Final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Final - Assignment Example Those formulations are then adopted through the congressional process and then to the bureaucratic process. This part is done by the executive agencies. In this case, the policy implementation could include adopting regulations and rules, providing products and services, adjudication of disputes, public education campaigns and many others. Various actors and observers evaluate the effects of policies. In this case, they evaluate whether the policy is solving the problem at hand by accomplishing their goals. Evaluation compares the costs and benefits of policies. Congress uses its oversight powers to seek answers on the progress of the policy project. 2. A balanced budget is the one where the government raises enough money to fund the budget. In this case, the total revenues are equal to the total expenditures. In this case, there is neither a budget surplus nor a budget deficit that exists. As such, the budget accounts are in balance. However, a balanced budget generally refers the one that has no budget deficit, but a budget surplus may exist. A balance budget does not require the government to source for revenue from external sources. In addition, the government does not need to seek a supplementary budget from the legislative body to finance stalled projects as a result of financial deficiency. There are several factors that can cause budget surplus. One of them is increased taxation rate on some product. In this case, the government may increase the tax to achieve another objective rather that collecting revenue; may be to discourage consumption of a certain product. Another factor is improved economic growth or devaluation of currency in trading partners. The government has a large number of departments, parastatals, and agencies among other area that it operates. Provision of services such as medical, education and security are in the responsibilities of the government. In this

Corporate Philanthropy Essay Example for Free

Corporate Philanthropy Essay It is easy to estimate what corporate America is pulling in by simply looking at the amount of money they spend on advertising and celebrity endorsements. The evidence of increased affluence can also be seen in the kind of lifestyle exemplified by the CEOs of said companies. In this era of billion dollar industries the question has to be asked on the necessity or the responsibility of for-profit organizations to engage in and support philanthropy? An initial reaction would be the affirmative as there is almost no negative consequence to the idea of receiving a gift. But then again there is no such thing as a free lunch so to speak. This study will attempt to get a basic understanding of corporate philanthropy and what it means to the donor and to the receiver as well. Spirit of Giving Even before tax deductible corporate charitable contributions became part of business strategy, there were already businessmen and organizations imbued with the spirit of giving. In the early year of the twentieth century Milton S. Hershey, a deeply religious man belonging to the Mennonite sect took great pains in order to bless others as he was blessed and this was explained by Andrew Savitz: Hershey [†¦] wanted his wealth to be used ‘for a purpose of enduring good’, [†¦] Through his Hershey Improvement Company, he founded most of its leading institutions, including local bank, department store, zoo, and public gardens modeled on those at the French Versailles [†¦] He even founded a community college that local residents and company employees could attend free of charge (2006, p. 5-6). When the Great Depression ravaged corporate America in the 1930s this same spirit of giving has alleviate the suffering of many people. After this time the Federal government has seen the potential of corporate giving in helping the government during times of crisis and even in providing assistance for economic growth. The government then made decisive steps to harness this potential. Wilkinson et al. , described the rationale, â€Å"1n 1935, during the height of the Great Depression, corporate giving to private charity was welcomed as a means to reduce the taxation that would otherwise be required by local communities shouldering the burden of caring for unemployables† (2006, section 1-4). Thus, in a way the spirit of giving was regulated and before while the gift was given freely without any prodding, now those who gave are rewarded with incentives such as the â€Å"tax deductible contributions† that many are familiar today. Social Responsibility In times of crisis it is understandable why the help of businesses are required to help prevent an economic collapse or a major breakdown in the social system of this country but what about in the times of peace and less turbulent times; where can corporate philanthropy come in? Louis Boone, writing about the realities of 21st century businesses asserted that corporate success is not only about dollars and cents but by abiding with an unwritten code of corporate ethics which includes contributing to increase the well being of society (2006, p. 51). The author adds that philanthropy is one of the ways which a corporation fulfills its social responsibilities (Boone, p. 51). Impact of Generosity Robin Pogrebin in his New York Times article illustrated the ability of for-profit organizations to help create awareness for the arts, â€Å"The Brooklyn Academy of Music recently closed a $200,000 deal with Visa’s signature card to sponsor its coming production of the dance-theater piece ‘Edward Scissorhands’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2007, par. 21). In the same article Pogrebin clarifies the significance of such donations to places like museums and cultural groups. In a succinct way he was able to show that dance and theater groups could never compete with NASCAR or the NBA for example in terms of reach which makes Visa’s contribution more meaningful. Another good example would be the philanthropic activity of Krispy Kreme that allow them to donate to Foster Friends – a charity that works with foster children with special needs. According to one of their executives, â€Å"We want our company to establish deep roots in the community† (Boone, p. 152). Sometimes one can only appreciate things when it is already gone. This is what happened to a historical site in Sussex County, New Jersey when funds dried up and the foundation managing the 19th century site that featured a 19th century town and a Lenape Indian Village (Hughes, 2007, par. 1-5). In the same way the benefits of corporate philanthropy can only be appreciated when the donations have stopped. In the case of Sussex County school children would be denied the education and joy derived from visiting historic sites such as this one. Bottomline Not all agree to the positive impact of corporate giving. When receiving gifts from corporate sponsors one could almost feel the strings attached the moment free money is being handed out. A realistic view of the world should automatically alert beneficiaries of donations to the fact that something must be given in return. But it must also be understood that corporations does not necessarily demand for the soul of the fundraiser and is only interested with a partnership that would work both ways. There is no need