Contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Contracts - Essay Example Minors or persons with unsound mind lack the capacity to contract. Upon acceptance of the offer, the offeree must provide a specific compensation for the promise fulfilled, often referred to as a consideration. Additionally, agreements only amount to contracts when formed with a legal purpose and with the intent to create a legal obligation between the parties involved. For this reason agreements between family members, with the exception of commercial agreements do not create a valid contracts. Certainty of the subject matter is another essential requirement of a valid contract since contracts cannot be based on ambiguity or unclear subject matter. Finally, agreements forming contracts must be mutual, coercion or undue influence invalidates a contract. The parole evidence rule holds that when the contracting parties agree to record their content of their agreement in writing, they often intend that whatever is written down to be the only reliable source of reference to the agreement, which supersedes any other terms and conditions agreed to during the bargain but not written. The basis of the parole evidence rule is that what is reflected in writing should be taken as a true representation of the terms of the contract. The parole evidence rule bars any parole evidence presented in addition to the written evidence. Assignment of rights in contract refers to a situation where the beneficiary to a contractual agreement willfully relinquishes all the rights to receive the aforesaid benefits to a third party, not initially considered in the contractual agreement. For example, if J agrees to sell his house to W for $3000, and then J transfers his right under the contract to pay the $ 3000 to X, X becomes the assignee and the legal beneficiary to the contract. This does not however, give X authority to execute the terms of the contract. In this case, J will only have delegated his duty to receive the consideration of $ 3000 to

The New Face of Poverty Essay Example for Free

The New Face of Poverty Essay Most people describe poverty as a lack of essential items, such as food, clothing, and shelter. When individuals are not able to afford nutritious meals, attend school regularly, or have access to health care, regardless of their income, they can be considered to be in poverty. The new face of poverty involves many people who are homeless because problems that arose, or unforeseen circumstances occurred, forcing them into these situations. In the essay, â€Å"The Untouchables,† Kozol wrote about the struggles and hardships Richard Lazarus and others encountered because of homelessness. Jo Goodwin Parker wrote a vivid first hand description about living in poverty in the essay, â€Å"What is Poverty? †. Lazarus lived on the street struggling to survive, where as, Parker lived in a house struggling to support her family. In New York, Lazarus either slept in a park or in a dilapidated hotel operated by a shelter organization. Other homeless people, unable to find room in a shelter or afraid of something within the shelter, seeked sanctuary in public transportation buildings, subway tunnels, or church doorways. Parker struggled to provide anything but the bare essentials for her family. She lived without hot water, soap, shampoo, hand cream for cracked red hands, or materials to do any repairs on the unkempt, decrepit house. Each night, she washed all the clothes her school aged children possessed, in cold water, hoping they would be dry for the next school day. Lazarus felt the American public looked at homelessness as â€Å"the rejected waste of society†(263). He feels the homeless were useful when performing menial tasks or donating blood. He thinks people living in regular homes may not complain about their current situation if they see homeless people and fear they could be in the same state of affairs. In the same way, Parker said, â€Å"Poverty is looking into a black future†. She feared for her children’s future imaging them being behind bars because they could steal for things they wanted. She also feared her children could turn to drugs and alcohol to escape the grip of poverty. She also feared her daughter may end up in the same poverty lifestyle. Parker also felt poverty eroded away one’s pride and honor. Both Parker and Lazarus landed in these situations because of circumstances beyond their control. Parker married young and moved to another town with her new husband. Losing his job forced them to move into a small rundown house in her old hometown. Parker’s husband worked a few odd jobs, but most of their money went toward food. After three years, and three babies, he left, leaving her to support the family. Lazarus received an education from a private military school, and then held a job in data processing for seven years. Lazarus then lost his job, his wife, his children, his home, and then became homeless. These two people exemplifies the new face of poverty. The attitudes of the American public toward helping Lazarus and the homelessness, and people like Parker living in poverty, have eroded. Kozol writes, â€Å"So from pity we graduate to weariness; from weariness to impatience; from impatience to annoyance; from annoyance to dislike and sometimes to contempt† (265). Treatment of the homeless in most cities have became harsh. An anti-homeless activist in Phoenix stated he was â€Å"tired of feeling guilty about the homeless†(Kozol 262). A columnist from a major magazine wanted the homeless evicted from the streets. When Parker asked for help, she received seventy-eight dollars a month to clothe, feed, and provide shelter for herself and three children. Attitudes toward the poor have evolved into indifference, or worse, hatred. In contrast, these essays are about the asperities of a man and a woman. The essay about Lazarus recounted the plight of a homeless man and the public negativity toward homelessness. Although this story portrayed one of misfortune, compassion for the fellow man was buried by those holding bias toward homelessness. The essay about Parker summarized the misfortunes of the life of a woman. This woman struggled to provide for her three children. Most of the people living in poverty are currently in this situation due to unfortunate circumstances.

