The Stupidest Angel Chapter 18

Chapter 18 YOUR PUNY WORM GOD WEAPONS ARE USELESS AGAINST MY SUPERIOR CHRISTMAS KUNG FU Molly slipped out the back door of the cabin and around the outside wall until she could see the tall figure standing before her picture window. The fallen wires had stopped sparking out by the street and the stars and moon barely cut through the darkness at all. Strangely enough, she could clearly see the man by her front window because there was a faint glow shining around him. Radioactive, Molly thought. He wore the long black duster favored by sand pirates. Why, though, would a desert marauder be out in a rainstorm? She assumed the Hasso No Kamae stance, back straight, the sword held high and tilted back over her right shoulder, the sword guard at mouth level, her left foot forward. She was three steps from delivering a deathblow to the intruder. The sword balanced perfectly in her grip, so perfectly that it seemed to weigh nothing at all. She could feel the wet pine needles under her bare feet and wished that she'd put on shoes before dashing out into the night. The cold rain against her bare skin made her think that maybe a sweater would have been a good idea as well. The glowing man looked toward the opposite corner of the cabin and Molly made her move. Three soft steps and she stood behind him; the edge of her blade lay across the side of his neck. A quick pull and she would cut him to his vertebrae. â€Å"Move and die,† Molly said. â€Å"Nuh-uh,† said the glowing man. The tip of Molly's sword extended a foot beyond the stranger's face. He looked at the blade. â€Å"I like your sword. Want to see mine?† â€Å"You move, you die,† Molly said, thinking that it wasn't the sort of thing you should have to repeat. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"I'm Raziel,† said Raziel. â€Å"It's not the sword of the Lord, or anything. Not for destroying cities, just for fighting one or two enemies at a time, or slicing cold cuts. Do you like salami?† Molly didn't quite know how to proceed. This glowing sand pirate seemed perfectly unafraid, perfectly unconcerned, in fact, that she was holding a razor-sharp blade against his carotid artery. â€Å"Why are you looking in my window in the middle of the night?† â€Å"Because I can't see through the wooden part.† Molly snapped her wrists back and smacked Raziel in the side of the head with the flat of her blade. â€Å"Ouch.† â€Å"Who are you and why are you here?† Molly said. She snapped her blade back to threaten another smack, and in that instant Raziel stepped away from her, spun, and drew a sword from the middle of his back. Molly hesitated, just a second, then approached and snapped her blade down, this time in a real attack aimed at his shoulder. Raziel parried the blow and riposted. Molly swept his blade aside and came around with her blade for a cut to the left arm. Raziel got his sword around just in time to deflect her blade down his arm instead of across it. The razor-sharp tashi took a long swath of fabric from his coat, as well as a thin slice of flesh down his forearm. â€Å"Hey,† he said, looking at his now-flapping sleeve. There was no blood. Just a dark stripe where the flesh was gone. He started hacking, his sword describing an infinity pattern in the air before him as he drove Molly back through the pine forest toward the road. She quickstepped back, parrying some blows, dodging others, stepping around trees, kicking up wet pine straw as she moved. She could only see her glowing attacker, his sword shining now as well, the darkness around her so complete that she moved only by memory and feel. As she deflected one of the blows, her heel caught on a root and she lost her balance. She started to go over backward and spun as if to catch herself. Raziel's momentum carried him forward, his sword swinging for a target that a second before had been two feet higher, and he ran right onto Molly's blade. She was bent over forward; the blade extended back across her rib cage and through Raziel, extending another two feet out his back. They were frozen there for a moment – him bent over her back, stuck together with her sword – like two dogs who needed a bucket of water thrown on them. From a crouch, Molly yanked the blade out, then spun, ready to deliver a coup de grace that would cut her enemy from collarbone to hip. â€Å"Ouch,† said Raziel, looking at the hole in his solar plexus. He threw his sword on the ground and prodded the wound with his fingers. â€Å"Ouch,† he said again, looking up at Molly. â€Å"You don't thrust with that kind of sword. You're not supposed to thrust with that kind of sword. No fair.† â€Å"You're supposed to die now,† Molly said. â€Å"Nuh-uh,† said Raziel. â€Å"You can't say nuh-uh to death. That's sloppy debating.† â€Å"You poked me with your sword, and cut my coat.† He held up his damaged arm. â€Å"Well, you came creeping around here in the middle of the night looking in my windows, and you pulled a sword on me.† â€Å"I was just showing it to you. I don't even like it. I want to get web slingers for my next mission.† â€Å"Mission? What mission? Did Nigoth send you? He is no longer my higher power, by the way. This is not the kind of support I need.† â€Å"Fear not,† said Raziel, â€Å"for I am a messenger of the Lord, come to bring a miracle for the Nativity.† â€Å"You're what?† â€Å"Fear not!† â€Å"I'm not afraid, you nitwit, I just kicked your ass. Are you telling me you're an angel?† â€Å"Come to bring Christmas joy to the child.† â€Å"You're a Christmas angel?† â€Å"I bring tidings of great joy, which shall be to all men. Well, not really. This time it's just to one boy, but I memorized that speech, so I like to use it.† Molly let her guard down, the tip of her sword pointed at the ground now. â€Å"So the glowing stuff on you?† â€Å"Glory of the Lord,† said the angel. â€Å"Oh piss,† said Molly. She slapped herself in the forehead. â€Å"And I killed you.† â€Å"Nuh-uh.† â€Å"Don't start with the nuh-uh again. Should I call an ambulance or a priest or something?† â€Å"I'm healing.† He held up his forearm and Molly watched as the faintly glowing skin expanded to cover the wound. â€Å"Why in the hell are you here?† â€Å"I have a mission –  » â€Å"Not here on Earth, here at my house.† â€Å"We're attracted to lunatics.† Molly's first instinct was to take his head, but on second thought, she was standing in the middle of a pine forest, in freezing rain and gale-force winds, naked, holding a sword, and talking to an angel, so he wasn't exactly announcing the Advent. She was a lunatic. â€Å"You want to come inside?† she said. â€Å"Do you have hot chocolate?† â€Å"With minimarshmallows,† said the Warrior Babe. â€Å"Blessed are the minimarshmallows,† the angel said, swooning a little. â€Å"Come on, then,† Molly said as she walked away muttering, â€Å"I can't believe I killed a Christmas angel.† â€Å"Yep, you screwed the pooch on this one,† said the Narrator. â€Å"Nuh-uh,† said the angel. â€Å"Get that piano against the door!† Theo yelled. The bolts on the front door had completely splintered away, and the Masonite buffet table was flexing under the blows of whatever the undead were using for a battering ram. The entire chapel shook with each impact. Robert and Jenny Masterson, who owned Brine's Bait, Tackle, and Fine Wines, started rolling the upright piano from its spot by the Christmas tree. Both had been through some harrowing moments in Pine Cove's history, and they tended to keep their heads in an emergency. â€Å"Anyone know how to lock these casters?† Robert called. â€Å"We'll need to brace it just the same,† Theo said. He turned to Ben Miller and Nacho Nunez, who seemed to have teamed up for the battle. â€Å"You guys look for more heavy stuff to brace the door.† â€Å"Where did they get a battering ram?† Tucker Case asked. He was examining the big rubber coasters on the piano, trying to figure out how to lock them. â€Å"Half the forest has blown down tonight,† said Lena. â€Å"Monterey pines don't have a taproot. They probably just found one that they could lift.† â€Å"Turn it on its back,† Tuck said. â€Å"Brace it against the table.† The ram hit the doors and they popped open six inches. The table hooked under the heavy brass handles was bending and beginning to split. Three arms came through the opening, half a face, the eye drooling out of a rotted socket. â€Å"Push!† Tuck screamed. They ran the piano up against the braced table, slamming the doors on the protruding limbs. The battering ram hit again, popping the doors open, driving the men back, and rattling their teeth. The undead arms pulled back from the gap. Tuck and Robert shoved the piano against the door and it shut again. Jenny Masterson threw her back against the piano and looked back at the onlookers, twenty or so people who seemed too stunned or too scared to move. â€Å"Don't just stand there, you useless fucks! Help us brace this. If they get in, they're going to eat your brains, too.† Five men pointed flashlights at each other in a â€Å"Me? You? Us?† inspection, then shrugged and ran to help push the piano. â€Å"Nice pep talk,† said Tuck, his sneakers squeaking on the pine floor as he pushed. â€Å"Thanks, I'm good with the public,† Jenny said. â€Å"Waitress for twenty years.† â€Å"Oh yeah, you waited on us at H.P.'s. Lena, it's our waitress from the other night.† â€Å"Nice to see you again, Jenny,† said Lena, just as the battering ram hit the door again, knocking her to the floor. â€Å"I haven't seen you at yoga class†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Clear the way, clear the way, clear the way!† called Theo. He and Nacho Nuà ±ez were coming across the floor from the back room carrying an eight-foot-long oak pew. Behind them, Ben Miller was wrestling a pew across the floor by himself. Several of the men who were holding the barricade broke ranks to help him. â€Å"Cantilever these against the piano and nail them to the floor,† Theo said. The heavy benches went up on a diagonal against the back of the piano and Nacho Nuà ±ez toenailed them to the floor. The benches flexed a little with each blow of the battering ram, but they held fast. After a few seconds, the pounding stopped. Again, there was only the noise of the wind and the rain. Everyone played flashlights around the room, waiting for whatever would come next. Then they heard Dale Pearson's voice at the side of the chapel. â€Å"This way. Bring it this way.† â€Å"Back door,† someone shouted. â€Å"They're carrying it around to the back door.† â€Å"More pews,† Theo yelled. â€Å"Nail them up in the back. Hurry, that door's not as heavy as the front, it won't take two hits like that.† â€Å"Can't they just come through one of the walls?† asked Val Riordan, who was trying to join in the effort to hold the line, despite the handicap of her five-hundred-dollar shoes. â€Å"I'm hoping that won't occur to them,† Theo said. Supervising the undead was worse than dealing with a construction crew full of drunks and cokeheads. At least his living crews had all of their limbs and most of their physical coordination. This bunch was pretty floppy. Twenty of the undead were hefting a broken pine-tree trunk a foot thick and as long as a car. â€Å"Move the goddamn tree,† Dale growled. â€Å"What am I paying you for?† â€Å"Is he paying us?† asked Marty in the Morning, who was hefting at midtree, on a jagged, broken branch. â€Å"Are we getting paid?† â€Å"I can't believe you ate all the brains,† Warren Talbot, the dead painter, said. â€Å"That was supposed to be for everyone.† â€Å"Would you shut the fuck up and get the tree around to the back door,† Dale yelled, waving his snub-nose revolver. â€Å"The gunpowder gave them a nice peppery flavor,† Marty said. â€Å"Don't rub it in,† said Bess Leander. â€Å"I'm so hungry.† â€Å"There will be enough for everyone once we get inside,† said Arthur Tannbeau, the citrus farmer. Dale could tell this wasn't going to work. They were too feeble, they couldn't get enough strength behind the battering ram. The living would be barricading the back door even now. He pulled some of the more decayed undead off the tree and pushed in those who seemed to have much of their normal strength, but they were trying to run up a narrow set of stairs carrying a thousand-pound tree trunk. Even a crew of healthy, living people wouldn't be able to get purchase in this mud. The tree trunk hit the door with an anemic thud. The door flexed just enough to reveal that the living had reinforced it. â€Å"Forget it. Forget it,† said Dale. â€Å"There are other ways we can get to them. Fan out in the parking lot and start looking for keys in the ignition of people's cars.† â€Å"Drive-thru snackage?† said Marty in the Morning. â€Å"I like it.† â€Å"Something like that,† Dale said. â€Å"Kid, you with the wax face. You're a motorhead, can you hot-wire a car?† â€Å"Not with only one arm,† Jimmy Antalvo slurred. â€Å"That dog took my arm.† â€Å"It stopped,† Lena said. She was checking Tuck's wounds. Blood was seeping through the bandages on his ribs. Theo turned away from the pilot and looked around the room. The emergency lighting was starting to dim already and his flashlight was panning them like he was looking for suspects. â€Å"No one left their keys in their car, did they?† There were murmurs of denial and heads shaking. Val Riordan had a perfectly painted eyebrow raised at him. There was a question there, even if it was unspoken. â€Å"Because that's what I'd do,† Theo said. â€Å"I'd get a car up to speed and crash it right through the wall.† â€Å"That would be bad,† said Gabe. â€Å"That parking lot had two inches of water and mud the last time I saw it,† Tucker Case said. â€Å"Not every car is going to get up to speed in that.† â€Å"Look, we need to get some help,† Theo said. â€Å"Someone has to go for help.† â€Å"They won't get ten feet,† Tuck said. â€Å"As soon as you open a door or break a window, they'll be waiting.† â€Å"What about the roof?† said Josh Barker. â€Å"Shut up, kid,† Tuck said. â€Å"There's no way up to the roof.† â€Å"Are we going to cut off his head now?† said Josh. â€Å"You have to sever the spinal column or they just keep coming.† â€Å"Look,† Theo said, playing his flashlight across the center of the ceiling. There was a trapdoor up there, painted over and latched, but it was definitely there. â€Å"It leads to the old bell tower,† Gabe Fenton said. â€Å"No bell, but it does open onto the roof.† Theo nodded. â€Å"From the roof someone could tell where they all were before making his move.† â€Å"That hatch is thirty feet up. There's no way to get to it.† Suddenly the high chirp of a barking bat came from above them. A half-dozen flashlights swung around to spotlight Roberto, who was hanging upside down from the star atop the Christmas tree. â€Å"Molly's tree,† said Lena. â€Å"It looks sturdy enough,† said Gabe Fenton. â€Å"I'll go,† said Ben Miller. â€Å"I'm still in pretty good shape. If I have to make a run for it, I can.† â€Å"Right there, that proves it,† said Tuck, an aside to Lena. â€Å"No guy with tiny balls would volunteer for that. See how the dead lie.† â€Å"I'm driving an old Tercel,† Ben said. â€Å"I don't think you want me trying to make a run for help in that.† â€Å"What we need is a Hummer,† said Gabe. â€Å"Yeah, or even a friendly hand job,† said Tuck. â€Å"But that's later. For now, we need a four-wheel drive.† â€Å"You really want to try this?† Theo asked Ben. The athlete nodded. â€Å"I've got the best chance of getting out. Those I can't outrun I'll just go through.† â€Å"Okay, then,† said Theo. â€Å"Let's get that tree over to the middle of the room.† â€Å"Not so fast,† said Tuck, patting his bandages. â€Å"I don't care how fast Micro-nads is, Santa still has two bullets in his gun.†

Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage (1791-1871) To begin with, Charles Babbage, an original innovative thinker and a pioneer of computing from Great Britain, was born on the 26th of December of 1791 in Walworth, Surrey and he died at his home in London on October 18, 1871. He was an incredible mathematician and it is mentioned that he was indisposed as a child so he mainly been educated at home. Babbage made contributions that may assured his fame irrespective of the Difference and Analytical Engines. After his wife’s death he was never again married. not necessary to put) He went at Trinity College, Cambridge in October of 1810. He was very disappointed about the poor variety of the math programs available there so he and some other friends decided to form the Analytical Society. In 1812 he transferred to Peterhouse, Cambridge but he failed to graduate with honours. He received a degree later without even being examined in 1814. After graduation Babbage was hired by the Royal Institution in orde r to lecture on calculus. There, in 1816 he was elected as a member of the Royal Society and found the Astronomical Society.In the meantime (1817) he received MA from Cambridge. Since 1828 and some years after, until 1839 he was named the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge. Charles Babbage also has the nickname â€Å"Father of Computing† due to his detailed plans for mechanical Calculating Engines, both the table-making Difference Engines (1821) and the far more ambitious Analytical Engines (1837), which were flexible and powerful, punched-card controlled general purpose calculators, containing many features which later reappeared in the modern computer.Because of the high error rate in the calculation of mathematical tables, Charles Babbage wanted to find a solution with which the mechanical calculations could be done with less or without errors. He was influenced by three different factors such as a dislike of untidiness; his experience working on logarithmic ta bles; and existing work on calculating machines carried out by Wilhelm Schickard, Blaise Pascal, and Gottfried Leibniz. During 1820, Babbage started the development of his first Difference Engine. It was a mechanical device that could perform simple mathematical calculations.Although he began promising, was unable to complete it due to huge expenses needed. After that,  in the 1830s Babbage began developing his Analytical Engine, which was designed to cope with much complicated calculations, but it was never built. (put what you think in diff. words.. ) Unfortunately because of critical tolerances required by his machines exceeded the level of technology available at the time and, though Babbage’s work was formally recognized by respected scientific institutions, the British government suspended funding for his Difference Engine in 1832.In 1833 Ada Augusta Lovelace met Charles Babbage and was fascinated with both him and his Engines. Later she became a competent student of mathematics, which was unusual for a woman at that time. Under Babbage's careful supervision Ada added extensive notes which constitute the best contemporary description of the Engines, and the best account we have of Babbage's views on the general powers of the Engines. It is often suggested that Ada was the world's first programmer.There remain only fragments of Babbage's prototype Difference Engine, and though he devoted most of his time and large fortune towards construction of his Analytical Engine after 1856, he never succeeded in completing any of his several designs for it. George Scheutz, a Swedish printer, successfully constructed a machine based on the designs for Babbage's Difference Engine in 1854. This machine printed mathematical, astronomical and actuarial tables with extraordinary accuracy.Babbage's work was continued by his son, Henry Prevost Babbage, after his death in 1871, but the Analytical Engine was never successfully completed, and ran only a few â€Å"prog rams† with disappointing results. Summing up, Babbage extent his achievements by writing about the assurance of life as well as breaking mathematical codes. His calculus engine was stayed in history for many years and until today left their mark in our world. It is remarkable that was create a foundation, with the name of Charles Babbage, in order to honor him and to recognize his work and how is connected to the modern computers.

Biology Dna Research Pape Essay

DNA is a tool of great use throughout the world. Especially when it comes to the field of forensic science, DNA is the most important tool of all. What is DNA? DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is a group of molecules that hereditary information in which guides development and functioning throughout the body. â€Å"DNA is to justice as a telescope is to the stars; not a lesson in biochemistry, not a display of the wonders of magnifying glass, but a way to see things as they really are.†(Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, Actual Innocence) DNA profiling was first developed by two different scientists on opposite ends of the world: Sir Alec Jeffreys (UK) and Kary Mullis (US). Jeffreys came up with DNA fingerprinting and Mullis came up with a method called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In 1984, Sir Alec Jeffreys, a professor from the University of Leicester, discovered a way of using DNA analysis through fingerprinting. () DNA fingerprinting method used variations in the gene tic code in order to identify individuals. During Dr.Jeffreys’ research, he found that certain regions of DNA contained DNA sequences that were repeated over and over again. He also found that the number of repeated sequences present in a sample can differ between individuals. (John M. Butler) Fingerprinting was first used in an immigration case to determine the identity of a British boy, who was detained from his family when they had emigrated from Ghana to the United Kingdom. The first time DNA testing was used forensically with the police was in a major case of two young girls who were sexually assaulted. In 1986 Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth were raped and brutally murdered. Investigators found traces of blood and semen at the sceens. Both crimes were committed in the same village which led police to determine that these crimes were committed by the same man. A man of the village had confessed to both murders. When his blood sample was compared to the semen recovered there was no match to either sample. Police were determined to find the man that did this so they conducted a mass screen to collect blood samples from every male in all the surrounding villages. Over 4000 men were tested and none of them came up as matches. A year later a woman had reported to the police that she had overheard a man bragging about how he had pretended to be his friend, Mr. Colin Pitchfork, and gave a blood sample for him. Police brought in Mr. Pitchfork for questioning and ask him for a blood sample as well. The test results came back and determined that he was a positive match for both  samples of semen that were collected from the crime scenes. Colin Pitchfork was then sentenced to life in prison. (The Blooding, 1989) During the same year, Kary Mullis with the help of the human genetics team at the Cetus Corporation came up with the PCR technique. Polymerase chain replication is a biochemical technology in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence. At first when used Mullis didn’t want to use thermal cycling because he wanted it to react on its own but in later findings he saw that by using the thermal cycling it sped up the process. Thermal cycling of the DNA is when the samples of DNA go through cycles of heating and cooling of the DNA reaction in order for DNA melting and enzymatic replication of DNA. The first time that PCR was used was in a forensic case dealing with evidence of locus. Soon after PCR was publicized scientist began to develop many new kinds of PCR. Throughout history technology has helped to produce more ways of using DNA as a forensic tool. According to the East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit, â€Å"although accurate and reproducible, this original method of analysis required the use of a large amount of high quality DNA, which is not always recovered during forensic investigations. Two big breakthroughs occurred during the late 1980s and early 1990s that would form the basis of DNA profiling techniques as they are recognized today.† (East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit, 2010) â€Å"An alternative class of DNA marker, the microsatellite or short tandem repeat (STR) marker and an alternative method for DNA visualization, PCR amplification and fluorescent labeling would greatly increase the sensitivity of DNA profiling methods and increase their use for criminal investigation,† stated Saferstein (Forensic Science: From the Crime Scene and Lab, 2012). Another new development with DNA was Hair DNA Typing. In 1996, the FBI initiated a program to compare human head and pubic hairs through mitochondrial DNA. When pulled from the head, hairs have a follicular tag, which is basically a piece of tissue surrounding the hair’s shaft near the root. This follicular tag is of great importance because that is the main source of DNA of hair. Recently in the summer of 2011, a cold-case murder of a five year old girl in 1993 was solved by using DNA hair analysis. At the time of the murder police had suspected the gi rl’s next door neighbor, forty-one year old Nick Stofer, but because of the lack  of evidence the police could not build a case against him. Police had taken blood and hair samples from Stofer but hair DNA typing was not around at the time. According to the head detective in charge, Collins, the scent tracking dogs that had helped them to locate the body continued to follow the scent and led them back to Stofer’s house. â€Å"We wanted to put the cuffs on (Stofer) so bad, but we couldn’t because the evidence was not there,† stated Collins, â€Å"So over time, the pain, the anguish of not being able to do that kept the fire alive and it was terribly frustrating. That’s why we’re here today. It may be therapy for us to be able to say it’s over. All of the work the police and the family and everyone put into it finally came to a conclusion.† â€Å"Over time, DNA analysis has advanced,† said Katie Featherston, forensic scientist at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. â€Å"In 1993 it was not available at the CBI lab, but over time we have been able to deal with samples that are smaller and smaller, and/or less pristine. Those advances allowed us to do the DNA analysis on this case.† In the end Stofer was found guilty but could not be arrested because Stofer had passed away a few years before. (ABC, September 2011) The final major part of the DNA typing process is the way it is collected and preserved. If not taken care of properly the DNA will not hold up as evidence for a court case. Any piece of clothing or material that is found in a crime scene is to be taken care of lightly with minimum contact. (Criminalistics,2007) Safety considerations and the avoidance of contamination calls for the wearing of face masks, latex gloves, shoe covers, and possibly coveralls. In most forensic labs and teams, evidence is required to be photographed and collected in either a paper envelope or a plastic Ziploc bag. According to scientist by the evidence being kept in these envelops and bags it’ll keep the evidence from being damaged. Also if there seems to be any possibility of fingerprints at the scene anything with a surface will be dusted and taken to get a genetic fingerprint to compare to in the system. (Anthony J. Bertino, Forensic Science) Since DNA typing was discovered there have been many inventions. At home DNA tests, paternity tests, genetics testing. Now a days technology is so advanced with DNA typing that women who are pregnant now can know if their baby will come out with brown, red, blonde or no hair, if their baby will have blue, green, brown, or hazel eyes. They can even find out if their child will have any genetic disorder. All because of Jeffreys’ and Mullis’  discoveries with DNA. So as you can see throughout the years DNA typing has changed drastically throughout the years. It went from being something of an experimental value to an important foren sic tool. And with the help of technology it has gotten even better. Not only is the typing helpful but the DNA, itself is a major part of it. Without DNA none of these analyses would be possible. DNA has change science and the world all at the same time.

