Aspects of the NASW Code of Ethics

In the â€Å"Code of Ethics† for the Social Work Profession there are six Ethical principles that apply to everyone in the profession. It is important for all social workers to know the values that are listed in the Ethical Principles of the Code of Ethics for the Social work Profession. Values are a societies system of beliefs, principles, and traditions that define and influence behaviors and practices among people. It is important for all social workers to know the values that are listed in the Ethical Principles of the Code of Ethics for the Social work Profession. The ethical principles include service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Service is a very important value that is listed in the Ethical principles in the Social work Code of ethics because a social worker’s primary goal is to help those people who are in need and to address to common social Problems. A social worker has to gain knowledge, values, skills, and methods in order to help other people in need of services and to address social problems that often arise. As a social worker it is crucial for me to gain enough knowledge, identify my values as well as the profession of social work’s values in the Code of Ethics, skills, and methods so that I will be able to efficiently help other people in need and to address the common social problems in my society. Social Justice is another very important value that is listed in the Ethical Principles of the Social Work Code of Ethics because Social workers strive for change on behalf of those who are oppressed by society. Social workers strive for equality for opportunities for all people of society. As a Social Worker it is important for me to stand beside those people who are oppressed by society and to help give them the same opportunities as others in their society. I will have to strive for change of those who are oppressed because they deserve the same opportunities as everyone else in their community. Another important value in the Code of Ethics of the Social Work profession includes Dignity and Worth of the Person. It is crucial for Social Workers to treat all of their clients equally. A Social Worker must treat all people with the same respect no matter what their culture, ethnicity, or their situation may be. As a Social Worker I will have to be aware that my clients may have a different culture, religion, ethnicity, and many other differences than me but I still have to be able to provide the same services equally. As a Social Worker I will have to give respect to all of my clients. The Value of Importance of Human Relationships is also very important to the Profession of Social Work because it is important for all Social Workers to recognize how important human relationships are to people in society. Social Workers have to be aware that relationships among people are important for change. Social Workers try to strengthen relationships for their clients and the people in their clients’ lives in an effort to promote, restore, maintain, and to help enhance the wellbeing of their clients. As a Social Worker, I will be responsible to help my clients’ restore and maintain positive relationships between people, family, friends, and communities in an effort to promote positive change in society. Integrity is one of the most important values listed in the Code of Ethics for the Social Work Profession. Social workers have to prove to be trustworthy by being honest and responsible. In order for me to be an effective Social Worker my supervisor and clients have to know that I am trustworthy, responsible, and honest. As a social worker I will have to respect my clients’ rights to confidentiality in order to prove that I am trustworthy. Once a Social worker loses a clients’ trust it is very difficult to gain it again so it is crucial for a Social Worker not to break the trust of their clients. Competence is another very important value that is listed in the Social Work Profession’s Code of Ethics. Social Workers should only work in areas in which they are comfortable, and knowledgeable in. If a Social Worker is not knowledgeable or comfortable in then it is extremely difficult for them to identify what resources are available and what is needed in order to help a client. As a Social Worker it is important to gain knowledge to be able to work in many different fields. As a Social Worker I have already identified what fields I want to concentrate on the most but if by some chance I should happen to work in a different field of the profession I will gain the knowledge for that specific position and I will seek the help of superiors and advisors of the Social Work Profession. Along with the values listed in the Ethical Principles in the Social Work Profession’s Code of Ethics are the Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to Clients in which there are sixteen listed in the Code of Ethics. The ten that I have Chosen I believe are the most important in order to be efficient Social Worker. The ten Ethical Responsibilities in which I have chosen include Commitment to Clients, Self Determination, Informed Consent, Competence, Privacy and Confidentiality, Access to Records, Physical Contact, Sexual Relationships, Derogatory Language, and Termination of Services. All of these Ethical Responsibilities to Clients are I believe to be essential in order to be a professional Social Worker. A Social worker has to have commitment to their Clients because their primary responsibility is to ensure and to promote the wellbeing of their clients. It will be my responsibility as a Social Worker to know the wellbeing of all of my clients and to know what is in their best interest. I will also need to prove my loyalty to my clients but I will also have to inform all of my clients’ that as a Social Worker I have certain legal obligations in which I have to abide by as well. Another very important Ethical Standard in the Social Work Professions Code of Ethics includes the client’s right to Self Determination. Social Worker has to respect their clients’ rights to self determination and assist them in their efforts in identifying, pursuing, and accomplishing their goals. Self Determination allows clients to make their own decisions for what they want to do in life with the assistance of a Social Worker to guide them through the process as long as it is lawful, and poses no threat or risks to the client. As a Social Worker I will need to be able to help my clients’ identify, pursue, and accomplish their goals. Informed Consent is a very important ethical standard listed in the Social Work Profession’s Code of ethics as well because a Social Worker is only supposed to provide services in a professionally based relationship. Social Workers are responsible in using clear, easy to understand language to inform their clients of the purpose of services, risks, limitations, requirements, and other important notices as well. Social Workers must give their clients time to ask questions about the services they are applying for as well as answering those questions. It is extremely important for clients to be able to understand what services they qualify for and the requirement of those services. As a Social Worker I will have to use clear language while speaking to my clients so that I can gain their Informed Consent after they understand what they need in order to qualify for a service. I will have to allow time for my clients to ask questions about the service in which they are applying for so that they fully understand the requirements. Competence s a very important Ethical responsibility because a social worker should only provide services within the boundaries of their own knowledge, training, certification, and license. A social worker should not work in any environment in which they are not qualified for because then they cannot fully provide the services in which may be needed due to their lack of e xperience. Privacy and confidentiality is very important to a Social Worker’s Clients’. As a social worker it is very important to respect a client’s privacy. It is highly unethical to exploit and share a client’s personal information to anyone in which the client had trusted you with. The only time it is important to share a client’s information is if it is needed to provide services. I believe that Privacy is important to the client due to their willingness to confide and trust you as a social worker. It is very important for clients to have access to their records. It is up to the social workers to determine just how much of the clients’ records are available to them. A social worker has to protect their clients from mental harm by denying access to certain parts of the records and to interpret the records for their clients. A Social Worker is advised to not have physical contact with any of their clients. Physical contact can cause psychological harm as well as misinterpretation to clients. It is up to the social worker to set up boundaries between themselves and their clients. Derogatory Language is very unprofessional and should not be used by Social Workers in front of their clients. A social worker is encouraged to speak in a respectable way when talking to clients and while on the job. Under no circumstances is a Social Worker to have Sexual Relationships with previous or current clients. A social worker may not have sexual relations with anyone to which the client is related to either. Not only is it unprofessional for a Social Worker to have Sexual relations with their clients’, it is also wrong and could cost them their job. Before a Social Worker can Terminate Services to a client they should not abandon a client who is still in need of services. It will be up to me as a Social Worker to assess which clients still need my services and which ones I think are self sufficient and no longer need my services. If I leave my position to seek another opportunity it will be my responsibility to inform my clients upon my departure.

