Keeping school safe Essay

Keeping the Same School Schedule Everything in life is a chain reaction. An event happen because of a certain event. The New york City Department of Education want to change the schedule of the school. Instead of having 8 hours of school we student would be having an extra 2 to 3 hours of school. The positive part is having a friday as a weekend but this plan is not a 100% plan proof because we can’t tell the future of all the good and bad that will happen because of this event. Although we can predict the event with the evidence that is there. Why change something that is plan proof?We live using this schedule for decades. Why change that now? If we change the schedule of the school day, students would travel late makes it the most critical problem to having the schedules change. Traveling late leads to traveling in the dangers darkness.As students it would be harder to see so it makesit harder for us students to watch our waysand watch where are we stepping In some case people are too lazy to pick up and clean their dog poop and we the accidental steppin it.In this case your child will come home with a dirty smelly shoe everyday.In another case murderers would camouflage them self.this way they are ready to attack a child while the child will be the victims without knowing. This child could be yours . Statistics show 414 homicides happen in New york city in 2012.If you think you’re safe just because the average of homicides decreased by 20% from 2011,then your wrong.According to New York Times we are the third largest homicide city out of the selected 6 cities. This is not good because your child could be the next victim.The younger ones are more vulnerable. Your child could be the next victims and you woud be weeping for your child to come back in to your arm but hopes are lost.Also school time occur throughout winter and fall.These season are the coldest seasons.So student will get sick more easily because we taveling at night time which is more colder.It more worst for student who hve the school near a bay,river or oceanic land mass.Also imagine your child coming home freezing to death with froz bite. This lead to student be absent more and having medical notes increasing.with the amount of increasing medical notes the child will be missing out on at least twice as much as we are learn because of the longer  day(which equal to more information learned). We will face hunger as another of our big problems. Hunger lead to giant gap of opportunities to eat since the earliest lunch period is third which we call breakfast but some calls it b ranch. Already students are complaining about the lack of food they eat and being hungry all the time in school just because they don’t want to eat the nasty and grossing school lunch food. This is a problem because student will be missing out on nutritional value. Missing out on nutritional value leads to malnutrition. Not only student are hungry teacher are human being too. Teacher will get cranky if the don’t eat .They will most likely intend to eat in class. This makes student more hungry and can make some students cranky too.As for the elementary school kids like kindergraten and first grades will nagg and win to get food from the teachers.Some student may be violent and will fight for food.This is the idea of Surival of the fittest created by Charles Darwin. Lasty imagine a chid passing out in class due to lack of food being eaten.Also you child would not learn anything because the will fall a sleep in class and will not focus because they are too weak too put their mind to work.In addiction to that when human are hungry we will get sleepy to replace the hungerness because your bodyis too weak and will shut down to save energy. All in total of these factor lead to the the stress level on children increases.Which make adults nervous.The factors increase stress level is overload in work due to the extra classes or longer period of class because of more lessons being done in class.This lead to less work time at night and more homework.Which lead to to lack of sleep.This lead to children unable to pay attention because they are sleepy and will fall asleep in class.If the student don’t sleep the student will pass out and go into a coma.Also college resume would not look good without after school activities which we student don’t have time for. This will have an increasing amount of children have panic attack and nervous breakdown and high school students unable to continue to a go college and get scholarship. In conclusion,all the possibilities will happen just because of this change will happen.There will be other negative unknown happening coming along the way. LIke without after school activities the obesity level will increase.obesity Is one of America’s biggest concern.It one of the top concern in New york City.Along with the stress level on childrens increases which leads.This will have an increasing amount of children have panic attack and nervous breakdown. Also facing hunger will be a large problem because we are starving our children of the future. and Traveling late leads to traveling in the dangers darkness lead â€Å"accidents†.

