Thursday, September 19, 2019
Confocal Microscopy Lab Essay -- Ovarian Ring Canal Medical Technology
Confocal Microscopy Lab Confocal microscopy uses a laser that produces excitation light. This laser light reflects off of a dichroic mirror and then the laser light hits two mirrors that are mounted on motors. The mirrors then scan the laser light across the sample. Dye that is found in the sample then fluoresces (Weeks, 2003). Filamin was labeled with a red fluorescent label rhodamine (TRITC) and actin was labeled with the green fluorescent label fluoroscein (FITC) which was conjugated to the actin-binding fungal toxin phalloidin. The emitted light from the dyes passes back through the mirrors and passes through the dichroic mirror and is focuses into a pinhole. With confocal microscopy, a complete image of the sample is never seen. Only one point of the sample can be observed at a time. The amount of light that passes back through is detected by the microscope (Ladic, 1995). The intensity of the red light seen is proportional to the amount of filamin present and the intensity of the green ligh t seen is proportional to the amount of actin present in the sample of Drosophila melanogaster ovaries. Confocal microscopy is able to produce images that are very free from interference. The confocal pinhole allows the microscope to reject out of focus fluorescent light (Weeks, 2003). This means that the image comes from a thin section of the ovary sample. Many thin sections will be scanned through the sample; this allows a clean three dimensional image to be made. A confocal microscope has a few advantages over regular optical microscopes. Confocal microscopes have controllable depth of field, the elimination of image degrading information that is out of focus, and the ability to collect series of data from s... .../ladic/overview.html. Accessed 6 December 2004. Robinson, D.N., K. Cant and L. Cooley. 1994. "Morphogenesis of Drosophila ovarian ring canals." Development. 120, 2015-2025. Robinson, D.N, T.A. Smith-Leiker, N.S. Sokol, A.M. Hudson and L. Cooley. 1997. â€Å"Formation of the Drosophila ovarian ring canal inner rim depends on cheerio.†Genetics. 145, 1063-1072 Shilling, Kristen (David S. Richard). â€Å"Ovarian nurse cell ring canal formation in wild- type and insulin signaling mutant female Drosophila melanogaster.†Tilney, L.G., M.S. Tilney, and G.M. Guild. 1996. â€Å"Formation of actin filament bundles in the ring canals of developing Drosophila follicles.†The Journal of Cell Biology. 133, 61-74. Weeks, Eric. 2003. â€Å"How does a confocal microscope work?†Physics Department, Emory University. http://www.physics.emory.edu/~weeks/confocal/. Accessed 3 December 2004 Confocal Microscopy Lab Essay -- Ovarian Ring Canal Medical Technology Confocal Microscopy Lab Confocal microscopy uses a laser that produces excitation light. This laser light reflects off of a dichroic mirror and then the laser light hits two mirrors that are mounted on motors. The mirrors then scan the laser light across the sample. Dye that is found in the sample then fluoresces (Weeks, 2003). Filamin was labeled with a red fluorescent label rhodamine (TRITC) and actin was labeled with the green fluorescent label fluoroscein (FITC) which was conjugated to the actin-binding fungal toxin phalloidin. The emitted light from the dyes passes back through the mirrors and passes through the dichroic mirror and is focuses into a pinhole. With confocal microscopy, a complete image of the sample is never seen. Only one point of the sample can be observed at a time. The amount of light that passes back through is detected by the microscope (Ladic, 1995). The intensity of the red light seen is proportional to the amount of filamin present and the intensity of the green ligh t seen is proportional to the amount of actin present in the sample of Drosophila melanogaster ovaries. Confocal microscopy is able to produce images that are very free from interference. The confocal pinhole allows the microscope to reject out of focus fluorescent light (Weeks, 2003). This means that the image comes from a thin section of the ovary sample. Many thin sections will be scanned through the sample; this allows a clean three dimensional image to be made. A confocal microscope has a few advantages over regular optical microscopes. Confocal microscopes have controllable depth of field, the elimination of image degrading information that is out of focus, and the ability to collect series of data from s... .../ladic/overview.html. Accessed 6 December 2004. Robinson, D.N., K. Cant and L. Cooley. 1994. "Morphogenesis of Drosophila ovarian ring canals." Development. 120, 2015-2025. Robinson, D.N, T.A. Smith-Leiker, N.S. Sokol, A.M. Hudson and L. Cooley. 1997. â€Å"Formation of the Drosophila ovarian ring canal inner rim depends on cheerio.†Genetics. 145, 1063-1072 Shilling, Kristen (David S. Richard). â€Å"Ovarian nurse cell ring canal formation in wild- type and insulin signaling mutant female Drosophila melanogaster.†Tilney, L.G., M.S. Tilney, and G.M. Guild. 1996. â€Å"Formation of actin filament bundles in the ring canals of developing Drosophila follicles.†The Journal of Cell Biology. 133, 61-74. Weeks, Eric. 2003. â€Å"How does a confocal microscope work?†Physics Department, Emory University. http://www.physics.emory.edu/~weeks/confocal/. Accessed 3 December 2004
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Exercise Prescription :: Exercise Physiology
     Date of Birth: 09/01/77      Sex: Female      Height: 61†     Weight: 113 lbs      Resting Heart Rate: 58 bpm  ·Ã‚     Health problems or injuries: Previous lower back injuries  ·Ã‚     Medications that may influence heart rate: None  ·Ã‚     Risk of cardiovascular or orthopedic injury: None  ·Ã‚     Individual preferences for exercise: Jogging, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, resistance ball, free weights, yoga  ·Ã‚     Individual dislikes for exercise:           Stationary bike, treadmill, some weight machines  ·Ã‚     Individual program objectives and goals: 1)     Maintain health 2)     Increase core strength 3)     Increase lean body mass 4)     Decrease body fat percentage 5)     5 months to train for triathlon: Need to increase speed and endurance in running, biking, and swimming  ·Ã‚     Opportunities Live close-by gym with pool, weights, and aerobics classes Live close by running and biking trail Gym available at both jobs  ·Ã‚     Barriers Varied work schedule Sometimes need partner or personal trainer for motivation  ·Ã‚     Expected Results â€Å"After 5 months of training I expect to be moderately stronger and more efficient in all areas of activity as well as see a reduction in body fat and an increase in lean body mass.†Cardiovascular/Respiratory Training Schedule Warm-up: Before Running: Do 5 minutes of light walking. Before Bicycling: Do 1 set of 10-15 of stationary lunges without weights and do leg stretches (including quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes). Before Swimming: Do full-body stretching with 5 minutes freestyle swimming. Cool Down: After Running: Do 5 minutes of light walking and stretch all leg muscles. After Bicycling: Do 5 minutes of light cycling and stretch all leg muscles. After Swimming: Do 5 minutes of easy freestyle swimming and do full-body stretches for flexibility. Running Exercise #     Time     Sets     Type R1     10 minutes     ---     Light run R2     20 minutes     ---     Intervals – alternating 1 min. light run w/ 1 min. moderate run R3     30 minutes     ---     Moderate Run Bicycling Exercise #     Time     Sets     Type B1     10 minutes     ---     Light cycling B2     20 minutes     ---     Intervals – alternating 1 min. light cycling w/ 1 min. moderate cycling B3     30 minutes     ---     Moderate cycling Swimming Exercise #     Time     Sets     Type S1     10 minutes     ---     Breast stroke, butterfly, back stroke, freestyle S2     20 minutes     ---     Breast stroke, butterfly, back stroke, freestyle S3     30 minutes     ---     Breast stroke, butterfly, back stroke, freestyle L1: 30-45 minutes of any exercise above at intervals (1 min. light/1 min. moderate). If swimming, do 1 lap light/1 lap moderate intervals. Week #     Mon.     Tues.     Wed.     Thurs.     Fri.     Sat.     Sun. 1     *R1, B1, S1, R2     ---     *R3, S2     ---     *B2, S3     *L1, B3     --- *Note: Each exercise does not have to be done simultaneously. Because of varied work schedule and other activities, spread exercises according to amount of free time. Core Strength Training Warm-up: Do 5 a minute walk or do 5 minutes of the movements of the following exercises without the weight and so light full-body stretches.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Poverty and Child Development Essay -- essays research papers fc
From the very second I was born, until this very day, I had understood life to be a certain way. Life had taken its course and my family, as well as myself, have suffered ups and downs. We’ve been through times which were good and which were the worst of the worst – all families do. What I didn’t know is that regardless of the good and the bad, that the life I lived was sheltered to the point where I couldn’t fathom the idea that all people had not lived a life similar to ours. Sure, I understand that some were more fortunate and some were less fortunate, but to which extent? Within my circle of influence, our friends and family, there was a certain level at which we enjoyed our lives in a comfortable sense. We’d occasionally see a homeless person on the subway or in the city, but I never knew that there was a whole class of people in between. I’ve always heard of poverty and didn’t know much more about it except for the fact that peo ple existed that were less fortunate, those who lived in this supposed poverty.      Jonathan Kozol’s book â€Å"Amazing Grace†depicts the issues that face families who are living in a world of poverty, homelessness and in a world where less fortunate is an understatement. Kozol writes about his experience in the South Bronx where he comes across some of the most disturbing facts about our fellow human beings. He speaks of families who live in an undernourished, impoverished society where a great majority of the inhabitants have been faced with disease. He visited a building in which one particular family has contracted the HIV virus. A woman contracted AIDS from her husband who she thought was faithful. Her daughter later contracted the deadly virus when she was raped by the father. In fact, in his conversation with a nurse who takes care of Alice Washington, a woman that Kozol interviews, in this building there are â€Å"Including the children, maybe 27 people†(Kozol p. 13, in Amazing Grace) She continues to say â€Å"The re’s lots of other people have it but don’t know.†People are so under-educated and under-privileged in the society where they live, that they are afraid to even find out if they have contracted the disease. This brings us to another problem that the families here are faced with, deprivation of help from the government.      Although Jonathan Kozol implies that there may... ... problems with women who have children out-of-wedlock. Although she defends the fact that they shouldn’t be judged as a whole because of that fact, it seems to me that she feels strongly about traditional family settings including a two parent, heterosexual household. Sidel also comes across as someone who has a hint of religion in her values. Personally, I agree more with the liberal standpoint. I feel that all people should be equal, especially since we’re all citizens of the same city, nation, and world. I believe we should have the same opportunities, almost as much as I believe that those who want to achieve something in live – will take the initiative and shape their destiny to reach their goals. Bibliography Kozol, Jonathan. Amazing Grace. NewYork: Crown, 1995. 1-24. Kozol, Jonathan. Amazing Grace. NewYork: Crown, 1995. 27-54. Sidel, Ruth. â€Å"The Enemy Within†Keeping Women And Children Last. NewYork:      Penguin, 1998. 1-32. Surgrue, J. Thomas. â€Å"Poor Families in an Era of Urban Transformation.†American      Families. Stephanie Coontz, Maya Parson, Gabrielle Railey, Routledge, 1999.      243-257.
