Project Timeline and Minutes of Meeting free essay sample

No ContentRemark Week 2 Planning the project 5 % Preliminary model selection 5 % Week 3Brainstorm and Gathering information20 % Week 4Final model section 10 % Week 5Implementation 35 % Week 6Writing the report 25 % Minutes of meeting 1 Date: Wednesday 12th September 2012 Time 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm Venue: Cafeteria North-wing Campus UCSI University Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Timeline and Minutes of Meeting or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar †¢Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Getting to know each other: Everyone introduced himself ?Providing means of communication (phone number, email and Facebook) 2-Project: ?Rough reading through the project ?Define project objective ?Project time frame ?Estimate project completion â€Å"15th October 2012† 3-Next Meeting: ?Saturday 15th September 12 pm at Ahmed’s apartment. Prepared by Ahmed Minutes of meeting 2: Date: Saturday 15th September 2012 Time12:00 pm – 2:30 pm Venue: Ahmed’s Apartment Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Project: ?Break down the project into smaller tasks ?Assign each member for specific task ?Discussed each task in detail 2-Model: ?Brainstorm a design for the model ?Hand draw the design ?Identify the model component 3-Next Meeting: ?Saturday 22nd September 1 pm – 2 pm at Sameer’s apartment Prepared by Ahmed Minutes of meeting 3: Postponed to 26th September due to tests Minute of meeting 4: Date: 26th September 2012 Time4:20 pm – 5:55 pm Venue: K207 North-wing Camps UCSI university Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar †¢Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Project ?Each member discussed and showed progress on assigned task 2-Model ?Members brought new design for the model ?Estimate the components cost ?Set the model implementation date â€Å" Saturday 29th September† 3-Next meeting ?Saturday 29th September 11:00 am at Samir’s apartment Prepared by Ahmed Minute of meeting 5: Date: 29th September 2012 Time11:00 am – 4:00 pm Venue: Samir’s Apartment Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar †¢Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Model ?Update and adjust the model design â€Å"add remove some features†. ?Sketch the new model ?Re-estimate the cost of the new model 2-Implementation: ?Purchased the desired components. ?Few components were not available in market â€Å"Wooden Mousetrap†. ?Decision made on the spot and agreed by all members to change the wooden mousetrap with a metal one to keep the project flow. ?Started fixing the component together 90% completion of model 3-Next meeting ?Sunday 7th October11:00 pm at Samir’s apartment Prepared by Ahmed Minute of meeting 6: Date: 7th October 8, 2012 Time2:00 am – 5:00 pm Venue: Samir’s Apartment Chaired by: Group leader â€Å" Samir â€Å" Attendance: †¢Samir Mohamoud â€Å"Group leader†. †¢Ahmed Abakar Ahmed Ibrahim †¢Abdul-Salam Bakar †¢Omer Mohammed †¢Khalid Matter discussed: 1-Implementation ?Complete the implementation ?Run the model for its first time. ?Rerun the model to make sure is working properly. ?Test the model for the specified purposes ?The model showed success

buy custom Hone Tuwhare essay

buy custom Hone Tuwhare essay Hone Tuwhare published it in 1964. It was the best-selling poem. He was the first person of Maori ancestry in New Zealand to write a book in English. Since then he was a famous poet and wrote several other poems. The theme of the poem was the anti-nuclear theme. He metaphorically used the sun, which has natural radiation, to represent the bomb. The bomb is a nuclear radiation. The poems title shows that the author is very convinced that ordinary sun does not exist. He attempts to prove this in his poem. He claims that sun can never be ordinary since it is the main source of human survival. The metaphor of the sun and the nuclear bomb shows that the bomb can never be a natural radiation. He then uses a tree as a natural metaphor to represent the presence of human life on the planet. In the first line, tree let your arms fall, the author uses the tree arms to represent the manmade military. The rest of the first stanza shows the tree and the sun are at different hierarchy levels. The use of axe and fire is a signal that the tree should avoid its traditions. This shows that there is a documented problem between the tree and the sun. In the second stanza, the writer continues to show the hierarchical differences between the tree and the sun. The sun reveals of how the tree will be when it accomplishes its plans. It reveals of how the landscape will be when the nuclear explosion gets accomplished. The author says tree let your naked arms fall. This means that the tree cannot be the servant of the sun. The sun has won. The line the fading green of your fading emanations shall not make pure again reveals how awful the world will look after the bomb. These polluted skies shows the nuclear gases effect on the sky, as they will not be clear again. The repeated negations in the second, last, stanza represent the metaphor negating the title of the poem. It even ends the stanza with no ordinary sun. The line, sap shall not rise again, to the moons pull shows gravitational power between the earth and the cosmos coming to a halt. In the poem the relationship between the sun and the tree ceases to exist. As the writer concludes, the tree is no longer the metaphor for human. The writer fails to use metaphors. He shows how the unheeding humans figures turn to the monstrous power, oblivious of the damage it has done. In the last stanza, the use of shadowless mountains, White Plains and drag sea floors shows the effects of the nuclear attacks. The whole poem is also a metaphor to represent the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The people got permanent scars on their bodies. The nuclear bomb had an effect on their genes. In the poem, the effects relate to the fading green trees and blue skies. Bus Journey South by Hone Tuwhare In the poem Bus Journey South, he shows how a confused Maori member is when he finds himself in the south, where there are no Maori people. He uses the metaphor of his ego getting crushed into pocket size Gulliver pebbles. In the story of the giaant man Gulliver, pebbles were so tiny that he could barely see them with his naked eyes. This metaphor shows how the writers confidence and self-esteem had been diminished. In the last part of the poem he says I suck my Gulliver pebble: spit it out again. Too much. The metaphor here reveals to us his amazement about his surroundings. He shows the extent when he says too much. Too much also serves as a colloquial expression. The metaphor that shows the subject is the first three lines of the poem where the mountains stand away at a distance, radar like tracking, cutting my ego, down to a pocket size Gulliver pebble. Author treats the mountains like living creatures. He therefore believes in animism. The bus belches away represents the sound of the bus moving as it changes gears. The writer looks behind and feels the sadness of leaving. This is underlined in metaphor when he says dead leaves lying lightly by the road rise, pirouette and collapse in a twinkling whirlpool of amber light. Normally this is how leaves behave when a car passes by. The whole poem appears as a metaphor. Its role is to show how the community in New Zealand was perceived. It is also evident that Hone used colloquial expressions in his poems. He uses other stylistic figures like allegory and humor to write his poems. The use of the metaphors in his poems shows that they are essential in writing of poems. He was, therefore, announced as a legendary poet. Hone Tuwhare died in 2008. His poems have been turned into songs by some famous musicians. Buy custom Hone Tuwhare essay

Assignment #2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

#2 - Assignment Example In addition, they structure human perception in a religious, political and personal level. Advancements in technology and globalization in the present century have intensified the changes in public viewpoints. In the main, matters pertaining to facts, uprightness, and even holiness are argued out based on conflicting religious, chauvinistic, cultural and ideological narrations. Barry Levinsons â€Å"Wag the Dog† is a petrifying political satire that is both worryingly conceivable and swift, side-splitting and endearingly mouth-watering. There is a media bombardment that accompanies any present-day international predicament. In the movie, it is clearly evidenced how easy it is to concoct public agitation and the dubiousness that accompanies the intentions. Levinsons movie is a satire of how reality can be altered to serve certain interest and produce a public perception. Stories are created and some cooked up with an aim of deceiving the press and influencing human reasoning. For instance, a representation of a smart bomb disintegrating into an Iraqi smokestack imprisons the nations imaginings to a point that their opinion on the government or the Iraq inhabitants changes. After watching the movie, one finds it hard to trust any information from any media outlet. The story evidences that human opinion is undeniably controlled by the office-bearers fo r their own personal interests. Joan Didion’s â€Å"Fixed Ideas† explores the government’s efforts to construct an imperial America based on the 9/11 assaults by extremists. This has largely created a disconnection among Americans who now hold varied opinions. As a result, the society demonizes personalities who do not uphold their standpoint or present dissimilar viewpoints. Didion prods into the logic and hidden agendas of the policymakers on matters concerning warfare. The narrative ideology is evident in the way the State House presents

Networking and data security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Networking and data security - Assignment Example More often than not this kind of network of personal area network could also be interconnected lacking wires to the Internet or other even networks. To a larger extent this is true. Unlike other types of networks that are specifically fixed to an office location network wise, metropolitan area network span to the furthest boundary of a city. A metropolitan area network (MAN) can be referred to as a network that interconnects users in a geographic area or region larger than a large local area network (LAN) can cover but at the same time smaller than wide area network (WAN can cover. The statement is further true as the term MAN` is applied to the networks interconnection in a city into a single larger network. A database user, also referred to as a traditional user is individuals who are associated with passwords and schemas. For instance, an application or a person that logs onto the database, they use a database user (schema) as well as password. Database users are, therefore, able to create heavyweight sessions to the schemas that they are associated. An application user, on the other hand, can be an autonomous application process or a person that accesses information or data in the database. Unlike database users, application users do not own database schemas. However, they are able to create application sessions to databases via the middle tier. They are also able to create heavyweight database sessions via direct connection to the database. A database role is traditionally imagined to be a set of database privileges that applications, database users, or other database roles are granted. Database roles serve as intermediaries that map database privileges to database applications and users. On the other hand, an application user is often regarded as a set of application-define privileges associated with it and it is only granted to application users or to other application roles. An application role