Appearance Versus Reality in Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie Es

Appearance Versus Reality in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie In any Tennessee Williams' play, nothing is as it seems. Everything represents more than itself. Williams' creative use of symbols creates a drama that far exceeds the apparent or surface level. Williams himself admits that "art is made out of symbols the way your body is made out of the vital tissue," and that "symbols are nothing but the natural speech of drama [. . . ,] the purest language of plays [. . . ; S]ometimes it would take page after tedious page of exposition to put across an idea that could be said with an object or a gesture on the lighted stage" (Demastes 174). The reader must engage not only what appears to be just a needed prop or dialogue, but also the reader has to project beyond the obvious to understand the full impact of the symbols Williams uses. He controls every aspect of his plays by giving very precise stage directions. He is the god of his work. He directs every aspect as if he is afraid to turn lose any control unless it becomes something else than he wi lls it to be. In The Glass Menagerie, Williams uses many symbols that cannot fully be retained by the reader in just one reading of the play. The Glass Menagerie is a play about a dysfunctional family during the 1930s and how they survive in their own world of reality. Even the characters themselves are symbols of a deeper meaning; for example, Amanda Wingfield's name itself is revealing. Amanda contains the word man, and she has to play the role of the man and the woman of the house since the father deserted the family long ago. Close examination of the last name Wingfield gives the reader additional clues. The Wingfields are actually taking life as it comes to them, or, in... ...orks Cited Demastes, William D. Realism and the American Dramatic Tradition. Tuscaloosa, AL: U of Alabama P, 1996. Kolin, Philip. Tennesse Williams: A Guide to Research and Performance. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1998. Scanlan, Tom. Family, Drama, and American Dreams. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1978. Sievers, W. David. Freud on Broadway, A History of Psychoanalysis and the American Drama. New York: Hermitage House, 1995. Weales, Gerald. "Tennessee Williams 1914-. Contemporary Literary Cristicism. 21 Vols. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski and Phyllis Carmel Mendelson.Detroit:Gale,1978.471. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 5th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. 1864-1908. Work Consulted Williams. Edwina Dakin. Remember Me to Tom. New York: Putman, 1963.

Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures Paper Essay

For years, there have been some inquiries about how the world came to be. Included in those inquiries are who create the world and how human kind came to exist. To answer the unanswered, different cultures have their own version of how it was created. The creation myths explain the destruction that has or is going to happen. Different creation myths can also explain natural accident or the cosmic conditions. The different creation myths from different cultures all have similarities and difference in their level of creation, creators, cosmic elements, and creations. When it comes to the Navajo Legend, each song is a prayer to the Holy People who takes care of them. Ceremonies are taken place to help cure the sick and to help protect their herds, crops, families, and/or homes. During the ceremonies they sing songs which include a Blessingway Song. The song brings a blessing for a happy and long life. It I also used to bless new marriages. However, the Inca culture was directed by a great coordinated priesthood and engaged on honoring royal ancestors as well as gods. The priests relied on fortune-telling to answer all types of phenomenon’s, from analyzing sickness to deciding who’s innocence or guilty to figuring out what type of offering to give to which god. The Navajo legend includes three underworlds where crucial events happened to shape the fourth world which is the present. Their creators gave them the name Ni’hookaa Diyan Dinà © which means Holy Earth People. Today, the