Monday, December 9, 2013

Global Warming

Global warming is the gradual rise of the earth’s temperature because of greenhouse gases, for example carbon dioxide, that trap heat that would have otherwise escaped from the earth. Worldwide atmospheric concentrations of methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide have drastically increased because of human activities since the 1750s when humans started using coal to produce energy (Koebler, 2013). The global increase of carbon dioxide (that is the main contributor to global warming) levels is mainly due to use of fossil fuels. Due to reliance on industries and machines, global warming is likely to be phenomena that human beings will grapple with for many years to come. As more and more of the world becomes industrialized, the issue of global warming is likely to become worse.

Almost everybody in the world deals with exhaust fumes from vehicles on a daily basis. Whether a person owns his or her own vehicle or rides the bus, we rely on vehicles to take us from one point to another. Exhaust fumes originate from inefficiencies in a vehicles internal combustion engine. Exhaust fumes have methane and carbon dioxide gases which contribute to greenhouse effect that causes global warming.

Both gas and coal are fossil fuels. Burning them to produce electricity makes greenhouse gas discharges that increase global warming. For example, more than one-half of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States originate from stationary sources like power plants. In 2008, 49% of American power plants used coal to generate energy and 23% used natural gas (Koebler, 2013). Reliance on gas and coal to produce energy in developed nations is significantly contributing to global warming.

Forests and trees have a significant role in the carbon cycle (Riebeek, 2010). Trees help to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air into oxygen through a procedure called photosynthesis. Trees therefore act as natural regulators of the CO2 levels in the atmosphere. With more trees, there will be more oxygen and less CO2 in the air. As CO2 levels increase in the atmosphere, so will the level of global warming. Some scientists believe that in spite of the numerous campaigns over the decades to sensitize people on the dangers of CO2, it will still eventually destroy the planet (Allegre, 2013).

Global warming affects public health. While several communities struggle with the sicknesses associated with air pollution, they are also facing health problems associated with global warming. It is expected that global warming will increase the death and sicknesses caused by heat waves and cause flooding, storms, water pollution and increased vector, for example mosquito, borne infections (McCauley, 2013). The vulnerable people in society -for example infants, seniors, and children- will be affected more by increases in temperature.

Global warming will harm the quality of air. A stable air mass, higher temperatures and strong sunlight are perfect for creation of ground-level ozone, the main constituent of smog. Ground-level ozone (CO3) is a very reactive gas that damages lung tissue by chemically reacting with it, causing increased respiratory and inflammatory symptoms (McCauley, 2013).

Global warming causes asthma and allergies. In recent years, asthma has become widespread, especially in children. Recent research indicates that global warming might increase levels of asthma and allergies because of rising amounts of CO3 and other ecological factors like increased pollen production. A 2008 Harvard Medical School study discovered increased pollen production from certain plants by mimicking spring weather and the global warming effects during this season (Levitan, 2013). Therefore, the mixture of increasing temperature, high ozone levels, the increased intensity, and length of pollen seasons will considerably people living with asthma and allergies.

Global warming will cause rising sea levels. In the 20^th Century, global sea levels have risen from an average of 4 inches to 8 inches (Levitan, 2013). This is almost ten times the average level for the last 2,000 years. The increase is predicted to continue with likely disastrous increases of several meters if the ice on Antarctica and Greenland continue to collapse. An example of increased water levels is in Bermuda where mangrove forests today are lined with trees that have recently drowned.

Global warming is causing vanishing glaciers and a shrinking snowpack. Mountain snowpack makes up an important reservoir of fresh water. Mountain snowpack also forms that basis for a multibillion-dollar worldwide ski industry. In the U.S., in last decade, in the Rocky Mountains Spring snowpack has reduced by 18% and in the Cascade by 31% due to rising global temperatures (Levitan, 2013). Additionally, snowmelt during springtime in the western part of the U.S. now starts on average 10 days earlier, dropping stream levels in the summer months. In Africa, since 1912, 80% of the snow on Mt. Kilimanjaro has vanished, with approximately one-third of the melting occurring in the last decade.