U.S companies that move factories to undeveloped nations barely pay Research Paper

U.S companies that move factories to undeveloped nations barely pay employees enough to live on. Is it unethical to pay cheap wages or are companies doing those workers a favor - Research Paper Example Furthermore, production plants in those countries work on a contractual basis with American corporations (Rock 26). On the other hand, most Americans are not aware that their desire for shopping drives an extremely controversial business. The availability of cheap unskilled labor within these countries prompts most American corporations to establish their production facilities within their boundaries. However, the controversies surrounding these corporations drive the ethical and moral questions posed in relation to their operations within these countries. American clothing and electronic companies have continuously built production lines abroad from time immemorial. Harsh working conditions, poor pay and unfair commanding managers have characterized these production lines located in under-developed countries. These corporations have additionally employed the services of young, unauthorized minors in their factories. Recently, many multinational corporations from the United States have resulted to construction of these factories in undeveloped countries as a strategic move to expand their businesses (Gupta n.d). Most sweatshops operational in the world currently are in the Asian continent. Looking at the issue of Sweatshops from a purely commercial point of view, it is a very profitable industry because they benefit from low-wage labor in third world nations and considerably decrease manufacturing costs. Numerous footwear and textile companies from the United States have been heavily associated with offshore operations in underdeveloped countries. Big brand names such as GAP, Levis and Nike have all been heavily associated with countless contraventions of basic requirements for the recommended reasonable working conditions in their manufacturing plants (Dickson 48). All the three named companies’ client bases and main offices are situated in the United States while the sections involved in the production of their goods are situated in Asia.

Case Study - An Ethical Dilemma Essay Example for Free

Case Study An Ethical Dilemma Essay Jackie, a young star with a prominent voice who gets picked up by a professional recording label after performing at a national talent competition. Overwhelmed with excitement, thinks it is a dream come true to start a career with a lucrative contract. Meets and has an intimate encounter with her soon to be manager, Kevin. Months go by as their relationship begins to flourish but soon she starts to hear rumors that Kevin has helped a new girl in the legal department get her position threw their own personal relations. Jackie has suspicions that Kevin may be having other deeper interactions with this new girl. Jackie’s suspicions turn out to be true and she is devastated. She obviously breaks off the relationship with Kevin but cannot afford to lose him as her manager. Time goes by with awkward silence between the two but eventually Jackie decides to be professional with her career and continues to keep Kevin on as her manager. This lasts awhile until Kevin starts to make inappropriate sexual advances towards her. She tries to laugh it off but as he continues she threatens to make a formal complaint to legal. He does eventually stop but has stopped all efforts to promote her music thus making it very difficult for her to continue on with her success. She eventually does decide to make a complaint with legal, there is where she runs into Leslie, the girl that Kevin had got the position for in legal. She tells her, â€Å"even I believed you, you didn’t report this relationship which goes against our superior-employee ethics code†. So either she had the choice to let the matter go or to make a complaint which would in turn have her also reprimanded. She is forced with  an ultimate decision and eventually decides to do nothing. Summarized Ethical Issue at Heart The unethical issue at heart is the manager, Kevin, making inappropriate gestures towards Jackie after they had broken up. Doing so with Jackie’s vulnerable position of whether or not to report the issue which would do more harm than good. Or to leave the matter alone and just hope that Kevin would leave her alone. Neither option are better suited for Jackie who in this case is the victim, which leads to the question of appropriate ethical responsibility of the company. Details that are missing in the case A 3rd party perspective on the details of both parties. More detail as to what accusations were being made towards Kevin and Jackie. Whether Kevin had proper ethical training. List of all stakeholders who would be involved with this ethical dilemma. Employees Other artists Board of Trustees Investors Legal Department Customers Community Media Three stakeholders and the concerns they may have. Employees Don’t like how they are working for an unethically sound company. Thinking how it could happen to them if they were put in the same situation If the  problem was ever made public how would my job security look? Would this company’s name stain my resume? Investors How will my portfolio look if this artist is to become successful with another producer? Will this story become public? Will my shares plummet from this company’s bad publicity? What would happen to the company outlook if the entire company was to go thru proper corporate ethical training? Could it be a success? Board of Trustees This will look bad if the story was to made public How must will it cost to perform proper corporate training on proper ethical behavior? Do the managerial levels need to be reevaluated? Could the company be looking at a lawsuit? Five solutions. Perform corporate training at all levels reviewing proper ethical conduct Fire the manager Workout an undisclosed settlement See if another manager is available to take her on Leave and try to find successes elsewhere Top three solutions with possible consequences. 1. Perform corporate training at all levels, monitor it and have employees sign off on regulating polices that are being implemented regarding superior-employee relations as well as all other common ethical practices. Doesn’t really solve the problem at hand, may be good for the future but doesn’t help Jackie Company sets public perception that their ethical standards are in question Very timely and costly Risk of employees losing interest/possible turnover of employees 2. Fire and Replace the Manager May get sued by Kevin for wrongful termination Jackie’s verbal threats may continue Incident is likely to be made public Board of Trustees would have to look over all management positions Loss of all positive profits that Kevin may have acquired 3. Workout an undisclosed settlement Costly Sets a standard for future wrong doings May not stay quiet Fellow employees and/or artist may exercise more scrutiny as they mature on with their job Three Stakeholders and Top Three Solutions with two pros and two cons effects on the Stakeholder. Make company employees take corporate training on proper ethical behavior Will benefit the company’s overall performance Give the media something different to talk about with regards to the company Very costly Employees may decline to take it/possible employee turnover Fire and Replace the Manager Jackie would be satisfied The company would have a bad employee released Fellow artists may lose that label Manager could sue for wrongful termination Workout an undisclosed amount Jackie would be happy and the problem would be resolved Stays quiet Costly Solves no future problems Two ethical principles upheld or violated by the top three solutions. Make company employees take corporate training on proper ethical behavior Provides positive integrity to the company As long as the training provided was paid hours it shouldn’t be seen in any way of being unethical Trust and Communication Fire and Replace the Manager Fails to meet ethical standards simply because not enough information is known Unethical towards the employees as some could suddenly be put into a disadvantage Work out an undisclosed amount Completely unethical from the rest of the company’s standpoint as this option would be odd and serve no purpose towards the rest of the company Financially unethical to use funds to serve as a settlement rather than other purposes of the company Performing corporate training at all levels, monitoring it and have employees sign off on regulating polices that are being implemented regarding superior-employee relations as well as all other common ethical practices will provide positive integrity to the company. If the training hours were paid and it didn’t have an effect on daily routine then it doesn’t seem to be unethical to request training hours. Firing the manager Kevin would solve Jackie’s problem but only hers alone. To be fair which is a principle of  ethics would be to implement a code that would benefit the company as a whole. Although what Kevin is accused of doing is warranted of being fired there just isn’t enough information for the company to let him go. Her words against his wouldn’t be enough to fire him. This is why a revamp of full corporate training probably stands to be the best possible solution for this situation. Decision and Implementation Identify the best solution. Implementing corporate training throughout the entire staff of the company maybe specializing in specific areas would be most likely to be the best possible solution. There are a lot more benefits to educating employees on proper ethics. A workplace in which an ethics code has been instilled is a naturally pleasant place. Employee morale rises in an atmosphere that promotes good behavior and honest interactions. Reasons why this is the best solution. It creates a better atmosphere in the workplace, teaches an office how to work as a team, promotes personal responsibility, and has always shown to boost staff morale. A work ethics training program promotes teamwork by instilling trust in co-workers. People are more likely to be amenable to working together when they appreciate and respect one another. Why the other solutions were rejected Firing the manager Kevin as well as making an undisclosed settlement were found to be unethical towards other members of the company. It would not be a good example to set if the company were to single out an incident and act in an irregular way towards that issue. There also wasn’t enough facts to the case to make the decision to fire the manager, Kevin. Especially doing so knowing full well it would affect other stakeholders. Possible objections to the solution The company may find that employee may complain that they do not need to take part in training. A mandatory requirement may need to be implemented for all employees. A turnover rate within the employees may be seen. Investors or Board of Trustees will look at all avenues of the cheapest method of implementing training. How would you overcome these objections? Make it a requirement to attain a certain number of ethics training hours. Find other avenues of funding that can contribute to the program to make sure that employees are receiving the best training. Self-inflicted training from the managerial level is a cheaper method to instruct employees. References Ethical Dilemma. (n.d.). Forbes. Retrieved , from http://www.forbes.com/2004/06/23/cx_da_0623topnews.html Advantages of Training Employees About Work Ethics. (n.d.). Small Business. Retrieved , from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-training-employees-work-ethics-44472.html Ethics Training in the Workplace. (n.d.). Ethics Training. Retrieved , from http://www.rctm.com/ethics.htm Institute For Ethical Awareness. (n.d.). Institute For Ethical Awareness. Retrieved , from http://www.instituteforethicalawareness.org The Online Business Ethics Training Program | Ethics Training Guide. (n.d.). Ethics Training Guide. Retrieved , from http://ethicstrainingguide.org/

