Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 14

Human Resource Management - Essay Example nly one can witness a complete symphony between the different business processes, activities and feelings that are so very significantly attached with the business that we are talking about here. Pertinent planning can help a particular company gain so much in accordance with its goals and objectives that had been planned and drafted but in the current times more and more attention and emphasis is making the rounds of the discussion as to whether these plans can actually deliver what was expected of them in the first place. Thus management has the responsibility to plan, organize, lead and control the relevant resources that are present within the realms of the organizational contexts. Since the definition of management takes a clear cut look on the basis of finding the resources available at the organization’s disposal as well as the strategic moves, tactical decisions and tasks and processes that occur within it, there is a dire need to make sure that the top management knows what its business is all about and more significantly it must relate the same to the people who matter the most – the middle tier of the organization which is also known as the knowledge organization. The classical management perspective relied heavily on the placing of tasks and activities on the middle and lower tiers within the organization’s echelon. It focused more on carrying out the tasks at the lower levels and as such there was less accountability and answering when it came to the top management hierarchy present within the organization and indeed running the whole show. The same has changed and that too for the better so to speak. The classical management theo ry has completely faded out and the contemporary management perspective has superseded it on all counts. At the present, the work is supposed to be carried out by a basis of sharing and caring within the organization’s regimes which was not the case say two decades down the road. In keeping with the organizational

Overview of the Indus Qater Treaty

Overview of the Indus Qater Treaty CHAPTER V From time immemorial man has been emotionally attached to water. Water disputes have existed throughout the history of mankind and various mechanisms to deal with problems have been tried. So far no clear cut directions or conventions have emerged to deal with water disputes. Many organizations, including legal associations, have tried to lay down some principles. The best of these are the Helsinki Rules evolved by the International Law Association in 1966 at its 52 conference at Helsinki [1]. However at best the Helsinki Rules can serve as guidelines and in the case of the sub-continent the conditions are different because they deal with distribution of water for the purpose of irrigation which is not the case of Europe. The recent stresses and strains in the observance of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT)[2]have been alarming. India has signed several agreements with its neighbours for sharing of waters of the major rivers of the subcontinent. Currently four major treaties govern the di stribution of the waters of Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra. These are the Indus Water Treaty (1960) between India and Pakistan, Sankosh Multipurpose Project treaty (1993) between India and Bhutan, the Ganges Water Sharing Agreement (1996) between India and Bangladesh, and the Mahakali Treaty (1996) between India and Nepal. The reluctance in the observance of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT)[3] have had many analysts believe the relation between India and Pakistan will be governed to a large extend by issues of water sharing in the years to come. The Indus River System The northern and western part of the Indian subcontinent is irrigated by the Indus River and its system of upper tributaries. The Indus then travels a length of approximately 3000 kms through Tibet, Jammu and Kashmir, POK, and Pakistan before entering the Arabian Sea. There are several distributaries that join the Indus River in its journey to the seas and the most important ones which are discussed in this chapter are Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, Chena band Jhelum rivers. The Indus Tributaries Sutlej: Sutlej is the longest of the many tributaries that join the Indus. The River Sutlej originates in Tibet and runs a course of approximately 1500 kms through the mountain ranges of Himachal Pradesh and enters Pakistan through the plains of Punjab. The Husseiniwala Headworks has been constructed downstream at the junction between of Beas and Sutlej, the closure of which on May 1, 1948 started the water crisis that encouraged the IWT. These Husseiniwals headworks supplied water to the State of Bikaner through Bikaner Canal and the state of Bahawalpurfrom the Depalpur Canal. The Bhakra Dam, which Nehru called the new temple of resurgent India,[4] is also situated on this river. Another important headwork on this Sutlej is Harike that water the Sirhind canal and Rajasthan canal. Chenab: This approximately 1000 km long river originates in Himachal Pradesh and is further augmented by Chandra and Bagha as it enters Jammu and Kashmir. After crossing the Pir Panjal range, it enters the Sialkot district in Pakistan near the town of Akhnoor. The Marala barrage has been built by Pakistan across the river in 1968 as part of its design