to be paranoid and say, â€Å"†¦if companies have a say in some decisions, might they eventually demand it in others? † (Pogrebin, par. 12). Ms. Perkins, a fund raising consultant asserts that corporations are less interested in â€Å"dictating programming than in exploiting it† (as cited in Pogrebin, par. 13). This makes a lot of sense since no CEO or corporate staff for that matter will have the time and energy to spare in tinkering with something they have no proficiency in like say tap dancing. Mr. Will Maitland Weiss, executive director of the Arts and Business Council of New York agrees with this assessment and he said, â€Å"The challenge isn’t that evil Mr. Businessman is trying to trick you into doing something you don’t want to do. The challenge for an arts group is to go into a meeting thinking strategically: We want to reach this audience, you want to reach this market, and we’ll both win† (as cited in Pogrebin, par 14). An example of the dynamics described by Weiss can be seen in the partnership between Time Warner and City Center’s Fall for Dance program which the media giant has sponsored for the past three years. The mutual relationship produced exposure for Time Warner and the six figure gift from the conglomerate was translated into 160, 000 festivals brochures, 400 subway posters and 5,500 bus advertisements (Pogrebin, par. ). If the cultural center tried to carry all the promotional and operational expense all by itself there is no way the production could have taken off the ground. Conclusion In the final analysis there is no significant objection to the idea that for-profit organizations should indeed participate and engage themselves in charitable causes and other philanthropic activities. The reasons for supporting such an activity are numerous. It starts with the fact that these organizations are earning millions of dollars. It is just proper for them to give back to the community or to the people that patronized their product, service or whatever it may be they are selling. The second major reason is the positive impact of giving, which has resulted in helping others reach their full potential. In the examples given previously one can see the numerous social problems that were solved because of corporate giving. There is even a deeper reason for the need to give. As pointed out by Boone, a lot of businessmen believe that it is ethical to give back to the community. And that many CEOs and entrepreneurs view themselves as failures if they only focus on the dollars and cents instead of making their world a better place. Third reason for an affirmative answer to the query on corporate giving is its ability to jumpstart projects that may not be as important as feeding the poor but is equally significant in feeding the soul. Examples were given of arts and culture groups that could not compete with sports and would have no chance of staging production without the aid of corporate sponsors. The objection to corporate philanthropy is baseless and could not hold water when stacked up against the benefits of generosity. Obviously, foundations and charitable institutions are never at a loss for programs and activities that will efficiently spend money given by for-profit organizations. Moreover, the examples given earlier has proven that corporate giving has evolved into a highly sophisticated system of partnership between donor and beneficiary that illustrates the paradox of making profit while giving away money. This is only possible in the world of corporate giving.

Water Irrigation Systems In India Environmental Sciences Essay

Water Irrigation Systems In India Environmental Sciences Essay Water is the most distributed substance on our planet. It is available in different amounts everywhere and plays an important role in the surrounding environment and human life. By recent estimates the earths hydrosphere contains a huge amount of water of about 1,386 million cubic kilometers. However, 97.5 per cent of this amount is saline water and only 2.5 per cent is fresh water. The greater portion of the fresh water (68.70%) is in the shape of ice and permanent snow cover in the Antarctic, the Artic, and Mountains regions. Only 0.26 per cent of the total amount of fresh water on the earth is concentrated in lakes, reservoirs, and river systems. They are most accessible for economic needs and very important for water ecosystems. Agriculture sector requires more irrigation water compared to industry and domestic sectors. Especially in developing countries the consumption of irrigation water was more than 90 per cent. Irrigation in India Indias irrigation development in this century and particularly after independence has seen number of large storage based system all by the government effort and money. However, in pre-British period in India, there were practically no large reservoir projects. Even in British period, a few storage structures were built only in the beginning of this century. Post independent India however has seen more than 60 per cent of irrigation budgets going for major and minor projects. Indian states have taken over total responsibility of planning, decision making, finance, construction, operation and maintenance of existing and future irrigation projects of all sizes. Indias irrigated agriculture has been fundamental to its economic development and poverty alleviation. About 18.00 per cent of Indias gross domestic product and 67.00 per cent of employment is based on agriculture. Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood in rural area, which accounts for 75.00 per cent of Indias population and 80.00 per cent of its poor. And, in turn, irrigation is the base for about 56.00 per cent. Considering these aspects of agriculture, Government of India has undertaken construction of major and minor irrigation projects in India. But, these projects have failed in equitable distribution of water resources throughout the country. Irrigation in Karnataka The Karnataka state is the eighth largest state in the country and it is located in the Deccan plateau. The geographical area of state is 1,90,498 sq km accounting for 5.8 per cent of the total area of the country. The climate of state varies from very humid rainy monsoonal climate in the west coast, the ghats and malnad areas to semi-arid warm dry climate on the east. There is a large variation in the rainfall with higher amounts in the Western Ghats and reducing towards the eastern plains. Along the coastal Dakshina Kannada district, the normal rainfall is about 4000 mm while in the drought prone districts of Bijapur, Raichur, Bellary etc., the rainfall is of the order of 500 mm to 600 mm. The average annual yield of the rivers of the Karnataka has been roughly estimated as 98,406 M.CUM (3,475 TMC). Agriculture being the main occupation of the state, irrigation plays utmost significant role in obtaining increased yields from the land. The development of irrigation in the state was slow and unsystematic during the pre-independence era. However, there was some notable irrigation works undertaken and completed during the pre-independence, such as Krishna Raja Sagar, Vijayanagar canals, Cauvery anicut channels, Gokak canal, Vanivilas Sagar, Markonahalli and Anjanapur. Though major projects like Tungabhadra, Bhadra, and Ghataprabha stage-I were commenced prior to the plan period, their