Navajo people just refer to themselves as Dinà © which means The People. The first world (black), which was called Nihodilhil, had four corners and above these appeared four clouds. The four clouds were also the elements of the first world and the colors were black, blue, white, and yellow. The second world (blue), Nihodootlizh, was created due to the battle in the Nihodilhil, the First Man (Atse Hastin), First Woman (Atse Estsan), and the Coyote called the First Angry crawled up from the World of Darkness and Dampness to Nihodootlizh. The third world (yellow), which was called Nihaltsoh, was founded by Blue Bird as he was the first to come through. After the Blue Bird, First Man, First Woman, and Coyote also came to Nihaltsoh. The fourth world (white), Nihalgai, founded by The Locust. The Locust saw that the world was covered with water that glittered and everything looked white. The others followed the Locust to the Nihalgai. The Navajo creator god, Dinà © BahaneÊ ¼, created First Man and First Woman and the twins got to this world, it was all covered with water. But winds came and blew the water off of some of the land, so people could live on it. Then First Man got help from the diyin dine (spirit people) to make all the things on earth. He had a sacred medicine bundle and he took out the things in the bundle one by one and sang to it, and so he turned it into a mountain, or a tree, or an animal, or a time of day, or something else. The Inca creator god, Viracocha, was believed to have had a special bond with the Inca king Pachacuti, who dreamed that the god helped his people gain victory in a war they were fighting. After winning the war, Pachacuti built a great temple to Viracocha at Cuzco. The temple contained a large solid gold statue of the god as a bearded man. According to Inca tradition, Viracocha had white skin, which explains why some of the Indians at first thought that the bearded, pale-skinned Spanish soldiers were representatives of their creator god. When it comes to the Navajo legend, there was the Great Flood. Coyote named took two Water Monster babies and brought on the flood by stealing from the Water Monster mother. First Man and First Woman brought them back through the passage and on to the bank. Coyote had also wrapped them in his skin coat with white fur lining. The Inca also had a Great Flood. In their legend, the great flood was used to wiped away the wicked and unruly people. During ancient time people were cruel and greedy and failed to pay proper attention to the gods. Then one day, two respectable brothers observed that their llamas were sad and acting abnormal. The llamas spoke to the brother and said, â€Å"A great flood is coming†. The brothers took their herds and families to the high caves. It rained for months, drowning the world below. Then one day the sun god Inti arose and with the warmth of his smile dried the earth. Reference http://bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_navajo_full.htm http://bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_inca_full.htm

Inertia lab report Essay

A Rotational motion experiment is the simplest method of finding the Moment of Inertia. Minimum equipment is required to perform this experiment. For the purposes of increasing the accuracy of the results, the procedure should be repeated three times, making our conclusion more reliable. While load is moving downwards it’s potential energy converts to kinetic. Load is accelerating because weight(Fg=mg) of the load is bigger than tension on a string so load is not in equilibrium and by Newton’s Second Law (F=ma) resultant force creates an acceleration. Resultant force can be calculated by the equation S=0. 5at2+ut to find acceleration and F=ma. String rotates the spindle which rotates the disc by creating a torque(T=Fr). Torque accelerates the disc and it can be found by ? = . To find moment of inertia now T=I? equation is used. 1 Method and observation: Apparatus: 3 different size discs, spindle, ruler, set of weights, stopwatch, stand. Disc is attached to one end of the spindle and string with load is attached to the other end. Disc’s weight, diameter and radius are required to be measured before experiment. Length of the string (L), number of loops on the spindle (n) and horizontal distance of loops (H) were measured before experiment. Using equation below r is found. = 2 Spindle Disc String Stopwatch Weights Stand After setting all the equipment up the experiment starts. The string is then wrapped around the spindle. Time was measured for load pass the distance of length of the string. To plot graph one over time2 is required to be calculated. 