Monday, September 16, 2019
The “Now†Wedding Final Project
Running Head: WOW Wedding Final Project The â€Å"NOW†Wedding Final Project by A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements of MGMT505 Project Management Fundamentals November 2008 The â€Å"NOW†Wedding Lauren and Conner announced on December 31st that they were going to be married on January 21st. Conner had been notified that he was being deployed with the National Guard on January 30th. Lauren and Conner wanted to have a week for a honeymoon before the deployment. Lauren wanted to have a spectacular wedding and accomplish everything that needed to be accomplished so that everyone could attend and everything would be perfect.There was a tremendous amount of planning, organizing and tasks that needed to be accomplished for the â€Å"NOW†wedding to take place on time, in budget and for it to be perfectly memorable for everyone, especially Lauren and Conner. For Lauren to have the wedding that she dreamed of there were numerous tasks that needed to be accomplished immediately. The first task that needed to be accomplished was to secure the church and reception hall, until the address of the wedding is determined and secured the invitations could not be sent out.The invitations needed to be sent out a week before the couple decided to have the wedding to make sure that everyone could be there, however that was not an option. Dresses had to be made and altered as well as securing the wedding decorations, caterer and wedding party members. The major constraint the wedding couple faced was the time constraint, trying to pull all of the elements together in order to create the perfect wedding would have been difficult at best. The critical path is very tight and there could be no room for mistakes, misunderstandings, or delays.The resources required for this project were mainly people and money. The more people helping to bring all the elements together, the quicker everything could get done. The financial resources, controlled by the brides father, were necessary to move up the processing time especially where the brides dress was concerned. Figure 1. 1 utilizes a Gantt Chart to show the timeframe of the project to include sequencing of sub tasks: Fig 1. 1 [pic] The costs associated with the project are as follows: [pic] This risks for the budget are the following items:Maid of Honor Travel$1000. 00 Airfrieght 20. 00 Seamstress 240. 00 Invitation Incentive 20. 00 Invitations Help 40. 00 Possible Budget Overruns$1320. 00 The following fishbone diagram details all the current risks for the project: [pic] The method of tracking the progress of the â€Å"NOW†Wedding will be the Stop Light Chart, it is a very simple method of tracking what has been completed and what has yet to be started. Following is the Stop Light Chart which would be used at the beginning of the project: [pic] The â€Å"NOW†Wedding Case Study QuestionsPart A [pic] Creating the wedding schedule as outlined in the text it sh ows that the planning for the wedding should have occurred at least a month before it did. We would reduce the time it takes of the mother of the bride to put together the guest list by utilizing all available resources (manning) having all attendants present to create the list and a comprehensive address list (thereby minimizing the risk of one person having all this information). Invitations must be ordered on the 2nd of January with the guest list completed on the 1st.While the invitations are at print, the dresses would be designed on the 3rd with the materials being ordered immediately. The creation of a work flow chart would list out all of the tasks that must be completed assigning individual tasks to individual members of the wedding party. The budget needs to be set immediately and using the budget form above the wedding party has created the master list of objectives and goals. Utilizing the stop light will keep the project on track with constant updates as to the progress on each item.The Maid of Honor needs to be brought in immediately to participate in the planning and execution and to have measurements taken on sight to avoid the risk of the dresses not being made correctly. Part B There would be no conflict caused by the Chairman of the Vestry Committee not reducing the notice period from 14 to 7 days and I would not have recommended using the extra funds to reduce the notice period as the requirement for 14 days notice has been met by depositing the funds to secure the room on the 1st of January. Since the Wedding is scheduled for the 21st of January, there is no need to reduce the notice period.If the project were started on January 1, the Mother getting the flu would not have impacted the guest list completion as it would have been completed by January 2. Since this is the first stage of the entire project, the suggestions would have been made that the mother, bride and all of the attendants get together the night of the 1st and make a comple te list. It is not until this list is completed that any plans can be made including ordering the invitations, cakes, catering, etc†¦ Since the invitations would have been ordered on the 2nd of January, the Bride would have had an xtra few days in the delivery of the invitations. The extra day for print would be compensated for by reducing the addressing phase and rather than asking for paid part-time help, there would be another get together on the night of the 9th to get all of the invitations addressed thereby reducing the number of days down to one. When the material and lace were lost in transit then the recommendation would be to have the Bride cancel the order, receive the funds back from the lost order and take all bridesmaids and Maid of Honor to a local bridal store and purchase dresses.With a three day shipping time on dresses there would still be time to have fittings and alterations done. The lace can be replaced locally and fitted while waiting for the dresses to be delivered. â€â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Gantt Chart Invitations Guest List Budget Maid of Honor Location Dresses Well Defined Budget Responsible Party Complete list created Created ASAP Ordered Promptly Addressed & Mailed Design Pattern Ordered & Delivered Secure in Advance Address for Invitations Travel Arrangements Long Distance Dress
Comprehensive Land Use Plan of Pasay City
COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 2. 0 2. 1 THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Geography, Location and Area The city of Pasay is located in the western coast of Metro Manila or the National Capital Region (NCR). It is bounded in the north by the city of Manila, in the northeast by the city of Makati and the municipality of Taguig, in the west by the city of Paranaque, and in the west by the Manila Bay (See Figure 2. 1). The city is located approximately at latitude 14? 32†² and longitude 121? 00†². In terms of area, Pasay is the third smallest political subdivision among the cities and municipalities of NCR.The area distribution of the city per Barangay is shown in Table 2. 1. Table 2. 1 Area Distribution (in Hectares) Brgy. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 48 Area 1. 48 4. 37 1. 84 2. 89 1. 53 1. 47 2. 58 1. 94 1. 43 2. 99 1. 82 1. 89 13. 95 2. 48 3. 61 1. 3 0 1. 69 4. 61 1. 10 2. 25 1. 78 0. 56 4. 14 2. 44 2. 16 1. 86 1. 90 3. 82 1. 88 1. 18 2. 80 2. 97 5. 88 2. 93 3. 56 4. 43 4. 56 8. 40 5. 53 5. 53 4. 20 2. 66 1. 69 5. 94 2. 73 3. 90 1. 80 Percent to Total (%) 0. 08 0. 24 0. 10 0. 16 0. 08 0. 08 0. 14 0. 11 0. 08 0. 17 0. 10 0. 10 0. 7 0. 14 0. 20 0. 07 0. 09 0. 26 0. 06 0. 12 0. 10 0. 03 0. 23 0. 14 0. 12 0. 10 0. 11 0. 21 0. 10 0. 07 0. 16 0. 16 0. 33 0. 16 0. 20 0. 25 0. 25 0. 47 0. 31 0. 31 0. 23 0. 15 0. 09 0. 33 0. 15 0. 22 0. 10 Brgy. 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 98 Area 2. 26 2. 37 1. 01 1. 94 2. 25 1. 01 0. 91 4. 31 3. 79 3. 55 0. 40 0. 49 2. 18 1. 15 4. 45 2. 81 1. 83 1. 56 1. 24 6. 12 1. 02 1. 47 6. 06 3. 30 9. 34 50. 45 4. 22 3. 33 4. 20 2. 64 1. 62 0. 71 2. 11 1. 31 3. 88 1. 56 1. 22 3. 19 1. 24 2. 00 1. 73 2. 28 2. 79 2. 91 2. 51 2. 26 4. 9 Percent to Total (%) 0. 13 0. 13 0. 06 0. 11 0. 12 0. 06 0. 05 0. 24 0. 2 1 0. 20 0. 02 0. 03 0. 12 0. 06 0. 25 0. 16 0. 10 0. 09 0. 07 0. 34 0. 06 0. 08 0. 34 0. 18 0. 52 2. 79 0. 23 0. 18 0. 23 0. 15 0. 09 0. 04 0. 12 0. 07 0. 22 0. 09 0. 07 0. 18 0. 07 0. 11 0. 10 0. 13 0. 15 0. 16 0. 14 0. 13 0. 24 Brgy. 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 148 Area 1. 09 1. 11 1. 42 2. 51 0. 91 1. 13 2. 24 2. 82 0. 90 1. 78 1. 50 1. 41 2. 84 2. 38 2. 12 2. 35 1. 38 2. 26 2. 64 2. 88 2. 02 0. 99 0. 91 2. 4 2. 37 1. 22 2. 90 2. 26 1. 21 2. 82 2. 28 2. 73 2. 82 1. 23 4. 04 3. 05 2. 52 1. 29 1. 33 1. 10 1. 69 1. 11 5. 88 7. 02 6. 65 3. 33 9. 83 Percent to Total (%) 0. 06 0. 06 0. 08 0. 14 0. 05 0. 06 0. 12 0. 16 0. 05 0. 10 0. 08 0. 08 0. 16 0. 13 0. 12 0. 13 0. 08 0. 12 0. 15 0. 16 0. 11 0. 05 0. 05 0. 15 0. 13 0. 07 0. 16 0. 13 0. 07 0. 16 0. 13 0. 15 0. 16 0. 07 0. 22 0. 17 0. 14 0. 07 0. 07 0. 06 0. 09 0. 06 0. 33 0. 39 0. 37 0. 18 0. 54 Brgy. 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 198 Area 2. 4 4. 10 1. 64 0. 94 1. 52 2. 23 1. 93 1. 93 2. 95 1. 69 5. 46 3. 10 2. 23 1. 37 7. 13 2. 12 1. 38 2. 16 3. 07 1. 46 3. 05 3. 65 1. 41 2. 44 1. 52 2. 25 4. 48 3. 58 7. 05 46. 20 2. 34 9. 69 543. 89 8. 63 18. 31 2. 88 16. 62 8. 79 2. 67 60. 81 45. 60 18. 81 13. 99 4. 87 3. 85 2. 83 18. 09 Percent to Total (%) 0. 16 0. 23 0. 09 0. 05 0. 08 0. 12 0. 11 0. 11 0. 16 0. 09 0. 30 0. 17 0. 12 0. 08 0. 40 0. 12 0. 08 0. 12 0. 17 0. 08 0. 17 0. 20 0. 08 0. 14 0. 08 0. 12 0. 25 0. 20 0. 39 2. 56 0. 13 0. 54 30. 13 0. 48 1. 01 0. 16 0. 92 0. 49 0. 15 3. 37 2. 53 1. 04 0. 78 0. 27 0. 21 0. 16 1. 00The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph 1 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 49 50 4. 