progress was low and got impetus only after their inclusion in the first five year plan. River systems of Karnataka and water resources Karnataka has seven river systems, namely Krishna, Cauvery, Godavary, West flowing rivers, North Pennar, South Pennar, and Palar. It is estimated that the economically utilized water for irrigation is about 1695 TMC, excluding ground water. The total net sown area in the state is 107 lakh ha including rainfed irrigated area of 46 lakh ha. It is reported that the balance irrigation potential from all sources excluding rainfed irrigation has been estimated as about 61 lakh ha comprising 35 lakh ha under major and medium irrigations, 10 lakh ha from minor irrigation using surface water and 16 lakh ha from ground water. The Tungabhadhra Project The Tungabhadhra Dam is built across Tungabhadra river near Mallapura village about 5 kms from Hospet town. The name Tungabhadra is derived from twin rivers Tunga and Bhadra, which originate in Varaha Parvata in Western Ghats and join at Kudali village in Shimoga district. The Tungabhadra Project was started during the year 1945 as a joint venture by the Governments of Madras and Hyderabad. At the time of States reorganization, the project came over to Karnataka state. In Karnataka, it is intended to irrigate an area of 3.63 lakh hectares in Bellary, Raichur and Koppal districts under this project. The ultimate irrigation potential of Tungabhadra project is 3.63 lakh hectares. About 3.52 lakh hectares have been developed up to end of March 2006. Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) PIM is not a new concept in India and locally managed irrigation systems are centuries old. They existed long before but they have been forgotten as the years rolled by and with the advent of the British regime and contraction of major irrigation projects. In ancient and medieval India, small irrigation schemes were entirely managed by farmers. As early as third century B.C. the Kautilya Arthashastrta enunciated the principles of participatory irrigation management. In second century A.D. in Tamilnadu, the Chola king built the Grand Anicut across the Cauvery river in the delta area and it was locally managed system till it was taken over by the British in 1799. Similarly, the Vijayanagar canals built by the Vijayanagar empire (13th to 16th century) as river diversion across the Tungabhadra river were entirely and ideally farmer managed. During the British period, many canal irrigation systems were built to ward off the havocs and distresses of famines in India. All these irrigation systems were entirely Government managed through the State Irrigation Department from top to bottom. Thus, the irrigation management became the exclusive responsibility of the State Irrigation Department. The concept of irrigation management is as much an organizational and social responsibility of the irrigators has been ignored with the need to increase agriculture productivity. Governments (Centre and State) embarked upon ambitious and major irrigation projects and they are all Governments managed. In this process, the past success of farmers in managing their own irrigation system was forgotten. The administration of such projects has not been able to enforce water control efficiently. Even if they are enforced, the legal mechanisms against the violators are also very weak. The failure of large scale irrigation projects has led to increased support for systems which could be run and maintained by the users themselves. In view of this, participatory irrigation management took birth. Realizing the great role of irrigation in economic progress, many countries in the world invested huge amounts of money for development of irrigation. Most of these state owned projects suffered from certain lacunae. These irrigation systems are not self sustaining because, the water charges have been kept low and also have not been collected efficiently over the years. The allocation of funds for the Operation and Maintenance (O and M) have created problem of unreliability of distribution of water. It has been recognized widely that unless the farmers are involved in an orgainized way in the operation, management and maintencance, the objectives of the irriagation projects cannot be realized to a full extent. Therefore, there is a trend all over the world to switch over to management of irrigation by farmers and thereby improve the efficiency. In the United States of America, the efforts began as early as in 1939 in this direction and completed thirty years later in 1969. France and Taiwan implemented the process in 1960s and 1970s. Since 1980s there have been experiments of this kind in Asia, Latin America, Africa, Arabia and Europe. Similarly Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines and other countries. This program is called by different names in different countries. It is called as Turn over in Indonesia and Philippines. Management transfer in Mexico and Turkey, take over in Colombia, Post-responsibility system or Responsibility contracting system in China and Par ticipatory Management in Sri Lanka. The process of change is also described differently as Farmers Organization and Turn over (FOT), Transfer and Self-Management (TESM), Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT), Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), etc. Participation is a process in which people express themselves, share, contribute and act with mutual responsibility to promote a common goals. Participation is crucial for agriculture and rural development and is one of the critical components for success of natural resource management. Farmers participation in decision making is more likely to lead to a sustainable increase in food production as well as in eco-preservation, restoration and development. Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) refers to the involvement such as planning, designing, construction and supervision, policy and decision making, operation and maintenance (O and M) and evaluation of irrigation system. The program is implemented in India with the label of Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM). The objectives vary from place to place within the country, but generally directed at improving the operation and maintenance of the irrigation system, increasing efficiency in the use of water, reducing the Government expenditure on irrigation, increase the collection of revenue. The man behind the present day Participatory Irrigation Management and irrigation co-operation is Sir. M. Vishveshvaraya, who as early as 1902-03 had advocated for establishment of such co-operation in respect of Khadakwasla canals while he was working as an Assistant Engineer in the Bombay state. Two water users co-operative societies were established namely Saswad Mali Society (1932) in Pune district and Samvastra Vibhag Water Supply Co-Operative Society (1936) in Ahamadnagar district. PIM in Karnataka The associations were named as Water Users Co-operative Societies (WUCSs) and the task of organizing them was entrusted to the Command Area Development Authority (CADA). The jurisdictional area of society was indicated in the range of 300 to 500 ha depending upon the position of the command area, hydrologic base and consideration of socio-economic aspects. The first society was registered in May 1990 at