4 different masses of the load are used in experiment is repeated 3 times every time mass is changed to make reduce random error. After finishing all the experiments on one of the discs other disc is placed and experiment repeats. When all the experiments are done and measurements are recorded mass against one over time2 is plotted using results. 3 graphs are going to be plotted for each disc. Gradient of the graph is constant k which we could use to find I using formulae below. When observed the string with vibrating and load was moving a little which can cause some systematic error. While spindle is spinning there is some friction which is neglected and the disc is vibrating while it is spinning which also cause some systematic error. = ? 2 2 Results MEASUREMENTS ON THE SPINDLE: MEASUREMENTS ON THE DISCS n= 8 L= 0. 26m DISC 1 (small) DISC 2 (medium) DISC 3 (large) Weight (kg) 0. 314 0. 490 Diameter (m) Radius (m) 0. 1 0. 127 0. 05 0. 0635 0. 696 0. 152 0. 076 H= 0. 026m r= 5. 14Ãâ€"10-3 DISC 1 Weight (kg) Time (s) Average Time (s) 1/t? (s-2) K (m s? ) I (kg m2) experimental I (kg m2) theoretical ?I (kg m2) 0. 1 2. 93 | 2. 73 | 2. 62 2. 76 0. 131 0. 15 2 | 2. 1 | 2. 23 2. 11 0. 225 1. 439 0. 000346 0. 2 1. 87 | 1. 85 | 1. 86 1. 86 0. 287 0. 22 1. 81 | 1. 74 | 1. 78 1. 78 0. 317 0. 000393 0. 000047 DISC 2 Weight (kg) Time (s) Average Time (s) 1/t? (s-2) K (m s? ) I (kg m2) experimental I (kg m2) theoretical ?I (kg m2) 0. 1 6. 49 | 6. 16 | 6. 33 6. 33 0. 0250 0. 15 4. 97 | 4. 77 | 509 4. 92 0. 0413 0. 686 0. 000726 0. 000988 0. 000262 3 0. 17 4. 38 | 4. 97 Z 4. 43 4. 43 0. 0510 0. 20 4. 00 | 4. 13 | 4. 08 4. 07 0. 0604 DISC 3 Weight (kg) Time (s) Average Time (s) 1/t? (s-2) K (m s? ) I (kg m2) experimental I (kg m2) theoretical ?I (kg m2) 0. 1 4. 21 | 4. 13 | 4. 17 4. 17 0. 0575 0. 15 3. 13 | 3. 27 | 3. 00 3. 13 0. 102 0. 290 0. 00172 0. 00201 0. 00029 4 0. 2 2. 73 | 2. 75| 2. 73 2. 74 0. 113 0. 17 3. 03 | 2. 77 | 2. 83 2. 9 0. 119 Calculations T=I? -3 T=Fr I = = = = ? = 2 1 = ? > 1 =km >k = 2 2 9. 8x(5. 14Ãâ€"10? 3 )? I1e= 2Ãâ€"1. 439Ãâ€"0. 26 =0. 000346ms? 9. 8x(5. 14Ãâ€"10? 3 )? I2e= 2Ãâ€"0. 686Ãâ€"0. 26 =0. 000726ms? 9. 8x(5. 14Ãâ€"10? 3 )? I3e= 2Ãâ€"0. 290Ãâ€"0. 26 =0. 00172 ms? I1t=0. 5Ãâ€"0. 052Ãâ€"0. 314=0. 000393 ms? I2t=0. 5Ãâ€"0. 06352Ãâ€"0. 490=0. 000988 ms? I3t=0. 5Ãâ€"0. 07602Ãâ€"0. 696=0. 00201 ms? ?I1=|0. 000393-0. 000346|=0. 000047 ms? ?I2=|0. 000988-0. 000726|=0. 000262 ms? ?I3=|0. 00201-0. 00172|=0. 000290 ms? 5 Error Analysis = 2 1(2 +2 ) + 2( + ) + = =? r= 0. 0005+0. 0005 ?r= 0. 26+0. 026 r x5. 14Ãâ€"10-3=1. 79Ãâ€"10-5 ?s=0. 00192 ?k=0. 176 ?I=1. 79Ãâ€"10-5Ãâ€"0. 00192Ãâ€"0. 176=6. 05Ãâ€"10-9 6 Graphical representation Disc 1. 1/s? 0. 35 0. 3 y = 1. 439x 0. 25 0. 2 0. 15 0. 1 0. 05 1/t? 0 0 0. 05 0. 1 0. 15 0. 2 0. 25 Weight kg 1/s? 0. 16 Disc 2. 0. 14 y = 0. 686x 0. 12 0. 1 0. 08 0. 06 1/t? 0. 04 0. 02 0 0 0. 05 0. 1 Weight 0. 15 0. 2 0. 25 kg 7 Disc 3. 1/s? 0. 07 0. 06 y = 0. 290x 0. 05 0. 04 0. 03 1/t? 0. 02 0. 01 0 0 0. 05 0. 1 Weight 0. 15 0. 2 0. 25 kg 8 Discussion From the results gained it can be concluded that larger and heavier the disc is greater the moment of inertia of a body. As we can see the gradient on the graphs are larger at larger discs. From theoretical values which it can be concluded that experiment was right. More time is taken to pass that distance for larger discs because the moment of inertia is bigger so it torque is required to accelerate the disc. However there were some random and systematic errors. One of the most effecting random errors is the human reaction error. It could be decreased by using light gate instead of stop watch. Using more accurate equipment for taking measurements of discs and spindle would decrease the error. Masses of the loads are not exact so more accurate loads would decrease the error. Conclusion Larger and heavier discs have larger moment of inertia so they require more torque to be accelerated.

