Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 32~33

32 The Missionary Position The guards came for Tucker at sunset, just as he was slipping into the cotton pants and shirt the doctor had left for him. The doctor's clothes were at least three sizes too big for him, but with the bandages he had to put them over, that was a blessing. He still had his own sneakers, which he put on his bare feet. He asked the guards to wait and they stood just inside his door, as straight and silent as terra-cotta soldiers. â€Å"So, you guys speak English?† The guards didn't answer. They watched him. â€Å"Japanese, huh? I've never been to Japan. I hear a Big Mac goes for twelve bucks.† He waited for some response and got none. The Japanese stood impassive, silent, small beads of sweat shining through their crew cuts. â€Å"Sorry, guys, I'd love to hang around with you chatterboxes, but I'm due for dinner with the doc and his wife.† Tuck limped to the guards and offered each an arm in escort. â€Å"Shall we go?† The guards turned and led him across the compound to one of the bungalows on the beach. The guards stopped at the steps of the lanai and Tuck dug into his pants pockets. â€Å"Sorry guys, no cash. Have the concierge put a couple of yen on my bill.† The doctor came through the french doors in a white ice cream suit, carrying a tall iced drink garnished with mango. â€Å"Mr. Case, you're looking much better. How are you feeling?† â€Å"Nothing wrong with me one of those won't cure.† Sebastian Curtis frowned. â€Å"I'm afraid not. You shouldn't drink alcohol with the antibiotics I have you on.† Tucker felt his guts twist. â€Å"Just one won't hurt, will it?† â€Å"I'm afraid so. But I'll make you one without alcohol. Come in. Beth is making a wonderful grouper in ginger sauce.† Tucker went though the french doors to find a bungalow decorated much like his own, only larger. There was an open kitchen nook where Beth Curtis was stirring something with a wooden spoon. She looked up and smiled. â€Å"Mr. Case, just in time. I need someone to taste this sauce.† She was wearing a cream-colored Joan Crawford number with middle line-backer shoulder pads and buff-colored high heels. The dress was straight out of the forties, but Tuck had been around Mary Jean long enough to know that Mrs. Curtis had dropped at least five hundred bucks on the shoes. Evidently, missionary work paid pretty well. She held a hand under Tuck's chin as she presented the spoon. The sauce was sweet citrus with a piquant bite to it. â€Å"It's good,† he said. â€Å"Really good.† â€Å"No fibbing, Mr. Case. You're going to have to eat it.† â€Å"No, I like it.† â€Å"Well, good. Dinner will be ready in about a half hour. Now, why don't you men take your drinks out on the lanai and let a girl do her magic.† Sebastian handed Tuck an icy glass filled with an orange liquid and garnished with mango. â€Å"Shall we?† he said, leading Tuck back outside. They stood at the railing, looking out at the moon reflecting in the ocean. â€Å"Would you be more comfortable sitting, Mr. Case?† the doctor asked. â€Å"No, I'm fine. And please call me Tuck. Anyone calls me Mr. Case more than three times, I start thinking I'm going to get audited.† The doctor laughed, â€Å"We can't have that. Not with the kind of money you're going to be making. But legally, you know, it's tax-free until you take it back into the United States.† Tuck stared out at the ocean for a moment, wondering whether it was time to give this gift horse a dental exam. There was just too damn much money showing on this island. The equipment, the plane, Beth Curtis's clothes. After Jake Skye's lecture, Tuck had imagined that he might encounter some sweaty drug-smuggling doctor with a Walther in his belt and a coke whore wife, but these two could have just flown in from an upscale church social. Still, he knew they were lying to him. They had referred to the Japanese as their â€Å"staff,† but he'd seen one of them carrying an Uzi out behind the hangar. He was going to ask, he really was, but as he turned to face the doctor, he heard a soft bark at the end of the lanai and looked up to see a large fruit bat hanging from the edge of the tin roof. Roberto. The doctor said, â€Å"Tucker, about the drinking.† Tuck pulled his gaze away from the bat. The doctor had seen him. â€Å"What drinking?† â€Å"You know that we saw the reports on your – how should I put it?† â€Å"Crash.† â€Å"Yes, on your crash. I'm afraid, as I told you, we can't have you drinking while you're working here. We may need you to fly on very short notice and we can't risk that you might not be ready.† â€Å"That was an isolated incident,† Tuck lied. â€Å"I really don't drink much.† â€Å"Just a momentary lapse of judgment, I understand. And it may seem a bit draconian, but as long as you don't drink or go out of the compound, everything will be fine.† â€Å"Sure, no problem.† Tuck was watching the bat over the doctor's shoulder. Roberto had unfurled his wings and was turning in the sea breeze like an inverted weather vane. Tuck tried to wave him off behind the doctor's back. â€Å"I know this may all seem very limiting, but I've worked with the Shark People for a long time, and they're very sensitive to contact with outsiders.† â€Å"The Shark People? You said you'd explain that.† â€Å"They hunt sharks. Most of the natives in Micronesia won't eat shark. In fact, it's taboo. But the reef fish here often have a high concentration of neurotoxin, so the natives developed shark as a food source. You would think that the sharks, being higher on the food chain, would have a higher concentration of the toxin, wouldn't you?† â€Å"You'd think,† Tuck said, having no idea whatsoever what the doctor was talking about. â€Å"They don't, though. It's as if something in their system neutralizes the toxin. I've done a little research in my spare time.† â€Å"I've seen a lot of shark shows on the Discovery Channel. They go on and on about how harmless sharks are. It's bullshit. Half of these stitches you put in me are because of a shark attack.† â€Å"Maybe they don't have cable,† the doctor said. Tuck turned to him, amazed. â€Å"A joke, Doc?† The doctor looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"I'm going to go see how dinner is coming along. I'll be right back.† He turned and went into the house. Tucker bolted to the end of the lanai where Roberto was hanging. â€Å"Shoo. Go away.† Roberto made a trilling noise and tried to catch Tuck's drink with his wing claw. â€Å"Okay, you can have the mango, but then you have to get out of here.† Tucker held out the piece of cut mango and the fruit bat took it in his wing claw and slurped it down. â€Å"Now get out of here,† Tucker said. â€Å"Go find Kimi. Shoo, shoo.† Roberto tilted his head and said, â€Å"Back off on these people, Tuck. You push them too hard, they'll pull your plug. Just keep your eyes open.† Tuck moved away from the bat with stiff jerking steps out of the line dance of the undead. The bat had said something. It was a tiny voice, high but raspy, the voice of a chain-smoking Topo Gigio, but it was clear. â€Å"You didn't talk,† Tucker said. â€Å"Okay,† said Roberto. â€Å"Thanks for the mango.† Roberto took off, the beat of his wings like the shuffle of a deck of leather cards. Tuck backed though the french doors into a wicker emperor's chair and sat down. â€Å"Come sit,† Beth Curtis said as she carried a tray to the table. â€Å"Dinner's ready.† â€Å"What kind of drugs have you been giving me, Doc?† â€Å"Broad-spectrum antibiotics and some Tylenol. Why?† â€Å"Any chance they could cause hallucinations?† â€Å"Not unless you were allergic, and we'd know that by now. Why?† â€Å"Just wondering.† Beth Curtis came to him and patted his shoulder. Her nails, he noticed, were perfect. â€Å"You had a fever when they brought you in. Sometimes that can give a person bad dreams. I think you'll feel a lot better after a good meal.† She helped him up and led him to the table, which was set with a white tablecloth and black linen napkins around a centerpiece of orchid sprigs arranged in a crystal bowl. A whole grouper stared up between fanned slices of plantain on a serving tray, his eye a little dry but clear and accusing. Tuck said, â€Å"If that thing starts talking, I want to be sedated – and right now.† â€Å"Oh, Mr. Case.† Beth Curtis rolled her eyes and laughed as they sat down to dinner. Tuck could almost feel his body absorbing the nourishment. He told them the story of his journey to the island, exaggerating the danger aspect and glossing over his injuries, Kimi, and his craving for alcohol. He didn't mention Roberto at all. By the time Tucker was in the typhoon, the Curtises were well into their second bottle of white wine. Beth's cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm for Tuck's every word. Tuck really intended to ask about Kimi, their cryptic messages, the guards, the rules for his employment, and of course, where the hell all the money came from, but instead he found himself playing to Beth Curtis like a comedian on a roll and he left the bungalow at midnight quite taken with both himself and the doctor's wife. The Curtises stood arm in arm at the door as the guards escorted Tucker back to his quarters. Halfway across the compound, he did a giddy turn and waved to them, feeling as if he had been the one to consume two bottles of wine. â€Å"What do you think?† the Sorcerer asked his wife. â€Å"Not a problem,† she said, keeping a parade smile pointed Tuck's way. â€Å"I really expected him to be a little more resistant to our conditions.† â€Å"As if he's in a position to bargain. The man has nothing, is nothing. He shatters this little illusion we've given him and he has to face himself.† â€Å"He looks at you like you're some sort of beatific vestal virgin. I don't like it.† â€Å"I can handle that. You just get flyboy ready to do his job.† â€Å"He'll be able to fly within a week. He brought up his navigator again while we were outside.† â€Å"If he's here, you'd better find him.† â€Å"I'll speak to Malink tonight. The Micro Spirit is due in day after tomor-row. If we find the navigator, we can send him back on the ship.† â€Å"Depending on what he's seen,† she said. â€Å"Yes, depending on what he knows.† Tucker Case entered his bungalow feeling satisfied and full of himself. Someone had turned on the lights in his absence and turned down the bed. â€Å"What, no mint on the pillow?† He changed into a pair of the doctor's pajama bottoms and grabbed a paperback spy novel from a stack someone had left on the coffee table. They had a TV. There had been a TV in the Curtises' bungalow. He'd have to ask them to get him one. No, dammit, demand a television. What did Mary Jean always say? â€Å"You can sell all day, but if you don't ask for the money, you haven't made a sale.† Good food, good money, and a great aircraft to fly – he'd stumbled into the best gig on the planet. I am the Phoenix, rising from the ashes. I am the comeback kid. I am the entire 1980 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team. I am the fucking walrus, coo-coo ka-choo. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, caught his reflection in the mirror. His mood went terminal. I am never going to get laid again as long as I live. I should have pressed them about Kimi. I didn't even ask about what in the hell kind of cargo I'm going to be flying. I am a spineless worm. I'm scum. I'm the Hindenburg, I'm Michael Milken, Richard Nixon. I'm seeing ghosts and bats that talk and I'm stuck on an island where the only woman makes Mother Theresa look like a lap dancer in a leper colony. I am the man who put the F in failure, the P in pathetic, the G in gullible. I am the ringworm poster boy of Gangrene City. I'm an insane, unemployed bus driver for the death camp cartel. Tuck went to bed without brushing his teeth. 