd sort of novel. He lives and works in the gloomy, cheerless heart of urban Glasgow; and he keeps the works of "Camus"," Unamuno" and "Kierkegaard"in his top desk drawer, "where other detectives would normally rather keep their secret stashes of liquor." Unlike many other detectives with uppity tastes in literature, no one congratulates him for this or encourages him in any way; the whole world tells him that he thinks too much to be a good detective . However, he persists in trying to understand crimes as well as solve them : "You want to live as if the rest of the world was just a necessary evil and that you have to be a monster to be a criminal ,it's fucking not true , it's all in peoples concealed heads.

Witchcraft In U.S. History Essay examples -- essays research papers

The religion of Witchcraft dates back about 25,000 years, to the Paleolithic Age, where the God of Hunting and the Goddess of Fertility first appeared. Out of respect for the overwhelming power of Nature grew a belief in beings, gods, who controlled the winds, the seas, the earth and the fires (Rinehart). People have been slaughtered for ages because they had different belief systems or they simply were not liked. Whether they were witches or not, hundreds of thousands of people have been burned at the stake, dunked in freezing rivers, or otherwise tortured because people accused them of being witches. People have been moving over to get a better life Shortly after Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic trying to get to India and unknowingly bumped into South America. People started moving over very quickly after finding that gold was present in South America. Several countries moved into various parts of South America, Central America, what is now Mexico, North America, and Canada. This new place was ripe for the taking there was gold, plenty of game and a lot of farmland. In 1620, a group of Separatist Puritans called Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in the Mayflower seeking religious freedom. Once the pilgrims got settled down in various villages people started accusing each other of practicing witchcraft. Whether it was new people from another separatist group or just jealousy the accusations flew. The people who were often thought to be the accusers of witches were commonly believed to be men wishing to suppress unruly women. This may be true, but is far more indirect and subtle than popularly believed. The responsibilities held by a housewife had immense importance in her role in society. Women were responsible for preserving the boundaries of social and cultural life. When this process was disrupted, the authority and identity of the housewife were put into question, she could no longer control the processes needed to fulfill her role. Instead of admitting this loss of control, it may have been easier for the housewife to blame a witch, usually someone who had wronged her. (Starkey 24) Female accusers may have felt the need to prove their own â€Å"normality† and their willingness to accept the restrictions and assumptions of a religious society. Accusing another may also have been a way of diverting attention away from themselves. It may ... ...ft or Wicca is more widespread than one might think. But it is actually quite popular, especially around teenage youths. Sources â€Å"Cerridwen's Retreat† http://www.angelfire.com/ky2/cerridwen/index.html.. Site 1 George Malcolm. 1692 Witch Hunt the layman’s guide to the Salem witchcraft trials. Heritage books, in 1992. â€Å"The History of Witchcraft and The Salem Witchcraft Trials† http://www.angelfire.com/mi/WitchHistoryReport/index.html Site 2 â€Å"The Inner Sanctum† http://www.witchway.net/.. Site 3 Starkey L. Marion. The Devil In Massachusetts. Anchor Books NY New York, 1949. â€Å"Naidra's humble abode† http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/2903/ Site 4 â€Å"Nemain† http://nemain.virtualave.net/. Online, July 18 2000 Site 5 Trask B. Richard. â€Å"The devil hath been raised† A documentary of the Salem village witchcraft outbreak of march 1692. Yeoman Press, Danvers Massachusetts, 1992. Marshal Richard. Witchcraft The history and Mythology. by Random house publishing, Avenel, New jersey 1995. Rinehart, Catara. Personal interview, 19 July 2000 â€Å"Witchcraft in Salem village† http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/ Site 6 9