to harness the water of the river under the provisions of the IWT. Jhelum Kishenganga (Neelum): The Kishenganga river originates in the mountains west of Dras and is further met by a number of tributaries and merges with the Jhelum River near Muzaffarabad in PoK. The Jhelum River originates in the foothills of the Pir Panjal Ranges near Verinag and then flows through the cities of Anantnag, Srinagar, Sopore and Baramulla. Some of its important tributaries are Lidar, Sindand Vishav. Ravi: This approximately 800 km long river rises in Himachal Pradesh and runs before joining Chenabin Pakistan after flowing past Lahore. The Thien Dam (Ranjit Sagar Dam) has been constructed on this river at the junction of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir States and feeds the Upper Bari Doab Canal. Beas: This approximately 500 km long river originates near Rohtang Passin Himachal Pradesh and flows through Kulu Valley and the Siwalik Range. The Pandoh Dam is located on this and diverts water to Sutlej through the Beas-Sutlej link. The Indus Water Treaty Even prior to 1947, as the irrigation from the Indus river systems covered a number of administrative units and water available was not always sufficient to meet the combined demands, disputes used to arise from time to time between these units for their share of water at different times of the year, and for the different projects contemplated by them[5]. The partition of India in 1947 was a complex problem and one which the then rulers of India did not solve satisfactorily. The problem was further complicated by the presence of several border princely states especially that of Jammu Kashmir as well as the river systems of Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra. The Indus river system presented a very complex problem because all the rivers originated either in Jammu and Kashmir or India but the irrigated the areas of Punjab that had been allocated to Pakistan also headworks that regulated the flow of waters of these rivers were allotted to India. Apart from the Punjab Boundary Commission pr oposition that the canal-headworks system be considered as a joint venture, a suggestion discarded by both countries, no deliberations were carried out on water sharing during the process of partition. Problems arising out of water sharing issues of Indus System would later take more than 10 years to resolve. Further complicating this issue, Pakistan covertly and later overtly tried to take control of Jammu Kashmir for many reasons including that of its perceived need to have the rivers of Jammu and Kashmir under its control which creating a feeling of animosity in the minds of the Indian politicians. Both India and Pakistan agreed to a Standstill Agreement on Dec 30, 1947thereby freezing the existing water systems at the two headworks of Madhopur (on theRavi) and Ferozepur (on the Sutlej) until March, 31, 1948[6]. Arbitral Tribunal (AT) was set up under Section Nine of the Indian Independence Act which was meant to resolve any dispute which the Punjab Partition Committee was unable to resolve. The East Punjab government decided to stop the flow of water to West Punjab on 01 April 1948 when the East Punjab government did not respond favorably to the idea of talks and therefore technically there was no agreement between these two government. Incidentally the term of the AT also finished on the same day. At the invitation of East Punjab, the representatives of the two divided-Punjab States met in Simla on15 Apr 1948and signed two Standstill Agreements[7]regarding the Depalpur Canal and Central Bari Doab Canal to be in effect until15 Oct 1948. However, the West Punjab Government refused to approve the Agreement and the PM of Pakistan, called for a meeting. The Finance Minister of Pakistan along with ministers from West Pakistan visited Delhito work out an agreement[8]in the Inter-Dominion Conference held on May 1948.Indiaagreed to release of water from the headworks, but made it obvious that Pakistan could not lay claim to these waters. Mr Eugene R. Black, the President of the World Bank visited India and Pakistan in 1951 and suggested that a team of Indian, Pakistani and World Bank engineers to solve the functional aspect of water sharing without getting involved in the political issues. The two countries accepted this mediation[9]. The World Bank also asked both the sides to give out their plan for the division of the water resources which both the countries did by Oct 53. While the plans of both the country were remarkably similar on the issue of availability of water it varied considerably on the critical issues of requirement[10]. In order to resolve the dispute, the World Bank finally proposed its own plan in Feb 1954 as India and Pakistan had failed to reach a consences. The plan offered the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers to Pakistan whereas the three remaining rivers were offered to India. India accepted the proposal whereasP akistan gave only a qualified acceptance to the proposal. The plan suggested by the World Bank was far closer to the Indian proposal than that of the Pakistan one and in a way consolidated Indias position. Pakistan was not satisfied with this plan and even made a threat of withdrawing from the negotiations. Eventually the plan was not fully transformed into a settlement but provided provision for future negotiations which continued for the next six years.