Shettikera in Shahapur taluka of Upper Krishna Project comprising an area of 328 ha in Shahapur Branch Canal. Since 2000, the Government of Karnataka has initiated a number of fresh measures for the implementation of the Participatory Irrigation Management. It had promulgated amendments to the Karnataka Irrigation Act 1965 and Irrigation (Levy of Betterment Contribution and Water Rate) Act 1957, to provide the legal frame work for formation of the societies and their duties and responsibilities have been framed. Water users associations at different level: It was proposed to organize the Water Users Associations (WUAs) at four levels as follows, Lateral level Water Users Co-operative Societies Distributory level Water Users Distibutory Level Federation Project level Water Users Project Level Federation State level Water Users Apex Level Federation Objectives of PIM model in Karnataka To initiate participation of the farmers in water management, irrigation scheduling, distribution and maintenance of system at micro level. To improve irrigation as well as water use efficiency or optimal production per unit volume of water. To make best use of natural precipitation and ground water in conjunctive with the canal water. To develop a sense of economy in water use amongst the users. To facilitate the users to have a choice in selecting crops, cropping sequence, timing of water supply depending upon the soil and availability of water, climate and other infrastructure facilities available in the command such as road, markets, cold storage etc., so as to maximize the income and profit. To delineate responsibilities of water distribution and maintenance of system between the users both relating to allocation and actual supply of water. To facilitate resolution of conflicts among farmers. To entrust collective and community responsibilities on the farmers to collect water charges and payments to government. To improve and sophisticate deliveries precisely as per crop need by the department at the supply point of the minors and thus reduce operation losses. To create healthy atmosphere between the managers and users in the entire operation. Enough research has been conducted to develop appropriate technology for irrigation commands, but it has not been adopted properly due to various reasons. In this context, Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) is conceived as panacea for the ills of irrigated farming. It is expected to solve the problems such as poor drainage, poor crop productivity, environmental degradation etc. PIM also deals with the maintenance of the irrigation system, equitable distribution of water, scientific crop management, planning and designing, construction and supervision, policy and decision making, operation and maintenance and evaluation of irrigation system etc. The logic is that water users have higher stake and they have total control over management of the irrigation system. PIM in Tungabhadra Project area Tungabhadra project (TBP) is one of the oldest projects to help the drought hit districts of North Karnataka. It serves three districts namely, Koppal, Raichur and Bellary. The ultimate irrigation potential of Tungabhadra project is 3.63 lakh hectares. An area of 3.52 lakhs hectares has been developed up to the end of March 2006. Sufficient time has elapsed without adequate returns in terms of agriculture output, income or revenue from the investment. To overcome these hurdles, the state adopted Participatory Irrigation Management and formation of Water Users Co-operative Societies (WUCSs) in early 1990s. As per the directions of the Government of India, the farmers are required to adopt micro level systems of water management. In this respect, from the year 1990 to 1999, sixteen water users co-operative societies were organized under CADA of which 13 societies were assisted with an amount of Rs.12.97 lakhs for first three years to meet the expenses of establishment charges like office rent, furniture and maintenance charge etc. But these societies have become defunct due to stoppage of financial assistance from the Government. Action is being taken to revitalize these societies and to adopt the new bye-laws and start functioning as per the amendment brought to irrigation act which was enforced from 2000 and onwards. In Tungabhadra project command area, 432 water users co-operative societies (out of 835 societies covering 3.63 lakh hectares) were registered up to end of November 2007 at Bellary, Koppal and Raichur districts. These water users co-operative societies covered an area of 1.77 lakh hectares of land. Among 432 water users co-operative societies, 168 water users co-operative societies have executed MOU and also two distributory level federations are registered one at RBLLC Bhagewady distributory and the other at RBHLC D.P.13 distributary. The formation of three more distributory federations are under progress. The registration of WUCSs in large number was mainly due to the pressure and target fixed by the government to the CADA officials. However, the progress of entering into memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Water Resources Department (WRD), actual hand over to farmers, etc was practically very slow. The expectations of organization of WUCSs were not achieved. There are many hurd les in the implementation of PIM at the grass root level. Therefore, in the study an attempt is made to understand the nature and progress of PIM and to identify the various factors / constraints limiting the successful implementation. This would throw light on ways and means for operatationalization of existing WUCSs in TBP area. Specific Objectives To analyze the growth in participatory irrigation management (PIM) in Tungabhadra project area. To asses the physical and financial progress of participatory irrigation management in the command area. To assess the impact of participatory irrigation management on farm economy. To identity the constraints in the operationalisation of participatory irrigation management (PIM). Hypotheses Growth of participatory irrigation management is increasing over the years. The physical and financial progress of the water users association is not satisfactory. The impact of functional water users co-operative societies on farm economy is not satisfactory over existing co-operative societies. Working of water users co-operative societies is beset with constraints. Presentation of the study The study has been presented in seven chapters. In chapter I, the nature and importance of the research problem, specific objectives of the study have been depicted. Chapter II deals with the review of the relevant past studies related to the study. Chapter III gives an over view of the study area, the nature and sources of data, the analytical tools employed for evaluating the objectives and interpreting the results and various concepts used in the study. The results of the study have been presented through a variety of tables in the chapter IV. A critical discussion of the results obtained has been presented / depicted in the chapter-V. A brief summary of the overall results and the main findings of the study have been presented in the chapter-VI along with the policy implications that emerged from the findings of the study. Chapter -VII includes the list of the refered books and journals in the study.