How to Organize a Dorm Room

How to Organize a Dorm Room Given how ridiculously tiny the room might be, knowing how to organize a dorm room can be a challenge. So just what can you do to make the most of what space you do have? Dont have anything in the room that serves only one function. Sure, that plug-in grilled cheese maker seems cool, but it takes up a lot of space and can only do one thing. Make sure that every item in your room serves more than one function. For example, pick a speaker system for your iPhone that charges it at the same time. Use a throw on your bed that you can also take to football games when it gets cold outside. Youre paying a lot for that little room make sure your stuff is earning its keep, too! Think about the actual number of things youll really need at any time. Do you really need 20 highlighters? Or will 5 do? Let your campus bookstore be the one to keep things in stock; you can always run down there and get more of any supply (or borrow some from your roommate or friends down the hall). Split things with your roommate. Do you really need two printers? Two mini-fridges? Two MLA manuals? Of course, if sharing makes things get sticky, avoid this rule ... but, most likely, yo u and your roommate can make things work out by sharing some of the most important stuff. And you can save some sacred space (and cash) in the meantime. Avoid empty space. You probably have a duffel bag or suitcase for your trips home (or elsewhere). When you store them in your closet, dont store them empty. Put out-of-season clothes, big jackets, blankets, and anything else that will fit inside of them. Is there room under your bed? Buy storage boxes and cram in as much as you can. Youll still have your stuff accessible but no longer in the way. Aim for keeping things organized as often as you can. You may hear echoes of your mother in this rule, but its true: in a space that is especially small, keeping things organized will make the space seem larger. If youre pulling an all-nighter, getting everything off your desk except the stuff you need will help as your ability to focus starts to fade. If you like to read and study on your bed, being able to do so without having to fight for space with your laundry will make it easier on both your body and your brain.

Everything You Need to Know About Adobe

Everything You Need to Know About Adobe Adobe is essentially a dried mud brick, combining the natural elements of earth, water, and sun. It is an ancient building material usually made with tightly compacted sand, clay, and straw or grass mixed with moisture, formed into bricks, and naturally dried or baked in the sun without an oven or kiln. In the United States adobe is most prevalent in the hot, arid Southwest. Although the word is often used to describe an architectural style- adobe architecture- adobe is actually a building material.  Adobe bricks have been used around the world, including near the muddy river areas of ancient Egypt and the ancient architecture of the Middle East. It is used today but also found in primitive architecture: mud bricks were used even before the grand ancient stone temples of Greece and Rome. Construction methods and the composition of adobe- the recipe- vary according to climate, local customs, and the historical era. Adobes strength and resilience vary with its water content: too much water weakens the brick. Todays adobe is sometimes made with an asphalt emulsion added to help with waterproofing properties. A mixture of Portland cement and lime may also be added. In parts of Latin America, fermented cactus juice is used for waterproofing. Although the material itself is naturally unstable, an adobe wall can be load bearing, self-sustaining, and naturally energy efficient. Adobe walls are often thick, forming a natural insulation from the environmental heat that creates and sustains the material. Todays commercial adobe is sometimes kiln-dried, although purists may call these clay bricks. Traditional adobe bricks need about a month of drying in the sun before they can be used. If the brick is mechanically compressed, the adobe mixture needs less moisture and the bricks can be used almost immediately, although purists may call these compressed earth bricks. About the Word Adobe In the United States, the word adobe is said with the accent on the second syllable and the last letter pronounced, as in ah-DOE-bee. Unlike many architecture words, adobe does not originate in Greece or Italy. It is a Spanish word that does not originate in Spain. Meaning the brick, the phrase at-tuba comes from Arabic and Egyptian languages.  