[11] [12]In the absence of a full agreement India and Pakistan signed an Interim Agreement in June 1955. As no definite agreement could be reached, the World Bank announced in Apr 1956 that the negotiation deadline has been indefinite ly extended.[13] Under the World Bank plan, Pakistan was to construct barrages and canals to divert the Western river waters so as to compensate the loss of Eastern rivers. The final treaty was signed by the head of states of the two country in the presence of the World Bank President on 19 Sep 1960. The treaty allocated the three Eastern Rivers to India and the three Western rivers largely to Pakistan. The IWT enunciated a mechanism to exchange regularly flow-data of rivers, canals and streams. A Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was constituted, headed by two Commissioners, one from each country. The PIC is expected to meet at least once a year alternately in India and Pakistan and submit an annual report to their respective Governments before June, 30thevery year. The IWT has seen several issues that have rocked the very foundation of the treaty. No more issue was more publicized than the aftermath of the attacks on the Indian Parliament. There was also a widespread demand within India for withdrawal from the IWT after the attack on the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001. Apart from this some of the contentious issues have been elaborated in the succeeding paragraphs. The Tulbul Navigation Lock/Wullar Barrage Issue In order to improve navigation in the Wullar Lake , India planned to construct a barrage on the entrance of the lake so as to raise the flow of water as also increase the depth to accommodate larger vessels. This would result in the increase of the storage capacity of the lake and therefore Pakistan objected to the supposedly consummative use of water. Pakistans objection[14] [15]stems from two issues, one India needs to get consensus of the design from Pakistan and two, it cannot store waters as per IWT on the Jhelum Main anything in excess of 0.01 MAF. Pakistan also feels that any storage of water on the Jhelum is a security risk as it would provide India with the capability to control the flow of water into Pakistan which could be used in an offensive nature. Indias argument[16]is that such a construction will not reduce the amount of water flowing to Pakistan and in fact it would also be beneficial to Pakistan by regulating water flow to Mangla Dam. When the agreement was reached in 1991, the only point of contention that remained was the timing of the filling up of the lake. The Salal Hydroelectric Project This was the first major dispute successfully resolved bilaterally under IWT. The project provides waters to Pakistan in a regulated manner but involves no diversion by India. However, Pakistan successfully objected to the construction of the six anti-siltation sluice gates which resulted in decreased power generation capacity. India also agreed to reduce the heights of the spillway gates from 40 feet to 30 feet. The Ranbir and Pratap Canals The Ranbir Canal, were built by the Dogra rulers of Jammu and Kashmir and were meant to water the areas of Miran Sahib, Vijaypur and Madhopur. Under the treaty, India is allowed to take out a fixed quantity of water for these channels. Many restrictions, such as quantum and dates of withdrawal have been imposed on India by the IWT. The Kishenganga Project[17] The project involves the construction of a 103 metre dam before the crosses the Line of Control (LoC) and a channel and a 27 Km long tunnel through the North Kashmirranges to transport the water to the Wullar lake where a hydroelectric power station will be built as part of an integrated project. Pakistan objects to the Kishenganga project as it suspected that it would have an adverse impact on its envisaged 969-MW Neelum-Jhelumpower plant. This project was initially planned for 1994-1997 but lies inactive because of lack of funds. The Indian Kishenganga project is expected to lead to a shortfall of 21% loss of water flow in Neelum resulting in a 9% reduction in power for the Pakistani project.[18] The Baglihar Project The dispute over the Baglihar is technically complex. Pakistan has raised six objections relating to project configuration : free board, spillway ( ungated or gated), firm power, pondage, level of intake, inspection during plugging of low level intake, and wheather the structure is meant to be a low weir or a dam[19].One set of objections relates to the dams storage capacity, a second to the power intake tunnels, and a third to the spillways. As for the dams storage capacity, Pakistani officials call attention to the treatys allowance of only run of the river dams. Such dams are by definition non-storage dams-in other words, power is generated from normal river flow, the tapping of running not dammed water. In practice, Pakistanis concede, some storage is essential (and is explicitly authorized by the treaty): there is, after all, considerable (especially seasonal) variation in the flow of rivers, a fact that necessitates installation of sufficient storage to enable stable, efficient operation of the hydroelectric plant on a regular, year round basis. Pakistani officials maintain that the Baglihar dams design supplies India with the means, on the one hand, to economically squeeze, starve or strangulate Pakistan, or, on the other hand, to flood Pakistan, conceivably for military purposes. They argue, moreover, that the