Europen Union Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Europen Union Law - Essay Example This is subject to the principles of equivalence and effectiveness, i.e. national procedural rules must not discriminate against EC law rights and must afford full effectiveness to EC law rights. Where national rules of procedure respect these principles, EC law normally does not require any particular regime of procedural or adjectival law to exist in the member states. In particular, EC law does not normally create any remedies in its own right, leaving the law on remedies to national law. In these fields of law, the doctrine of supremacy of Community law is well established. In case of conflict between Community law and national law, the member states courts are obliged to respect the Community law which to a large extent has direct effect in the member states and also in relations between private parties. Member states courts might sometimes hesitate to set aside national law provisions regarded as important because they are contrary to Community law and they normally know their own national law better than Community law. Thus, there are problems not only of obstruction but also of ignorance. There has been and still is an ongoing struggle to secure the full application of Community law in the member states. . ... If the national court decides to make a reference to ECJ, proceedings are stayed in the national court until the ECJ gives its ruling. The Court has also assessed the legality of derogations to Community rules by reference to fundamental rights. In particular, the Court has applied article 10 of ECHR to a case in which a Member State justified a measure having equivalent effect to quantitative restrictions based on the need to secure protection of fundamental rights, such as media plurality2. The key factors that have helped in developing the Community legal system, are that the obligation in Community law to duly motivate any decision3, the principle of transparency to which Community and domestic Administrations have to comply with, individuals' right to have their legal positions fully and effectively protected4 and the principle of the liability of a Member State for breach of Community law5. The judgments of the Court, in this aspect, have played a fundamental role in trying to build an even playing field to secure a minimum standard of substantive judicial protection of Community rights. The Court has asserted a founding principle of the EC legal system that national judicial remedies must be adequate, and any impediment to Community rights being enforced effectively should be removed in the name of the supremacy of Community law6. In 1976, the Court had insisted that an essential element of the Community's constitutional order was the freedom of Member States to implement their Community obligations according to their individual traditions of public law and civil and criminal justice7. The only conditions set down by the Court of Justice were equal treatment and effectiveness. National courts and administrations were prohibited from making it more

Gender and work roles in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender and work roles in Society - Essay Example Unlike sex, gender is a socially constructed concept which has many ramifications in the social, political, and economic realms. The social construction of gender roles is responsible for the division the productive labor forces into one which has historically been private and unpaid, known for more than a hundred years as â€Å"women’s work† and another which occurs in the public sphere and his remunerated. Although women have entered the paid labor force in great numbers over the past 50 years, so-called â€Å"women’s work† has relegated women to child-rearing responsibilities, maintaining a home, cooking and cleaning and everything else which has historically been unpaid. Importantly, much of this work, child rearing, cooking, etc is both unpaid and often unappreciated. Historically, men worked outside the home, earning a paycheck and have been the breadwinners of the traditional nuclear family. Since the 1960s women have entered the labor force in incr edible numbers and have begun to earn the respect they deserve for the work that they do. Despite this important change, men still have much more power in our society and it remains structured upon the notion of patriarchy. Accordingly, women face many hurdles to direct employment in the paid labor force in the United States (see Bernbach 33-75). While female participation in the labor force has grown tremendously over the past half-century, women still lag behind men when it comes to getting paid for the hard work that they do. According to the American Department of Labor and Statistics, women on average earned $.80 on the US dollar relative to their male counterparts. From a sociological perspective, what can help account for the disparities women face in the labor force? Discrimination is one challenge women face in the paid labor force and this concept can be defined as the prejudicial treatment of others based upon perceived or real

