Farewell Party for Miss Pushpa

Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa. T. S. by Nissim Ezekiel Nissim Ezekiel is a popular figure in the field of Indian Writing in English. In his lifetime, he has written so many poems like â€Å"The Night of the Scorpion. † and â€Å"Enterprise,† which are entertaining and enlightening. The poem,† Goodbye Party for Miss. Pushpa† comes under his sixth volume of poems, namely â€Å"Hymns in Darkness. † The occasion is a farewell party given to Miss T. S. Pushpa by her friends and colleagues in her office when she leaves for a foreign country to improve her prospects. The speaker wishes her a happy voyage, and praises her for her good qualities.In fact, Nissim Ezekiel makes fun of the way in which semi-educated Indians speak or write the English language. He ridicules the errors in grammar, syntax, and idioms which many Indians commit while speaking the English language. In other words, he mimicks the Indian way of speaking English with so many faults, and th e poem is highly amusing. The speaker says that their dear sister, Miss Pushpa is leaving for a foreign country, and they all wish her bon voyage. In his speech, he again and again uses the present continuous tense instead of the simple present, which creates a ridiculous effect.He says that they â€Å"are all knowing† the sweet nature of Miss Pushpa who â€Å"is smiling and smiling for no reason, but simply because she is feeling†. The speaker goes on to say that her father was a renowned advocate in Bulsar or Surat, and that he is â€Å"not remembering† the correct place. Then he suddenly remembers that the place is Surat. He seems to be a poor speaker when he points out the irrelevant fact that he stayed there once with his uncle’s very old friend whose â€Å"wife was cooking nicely. † Again, the speaker starts praising Miss Pushpa, and says that she is very popular with men and ladies also.Whenever he asked her to do anything, she said,† Just now only I will do it†. Clearly the speaker means Miss Pushpa’s readiness to do any work, and the unnecessary use of â€Å"just† and â€Å"only† exhibits the Indian speaker’s ignorance of the usage of English words, creating laughter and fun. The speaker’s frequent wrong use of the present continuous instead of the simple present is further revealed in his speech when he says that he is always appreciating Miss Pushpa’s good nature, and â€Å"she is always saying yes† when he or anybody â€Å"is asking† any help.The speaker concludes his amusing speech, saying that they are wishing Miss Pushpa bon voyage. He informs that Miss Pushpa ‘will do the summing up†, when the other speakers finish their talk. What he means is that Miss Pushpa will respond to their words of praise in the end. Thus the poet makes fun of the faulty Indian way talking English. THEME: bad and ungrammatical english spoken by people of i ndia.. this poem is a mockery on indian english, not to indians or india

Hurricane Pam

Hurricane Pam Every community is faced with natural and man-made hazards that can best be addressed ahead of time by planners working closely with emergency management personnel to mitigate the threat and prepare for post-disaster recovery. Hurricane Pam was a simulated storm in New Orleans used to evaluate potential losses, improve response plans, and provide better coordination between agencies proactively. Hurricane Pam brought sustained winds of 120 mph, up to 20 inches of rain in parts of southeast Louisiana and storm surge that topped levees in the New Orleans area.This area included 13 parishes in southeast Louisiana-Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany Tangipahoa, and Terrebonne. The storm caused more than one million residents to evacuate and destroyed 500,000-600,000 buildings. A rough average of 100,000 people did not evacuate before the storm hit due to poverty, illness, or lack of tr ansportation. Of the 100,000 that remained in the city, an estimated 25,000 to 100,000 would die.SLOSH (sea, lake, and overland surges from hurricanes) is used to identify the worst-case scenario of this storm by identifying the highest potential surges from this storm. SLOSH revealed that the levees would fail causing the city to flood and kill thousands due to drowning. These generalized assumptions caused emergency managers put their minds and resources into action to devise disaster response for areas such as search and rescue, medical care, sheltering, temporary housing, school restoration, and debris management.The debris team estimates that Hurricane Pam would result in 30 million cubic yards of debris and 237,000 cubic yards of hazardous waste. Landfills have been identified that have available storage space and disposal sites for hazardous waste have been located. In the event that Hurricane Pam resulted in more debris and hazardous waste transportation should also be ident ified and factored into the plan in case the initial plan is not adequate. Shelter is a main issue for the residents of New Orleans because of the impact of Hurricane Pam.The emergency management teams identified that about 1,000 shelters would be needed to house the residents displaced by the storm. About 784 shelters were secured, but 216 were still needed. Transportation and partnerships with other states should have been obtained to help secure the remaining shelters. Funding should have also been secured to help those relocate and possibly reside with family members in other states. The displaced residents would need to reside in temporary living arrangements for up to at least 100 days.Simulations would need to be done to identify the costs for housing the maximum amount of individuals in each shelter for 100 days. The emergency management team would need to meet with local, state, and federal government officials to identify ways to generate funding for these costs. For examp le, a hurricane tax or surcharge to help generate resources in the event of a disaster or partnering with companies like Walmart or Target and developing a partnership for supplies. Search and rescue efforts are the key component to saving the lives of the individuals that may beSearch and Rescue †¢ The search and rescue group developed a transportation plan for getting stranded residents out of harm's way. †¢ Planners identified lead and support agencies for search and rescue and established a command structure that will include four areas with up to 800 searchers. Medical †¢ The medical care group reviewed and enhanced existing plans. The group determined how to implement existing immunization plans rapidly for tetanus, influenza and other diseases likely to be present after a major hurricane. The group determined how to re-supply hospitals around the state that would face heavy patient loads. †¢ The medical action plan includes patient movement details and ide ntifies probable locations, such as state university campuses, where individuals would receive care and then be transported to hospitals, special needs shelters or regular shelters as necessary. Schools †¢ The school group determined that 13,000-15,000 teachers and administrators would be needed to support affected schools. The group acknowledged the role of local school boards and developed strategies for use by local school officials. Staffing strategies include the use of displaced teachers, retired teachers, emergency certified teachers and others eligible for emergency certification. Displaced paraprofessionals would also be recruited to fill essential school positions. †¢ The group discussed facility options for increasing student population at undamaged schools and prioritizing repairs to buildings with less damage to assist in normalizing operations The school plan also calls for placement or development of temporary schools near temporary housing communities built for hurricane victims.

America’s Mergence of Personal and Public Realms in Arendt’s The Human Condition

United Human Integration in Arendt's Personal and Public Areas The United States is a superpower and is undoubtedly the most dominant country in the world. But emphasizing this advantage is some of the problems that American society faces. Among these problems, Hannah Arendt called the fusion of individuals and the public domain as the rise of society. This major problem has created many other problems and is therefore chosen as the root cause of suffering in modern American society. In 1958's work The situation of mankind, Arendt defined the public sphere according to intense struggle. There are two important concepts related to the definition of her public domain: visibility and humanity. First of all, for Arendt, the public domain is the space where people can appear. As long as they are restricted to private areas, people become helpless, but private areas are dominated by intimacy. But once people become public, they gain reality and strength without saying anything, otherwise t hey can not understand (Arendt, 1998, p. 50). Protest at Tiananmen Square explains this point. Protestors took advantage of the fact that many international TV crews happened to participate in Mikhail Gorbachev's visit record. For Arendt, the lack of an overall definition of the private sector compared to the nature of the public domain. She wrote, public, First, you can see and hear everything publicly visible for us - appearance - look at others with others From seeing yourself - from the reality you have seen and heard even the most intimate life force leads to uncertain and dark existence, but she continues to say that she can change the richness of private life I am. In order to overcome such a situation, appearance of the public according to their body type. She pointed out that the means to achieve this change is art. If colonies become self-sufficient, Arendtian's prerequisites for entering the public domain are satisfied. Arendt discussed two major areas - public domain an d private sector - (Arendt, human condition). The private sector is an essential item, with labor usually falling with families. If colonies are self-sufficient, it means that they must take care of the necessity, and it is necessary to consider the labor of each colony member who will be used for colonial maintenance or scientific research We will guarantee. Of course, it is the individual's responsibility to satisfy familiar needs. However, once the private realm is realized, people can enter the public domain and participate in politics.

What is the essence of me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is the essence of me - Essay Example I believe that in life people find success and make progress through trial and error and experiencing hardship. I also think that many times the mistakes people make have to do with other people. I recognize that oftentimes people have made mistakes with me, and I have done the same with them. It follows that I think it is necessary to cultivate a personality of forgiveness. When people are unwilling to forgive it signals that they are giving up on another person, when in reality this is precisely the time that they should be coming closer to the person. When we are willing to forgive people then we allow our relationships with them to grow and develop through trial and error. Another reason that forgiveness is the essence of me is because I believe that holding grudges or seeking revenge is unproductive for a healthy and happy existence. While I am not a psychologist or know much about psychological theory, I have had enough life experience to understand that oftentimes the way we think affects the way we feel. I believe that in holding grudges and refusing to forgive people then we go through life with negative thoughts and emotions. In my own life, people have wronged me. Although it has oftentimes been difficult for me to forgive them I have always managed to do so. After forgiving the person, I have always felt better. In these regards, I have gradually made forgiveness one of the central parts of my personality. In conclusion, this essay has examined what is the essence of me. In these regards, my essence is forgiveness. The reasons for this are because I feel life is about making mistakes and as such it’s necessary to forgive people. I also believe it makes people happier if they are able to forgive others. Ultimately, these reasons have become prominent considerations in my life and as such forgiveness has become my central

American economic issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American economic issues - Essay Example Because debt plays such an integral part in the economy, it must be measured appropriately to convey the long-term impacts it brings forth. Currently, the national debt held by the public is over $13 trillion, which is around 74 percent of the country’s economy, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Fisanick, 2010). The gross debt, which includes money owed to other parts of the federal government, is over $18 trillion. The National debt has accumulated to that because, over the last 40 years, the federal government has generally spent more than it collected in revenue. When this occurs, the government must borrow money to cover the difference. The government borrows by selling securities such as treasury bonds, then agreeing to bondholders back with interest. Over time this borrowing accumulates into the national debt. Presence of a National debt in the economy directly affects the public in the following ways: The high cost of living: High debt levels mean higher inte rest rates on everything from credit cards to mortgage loans. Since incomes do not rise at the same rate as interest rates, what follows is a pinch in consumer pockets as goods and services become more expensive. Slower wage growth: In times of high debt and high-interest rates, every dollar an investor spends buying government debt is a dollar not invested elsewhere in the economy, hence slower economic growth. Reduced fiscal flexibility: The debt levels doubled between 2008 and 2013, as a response to the 2008 financial crisis.