02 0. 95 0. 22 0. 05 99 100 1. 88 3. 38 0. 10 0. 19 149 1 50 1. 19 1. 89 0. 07 0. 10 Area of Barangays 1 to 201 Reclamation Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex TOTAL AREA 199 200 201 1,399. 50 213. 66 191. 95 1,805. 11 5. 25 4. 81 33. 75 0. 29 0. 27 1. 87 77. 53 11. 84 10. 63 100. 00 The city has a total area of 1,805. 11 hectares. The city proper or Barangays 1 to 201 occupies around 1,399. 50 hectares or 77. 53 percent the total area. The Cultural Center Complex occupies around 191. 5 hectares (10. 63%) while the rest of the reclamation area covers an area of 213. 66 hectares (11. 84 %). The Barangay Map is shown in Figure 2. 2. 2. 2 Geology Pasay consists of two terrain units, an eastern undulating section and a western alluvial portion, which extends into the Manila Bay. The undulating to gently sloping terrain is underlain by a gently dipping sequence of pyroclastic rocks essentially made up of tuffs, tuffaceous sandstones and conglomerates belonging to the Guadalupe formation. This formation is represented by massive to thickl y bedded lithic tuff and tuffaceous sandstone.Based on the Geologic Map of Pasay (Figure 2. 3), the two major geologic formations are: Quarternary Alluvial (QA1) which is comprised of detrital deposits mostly silt, sand and gravel; and Guadalupe formation (GF) of which the upper member (Diliman Tuff) is thin to medium bedded, fine-grained, vitric tuffs and welded volcanic breccias with subordinate amounts of tuffaceous, fine to medium grained sandstone. Members of the Pleistocene Guadalupe Formation underlie almost half of the terrain where Pasay lies. These are mainly Alat Conglomerate and Diliman Tuff.Early Pleistocene to late Pleistocene conglomerate, silty mudstone and tuffaceous sandstone comprise the lower member while late Pleistocene wellbedded tuff units make up the upper member. The constituents of the Diliman Tuff were most likely derived from a volcano on the central lobe of Laguna de Bay to the south based on its aerial distribution pattern and lithological similarity w ith those in the northern vicinity of the central lobe of Laguna de Bay. On the other hand, Quartenary alluvial deposits of the Marikina Alluvial plain and Pasig River Delta plain cover western areas of the city.The presence of the marine sediments suggest that the quartenary alluvium was probably deposited after uplift of the Guadalupe formation. 2. 3 Physiography Metro Manila's physiography is divided into six zones namely, the Manila Bay, the Coastal Margin, the Guadalupe Plateau, the Marikina Valley, the Laguna lowlands and the Laguna de Bay. Pasay City belongs to the Coastal Margin or the low lying flat strip of land east of Manila Bay with an elevation of less than 5 meters above mean sea level. This zone also occupies portions of Valenzuela, The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. ov. ph 2 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE Malabon, Caloocan, Navotas, Manila, Paranaque, Las Pinas and the reclaimed portion of Manila Bay 2. 4 Topography, Ele vation and Slope The western part of Pasay City is level to nearly level while its southeastern part is gently sloping to gently undulating. It is characterized by coastal plains along the Manila Bay in the west and sloping areas extending in the south-east direction. Surface elevations range from 2 meters above the mean sea level on the coastal plains and 24 meters on the southeast part of the city. . 5 Land and Associated Soil Characteristics As per Metro Manila Land Resource Evaluation Project by BSWM, Pasay has the following land and soil characteristics (Figure 2. 4): Active Tidal Flats (Coastal Landscape) Active tidal flats, with an almost flat relief, have an elevation that ranges from 0 to 1. 5 meters, sometimes reaching up to 3 meters above the mean sea level. This land system has very poor drainage characteristics. Waterlogged areas may pose a corrosion problem to underground uncoated steel pipes or structural reinforcement.Poor drainage is also a problem in sewage disposa l in areas which are not served by public sewer facilities. It is further characterized by slow permeability, high compressibility, and possible flooding during seasonal high water table. Soil texture or the different sizes of particles in the soil mass are clay, silty clay, and sandly clay loam. The parent materials of this land classification are tidal mudflats with muck and peat locally, alluvial sediments. Former Tidal Flats (Coastal Landscape) The former tidal flats consist of areas more inland and slightly higher than the active tidal flats.They occupy the almost flat plains, backswamps and depression of the coastal landscape formed from marine and flovio-marine deposits. Slightly lower then the alluvial plain, its elevation ranges from 2 to 5 meters. It has slow to moderate permeability and a soil texture of clay to silty clay loam. Moreover, it is poorly drained, prone to moderate seasonal flooding, highly compressible, and corrosive to uncoated steel. Its parent materials a re alluvial sediments, former tidal mudflats underlain with peaty and mucky materials. . Water Resources Characteristics 2. . 1 Surface Waters 2. 6 Pasay City is bounded in the west by Manila Bay. It is traversed by two minor rivers that feed the Paranaque River namely the Estero de Tripa de Gallina and Maricaban Creek. The city lies within the Manila Bay Watershed area. The bay has a catchment area of about 17,000 square kilometers that is made up of about eight river basins, nearest of which to the city is the Paranaque-Las Pinas river basin. This river basin is subsequently made up of three major rivers, the Paranaque, Las Pinas and Zapote Rivers.These river systems essentially serve about 1,500 hectares of low-lying areas along the Manila Bay and functions as 3 The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE the principal drainage channel of the area. The geomorphic setting of these lowlying areas and the hy draulic action of the Manila Bay basin and the South China Sea make the area vulnerable to flooding, a condition aggravated by the inadequate capacity and poor maintenance of the drainage facilities. 2. 6. 2 GroundwaterPasay is situated on a delta which has produced locally-confined aquifers. Groundwater utilization, however, has resulted in significant draw-down causing much land subsidence and saline water intrusion particularly in the coastal areas. The groundwater basin contains several connected and interrelated aquifers, composed of tuffaceous sandstone and conglomerates belonging to the Guadalupe Formation. These facets of Guadalupe Formation in the southeastern part of the city have thickness of approximately 1,300 to 1,200 meters. Recharge to the aquifers comes from rainfall and inflow from the extension of these aquifers.However, these are already over exploited due to uncontrolled pumping and excessive underwater withdrawal, a practice done principally by high-density res idential, commercial and industrial establishments. This situation leads to a partial depletion of the aquifers resulting in the lowering of water levels and high pumping costs. Almost 2000 wells have been drilled in the aquifers of the Guadalupe Formation for the commercial and residential users. Some of these wells go as deep as 300 meters. In 1990, total pumpage reached 339. 6 million cubic meters. 2. 6. 3 Water QualityAvailable data from government agencies such as the DENR-EMB have indicated that the near-the-shore waters of Manila Bay, together with the major rivers in Metro Manila, are considered biologically dead. The water quality in Manila Bay has progressively deteriorated due to domestic, industrial and agricultural wastes being dumped uncontrollably in the waterways. This present state is likewise being attributed to inadequate drainage facilities and the discharge of untreated domestic and industrial wastewater due to inadequate wastewater collection, treatment and dis posal facilities.Based on the sampling conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in each month of the year 2000, water quality as per dissolved oxygen, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and the total suspended solid level in various stations of the Paranaque-Zapote River are shown in the following tables. Two stations were located within Pasay City, Tramo and MIA Road. Table 2. 3 Annual Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) in the Paranaque-Zapote River System, 2000 Station Tramo MIA Road La Huerta Paranaque Zapote Quirino Monthly Ave. Standard, mg/L Location Tramo, Pasay City MIA Rd. Pasay City Paranaque City Paranaque City Las Pinas City Paranaque City Jan NS NS NS NS NS NS NA 5 Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 0. 21 NS 0. 0 0 0. 1 0. 9 1. 3 1. 2 0 NS 0 0. 06 NS 3. 8 0 0 0. 0 0. 0 1. 0 0 NS 0. 0 0. 51 NS 12. 0 0 4. 0 13. 4 0. 0 2. 8 0 NS 0 4. 89 NS 3. 6 0 1. 0 9. 5 4. 0 5. 4 0 NS 4. 2 0. 1 NS 0. 0 0 0. 8 9. 4 1. 2 1. 6 0 NS 0 NS NS 12. 0 0 2. 0 11. 4 0. 0 0. 6 0 NS 0. 0 1. 15 NA 5. 2 0 1. 3 7. 4 1. 1 2. 1 0 NA 0. 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Annual 0. 4 0. 5 3. 6 3. 6 1. 5 3. 3 2. 1 5 The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph 4 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILETable 2. 4 Annual BOD (mg/L) in the Paranaque-Zapote River System, 2000 Paranaque Tramo MIA Road La Huerta Paranaque Zapote Quirino Monthly Ave. Standard, mg/L Location Tramo, Pasay City MIA Rd. , Pasay City Paranaque City Paranaque City Las Pinas City Paranaque City Jan NS NS NS NS NS NS NA 10 Feb 10 17 16 7 30 NS 16 10 Mar NS NS NS NS NS NS NA 10 Apr May Jun July Aug Sep 15 32 17 26 23 6 15 38 12 17 32 10 11 39 16 13 32 4 22 29 17 26 33 13 32 39 5 12 16 8 3 23 14 12 33 2 16 33 14 18 28 7 10 10 10 10 10 10 Oct 23 23 27 14 21 23 22 10 Nov Dec Annual NS 17 19 NS 13 20 NS 20 20 NS 10 19 NS 33 22 NS 15 16 NA 18 19 10 10 10Table 2. 