33 Chasing the Scoop Natives slept side by side, crisscrossed, and piled on the deck of the Micro Spirit until – with a thu showing here, or a lavalava there, streams of primary color among all that gelatinous brown flesh – it looked as if someone had dropped a big box of candy in the hot sun and they had melted together and spilled their fillings. Amid the mess, Jefferson Pardee, rolled and pitched with the ship, finding three sleeping children lying on him when the ship moved to starboard, a rotund island grandmother washing against him when the ship listed to port. He'd been stepped on three times by ashy callused feet, once on the groin, and he was relatively sure he could feel lice crawling in his scalp. Unable to sleep, he stood up and the mass moved amoebalike into the vacated deck space. A three-quarter moon shone high and bright, and Pardee could see well enough to make his way through to the railing, only stepping on one woman and evoking colorful island curses from two men. Once at the rail, the warm wind washed away the cloying smell of sweat and the rancid nut smell of copra coming from the holds. The moon's re-flection lay in the black sea like a tossing pool of mercury. A pod of dolphins rode the ship's bow wave like gray ghosts. He took several deep breaths, relieved himself over the side, then dug a bent cigarette out of his shirt pocket. He lit it with a disposable lighter and exhaled a contrail of smoke with a long sigh. Thirty years in the tropics had given him a high tolerance for discomfort and inconvenience, but the break in routine was maddening. Back on Truck, he'd be toweling off the smell of stale beer and the residue of an oily tumble with a dollar whore, preparing to pass out with a volume of Mencken under his little air conditioner. No thought of the day to come or the one just passed, for one was like the next and they were all the same. Just cool cloudy sleep that made him feel, if only for a minute, like that young Midwestern boy on an adventure, exhausted from passion and fear, rather than a fat old man worn down by ennui. And here, in the salt and the moonlight, on the trail of a story or maybe just a rumor, he felt the fungus growing in his lungs, the pain in his lower back, the weight of ten thousand beers and half a million cigarettes and thirty years of fish fried in coconut oil pressing on his heart, and none of it – none of it – was so heavy as the possibility of dashed hopes. Why had he opened himself up to a future and failure, when he had been failing just fine already? â€Å"You can't sleep?† the mate said. Pardee hadn't heard the wiry sailor move to the rail. He was drinking a Bud tallboy, against regulations, and Pardee felt a craving twist like a worm in his chest at the sight of the can. â€Å"You got another one of those?† The mate reached into the deep front pocket of his shorts, pulled out another beer, and handed it to Pardee. It was warm, but Pardee popped the top and drank off half of it in one gulp. â€Å"How long before we make Alualu?† Pardee asked. â€Å"Three, maybe four hour. Sunrise. We drop you on north side of island, you swim in.† â€Å"What?† Pardee looked down to the black waves, then back at the mate. â€Å"The doctor no let anyone go on the island except to bring cargo. You have to swim in on other side of island. Maybe half mile, maybe less.† â€Å"How will I get back to the ship?† â€Å"Captain say he will swing back around the island when we leave. Captain say he wait half an hour. You swim back out. We pick you up.† â€Å"Can't you send a boat?† â€Å"No boat. No break in reef except on south side where we unload. We have many fuel barrel and crates. You will have seven, maybe eight hour.† Pardee had seen the Spirit arrive in Truk lagoon a thousand times; the ship was always surrounded by outboards and canoes filled with excited natives. â€Å"Maybe I can get one of the Shark People to ferry me.† He did not want to get in that water, and he certainly didn't want to swim half a mile to shore, wasn't sure he could. â€Å"Shark People no have boat. They no leave island.† â€Å"No boats?† Pardee was amazed. Living in these islands without a boat was akin to living in Los Angeles without a car. It wasn't done; it couldn't be done. The mate patted Pardee's big shoulder. â€Å"You be fine. I have mask and fins for you.† â€Å"What about sharks?† â€Å"Sharks afraid around there. On most island people afraid of shark. On Alualu shark afraid of people.† â€Å"You're sure about that?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Oh, good. Do you have another beer?† Three hours later the rising sun lay like a silver tray on the horizon and Jefferson Pardee was having swim fins duct-taped to his feet by the first mate. The deck bustled with excited natives eating rice balls and taro paste, smoking cigarettes, shitting over the railings, and milling around the ship's store, trying to buy Cokes and Planter's cheese balls, Australian corned beef, and, of course, Spam. A small crowd had gathered around to watch the white man prepare for his swim. Pardee stood in his boxer shorts, maggot white except for his forearms and face, which looked like they'd been dipped in red barn paint. The mate stuffed Pardee's clothes and notebook into a garbage bag and handed it to him, then slathered the journalist with waterproof sunscreen, a task on par with basting a hippo. Pardee snarled at a group of giggling children and they ran off down the deck screaming. Pardee heard the ship's big screws grind to a halt and the mate unhooked a chain gate set in the railing. â€Å"Jump,† he said. Pardee looked at the crystal water forty feet below. â€Å"You're out of your fucking mind. Don't you have a ladder?† â€Å"You can't climb ladder with fins.† â€Å"I'll take the fins off until I get in the water.† â€Å"No. Straps broken. You have to jump.† Pardee shook his head and the flesh on his shoulders and back followed suit. â€Å"It's not gonna happen.† Suddenly the children Pardee had frightened came running around the bridge like a squealing pack of piglets. Two little boys broke formation and ran toward the journalist, who looked around just as he felt four tiny brown hands impact with his back. Pardee saw sky, then water, then sky, then the island of Alualu laying on the sea like a bad green toupee, then the impact with the water took his breath, ripped the mask from his face, and forced streams of brine into his sinuses strong enough to bring blood. Before he could even find the surface, he heard the ship's screws begin to grind as the Micro Spirit steamed away. Two excited boys shook Malink awake. â€Å"The ship is here and the Sorcerer is coming!† The old chief sat up on his grass sleeping mat and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He slept on the porch of his house, part of the stone foundation that had been there for eight hundred years. He stood on creaking morning legs and went to the bunch of red bananas that hung from the porch roof. He tore off two bananas and gave them to the boys. â€Å"Where did you see the Sorcerer?† â€Å"He comes across Vincent's airstrip.† â€Å"Good boys. You go eat breakfast now.† Malink went to a stand of ferns behind his house, pulled aside his thu, and waited to relieve himself. This took longer every day it seemed. The Sorcerer had told Malink that he had angered the prostate monster and the only way to appease him was to quit drinking coffee and tuba and to eat the bitter root of the saw palmetto. Malink had tried these things for almost two full days before giving up, but it was too hard to wake up without coffee, too hard to go to sleep without tuba, saw palmetto made his stomach hurt, and he seemed to have a headache all the time. The prostate monster would just have to remain angry. Sometimes the Sorcerer was wrong. He finished and straightened his thu, passed a thundering cannonade of gas, then went back to the sitting spot on the porch to get his cigarettes. The women had made a fire to boil water for coffee; the smoke from the burning coconut husks wafted out of the corrugated tin cookhouse and hung like blue fog under the canopy of breadfruit, mahogany, and palm trees. Malink lit a cigarette and looked up to see the Sorcerer coming down the coral path, his white lab coat stark against the browns and greens of the village. â€Å"Saswitch† (good morning), Malink said. The Sorcerer spoke their lan-guage. â€Å"Saswitch, Malink,† the Sorcerer said. At the sound of his voice Malink's wife and daughters ran out of the cookhouse and disappeared down the paths of the village. â€Å"Coffee?† Malink asked in English. â€Å"No, Malink, there is no time today.† Malink frowned. It was rude for anyone to turn down an offer of food or drink, even the Sorcerer. â€Å"We have little Tang. You want Tang? Spacemen drink it.† The Sorcerer shook his head. â€Å"Malink, there was another man here with the pilot you found. I need to find him.† Malink looked at the ground. â€Å"I no see any other man.† The Sorcerer didn't seem angry, but just the same, Malink didn't like lying to him. He didn't want to anger Vincent. â€Å"I won't punish anyone if something happened to him, if he was hurt or drowned, but I need to know where he is. Vincent has asked me to find him, Malink.† Malink could feel the Sorcerer staring a hole in the top of his head. â€Å"Maybe I see another man. I will ask at the men's house today. What he look like?† â€Å"You know what he looks like. I need to find him now. The Sky Priestess will give back the coffee and sugar if we can find him today.† Malink stood. â€Å"Come, we find him.† He led the Sorcerer through the village, which appeared deserted except for a few chickens and dogs, but Malink could see eyes peeking out from the doorways. How would he ex-plain this when they asked why the Sorcerer had come? They passed out of the village, went past the abandoned church, the graveyard, where great slabs of coral rock kept the bodies from floating up through the soil during the rainy season, and down the overgrown path to Sarapul's little house. The old cannibal was sitting in his doorway sharpening his machete. Malink turned to the Sorcerer and whispered, â€Å"He rude sometime. He very old. Don't be mad.† The Sorcerer nodded. â€Å"Saswitch, Sarapul. The Sorcerer has come to see you.† Sarapul looked up and glared at them. He had red chicken feathers stuck in his hair, two severed chicken feet hung from a cord above his head. â€Å"All the sorcerers are dead,† Sarapul said. â€Å"He is just a white doctor.† Malink looked at the Sorcerer apologetically, then turned back to Sarapul. â€Å"He wants to see the man you found with the pilot.† Sarapul ran his thumb over the edge of his machete. â€Å"I don't know what happened to him. Maybe he went swimming and a shark got him. Maybe someone eat him.† Sebastian Curtis stepped forward. â€Å"He won't be hurt,† he said. â€Å"We are going to send him out on the ship.† â€Å"I want to go to the ship,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I want to buy things. Why can't we go to the ship?† â€Å"That's not the issue here, old man. Vincent wants this man found. If he's dead, I need to know.† â€Å"Vincent is dead.† The Sorcerer crouched down until he was eye-to-eye with the old cannibal. â€Å"You've seen the guards at the compound, Sarapul. If the man isn't at the gate in an hour, I'm going to have the guards tear the island apart until they find him.† Sarapul grinned. â€Å"The Japanese? Good. You send them here.† He swung his machete in front of the sorcerer's face. â€Å"I have a present for them.† Curtis stood. â€Å"An hour.† He turned and walked away. Malink ambled along behind him. â€Å"Maybe he is right. Maybe the man drown or something.† â€Å"Find him, Malink. I meant it about the guards. I want this man in an hour.† â€Å"He is gone,† Sarapul said. â€Å"You can come out.† Kimi dropped out of the rafters of Sarapul's little house. â€Å"What is he talking about – guards?† â€Å"Ha!† Sarapul said. â€Å"He knows nothing. He didn't even know I had this.† Sarapul reached down and pulled out a headless chicken he had been sitting on. â€Å"He is no sorcerer.† â€Å"He said there were guards.† Kimi said. Sarapul laid his chicken on the ground. â€Å"If you are afraid, you should go.† â€Å"I have to find Roberto.† â€Å"Then let them send the guards,† Sarapul said, brandishing his machete. â€Å"They can die just like this chicken.† Kimi stepped back from the old cannibal, who was on the verge of foaming at the mouth. â€Å"We friends, right?† â€Å"Build a fire,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I want to eat my chicken.†