No need for topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

No need for topic - Assignment Example This will make the currency appreciate because there are more local currency than foreign currency especially if there is no trade surplus. It will now take more local currency to buy the same amount of foreign money making foreign exchange rate to appreciate. Inflation meant that it now takes more money to buy certain goods and services. It also meant more money circulating in a given economy. Being such, it will take more money to buy same amount of foreign currency making the exchange rate to appreciate. Tax breaks given to business to encourage capital expenditures meant businesses will be buying more equipment. If the equipment is bought locally, foreign exchange will depreciate because there will be less need for it. If such equipment will be bought abroad through imports, then foreign exchange rate will appreciate. Good stock market performance will encourage more investment and more demand for the local currency. This will make the foreign exchange rate to depreciate while the dollar to appreciate. This is because foreign money would need more dollars to be able to invest in the stock market. Government intervention in the capital market will make foreign exchange rate to appreciate and the dollar to depreciate. This is typically done to make the imports competitive by making it cheaper. To make this happen, central banks will put more dollars in the system to depreciate the dollar. Monetary growth or the strengthening of economy through high exports will make the local currency to appreciate. It is because there are more foreign money coming in through trade. It has the effect of converting local currency into greater value through export or trade. Increase in GNP and real economic growth will make the local currency stronger. It will be able to buy more goods. It will have the effect of depreciating foreign exchange rate because of its stronger purchasing power. Forward premiums is a situation of trading

Program and culture class in architecture Assignment

Program and culture class in architecture - Assignment Example I have particularly chosen this site because it presents a different culture from my own. I come from Indonesia and would like to experience a different culture. A sizeable number of customers attends the cafà © and as such, the number will be enough to draw meaningful conclusion. Riverside Public Library is one of the smallest libraries in the United States and I can easily access it since it is public. It is not congested like other public libraries and as such, I can easily conduct my study there. People attend the library from different cultural background and my visit there will provide me with an opportunity to mix and interact with different cultures. I will be able to identify one fellow who will introduce me to the place. The grocery is located with the Guatemalteca Bakery Restaurant and offers Guatemalan and Latin American foods. It is visited by a sizeable number of people and is accessible to members of the public. Since It is mostly attended my Latin American people, I will get an opportunity to interact with the new

Learning Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Learning Reflection - Essay Example Also, I learned how to manage issues of the healthcare setting, and how imperative healthcare quality and wellbeing is for patients, family, and team member. Health starts with proper management of care. I realized how management is crucial for improving productivity and quality of the health care. The issues blend well with the two program Learning Outcomes I selected. This is because managing is an important step to a proper health care setting. It is also important that as a leader, one must possess the skills necessary for operations. The two Program Learning Outcomes have supported my way of thinking about what could happen or what is expected. There were several case scenarios that were used for me to make a managerial decision. The scenarios gave me the opportunity to use my judgment and make important decisions. Hence, I have been critical on issues needed for quality and safe healthcare practices. The discussion questions gave me the opportunity to read my online classmate thoughts and opinions. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to form my thoughts and opinions about the course of discussion. The course readings and the reading of classmate discussion were valuable as I have been able to offer critical analysis to issues at

Practical Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Practical - Assignment Example First, it is vital to note that these concerts bear naming scheme and their duration may only be within 2, 3, 4, or 5 hours. The concerts have to fall in three broad categories too. These categories are classical, rock, or pop and all of them have a minimum ticket cost varying from  £25 and  £450. These are scenarios recorded for purposes of having a consistency in data. The consistency that arose from the definitions laid bare by the anticipation of data to be collected here is what leads to the springing up of tables. Secondly, to keep the data collected in check, both in complexity and in quantity, the aspect of the concerts being scheduled and are in a repeated run makes it much easier in the database logic streamline. The events are in a variety of venues but the way that they are set up eases the schematics of the database due the recurring nature of the tables needed. The opportunities in reusing the tables and the design schemas made the work easier and the time saved was key in coming up with the best solution possible for the Concert Office database. In the analysis, stage we figured out that â€Å"REUNION† concert was one that could run in a multiple venues. This type of a scenario often anticipated a lot in the future hence the schema had to accommodate this scenario. After the design accommodating the scenario in the logic, then at least data has to be analysed to ensure maintenance in consistency. The runs that catered for here are what the team at The Concert Office term as events. The dates associated by each of the event and the venues around the UK have to be recorded. Recording is dependent on a proper datasheet and well-foreseen data collection. This scenario demands that customer’s book onto the events. The company will then need to capture the details of these customers. Still, on the requirements analysis stage, the anticipation was

Critical Thinking Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Thinking Questions - Assignment Example A reference source used in a paper must be credible to be conclusive and the authority it possesses makes the source more credible and usable. Primary sources give first-hand information about the subject of research while Secondary Sources give information that has been discussed elsewhere. However Primary and Secondary sources are relative terms and can be described as per the usage of the information. It is described that â€Å"a fallacy is usually incorrect reasoning in argumentation resulting in a misconception.† A logical fallacy is one which is a logical flaw in the argument due to which the argument becomes invalid. A post hoc is a good example of logical fallacy in which people try to link events and deduce conclusions with out considering the other relevant factors. A typical essay includes thesis statement, introductions, body paragraphs and conclusion. The introduction of the essay must be deductive in nature and presented precisely. A good introduction includes to pic of the essay and the background information regarding it. The thesis statement is usually presented in one single statement and author shows his point of view that will be later proved in the body paragraphs through a logical chain of arguments. A thesis statement never asks a question but shows a point of view. A conclusion comprises of a paragraph and concludes the arguments presented in the body paragraphs. The conclusion is basically a summary of the essay. A counter-argument is a reason given by your opposition. The counter-arguments are used in thesis to be evaluated on logic and then answered. Transitions are used to connect different paragraphs and give a complete picture of the essay. c. Integration of Evidence: What is the difference between paraphrasing, summary and direct quotes?

Its All About Tour Essay Example for Free

Its All About Tour Essay I was so excited when I heard that we will have a class outing with a team building in Fontana Resort, Pampanga. There are so many pop up question in my mind like, what we’re going to do, what will happen during that time. Imagining everything and planning what will I’m going to wear and bring. Actually, 2 days before our outing, all of my things are ready. That’s what you called EXCITED. Our first day in Pampanga, we divide ourselves into 4 groups for activities. Our first activity is making our own cheering for our group. I enjoyed the time when my group mates and I practicing our cheering. Full of laughs, jokes, bonding and many more. Even though we’re not winning in that activity at least we enjoyed each company and we had fun. After that activity, we eat dinner sponsor by Jollibee. We all look like a survivor. Then we rest for minute and we proceed for another activity. Next is making a pyramid in the pool. This is unforgettable for me, because my all my group mates are cooperate. We measure how strong we are, and have trust to each other. For me, this is the best activity. That was the last activity for that night. Then, we had a party. Not totally party. We drink alcoholic beverages then play cards. Very enjoyed. We had a bonding to each other. I know more about my classmates. In the morning, we had another activity. How to survive and also the basic safety. That was the last activity we had. Well, for me I don’t regret that I choose this outing than the vessel pump. I super enjoyed the outing. The whole outing was covered by fun time and activities that tight us together. And also we learned a lot from the activities we had. We feel like we had a short vacation. It is a big help for us, because we can apply it in our daily life. It’s the history that we made. A momentous day of our life.

The Things They Carried Analysis Essay Example for Free

The Things They Carried Analysis Essay The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the novel The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien.   Specifically it will contain a brief analysis of the first chapter of the book.   OBriens use of metaphors of weight and lightness throughout the story develops the readers understanding of the situation the soldiers in the story find themselves in. Author OBrien fought in Vietnam and so he writes about the men and the war from experience, and it shows in this moving novel.    The opening chapter, The Things They Carried, introduces the men, and allows the reader a glimpse into the real, everyday war these young men fought in Vietnam.   Twice within the first few pages OBrien talks about the death of Ted Lavender while contrasting his death with the lightness of the things he carried with him in his rucksack. OBrien uses the metaphor of humped to show the weight of the things the soldiers carry, but he also uses it to show the emotional baggage they carry with them into the war, such as Jimmys Cross unreturned love for Martha back home.   OBrien writes of Jimmys love, Almost everyone humped photographs.   In his wallet, Lieutenant Cross carried two pictures of Martha (OBrien 4).   Later, he uses the metaphor again when he writes of Lieutenant Cross responsibility to his men. He writes, He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men (OBrien 5).   OBrien makes the weight of these responsibilities seem light, but uses the metaphor to show how weighty they really are.   Clearly, Cross quite understands the weight of his responsibility, and he does not take it lightly.   He knows his men trust him with their lives, and if he makes the wrong decision his men could pay the ultimate cost, they could give up their lives because he makes a mistake.   And that is the ultimate weight that rests on Lieutenant Cross, and it is much heavier than his rucksack. OBrien spends a lot of time on the guns and ammo they carried and the weight of these items.   That is because the soldiers lives depend on these items, which gives them additional weight in the story.   Showing the amount of ammo and other items they carry also shows their fear and some of the conditions they faced as soldiers in Vietnam.   Their situation is far from light, it is very heavy, and they know it. Any of them could die at any moment.   The Vietnamese knew the jungles and the terrain and the Americans did not.   They could be surprised and ambushed at any time.   OBrien shows the soldiers fear in the large amount of weapons and ammo they carry, and also shows they do not actually mean much.   Ted Lavender dies carrying more ammo than anyone else, so the weight of the ammo did nothing to help him save his own life.   That is the fear all the men face – that they have no control over the situation around them, and any of them could die, just like Lavender did. Most important of the things they carry is the weight of memory OBrien talks about in the chapter and notes that is one weight they share.   They cannot forget many of the horrible things they have seen, or that they could be the next one.   They cannot forget their situation because it is the only reality they know for now. That is also too weighty for some of them, so they make jokes about their predicament and try to escape by drinking, using drugs, or thinking about memories back home.   Jimmy Cross has his false memories of Martha that he carries with him, and all the others have memories of something, too.   These memories can weigh the men down if they let them.   Cross thinks his memories helped get Lavender killed because he was not paying attention. OBrien also uses descriptive language to show their surroundings.   He writes, They carried the sky.   The whole atmosphere, they carried it, the humidity, the monsoons, the stink of fungus †¦ (OBrien 15).   OBrien puts the reader right into the jungle with the men.   Using metaphor, description, and language, he makes the reader feel the fear of the men and feel as if they know and understand these men and the things they carry.    References OBrien Tim. The Things They Carried