Adventures as an Exchange Student in Germany Essay Example for Free

Adventures as an Exchange Student in Germany Essay Deliberately placing yourself outside of your comfort zone will do one of two things; make you into a stronger better person, or cause you to shutdown and not accomplish the task at hand. While most high school juniors spend their year studying, excelling in sports, hanging out with friends, and thinking about colleges, I pushed my boundaries and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. No, I did not go skydiving or join the US National Volleyball Team. I accepted the challenge of the Congress Bundestag Scholarship program to spend a year in Germany living, learning, and experiencing life in another land. The life skills and memories that I acquired in the past twelve months have put me a step ahead of my peers and shown me that if I put my mind to it, anything is possible. In October 2002 as I was sitting in my first year German class, my teacher recommended that I apply for what she called the prestigious Congress Bundestag Scholarship to spend a year in Germany. Taking into consideration that I would have to leave everything I had going for me behind, made me a little leery of the idea. However, when I realized what an honor and opportunity it was to take part in an exchange, the mounds of paperwork seemed to shrink into a small homework assignment with a twist. After the final interview, reality hit me. I might actually spend a year in Germany! Along with the excitement came the panic: I cant actually speak German. What should I pack? How do I say goodbye to everyone? What if I get homesick? Do the Germans really only shower once a week? These questions all came at once, and no matter how much I searched, the only answers I could find told me to wait and see. Before I knew it, I was boarding a 737 an route to Frankfurt with 60 of my new best friends who, like me had the courage to enter into the unknown and spend a year in Germany. It was this group of teenagers that I spent a month in language camp with trying to learn the basics about German life and culture. We were like infants who had to do 18 years of growing up in 30 days. We worked together trying to learn the basics such as learning to eat and trying to work a toilet; to understanding the most complicated issues such as diplomacy, political debate, and how to be an ambassador for America. During this time, I grew as a person, learning empathy for those  who were homesick and becoming open minded to people and activities that to me were not the norm or routine. Little did I know, these kids would be my lifelines in times of need. They could always relate to what I was experiencing, and they were also flying on the roller coaster of emotions. When the time came to leave my new friends and move on, I was extremely excited to immerse myself into the German culture. The language, a new school, new friends, and a new family seemed like a dream come true, but in reality it turned into a nightmare. When my host family picked me up, we had a three-hour ride home. Make that a SILENT three hours without air conditioning and five people plus four suitcases crammed into a small Passat. At home, we unloaded the car and I went to see my new room. As I looked out of my window something white and black caught my eye, whoa cows less than ten feet from my window. I could not believe it, my organization said I would live in the country, but I did not realize that the next closest town was an hour away. As my stress level hit a high, my new host mom put me over the edge. She began to unpack my suitcases that were filled with unwrapped gifts for her and the family. It was at that point that I counted to ten and reminded myself that it was a different culture, and possibly that was one of their customs. The only problem was, my German skills were not good enough to politely ask her to stop. So she continued and I smiled and hoped my rocky start would smooth into a healthy open relationship. Three weeks later, I was getting into the swing of things. Going to school, riding my bike and the bus, making friends, and yes getting used to the smell of cows. I was adapting well, being responsible and beginning to understand the German spoken in school. I had gone beyond everyone elses expectations and mine. Life was good, even though the Germans only showered twice a week. After the honeymoon phase was over, my host mother turned on me. She thought I was being disrespectful and not telling the truth, where as the problem was that I couldnt fully understand what she was saying, causing a lack in  communication between us. When I realized this, I worked extra hard to regain her trust and persevere through what I perceived as a small bump in the road. When things worsened and I could no longer adapt to the situation, my community representative intervened and placed me with a new family. Even though my first host family was a challenge, the experience showed my true character. In the face of adversity, I was able to handle myself maturely and attempt to find a solution to the problem. It was not a failure by any means, but an opportunity to grow. Not only did I develop in times of trial and hardship, but I learned just as much in a nurturing situation. During the last six months of my stay in Germany I stayed with a truly wonderful family. I was treated as an adult, and I assumed full responsibility for myself. My host parents generosity of welcoming me into their heart and home made me appreciative of all I had accomplished in the last year, and encouraged me to give back. Through this pattern of giving and receiving I gained a sense of compassion and consideration for others. I surrounded my self with positive people which in turn brightened my spirits and reminded me that when the going gets tough an optimistic attitude can make a world of difference. When I boarded the plane at the end of my year there were only 52 of the original 60 students who completed the program. My commitment and perseverance helped me overcome adversity and succeed in a situation where the odds were against me. Not only did I accomplish the task at hand, but I had the time of my life while doing it. The rewards of spending a year abroad are endless, but I was most affected in a few ways. I learned compassion and acceptance first hand by being treated by others with kindness when I was down. I have become accountable beyond my age by being entrusted with responsibilities that are typically given to a person 22 and over. Now as I move on, I am better prepared for what awaits me. I have a whole new set of life skills and memories to keep in my quiver and use when called on. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone was the best thing I could have done, I was up to the challenge and I passed with flying colors.