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Why May Protectionist Policies Increase Rather Than Decrease During a Period of Increasing Globalisation?

Why may protectionist policies increase rather than decrease during a period of increasing globalisation? Some countries may decide to protect their domestic market during a period of increasing globalisation, especially if economy is in a fragile state at that moment. One way they could protect themselves from cheaper imported goods and services import restrictions. These can be tariffs, for example a tax, or quotas, which limit the goods and services produces abroad and sold domestically.Governments may decide to restrict imports for different reasons. For many countries, tariffs provide a significant source for government revenues and money from taxes could be used to develop the economy, to make the domestic market more competitive and also to protect industries at moments of decline or the infant industries which are not enough mature nor large to be able to compete with international businesses.Governments may use import restrictions to protect population’s health and sa fety, or they may even ban all imports of a particular good if it is seen as a threat for the consumers, for example Red Bull was banned in France due to its high caffeine content and some experts thought that it may be deadly in some situations. Import restrictions protect domestic industries, having a positive effect on employment, as decreasing imports and increasing domestic production also increases domestic employment.Fewer unemployed people would decrease poverty rates and would increase wealth of those who are in work. Lower unemployment would decrease the amount of money spent on benefits and government could use the money to spend elsewhere, for example on health, education, public goods which would therefore increase welfare ever more. Quotas would protect local industries from foreign imports that may be sold at a lower price in the domestic industry, as the foreign producers may engage in unfair trade practises, such as dumping imports at prices lower that the costs of production. Read also Analyze the Ways in Which British Imperial PoliciesThese protectionist policies are usually good for the domestic economy, however for the consumers they are definitely not. Consumers have to pay higher prices for the imported goods. These restrictions reduce competition and local businesses may increase their prices, while firms will benefit from higher profits, consumers will suffer from loss of welfare, due to higher prices and restricted consumer choice.Firms will no longer have incentives to become more productively efficient or to engage in research and development, it may encourage inefficient allocation of resources. In reality is much more complicated, because if one country will start to use protectionist policies, other countries are likely to respond and start using them too. This would reduce international trade, having a negative effect on economy, employment and wages.

Monday, July 29, 2019

International Project Management Association Essay

?International Association of Project and Program Management (IAPPM) Vision- (iappm. org 2013) To enhance and add value to our global members and the project community at large allowing them to manage projects and programs successfully using the right tools, skillsets and methods. Mission- (iappm. org 2013)As a worldwide global project organization IAPPM will create value together with our members, project communities, business partners and corporations by leveraging our content, collaboration and business management insight. The IAPPM focuses on project and program management in the private sector, offering their insight to partners, PM communities, and members globally. International Project Management Association (IPMA) Vision- (ipma. ch, 2013) Our Vision: IPMA is the leading authority on competent project, programme and portfolio management (PPPM). Through our efforts, PM best practice is widely known and appropriately applied at all levels of public and private sector organizations. IPMA directs attention to the portfolio aspect as well as project management on a global scale. IPMA also includes public sector project management for governments and other public agencies. American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (ASAPM) Vision- (asapm. org, 2013) asapm is the U. S. A. ’s premier Project and Program Manager performance-based credentialing organization, and a tireless advocate of effective project management practice throughout all organizations. Appropriate and effective elements of PM Performance are widely demonstrated and acknowledged, not just by PM practitioners, but by all individuals in all organizations. ASAPM acknowledges interest and membership for any individuals for membership. ASAPM also claims to be part of IPMA as an American focused branch. Project Management Institute (PMI) PMI does not have a vision statement. They do however, have list of core values. From these values I infer PMI focuses on certifying and advancement of PM professionals. They also clearly define and explain project management to inquisitive and unaware. References http://www. iappm. org/about. htm http://ipma. ch/about/ http://www. asapm. org/a_home. asp http://www. pmi. org/

Event management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Event management - Essay Example Groups of related event usually stage up the pre-event and the post event requirements, preparations, site an event management area, the impact of time frames, number of guests required, food prepared with respect to the scales and the intended target groups of events. An example of an event is the graduation ceremonies held in the schools, which require event related operations. Through this operation, a student will be able to understand what is required in the event. Guest invited, parents and any other target get to know what time is the event starting, and all the other proceedings. These events help to design the programs to be followed in a particular span of time. This program designed to help eliminate much time wastage since most of time an event that is not designed with relevant programs tends to extend to late hours hence frustrating the attendees. They also help to give the chronological analysis of the presentations in the events. Each event has a unique way to handle the running activities that have to be effectively designed and followed. Team organizer and designer of the programs is first selected to discuss on how to conduct the event in a unique way that will attract the guests and the other attendees. Logistical arrangements are then made by the event team to determine the amount of the time to be consumed by the related event, the number of the guests invited the event also helps to determine whether the site put aside for the sole purpose of the event will accommodate the number of the people require to attend the event. Some other teams are selected to formulate the branding of the event especially the event are not seasonal or they require high attention. Event operation management is basically about getting things done effectively and efficiently in an organization. They aim at delivering a product or a

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Appendix C math Algrebra Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Appendix C math Algrebra - Speech or Presentation Example Answer the following questions. Use Equation Editor to write mathematical expressions and equations. First, save this file to your hard drive by selecting Save As from the File menu. Click the white space below each question to maintain proper formatting. 1. In this problem, we analyze the profit found for sales of decorative tiles. A demand equation (sometimes called a demand curve) shows how much money people would pay for a product depending on how much of that product is available on the open market. Often, the demand equation is found empirically (through experiment, or market research). a. Suppose a market research company finds that at a price of p = $20, they would sell x = 42 tiles each month. If they lower the price to p = $10, then more people would purchase the tile, and they can expect to sell x = 52 tiles in a month’s time. Find the equation of the line for the demand equation. Write your answer in the form p = mx + b. Hint: Write an equation using two points in the form (x,p). A company’s revenue is the amount of money that comes in from sales, before business costs are subtracted. For a single product, you can find the revenue by multiplying the quantity of the product sold, x, by the demand equation, p. The costs of doing business for a company can be found by adding fixed costs, such as rent, insurance, and wages, and variable costs, which are the costs to purchase the product you are selling. The portion of the company’s fixed costs allotted to this product is $300, and the supplier’s cost for a set of tile is $6 each. Let x represent the number of tile sets. There is a loss of $300 when no tiles are sold. The variable cost is also 0 since no tiles are sold but the company has to incur the fixed cost as the fixed cost does not depend on the production of tiles. Hence company makes a loss of $300. 4. A customer wants to make a teepee in his backyard for his children. He plans

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Do Legislators represent their constituencies economic perspectives Term Paper

Do Legislators represent their constituencies economic perspectives - Term Paper Example One of the aspects that are of our concern is the bailout that tried to stabilize the economy after it crashed in the last decade. The proposal allowed the transfer of $700 billion to the Department of Treasury to purchase declining property that financial firms lost their money on. This paper will also focus on whether or not legislators equally represent their low-income constituents as much as they represent their high-income constituents. As much as it would be believable that representation is equal among everyone, there are many reasons why this is not the case. Because of the inequality of wealth in America, the poor become very poor and the rich become very rich. Likewise, when congressional representatives run for election the price is very high and they need support to be elected. This support is more likely to come from people who have enough money compared to the poor and middle class people who are concerned about their own needs. Both of these aspects will help uncover and answer the burning question regarding our legislators. Pertaining to the Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP), better known as the bailout, the infusion of money was supposed to prevent large banks from going under and losing everything. It started in 2007 when many banks had loaned out mortgages to people who defaulted, or could not pay back. Soon losses were obvious and many knew of the situation but tried to cover up the problem. This made many banks insolvent in the period between late 2007 and 2008. The TARP was written to prevent a complete economic collapse caused by side effects of banks bankrupting. However, from the point of view of legislators, this helped the rich bankers who lost a lot on their poor investment choices leaving out the poor people that had been affected. Both conservatives and liberals did not appreciate the bill. For conservatives, the bill went against their belief in free market. For liberals, the bill benefited wealthy people