Professional Beggar Problem Essay

Introduction Police in Shanghai published a list of beggars who have been caught most often on metro trains over the past four years on 21 August 2012, sparking debates about the problem of â€Å"professional† beggars. The scorekeeper, who has been caught 308 times, is 22-year-old young man from Anhui province in perfect health, following by an 88-year-old woman with a record of 292 times[1]. Of the various problems which our country faces today, the problem of begging is one of the most acute ones. Every one of us has seen numerous kinds of beggars. Some are blind, lame or crippled, and so take to begging. Child and orphan beggars also are very common. However, others, who are physically sound before they join the begging â€Å"career† but undertake is as their profession, for it enables them to earn their living easily. The causes of begging are many, and they are very similar between inland China beggars and those in other developing countries (e.g. India, Pakistan etc.)[2]. First of all, some people, mostly the elder and the very young, are physically incapable of doing any work and have no other skills. The only way of getting food open to them is begging. They also deserve the sympathy of others. Secondly, some people take to begging due to natural disasters. Thirdly, some criminals when they come out of jails are not treated sympathetically by society. They are not given any chance to begin their life afresh. Becoming a beggar is the only way to find a shelter. On the other hand, mostly in the big cities, some people, who do not suffer from poverty and handicap, see the trade of begging flourishing and beggars earning their livelihood in a very easy way, they just enter the profession. In order to earn more sympathy, they broke their own legs or putrefied their own skin; or even worse, some kidnapped other people’s children and handicapped them. There are also illegal organizations which train children in the art of begging. One can argue that improper social rehabilitation and salvage mechanism may cause the problem in the above paragraph. But the truth is the mature Homel ess Shelter & Aid Station system in China’s big cities leaves little room for criticism. We not only provide food, water and shelter in these aid stations, we also provide job consultancy service for the health ones and train tickets to send them home. So, what is the motivation of these people (some even with a college degree) to become professional beggars? Let us compare the following two income numbers first. The average monthly income of a middle-level manager in Beijing is around US$1440 ($65 daily) before tax; the average daily income of a professional beggar who â€Å"work† on metro trains in Shanghai is US$130, and tax-free. To top it all, on 13 November 2012, a male beggar carrying a kid was spotted getting on his Audi A6 sedan after â€Å"work† in Qingdao city, east China’s Shandong province.[3] These professional beggars also refuse any kind of help from the social and private charity groups. In China’s big cities, the professional beggars seem to live a better life than ordinary working class people. Based on the evidence and arguments above, we will now use the PATH model to find out the truth beneath the problem and try to find a way (or several) to tackle this conundrum. Why does the problem of professional beggars so severe in China’s big cities? What is the motive under the career choosing? Can we help them to establish a correct value of wealth? 1. PATH-Problem: Identifying and defining the problem According to Buunk and Van Vugt (2008)’s PATH protocol in order to fully understand the root of the problem, we need to diagnose it with brainstorming and various background data. For the professional beggar problem specifically, here is what we need to know: a. What is the central problem that needs to be understood and addressed? Unlike real beggars who are unable to support themselves, professional beggars take begging as a profitable career. Their willingness to beg is the key problem lying behind the social phenomenon. (Hong Ying, Li 2000) Many news reports[4] and social policy articles (Zhi. Li 2006, Chao Li 2005, Jiaqing Zou 2003 etc) have pointed out that the low sense of dignity versus the high income the beggars get may be one of the core issues needed to be tackled in the problem. We also consider this as our central problem in our PATH model. b. Why is a particular issue perceived as a problem in the first place? The beggars’ personal unwillingness to change their career path is not only the core issue in the begging problem, it is also the root of several other detrimental social problems which we’ll illustrate later in the paragraph. If we cannot change their value, any aid and help from other people and the government will eventually end in vein. As we posted in the introduction part, even though the Homeless Shelter & Aid station mechanism is quite mature (Liulu Zhang 2009) in China’s big cities, the professional beggars still won’t accept these help. c. For whom is it a problem? We found out besides that the whole society which will be indirectly affected by this problem; there are three types of people/organizations that suffer directly from it. First, are the beggars themselves. Since they have chosen that as their career, they lost chances to be employed as full-time workers with sufficient welfare benefit and medical insurance. In china, the composition of the professional beggars is mostly the floating population, meaning they cannot get the citizenship in the cities they beg and their original places will terminate their pension supply or even their ID after certain years. Second, are the beggars’ families. Their begging behavior humiliates the whole families, even the whole village, sometimes. On practical level, since they may lose their ID after several years’ begging career in big citers, their children will miss the education opportunity due to black hukou (residence registration). Third, the governments of big cities are victims, to o. Not only because the professional beggar damaged the city image and wasted public resources, but they also rose the crime rate especially in child-kidnapping and street violence. (Xiangyu Chen, Na Li. 2011) d. What causes the problem and how do these causes affect the problem? On the larger scale, the mammonism (money worship) of the whole country is the culprit. Just as the ancient Chinese saying goes â€Å"prostitution is better than poverty† became the firm belief of the professional beggars (Daming Zhu, 2010). They witnessed the gap of wealth when they arrived at the big cities, in order to attenuate the relative deprivation, they might have tried several job and then found that begging is the easiest way, which leading to another cause. That is the laziness rooted in them. Why is that the case? In most small town people’s child memories, big cities were heavenly places filled with gold. They were never aware of our hard-working principles. From generations to generations, they enjoy their lay-back lifestyle and envy others’ wealth in the mean time. They just cannot get the simple logic of the positive relation between hardworking and wealth-gaining. However, we cannot simply blame this wrong idea to the professional beggars only; their family education and grow-up environment have a lot to do with. As the floating population, many migrant workers choose to leave their young offspring with their old parent. The lack of parent-child interaction unfortunately causes the apathy among family members. That is why when some professional beggars were interviewed; they said they feel abandoned by the family so there is no need to feel shame in their career. e.who should be convinced of the problem? Besides the professional beggars, their families and the city government we mentioned above. The citizens and the workers of the Homeless Shelter & Aid Stations are also need to be convinced of the problem. They should form the idea that their sympathy and help to the professional beggars are encouraging postures, which, in the long run, will deepen the problem. f. Whose cooperation is necessary to help solve the problem? The professional beggars themselves, their families, the workers of the aid stations, citizens with superfluous sympathy as well as the city governments. g. Can a social psychological intervention be helpful to tackle the problem at hand? Absolutely. As mentioned in previous paragraphs, the existing regulations and the help mechanisms do not work in a sufficient way. According to the law, begging is not a crime thus so as to respect their human rights the enforcing authority can only send them to the aid station. However, they will come back to pursue their begging career in big cities after the aid workers send them home again and again. Embracing a social psychological intervention will help us to figure out a solution that may tackle the core of the problem (i.e. the beggars’ willingness to give up begging voluntarily). By applying this, we aim to shift their begging behavior through rectifying their attitude and cognition towards wealth gaining. The outcome of the problem definition: Most of the professional beggars are healthy people or the self-mutilated ones who choose to be beggars. Their willingness to beg is solely based on the twisted wealthy-oriented value. (problem) Why do these self supportable people (target population) beg rather than work (behaviours) and what can we do to change their mind and live a normal life? (solution) 2. PATH-Analysis: Formulating appropriate concepts and developing theory based explanations 2.1 The outcome variables In the previous problem-definition chapter we named several variables that influence the behavior of the professional beggars. In this paragraph, we’re going into detail to put these variables into three categories: predisposing factors, reinforcing factors and enabling factors. On the larger scale, the predisposing factors the general money worship mood of the society drive these professional beggars to choose begging as a career path. Besides that, other citizens categorize the problem as separate from their own; they have no incentive to care or to help the government solving the issue. On the personal scale of the beggars, the gap of wealth they witnessed is one of the strongest drivers for begging behavior. The family pressure can be considered as the main reinforcing factor that influences the begging behavior which has a strong encourage effect. For the beggars themselves, the substitutability of their previous normal jobs will enhance their continuation of begging. Although, tremendous effort has been put into the social aid system, there is always some room to improve. If a social psychology perspective help can be added in the system, which will sure be more helpful than mere material and advising aid. 2.2 Brainstorming: Explaining â€Å"willingness to live a self-support life† For the professional beggars themselves, no trust in the welfare system, lack of work motivation and the â€Å"easy money/ quick money† that they can acquire through begging largely weaken the desire to give up. For their families, fear of poverty is the largest negative factors which influence the willingness. At the other end, the shame they feel when they get to know that their family member is a beggar might pressure these professional beggars to live a self-supported life. To the city governments, how to increase the willingness of the professional beggars to give up the career voluntarily is a thorny problem. Because on one hand, stricter regulation and laws will violate their human rights, on the other hand, the current rules and aid system do not seem to work in a productive. The governments need to find a way that can produce positive result as well as minimize the waste of public reso urces. 2.3 Provisional Explanation Based on the above analysis and brainstorming, we came out with the provisional explanation of our professional beggars’ problem which shows the graph below: On the left hand, five personal and external determinants are listed that will directly influence the willingness to live a self-support life. The environmental conditions with the outcome variable (i.e. give up career begging) is showed to the right. [pic] 2.4 Issue related approaches Several study papers written by domestic policy researcher have shown us certain possible reason for this existing phenomenon: – Instability of job position (Wei Guo, 2012). A lot of people can find a labor job, but since it is mostly not skill related and therefore they are highly replaceable. In comparison, being a professional beggar, they are at least â€Å"self-employed†. – Lack of understanding from the society (Xiangyu Chen, Na li, 2010). The society mostly fails to really understand the difficulty of professional beggar without having been in similar situation. With the idea of not being understood, professional beggars then have doubts about the readiness of social help, which negatively effects their willingness to try to start a self-dependent life. – Polarization of social wealth (D Xue-hui, 2003). As a popular theory goes, 20% of the population possess 80% of the resources, so that the rich become richer, the poor then poorer. The professional beggars in this environment face a higher likelihood to think they are lower level human being and of no use to the society. That’s why they also have only little willingness to give up the begging career. 2.5 Conceptual approaches To incorporate to the social psychological level, we try to look at this problem with some field related theories: – Emotion on decision making. One of the braches of it is Self Defense Mechanisms (Phebe Cramer 2006). SDM in simple words are psychological strategies brought into play to maintain a socially acceptable self-image. In our case, choosing the professional beggar career is a cause of shame and embarrassment. When they categorize themselves in a lower level of social life, they have doubts about the truthfulness of the society. Thinking that they are only pitied and not understood, they become closed to themselves and fail to trust in the true kindness. As consequence, they are not ready or open to accept possible help which could help them to start a independent life. – Social comparison (Naomi Ellemers, 2002). To be more specific for our case, we need to understand Relative Deprivation Theory. It refers to the discontent people feel when they compare their positions to others and realize that they have less of what they believe themselves to be entitled than those around them. Most professional beggars are not enough educated or maybe even have not been through the obligated education phase, which leaves them with no competitive skills to set food in the job market. They also don’t see themselves with any potential success in the society. Alone with this, they still need to face the unrealistic high expectation from the family. When they want to go back home, in order not to â€Å"lose face†, they will need to have enough money, which, considering their situation, is hard to earn other than being beggars. – Risk perception. Affect being a important part of the risk perception, we will here take a look at how Mood Congruence Effect (Seo et al., 2010) can influence our problem. According to this effect, if positive feeling responds to positive outcome, a prospective positive outcome will be rated as more likely. In our case, the amount of money earned is very close to the amount of a normal employee, which for the beggars is a surprisingly good income level. Combined the positive income and the happy feeling, they are more convinced about the â€Å"bright future† in the begging career, and therefore not willing to give it up. 2.6 General theory approach Expected Utility At the end it all comes to expectation: individuals expect a higher social status; families expect the children to be successful; the society expects the professional beggars to disappear. We will see a bit closer from these three aspects: – Personal: individuals leave home to try to make a career so that they can feed their family, make them proud and be useful to the society. But having a goal without having corresponding skills to actually live up to their expectation, leaves them in frustration. Being a professional beggar in this situation becomes their lifebuoy. The money they earn from it in some level creates them the illusion of having a career and it amends for the feeling of losing social status. – Family: every parent thinks that their children can be successful in the society one way or another. The money the beggars bring home is the â€Å"proof† of their success, which, when the family is not aware of the method how they earn it, is sometimes more than enough for the family to believe that their expectation has been met. – Society: the society deep down wishes that the professional beggars won’t, one day, be a problem anymore. With this in mind, people try to donate material or offer voluntary help. The material/monetary help in some way actually assures the beggars that they will be able to make a life being in the career. When the society doesn’t see the improvement of their expectation over time, they lose the motivation to keep on helping. 3. Test – final answer Before we can come to the final graph, we go through again all the possible relevant elements with 2 criterions: relevance and changeability. The same time we try to eliminate the elements with low relevance and/or low changeability, also the ones that overlap with others. – Substitutability (in a job position): it means that it’s hard for the beggars to find a stable job. It then overlaps with â€Å"easy money†, which says that the beggar career offers them the possibility to have a â€Å"job† that also earns them money easily. – Experience similarity (from the social help side): having a similar experience brings a bigger chance to actually understand the difficulties that others are facing. With appropriate understand the help can then be genuine. It therefore overlaps with â€Å"sympathy†. But then in order to understand most of the time is a issue of willingness. The society has already rated the beggars negative without seeing the actua lly reasons of the phenomenon. Some who have faced the same situation but came out being actually successful may despite the others who couldn’t. In the way, the similar experience is not so relevant to solve the problem. – Skill learning opportunities: as the quote goes, you give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, you teach a man to fish and you feed him for lifetime. Learning a practical skill is the approach which will eventually have huge impact on this issue. The opportunities are actually widely offered, but then the beggars are not willing to take them, since they think the learning then finding a job process is taking the time away from them earning easy money. So the skill learning opportunities is here not so relevant. – Awareness of manipulation: some beggars did not start the beggar career on their own intention. They might have been talked into the line of work. Those people who talked them into form this company-like group, they act like their â€Å"manager†, assign their tasks, location etc and also take profit from them. But then it’s hard to notice that they are manipulated while they are actually having income. This element is hard to be changed. – Over-valuation of material life: in the big environment money talks. Money can’t do everything but then without money nothing can be done. Generally accepted idea is that a good material life is the basis of a successful life. This element exist worldwide so that it would be really difficult to change people’s believe in it. |Determinants |Changeability |Relevance |Overlap (Y/N) | |Substitutability |+ + |+ |Y | |Experience similarity |- – |+ |Y | |Learning opportunities |+ |/ |N | |Awareness of manipulation |- – |+ |N | |Over-valuation material life |- – |+ + |Y | |Establishment of dignity |+ |+ + |N | |Disbelief in society |- |+ |N | |Easy moneys |+ + |+ |N | |Empathy/Real solicitude |+ + |+ + |N | |Family pressure |+ |+ + |N | After the eliminations, we can now here draw a final graph: As illustrated above, there are three main variables (Establishment of dignity, Empathy/Real solicitude and Readiness to accept help) hold positive relation with the â€Å"give up begging† outcome, and two negative ones (Family pressure and Easy money). [pic] We believe that â€Å"Establishment of dignity† from the personal side of the sbeggar and â€Å"Empathy/ Real solicitude† from the society/government side serves as the most important positive fact in the whole relationship. Not only because they are more initiative variables than others, but also, as shown, they get more positive determinants. 3.2 Tests With the final graph presented, now we will incorporate the social psychology theory and the real life issue together to understand the existence of the problem and eventually find out the possible solution to solve it. – Readiness to accept help. If the beggars get to earn more self-esteem, it will reduce the feeling of embarrassment or shame. Alone side they will more likely to think the society is not just pitying them but instead try to understand and help them. With these two influences, the self defense mechanisms would play a less important role. In the end they will be more ready to open themselves to the help. – Family pressure. The high expectation from family doesn’t match with the actual skills is the core reason why the beggars experience the relative deprivation. If they feel that there are no ways that they can be useful or appreciated, they will lose the willingness to improve themselves. In this case the families need to understand them too. They should not only compare the monetary income but more the skills learned and the independence of their lives, to value the individual improvement more. – Easy money. Compared to the income of a normal low skill required labor work, the money they earned being a professional beggar is rather nice. Therefore, their belief in future gain becomes a strong moderator in the relationship between easy money and the willingness to live a self-support life. The unexpected income level leads to positive emotions, with which they have more expectation towards the continuation of this career. If they think they can earn a living from it, then they won’t be willing to give up and try to start a self-supported life. PATH – Help 4. Hypothetical conclusion After trying to analyze the phenomenon, we came across some possible steps that we can take to improve the situation, among which the measures on a personal base seem to have the ability to create the biggest impact. It means a change of their way to think. Only when they believe in self value, in the genuine help from the society, can the other measures or policy do their work. To do that, truthful communications between families and individuals as well as between individuals and the society should be encouraged t to take place. The openness will improve the understanding, which eventually improves the social situation. Reference LI Hong-ying 2000. On the problem of career beggar in modern Chinese society. Journal of Anhui Normal University (Philosophy & social Sciences. 2000-01 Mei-Guangyao WuXiuling Zhangfan Zhengwenyan Yexiuzhi Chenchen Hefenglan(School Education Science of South China Norm University);College students’ attitude to the beggar and the correlation research with altruism[J];Science of Social Psychology;2006-05 Checkoway, Barry, 1990. Unanswered Questions about Public Service in the Public Research University. SAGE Social Science Collection GAO Hui(Marxism College,Tian Jin University of Commence,Tianjin 300134,China);The Governance and Successful Experiences of the Communist Party of China on Main Beggar Problems[J];Central China Normal University Journal of Postgraduates;2012-01 Cramer, Phebe 2006. Protecting the Self: Defense Mechanisms in Action. The Guilford Press; 1 edition (May 18, 2006) Iain Walker, Heather J. 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Li Zemin Du Danxia Wang Xinhua (Dept.of management,Guangdong Polytechnic Normal Univ.,Guangzhou 510665,China);Report on the Living Conditions of Beggars and Image of Guangzhou[J];Journal of Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University;2005-05 Chu Zhixia,Fang Le(Postgraduate,Law School of Nanjing Normal University.,Nanjing,210097,China);Right of Begging Viewed from Sociology of