5 Annual Total Suspended Solid Levels in the Paranaque-Zapote River System, 2000 Paranaque Tramo MIA Road La Huer ta Paranaque Zapote Quirino Monthly Ave. Location Jan Feb Tramo, Pasay City NS 20 MIA Rd. , Pasay City NS 20 Paranaque City NS 30 Paranaque City NS 20 Las Pinas City NS 30 Paranaque City NS NS NA 21 Mar NS NS NS NS NS NS NA Apr May Jun July Aug Sep 20 10 10 20 30 40 80 30 20 30 30 40 100 30 10 30 20 30 70 30 20 20 30 30 60 20 10 70 30 30 50 10 20 50 40 40 63 22 15 37 30 35 Oct 40 40 40 30 30 30 35 Nov Dec Annual NS 30 24 NS 20 34 NS 40 37 NS 20 30 NS 40 36 NS 20 33 NA 28 32The sampling results show that dissolved oxygen levels in the two Pasay stations are way below the standards while the BOD concentrations are way above standard. 2. 7 Atmospheric Characteristic From the nearest PAGASA station at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), climatological data from 1950-1995 were obtained. Tables 2. 6 and 2. 7 show some of the significant data. 2. 7. 1 Climate The climate of Pasay is classified as Type 1 under the Corona classification used by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) depending on rainfall pattern.It is characterized by two pronounced seasons: rainy season from May to October and dry season from January to April, when rainfall drops to 10-30-mm/ month. In general, Metro Manila is directly influenced by an average of 2 to 3 tropical cyclones per year. 2. 7. 2 Rainfall The PAGASA station recorded an annual rainfall amount of 1,149. 2 mm with a total of 113 rainy days between the years 1961-1995. The rainy months of May – October indicated monthly rainy days of 7- 20 with the month of July recording the highest at 20. The highest amount of rainfall for the period 1949-1995 was 427. mm recorded on February 1,1962. 2. 7. 3 Temperature Pasay has an average normal annual temperature of 27. 5  °C. The warmest months are April, May and June while the coldest months are December, January and February with the minimum temperature of 25-26 °C. The highest 5 The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay . gov. ph COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE temperature was recorded on May 18,1969 at 38. 1 °C while the lowest was recorded at 14. 6 °C on February 1, 1962. 2. 7. 4 Relative Humidity Relative humidity or the percentages of water vapor in the air ranges, in onthly values, from 66% to 81% with an annual average of 75%. These values indicate that Pasay is relatively humid. 2. 7. 5 Wind Speed and Direction The annual prevailing wind direction in the area is towards the east. The average annual wind speed is 3. 0 meters per second (mps). High wind speed occurs in March to April while low wind speed happens in September to November. The highest wind speed of 56 mps was recorded on November 14, 1977, going in a western direction. The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph 6 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE Table 2. Climatological Normals Month January February March April May June July August September October November December ANNUAL Source: Note: Rainfall Amount 8. 5 2. 9 6. 2 13. 2 101. 6 244. 5 363. 0 414. 1 309. 0 221. 4 121. 1 43. 7 1849. 2 No. of Rainy Days 2 1 2 2 7 15 18 20 17 13 10 6 113 Temperature ( °C) Max 30. 3 31. 2 32. 7 34. 3 34. 2 32. 5 31. 3 30. 8 31. 0 31. 1 31. 0 30. 3 31. 7 Min 20. 9 21. 2 22. 4 24. 0 24. 9 24. 5 24. 1 24. 0 24. 0 23. 5 22. 8 21. 7 23. 2 Mean Dry Bulb Wet Bulb Dew Point VP (mbs) 25. 6 25. 3 21. 9 20. 5 23. 9 26. 2 26. 0 22. 0 20. 3 23. 7 27. 6 27. 4 22. 8 21. 0 24. 6 29. 29. 0 24. 0 22. 1 26. 4 29. 6 29. 3 24. 9 23. 4 28. 4 28. 5 28. 2 25. 0 23. 9 29. 5 27. 7 27. 4 24. 7 23. 7 29. 2 27. 4 27. 0 24. 7 23. 9 29. 5 27. 5 27. 1 24. 8 24. 0 29. 7 27. 3 27. 0 24. 3 23. 3 28. 5 26. 9 26. 6 23. 6 22. 5 27. 1 26. 0 25. 7 22. 7 21. 5 25. 5 27. 5 27. 2 23. 8 22. 5 27. 2 Relative MSL PRESS. Humidity (mbs) 74 70 67 66 70 77 80 83 83 80 78 77 75 1013. 5 1013. 5 1012. 7 1011. 2 1009. 4 1008. 8 1008. 3 1008. 1 1008. 9 1009. 7 1011. 0 1012. 6 1010. 6 Wind Speed an d Direction Direction Speed E 3 E 4 E 4 E 4 E 4 W 3 W 3 W 3 W 2 E 2 E 2 E 3 E 3 Cloud Cover (Octa) 4 4 3 3 5 6 6 7 7 6 5 5 5Days TSTM 0 0 0 1 7 11 12 9 11 9 2 0 59 With LTNG 0 0 1 4 16 16 16 10 15 10 3 1 92 PAGASA Station at 429-NAIA (MIA), Pasay City, located at 14 °31’N latitude and 121 °01’ longitude with elevation 21. 0 m from period 1961-1995. Table 2. 7 Climatological Extremes Month January February March April May June July August September October November December ANNUAL Period of Record Source: Notes: High 35. 8 34. 8 36. 5 37. 8 38. 1 38 36 35. 2 34. 9 36 35. 8 34. 2 38. 1 Daily Highest Rainfall (mm) Temperature ( °C) Date Low Date Amount Date 7-89 14. 8 18-61 55. 3 3-70 28-80 14. 6 1-62 16. 5 27-50 30-78 16 3-63 35. 12-71 23-48 19. 4 17-68 63 4-92 18-69 19. 1 11-50 229. 1 27-60 2-91 20 22-54 316. 8 27-85 6-91 18. 3 28-48 472. 4 20-72 29-89 17. 4 9-49 401. 8 10-47 9-79 19. 1 15-50 228. 8 8-63 24-76 18 23-81 274. 5 9-78 17-72 17. 2 26-49 121. 7 14-77 28 -79 16. 3 18-55 110. 5 30-50 5-18 14. 6 2-1 1962 472. 4 7-20 1972 1969 1947-1995 1949-1995 Speed 20 20 26 20 31 36 36 30 26 27 56 25 56 Wind (mps) Direction E-NE E E E SW S W WSW NW W W NW W 1950-1995 Date 12-86 28-88 29-92 6-86 22-76 29-64 8-86 16-84 27-78 18-85 19-70 30-50 11-19 1970 High 1,022. 30 1021. 4 1021. 1 1019. 9 1015. 9 1015. 9 1014. 9 1015. 2 1015. 2 1017 1019. 1020. 9 1022. 3 Sea Level Pressure Date Low 27-87 1004. 4 1-62 1005. 0 2-87 1004. 7 23-87 1003. 8 9-57 992. 2 6-66 974. 2 7-53 994. 2 12-58 992. 8 20-65 988. 9 25-86 977. 9 3-89 899. 4 8-60 996. 2 1-27 899. 4 1978 1950-1995 Date 1-50 15-52 8-84 25-71 17-89 29-64 15-83 24-78 30-95 14-70 3-95 15-64 11-3 1995 PAGASA *Station at 429-NAIA (MIA), Pasay City, located at 14 °31’N latitude and 121 °01’ longitude with elevation 21. 0 m from period 1961-1995. *No record for the period 1941-1945 The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph 7 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 2. 8Air Quality Pasay City is already experiencing a deterioration of its air quality. This may be attributed to the congestion of people, improperly maintained vehicles servicing them, and the significant percentage of pollutive firms with inadequate air pollution control devices and facilities operating within the area. The National Ambient Air Quality and Noise Standards are prescribed in Table 2. 8 and Table 2. 9 respectively. Table 2. 8 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Source Specific Pollutants *POLLUTANTS (a) 1. Ammonia 2. Carbon Disulfide 3. Chlorine and Chlorine compounds expressed as Cl2 4.Formal dehyde CONCENTRATION (c) ug/Ncm 200 30 100 ppm 0. 28 0. 01 0. 03 AVERAGING TIME (min) 30 30 5 METHOD OF ANALYSIS/ MEASUREMENT (b) Nesselcrization/Indo Phenol Tischer Method Methyl Orange 50 0. 04 30 5. Hydrogen Chloride 6. Hydrogen Sulfide 7. Lead 8. Nitrogen Oxide 9. Phenol 10. Sulfur Dioxide 11. Suspended particulate Matter – TSP PM – 10 200 100 20 375 260 100 470 340 300 200 0. 13 0. 07 0. 2 0. 14 0. 03 0. 18 0. 13 30 30 30 30 60 30 30 60 60 60 Chromotrophic acid method or MBTH-Colorimetric method Volhard Titration with Iodine solution Methylene Blue b AAS Griess-Saltzmans 4-Amineantipyrine Colorimetric- PararosanilineGravimetric -do- Table 2. 9 DENR Standards for Noise in General Areas, dB(A) AREA Schools/hospitals Residential Commercial Light Industrial Heavy Industrial DAYTIME 50 60 65 70 75 MORNING/EVENING 45 50 60 65 70 NIGHTTIME 40 45 55 60 60 2. 9 Geologic and other Natural Hazards No traced earthquake fault line traverses the city of Pasay. However, the city is not spared from other related geologic hazards such as tsunamis, ground shaking, and liquefaction. Tsunamis are giant sea waves generated by under the sea earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Not all submarine earthquakes, however, can cause the occurrence of tsunamis.Tsunamis can only occur when the earthquake is shallow-seated and strong enough (M 7. 0) to displace parts of the seabed and disturb the water over it (PHIVOLCS). The coastal area of Pasay City is among the most hit by tsunamis and have a high potential for future tsunamis. Typhoons and their associated hazards, such as strong winds, storm surges, and floods, are among the most recurrent and damaging calamities our country is The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph 8 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE prone to.Some 20 typhoons pass the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) every year. These are most frequent during the months of May to December with peak occurrences in the month of November. Of the total 325 typhoons recorded to have crossed the PAR from 1948 to 1978, about 20 passed through Metro Manila. One of these, Typhoon Yoling, was the most severe, registering a maximum wind speed of 200 kph and bringing 24-hour rainfall on the Metropolis. Residential areas, infrastructure, power systems, and other utility installations experienced heavy damages, some of which took months to restore. . 10 Environmental Management 2. 10. 1 Water Management To address the countrywide water crisis which adversely affects the health and well being of the population, food production and industrialization process, the National Water Crisis Act of 1995 was enacted. Some of the issues related to the water crises are: water supply, water distribution, financing aspects, privatization of state-run water facilities, the protection and conservation of watersheds, and pilferage of water, including the serious matter of graft and corruption in all the water agencies. . 10. 