Reporters Privilege Examples

Reporters Privilege Examples Rahim Aziz Sajwani Fahad Faruqui In United States of America the reporter’s privilege is provided to protect reporter from being compelled to testify the information provided by the source or the source itself. The reporter’s privilege is guaranteed by U.S constitution and statutory law. Reporter’s privilege has nothing to do with confidential communication but it grants the disclosure of information through news media. Reporter’s privilege is not for secrecy purposes. Secrecy is the part of agreement between the reporter and the source. In context of journalism, source is any person, record, article or publication that provides relevant information about subject. In the case where there is legal system against a journalist one of the problems is to what degree law will provide protection to the source and material provided by source of journalist from unconscious discloser. Even though there is reporter’s privilege to protect a journalist from disclosure of sources but practical application of reporter’s privilege depends on the context, situation and judgments by media organizations regarding how far they will go to authorize their rights. About forty nine states and the District of Columbia provide reporter’s privilege which tends to protect them from government trying to reveal the secret information and sources. Some of the states also have shield laws that guarantee protection to journalists and right to access information but there are no federal shield laws. However, the journalists are trying to pass the federal shield law by congress that will protect them from accessing information and indirectly protect their sources too. In post 9/11 scenario the government of United States is more concerned with leak control and Obama administration trying to update the Justice Department guidelines that deals with media to prevent leakage of any information. Joshua Selassie (Josh Wolf), a freelance video journalist was sentenced to prison in 2006 when he was subpoena for the videotape that he captured during the protest on July 8, 2005 in San Francisco. During that protest some of the protestors wore masks and violated laws by causing destruction to some builds and getting in fist fight with police officials. A police car was also damaged that brought federal intervention in the case. That over ruled state shield laws and there are no federal shield laws available for journalists. Even though Wolf had not captured the scene of damaging the police car but he was charged because he shot the video of protest and tends to have evidence about protestors who were intended to cause destruction. Wolf edited the videotapes and then posted it on the news website Bay Area Indymedia but he was subpoenaed by the court to testify to provide all the videotapes he had captured during the protest. He did not comply with the subpoena and refused to submit the videotapes to court. He was jailed in August 2006 and was bailed in September 2006 but still did not comply. In April 2007 the prosecution dropped their charges against Wolf after he posted the unaired video online. In Wolf’s case the prosecutors argued that Wolf was not affiliated with any news organization. For them he was just a man with the video camera who had captured the protest.[1] So, it is nothing wrong to ask him to testify the video tapes to the grand jury. However, for Wolf it was inappropriate to testify his videotapes as a journalist because he cannot reveal his sources and he could not break the trust with the people who gave interview in the video. Wolf said it was his property and it was only his choice of what he wants to show to the public and what not because he does not want to give away everything just like that. His case raised question against first amendment and free speech. Wolf stood firm till the end even though he knew that there was nothing confidential in those videotapes but he fight for freedom of press and right to access information. It was also irrelevant for the court to hold charge against Josh Wolf because he had already posted the edited footage on the website and he had ensured that the footage that was left out had nothing relevant information and evidence about the destruction of police car. The only justification for testifying those tapes was that law enforcement officials wanted to identify people who were involved in the protest. That is why when Wolf posted the unaired footage on the blog he was released and charges were dropped down. The prosecution found nothing in those video tapes. President Obama had promised freedom of press during his election campaign and was poised as champion of freedom of the press. However, his administration is the most aggressive administration in history of United States of America in terms of targeting whistleblowers. His Justice Department has brought eight cases in this way; it is much more in number because it has more than all past administrations joined. It is getting more difficult to have free speech and press when the administration is that aggressive against investigative journalism because the government brings 1917 Espionage act under the way of reporter’s privilege and subpoena suspected journalists to testify their sources. In 2008 James Risen, the investigative journalist of the New York Times was subpoenaed to identify the source of the information which he had published in his book State of War about Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A) operation in Iran. Before Risen published his book he and his fellow journalist Eric Lichtblau got this information from a source that National Security Agency (NSA) was keeping an eye on American citizens. They were listening telephone calls locally and internationally, gathering lots of information and lots of data mining through telephone conversations and content in email without having any permission from court to do it. They