Ethics, Discretion and Professionalism in Policing Essay

Abstract: This paper is going to cover the unlawful behavior that led to harmful discretionary acts that had taken place in several different police departments; from the big cities of Los Angeles and Chicago to the small department of East Moline. This will cover, in detail, how these officers went down the wrong path to self-destruct their own departments. â€Å"Police discretion refers to the authority granted to a police officer that allows him to decide how best to deal with a certain situation. This is aimed at increasing the flexibility of the justice system as punishment may not always be the appropriate mode of dealing with crimes. Discretion may empower a police officer to overlook a minor offense giving the offender a warning† (Alec Korsmo). Police discretion has been observed to be common in domestic violence, drugs and traffic offences. In matters to do with domestic violence, the police have been on the. They have treated domestic violence as a private matter bet ter left for counseling, cooling off periods. Discretion is used especially when both parties are seen as equally involved in the violence and are either arrested or asked to separate for a few days or sometimes longer to dissipate the anger. Now In traffic, cops can allow a driver who has failed to stop at a red light to walk away as it is normal to sometimes make mistakes. The cops can also use discretion for the drivers caught driving drunk or high on drugs. The police officer will call a cab for the driver or take the civilian home and have the car towed away. All of these things are in the police officers discretion whether to arrest the suspect of try and show them that they got away with it this time and next time the officer will not be as nice. Drugs have been involved in police discretion for a long time. One of the main reasons behind why officers go corrupt is because the amount of money and opportunities that they see in the drug market. It is the officers’ discretion at this point whether to use his badge for corrupt reasons. One famous example of police discretion and drugs would be one in the mid nineteen eighty’s. The officers’ name is Joseph Miedezowski, also known  also known as the most corrupt Chicago police officer of all time. This man was on the payroll of the Latin kings while serving as a trusted officer and protector of the people of Chicago. Miedezowski sold the names and addresses of every gang tact officer to the kings in the midst of his unlawful discretion. He would also use his knowledge of the streets to shake down drug dealers and then turn around and sell the drugs to make own personal gains. His fellow officers later would turn and in two thousand one, he was convicted of ten counts of drug conspiracy and racketeering that landed him a sentence of life in prison. Most of the larger cities have a bad reputation for bad police discretion with Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans being among the worst of them by far. This bad discretion and set of morals have left some departments with bad names that they will quiet never get off their backs. An example of this is Louis Eppilito and Steven Caracappa we on the New York police department organized crime investigating unit. The shocking part was that the people they were being paid to investigate was the very ones they had decided to turn their back and work for. Now these two officers had become moles in the department so they could get access to stuff nobody else could outside of the department. The officers soon were into deep and would have to kill whoever the mafia told them too just so they wouldn’t be killed. In two thousand six, both men were tried and convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, extortion, eight counts of murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. These charges stemmed from the nineteen eighties to the rarely nineteen ninety’s and the two thousands in Las Vegas they were sentenced to life in a federal prison The Los Angeles Police department continued their bad reputation for bad discretion leading into corruption in the nineteen ninety’s. Rafael Antonio â€Å"Ray† Perez was involved in seven hundred and twenty thousand dollar bank robbery where he shot and framed Javier Ovando. Perez was also accused of stealing at least eight hundred thousand dollars’ worth of cocaine from police lockup. The former officer was also a member of bloods, a violent street gang. Perez would shoot rival unarmed gang members and frame them to make it look like there was a fight and he was just defending himself. After he was caught, seventy other police officers were tried for corruption being that they were under the orders of Perez. In February of two thousand, the former trusted police officer pleaded guilty to stealing eight pounds of cocaine, which got him sentenced to five years in prison. Pà ©rez said this before hearing his sentencing â€Å"I cheated on my wife. I cheated on my employer, and I cheated on all of you, the people of Los Angeles.† A little over a year went by and he was released from prison on parole only to land back in court in December of two thousand one, this time one federal charges. Ray was now being charged with violating Ovando’s civil rights and having possession of a fire arm with serial numbers that had been manipulated. He would go on to serve five more years in federal prison with no chance for parole this time, because in federal prisons, parole is not an option. In August of two thousand five, New Orleans saw one of America’s worst natural disasters ever to occur. Hurricane Katrina had just ripped through the big easy, looters were running wild through stores and streets, and hundreds of homes were being broken into and their valuables being stolen. Local police officers were told that they could shoot the looters on site. Captain Lane Deacon stated â€Å"When I told the officers that I was in command of at that time to shoot or fire at threatening looters I did not think they would act so aggressively.† Three officers Robert Gisevius, Sergeant Kenneth Bowen, and Anthony Villavaso, were stationed on Danzinger Bridge when a young, black man by the name of James Brissett tried to cross. This is when the officers did not use the right discretion and turned down the wrong path. Brissett was unarmed with nothing but his wallet and keys. A confrontation broke out in which the three police officers jumped on the young man and continue d to beat him near death, finally just shooting and killing him. It turns out that Brissett was just looking for shelter. The three officers were then charged with falsifying reports, false prosecution, conspiracy to cover up murder, second degree murder. All three once creditable officers two of them being ranking now face the death penalty. These bad discretionary acts do not just occur in large cities. They happen right in our own small communities and towns. One example of this was recently when an East Moline police officer, Joey DeCap, was caught stealing  thirty thousand dollars from his mother in-law who suffers from various mental illnesses. DeCap and his wife were put in charge of the finances when she was declared incapable of doing so herself. They set up an account at bank of America branch in davenport, Iowa around January two thousand ten. DeCap made it possible for his mother-in-laws bills to be paid from that account while he was drawing out large sums of cash without permission from her or his wife. Along with this deliberate act of injustice, he made money off other peoples cars. DeCap was close friends with the towing company that was on contract with the city of East Moline. They would tow cars to their impound lot after accidents, DUIs, and other various dealings, and wait for the owners to come pick the car. If the car sat for too long they would illegally sell it to DeCap for cheap and he would then take it to be scrapped or sold. All of these crimes led him to be charges with five felony counts of official misconduct and one felony count of financial exploitation of the elderly or disabled. These five examples of how discretion can lead to unlawful acts and corruption have left their various departments with bad reputations. The various cities that they come from are known as having some of the most corrupt officers of all time. It does not matter the well discretionary acts by the policemen there now. Instead they will carry the names of those that have committed those acts in the past. These few rotten seeds have caused the larger cities to be labeled as having the worst policing, the departments are so big and vary in diversity that it would go unnoticed for the most part if there was such unlawful discretionary acts. The larger cities are slowly building their reputation back and b ecoming more community oriented. Although now we are seeing corruption in our small towns and it can’t go unseen. As bigger cities are making a turn for the better, small towns, like around here are making a turn for the worst. So, what causes bad discretionary acts? What makes these figures that are held so high in society turn against their peers, their city, and the people in it that they are supposed to protect? It really can be broken down into four categories based on a study done by T. Newburn. The first and obvious one being police discretion. If the officer has discretion and it is used wisely then the job should not be a problem and they will not take advantage of their position. Another one is the amount of low supervision. Nobody is there to catch all your mistakes and  you feel like you can get away with a lot more for a longer period of time. The next one is cops that are in constant contact with criminals. This gives an easy opportunity for unlawful acts. The last one is the environment surrounding the police officer. We see most of these bad discretionary acts that can lead to corruption happen where there is high population in drug activity and gang activity, where there is a lot of money flowing that can easily be uncounted for. Police also have a strong bond with their fellow officers so they feel secrecy is a part of the police culture, which means most of what happens that is illegal by other officers is sworn to secrecy. Statistically, bad discretionary acts by officers have gone down recently from the early two thousands when it was at an all-time high. Sixty-two percent of police officers are involved in some sort of police corruption. That means about three out of every five cops are, in some way, being unlawful. Record numbers of officers are being investigated, almost two hundred and forty five a month. With all of these crazy numbers you would think more of it would be in the public eye. But it’s the complete opposite most of the bad discretionary acts go unannounced to media so it doesn’t look like the cops are the bad guys. Having good police discretion is a must, because we need loyal law enforcement that can support the community through the good and bad. We can make sure these officers are properly trained in discretion by taking a look at their past and providing classes for the new incoming cadets. I believe the only way you can control corruption in a law enforcement society is teaching them these discretionary ways and the correct morals. Although you cannot change their morals, because they bring in their own set I believe you can show them what’s right and they can do it themselves. Police Ethics Police Discretion G Abstract: This paper is going to cover the unlawful behavior that led to harmful discretionary acts that had taken place in several different police departments; from the big cities of Los Angeles and Chicago to the small  department of East Moline. This will cover, in detail, how these officers went down the wrong path to self-destruct their own departments. â€Å"Police discretion refers to the authority granted to a police officer that allows him to decide how best to deal with a certain situation. This is aimed at increasing the flexibility of the justice system as punishment may not always be the appropriate mode of dealing with crimes. Discretion may empower a police officer to overlook a minor offense giving the offender a warning† (Alec Korsmo). Police discretion has been observed to be common in domestic violence, drugs and traffic offences. In matters to do with domestic violence, the police have been on the. They have treated domestic violence as a private matter better left for counseling, cooling off periods. Discretion is used especially when both parties are seen as equally involved in the violence and are either arrested or asked to separate for a few days or sometimes longer to dissipate the anger. Now In traffic, cops can allow a driver who has failed to stop at a red light to walk away as it is normal to sometimes make mistakes. The cops can also use discretion for the drivers caught driving drunk or high on drugs. The police officer will call a cab for the driver or take the civilian home and have the car towed away. All of these things are in the police officers discretion whether to arrest the suspect of try and show them that they got away with it this time and next time the officer will not be as nice. Drugs have been involved in police discretion for a long time. One of the main reasons behind why officers go corrupt is because the amount of money and opportunities that they see in the drug market. It is the officers’ discretion at this point whether to use his badge for corrupt reasons. One famous example of police discretion and drugs would be one in the mid nineteen eighty’s. The officers’ name is Joseph Miedezowski, also known also known as the most corrupt Chicago police officer of all time. This man was on the payroll of the Latin kings while serving as a trusted officer and protector of the people of Chicago. Miedezowski sold the names and addresses of every gang tact officer to the kings in the midst of his unlawful discretion. He would also use his knowledge of the streets to shake down drug dealers and then turn around and sell the drugs to make own personal gains. His fellow officers later would turn and in two thousand one, he was convicted of ten counts of drug conspiracy and racketeering that landed him  a sentence of life in prison. Most of the larger cities have a bad reputation for bad police discretion with Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans being among the worst of them by far. This bad discretion and set of morals have left some departments with bad names that they will quiet never get off their backs. An example of this is Louis Eppilito and Steven Caracappa we on the New York police department organized crime investigating unit. The shocking part was that the people they were being paid to investigate was the very ones they had decided to turn their back and work for. Now these two officers had become moles in the department so they could get access to stuff nobody else could outside of the department. The officers soon were into deep and would have to kill whoever the mafia told them too just so they wouldn’t be killed. In two thousand six, both men were tried and convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, extortion, eight counts of murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. These charges stemmed from the nineteen eighties to the rarely nineteen ninety’s and the two thousands in Las Vegas they were sentenced to life in a federal prison The Los Angeles Police department continued their bad reputation for bad discretion leading into corruption in the nineteen ninety’s. Rafael Antonio â€Å"Ray† Perez was involved in seven hundred and twenty thousand dollar bank robbery where he shot and framed Javier Ovando. Perez was also accused of stealing at least eight hundred thousand dollars’ worth of cocaine from police lockup. The former officer was also a member of bloods, a violent street gang. Perez would shoot rival unarmed gang members and frame them to make it look like there was a fight and he was just defending himself. After he was caught, seventy other police officers were tried for corruption being that they were under the orders of Perez. In February of two thousand, the former trusted police officer pleaded guilty to stealing eight pounds of cocaine, which got him sentenced to five years in prison. Pà ©rez said this before hearing his sentencing â€Å"I cheated on my wife. I cheated on my employer, and I cheated on all of you, the people of Los Angeles.† A little over a year went by and he was released from prison on parole only to land back in court in December of two thousand one, this time one federal  charges. Ray was now being charged with violating Ovando’s civil rights and having possession of a fire arm with serial numbers that had been manipulated. He would go on to serve five more years in federal prison with no chance for parole this time, because in federal prisons, parole is not an option. In August of two thousand five, New Orleans saw one of America’s worst natural disasters ever to occur. Hurricane Katrina had just ripped through the big easy, looters were running wild through stores and streets, and hundreds of homes were being broken into and their valuables being stolen. Local police officers were told that they could shoot the looters on site. Captain Lane Deacon stated â€Å"When I told the officers that I was in command of at that time to shoot or fire at threatening looters I did not think they would act so aggressively.† Three officers Robert Gisevius, Sergeant Kenneth Bowen, and Anthony Villavaso, were stationed on Danzinger Bridge when a young, black man by the name of James Brissett tried to cross. This is when the officers did not use the right discretion and turned down the wrong path. Brissett was unarmed with nothing but his wallet and keys. A confrontation broke out in which the three police officers jumped on the young man and continue d to beat him near death, finally just shooting and killing him. It turns out that Brissett was just looking for shelter. The three officers were then charged with falsifying reports, false prosecution, conspiracy to cover up murder, second degree murder. All three once creditable officers two of them being ranking now face the death penalty. These bad discretionary acts do not just occur in large cities. They happen right in our own small communities and towns. One example of this was recently when an East Moline police officer, Joey DeCap, was caught stealing thirty thousand dollars from his mother in-law who suffers from various mental illnesses. DeCap and his wife were put in charge of the finances when she was declared incapable of doing so herself. They set up an account at bank of America branch in davenport, Iowa around January two thousand ten. DeCap made it possible for his mother-in-laws bills to be paid from that account while he was drawing out large sums of cash without permission from her or his wife. Along with this deliberate act of injustice, he made money off other peoples cars. DeCap was close friends with the towing  company that was on contract with the city of East Moline. They would tow cars to their impound lot after accidents, DUIs, and other various dealings, and wait for the owners to come pick the car. If the car sat for too long they would illegally sell it to DeCap for cheap and he would then take it to be scrapped or sold. All of these crimes led him to be charges with five felony counts of official misconduct and one felony count of financial exploitation of the elderly or disabled. These five examples of how discretion can lead to unlawful acts and corruption have left their various departments with bad reputations. The various cities that they come from are known as having some of the most corrupt officers of all time. It does not matter the well discretionary acts by the policemen there now. Instead they will carry the names of those that have committed those acts in the past. These few rotten seeds have caused the larger cities to be labeled as having the worst policing, the departments are so big and vary in diversity that it would go unnoticed for the most part if there was such unlawful discretionary acts. The larger cities are slowly building their reputation back and becoming more community oriented. Although now we are seeing corruption in our small towns and it can’t go unseen. As bigger cities are making a turn for the better, small towns, like around here are making a turn for the worst. So, what causes bad discretionary acts? What makes these figures that are held so high in society turn against their peers, their city, and the people in it that they are supposed to protect? It really can be broken down into four categories based on a study done by T. Newburn. The first and obvious one being police discretion. If the officer has discretion and it is used wisely then the job should not be a problem and they will not take advantage of their position. Another one is the amount of low supervision. Nobody is there to catch all your mistakes and you feel like you can get away with a lot more for a longer period of time. The next one is cops that are in constant contact with criminals. This gives an easy opportunity for unlawful acts. The last one is the environment surrounding the police officer. We see most of these bad discretionary acts that can lead to corruption happen where there is high population in drug activity and gang activity, where there is a lot of money flowing that can easily be uncounted for. Police also have a strong bond with their fellow officers so they feel secrecy is a part of the police  culture, which means most of what happens that is illegal by other officers is sworn to secrecy. Statistically, bad discretionary act s by officers have gone down recently from the early two thousands when it was at an all-time high. Sixty-two percent of police officers are involved in some sort of police corruption. That means about three out of every five cops are, in some way, being unlawful. Record numbers of officers are being investigated, almost two hundred and forty five a month. With all of these crazy numbers you would think more of it would be in the public eye. But it’s the complete opposite most of the bad discretionary acts go unannounced to media so it doesn’t look like the cops are the bad guys. Having good police discretion is a must, because we need loyal law enforcement that can support the community through the good and bad. We can make sure these officers are properly trained in discretion by taking a look at their past and providing classes for the new incoming cadets. I believe the only way you can control corruption in a law enforcement society is teaching them these discretionary ways and the correct morals. Although you cannot change their morals, because they bring in their own set I believe you can show them what’s right and they can do it themselves.