An Analysis Of Turkish And Kurdish Tensions Politics Essay

An Analysis Of Turkish And Kurdish Tensions Politics Essay Since taking office in 2002, the Justice and Development Part (AKP) has introduced a series of reforms to democratize the social, economic and political life in Turkey. After being elected one more time in 2007, the AKP government has committed to solve Kurdish issue which can be seen as one of the most intractable conflict of Turkey continuing for over 30 years. Popularly known as the Kurdish opening (Kà ¼rt Aà §Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±lÄ ±mÄ ±) process, the initiative is the first systematic attempt to get through identity-based discontents of the Kurds. This study presents a brief history of the conflict, the windows of opportunity that supported the AKP government, the analysis of the Kurdish opening process. In order to provide a holistic perspective, the historical, political, socio-psychological, legal and cultural dynamics of the Kurdish issue will be touched here. At the end, a series of recommendations are also discussed that are consistent within the analytic perspective of the paper. II. HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT The conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK (Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan)  [1]  can be seen as an intractable one that been continuing for over three decades and caused more than 30,000 deaths from both sides. Basically, the conflict is the byproduct of the Turkish nation building process. The beginning of the politicization of Kurdish cultural identity corresponds to the shift from multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural realities of the Ottoman Empire to the nation-state model.  [2]  According to Ergil, the Turkish official state policy was based on the idea of civic nation referring to the geographical region in which all the peoples of Turkey lived, rather than ethnic-nation (the dominant Turkish ethnic group). However, soon after, the ruling military elite, intellectuals, and bureaucrats shifted from this civic nation idea towards homogenization which acquired meaning in the Turkification policies which also became a major source of the Kurdish issue in Tu rkey.  [3]  After the major Kurdish rebellions of the 1920s and 1930s in Turkeys southeast where the population were predominantly Kurds, Turkish governing elites began viewing the utterance of a separate Kurdish identity as a threat to the nation-state.  [4]   Change in the governance style at the beginning of the Republic might prevent the escalation of conflict in the country. Instead, the structural violence emerged in the form of assimilation policies; Kurdish people were resettled, places and peoples names were changed, the use of language was restricted, and the very existence of a Kurdish identity was denied  [5]  . Burton emphasizes that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to go one step further and to eliminate structures and policies which generate conflict, violence and crimeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦societies would need to be transformed from centralized systems, top-down administrations, to centralized, bottom-up decision makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [6]  . In that line, the decentralization that would have the potential of strengthening the local administrations could not be tolerated in the nation building process. Under these assimilation policies, the Kurdish resentments had turned into a reaction in the form of Kurdish movement against the state. On the relationship between the state development and social movements, Tarrow argues that some aspects of state development facilitated the rise of movements.  [7]  In Turkey, the consolidation of centralist and unitary state ideology facilitated the Kurdish resentment. The Republican repressive and exclusionary politics in social, economic, cultural and political life against Kurds propelled those people into a collective movement.  [8]  1970 and 1980s military coups and their spatial repressive policies incited the Kurdish contentious politics into an emergence of distinctive nationalist/secessionist armed movement of Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK)  [9]  . The conflict peaked at the end of 1990s and the death toll had reached over 30,000 in total-half of them PKK militants, one-fourth civilians, and the remaining one-fourth members of the security forces.  [10]  The conflict was seen as a zero-sum game and emergency military measures instead of parliamentary decisions were seen as the only legitimate way of responding the PKK attacks. In that sense, the Kurdish reaction had to be responded by repression. The conflict between Turkish state and the PKK, therefore, should be analyzed in a chain of action-reaction model. Metin Heper analytically defines the theory of change in this conflict as (a) the Turkish state has relied on forced assimilation of ethnic elements, including Kurds; (b) that Kurds have resisted the states efforts to force assimilation; and (c) that in response to the rebellious elements, the state has used suppression.  [11]  The thing worthwhile to think about the AKP governments new initiative of Kurdish openin g is that the theory of change in the state policy related to the resolution of the conflict is changing. There is an observable shift from military solution to a political solution and the dynamics supporting this shift has to be analyzed. III. WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY AND THE KURDISH OPENING Turkeys larger aims of becoming a regional power cannot explain the underlying logic behind the Kurdish Opening policy. Turkeys internal and external dynamics, which can be seen as a windows of opportunity, support the government in this process. Removing the PKK from Turkeys political equation, however, is not a novel endeavor. However, international and regional circumstances have never been favorable to that objective. At the current juncture, there is a more favorable environment to addressing the many challenges of the Kurdish question. The Turkish leadership as well seems to have grasped the new situation and has thus changed its conventional perception of the problem. 1) Domestic Since the early days of the Republic, all Turkish governments have refrained from upsetting the balance of power that favors the political role of the military over that of democratic reform that may be reacted by the military. According to Çandar, any sort of Kurdish opening would have either been doomed to failure from its very beginning, or deterred from starting at all.  [12]  The only path for democratic reforms that will reduce the power of the military in politics is through very strong domestic and international backing.  [13]   Such domestic support is enabled by the Ergenekon Case, which was aimed at eliminating the closed, dark, intolerant and secret communities friendly with the military bureaucracy and state officials but insidiously devoted to destroying the government  [14]  Firmly grasping the influence that these elements have on state establishments through the Ergenekon investigation has given way for the governing AKP to create a platform through which the Kurdish issue can be discussed without military means.  [15]   As Cizre discusses, the question now is whether the AK Party can emerge from the Ergenekon episode newly positioned to renegotiate a robust role for itself and articulate a new relationship between Kurdish actors and Turkish politics.  [16]  The political arena in Turkey is now in the hands of the AKP government, as it received 55 percent of public support in the last referendum. Other political actors appear to be excluded from the Kurdish Opening.  [17]  The steps taken until now are being debated by many, as with this public support behind the government comes a greater expectation for the government to take bolder steps toward the solution. 2) International Since Turkeys EU candidacy was entered into consideration in 2005, the EU has had a tendency to see Turkeys Kurdish issue from a human rights perspective in that the minority rights of the Kurdish population must be granted as a pre-requisite for membership. Along those lines, Turkey has sought to meet the Copenhagen criteria for membership and supported reforms in cultural rights. EU membership became a democratization tool in the hands of the government against the state establishment. The EU praised the government by indicating that the reform process in Turkey and the accession process are closely linked to each other, as argued by EU term president and Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt during the annual Turkey-EU Troika meeting in Istanbul.  [18]   After the initiation of the new policy, both the West and East supported and appreciated the AKP governments democratization. After initiation of the Kurdish Opening policy, the economic ties between Turkey and Iraqs Kurds increased. Washington and Baghdad agreed to work closer with Turkey on the rapid intelligence  [19]  that is believed to weaken the position of the PKK. The democratic credentials of Turkey are increased in the eyes of the West, and according to Somer and Evangelos, the Kurdish question is an important piece of what Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄÅ ¸lu has dubbed the zero problems with neighbors policy.  [20]   Kurdish Opening Making choices in a conflict plays a significant role in the escalation-de-escalation of the conflict. Tjosvold argues that the conflict does not just happen nor does conflict escalate by itself. People make choices that escalate conflict of lead to more constructive outcomes (Tjosvold 2006, 91). The AKP government, with the help of public support, decided to transform the conflict by taking bolder steps toward bring fundamental solutions to the Kurdish issue. The policy popularly known as the Kurdish Opening was launched at the end of the summer of 2007.  [21]  The government published a report entitled The Democratic Opening Project with Questions and Answers: The National Brotherhood Project  [22]  in order to publicize the benefits that democratic opening would bring to Turkey. In the booklet, some of the issues mentioned included the imprisoned leader of the PKK, Ocalan, would not benefit from any type of amnesty, military operations against the PKK would continue unless its members are disarmed, the ideal of unitary state, nation and flag would be maintained, although unitary nation does not mean a nation composed of a dominant race, and the official language would be Turkish forever. Although the government was framing the policy with this broad approach, some sections of society were discussing bolder steps that had to be taken by the government for a permanent solution to the Kurdish issue. This included negotiating with the leader of the PKK and cooperating with its political extension, the Democratic Society Party (DTP)  [23]  . AKPs Double-Discourse Turkish political scientist Kirisci has defined the initiative as several confidence building measures,  [24]  However it is unclear what building confidence means for peace. Pruitt discusses working trust as one of the necessary preconditions for peace, which is a belief that the other party also wants to escape the conflict and has reasonable or flexible aspirations  [25]  . Looking at the parties, it can be argued that both the AKP government and the PKK sought to abandon armed conflict and begin a peace process. However, this process is quite complex for both sides. The PKK has sought to case armed conflict, arguing that with violent means, the Kurdish people living in Turkey will not get their rights. The imprisoned leader of the PKK, Ocalan, who also sees himself as a mediator between the state and the PKK, is continuously sending messages arguing for peace. According to him, we are in favor of disarmament in principle as long as legal-constitutional safeguards are provided.  [26]  The organization also wants to see the pro-Kurdish political party, DTP, at the negotiation table with the government for the advocacy of Kurdish rights.  [27]   Alternatively, however, many unclear questions regarding the communication between the PKK and the AKP have arisen. As Ocalan is arguing that the biggest obstacle in front of the peace is the AKP,  [28]  and the approach of the state is much more positive than the AKP government,  [29]  questions of who is the state and who is the government are emerging. According to Pruitt, making secret contacts with the other side is one way to motivate for the peace process. The government is clearly deferring to public support, choosing to use two different discourses in order to guarantee both public support and success in the peace process. The government has received strong reaction from the public after the Habur incident in May of 2009. Pro-Kurdish DTP supporters welcomed a group of PKK members arriving in Turkey with excitement, chanting slogans in favor of the PKK and its jailed leader Abdullah ÃÆ'-calan.  [30]  All media channels portrayed the event as a part of the Kurdish Opening process. The minister of the interior announced at a press conference that the return home is part of the democratization process and that there would be more good news soon.  [31]  However, the leader of PKK, Ocalan, declared his leave from the movement at the end of the month. It is unclear what has happened after the Habur incident and why Ocalan declared his leave from the movement, but the PKK called an end to the ceasefire that was declared earlier in the same month. After the Habur incident, the government was forced to re-evaluate its strategy and choose instead a double-discourse strategy. Since that time, the conciliatory signs between the government and the PKK have reduced. The government understood that trust-building between the parties regarding the Kurdish issue may taken a long time, as it requires a transformation of a war system into a peace system, inspired by a quest for the values of peace and justice, truth and mercy.  [32]   Timing The timing of the governments Kurdish Opening policy also deserves a brief discussion. One of the most widely respected ideas about the timing of the initiation of the peace processes comes from the Zartmans idea of ripe moment moment in which the parties perception of a mutually hurting stalemate, optimally associated with an impending, past, or recently avoided catastrophe.  [33]   Launching the Kurdish opening policy has nothing to do with ripe moment, however. The ripe moment in Turkish Republican history is the AKP governments ascension to power. If the history of the conflict is considered, the 1990s were the era in which the parties should have sought a way out since the parties found themselves locked in a conflict from which they couldnt escalate to victory and this deadlock was painful to both of the parties.  [34]  However, domestic and international conditions did not allow the governments to achieve a way out at that time. The conditions that ripened the conflict and made it open ot resolution corresponded to the domestic and international conditions that led the AKP government to speak about Kurdish Opening. In that sense, the conditions that prepared the AKP to initiate steps toward democratization are an objective reality rather than a perceptual event, as Zartman identifies  [35]  . The major motivational factors in the Kurdish Opening included pressure from the EU, Turkeys ambitious zero-problem policy with neighbors in order to be a regional power, and Turkeys internal dynamics, including the Ergenekon case and decreasing power of the military in politics. In that sense, the Kurdish opening can be seen as the beginning of a peace process since, as Pruitt identifies, what is necessary for the peace process is the motivation (that is, a goal) to end the conflict, which is fed by (a) a sense that the conflict is unwinnable or poses unacceptable costs or risks and/or (b) pressure from powerful third parties such as allies.  [36]   Conciliatory Signs According to Pruitt, another significant factor for the peace process is that optimism is about the outcome of conciliation and negotiation.  [37]  Conciliatory gestures are critical messages given by both parties to build trust. As discussed above, the government has begun using different discourses, as the general elections are approaching. However, at the beginning of the process, it was publicly supporting peace. For example, the leaders of both the AKP and the DTP, which is believed to be the extension of the PKK in the Turkish Grand Assembly,  [38]  had a meeting in May of 2009 right after the announcement of the governments Kurdish Opening policy. The leaders discussed their optimism and motivation for the future of the project.  [39]   Corresponding to the moves from the government, the PKK has declared a ceasefire that was to comprise of the dates between August 12th and September 20th, 2010, to end before the religious month of Ramadan and the referendum  [40]  . This ceasefire was aimed at amending the constitution, which was written by the military authority after the 1980 military coup. Ceasefires are important for the peace process, as according to Pruitt, if conciliatory gestures between the parties increases in strength, the partys behavior becomes increasingly conciliatory and may eventually take the form of a cease-fire and entry into negotiation.  [41]   In October of 2010, Ocalan sent a letter to the leader of the PKK, Murat Karayilan,  [42]  and the government, asking for an extension of the ceasefire that was declared on August 12th. Karayilan argued that that we extended the unilateral ceasefire against Turkey after receiving a letter from Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan till 2011 general elections in Turkey.  [43]  Although Ocalan, in his latest messages, has been arguing that the state is more candid than the government for the peace process, it is unclear why he initiated the extension of the ceasefire until the general elections, which is directly related the future of the AKP government. It is still unclear what this final ceasefire means for the peace process. According to Aydintasbas, the Kurdish Opening was started based on reciprocal distrust between the parties of the Kurdish Conflict. When the Habur incident turned into a festival, public rage interrupted the peace process. This latest ceasefire will lead to the continuation of the process and a return home for the PKK, which also strengthens Oclans position for the movement.  [44]   Concrete Steps The EU Commissions 2010 Annual Report for Turkey  [45]  is the most valuable tool in order to see how much progress the government could make. As the report indicates although the AKP government made public statements of commitment for the progress in Kurdish initiative, there is no actually strong evidence that the democratic opening was followed through. Seen developments as the Report mentions; As regards freedom of expression, an increasingly open and free debate continues on a wide scale in the media and in the public on topics perceived as sensitive, such as the Kurdish issue, minority rights, the Armenian issue, and the role of the military.  [46]   As regards cultural rights, the Regulation on the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) was amended in November, removing all restrictions on broadcasting in Kurdish and other languages by private and public channels at the local level.  [47]   For the first time, the DiyarbakÄ ±r Municipal Theatre staged a play in Kurdish. In June, the State Minister for EU Affairs invited all EU embassies to a Kurdish literature event in the village of Bahcesehir (Van). Mardin Artuklu University established the first Kurdish and Assyrian language departments, and began accepting students to post-graduate programs organized by these departments.  [48]   The amended law on fundamental principles of elections and the electoral registry entered into force on 10 April 2010, de facto allows the use of Kurdish in election campaigns.  [49]   RECOMMENDATION Identity-related conflicts such as the Kurdish issue have deeply-rooted historical, cultural, emotional, economic and political dimensions; therefore, there is no magic solution to address all these issues. There are, however, many potential steps that would help eliminate obstacles to social and political reconciliation. Although legal and political reform is crucial for eliminating structural inequalities, there is a need to initiate a holistic reconciliation process over the long term by also continuing conciliatory gestures that are likely to address certain cultural and psychological sensitivities. Along those lines, the recommendations outlined below for the continuation of the peace process and establishment of a peace agreement are aimed at providing a perspective for a multi-layered and multi-actor intervention. Transforming the public discourse Transforming the public discourse is critically important during the peace process. As this conflict has been used by politicians for years as a tool to gain public support, discourse based on enemy images and dehumanizing on both sides pervades the peoples cognition. In order to institutionalize the socio-psychological infrastructure  [50]  , the healthy exchange of information between the parties, the use of cultural products to eliminate enemy images, and changes in educational materials will be necessary. The Truth and Reconciliation Commissions established to investigate mystery murders in 1990s will help to transform the discourse as well. The role of the civil society is quite important in this process of discourse transformation with the help of the media. Understanding that the Peace Process is non-linear During the peace process, due to a lack of information exchange or misunderstanding gestures, the conflict may escalate or deescalate, or ceasefire may continue and further steps may not be taken. In any situation, including a change in leadership, the stakeholders in the process should stay in the process and move forward. Solving Spoiler Problems As Stedman argues, a correct diagnosis of spoiler type is crucial for the choice of an appropriate strategy of spoiler management.  [51]  Regarding Kurdish initiatives, the most critical opposition to the government comes from the opposition parties in the Assembly.  [52]  It is also known that there are some factions in the PKK that do not seek disarmament.  [53]  Therefore, if the AKP government and the PKK are in fact targeting a peace agreement, they must both learn how to manage opposing groups and create a grand peace coalition that includes all parties related to the issue. Having a Perception of the peace process is a win-win situation In order to be optimistic about the future, each party must lower its aspirations and see how a compromise will be beneficial to both. The results that are aimed at must be divisible into small pieces. Walter cites that, if the stakes are chiefly indivisible, so that neither side can get most of what it wants without depriving the other of mots of what it wants, negotiations are less apt to be successful.  [54]  Although the Kurdish armed movements goals are less rigid than before, focusing more on a rights-based discourse, there is always a question about the secessionist ideals of Kurdish nationalism among non-Kurdish populations. Therefore, instead of discussing unrealistic territorial demands, the ethnic-cultural rights appear more feasible at the negotiation table. International and National Legal and Political Arrangements Those reforms must include both international and national reforms, as widely addressed by TESEVs latest report.  [55]  International instruments and mechanisms have a significant role in the protection of human rights through their effectiveness and functionality. Regarding the constitution, any phraseology based on Turkish ethnic identity must be eliminated from all articles, as it is against the pluralist nature of Turkish society.  [56]  Moreover, a comprehensive review of the legislation must be undertaken and references to Turkish ethnic identity in various laws must be removed.  [57]   Positive Economic Discrimination for South-East Anatolia The relative economic deprivation is quite clear in the Kurdish regions in comparison to the rest of Turkey. Sustainable economic development projects must concentrate on such regions and positive economic discrimination must be provided for the region. CONCLUSION Addressing the Kurdish demands should not just be a matter of political pragmatism for the AKP government; it is rather a historical opportunity to appease the tensions continuing for a long time. It is not clear whether the AKP government will be able to accommodate the Kurdish requests during their tenure because of the enduring social, political, legal and psychological obstacles. And it is also unrealistic to expect a resolution of complex historical problems within a relatively short period of time. However, if the Kurdish opening process is managed constructively, the peace process will have a positive impact at the political as well as at the grassroots levels.