Friday, July 26, 2019

Emirates Airways Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Emirates Airways - Essay Example The company also has advantages gained from operating from Dubai since the employees pay is not taxed. The company invests heavily in the training of its workers and it was the first airline to launch a flight simulation course for its cabin crew. The training the employees receive also assists in building the customers experience on board the planes and also the employee’s future job marketability. Due to the cosmopolitan nature of the 48,000 employees as well as the global aspect of its operations, the company has consistently insisted on a non-unionization policy though this is still under further deliberation (Emirates, 2012). Planet Emirates airlines have led from the front where environmental responsiveness is concerned. Recognizing that the airline industry is responsible for over 2% of the global carbon emissions, the airline launched it ‘Environment’ program in August 2008 to streamline the green operations of its worldwide services. This program has been successful so far with new planes being sourced from eco-efficient companies and the first of these was an Airbus A380 (GreenAir, 2011). The staff has been trained in eco-efficiency with vibrant awareness campaigns and ambitious internal targets which have helped cut internal energy wastage and consumption by 37% in the past three years. The employees have been trained on measures aimed at increased waste recycling. The company boasts of starting is environmental responsiveness and sustainability measures well before it became a norm when in 1997, they sponsored the Dubai Desert Conservation reserve (Emirates, 2010). Apart from internal measure s, the company also sponsors many events and initiatives worldwide that are aimed at environmental conservation such as the Wolgan resort in Australia. Inside an Emirates plane, one will encounter one of the most eco-friendly kitchens with paper recycled being over 110 tons (GreenAir, 2011). The planes adopt navigational techniques that help minimize emissions and fuel usage as well as prevent time wastage. The Profit According to the company’s financial report (2013), the company has been consistently delivering a profit for 25years and its operations have been growing year in year out. In the 2012/2013 year the company reported an operating profit growth of 56.6%. The owner attributed profit grew by 52% to peak at AED 2,283 Million. This was against a backdrop of increased fuel costs as well as persistent pressures on the revenues. The crises in the Middle East, the volatile major currency exchange rates, as well as a weakened environment economically were other factors tha t threatened the company’s profitability. The company managed to grow the funds of its shareholders by 3.2% to stand at 10.4%. The stakeholders Emirates airline is the world’s largest air cargo carrier in terms of weight (Hagey, 2009). The

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Structural engineering Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Structural engineering Class - Essay Example The house was designed by Spanish architects Sola-Morales and Cadaval (dezeen). It can be seen in the picture that a major portion of the house is built in cantilever. It not only obviates the need to provide structural members at the base to support the overhanging portion, but also provides the inhabitants of the house with more space to live in without consuming any space at the base. Houses with cantilever portions can have large areas for gardening or verandahs. Why is the cantilever principle an important factor in structural work? Cantilever principle is widely employed in all sorts of construction works. The biggest advantage it offers to the constructor is that it obviates the need to provide one of the two main supports at the free end of the structural member. This results not only in decreasing the amount of material needed for the construction of structure, but also makes the structure look quite elegant. The free hanging portion of the structural member lends it a beaut iful dramatic look, that adds a lot to the overall beauty of the whole structure. In the contemporary age where look of the structure is considered of prime importance, cantilever principle helps the constructor achieve the very purpose without having to compromise upon the safety of the structure.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Systemic review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Systemic review - Essay Example People have come up with different ways to lose weight, some of which are legit, and others not (Cawley and Price, 2013). Information has been posted in the internet and is available to all. But, is it that easy to find? In a bid to discern whether weight loss has anything to do with money as has been proposed, a research needed to be done. A financial incentive involves motivation of an action by monetary gain that would not otherwise happen in absence of the money. So many sources in the internet were available to use and it was necessary to carry out a research to determine the trustworthy sources from which the information could be obtained and thus the research objective. In order to provide trustworthy sources from which this information can be obtained. The search was conducted in the worldwide population because one country would be limited in the information it has, and that all over the world, financial incentives would be a motivator, suffice to say that what causes one to put effort to lose weight in one country is the same everywhere (Cawley and Price, 2013). Six databases were searched including CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo, Science Direct, Web of Science and Pub Med. The phrase searched within the databases was ‘Financial incentives and weight loss and adults’. The databases were chosen for different reasons. PubMed (national library of medicine) was chosen because it is a national institute of health and thus contains a wide catalogue and variety of articles on health, which works for the health related topic. It is also widely used and well known (Cawley and Price, 2013). Science Direct was chosen because it contains a large pool of information, is a very broad and commonly used database containing a wide variety of different scientific disciplines including health. The aim was to draw information from a different pool of resources to cross analyze it with more specific

Critical paper for the film Whatever Works by woody Allen Essay

Critical paper for the film Whatever Works by woody Allen - Essay Example His most reoccurring theme in this movie is hard and painful life experienced by many Americans. He further manages to bring out the uncertainty of life. Through these issues, we as humans can reflect on our lives and learn to appreciate our time on earth due to the inevitability of death. His work provides an insight into the philosophy of life to the current and future generation. Like Boris, the present and future generations will realize that harsh realities of life and sufferings impact them enormously, as well as their works. With proper planning and wise decisions, people can easily evade misfortunes and lead better lives, not like the one led by Boris. What I find interesting is that Boris continually insults people, but despite this, people still love him. He does this in a humorous, innovative, and creative way. He adopts impressive and witty lines to inform the people of their foolishness and stupidity in the movie. It is evident when he is accused of hitting a young child with a chessboard, but he defends himself by stating, â€Å"I did not hit with it, I picked it up and dumped the piece on his head as an object lesson, to shake him out of his vegetable torpor†. It is interesting to learn that Boris does not come across as sour and unpleasant to the people he always insults. Majority of the people like and appreciate him since he is uniformly funny especially when delivering his insults. However, Allen appears to be provocative in his movie. I find the scenes in his film depicting majority of Americans as conservative and sexually repressed provocative. To him, any American citizen outside New York is ignorant and unenlightened on the current lifestyle. In addition, he says that they are homosexuals who do not find opposite sex attractive, but would rather make love to sheep. This movie provokes the rest of Americans. It creates bad blood between the rest of America and New York. Such words can cause

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Estimating the Ebola Epidemic by Kai Kupferschmidt Case Study - 81

Estimating the Ebola Epidemic by Kai Kupferschmidt - Case Study Example Because of this, society should be open to multiple points of view and cultures, that is, have the characteristics of pluralism and multiculturalism.   Medicine has no boundaries, but people build them and then break them every day. The Ebola disease is a very acute problem of the last half of a year. Scientists and doctors create computer models to predict the countries which may next fall the victims to Ebola. Its rapid spread is a result of: â€Å"the modelers are hampered by the paucity of data on the current outbreak and lack of knowledge about how Ebola spreads." (Kupferschmidt 2014). But it is not only the problem of scientists but only of the governments.   So here we can say that the theory of a flexible political system and pluralism within the country, brought to life, could have been much more useful than creating models. If all the countries were able to cooperate in spite of the political/cultural and other disagreements the vaccine could have been found many years ago. The World’s Contest between the countries slows down their ability to cooperate. And one thing more, Popper was also a proponent of critical rationalism, the main ideas of which are based on the fact that: â€Å"the knowledge must be as objective as possible and doesn't depend on the judgment of individuals or groups† (Popper 1966) So, we can make an inference that if the modern scientists were more critical when studying some problems they may get better results. In the case of Ebola disease, here we can say that critical and much broader view on this case could help.   So, in conclusion, I would like to point out, that the problem of Ebola disease may be eliminated much earlier if the humanity would have accepted the point of view of K. Popper; medicine could develop quicker and better; the countries interrelations on the field of science would be better.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Differences in Teaching Styles Essay Example for Free