The Temper Tantrums Children And Young People Essay

The Temper Tantrums Children And Young People Essay Mothering is the interaction style of mother with her children. A mother should be patient and good listener. She should keep herself cool in negative circumstances. She should her child at every step. She should be responsible for needs and belongings of her child. She should take interest in the activities of her child. It will bring positive changes in her child (Freud, 1946). Fathering is a big responsibility. Father is a role model for his child. Child observes the behavior of his father and imitates it. He has to take the responsibility of his childs every need like food, shelter, clothing and education. He should affection and love towards his child. Little words of appreciation and encouragement can develop the confidence of child (Runkel, 2008). 1. Temper tantrums Temper tantrums are very challenging. If a toddler is becoming tantrum then try to divert his attention. Try to engage him in another activity and give him choices. A daily routine schedule can be established with regular eating, sleeping and play times. It will result a happy and developed behavior. 2. Potty training Children might oppose potty training. But mother should not enforce him potty sitting but she should keep herself calm. Sleep affects potty training session. Mother should take care about his sleep. She should set their timing by limit food and drink 2 hours before bed .She should encourage for a potty trip before sleep. Bullying is violent behavior that can be verbal or physical. Boys show bullying behavior mostly by physical actions like pushing, kicking or hitting. While girls engage in verbal bullying. Parents can help their adolescents deal with the common issue of bullying by following these guidelines: Parent should understand the situation and seriousness of bullying. Parents must recognize initial behavior that led to bullying. Parents should use suitable strategies according to the nature of child. Parent should educate their child about bullying that is not accepted behavior and they must avoid it. Parent should teach their children to cope stress. Physical exercise, spending time in playing or spending time in the company of nature can cope stress (Campbell, 2005). In limited caretaking parents are primary caretaker and grand parents have limited connection with their grand children. Grandparents can not involve in the education of their grandchildren. They can not check their school records. But in involuntary caretaking grand parenting, grand parents are primary care taker. They have full-time custody over them and responsible for their every matter. Grandparents have positive impacts on the life of grandparents. They change their life style and built up positive character of their grandchildren. Grandchildren become aware of dealing with different circumstances of life without parents. They behave as responsible person and become more disciplined. They did not feel alone but being loved and feel satisfied. Grandparents told them past stories and about their traditions and cultural values and they become aware of cultural values. Due to positive attitude towards life, they take interest in studies and show good performance in studies. Due to these positive impacts of grandparents on the life of grandchildren, parent should include them to influence their childs life. National Extension Parent Education Model provides research based information about parenting. It improves parenting skills. It assists parents to care themselves first. By caring themselves, their stress level will decrease which will decrease gap between parent. And close relationship brings confidence in child. It enables the parents to understand the behavior of their children by observation. Parents understand the needs of their children by their behavioral cues. It enables the parents to guide and discipline their children effectively. Consistency in guidance play significant role in the development of child. It makes the parents to nurture their child which brings positive outcomes and increase their level of competence. It practices the parents to motivate their children which provides opportunities to students to learn more and more. And they develop intellectually and become responsive. Poverty refers to economic hardships and meeting the basic needs of life. It impacts both parents and children. It resists parents to become good parents. It increases the stress level of parents which result into bad attitude towards children. It may led to child abuse. It effects physical health of children due to insufficient money. When they do not meet their basic needs, they effects psychologically and show mental and behavioral problems. It lowers down the educational outcomes of children. Education of child is combined responsibility of parents and children. Parents can support their children in the classroom in many ways. They meet the teachers face-to-face on regular basis to about the progress of their child. They should try their level best to attend schools field trips and concerts. It send a message that they take care about the education of their child. There are following two outside resources to support your family: Parents should act as teacher. They should guide their family members. It is their responsibility to provide medical services to their family. Divorce is a somber decision. It breaks down a family bond and effects the children both psychologically and emotionally. Parental loss is major effect. Child feels alienated and become victim of anxiety and depression. He has to face many problems in school. He is teased by his peer group. Moreover, he has to face financial problems sometimes. Parents can encounter act the negativity and support their children in following way: social support by parents can help them to adopt positive attitude towards life. Parents have to make their children to face multiple situations in school and how to cope with them. Take a calendar and set your time schedule for whole day morning to night. Avoid wastage of time from morning to evening. Then follow your time table. It will enhance the lives of their children. Parents should themselves in childs school functions like field trips and concert. As, it send a message that they take care about their children. Overweight consider body weight with respect to body composition or height. Overweight children have chances of sever obesity in adulthood. Overweight leads to serious physiological health problems. It affects mental development of children and cause psychological problems like anxiety. It involves high risk of asthma, cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It leads to musculoskeletal and fatty liver disorder. It causes orthopedic problems and agitation during sleep. Fat accumulation resists insulin production and cause diabetes. Parents can help their children in following ways: They should make their children to adopt healthy life style by changing their eating habits. They should develop their routine with maximum physical activities to burn their calories. It may include sports or just playing. They should let them avoid carbohydrates and junk food. They should let them eat fresh fruits and vegetable instead of packed juices. Physical disable children are very sensitive. It is great task for parent to handle them positively. Parents can help their child in different fields of life in many ways. Parents should adopt positive attitude towards their children. They should take them as burden. It will increase their pain and sufferings. They should try to understand their problems and help them in finding solution of these problems. Like other children, choice making is a great and difficult task for them. Parents should guide and help them in this concern. They should grant them emotional support in classroom activities. They should encourage them. It will bring confidence and positive learning outcomes. They should teach the peer group their disable child to offer their help their help respectfully and may not damage their self-respect socially. They should assess their children to search creative ways to involve physical disable child to different play activities. For example, it is easy for disable child t o play with blocks on a table with his peer group, sitting on his wheel chair. Adopted parents may face many fears and natural insecurities after adopting a child. Adopted child also feels alienation and anxiety due to loss of their biological parents. Some children feel curiosity about their genetic history, which will create confusion and mistrust towards their parents. It will lower their level of self-esteem. Adopted parents can help them in their grievances for their separation from their biological parents. They should tell him about his genetic history and help him to find their identity. It will develop trust on adoptive parents and establish good relationship and raise their level of self-esteem. Some of this information has been taken from Caught in the middle: Protecting the children of high-conflict divorce. Because it manages the custody case of contested child and evaluate parent child relationship and parenting skills effectively. There is variety of child care program due to different school of thought. There are many positive effects of s quality childcare program. High quality childcare programs in childhood lead to academic success in next life. While poor parents child can not compete them in academic performance. By effective strategies, children show positive behavioral change. It also leads to intellectual development a child. You can convince parents that your program is ideal childcare program by informing them about your high objective for intellectual and behavioral development of a child, effective plans to achieve your objectives, and its positive effects. Parents often wish that a parenting manual came with their children. A it suggests that they are member of their childs classroom. An appropriate parenting model which is suitable for every social class, race and ethnic group convey to parents that your classroom is tolerant, supportive and encouraging to all families.