How the Australian Great Barrier Reef Succeeds at Preservation and Sust

How the Australian Great Barrier Reef Succeeds at Preservation and Sustainable Use and How it Applies to a Worldwide Problem Coral bleaching is a somewhat recent phenomenon that has prompted many communities and countries around the world to enact policies and legislation that deal with their dying coral reefs. In early 1998, a mass coral bleaching event took place on the Australian Great Barrier Reef, and broad scale aerial surveys confirmed that most of the inland reefs had experienced at least some bleaching (Lally 1999). The following analysis of the Great Barrier Reef will illustrate that a successful policy process must incorporate the people who live, work, and depend on the fragile environment into the decision-making about preservation policies, regardless of the method or policy tool chosen to do so. Effective management and policy tools must also carefully weigh both extractive and non-extractive uses - to not only preserve, but also sustain, the use of the coral reef ecosystem. First, I will give some background information about why the Australian Reef is of importance and why dying reefs are a worldwide problem. I will then further explain the scientific background of what coral reefs are, what coral bleaching is, and the human activities and other factors that cause it. Second, I will further explain the issues involved with the policy process of preserving coral reefs, and which is the priority that stands above the rest. Third, I will explain who the actors are and what their roles are in the policy process. Fourth, I will define the instruments that are used to guide the policy process. Lastly, I will explain the lessons, outcomes and alternatives that exist in the policy process of preserving coral reef... ...wan, R., N. Knowlton, A. Baker and J. Jara, "Landscape ecology of algal symbionts creates variation in episodes of coral bleaching," Nature, Vol. 388, No. 6639, p. 265-269, July 1997. Warner, M.E., "The Effects of Light and Elevated Temperature on the Photosynthetic Physiology of Symbiotic Dinoflagellates: Potential Pathways To Coral Bleaching," Dissertation Abstracts International Part B: Science and Engineering, Vol. 59, No. 10, p. 5213, April 1999. Warner, M.E., W.K. Fitt and G.W. Schmidt, "Damage to photosystem II in symbiotic dinoflagellates: A determinant of coral bleaching," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 96, No. 14, p. 8007-8012, July 6, 1999. White, M. "Sensitive Marine Environments and the Regulation of Shipping: The Great Barrier Reef Experience," Asia Pacific Journal of Environmental Law, Vol. 4, No. 3, 1999, p. 219-242.

Rome :: essays papers

Rome Personal Imaginative There she was, in all her beauty. She was parked on the corner just were I left her She looked good, She looked hotter than hell. Her shinning poppy red exterior, sparkling likes diamonds. All heads turned by the car’s stunning looks, all ears raised to the sound of the Hi-Po V8 289, equipped with a Paxton supercharger; a sound you just don’t hear but feel. A classic sign of American muscle. My Classic 1966 GT 350 â€Å"Shelby Mustang.† I jumped into the bucket seats, stopping for a moment to observe the car/s beauty , before igniting the engine, only to be satisfied by that usual throaty growl. I eased the stang into first and rolled her out of the car park, towards a set of nearby traffic lights. Here I stopped next to a 1973 Corvette stingray. The Corvette was a nice car, a real looker, and bright orange in colour. The man in the Corvette was about 50 years of age. He was a small man, bald and quite frankly looked harmless; well so I thought. Before I knew it, he looked over at me, giving me an aggressive look, at the same time revving his engine. The look he gave me could only be translated to one thing: He wanted to race. The lights changed to green. Instinctively I slammed my foot on the accelerator, coming down on it like a ton of bricks, and sending the Stang leaping forward as if it was transformed into a wild mustang. The growl of the engine sent vibrations through my body. I was thrown back in my seat due to the force of the acceleration. Behind me I left a wall of smoke, and the smell of burning rubber. In 4.5 seconds I was doing 60 mph, the Corvette growing smaller and smaller through the rear-view mirror. I was amazed. I was doing incredible speeds. At this stage objects out of the window gradually became streaks of colour. I was left unable to distinguish between objects, dodging parked cars and people, within the last millisecond. At those speeds I was enclosed in my own world. I no longer heard the outside world, but only the Magnum wheels screeching, gripping the road like glue. Rome :: essays papers Rome Personal Imaginative There she was, in all her beauty. She was parked on the corner just were I left her She looked good, She looked hotter than hell. Her shinning poppy red exterior, sparkling likes diamonds. All heads turned by the car’s stunning looks, all ears raised to the sound of the Hi-Po V8 289, equipped with a Paxton supercharger; a sound you just don’t hear but feel. A classic sign of American muscle. My Classic 1966 GT 350 â€Å"Shelby Mustang.† I jumped into the bucket seats, stopping for a moment to observe the car/s beauty , before igniting the engine, only to be satisfied by that usual throaty growl. I eased the stang into first and rolled her out of the car park, towards a set of nearby traffic lights. Here I stopped next to a 1973 Corvette stingray. The Corvette was a nice car, a real looker, and bright orange in colour. The man in the Corvette was about 50 years of age. He was a small man, bald and quite frankly looked harmless; well so I thought. Before I knew it, he looked over at me, giving me an aggressive look, at the same time revving his engine. The look he gave me could only be translated to one thing: He wanted to race. The lights changed to green. Instinctively I slammed my foot on the accelerator, coming down on it like a ton of bricks, and sending the Stang leaping forward as if it was transformed into a wild mustang. The growl of the engine sent vibrations through my body. I was thrown back in my seat due to the force of the acceleration. Behind me I left a wall of smoke, and the smell of burning rubber. In 4.5 seconds I was doing 60 mph, the Corvette growing smaller and smaller through the rear-view mirror. I was amazed. I was doing incredible speeds. At this stage objects out of the window gradually became streaks of colour. I was left unable to distinguish between objects, dodging parked cars and people, within the last millisecond. At those speeds I was enclosed in my own world. I no longer heard the outside world, but only the Magnum wheels screeching, gripping the road like glue.

Macbeth Character Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Character Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the tragedy Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, many character traits are portrayed through the various characters throughout the play. Macbeth was one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. It was completed in 1606 and was most likely first performed before King James I and his royal family at Hampton Court. King James I is believed to be a direct descendent of the character Banquo. Probably the most potent character trait expressed in Macbeth would be integrity or the lack there of. Integrity could be defined as doing the right thing at all costs no matter what the consequences or what would be in the persons best interest. In this play the person that displays the most of this character trait would be Macbeth himself. Macbeth shows his lack of integrity in many ways throughout the entire play through his actions towards the other characters, this trait helps to personify what kind of person Macbeth was and what kind of person he was becoming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the play Macbeth is portrayed as an upstanding citizen to Scotland and a man with unending courage. He could do no wrong in the eyes of the king and because of this was presented with many honors. As with any person when they are recognized for what they have done Macbeth became somewhat greedy in his newly found fame and this greed also spread to his wife, Lady Macbeth. With this greed, as you can expect, came a want...

Safety from the Inside Out: Rethinking Traditional Approaches

â€Å"Safety from the Inside Out: Rethinking Traditional Approaches† by Alfie Kohn aims to educate the public regarding the real threat of violence to children. While school shootings and other violent crimes that happen on school grounds gain a lot of media attention, it is far more likely for a child to become the victim of violence off school grounds (Kohn, 2004, 33). Further, children are more likely to suffer from violence at the hands of an adult rather than at the hands of their peers (Kohn, 2004, 33). However, the issue of school violence is analyzed along with the mistaken assumptions of how to respond to school violence. The problem the article tries to address is how to create policy that will be both effective as well as reduce violent acts committed against children while on school grounds. There are several terms that must be defined in order to present a clear picture of the issue. The first is violence which by definition means attempting to or engaging in actions with the goal of inflicting bodily harm or death. This definition is important when discussing violence both in schools and off school grounds. Technical fixes is another definition that directly relates to this article. Technical fixes are technologically advanced pieces of equipment designed to reduce violence and include such things as metal detectors and video cameras. The final term to be defined is zero tolerance. Zero tolerance is the idea that any type of violence or intent to become violent be dealt with swiftly according to a designated set of strict consequences. In response to these definitions, the author of the article assumes that the vast majority of Americans equate violence against students as being violence that happens at school. The author also assumes that Americans believe that technical fixes and zero tolerance policies will solve the problem of violence against students (Kohl, 2004, 34). The orientation of the article strives to make sense of the misguided assumptions that Americans have with regards towards violence against students (Kohn, 2004, 34). It builds upon existing research that proves that teaching anti violence skills to students isn’t enough. The author proposes that students must also be taught how to apply these skills if violence prevention is going to be effective (Kohn, 2004, 35). Further, the author discusses behaviorism and the tendency for humans to preoccupy themselves with behavior rather than looking deeper at the values, reasons and motives behind certain behaviors (Kohn, 2004, 35). Finally, the author argues that when skill based prevention does not work then technical fixes are the answer to the problem (Kohn, 2004, 36). The research the author completed for this article disproves many of these assumptions. Using research as his method, Kohn discovered several discrepancies between what Americans believe and what students actually report about violence. For example, Kohn’s research shows that zero tolerance policies have the opposite of their intended effect. Instead of making students feel safer, zero tolerance policies actually make them feel less safe (Kohn, 2004, 36). Additionally, zero tolerance policies don’t make schools any safer than they were before (Kohn, 2004, 36). As part of his research, Kohn suggests that the threats of zero tolerance policies can be replaced with safe school environment where students are taught to trust and protect one another (Kohn, 2004, 36). Kohn also discovered that teaching students anti violence skills is not as effective as creating schools that are committed to the value of peace so that the physical safety of students is protected (Kohn, 2004, 36). The solution to the article seems to be getting rid of zero tolerance policies that turn children into criminals and replacing them with policies that promote peace and trust among students (Kohn, 2004, 36). According to the author, the consequence of not doing so will ensure that school violence remains a problem. Personally speaking, I think Alfie Kohn has noble goals and ideas to keep children safe at school. However, creating peaceable schools is very difficult because it seems impossible to instill peace values into every single student. The reality is that there will always be a few students who do not care about peace and would rather cause trouble through violence. At the same time, Kohn raises some important questions that I think should be addressed and considered as schools continue to search for a solution to the problem of school violence.