Some people argue that global warming is inevitable because we need cars for transportation. They argue that without cars, a developed society cannot function. Cars form a central part of our daily lives because we use them to travel. Airplanes that also contribute to global warming are very important for transportation. It is difficult to envisage a world without cars or planes. Without these two, the world as we know it would cease to exist.

Some people say that although cutting of trees contributes to global warming, we have no choice. Trees are cut down for several reasons. For example, to make paper, make furniture, and create spaces for industries, settlements and agricultural lands. Therefore, with a rapidly rising global population, it will almost be impossible to stop cutting trees because the need for timber is constantly increasing. The reality is that we need energy and electricity every day. Therefore, burning of coal and gas is still a very significant part of everyday life. Alternative energy sources have not proved to be very successful and therefore our reliance on gas and coal to generate energy is likely it remain the same.

Global warming can be reduced by avoiding carbon emissions and gas use. By doing so, everybody will help to avoid increasing gas prices and radically reduce our daily carbon emissions from cars' usage. People can also be encouraged to put hybrid vehicles although they will still be dependent on fossil fuel to power the cars. People can also be encouraged to use alternative modes of transport, for example bicycles, especially for short distances because they are much healthier and do not leave any carbon footprint (Allegre, 2013).

Global warming can be reduced by eating local, fresh foods that encourage a healthy environment (Traufetter, 2010). In recent years, there has been a significant increase of organic foods in supermarkets and other food outlets. This has been done because people have to come to realize the importance of healthy eating and food production. Inorganic foods that are found in most supermarkets and fast foods outlets have a bearing on global warming because they are transported over long distances because of their imperishable nature. If you check the stickers on some of the foods in supermarkets, you will find “produced in” and in most cases, the country mentioned is miles away. Transportation of these foods contributes to global warming. Therefore, to help reduce global warming people should avoid pre-manufactured foods.

In order to reduce global warming people should learn how to reduce their home’s carbon footprint. Modern homes are constructed using synthetic materials and other materials that have high-embodied energy. This sadly means that modern houses are major contributors to global warming. Concrete is the second most used material behind water and it takes a lot of energy to produce it. Apart from that, the manufacturing process used in making concrete is highly polluting. According to Traufetter (2010), people can reduce global warming by lowering their energy bills with homes that are designed for extreme energy efficiency. One of the best ways of doing this is by using solar power in homes. Solar powered houses have a smart design that can significantly lessen the necessity for active energy cooling and heating systems. Solar powered houses stay cooler than conventional houses and therefore better energy effectiveness equals a smaller carbon footprint.

Global warming can be reduced by reducing the overall use of fossil fuels (Allegre, 2013). Use of fossil fuels increases the amounts of atmospheric greenhouse gases. Some of the best-known methods of reducing the burning of fossil fuels include using alternative or less energy, using nonpolluting energy sources, for example wind and solar wind power. People can also be encouraged to save energy by using fluorescent light bulbs, energy-efficient appliances as well as purchasing green power if available from electricity providers and reducing gasoline use.

Global warming is a problem that cannot be wished away. It affects each one of us because what is done in one corner of the earth affects the entire ecosystem. Although some people are extremely pessimistic about the possibility of reducing global warming, it has to be done for the sake of coming generations. For the war on global warming to be won, individuals need to acknowledge this problem and own it. Shifting the blame to other people, industries or nations will not help in overcoming the problem. It is upon governments, huge companies, and influential figures to lead efforts to stop global warming. If this will not done in time, some scientists have predicted the world, as we know it may not exist in centuries to come. Since solutions to the problem of global warming are known, there should be concerted efforts by all people interested in safeguarding then environment and human health to ensure that the problem is curbed.

References:

Allegre, C. (April 23, 2013) No Need to Panic About Global Warming. Retrieved from

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577171531838421366.html

Koebler, J. (April 11, 2013). USDA Climate Head: Global Warming To Bring More 'Miserable

Days'. Retrieved from

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/04/11/usda-climate-head-global-warming-to-bring-more-miserable-days

Levitan, D. (March 23, 2013) Quick-Change Planet: Do Global Climate Tipping Points Exist?