Baglihar dam has huge precedent-setting importance: for Pakistan to compromise on Baglihar, they say, would set a precedent that India could invoke whenever it liked elsewhere on the Chenab or Jhelum rivers. Dr Raymond Lafitte of the Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne, Switzerland, was appointed by the World Bank and confirmed by India and Pakistan in May 2005 as the neutral arbitrator. Though Lafitte ruled favorably towards India on three of the four main criteria, both nations claimed victory[20].Each emphasized points of the ruling that favored their respective initial positions. Reasons for Success In spite of the various points of conflict in the IWT, the treaty can still be sited as an example of successful mediation by an international organization in dispute resolution. A unique mix of circumstances contributed to the success of the effort[21] :- The World Bank played the honest broker honestly and impartially. As both countries lacked financial resources to undertake projects independently the position of the World Bank became highly influential. The discussion was consciously restricted to engineering principles and facts and filtered out all political discourse from the issue. Despite the treatys success over the past decades, India and Pakistan have experienced numerous disputes over modifications to the flow of rivers. The increasing need to maintain a steady flow of water for survival and the recent rise in disagreement over aspects of the treaty raise the question of whether the treaty is still adequate[22]. Disagreements on construction of new reservoirs, declining ground water potential and the growing number of disputes with India[23] after a relatively uneventful period has complicated the situation for Pakistan and therefore arises the need to re-work the treaty. Indias Water Wealth, pp210. 6032. TheINDUSWATERS TREATY 1960 between THE GOVERNMENT OFINDIA, THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTANAND THE INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT. A River Story, Nandita Bhavnani,The Hindu,June 6, 2004 http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2004060600580800.htmdate=2004/06/06/prd=mag Department of Irrigation, Govt. of Rajasthan, http://www.rajirrigation.gov.in/4bhakhra.htm Indias Water Wealth, pp211. Ibid, pp211. Water Rationality: Mediating the Indus Waters Treaty,Undala Z. Alam, University ofDurham http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/publications/related_research/Alam1998.pdf Inter-Dominion Agreement, between the GoI and GoP on the Canal Water Dispute between East and WestPunjab. Water Rationality: Mediating the Indus Waters Treaty,Undala Z. Alam, University ofDurham http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/publications/related_research/Alam1998.pdf IndusWater Treaty: Case Study, Transboundary Fresh Water Dispute Database http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/projects/casestudies/ TheIndusWaters Treaty: A History by TheHenryL.StimsonCenter Fostering Riparian Cooperation in International River Basins, Syed Kirmani, Guy Le Moigne World Bank Technical Paper # 335, January 1997 World Bank Historical Chronology 1950-1959 Water Disputes inSouth Asia, Farzana Noshab, Nadia Mushtaq,Strategic Studies, Summer 2001, No.3, Vol. XXI, the Institute of Strategic Studies,Islamabad InternationalRiverWaters inSouth Asia: Source of Conflict or Cooperation? http://irs.org.pk/spotlight.htm#VIII Delhi Round of Indo-Pak Talks-II Tulbul Navigation Project/Wular Barrage, Mallika Joseph http://www.ipcs.org/newKashmirLevel2.jsp?action=showViewkValue=466subCatID=nullmod=null 330-MW Kishenganga Project gets Technical Clearance,Iftikhar Gilani,KashmirTimes http://kasmirtimes.com/archive/0406/040619/news2.htm Ibid Two Neighbours and aTreaty: Bagliar Project in Hot Waters by Rajesh Sinha, Water Conflicts in India ,pp394. Resource Disputes in South Asis: Water Scarcity and the Potential for Interstate Conflicts, Emma Condon, Office of South Asia Analysis , US CIA, pp 6. The Role of Independent Third Party Arbitration in Cross Border Water Disputes by Nishesh Mehat. The China-India-Pakistan Water Crisis : Prospect for Interstate Conflict, James F Brennan. The Indus Water Treaty , Subrahmanyam Sridhar.

The Miners Strike 1984 Essay -- British Coal, Margaret Thatcher vs Tra

Throughout the century British coal had become increasingly costly and difficult to mine. Nationalization in 1948 had not altered this. Indeed, there was a case for saying that lack of government investment since that date had added to the problem. For some time Britain had been importing coal from abroad. With the exception of few pits producing particular types of coal, British mines by the 1970s were running at loss. When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister the first thing she wanted to do was limit union power. She felt that union power applied to nationalized industrial monopolies resulted in poor service at exorbitant cost to the taxpayers. She pointed to inefficient work practices, over employment and restrictive employment conditions such as the all union â€Å"closed shop†. The Thatcher government declared its unwillingness to put further public money into an industry which had little chance of being able to recover its place in a competitive market. â€Å"The policies of this government are clear – to destroy the coal industry and the NUM† – Union leader Arthur Scargill. B...