MBIT: What is self-awareness? Essay

Self awareness represents an understanding of our personality or the self. It includes the understanding and discovery of one’s strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Others include understanding our attitudes, values and beliefs. Self-awareness denotes our consciousness and recognition of our self history (Smith, 2008). This means that we understand that we are the same person over time and that we can identify thoughts and actions that we ourselves do. Self awareness is directly related to our ability to communicate. Self awareness is actually developed during our communication with ourselves and others. It is during communication that we learn about what others think about us and what reactions and significance we are likely to cause during communication. The Barnlund’s model illustrates two types of communication: the intrapersonal and the interpersonal communication (Smith, 2005). Intrapersonal communication which is communication with one’s self helps to bring out our innermost qualities through our perceptions, evaluations, inferences, ideas, evaluations and memories. Interpersonal communication which refers to communication with others helps us to understand other people and at the same time discover our strengths and weaknesses. It is only through self-awareness that we can be able to communicate effectively. Self awareness is what enables us to be more strategic in our communication practices. According to Smith (2005), it is only when we understand ourselves that we can be able to gauge and control how we communicate. Understanding others is also essential in our communication and this can only be achieved if we understand ourselves first. For example, a person who does not have self awareness is likely to face challenges when communicating with other people because he is likely to misinterpret other people’s responses to his or her messages. If we do not interact with others and learn our strengths and weaknesses and the contradictions that exist between individuals we may not be able to change our communication behaviors to better express ourselves (Smith, 2005). I have come to realize that my personality may not always allow me to get along with everyone. I am ESFJ according to the MBIT personality tool. I am slightly expressed extravert, slightly expressed sensing, moderately expressed feeling and slightly expressed judging. Since I have more of an average personality, I would have difficulties dealing with aggressive personalities such as the ENTJs. ENTJs will tend to have difficulty seeing things from other people’s perspectives and more likely than not they get impatient whenever others do not see things their way. Better communication with such kind of people would call for proper understanding of their personality and then trying to solve any kind of misunderstanding by expressing my point of view to them. I am slightly expressed extravert which means that I draw energy from action. I prefer processing information through conversing and idleness or inactivity tends to lower my motivation. I am likely to work with introverts who may not be as energetic and who prefer to reflect before acting. I may find that I cannot easily communicate or brainstorm with these kind of people in order to come up with ideas. To deal with this, I would have to be more patient with these people’s personalities. It may mean giving my point of view and then giving them time to act on the idea before making a plausible solution. I tend to make decisions by empathizing with a situation, considering the people involved in the situation and taking a solution that brings greatest consensus. My feelings and personal values must be involved in making important decisions. At my work place, I may meet people who are Thinking (T) instead of feeling (F) as I am. These ones tend to make decisions based on what is reasonable and logical depending on the analysis of the situation. To better interact with these kinds of people, understanding of their personality is essential and sharing my ideas with them will make them understand me better. That way, we can effectively communicate and respect each others’ way of decision making. Word Count: 667 Reference Smith, T. R. (2005). MBIT: On the Path to Self Awareness. London: SAGE