Essay on the American Dream Revised in Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon

The American Dream Revised in Song of Solomon      Ã‚   America was founded on the belief that "all men are created equal." However, a question must be posed which asks who constitutes "men" and what is "equal"?   Africans were taken from their country and enslaved in America. They had to fight to retain dignity and grace in circumstances that were deplorable. Even slaves who were well taken care of were not able to realize the dream of being free again.    In her work, Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison relates a story of the dream of Milkman.   Although he is not a slave, Milkman is enslaved by the fact that as a child, he was forced to participate in a shameful act that he wanted no part of. Even his nickname was derived from this horrific act:      When he came into the little room she unbuttoned her blouse and smiled. He was too young to be dazzled by her nipples, but he was old enough to be bored by the flat taste of mother's milk, so he came reluctantly, as to a chore, and lay as he had at least once each day of his life in his mother's arms, and tried to pull the thin, faintly sweet mild from her flesh without hurting her with his teeth. (13)    This act embarrassed Ruth and Macon Jr. because he was never able to shake the nickname and it did not improve either one's relationship with his father. Milkman could not control the whims of his mother though he suspected the act was wrong. Macon did not respect his son's voice as seen when Milkman strikes his father for striking his mother. Milkman does not want to hear Macon's explanations for his behavior and is appalled that Macon insists on describing the indiscriminant nature of Ruth's attachment to her father as the excuse for Milkman's father's treatment... ...m is not an open invitation to Africans like it is to other immigrant groups. They are not voluntary participants in American society; therefore, they must settle for less than others have to. They must fight twice as hard to have half as much as others.    Works Cited: De Arman, Charles. "Milkman as the Archetypal Hero." Obsidian: Black Literature in Review 6.3 (1980): 56-59. Moraru, Christian. "Reading the Onomastic Text: 'The politics of the Proper Name' in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon." Names: A Journal of Onomastics. 44.3 (1996): 189-204. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Peterson, Nancy J. Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approaches. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1997. Storhoff, Gary. "'Anaconda Love': Parental Enmeshment in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon." Style 31.2 (1997): 290-309.   