were doing it on the bases of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court which was organized to get secret warrants to spy on suspected terrorists and whistleblowers. The government had decided not to tell this to anyone except few people from Congress like chairman of intelligence agencies and was keeping it secret from everyone else. It took them fourteen months to investigate all this information from an authentic source and then gave it to Bell Keller the executive editor for New York Times at that time. Keller decided to hold this article and not to publish it in the newspaper before elections. After the elections Risen and Eric worked on the article again, re-edited but editors refused to publish it because it was subject concerned with national security. Bell Keller was called up to the President and he was said that publication of that story will lead them to another incident like 9/11 and if it will happen than the New York Times will be held responsible for it. They could have the blood on their hands. [2] After debating with their editors Eric and Risen got approval to publish their story in the newspaper and they were awarded Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2006 for their efforts on drawing a line between war on terrorism and civil liberty. However, James Risen was prosecuted for another story that he had published in his book State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration. The story was about CIA involvement in the nuclear program in Iran. CIA said to give flawed blueprints to the Iranis so they cannot make nuclear bombs but those blue prints had some potential information about bombs. He was subpoenaed for specifically writing this in his book and court asked Risen to testify his sources. The government had decided not to attack New York Times for the story Risen had covered on NSA because it would have made a mess as New York Times is a reliable news organization and have ample followers and readers. However, it was easy for government to prosecute Risen for his book because than no one could save him. When Government asked Risen to testify his source in court for the information he had published in his book. He denied giving away any information about his source because he believes that aggressive investigative journalism cannot possess without secret sources. There can’t be democracy without aggressive investigative journalism because it gives the genuine oversight of the legislation. However, the government is more afraid of investigative journalism because it puts light on what is going on inside the government and this is not possible without keeping up the privacy of sources. [3] [1] Howard [2] Democracy Now 14th October, 2014 [3] James Risen Democracy Now 14th October, 2014

BP and the Deepwater Horizon disaster Essay

Title: The Analysis of BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010 Due Date: 5/5/13 Word Allocation: 2193 excluding executive summary, headings, tables, references and appendices Executive Summary This report provides an examination into British Petroleum (BP) and the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. It looks specifically at the functional area of organizing from POLC and the framework from how communication and communication networks effected the decision making process on the oilrig. The analysis starts by providing a history of BP and what major decisions throughout time contributed to the organizational structure when the disaster occurred. Findings show that the asset federation model adopted in 1995 took away responsibility from BP’s regional operations and subsequently rewarded each individual site for its performance. This meant the managerial decision making process for each site was geared to time and cost efficiencies rather than that of safety. The establishing of a wheel communication network on Deepwater meant that any proposals put for from line staff, with safety as a priority, were being overwritten by the senior team leader as they were passed on. After the disaster occurred, BP established a Safety and Risk division and instilled staff members on each of its rigs to ensure that the safety message was reinforced on its sites. Table of Contents 1. Introduction Managers are responsible for arranging and structuring work to assist in achieving organizational goals (Robins et al. 2012, p. 14). It is determining what tasks are to be completed, who is responsible for them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom and at which level decisions are to be decided (Robins et al. 2012, p. 14). This report analyzes the area of communication and communication networks, from that of the organizing function in POLC (Robins et al. 2012, p. 13), within British Petroleum (BP) and specifically the Deepwater Horizon disaster. It looks at the communication on safety procedures from senior BP officials down to BP sites, the type of communication on key decisions that ultimately led to the sinking of the oilrig and what control measures were put in place to ensure the sustainability of the company. 2. History of BP and the Deepwater Horizon In 2010, BP was one of the United Kingdoms largest corporations and a world leader in the production of energy (Andrew 2010, p. 7). They supplied consumers with fuel for heat, light, transport, petrochemical production and much more (Andrew 2010, p. 7). However in its early years, success and profitability proved quite difficult to obtain (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). The company that would eventually turn into BP was established in 1909 as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) after William Knox Darcy found oil in Iran after an elongated search (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). Then in 1914, the British Government felt they needed a dedicated oil supply and purchased 51% stake in the borderline bankrupt corporation (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). They held  onto the 51% share until the Thatcher government period of prioritization occurred between 1980 and 1990 and this led to the final stake being sold in 1987 (Andrew 2010, p. 7). At this point, performance was still declining and in 1992, after a loss of $811 million, the company decided to take severe cost saving measures (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). Focusing on a streamlined workforce and portfolio of activities, BP’s status started to change significantly in the mid-1990’s (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). 