Chuck Close: Three Major Works :: essays research papers

I don’t really have a favorite artist, but the one artist that I have always had a little interest in is Chuck Close. He is truly a talented artist, whose remarkable career has extended beyond his completed works of art. Chuck Close started painting at the age of six and has never stopped. Growing up, Chuck had a learning disability, and in the 1940s, most educators didn’t know about LD’s or Dyslexia. Most student’s who had Chuck’s trouble reading, spelling, concentrating, or paying attention was often labeled slow or dumb. As a result, Chuck spent most of his childhood days alone, drawing. When most kids around his block wanted to be a policemen or firemen, Chuck wanted to be an artist. Art was the first thing he was ever good at, and it made him feel special because he possessed skills that other kids didn’t have. Chuck said , â€Å"Art saved my life† (Greenberg and Jordan). At age eleven, Chuck’s father died. His mother, who gave piano lessons at home, took a full-time sales job to support the family. At school Chuck’s learning disabilities made studying very difficult, but instead of giving up, he figured out a way to concentrate. â€Å"I filled the bathtub to the brim with hot water. A board across the bathtub held my book. I would shine a spotlight on it. The rest of the bathroom was dark. Sitting in the hot water, I would read each page of the book five times out loud so I could hear it. If I stayed up half the night in the tub till my skin was wrinkled as a raisin, I could learn it. The next morning I could spit back just enough information to get by on the test (Greenberg and Jordan). This discipline he had developed to get through school, now became the beginning of a detailed system that he used to organize his art.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chuck said, â€Å" Almost every decision I’ve had to make as an artist is an outcome of my particular learning disorders† (Green and Jordan).When he makes a big head or a nose, he breaks the images down into small units. He makes each decision into a bite-size decision. The system liberates and allows for intuition and eventually he has a painting. Three of Chuck’s major works, that I have grew to love are Fanny/Fingerprinting, Lucas II , and his self- portrait.