My use of ICT – iPod (personal)

My iPOD is a 20GB white iPOD. Me and my brother bought it about a year and a half ago to share between us. We decided to get that particular model of iPOD because, although it wasn't cheap, it had a very large memory so that meant we could store both of our music on it as we like very different music. To load the songs onto the iPOD you have to have a computer. With the iPOD comes a program to go on your computer called iTUNES. You load the songs onto this program via the disk drive on your computer. Then you connect up the iPOD to the computer and the iPOD automatically begins to download the songs onto it. Describe how the ICT is being used I use the iPOD mostly to listen to music, tell the time, and occasionally play games when I am extremely bored. My brother uses the iPOD for the same reasons although he likes to play the games on it more than me. I like listening to music, I often listen to it while on my paper round every morning. I have found it invaluable on long journeys, with me and my brother stuck in a car together for many hours. For the occasion when both me and my brother want to listen to at the same time we bought a splitter and an extra pair of headphones. So in that way we listen to music together. We can also, which is very useful too, plug it into the sound system in the car so the whole family can listen. I don't just use my iPOD to store music on though. Because my iPOD has a huge memory I can put on story tapes like the Harry Potter CD's. So we can listen to them in the car as well. I use the iPOD to occasionally tell the time too, it's clock has been useful on several occasions when I haven't had my phone with me. The advantages of using this technology I really like the iPOD. It is a clever design and has many advantages. Firstly, it can be used in so many different ways, plugged into headphones, into the computer speakers, into CD player speakers, into car speakers, it's so easy! In this way it has encouraged the use of more music. Music relaxes many but gives them the freedom of listening to what you want, when you want. I find it useful on the airplane too as its so small and portable. It has a huge memory too so there is a very high limit to the number songs it holds, something like 5,000. Unlike the CD player, it rarely jogs. This is useful in general. However, having a hard disk, it can be damaged by shaking. The disadvantages of using this technology To transfer music onto the iPOD you have to have a computer. If someone doesn't have a computer, the iPOD is pretty useless. We do have a computer, but it is quite heavily used so I find it hard to find enough time for it to sit there and upload music onto it. I think the iPOD also can encourage illegal copying of music. The majority of music recorded on iPOD's are in breach of copyright laws. I personally try not to do this, as the music companies will end up loosing money. However it is very hard to feel sympathetic towards them when you here about them ripping off all these small, new, defenseless bands. I do feel that I could be breaking copyright laws, but I really don't know exactly what constitutes breaking the copyright. I know that you aren't meant to copy CD's between friends but what about if me and my brother have paid half and half for a CD? Are we only allowed to put it on one iPOD? Since I am not sure of the finer points of copyright, I don't really worry that much if I break it. Another bad point of the iPOD is that listening to very loud music played directly into your ears can damage them. I have been told off by my mum many times for playing music too loudly. Because people are listening to music they are not so aware of their surroundings so people are more likely to walk out in front of cars or get mugged. Music that is bought on iTunes cannot be used on any other MP3 players and vice-versa. iPOD's are also iconic. Many people, including me, think of iPOD's to be the main MP3 player this makes them very expensive. The other is that iPOD's get old very quickly. The makers keep bringing out new versions with added things. For example, as soon as we got ours, they brought out the same one with the ability to play videos for the same price. This is annoying but good business for the makers as they make money from us as we keep buying newer versions of their products. If I lived in a time without iPOD's I would have to play my music on a CD player or even on tapes. The tapes get chewed up and CD players just aren't as portable. So in summary, I think that although there are many disadvantages of the iPOD, the advantages out-weigh them. Having an iPOD, or any kind of portable MP3 player gives you freedom and more choice when and what to listen to.