Horney And Jewel :: essays research papers

For my paper I decided to use Karen Horney’s Social Psychological Viewpoint on the â€Å"Search for Social Security† and compared it with the singer Jewel. I found that Jewel and Horney’s viewpoint went together well. Jewel is someone that has social security and I will give examples of how she got it and how she deals with society. I got my information from an article I read about Jewel talking about the new book she just wrote on herself. The book is called Chasing down the dawn; Jewel describes it as, â€Å" the upward spiral in my life.† Horney emphasized the individuals search for a sense of security in the world as the primary motivational force in personality. In attempting to establish a sense of security, each person develops a particular personality style for coping with the world. Jewels personality style for coping with the world is one of the rules she lives by: â€Å"To live a true to yourself life, to be honest and courageous and know that good things will follow out of that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Horney assumed that the early relationship between parent and child was extremely important in determining personality in adulthood. Jewel had very good relationships with her parents, even when they divorced when she was only eight years old. She lived with her father for a while, who was a folk singer, in Alaska. They would perform together. Then she went and lived with her mother in California, where they moved into vans parked side by side to save money so Jewel could make music a priority. I think it helped her singing career a lot by the way her parents were so supportive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are three strategies for achieving social security. They are: Moving toward, against, and away from people. Moving toward people involves believing that if you go along with people and give them what they want, they will give you love and a sense of affection. Out of the three strategies Jewel moves toward people more. When fans and critics say they want to know the â€Å"real Jewel,† she considers it a good thing, because â€Å"That’s what they’re gonna get! I can’t be about trying to hide what’s not perfect about me.† It takes a lot of courage to remain true and authentic to who and what you are everyday. Jewel knows that, from the outside, celebrity makes life look easy.

Afghan American Story Essay

The entire story of the book entitled â€Å"West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan American Story† started as an e-mail sent by the author himself to at least 20 people which in turn got forwarded to 1,000 or more people in the entire American region and some other parts of the world. The email was sent after the September 11 bombing in New York which wiped out the twin towers [World Trade Center] and some parts of the Pentagon structures. The startling situation that surprised the whole world began to bring up notions and allegations against the Afghan community which was the primary suspect in the said event. This particular situation has lead to the wanting of the author to present his situation as bi-cultural American-Afghan and the views that he may be able to partake in clearing some issues in the case. The author, Tamim Ansary was a well-known author of Children’s books. However, with the even of the September 11 bombing arising in the scene, he decided to change his approach for a while and set a straight path in presenting the reality behind the Afghan communities and cultures against that of the Taliban fictionary stories that were mixed up with the reports during that particular event in history. The use of his personal experience in this reading has made Tamim Ansary one of the most entertaining authors of history. His enlightened view of his situation and his personal being gave at least a glimpse of the reality behind the Afghan communities. The issues were at least presented in a less political approach thus making the readers focus more on the personal views of the author as a person who is torn between two conflicting cultures at the time. Using the emails as a prologue to the book made it more personal and highly regarded by the public. Although it was not a mere process of marketing on the part of the author himself but a personal aim of reaching to the hearts of those who are concerned about the current situation governing Afghanistan and America, it could not be denied that the emails became the most effective invite to the readers to buy the book of Ansary. One particular part of the book that highlights the personality change in the author’s being is that of his transfer to the Americas during his 16th year of age. Most likely, being half American, half Afghanistan made him a bit torn on which culture he ought to follow as a growing teen. However, the circumstance of his life seems to already have decided on this matter. His being acquainted and later on familiarized with the American culture during his earlier years of teenage has actually shaped him into an exact American individual that he is right now. Something that made a great impact on him that even though when he went back to Afghanistan and learned about his Islam roots in a deeper view, he remained being an American thus deciding to be called as â€Å"Tamim Ansary, the American†. This particular decision on his part may have caused several readers to exclaim that he may not have considered his Afghan roots as much as he should. However, it should be noted that as a person who is bicultural, he has every reason of deciding on which part of his being he should stand strongest at. Seeing the situations entangling both cultures, perhaps he saw himself better as an American than that of an Afghan. This particular decision is based upon his own gauge of himself. No one should actually judge him based on this decision as it only depicts the real person that he is with regards his own measurement of his personality and nothing more. This decision is a right that he has to accept and act upon; anyway, whether he chooses to be an American or an Afghan, in the end, it would still be him that would decide on how he should be known by the people that he lives with and it is not through the historical roots of his cultures but through the being that he has become as an individual who aims to become the best . As mentioned earlier, Ansary decided to come to America for his high school education. This may have raised issues, but on the other hand, he is indeed able to see his American roots in as he made this particular decision in his life. As a 16 year-old young man, he was able to rationally consider the differences of being and Afghan and an American thus making him more knowledgeable of who he really is or who he really wants to become. His standing as an individual on which culture he wanted to be most likely acquainted with has been further developed in this stage in his life. Undeniably, this experience in his life made him more developed as an individual giving him all the skills and the possibilities that he needs in his life. Obviously, he became the author that he wanted to become because of being an American. His career soared because his choice was quite clear. He did not abandon