Short Story: California Fire And Life Insurance Office

Awhile later, Clemmy Sue eased the Chevy into the entrance of Estelle Louise’s driveway, and stopped thirty feet from her mailbox.

The rising number of high severity wildfires in California has significant ecological, economic, and health impacts. Many western American forests are adapted to frequent low severity fires. However, the majority of these forests, and particularly the mixed conifer forests of California, are not adapted to high intensity fires and do not possess fire resistance adaptations such as serotinous cones to protect seeds. Consequently, high severity fires have significant negative impacts on California forests, and the absence of low severity fires has considerably altered many fundamental ecosystem processes (Miller et al. 2008). Prior to 1900, low severity fires would burn every 6-15 years. Low severity fires are generally non-lethal, have minimal change to the overstory, and kill mainly small trees. In the past, these fires were started naturally by lightning, or by Native Americans who used low severity fires to manage the forests.

Carl hurried through the streets of Boston, his Red Sox baseball cap pulled low over his eyes to cover his graying hair and his mail clutched tightly in his fist. He strode into his cramped apartment and paused in front of the pile of blank canvases leaning against the couch, collecting dust. Carl hadn’t worked in days. His profession wasn’t the kind to call and demand that he return to work. Though he loved the atmosphere of the city, he didn’t envy the life of suits and corporations and business meetings. He preferred to create and, luckily, he was not unsuccessful.

The kids drop Santa down the chute, and an evil laugh rises from the darkness. “A poker game we shall play, but you must know, dear Santa, that I do not play fair!” the Oogie Boogie exclaims. This is a scene from The Nightmare Before Christmas. This movie is both scary and joyful. But if you had to choose one, which would it be? Some people say it is a spooky Halloween movie, while other’s say it’s a jolly christmas movie. I believe it’s a Halloween movie. Want to know why? Keep reading, and you will find out.

The city always seemed to push the stars farther away from the world in the dead of night. Rain had begun to sprinkle downtown and it began to trickle across the top of the parked cars in the street. Vernon was sitting there silently listening to the drizzle outside that sounded like pebbles falling on a tin roof, still thinking about the dreams his been having. The Coffee Cup was like any other diner nestled between apartments and liquor stores. There was seven cut-up stools and behind them against the wall sat a cigarette machine and no smoking sign. The counter was worn from years of service. Two booths sat facing the storefront windows

I reached the apex of my adventure in Chinatown, easily my favorite part of the city. The lively Cantonese banter that echos through the streets leaves me wishing I could join it myself. The unique eateries in the ethnic center provide me with comestible gateways to the culture of my ancestors—well a quarter of them. It may not be the shiniest part of Boston, but to me it's the brightest. It’s lively, kinetic, and inviting. As hard as I tried, I could not get picture that fully captured each of these aspects. But the vitality of Chinatown can’t be experienced through pictures, it has to be discovered in

As one drives up the California coast, they will begin to notice several things. First, the general atmosphere shifts. The further north they travel from Los Angeles palms and golden beaches, the cities begin to lose their positive, sunny vibes. They go from beach villas to industrial apartments to suburban neighborhoods to run down harbor towns. The positive emotional vibrations emitted from such architecture slowly surrenders its grip on its surroundings to a grim, hopeless one. As new, booming cities fade into sleepy and ancient villages only occupied by drunken sailors and lost tourists, the traveler will soon realize they are in a much less pleasant place as where they originated their journey.

In 1970, the Chaparral Region of Southern California suffered immense devastation from wildfires that burned for several days, burning more than half a million acres of land, destroying over 700 structures and killing 16 people. During the subsequent debriefing and critiques done by the two primary agencies, Los Angeles County and Los Angeles City Fire Departments, four major obstacles were identified. The two departments agreed that while there was cooperation between the departments, the identified obstacles definitely impeded the efforts put forth to extinguish the fire.

Almost immediately, the city was not what Niaz expected. She constantly felt like a disconnected tourist and understood California’s environment was not for her. However, despite her position, Niaz would not be known as a quitter. By taking two classes at a small university and channeling her Minnesota Nice as a UGG retail worker, Niaz spent the year working hard and growing, investigating her own passions, values and interests.

There’s me, standing on the sidewalk of some nondescript city street in the Bronx. It’s summertime, right smack in the middle of July, and the towering brick buildings surrounding me allow no breeze. The clamor of New York is encompassing; I feel the city’s rhythm in my bones, it’s heartbeat thump, thump, thumping under my feet. Right now, I feel like crying. I am talking to an old man, Ahmed. Ahmed is an Indian immigrant who stopped at the soup-kitchen-on-wheels (actually: The Relief Bus) I am volunteering at. We stand under a tree planted close to where the Bus is parked. Around us, dozens of homeless people, many of whom don’t speak a word of English (as the Bronx is mainly poor immigrants), eat their soup and bread. My fellow volunteers

The Orthodontist Study Group is a per se illegal agreement between the orthodontist located in town X. There are certain types of agreements that are considered so harmful to competition and lacking in significant benefits that they do not warrant any “elaborate study . . . to establish their illegality” because they have such "a substantial potential for impact on competition." These agreement are of a type that will “always or almost always” increase prices or reduce output and are considered per se illegal under federal antitrust laws. The idea of per se illegal agreements is rooted in the need for administrative convenience and clear guidance for the business community. Nynex Corp. v. Discon, 525

A homeless man walks on an NYC train and the energy becomes apparent; everyone knows exactly what will happen next. Touching yet rehearsed words exiting his lips, while still trying to obtain his manhood; begging for any solution to his growing stomach and unnerving uncertainty of where he will lay his head are what a person who frequents public transportation will face at least once a day. Walking up and down the cart, he’s trying his hardest to lock eyes with someone while the music of New Yorkers’ headphones elevate, heads bow lower; locking eyes with the ground and reading material cover the faces of those who are giving this less than fortunate man every inclination that change will not be spared and leftovers will not be given up so easily.

Today is another day. I could see my project in the far distance, standing tall and proud among its neighboring buildings and complexes. Even with some of its parts consisting of only a naked framework, it was still a sight to behold. I felt the same sense of accomplishment every time I looked at it, knowing I had the honor to take part in a part of its creation. I remember as a young boy always feeling sympathy for the homeless, pitying their daily struggle to survive. Ever since the market crashed, beggars have become more common than pennies. There are always at least one for every block. I barely even notice them anymore, not that I’m even given the opportunity to with all of the street vendors trying to sell me apples and cigarettes for a nickel each. After a blur of people, traffic, and twists and turns along the sidewalk, I found myself at the base of the construction

When one begins to formulate thoughts on the most influential philosopher of all time, how does one stop and gather every thought into one paper. The historical significance of Plato has impacted generations for more than two thousand years. In fact, his writings, which consisted of mostly dialogues, has probably had more influence than any set of writings in the Western World apart from the Judeo-Christian Bible. As I dug into the life of Plato, which can be an endless search with overwhelming amount of information, his lasting ideas can be summed up in his allegory of the cave and theory of the tripartite soul.

The sounds of the city penetrated the walls of the cab as we drove through the streets of Manhattan. I could hardly wait to partake in the action that was happening outside. The buildings themselves were an amazing site to behold. The buildings took on personalities of their own. Each building was bigger and more graceful than the next. When lights were added to the mix it was a dazzling combination. The city itself felt like a great big hug, and I felt overwhelmed by its power. The city allowed me to become part of it just like many others many years ago who immigrated to this awesome city. As I was looking out of the cab I finally got to see in person the sight of all sights; Times Square. The main juncture of