Personal & Professional Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Personal & Professional Development - Assignment Example In the discussion henceforth, I will be emphasising my learning throughout the group work in three reflective logs referring to three key activities, which I believe to have imposed a strong impression on my understanding related to the subject matter. In the first activity, I will be giving an account of my experience throughout the group work, including the preparation of the group presentation. In the second and the third activities, I will respectively focus on exhibiting two of my in-class and voluntary works associated with the assignment, which helped me experience the entire process in a better way. The objective of the group assignment was to assess our knowledge of theories and concepts applied in the current scenario of business decision-making. It intended to enrich our critical understanding of the learning, we had gathered throughout the course and allow us to apply those learning in the practical case example. This assignment hence required high degree of interpretive skills, as we had to interpret our learning in order to justify the purpose of the activity, which was concentrated on examining the relationship between diversity and negotiations within a workplace. Proper search skills and analytical skills were also required to ensure that we could apply the theories properly in a comprehensible and a justified manner. Besides, the requirement of good communication skill was also essential in order to structure the entire paper in the most suitable manner that would depict what was intended. As I have already mentioned, prior to the assignment, I possessed only a limited knowledge regarding the two vital variables of our study, i.e. workplace negotiations and diversity considerations. Nevertheless, I must agree that I have always found the management of intellectuals within organisations most intriguing, perhaps owing to the way it works as a

Lao-Tzu viewpoints on Taoist Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lao-Tzu viewpoints on Taoist Philosophy - Essay Example Life and death form a part of the transformation processes, which constitute the Taoist world. Death, as much as life, belongs to the realm of "naturalness," that which is "so of itself". Tao means literally possessing spiritual essences in one's body. So long as they remain in the body, death simply cannot happen which repositions the commentary from cosmology and religion to focus on Taoist practical philosophy. In what sense can "naturalness" be said to complement "long life" Two separate claims need to be distinguished here. On the one hand, if the concept of naturalness is taken seriously, any attempt to prolong life by artificial means is doomed to failure and must be rejected. On the other hand, if careful steps are not taken to preserve life, the natural flow of things is also interrupted. The natural life span of an individual, given the cosmological underpinning of the commentary, is evidently determined by one's energy endowment. Individual differences notwithstanding, human beings have been given a proper "mandate" to prosper and live long while the energy could be in any form. There are, however, obstacles, which may jeopardize one's natural longevity. If the body is destroyed, the "five spirits" disperse; if the body is harmed, the spirits hasten their departure. For this reason, the body must be well taken care of, and the conditions, under which the vital essence may be adversely influenced, must be clearly identified. Actual longevity, in other words, reflects not only a richly endowed body but also a well-maintained abode of the spirits. In attempting to explain to you the complex relationship between Tao, being, and nonbeing, I defers some words: "Since the Tao is unnamable, it therefore cannot be comprised in words. But since we wish to speak about it, we are forced to give it some kind of designation. We therefore call it Tao, which is really not a name at all. That is to say, to call the Tao Tao, is not the same as to call a table table . . Tao is not itself a thing." Tao cannot be compared to any cosmological supreme being. Tao is not a being but lies beyond shapes and features. In the context of the transition from a religion based on divination and sacrifice, centered on the ruling nobility, to recognition of the moral autonomy of the individual. The Tao-te-ching represents the voice of those who recognize the power of desirelessness, humility, passivity, lowliness, imperfection, stillness, and intuition. I have linked mysticism with the cultivation of the human potential for good, not with union with an Absolute. Unlike Western philosophy, I have insisted to accept Chinese philosophy as a lived philosophy; its purpose is not simply to "acquire . . . knowledge," but to "develop . . . character". I have debated several times with Girardot as his argument echoes the earlier issue concerning the relationship between Tao and concepts of God; he suggests that the distinction between the Tao-te-ching and later Taoism rests on false assumptions about the nature of religion. He further argues that the Tao-te-ching is a religious text

Marketing communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing communications - Essay Example So now there is a desperate need to introduce, develop and implement various marketing communications tools in order to cater for the needs and influence the buying patterns of this ‘average bloke’ group. For any marketing plan to be successfully implemented, we first need to evaluate all possible communication tools and methods to promote the product. Next we need deduce what communication tools would best work for the product, and influencing the consumer to the maximum potential as well. Although women aged between 30 to 50 years are properly segmented and targeted, this is not the same for men of the same age group. First we need to construct a profile for the ‘average bloke’, defining their traits and personality characteristics. ‘Average Bloke’, tend to purchase based on their experiences. They buy the product based on quality mostly, and can easily compromise over quantity. Average bloke don’t waste time in buying a product, and wi sh to acquire the maximum information about a product in the least amount of time. Furthermore, average bloke recommend purchase decision based on WOM (Word Of Mouth), which is mostly preferred from family members and friend’s circle. Average bloke also spend less time on shopping as compared to women of the same age group, hence it can be deduced that for the average bloke time is of value. And if the purchasing time is less, the amount of satisfaction derived is the greatest. Average bloke, mostly feel that marketing strategies are just aimed at fooling the consumers into buying a useless product, hence the campaigns used to influence them should portray traits of sincerity, devotion and loyalty towards the consumers. Lastly we can also induce into the profile that average bloke require a strong, lasting and rational relationship with the brand, not just a temporary one. Marketing strategies consists of the marketing mix, which

Operations & Technology Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Operations & Technology Management - Case Study Example This is part of Peter Salisbury's move to reorganize and decentralize. His program "Return to Recovery Program" tried to centralize 77% of tasks in the UK for easy control and communication. He was successful in accelerating the design-to-store lead-time. He also came out with a trendy line for clothing labeled "Autograph" the "real clothes for women." Despite all these efforts and a 20Million advertising campaign, M&S failed. It could not compete with Inditex and its brand Zara. Zara who does not spend on advertising but relies solely on window displays, proper positioning of stores, giving the people what they want and at the fastest possible time. Zara has its designers combing streets and asking the people what they want. It has a machinery that can produce a copy of a competitor design in a week and make new designs every two weeks. Zara is able to this and still pass the product to the consumer at reasonable costs. According to Merrill Lynch, M&S failed because it did not chang e the root causes of poor performance which is, "heavy organization, limited flexibility and over centralization."