2 Air Quality Management The Clean Air Act of 1999 recognizes that the responsibility of cleaning the habitat and environment is primarily area-based, thus, a local government concern. In terms of air quality management, it stipulates that: LGUs shall share the responsibility in the management and maintenance of air quality within their territorial jurisdicti on. LGUs shall implement air quality standards set by the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) in areas within their jurisdiction.Provided, however, that in cases where the board has not been duly constituted and has not promulgated its standards, the standards set forth in this Act shall apply. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall provide the LGUs with technical assistance, training and a continuing capabilitybuilding program to prepare them to undertake full administration of the air quality management and regulation within their territorial jurisdiction. The LGU, for one, is responsible for attaining and maintaining the ambient air quality standards within their respective airsheds.The designation of airsheds shall be on the basis of, but not limited to, areas with similar climate, meteorology and topology which affect the interchange and diffusion of pollutants in the atmosphere, or areas which share common interest or face similar development programs, prospe cts or problems. The DENR bases such ambient air quality standards on World Health Organization (WHO) standards, but shall not be limited to nor be less stringent than such standards. The initial lists and values of the hazardous air pollutants are provided in the DENR mandate.The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph 9 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 2. 10. 3 Land Management All the barangays of the city have Cadastral Maps which are being used for taxation and other legal purposes. On the other hand, prior to this undertaking, a Zoning Ordinance in 1981 was being used to guide developments and land uses in the city. 2. 10. 4 Solid Waste Management (SWM) At present, the city of Pasay disposes of its solid waste in the San Mateo Sanitary Landfill and the Payatas dumpsite.As per a JICA study on Solid Waste Management for Metro Manila involving government agencies such as DECS, DENR and MMDA, Pasay City along with Taguig, Pateros and the c ity of Makati shall be accommodated in the proposed Transfer Station within Fort Bonifacio and then dumped in an inland landfill site to be later specified. (Figure 2. 5 refers) All barangays are covered by solid waste collection, which is handled by the local government and private contractors. Solid wastes are collected daily on main thoroughfares and every other day in the rest of the city. However, the collection systems accommodate urgent requests by residents.Table 2. 10 Existing Solid Waste Disposal Methods Method Population Served Residents of each Barangay Whole city Responsible Agency/Entity Barangay Officials Equipment Facilities Push Cart Financing/ Operating Costs Remarks 1. Push cart collection Not recommended since collectors tend to throw their garbage anywhere †¢ Presentations †¢ Diesoline Expenses †¢ Salaries of the personnel 2. Collection by trucks, Transfer and Transport 3. Experimental Waste Segregation 51 Families Private sector/ Solid Waste Cont ractors: †¢ Excellent Trucking Services, †¢ Greenline Onyx, †¢ Leg Hauling, and †¢ RM Maintenance Services SWM Compactors Office of the Mayor Trucks (10 wheeler dump truck) †¢ Open-Top Compactors †¢ Pay loaders †¢ Shovels †¢ Sacks Garbage Compactors Diesoline Expenses Maintenance of the facilities A project adopted by the Maryville Association Source: Solid Waste Management Office 2. 10. 5 Drainage and Flood Control System The Tripa de Gallina and Libertad pumping stations (PS), the Buendia and Libertad Outfalls or Channels are currently servicing the drainage requirement of the city. The Tripa de Gallina PS has a drainage area of over 1,700 hectares. Part of the storm runoff from the Estero de Tripa de Gallina enters the Libertad PS via the Buendia and Libertad Outfalls.The rest are discharged into the Paranaque River. The Estero, however, shows a fluctuation in profile due to the deposit of sediment and garbage, and insufficient improvement of the Buendia Channel. This condition is caused largely by poor sewerage and improper solid waste disposal. A considerable volume of wastes accumulates in the retention pond of the reclamation area. In areas along esteros and creeks occupied by a number of squatter shanties, wastes are directly discharged into the waterway. At present, the local government employs flood control measures such as annual 10The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE clearing of all waterways and sedimentation (desilting of riverbeds) accompanied by a proper garbage and waste disposal system. The adjoining upstream areas of the Libertad Reclamation Area is being drained through the Libertad, Buendia, and EDSA outfalls. Their existing discharge capacities are much smaller than their design capacities due to siltation. Garbage inflow at the inlets of these outfalls aggravates the problem. 2. 10. Disaster Management The warning sy stem for both typhoons and floods in Metro Manila are operated by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). It monitors the meteorological and hydrological conditions and issues periodic reports. This report contains a warning if the conditions entail risks to the population. The warning system for typhoons works separately from the warning system for floods. 2. 11 Land Suitability Assessment In coming up with an effective land utilization system, the physical and environmental attributes of Pasay City must be considered.Areas of physical constraint for further developments in the city should be delineated. Maps indicating the city's relevant physical and environmental attributes are generated and translated into degrees of concern. References used for this purpose include materials from the local government, BSWM, and PHIVOLCS. Some of the environmental concerns such as flooding, drainage, river preservation, liquefaction hazard, and industrial zones were reflected in maps and discussed briefly. These are subsequently used to delineate the areas of various degrees of development suitability.Flood Hazard Areas Besides natural factors, other aspects that tend to aggravate flooding problems in Metro Manila include the following: Infrastructure development leading to the creation of more impervious areas, resulting to higher peak run-offs that usually cause standing floods; Inadequate or non-existent drainage system; Improper solid waste disposal that leads to the clogging of drainage systems, further lowering their water retaining capacity; Heavy siltation of rivers due to previous floods, indiscriminate dumping of garbage, encroachment of squatters and slum dwellers, and limited maintenance works; and Institutional problems and financial constraints which delay implementation of proper flood control measures. Flooding within Pasay City are generally concentrated along Taft Avenue and the areas along the Estero de Tripa de Gallina and Maricaban Creek (Figure 2. 6). The Official Website of Pasay City www. pasay. gov. ph 11COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN OF PASAY CITY SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE River and Coastal Preservation As shown in Figure 2. 7, the following are the river preservation zones of the city: †¢ Rivers and streams – These critical areas consist of easements of about 3 to 20 meters from both sides throughout the entire length of any river or stream. Areas within this range are subject to easement of public use in the interest of recreation, fishing, floatage, etc. Coastal Zone – This includes areas one kilometer from the coastline of the Manila Bay, which is city waters, and 200 meters from the coastline inland. †¢ Areas of no significance – Areas outside the range mentioned above are nonenvironmentally-critical areas.Liquefaction Hazard Liquefaction is associated with the phenomenon of quick-condition failure which is generally obtained when pore water in a liquefied layer rises into overlying near-surface sediments that results in a condition resembling quicksand. Areas that are prone to liquefaction are those underlain by water-saturated, thick fine to coarse sand layers such as those along the Pasig River Delta Plain, lake shore areas of Laguna de Bay and the shorelines of Manila Bay. Figure 2. 8 shows the city’s Liquefaction Hazard Map with potential zones classified into high, moderate and low based mainly on the presence of clay layers which help inhibit liquefaction.Industrial and Airport Zones The attribute features of this map are based on the constraints on acceptable noise and air pollution levels for developments around existing industrial establishments. These noise and air pollution levels conform with the DENR Guidelines (Figure 2. 9). †¢ Development restriction guidelines for various noise zones are: – from 45 to 55 dBA. Section of contiguous areas which are primarily used for residential purposes. – from 55 to 65 dBA. Primarily for commercial area – from 60 to 70 dBA. Reserved as a light industrial area – from 65 to 75 dBA. Primarily reserved as a heavy industrial area. Development restriction guidelines for various source-specific air pollutants, such as emission of dust, dirt or fly ash based on DENR standards.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
The story revolved around an unlikely relationship