4 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

4 questions - Essay Example Moreover, the U.S. political system represents the conflict of interests between public organizations and politicians. Due to all these challenges, it is hard for USA to provide quick decisions in environmental diplomacy. Question 3. In fact, the events of two World Wars had shown that conflict of interests in international system leads to great humanitarian and economical disasters. Since they had always started from the occupation of certain territory, the current states tried their best to protect their sovereignty in the last century. In other words, it is no longer acceptable for the state to claim that territory in the other country is its property, if there is no will of local population. This change appeared in the post-war world order. In contemporary world, the different interests often lead to open conflicts. Even though neoliberals believe in the potential of international institutions to neglect the states’ individual influence, the recent dispute between Saudi Arabia and Yemen reflects that we still deal with the world divided in states and full of conflict purposes. In this context, the given essay discusses Saudi-Yemen conflict through the concepts of terrorism and war to show the unresolved state of global security issue in the contemporary world. On the one hand, Saudi Arabia and Yemen situation reveals that terrorism is still the subject of global policy concern. In fact, appearance of Saudi Arabia invasion both in political speeches and in media messages throughout the world reveals the nature of terrorism as not only an attempt to influence foreign government but also an intense to create panic in global public. In addition, the great number of displaced civilians after the Decisive Storm operation fits the purpose of terrorism in its violent appearance. Thus, current world deals with political regime in contemporary Saudi Arabia

Internet Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet Marketing - Essay Example Customers too see brands as something that is more than what is built into the product. But these values and meanings may be different from customer to customer or from one group of customers to another. While Aaker is of the opinion that brand values are expressed along these four dimensions others like Jean - Noel Kapferer are of the opinion that this expression is along six dimensions: Physique, relationship, reflection, personality, culture and self-concept. (Kapferer 2000, p.127) Brand identity is made up of a core identity and an extended identity. A brand's core identity is fundamental to the meaning of a product. It is what a business will want its product or service to be perceived as. The extended identity of a brand includes aspects of the brand that complete the picture. This will normally be, aspects of the brand that a business will want its target market to associate with. Everything a brand stands for cannot be communicated merely by its core identity. This shortcoming of the core identity is made good by its extended identity. And the broader a brand's extended identity the more unforgettable it will be. (Aaker 1996, pp.85-9) The concept of brand identity brings us to ... It is what a business will want its product or service to be perceived as. The core identity of a brand helps a business to specifically identify the essence of a brand, organizational values that drive the brand, and what the organization itself stands for. It is what gives a brand its uniqueness and "sets it apart from competition". It is something that is relatively permanent. 3 Extended Identity The extended identity of a brand includes aspects of the brand that complete the picture. This will normally be, aspects of the brand that a business will want its target market to associate with. Everything a brand stands for cannot be communicated merely by its core identity. This shortcoming of the core identity is made good by its extended identity. And the broader a brand's extended identity the more unforgettable it will be. (Aaker 1996, pp.85-9) Brand Position The concept of brand identity brings us to the concept brand position. Brand position is that part of a brand's identity and its value proposition that a business intends to repeatedly communicate to its target market. It is the brand position that communicates an advantage over competition. All advertising is centered on a brand's position. (Aaker & Joachimsthaler 2000, pp.41-2) Brand Image While a brand's identity is what a manufacturer or distributor may want its target market to perceive it as, a brand's image is what the actual market perception. In wanting to communicate a brand's identity companies send out messages; it is how the market receives these messages and interprets them that are important. Although brand image is a lagging indicator, it helps the marketing department make corrections to its communications strategy if its

Policy Innovation Application Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Policy Innovation Application Paper - Essay Example who took a more aggressive and innovative policy in implementing greenhouse emission controls. As an example we will take the case of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the California vehicle emission standards. The California vehicle emission standards require a limitation on the amount of pollutants that an automobile releases in the atmosphere. This also applied to other powered vehicles that include industry, small equipments (such as lawn mowers and diesel generators) and power plants where their greenhouse emission is also strictly regulated. The Federal Government of the United States regulates the emission standards of all carbon emitting motors through its agency named Environmental Protection Agency. The state of California however has a permission to implement a more stringent regulatory emission standards compared to the Federal Government’s regulatory standard. The regulatory rules are crafted by the California Air Reserve Board or â€Å"CARB†. ... It was a four year court challenge that â€Å"resulted from the California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) Fleet rules that required various public and private operators of fleets of 15 or more vehicles in the SCAQMD basin (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside) to purchase alternative fuel vehicles or certain cleaner fuel vehicles authorized under the California’s emission standards program (Osenga, 2004). The RGCI or the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is an initiative by the states in Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic part of the United States (includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) who committed to reduce carbon emissions from the power sector by capping it to 10 percent by 2010. It is a carbon cap and trade program whose proceeds from its emission permit auctioning will be used to promote energy conservation and use of renewable progra m (Anon., 2007). II. Which policy is more effective? The California vehicle emission standards whose rule and regulations are set by the California Air Reserve Board or â€Å"CARB† is more effective and responsive to pressing issues of pollution and climate change in the short term. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative however is more effective for a longer term solution of the Greenhouse problem as it caps emission and has a component of raising funds to increase the use of renewable energy which intends to replace the carbon emitting power plants. For a more effective policy implementation of addressing the carbon emission and climate change, the combination of the two is more

The Penalty Phase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Penalty Phase - Essay Example To add on this, the jury already had a verdict; Esherman was guilty of more than 30 charges against him. He was convicted of mutilating, raping and murdering 17 teenage girls. Shortly after this verdict was given, Hoffman is tipped by about violation of the defendant’s rights during interrogation. He finds out that the evidences used against Esherman were not obtained legally. The search warrant used was invalid thus the arresting officers had violated Esherman’s constitutional rights. This renders the whole procedure void. Further probing reveals corruption on part of the district attorneys and lawyers, some of whom are running on Hoffman’s political slate. Hoffman realizes that if he undertakes the appropriate legal action, he will definitely destroy his political career. He is caught in the middle of a legal storm and is faced with a profound legal dilemma: Should he honor every stroke of the law, and incur public wrath and loose every hope of being re-elected or should he deliver justice to the perpetrator and risk destroying his political life? The ethical dilemma from the perspective of each main character The main characters in the movie are Hoffman, Esherman, the prosecutor, and Hoffman’s main opponent, Susan Jansen. Hoffman feels that he has a legal obligation to defend the rule of law and consequently Esherman’s rights. ... According to them, nothing should be reversed in favor of Esherman and this is seen when Jansen takes advantage of the media coverage to popularize an image of Hoffman as a liberal who is soft on criminals. How the dilemma was resolved Hoffman’s ultimate actions and rationale represents the part of the movie that was splendidly executed. Having considered his personal, public and legal interests, Hoffman decided to rule the case in favor of Esherman. Through a clear interpretation of the law and especially in regard to the legality of evidences, Hoffman declared the whole process invalid because of the violation of the defendants and the corruption involved. He based his exclusion of the evidence on the way it was obtained. In doing so, Hoffman already beat his opponents by throwing the blame to the police for their unwarranted conduct when collecting evidence and satisfying the interests of the public by according justice to Esherman. The kind of ethical framework that best d escribes how the dilemma was analyzed and resolved. The kind of ethical framework that describes how the dilemma was analyzed and resolved is the need for zealous prosecution. This ethical framework requires that legal professionals should not only seek to prosecute. They should also seek for justice for the offenders including those found guilty. This framework is based on ethical theories like rule utilitarianism. This theory supports the exclusionary rule because the long-term impacts of allowing illegal police behaviour will be more costly than allowing one criminal free. This framework therefore supports the power to use discretion among judges. Pollock (2004) explains that the use of discretion occurs in

Being the Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Being the Bridge - Essay Example The CIO can also engage representatives from other departments to discuss pertinent issues that may affect the operations of the company as a whole. Customer relationship management has become a priority for many CIOs. Essentially, the underlying concept in marketing is related to satisfaction of customer needs. Therefore, outstanding companies seek to learn and understand the needs and wants of the customers (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010). Loyalty among the customers is created where there is quality relationship with the firm that exists. The success of the company mainly depends on the number of customers that exist. Whenever customers are treated as valuable assets to the company, they can identify with it. This also helps them refer others to the firm. More revenue is likely to be generated if the company is sensitive to the needs of the customers. This can also help to ensure the viability and sustainability of the company in the long run in its