Retrieved from

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-global-tipping-points-exist

McCauley, L. (April 24, 2013). New Research Shows Global Warming Speeding Up.

Retrieved from https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/03/28-1

Riebeek, H. (June 3, 2010). Global Warming Retrieved from

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GlobalWarming/

Traufetter, G. (April 01, 2010). Climate Catastrophe: A Superstorm for Global Warming

Research. Retrieved from

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/climate-catastrophe-a-superstorm-for-global-warming-research-a-686697.html

Monday, December 2, 2013

research's outline

Introduction

Global warming is the rise of temperatures as a result of greenhouse gases which trap the heat that would have escaped from the earth. In the recent years, despite the fact that climate change is not a recent problem, this topic has received a lot of attention. This has continued to be the case for sometimes now. Population growth has increased use of land and fuel

History stands by the fact that global warming is not a new problem

Over the past decades, changes in the natural greenhouse effect have affected temperatures.

Changes in weather patterns have been witnessed through an increase in storms globally.

It s projected that temperatures globally will increase.

The growth of the human population is directly related to an increase global warming. There is an increase in need for manufacturing goods, land and fuel.

The result of global warming is being witnessed globally through rising sea levels and melting ice in the Artics. Ice melting decreases land and cause flooding. Crops, on the other hand, are being affected since farming land is decreasing, some lands are drying up, and the heat is destroying crops.

There are different ways in which we can help slow down global warming

Global warming can be reduced by avoiding carbon emissions and gas use

Global warming can be reduced by eating local, fresh foods that encourage a healthy environment

Global warming can be reduced by reducing the overall use of fossil fuels

Conclusion

The human population is increasing daily, and this is a wake up call to make a decision to find ways of reducing the effect on the human population on the world.

Monday, November 18, 2013

interview review 3

The highest score students are:

Alhajri, Faisal M,

Bin Jumhur, Abdulaziz S
Doege, Brandon J

Zhu, MinJie

My favorite interview is Doege, Brandon J's Interview

here is my evaluation sheet

My third interview

(1) Interview preparations:

After the class Brandon asked me which country I chose and I told him that I chose United States and he told me he chose Saudi Arabia, so we exchanged phone numbers. We decided to meet in the library on November 6th at 2:00 pm. We got a study room to be comfortable.

(2) Interview report

The interview went great I felt comfortable and Brandon looked comfortable. Brandon answered my questions in a very clear way. He was very open to any questions. And I enjoyed doing the interview.

(3) Country Report

The United States of America is a constitution-based federal republic located in North America, bordering with Mexico and Canada. The country consists of 50 states and one district and is the fourth largest country in the world having the total area of 3.79 million square miles. The climate of the country is mostly temperate but arctic in Alaska, tropical in Hawaii and Florida. . Due to the vast territory of the country, in the U.S. you can see all the variety of terrain - from lowlands to mountain ranges and climate - from arctic cold to tropical heat. The continental part of the United States of America is divided into four time zones("Central Intelligence Agency " ).

The general population of the country is around 316 million people, making the US the third most populous country in the world and one of the most diverse ones. ("United States Census Bureau" ). The majority of the U.S. population (over 80%) live in urban or suburban areas. Major U.S. cities - New York, NY (more than 8 million inhabitants), Los Angeles, California (more than 3.8 million inhabitants) and Chicago, Illinois (more than 2.7 million inhabitants). Around these cities were formed and the largest metropolitan areas in the United States.