The story revolved around an unlikely relationship between a boy and a 36-year-old wealthy man. Will was wealthy and trendy. He spent most of his days laying around and being self-absorbed.He was living off his late father’s royalties from his hit single, â€Å"Santa’s Super Sleigh.†He refused to do anything with his life. Bored and desperate to meet women who were desperate for sex, he went off to join a single parent’s group called â€Å"SPAT.†He pretended to have a son, until he met Suzie.At a company outing, Will met Fiona, an eccentric hippy vegan who had a 12-year-old sold named Marcus. He was the type of child who was bullied in school because of his weird haircut and his old-fashioned clothes that his mom chose for him.During that time, Will and Marcus did not like each other very much. It was during that time when, they discovered that Fiona tried to commit suicide. Marcus spied on Will during the day and discovered he was not a single pa rent since he did not have a kid. He tried to convince Will to befriend his mother, fearing that she would try to kill herself again This was because of his mother’s constant crying.Over time, Will allowed Marcus to visit him. He even gave him new trainers. The next day, they got stolen. Marcus had to explain to his mother how Will was trying to help him out socially. Marcus joined a talent show at school to sing â€Å"Killing me Softly†that was supposed to be his mother’s favorite song.Will tried to stop Marcus from doing so and races to his school knowing it was social suicide. He arrived but was not successful in persuading Marcus from performing. Seeing that Marcus was not doing well with the crowd, he came on stage with him playing a guitar. While the performance was not as successful, the friendship forged between Will and Marcus was. It served as a pivotal part in the story as the two turned each other’s lives around.Relationships. The story revol ved around the significance of relationships each character had in each other’s lives. The theme of the story was about how relationships can change your life. Mainly, it was Will’s life that was headlined. He was living an empty life despite his wealth and free time.It was only when he formed a relationship with Marcus that his life gained meaning and substance. He began to care about someone other than himself as shown in how he brought him new shoes and when he performed the talent show with Marcus. If he did not meet Marcus, could he have changed his life alone? It was unlikely, as he did not realize then that he needed to.It was then that he apprehended that it was not good to live his life for himself alone. He saw how different it was when he did not knew Marcus. Once he had experienced having a real relationship with a person, he yearned for it and realized he needed people too. He felt the emptiness when Marcus was not around.At the same time, Marcus was c ruising through his life as a pushover. He did not know how to act with confidence because he did lack the chance to have a father figure. He did not have anyone whom he could have such an important relationship with.The time he had spent at Will’s house built the relationship between them, even if it was unwarranted. He was hanging out with him after school and it worked for them. The story showed that relationships did not need to be conventional for them to change a person’s life.The friendship that developed between Fiona and Will was also an unusual one. But she needed that relationship with Will in order to keep her sanity and avoid depression. Even if there were times wherein, he threatened her, she was grateful for the role he played in Marcus’ life. She saw that with Will around, she had a chance to make his life better.This showed how the relationships of the people we love have with other people affects our lives as well. People were also placed in ot hers lives for a purpose. It also showed that relationships were built over time. It was also strengthened by genuine concern and honesty.It was something that needed to be worked on. People needed a witness to their lives. The story revolved around relationships and the importance of human connection was to create a meaningful existence.Work CitedHornby, Nick. About a Boy. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
The Lost Symbol Chapter 30-32
CHAPTER 30 SB level. Senate basement. Robert Langdon's claustrophobia gripped him more tightly with every hastening step of their descent. As they moved deeper into the building's original foundation, the air became heavy, and the ventilation seemed nonexistent. The walls down here were an uneven blend of stone and yellow brick. Director Sato typed on her BlackBerry as they walked. Langdon sensed a suspicion in her guarded manner, but the feeling was quickly becoming reciprocal. Sato still hadn't told him how she knew Langdon was here tonight. An issue of national security? He had a hard time understanding any relation between ancient mysticism and national security. Then again, he had a hard time understanding much of anything about this situation. Peter Solomon entrusted me with a talisman . . . a deluded lunatic tricked me into bringing it to the Capitol and wants me to use it to unlock a mystical portal . . . possibly in a room called SBB13. Not exactly a clear picture. As they pressed on, Langdon tried to shake from his mind the horrible image of Peter's tattooed hand, transformed into the Hand of the Mysteries. The gruesome picture was accompanied by Peter's voice: The Ancient Mysteries, Robert, have spawned many myths . . . but that does not mean they themselves are fiction. Despite a career studying mystical symbols and history, Langdon had always struggled intellectually with the idea of the Ancient Mysteries and their potent promise of apotheosis. Admittedly, the historical record contained indisputable evidence that secret wisdom had been passed down through the ages, apparently having come out of the Mystery Schools in early Egypt. This knowledge moved underground, resurfacing in Renaissance Europe, where, according to most accounts, it was entrusted to an elite group of scientists within the walls of Europe's premier scientific think tank–the Royal Society of London–enigmatically nicknamed the Invisible College. This concealed â€Å"college†quickly became a brain trust of the world's most enlightened minds– those of Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, Robert Boyle, and even Benjamin Franklin. Today, the list of modern â€Å"fellows†was no less impressive–Einstein, Hawking, Bohr, and Celsius. These great minds had all made quantum leaps in human understanding, advances that, according to some, were the result of their exposure to ancient wisdom hidden within the Invisible College. Langdon doubted this was true, although certainly there had been an unusual amount of â€Å"mystical work†taking place within those walls. The discovery of Isaac Newton's secret papers in 1936 had stunned the world by revealing Newton's all-consuming passion for the study of ancient alchemy and mystical wisdom. Newton's private papers included a handwritten letter to Robert Boyle in which he exhorted Boyle to keep â€Å"high silence†regarding the mystical knowledge they had learned. â€Å"It cannot be communicated,†Newton wrote, â€Å"without immense damage to the world.†The meaning of this strange warning was still being debated today. â€Å"Professor,†Sato said suddenly, glancing up from her BlackBerry, â€Å"despite your insistence that you have no idea why you're here tonight, perhaps you could shed light on the meaning of Peter Solomon's ring.†â€Å"I can try,†Langdon said, refocusing. She produced the specimen bag and handed it to Langdon. â€Å"Tell me about the symbols on his ring.†Langdon examined the familiar ring as they moved through the deserted passageway. Its face bore the image of a double-headed phoenix holding a banner proclaiming ORDO AB CHAO, and its chest was emblazoned with the number 33. â€Å"The double-headed phoenix with the number thirty-three is the emblem of the highest Masonic degree.†Technically, this prestigious degree existed solely within the Scottish Rite. Nonetheless, the rites and degrees of Masonry were a complex hierarchy that Langdon had no desire to detail for Sato tonight. â€Å"Essentially, the thirty- third degree is an elite honor reserved for a small group of highly accomplished Masons. All the other degrees can be attained by successful completion of the previous degree, but ascension to the thirty-third degree is controlled. It's by invitation only.†â€Å"So you were aware that Peter Solomon was a member of this elite inner circle?†â€Å"Of course. Membership is hardly a secret.†â€Å"And he is their highest-ranking official?†â€Å"Currently, yes. Peter heads the Supreme Council Thirty-third Degree, which is the governing body of the Scottish Rite in America.†Langdon always loved visiting their headquarters–the House of the Temple–a classical masterpiece whose symbolic ornamentation rivaled that of Scotland's Rosslyn Chapel. â€Å"Professor, did you notice the engraving on the ring's band? It bears the words `All is revealed at the thirty-third degree.' â€Å" Langdon nodded. â€Å"It's a common theme in Masonic lore.†â€Å"Meaning, I assume, that if a Mason is admitted to this highest thirty-third degree, then something special is revealed to him?†â€Å"Yes, that's the lore, but probably not the reality. There's always been conspiratorial conjecture that a select few within this highest echelon of Masonry are made privy to some great mystical secret. The truth, I suspect, is probably far less dramatic.†Peter Solomon often made playful allusions to the existence of a precious Masonic secret, but Langdon always assumed it was just a mischievous attempt to coax him into joining the brotherhood. Unfortunately, tonight's events had been anything but playful, and there had been nothing mischievous about the seriousness with which Peter had urged Langdon to protect the sealed package in his daybag. Langdon glanced forlornly at the plastic bag containing Peter's gold ring. â€Å"Director,†he asked, â€Å"would you mind if I held on to this?†She looked over. â€Å"Why?†â€Å"It's very valuable to Peter, and I'd like to return it to him tonight.†She looked skeptical. â€Å"Let's hope you get that chance.†â€Å"Thanks.