Mentoring Children with Learning Disabilities Essay

Mentoring Children with Learning Disabilities - Essay Example ns those children who have a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen, think, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include a learning problem which is primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor handicaps or mental retardation, or emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage† (U.S. Office of Education, 1977, p. 65083) "Gifted and talented are those ... with demonstrated achievement and/or potential ability in ... (a) general intellectual ability, (b) specific academic aptitude, (c) creative or productive thinking, (d) leadership ability, (e) visual and performing arts, and (f) psychomotor ability." (Cooper, 1995). This definition now included skills which are not easily manifest, and to successfully and credibly label someone as â€Å"gifted† many processes are necessary than mere parental observation. Benjamin J. Lovett and Lawrence J. Lewandowski (2006) did a thorough research on the identification of students who are gifted and at the same time have learning disabilities. It attempts to pin down a concrete system of screening of the population of the gifted with learning disabilities (G/LD). Children who manifest both giftedness and learning disability often get frustrated due to the duality of their abilities. Although they may have a vast knowledge of certain themes, they still manifest an inability to demonstrate academic achievement. They have feelings of inadequacy because of inner conflicts of knowing how smart they are yet they cannot perform at par to their intelligence (Shevitz et al, n.d.). It is specifically for these cases of children that the Wings Mentor Program was established. A

Personal statement, Career and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal statement, Career and Education - Essay Example I am attracted to the University of Las Vegas because of the faculty, the curriculum, and particularly because of the opportunities for hands-on training and education. Actually, I have been interested in the research and the application of scientific techniques to the health care field for many years. At Santa Ana College, for instance, I studied Pharmacy Technology in addition to focusing on chemistry and biology. Even before I decided to earn my degree in chemical engineering, I was interested in how my scientific background might be applied in the health care environment. My attractions to this field of study are essentially twofold. As an initial matter, I am fascinated by problem-solving projects. Using my theoretical knowledge to diagnose conditions and to resolve problems is an extraordinarily fulfilling task. Second, knowing that people would benefit medically from my research and work is also attractive. Ideally, I would like to use my education and training as a basis for further research. My goal is to become an expert in the field and to pursue advanced study. As mentioned before, I have a particular interest in research and development. I am interested in publishing and perhaps becoming an instructor in the future.

Genzyme Summary Essay Example for Free

Genzyme Summary Essay Genzyme was founded in 1981, Sanofi purchased the company in 2011. They went public in 1986, raising 27 million dollars. Genzyme startet as a start up Company by scientists studying genetically inherited enzyme diseases. Their strategy didn’t focus on the â€Å"blockbuster drugs† like other biotechnology companies but drugs for rare diseases. To developing a drug, it takes 10-14 years at the cost of around 800 million. But the blockbuster drugs had 1 billion dollars revenue. Genzyme has received several honor awards like â€Å"national medal of technology†. The food and drug administration established in 1983 the â€Å"Orphane drug act† giving seven years market exclusivity to developers of drugs for rare diseases. This gave Genzyme big advantage when it comes to clinical trials, advertising and sales, it does not requires a lot. Their first success was the â€Å"Ceredase† drug- to treat the Gaucher`s disease. It was sold to over 4000 patients, with annual revenue of 800 million dollars. They had different way of manufacturing and sales compare to other companies. They did not do licensing to large pharmaceutical company. Genzyme was the worlds third largest biotech company in 2006 only profiting of rare diseases. Reflection of the case * Avoided â€Å"blockbuster† market and good management Good strategic to focus on a niche market instead of the †blockbuster† market. The degree of existing rivalry and entry barriers was low. Henri Termeer took a risk in moving to a start up company but with his experience and expertise, the company went stronger and independent. * First ones to market and the exclusivity Genzyme entered a small, untapped market. Being the first biotech company that focus on rare diseases and having the market exclusivity made them leading biotech company. They had the ability to identify almost all customers. They had big advantage when is comes to clinical trials, restrictions, FDA and small numbers of test patients required.

Adult Health Nurse Practioner Essay Example for Free

Adult Health Nurse Practioner Essay Due to the rapid changes and complexity in healthcare, nurses are pursuing higher education and specialized training. This specialized training has produced what we now call advance practice nurses. Advance practice nurses can function independently or in partnership with other physicians. These nurses play a vital role in healthcare. There are four types of advance practice nurses; clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. The role of the nurse practitioner has changed from being an assistant to meeting the healthcare needs of patients when no physician is available. Nurse practitioners may specialize in a variety of settings, but are not limited to; primary care, acute care, palliative care, infectious disease, and gerontology. Becoming a nurse practitioner requires a Master of Science in nursing, post masters, or Doctor of nursing practice (Britt, 2012). The services provided by nurse practitioners include; diagnosing and treating health problems, adult and well child checks, prescribing medications, teaching health promotion while promoting disease prevention (Britt, 2012). Healthcare reform which has led to increase accessibility of healthcare has created more opportunities for nurse practitioners in the primary care setting (AAON, 2014). Nurse practitioners are visible in the acute and critical care settings. In the acute setting, they are using evidence based practice to manage care of the critically ill (AAON, 2014). According to the American Association of Nurses, â€Å"nurse practitioners are more likely to adhere to clinical practice guidelines that improve patient outcomes (AAON, 2014). Nurse practitioners tent to engage patients in their care by helping them understand t and measures they can take for improvements (Britt, 2012). Despite the enormous contributions nurse practitioners are giving to healthcare, there are barriers to the potential of what a nurse practitioner can give back to their community. The state scope of practice laws are the most significant (Naylor, Kurtzman, 2010). These laws govern practice and prescriptive authority. There are some states more restrictive than  others. Reimbursement is another issue affecting nurse practitioners. There are legal concerns regarding reimbursement for services provided by nurse practitioners (Perry, 2009). Other barriers NPs face include; poor physician attitude, lack of respect, and poor communication. The poor physician attitude may be due to lack of physician knowledge regarding the role of the nurse practitioner (Clarin, 2009). When there is difficulty understanding the NPs role, then there is difficulty with collaboration, which in turn affects the patient. As the scope of practice for nurse practitioners varies from state to state, the nurse practitioners role is becoming more dominant due to the demands because more people are able to afford healthcare. It is imperative for barriers to be removed that would allow NPs to use their training and education to the fullest. Nurse practitioners are an essential component to the healthcare team and medical community. With such emphasis being placed on preventive care, nurse practitioners will be recognized as an asset. References Naylor, Kurtzman, E. (2010), The Role of Nurse Practitioner in Reinventing Primary Care. Health Affairs, 29 893-899 doi:10.1377/hlthaff 2010.0440 Clarin, O. (2009), Strategies to Overcome Barriers to Effective Nurse Practitioner Physician Collaboration, Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 3(8) 538-548 Britt, D. (2012), Family Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care. The Parenting Issue 23 Perry, J. (2009), The Rise and Impact of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. Economic Policy, 27 491-511 doi:10.1111/j.1465-7287.2009.00162.x