Religious Fundamentalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Religious Fundamentalism - Essay Example   Christians and Muslims widely differ in their interpretation of historical events. For example, Crusades was a religious war and fundamentalism formed its bedrock. Both Muslims and Christians interpret this huge historical event differently. For example, Muslims interpret this event as a series of military campaigns run by Christians to stop the expansion of Islam and restrain the growing power of Muslim rulers. Many Christians were becoming impressed by Muslim civilization which was not tolerated by Christian fundamentalists and they started this war. Christians, in contrast, believe that expansion of Islam was not an issue, but Pope Urban II announced the first crusade to help Christians restore their access to the holy places in Jerusalem. What are some common threads between Christian and Islamic religious fundamentalism? Many traits are shared by Christian and Muslim religious fundamentalists. For example, it is claimed that right-wing religious extremists and their Muslim c ounterparts share five main characteristics. These common characteristics, as claimed by research, are found in nearly all fundamentalists. These are â€Å"racism, bigotry, intolerance, disdain for education, hatred of gays and women and people of different faiths and non-believers†. Both Christian and Muslims fundamentalists gush with hatred and vengeance for gays and empowered women. Also, both are found bursting at the seams with racist ideas and they also equally think low of people from other faiths.  

Imperialism,'Race' and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Imperialism,'Race' and Development - Essay Example Even though it is said that Colonialism involves the colonization of a country of dark skinned people by a lighter-skinned people, it is not so always. We also come across different countries being subjected to slavery by people of the same origin (Issues of race and imperialism). The world has gone through these stages of development and each stage has left its mark on the face of earth. While we study development or human development, a basic knowledge of these words and the process are necessary to understand their influence on the difference between nation state. To consider and understand the influence of development we should strive to understand about nation states, how individual nation states were formed and how the world developed to its present form. We can use the term ‘development’ to trace the formation of the world order till the end of twentieth century and then turn to ‘human development’, which was a term used only by the end of twentieth century (Coopper.1999). The development of a nation is a very complex multi-faceted notion. It is a much broader concept than income and national GDP. The rate of growth of income of individuals, especially the common working class can be considered as a judge of progress of economies over time. It includes what people with diverse and broad expectations, of the â€Å"good life† that each society envisages for itself. Even though the concept includes growth of income level and economic growth, it can go well beyond these as well. The changes should not only be on the large scale it should also involve whole scale social and economy wide transformations (Haq.2009). The order in the modern world is established by nation states. States are the law makers; they make sure that these are observed and breaking of the law is also the concern of the State. Markets are under the control of states, currency is managed and its value is controlled by the State in both

Reflections on the Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflections on the Environment - Research Paper Example And, its impacts have far-reaching consequences and possess a possibility to exterminate the biological existence from the planet earth. The author maintains that the global climate change is and will be impacting on the water resources and environment both at the local and regional level, and at the global level as well. This will affect the entire population as well as the magnitude of the droughts, floods will be highly increased; in addition to that, the aggregate sea levels will not remain the same but will rise posing an imminent threat to the coastal cities and areas of world; and, it will require relocation of people living nearby seas. In this regard, I support the view that we need to take certain steps reducing the carbon footprint and other activities spreading pollution and damaging the ecological system. I personally believe that my contribution will not be enough however, that does not mean I should not be doing anything about the ecological system and climate change; but, the steps such as the implementation of going green, meaning encouraging forestation, plantation, responsible living, and maximum efforts must be put in practice towards minimizing the causes that are generating the pollution and exacerbate the problem of the climate change. Entry 3: News Article Source: Mark, Kinver. 2012. â€Å"Accumulating ‘micro-plastic’ threat to shores.† BBC News Science & Environment, January 27. Accessed January 27 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16709045 Word count: 221 Microscopic plastic debris from the process of washing clothes is amassing in the marine environment and it could be entering into the food chain (Kinver, 2012). The British Broad Casting... The researcher of this essay aims to analyze a lot of environmental challenges. The climate change has become a major issue affecting each and everything living or existing on this planet earth. And, its impacts have far-reaching consequences and possess a possibility to exterminate the biological existence from the planet earth. Microscopic plastic debris from the process of washing clothes is amassing in the marine environment and it could be entering into the food chain. The number of species of animals, microorganisms, plants and the substantial diversity of genes in these species and a variety of ecosystems on this planet such as rainforests, deserts, coral reefs; are aggregately identified as the components of the biologically diverse earth. The biodiversity supplements ecosystem productivity where each species, regardless of its size and structure and role for the diversity, have to play its part in maintaining the smooth functioning of the ecosystems on this planet. Tam Hunt speaks in the favor of the electric vehicles in responding to the article by John Peterson arguing that electric vehicles will take us backward in our efforts reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. In order to support his point of view, Hunt indicates that the mentioned figure in the blog posit ‘low carbon scenario’ of 200 g/CO2 in the aggregate electricity sector; in addition to that, electric vehicles would diminish about half the emissions of hybrid cards.