As Muslims migrated across northern Africa and into the Iberian Peninsula, the phrase was transformed into a Spanish word after the eighth century CE. The word entered our English language through the colonization of America by Spain after the 15th century. The word is widely used in the southwestern United States and Spanish speaking countries. Like the building material itself, the word is ancient, going back to the creation of language- derivations of the word have been seen in ancient hieroglyphics. Materials Similar to Adobe Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) resemble adobe, except they usually do not contain straw or asphalt, and they generally are more uniform in size and shape. When adobe is NOT formed into bricks, its called puddled adobe, and is used like the mud material in cob houses. The material is mixed and then thrown in lumps to gradually create an earthen wall, where the mixture dries in place. In the Natural Building Blog, Dr. Owen Geiger,  Director of the Geiger Research Institute of Sustainable Building, contends that Native Americans used puddled adobe before the Spanish introduced adobe brick-making methods. Preservation of Adobe Adobe is resilient if well-maintained. One of the oldest known structures in the U.S. is made from adobe bricks, the San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe, New Mexico, built between 1610–1628. Preservationists at the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior provide guidance on historic preservation, and their Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings (Preservation Brief 5) published in August 1978 has been the gold standard for keeping this building material maintained. Constant monitoring of deterioration sources, including the breakdown of mechanical systems like leaky plumbing, is the most important part of maintaining an adobe structure. It is the nature of adobe buildings to deteriorate, we are told in Preservation Brief 5, so careful observation of subtle changes and performing maintenance on a regular basis is a policy which cannot be over emphasized. Problems usually have more than one source, but the most common are (1) poor building, design, and engineering techniques; (2) too much rainwater, ground water, or watering of surrounding vegetation; (3) wind erosion from windblown sand; (4) plants taking root or birds and insects living within the adobe walls; and (5) previous repairs with incompatible building materials. Traditional Methods of Construction To maintain historic and traditional adobe, its best to know traditional methods of construction so that repairs can be compatible. For example, true adobe bricks must be assembled with a mud mortar of properties similar to the adobe. You cant use cement mortar because its too hard  - that is, the mortars cannot be stronger than the adobe brick, according to preservationists. Foundations are often constructed of masonry red brick or stone. Adobe walls are load-bearing and thick, sometimes braced with buttresses. Roofs are usually wooden and laid flat, with horizontal rafters covered with other materials. The familiar vigas projecting through the adobe walls are really the timber parts of the roof. Traditionally, the roof was used as additional living space, which is why wooden ladders are often propped up alongside an adobe home. After the railroads enabled the transport of building materials to the American Southwest, other roof types (e.g., hipped roofs) began to appear atop adobe brick buildings. Adobe brick walls, once in place, are usually protected by applying a variety of substances. Before an exterior siding is applied, some contractors may spray on insulation for added thermal protection- a dubious practice in the long term if it allows the bricks to retain moisture. Since adobe is an ancient building method, traditional surface coatings may include substances that seem odd to us today, such as fresh animal blood. More common sidings include: mud plaster, a mixture of elements the same as the adobe brick mixturelime plaster, a mixture containing lime, which is harder than mud, but more prone to crackingwhitewash, a mixture preservationists describe as ground gypsum rock, water, and claystucco, a relatively new form of siding for naturally dried adobe bricks- cement stucco does not stick to traditional adobe bricks, so wire mesh must be used Like all architecture, construction materials and methods of building have a shelf-life. Eventually, adobe bricks, surface coverings, and/or roofing deteriorate and must be repaired. Preservationists recommend following these general rules: Unless youre a professional, dont try to fix it yourself. Patching and repairing adobe bricks, mortar, rotting or insect-ridden wood, roofs, and surfacing agents should be handled by seasoned professionals, who will know to use matching construction materials.Repair any problem sources before beginning anything else.For repairs, use the same materials and building methods that were used to build the original structure. The problems created by introducing dissimilar replacement materials may cause problems far exceeding those which deteriorated the adobe in the first place, preservationists warn. Adobe is a formed-earth material, a little stronger perhaps than the soil itself, but a material whose nature is to deteriorate. The preservation of historic adobe buildings, then, is a broader and more complex problem than most people realize. The propensity