The Use of Napalm as a Weapon in Combat

The Use of Napalm as a Weapon in CombatThe Use of Napalm as a Weapon in CombatA flammable liquid used in warfare, napalm has been used by the United States military since World War II. The U.S. welches the first country to use napalm in warfare and is one of the few to still use it against enemy targets. Napalm gets its name from two of the main chemicals in its composition naphthenic acid and palmitic acid. It sticks to skin and results in catastrophic burns for its victims, especially when it catches fire. The use of napalm against civilian targets was outlawed by the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in 1980, but the U.S. continues to use it as a weapon against military targets History and Background Harvard University chemist Louis Fieser developed napalm in 1942. It was first used by the U.S. against Japan during World War II to burn buildings and as an anti-personnel weapon (meaning it was used on people). The U.S. continued to use napalm during the Korean and Vietnam wars, to devastating effect. The famous Vietnam War photo Napalm Girl shows a group of screaming children running away from a napalm attack where many of them suffered serious burns.Although made differently than in the past, napalm is still used by the U.S. military in combat operations. New Composition Introduced Modern napalm is known as Napalm B. It is distinctly different than the napalm used inVietnam and World War II. Napalm B is made of different chemicals than the napalm of the past. However, despite its different characteristics, Napalm B is often referred to by military personnel simply as napalm. Napalm B is usually comprised of plastic polystyrene and hydrocarbon benzene. These compounds combine to form jellied gasoline, which is extremely flammable and hot when ignited. Napalm B is much easier to control and manage when ignited than previous forms of napalm, which was so flammable that it often caught on fire when soldiers smoked cigarettes near it. Napalm B is sometimes called Super Napalm as it burns much longer than older versions of the agent. It can burn for as long as 10 minutes, whereas older versions of napalm often burned for less than 30 seconds. Napalm as an Incendiary Weapon Napalm B is known as an incendiary weapon as it can cause fire, explosions, and severe burns. It can also lead to asphyxiation in people who are close to the detonation point, as well as winds that have reached 70 miles per hour. Napalm is unique in that it often sticks to the skin of people and is hard to remove even when it is burning. Napalm B is typically used to destroy enemy positions such as bunkers, foxholes, trenches, and shelters. One discharge of Napalm B from a low-level military plane can destroy an area of 2,500 square yards. And despite the prohibition of its use against civilians, international law does not prevent the use of napalm against military targets.

When You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job - The Muse

When You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job - The MuseWhen You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job We all have crazy thoughts when starting a new job Do I have to tell my boss when I go to the bathroom? Will people think my leftovers are too weird of a lunch? Should I wave when people walk by my desk? No, better to just smile. Never mind, smilings creepy, just stare at your computer and dont make eye contact.But some of those questions about new job etiquette are actually valid- things like how to act around the office, what to wear, and when its respectable to take breaks. After all, they can mean the difference between having an awesome reputation and a horrible one.One of the biggest questions I had when I first started was when I could take a vacation. Sure, The Muse has an unlimited vacation policy, and my boss never mentioned I needed to wait six months- but I also know that its common courtesy when it comes to being the newbie. To get a few more guidelines, I reached out to HR expe rt and Muse career coach Arik Orbach.His response?The general rule of thumb is likely to wait around three to six months. However, it strongly depends on the organization and their culture.He went on to explain that many companies clearly dictate what their vacation policy is. Some have you accrue more and more time-off the longer youre there. Others may have a probationary period for when youre being trained and must be in the office.But the reason he suggests that three-to-six-month timeframe is because at the end of the day, it just doesnt look good to ship off before then. Not to mention, youre more likely to miss key onboarding information.That said, a lot of this depends on your wertmiger zuwachs from the get-go. If youre not plektroning things up quickly or still being heavily monitored by your boss, its probably not the best time to ask. But, as Orbach states, An employee who can hit on all tasks and deadlines and is demonstrating great progress is more apt to being granted time off because they trust you to get the job done no matter what, and they want to keep you happy.Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. For example, if youre getting married three weeks into your new role, your boss is probably not going to decline your request. However, Orbach suggests, its better to get these kinds of things squared away before you accept the job offer This could also apply to any planned vacations where trips have been prepaid already. Of course, you dont always have the luxury of knowing ahead of time if something serious comes up that you need to take time off for. If you have a parent become suddenly ill, for example, your manager would likely be understanding, versus lets say, an impromptu vacation to the Caribbean.So youve read all this and think youre qualified for some RR- how do you make the ask?First, says Orbach, you have to think about the impact your absence will have. Youre not going to make friends with your colleagues if they have t o pick up your slack after barely knowing you. So, its best to build a good rapport with your team first before putting in the request.Then, figure out if you can meet all your deadlines before your vacation. If you come to your boss prepared with a timeline for how youll get everything done, theyre more likely to say yes.Finally, consider what youll miss while youre gone. Is this a busy time for your organization? Are there any big meetings happening? If your vacation comes at a tough time for business (and thus leaves your boss and team with a lot of work to do without you), it may be worth putting it off until the slower season. The last thing Ill say is that every new employee needs to put in their time. I fully believe in self-care and taking time off for yourself- so if youre starting to burn out, by all means take a personal day if you can. But itll make you look so much better and gain you so much more respect if you show up every day and kick some butt for a few months stra ight. I didnt end up taking a long vacation until I was a year into my role. While I probably couldve left sooner, the trip was that much more rewarding because Id truly earned it (and bonus, because Id built my boss trust, she insisted I completely unplug.)So, long story short, use all your vacation days- its good for your career in the long run- just maybe wait a few months before you start. Trust us, itll be worth it.