Evaluating The Validity Of The PPP Hypothesis A Time Series Analysis Dissertation

Evaluating The Validity Of The PPP Hypothesis A Time Series Analysis Of The US-UK Exchange Rate - Dissertation Example Although significant coefficients in this regression seems to indicate that variations in the price level differential lead to changes in the exchange rate, deeper inspection of the stationarity properties of the relevant series establishes that we actually fail to find any evidence to support that PPP holds for the two countries under question. However since the time period covered is only of a short duration of 37 years, we conclude that this evidence should not be taken to be conclusive. It could still be the case that PPP holds in the long run but what has been examined in this paper covers only the short run and during this period the exchange rate is at a perturbed state. Introduction The exchange rate is one of the most important macro variables that have significant implications for policy of any open economy. It is therefore of primary importance to identify what determines the long run real exchange rate between two currencies for either of the countries involved. Additiona lly, given the state of other macro variables what should be expected of the medium and long term dynamics of the exchange rate for any given economy? That is, should it be expected to appreciate or depreciate over time? How does the nominal exchange rate affect inflation? These are all critical questions can be answered using the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) theory. It is therefore critical to evaluate its empirical validity. The vital notion of the PPP hypothesis is that the real rate of exchange between the currencies of any two countries is determined essentially by the ratio of the price levels of the countries in question. ... This is essentially the implication of the law of one price which postulates that the same good should sell at the same price in all markets because if different prices are charged then arbitrage will arise until the prices are equalized. Alternatively, the theory suggests that changes in real exchange rates are essentially driven by relative price level changes (Froot and Rogoff, 1995). Now, there are absolute, relative and weak versions of the hypothesis and these are distinguished as follows. When the exchange rate is simply equal to the relative price level ratio absolute or strong PPP is said to prevail. If the variability of the exchange rate is caused by variations in the relative price levels, then we say that relative PPP holds. And finally, weak PPP is known to hold whenever changes in the relative price levels significantly affect the exchange rate. The reason that this theory has motivated a large number of studies and keeps on motivating new pursuits of empirically evalu ating the PPP theory lies in the strong potential of the theory to have strong bearing on various policy aspects. For instance, an economy which has newly become independent can utilize this theory to ascertain its exchange rate. Forecasting macro-dynamics is critical for effective policy and this theory can be utilized to forecast the medium and long term exchange rates if it is found to be a valid determinant of the exchange rate. With this as the basic premise, in the present paper, we shall evaluate the validity of the PPP hypothesis as in its capacity of predicting real exchange rates. In particular, we want to evaluate whether the PPP hypothesis

Assignment on Nursing home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment on Nursing home - Essay Example Commonwealth Memory Care is the only facility that is associated with Memory Care in the Norfolk area and is wholly devoted to the care of those with Alzheimer’s, dementia and memory loss and situated conveniently close to three major medical campuses – Bayview Medical Center, Bon Secours De Paul Medical Center and Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and many nearby medical offices. The interview with the administrator of the Commonwealth Memory Care at Norfolk was conducted at the at the same centre at Norfolk that is an assisted living community that offers Alzheimer’s care and is located in Norfolk, Virginia. The interviewee was Antonio Williams who serves as the administrator of the Commonwealth Memory Care at Norfolk where the people that are associated with the centre perceive him as a leader who has a practical approach to work and one who can be trusted. Antonio Williams has been described by the families of some of the clients that receive the services of this centre as on a person whose guidance had helped their spirits that were almost heartbroken to adopt a better attitude and made the families to have a chance to enjoy the time that they had with their relatives as dealing with this disease can be hard on the families (Haaf, 1997). He is a person that has special insight in the creation of an environment that is meant to be compassionate and understanding while being supportive of the residents who have to live with the Alzheimer’s disease and he has the ability to be compassionate with both the residents and their families encouraging them in words while always being a good role model to the staff by leading through examples. For the work that he does, Antonio was able to receive the highest honour for his work being the Diamond Award for Assisted Living Director of the Year that came from the Virginia Assisted Living Association which is normally meant to distinguish

Governance Structure of NCAA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Governance Structure of NCAA - Assignment Example In 1952, the association regulated any live televised coverage (Bleischwitz, 2004). NCAA reorganized itself into three divisions, each representing a different level of competition in various sports. It also collected statistics on football and basketball and publishes guidebooks on these sports such as gymnastics’ swimming as well as others. More than 800 educational institutions became members in the late 20th century. In order to have a more fluid governance structure, NCAA needs to practice effective communication among the members to have a strong governance structure. This is where the members have monthly meetings to evaluate if they are working in line with their vision and mission. Moreover, NCAA needs to provide state of the art facilities, which get maintenance where the athletes can practice. There should be an effective and timely succession planning of the athletes. This is because the athletes need to train for the upcoming and new athletes. The NCAA should employ qualified members and positions given to the right people. In addition, the NCAA should have proper guidelines and regulations on the expectations of all the members and athletes. In addition, proper disciplinary actions for those violating the rules need implementation (Faghfouri, 2013). Lastly, rewarding and training the athletes who perform well is also crucial, as the athletes feel appreciated. In addition, the athletes need to receive training on how they may use their funds when they have won. This is because most of the athletes misappropriate the money. Some of the market strategies that NCAA should be involved in include the following. The NCAA should create branded online destinations to surround interested members or new athletes with online experiences. The NCAA should use the social media platform to create talk ability of the Association.

Key Success Factors Essay Example for Free

Key Success Factors Essay Number of Rivals Wal-Mart’s primary competitors were Kmart and Target. Wal-Mart also competed against category retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City in electronics, Toy â€Å"R† Us in toys, Kohl’s and Goody’s in apparel; and Bed, Bath, and Beyond in household goods. It also competed against warehouse club segment like Costco Wholesale, Sam’s Clubs and BJ’s Wholesale Club. Internationally, Wal-Mart‘s biggest competitor was Carrefour. Scope of RivalryWal-Mart operates nationally, but its principal interests are in the urban centers of United States. Internationally, its interests are mainly in Mexico, Japan, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada and China. Number of BuyersAs a discounted retailer, Wal-Mart’s customer base is the consumer making individual purchases, and is therefore fragmented and with no appreciable power. Degree of Product DifferentiationThe product is wide product selection and a mix of both name-brand and private-label merchandise, and therefore, a commodity with some minor differentiation available on price, selection and quality. However, Wal-Mart had successfully pursued a low-cost leadership strategy which could provide everyday low prices for their customers Product InnovationWal-Mart provides multiple store formats to attract and satisfy customers’ needs: Wal-Mart discount stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Clubs. Wal-Mart should expect it to become a common feature as rivals attempt to copy their success. Supply/Demand ConditionsWal-Mart was the biggest customer of virtually all of its 66,000 suppliers. It allowed it to bargain power with suppliers and get their bottom prices. In 1992 Wal-Mart began establishing standards for its suppliers. Pace of Technological ChangeMore sophisticated means of managing the supply chain, to include EPC/RFID systems mentioned in the case, suggest that new means of reducing costs are presenting opportunities for retailers to obtain an advantage over one another. Vertical IntegrationThe presence of suppliers indicates that the industry is not perfectly integrated. However, Wal-Mart and its competitor each maintain extensive warehousing and transportation assets, suggesting that there is a considerable degree of integration in the industry. Economies of ScaleGiven that the product is a commodity provided by suppliers, economies of scale would be essential in this industry.

The article of Joanne Thomas Essay Example for Free

The article of Joanne Thomas Essay In her article on obesity, Joanne Thomas commences by providing insight to her readers on issues influencing obesity in the community. From Thomas’ perspective, efforts by the government which are normally observed through development and implementation of policies are inadequate in addressing obesity. To address the issue effectively, changes in individual lifestyle are of the essence and in addition to that, further research regarding motivations for changing unhealthy behaviors is necessary. Adopting community programs whose objectives focus on eliminating unhealthy habits can play an important role in addressing the issue. However, from Thomas’ standpoint, pretesting of program materials comes in handy in guaranteeing the acceptability and credibility of the message conveyed through the program. In concluding the article, Thomas asserts the importance of pretesting in evaluating the health communication campaign. The probing question is: how effective is pretesting in addressing obesity in urban areas? Thomas acknowledges the challenges facing individuals in the urban areas and the critical role of pretesting in dealing with obesity in such areas. A better understanding of the challenges affecting the community is crucial to ensuring that they are dealt with effectively (Berkowitz Rabinowitz, 2010). To acquire an adequate understanding of the challenges, participation of the local community or target audience is imperative to avoid use of words or messages which might be considered hateful or hostile to a particular group of people. In her research, Thomas plans to employ random survey method in order to get the strengths and weaknesses of the program materials and messages as well as suggestions for improving the program. Due to the fact that the effectiveness of program messages and materials in reaching the target audience greatly depends on the survey questions, it is paramount to ensure that they are brief, direct to the point and relevant to the program (Siegel Lotenberg, 2007). The questions in the article seem to be aligned in the right direction of improving the program for addressing obesity. Using survey method exclusively might be termed inadequate since the method has its shortcomings. Integrating survey method with other techniques such as market research techniques might be useful in eliminating flaws and enhancing program evaluation. Such techniques are considered economical and can collect information quickly thus might come in handy in refining the program messages and materials to greater effectiveness (Poscente, Rothstein, Irvine, 2002). Moreover, in spite of Thomas involving the target audience in pretesting, excluding professionals in the health sector particularly on obesity makes the program susceptible to biasness and incompetence. Health professionals have vast knowledge on obesity as well as ways of addressing issues associated with it thereby making their involvement in the program essential to enhancing program effectiveness. Besides the target audience, it is imperative for Thomas to involve health professionals in the programs. References Berkowitz, B. Rabinowitz, P. (2010). Analyzing community problems. The Community Tool Box. Retrieved May 20, 2010 from http://ctb. ku. edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1017. htm Poscente, N. , Rothstein, M. Irvine, M. J. (2002). Using marketing research methods to evaluate a stage-specific intervention. American Journal of Health Behavior 26(4): 243-251. Siegel, M. Lotenberg, D. L. (2007). Marketing public health: Strategies to promote social change. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Agricultural Climate Adaptation: Pakistan Wheat Industry