Exploring an art Object Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Exploring an art Object - Essay Example The contemporary art objects may include mass-produced things, transient materials, appropriate metaphors, and many other things. The object which I have selected for this assignment as a piece of art is ‘‘Kaftan’’. This paper aims to conduct an in-depth study and exploration of the object. Moreover, the paper will include different examples, sources, research work, interpretational perspectives etc. The visual design of this art piece which is selected for this assignment is a bit different as it is not a painting or a sculpture. ‘Kaftan’ is a cut of apparel; a long coat like garment or a loose dress with long wide sleeves which has been worn by humans for thousands of years. It usually reaches the ankles or floor at times (exceptions are there in different cultures). The cloth which is used in its making is usually and majorly silk and cashmere, however, sometimes cotton is also used (Torstrick and Faier). It has noticed some alterations, modi fications with the period of time and is a part of almost every culture across the globe. However, it varies in style and proportion in different cultures and the way they carry it. ... Similar is the case with ‘Kaftan’ as it has been doing it all. It is a single dress fulfilling all the requirements of an art object in different and unique manner. It has been telling different stories and cultures from the past to the present in a special way. Different artist portray their thoughts and creativity through fashion and clothing. It is now becoming as a medium for artists as significant as painting or any other (Chambers). Art has also been inspiring many lives for thousands of years. However, the portrayal of art back then was done in a different manner as compared to the present world. If we travel back in the history, then since the Ottoman Empire, the usage of ‘Kaftan’ has been of greater significance. It has been a part of many lives since then. Many people wear it as an identity (China); many wear it to hide themselves (Middle East), while many wear it as a fashion statement; the pop culture (West). It has different names as it travels from the west to the east (Faroqhi). In the West, the fashion started in the era of ‘Hippies’ in the 60’s; the Western ‘Kaftan’ has names like ‘bonjour’ and is a loose dress with wide sleeves it depicted the pop culture of that era. In the Middle East, the dress was worn and was famous since the Mughal and Ottoman Empire, and the Mughal Kings and Sultans used to wear it with a turban. At present, the Muslim women wear it as a piece of apparel which covers their body and hides it completely; it is normally called as ‘Abaya’. Moving on towards the Far East, then the Chinese wear it as a national dress and their national identity and the only difference is of a belt and the quality of the ‘Kaftan’

Broadband diffusion--estimate the value of national broadband network Research Paper

Broadband diffusion--estimate the value of national broadband network - Research Paper Example Research questions 1. Who are the users of NBN in Melbourne? 2. What are the major applications of NBN by those who have adopted it? 3. What are the benefits/values of NBN to its users? 4. What barriers and problems do the users of NBN face during its application/adoption? Approaches and methods This study will adopt a positivist quantitative approach. The data will be collected from a 40 households from Melbourne area, who will be randomly selected. This will be achieved by use of a survey designed with relevant questions to examine the value of NBN amongst its users. The results of the survey will be analyzed quantitatively, with the aim of finding common patterns that will lead to conclusion. Required resources To effectively conduct the study, the researcher will require about 50 copies of questionnaires, services of two research assistant, stationery such as pencils, rubbers, and two note books. The researcher will also require budgeting for the major expenses that will be incur red in conducting of the study such as transport, communication, and ancillary expanses. Research plan The following table shows the study’s timeline, from development of a plan through submission of the report. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Development of a plan x x Analysis of historical data x x x x Conduct field work x x x x x x x Submit manuscript x x x Model development x x x x x x x x x x x Defend the concept x Submit final report x x Study design The premise of the paper has been defined within a positivist dimension, and as such a quantitative analysis of the data collected will be conducted to try and estimate the value of NBN in Melbourne. A Survey will be conducted, targeted on a total of 40 households and business people from Melbourne area. This survey will be intended to provide insight into household adoption of NDN and its value. The survey will aid in examining how the households and business people have adopted NBN; the reasons they have a dopted them; how they preserve NBN; and how they understand broadband services. Other areas of interest will be on how adoption of NBN affects households’ devises at home, use of internet, and the cost of communication, among other related issues. The survey will be conducted using questionnaires, designed to give answers to the research questions. Some of the advantages that have inspired the researcher to select questionnaire over other data collection tools include the following: (1) It is less expensive because it requires less financial and human resources; (2) Its use can ensure reach of many respondents; (3) The respondents get opportunity to think about how to answer the questions; (4) Since there is no face-to-face interaction, the respondents who would like to hide their identity will be encouraged to participate; and (5) The data is pre-coded and hence its analysis is quite easy (Berg,1998). Once collection of data was completed; it was captured in a Microsoft Exce l spreadsheet. This data was then analyzed using the IBM SPSS 11.0 package. The data was described using descriptive statistics as well as frequency tables. According to Hussey

Case Study on network solution Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On network solution - Case Study Example The Cisco Unified Wireless Network allows efficient running and monitoring of a combination of mobile packages from the dental offices while keeping a check on practitioners who tend to their clients from homes. The dentists may carry along the Cisco Wireless IP 7921 phones to monitor their patients, watch their state, and fill in medical records from the remote places. The remote application offers superior accuracy, feasibility, and security of the patient’s status. Dentists enjoy real time data access and entry. They can use the automated medical statements via wireless devices such as laptops and portable computers. Remotely operated X-ray machines attend to patients from the comfort of their homes. Hand operated scanners also ease the screening and examination while enabling efficient access to patient records and prescription. Since the patients have personalized barcodes, dentists are able to recover and revise clinical reports at once by searching through the codes. Th e Cisco Wireless Network is set to raise communication levels within the departments at the hospital, thus enhancing first rate patient precautions and workforce employee contentment (Pahlavan & Krishnamurthy, 2009). 2. Identify the information that is to be protected and the related security requirements HIPAA holds an in depth account of requisites for the utilization or release of confidential or protected health information. Protected units may only utilize and release PHI as allowed by HIPAA and other restrictive bodies and state bylaws. Generally, the private units at the dental dispensary may use PHI, regardless of exceptional consent from a patient. Health care â€Å"operations† consist of undertakings such as quality reassurance, peer analysis, guidance, and business development procedures. Prior to the first examination of the patients, the dentist must present them with a Notice of Privacy Practices explaining the steps concerning future reference of their health i nformation and the extent of liberties they can enjoy in respect to the PHI. After an Electronic Health Record (EHR) is put into practice, there are also requirements that facilitate disclosures for TPO (Pahlavan & Krishnamurthy, 2009). 3. Identify the types of network(s), components, devices, and equipment that would be involved in meeting the needs of the stationary offices and the mobile dentists Location database: within the Cisco Unified Wireless Network, the initial hop router gets packages for the remote clients through the routing code operating on the given network and pushes them through a trunk into the WLC. All WLC maintain a file of remote clients as they travel between the APs affiliated to them. In portable IP, the Home Agent (HA) holds the local database. Move discovery: if the wireless users move to a fresh AP, they have to depend on the alternate configuration to be accessed by the remote network. The association packets are pushed forward to the WLC through the as sociation process stage to mark out the wireless user and his new location (AP), where the wireless client is trying to connect. The data is utilized by WLC to renew its location database (the WLC mobility database). Where the client may have strayed into a new WLC, the initial WLC linked to the remote customer presents packets directed towards the wireless client to the isolated WLC. In Mobile IP, the user subscribing to the wireless network may not give HA any