being an Afghan through this process as others may conclude. As he turned into a more adult person, his want of seeing his Afghan roots furthered that he decided to travel back to Afghanistan and discover the culture and the history of the country with a more mature view as a freelance journalist. This decision in his part made him see what kind of life he would have possibly been living through all his life if he chose to remain in Afghanistan. This situation made him appreciate the decision that he has made in transferring to America for further high school education. He knew within himself though that the afghan part of his being remained in tact and is still and would always hone the individual that he is inside. It is already a part of who he is and would always be a part of who he becomes later on. He grew up as a Muslim. This is obviously no part of his own decision, but getting absorbed with the culture at an early age could have been one of his particular decisions to have taken responsibility about. Being absorbed much in the Muslim culture has further hardened his process of recognizing his other culture in a much acceptable process. This may have been dealt with earlier in a more decisive way on his part. However, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he was rather young during those years to make certain actions and decision upon himself. At some parts of the book later on, he points out the differences of the Americans and the Islam communities in the east. The differences were quite presented in a biased view that showed more concern of the American culture’s positivity. This may have raised questions but it could not be denied that the author had these views because of the fact that he was able to actually see the differences of the two cultures in different distinctive perspectives of knowledge and involvement. He could have at least made the differences depict the positive effects of the culture to his development as an individual. As an Afghan-American individual, he was further developed into a person who knows the differences of a traditional life with that of a more democratic way of living. He showed how much an Islam could change in a different culture that is presented to him in a more vivid picture. He changed as much as he could and became a democratic individual as he embraced the American culture as a youngster. The presentation may however be one particular flaw of the book to some readers particularly because of the fact that it may have been viewed with some certain bias on the presentation of the views of the author with the situations that he faced as a young Afghan American in fitting in with the western culture. To present the facts with more objectiveness on the subject, it is constantly required among authors to have a balanced presentation of both sides of the facts that they are tying to show the readers. This could have been done consistently in the entire book as to how Ansary presented the first parts of the reading. One more part of the reading that ought to be changed is that of the author’s handling of the changes that he had to face as an Afghan-American during his 16th year of age. He ought to have been able to immediately adapt to the changes needed in his original culture if he has tried to make the changes more delicately related to his original Islam culture. Adjustments were acceptably hard to accept immediately but the changes were likely more effective if he was able to relate how Islam culture could be more related to that of the American lifestyle.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 17

Not for the dragon. She jumped for the tree. It was a good, tall loblolly pine, whose drooping lower branches didn't look as if they could support a kitten. But Keller didn't need support. As she leaped, she changed, pushing it as fast as she could. She reached the tree with four paws full of lethal claws extended. And she ran straight up the vertical surface. Her claws sank into the clean, cinnamon trunk, and she shot up like a rocket. When she got high enough to be obscured by the dull-green needles on the droopy branches, she launched herself into the air again. It was a desperate move, betting everything on one blind spring. But it was all she could think of. She could never take the dragon in a fair fight. She was betting on her claws. In the wild, a panther could shear the head off a deer with a single swipe. Keller was going for the horns. She came down right on target. The dragon made the mistake of looking up at her, maybe thinking that she was trying to get behind it, to land on its back again and kill it. Or maybe thinking that she might see the pale face of an innocent girl and hesitate. Whatever it thought, it was a mistake. Keller was already slashing as she landed. A single deadly swipe with all her power behind it. Her claws peeled the forehead off the creature in a spray of blood and flesh. The screaming roar almost burst her eardrums. It was the sound she'd heard before in the mall, a sound so deep in pitch that she felt it as much as heard it. It shook her bones, and it reverberated in every tree and in the red clay of the ground. And that was another mistake, although Keller didn't know it at once. At the same instant as she heard the roar, she felt the pain. The dark power crackled through her like a whiplash and tore her own involuntary scream from her. It was worse than the first time she'd felt it, ten times worse, maybe more. The dragon was much stronger. And it followed her. Like a real whip, it flashed across the clearing after her. It hit her again as she hit the ground, and Keller screamed again. It hurt. She tried to scrabble away, but the pain made her weak, and she fell over on her side. And then the black energy hit her right shoulder-exactly where it had hit the first time in the mall. Keller saw white light. And then she was falling in darkness. Her last thought was, I didn't get it. I couldn't have. It still has power. Diana, I'm sorry†¦ She stopped feeling anything. She opened her eyes slowly. Hurts†¦ She was looking up at the dragon. It had dropped Iliana; Keller couldn't see where. And it was staring down at her in malevolent fury, obviously waiting for her to wake up so she could feel it when it killed her. When he killed her. He'd taken on the shape he'd been wearing in the beginning. A young man with clean, handsome features and a nicely muscled if compact body. Black hair that shed rainbow colors under the moonlight and looked as fine and soft as her own fur. And those obsidian eyes. It was hard to look away from those eyes. They seemed to capture her gaze and suck her in. They were so much more like stones than eyes, silver-black, shiny stones that seemed to reflect all light out again. But when she managed to drag her gaze upward, she felt a thrill of hope. His forehead was a bleeding ruin. She had gotten him. Her slash had carved a nice hamburger-sized piece out of his scalp. Somewhere on the ground in the clearing were two little stubby horns. But only two; there were three left on his head. He must have turned at the last instant. Keller would have cursed if she had a human throat. â€Å"How're you feeling?