ECLIPSE Interns Continue the Put-A-Smile Effort in Puerto Rico

ECLIPSE Interns Continue the Put-A-Smile Effort in Puerto Rico ECLIPSE Interns Continue the Put-A-Smile Effort in Puerto Rico ECLIPSE Interns Continue the Put-A-Smile Effort in Puerto RicoStudents from the Aurora Mendez Charneco Elementary School in Puerto Rico enjoy the gesundheitsgefhrdender stoff bags sent to them by the 2017-2018 ASME Early Career Leadership Intern Program to Serve Engineering (ECLIPSE) interns as part of the Put-A-Smile initiative.Earlier this year, the 2017-2018 class of ASME Early Career Leadership Intern Program to Serve Engineering (ECLIPSE) interns, inspired by the efforts of group of ASME members in California, decided to attempt to lift the spirits of school children in Puerto Rico, which is still slowly recovering from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria last fall.Spearheaded by ASME members and ECLIPSE interns Jonathan Jennings, Kushi Sellahennedige and Joseph Radisek, theirs was the second activity in the Put-A-Smile endeavor, a grassroots ASME member initiative to bring cheer to children affected by last years hurricanes in Texas and Puerto Rico. As previously reported in ASME News, several ASME members of the Orange County, Santa Clara Valley and Los Angeles Sections in California launched the program last fall when they sent gift bags to students at Lobit Elementary School in Dickinson, Texas, a community that was hit especially hard last summer by Hurricane Harvey, which flooded approximately 90 percent of homes in the area. William Rios and Andrea Nemesszeghy of the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (UPRM) Campus ASME chapter spoke to the elementary school students about STEM-related careers during their ASME Links presentation at Aurora Mendez Charneco Elementary School.After hearing about the Put-A-Smile activity in California, Jennings and his fellow ECLIPSE interns began planning one of their own. Jennings coordinated the effort, while Sellahennedige took on fundraising responsibilities, collecting a total of more than $300 from an office fundraiser she organized along with donations from Jennings and ECLIPSE secretary Joseph Radisek. Jennings, his daughter and some of her neighborhood friends packed the gift bags, which were filled with an assortment of candy and toy airplane gliders for the kids and accompanied with supplies for a spaghetti bridge-building activity that would introduce the students to some of the principles of engineering and science. Jennings, a longtime rocket enthusiast, also included rocket-building kits that the students could assemble and launch under the supervision of a teacher.Eduardo Morales Rivera, who was president of the ASME student chapter at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus at the time, agreed to distribute the packages after being contacted about the project through his student chapters Facebook page. Rivera and the ECLIPSE interns eventually selected the Aurora Mendez Charneco Elementary School as the distribution policy to di stribute the bags during a special STEM presentation that would be led by two of the chapters student members, Andrea Nemesszeghy, marketing chief for the UPRM ASME chapter, and William Rios, the chapters academics chief. During their interactive presentation, titled ASME Links, the two student members discussed pursuing degrees and careers in STEM-related fields. Nemesszeghy and Rios then guided the children through a lively exercise in which the children constructed bridges out of spaghetti and then tested the strength of their creations by placing scissors on them. Aurora Mendez Charneco Elementary School students secure the bridge they created out of spaghetti during the school visit from members of the UPRM ASME chapter in January.Rivera believes that in addition to lightening the spirits of the students, the Put-A-Smile packages combined with the presentation had a bigger, hopefully lasting impact because it presented science and engineering concepts to students who may not have been otherwise introduced to them.In fact, by the end of the bridge-building activity, many of the students were announcing that they wanted to become engineers, scientists, astronauts, innovators or involved in other science-related professions, Rivera said. They were very excited with the activity, he said, adding that the teachers were so pleased with the students response, they have asked Rivera and his fellow student members to return. The teachers that helped us out were very thankful for bringing this kind of joy back to the school and to the children that had suffered so much with the after-effects of the hurricane. I think it is important because it creates a loop of information with us, the soon-to-be professionals, the teachers, and the students the professionals of the future. By doing so, he said, we not only ensure a better future but the kids are left with the impression that no matter the situation, everything is possible. Eduardo M orales Rivera of the UPRM ASME chapter (right) joins Andrea Nemesszeghy during the ASME Links presentation.Jennings, who also found the project to be a rewarding experience, observed that while the year-long term for him and his fellow ECLIPSE interns would be ending soon, the Put-A-Smile project could be something that the next class of ECLIPSE interns may choose to continue. In addition, members of ASME sections and student sections may also want to consider organizing their own Put-A-Smile-inspired project as one of their sections activities.ASME members or student members who are interested should contact Jonathan Jennings at sublimecreationsmailgmail.com, ECLIPSE intern Joseph Radisek at josephrradisekgmail.com, or Michael Roy of the Group Engagement Committee at roym2asme.org.