US has no official national language, however English is recognized as official in 28 states and the state of Hawaii made official Hawaiian. The second most spoken language is Spanish (near 10% of the population). The majority of the population are Christian with near 51% being Protestants, 24% - Catholics and near 5% being adherent to other faith. ("Religious Landscape Survey " )

The United States emerged from the British colonies and declared its independence on July 4, 1776 and seven years later it was recognized by the Britain. Since 1800 Washington, DC has been the capital of the country. Under the Constitution, the US government is divided into three branches: legislative – consisting of the House of Representatives and Senate, executive – the President and the Vice President and the judicial branch, which is represented by the Supreme Court of the United States. ("Central Intelligence Agency") The head of the state and the head of the government is the President of the United States, who leads the executive branch and fulfills the duty of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Until the WW I U.S. foreign policy activity was limited by the interests of the territories of North, Central and South America, according to the formulated in 1823 the Monroe Doctrine. After the First World War, the United States Congress did not give consent to join international organizations (such as the League of Nations and the Court of International Justice), which limited the U.S. role in world politics. In 1945, the U.S. became the first nuclear power. Since 1946, the United States were in a state of global confrontation with the Soviet Union, which lasted until the end of the 1980s.

Currently, the U.S. economy is the world's highest levels of GDP ( 15.1 trillion dollars in 2011, 22 % of world GDP)("Report for Selected Countries and Subjects"). The U.S. has powerful armed forces, including the world's largest naval force, have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, they are also one of the founders of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO). The U.S. has the largest capacity on the total nuclear capacity in the world ("Nuclear Information Project."). With the greatest economic, political, cultural and military influence in the world the United States is the only superpower in the modern world.

The United States gave the world many writers, musicians, actors, athletes and other distinguished personalities. They are also numerous attractions in the United States hosted many tourists the country. The most interesting and visited has unique natural features (such as Niagara Falls in New York City, the Grand Canyon in Arizona or geysers of Yellowstone National Park) on the border of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana), historical monuments (such as unusual rock city of Mesa Verde Colorado or estate of the first U.S. President George Washington's Mount Vernon in Virginia), the original architectural structures (among which - the famous Empire State building and the Chrysler Building, the Brooklyn bridge in New York City and the "Golden Gate" in San Francisco), and various entertainment facilities ("Disneyland" in Florida and California, Las Vegas casinos in Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey, Broadway theaters and many, many others)("Ton 10 Attractions in 50 States of America").

Works cited

"Religious Affiliation." Religious Landscape Survey . n.d. n. page. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. <http://religions.pewforum.org/reports>.

"The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency . n.d. n. page. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html>.

"U.S. and World Population Clock." United States Census Bureau. n.d. n. page. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. <http://www.census.gov/popclock/>.

"Status of Nuclear Weapons States and Their Nuclear Capabilities." The Nuclear Information Project.. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/summary.htm>.

"Report for Selected Countries and Subjects."International Monetary Fund. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2013/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2010&ey=2013&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&pr1.x=72&pr1.y=17&c=111&s=NGDPD,NGDPDPC,PPPGDP,PPPPC,PPPSH,LP&grp=0&a=>.

"Ton 10 Attractions in 50 States of America." Attractions of America. N.p.. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <http://www.attractionsofamerica.com/>.

(4) Interview transcription

Faisal = F Brandon = B

F : Hi Brandon how are you doing ?

B: I'm doing pretty good

F: Ok I have interview for English class 191 so if you would like to answer my questions

B : Yup , I'm happy to answer your questions .

F: My first question is do you like the weather in St.cloud and please explain ?

B: yeah i really like the weather in st. cloud , now that its getting about winter time its hard to make the transition into winter , but I have lived here my hole my life so eventually i know how to adjust it , but winter time its get pretty cold and i prefer it be worm but during the summer i really like Minnesota I have been to other places during the summer and we have kind of the nicest weather its kind of hot but not so hot , but winter time definitely gets cold .

F : Where are you from ?

B: I'm from Sauk Rapids its like a suburb to st. cloud , so i can make it to my home city in like 20 minutes , I'm from the country a little bet , and yeah i live pretty close to St.cloud

F: so what do you do for your free time ?

B: this year i just got a house with my friends from St.cloud on campus , so when I ever have a free time from school and work i usually hang out with my roommates i have four of them so i usually hang out with them or other friends around the area , since i'm from here i know quite a few kids that never went to school and just kind of work , so there always around , if i want to do something i just text them or call them , thats usually what I do .

F: so you don't go to the theatre ?