Individual autonomy and social structure Essay

In â€Å"Individual Autonomy and Social Structure†, Dorothy Lee discusses how in today’s society, it is â€Å"difficult to implement human dignity in the everyday details of living.† (pg.5, Lee) However, Lee discusses how by analysing different cultures and how they deal with similar situations, it is possible to come up with a solution for this society. The key social problem Lee addresses is the conflict between personal autonomy and the social structure. Personal autonomy is the ability one person has to determine their own actions and path. However, in the American social structure that Lee describes, American society believes that â€Å"the implication of personal autonomy may lead to lawlessness and chaos† (Lee). This would disrupt the Western social structure that is already in place, however, Lee points to many examples in the text, one of them being the Wintu Indians that show that structure makes autonomy possible and groups of autonomy make social structure. Lee refers to the Wintu Indians language, specifically the way the Wintu Indians speak to each other and refer to each other. In her research, Lee notices that the Wintu Indians way of referring to family members does not put them at a higher or lower level, but rather an equal level, which signifies respect. For example, if someone has a sister, they would not say â€Å"I have a sister†, instead, they would say â€Å"I am sistered†. Lee also notes that this respect is shown towards everyone. The Wintu Indians do not â€Å"permit† each other to do things, rather, when a child asks â€Å"Can I?†, they are not asking permission, but they are asking if it is a good idea. The way the Wintu Indians speak to each other shows that they are all in fact on the same level with each other. No one is above another – there is no hierarchy. The way they speak also shows that each individual is given the same respect, a child and an adult, a father and son, even a member of the village and the chief, are all respected the same. This is important as respect for a personal individual is the key for harmonization. In this chapter, Lee has shown that â€Å"law and limits and personal autonomy can coexist effectively† (Lee) by drawing examples from other cultures and their social structure. The key solution Lee

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 4

Thierry knelt by the window, careful not to make a noise or disturb the dry earth beneath him. It was a skill so familiar to his body that he might have been born with it. Darkness was his native environment; he could melt into a shadow at an instant's notice or move more quietly than a stalking cat. But right now he was looking into the light. He could see her. Just the curve of her shoulder and the spill of her hair, but he knew it was her. Beside him, Lupe was crouched, her thin body human but quivering with animal alertness and tension. She whispered, softer than a breath, â€Å"All right?† Thierry tore his gaze from that shoulder to look at her. Lupe's face was bruised, one eye almost closed, lower lip torn. But she was smiling. She'd stuck around Medicine Rock until Thierry had arrived, tailing the girl called Hannah Snow, making sure no harm came to her. Thierry took Lupe's hand and kissed it. You're an angel, he told her, and made even less sound than she had in speaking because he didn't use his vocal chords at all. His voice was telepathic. And you deserve a long vacation. My limo's at the tourist resort in Clearwater; take it to the airport at Billings. â€Å"But-you're not planning to stay here alone, are you? You need backup, sir. If she comes-â€Å" I can take care of things. I brought something to protect Hannah. Besides she won't do anything until she talks to me. â€Å"But-â€Å" Lupe, go. His tone was gentle, but it was unmistakably not the urging of a friend anymore. It was the order of her liege lord, Thierry of the Night World, who was accustomed to being obeyed. Funny, Thierry thought, how you never realized how accustomed you were to being obeyed until somebody defied you. Now, he turned away from Lupe and looked through the cracks in the boarded-up window again. And promptly forgot that Lupe existed. The girl on the couch had turned. He could see her face. Shock coursed through him. He had known it was her-but he hadn't known that it would look so much like her. Like the way she had looked the first time, the first time she had been born, the first time he had seen her. This was what he thought of as her true face, and though he'd seen various approximations of it through the years, he'd never seen it again. Until now. This was the exact image of the girl he'd fallen in love with. The same long, straight fair hair, like silk in different shades of wheat color, spilling over her shoulders. The same wide gray eyes that seemed full of light. The same steady expression, the same tender mouth, upper lip indenting the lower to give her a look of t unintentional sensuality. The same fine bone structure, the high cheekbones and graceful line of jaw that made her a sculptor's dream. The only thing that was different was the birthmark. The psychic brand. It was the color of watered wine held up to the light, of watermelon ice, of a pink tourmaline, the palest of gemstones. Blushing rose. Like one large petal, slantwise beneath her cheekbone. As if she'd laid a rose against her cheek for a moment and it had left its imprint on her flesh. To Thierry, it was beautiful, because it was part of her. She'd worn it in every lifetime after the first. But at the same time the very sight of it made his throat clamp shut and his fists clench in helpless grief and fury-fury against himself. The mark was his shame, his punishment. And his penance was to watch her wear it in her innocence through the years. He would pour out his blood on the dry Montana dirt right now if it would take the mark away. But nothing in either