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 21~22

Chapter Twenty-one Ladies and Gentlemen, Presenting the Disappointments He was the best one-handed free-throw shooter in the Bay Area, and that Christmas night he had sunk sixty-four in a row in his driveway hoop, shooting the new leather Spauldingball his dad had left under the tree for him. Sixty-seven in a row, without ever setting down or spilling his beer. His record was seventy-two, and he would have broken it, had he not been dragged off into the bushes to be slaughtered. Jeff Murray was not the smartest of the Animals, nor the most well-born, but when it came to squandering potential, he was the hands-down winner. Jeff had been a star power forward through his sophomore, junior, and senior years in high school, and he had been offered a full-boat ride to Cal, Berkeley – there had even been talk of his going pro after a couple of years in college, but Jeff had decided to impress his prom date by showing her he had enough vertical leap to clear a moving car. It was a minor misjudgment, and he would have cleared the car had he not drunk most of a case of beer before the attempt, and had the car's height not been eight inches enhanced by the light bar on the roof. The light bar just caught Jeff's left sneaker, and somersaulted him four times in the air before he landed upright in a James Brown split on the tarmac. He was pretty sure that his knee wasn't supposed to bend that way, and a team of doctors would later agree. He'd wear a brace forever and he'd never play competitive basketball again. Although he was a smokin' one-handed H.O.R.S.E. player, and he might have even been a champion if it weren't for that slaughtered-in-the-bushes thing. He liked the new leather ball, and he knew he shouldn't be using it on the asphalt, and especially this late at night, when the sound of his dribbling might disturb his neighbors. He lived in a garage apartment in Cow Hollow, and the fog was blowing in damp streams up his street, making the basketball sound lonely and ominous, so no one complained. It was Christmas – if all some poor bastard had was some hoops, then you'd have to be a special kind of heartless to call the cops on him. A car turned at the end of the street; blue halogens swept through the fog like sabers, then went out. Jeff squinted into the fog, but couldn't make out what kind of car it was, only that it had stopped a couple of doors down and it was a dark color. He turned to take his record-breaking shot, but distracted, he put a little too much backspin on the ball and it jumped out of the hoop. He ran it down at the junipers by the garage, but was only able to tip it, so that it went into the bushes. He set his beer down on the driveway and went in after it, and – well, you know†¦ Francis Evelyn Stroud answered the phone on the second ring, as she always did, as it was proper to do. â€Å"Hello.† â€Å"Hi, Mom, It's Jody. Merry Christmas.† â€Å"And to you, darling. You're calling rather late.† â€Å"I know, Mom. I was going to call earlier, but had a thing.† I was a thing, Jody thought. â€Å"A thing? Of course. Did you get the package I sent?† It would be expensive and completely inappropriate, a cashmere business suit, or something in a houndstooth or a herringbone, something worn only by matronly academics or matronly spies with stout poison-dart shoes. And Mother Stroud would have sent it to the old address. â€Å"Yes, I got it. It's lovely. I can't wait to wear it.† â€Å"I sent a leather-bound set of the complete works of Wallace Stegner,† Mother Stroud said. Fuck! Jody kicked at Tommy for making her call. He skipped out of range, waving a scolding finger at her. Of course. Stegner, the Stanford paragon. Mother was one of the first coeds to graduate from Stanford and she never missed an opportunity to point out that Jody hadn't gone there. Jody's father had also gone to Stanford. She was born to Stanford, and yet she had disgraced them by going to San Francisco State, and not finishing. â€Å"Yeah, those will be great, too. I guess they just haven't caught up with me yet.† â€Å"You've moved again?† Mrs. Stroud had lived in the same house in Carmel for thirty years. Carpet and draperies never survived more than two years, but she'd been in the same house. â€Å"Yeah, we needed a little more space. Tommy's working at home now.† â€Å"We? Then you're still with that writer boy?† Mom said ;writer; like it was a fungus. Jody scribbled on a Post-it at the counter: Note: Break Tommy's arms off. Beat him with them. â€Å"Yes. I'm still with Tommy. He's been nominated for a Fulbright. So, did you have a nice Christmas?† â€Å"It was fine. Your sister brought that man.† â€Å"Her husband, Bob, you mean?† Mother Stroud did not care for men since Jody's father had left her for a younger woman. â€Å"Well, whatever his name is.† â€Å"It's Bob, Mom. He went to school with us. You've known him since he was nine.† â€Å"Well, I had a smoked turkey delivered, and a lovely foie-gras-and-wild-mushroom appetizer.† â€Å"You had Christmas catered?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Of course.† Of course. Of course. It would never occur to her that by having Christmas dinner catered, she was making other people work on Christmas. â€Å"Well, I put my present in the mail, Mom. I'd better go. Tommy's being honored at a dinner tonight because of his massive intellect.† â€Å"On Christmas?† Oh, what the fuck. â€Å"He's Jewish.† She could hear the intake of breath on the other end of the phone. This is the light version, Mom, imagine how scandalized you be if I told you he was dead and that I killed him. â€Å"You didn't tell me that.† â€Å"Sure I did. You must be losing details. Gotta go, Mom. I gotta help Tommy get his penis piercing in before the dinner. Bye.† She hung up. Tommy had been dancing naked in front of her for most of the phone call. When she hung up he stopped. â€Å"Did I mention that I worry about your ethical equilibrium?† â€Å"Said the guy who was just playing buff the scrotum with my red scarf while I was making the merry Christmas call to my mother?† â€Å"Admit it. You're a little turned on.† Dr. Drew – Drew McComber, the Ohm-budsman, the resident pharmacist and medical adviser to the Animals, was afraid of the dark. The fear had crept up on him, like a hash brownie, and coldcocked him with an inescapable paranoia after four years on the night crew at the Marina Safeway. Thing was, he awoke in the evening, to the pervasive grow lights in his garage apartment in the Marina, then drove four blocks under the streetlights to the brightly lit Safeway, then got off work in the morning when the sun was well off the horizon, to return to his grow-lit apartment, to sleep with a satin mask in place. He encountered darkness so infrequently that it seemed like a menacing stranger when he did. On Christmas night, round midnight, Drew sat among a jungle of five-foot-tall pot plants in his living room, wearing sunglasses and watching a movie on cable about the special relationship between the lady of an English manor and her chimney sweep. (Because of his work schedule, and the constant demand to stay wasted, Drew found it difficult to keep a girlfriend. Until the Animals found Blue, his sex life had been a largely solitary affair, and (sigh) apparently had become so once again.) Each time the chimney sweep's sooty hand smacked the powdered bottom of the lady of the manor, Drew grieved a little – that dusky handprint on alabaster flank falling like a shadow on his erotic soul. There was arousal, but no joy. Sad and lonely wood did tent his hemp-fiber cargo pants. Then, as if scripted by Erecto, the Generously Endowed Pizza Delivery God of Improbable Trysts, there was a knock at Drew's door. Rather than answer the door directly, Drew adjusted himself and ambled through the ganja forest to a small video screen in his kitchenette – a video peephole. He'd installed it in the days before his doctor had given him the prescription that made him a quasilegal medical marijuana grower (patient complains that reality harshes his mellow – prescribe 2 grams cannabis every three hours by inhalation, ingestion, or suppository). Sure enough, as if he had called in an order, the video screen revealed a pale but pretty blonde standing on his doorstep in a conservative blue cocktail dress and heels. She might have just come from a party or a dinner out – her hair was pinned up with tiny blue bows. She might have shown up to audition for the role of the lady of the manor. Drew keyed the intercom. â€Å"Hi. Are you sure you have the right house?† â€Å"I think so,† said the girl. â€Å"I'm looking for Drew.† She smiled into the camera. Perfect teeth. â€Å"Jeez,† Drew said, then realizing that he had said it allowed, he cleared his throat and said, â€Å"I'll be right there.† He smoothed his erection down, pushed his hair behind his ears, and in five long strides he was through the forest and at the front door. At the last second he remembered the sunglasses, pushed them up on his head, smiled broadly, and threw open the door, releasing a wide beam of ultraviolet light into the night fog. The pretty blonde dropped her smile, then screamed as she burst into flames and leapt out of the light. Drew ran out into the dark to save her. Chapter Twenty-two Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Pathetic Nosferatu Noobsicle Well, except for the murder, Christmas was like a slow drag over broken glass – I now truly know the ennui of passing eternity in total boredom – eating and hurling to-furky all day, stuck with Ronnie and Mom until like six, when Jared came over. His father has a fresh family with little crumb-snatcher stepsisters, so they like forget about him as soon as the squealing and presents start in the morning. He spent the whole day rewatching The Nightmare Before Christmas disc in his room and smoking cloves. His room is totally sacrosanct since he told his ‘rents that he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't be masturbating to gay porn if anyone came in. (He's so lucky sometimes – I could stand on my head and flick the bean right there at the dinner table and my mom would be all, â€Å"Honey, Christmas is family time, we should be together† and make me finish in front of everyone.) So, we like watched The Nightmare Before Christmas disc with Mom and Ronnie until they fell asleep on the couch – then Jared and I drew some really cool tribal tattoos on Ronnie's shaved head with Magic Marker, but only like in red and black, so they look real. Then he was all, â€Å"We should go get some coffee – my aunt gave me a hundred-dollar Starbucks gift card for Christmas.† And I hate it when people brag about their Christmas presents, because it's completely shallow and materialistic. So, I was all, â€Å"Yeah, well, I'd love to, but I am now one of the chosen, so I have duties.† And he was all, â€Å"No way, you're Jewish?† And I was all, â€Å"No, I am nosferatu.† And he was all, â€Å"You are not.† And I was all, â€Å"Remember that sexylicious guy from Walgreens. It was him. Well, actually it's the Countess who brought me into the sacred circle of sanguinity.† And he was all, â€Å"You didn't even call me?† â€Å"I'm sorry, Jared, but you are of an inferior species now.† So he goes, â€Å"I know, I totally suck.† And I know he's going to go all tragico-emo on me. So I say, â€Å"Buy me a Mochaccino and I'll reveal to you our dark ways and stuff.† We leave a note saying that Jared has impregnated me and we're running off together to join a satanic cult, so my mother won't panic when she wakes up, because she's totalitarian about leaving notes. Then we head to the SOMA. But apparently, the entire fucking country shuts down on Christmas, slammed under the oppressive iron fist of the baby Jesus, so out of nine Starbucks we try, all are closed. And Jared is all, â€Å"Take me to meet them. I want to be in the dark fold, too.† And I was all, â€Å"No way, loser, your hair is totally flat.† Which it was. He only had the one spike in front, and his sculpting gel had like failed hours ago, so in his PVC raincoat, he kinda looked like a black lacquer coatrack like you see in Chinatown, but that wasn't why I couldn't take him to see the Countess and my Dark Lord. I just couldn't. I knew the Countess would freak out if she saw I was exploiting her exquisite gift to show off for a friend, so I was all, â€Å"It's very secret.† But Jared started to pout and brood at the same time, which he can totally pull off because he practices, so I started to feel like a malodorous soupà §on of mashed assholes, as Lautramont so aptly put it. (Shut up, Lily says it sounds more romantic in French.) So I let him come, but I told him he had to say outside across the street. But when we came around the corner of the Dark Lord's block, there was a guy in a yellow tracksuit standing in the middle of the street. Just standing there, with his hood up and his head down, looking like he was going to stand there forever. And he turned really slow in our direction. Jared was all, â€Å"Wanksta rappa,† in my ear, and he giggled that high-pitched little-girl giggle he does sometimes that's like violence catnip to other guys. (Which is why Jared has to carry a foot-long double-edged dagger in his boot, which he calls his Wolf-fang. Fortunately it doesn't give him any false confidence and he is still a total puss, but he likes the attention he gets when doormen take it away from him at clubs.) Anyway, I think my vampyre senses were, like, on edge, because I could just tell that this wasn't your normal hip-hop guy standing in the middle of a deserted street in a three-hundred-dollar tracksuit at midnight on Christmas night, so I grabbed Jared's arm and pulled him back around the corner. And I'm all, â€Å"Dude. Shields up. Creep. Stealth. Lowest profile.† So we peek around the corner, totally cloaked this time, and the tracksuit guy is like over by the door of the loft, and someone is coming out. It's the crusty old drunk guy with the huge shaved cat, and he has his unit out, like he's going to take a leak, which I could have gone another sixteen years without seeing. And Tracksuit grabs him like he's a rag doll and pulls his head back by the hair, and bites him on the neck. And when he does, I can see that it's not a hip-hop guy at all, but some crusty white vampyre, his fangs were like visible from space. So the huge cat guy is thrashing and screaming and spraying whiz all over the place and I can hear the huge cat hissing behind the door, and Jared grabs me by my messenger bag and starts pulling me away, down the street. So that's all I saw. And Jared was all, â€Å"Whoa.† And I was all, â€Å"Yeah.† And as soon as we got a few blocks away, I pulled out my cell and called the Countess's cell, but it went right to voice mail. So now we're at a special midnight showing of The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Metreon, drinking a huge Diet Coke to calm our nerves while we wait for a return call from my vampyre coven. (Jared forgot his inhaler and has been gasping since we saw the attack. It's so embarrassing. People are like looking, and I've moved a couple of seats over so they won't think I'm giving him a hand job or something.) I am totally overcome with dread and foreboding, and the time passes like a seeping infection on a bad eyebrow piercing. So we wait. I wish we had some pot. More later. Oh yeah, and Mom got me a green Care Bear for Christmas! I totally love it. â€Å"You're sure this is where you left it?† Jody was looking up and down the Embarcadero. There were no people out on the street – the performers and hustlers were long gone. She could hear the Bay Bridge humming in the distance, a foghorn started to low over in Alameda. A BART train burped out of a tunnel onto the street a block away, headed toward the ballpark, empty. A police cruiser turning out of Market Street strafed them with its headlights before heading past the Ferry Building toward Fisherman's Wharf. Tommy waved to the cops. â€Å"Yeah. I was right here and my watch went off. He weighed a ton. It would have taken a bunch of guys to move him.† Jody saw something shining on the bricks near her feet and crouched down to touch the source. Metal filings of some sort. She licked her finger and came up with a coating of yellowish metallic particles on her fingertip. â€Å"Unless someone cut it up.† â€Å"Who would do that? Who would cut a statue up and steal the pieces?† â€Å"Doesn't matter. Maybe thieves, maybe city workers. If someone cut that bronze shell, one of two things happened. If it was daytime, Elijah fried out here in the sun. If it was dark, he's free.† â€Å"It wasn't light, was it?† Jody shook her head. â€Å"I'm guessing no.† She saw a light pattern among the bricks a few steps away and crouched down again. There was a fine, grayish powder between the bricks. She pinched some between her fingers and shook her head. â€Å"For sure no.† â€Å"What? What is that?† She brushed her finger off on her jeans and dug into her jacket pocket. â€Å"Tommy, remember I told you that you didn't drink the whore dry because she wouldn't have been there if you had?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Well, that's because when a vampire drains someone – when we drain someone, they turn to a fine gray powder. I can't explain why, but it looks like that. Feels like that.† She pointed to the mortar lines between the bricks. Tommy knelt down and touched the powder, looked up. â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"You know how I know that?† â€Å"You've killed people.† She shrugged. â€Å"Just a couple. And they were sick. Terminal. They were asking for it, sort of.† â€Å"So that's why you weren't upset about the hooker?† She pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket, then held it behind her back and twisted back and forth looking at her feet, like a little girl being interrogated about how Mommy's lamp got broken. â€Å"Are you mad?† â€Å"I'm a little disappointed.† â€Å"Really? I'm really sorry. You would have done the same thing if you'd been there.† â€Å"I'm just disappointed that you didn't feel that you could trust me.† â€Å"You were having a hard time with your change. I didn't want to bother you.† â€Å"But it wasn't sexual or anything, right?† â€Å"Absolutely not. Purely nutritional.† She didn't think it necessary to tell him about kissing the old man. It would just confuse things. â€Å"Well, I guess it's okay, then. I guess if you had to.† He stood and she ran to him and kissed him. â€Å"I can't tell you how glad I am to have that off my chest.† â€Å"Yeah, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hang on.† She held up a finger and hit the power button on her phone. â€Å"Calling your mom to tell her she was right about your being a tramp?† â€Å"I'm calling the kid.† â€Å"Abby?† â€Å"Yeah. I need to tell her to stay away from our place. Elijah is going to start messing with us like before.† Jody watched as the little icons on her phone showed that it was searching for a signal. â€Å"But she said she wasn't coming by tonight. It's Christmas.† â€Å"I know she said that, but I think she may come by anyway.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Well, she has a thing for me, I think. I bit her last night.† â€Å"You bit Abby?† â€Å"Yeah. I told you, I was hurt. I needed – â€Å" â€Å"God, you're such a blood slut.† â€Å"I knew you'd be mad.† â€Å"Well, it's Abby, for fuck's sake. I'm her dark lord.† â€Å"Look, a voice mail.† Elijah Ben Sapir cast the twitching, pee-spraying alcoholic across the street, where he bounced off the metal garage door of the foundry and back out to the curb, where his head knocked the side mirror off an illegally parked Mazda. Then the vampire walked with exaggerated steps, his arms held out from his sides like a bad stage monster to try to keep the urine-sotted velour fabric of his tracksuit from contacting his skin. Although he had experienced all manner of filth and gore in his eight hundred years, and had, in fact, spent whole days hiding naked under loamy soil to escape the sun, he didn't remember being quite so put off as he was at being pissed on by his lunch. Perhaps it was that he only had one set of clothes now, and there was no luxurious yacht with a full wardrobe to retire to, or perhaps it was that he had spent the day between two urine-stained mattresses under an unconscious junkie while police searched the hotel around him. He'd just hit his limit, that's all. He'd known the desk clerk would give him up to the police, so as soon as he had gone to his room, the vampire had hidden his tracksuit in the corner of the closet, gone to mist, then slipped under the door into the next room and in between the mattress and box springs of a semiconscious junkie. He'd gone back to solid just as sunrise put him out for the day. At sundown, he was surprised at how elated he was to find the tracksuit still in the closet, after he fed off the junkie (just a sip) and snapped his neck. (Leaving more or less a greeting card to the homicide inspectors who had attacked him with the others at the yacht club.) Now his precious tracksuit was all covered in whiz and he was furious. He stalked over to where he'd thrown the bum and snatched him up by the ankle. Elijah was not tall by modern standards, but he found that if he held the bum's ankle high above his head, he could shake him sufficiently to get the job done. â€Å"You're not even her minion, are you?† Elijah banged the bum's head against the sidewalk to punctuate his question. â€Å"Please,† said the bum. â€Å"My huge cat – â€Å" Thud, thud, thud on the sidewalk. A little shake. Change, a few bills, a lighter, and a bottle of Johnny Walker rained out of the bum's pockets. â€Å"You're just her little moo cow, aren't you? I tasted her on you.† â€Å"There's a kid,† said the moo cow. â€Å"A spooky little girl. She takes care of them.† â€Å"Them?† Elijah flung the bum against the garage and proceeded to pick up the change and the bills on the sidewalk. The steel door next to the garage door opened and a burly bald man in overalls stepped out on the sidewalk, smacking a lead-tipped tire thumper on his palm. â€Å"You motherfuckers making enough noise out here?† Elijah bared his fangs and hissed at the biker, then leapt to the wall over the garage door and clung there, facedown, above the biker's head. The biker looked up at the vampire, down at the prostrate bum, then at the damaged Mazda. â€Å"Well, okay then,† he said. â€Å"I can see you fellas still have some shit to work out.† He slipped back into the foundry and slammed the door. Elijah dropped to his feet and headed up the street, not even bothering to stop to snap the moo cow's neck. How could he have been so stupid? He wasn't going to terrorize her by killing a food source. He needed to threaten her minion, just as he had with the boy. How could he have known that she'd actually betray him and choose the boy? Turn the boy? It wouldn't happen again. Amid all the anger, the hunger, and the excitement at having a purpose, Elijah Ben Sapir felt a twinge of heartache. He had begun this adventure thinking himself the puppet master; now he was all entangled in the strings. Making mistakes. No worry. He cocked his head and focused. Past the rasping breath of the moo cow, the buildings settling, the Bay Bridge humming, and a thousand hearts beating in the lofts around him, he could hear the retreating steps of the little girl and her friend.