Drinking Water Shortage and Water Conservation Essay -- Drinking Water

Water is everywhere. Not only does water surround the continents but also we are mostly made up of water and also need it to survive. If we don’t have access to water it will significantly affect our health. The economy will be affected by the water and how expensive it will be. This will lead to the environmental effects, with farmers not having enough water to keep their farms going. A variety of authors demonstrate throughout their articles that water is a limited resource and that humans need to start taking action in every aspect of their lives. However, water conservation cannot be solved in one way. In order to address the issues of water conservation, we need to inform people, regulate businesses and protect resources across the globe. These practices in water conservation will help people in the followings ways: internationally, socially, educationally, economically and environmentally. We live in a modern world yet there are still people who die from poor sanitation across the nation. The lack of not having good sanitation system like toilets and sewage leads millions of people to die from diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera (Leslie 1). Since the world population is growing so rapidly, this will lead to worse sanitation then it will conclude with more people dying from the lack of clean water (Leslie 1). These people who die every year need to have access to clean water, and their country needs to start taking advantage of their water and not let people die because of unnecessary causes. There is so much more water that is held underground and Leslies states that â€Å"compared with the earth’s visible freshwater-in lakes, ponds, and rivers-the amount of water stored in underground aquifer is sixty times as large.† ... ... worries." The Economist 398 (Jan. 2011): 32. ProQuest. Corral-Verdugo, Victor, et al. "Residential Water Consumption, Motivation for Conserving Water and the Continuing Tragedy of the Commons." Environmental Management (2002): 527-535. ProQuest. Rosenberg, David M, Patrick McCully, and Catherine M Pringle. "Global-Scale Environmental Effects of Hydrological Alterations: Introduction ." Bioscience (Sept. 2000): n. pag. Research Library . "Water Waste." ICIS Chemical Business. N.p., 25 Aug. 2008. Leaders: The World's Most Valuable Stuff; Water. (2010, May). The Economist, 395(8683), 14-16. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power Hearing :The FY2012 Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Budgets[4]. (2011, March). Congressional Documents and Publications.