Iron Crowned Chapter 21

For a few moments, we were frozen in time. It was Jasmine who finally got things moving again. â€Å"Oh,† she said. â€Å"Wow.† Kiyo's grip on the form tightened, and for a second, I feared he'd crumple or rip it. Instead, he let it fall to the floor and strode toward me as swiftly and fiercely as his predatory alter ego. I felt Jasmine shift – not away, but closer to me. â€Å"Are you sure?† he asked, in a low, deadly voice. â€Å"About which part?† I snapped. â€Å"That I'm pregnant? Or that it's yours?† â€Å"Both.† I felt my eyes narrow as I continued feeling angry and defensive. â€Å"Yes. Both.† Silence fell. Then: â€Å"When are you getting rid of it?† he asked. â€Å"Christ. You get right to the point.† â€Å"You know the point!† he exclaimed. â€Å"You know what it's always been! You're sure? You're really sure you're pregnant?† I'd had the same questions for Dr. Moore and found myself repeating her answer. â€Å"Yes. The tests are very accurate. Besides, why else do you think they'd schedule me for that?† I pointed to the referral lying on the floor. He might work with animals, but he'd still know what a CVS was. Jasmine, however, did not. She slipped away, gave him a wide berth, and retrieved the paper. â€Å"What's a †¦ chorionic †¦ vil-vil – â€Å" â€Å"It's a test to detect defects,† I said. I gave Kiyo a pointed look. â€Å"And gender.† â€Å"It's a waste of time,† he argued. He swallowed and attempted a kinder, more reasonable course with me. â€Å"Eugenie, you know the danger. You can't waste another day. If anyone finds out – if anyone in the Otherworld – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know! Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I somehow missed the constant rape attempts – and actual rape – based on that prophecy? Damn it, I know better than you what it means! But I can't – I can't get an abortion until I know what it is. If it's a girl or a boy.† â€Å"And then what?† he asked. â€Å"You'll keep it if it's a girl? You always said you weren't sure you wanted to have kids.† â€Å"I'm still not,† I admitted, my voice trembling. A baby – world conqueror or not – had never been on my agenda. â€Å"But I have to know.† His expression darkened, the coaxing gone. â€Å"It's better if you don't. It's better to keep it all anonymous, better not to think of it as a person. Stay ignorant. Just have the abortion and be done.† Jasmine hadn't moved from her spot, her eyes going back and forth as she watched my verbal volley with Kiyo. â€Å"Geez,† she said. â€Å"You don't seem too upset about killing your own kid.† I had been thinking the same thing. His cold detachment shocked me. He flinched and gritted his teeth. â€Å"I never said I'm not upset.† â€Å"But you're not just upset about what this means for the prophecy,† I pointed out. I studied him carefully, realization dawning. â€Å"You don't entirely believe it's yours anyway.† â€Å"Do you blame me?† he asked. â€Å"It's yours,† I said adamantly. The last time I'd been with Dorian, we'd had kinky oral sex. Maybe I hadn't known about antibiotics interacting with birth control pills, but I knew where a guy had to come to make you pregnant. â€Å"I know without a doubt.† This gave Kiyo pause, as though he really were truly pondering the reality of losing his child. â€Å"I told you: I never said I'm not upset about this. But it's got to be dealt with. How could you have let this happen?† â€Å"Oh, nice,† I said. â€Å"It's my fault. If you're so into caution, maybe you shouldn't have fucked me in that grotto.† Jasmine's eyes widened. â€Å"Okay, forget it,† he said tightly. â€Å"And forget your CVS. Just get the abortion while it's still easy. You can't be that far along.† I shot up. â€Å"While it's still easy? Like you know! You're not the one who has to go through it!† â€Å"Why are you fighting me on this?† he exclaimed in disbelief. â€Å"You always said you'd do this. Do you want the prophecy to come true? Do you want to have a son who leads armies here from the Otherworld to conquer and enslave?† â€Å"Of course not! You know that.† â€Å"Then stop wasting time! Look, if you're scared about getting it done †¦ you don't have to do it here.† â€Å"Oh? I can check in at the Otherworld's Planned Parenthood clinic?† â€Å"No,† he said wearily. â€Å"But there are potions. Maiwenn could help. Along with healing, she can work all sorts of other medical magic.† â€Å"I'm sure she can.† I couldn't hide the bitterness in my voice. â€Å"And I'm sure she'd be more than happy to.† â€Å"Eugenie – â€Å" â€Å"Look,† I interrupted. â€Å"Here's how it is. I don't like your attitude. I don't like you dictating this to me like I'm stupid or something. I know the consequences, okay? And you know where I stand on the prophecy. But I just have to know what exactly is in me first. Two days. We just wait two days for the test.† â€Å"And then how long until the results?† he asked. â€Å"More time passes. Every day is dangerous.† â€Å"But what if it's a girl?† This came from Jasmine. Both Kiyo and I turned to her. â€Å"What if Eugenie can have it? You're always going on and on about how awesome Luisa is. Wouldn't you want another one – especially with, like, your actual – sort of – girlfriend?† â€Å"It's not – † Kiyo bit off his words and turned back to me. Those dark eyes studied me, and I felt my anger diffuse as they softened. I felt his love and knew all of this was coming from panic, his fears about the prophecy finally coming true. â€Å"Two days,† he said at last. â€Å"Two days,† I repeated. â€Å"And then I'll do the right thing.† I wasn't exactly sure what the â€Å"right thing† would be if I was having a girl, seeing as motherhood still didn't really jump out at me. But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that I had the choice. Then, abruptly and without warning, Kiyo wrapped his arms around me, crushing me to his chest. â€Å"I love you,† he said, voice shaking. It was the first time he'd spoken those words since we'd gotten back together, and they tore something inside of me. â€Å"But I'm just afraid.† â€Å"I am too,† I said, feeling tears spring into my eyes. Fucking hormones. â€Å"Everything'll be okay.† When he released me, I finally really comprehended that Jasmine had witnessed all of this. The dramatic factor had probably trumped anything she could find on TV. Her face was a blank mask now, which made me uneasy. What was she thinking about all this? For so long, she'd wanted to be the one to have the heir. I supposed she should be all for an abortion. Yet †¦ maybe she was so keen on our father's prophecy that she didn't care who had his grandson, so long as she could ride the power with us. â€Å"I need you to stay with Jasmine tomorrow,† I told Kiyo later, when we were lying in bed. â€Å"I wish she hadn't found out about this. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm worried she'll do something with the information. I could have Volusian watch her like he is now †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I usually summoned my minion for night watches. â€Å"†¦ But I'd feel better with you there.† Kiyo drew the covers up around us. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"Where do you think?† He groaned. â€Å"Eugenie, you can't go back there until this mess is settled. If they find out – if anyone finds out – well. All hell will break loose, from those who are for the prophecy and those who are against it.† â€Å"I have to,† I said. â€Å"I realize now that most of my being sick is because †¦ well, you know. But being apart from those lands is affecting me too. I just need to check in.† No more full-fledged meditation sessions, though. I couldn't risk any more telltale signs of my pregnancy from that intense communion. I'd just do the bare minimum required. â€Å"And not just with the lands' magic. I need to keep an eye on the Rowan Land's transition.† I feared his reaction, particularly after his earlier outburst. Instead, he brushed a kiss to my lips. â€Å"Be careful. Be quick.† â€Å"I will.† I pushed my lips back, kissing him harder. I moved my body closer to his, wrapping our legs together. I was terrified of what was happening, terrified of what I might be carrying. But now, with Kiyo on my side, I felt safe. We would get through this together, and I suddenly wanted to connect with him and feel his love around me. He responded instantly to the kiss, one of his hands tipping my head back in order to consume more of my lips. His other hand gripped my upper arm, nails lightly scratching my skin as animal lust began to take over. Then, abruptly, he stopped and pulled away. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked. I started to say he didn't have to worry about getting me pregnant, but that joke seemed kind of inappropriate. â€Å"Nothing †¦ I'm just †¦ I'm just tired.† He kissed me again, but this time it was on my cheek. â€Å"It's been a long day. Just not up for it tonight †¦ even though you're as sexy as always.† The lightness in those last words seemed forced, and I was glad he couldn't see my frown in the darkness. I had just been rejected because †¦ because why? Having sex during pregnancy wasn't harmful, I knew that much. Was I repulsive? Was the thought that I was carrying Storm King's heir putting him off? Whatever the reason, I didn't buy that he â€Å"wasn't up for it.† We'd been pressed hip to hip moments ago, and his body had most certainly been up for it. A sexless night was the least of my problems, and although neither of us spoke, I knew he slept as badly as I did. We tossed and turned, our movements as disturbing to each other as our individual worries. We both had bloodshot eyes when we woke. I headed off to the Otherworld as soon as I could after breakfast – well, after what passed as breakfast for me. My appetite was still low. Jasmine wasn't happy when I denied her request to come with me, but Kiyo and Volusian's presence was too daunting for her to put up much of a fight. I felt the Thorn Land's welcoming energy when I crossed over, but thankfully, it revealed nothing about my maternal state. My staff was equally happy to see me, particularly Shaya, who looked like she'd thought I wasn't ever going to return. It wasn't an entirely unwarranted fear. She and I sat alone in one of the parlors while she updated me on the situation. â€Å"Rurik feels the Rowan Land is stable enough to move in a governing body. There's still some unrest, and he'll stay on for a while, but most have accepted your rule. It's the way things go. He's also culled the Rowan military and feels you can trust who's left.† I tried not to grimace at that, wondering what his â€Å"culling† had entailed. â€Å"And Katrice and Cassius?† She shrugged. â€Å"Still imprisoned. Awaiting your verdict.† â€Å"I don't really want to do anything with them,† I admitted. â€Å"I don't know what to do with them.† â€Å"Honestly? With Katrice? You could set her free, and it wouldn't matter. Stripping the land from her stripped most of her magic. Her reason to live. She's harmless. Without hope. But Cassius †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Shaya frowned. â€Å"He's dangerous. He can't wrestle the land from you, but he's got enough power to make trouble. Dorian's already written and advised execution.† I scoffed. â€Å"I'm sure he has.† â€Å"Dorian's also provided a list of people he'd like to see installed in the Rowan Land. We settled the resources split, but he feels he deserves a controlling interest in your rule there.† â€Å"A ‘controlling interest?' This isn't a corporation!† I exclaimed. â€Å"Write him and make it very, very clear that his help isn't needed over there. It isn't wanted. He has no right to it. Tell him all of that.