Environmental degradation

IntroductionSince the 1970 ‘s, environmental debasement has brought grave concerns to the bow with respect to the Amazon Rainforest ( Amazonia ) . The international community – peculiarly the United States – has stanchly advocated for planetary direction of Amazonia as a agency of efficaciously continuing this critical resource. The cardinal belief impeling this place is the sentiment that Amazonian states are steadily eliminating portion of the universe ‘s last leftover tropical wood through deforestation and hapless forestry direction policies. In visible radiation of the turning importance attached to environmental issues on the international phase, the Brazilian Federal Government ‘s chase of development has been deemed uncompromisingly aggressive. The international community contends that this is adversely impacting world. Brazil, nevertheless, is non pleased with this stance. Through its security and foreign policy, the Federal Republic of Brazil under the helm of President Luiz Inacio Lula district attorney Silva has endeavoured to asseverate sovereignty over the Amazon Rainforest located within its boundary lines in response to the possible ‘internationalisation of Amazonia. ‘ This essay will analyze the nature of internationalization, see other cases where the construct has been deliberated upon or applied and analyse the argument environing the internationalization of Amazonia. In bend, this essay will detail how the menace of internationalization has affected policy-making of President Lula, with specific focal point on security, development and environmental policies.Internationalization Of AmazoniaImportance Of AmazoniaAmazonia is the term used to depict the belt of the Amazon Rainforest located in South America. At present, it is situated within the districts of 9 states and Brazil has about 60 % of the Amazon within its boundary lines. This country is known as the Legal Amazon. Over the old ages, the part has assumed tremendous international and regional importance. In footings of biodiversity, Amazonia constitutes the largest aggregation of vegetations and zoologies in the universe. Cultivation of the land is non merely cardinal to the supports of the locals, but the Amazon Rainforest is a huge modesty of natural resources that includes familial stuff, stuffs that are cardinal ingredients for pharmaceuticals and lumber. It besides plays a critical function in modulating planetary clime forms, gaining the rubric of the â€Å"lungs of the earth† due to its map of cut downing planetary heating. Deforestation in Amazonia has been a pressing concern in recent times, as wood glade has meant there is less flora to absorb C emanations. Therefore, the protection of the Amazon Rainforest has been determined as an pressing concern on an international degree.Two Sides Of The ArgumentThe current contention over Amazonia bends on two points: the struggle between development and to what degree the ‘internationalisation of Amazonia ‘ would interfere with Brazil ‘s right to sovereignty. Both the international community and Brazil have strong statements doing the issue a complicated one to decide.The Case For International ManagementIntense development of the Legal Amazon has resulted in damaging environmental effects such as the decreasing quality of fresh H2O and air and rapid glade of flor a. Subsequently, this has had societal reverberations such as nutrient insecurity. The international community – comprised of States and NGOs – argues that to disregard such important alterations would be negligent and hence the universe has an involvement in continuing the Amazon Rainforest. As of late, States have exerted force per unit area on the World Bank to decline payment to Brazil if it fails to assent to international preservation norms. Furthermore, the international community contends that as the Amazon Rainforest is shared by 9 States, it becomes more than a mere domestic presence. Coordination of preservation and sustainable development attempts would be cumbrous if Amazonia were viewed as fragments dealt with strictly by internal policy. Rather, it should be viewed as a whole for the intents of direction and hence an international organic structure may be better suited to this function. Ecological jobs, it has been alleged, surpass traditional constructs of State sovereignty.AntarcticaACEHThe Case Against The ‘Internationalisation Of Amazonia ‘The Brazilian authorities has regarded the chance of international direction of The Legal Amazon as illicit intervention into Brazil ‘s national procedure. The chorus of â€Å"Amazonia is ours† is a common in Brazilian circles. Brazil has besides deemed the surcease of fiscal assistance from the World Bank as conscienceless, as it coerces the development of Brazil to be shaped by external histrions. Brazil claims that industrialized states are furthering a dual criterion, by obliging developing states to continue their staying natural resources even though environmental concerns were non a factor of their ain growing. An interesting statement raised by Brazil is the fact that other ecosystems under Brazilian control – such as the Atlantic Rainforest – are mostly being ignored by the international community, despite the fact that they have been about wholly destroyed. Oppositions of internationalization have proposed that this may be because such countries do non hold the same degree of natural wealth. This alludes to the impression that Brazil is besides profoundly leery that the preservation dimension is merely a camouflage for other states to work the Amazon Rainforest ‘s enormous resources and utilize it for their ain involvements. There has been controversy over the function of NGOs in the part as it has been continually suggested that NGOs were simply cloaked instruments of states of Northern Hemisphere trying to besiege the sovereignty of Brazil â€Å"without damaging international rights.†DarfurPolicy-Making In The Lula AdministrationEqually far as the portion of the Amazon Rainforest that is located within Brazil ‘s boundary lines is concerned, Brazil asserts that the international community is non justified in their stance that an international organic structure will better pull off the Amazon Rainforest. Brazil has perceived this planetary preservation attempt as an indirect effort to besiege its sovereignty over Amazonia. Consequently, the alleged menace of the ‘internationalisation of Amazonia ‘ coupled with international force per unit area has shaped Brazilian security and foreign policy.Security PolicyLula received a considerable sum of resistance from the military sector and conservative cabals of Brazilian society whilst runing for election. In malice of this, Lula has acknowledged that military presence in the Legal Amazon is a seminal facet of Brazil ‘s defense mechanism and security. He has displaced the outlook that he would scale down military plans and alternatively, has harnessed the armed forces ‘s support of development to foster his overall scheme of economic, societal and regional growing. International appraisal of the Amazon Rainforest has influenced the coevals of Brazilian security policy. Lula, like old presidents, has endorsed the ‘militarisation of the Amazonian frontier. ‘ The armed forces ‘s aim in the Legal Amazon is to protect the part from illegal logging, deforestation and drug trafficking. However, another accessory motivation for the armed forces is to reaffirm Brazil ‘s territorial unity over Amazonia.Military ‘s Historical Role In AmazoniaHistorically, the armed forces ‘s function in Amazonia has been important and consecutive Brazilian authoritiess have utilised the military to react to external intervention. In 1964, the so military government felt it was imperative to protect the Legal Amazon from external conquering by states who were presumed to ‘covet the part and its putative wealths ‘ The principle behind this was that though Brazil had acquired sovereignty over a great trade of the Amazon basin t hrough diplomatic negotiations, the country could ne'er be ‘Brazilian ‘ unless wholly secured. The Sarney disposal devised the Calha Norte ( Northern Trough Project ) which entailed increased military presence in the Legal Amazon, spawned out of fright of a possible invasion. Likewise, the Cardoso government constructed the National Defense Policy in 1996 which stipulated that the Legal Amazon was of strategic precedency to Brazil. It is besides interesting to observe that during the Forest Fire Crisis in Roraima – a province of the Legal Amazon – Brazilian governments rebuffed foreign aid. This reaction is declarative that aid may hold been regarded â€Å"as external forces trying to claim international control over Amazonia.† In his term, Lula has reinstated Calha Norte and besides embraced Cardoso ‘s National Defense Policy by edict in 2005. To supplement this, in 2008 he adopted the Strategic Defense Plan which ensured that the sum of military forces in the Legal Amazon would lift from 17,000 to 30,000 over the following decennary. This undertaking is a agency of modernizing the military to reflect Brazil ‘s emerging function in the international domain. Lula ‘s current Amazonian scheme is twofold: protecting the vulnerable Legal Amazon by garrisoning the frontier with military colonies and using the Amazon Vigilence System better known as SIVAM. Lula is a ferocious advocate of SIVAM which became operational during his first term. The $ 1.4 billion radio detection and ranging and surveillance system commandeered by the Brazilian air force, complemented with SIPAM ( the Amazon Protection System ) allows for strategic responses to menaces and leery activity without physical military presence. Even through the lens of democracy, Lula has demonstrated that the armed forces still has a cardinal function to play in asseverating Brazil ‘s sovereignty over Amazonia. This stance is implicative of Brazil ‘s position that the Legal Amazon should non be managed by an international organic structure.Human SecurityOf class, impressions of security do non simply encompass traditional military constructs. The construct of human security besides suggests that the range of security should be widened to include developmental and environmental security, with peculiar focal point on the public assistance of the person as opposed to the province. Therefore, viewed from this vantage point, Brazil ‘s development and environmental policies have besides been shaped by the internationalization argument.Development PolicyEconomic StabilityBrazil ‘s current foreign policy is directed to a great extent towards guaranting that Brazil does non roll from its way as an emerging w orld power on the regional and planetary phase. Brazil ‘s stableness during the recent planetary fiscal recession proves that it is flexing its regional musculus and steadily turning in international importance. Development of the Amazon has been a cardinal characteristic of old Brazilian disposals, stemming from the intense period of enlargement with Operation Amazonia in 1966, wherein roads were built, foreign investing was encouraged and colony of the Legal Amazon with agricultural settlements was promoted. The thought behind this was that if the country was cultivated and occupied, the chance of international intercession would ebb. Development was besides of import in footings of set uping regional connexions: states sharing the Amazon basin became more incorporate through commercialism and grapevines. Lula ‘s association with the Worker ‘s Party has influenced his primary end of societal and economic development. Under Lula ‘s regulation, the Brazilian authorities has been successful in the variegation of the state ‘s already powerful industrial sector. Consequently, his accent on the development of the Legal Amazon arises from a desire to enable Brazil ‘s acclivity in the international domain, as the Amazon Rainforest has an copiousness of natural resources. Therefore, procuring Brazil ‘s claim over the Legal Amazon has greatly coloured development policies.Sustainable DevelopmentThe state ‘s continued economic development requires more growing and in bend, more demand for energy which has raised environmental concerns. Government rhetoric affirms that this is ineluctable in order to gain Brazil ‘s economic system to its full potency. At present, much of the Legal Amazon is still in despairing demand of farther substructure and soci etal development and the Brazilian authorities has stated that if Amazonia is non developed it can non prolong a billowy population and spread out its art in the international market. Further, impressions of preservation do non register on the spectrum of believing for dwellers of the Legal Amazon, as many live in poorness. The internationalization argument, nevertheless, has coerced Brazil to switch from theories of pure neo-liberalism and add thoughts of sustainable development to the ‘Brazilian vocabulary. ‘ During his run for presidential term, Lula promised to highlight environmental and societal issues whilst guaranting the conservative cabal of Brazilian society that he planned to continue with the old authorities ‘s neo-liberal economic policies. He readily supported sustainable development in Amazonia as it encouraged the possibility of length of service in footings of production, lasting economic growing and besides demonstrated that Brazil had administrative capacity over the Legal Amazon. Lula set in gesture the Sustainable Amazon Plan, avering that 70-80 % of the wood could potentially be preserved in concurrence with economic development. The Brazilian Fire Control Program for Amazonia has countenances on combustion during the extremum dry season and IBAMA – the Brazilian Environmental Protection Agency – has the capacity to impose mulcts and enforce tutelary sentences for illegal deforestation and logging and combustion. Deforestation licenses have besides been revoked from landowners who exceed the 20 % deforestation bound on their belongings. However, the effectivity of sustainable development ventures in Brazil has been called into inquiry as there is turning bitterness that the Avanca Brasil ( Brasil Advances ) program shows Lula ‘s prejudice for socialized development, allowing the building of roads and development undertakings which are at odds with preservation undertakings. And though Brazil is a cardinal figure in ACTO ( the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization ) which calls for sustainable development within the Amazonian states but respects the sovereignty of these states, critics argue that the pact has been mostly uneffective in their strategic program. Despite Lula ‘s steadfast place on developing the Legal Amazon, it is clear that the internationalization argument has influenced Brazil to chair its development policies from purely traditional economy-building to promoting the execution of sustainable development, which now occupies a cardinal strategic place in Brazilian foreign policy.Environmental PolicyLula ‘s predecessors have been willing to see the environmental concerns raised by the international community. President Cardoso, for case, hosted the United Nations Conference on the Environment in 1992. The Lula disposal has besides continued to factor the environment as a pillar of policy-making and prides itself on being the â€Å"greenest† Brazilian authorities, with many new policies aimed at sustainability. The internationalization argument has impelled Brazil to measure its internal preservation policies and the function the state has to play on the planetary phase. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Itamaraty, affirms that the environment is a cardinal strategic line of Brazilian foreign policy. The Lula disposal is far more cognizant of Brazil ‘s duties in footings of honoring international environmental criterions with respect to preservation, deforestation and clime alteration. However, these environmental policies have systematically been framed from the point of view of supporting domestic sovereignty over the Legal Amazon.ConservationWhile it is of import for Brazil to develop Amazonia, it still has considerable involvement in conserving the part. This is non merely to guarantee economic and environmental length of service but many loans from international establishments, such as the World Bank, and developed states favour enterprises and undertakings that promote preservation and/or sustainability. Lula ‘s election into office heralded the potency for Brazil to switch from neo-liberalism and impel itself more persistently towards preservation attempts. During his presidential term, Lula has reformed the Forestry Code of 1934 and continued to run the Nossa Natureza ( Our Nature ) plan instituted by President Sarney: a $ 100 million undertaking designed to set about forest protection through an instruction procedure. The Public Forest Management Law besides provides that corporations are entitled to 3 % of the Amazon Rainforest if they engage in sustainable development. The intense examination of the Amazon Rainforest has encouraged the Brazilian authorities to beat up support for preservation undertakings: the Lula disposal has argued that the cost of continuing Amazonia is a load that should be borne by all stakeholders. However, Lula has been speedy to clear up that this protection should non be achieved by the international community administrating the part. Furthermore, at the launch of the Amazon Protection Fund in August 2008 – an aid-based plan premised on accumulating $ 21 billion worth of contributions over a period of 13 old ages – Roberto Mangabeira Unger, Brazil ‘s Minister for Strategic Affairs stated that: â€Å"The fund is a vehicle by which foreign authoritiess can assist back up our enterprises without exercising any influence over our national policy. We are non traveling to merchandise sovereignty for money. † Despite being antiphonal to preservation unfavorable judgments, Lula has been accused of moving in a reactionist, instead than proactive, mode. This stance of following environmental policies tailored in response to mounting international force per unit area over deforestation rates and crises has been deemed a defect of the current disposal. For case, in 2003 Lula ordered the formation of a figure of preservation countries in the Legal Amazon subsequent to the slayings of outstanding conservationists and environmentalists in the part. Although Lula regularly appoints renowned environmental militants to the environmental stations, two have resigned in dramatic manner. Mary Allegretti, the Secretary of Coordination of the Amazonas in Ministry of Environment, resigned after happening that: â€Å"On the deliverance of the Amazon, the authorities is clearly still of two minds.† And Marina Silva, former Environmental Minister, left her place in 2008 after Lula made remarks kicking about the backbreaking procedure involved in obtaining environmental licenses for development undertakings: â€Å"Brazil ‘s economic development is being held up for the interest of a few fish.† These fortunes seem to bespeak that while preservation is on the docket for Brazil, at present the end of development is favoured over it.DeforestationThe chase of developing Brazil ‘s economic system has entailed mass deforestation at an dismaying rate. However, Brazil has taken great paces in trying to turn to the environmental effects of deforestation. In 2008, Lula announced a program to cut down the rate of deforestation by 50 % by 2017, although this has been branded as vague, as the mechanisms for enforcement are ill-defined. In March 2010, Brazil and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which both states would work jointly to cut down deforestation in a command to control clime alteration. This move is important, as it demonstrates chumminesss between two states that have historically been at dunces over how to diminish deforestation. Slash-and-burn systems involve uncluttering big countries of wood for agricultural intents and has lay waste toing effects on the dirt of rain forests which basically changes the nature of the rainforest ecosystem. Brazil ‘s National Policy on Forests has been reformed to deter and punish slash-and-burn techniques. The antecedently mentioned SIVAM besides operates on an environmental degree, as its scrutiny of Amazonian topography is informative in measuring which countries are appropriate to be designated for eco-zoning and besides detects illegal logging and deforestation. Many critics, nevertheless, suggest that SIVAM ‘s primary military docket will dominate any other intent unless farther support is given to scientific research. Lula has besides established the National System for Nature Conservation Units, which protects about 37 % of the Legal Amazon and has created the Protected Areas Fund. Lula has managed to demo significant consequences in controling deforestation: from July 2008-August 2009 the Brazilian authorities was able to expose a 45 % bead in the deforestation rate from the old twelvemonth. However, despite this diminution, deforestation in Brazil is now reportedly on the addition. Brazil has Torahs against deforestation but they are hard to implement, peculiarly in rural countries with small to no ministerial presence. Furthermore, much of Amazonia is still freely available under Brazilian jurisprudence, which does non present much inducement for land-users to cultivate the part sustainably. IBAMA – Brazil ‘s Environment Protection Agency – is allegedly full with corruptness, awfully underfunded and does non hold adequate resources at its disposal. Merely 6.5 % of the mulcts imposed for illegal deforestation are really collected and about 80 % of the logging in Amazonia is illegal. It is clear that the internationalization argument has contributed to the execution of forestry ordinance within Brazil. However, it is arguable whether or non the theoretical precautions in topographic point are realised to their full consequence in pattern.Climate ChangeBrazil has been instrumental in clime alteration dialogues in planetary forums, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It is a cardinal participant in dialogues as it is responsible for 3 % of planetary emanations due to deforestation. One relevant menace from clime alteration is desertification, which may transform Amazonia from a exuberant part rich with natural resources, to a drought-stricken barren. Brazil is progressively interested in avoiding displacements in the environment that will render the Amazon Basin unsustainable. Brazil has a National Plan on Climate Change which premises sustainable development and a staggered decrease of nursery gas emanations. Furthermore, Brazil ‘s involvement in clime alteration dialogues is to seek an understanding that will non impede its development. So far, Brazil has benefited from the dialogue procedure as it has remained mostly focused on energy emanations, and the bulk of Brazil ‘s emanations are emitted from the forestry sector. The Lula disposal has seen clime alteration dialogues as chance to make partnerships that will affect the transportation of engineerings between developed and developing states. The Brazilian authorities is besides timeserving, in that it uses climate alteration dialogues as a platform to show its way towards economic growing and societal development, leading amongst developing states and its emerging function in the South America part and in the international domain. Indirectly, Lula has used international forums on clime alteration to showcase to the universe that Brazil is steadfastly in control of issues that affect Amazonia.DecisionThe state of affairs in the Legal Amazon has been described as President Lula ‘s concluding great confrontation whilst in office and an scrutiny of his security, development and environmental policies demonstrates that the part has been a important component of his expansive scheme. Although the Brazilian Federal Government has tailored much of its recent security and foreign policy to integrate more preservation and sustainable development schemes, the effectivity of these has frequently been called into inquiry. In order to guarantee long-run advancement and fulfill the international community ‘s environmental scruples, Brazil must endeavor to equilibrate the development of its economic system and affairs of preservation. Faced with the chance of the ‘internationalisation of Amazonia ‘ a sequence of Brazilian governments has exhibited an purpose of protecting against the invasion of Brazilian sovereignty over the Legal Amazon. Even with a displacement in leading later this twelvemonth with the approaching elections, it is extremely likely that this stance will predominate and that Amazonia will busy a cardinal function in geopolitics for Brazil as it is non merely significantly rich in natural resources which is important to development, but besides subsists as a strong symbol of patriotism. Alexander Lopez, ‘Environmental Change, Security and Social Conflicts in the Brazilian Amazon ‘ ( 1999 ) 5 Environmental Change & A ; Security Project Report 26, 27. Naval College article hypertext transfer protocol: //news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7538480.stm hypertext transfer protocol: //www.maryallegretti.blogspot.com/2006/04/como-era-verde-o-meu-vale.html Naval college article Environmental Degradation What Is Environmental Degradation? Environmental degradation is a result of socio-economical, technological and institutional activities. Degradation occurs when Earth's natural resources are depleted. These resources which are affected include: †¢Water †¢Air †¢Soil The degradation also impacts our: †¢Wildlife †¢Plants †¢Animals †¢Micro-organisms How Environmental Degradation Occurs Environmental changes are based on many factors including: †¢Urbanization †¢Population growth †¢Economic growth †¢Intensification of agriculture †¢Increase in energy use †¢Increase in transportationOur land, water and soil are compromised when people exhaust resources or release harmful chemicals into the air. Deforestation, wasting resources, and pollution all add to the demise of an environmentally-sound and safe planet. For example, when trees in forests are cut down in large quantities, so that more homes can be built on the land, the bi rds and wildlife who lived in the forest must find a new place to live. The vegetation that once grew on the land is destroyed. Trees that absorbed carbon dioxide to help the biosphere are now unable to do so.If the wood from the trees is used to make products and those products (such as paper) are later recycled, that is one hopeful aspect for the planet. However, some times trees are just cut down and burned. This is what is known as slash and burn, a practice that only destroys forests and all that live in them. Unfortunate Impacts of Environmental Degradation When factories produce harmful chemicals and toxic waste into bodies of water, humans suffer. Pesticides and fertilizers can also get into a region's water system and pollute it. Drinking water is contaminated.Some residing in third-world countries are highly effected by the degradation of our planet and these unhealthy practices cause the following: †¢Illnesses †¢Death in children †¢Death in adults Poverty I n many countries in Africa, crop harvests are falling as consumption increases. People are finding less nutritious food to eat. One argument held is that while fields in wealthier nations are used to grow crops for biofuel, poorer countries, especially those around the Equator, are vulnerable to weather changes, water shortages, and urbanization. All of these factors are increasing the health and lives of thousands.Some scientists and environmentalists are asking that non-food items and agriculture waste be used as alternative fuel for vehicles instead. Losing Earth's Beauty As humans dump waste products, use chemicals, and over fish in the oceans and seas, areas of beauty such as coral reefs are damaged. At times the destruction is so great that is cannot be reversed. We are killing our planet and the consequences are tremendous. One example of this lies within the coast lands of Thailand. Here marine and coastal resources at risk. Vast areas of mangrove wetlands have been lost.Cor al reefs continue to suffer degradation, and the total fish available for catching is declining. Not only is the degradation causing marine and coastal resources to be lost, but this issue holds large economic problems. When there are not enough fish to catch, fishermen are without income to support themselves and their families. In some coastal towns, the shores are eroding at a rate of one to five meters per year. This results in an annual loss of more than six billion baht ($150 million) in economic terms. How to Stop Degradation There are ways which you can help to decrease degradation in our environment.Some of these include: †¢Purchase recycled products †¢Conserve water †¢Do not litter or toss waste into inappropriate places †¢Conserve energy †¢Join an awareness group †¢Talk with others about the impacts of environmental degradation †¢Be an advocate to save our planet! Conclusion: The impact of environmental disasters can be devastating on th e social, economic, and environmental systems of a country or region as well as the global ecosystem. Environmental disasters do not recognise man-made borders, and threaten the legacy left to future generations of a clean and supportive environment.Because of the interdependency of earth ecosystems international co-operation is paramount to prevent, and when disaster strikes, respond to relieve quickly and effectively the effects of environmental disasters. Thus, Governments, International organizations and communities must work together – at all levels – to lessen the risks associated with environmental degradation and its contributing factors, such as climate change, and ensure that vulnerable people are prepared to survive and adapt. At the same time, companies, organizations and individuals must also ensure that their work is environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Free Essays on Brutus