of adobe to deteriorate is a natural, ongoing process....Competent preservation and maintenance of historic adobe buildings in the American Southwest must (1) accept the adobe material and its natural deterioration, (2) understand the building as a system, and (3) understand the forces of nature which seek to return the building to its original state. - National Park Service, Preservation Brief 5 Adobe Is Not Software Since the first Earth Day, people from all walks of life have found a calling advocating for natural building methods that will help save the earth. Earth-based products are naturally sustainable- you are building with the materials that surround you- and energy efficient. The folks at Adobe is not Software are just one of many groups in the Southwest devoted to promoting the benefits of adobe construction through training. They offer hands-on workshops on both making adobe and building with adobe. Adobe is more than software even in the high-tech world of southern California. Most of the largest commercial manufacturers of adobe brick are in the American Southwest. Both Arizona Adobe Company and the San Tan AdobeCompany are located in Arizona, a state rich in the raw materials needed to manufacture the building material. New Mexico Earth Adobes has been producing traditionally made bricks since 1972. Shipping costs can be more than product costs, however, which is why architecture made with adobe is mostly found in this region. It takes thousands of adobe bricks to construct a modest-sized home. Although adobe is an ancient method of construction, most building codes tend to focus on post-industrial processes. A traditional building method like building with adobe has become non-traditional in todays world. Some organizations are trying to change that. The Earthbuilders’ Guild, Adobe in Action, and the international conference called Earth USA help keep the mixtures baking in the heat of the sun and not in ovens run by fossil fuels. Adobe in Architecture: Visual Elements Pueblo Style and Pueblo Revival: Adobe construction is most closely associated with what is called Pueblo architecture. A pueblo is in fact a community of people, a Spanish word from the Latin word populus. The Spanish settlers combined their knowledge with the terraced communities occupied by the people already living in the area, the  indigenous people of the Americas. Monterey Style and Monterey Revival: When Monterey, California was an important seaport in the early 1800s, the population centers of the new country called the United States were in the East. When New Englanders like Thomas Oliver Larkin and John Rogers Cooper moved West, they took with them ideas of home and combined them with local customs of adobe construction. Larkins 1835 home in Monterey, which set the standard for the Monterey Colonial Style, exemplifies this fact of architecture, that design is often a mixture of features from different places. Mission and Mission Revival: When the Spanish colonized the Americas, they brought the Roman Catholic religion. The Catholic-built missions became symbols of a new way in a new world. Mission San Xavier Del Bac near Tucson, Arizona was built in the 18th century, when this territory was still part of the Spanish empire. Its original adobe brick has been repaired with low-fired clay brick. Spanish Colonial and Spanish Colonial Revival: Spanish style homes in the New World are not necessarily constructed with adobe. The only true Spanish colonial homes in the United States are the ones that were built during the long Spanish occupation from the 16th to 19th centuries. Homes from the 20th and 21st centuries are said to revive the style of the Spanish homeland. However, the traditional construction of a house in the medieval town of Calataà ±azor, Spain shows how this method of construction moved from Europe to America- the stone foundation, the overhanging roof, the timber beams for support, the adobe bricks, all ultimately hidden by a surface coating that defines the architectural style. Sources Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings, Preservation Brief 5, National Park Service Publication, August 1978, https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/5-adobe-buildings.htm and PDF at https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/preservedocs/preservation-briefs/05Preserve-Brief-Adobe.pdfSan Xavier del Bac, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/tuma/learn/historyculture/san-xavier-del-bac.htm and https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/San_Xavier_del_Bac_Mission.html [accessed February 8, 2018]A Brief History of Mission San Xavier del Bac, sanxaviermission.org/History.html [accessed February 8, 2018]Photo Credits: Adobe Pueblo in Taos, New Mexico, Rob Atkins/Getty Images; Thomas Oliver Larkin House, Ed Bierman via flickr.com, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0); Calataà ±azor, Spain house, Cristina Arias/Getty Images (cropped); Mission San Xavier Del Bac,Robert Alexander/Getty Images (cropped)