Agricultural Climate Adaptation: Pakistan Wheat Industry Agricultural Climate Adaptation plan:  A Case Study of Pakistan wheat industry Lubna Naz 1.0  Introduction 1.1 Global warming as a result of climate change is projecting higher temperature and unpredicted rainfall pattern coupled with extreme events like flash floods and storm. This never seen before phenomena would be a threat to mankind in all sphere of life if no appropriate actions are taken. As elaborated in the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of IPCC (2007), the average temperature of the globe has risen to 0.6 °C between the year 1901 to 2000 and will projected to increase more by 1.8-3.4  °C by the end of this century. 1.2 Agriculture among the various sector of the economy of Pakistan is considered to be the most fragile sector to the unexpected changes in the climate that not only affect the amount of its production and quality but also put pressure on the availability of natural resources needed for the development of agriculture sector. Concurrently, wheat being an important agricultural industry for the economy of Pakistan is not spared from the effects of climate change. As a matter of concern, it is fundamental for all associates of the industry together with policy and decision makers to work out an adaptation strategy on how to overcome the negative impact of climate change and continue to remain a competitive sector. Successful and effective adaptation measures will need both strategic and tactical approach that based on best practices to cope with the adverse effect of climate change. Furthermore, an efficient screening and monitoring will also be needed in order to have better evaluatio n of the adapted practices that whether they are effective in controlling and minimizing the unfortunate impact of climate change. 1.3 The rise in temperature, unpredicted rainfall coupled with the increase intensity of extreme events such as drought and stress all have significant impact on the wheat industry in Pakistan. High Rainfall results in flood, waterlogged condition and hail damage that negatively affect the wheat production. As a consequence, infestation of insect, pest and diseases outbreaks and result in severe damage and in some cases even complete crop loss. Similarly, increase in temperature also negatively affects the yield of the wheat and cause major economic loss in Pakistan. As reported by Rasul et al. (2011) the rise in temperature greatly reduced the wheat yield in Pakistan particularly at sowing time and grain filling period. Furthermore, Rawson and Macpherson (2000) also reported that wheat crop destroyed faster in waterlogged conditions and as a consequence seedlings of wheat die within two days and thus resulted in low yield. Apart from the low yield other identified impact of climate change on wheat industry is decrease in GDP, decrease in foreign exchange, effect policy making, penalties by buyer; for unable to supply the required amount of wheat grains, difficulty in transportation, outspread of insect and pest, affect the livelihood of the farmers and as consequence disturb the economy of the country. Many potential adaption measures such as crop management practices, new varieties, crop rotation and water management are used in wheat industry in Pakistan. However, these practices need to be customized, improve or incorporated in different ways to cope with the adverse effect of climate change. 2.0 Adaptation plan Appropriate adaptation plan is required in the wheat industry to minimize and prevent the damage caused by the adverse effect of climate change and increase the production and yield of the crop. Well planned and early adaptation strategies will not only save cost of production and cultivation techniques but in long term save millions of lives that depend on agriculture sector for their livelihood and employment. The adaptation strategies are needed at all levels of administration like local, regional and national. Therefore the objective of this paper is to set up an adaptation and mitigation plan for wheat industry in Pakistan to eradicate or minimize the challenges caused by high temperature, unpredicted rainfall and extreme weather condition. 2.1 Government involvement Pakistan is signatory to 15 Multilateral Environmental Agreements which is mainly related to climate change, biodiversity and rehabilitation. On the basis of its international commitments, Pakistan established a number of policies, projects and framework to reduce the environmental hazards such as National Disaster management Authority, Global Change Impact Study Centre and Task Force on Climate Change. However, the country is still in the hunt for further international assistance and support (khan et al. 2013). The government of Pakistan together with all the agencies involved should focus on capacity building, circulation of funds and technology, research for agriculture development, institution and framework and therefore, develop effective adaptation strategies and policies to reduce the vulnerability of wheat industry regarding changes in climate. 2.2New breeding program 2.2.1As describe earlier, temperature and rainfall both has devastating effect on wheat grain yield in Pakistan. Successful and productive plant breeding program is needed to be adapted to enhance the production and yield. The temperature is projected to increase in the northern areas of Pakistan coupled with high rainfall, in such area slow maturing cultivars having greater heat requirement should be planted that have positive effect on the photosynthetic activity of wheat. However, the region with the high temperature and decrease rainfall (arid and semi arid plains of Pakistan) the wheat cultivars having early flowering characteristics with wide row spacing should be sown as this will allow grain formation in cooler part of the year (Van Ittersum et al. 2003). Moreover, seed with good crop establishment, early hybrid vigour, responsive to increase in carbon dioxide concentration and ability to retain flower in windy and hot climate is needed to be planted (Richards 2002). Iqbal et al. (2009) also reported that crop varieties resistant to high temperature and of short duration should be planted in order to minimize the adverse impact of high temperature. 2.2.2 High temperature is expected to reduce the risk of frost and increase the grain yield. Therefore, wheat should be sown earlier so that plant can set up the grain formation in the cooler period when there is low risk of frost (Howden et al. 1999). Iqbal et al. (2009) also reported that alternative sowing dates should be used to avoid the adverse impact of high temperature on the crop at the time of sowing or other sensitive growth stages. 2.1.3 The climate change favours the infestation of insect, pest and diseases which lowered the yield of the crop. The best measure is to use integrated pest management strategy and Area Wide Management that is the coordination of the farmers and the policy makers of the entire areas. Furthermore, the use of genetically modified crop resistant to peat and disease should be introduced and cultural practices need to be modified such as mixed cropping and crop rotation to reduce the spread of disease (Stokes Howden 2008).Pakistan Agricultural research and development sector is focusing on all these strategies and development of new varieties of wheat to reduce the risk of climate change. 2.3Crop rotation and management Various crop management practices can be used to reduce the risk of the wheat crop to environmental hazards. Such as in case of heavy rainfall the growers need to adapt the zero tillage practices so as to have greater infiltration. Avoid compaction of the soil by farm, machines, human and livestock traffic (Easterling et al, 2007). However, in poor rainfall areas of Pakistan wide rows and skip row planting should be practiced to increase the yield and stability of the wheat. Hammer et al. (1996) reported that the timing, variety of the crop and rate of fertilizer application should be based on the seasonal rainfall and available soil moisture and nutrient content of the soil. Furthermore, use of modern agriculture technology like laser land levelling and crop diversification should also be included into consideration. 2.4  Milling quality 2.4.1 Wheat grain contain high level of protein content such as durum wheat but increasing level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere negatively affect protein content and hence reduce its flour quality. However, the reduction depend on the choice of cultivar selected and amount of nitrogen fertiliser applied (Rogers et al, 1998). To maintain the nitrogen content of the wheat grain, increase use of leguminous crop or increase use of nitrogen fertilizer need to be adopted (Hayman and Alston 1999). The growers should continuously monitor the nitrogen content of the paddock and should be well aware of the nitrogen management in the cropping system. Furthermore, nitrogen leaching, poor crop vigour, high rainfall during grain filling all contribute to decrease in protein content of the grain. Appropriate breeding program and effective policies is needed to enhance the quality of the harvest. 2.4.2 During the past 60 years there has been tremendous increase in flour mills in Pakistan. Starting with 19 flour mills, currently, 915 mills are working in Pakistan. It is therefore proposed that instead of having too many flour mills, only few huge mills should be accomplished which will positively affect the economy of the country. 2.5land and Water resource Management 2.5.1 Water is enormously important for agriculture sector of Pakistan and it economy, which depends on the scarce natural resources. The agricultural sector of Pakistan mainly depends on Indus river system (IRS) for 90% of its irrigation (Piracha and Majeed 2011). However, this natural resource is getting scarce with the time and proper water management practices should be reformed under the prevalence of climate change. According to Sayed (2008), the National Water Policy of the country has made a transparent and rational institutional framework policy to meet the demands of the twenty first century. Moreover, the Integrated Water Management Approach is also implemented based that is based on the utilization of both surface and ground water. The author also mentions that reallocation of water at the provincial level by balancing water availability to cropping system is one of the important task of the National Water Policy. Furthermore, according to Iqbal et al. (2009) present irri gation system of Pakistan need be customised to maximise the water use efficiency and appropriate irrigation technology should be used. Furthermore, the author also mentions that alteration in row spacing and the use of drought tolerant varieties need to be used to minimize the loss of water. The construction of small dams and checks on the Indus River and its tributaries would increase storage of water and decrease the severity of floods. 2.5.2  The unpredicted rainfall, rise in temperature and carbon dioxide concentration negative affect the composition of soil. The loss of nutrient such is phosphorus and nitrogen through surface runoff and leaching negatively affect the growth of the wheat. As reported by Hayman and Alston 1999 proper amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be added to the paddock in order to have good crop establishment. Moreover, proper soil management practices should be adopted to minimise the risk of surface runoff and leaching. 2.6  Transport infrastructure Hike in temperature as well as increase intensity and frequency of extreme events such as heavy rain, snowfall and flood have substantial impact on the transport infrastructure of Pakistan and cause severe destruction of railways, roads, shipping and airports. Effective adaptation measures should be taken to increase the resilience of infrastructure and this could be done by two ways. The first one is to construct the new infrastructure according to the magnitude and sensitivity of the particular area to the present and future predicted climate. Secondly the existing infrastructure should be made more resistant to changing climate by retrofitting and continues monitoring and maintenance. 2.7  Seasonal weather forecast As reported by Iqbal et al. (2009) the advance seasonal forecast is one of the best options to take appropriate adaptive measures. Furthermore, Crimp et al. (2006) also elaborated that â€Å"using climate information (seasonal forecast) in conjunction with system analysis producer can significantly reduce various risks†. On the basis of weather forecast, farmers need to adopt different operations. Such as if forecast is about the drier weather the farmers need to apply split application of some of nitrogen fertilizer to ensure good planting, and also maximize no till area. But if the forecast is about wetter season then farmers should sow the wheat earlier and apply fungicide to minimize the effect of leaf disease of wheat (Meinke and Hochman, 2000). 2.8  Disaster risk reduction Unpredicted pattern of monsoon rain and melting of glacier due to rise in temperature increase the level of water in the Indus Delta of Pakistan and subsequently these phenomena result in flooding. Effective strategic plan is required to maintain the continuous and balance water flow in the river and to meet the future demands of the society. As reported by sheikh et al. (2008) expansion of the natural reservoir capacity is needed in order to decrease the risk of flooding and drought and to address the consequent decrease in the river flow after all glacier have been melted. Moreover, the authors also mention that the reservoir should also be expanded in order provide the minimum water flow to the sea to prevent the intrusion of the water into the Indus delta region and to meet the future needs of the water. 2.9  Economy and Financial institution 2.9.1 As stated earlier, Pakistan economy largely depends on agriculture sector and wheat is the main staple crop of the country. The decrease in yield and quality of wheat has negative impact on the economy of Pakistan. In order to minimise the burden on the economy of Pakistan, development of new policies and appropriate measures to be implemented that could help in eradicating the hazards and catching the positive effects of climate. 2.9.2 Loan policies of financial institution can greatly limit the option for the growers to adjust farm management practices in light of change. These financial institutions may have to change their policies according to the needs of the farmer and predicted changes in the environment. Moreover, they should support and educate the farmers about onward selling and play constructive role the industry. 3.0  Barriers to adaptation strategies 3.1 Pakistan being an agriculture country is extremely vulnerable to climate change. However, Pakistan does not have the proper monitoring and screening system for the prediction of extreme events like flood, storm or changes in the climate that makes the development of short term adaptation strategies and mitigation measures immensely difficult. Although several weather station are working in different parts of the countries, but still due to the diverse topography some significant region are left uncovered (Climate Risk Adaptation Profile 2011). Moreover, the existing findings proposed that Karakorum glacier are expanding but these finding are based on the restrictive information of glacier snouts and suggest that loss of mass in Karakorum glacier reduce the quality and availability of water. As reported by to Sheik et al. (2008), there is a lack of current knowledge and evaluation techniques on the effect of climate change on the Hindu Kush region and lack of understanding and mod el assessment of glacier melting pattern and flow of water in Indus River. All these need to be address in order to have better evaluation of the problem. Moreover, the Hunza river basin has no meteorological station that severely constraint the utilization of Model River flows under climate change. References Piracha, A., and Majeed, Z. (2011). Water Use in Pakistan’s Agricultural Sector: Water Conservation under the Changed Climatic Conditions. International Journal of Water Resources and Arid Environments 1(3): 170-179. Climate Risk and Adaptation country profile. (2011). Vulnerability, risk reduction and adaptation to climate change Pakistan. Global facility for disaster reduction and recovery. Crimp S, Gaydon D, Howden M, Hall, C, Poulton P, Hochman Z. (2006) Managing Natural Resource Issues in a Variable and Changing Climate. Final Report to Land and Water Australia, Managing Climate Variability Program. pp86. Easterling, W.E., Aggarwal,P.K., Batima,P., Brander,K.M,. Erda, L., Howden, S.M., Kirilenko, A., Morton, J., Soussana,J.F., Schmidhuber, J., and Tubiello, F.N.(2007): Food, fibre and forest products. Climate Change 2007. Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Hammer, G.L., Holzworth, D.P. and Stone, R. (1996) The value of skill in seasonal forecasting to wheat crop management in a region with high climatic variability. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 47: 717-737. Howden, S.M., Reyenga, P.J., and Meinke, H. (1999) Global Change Impacts on Australian Wheat Cropping. Report to the Australian Greenhouse Office. CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology Working Paper 99/04, Canberra, pp121. IPCC (2007): Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), Climate Change 2007, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Iqbal, M.M., Arif, Goherr, M. A., and Khan, A. M. (2009). Climate-change aspersions on food security of Pakistan. A scientific journal of COMSATS – SCIENCE VISION. Vol.15 (1). Khan, F., Ahmad, A, and Atta-ur-Rehman. (2013). Tracking Adaptation and Measuring Development (TAMD) in Pakistan. Appraisal and Design Phase Report. Meinke, H. and Hochman, Z. 2000. Using seasonal climate forecasts to manage dryland crops in northern Australia. In: Hammer, G.L., Nicholls, N., Mitchell C. (eds.) Applications of seasonal climate forecasting in agriculture and natural ecosystems: The Australian experience. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, p 149-165. Rasul, G., Chaudhry, Q. Z., Mahmood, A., and Hyder, K. W. (2011). Effect of Temperature Rise on Crop Growth Productivity. pakistan journal of meteorology, 8 (15). Rawson, H. M., and Macpherson, H. G. (2000). Irrigated Wheat: Managing Your Crop. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. pp 27-28. Rogers,G.S., Gras P.W., Batey I.L., Milham P.J., Payne, L., and Conroy, J.P. (1998) The influence of atmospheric CO2 concentration on the protein, starch and mixing properties of wheat flour. Aust J Plant Physiology 25:387-393. Richards, R.A. (2002). Current and emerging environmental challenges in Australian agriculture- the role of plant breeding. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, 881-892. Sheikh, M. M., Iqbal, M. M., Ali, G., and Khan, A. M. (2008). Global warming in the context of Pakistan: major concerns and remedial strategies. Symposium on â€Å"Changing Environmental Pattern and its impact with Special Focus on Pakistan†. Stokes, C.J., and Howden, S.M. (2008). An overview of climate change adaptation in Australian primary industries – impacts, options and priorities. Report prepared for the National Climate Change Research Strategy for Primary Industries. Sayed, A.H. (2008). Climate change and its realities for Pakistan. Manager Policy, Freshwater World Wide Fund for Nature, Pakistan. Symposium on â€Å"Changing Environmental Pattern and its impact with Special Focus on Pakistan†. van Ittersum, M.K., Howden, S.M., Asseng, S. (2003) Sensitivity of productivity and deep drainage of wheat cropping systems in a Mediterranean environment to changes in CO2, temperature and precipitation, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 97:255-273.