1998 bought the merger with Amoco and in 2000, the acquisition of Arco (Atlantic Richfield CO.) and Burmah Castrol plc highlighted an aggressive growth strategy (Andrew 2010, p. 9). With the renewed focus on growth, BP also began repositioning itself as a more environmentally friendly company and this lead to a new tagline â€Å"Beyond Petroleum† and an official name change to â€Å"BP† (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). This lead to the launch of an Alternative Energy division and between 2005 and 2009, BP invested $4 billion into this area with a total company investment of $982 billion (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). In May 2007, Tony Hayward was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and his focus was to stem the company growth and reduce production targets (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). Between 2006 and 2009, BP’s workforce fell from 97,000 to 80,300 and four levels of management were cut as Hayward felt too many people were making too many decisions leading to extreme cautiousness (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). However, BP has had a colorful history when it comes to safety within its structures (Andrew 2010, p. 14). In 2005, 15 people were killed and another 180 injured when the BP Texas City refinery exploded (Andrew 2010, p. 14). Then in 2006-2007, BP had to shut down its operations in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska due to over a million liters of oil spilling into the North Slopes via corroded pipelines (Andrew 2010, p. 14). Alaskan state regulators had been warning BP since 2001 that management protocol was out of sync with state regulations and that critical equipment needed to be better sustained (Andrew 2010, p. 15). On the 20th April 2010, a floating semi-submersible Drilling Unit named the Deepwater Horizon, exploded and sunk off the Gulf of Mexico killing 11 people and injuring another 17 (Andrew 2010, p. 16-17). BP had leased the Deepwater Horizon rig from Transocean, an oil based industry support company that specialized in deep water drilling (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). The rig was hired to complete work on the Macondo well, which BP owned the rights too (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). Of the 126 on board, 79 were from Transocean, seven from BP and the rest from other firms (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). As of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon disaster was the biggest marine oil spill to transpire in United States waters with nearly five million barrels of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). Decisions made on the type of well casing, the number of centralizers used and the decision to not perform a cement bond log may have contributed to the well blowing out (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). However, regardless of the ultimate causes, it is worth examining the communication networks within to obtain exactly where the caution over cost message broke down. 3. Managers and Communication Networks Theory Effective internal and external communication is seen as a requirement for organizational success (Ruck & Welsh 2012, p. 1). Organizations need to constantly assess and enhance communication especially in increasingly difficult economic times (Ruck & Welsh 2012, p. 1). Communication can be broken down into two different areas; formal or informal (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). Formal communication follows a chain of command that typically takes place within the organizational work arrangements (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). Informal communication does not take place within the organization hierarchy and typically allows employees to satisfy their social interaction needs along with creating an alternative channel to communicate (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). However this information can flow in a number of different ways. Communication within an organization can move by the following means; downward, upward, lateral and diagonal (Robins et al. 2012, p. 406-07). Table 1 explains how each type and its definition; Table 1: Types of information flow (Adapted from: Robins et al. 2012, p. 406-07) Reinforcement of information flow encourages employees to speak out and adopt a participative approach (Ahmed 2010, p. 122). Mutual dialogue within an organization contributes to the foundations of shared value and trust (Ahmed 2010, p. 122). Both the vertical and horizontal communication flows within an organization can be combined into a number of different patterns labeled communication networks (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). Researchers have recognized that basic networks of communication can be classified into different types of interaction (Eunson 2012, p. 116) like those shown in table 2 and 3 below Figure 1: Eunson – Types of Communication Networks (Source: Eunson 2012, p. 117) Figure 2: Robins – Three Common Organizational Communication Networks (Source: Robins et al. 2012, p. 407) When examining the theory listed within this paper compared to the types of communication, flow and communication network structures within BP, we can greater understand exactly what lead to the sinking of the Deepwater vessel. 