The Successive Government Child Care Policies

The Successive Government Child Care Policies Successive governments have refined both legislation and policy, so that in general, the legislative framework for protecting children is basically sound. I conclude that the gap is not a matter of law but in its implementation. (Lord Laming, 2003, p. 7) The name social policy is used to apply to the policies which governments use for welfare and social protection and the ways in which welfare is developed.   Social work practice is not only about individual needs, it also considers social context. This social context includes the range of inter-professional agencies contributing to packages of care and protection, as well as the relationships between service users and their families, friends and communities. REF current UK social policy is the restructuring of public services in order to get them to achieve the goals of grater economy, efficiency and effectiveness, and closer links between the public sector and other providers of welfare. (2010, p.13) This essay will look at some of the key legislations and policies aimed to protect children from any type of maltreatment. Firstly, I will give a definition of child abuse and before discussing the question posed on this essay, I am going to outline some of the key legislations, policies and guidelines concerning child protection, as well as brief description on each. I will then go on to discuss some of the outlined legislations and policies and their impact on social work practice and also if they have been helpful in protecting children in the UK. Finally, the last part of this essay will be a conclusion on the arguments that have been unfolded on the essay. Child Abuse Prevention Report (2002), defines child abuse as constituting all forms of physical and emotional ill treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm in the childs health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power .?! England has a long history of child protection laws dating back to 1889 with the Childrens Charter. Since then, England has passed many laws and policies as a result of death inquires. Following the death of Dennis ONeill in 1946, the Curtis Committee was set up to examine the conditions of children deprived of a normal family life which later on resulted in the Children Act 1948 (Hill, 2003). The main principles of the Act included establishing Local Authority Childrens departments, promoting foster rather than residential care and where possible rehabilitating children back to their families (Hendrick, 2003) full ref. As a result of many other subsequent inquires carried out in the 70s and 80s, as well as a need for clearer guidance in laws relating to children, the Children Act 1989 (CA89) was implemented. Its fundamental principles were that it addressed the balance between child protection and family support services introducing the concept of a child in need, it also emphasised parental responsibility rather than focusing on parental rights. The Act introduced a range of new orders including here the; Child Assessment Order, Family Assistance Order, Specific Issue Order, Prohibited Steps Order, and Educational Order) as well as extended the circumstances in which Interim Orders could be made. (Jowitt OLoughlin, 2006).full Since the CA89, many new laws have been passed to strengthen the ways in which children are protected. Victoria Climbie aged eight, died from no less than 128 injuries, in February 2000. The subsequent inquiry into her death chaired by Lord Laming was the first inquiry to include all 3 key agencies, Local Authority, Health Services and the Police. The inquiry made over 100 recommendations for restructuring child protection services, largely focussing on the responsibilities of individuals and agencies to children and families, and on service co-ordination. The Governments response to the Laming Enquiry was almost immediate through the production of the green paper Every Child Matters, 2003 (ECM) which focused on four key themes. These included supporting families where a need is identified and early intervention in relation to child protection. In conjunction with ECM came the Children Act 2004 (CA04), the Act encompasses several components based on recommendations from the Laming Report (Allen, 2008) The reforms presented by the ECM agenda and CA04 aimed to improve multi-disciplinary working and integrated service delivery and increase accountability. I am in no doubt that effective support for children and families cannot be achieved by a single agency acting alone. It depends on a number of agencies working together. It is a multy- disciplinary task (para. 130) The Children Act 2004 however, does not introduce a range of new child protection powers, Bammer explains the CA04 as ..setting the foundations for good practice in the use of existing powers through a holistic integrated approach to child care (Bammer, 2010, p.182) CAF is one of the many changes introduced in the Children Act 2004 and plays a major part in improving services to children and families in line with the government Every Child Matters agenda. CAF will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people by ensuring services are timely and responsive and based on consistent assessment of their individual needs. Some of the benefits to children, young people and their families are: Assessments using CAF are de-stigmatising, as they look at the whole child and take account of family strengths as well as their needs. CAF assessments are undertaken in partnership with families, and enable them to take the lead in identifying needs. CAF assessments are shared, with consent, between agencies so families will no longer have to repeat their information again and again to different agencies and service providers. CAF assessments will support and enhance effective communication between agencies, enabling them to work together more effectively in order to meet the needs of children, young people and families. This is where the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) comes in. The CAF is being introduced in all LEAs between April 2006 and December 2008. You may be familiar with the process because your school may already be piloting it. We all want better lives for our young people and we know that some pupils dont thrive either in or out of school or get support until it is too late. The CAF will help identify them earlier, before things reach crisis point. The easiest and most consistent way to do this is to make sure that every person whose job involves working with young people is prepared and able to help if something is going wrong. The CAF is a tool that will help identify needs for all services, including health, social services, police and schools etc. The extend of the failure to protect Victoria was lamentable. Tragically, it required nothing more than basic good practice being put into operation. This never happened. Lord Laming (2003, para.1.17). Another key element of the ECM strategy is the introduction of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) which was introduced by the CA04. CAF focuses on early intervention for children in need and although consent driven, can be initiated by any professional concerned about a child. A single lead professional would be nominated by the child or family and would be responsible for putting together a package of services to meet the childs needs. The lead professional would also decide whether concerns by other practitioners along with information gathered warranted intervention and would be responsible for the sharing of information between all persons involved on a need to know basis (Parton, 2006). CA04 reforms also implemented Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB) as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦statutory successors of Area Child Protection Committees (ACPC), (Parton, 2006, p.159). LSCBs were set up in 2006, when strategy plans for children and young people were published. Some of the tasks that the LSCBs are required to perform include, agreeing how different organisations in their local area co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, provide single and inter-agency training and guidance for recruiting people applying to work with children, (Department of Health, 2006. Section 3.3). Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) were established under the Children Act 2004 and have the responsibility for co-ordinating and ensuring the effectiveness of the work of partner bodies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (Children Act 2004, Section 14). Changes to the child protection register where also implemented following Every Child Matters. The child protection register was abolished in 2008 as a result any child previously included on the register is now known as A Child who is subject to a Child Protection Plan. Case conferences and Core Groups are still being held for children who are at continuing risk of significant harm, however, discussion are no longer in favour for or against registration, but if the child should remain subject to a Child protection Plan (Oldham LSCB, 2006 FULL). The plan should outline what needs to change, how this will be achieved and by who, with realistic timescales to implement changes and a contingency plan should this fail (DOH Working Together, 2006. Section 5). Further amending legislation such as the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 have been introduced and in the aftermath of the well-publicised Baby P case we may see more legislative activity. Discussion! Over the last forty years, reform after reform has been intended to improve the quality of the protection provided to children and young people and compensate for failures in practice. Many of these reforms were a response of evidences from numerous inspections and high-profile reviews into childrens deaths, (Apendix 1) Recently, the circumstances around the death of Baby Peter led to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The Coalition Government has already endorsed the work of the SWRB has following the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force and within weeks of its formation the new Government has proceeded with further reforms including new statutory guidance on the publication of SCRs. The many changes have been most striking in relation to social work practice, an area where it can be argued there was most need for improvement. While in the 1970s there was relatively little guidance on dealing with child abuse and neglect, social workers now have a range of assessment and decision making tools, access to research evidence, and software programmes that shape, often in unintended ways, how a case is managed. The 1989 Children Act was described by the then Lord Chancellor as the most comprehensive and far reaching childcare law in living memory (Hendrick, H, 2003, Child welfare, pg 96.) It promoted the welfare of the child as being paramount. This meant it was the first piece of legislation that put children at the forefront of its agenda. According to Hendrick (2003) although rights for children had been advanced, it did not consult any children in the process of the forming of the Act and it is stemmed from Government authorities. The Children Act 2004 introduced a foundation for good practice, however, section 58 of this Act as it currently stands legitimises the use of physical punishment: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it has long been recognised by the law that a parent or person with parental authority may use reasonable punishment to correct a child. This is the defence of reasonable chastisement or reasonable punishment (CA 2004, s. 58, paragraph. 237). The FPI believes that giving people who are smaller and weaker fewer rights to protection in this regard is unacceptable. The argument that parents have a right in their own home to discipline their children as they choose, in other words that parents have proprietorial rights over children and a consequent right to hit them, recalls arguments that were once used in relation to husbands and wives. There is also an issue of discrimination in the use of visible marks as a measure of the acceptability of physical punishment. This will give less protection to babies and children whose skin is not white. Something about risk assessment and how we can not be sure that the child is fully protected as a result of this assessment. Disabilities on Act 1989à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. LCB Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) are the current statutory mechanism through which the partners in local areas agree on ways to co-ordinate their safeguarding services. Their statutory functions include: developing and agreeing local safeguarding policies and procedures; providing training; making assessments about the impact and effectiveness of local safeguarding arrangements; and undertaking serious case and child death reviews. However the current coalition government is focusing the early intervention on the first years of a childs life pretending that this way they will assure that they are going to be brought up without abuse. Young teenages! initial assessment from 7d to 10d! In April 2008 the Public Law Outline (PLO), a new approach to case management, was introduced to reduce delay in care proceedings. It is too soon to be clear about the impact of the introduction of the PLO, and in particular whether or not it has increased workloads and added to delays in the process. There is currently conflicting evidence, for instance, whilst a number of contributions to this report raised concerns about the impact of the PLO, in London, the number of care proceedings cases being completed in under 40 weeks in care centres has risen from 22 per cent to 36 per cent when comparing the data for the quarter before the introduction of the PLO with the latest data following its implementation. Conclude Social policy is There are a collection of legislations, policies and guidelines that social workers must have knowledge of when practicing their profession. Lord Laming argues in his last report that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦further legislative change is not what is needed to protect children à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it is vital that all professionals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fully understand the legislative framework in relation to safeguarding and child protection, and have a clear understanding of their responsibilities in the process (2009, p.78). A common theme throughout all is the desire to protect and promote the welfare and safety of children. A sad reality is that some children will always need the statutory services and intervention of local authorities and the courts as parents are not always able to make the changes required to safeguard their children. Every Child Matters is, in some ways, a refreshing and radical reform in the ways public services are expected to work with children, young people and families. On the other hand however, it also to some extent offers a sweeping vision about children and young peoples entitlements whilst delegating full accountability for the delivery of the services that enable children, young people and their parents/carers to local public services. What cannot be rejected however is the importance of the document to get agencies who work with groups of young people to develop more effective ways of working together and creating an arena of more accountability. In the construction of Every Child Matters as a favoured way of thinking, politicians and civil servants have aggressively projected individual collective and national anxieties and insecurities onto diverse, dynamic, complex and uncertain fields of practice where managers and practitioners work closely with many of Englands most vulnerable, troubled / troublesome children, young people and families. In conclusion, the social policies, legislation and organisational context of social work are important factors that go towards the whole process of social work. It is important to know the skills and knowledge in law and policy, but also to have the knowledge and skills in interpreting and applying social work law to practice and emphasising the role of law in promoting social work values and purpose. As stated within the essay, this is part of the challenge of social work, certain laws and policies conflict with other laws, including policies of multi-professional organisations, and where ethical issues come into place allowing the social worker to draw on knowledge and life experience, empowering the service user by using the skills knowledge and values, which will help in challenging inequality, oppression and discrimination. There is also the requirement of the GSCC framework that social workers must be able to work in accordance with statutory and legal requirements, and carry out their work with professional conduct within multi-professional organisations and to be accountable if they fail to do so. Baby peter and the cuts! Jonathan Dickens sees social work poised between the four points of a diamond its duties to the state, its obligations to service users, its responsibilities to its own professional standards, and its accountability to organisational imperatives (2010, p.11) The aim is to make it harder for people to do something wrong and easier for them to do it right. US Institute of Medicine (1999, p.2) Word Count: Bibliography References Allen, N. (2008) Making Sense of the Children Act 1989, 4th ed. West Sussex: John Wiley Sons. Corby, B. (2006) Child Abuse, Towards a Knowledge Base. Berkshire: Open University Press. Department of Health (DOH) (2006) Working Together To Safeguard Children, Every Child Matters, Change for Children. London: SO Every Child Matters (2006) [online] Available at: http://education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/CM5860.pdf [Accessed: 11/1/2011] Hendrck, H. (2003) Child Welfare, Historical Dimensions, Contemporary Debate. Bristol: Policy Press. Hill, M. (2003) Understanding Social Policy, 7th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Jowitt, M. OLoughlin, S. (2006) Social Work with Children Families. Exeter: Learning Matters. Laming, L. (2003) The Victoria Climbià © Inquiry. [online] Available at: http://www.sunderlandchildrenstrust.org.uk/content/laming%20report%20summary.pdf (Accessed: 11/1/2011) Parton, N. (2006) Safeguarding Childhood, Early Intervention and Surveillance in a Late Modern Society. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Walsh,M. Stephens,P. Moore,S. ((2000) Social Policy and Welfare. Cheltenham: Stanley Thorne Publishers. RSPCA (2008) [online] Available at: http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirectpg=about_the_rspca [Accessed: 11/01/2011] Children Act (1989), [online] Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents [Accessed: 11/01/2011] Children Act (2004), [online] Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/notes/contents?view=extent[Accessed: 11/01/2011] Lord Laming, The Protection of Children In England: A Progress Report, (2009), [online] Available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/resources-and-practice/IG00361/ [Accessed: 11/01/2011] US Institute of Medicine (1999), To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, Washington D.C., National Academic Press, [online] Available at: http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/ReportFiles/1999/To-Err-is-human/To Err is Human 1999 report brief.pdf [Accessed: 11/01/2011] Parton, N. (2010), The Increasing Complexity of Working Together to Safeguard Children in England The Munro Review of Child Protection Part One: A Systems Analysis, (2010) [online] Available at: http://www.education.gov.uk/munroreview/downloads/TheMunroReviewofChildProtection-Part one.pdf [Accessed: 11/01/2011] London Safeguarding Children Board Overview Panel Procedures, [online] Available at: http://www.londonscb.gov.uk/files/resources/cdop/overview_panel_procedure.pdf[Accessed: 11/01/2011] Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010), [online] Available at: http://www.education.gov.uk/publications//eOrderingDownload/00305-2010DOM-EN-v3.pdf [Accessed: 11/01/2011] Being a Parent in Real World, [online] Available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/familyinformationdirect/downloads/BeingParentinRealWorldbkt.pdf [Accessed: 11/01/2011] Children are Unbeatable, [online] Available at: http://www.childrenareunbeatable.org.uk/pdfs/newsletters/CAU-Issue01.pdf[Accessed: 11/01/2011] Social Work Reform Board (SWRB) Serious Case Overview Report Relating to Peter Connelly (2009), [online] Available at: http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/second [Accessed: 11/01/2011] Nick Allen, 2005, Making Sense of the Children Act 1989 [online] Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fWx4kUsXbhUCpg=PR4dq=making+sense+of+the+Children+Act+1989+and+related+legislations+for+the+social+and+welfare+system+2005hl=enei=P4g5Td_YF8WwhQfk8MnJCgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CD0Q6AEwAw#v=onepageqf=false [Accessed: 11/01/2011] Dickens, J., 2009, Social work and social policy: an introduction, Taylor Francis, [online] Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UOcJ8B98Gl8Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=Social+work+and+social+policy:+an+introductionhl=enei=y0Q-TfTYB5Tw4gb0jPWNCgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false [Accessed: 11/01/2011] DoH, Home Office, D of E, (2000) The Framework for Assessment for Children in Need and their Families [online] Available at: State Profession Service Users Organisation Figure 1.1 The social work diamond State: Social policy, social work and other social professions as parts of the machinery of state support and control. Key factors: Roles of central government and local authorities. National policies, legislations, taxation and government spending. Roles of the Parliament, courts, regulatory bodies. Overlaps and tensions between these different parts of the state. Political conflict about the proper role of the state. Profession Social policy, social work and other social professions as top-down, expert-led activities. Key factors: Professional: Professional attributes such as training and expertise, standards and skills, service ethics, self-regulation, But there are criticism of elitism, self-interest and status, and the disabling effects of professionals. Service users Social policy, social work and other social professions as bottom-up, user-led activities. Key factors: Roles of individuals, families and neighbourhoods; campaign groups and self-help groups. Concepts of participation, inclusion, empowerment, control. But there are tensions between different service users, and questions about how much power and choice they really have or should have. Organisation Social policy, social work and other social professions as activities that shaped by their organisational setting. Key factors: Type of organisation statutory (e.g. local authority), Voluntary or business. Inter-agency working. Processes for user involvement. Bureaucracy, regulation and managerialism. Budgets and profits. (Dickens, 2009 p.12-13)