B: yeah every once on a while , but you usually can find more productive activity for a little bet cheaper , so i usually do that . some other stuff I do like in winter time I go snowmobiling I really enjoy it , we have to get a lot of snow and the last couple of winters we have not had enough snow really to go , but once we get enough snow thats what i'm doing , during the fall I go hunting and stuff in my free time but I don't have enough free time .

F: Hunting ! what did you got ?

B: a lot of stuff I come from family that are big hunters , main things that we would hunt lets say like this weekend is the white tail deer opener , you can use guns , rifles , and shotguns . I'm going try to make it up this weekend maybe I shoot a deer , so i go white tail hunting , waterfowl like ducks and geese I go hunting for them .

F: could you please talk about your self ?

B: I would say very outgoing I like to do stuff I don't like to be cooped up , I like to go out and just do stuff like if its nice out if we are all sits inside so as my roommates and play baseball or something , so i'm pretty active I like to do stuff , as right know school is a big part of my life so I'm like school driven so I want to get in and get out of college . lets say that outgoing , I like to talk to people , and I have a lot of friends that I just talk to in a regular basis .

F: How often do you communicate with your family ?

B: like I said before I'm from Sauk Rapids which is like my home , I can make it there in 15 minutes so I would say more often because my family are always there , so its more than a factor that i know they are there so I only come to check up or if I need something I know where they at , and if they need something they know where I'm at . I would say its at least once a week and I go home every two weeks , maybe every week .

F: Whats the biggest holiday in your country ?

B: I would say specially for my family we only celebrate the big holidays that we have in america like Christmas , Thanks giving , and Easter . Those are the only holidays that my family really celebrates and on those days we usually just our immediate family like my grandparents and then all there kids , maybe like 20 people get together , and we just eat a lot of food and kind of hang out and talk . well a lot of my immediate family are pretty much around this area so we talk like pretty regularly , we usually communicate through the gaps between the holidays but its the only time we all gets together .

F: Tell me some important things from your culture ?

B: From our culture , well I have been to some other countries before , i've been to England , Ireland , and Wales . those countries are different but I have the same feeling I do like when I'm here , its hard to answer for me the important things , I would say now a days friends are big , and couple decades ago family was a big part in american culture , and it was really family oriented , but know we have our free range , so what ever you want to do you can do it , and that's what I like about it specially with school and going to college , like in America everything is kind of possible , Thats one of the main important things .

F: What are your goals for the future after you graduate ?

B: After I graduate here if all goes well I'm applying this january for the nursing program and if I do very well in the nursing exam , and hopefully get a job in a hospital .

F: Do you plan to work in a specific city ?

B: It's going to be kind of hard because like I said before my immediate family are around St.cloud area , like I have one aunt who moved to Oklahoma , and my family because they are all around this area , her moving away everybody kind of complains about it , and my family they've always liked me and pushed me to do good , so if I move away I know its going to be devastating like for them , but I want to get out of St.cloud very soon . I haven't decided if want to stay here somewhere in Minnesota , because I do like Minnesota it's a good state , I like hunting not many other states actually have civilization like I would say like Minnesota its pretty populated , and we also have that hunting aspect , like if I go to some other state like , North Dakota , Colorado , and Montana like those states where you have hunting but there is nothing there . I might stay here in MN but its what ever the best opportunity for me to make the most money out of a hospital specially after college and I can always move back if I want to .

F: So do you have any questions for me I have asked you a lot of questions ?

B: I had one from the beginning but I can remember it

F: That's ok thank you very much .

B: Yup no problem .

review interview 2

1. Who scored highest?

There are two students got 20 points. They are: 1. Alhajri, Faisal 2. Bin Jumhur, Abdulaziz S

2. Whose interview did you like best?Why?
1.. Bin Jumhur, Abdulaziz S
because he did all the parts for the interview and he the interview very nice.

my evaluation here

Monday, November 4, 2013

My second interview

(1) Interview preparations:

I met my old neighbor Laura in Caribou and I asked her to help me with my interview. We scheduled together to meet on Wednesday on October 30^th in the library to do my interview and we took a study room to record our interview clearly

Whom did you interview?