Differences in Teaching Styles Essay â€Å"Young children too may die†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (The New England Primer 129). When reading this statement it is difficult to comprehend that this is written in a children’s book. The New England Primer is the book that was used to teach Puritan students to read in the 1700’s. There are many differences in the way that students were taught in the 1700’s and how they are taught today. A few of these differences are; that in the 1700’s, being taught religion was more important than to gain actual knowledge, and learning to have obedience and morals was an important part of a child’s school day, the content of The New England Primer and other modern children’s books, as well as the ultimate reason for children learning to read is altogether different. Religion was the main focus of the reading in The New England Primer. Today, children are taught to read by using a list of ABC’s, and saying, â€Å"A is for Apple, B is for Boy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and it is made so that it is easier for younger students to understand. The list of ABC’s in The New England Primer has the letter and then a picture next to it, but instead of having a word that would make it easier for the children to understand there is a sentence such as, â€Å"A – In Adam’s Fall/ We Sinned all, B – Thy Life to Mend/ This Book Attend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (The New England Primer 128) but some were more appealing to the students (Kreilkamp), â€Å"The Cat doth play/ And after flay, Nightengales fing/ In Time of Spring† (The New England Primer 128). The students learned in the book through sin, disobedience, and death, instead of learning through things that children learn through today such as dogs, love, and happiness. All of the ABC’s sentences are about God and the Bible, so there is no room for the child to disagree with any part of the ABC’s. The children read about things such as, God’s Works, Fall of Adam, Jesus, Justification, Adoption, and Sanctification. These are things that are important for a child to learn, but also make it harder for them to read with large words and concepts that are difficult to understand. Children today read about things that interest them and have different reading levels to make learning to read easy and fun. If a child today were handed The New England Primer they probably would not want to read it or may not even have the ability to read it. The Puritan children did not know anything other than The New England Primer, so they did not have anything to compare it to. The children in the 1700’s saw God and Jesus as, â€Å"the avenging father and a forgiving son† (Watters 2) because that is how The New England Primer portrays them. In the time between the 1660’s and the 1690’s, God went from being portrayed as an angry and wrathful God, to being a loving and caring God. (Elliot 13-14) The New England Primer failed to show that shift in beliefs so the children would continue to fear God and obey their parents and elders. The parents wanted the students to have a thorough understanding of God, Jesus, and the Bible, so it was the first thing that they learned and everything was based on this particular concept. The New England Primer was used to teach students to read as well as to teach them to be obedient and to have good morals. It tells the students that Adam and Eve were sinful and disobedient so they were punished by God, but it also says that children are guilty for their own thinking and deserve continued punishment. The children read, â€Å"The Dutiful Child’s Promises†, which is a list of things that a dutiful child does, or strives to do. The children are told to â€Å"honour my Father Mother† and to â€Å"Fear God and honour the King† (The New England Primer 129). The children were also told to follow the Ten Commandments, which were also to be memorized so that God could â€Å"read† them. This shows how fearful and compliant the children are to their parents and to God. The children also were encouraged to memorize â€Å"The Dutiful Child’s Promises† so that they could use it to make correct and obedient decisions. Punishments for the Puritan children were emphasized in the ABC part of The New England Primer, by â€Å"F – The Idol Fool Is whipt at School†. This was an additional warning to the students that they must behave in the classroom or there will be punishments. The punishments in the 1700’s and today are very different, back then teachers could hit their students with rulers, but today teachers may not even raise their voices with students without the risk of losing their jobs. The first theme that you read about in The New England Primer is death, and death is a very heavy topic for children in today’s age for many different reasons. In the 1700’s, children understood death, better than children today, because it surrounded them every day. The hardships that the Puritans faced are nothing like any young student today could possibly understand. Death is understood by the Puritan children, and when The New England Primer says, â€Å"Rachel doth mourn for her fifst born†, the children understand it because they many of them have lost a sibling because of the lack of medical knowledge in the 1700’s. It seems dark and depressing to people today, because today’s society is uncomfortable with talking about death and dying. For the children in the 1700’s it was just a way of life and something that happened every day. The New England Primer emphasized that very point in the Verses of â€Å"The Dutiful Child’s Promise† in saying that death does not only take away the old, but that children can die as well, and so they need to be prepared when they do die to go to Heaven. Children today are getting saved, but they are not doing so to get prepared for death, they are getting ready to serve God with all of their heart and soul. Students today are being taught with the mind set of learning everything they can to reach their own personal goals in life. In the 1700’s the reason for reading was very different from the way that it is today. The parents wanted to children to be able to read so they could read the Bible, not so they could learn about different topics or to read for enjoyment. When educating students today, it is understood that it is the end goal for teachers to help the students get ready to be able to provide a living for themselves with the knowledge that they learn, but in the 1700’s it wasn’t necessary to learn to read for any other reason than the bible because the poems emphasized how to live and act. The New England Primer was â€Å"designed to provide, Spiritual Milk for American Babes† (Anthology of American Literature) and to keep them from being tempted by Satan and other religions that may try and tempt them. The people of the 1700’s believed that there were, â€Å"millions to read, and not one to sin† (Anthology of American Literature), which means that it was believed that the people who read The New England Primer, understood what God wanted them to do and how He wanted them to live, never sinned again, for fear of angering God. The idea of people never sinning again from reading a book is not accurate and students today will read and understand what is going on in the book and be able to enjoy it. The New England Primer was the most important book in teaching Puritan students in the 1700’s to read, but the most important book that they could read was the Bible. The Puritans emphasized their belief in God in every aspect of their lives, especially in teaching their children to e good and kind members of the Puritan community. Teachers of student’s today want to see their students progress and keep learning even after they have learned how to read, because it teaches them about the world that we live on and what is going on outside of their houses and towns. There are many differences between the teachings in the 1700’s and the teachings today, but in the end the important thing is teaching the students to read.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Making Physics More Realistic with Fiction