A Two-Class Society Exposed in The Stolen Party Essay -- Stolen Party

A Two-Class Society Exposed in The Stolen Party  Ã‚   In a perfect world we would all live together in peace. But we don’t live in such a world. In Liliana Heker’s story "The Stolen Party" we are reminded of the real world and the thin line that separates the lower class from the upper class. In an instant we see all the discrimination and inhumane treatment some people feel they have a right to inflict on those whom they consider "not one of them." The story is about Rosaura, the nine-year-old daughter of a woman who does housecleaning for a wealthy family. Rosaura often accompanies her mother to work and does her homework with Luciana, the daughter of the house. As a result, or so she thinks, Rosaura is Luciana’s friend and has been invited to her birthday party. Rosaura’s mother states that she does not want her daughter to go to the party, because "it’s a rich people’s party" (1133). She tries to explain to her daughter that the people will look at her as "the maid’s daughter" and not as another person (1134). But Rosaura is only nine and "the smartest in her class" (1134), and she feels that Luciana is her friend and would not hurt her in any way. Rosaura chooses not to listen to her mother’s advice because she feels that she knows what is best for her. Here we see that Rosaura’s mother is trying to make her daughter aware of the difference between Luciana’s family and her own family. We can presume that her mother has had an incident like this before in her life and wants to prepare her daughter for disappointment. Brandon Spontak states that "Rosaura’s mother is not very educated . . . but has an instinct which only comes from years of experience that she uses to detect problems in life" (89). As Rosaura’s mo... ... delicate balance" (1137), she realizes that there is a thin line between classes of people and that she made it even worse by offering Rosaura money. In a perfect world this would never happen. Innocence would not be stolen, dreams would come true and people would look at each other with acceptance, not ignorance in their hearts. The truth is it’s not a perfect world, and the line never disappears. It is just that some people make it more noticeable than others do. Works Cited Elliot, Kevin. "The Stolen Future." Ode to Friendship & Other Essays. VWC. Virginia Beach: Connie Bellamy, 1996. 61-63. Hatcher, Nathan. "The Deception of Senora Ines." Ode to Friendship & Other Essays. VWC. Virginia Beach: Connie Bellamy, 1996. 59-60. Heker, Liliana. "The Stolen Party." Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. 1133-1137. A Two-Class Society Exposed in The Stolen Party Essay -- Stolen Party A Two-Class Society Exposed in The Stolen Party  Ã‚   In a perfect world we would all live together in peace. But we don’t live in such a world. In Liliana Heker’s story "The Stolen Party" we are reminded of the real world and the thin line that separates the lower class from the upper class. In an instant we see all the discrimination and inhumane treatment some people feel they have a right to inflict on those whom they consider "not one of them." The story is about Rosaura, the nine-year-old daughter of a woman who does housecleaning for a wealthy family. Rosaura often accompanies her mother to work and does her homework with Luciana, the daughter of the house. As a result, or so she thinks, Rosaura is Luciana’s friend and has been invited to her birthday party. Rosaura’s mother states that she does not want her daughter to go to the party, because "it’s a rich people’s party" (1133). She tries to explain to her daughter that the people will look at her as "the maid’s daughter" and not as another person (1134). But Rosaura is only nine and "the smartest in her class" (1134), and she feels that Luciana is her friend and would not hurt her in any way. Rosaura chooses not to listen to her mother’s advice because she feels that she knows what is best for her. Here we see that Rosaura’s mother is trying to make her daughter aware of the difference between Luciana’s family and her own family. We can presume that her mother has had an incident like this before in her life and wants to prepare her daughter for disappointment. Brandon Spontak states that "Rosaura’s mother is not very educated . . . but has an instinct which only comes from years of experience that she uses to detect problems in life" (89). As Rosaura’s mo... ... delicate balance" (1137), she realizes that there is a thin line between classes of people and that she made it even worse by offering Rosaura money. In a perfect world this would never happen. Innocence would not be stolen, dreams would come true and people would look at each other with acceptance, not ignorance in their hearts. The truth is it’s not a perfect world, and the line never disappears. It is just that some people make it more noticeable than others do. Works Cited Elliot, Kevin. "The Stolen Future." Ode to Friendship & Other Essays. VWC. Virginia Beach: Connie Bellamy, 1996. 61-63. Hatcher, Nathan. "The Deception of Senora Ines." Ode to Friendship & Other Essays. VWC. Virginia Beach: Connie Bellamy, 1996. 59-60. Heker, Liliana. "The Stolen Party." Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. 1133-1137.

Gothic Art :: essays research papers

Gothic Art began in 1137 with the rebuilding of the chair of the abbey church of St. Denis. Gothic Art is the style of art produced in Europe from the Middle Ages up to the beginning of the Renaissance. Typically religious in nature, is especially known for the distinctive arched design of its churches, its stained glass, and its illuminated manuscripts. Gothic, although symbolic, is a lot more anecdotal and naturalistic than Romanesque. In the late 14th century, anticipating the Renaissance, Gothic Art evolved towards a more secular style known as International Gothic. One of the best-known artists of this period is Simone Martini. Simone Martini was a Sienese painter who greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style, and was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting. Giovanni Pisano was an Italian sculptor, as was his father Nicola Pisano. His work shows a mixture of French Gothic and the classical style. Among his works are: Pulpit for the Duomo di Siena, Sculptures and architectural design for the facade of the cathedral in Siena, Pulpit for the church of S. Andrea in Pistoia, The five reliefs on the pulpit are the Annunciation and Nativity, the Adoration, Dream of the Magi and Angel warning Joseph, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Crucifixion, and the Last Judgement, and the Pulpit for the Pisa Cathedral. The extraordinary painter Hieronymus Bosch stands apart from the prevailing Flemish traditions in painting. His style was unique, strikingly free, and his symbolism, unforgettably vivid, remains unparalleled to this day. Marvellous and terrifying, he expresses an intense pessimism and reflects the anxieties of his time, one of social and political upheaval The Gothic era in painting spanned more than 200 years, starting in Italy and spreading to the rest of Europe. Towards the end of this period, there were some artists in parts of the North who resisted Renaissance influences and kept to the Gothic tradition.

How Changing the Structure of an Organization Can Provide a Satisfying

The people employed within a company hold the key to a more productive and efficient organization. The way in which people are managed and developed at work has major effects upon quality, customer service, organizational flexibility and costs. For any employee to be successful, businesses are starting to recognize the need for employees to be fully engaged within the company and are constantly seeking ways in which they can increase employee engagement and also motivate people to want to come to work rather than have to. Employee development is a process that has been created to help individuals within organizations to acquire and maintain a confidence and commitment that will improve performance and enhance the skills and knowledge base of the individuals and the organization as a whole. Developing people is therefore a critical process because it allows individuals to benefit in terms of personal competence, growth, adaptability and continual employability, thus creating a sens e of job satisfaction. Within this essay we will be looking at key strategies that organizations adopt in order to successfully develop and engage their staff so as to benefit both the individual and the company as a whole. `I was always conscious that I was making people come to work when they did not want to. They would rather be doing other things. So we created the conditions whereby people not only had to come to work in order to earn a living - they also wanted to come to work.' Ricardo Semler (1992) To improve the motivation and performance in the workplace people development should be business led and strategic. Longer term goals and perspectives give coherency and direction to its employees over time. Furthermore, vision is the p... ...iend at work'. If you put all this into place you would cultivate what the Gallup organisation illustrates as `employee engagement'. i.e. an employee who is entirely concerned and passionate about their occupation. The essence of Peter Senge's views are that the majority of people would like to feel as motivated about their work as they do about their lives. Major organisations can adopt clear objectives in an attempt to create a engaged workforce, however through my own research I have discovered that the areas I have touched upon are just tip of the iceberg in terms creating an environment in which people will wake up on a Monday morning with the same feel good factor that is present at the weekend. In an ideal world the preferred type of organisation is one that listens to and reflects upon the heartbeat of the organisation - its employees and what they value.

Communication in Marriages

Communication in Marriages The article by Schoenberg â€Å"Can we talk? Researcher talks about the role of communication in happy marriages† have some good points. Even though people are too busy to communicate and think things will be fine, communication is important in a marriage because not communicating in your marriage could lead to a divorce and could lead towards other marital problems. I can relate to this article on self-disclosure in my relationships. The social penetration theory â€Å"suggests that self-disclosure deepens, in stages, as relationships develop† (Sole, 2011, Chapter7 Summary, Key Terms). I have to agree with this theory because as you get to know someone more you are able to disclose more about yourself, but you must feel close to that person and have trust before you can disclose certain information about yourself. In my past relationships due to trust issues, I have had a hard time disclosing personal information or letting people get close in my intimate relationships. I believe it has caused problems my marriage now is not my first and I know part of the reason my past marriages did not work was because of poor/lack of communication. I would have to agree that self-disclosure is important and directly related to satisfaction in relationships because of my own experience. Experiencing something, first hand is the best way of knowing. In order for any relationship to progress and develop you, need to open up and communicate, â€Å"Research consistently has shown a link between happy marriages and â€Å"self-disclosure,† or sharing your private feelings, fears, doubts and perceptions with your partner† (Schoenberg, 2011). If you are self-disclosing and talking about more than just your day with your partner how can you not have a happy marriage you two are going to have some intimate connection. Keeping in mind that men and woman are different in how they communicate or even how they express their feelings. I do know there are similarities between men and women no matter what gender you are, you are going to want to feel loved and cared for. It is important to not just communicate but watch your partner and see how the need affirmation. I usually try not to generalize things; I have been trying to teach myself with things it does not have to be all or nothing. With this research study, I would have to say I feel I fit into their category as a woman I do better with verbal affirmation. Although people are too busy to communicate and think things will be fine, communication is important in a marriage for two main reasons. First, not communicating in your marriage could lead to marital problems. However, most importantly, not communicating in your marriage could lead to a divorce. Reference Schoenberg, N. (2011, February 6). Can we talk? Researcher talks about the role of communication in marriages. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from ProQuest Newsstand. Document ID: 2260839481 Sole, K. (2011). Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (https://content. ashford. edu)