†Langdon pocketed the ring. â€Å"Another question,†Sato said as they hastened deeper into the labyrinth. â€Å"My staff said that while cross-checking the concepts of the `thirty-third degree' and `portal' with Masonry, they turned up literally hundreds of references to a `pyramid'?†â€Å"That's not surprising, either,†Langdon said. â€Å"The pyramid builders of Egypt are the forerunners of the modern stonemasons, and the pyramid, along with Egyptian themes, is very common in Masonic symbolism.†â€Å"Symbolizing what?†â€Å"The pyramid essentially represents enlightenment. It's an architectural symbol emblematic of ancient man's ability to break free from his earthly plane and ascend upward toward heaven, toward the golden sun, and ultimately, toward the supreme source of illumination.†She waited a moment. â€Å"Nothing else?†Nothing else?! Langdon had just described one of history's most elegant symbols. The structure through which man elevated himself into the realm of the gods. â€Å"According to my staff,†she said, â€Å"it sounds like there is a much more relevant connection tonight. They tell me there exists a popular legend about a specific pyramid here in Washington–a pyramid that relates specifically to the Masons and the Ancient Mysteries?†Langdon now realized what she was referring to, and he tried to dispel the notion before they wasted any more time. â€Å"I am familiar with the legend, Director, but it's pure fantasy. The Masonic Pyramid is one of D.C.'s most enduring myths, probably stemming from the pyramid on the Great Seal of the United States.†â€Å"Why didn't you mention it earlier?†Langdon shrugged. â€Å"Because it has no basis in fact. Like I said, it's a myth. One of many associated with the Masons.†â€Å"And yet this particular myth relates directly to the Ancient Mysteries?†â€Å"Sure, as do plenty of others. The Ancient Mysteries are the foundation for countless legends that have survived in history–stories about powerful wisdom protected by secret guardians like the Templars, the Rosicrucians, the Illuminati, the Alumbrados–the list goes on and on. They are all based on the Ancient Mysteries . . . and the Masonic Pyramid is just one example.†â€Å"I see,†Sato said. â€Å"And what does this legend actually say?†Langdon considered it for a few steps and then replied, â€Å"Well, I'm no specialist in conspiracy theory, but I am educated in mythology, and most accounts go something like this: The Ancient Mysteries–the lost wisdom of the ages–have long been considered mankind's most sacred treasure, and like all great treasures, they have been carefully protected. The enlightened sages who understood the true power of this wisdom learned to fear its awesome potential. They knew that if this secret knowledge were to fall into uninitiated hands, the results could be devastating; as we said earlier, powerful tools can be used either for good or for evil. So, in order to protect the Ancient Mysteries, and mankind in the process, the early practitioners formed secret fraternities. Inside these brotherhoods, they shared their wisdom only with the properly initiated, passing the wisdom from sage to sage. Many believe we can look back and see the historical remnants of those who mastered the Mysteries . . . in the stories of sorcerers, magicians, and healers.†â€Å"And the Masonic Pyramid?†Sato asked. â€Å"How does that fit in?†â€Å"Well,†Langdon said, striding faster now to keep pace, â€Å"this is where history and myth begin to merge. According to some accounts, by the sixteenth century in Europe, almost all of these secret fraternities had become extinct, most of them exterminated by a growing tide of religious persecution. The Freemasons, it is said, became the last surviving custodians of the Ancient Mysteries. Understandably, they feared that if their own brotherhood one day died off like its predecessors, the Ancient Mysteries would be lost for all time.†â€Å"And the pyramid?†Sato again pressed. Langdon was getting to it. â€Å"The legend of the Masonic Pyramid is quite simple. It states that the Masons, in order to fulfill their responsibility of protecting this great wisdom for future generations, decided to hide it in a great fortress.†Langdon tried to gather his recollections of the story. â€Å"Again, I stress this is all myth, but allegedly, the Masons transported their secret wisdom from the Old World to the New World–here, to America–a land they hoped would remain free from religious tyranny. And here they built an impenetrable fortress–a hidden pyramid– designed to protect the Ancient Mysteries until the time that all of mankind was ready to handle the awesome power that this wisdom could communicate. According to the myth, the Masons crowned their great pyramid with a shining, solid-gold capstone as symbol of the precious treasure within–the ancient wisdom capable of empowering mankind to his full human potential. Apotheo sis.†â€Å"Quite a story,†Sato said. â€Å"Yes. The Masons fall victim to all kinds of crazy legends.†â€Å"Obviously you don't believe such a pyramid exists.†â€Å"Of course not,†Langdon replied. â€Å"There's no evidence whatsoever to suggest that our Masonic forefathers built any kind of pyramid in America, much less in D.C. It's pretty difficult to hide a pyramid, especially one large enough to hold all the lost wisdom of the ages.†The legend, as Langdon recalled, never explained exactly what was supposed to be inside the Masonic Pyramid–whether it was ancient texts, occult writings, scientific revelations, or something far more mysterious–but the legend did say that the precious information inside was ingeniously encoded . . . and understandable only to the most enlightened souls. â€Å"Anyway,†Langdon said, â€Å"this story falls into a category we symbologists call an `archetypal hybrid'–a blend of other classic legends, borrowing so many elements from popular mythology that it could only be a fictional construct . . . not historical fact.†When Langdon taught his students about archetypal hybrids, he used the example of fairy tales, which were recounted across generations and exaggerated over time, borrowing so heavily from one another that they evolved into homogenized morality tales with the same iconic elements– virginal damsels, handsome princes, impenetrable fortresses, and powerful wizards. By way of fairy tales, this primeval battle of â€Å"good vs. evil†is ingrained into us as children through our stories: Merlin vs. Morgan le Fay, Saint George vs. the Dragon, David vs. Goliath, Snow White vs. the Witch, and even Luke Skywalker battling Darth Vader. Sato scratched her head as they turned a corner and followed Anderson down a short flight of stairs. â€Å"Tell me this. If I'm not mistaken, pyramids were once considered mystical portals through which the deceased pharaohs could ascend to the gods, were they not?†â€Å"True.†Sato stopped short and caught Langdon's arm, glaring up at him with an expression somewhere between surprise and disbelief. â€Å"You're saying Peter Solomon's captor told you to find a hidden portal, and it didn't occur to you that he was talking about the Masonic Pyramid from this legend?†â€Å"By any name, the Masonic Pyramid is a fairy tale. It's purely fantasy.†Sato stepped closer to him now, and Langdon could smell her cigarette breath. â€Å"I understand your position on that, Professor, but for the sake of my investigation, the parallel is hard to ignore. A portal leading to secret knowledge? To my ear, this sounds a lot like what Peter Solomon's captor claims you, alone, can unlock.†â€Å"Well, I can hardly believe–â€Å" â€Å"What you believe is not the point. No matter what you believe, you must concede that this man might himself believe that the Masonic Pyramid is real.†â€Å"The man's a lunatic! He may well believe that SBB Thirteen is the entrance to a giant underground pyramid that contains all the lost wisdom of the ancients!†Sato stood perfectly still, her eyes seething. â€Å"The crisis I am facing tonight is not a fairy tale, Professor. It is quite real, I assure you.†A cold silence hung between them. â€Å"Ma'am?†Anderson finally said, gesturing to another secure door ten feet away. â€Å"We're almost there, if you'd like to continue.†Sato finally broke eye contact with Langdon, motioning for Anderson to move on. They followed the security chief through the secure doorway, which deposited them in a narrow passage. Langdon looked left and then right. You've got to be kidding. He was standing in the longest hallway he had ever seen. CHAPTER 31 Trish Dunne felt the familiar surge of adrenaline as she exited the bright lights of the Cube and moved into the raw darkness of the void. The SMSC's front gate had just called to say that Katherine's guest, Dr. Abaddon, had arrived and required an escort back to Pod 5. Trish had offered to bring him back, mostly out of curiosity. Katherine had said very little about the man who would be visiting them, and Trish was intrigued. The man was apparently someone Peter Solomon trusted deeply; the Solomons never invited anyone back to the Cube. This was a first. I hope he handles the crossing okay, Trish thought as she moved through the frigid darkness. The last thing she needed was Katherine's VIP panicking when he realized what he had to do to get to the lab. The first time is always the worst. Trish's first time had been about a year ago. She had accepted Katherine's job offer, signed a nondisclosure, and then come to the SMSC with Katherine to see the lab. The two women had walked the length of â€Å"The Street,†arriving at a metal door marked POD 5. Even though Katherine had tried to prepare her by describing the lab's remote location, Trish was not ready for what she saw when the pod door hissed open. The void. Katherine stepped over the threshold, walked a few feet into the perfect blackness, and then motioned for Trish to follow. â€Å"Trust me. You won't get lost.