4. Analysis of Communication Networks between BP and Deepwater BP Senior Management In the late 1980s, BP had several layers of management that fell within a matrix structure that made it problematic for anyone wanting to make a decision quickly (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). As business and overall performance at BP was floundering, Robert Horton decided to cut $750 million form BP’s  annual expenses (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Horton, who was appointed BP’s CEO in 1989, removed several managerial layers with the intent of speeding up the decision making process and the pace of business (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The business was transformed into smaller, more flexible teams with the vision of maintaining open streams of communication (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Horton transferred decision-making authority to the upstream and downstream business divisions and employees at all levels were encouraged to take responsibility and exercise business initiative (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). During the 1990s, John Browne was heading up BP’s Exploration and Production division, BPX (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). He wanted to create a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst his employees and extended the decision-making responsibilities to further levels within the organization (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Decision making authority and responsibility was no longer held with BP’s regional operating companies and was now completed by the site managers (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The model was known as Asset Federation and was applied company wide when Browne took over as BP CEO in 1995(Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The asset federation model compensated employees for the performance of their individual site so there was little incentive to share best practices on risk management amongst various other BP exploration sites (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Deepwater Communication The benefits of an all channel network or matrix structure are that the leaderless group has constant information flow between all members within the work team (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). The potential for brainstorming and exchange of information is great within this type of model (Eunson 2012, p. 118). However information overload and irreconcilable differences due to no emergence of a leader can be a downside (Eunson 2012, p. 118) Figure 3: Deepwater Chain of Command (Source: Ingersoll 2012, p. 20) However, when looking at the chain of command on the Deepwater Horizon (see table 4), it could be seen to form a wheel network rather than that of a  matrix structure (see table 3). Typically, wheel communication flows form an identifiable leader at the top of the wheel (Eunson 2012, p. 117). The leader serves as the hub and the flow of information is typically one way but can be two way, dependent on the leaders willingness to accept information (Eunson 2012, p. 117). This can cause the satisfaction of team members to be low compared to that of chain, circle and channel networks (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). Wheel networks have the disadvantage of being prone to message distortion (Eunson 2012, p. 118). As the message gets passed from one individual to another, or from one level to the next, the message is edited or mangled by the sender in each interaction (Eunson 2012, p. 118). The distortion in the wheel network is visible when looking at the decision making process for the type of well casing and number of centralizers. Decisions in these two areas were relayed by the engineering team leader, Greg Walz (Ingersoll 2012, pp. 10-11). Greg received input from the engineers in the operations unit on what they thought were best safety practices, however final decisions on the projects were ultimately made due to the cost and time savings (Ingersoll 2012, pp. 10-11). The decision makers on the Deepwater had only been in their positions for a minimal amount of time (Ingersoll 2012, p. 9) and this meant that the lessons learned at Texas City and Prudhoe Bay had not reached the Gulf of Mexico site (Reed & Fitzgerald 2010, p. 156). It could be seen that the safety communication message had flowed downward from senior managers to line manager and staff however line managers felt a greater influence to reward cost and time savings. Control Measures On July 27, 2010, BP announced that Bob Dudley would succeed Tony Haward as BP’s Group Chief Executive on October 1, 2010 (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). In light of the Deepwater disaster and to ensure sustainability of the company, BP leadership announced plans to create a new safety division to oversee and audit the organizations operations worldwide on September 29, 2010 (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). The Safety and Risk function has the authority to intervene in all technical aspects of BP activities to ensure that operations are carried out to that of stated common standards (EHS Today  2010, p. 17). Staff will be imbedded in all of BP’s operating units and will report directly to Mark Bly, head of safety and operations (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). Mark reports directly to the CEO, Bob Dudley to ensure the safety message from senior BP officials filters down into each site (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). 