Comparing Millennial Generation To Boomer Essay

Comparing Millennial Generation To Boomer - Essay Example These generations constitute strong possibilities for analysis as they represent polar opposites in terms of birth, with the Baby Boomers constituting the generation born immediately after World War II and the Millennial Generation those born between 1982-2001. This essay examines these generations in terms of educational opportunities, One of the prominent areas of consideration between the Baby Boomer Generation and the Millennial Generation is the nature of educational opportunities. A notable consideration in these regards is the understanding that both generations emerged in an era of relative prosperity where pursuing higher education was not only a possibility, but an expected course of action for much of the population. Within this area of understanding statistical figures further elucidate areas of differentiation between the two generations. In terms of male education for Baby Boomers, it’s indicated that 25% have some college and 13% have four years of college or mo re. This is compared to males in the Millennial Generation wherein 34% have some college and 15% have four years of college or more. In these regards, the figures for individuals completing college are highly similar. This is not true for females where the disparity between the generations is marked, with 20% of Millennials completing four years of college or more as compared to 11% of Baby Boomers. These changing educational opportunities are also indicative of the shifting of gender roles among the two age groups. While Baby Boomers matriculated in an era where the male was still seen as the primary bread winner, the Millennial Generation increasingly saw the increase of women’s responsibility in the workplace. Another prominent area of consideration is the relative level of diversity between the Baby Boomer Generation and the Millennial Generation. One of the main considerations occurs in the reduction of the majority ethnicity between the two generations. In these regards , the Baby Boomer generation is noted to constitute 77% white, 9% Hispanic, and 12% black. This is compared to the Millennial Generation which demonstrates a demographic make-up of 61% white, 19% Hispanic, and 13% black. The main distinction between the two is clearly the strong rise in Hispanic populations between the generations. While this is indicative of shifts within these generations, it is also highly indicative of general shifts in the overriding population, both demographically and socio-culturally. While educational opportunities and diversity levels are statistically correlated they are also indicative of a number shifting attitudes and perspectives between the generations. Within this context of understanding, a number of qualitative understandings have been articulated. Starbucker presents the Baby Boomer contrast to Don Tapscott’s seminal text on the Millennial Generation Growing Up Digital. Among the comparative elements Starbucker considers contrasting attitu des on the nature of freedom, with both generations valuing it, but the Millennial Generation achieving heightened levels with increased access to digital technology, such as cell-phones and portable Internet access. Another prominent differentiation between the two generations is the outlook on the advance of technology. While the Baby Boomer generation experienced great technological leaps in terms of medical care, the television, and advancing car efficiency, the Millennial Generation has come to be almost identified with the shifting nature of technological progress. Another prominent area of consideration is the shifting attitudes towards the political spectrum. From a broad and qualitative under

Ts Eliots Key to The Wasteland Essay Example for Free

Ts Eliots Key to The Wasteland Essay There is no question that fragmentation is an important motif throughout The Wasteland. The entire poem is an odorous potpourri of dialogue, images, scholarly ideas, foreign words, formal styles, and tones. The reader’s journey through this proverbial wasteland is a trying one, to say the least. Unless one is endowed with a depthless wealth of literary knowledge, Eliot’s cornucopia of allusions and overzealous use of juxtaposition may leave them in a state of utter confusion. Luckily, there is hope for the wearied reader. At the close of his poem, Eliot presents his readers with a small offering: â€Å"These fragments I have shored against my ruins†. This line, presented in the midst of seemingly nonsensical fragments, serves as a clue to Eliot’s intentions. Indeed, it is my belief that this line is the ultimate declaration of Eliot’s poetic project. Before I begin treating the aforementioned words as the magical key to unlocking The Wasteland, I believe it important to understand what they actually mean. What is speaker really saying in this infamous passage? There are two important dimensions to the line, one slightly more obvious than the other. Firstly, the speaker has something to proffer—fragments. So then, why are fragments—these illusive, nonsensical pieces of nothingness— something worthy of being shored? Secondly, the speaker is implying that, even in the face of madness or ruin, it is still possible to create art. Despite ruin, the speaker has a gift for the reader—fragments. So then, this leaves the reader with a burning question—why on earth are fragments something to be gifted? How can a fragment be seen as something of value, and what message was Eliot trying to convey to the reader through his use of these fragments? Firstly, Eliot used fragmentation in his poetry to demonstrate the chaotic, ruinous state of modern existence and to juxtapose a myriad of literary texts against one another. In Eliot’s view, the collective psyche of humanity had been completely shattered by the devastations of World War I and the decay of the British Empire. By collaging bits and pieces of dialogue together within one sprawling poetic work, Eliot was able to paint a vivid picture of the brokenness of humanity and the modern world. By barraging us with an onslaught of sensory perceptions, Eliot throws the reader into a state of confusion. Indeed, the first stanza of The Wasteland illustrates the point quite nicely: April is the cruellest month, breeding. Within the first seven lines of the poem, the reader is presented with a traditional, conventional poem that adheres to a set rhyme and meter. However, this feeling of normalcy doesn’t last long. Suddenly and without warning, the foreign, German words â€Å"Starnbergersee† and â€Å"Hofgarten† appear, robbing the reader of a sense of familiarity. Then, Eliot throws everything completely off-course in line twelve with the German phrase â€Å"Bin gar keine Russin, stamm aus Litauen, echt deutsch. † However, just as quickly as the poem dissolves into complete foreignness, it lurches back into the realm of convention. The above lines revert to a previous pattern with the use of â€Å"And I †, â€Å"And down †, â€Å"And when. † This return to convention seemingly restores a sense of order. There is a definite ebb and flow in The Wasteland—Eliot juxtaposes conventional poetic form with unconventional poetic form Likewise, he uses utilizes both the German and the English language. After the first few stanzas of the poem, readers are bound to feel jolted and somewhat overwhelmed by Eliot’s avant-garde poetic approach. Indeed, while reading The Wasteland, I myself am oftentimes overcome with the burning desire to scream heavenwards, â€Å"What on earth is going on here? † When I’m not grappling with incomprehensible German words, my mind is being twisted with oxymoronic, juxtaposed imagery. Fertility is tangling with death, tulips spring from dead earth, and winter is presented as a source of warmth—none of these images make any sense at all! To further the confusion, there seems to be a considerable lack of clarity throughout these opening lines. Despite my careful analysis, I am unable to draw a clear conclusion as to who is speaking and how many speakers are present! Not even twenty lines into the poem, and my psyche feels considerably damaged. However, I believe this—this damaged, broken feeling— is exactly what Eliot intended his readers to feel. Eliot takes his readers on a journey through the decay of the twentieth century. However, he doesn’t just tell them about it—he recreates the sensation within their minds. The meaning of the poem is not found in the words themselves—the meaning is found in the lack of apparent meaning. One of the aims of this poem is to make the reader feel confusion, feel conflict, and feel brokenness and cynicism. Instead of focusing on what the fragmentation means, it is beneficial to simply focus on the idea of fragmentation itself. The fragments and the chaos are a demonstration of brokenness. Another application of fragmentation in The Wasteland is to teach readers the importance of literary history. Eliot held a great respect and reverence for myth and the Western literary canon. Indeed, his work is packed to the brim with quotations and scholarly exegeses. Nearly every single line in The Wasteland echoes another academic work that is considered a canonical literary text. To illustrate just how dense The Wasteland can be, let us examine lines ninety-eight and ninety-nine from â€Å"A Game of Chess†: As though a window gave upon the sylvan scene 98 The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king 99 Just within these two lines, Eliot has referenced two important literary works. The words â€Å"sylvan scene† refer to Milton’s Paradise Lost, while the following line references Metamorphoses by Ovid. As you can see, you cannot throw a stone within The Wasteland without hitting an allusion. Even though Eliot makes his poem almost impossible to digest, he does throw his readers a bone by providing them with long, explanatory footnotes. These footnotes were written as an attempt to explain his references and to encourage readers to educate themselves by delving deeper into his sources. Because these echoes and references are presented to the reader as fragments, the text is almost completely inaccessible upon first read. Eliot very craftily provides readers with parts, rather than whole texts from the canon, forcing them to become active participants in the poem. If one is to truly understand what Eliot is saying, they must look to the canon! Another interesting technique employed by Eliot is his use of juxtaposition. Eliot takes fragments of literary and mythic traditions and mashes them up with scenes and sounds from modern life. As an example, let us examine the closing lines of the poem: London Bridge is falling down falling down falling down 426 Poi sascose nel foco che gli affina 427. Eliot goes from referencing a popular children’s song in line 426—â€Å"London Bridge Is Falling Down†Ã¢â‚¬â€to directly quoting The Divine Comedy in line 427. Line 428 mashes words from the ancient poem Pervigilium Veneris with the lines from nineteenth century Tennyson! So then, what is the point of this juxtaposition? It is my belief that Eliot was attempting to integrate the canon into contemporary poetry. He very careful inserted the most essential bits of the past into his modernist poem in an attempt at enlightening readers. The end result is a poetic collage thatserves as both a reinterpretation of canonical texts and a historical context for his examination of society and humanity. William Carlos Williams referred to The Wasteland as â€Å"the great catastrophe†. While I find it grim and depressing, I do not believe that it is entirely devoid of hope. In fact, I read the line â€Å"These fragments I have shored against my ruins† as a consolation of sorts.