Laura graduated from high school in 2011 and she is a student in SCSU now and it is the second year for her in SCSU. She was my neighbor before I moved, she is trying to join the running marathon on next May.

(2) Interview report

In this interview I learned more about American culture and Laura answered all my questions clearly and she allowed me to record our conversation and She surprised me we she said that she runs for two hours and 35 minutes. It is a long time.

(3) Country Report

Works cited

"Religious Affiliation." Religious Landscape Survey . n.d. n. page. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. <http://religions.pewforum.org/reports>.

"The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency . n.d. n. page. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html>.

"U.S. and World Population Clock." United States Census Bureau. n.d. n. page. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. <http://www.census.gov/popclock/>.

"Status of Nuclear Weapons States and Their Nuclear Capabilities." The Nuclear Information Project.. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/summary.htm>.

"Ton 10 Attractions in 50 States of America." Attractions of America. N.p.. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <http://www.attractionsofamerica.com/>.

(4) Interview transcription

Faisal: Hi Laura

Laura : Hi

Faisal: Laura , I have some questions that I need you to answer them would you like to start?

Laura: Yeah, sure let's start.

Faisal: you are from Minnesota, right?

Laura : Yes.

Faisal: St. Cloud's weather is not new for you so do you like the weather in St. Cloud?

Laura : No

Faisal: Can you explain more?

Laura : I always lived in group Sioux in Minnesota and the weather has been very extreme like was snow so I'm very used in the weather. Firstly, I don’t like it, it is too cold in the winter.

Faisal: what is your problem that you don’t like the snow?

Laura : you know I like to run and I don’t like to run under the snow so I have to go to gym

Faisal: you are right so What do you do when you have leisure?

Laura : for leisure I join the running marathon so I am always at gym I also like to go to mall with friends, do some shopping and I like to eat dinner with my grandmother once a week, but in summer I like to run outside

Faisal: Could you please tell me about yourself?

Laura : I lived in Sioux in Minnesota, my dad's name is Michel and my mom's name is Shan and I have one older sister five years older her name is Emmy, I graduated from Sioux high school in 2011 and I started my first year at Concordia College then I moved to here and it is my second year here and I like it.

Faisal: How often do you communicate with your family in Sioux?

Laura : I try to call them at least once a week and we use facebook or skype you know that’s more convenient for all of us

Faisal: do you just communicate or you go there?

Laura: I go there in weekend if I have time, if there is something going on with my family for sure I go there. actually my sister's birthday is coming soon in the next weekend I will go there.

Faisal: oh really, my birthday is after three weeks

Laura: you will be 21 right?

Faisal: No, I will be 20.

Faisal: What is the biggest holiday in your country? Please explain about the holidays (Activities, Food, Date, Origin, and etc,)

Laura : I probably say it is Thanksgiving I usually go with my family to my uncle's house I think it is on November 25^th

Faisal: I think it is on November 27^th

Laura: I'm not sure about the date, so we play card games, and for food we eat turkey

Faisal: is it the only one you have?

Laura : well, we have the Christmas too, we celebrate in our house, we normally eat dinner open gifts and hanging out at home. And the next day we go to my grandmother's house in Maple Grove and we have lunch with her

Faisal: Tell me some important things from your culture?

Laura: like what you are looking for?

Faisal: anything you think it is different from other cultures?

Laura: I think it is kind of different, like the American culture is different for Chinese or Japanese's cultures because when we come to dinner time, I know the Americans take minutes to done and I know in China or Japan will take two or three hours to eat a meal. Faisal: What are your goals for the future; after you graduate, what are you going to do?

Laura : I hope after I graduate, I can work with any big company like maybe Target and be a team lead you know like the person that is above cashiers

Faisal: Did plan to work in city or other country?

Laura: well, I like to start in a smaller city and then I may work in Target in Minneapolis in Minnesota, another goal for future to go to marathon that I am going to do it on May 8^th and I need to cut down 20 minutes which were 2 hours and 35 minutes to I qualify the international marathon.

Faisal: Do you have any questions for me? I have asked so many of you

Laura : No, thanks

Faisal: okay, I really appreciate your help