Making Physics More Realistic with Fiction Gabriel Alcantara One of the many questions that students who takes any major or minor subject, particularly physics, either in elementary or in college that actually makes sense is â€Å"When am I going to use what I have just learned in the real life?† But in reality, physics is found everywhere, from our cars and cell phones, the way we walk and interact with things, throwing stuff, to some of the not so familiar topics like in subatomic particles and in comic books. Some teachers and professors are looking into ways on how to present these ideas and concepts without making the student sit through hours of leaden and tedious technical discussions. From fictional examples and situation, to extraordinary cases like lifting a star and preventing falls with a single hand, students slowly realize that physics is just as important as breathing and clothing. And one good example of fictional, but true, example of the application of the concepts learned in physics is found in comic book superheroes. Now, the thought of superheroes is logically impossible, but their actions and their â€Å"super incredible powers† presented in comic books and in movies are actually governed by the laws of physics and nature (Trusted, 1991). From electricity, to lifting heavy objects, to shooting lasers out of nowhere, their power is also present in the real world, but in a less amazing and rather simple manner. In theory and in practice, the concepts of physics found in the stories of comic book superheroes helps in developing the logic of students to understand physics. As more and more teachers resort to more exciting and easy-to-understand examples which the students can relate, more and more students who have the same question above are now finding light in comic book superheroes. As any student who have gone through the first day of physics class, it is clear that physics is essentially the study of matter and energy; physics is an experimental science which deals with the basic elements of the universe and their interactions. (Young Freedman, 2012). There are a lot of theories and laws which govern the interaction of one matter to the other, and one of them is Newton’s laws of motion. There are 3 laws in it, which are the laws of inertia (an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an external force), acceleration (force is equal to mass times acceleration), and action and reaction (for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction). Physics also deals with electromagnetism, which is mainly concerned with particles having an electric charge, which is just either a positive or a negative charge property of a particle (Jones Childers, 1993). There are also discussions about momentum (which is the product of the objectâ€℠¢s mass and its velocity or speed), impulse (the change in momentum), and collision between two objects, whose examples are fairly simple, but not as exciting to learn. But, in order to do physics, one must have energy, either potential (energy at rest) or kinetic (energy in motion). With all these examples of the concepts in physics, their examples are just as technical as their discussion. One can deal with the laws of motion by observing the movement of a ball in a vacuum and applying external force, throwing a ball out of a cliff, pushing a wall, and a big winded wire induced by electricity to produce a massive electromagnet. These examples may seem simple enough to comprehend, but the physics in them is what makes them dreary to understand. One can simply put off the explanation by stating that the velocity, time, and height by which a ball drops from the cliff to the ground can be computed using the kinematic equation and the students just substitute values and solve. But one can make things a little more challenging by putting childhood favorite superheroes as examples. By replacing the ball with Gwen Stacy falling and Spider-Man catching her, students will get an essence of just how important these values are in the comics and in the real world. Comic book superheroes didn’t just exist out of nowhere, it also had a history. According to Wandtke (2012), from the early comic strips in England whose purpose varied from entertainment to revolutionary movements, a lot of today’s superheroes came from snippets of these strips. Amazing Stories and Astounding Stories were one of the early comic book novels, which were mass produced in newspapers and in print, and one of the earliest superheroes was Superman, who was a creation of Siegel and Shuster, which came from the idea of a bizarre visitor from another world with powers greater than any man known on earth who came to save humans from evil (Gifford, 1984). Superman first came known to print in the Action Comics #1 in 1938. After Superman, a lot of heroes joined in, like Flash (who had powers of incredible speed), Hawk-Man (power of flight), Captain America (Amazing strength from a â€Å"super soldier† serum, now called steroids), and Batman (with the occasio nal appearance of his sidekick Robin). In 1962, a boy named Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider, who surprisingly lived, and became Spider-Man. Most of the beginnings of superheroes reflected their time, from the Great Depression to the World War, and discoveries in science like radioactivity and quantum mechanics (Daniels, 1995). With the rise of heroes came along with their enemies, like the Joker, the Green Goblin, Electro, Magneto, and many others. The addition of these villains added suspense and action to the stories. Several ages came into play, with heroes ranging from the Silver Age to the Golden Age, with one example of a Silver Age Flash meeting his Golden Age counterpart through an alternate universe (Duncan Smith, 2009). Movie adaptations of these comic books were released, which closely resembles the comic book counterpart with an addition of unexpected scenes. Now, what do comic book superheroes have to do with physics? A professor named James Kakalios of the University of Minnesota, who is an avid fan of comic books, started to use these heroes to conceptualize physics, as most us are unaware that most of the time, comic books gets their science right. While one may think that this is a silly idea, the fact that students can learn such a complicated subject like physics in such a sophisticated and animated way like in comic books is a great way to capitalize on an innovative way to teach something without hurting. Let’s take into consideration the case of the death of Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man’s girlfriend. The story goes as the Green Goblin kidnaps Gwen Stacy, bringing her to the top of Washington Bridge, luring ‘Spidey’ into battle, then dropping off Gwen to her apparent doom, but Spidey manages to catch her, by which to his surprise that she is dead. Supposing that Gwen weighs 50 kg, fell for half a second (0.5s ) and fell from 300 ft., she would have fallen with a speed of about 95 miles an hour, and the force needed by Spider-Man’s web to stop her would have to be 10 times the acceleration due to gravity (Kakalios, 2005). This explains the â€Å"SNAP† sound located next to her on the comic strip of her fall. This shows that it was the webbing of Spider-Man that killed Gwen and the concept of physics involved here were the definition of velocity and acceleration, momentum and impulse, and force. The same discussion also explains the physics behind airbags and how they prolong the time from the impact to rest (Jacobson, 2012). Compared to the earlier examples, this is easier to understand and visualize because most of the students are interested with Spider-Man and the discovery of something new. An example of when they get it right is in an issue of Super Boy (young Superman) where he coils a locomotive with metal wires, induces a current, and gets a big electromagnet. This d emonstrates simple electric induction where some may find it difficult to understand due to the terminologies like induction and repulsion and conductors and charges, but with Super Boy’s example, it all becomes clearer and easier(Weiner, 2008) (Kittel Knight, 1973). But sometimes, comic books get it wrong too. Another way to represent physics, particularly electromagnetism, is through Spider-Man’s villains, Electro and Magneto (whose names obviously represent the concept of physics they embody). In a scene where Electro faces Spider-Man, Spidey throws a metal chair to Electro and Spider-Man says that any metal can act like a metal rod, neglecting the fact that it has to be grounded for it to become a lightning rod (Jones Childers, 1993). But an episode in Superman actually gets it right when he drags someone, whom he tries to get information from, and runs along telephone cable wires, to the man’s panic, but Superman reassures him that they would be electrocuted unless the wires is grounded or when he steps on a telephone wire pole (Daniels, 1995). Students can easily learn electricity through this: wires or any conductor has to be grounded for it to become effective. But one shouldn’t be assured that the concepts presented are true all the time. But then again, Cyclops (a single eyed hero who shoots lasers from his eye band) got Newton’s Third Law of Motion wrong when he blasts a hole through the ceiling of Grand Central. If Newton’s Third Law of Motion holds, then he should have experienced an opposite reaction equal to his action of blasting a hole, unless he has a super neck strength (Booker, 2010). Present day objects are also works of the science that powers superheroes. An example is the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) where one’s body can be examined live using magnetic repulsion from a user generated magnetic field, polarizing (splitting and dividing) the water molecules, and pinging the target level for examination (Young Freedman, 2012). The same technology is used by Magneto, Spider-Man’s enemy, where he levitates himself using magnetic repulsion. This has not been done by, and to, a human being, but a group of researchers has managed to levitate a frog (Simon Geim, 2000). Another one is through Iron Man. His suit can be comprehended today part by part. The jet boots is something which many have tried doing, but only few have successfully flown 10 feet or higher. The exoskeleton suit is being worked up by the military for defense purposes and also it is being developed for those who have paralysis and body defects. The science behind the helmet, which co ntrols the suit according to the comics, is technologically feasible. Some technologies in Japan and America have done prototypes which allow mouse pointer manipulation through the signals sent by the mind to the helmet ([Distinctive Voices], 2010). And one perfect example for that is Stephen Hawking and how he is able to communicate through signal waves converted to audio through a machine on his wheelchair. But the Arc Reactor is an exemption to the rule, being purely fictional for now, for no technology today, which could explain how something on earth could how such enormous power in a small, confined space ([Russell Scott], 2014). A very complicated topic in physics, which is hard to understand from a simple person’s point of view is quantum mechanics. Quantum physics or mechanics deals with the behavior of a particle, particularly on a molecular, atomic, or in the nuclear scale (Young Freedman, 2012). It has to do with wave functions with the inclusion of Schrodinger’s equation which just simply states that force is equal to mass times acceleration for electrons, much like Newton’s second law of motion. This governs the existence of parallel and alternative universes, which up to now, has not yet been proven to exist. Using Schrodinger’s equation, given the force, there is a huge probability of locating the position of a certain electron in space (Beiser, 1967). Given a radioactive isotope (same element, different mass number) and the equation will give the probability of it having a half-life (reducing the original amount of substance by half through a time interval). Something o n a subatomic particle scale is hard to comprehend and represent, but comic books may provide some light in the teacher’s burden in teaching this topic. On the issue of the Flash # 123, four years after Everitt formulated a theory which states that there is a parallel and alternate universe and using quantum mechanics, one can go from one universe to another on a subatomic level (Booker, 2010). In the Flash issue, the Silver Age Flash meets up with his Golden Age counterpart, through which scientific explanation of Everitt’s theory was presented. The concept of time warp or time travel, which is synonymous to parallel and alternate universe theories, is not new to comics. A lot of science fiction movies have shown the movement of one person to another world through a machine of abduction of aliens. And in another comic book called The Atom, which talks about a physics professor who was trying to develop a shrinking ray, but was missing one key ingredient: a piece of a white dwarf star (because of the dwarf in the name) (Gifford, 1984). Quantum mechanics tells us that dwarf star weighs almost 50,000 tons, thus making it very dense. But the professor was seen huffing and puffing every line that he said in the speech balloon, which adds to the fact that that star was really dense. But essentially, with the white dwarf star, The Atom could exploit quantum mechanics and go beyond the atomic level, shrinking himself proportional to this atomic structure. While quantum mechanics does not disapprove of this, the ability to shrink someone has not yet been done or proven as of today (Wandtke, 2012). With all the given examples, of course not every concept of physics is present in comic books, so one should not rely on comic books to learn physics. One concept that has little instances of comic books is the concept of flight. With many superheroes with capes are seen flying, like in the case of Superman, physics cannot explain this phenomenon since there is no action from nature that could cause a cape to fly a 150 kg man (presumably) over the clouds. The concept of flight of airplanes doesn’t work on capes, and less likely on magic carpets. Another one would be how a normal human being could grow to as huge as hulk in a matter of seconds. Even with a huge amount of radioactive material, there is little chance that someone could be as strong as hulk, save for the bigger probability that a person could die due to radioactive contamination. Another is the explanation of Thor’s hammer. No one on earth could lift up Thor’s hammer, and science doesn’t have the knowledge to tell us what is inside Thor’s hammer (Kakalios, 2014). With an increasingly complicated world, people begin to overlook even the simplest of things in order to go directly to the big picture. With so many technicalities around, people are finding it harder to follow the trend of technology and the science behind them. But if one can present the idea to their audience in a manner which they could effortlessly grasp the main idea, then more people could be educated about a certain topic. Studies have shown that there is a declining rate of the student’s performance due to their teacher’s beliefs and methods of teaching (Caprara et al., 2005). Cases like this should not be overlooked and should be solved within the classroom. There are a lot of fun and meaningful ways to present concepts without the jargons. But when it comes to physics, there is no harm done in presenting it, superhero style. As long as the topic is relevant and correct, comic books can be seen, not just as a nuisance, but as an educational material worth giv ing attention to. REFERENCES: Beiser, A. (1967). Concepts of modern physics (Rev. Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Blackwell, L., Trzesniewski, K., Dweck, C. (2007). Implicit Theories of Intelligence Predict Achievement Across an Adolescent Transition: A Longitudinal Study and an Intervention. Child Development, 78 (1), 246-263. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.00995.x Booker, M. (2010). Encyclopedia of comic books and graphic novels. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood Press. Caprara, G., Barbaranelli, C., Steca, P., Malone, P. (2005). Teachers self-efficacy beliefs as determinants of job satisfaction and students academic achievement: A study at the school level. Journal of School Psychology, 44 (6), 473-490. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2006.09.001 Daniels, L. (1995). DC comics: Sixty years of the worlds favourite comic book heroes. London: Virgin Books. Duncan, R., Smith, M. (2009). The power of comics: History, form and culture. New York: Continuum. Gifford, D. (1984). The international book of comics. New York: Crescent Books. Jacobson, R. (2012, October 11). Spider-Math and Bat-Physics: Science in a Superhero World. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/getting-superheroes-to-do-their-spider-math-and-bat-physics/ Jones, E., Childers, R. (1993). Contemporary college physics (2nd Ed.). Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley. Kakalios, J. (2014, November 12). Finally, Science Explains Why No One Can Lift Thor’s Hammer. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.wired.com/2014/11/can-hulk-lift-thors-hammer/ Kakalios, J. (2005). The Physics of Superheroes. New York, New York: Gotham Books. Kittel, C., Knight, W. (1973). Mechanics (2d Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Roxas, C., Arevalo Jr., J. (1985). A History of Komiks of the Philippines and Other Countries. Quezon City: Islas Filipinas Publishing. Simon, M., Geim, A. (2000). Diamagnetic levitation: Flying frogs and floating magnets (invited). JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, 87 (9), 6200-6204. Trusted, J. (1991). Physics and metaphysics: Theories of space and time. London: Routledge. Wandtke, T. (2012). The meaning of superhero comic books. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. Weiner, A. (2008, February 1). The Science of Superheroes. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-gaming/article/2008-01/science-superheroes?image=4 Young, H., Freedman, R. (2012). Sears and Zemanskys University physics: With modern physics (13th Ed.). Boston: Addison Wesley. [Distinctive Voices]. (2010, September 7). Physics of Superheroes. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXd5Y0RXLb0 [Russell Scott]. (2014, August 8). The Physics of Superheroes w/ James Kakalios and Sidney Perkowitz | 1080HD. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GBGUVsnwMI

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Importance of Border Security Measures in National Security