How Muslim Extremists Justify Interpretation Of Quran Religion Essay

How Muslim Extremists Justify Interpretation Of Quran Religion Essay There is often a lack of understanding as to what religion is. How do we define the word religion? Is religion a belief or merely a way of life? Genuine religion is fundamentally a search for meaning beyond materialism. A world religious tradition is a set of symbols and rituals, myths and stories, concepts and truth-claims, which a historical community believes gives ultimate meaning to life, via its connection to a transcendent beyond the natural order (Cited in Cline 2009: Introduction). As Cline has stated here, religion is a set of historical traditions which people adhere by and believe in. The Islamic faith for Muslims is not simply a religion but also a way of life for them and they are strongly attached to their own religion and culture. Some choose for their religion to be a private issue, whilst other prefers it to be the basis of all their social interactions. Muslims consider Islam to be a structure that takes in all aspects of life, both personal and social and it is a social, as well as legal system which governs matters such as family life, law and order, ethics, dress and cleanliness, as well as religious practice and observance (Hussain, El-Alami. eds., 2005:1). Muslims follow their traditional system however, the 9/11 and 7/7 terrorist attacks have had a large impact on how society see and treat Muslims and the Islamic faith, when in fact these extremists committing these offences are a minority group hiding behind certain banners under the veil of Islam. It has become apparent over the past decade that Islam seems to be a more militant faith than most others. Some people have been lead to believe that this is due to the Holy Scripture which holds all the laws of the Islamic religion, known as the Quran. However, the Islam faith is very diverse and varied and although many things in the Quran apply to mostly all Muslims, there are many other things which only apply to a minority group of Muslims, those who take their faith and inaccurate interpretations of the Quran to the extreme. In order to establish why these Muslims take their faith to the extreme, it is essential that the various verses from The Quran and the diverse justification of Jihad are firstly discussed. Jihad is a key problem in Islam as the meaning has many different interpretations. Jihad can be interpreted by some Muslims as the spiritual struggle against his or her own natural nature in order to lead a holy life (Bonney: 2004: xi), but for other Muslims like Osma Bin Laden, it may be interpreted as violent and extended to mean a commitment to Allah by all Muslims, to constantly strive to convert, defeat or overcome all non Muslims. Those who believe and follow the latter interpretation of Jihad, believe it is their duty to persist with the preachings of Islam through holy war, in an unjust way until the whole world accepts Islam or concedes to the Islamic faith. Bonney (2004: x) specifically states that those terrorists like Osma Bin Laden use an ancient, unfounded and misconstrued view of the Islamic perception of just war (Jihad) to exonerate their actions. The word Islam actually implies the meaning of peace and tolerance, but this reputation of Islam is being dented due to this wrongful interpretation of Jihad. Islam is a faith which believes that religion is to be freely accepted and by no means should be forced upon anyone and this is evident through many verses throughout The Quran. The Quran (26: 4) states that God wants people to choose their path themselves and does not at any point instruct any Muslim to raise a sword over a non Muslim in order to convert or subjugate them. In another verse from The Quran, it explicitly defines: Invite people of the path of your Rabba with what? With forces of the sword? No. With beautiful admonitions and advice (Quran: 16: 125). From this verse it is clear that many Muslim leaders, who have viewed Jihad as violent and as an obligation on individual believers with intent to destroy religious peace and pluralism in the name of Allah, are incorrect. There are many more verses within The Quran which specify that Islams idea of Jihad is not the idea of a holy war which these terrorist leaders have claimed it to be. With The Quran containing many verses stating the importance Islam gives to peace, (Quran: 4: 128) it signifies that the soul of Islam is in fact peace; again not war. Researchers such as Cook (2000) and Waines (2003)(cited: Bonney: 2004:47) as well as many others, both come to the same conclusion, that Jihads fundamental nature is that of defence, not war. Al-Qaeda claims to preach peace yet it also praises violence. The violent actions which are carried out from Al- Qaeda have resulted in innocent people being murdered and it has claimed to have been acting out in self defence against the imperialist intrusions of the West, but yet it approves suicide bombing. Suicide bombing is actually disobedience against established Muslim teachings. According to The Quran, the world is divided into two categories; believers and non-believers and it repeatedly states that the believers together form one people and the non-believers together structure another, (Bonney: 2000: 8) as in the believers are brethren of one another and those who disbelieve are friends of one another (Quran: 8: 72). This verse again is promoting peace and differences in belief are seen as Gods plan, it does not indicate that any Muslim should linger everlastingly at war with any nonbelievers but, for the world to be aware of Muhammad and his teachings, preaching is to be done. It is may be this verse in The Quran that Jihad in the name of Allah may merely mean a peaceful struggle through preachings. These rigorous and strict actions of Muslims who take their religion to the extreme have drawn attention to certain divisions within Islam known as Wahhabism and Salafiyya. Saudi Arabia is the birth place of Wahhabism and it is puritanical form of Sunni Islam. Saudi Arabia has always relied on a mixture of religion and political power. Its origins date back to the eighteenth century when an Islamic fundamentalist and extremist, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab introduced a religious, political movement in agreeance with the local tribe chief, this was known as Wahhabism. The essential aim of Wahhabs reform movement was that every idea after the third century of the Muslim period should be abolished as it was false. For a Muslim to then be considered true to their faith, they must commit themselves exclusively and exactingly to the innovative beliefs set into the world by Muhammad. Ultimately, he encouraged a reinforcement of the original, pure and orthodox customs of the fundamentals of Is lam, as characterised in the Quran and in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Today the term Wahhabism refers to a Sunni Islamic movement that pursues to cleanse Islam of any modifications or practices that diverge from the original teachings of Muhammad and his cohorts. The surfacing of Wahhabisms stern beliefs has resulted in conflict between other Muslim groups. As Wahhabism rejects Islams most prominent religious traditions, Wahhabis have found themselves in disagreements with non-Wahhabi Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims and non-Muslims in surrounding areas resulting in war. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the media have been inclined to centre their attentions on movements within the Muslim world that support and carry out acts of violence against other human beings and populations. The media refer to these terrorists by their religious group, but in fact these terrorist are hiding behind their religion, using the excuse that Allah or God tells them to act in this way. This is not necessarily true, as mentioned before the Quran promotes to live to a peaceful and coexistent life and it also has commandments and beliefs which are similar to the Christian community and The Bible. Those Muslims within the Islamic world who are dynamically working for peace, interreligious dialogue, minority rights and much more are overlooked. Organisations which are set up in order to reject violence are also disregarded yet such organisations and movements are the key to motivation and loyalty which inspires many Muslims throughout the world. These Muslims are moulding the foundations of the outlook and apparition of Muslims, and points in the correct direction that the majority of the Islamic community should be heading for. Those Muslims who participate in acts of violence and terrorism are isolated minorities within the Islamic faith, but this still tends to reflect of Islam and Muslims as a whole, with non-violent Muslims being judged unfairly and negatively by society. Since the 9/11 attack, many Muslims have received increased discrimination and racism by the rest of civilization. What people fail to understand is that these terrorist attacks were in fact carried out by a minority group of individuals who hide behind Islam as a faith to justify their violence by using a misinterpretation of the Quran. High levels of discrimination and racism are evident in schools were many Muslim boys are being stereotyped and associated with global terrorism, fundamentalism and urban rioting, resulting in them being identified as under-achieving and problematic pupils and they are becoming hot topics of social and educational debate (Archer:2003: 2). Muslims are in fact against terrorism, yet the acts of the terrorists cause the rest of society to naturally tarnish the rest of the Muslims wrongfully, with the same brush because the media and politicians refer to the terrorists by religious standing. It could be argued that these terrorists are extremists who are passionately seeking political power and wealth and it has been noted here that Muslims face complications not just within education, but also everyday life. Muslims are afraid to have their own say in politics as they feel discriminated against as a community as a whole (Banchoff: 2008:5). In conclusion, it is evident that jihad is a complicated occurrence in both theory and practice. Throughout the history of Islam, there has been no single concept applied to the meaning and there have been different definitions resulting in how jihad is practiced. It is also evident that Islam places a huge importance on peace and how one strives to lead the correct way by the will of God, and if need be, defend oneself. The minority group within Islam have taken this concept of defence to aid their own national interest and used it as to justify their violent actions, at the cost of the rest of the Islamic population. Islam has a genuine image of advocating peace and tolerance as well as the free will to choose your own faith, but they do believe in striving to preach in the name of Allah whether it is by pen, mouth media; yet again the extremists mentioned here use armies and violence to force their religion upon anyone. It does not mean to strive for individual, political or natio nal power. Word count: 2132