Eulogy for Grandmother :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Grandmother Theresa Smith was born on December 3, 1925 in Materson, NJ. She died in Williamsville on March 2, 2005, at age 80. Theresa Smith was great grandmother of one, grandmother of five of us, mother of three, sibling of three sisters and two brothers, and wife to one great man, my grandfather, Ron Smith. It's hard for me to reflect upon my grandmother's life because I was part of it for a little less than half its span. A lot of ideas went through my head at a million miles an hour, few of them stuck with me. One thought I had after my uncle asked me to consider saying a few words was that it was hard to understand my grandmother without also knowing my grandfather. My grandmother and grandfather got married in 1938. They spent a lot of their early married life in the Morristown, NJ area where my grandfather was a schoolteacher and later a principal. He earned his doctorate in education during that time, which ultimately allowed him to become a professor at Glassboro State College in Southern New Jersey. They moved to Glassboro in the late 1950s with their children, Sharon and Dennis. This was my grandparent's home until around the time my grandfather died in 1982. During this period, my grandmother managed to have a 20-year career as an elementary school teacher and a remedial reading teacher at the elementary and middle school levels. I think the reason that she taught at that time was because she was committed to helping the community, and we would continue to see this trait in her when she volunteered at hospitals in North Jersey and in this area, later in life. My grandfather was the kind of man who loved my grandmother and supported her in every way, including her career. He was well known in New Jersey and probably throughout the country as a leader of the New Jersey Education Association and the New Jersey Retired Educators' Association. He wrote several books on educational practice and educational law in the State of New Jersey. My grandparents had a great life together. They traveled extensively, particularly after they retired. They visited their children and grandchildren often, and were very involved in our lives and what mattered to us. It was a tremendous shock to all of us when my grandfather passed away in 1982. Eulogy for Grandmother :: Eulogies Eulogy Eulogy for Grandmother Theresa Smith was born on December 3, 1925 in Materson, NJ. She died in Williamsville on March 2, 2005, at age 80. Theresa Smith was great grandmother of one, grandmother of five of us, mother of three, sibling of three sisters and two brothers, and wife to one great man, my grandfather, Ron Smith. It's hard for me to reflect upon my grandmother's life because I was part of it for a little less than half its span. A lot of ideas went through my head at a million miles an hour, few of them stuck with me. One thought I had after my uncle asked me to consider saying a few words was that it was hard to understand my grandmother without also knowing my grandfather. My grandmother and grandfather got married in 1938. They spent a lot of their early married life in the Morristown, NJ area where my grandfather was a schoolteacher and later a principal. He earned his doctorate in education during that time, which ultimately allowed him to become a professor at Glassboro State College in Southern New Jersey. They moved to Glassboro in the late 1950s with their children, Sharon and Dennis. This was my grandparent's home until around the time my grandfather died in 1982. During this period, my grandmother managed to have a 20-year career as an elementary school teacher and a remedial reading teacher at the elementary and middle school levels. I think the reason that she taught at that time was because she was committed to helping the community, and we would continue to see this trait in her when she volunteered at hospitals in North Jersey and in this area, later in life. My grandfather was the kind of man who loved my grandmother and supported her in every way, including her career. He was well known in New Jersey and probably throughout the country as a leader of the New Jersey Education Association and the New Jersey Retired Educators' Association. He wrote several books on educational practice and educational law in the State of New Jersey. My grandparents had a great life together. They traveled extensively, particularly after they retired. They visited their children and grandchildren often, and were very involved in our lives and what mattered to us. It was a tremendous shock to all of us when my grandfather passed away in 1982.