5. Conclusion Communication is continually attributed to a vital variable in determining organizational success (Hargie & Tourish 2009, p. 419). Many business issues stem from poor communication procedures and early action and intervention in this area can avert a disaster at a later date (Hargie & Tourish 2009, p. 3). By conducting analysis into the communication and communication networks at BP, we can ascertain that a number of different factors may have contributed to the BP disaster. The asset federation model took away responsibility from BP’s regional operations and subsequently the company’s safety message. The rewarding of each site and its managers for its individual performance further contributed to the dilution of importance on safety. A wheel network with key decision makers who had not been in their roles for very long, meant that lessons learned from past incidents weren’t filtered into the Deepwater Horizon and decisions were made with the view of saving money and time compared to safety. The establishment of the Safety and Risk division immediately after the disaster ensured that the safety message from senior management would be heard within each site and limit the opportunity for a disaster of this magnitude to occur in the future. 6. Reference List Ahmed, Z 2010, ‘Managerial Communication: The Link Between Frontline Leadership And Organizational Performance’, Journal Of Organizational Culture, Communications & Conflict, 14, 1, Health Business Elite, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 May 2013, p. 122 EHS Today 2010, ‘BP Creates New Safety and Risk Division’, 3, 11, Health Business Elite, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2013, p. 17 Eunson, B 2012, Communication in the Workplace, e-book, accessed 05 May 2013, p. 116-118 . Hargie, O & Tourish, D 2009, Auditing Organizational Communication : A Handbook of Research, Theory and Practice, e-book, accessed 05 May 2013, pp. 3, 419. . Ingersoll, C, Locke, RM & Reavis, C 2012, â€Å"BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010†, MIT Sloan Management, pp. 1-4, 9-11, 20 Reed, S & Fitzgerald, A 2010, In Too Deep : BP and the Drilling Race That Took it Down, e-book, accessed 26 April 2013, p. 156 . Robins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2012, Management, 6th edn, Pearson Australia, Australia, pp. 13-14, 405-07 Ruck, K & Welch, M 2012, Public Relations Review: Valuing internal communication; management and employee perspectives, Volume 38, Issue 2, June 2012, p. 1 7. List of Figures Figure 1: Eunson – Types of Communication Networks Figure 2: Robins – Three Common Organizational Communication Networks Figure 3: Deepwater Chain of Command 8. List of Tables Table 1: Types of information flow

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 12

Searching the Internet didn't turn up much, just as I'd feared. Still, I took some satisfaction in at least doing something. It kept my mind off my possibly impending death. It kept my mind off demons descending on Seattle. Most importantly, it kept my mind off Seth. Because if I thought about him, I was going to think about touching him and kissing him and†¦well, a lot of other things. My feelings for him were starting to consume me, almost to the extent that my other problems seemed trivial. So, I lost myself in Google searches, hoping for any scrap of information about demon summoning. As expected, most of my hits sent me to sites on role-playing games and Dr. Faustus. Still, I felt better than if I'd just sat around. Driving to the meeting at the Cellar was about as agonizing as walking to the bookstore had been. I took slow back roads, unwilling to face the congestion and speed of the freeways. The Cellar was a pub a lot of Seattle immortals liked to frequent. Whoever had organized this event had apparently reserved the restaurant's back room, which was normally used for banquets and wedding receptions. I didn't have to sense demonic magic to know they'd sealed off the space from prying ears. The dimly lit room was crowded when I entered. I recognized some of the local lesser immortals, but most were demons I didn't know. Few sat at the long table, which was covered with appetizer plates and bottles of wine. Most people stood around the edges, deep in conversation, or had pulled chairs up in tight, furtive clusters. Grace and Mei were both working the room, looking as businesslike and efficient as ever-albeit edged in an uncharacteristically frazzled air. For the first time ever, they were dressed differently, and I wondered if stress had prevented them from coordinating their wardrobes. Mei wore a red skirt and blazer with a necklace made of tiny alternating gold and silver rings. Grace wore a linen pantsuit with a chunky stone choker with a crescent moon pendant. Peter, Cody, and Hugh stood in the corner and waved me over. â€Å"Hey,† I said, â€Å"what's going on?† â€Å"Not much,† said Hugh. â€Å"This seems to be more of a meet and greet. Not a lot of organization.† We fell silent, all of us watching the interactions. In the opposite corner, I saw Cedric gesturing dramatically as he spoke. His face was dark and intent, and Kristin stood nearby with a clipboard and rapt expression, taking notes. Not far away, Nanette stood with her lovely, unreadable face while listening to another demoness talk. â€Å"So, you must be Jerome's staff.† The four of us turned. None of us had noticed the demon approaching, thanks to losing our ability to sense immortal signatures. This whole experience, I decided, really was like being bereft of sight or smell. This particular demon was no one I knew. He had a big toothy smile and skin that looked like it had had a tanning job go bad. His spiky white-blond hair wasn't doing him any favors either. He extended a hand. â€Å"I'm Tom. Pleasure to meet you all.† We each shook his hand in return, introducing ourselves. He held our hands with great vigor, like a politician on the campaign trail. If we'd had a baby, I had no doubts he would have kissed it. â€Å"I imagine this must be pretty strange for you,† he commented. â€Å"But I want you to know that we're all here for you. There's nothing to worry about-things'll be back to normal before long.