† Shaya hesitated, fretfully toying with one of her black braids. â€Å"No matter how diplomatically I word that †¦ well, the antagonism will still come through. It'll anger him.† â€Å"Good,† I retorted. Dorian was a safe target for my churning emotions at the moment, and God knew I needed some sort of outlet. â€Å"Let him be angry or pout or whatever. I'm pretty sure he isn't going to declare war on me.† It was something I'd figured out recently. Dorian had been an advocate of using the Iron Crown to scare other monarchs, but the thing was, now that we weren't together anymore, he had to realize it could be used against him too. I actually hadn't had to give in to his â€Å"spoils of war† demands. That had been a kindness on my part, and he knew it. I didn't have to fear Dorian. I no longer needed him. â€Å"Very well,† Shaya replied. Her tone was obedient, but I knew she dreaded that letter. She'd never lost her devotion to him, and I was forcing her to split her loyalties. â€Å"But we do need someone to manage the Rowan Land †¦ unless you're going to do it personally.† â€Å"No,† I said swiftly, not that I needed to. She'd already known I had no interest in it. â€Å"Do you have someone in mind?† â€Å"Yes†¦. Me.† I wasn't exactly surprised that she'd step up to the task. I was surprised, however, that she didn't look particularly upset about it. Maybe she relished the challenge. â€Å"I'm cool with that,† I said. â€Å"Hell, after what you did around here, I know you can get Rowan into shape. But †¦ who's going to run things here?† â€Å"I was thinking Nia could.† â€Å"Nia?† I asked, startled. â€Å"My hairstylist?† Shaya crooked me a grin. â€Å"What do you think she does when you're not around? She's been helping me and learning†¦. I think she'd do very well. There'd be others to assist her, and, of course, she could always contact me.† It was still an unexpected choice, but Shaya seemed confident. And, I supposed, we'd gotten the Thorn Land into good enough shape that it now functioned pretty smoothly. â€Å"Okay,† I said at last. â€Å"Let's make it happen. When do you plan on moving?† â€Å"Today,† she said. â€Å"I'll go when you go. My things are packed.† I couldn't help laughing. â€Å"You knew I'd agree. And you knew I'd refuse Dorian.† Shaya put on her primmest look, but her eyes sparkled. â€Å"Yes, Your Majesty.† I walked the Thorn Land before leaving, long enough to reassure the land I was there and boost the morale of the soldiers guarding my keep. Not that they needed it. We were victorious, and they were still celebrating. I'd donned my gold crown for the trip to the Rowan Land, and my men regarded me with adoration, calling out cheers for their brave, all-powerful queen. What would they do if they knew? I wondered. What would they do if they knew I was carrying a potential warlord? Somehow, it wasn't much of a mystery. They would cheer more. They would worship me and revel in the chance to extend our rule. It made me eager to go to the Rowan Land, where I was feared rather than adored. Of course, I didn't know if that was any better. If those people knew I was carrying Storm King's grandchild, it would simply intensify their fear and convince them more than ever that they were under the control of a tyrant queen. Kiyo was right, I realized. No one in the Otherworld could know about my pregnancy. Any reaction it drew would be a powerful one. The sooner I could leave, the better. Borrowed soldiers from the Thorn Land still made up the bulk of the guard at Katrice's former castle, and their expressions mirrored those of their colleagues back home. I played the part, smiling and walking among them confidently, not daring to show the fear and uncertainty I felt. Like the Thorn Land's, the Rowan Land's energy buzzed around me. Only I felt it, of course, but once, when I paused and talked to a guard for several minutes, I saw a small red flower growing where I'd stood. No one noticed, and I hastily headed for the castle, figuring nothing would sprout out of stone walls. Rurik greeted us happily, having already known about Shaya's new position. As we all converged, I saw something flash between them, something that surprised me. Affection. More than friendly affection. It was then that I also noticed a bracelet Shaya wore, made of emeralds and pearls. I'd seen it before. Girard had been working on it when I first met Imanuelle. It was the piece Rurik had commissioned. I tried not to gape as the truth hit me. Shaya and Rurik. They had a relationship going on, some romance, probably one that had been building right before me that I'd been too oblivious to notice. That was why she hadn't minded taking on stewardship of a kingdom conquered through unorthodox means. No one else seemed to notice – or maybe everyone already knew about them – but as I stood there and listened to more debriefings, I felt a pang in my chest. It was like Tim and Lara – and not because both couples were so bizarrely matched. No, the similarities came in that it was so easy for all of them. Just fall in love and go with it. No political machinations and motives. No world-altering prophecies to muck things up. I'd untangled myself from Dorian's scheming – and not without a fair amount of heartache – but things with Kiyo now were irrevocably altered. No matter how my pregnancy panned out, even if it had as happy an ending as it could, I knew things between him and me would never be the same. I would never have an easy relationship. Queasiness welled up in me, and I didn't bother trying to figure out which of the myriad reasons could be causing it. I leaned against the wall as Rurik continued speaking about troop placement. Even though it wasn't part of the land, the wall and castle's foundation touched the land, and I felt that magic warm and comfort me. I took a deep breath. I could do this. Everything would be all right, just as I'd told Kiyo. I'd know my child's gender soon. Then I'd know what to do. My intention had been to stay around longer and make sure Shaya was settled in, but I soon decided I needed to get back. The others looked like they would have liked me to stay a little longer too, but they were also used to my weird – or as they considered them, â€Å"human† – ways. I assured them all that I had the utmost faith in them, reminded Shaya to rebuke Dorian, and then headed back to Tucson as soon as I could. When I arrived home and analyzed how I'd been feeling today, it occurred to me that the transitions from world to world were making me sick. Transitioning wasn't an easy feat in general; some couldn't even do it. I'd grown adept at it, but now, it took its toll, even with the help of a gateway. I understood enough about pregnancy to know these annoying symptoms only lasted for a short time, but that didn't negate their annoyance. I didn't want anything slowing me down. I didn't want to be hampered. My body was turning against me, and Kiyo's urging just to end the pregnancy began to seem like a better and better idea. What did gender matter? I wasn't ready for this. He was relieved to see me back early and wrapped me up in another big embrace. â€Å"Everything's okay?† he asked in a low voice. â€Å"Nobody found out?† I shook my head. â€Å"No. And I'm not going back until †¦ until this is settled. I'm also starting to think †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† he prompted. â€Å"That you were right. That gender doesn't matter. The test is so close, though †¦ I'll still do it. But. Well. Like I said, it doesn't matter.† Relief flooded his features. â€Å"I'm glad, Eug. It's the right thing to do.† He hugged me again, and the hug was filled with more intensity. â€Å"You can always cancel the test.† â€Å"No, I'll do it. Especially after the fit I threw with my poor doctor.† â€Å"I wish I could go with you,† he said wistfully. â€Å"But I'm not sure I can. I'm taking a couple of work shifts.† Are you? Or are you running off to Maiwenn? â€Å"It's fine,† I said. â€Å"You wouldn't be able to find out anything that day anyway.† â€Å"But you'll let me know the moment you know?† he asked, staring at me hard. â€Å"The very moment.† Kiyo might not have been able to go with me †¦ but Jasmine did. Ostensibly, I told myself it was because she couldn't be left by herself. Yet, deep inside, when I really looked at my heart, I knew the truth. I didn't want to go through this alone. I knew what the test entailed, and even if we got no answers today, it was still one step closer to what could be a huge event. â€Å"You can do it, you know,† Jasmine told me. I'd let her come into the exam room with me. It was dimly lit for the ultrasound equipment, and the doctor and tech had stepped out so I could change. Undressing in front of Jasmine felt weird, so I kept my back to her as I put on the hospital gown. â€Å"Do what? This test?† â€Å"No. I mean, yeah, whatever, you'll be fine. But I mean, have the baby. Whatever it is. Even a boy. You can fulfill our father's prophecy.† There was a zeal in her voice I hadn't heard in a while – one I'd hoped had gone away. Gowned, I turned around. â€Å"No. That's out of the question. If it's a boy †¦ well, I can't have it. End of story. A girl †¦ I don't know. I'm probably not doing that either.† I couldn't help adding, â€Å"Besides, I thought you wanted to be the heir's mother.† Her face was deadly earnest as she considered my words. â€Å"I did. But maybe I'm not meant to.† The staff returned and situated me on the examining table while Jasmine retreated to a corner. They introduced themselves: Dr. Sartori and Veronica the tech. They explained the procedure to me, though I'd already read up on it several times. The doctor was going to – ack – stick a giant needle in me to collect cells and would use ultrasound to guide him. He made sure I understood the risk of such a test. A small percentage of women miscarried. Dryly, I told him I was willing to accept that. Veronica raised the gown to bare my stomach. As she rubbed gel on it, I stared down wonderingly. Honestly? It looked no different than in the past. I'd always been skinny, and with my lack of appetite, I probably wasn't putting on much weight. If not for my symptoms and Dr. Moore's â€Å"very accurate† test, I never would have guessed what was inside me. And what was inside me? My stomach took on a strange, sinister countenance. Again, I had that feeling of my body's betrayal. It was doing things out of my control. â€Å"Okay,† said Veronica, moving the paddle to my stomach. â€Å"Let's take a look.† Both she and Dr. Sartori watched a black monitor that had my name, birthday, and a few other stats at the bottom of the screen. When the paddle made contact, the screen flared to life, showing the indecipherable gray and white confusion I'd always seen when people had ultrasounds on TV. I could make no sense of it nor see anything resembling a baby, but sound immediately accompanied the images, repetitive swishing noises, kind of like waves. I at least knew what that meant. â€Å"That's the heartbeat, isn't it?† I asked, a strange feeling crawling over me. Heartbeat. Another creature's heart inside of me. Neither practitioner answered right away. Dr. Sartori frowned curiously, and Veronica shifted the paddle around to get more views. â€Å"Huh,† said the doctor. â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. Two immediate possibilities sprang to mind. One was that my gentry blood mixing with Kiyo's kitsune blood had created some sort of monster. The other thought – one that suddenly offered a world of safety – was that there had been a mistake. The test wasn't accurate, and I actually wasn't pregnant. â€Å"Isn't that the heartbeat?† Dr. Sartori's gaze fell on me, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"That's the heartbeats. You have twins.†