Importance of Border Security Measures in National Security ABSTRACT Border security contains continuously evolving policies due to the evolution of threats and terrorism. Since the US Border Patrol was created in 1924, their challenges and threats have changed, driving them to adapt their methods in order to maintain national security. National security experts continuously contend that indecisiveness and ineffectiveness within immigration concerns and border vulnerability leaves the country susceptible to even greater national security challenges. This study analyzes the US border security policies implemented in the past, the various measures used, and if they were considered successful. Focusing on the Clinton, Bush, and Obama Administration, this study outlines the threats and challenges during that time and what successful measures were implemented. This paper will then analyze the threats posed and impact of breaches in border security, the action taken in response, and the effectiveness. INTRODUCTION This paper will analyze the measureable relationship between successful measures implemented, challenges, and effectiveness. The United States government has attempted to apply border control policies since the 1990s, however the emphasis placed on US border security has increased heavily in the past20 years. Globalization has amplified cross-border flow of goods, people, and money, further increasing the challenge of maintaining a states territorial sovereignty. To combat this rising challenge, there have been vast increases in border security funding, staffing and technology deployments. There are many challenges that each Presidential Administration has faced while addressing the question of border security. The sheer size of the border between the US and Mexico is a task all in its own. President Clinton inherited a war on the trafficking of illegal narcotics and organized crime, President Bush was left with the outrage and sheer shock after the 9/11 attack and President Obama dealt with the evolving terrorist threats by transnational actors and the continuous flow of illegal migrants into the United States. In response to these evolving challenges, each administration has implemented various measures in order to successfully combat threats to border security. This study will focus on the challenges of securing US borders and the successful measures implemented by each administration that has led to a more cohesive border security policy. METHODOLOGY Research Question What successful measures have successive US Administrations taken on the issue of border security? How effective have these measures been? Thesis Statement Each Administration has taken continuous measures to protect and secure borders and increase national security effectively. They have done this by adapting to continuously changing threats due to globalization. Data Collection This paper will rely on qualitative research to examine the measures successive US Presidential Administrations have taken on the issue of border security. This study will utilize the public White House Archives and peer reviewed articles to analyze the Clinton, Bush and Obama Administrations to further compare the measures used and challenges faced. This paper focuses on the last three administrations because this is when the US began increasing border control agents and INS/DHS budgets. Literature has discovered that there are flaws within border security, but they often fail to see how far each administration has come in terms of effectiveness. LITERATURE REVIEW There is a 2,000 mile geo-political divide between the United States and Mexico, and it has become one of the most frequently crossed borders in the world. Border security provides safety for a country and is an important mean through which national security is implemented. It is essential to economic prosperity, national sovereignty, and homeland security (DHS, 2017). Border security is responsible for the control and examination of what enters and leaves a country. This aspect is especially important due to current terrorist threats and organized crime. Not only does border security deal with the movement and control of citizens in and out of a country, but they also control the spread of disease and prevent smuggling of weapons, drugs, and endangered animals. The data provided in the literature is mainly focused on the lack of cohesiveness within border security, but they fail to show what progress has been made. Each presidential administration is faced with evolving immigration issues due to globalization. This study will look specifically at the Clinton, Bush, and Obama Administration focusing on their policies on border security and what successful measures were taken. This constantly evolving issue has resulted in literature seeking to explain this phenomenon based on the Organizational Design Theory (ODT). ODT contains the contingency theory school of thought. This theory is based on the concept that each situation is different and, in order to be effective, emphasis needs to be placed on the relationship between the environmental variable and the design. (Mintzberg, 1980). A flexible and adaptable adhocracy structure must be created in order to sufficiently address border security (Lunenburg, 2012). This coincides with the current border security issues the United States faces. The threats and challenges are evolving, therefore, the measures used to effectively address them should be developed based on each different situation. Although border security has been an important aspect of national security since the US Border Controls creation in 1942, it still remains a vague area of study with very little literature within International Relations. Overall, there was a substantial lack in coordination, information sharing, and synchronization within the border security logistics system (Nieto-Gomez, 2011). Also, due to the lack of consensus among policy makers and law enforcement agencies, policies have been historically inefficient. Very little literature has been written on the actual level of effectiveness in comparison to the growing list of challenges. The Migration Policy Institute created a report in 2011 on the challenges of effective border control in the US. This report highlights one of the major issues within border security by stating that 30-40 percent of the unauthorized immigrants in the United States entered legally, however, they overstay their visas due to poor monitoring (Koslowski, 2011). Another issue is one of practicality; objects of border control are not static (Koslowski, 2011). This paper will look at Edward Aldens research on the attempted overhaul of the visa system and the benefits we have seen (2012). Alden also delves into the challenge of securing a border with a sensible immigration system without weakening the US economy (2012). However, Aldens research focuses on immigration reform rather than preventative infrastructure (fencing). This study will also look at Josiah Heymans analysis on the US-Mexico border and the alternative vision of quality (dangerous entrants) over quantity (mass migration enforcement) (2013). However, this author argued that law enforcement at the ports should be border securitys main concern, rather than the areas in between port cities. This study focuses heavily on the vetting of migrants instead of the issue of illegal immigration. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS Importance of Border Security Border security is an essential component of national security. It is more than just restricting territorial access through immigration reform. It also protects states against illegal movement of drugs, weapons, and contraband. Since the formation of sovereign nations, this has been a core action within states, and is seen as one of the most ambitious expansion of power in modern history. According to the Department of Homeland Security, border security is, the act of protecting our borders from illegal movement of weapons, drugs, contraband, and people, while promoting lawful entry and exit, is essential to homeland security, economic prosperity, and national sovereignty (2015). Due to growing violence by nonstate groups and transnational terrorism, there has been an overwhelming increase of focus on border security to combat recent national security issues. Weak and porous borders permit easy entrance into the US for terrorists and smugglers. While completely sealing the border is not feasible at this time, the ultimate goal is to reduce the possibility of dangerous people crossing the border (Koslowski, 2011). Threats The concept of border security has evolved greatly due to the threat of terrorism. The US federal government combats a variety of threats to their border. The main threats include illegal immigrants, organized crime, and terrorism. Illegal immigrants aiming to work and live in the US illegally creates a border security concern. Along with illegal entry offences, some unauthorized immigrants become involved in transnational crime during their migration. Organized crimes are criminal activities that are planned and controlled by powerful groups and carried out on a large scale (Organized Crime, 2017). These traffickers smuggle drugs, counterfeit goods, people, and firearms into the US. Their crimes included prostitution, commercialized vice, and money laundering. This has been identified as a threat to national security and border security (Ilias, 2011). These individuals are predominately non-ideological and are driven by the pursuit of profit. Transnational Terrorist is someone who illegally crosses the border with transformational goals that may include the destruction of a political or economic system. They are motivated by particular grievances about aspects of the society and they articulate their views on moral grounds (Rosenblum, 2013). Although the DHS has no credible information on terrorist groups operating along the US and Mexico border, the threat is still there. The Clinton Administration (1993-2001) This is when the US sees the first initial crackdown on border control. The main concern during this time was the threat of illegal drug smuggling across the Mexico and US border.   To combat these challenges, President Clintons strategy included the buildup of the Border Patrol and implementing Operation Gatekeeper and Safeguards 1993 (OIG, 1998). He allocated funds for 700 new border control agents, deployed underground sensors, infrared night scope, and began the progressive building of the wall between Mexico and the United States. The first formal national border control strategy was created in 1994 (Meissner, 2013). In 1996, Congress executed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA). This Act was created to combat the abundance of fraudulent immigration-related documents, alien smugglers, and increased criminal penalties for racketeering (Meissner, 2013). It further expressed the need for more patrollers, better procedures, and more advan ced technology. In addition, Clinton implemented the National Drug Control Strategy to block drugs at the border and cut off drugs at the source. This strategy increased drug enforcement agents for border and customs control of illegal drug trafficking. Their budget for 2000 included almost $18 billion to further prevent drugs from crossing the US border. We can measure the effectiveness of this Administration by looking at statistics and the progress it has made. This Administration was the first to place a high priority on the removal of criminal aliens. It introduced US governments commitment to allocate more funds for border resources and enforcement infrastructure. The Immigration Enforcement budget rose from less than $3 billion in 1993 to over $6 billion in 2001 (Meissner, 2013). Overall, this Administration made a noticeable effort to restrain illegal immigration and prevent drugs from crossing the border. There was a 2.5% decrease in drug relation crimes between 1993 and 2000 (Farley, 2016). The Bush Administration (2001-2009) The Bush Administration was subject to one of the biggest threats to national security. The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 sparked a transformation in the approaches traditionally used to secure borders and combat terrorism. This Administration strove to create a smart border that incorporated advanced tracking technology and extensive prescreening of low-risk traffic (Koslowski, 2011). This Administration implemented many new border security measures after the terrorist attack. One of the biggest changes was the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in order to streamline and improve the governments ability to protect their nations infrastructure and borders. It replaced 22 separate agencies to reduce the disconnected nature and create one strong mission. The Bush Administration also implemented the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This authorized the construction of almost 700 miles of additional fencing along the southern border (White House, 2008). It also approved more vehicle barriers, checkpoints, and lighting. In conjunction with the DHS, this Act also increased the use of advanced technology like cameras, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles to reinforce the infrastructure at the border. Additionally in 2006, President Bush approved Operation Jump Start. This two year support mission called for 6,000 National Guar d members to assist with surveillance, training, and installing fences (Rosenblum, 2013). Lastly, in 2008, all cross-border travelers were required to present further documents to establish their identity and citizenship preventing further illegal immigration. To fund these new implementations, the budget for border security and immigration enforcement increased by 159 percent. The budget rose from $4.8 Billion in 2001 to $12.3 Billion in 2008 (White House, 2008). The effectiveness of the measures taken by this administration can be show with statistics. Operation Jump Start apprehended over 5,000 aliens, seized 28,000 pounds of marijuana, and almost 1,500 pounds of cocaine (Operation Jump Start, 2015). The DHS saw a 20% reduction in apprehension of illegal aliens at the Southern border in 2007 (White House, 2008). This indicates that stronger security has deterred aliens from attempting to cross. Also in 2007, the US Customs and Border Protection and ICE returned or removed almost 1.2 million illegal aliens from the US and arrested over 3,300 gang members (CBP, 2011). The Obama Administration (2009-2017) The Obama Administration saw a decrease in illegal border crossing. This was mostly due to lack of jobs in US resulting from the housing market decline. During the first year of his term, Obama spent time reexamining current programs and prospective options for increased border security (Koslowski, 2011). In 2010, President Obama signed the Southwest Border Security Act. This allocated $600 million in supplemental funds to support an additional 1,200 National Guard troops and unmanned aircraft drones (Koslowski, 2011). President Obama was given credit for most border security deployed. This is referring to fences or technological and infrastructure improvements. In 2011, the United States Border Patrol reached their highest number of border patrol agents with 21,444, and the border patrol budget increased significantly from $5.9 billion in 2003 to $11.9 billion in 2013 (Koslowski, 2011). This study measures the effectiveness by looking at statistics. The Obama Administration deported 2.5 million undocumented people during his eight year term. This was more than any other Administration. In 2013, there was an increase of over 27% more apprehensions at the southwest border (414,000) compared to 2011 (Koslowski, 2011). CONCLUSION The security of the border between the United States and Mexico has become a concern of national security due to the massive increase of cross-border flows of goods, people and money. Each US Presidential Administration has made great effort to secure this border and fight the new and evolving threats. Overall, there have been many successful measures implemented by the Clinton, Bush, and Obama Administration. President Clintons Administration inherited a war on the trafficking of drugs and organized crime and combated that with the first large increase of border control agents. The Bush Administration was subject to one of the most historical terrorist attacks in US history and responded by creating the DHS and implemented an overwhelming increase to the border security budget. Bush also built 700 miles of the borders fence. The Obama Administration saw a further increase of the border security budget, growth in immigration enforcement patrollers, and lengthened the border fence. In order to fully understand how successful these measures were, this study analyzed statistics. More than 4 million deportations of noncitizens have occurred since 1990 (Meissner, 2013).   Due to increased border security, the cities along the border that were once plagued with criminal activity have become some of the safest in the United States. Looking at crime rates systematically shows that crimes associated with illegal immigration, like breaking and entering and car theft are down substantially (Meissner, 2013). This indicates that illegal immigration is down. Since 9/11, there have been no publicly known instances of a terrorist smuggling Weapons of Mass Destruction to commit a violent act of terrorism via the US-Mexico border (Customs and Border Protection, 2011). THE USBP made 18,074 drug seizures in 2011 and seized more than $8.4 billion worth of narcotics along the southwest border in 2014 (CBP Security Report, 2014). Finally, illegal crossing from Mexico has fallen near the lowest level since the early 1970s and hiring a smugger to cross the border is now almost eight times more costly than it was in the 1990s. The data above shows that US Administrations have repeatedly implemented successful measures and have effectively increased border security. REFERENCES Alden, E. (2012). Immigration and Border Control CIAO, 32(1). Retrieved from http://www.ciaonet.org.library3.webster.edu/record/24456?search=1 Background to the Office of Inspector General Investigation Operation Gatekeeper (1998). U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved March 7, 2017, from https://oig.justice.gov/special/9807/gkp01.htm Border Security: Comprehensive Immigration Reform (2008). White House Archives. Retrieved  March 6, 2017, from https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/immigration/html Border Security | Homeland Security. (2015). Retrieved February 18, 2017, from https://www.dhs.gov/border-security Department of Homeland Security (2015). Yearbook if Immigration Statistics. Retrieved March 7, 2017, from https://www.dhs.gov/immigration-statistics/yearbook/2015/table33 Farley, Robert. Bill Clinton and the 1994 Crime Bill. Fact Check. N.p., Apr. 2016. Web. 11 Mar. 2017. Heyman, J. M. (2013). A Voice of the US Southwestern Border: The 2012 We the Border: Envisioning a Narrative for Our Future Conference CIAO, 1(2). Retrieved from http://www.ciaonet.org.library3.webster.edu/record/32914?search=1 Koslowski, R. (2011). The Evolution of Border Controls as a Mechanism to Prevent Illegal Immigration (pp. 1-33). Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/evolution-US-border-controls-illegal-immigration Kostro, Stephanie Sanok and Scott F. Mann (2013).CIIS: Innovative Immigration and Border Control Reform. Retreived from http://www.ciaonet.org.library3.webster.edu/record/29251?search=1 Lunenberg, F. (2012). Organizational Structure: Mintzbergs Framework. Journal of Scholarly, Academic, Intellectual Diversity, 14(1). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.library3.webster.edu/stable/425256 Meissner, Doris, Donald M. Kerwin, Muzaffar Chishti, and Claire Bergeron (2013). Immigration Enforecement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery (pp.1-182) Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/immigration-enforcement-US Mintzberg, H. (1980). Structure in 5s: A Synthesis of the Research on Organization Design. Management Science, 26(3), 322-341. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.library3.webster.edu/stable/423910 Nieto-Gomez, R. (2011). The Power of the Few: A Key Strategic Challenge for the Permanently Disrupted High-Tech Homeland Security Environment. Homeland Security Affairs, (1-21). Operation Jump Start CBP Border Patrol and the National Guard. (2015). Retrieved March 7,  2017, from https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1021/~/operation-jump-startcbp-border-patrol-and-the-national-guard Organized Crime. (2017). The Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved March 6, 2017, from  https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/organized-crime Rosenblum, Marc R., Jerome P. Bjelopera, Kristin M. Finklea (2013). Border Security: Understanding Threats at U.S. Borders. (CRS Report for Congress No. R42969) (pp. 1-33). Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil.AU/awc/awcgate/crs/r42969.pdf Shayerah Ilias, Ian F. Fergusson. (2011). Intellectual Property Rights and International Trade  (CRS Report for Congress No. R134292) (pp. 1-42). Retrieved from  http://www.au.af.mil/AU/awc/awcgate/crs/rl34292.pdf US Customs and Border Protection. (2014). CBP Border Security Report (pp. 1-7). Homeland  Security.