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said politely, giving as good a succubus smile as I could in a non-succubus state. Snark around a demon was never a good idea. Snark when you didn't have your normal powers? Horrible idea. â€Å"We're just anxious to get Jerome back.† His smile faltered a little but quickly resumed. â€Å"Yes, yes. Of course. We're all doing everything we can. But, of course, you know there's a chance Jerome might not be found†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So we've heard,† said Hugh, speaking as politely as I had. Tom nodded. â€Å"But don't worry. In the tragic event that happens, we'll make sure you guys are taken care of. You can rest assured that Seattle's next archdemon will rule with control and competence, making sure you're able to perform your duties in an efficient and effective manner.† I had a feeling he was on the verge of telling us how, if elected, he'd cut taxes and increase jobs, but we were interrupted by a high-pitched voice. â€Å"Georg- gee -na!† A seven-foot woman was heading toward us. She had ebony-black skin that looked horrible with her orange hair. The combination made Tom's features look supermodel gorgeous. Gold eye shadow shot all the way to her eyebrows, its glitter rivaled only by the multicolored sequins of her dress. A black feather boa flared around her as she walked. Several demons in the room froze and watched her, which was remarkable. Demons are not easily fazed. â€Å"Who's that?† asked Cody. Just like with Tom, Cody could sense neither the identity nor even the type of this immortal. But I needed no such clues. â€Å"Tawny,† Peter and I said in unison. â€Å"How do you guys know?† asked Cody. â€Å"The clothes,† said Peter. â€Å"The whine,† I said. Tom was standing there, mouth half-open. A moment later, he recovered himself. â€Å"Well, it was nice meeting you all. I hope you'll come talk to me if you have any questions or concerns. I'm very eager to get to know you all better.† He scurried off just as Tawny reached us. We stared. â€Å"What the hell happened to you?† exclaimed Hugh. Tawny pouted. â€Å"Well, there was this really nice guy that I wanted. Really pure and-â€Å" â€Å"Tawny,† I interrupted. â€Å"I've told you a hundred times. Stop worrying about the good ones.† She shook her head. â€Å"No, no. He was into me. Well, he was into this.† She gestured to her body. â€Å"I figured out that he had these weird fantasies his wife didn't know about. So, I put on this shape, and we did it . And the energy†¦it was amazing.† I couldn't hide my astonishment. Tawny had managed to score a decent guy. She'd used a strategy that, while basic, was also highly effective: exploiting secret desires. It could shake the unshakable soul. â€Å"Wow,† I said at last. â€Å"That's great. I†¦well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm proud of you.† She sighed. â€Å"But I didn't get to enjoy the rush. Like, ten minutes after it happened, it went away. Everything went away. I started feeling sick and-â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, we know the rest,† said Cody, not unkindly. â€Å"And I was wearing this body, and now†¦now I'm stuck with it.† Under normal conditions, this would have provided hours of hilarity. For now, I actually felt bad for her. â€Å"Well, hang in there. They say this won't last for long.† Tawny nodded unhappily. â€Å"Yeah. Here's hoping.† Then, unexpectedly, she brightened a little. â€Å"Oh, but hey, you were totally right about the blow-job thing.† Hugh's head whipped around to stare at me. â€Å"What?† Before I could say anything, Mei thankfully shouted for everyone's attention. And when I say shouted, I mean it. She used her power to amplify her voice, so it rang painfully through the whole room, making a lot of us wince and cover our ears. Several people backed away, giving us a clear view of her and Grace. â€Å"We want to thank everyone for coming,† Mei said, returning to her usual flat, emotionless voice. â€Å"And we appreciate everyone's help as we try to keep things running around here. Mei and I have everything under control right now, but the concern everyone's shown is certainly†¦admirable.† There was the slightest wry note in Grace's voice as she glanced around at the assembled demons. Many of them straightened up and smiled, acting as though they truly were here out of concern for us. â€Å"We know you're as anxious to find Jerome as we are,† said Mei. â€Å"And we'll be doing everything we can to locate him.† Some of those smiles tightened a little, and the crowd shifted uncomfortably. As I'd told Seth, not everyone was so eager for Jerome's return. â€Å"Yes, of course,† a booming voice said. Tom had joined Grace and Mei in the spotlight. â€Å"Jerome is our top priority, of course. And if-I mean, when-he's found, I'm sure Management will be most eager to talk to him about how this happened in the first place. No doubt he will need a little†¦rehabilitation, and should he be unable to fulfill his duties, I for one am ready right now to step up and run infernal affairs in Seattle.† â€Å"Well, Tom.† A dark-haired demoness from across the room straightened up from where she leaned against the wall. â€Å"If memory serves, your leadership in Tuscaloosa didn't end so well.† Tom glowered. â€Å"That was not my fault.† So it began. The meeting slowly degenerated into chaos and mostly became about each demon talking about why he or she was the best choice-and why all of the others were completely unfit. It was like a year of presidential campaigning condensed into an hour. â€Å"Look at Grace and Mei,† noted Hugh. â€Å"They look like they want to smite this entire room.† â€Å"Well,† I said. â€Å"That's the thing. All these demons are talking about keeping hellish affairs in order here, but those two are the ones who are actually doing it right now.† â€Å"Hell should just let them take over if Jerome doesn't come back,† said Cody. I gave him a sharp look. â€Å"Er, I mean, not that there's any question of that. He'll be back.