Guy de Maupassant’s “Old Mother Savage” Essay

We are all taught that our identity lies in the roles we play throughout life, in other words, in our actions. William Shakespeare wrote, â€Å"All the world’s a stage / And all the men and women merely players. / They have their exits and their entrances†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (As You Like It, II, vii). Whenever people act outside of their parts; whenever we miss our entrance, our identity is challenged. This can be seen everyday in all walks of life and in all arenas. For example, a teen father who takes responsibility for his child is look upon with surprised admiration while a teen mother is look up with distain for becoming pregnant in the first place. Placing standards and expectations upon people can be a vastly good thing, but what happens when those standards and expectations become too rigid–to all consuming? Rigid, all-consuming, roles have been required of women since time remembered. Even in the twenty-first century, the career woman is still expected to maintain a family. Gloria Steinhem puts it succinctly; â€Å"I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career.† Men are expected to place high priorities on their careers. The implication is that a man will receive less criticism for neglecting his family for his career, while a woman will be criticized sharply for having a career without also being an excellent wife and mother. Many of these identity feminine roles have been so inflexible that many women cannot break free in order to discovery the woman inside. When circumstances force them out of their traditional roles, they find themselves wondering, â€Å"Who am I? What is my purpose?† Guy de Maupassant in his short story â€Å"Old Mother Savage† (1885) depicts a classic example of this. His main character is a mother in German occupied France who is deprived of her identity roles i.e. wife and mother. Since she has nothing else to give her life purpose, she becomes homicidal and a bit suicidal. In this story, Maupassant is arguing that women who have uncompromising and limited identity roles can become violent to themselves and others. Maupassant paints a vivid picture of how nineteenth century countrywomen of France presented themselves to the world at large. The narrator’s friend,  Serval, describes her as â€Å"not at all timid†¦tall and gaunt, neither given to joking nor to being joked with†¦the men folk come in for a little fun at the inn, but the women are always very staid† (p. 161). Victoire Simon, Old Mother Savage, is a kind, yet reclusive woman. She had once offered the Maupassant wine when he passed by her cottage fifteen years earlier tired and thirsty an obvious kindness (p. 160), yet Serval, Maupassant’s friend who tells the story of Old Mother Savage, implies that a â€Å"staid† attitude is normal for the women of the area. Maupassant presents his readers with a woman who has been taught very specific actions for conduct. She dresses so that her â€Å"tightly bound†¦grey hair† is never seen in public. She was taught duty and â€Å"never learned how to stretch [her mouth] in laughter. By the time Maupassant’s readers meet Victoire, her identity is irrevocably tied to performing the duties of wife and mother. Just like all the other wives of the region, she is nothing without the duties of either wife and/or mother. Victoire has her identity challenged thrice. The first challenge occurres many years before when â€Å"[t]he father, an old poacher, had been shot by gendarmes [police]† (p. 160). This provides a serious blow to her wife identity but she buries the lose because after all half her identity is still intact–she is still a mother. The role of mother is more prevalent than that of wife since, she cannot control the actions and their consequences of her husband. He, to some extent, failed in his role of husband and father by getting caught at poaching and subsequently shot for the offense. Victoire, on the other hand, is still around to perform all the motherly duties of keeping a home, cooking meals, and mending clothes, which she does religiously. The second challenge to her identity comes when war is declared and her son, now thirty-three, goes to fight in the Franco- Prussian War. Victoire is alone. She knows her duty but has no one to perform it for save for herself. Her life consists of â€Å"go[ing] to the village once a week, to buy herself bread and a little meat; then get back home at once† (p. 161). She does only what is necessary to keep herself alive until she can resume her duty as mother. In her mind there is nothing else for her–no gossiping with the village ladies; no sewing a new garment for herself; no cups of tea with a  neighbor. Her world ceases to function without her duty to her son. The death stroke to her identity began with the arrival of the Prussians. She is required to billet four of the occupying German soldiers, since she was â€Å"known to be well off† (p. 161). These young men, about the same age as her son â€Å"would clean up the kitchen, scrub the flagstones, chop wood, peel potatoes, wash the house-linen–do, in fact, all the housework, as four good sons might do for their mother† (p. 161). She would cook and mend for them, as a good mother would do. She still had a purpose–to be a mother even if it was to surrogate sons. For a month these soldiers are sons not enemies then she receives word that her son has been killed in the war. Suddenly, her world is shattered without her son she has lost her last shred of purpose. â€Å"The gendarmes had killed the father, the Prussians had killed the son†¦and suffering flooded her heart† (p. 162). With her husband buried for years, her son dead; she has no identity and consequently no purpose in life. Within moments, she plans a special form of revenge–not only will others suffer as she has, not only will someone die for to avenge her son, but she will be sure to die in consequence of her actions. Suddenly, the four German sons become four German soldiers–the enemy. â€Å"Simple folk don’t go in for the luxuries of patriotic hatred†¦the poor and lowly†¦pay the heaviest price†¦their masses are killed off wholesale†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 162). Ones like these German soldiers billeting in her home murdered her boy. It is quite possible that she would have assumed a German mother was caring for her son like she was caring for the German men. She is, after all, a â€Å"simple folk†, who would not have much knowledge of the intricacies of war beyond the billeting of the German soldiers. Therefore, not only did German soldiers kill her son, but also a German mother failed in her duty toward her son. Through a carefully executed plan conceived in the brief afternoon of discovering the fate of her son, Victoire kills the soldiers. She burns her cottage to the ground with the soldiers trapped inside. When the German Officer asks her how the fire started, she said, â€Å"‘I lighted it, myself.’ She took†¦two papers from her pocket. ‘That’s about Victor’s [her son] death.’ ‘That’s their names, so that you can write to their homes.’ ‘Tell them [the German mothers] how it happened, and tell them it was I who  did it, Victoire Simon, that they call the Savage. Don’t forget.'† In order to ease her grief, she wanted other mothers to suffer as much as she was suffering. She knew she would be shot for her actions; she was probably counting on it. She could easily have lied. She could have told the German Officer just about any excuse, but she didn’t. What did she have to live for? She had no purpose for living without her husband and son. Her society, by placing limited and ridged identity roles on its women, robbed her of the ability to discover an identity within herself separate from family. Therefore, she did the only thing she could do–take revenge on the closest target and be sure she did not survive the experience. Maupassant, in five short pages, presents a compelling argument for the avoidance of limiting women with restrictive identity roles. Disastrous consequences are all too likely to result from their removal. Consequences that go beyond the death of four soldiers and their murder, the narrator’s friend Serval had his chateau burned down by the Prussians due to Victoire’s actions. If her identity had been broader–if she knew herself outside of societal-imposed roles, she then may have had something to cling to–a purpose in life rather than a kamikaze plan of revenge.

Greek and Roman Cultures

Alicia Battles AIU-Online Cultural Topics November 11, 2012 Abstract In this assignment I will compare and contrast Greek and Roman Culture. I will discuss the likes and differences of their government, geographic terrain, economics, trade practices, art, architecture, philosophies, and religious beliefs. Greek Terrain- city states separated by hilly countryside and all near water Art- ideal artistic form (Superior to Roman art) Economy- grew wheat, produced, wine and olive oil; thought trading was degrading Social classes- slaves, freedmen, metics, citizens, women; women were not considered citizensGovernment- kings originally ruled, then oligarchy, then democracy Religion- cupid God of Love, Ares God of war, based on human personality traits, Love, Honor, Hatred, Dignity, also their roles in life determined what they were god of; Zeus: sky/weather, Hades: death, Poseidon: sea, aquatics; Physical life was of importance instead of eventuality of the afterlife; Each god had characteri stics that determined their actions; Deities were important for progression of life but mortals were just as Both Geographic Terrain- Mediterranean countriesEconomy- based on agriculture, worked mines, had slaves, produced wine and olive oil, coinage, divided by wealth Religion- same gods but different names and traits Government- originated by kings Philosophy- slowly emerged out of religious awe into curiosity about the principles and elements of the natural world. When Greek population moved to their cities interest changed to social living. Roman Terrain- Rome was inland, and on one side of the Tiber River Art- realistic portraits for decoration Economy- imported wheat, farmers, and also engaged in trade Social Classes- slaves, freedmen, plebeians, patriciansWomen were considered citizens Government- Kings originally ruled, then mixed republican form, then emperors Religion- Eros god of love, Mars god of martial fertility, Deities named after objects; mortals did good deeds to b e rewarded in the afterlife; they strove to gain their place with the gods in heaven Religion- gods not gender specific so their individual characteristics were not central to the myths; myths based in brave, heroic deeds of gods not mortals as mortal life was not important after death; Not individualistic; a warrior found sacred; actions more important than words; gods had no physical mportant as it was their contribution in society that mattered in the end; Individualistic: individuals had more consequences for their actions than that of a group Physical work not as important as creativity Gods were beautiful, bodies, muscles, eyes and hair made them more beautiful. Architecture- Buildings made of wood, clay, or mud bricks, limestone, marble, terracotta, plaster, and bronze; buildings were of the type of religious, funerary, domestic, civic, or recreational themes ppearance; Architecture- Rome adopted most of its architecture from Greek architecture References: http://www. britann ica. com/EBchecked/topic/1350843/Western-philosophy/16256/Shifts-in-the-focus-and-concern-of-Western-philosophy http://www. differencebetween. com/difference-between-greek-and-vs-roman-archit ecture/ http://www. diffen. com/difference/Greek_Gods_vs_Roman_Gods http://ancienthistory. about. com/od/greecevsrome/ss/GreecevsRome_8. htm