Using Gothic Characteristics to Portray the Theme of Knowledge Essay

Using Gothic Characteristics to Portray the Theme of Knowledge in American Gargoyles, Johnny Mnemonic, Frankenstein, Good Country People, and Cyberpunk   Ã‚  Ã‚   Gothic literature has been interpreted, and even criticized by many people as just being scary stories. They feel the author's only purpose for using gloomy settings and grotesque characters is to horrify the reader. This however is rarely true of Gothic literature, instead an author will use these characteristics to portray a deeper purpose rather than to just scare the reader. This is true of all genres of gothic literature including classical, southern, and cyber literature. One theme that has been prevalent throughout gothic history is that of knowledge. Several authors have used gothic tendencies to convey the idea that too much knowledge can be dangerous. They use these characteristics to warn the reader that knowledge is not always good. Classical gothic literature, developed in the late eighteenth century, was most likely first concepted by Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto. Dark, dreary settings and frightening monsters often characterize the style of this category of literature. Mary Shelley, a classical gothic writer, has used these characteristics in her novel Frankenstein. In her novel Victor Frankenstein composes a creature that has all the potentialities of a child because it knows nothing. But this creature is far from looking anything like a child. The monster, created from different body parts, is grotesque, he has yellow skin that barely covers his muscles, long black hair and is very large. However, just as a child, he begins to learn, through experiences and especially by reading several books. This new knowledge he has learned has a harmful ... ... situations to warn or horrify the reader about a deeper theme. The terror felt by the reader as he/she reads the story mimics the terror another character is feeling in dealing with this hidden theme. Authors often use these tendencies to portray their ideas on current social conditions in order to warn the reader. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Flannery O'Connor. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Di Renzo, Anthony. American Gargoyles. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1993. Gibson, William. "Johnny Mnemonic." 5 April 2000 . Levine, George. The Endurance of Frankenstein. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1979. O'Connor, Flannery. "Good Country People." 5 Apr. 2000 . Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Dover Publications, Inc, 1994. The Cyberpunk Project. Christian Kirtchev. 3 Apr. 2000. 10 Apr. 2000 .

Friday, July 19, 2019

Escaping the Responsibility in Society :: Essays Papers

Escaping the Responsibility in Society James Joyce wrote a collection of short stories titled Dubliners. Joyce wrote these stories in the nineteen hundreds to show how people often felt during the hard time after the Famine. The characters escape from their own responsibilities in society. James Joyce uses the theme of escape throughout three stories in Dubliners, â€Å"An Encounter,† â€Å"Eveline,† and â€Å"The Dead.† In â€Å"An Encounter,† the boys escape school but have a responsibility to attend that day. As well Eveline feels that she has to escape Dublin but believes she has a duty to keep. â€Å"The Dead,† Gabriel escapes his responsibility to be there for his wife Gretta, when she is in a time of need. However, in these stories, the characters escape their responsibility. In all of the short stories, each story shows the characters escaping society with their responsibilities through their own type of work. In each story, characters strive to escape the responsibility of work or duty. For example, in â€Å"An Encounter,† Leo Dillon and a child name Mahony â€Å"planned a day’s miching† (13). This shows how they plan on getting away from the society of Dublin and escaping school. They have a responsibility to attend school that day, however, with them not being there they have to consider the fact of getting caught; there are choices and consequences in life. There responsibility is to be present at school, however, they escape society and have to deal with the consequences. Another way that the boys escape society by way of their responsibilities is when they read comic books in class. The teacher asks, â€Å"Is this what you read instead of studying your Roman History? [...] I’m surprised at boys like y ou, educated, reading such stuff† (12). They are escaping again from society, their responsibilities of school work and, the standards of expectations from their teacher. They have no desire to listen to what is going on in class but rather try to escape the society through reading their comic books. However, this escaping through responsibilities is connected to the story of â€Å"Eveline.† Eveline has made a promise to her mother and does not know if she can keep it because of her wanting to get away from society and move to Buenos Ayes with Frank.