† the dragon said, and leered at her form under the gory mess of his scalp. Keller tried to snarl at him and realized that she did have a human throat. She must have collapsed back into her half-and-half form, and she was too weak to change back again. â€Å"Having trouble?† the dragon asked. Keller croaked, â€Å"You should never have come back.† â€Å"Wrong,† the dragon said. â€Å"I like the modern world.† â€Å"You should have stayed asleep. Who woke you up?† She was buying time, of course, to try and regain some strength. But she also truly wanted to know. The dragon laughed. â€Å"Someone,† he said. â€Å"Someone you'll never know. A witch who isn't a witch. We made our own alliance.† Keller didn't understand, and her brain was too fuzzy to deal with it. But just at that moment, she noticed something else. Movement behind the dragon. The figures that had been lying on the ground were stirring. And they were doing it stealthily, in ways that showed they were awake and with their wits about them. They were alive. She could see Galen's head lift, with moonlight shining on his hair as he looked at her. She could see Winnie turn toward Iliana and begin to crawl. She could see Nissa's shoulders hump and then fall back. Later, when they were asked, they would all say the same thing had brought them to awareness: a deep rumbling sound that vibrated in their bones. The dragon's roar. Or, at least, three of them would say that. Galen would always say that all he heard was Keller's scream and his eyes came open. The surge of hope she felt made Keller's heart beat hard and wiped away the pain-for the moment, at least. But she was terrified of giving the dragon some clue. She didn't dare look at Galen any longer. She stared at the dragon's black stone eyes and thought with all her strength, Get away. Get away, take the Jeep, take Diana. He may not be able to follow you. Run. â€Å"Your time's over,† she told the dragon out loud. â€Å"The shapeshifters don't want you anymore. Everything has changed.† â€Å"And it's changing again,† the dragon said. â€Å"The end of the world is coming, and the beginning of a new one. It's time for everything that's sleeping to wake back up again.† Keller had a horrified vision of hundreds of dragons being dug up and brought back to life. But there was something going on in the clearing that was even more horrifying to her. Galen wasn't getting away. He was slithering on his stomach toward her. And Winnie, the idiot, was beside Diana nowbut she wasn't dragging her to the Jeep. She seemed to be whispering to her. Keller felt a hot wave of utter desperation. What can I do? If the dragon sees them, they're all dead. There's nothing any of them can do against him. Galen's not a warrior-he can't change. Nissa looks too hurt to move. Winnie's orange fire won't even singe the dragon. And Diana will get swatted like a butterfly. They can't do anything. I have to. She was so tired and hurt, and her claws were much less lethal than in her full panther form. But she had to do it, and she had to do it now. â€Å"Go back where you came from!† she shouted. She bunched her muscles and jumped. Right for him. Straight on. That was what took him by surprise, the sheer insanity of the attack. He threw the black energy at her, but he couldn't stop her leap. Her claws ripped into his forehead again, and then she fell back. The dragon's scream split the heavens. Dizzy with pain and shock, Keller stared at him, hoping desperately†¦ But she'd taken only one horn off. He still had two. He thrashed around in wounded fury, then threw the dark power at her again. Keller shuddered and lost her balance. She crashed to the ground and lay there, limp. â€Å"Keller!† The scream was full of such raw anguish that it hurt Keller's throat to hear it. It made her heart throb hard and then fall in sick dismay. Galen, no, she thought. Don't bother with me. You have to get Iliana away. â€Å"Keller!† he screamed again, and then he was beside her, holding her. â€Å"No . ? .† she whispered. She couldn't say more than that. She looked at him pleadingly with the eyes of a dumb beast. If he died, too, it would make her own death meaningless. The dragon was still screaming, both hands to his forehead. He seemed to be too angry to attack. â€Å"Keller, hang on. Please, you have to hang on.† Galen was dripping tears on her face. â€Å"Run†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she whispered. Instead, he did the most gallant thing she had ever seen. He was already holding her, his shaky hand stroking the hair off her face, brushing one of her tufted ears. Now, suddenly, he gripped her hard, and his expression changed. His jaw tightened, and a white line showed around his mouth. And his eyes†¦ seemed to darken and glow red. Too late, Keller realized. He was taking her impression. Learning her shape. No. You were meant to be something gentle. Galen stood up. And changed. But something was a little off. Maybe it was the fact that he had to hurry when he took the impression, or some extra twist from his own genes. Because, instead of becoming a soot-black panther, he became a gleaming golden leopard. The same animal. Different colors. This leopard was the dark rich gold of Galen's hair, and its eyes were the incredible green of his eyes. He was marked with perfect black rosettes, each with an even darker gold center. His body was sleek and supple and almost seven feet long with the tail. He was a big leopard, at least a hundred and sixty pounds. And before Keller had time to think, he was in motion. A good spring. Untutored but full of the real killer instinct. The coughing yell he let out as he jumped was the kind a cat makes when its fury is too great to hold in. The dragon whirled to face him. But it was too late. Once again, the crackling dark power hit but couldn't stop the rush. The dragon's human body couldn't fend off a hundred and sixty pounds of solid feline muscle. Keller saw Galen swipe. The dragon bellowed, clapping a hand to his head. And Keller wanted to cheer. She couldn't. She didn't have the strength left. But her heart was singing inside her with sheer pride. You did it. Oh, Galen, my prince, you did it. She saw his body falling, struck by the black energy. She saw it hit the ground and lie still. And she was sorry that they were both going to die. But with the dragon dead, too, and Iliana alive, there would still be hope. There would be people to carry on. Then she looked at the dragon, and time stopped, and her heart turned to ice. He still had a horn left. The one right in the middle. They hadn't done it after all. He still had power. He was going to kill them now, and Iliana, too. And neither she nor Galen could do anything to stop him. The noises the dragon was making were beyond description. He seemed to be out of his mind in pain and fury. And then Keller realized that it was more than that. He was screaming in sheer blood-lust-and he was changing. So strange-she hadn't even thought about the dragon changing before. But she could take on most animals. She knew to go for the juncture between head and neck for rhinos, the belly for a lion. But this†¦ what it was shifting into†¦ No. I don't believe it, Keller thought. It looked more like a moth being born than a shapeshifter changing. It split its human skin like a chrysalis. More of the yellowish liquid she had seen on Jaime's cheek oozed from the splits. And what was revealed underneath was hard and greenish-yellow, flat, smooth. Scaly. The smell was the smell from the basement Sickly-sweet, pungent, an odor to make your stomach lurch. Powerful back legs bunched, and the figure grew and stood against the moonlit sky. It was huge. In her mind, Keller saw a scene from the past. Iliana, her violet eyes huge, saying, â€Å"He can turn into a dragon?