† â€Å"Let's hope so,† a new voice said. Cedric had strolled over and joined our circle, Kristin in tow. â€Å"Whatever,† I said, unable to hide a smile. â€Å"You can't tell me you want him back. This is your perfect chance to create your great Northwest empire.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, believe me, I want nothing to do with any of this. Compared to some of these losers, Jerome suddenly seems like an ideal neighbor.† It was very much like what Isabelle had said. â€Å"I don't suppose,† Cedric added, â€Å"that you're going to be coming back up to Vancouver?† I hesitated. Was I? Who did I answer to now? Did Jerome's orders still stand? â€Å"I†¦I don't know,† I admitted. â€Å"I don't know what I'm supposed to. If I should leave.† â€Å"Well,† he said. â€Å"It wasn't like you were doing that great a job.† â€Å"I was too! I'd gotten them to back down before their so-called angel spoke to them. She told them not to trust me.† I frowned, wondering if I should go on. I didn't know who to trust without Jerome around, and as Hugh had said, Cedric was still a very likely candidate for Jerome's summoning, in spite of my gut instinct. â€Å"And you know†¦I think I have an idea about who did this and who that angel is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cedric groaned. â€Å"Will you give up on Isabelle already?† I shook my head and lowered my voice. â€Å"I don't think it was her. I think it was Nanette.† The incredulous look on his face didn't change. â€Å"That's as ridiculous as Isabelle. You were there. You saw Nanette come to me because she was simply worried about managing her own territory.† â€Å"Funny, she had a similar meeting with Jerome not long after that.† Cedric's face kept that cool, skeptical expression that demons excelled it. But, I was pretty sure I could see a spark of interest in his blue-gray eyes. â€Å"That doesn't mean anything.† Another gut feeling told me he was lying. He started to turn, but then Cody spoke, voice hesitant. â€Å"Excuse me†¦do you know†¦are we mortal?† Cedric hesitated a moment and then laughed. When none of us said anything, he glanced between all our faces. â€Å"Oh. You're serious?† â€Å"Why is that such a crazy question?† I demanded. â€Å"We've lost everything else that makes us immortal.† â€Å"You've lost it to keep you out of trouble,† said Cedric. â€Å"Nobody wants you guys running around unsupervised with your normal abilities. So when you lose an archdemon, you get cut off. But you're still immortal. You think you can get out of your contract with something as easy as death?† â€Å"So we could get hit by a car and still be okay?† asked Cody. â€Å"Of course. Sure, it'd take awhile to recover. You'd heal like a human, but you'd eventually heal.† â€Å"What if we got decapitated?† asked Peter. â€Å"Yeah,† agreed Cody. â€Å"Like in Highlander ?† Cedric rolled his eyes. â€Å"Don't get decapitated, and we'll never have to find out.† He focused on me. â€Å"Look, stay here for a while. Something tells me that the Angel of Darkness isn't going to be making any appearances anytime soon. I suspect the distraction is over.† â€Å"I agree. Thanks.† He gave me a curt nod and started to turn. Then, he glanced back at Tawny and did a double-take. â€Å"What's your name?† â€Å"Tawny,† she replied. He eyed her from head to foot and then turned to Kristin. â€Å"Get her number and set up a date.† I saw a spark of something in Kristin's eyes, and it took me a moment to identify it. Jealousy. Reflecting back on the way she doted on his affairs, I shouldn't have been surprised that she had a crush on him. She flipped through a few pages in her clipboard, her lips tight and disapproving. â€Å"You've got a lot of appointments this week. You hate it when you've got back-to-back events.† She spoke levelly, but I could tell that while part of her warning came from true concern, another part of her welcomed the chance to throw a kink into his dating life. Cedric didn't appear to notice. He waved a dismissive hand. â€Å"Cancel something unimportant. You'll know what to do.† He wandered off while Kristin took down Tawny's number. â€Å"We'll be in touch,† Kristin said flatly. â€Å"Huh,† said Tawny, once Kristin was gone. â€Å"He's kind of cute. Maybe this body isn't so bad after all.† I exchanged glances with Hugh and Peter. They looked a lot like I felt: weary and frustrated, with the secret suspicion that this was all almost funny. â€Å"Well,† I said, watching Tawny smile with delight. â€Å"At least someone's happy with all this.†

The And The Un Declaration On Indigenous Rights - 2314 Words

In recent news reports about LNG development in British Columbia, First Nation communities are only depicted in a position of power when associated with the proposed wealth of the project and this is used to sway an undecided public. Furthermore, British Columbia is currently in a moment of transition deciding where they lie on neoliberal development decisions. Neoliberalism is a form of governance distinguished in its conjunction of particular practices and knowledge production that emphasize the market and the responsibilities of enterprising subjects alongside the recognition of collective and socio-economic rights of disadvantaged groups. Through all this reason, we can argue that stories about First Nation issues and capitalism are particularly significant a site of knowledge where the public determines the news. I also related my argument to Peter Manus online reading and the UN Declaration on Indigenous Rights to give us a relationship between the First Nations and the projec t. In Dirk Meissner s article, â€Å"B.C LNG Minister says â€Å"We re Not Afraid† of Federal Environmental Tests† published on January 27th, 2016, the author introduced Rich Coleman, British Columbia s minister in charge of liquefied natural gas, will be heading to Ottawa to talk about the province s plan for a multibillion dollar LNG industry. Coleman claims he is confident that British Columbia s current environmental regulations will meet