atlas shrugged :: essays research papers

Book Review: ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taggart Transcontinental is not to be excluded on the effects of declining economic situations experienced by the whole country. Dagny Taggart, the vice president in-charge of operations, upon her visit to the Rio Norte Line to inspect the damages it maintains, goes straight to her brother’s office and reports that the line needs immediate attention and for that she has already ordered Rearden Metal to be used for that line. Jim denounced her decisions and actions not just because she does not have authority to make those orders but also Rearden Metal is not yet tried before by others. Dagny’s plan to rebuild this important line is held back when most of the corporation’s business contacts and suppliers as well as own personnels are suddenly leaving and mysteriously vanishing. Meanwhile, Dagny’s brother Jim uses his political influence to save his railroad and thus the Anti Dog-Eat-Dog Rule was approved to rid of competitions in railroa d, specifically Taggart’s competitors. Dagny’s plans of rebuilding were further hampered when the State Science Institute publicly deprecates Rearden Metal although this is the best type of metal ever formulated and invented. Focused to rebuild her line, Dagny decides to start her own company where she would take all the risks and responsibilities of using Rearden Metal, and once the line was built, she would then have to return the line to Taggart Transcontinental. Her decision was not a disappointment and proved to be a surprising success. Then, a new set of law called Directive 10-289 was passed and includes a decree that all patents or inventions are to be taken over by the government for public use. Dagny quits and retreats to an old family house in the mountains. She was followed there by Francisco where he now tells her everything he has been up to. However, upon hearing news about a new railroad accident, she rushes back to her office and takes over again. Then in pursuit of the scientist she has assigned to rebuild a motor that can transform static energy to kinetic energy that she and Hank have discovered, she crashes into an unknown location where all the missing great minds are living. They are on strike describing it a strike of the mind. There she came to know the real John Galt and was able to live with him for a month.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 33-36