the Night World or the human world could do that-at least nothing he'd found in uncounted years of searching. Oh, Goddess, he loved her. He hadn't allowed himself to feel it for so long- because the feeling could drive him insane while he was away from her. But now it came over him in a flood that he couldn't have resisted if he'd tried. It made his heart pound and his body tremble. The sight of her lying there, warm and alive, separated from him by only a few flimsy boards and an equally flimsy human male†¦ He wanted her. He wanted to yank off the boards, step through the window, brush aside the red-haired man, and take her in his arms. He wanted to carry her off into the night, holding her close to his heart, to some secret place where nobody could ever find her to hurt her. He didn't. He knew†¦ from experience†¦ that it didn't work. He'd done it once or twice, and he'd paid for it. She had hated him before she died. He would never risk that again. And so now, on this spring night near the turn of the millennium in the state of Montana in the United States of America, all Thierry could do was kneel outside a window and watch the newest incarnation of his only Jove. He didn't realize at first, though, what his only love was actually doing. Lupe had told him that Hannah Snow was seeing a psychologist. But it was only now, listening to what was going on in the room that Thierry slowly realized exactly what Hannah and the psychologist were up to. They were trying to recover her memories. Using hypnosis. Breaking into her subconscious as if it were some bank vault. It was dangerous. Not just because the guy performing the hypnosis didn't seem to know what he was doing. But because Hannah's memory was a time-bomb, full of trauma for her and deadly knowledge for any human. They shouldn't be doing this. Every muscle in Thierry's body was tense. But there was no way he could stop it. He could only listen-and wait. Paul repeated with slow resignation, â€Å"He's not human.† â€Å"No. He's a Lord of the Night World. He's powerful†¦ and evil,† Hannah whispered. â€Å"He's lived for thousands of years.† She added, almost absently, â€Å"I'm the one who's been reincarnated.† â€Å"Oh, terrific. Well, that's a twist.† â€Å"You don't believe me?† Paul seemed to suddenly remember that he was talking with a patient-and a hypnotized patient at that. â€Å"No, I-I mean, I don't know what to believe. If it's a fantasy, there's got to be something underneath it, some psychological reason for you to make it all up. And that's what we're looking for. What all this means to you.† He hesitated, then said with new determination, â€Å"Let's take you back to the first time you met this guy. Okay, I want you to relax in the light; you're feeling very good. And now I want you to go back through time, just like turning back the pages of a book. In your mind, go back. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hannah's ordinary mind was intruding, waking up, overriding the dreamy part of her that had been answering Paul's questions. â€Å"Wait, I-I don't know if that's a good idea.† â€Å"We can't figure this out until we find out what it all symbolizes; what it means to you.† Hannah still didn't feel convinced, but she had the feeling she wasn't supposed to argue under hypnosis. Maybe it doesn't matter, though, she thought. I'm waking up now; I probably won't be able to go back. â€Å"I want you to see yourself as fifteen years old, see yourself as fifteen. Go back to the time when you were fifteen. And now I want you to see yourself at twelve years old; go in your mind to the time when you are twelve. Now go farther back, see yourself at nine years old, at six years old, at three years old. Now go back and see yourself as a baby, as an infant. Feel very comfortable and see yourself as a tiny baby.† Hannah couldn't help but listen. She did feel comfortable, and her mind did show her pictures as the years seemed to turn back. It was like watching a film of her life running backward, herself getting smaller and smaller, and in the end tiny and bald. â€Å"And now,† the soothing, irresistible voice said, â€Å"I want you to go farther back. Back to the time before you were born. The time before you were born as Hannah Snow. You are floating in the red light, you feel very relaxed, and you are going back, back†¦ to the time when you first met this man you think of as Thierry. Whatever that time might be, go back. Go back to the first time.† Hannah was being drawn down a tunnel. She had no control and she was scared. It wasn't like the rumored near-death tunnel. It was red, with translucent, shining, pulsing walls-something like a womb. And she was being pulled or sucked through it at ever-increasing speed. No, she thought. But she couldn't say anything. It was all happening too fast and she couldn't make a sound. â€Å"Back to the first time,† Paul intoned, and his words set up a sort of echo in Hannah's head, a whispering of many voices. As if a hundred Hannahs had all gotten together and murmured sibilantly, â€Å"The First Time. The First Time.† â€Å"Go back†¦ and you will begin to see pictures. You will see yourself, maybe in a strange place. Go back and see this.† The First Time†¦ No, Hannah thought again. And something very deep inside her whimpered, â€Å"I don't want to see it.† But she was still being pulled through the soft red tunnel, faster and faster. She had a feeling of unimaginable distance being crossed. And then †¦ she had a feeling of some threshold being reached. The First Time. She exploded into darkness, squirted out of the tunnel like a watermelon seed between wet ringers. Silence. Dark. And then-a picture. It opened like a tiny leaf unfolding out of a seed, got bigger until it surrounded her. It was like a scene from a movie, except that it was all around her, she seemed to be floating in the middle of it. â€Å"What do you see?