†Trish pictured herself wandering in a pitch-black, stadium-size room and broke a sweat at the mere thought. â€Å"We have a guidance system to keep you on track.†Katherine pointed to the floor. â€Å"Very low- tech.†Trish squinted through the darkness at the rough cement floor. It took a moment to see it in the darkness, but there was a narrow carpet runner that had been laid down in a straight line. The carpet ran like a roadway, disappearing into the darkness. â€Å"See with your feet,†Katherine said, turning and walking off. â€Å"Just follow right behind me.†As Katherine disappeared into the blackness, Trish swallowed her fear and followed. This is insane! She had taken only a few steps down the carpet when the Pod 5 door swung shut behind her, snuffing out the last faint hint of light. Pulse racing, Trish turned all of her attention to the feeling of the carpet beneath her feet. She had ventured only a handful of steps down the soft runner when she felt the side of her right foot hit hard cement. Startled, she instinctively corrected to the left, getting both feet back on soft carpet. Katherine's voice materialized up ahead in the blackness, her words almost entirely swallowed by the lifeless acoustics of this abyss. â€Å"The human body is amazing,†she said. â€Å"If you deprive it of one sensory input, the other senses take over, almost instantly. Right now, the nerves in your feet are literally `tuning' themselves to become more sensitive.†Good thing, Trish thought, correcting course again. They walked in silence for what seemed entirely too long. â€Å"How much farther?†Trish finally asked. â€Å"We're about halfway.†Katherine's voice sounded more distant now. Trish sped up, doing her best to stay composed, but the breadth of the darkness felt like it would engulf her. I can't see one millimeter in front of my face! â€Å"Katherine? How do you know when to stop walking?†â€Å"You'll know in a moment,†Katherine said. That was a year ago, and now, tonight, Trish was once again in the void, heading in the opposite direction, out to the lobby to retrieve her boss's guest. A sudden change in carpet texture beneath her feet alerted her that she was three yards from the exit. The warning track, as it was called by Peter Solomon, an avid baseball fan. Trish stopped short, pulled out her key card, and groped in the darkness along the wall until she found the raised slot and inserted her card. The door hissed open. Trish squinted into the welcoming light of the SMSC hallway. Made it . . . again. Moving through the deserted corridors, Trish found herself thinking about the bizarre redacted file they had found on a secure network. Ancient portal? Secret location underground? She wondered if Mark Zoubianis was having any luck figuring out where the mysterious document was located. Inside the control room, Katherine stood in the soft glow of the plasma wall and gazed up at the enigmatic document they had uncovered. She had isolated her key phrases now and felt increasingly certain that the document was talking about the same far-flung legend that her brother had apparently shared with Dr. Abaddon. . . . secret location UNDERGROUND where the . . . . . . somewhere in WASHINGTON, D.C., the coordinates . . . . . . uncovered an ANCIENT PORTAL that led . . . . . . warning the PYRAMID holds dangerous . . . . . . decipher this ENGRAVED SYMBOLON to unveil . . . I need to see the rest of the file, Katherine thought. She stared a moment longer and then flipped the plasma wall's power switch. Katherine always turned off this energy-intensive display so as not to waste the fuel cell's liquid hydrogen reserves. She watched as her keywords slowly faded, collapsing down into a tiny white dot, which hovered in the middle of the wall and then finally twinkled out. She turned and walked back toward her office. Dr. Abaddon would be arriving momentarily, and she wanted to make him feel welcome. CHAPTER 32 â€Å"Almost there,†Anderson said, guiding Langdon and Sato down the seemingly endless corridor that ran the entire length of the Capitol's eastern foundation. â€Å"In Lincoln's day, this passage had a dirt floor and was filled with rats.†Langdon felt grateful the floor had been tiled; he was not a big fan of rats. The group continued on, their footfalls drumming up an eerie, uneven echo in the long passageway. Doorways lined the long hallway, some closed but many ajar. Many of the rooms down on this level looked abandoned. Langdon noticed the numbers on the doors were now descending and, after a while, seemed to be running out. SB4 . . . SB3 . . . SB2 . . . SB1 . . . They continued past an unmarked door, but Anderson stopped short when the numbers began ascending again. HB1 . . . HB2 . . . â€Å"Sorry,†Anderson said. â€Å"Missed it. I almost never come down this deep.†The group backed up a few yards to an old metal door, which Langdon now realized was located at the hallway's central point–the meridian that divided the Senate Basement (SB) and the House Basement (HB). As it turned out, the door was indeed marked, but its engraving was so faded, it was almost imperceptible. SBB â€Å"Here we are,†Anderson said. â€Å"Keys will be arriving any moment.†Sato frowned and checked her watch. Langdon eyed the SBB marking and asked Anderson, â€Å"Why is this space associated with the Senate side even though it's in the middle?†Anderson looked puzzled. â€Å"What do you mean?†â€Å"It says SBB, which begins with an S, not an H.†Anderson shook his head. â€Å"The S in SBB doesn't stand for Senate. It–â€Å" â€Å"Chief?†a guard called out in the distance. He came jogging up the hallway toward them, holding out a key. â€Å"Sorry, sir, it took a few minutes. We couldn't locate the main SBB key. This is a spare from an auxiliary box.†â€Å"The original is missing?†Anderson said, sounding surprised. â€Å"Probably lost,†the guard replied, arriving out of breath. â€Å"Nobody has requested access down here for ages.†Anderson took the key. â€Å"No secondary key for SBB Thirteen?†â€Å"Sorry, so far we're not finding keys for any of the rooms in the SBB. MacDonald's on it now.†The guard pulled out his radio and spoke into it. â€Å"Bob? I'm with the chief. Any additional info yet on the key for SBB Thirteen?†The guard's radio crackled, and a voice replied, â€Å"Actually, yeah. It's strange. I'm seeing no entries since we computerized, but the hard logs indicate all the storage rooms in the SBB were cleaned out and abandoned more than twenty years ago. They're now listed as unused space.†He paused. â€Å"All except for SBB Thirteen.†Anderson grabbed the radio. â€Å"This is the chief. What do you mean, all except SBB Thirteen?†â€Å"Well, sir,†the voice replied, â€Å"I've got a handwritten notation here that designates SBB Thirteen as `private.' It was a long time ago, but it's written and initialed by the Architect himself.†The term Architect, Langdon knew, was not a reference to the man who had designed the Capitol, but rather to the man who ran it. Similar to a building manager, the man appointed as Architect of the Capitol was in charge of everything including maintenance, restoration, security, hiring personnel, and assigning offices. â€Å"The strange thing . . .†the voice on the radio said, â€Å"is that the Architect's notation indicates that this `private space' was set aside for the use of Peter Solomon.†Langdon, Sato, and Anderson all exchanged startled looks. â€Å"I'm guessing, sir,†the voice continued, â€Å"that Mr. Solomon has our primary key to the SBB as well as any keys to SBB Thirteen.†Langdon could not believe his ears. Peter has a private room in the basement of the Capitol? He had always known Peter Solomon had secrets, but this was surprising even to Langdon. â€Å"Okay,†Anderson said, clearly unamused. â€Å"We're hoping to get access to SBB Thirteen specifically, so keep looking for a secondary key.†â€Å"Will do, sir. We're also working on the digital image that you requested–â€Å" â€Å"Thank you,†Anderson interrupted, pressing the talk button and cutting him off. â€Å"That will be all. Send that file to Director Sato's BlackBerry as soon as you have it.†â€Å"Understood, sir.†The radio went silent. Anderson handed the radio back to the guard in front of them. The guard pulled out a photocopy of a blueprint and handed it to his chief. â€Å"Sir, the SBB is in gray, and we've notated with an X which room is SBB Thirteen, so it shouldn't be hard to find. The area is quite small.†Anderson thanked the guard and turned his focus to the blueprint as the young man hurried off. Langdon looked on, surprised to see the astonishing number of cubicles that made up the bizarre maze beneath the U.S. Capitol. Anderson studied the blueprint for a moment, nodded, and then stuffed it into his pocket. Turning to the door marked SBB, he raised the key, but hesitated, looking uneasy about opening it. Langdon felt similar misgivings; he had no idea what was behind this door, but he was quite certain that whatever Solomon had hidden down here, he wanted to keep private. Very private. Sato cleared her throat, and Anderson got the message. The chief took a deep breath, inserted the key, and tried to turn it. The key didn't move. For a split second, Langdon felt hopeful the key was wrong. On the second try, though, the lock turned, and Anderson heaved the door open. As the heavy door creaked outward, damp air rushed out into the corridor. Langdon peered into the darkness but could see nothing at all. â€Å"Professor,†Anderson said, glancing back at Langdon as he groped blindly for a light switch. â€Å"To answer your question, the S in SBB doesn't stand for Senate. It stands for sub.†â€Å"Sub?†Langdon asked, puzzled. Anderson nodded and flicked the switch just inside the door. A single bulb illuminated an alarmingly steep staircase descending into inky blackness. â€Å"SBB is the Capitol's subbasement.â€
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