CHAPTER 33 Systems security specialist Mark Zoubianis was sinking deeper into his futon and scowling at the information on his laptop screen. What the hell kind of address is this? His best hacking tools were entirely ineffective at breaking into the document or at unmasking Trish's mysterious IP address. Ten minutes had passed, and Zoubianis's program was still pounding away in vain at the network firewalls. They showed little hope of penetration. No wonder they're overpaying me. He was about to retool and try a different approach when his phone rang. Trish, for Christ's sake, I said I'd call you. He muted the football game and answered. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Is this Mark Zoubianis?† a man asked. â€Å"At 357 Kingston Drive in Washington?† Zoubianis could hear other muffled conversations in the background. A telemarketer during the play-offs? Are they insane? â€Å"Let me guess, I won a week in Anguilla?† â€Å"No,† the voice replied with no trace of humor. â€Å"This is systems security for the Central Intelligence Agency. We would like to know why you are attempting to hack one of our classified databases?† Three stories above the Capitol Building's subbasement, in the wide-open spaces of the visitor center, security guard Nunez locked the main entry doors as he did every night at this time. As he headed back across the expansive marble floors, he thought of the man in the army-surplus jacket with the tattoos. I let him in. Nunez wondered if he would have a job tomorrow. As he headed toward the escalator, a sudden pounding on the outside doors caused him to turn. He squinted back toward the main entrance and saw an elderly African American man outside, rapping on the glass with his open palm and motioning to be let in. Nunez shook his head and pointed to his watch. The man pounded again and stepped into the light. He was immaculately dressed in a blue suit and had close-cropped graying hair. Nunez's pulse quickened. Holy shit. Even at a distance, Nunez now recognized who this man was. He hurried back to the entrance and unlocked the door. â€Å"I'm sorry, sir. Please, please come in.† Warren Bellamy–Architect of the Capitol–stepped across the threshold and thanked Nunez with a polite nod. Bellamy was lithe and slender, with an erect posture and piercing gaze that exuded the confidence of a man in full control of his surroundings. For the last twenty-five years, Bellamy had served as the supervisor of the U.S. Capitol. â€Å"May I help you, sir?† Nunez asked. â€Å"Thank you, yes.† Bellamy enunciated his words with crisp precision. As a northeastern Ivy League graduate, his diction was so exacting he sounded almost British. â€Å"I've just learned that you had an incident here this evening.† He looked deeply concerned. â€Å"Yes, sir. It was–â€Å" â€Å"Where's Chief Anderson?† â€Å"Downstairs with Director Sato from the CIA's Office of Security.† Bellamy's eyes widened with concern. â€Å"The CIA is here?† â€Å"Yes, sir. Director Sato arrived almost immediately after the incident.† â€Å"Why?† Bellamy demanded. Nunez shrugged. As if I was going to ask? Bellamy strode directly toward the escalators. â€Å"Where are they?† â€Å"They just went to the lower levels.† Nunez hastened after him. Bellamy glanced back with a look of concern. â€Å"Downstairs? Why?† â€Å"I don't really know–I just heard it on my radio.† Bellamy was moving faster now. â€Å"Take me to them right away.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† As the two men hurried across the open expanse, Nunez caught a glimpse of a large golden ring on Bellamy's finger. Nunez pulled out his radio. â€Å"I'll alert the chief that you're coming down.† â€Å"No.† Bellamy's eyes flashed dangerously. â€Å"I'd prefer to be unannounced.† Nunez had made some big mistakes tonight, but failing to alert Chief Anderson that the Architect was now in the building would be his last. â€Å"Sir?† he said, uneasy. â€Å"I think Chief Anderson would prefer–â€Å" â€Å"You are aware that I employ Mr. Anderson?† Bellamy said. Nunez nodded. â€Å"Then I think he would prefer you obey my wishes.† CHAPTER 34 Trish Dunne entered the SMSC lobby and looked up with surprise. The guest waiting here looked nothing like the usual bookish, flannel-clad doctors who entered this building–those of anthropology, oceanography, geology, and other scientific fields. Quite to the contrary, Dr. Abaddon looked almost aristocratic in his impeccably tailored suit. He was tall, with a broad torso, well-tanned face, and perfectly combed blond hair that gave Trish the impression he was more accustomed to luxuries than to laboratories. â€Å"Dr. Abaddon, I presume?† Trish said, extending her hand. The man looked uncertain, but he took Trish's plump hand in his broad palm. â€Å"I'm sorry. And you are?† â€Å"Trish Dunne,† she replied. â€Å"I'm Katherine's assistant. She asked me to escort you back to her lab.† â€Å"Oh, I see.† The man smiled now. â€Å"Very nice to meet you, Trish. My apologies if I seemed confused. I was under the impression Katherine was here alone this evening.† He motioned down the hall. â€Å"But I'm all yours. Lead the way.† Despite the man's quick recovery, Trish had seen the flash of disappointment in his eyes. She now suspected the motive for Katherine's secrecy earlier about Dr. Abaddon. A budding romance, maybe? Katherine never discussed her social life, but her visitor was attractive and well-groomed, and although younger than Katherine, he clearly came from her world of wealth and privilege. Nonetheless, whatever Dr. Abaddon had imagined tonight's visit might entail, Trish's presence did not seem to be part of his plan. At the lobby's security checkpoint, a lone guard quickly pulled off his headphones, and Trish could hear the Redskins game blaring. The guard put Dr. Abaddon through the usual visitor routine of metal detectors and temporary security badges. â€Å"Who's winning?† Dr. Abaddon said affably as he emptied his pockets of a cell phone, some keys, and a cigarette lighter. â€Å"Skins by three,† the guard said, sounding eager to get back. â€Å"Helluva game.† â€Å"Mr. Solomon will be arriving shortly,† Trish told the guard. â€Å"Would you please send him back to the lab once he arrives?† â€Å"Will do.† The guard gave an appreciative wink as they passed through. â€Å"Thanks for the heads- up. I'll look busy.† Trish's comment had been not only for the benefit of the guard but also to remind Dr. Abaddon that Trish was not the only one intruding on his private evening here with Katherine. â€Å"So how do you know Katherine?† Trish asked, glancing up at the mysterious guest. Dr. Abaddon chuckled. â€Å"Oh, it's a long story. We've been working on something together.† Understood, Trish thought. None of my business. â€Å"This is an amazing facility,† Abaddon said, glancing around as they moved down the massive corridor. â€Å"I've never actually been here.† His airy tone was becoming more genial with every step, and Trish noticed he was actively taking it all in. In the bright lights of the hallway, she also noticed that his face looked like he had a fake tan. Odd. Nonetheless, as they navigated the deserted corridors, Trish gave him a general synopsis of the SMSC's purpose and function, including the various pods and their contents. The visitor looked impressed. â€Å"Sounds like this place has a treasure trove of priceless artifacts. I would have expected guards posted everywhere.† â€Å"No need,† Trish said, motioning to the row of fish-eye lenses lining the ceiling high above. â€Å"Security here is automated. Every inch of this corridor is recorded twenty-four/seven, and this corridor is the spine of the facility. It's impossible to access any of the rooms off this corridor without a key card and PIN number.† â€Å"Efficient use of cameras.† â€Å"Knock on wood, we've never had a theft. Then again, this is not the kind of museum anyone would rob–there's not much call on the black market for extinct flowers, Inuit kayaks, or giant squid carcasses.† Dr. Abaddon chuckled. â€Å"I suppose you're right.† â€Å"Our biggest security threat is rodents and insects.† Trish explained how the building prevented insect infestations by freezing all SMSC refuse and also by an architectural feature called a â€Å"dead zone†Ã¢â‚¬â€œan inhospitable compartment between double walls, which surrounded the entire building like a sheath. â€Å"Incredible,† Abaddon said. â€Å"So, where is Katherine and Peter's lab?† â€Å"Pod Five,† Trish said. â€Å"It's all the way at the end of this hallway.† Abaddon halted suddenly, spinning to his right, toward a small window. â€Å"My word! Will you look at that!† Trish laughed. â€Å"Yeah, that's Pod Three. They call it Wet Pod.† â€Å"Wet?† Abaddon said, face pressed to the glass. â€Å"There are over three thousand gallons of liquid ethanol in there. Remember the giant squid carcass I mentioned earlier?† â€Å"That's the squid?!† Dr. Abaddon turned from the window momentarily, his eyes wide. â€Å"It's huge!† â€Å"A female Architeuthis,† Trish said. â€Å"She's over forty feet.† Dr. Abaddon, apparently enraptured by the sight of the squid, seemed unable to pull his eyes away from the glass. For a moment, the grown man reminded Trish of a little boy at a pet-store window, wishing he could go in and see a puppy. Five seconds later, he was still staring longingly through the window. â€Å"Okay, okay,† Trish finally said, laughing as she inserted her key card and typed her PIN number. â€Å"Come on. I'll show you the squid.† As Mal'akh stepped into the dimly lit world of Pod 3, he scanned the walls for security cameras. Katherine's pudgy little assistant began rattling on about the specimens in this room. Mal'akh tuned her out. He had no interest whatsoever in giant squids. His only interest was in using this dark, private space to solve an unexpected problem. CHAPTER 35 The wooden stairs descending to the Capitol's subbasement were as steep and shallow as any stairs Langdon had ever traversed. His breathing was faster now, and his lungs felt tight. The air down here was cold and damp, and Langdon couldn't help but flash on a similar set of stairs he had taken a few years back into the Vatican's Necropolis. The City of the Dead. Ahead of him, Anderson led the way with his flashlight. Behind Langdon, Sato followed closely, her tiny hands occasionally pressing into Langdon's back. I'm going as fast as I can. Langdon inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the cramped walls on either side of him. There was barely room for his shoulders on this staircase, and his daybag now scraped down the sidewall. â€Å"Maybe you should leave your bag above,† Sato offered behind him. â€Å"I'm fine,† Langdon replied, having no intention of letting it out of his sight. He pictured Peter's little package and could not begin to imagine how it might relate to anything in the subbasement of the U.S. Capitol. â€Å"Just a few more steps,† Anderson said. â€Å"Almost there.† The group had descended into darkness, moving beyond the reach of the staircase's lone lightbulb. When Langdon stepped off the final wooden tread, he could feel that the floor beneath his feet was dirt. Journey to the center of the Earth. Sato stepped down behind him. Anderson now raised his beam, examining their surroundings. The subbasement was less of a basement than it was an ultranarrow corridor that ran perpendicular to the stairs. Anderson shone his light left and then right, and Langdon could see the passage was only about fifty feet long and lined on both sides with small wooden doors. The doors abutted one another so closely that the rooms behind them could not have been more than ten feet wide. ACME Storage meets the Catacombs of Domatilla, Langdon thought as Anderson consulted the blueprint. The tiny section depicting the subbasement was marked with an X to show the location of SBB13. Langdon couldn't help but notice that the layout was identical to a fourteen-tomb mausoleum–seven vaults facing seven vaults–with one removed to accommodate the stairs they had just descended. Thirteen in all. He suspected America's â€Å"thirteen† conspiracy theorists would have a field day if they knew there were exactly thirteen storage rooms buried beneath the U.S. Capitol. Some found it suspicious that the Great Seal of the United States had thirteen stars, thirteen arrows, thirteen pyramid steps, thirteen shield stripes, thirteen olive leaves, thirteen olives, thirteen letters in annuit coeptis, thirteen letters in e pluribus unum, and on and on. â€Å"It does look abandoned,† Anderson said, shining the beam into the chamber directly in front of them. The heavy wooden door was wide open. The shaft of light illuminated a narrow stone chamber–about ten feet wide by some thirty feet deep–like a dead-end hallway to nowhere. The chamber contained nothing more than a couple of old collapsed wooden boxes and some crumpled packing paper. Anderson shone his light on a copper plate mounted on the door. The plate was covered with verdigris, but the old marking was legible: SBB IV â€Å"SBB Four,† Anderson said. â€Å"Which one is SBB Thirteen?† Sato asked, faint wisps of steam curling out of her mouth in the cold subterranean air. Anderson turned the beam toward the south end of the corridor. â€Å"Down there.† Langdon peered down the narrow passage and shivered, feeling a light sweat despite the cold. As they moved through the phalanx of doorways, all of the rooms looked the same, doors ajar, apparently abandoned long ago. When they reached the end of the line, Anderson turned to his right, raising the beam to peer into room SBB13. The flashlight beam, however, was impeded by a heavy wooden door. Unlike the others, the door to SBB13 was closed. This final door looked exactly like the others–heavy hinges, iron handle, and a copper number plate encrusted with green. The seven characters on the number plate were the same characters on Peter's palm upstairs. SBB XIII Please tell me the door is locked, Langdon thought. Sato spoke without hesitation. â€Å"Try the door.† The police chief looked uneasy, but he reached out, grasped the heavy iron handle, and pushed down on it. The handle didn't budge. He shone the light now, illuminating a heavy, old- fashioned lock plate and keyhole. â€Å"Try the master key,† Sato said. Anderson produced the main key from the entry door upstairs, but it was not even close to fitting. â€Å"Am I mistaken,† Sato said, her tone sarcastic, â€Å"or shouldn't Security have access to every corner of a building in case of emergency?† Anderson exhaled and looked back at Sato. â€Å"Ma'am, my men are checking for a secondary key, but–â€Å" â€Å"Shoot the lock,† she said, nodding toward the key plate beneath the lever. Langdon's pulse leaped. Anderson cleared his throat, sounding uneasy. â€Å"Ma'am, I'm waiting for news on a secondary key. I am not sure I'm comfortable blasting our way into–â€Å" â€Å"Perhaps you'd be more comfortable in prison for obstructing a CIA investigation?† Anderson looked incredulous. After a long beat, he reluctantly handed the light to Sato and unsnapped his holster. â€Å"Wait!† Langdon said, no longer able to stand idly by. â€Å"Think about it. Peter gave up his right hand rather than reveal whatever might be behind this door. Are you sure we want to do this? Unlocking this door is essentially complying with the demands of a terrorist.† â€Å"Do you want to get Peter Solomon back?† Sato asked. â€Å"Of course, but–â€Å" â€Å"Then I suggest you do exactly what his captor is requesting.† â€Å"Unlock an ancient portal? You think this is the portal?† Sato shone the light in Langdon's face. â€Å"Professor, I have no idea what the hell this is. Whether it's a storage unit or the secret entrance to an ancient pyramid, I intend to open it. Do I make myself clear?† Langdon squinted into the light and finally nodded. Sato lowered the beam and redirected it at the door's antique key plate. â€Å"Chief? Go ahead.† Still looking averse to the plan, Anderson extracted his sidearm very, very slowly, gazing down at it with uncertainty. â€Å"Oh, for God's sake!† Sato's tiny hands shot out, and she grabbed the weapon from him. She stuffed the flashlight into his now empty palm. â€Å"Shine the damned light.† She handled the gun with the confidence of someone who had trained with weapons, wasting no time turning off the pistol's safety, cocking the weapon, and aiming at the lock. â€Å"Wait!† Langdon yelled, but he was too late. The gun roared three times. Langdon's eardrums felt like they had exploded. Is she insane?! The gunshots in the tiny space had been deafening. Anderson also looked shaken, his hand wavering a bit as he shone the flashlight on the bullet- riddled door. The lock mechanism was now in tatters, the wood surrounding it entirely pulverized. The lock had released, the door now having fallen ajar. Sato extended the pistol and pressed the tip of the barrel against the door, giving it a push. The door swung fully into the blackness beyond. Langdon peered in but could see nothing in the darkness. What in the world is that smell? An unusual, fetid odor wafted out of the darkness. Anderson stepped into the doorway and shone the light on the floor, tracing carefully down the length of the barren dirt floor. This room was like the others–a long, narrow space. The sidewalls were rugged stone, giving the room the feel of an ancient prison cell. But that smell . . . â€Å"There's nothing here,† Anderson said, moving the beam farther down the chamber floor. Finally, as the beam reached the end of the floor, he raised it up to illuminate the chamber's farthest wall. â€Å"My God . . . !† Anderson shouted. Everyone saw it and jumped back. Langdon stared in disbelief at the deepest recess of the chamber. To his horror, something was staring back. CHAPTER 36 â€Å"What in God's name . . . ?† At the threshold of SBB13, Anderson fumbled with his light and retreated a step. Langdon also recoiled, as did Sato, who looked startled for the first time all night. Sato aimed the gun at the back wall and motioned for Anderson to shine the light again. Anderson raised the light. The beam was dim by the time it reached the far wall, but the light was enough to illuminate the shape of a pallid and ghostly face, staring back at them through lifeless sockets. A human skull. The skull sat atop a rickety wooden desk positioned against the rear wall of the chamber. Two human leg bones sat beside the skull, along with a collection of other items that were meticulously arranged on the desk in shrinelike fashion–an antique hourglass, a crystal flask, a candle, two saucers of pale powder, and a sheet of paper. Propped against the wall beside the desk stood the fearsome shape of a long scythe, its curved blade as familiar as that of the grim reaper. Sato stepped into the room. â€Å"Well, now . . . it appears Peter Solomon keeps more secrets than I imagined.† Anderson nodded, inching after her. â€Å"Talk about skeletons in your closet.† He raised the light and surveyed the rest of the empty chamber. â€Å"And that smell?† he added, crinkling his nose. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Sulfur,† Langdon replied evenly behind them. â€Å"There should be two saucers on the desk. The saucer on the right will contain salt. And the other sulfur.† Sato wheeled in disbelief. â€Å"How the hell would you know that?!† â€Å"Because, ma'am, there are rooms exactly like this all over the world.† One story above the subbasement, Capitol security guard Nunez escorted the Architect of the Capitol, Warren Bellamy, down the long hallway that ran the length of the eastern basement. Nunez could have sworn that he had just heard three gunshots down here, muffled and underground. There's no way. â€Å"Subbasement door is open,† Bellamy said, squinting down the hallway at a door that stood ajar in the distance. Strange evening indeed, Nunez thought. Nobody goes down there. â€Å"I'll be glad to find out what's going on,† he said, reaching for his radio. â€Å"Go back to your duties,† Bellamy said. â€Å"I'm fine from here.† Nunez shifted uneasily. â€Å"You sure?† Warren Bellamy stopped, placing a firm hand on Nunez's shoulder. â€Å"Son, I've worked here for twenty-five years. I think I can find my way.†