† came Paul's voice softly from very far away. â€Å"I see†¦ me,† Hannah said. â€Å"It's me-it looks just like me. Except that I don't have a birthmark.† She was full of wonder. â€Å"Where are you? What do you see yourself doing?† â€Å"I don't know where I am.† Hannah was too amazed to be frightened now. It was so strange . .. she could see this better than any memory of her real life. The scene was incredibly detailed. At the same time, it was completely unfamiliar to her. â€Å"What I'm doing†¦ I'm holding†¦ something. A rock. And I'm doing something with it to a little tiny†¦ something.† She sighed, defeated, then added, â€Å"I'm wearing animal skins! It's a sort of shirt and pants all made of skins. It's unbelievably†¦ primitive. Paul, there's a cave behind me.† â€Å"Sounds like you're really far back.† Paul's voice sounded in stark contrast to Hannah's wonder and excitement. He was clearly bored. Amused, resigned, but bored. â€Å"And-there's a girl beside me and she looks like Chess. Like my best friend, Chess. She's got the same face, the same eyes. She's wearing skins, too†¦ some kind of skin dress.† â€Å"Yeah, and it has about the detail of most of the past-life regressions in this book,† Paul said wryly. Hannah could tell he was flipping pages. â€Å"You're doing something to something with a rock. You're wearing some kind of skins. The book's full of descriptions like that. People who want to imagine themselves in the olden days, but who don't know the first thing about them,† he muttered to himself. Hannah didn't wait for him to remember that he was talking to a hypnotized patient. â€Å"But you didn't tell me to be the person back then. You just told me to see it.† â€Å"Huh? Oh. Okay, then, be that person.† He said it so casually. Panic spurted through Hannah. â€Å"Wait-I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But it was happening. She was falling, dissolving, merging into the scene around her. She was becoming the girl in front of the cave. The First Time†¦ Distantly, she heard her own voice whispering, â€Å"I'm holding a flint burin, a tool for drilling. I'm boring holes in the tooth of an arctic fox.† â€Å"Be that person,† Paul was repeating mechanically, still in the bored voice. Then he said, â€Å"What?† â€Å"Mother's going to be furious-I'm supposed to be sorting fruit we stored last winter for the Spring, Gathering. There's not much left and it's mostly rotten. But Ran killed a fox and gave the skull to Ket, and we've spent all morning knocking the teeth out and making them into a necklace for Ket. Ket just has to have something new to wear every festival.† She heard Paul say softly, â€Å"Oh, my God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then he swallowed and said, â€Å"Wait-you want to be a paleontologist, right? You know about old things†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I want to be a what? I'm going to be a shaman, like Old Mother. I should get married, but there's nobody I want. Ket keeps telling me I'll meet somebody at a gathering, but I don't think so.† She shivered. â€Å"Weird-I've got chills all of a sudden. Old Mother says she can't see my destiny. She pretends that's nothing to worry about, but I know she's worried. That's why she wants me to be a shaman, so I can fight back if the spirits have something rotten in mind for me.† Paul said, â€Å"Hannah-uh, let's just make sure we can get you out of this, all right? You know, in case that should become necessary. Now, when I clap my hands you're going to awaken completely refreshed. Okay? Okay?† â€Å"My name's Hana.† It was pronounced slightly differently: Hah-na. â€Å"And I'm already awake. Ket is laughing at me. She's threading the teeth on a sinew string. She says I'm daydreaming. She's right; I wrecked the hole for this tooth.† â€Å"When I clap my hands, you're going to wake up. When I clap my hands, you're going to wake up. You will be Hannah Snow in Montana.† A clap. â€Å"Hannah, how do you feel?† Another clap. â€Å"Hannah? Hannah?† â€Å"It's Hana. Hana of the River People. And I don't know what you're talking about; I can't be somebody else.† She stiffened. â€Å"Wait-something's happening. There's some kind of commotion from the river. Something's going on.† The voice was desperate. â€Å"When I clap my hands-â€Å" â€Å"Shh. Be quiet.† Something was happening and she had to see it, she had to know. She had to stand up. †¦ Hana of the Three Rivers stood up. â€Å"Everybody's all excited by the river' she told Ket. â€Å"Maybe Ran fell in,† Ket said. â€Å"No, that's too much to hope for. Hana, what am I going to do? He wants to mate me, but I just can't picture it. I want somebody interesting, somebody different. . . ,† She held up the half-finished necklace. â€Å"So what do you think?† Hana barely glanced at her. Ket looked wonderful, with her short dark hair, her glowing slanted green eyes, and her mysterious smile. The necklace was attractive; red beads alternated with delicate milky-white teeth. â€Å"Fine, beautiful. You'll break every heart at the gathering. I'm going down to the river.† Ket put down the necklace. â€Å"Well, if you insist- wait for me.