† And Keller's scornful answer, â€Å"No, of course not. Don't be silly.† Wrong, Keller thought. It actually looked more like velociraptor than a dragon. Too big-it was more than fifteen feet long, counting the powerful tail. But it had the same look of alien intelligence, the same reptilian snout, the same saberlike hind claws. It's not a mindless animal, Keller thought. It's smart. It even has things like hands on its forelegs; It's where evolution took a different turn. And it had power. Maybe more power this way than in its human form. Keller could feel its mind even at this distance, the terrible ancient core of hatred and malice, the endless thirst for blood. It opened its mouth, and for an instant Keller expected to see fire. But what came out was a roar that showed huge spiky teeth-and a flood of black energy. The dark power crackled around it like an aura of lightning. Nothing-no shapeshifter, no witch, no vampire-could stand against this creature. Keller knew that absolutely. That was when she saw Iliana getting up. Stay down, you idiot! Keller thought. Iliana stood straight. There's no point, don't attract its attention†¦ â€Å"Azhdeha!† Iliana shouted. And the monster turned. There they were, the maiden and the dragon, face to face. Iliana looked twice as small as ever before in contrast to this giant. Her silver-gold hair was blowing loose in the wind, and her dress shimmered around her. She was so delicate, so graceful-and so fragile, standing there like a lily swaying on its stalk. I can't watch, Keller thought. I can't see this. Please†¦ â€Å"Azhdeha!† Iliana said, and her voice was sweet but ringing and stern. â€Å"Hashteher! Tiamat!† It's a spell, Keller thought. Winnie taught her a spell? When they were lying there, whispering together? But what kind of spell would Winnie know against dragons? â€Å"Poisonous Serpent! Cold-blooded Biter! Rasta-ban! Anguis!† No, they're names, Keller realized slowly. Its names. Dragon names. Old names. â€Å"I am a witch and the daughter of a witch. Mine was the hand that took your power; mine was the hand that buried you in silence. Hecate was the most ancient of my mothers. Hecate's hand is my hand now.† Winnie couldn't have taught her that. Nobody could have taught her that. No witch alive today. Keller could see Winnie's pale face watching in surprise from beyond Iliana, her eyes and mouth dark O's. â€Å"Mine is the hand that sends you back!† Diana's palms were cupped now, and orange fire crackled between them. Keller's heart plummeted. Golden-orange fire. Witch fire. It was impressive, from a girl who'd never been trained, but it wasn't nearly enough. It was about as dangerous to the dragon as a firefly. She heard Winnie's voice in the silence, small and frightened but determined. â€Å"Aim for the horn!† The dragon threw back its head and laughed. That was what it looked like, anyway. What came out was a roar like all the other roars and a belch of black energy that fountained skyward. But in her head, Keller heard maniacal laughter. Then it swung its head back down and pointed the horn straight at Iliana. Die! it said. The word wasn't spoken but sent on a cold wave of pure energy. â€Å"Mine is the power of the ages† Iliana shouted back. â€Å"Mine is the power-â€Å" The golden flare in her palms was changing, blazing white, blinding hot†¦ â€Å"-OF THE END OF THE WORLD!† Something like a supernova was born between her hands. The tight shot up and out, exploding. It was impossible to look at. And it was no longer white but dazzling, lightning-brilliant blue. The blue fire. The Wild Power had awakened. I knew it, Keller thought I knew it all along. Keller couldn't see what happened to the dragon; the light was simply too bright. While it flared around her, she was bathed in radiance that seemed to shine through her, humming inside her and lighting up her bones. She tried to lift her own hand and saw nothing but a vague rainbow shape. But she heard the dragon's scream. Not low like the roar but high and squealing, a sound like icicles driving into her ears. It went up and up, higher in pitch until even Keller couldn't track it. And then there was a thin sound like distant glass shattering, and then there was no sound at all. There were shooting stars in the blue-white light. For the second time that evening, Keller fainted. â€Å"Boss! Please, Boss, hurry. Wake up!† Keller blinked open her eyes. Galen was holding her. He was human. So was she. And Winnie and Nissa were trying to drag both of them somewhere. Keller gazed up into those gold-green eyes. The exact color of a leopard's, she thought. Only leopards don't cry, and his were brimming with tears. She lifted a languorous hand and stroked his cheek. He cupped his own hand over it. Keller couldn't think. There were no words in her mind. But she was glad to be here with him, for this last moment in the moonlight. It had all been worth it â€Å"Boss, please!† Winnie was almost crying, too. â€Å"Let me die in peace,† Keller said, although she didn't realize she was saying it aloud until she heard the words. Then she added, â€Å"Don't you cry, Winfrith. You did a good job.† â€Å"Boss, you're not dying! The blue fire did something-it healed us. We're all okay. But it's almost midnight!† Keller bunked. She blinked again. Her body didn't hurt anymore. She'd assumed it was the blessed numbness that comes just before death. But now she realized that it wasn't. Her blood was running in her veins; her muscles felt firm and strong. She didn't even have a headache. She stared beyond Winnie to the girl in white. Diana was still slight and childlike, almost fairy-like of figure. But something had changed about her. At first, Keller thought she looked as distant and beautiful as a star, but then she smiled and wasn't distant at all. She was simply more beautiful than the dreams of mortals. And really shining with her own light. It pooled around her in soft, silvery radiance. Keller had never seen a Wild Power do that before, not on any of the tapes. But she's not just a Wild Power, the voice in her head whispered. She's the Witch Child. And Goddess alone knows all that she's meant to do. For a moment, Keller felt so awed that it was almost like unhappiness. But then Winnie's message finally sank in. She snapped her head up. â€Å"Midnight?† â€Å"Yes!† Winnie said frantically. Keller bolted upright. â€Å"Nissa?† â€Å"Right here, Boss.† Keller felt a flood of relief. Nissa was the one who had seemed closest to death on the ground there. But now she was standing on her own two feet, looking cool and imperturbable, even though her shirt was bloody and in rags. â€Å"Nissa, can you drive that Jeep? Can you figure out how to get to Charlotte?† â€Å"I think so. Boss.† Keller had never been so grateful to hear that calm voice in her life. She jumped up. â€Å"Then let's go!†