Good or Bad? When people think of a hero, if they do not imagine Superman or Batman, they probably think of someone who does something heroic, like saving someone’s life. What is a tragic hero then? A tragic hero can be defined in many ways. It seems to be an oxymoron because the term tragic symbolizes bad and the term hero symbolizes good. Then is a tragic hero good or bad? The answer to this simple question is complicated. A tragic hero possesses both good and bad qualities. Most of the time a tragic hero does something bad to make something good happen. An example of this is shown in the well known Shakespearean play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, wherein Marcus Brutus is identified as a tragic hero. The rest of this paper explains why. Throughout the play, Brutus commits many crimes and wrong assumptions. The most obvious of these is when he takes part in the assassination of Caesar. While in his orchard, Brutus says to Lucius, â€Å"It must be by his death; and for my part,/ I know no personal cause to spurn at him,/ But for the general. He would be crowned./ How that might change his nature, there’s the question.† Even though Brutus cannot justify the murder of a friend who has yet to misuse the powers of his office, he believes that the citizens of Rome will approve of the assassination. Knowing this, we can say that Brutus does not make wise decisions and is not a man rich in morals. On the other hand, we cannot completely say that Brutus is a villain because he is not a very bright man. Brutus is naive, close-minded, and underestimating. He does not realize the things that Cassius, Casca, and Antony are capable of achieving, and he does not notice things that a perceptive man would. But most importantly, he underestimates the cleverness of Antony and allows him to convince the Roman citizens that the conspirators were wrong to murder Caesar. Therefore, I believe that Brutus, as a tragic hero, is nei... Free Essays on Brutus Free Essays on Brutus Good or Bad? When people think of a hero, if they do not imagine Superman or Batman, they probably think of someone who does something heroic, like saving someone’s life. What is a tragic hero then? A tragic hero can be defined in many ways. It seems to be an oxymoron because the term tragic symbolizes bad and the term hero symbolizes good. Then is a tragic hero good or bad? The answer to this simple question is complicated. A tragic hero possesses both good and bad qualities. Most of the time a tragic hero does something bad to make something good happen. An example of this is shown in the well known Shakespearean play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, wherein Marcus Brutus is identified as a tragic hero. The rest of this paper explains why. Throughout the play, Brutus commits many crimes and wrong assumptions. The most obvious of these is when he takes part in the assassination of Caesar. While in his orchard, Brutus says to Lucius, â€Å"It must be by his death; and for my part,/ I know no personal cause to spurn at him,/ But for the general. He would be crowned./ How that might change his nature, there’s the question.† Even though Brutus cannot justify the murder of a friend who has yet to misuse the powers of his office, he believes that the citizens of Rome will approve of the assassination. Knowing this, we can say that Brutus does not make wise decisions and is not a man rich in morals. On the other hand, we cannot completely say that Brutus is a villain because he is not a very bright man. Brutus is naive, close-minded, and underestimating. He does not realize the things that Cassius, Casca, and Antony are capable of achieving, and he does not notice things that a perceptive man would. But most importantly, he underestimates the cleverness of Antony and allows him to convince the Roman citizens that the conspirators were wrong to murder Caesar. Therefore, I believe that Brutus, as a tragic hero, is nei...