† The river was broad and fast-flowing, covered with little white-capped waves because it had just been joined by two tributaries. Hana's people had rived in the limestone caves by the three rivers for longer than anyone could remember. Ket was behind her as Hana made her way through new green cattails to the bend in the river. And then , she saw what the fuss was about. There was a stranger crouching in the reeds. That was exciting enough-strangers didn't come very often. But this stranger was like no man Hana had ever seen. â€Å"It's a demon,† Ket whispered, awed. It was a young man-a boy a few years older than Hana herself. He might have been handsome in other circumstances. His hair was very light blond, lighter than the dry grass of the steppes. His face was well-made; his tall body was lithe. Hana could see almost all of that body because he was only wearing a brief leather loincloth. That didn't bother her; everybody went naked in the summer when it was hot enough. But this wasn't summer; it was spring and the days could still be chilly. No sane person would go traveling without clothes. But that wasn't what shocked Hana, what held her standing there rigid with her heart pounding so hard she couldn't breathe. It was the rest of the boy's appearance. Ket was right-he was clearly a demon. His eyes were wrong. More like the eyes of a lynx or a wolverine than the eyes of a person. They seemed to throw the pale sunlight back at you when you looked into them. But the eyes were nothing compared to the teeth. His canine teeth were long and delicately curved. They came to a sharp and very non-human point. Almost involuntarily, Hana looked down at the fox tooth she still held in her palm. Yes, they were like that, only bigger. The boy was filthy, caked with mud from the river, his blond hair ruffled crazily, his eyes staring wildly from side to side. There was blood on his mouth and chin. â€Å"He's a demon, all right,† one of the men said. Five men were standing around the crouching boy, several of them with spears, others with hastily grabbed rocks. â€Å"What else could have a human body with animal eyes and teeth?† â€Å"A spirit?† Hana said. She didn't realize that she was going to say it until the words were out. But then, with everybody looking at her, she drew herself up tall. â€Å"Whether he's a demon or a spirit, you'd better not hurt him. It's Old Mother who should decide what to do with him. This is a matter for shamans.† â€Å"You're not a shaman yet,† another of the men said. It was Arno, a very broad-shouldered man who was the leader of the hunters. Hana didn't like him. And she wasn't sure why she had spoken up in favor of the stranger. There was something in his eyes, the look of a suffering animal. He seemed so alone, and so frightened-and so much in pain, even though there were no visible wounds on his body. â€Å"She's right, we'd better take him to Old Mother,† one of the hunters said. â€Å"Should we hit him on the head and tie him up, or do you think we can just herd him?† But at that moment, a high thin sound came to Hana over the rushing of the river. It was a woman screaming. â€Å"Help me! Somebody come help me! Ryl's been attacked!†

Federalist No.10 essays

Federalist No.10 essays In Federalist No. 10, Madison has written about how factions have caused negative influence on the public administration. Factions being a problem and problems must have causes; therefore there are causes to factions. When the causes of a problem have been defined, then you will be able to develop some methods to remove the problem. Better yet, if the methods to remove the problem seem to be impracticable, a solution needs to be developed to prevent any further recurrence of factions. The principal cause of a faction can be summed up as, united and activated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, on to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community. The other causes of factions are shown in the nature of man. We see them everywhere brought into different degrees of activity, according to the different circumstances of civil society. The principal cause of a faction has been defined; now some methods to remove the problem of factions can be developed. First method is to destroy the liberty, which is essential to its existence. Another method is by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interest. These two methods are unwise and impracticable because as long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed. Since the methods of removal will not work, a solution will be formed to cure the problem of factions. A large republic will be the best solution to factions. In a large Republic it will be more difficult for unworthy candidates to practice with success the vicious arts, by which elections are too often carried because they will be chosen by a greater number of citizens than in smaller republic. In the end, Madison has not written what has not been true; factions have caused negative influence on the public administration. The causes of factions are visible...

Douglass essays

Douglass essays Slavery was perhaps one of the most appalling tragedies in the history of the United States of America. As explained in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, each slave had a different experience with slavery, but they all had certain things in common and a couple of those things were a life of unthinkable acts of cruelty and the desire to become free. In Douglass Narrative, he explains his life as a slave and how he uses his education and extraordinary ability of speaking to influence the freedom of all slaves. In reading the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, I like others, found myself to be deeply moved. The way in which Mr. Douglass walked me through his life as a slave gave me a better understanding of the struggle that African American slaves encountered. Douglass was born in Talbot County, Maryland, but he does not know the year, as most slaves are not allowed to know their ages. He points out that slave owners deliberately keep their slaves ignorant, and that this is a tactic whites us to gain power over slaves. This is the recurrent structure Douglass uses in his narrative. I find this to be interesting, and wonder why that is. How does not knowing the age of ones self keep them ignorant? I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant.(pg.19) However, based on an overheard comment from his master, Douglass guesses that he was born in or around 1818. Douglasss mother was Harriet Bailey, and they were separated soon after birth, a common practice among slave owners. Douglass assumes that this cust om is intended to break the natural bond of affection between mother and child. For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it i...