Deception Point Page 105

127 The Triton fell†¦ Michael Tolland staggered to his feet on the inclined deck and peered over the anchor spool at the frayed winch cable where the Triton used to hang. Wheeling toward the stern, he scanned the water. The Triton was just now emerging from under the Goya on the current. Relieved at least to see the sub intact, Tolland eyed the hatch, wanting nothing more than to see it open up and Rachel climb out unscathed. But the hatch remained closed. Tolland wondered if maybe she had been knocked out by the violent fall. Even from the deck, Tolland could see the Triton was riding exceptionally low in the water-far below its normal diving trim waterline. It's sinking. Tolland could not imagine why, but the reason at the moment was immaterial. I have to get Rachel out. Now. As Tolland stood to dash for the edge of the deck, a shower of machine-gun fire exploded above him, sparking off the heavy anchor spool overhead. He dropped back to his knees. Shit! He peered around the spool only long enough to see Pickering on the upper deck, taking aim like a sniper. The Delta soldier had dropped his machine gun while climbing into the doomed helicopter and Pickering had apparently recovered it. Now the director had scrambled to the high ground. Trapped behind the spool, Tolland looked back toward the sinking Triton. Come on, Rachel! Get out! He waited for the hatch to open. Nothing. Looking back to the deck of the Goya, Tolland's eyes measured the open area between his position and the stern railing. Twenty feet. A long way without any cover. Tolland took a deep breath and made up his mind. Ripping off his shirt, he hurled it to his right onto the open deck. While Pickering blew the shirt full of holes, Tolland dashed left, down the inclined deck, banking toward the stern. With a wild leap he launched himself over the railing, off the back of the ship. Arcing high in the air, Tolland heard the bullets whizzing all around him and knew a single graze would make him a shark feast the instant he hit the water. Rachel Sexton felt like a wild animal trapped in a cage. She had tried the hatch again and again with no luck. She could hear a tank somewhere beneath her filling with water, and she sensed the sub gaining weight. The darkness of the ocean was inching higher up the transparent dome, a black curtain rising in reverse. Through the lower half of the glass, Rachel could see the void of the ocean beckoning like a tomb. The empty vastness beneath threatened to swallow her whole. She grabbed the hatch mechanism and tried to twist it open one more time, but it wouldn't budge. Her lungs strained now, the dank stench of excess carbon dioxide acrid in her nostrils. Through it all, one recurring thought haunted her. I'm going to die alone underwater. She scanned the Triton's control panels and levers for something that could help, but all the indicators were black. No power. She was locked in a dead steel crypt sinking toward the bottom of the sea. The gurgling in the tanks seemed to be accelerating now, and the ocean rose to within a few feet of the top of the glass. In the distance, across the endless flat expanse, a band of crimson was inching across the horizon. Morning was on its way. Rachel feared it would be the last light she ever saw. Closing her eyes to block out her impending fate, Rachel felt the terrifying childhood images rushing into her mind. Falling through the ice. Sliding underwater. Breathless. Unable to lift herself. Sinking. Her mother calling for her. â€Å"Rachel! Rachel!† A pounding on the outside of the sub jolted Rachel out of the delirium. Her eyes snapped open. â€Å"Rachel!† The voice was muffled. A ghostly face appeared against the glass, upside down, dark hair swirling. She could barely make him out in the darkness. â€Å"Michael!† Tolland surfaced, exhaling in relief to see Rachel moving inside the sub. She's alive. Tolland swam with powerful strokes to the rear of the Triton and climbed up onto the submerged engine platform. The ocean currents felt hot and leaden around him as he positioned himself to grab the circular portal screw, staying low and hoping he was out of range of Pickering's gun. The Triton's hull was almost entirely underwater now, and Tolland knew if he were going to open the hatch and pull Rachel out, he would have to hurry. He had a ten-inch draw that was diminishing fast. Once the hatch was submerged, opening it would send a torrent of seawater gushing into the Triton, trapping Rachel inside and sending the sub into a free fall to the bottom. â€Å"Now or never,† he gasped as he grabbed the hatch wheel and heaved it counterclockwise. Nothing happened. He tried again, throwing all of his force into it. Again, the hatch refused to turn. He could hear Rachel inside, on the other side of the portal. Her voice was stifled, but he sensed her terror. â€Å"I tried!† she shouted. â€Å"I couldn't turn it!† The water was lapping across the portal lid now. â€Å"Turn together!† he shouted to her. â€Å"You're clockwise in there!† He knew the dial was clearly marked. â€Å"Okay, now!† Tolland braced himself against the ballast air tanks and strained with all his energy. He could hear Rachel below him doing the same. The dial turned a half inch and ground to a dead stop. Now Tolland saw it. The portal lid was not set evenly in the aperture. Like the lid of a jar that had been placed on crooked and screwed down hard, it was stuck. Although the rubber seal was properly set, the hatch-dogs were bent, meaning the only way that door was opening was with a welding torch. As the top of the sub sank below the surface, Tolland was filled with a sudden, overwhelming dread. Rachel Sexton would not be escaping from the Triton. Two thousand feet below, the crumpled fuselage of the bomb-laden Kiowa chopper was sinking fast, a prisoner of gravity and the powerful drag of the deepwater vortex. Inside the cockpit, Delta-One's lifeless body was no longer recognizable, disfigured by the crushing pressure of the deep. As the aircraft spiraled downward, its Hellfire missiles still attached, the glowing magma dome waited on the ocean floor like a red-hot landing pad. Beneath its three-meter-thick crust, a head of boiling lava simmered at a thousand degrees Celsius, a volcano waiting to explode. 128 Tolland stood knee-deep in water on the engine box of the sinking Triton and searched his brain for some way to save Rachel. Don't let the sub sink! He looked back toward the Goya, wondering if there were any way to get a winch connected to the Triton to keep it near the surface. Impossible. It was fifty yards away now, and Pickering was standing high on the bridge like a Roman emperor with a prime seat at some bloody Colosseum spectacle. Think! Tolland told himself. Why is the sub sinking? The mechanics of sub buoyancy were painfully simple: ballast tanks pumped full of either air or water adjusted the sub's buoyancy to move it up or down in the water. Obviously, the ballast tanks were filling up. But they shouldn't be! Every sub's ballast tanks were equipped with holes both topside and underneath. The lower openings, called â€Å"flooding holes,† always remained open, while the holes on top, â€Å"vent valves,† could be opened and closed to let air escape so water would flood in. Maybe the Triton's vent valves were open for some reason? Tolland could not imagine why. He floundered across the submerged engine platform, his hands groping one of the Triton's ballast trim tanks. The vent valves were closed. But as he felt the valves, his fingers found something else. Bullet holes. Shit! The Triton had been riddled with bullets when Rachel jumped in. Tolland immediately dove down and swam beneath the sub, running his hand carefully across the Triton's more important ballast tank-the negative tank. The Brits called this tank â€Å"the down express.† The Germans called it â€Å"putting on lead shoes.† Either way, the meaning was clear. The negative tank, when filled, took the sub down.