Areas of Heightened Audit Risk Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Areas of Heightened Audit Risk - Assignment Example In itself, this reduction of trade payables by  £7,352,000 seems material and as such, an area of heightened audit risk. This understatement could be associated with either a complete omission of some liabilities from the financial statements and/or recorded at a lower amount. This act would portray that Havelock Europa Company as healthier and less risky since the omission of some expenses that are not yet paid lowers the debt and leads to an overstatement of incomes. From the financial statements of the Havelock Europa Company, the understatement could have been caused by the omission of contingent liability because, according to its policy, it considers contingent liabilities only when it becomes probable that it will have to make payments under the guarantee (Havelock Europa Plc., 2013, p. 93). The next probable cause for this fall could be the omission of unearned revenues that arise from prepayments from customers for services and goods not provided. Finally, the understatement could be as a result of Havelock Europa Company’s fraudulent financial reporting scheme. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (2014) states that related party transactions, including those between a company and its executives, is a critical area as it has historically been characterised by increased risk of material misstatement. Therefore, this report also considers the transactions between Havelock Europa Company and its executives and related parties risky. These transactions are prone to manipulations and are used to understate liabilities or overstate assets. This report is concerned with the decrease in the amount from transactions with the management and group companies to  £877,000 in 2013 from  £914,000 in 2012 and  £1,377,000 in 2013 from  £2,045,000 in 2012 respectively (Havelock Europa Plc, 2013, p. 94). As noted by Colby (2010), these related party transactions could be improper and arise due to sale and purchase transactions between undisclosed affiliates.  Ã‚  

Intervention & Evaluation Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Intervention & Evaluation Plan - Research Paper Example These are the issues behind the necessity of the program, which are always measurable, observable, and specific in their nature. Basing on domains as illustrated by Bloom (1956), the program outlines tactics of handling patients suffering from bloodstream diseases. The main objective of this intervention program is educating the elderly people on the various ways of managing and preventing CLABSI at home. This program will provide the various ways and techniques by which the elderly can prevent CLABSI at home. In addition, it provides a chance for the care unit to exercise their physical skills in line with preventing the diseases and curbing the same in case of already existing patients (psychomotor). Through the implementation of the above objectives, the project will create a suitable environment of preventing the rate of spread of central line associated bloodstream diseases among the elderly group among family members. Similarly, it will encourage those who are suffering from the disease from losing hope at a very early stage. Therefore, it will reduce the rate at which the target group contracts the infection. This refers to methods and technologies that an intervention plan provides in line with the aims and objectives. During my stay in the community health IV infusion field program, I discovered that there has been a plan that has not been effective. I conducted several questionnaires to about two responsible people in every family among the 10 I chose. I realized that the current plan was brief on the strategies that may efficiently comply with the objectives of a good intervention plan. In fact, its objectives could not be achieved in the shortest period possible. From the research findings, areas that required more attention than others were determined. Therefore, this formed the necessity for this proposed intervention. This plan has been structured to replace the ineffective programs that are in place. It offers