My Hometown

My Hometown Good morning ! My name is Quang Ngoc. I come from Vu Ban district which is to the south of Nam Dinh. I am living with my parents and my sister, . In my free time , reading book and speaking English are my hobbies. Today I am here to tell you about my hometown. Firstly, Nam Dinh province is my home town. It is small but peaceful and beautiful and situated in the south of the Red River Delta. It is surrounding up by some others neighborhood province in the region such as Ha Nam, Thai Binh on the north and northeast, Ninh Binh on the west, the East Sea with 72km long coastlines. pic] Now let me take you to travel around Nam Dinh city first. The city is about 90 km southeast of Vietnam's capital,  Hanoi. From Hanoi, it takes you an hour and a half to go there by a coach. If you are sick of cars, you can go by train. Nam Dinh railway-station is a big one in the North-South railway network, so it is very convenient for you to choose a trip. Nam Dinh is a political, economic, cultural, commercial center of the Red delta. It used to be called the textile city and it was recognized as the first municipality last year [pic]Traveling around Nam Dinh city is simple and convenient. There are many different vehicles you can use such as: bus, taxi, motorbike,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"xich lo†, bicycle. Two large rivers passing away Nam Dinh city are Red River and  Dao  River  . The two rivers play an important role in river traffic and development of Nam Dinh in the long run. [pic] [pic] Nam Dinh is famous for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ph? †. Besides, you can enjoy many other specialties:  gai cake,  Ng? banana,  Siu Chau candy†¦ If Hanoi has 36 old streets, Nam Dinh has also 40 ones  , for example,  Hang Vang, Hang Bat, Hang Nau, V? Man†¦ But now most of them don’t exist and trade traditional products like before. These small and old streets are on the bank of  Dao  River  and contain peculiar pi'kju:lj? /rieng bi? t shape which is related t o 750-year-developing history of Nam Dinh city. Some streets still keep their initial i'ni l/ name such as:  Hang Ti? n, Hang C? p, B? c Ninh, Hang Thao, Hang D? ng, Hang S? t†¦ The rest of them are changed name into: Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Van Th? †¦ They are always crowded, busy and are important parts of Nam Dinh center.Nam Dinh city is also called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  and it has many handicraft villages, tourist potential and rich in many historical, cultural sites and many tourist attractions. If you are keen on religious and culture, I will take you to the Tran relic, the tower Pagoda, Co Le Pagoda, Keo Pagoda (Hanh Thien), Phu Day Relic†¦ [pic] Nam Dinh is also the hometown of many Generals and martial /'m? : l/ vo heroes as well as the hometown of many writers and poets like Tran Te Xuong (Tu Xuong), Nguyen Binh   [pic]The Tran dynasty was the most flourished /flourish hung th? nh, th? nh vu? ng in Vietnamese feudal /'fju:dl/ . Tr? n Hung D? o statue is placed in front of 3-2 Square and in the bank of V? Xuyen Lake and this is also a place where many important events are held. [pic] Phu Day relic located in Kim Thai commune, Vu Ban district is the worship of Princess Lieu Hanh, one of four immortal gods of Vietnam (Saint Tan Vien, Thanh Giong, Chu Dong Tu and Princess Lieu Hanh) Located in the Red River Delta, Nam Dinh has a long tradition culture.This cultural treasure ‘tre / kho bau is derived di'raiv/b? t ngu? n t? from the lives of residents, was developed in various forms and activities such as folk songs, writing, water puppetry/'p? pitri/, song festivals, xam †¦ and many other traditional games†¦ [pic] Many people enjoy going to Xuan Thuy National Park on their weekend. it situated in Giao Thien Commune, Giao Thuy district. It is an ecological tourist destination for those who are interested in learning wildlife and migratory /mai'greit? ri/ di tru birds.It was selected as a door stop of thousands of migr atory birds with a lot of varieties and species fly to the south in the winter of last November from the lunar calendar and return in late February, in early March every year. The forest is home of many species of birds, sea cat, fish, shrimp, fish, crabs, snakes, clams, and oysters. Coming to Xuan Thuy National Park, visitors will be lived in the vast spaces of the earth and sky, cloud, breathing fresh air, watching birds. The first feeling when you wake up in the morning here is quiet, fresh and peaceful.You seem to give up all noise, hurry and being tired of modern life behind. So it is really ideal place to rest and relax. Nam Dinh doesn’t have as many tourist attractions as Hanoi, but it brings special characteristics which nowhere has. Imagine that you come to Nam Dinh one day, walking in small streets with red-rice-flowers bloomed gorgeously, enjoying specialties of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  and listening to the whistle from the weaving company in the hurry of city every sunset, you would certainly feel fret and regretted when leaving! [pic] [pic]Nowadays, government and inhabitants in Nam Dinh is trying to build and decorate our city more and more beautiful and attractive. Many projects are also being carried out such as:  Hoa Xa industrial park,  L? c Vu? ng  and Th? ng Nh? t  new urban areas, a 700-bed-hospital of the South Red River Plain zone†¦ Nam Dinh is in the developing line, and it definitely must become the worthy center of Red River Delta in the future. Our youth generations who were born and grew up in Nam Dinh are always proud of our hometown with all the most respectful sentiment /'sentim? nt/.Whenever I go and stay, I won’t never forget my hometown where I have my family and relatives. It is kept deeply in my heart †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å" South or west, home is best† I love my hometown. I want to be come Viet Nam talented people to help my homeland more beautiful and powerful. I am delighted th at you will come to visit my hometown. My Hometown Good morning ! I am †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I come from Vu Ban district which is to the south of Nam Dinh. I am living with my parents and my sister, . In my free time , reading books and speaking English are my hobbies. Today I am here to tell you about my hometown.Nam Dinh is small but peaceful and beautiful and situated in the south of the Red River Delta. It shares the borders with some neighborhood provinces such as Ha Nam on the north, Thai Binh on the northeast, Ninh Binh on the west and the East Sea with 72km long coastlines. Nam Dinh city is a political, economic, cultural and commercial center of the Red Delta. It used to be called the textile city and it was recognized as the first municipality mju:,nisi'p? liti/ last year Now let me take you around the city.. From Hanoi, it takes you an hour and a half to go there by a coach. If you are sick of cars, you can go by train. o it is very convenient for you to cho ose a trip. Traveling around Nam Dinh city is simple and convenient. you can travel by bus, taxi, motorbike,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"xich lo†, bicycle. Nam Dinh is famous for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ph? †. Besides, you can enjoy many other specialties:  gai cake,  Ng? banana,  Siu Chau candy†¦ If Hanoi has 36 old streets, Nam Dinh has also 40 ones  , for example,  Hang Ti? n, Hang D? ng ,†¦ They are always crowded, busy and are important parts of Nam Dinh center. Nam Dinh city is also called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†. It has many handicraft villages, tourist potential and rich in many historical, cultural sites.If you are keen on religious and culture, I will take you to the Tran relic, the tower Pagoda, Co Le Pagoda,†¦ Nam Dinh is also the hometown of many Generals and heroes as well as the hometown of many writers and poets like Tran Te Xuong (Tu Xuong), Nguyen Binh   The Tran dynasty was the most flourished in Vietnamese feudal /'fju:dl/ . Tr? n Hung D? o statue is pl aced on the bank of V? Xuyen Lake and this is also a place where many important events are held. Phu Day relic located in Kim Thai commune, Vu Ban district is the worship of Princess Lieu Hanh, one of four immortal gods of Vietnam.People come here to pray for luck. Many people enjoy going to Xuan Thuy National Park . It is situated in Giao Thien Commune, Giao Thuy district. It is an ecological /,ek? ‘l? d? ik/ tourist destination for those who are interested in learning wildlife and migratory /mai'greit? ri/ birds. The forest is the home of many species of birds, fish, shrimp, †¦ Coming to Xuan Thuy National Park, you will live in the open spaces breathing fresh air and watching birds. The first feeling when you wake up in the morning here is quiet, fresh and peaceful.You seem to give up noise, hurry and being tired of modern life behind. So it is really ideal place to rest and relax. Nam Dinh doesn’t have as many tourist attractions as Hanoi, but it brings special characteristics which nowhere has. Imagine that you come to Nam Dinh one day, walking in small streets with red-rice-flowers , enjoying specialties of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  . you will never forget it when leaving as people are friendly and hospitable. Nowadays, government and inhabitants in Nam Dinh is trying to build and decorate our city more and more beautiful and attractive.Many projects are also being carried out such as:  Hoa Xa industrial park,  L? c Vu? ng  and Th? ng Nh? t  new urban areas†¦ Nam Dinh is in the developing line, and it will become the worthy center of Red River Delta in the future. Wherever I go and stay, I always miss my hometown where I have my family, friends and relatives. It is the sweetest, loveliest and best place for me It is kept deeply in my heart . One proverb says â€Å" South or west, home is best† I want to become a talented/good Vietnamese people to help my homeland more beautiful and powerful. I am delighted that y ou will come to visit my hometown one day.Conversation Questions Hometowns Where are you from? What is the name of your town? Where is it? Do you like it? Why or why not? What's your hometown like? What is the population? Is your hometown famous for anything? Do you hope that someday your hometown would be world famous for something? What could it be famous for? What is the best thing about your hometown? How long have you lived in your hometown? Do any other of your family members also live in your hometown? Where did your maternal and paternal great-great-great grandparents live or come from?Has your hometown changed a lot since you were a kid? If so, how? Have the changes been for the better or worse? Can I visit your hometown on the Internet? Do your childhood friends still live in your hometown? If not, where are they now? Does your hometown have any festivals? When are they? What happens at that festival? What's there to do in your hometown? Tell me why I would enjoy visiting your hometown. When is the best time to come to your hometown? Tell me why I should visit your hometown. What interesting city lies to the north, south, east, west of your hometown?What are some things in your hometown that are part of history? What does your hometown produce? What is the worst thing about your hometown? What is the geography of your hometown? (i. e. beach, mountains, etc. ) What are the main attractions in your hometown? What are the main economical resources in your hometown? Can you describe the main geographical features of your hometown? After you graduate do you want to live in your hometown? Why or why not? If you could live anywhere else, where would you like to live? Is your hometown growing? Is this a good or a bad thing?How do you see your hometown growing in the next 20 years? Does your hometown have a college or university? Does your hometown have a shopping mall shopping? Does your hometown have antique shopping places? Where is the best place to get a reasonably priced, but delicious meal in your hometown? What is the best season in your hometown? What is the average yearly rain fall for your hometown? What is the average temperature in winter time? (summer time? ) Does it snow in your hometown? These small and old streets are on the bank of  Dao  River  and contain peculiar pi'kju:lj? /rieng bi? shape which is related to 750-year-developing history of Nam Dinh city. Some streets still keep their initial i'ni l/ name such as:  Hang Ti? n, Hang C? p, B? c Ninh, Hang Thao, Hang D? ng, Hang S? t†¦ The rest of them are changed name into: Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Van Th? †¦ Located in the Red River Delta, Nam Dinh has a long tradition culture. This cultural treasure ‘tre / kho bau is derived di'raiv/b? t ngu? n t? from the lives of residents, was developed in various forms and activities such as folk songs, writing, water puppetry/'p? pitri/, song festivals, xam †¦ nd many other traditional games†¦ Quest ions Traffic Accidents †¢ Have you ever seen a traffic accident? †¢ Have you been involved in a traffic accident? †¢ Do you know someone who has been involved in a traffic accident? †¢ Have you been injured in a traffic accident? †¢ Do you think talking on cell phones can help cause traffic accidents? †¢ Do you think a motorcycle rider should be required to wear a helmet? †¢ Do you think a person should be required to wear a seat belt? †¢ What kind of insurance do you have on your car? †¢ Have you ever hit an animal at night when you were driving your car? What kind of safety features in a car would help you if you had a traffic accident? †¢ Are traffic accidents a major cause of death in your country? †¢ Who dies in traffic accidents more? Young? Old? Children? Boys? Girls? †¢ How can traffic accidents be prevented? †¢ What are people not doing that they should to prevent deaths in traffic accidents? †¢ What are you not doing that you should to prevent deaths in traffic accidents? †¢ What should be done in order to prevent traffic congestion in your city? †¢ How do you feel about spending time in rush hours?