Career Episode – Civil

Career Episode 3 a) Introduction This career episode describes my working activity from September till October 2xxx. I was working as a group leader at the design of water-supply and sewerage works and networks of the FFF Bauxite Mine and of a town situated in Komi Autonomous Republic. b) Background. After reviewing the background data I had to define water-supply sources, to calculate water consumption for domestic, industrial and fire safety purposes of the mine industrial area and the town. I also had to estimate sewage runoff and to select appropriate water and sewerage works.I had to foresee the measures devoted to environmental protection. As usual I closely collaborated with relative specialists- prospecting specialists, electrical engineers, water engineers and metallurgical specialists. For this design I carried out all the necessary calculations, developed the principal main water-supply and sewerage works schemes, water consumption and water removal balance schemes. All th e calculations were carried out on a computer. While I was working on the project I took part in the negotiations with the customer, where we discussed the engineering and environmental protection problems.After completing my work I gave the explanatory note to my customer for approval. c) Personal workplace activity. For this design I studied a lot of materials which contained the information about hydrological, geological and climatic parameters of the designed industrial site area. I analysed accounts of preliminary and detailed groundwater prospecting for household water-supply. The careful study of this information made it possible for me to offer the disposition of water-intake works ( artesian wells ) not at the place recommended at the reliminary prospecting. That fact excluded the possibility of chemical and bacterial contamination of the water supply source. I carried out the calculations of water consumption for domestic, industrial and fire safety needs. On the basis of these calculations I developed the water-supply scheme. This scheme was as follows: Water from the water-intake wells is distributed by the pumps to the regulating reservoirs intended for the water collecting before the pumping station of the second raising.The pumps at the pumping station of the second raising discharge water from the regulating reservoirs to the reservoirs where fire-proof, emergency and controlling reserve of water is kept. From the reservoirs the water flows under gravity to the circular network. I made provision for a special installation of the regulating valves with the electric drive in the wells near the tanks in order to pass the fire safety reserve of water. In this project I made an important decision regarding environmental protection. I offered to disinfect potable water at the bactericidal plants.Besides, I foresaw the reserved disinfection of water with the solution of natrium hypochlorite obtained from the solution of salt in the electrolyses. For t his design we (my group under my direction) worked out the borders of sanitary protection zones for water-supply sources and water storage tanks. We kept in view the further development of our object. We also included all the sanitary steps around the zone territory according to the construction standards and rules. On the industrial areas of the mine I designed the recycling water supply systems for a diesel power station, for a crushed stone factory and for a car-washer.I estimated and selected the following works and networks of the recycling water supply systems: recycling water-supply pumping stations, water-cooling towers, car-washer sewage water treatment plants, recycling water pipe-lines. These recycling water supply systems allowed to reduce fresh water consumption. The recycling water supply systems make 92 percent of the whole mine water-supply in this design. I also calculated the following sewerage systems: household, industrially-storm and industrial ones. For the hou sehold sewerage system I estimated and selected sewerage pumping stations, domestic sewage treatment plants, sewerage networks.At the disposal works waste water passes step by step the intake chamber, the racks, the grit catchers and then enters the mixing chamber. The aluminium sulphate solution and chlorine water are fed there to improve oxidising of ammonia nitrogen. Then sewage enters the sedimentation tank, where settling takes place to separate the main part of pollutants. In order to remove residual organic pollutants and unsettled suspended matter the further sewage treatment goes on by the oxidation on the surface of the pores filter bed. Treated sewage water enters the contact chamber for the disinfection.In my explanatory note I gave the description of all the sewerage works and represented the tables of pollutants concentrations in household sewage before and after the purification. I also represented the results of the suspended matter and biological oxygen demand ( BOD ) sewage purification degree design taking into account the process of the mixing with water of the river, in which sewage is discharged after purification. Disposal works which I have selected ensure household sewage purification up to the maximum concentration limits that in turn permit to discharge sewage into basins important for fish industry.I also made provision for storm water treatment. Storm water full of black oil from the territory of lubricating materials storehouse, from a car park and garage, sewage from the repair shops enter the storm water treatment plants. Here sedimentation and purification take place on the filters. After purification storm water isn’t discharged into the basin but it is utilised in the hydraulic ash removal system of the boiler house and partly used to fill the recycling water supply systems of HPP ( heating power plant ). I also designed the second sewage utilisation for the industrial sewerage system.Sewage from the hydro-washing of t he floors of crushed stone factory and of grinding-sorting factory enters the pumping station and then the sewage flows to the ash dump of HPP to fill the recycling water supply systems. In this project I had to solve the problem of the FFF bauxite mine quarry water treatment working together with the water engineer and the specialist of our institute scientific research department. I provided for the sewage treatment and the sewage discharge into the river belonging to the fish-industry basins of the extra quality, where the pollutants content was carefully controlled by the present legislation.The mine quarry water is a mixture of treated industrial water and water pumped from the mine underground roadways. The water is generally polluted by the suspended matter and the oil products. First the quarry water flows into the sedimentation tank. In the sedimentation tank the averaging of seasonal movements of water consumption and the partial suspended matter sedimentation takes place. To achieve the required purification degree I developed the process flow sheet with the reagent water treatment and the following filtration. The flow sheet includes:The suspended matter treatment in the sedimentation tank with natrium aluminate as a coagulant. Filtration. The pollutants content after the purification meets the specifications of the maximum permissible concentrations of the controlled components for fishing basins. To achieve the required purification degree I provided for the centralised control of the process, the automatic adjustment of the parameters and the analytic control of the quality of influents and effluents. To ensure reliable work and optimal sanitary-engineering conditions all the reservoirs equipment is provided by the special devices.These devices give warning signals if the limiting value is achieved. All the equipment and all the pipe-lines which are exposed to the aggressive medium acting are protected by the special corrosion proof coverage. d) Summary. In this design many tasks and problems were accomplished. They are closely connected with water-supply, water draining, sewage treatment, environmental protection of the designed object. Developing this design, I managed to apply all my knowledge and skills of a construction engineer. The design was approved and co-ordinated by the customer.