Deception Point Page 21

Tolland groaned. â€Å"Now he's showing off. What Corky means is that we can prove a rock is a meteorite simply by measuring its chemical content.† â€Å"Hey, ocean boy!† Corky chided. â€Å"Let's leave the science to the scientists, shall we?† He immediately turned back to Rachel. â€Å"In earth rocks, the mineral nickel occurs in either extremely high percentages or extremely low; nothing in the middle. In meteorites, though, the nickel content falls within a midrange set of values. Therefore, if we analyze a sample and find the nickel content reflects a midrange value, we can guarantee beyond the shadow of a doubt that the sample is a meteorite.† Rachel felt exasperated. â€Å"Okay, gentlemen, fusion crusts, chondrules, midrange nickel contents, all of which prove it's from space. I get the picture.† She laid the sample back on Corky's table. â€Å"But why am I here?† Corky heaved a portentous sigh. â€Å"You want to see a sample of the meteorite NASA found in the ice underneath us?† Before I die here, please. This time Corky reached in his breast pocket and produced a small, disk-shaped piece of stone. The slice of rock was shaped like an audio CD, about half an inch thick, and appeared to be similar in composition to the stony meteorite she had just seen. â€Å"This is a slice of a core sample that we drilled yesterday.† Corky handed the disk to Rachel. The appearance certainly was not earth-shattering. It was an orangish-white, heavy rock. Part of the rim was charred and black, apparently a segment of the meteorite's outer skin. â€Å"I see the fusion crust,† she said. Corky nodded. â€Å"Yeah, this sample was taken from near the outside of the meteorite, so it still has some crust on it.† Rachel tilted the disk in the light and spotted the tiny metallic globules. â€Å"And I see the chondrules.† â€Å"Good,† Corky said, his voice tense with excitement. â€Å"And I can tell you from having run this thing through a petrographic polarizing microscope that its nickel content is midrange-nothing like a terrestrial rock. Congratulations, you've now successfully confirmed the rock in your hand came from space.† Rachel looked up, confused. â€Å"Dr. Marlinson, it's a meteorite. It's supposed to come from space. Am I missing something here?† Corky and Tolland exchanged knowing looks. Tolland put a hand on Rachel's shoulder and whispered, â€Å"Flip it over.† Rachel turned the disk over so she could see the other side. It took only an instant for her brain to process what she was looking at. Then the truth hit her like a truck. Impossible! she gasped, and yet as she stared at the rock she realized her definition of â€Å"impossible† had just changed forever. Embedded in the stone was a form that in an earth specimen might be considered commonplace, and yet in a meteorite was utterly inconceivable. â€Å"It's†¦ † Rachel stammered, almost unable to speak the word. â€Å"It's†¦ a bug! This meteorite contains the fossil of a bug!† Both Tolland and Corky were beaming. â€Å"Welcome aboard,† Corky said. The torrent of emotions that gripped Rachel left her momentarily mute, and yet even in her bewilderment, she could clearly see that this fossil, beyond question, had once been a living biological organism. The petrified impression was about three inches long and looked to be the underside of some kind of huge beetle or crawling insect. Seven pairs of hinged legs were clustered beneath a protective outer shell, which seemed to be segmented in plates like that of an armadillo. Rachel felt dizzy. â€Å"An insect from space†¦ â€Å" â€Å"It's an isopod,† Corky said. â€Å"Insects have three pairs of legs, not seven.† Rachel did not even hear him. Her head was spinning as she studied the fossil before her. â€Å"You can clearly see,† Corky said, â€Å"that the dorsal shell is segmented in plates like a terrestrial pill bug, and yet the two prominent tail-like appendages differentiate it as something closer to a louse.† Rachel's mind had already tuned Corky out. The classification of the species was totally irrelevant. The puzzle pieces now came crashing into place-the President's secrecy, the NASA excitement†¦ There is a fossil in this meteorite! Not just a speck of bacteria or microbes, but an advanced life-form! Proof of life elsewhere in the universe! 23 Ten minutes into the CNN debate, Senator Sexton wondered how he could have been worried at all. Marjorie Tench was grossly overestimated as an opponent. Despite the senior adviser's reputation for ruthless sagacity, she was turning out to be more of a sacrificial lamb than a worthy opponent. Granted, early in the conversation Tench had grabbed the upper hand by hammering the senator's prolife platform as biased against women, but then, just as it seemed Tench was tightening her grip, she'd made a careless mistake. While questioning how the senator expected to fund educational improvements without raising taxes, Tench made a snide allusion to Sexton's constant scapegoating of NASA. Although NASA was a topic Sexton definitely intended to address toward the end of the discussion, Marjorie Tench had opened the door early. Idiot! â€Å"Speaking of NASA,† Sexton segued casually. â€Å"Can you comment on the rumors I keep hearing that NASA has suffered another recent failure?† Marjorie Tench did not flinch. â€Å"I'm afraid I have not heard that rumor.† Her cigarette voice was like sandpaper. â€Å"So, no comment?† â€Å"I'm afraid not.† Sexton gloated. In the world of media sound bites, â€Å"no comment† translated loosely to â€Å"guilty as charged.† â€Å"I see,† Sexton said. â€Å"And how about the rumors of a secret, emergency meeting between the President and the administrator of NASA?† This time Tench looked surprised. â€Å"I'm not sure what meeting you're referring to. The President takes many meetings.† â€Å"Of course, he does.† Sexton decided to go straight at her. â€Å"Ms. Tench, you are a great supporter of the space agency, is that right?† Tench sighed, sounding tired of Sexton's pet issue. â€Å"I believe in the importance of preserving America's technological edge-be that military, industry, intelligence, telecommunications. NASA is certainly part of that vision. Yes.† In the production booth, Sexton could see Gabrielle's eyes telling him to back off, but Sexton could taste blood. â€Å"I'm curious, ma'am, is it your influence behind the President's continued support of this obviously ailing agency?† Tench shook her head. â€Å"No. The President is also a staunch believer in NASA. He makes his own decisions.† Sexton could not believe his ears. He had just given Marjorie Tench a chance to partially exonerate the President by personally accepting some of the blame for NASA funding. Instead, Tench had thrown it right back at the President. The President makes his own decisions. It seemed Tench was already trying to distance herself from a campaign in trouble. No big surprise. After all, when the dust settled, Marjorie Tench would be looking for a job. Over the next few minutes, Sexton and Tench parried. Tench made some weak attempts to change the subject, while Sexton kept pressing her on the NASA budget. â€Å"Senator,† Tench argued, â€Å"you want to cut NASA's budget, but do you have any idea how many high-tech jobs will be lost?† Sexton almost laughed in the woman's face. This gal is considered the smartest mind in Washington? Tench obviously had something to learn about the demographics of this country. High-tech jobs were inconsequential in comparison to the huge numbers of hardworking blue-collar Americans. Sexton pounced. â€Å"We're talking about billions in savings here, Marjorie, and if the result is that a bunch of NASA scientists have to get in their BMWs and take their marketable skills elsewhere, then so be it. I'm committed to being tough on spending.†