any existing or new emission standards. ButShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Beijing Declaration Of Indigenous Women1195 Words   |  5 Pagesthe fast-growing, worldwide network of women who were determined to achieve equality, development, and peace. In the NGO Forum, UN fourth World conference on women in Huairou, Beijing, PROC, the primitive women present had come together to draft a declaration to claim their own rights, so called â€Å"Beijing Declaration of Indigenous Women†. This declaration shows the indigeno us peoples’ struggles of being invaded and colonized, expresses their critique towards Beijing Draft Platform for Action, lists theirRead MoreThe Contemporary Concern Of Indigenous People At The International Platform Essay1594 Words   |  7 Pagescontemporary concern for indigenous people at the international platform gained its popularity from the long-standing Sui generis deviation of self-determination standard, that supplements the Sui generis deviation which the twentieth century classic colonialism represents (Anaya 1996). Indeed, the concept of indigenous people is usually understood to mean a culturally cohesive group who suffers inequality with the state wherein they leave because of historical empire or conquest (UN DOC 1986; Anaya 1996)Read MoreTreaty Rights Of Indigenous People1625 Words   |  7 Pagesregional indigenous organizations in the 1970s like the North American Indian Brotherhood (NAIB) contributed immensely in forging a regional voice for indigenou s people in North America (Sanders, 1977) while the Sami Council remarkably stood its ground as one of the earliest recognized ethno-based regional council emboldening and uniting Sami in Norway, Finland and Sweden (Dahl, 2012). The NAIB was among the first indigenous peoples’ organization to seek NGO status in 1972 within the UN (SandersRead MoreRights of Indigenous Australians755 Words   |  3 Pagesin society are permitted to have specific rights. Individuals in traditional homelands have the right to determine the application of health, education and welfare entitlements, free from government regulation and discrimination. However the rights Indigenous Australians are entitled to are not being completely abided by and therefore white law is being used as a tool of discrimination to Indigenous Australians. Before the case of Eddie Mabo, Indigenous Australian’s ancestral lands that they wereRead MoreHuman Rights Within The World1313 Words   |  6 Pagesas human rights are dated back to violent history. Nazi Germany arguably sparked an interest in human rights as their â€Å"good triumphed through the acts of a selfless few or out of the depths of evil†. Human rights refer to the laws, acts and policies initiated in order to protect vulnerable, oppressed people in the world and allow them to possibly thrive in this world. Although women, sexual minorities, and racialized minorities all play a significant role in the development of human rights—racializedRead MoreThe Struggles Indigenous Peoples Face to Obtain Justice Essay1577 Words   |  7 PagesThere are over 5000 Indigenous communities in over 70 different countries. They are defined collectively under the term Indigenous Peoples (IPs) by the Cobo Report but this term also allows for their diversity. They fac e numerous legal issues in attempting to achieve their rights, so they have collectively united to access the remedies available to them to achieve justice. Broad characteristics to define them are highlighted in the Mick Dodson report and include: connection with territory thatRead MoreThe Impact Of Globalization On Indigenous People And Impaired Their Way Of Life1651 Words   |  7 Pageseach other, direct effect of globalization. There have been significant beneficial outcomes, but one will wonder at what cost? Throughout the process, societies have neglected the rights of Indigenous people and impaired their way of life; the actions of the human race have caused irreversibly consequences to the Indigenous people. Cultural Survival Background David Maybury –lewis, an anthropologist, took initiative through the founding of cultural survival (non profit group) that eventually becameRead MoreUnited Nations Adoption of the Universal Declaration1437 Words   |  6 PagesThe Universal Declaration was adopted by the UN in 1948. Amongst other things, it guarantees free speech, assembly, religion, and the basic necessities of life, like food and housing; it says that everyone has the right to work, to equal and fair pay for equal work, and that all have the right to be free from slavery, torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. The basic premises are that a) people do not have to do or be anything in particular in order to enjoy human rights but that theyRead MoreAustralia Based On The Doctrine Of Terra Nullius1416 Words   |  6 Pages This meant that they did not formally recognize the existing Indigenous Australians and their ancestral land. Subsequently, the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders were excluded from matters concerning their ancestral land during the drafting of the Australian constitution. Thus, resulting in an Australian constitution that discriminated against its first peoples, their connection to the land, culture and laws. â€Å"The Indigenous people we subjugated to the laws and customs of England, the AustralianRead MoreAnthropology : Indigenous People And Tribes Essay1244 Words   |  5 PagesArjhong Mardani IHSS Dr. Lee December 5, 2016 Anthropology: Indigenous People/Tribes Change due to Outside Contact Outside contact does not always result in depopulation, despite the fact, that in many cases, it s followed by cultural and social disintegration. I will bring up the reasons to why outside contact changes Indigenous people/tribes, and why these their cultures have changed juristically over time. So what is Social Anthropology, and how does it relate to Australian Aborigines? Social