Human Nature and Moral Theory in Plato’s Republic Essay -- Plato Repub

Human Nature and Moral Theory in Plato’s Republic In Chapter 2 of Republic, Glaucon uses the Myth of the Lydian Shepherd to portray a pessimistic view of human nature. Plato, the author of Republic, uses his brother Glaucon to tell the Myth of the Lydian Shepherd. We are led to believe that Plato takes the myth and its implications on human nature very seriously by use of a personal character. The argument, originally given by Thrasymachus, contends that at the root of our human nature we all yearn for the most profit possible. It also contends that any man will act immorally if given free reign. The theory proves unplausible due to circularity in the argument and implications that prove untrue. Thrasymachus approaches Socrates, the main character of Republic and most of Plato's work, during a conversation on the topic of morality. The aggressive Thrasymachus interjects his own opinion; morality is "the advantage of the stronger." (Republic 338c) Upon clarification, Thrasymachus lays out his view of socially created moral relativism, as opposed to Socrates' moral objectivism. Thrasymachus illustrates his view by citing how different types of government create laws serving purposes specific to each government, "a democracy passing democratic laws, a dictatorship making dictatorial laws†¦ In doing so each government makes it clear that what is right and moral for its subjects is what is to its own advantage." (Republic 338e) Thrasymachus also argues that it is advantageous to live an immoral life rather than a moral one. He says, "morality and right are actually good for someone else†¦ and bad for the underling at the receiving end of the orders†¦ the opposit e is true for immorality: the wrongdoer lords it over those ... ...l men desire power and superiority. However this argument raises inconsistencies because Thrasymachus' Argument implies that every person in power attained that position motivated by the desire to commit large-scale immoral actions. The Collapse Argument shows that the implications of Thrasymachus' Argument lead to an inevitable social collapse. Since not all societies have collapsed, some other motivation must have impelled individuals to seek positions of power. In addition, Thrasymachus could not adequately support the second premise of his argument without a defense that leads both Premise 2 and conclusion C to circularity. Thus the argument presented by Thrasymachus and Glaucon is implausible, and the moral relativism that emerges from their line of reasoning is not proven. Work Cited Bloom, Allan. The Republic of Plato, New York: Basic Books, 1968.

Free Essays - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Free Essay on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, describes a young boy torn between what he feels for his country and what society expects of him and what his heart tells him is right. Huck Finn, faces many situations forcing him to deal with decisions that carry with them the ability to bring about change. Huck begins searching for an identity which is truly his own. In determining his self image, Huck deals with conforming to the social norms and freedom, trying on different identities that do not belong to him, and shaping these new found tributes into an identity which best suits his conscience. Throughout the book, Huck rejects "sivilized" life because he has no reason for it. All that civilization has brought for him was bad things. He meets many people and they all try to influence him to change his ways to what they see is right. Pretty soon, he does not want to deal with any of it and just wants to live a life of adventure and fun. The novel begins with Hu ck under the care of Widow Douglas as "she took me for her son, and allowed that she would civilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time." (p. 11) Huck has become so used to being free that he sees the Widow Douglas' protection solely in terms of confinement. He finds this impossible because he loses his freedom amongst "the bars and shackles of civilization." Huck feels that he belongs out under the stars where the community cannot tell him what to do. His drunken and often missing father has never paid much attention to him; his mother is dead and so, when the novel begins, Huck is not used to following any rules. At the beginning of the book, Huck is living with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Both women are fairly old and are really incapable of raising a rebellious boy like Huck Finn. They attempt to make Huck into what they believe will be a better boy, as Huck says, to "sivilize" him. They do this by making Huck go to school, teach ing him about different religions, and making him act in a way that the women find socially acceptable, which means no more smoking. Free Essays - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays Free Essay on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, describes a young boy torn between what he feels for his country and what society expects of him and what his heart tells him is right. Huck Finn, faces many situations forcing him to deal with decisions that carry with them the ability to bring about change. Huck begins searching for an identity which is truly his own. In determining his self image, Huck deals with conforming to the social norms and freedom, trying on different identities that do not belong to him, and shaping these new found tributes into an identity which best suits his conscience. Throughout the book, Huck rejects "sivilized" life because he has no reason for it. All that civilization has brought for him was bad things. He meets many people and they all try to influence him to change his ways to what they see is right. Pretty soon, he does not want to deal with any of it and just wants to live a life of adventure and fun. The novel begins with Hu ck under the care of Widow Douglas as "she took me for her son, and allowed that she would civilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time." (p. 11) Huck has become so used to being free that he sees the Widow Douglas' protection solely in terms of confinement. He finds this impossible because he loses his freedom amongst "the bars and shackles of civilization." Huck feels that he belongs out under the stars where the community cannot tell him what to do. His drunken and often missing father has never paid much attention to him; his mother is dead and so, when the novel begins, Huck is not used to following any rules. At the beginning of the book, Huck is living with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Both women are fairly old and are really incapable of raising a rebellious boy like Huck Finn. They attempt to make Huck into what they believe will be a better boy, as Huck says, to "sivilize" him. They do this by making Huck go to school, teach ing him about different religions, and making him act in a way that the women find socially acceptable, which means no more smoking.

History of English Literature :: Literature Language Plays Essays

History of English Literature I. INTRODUCTION English literature, literature written in English since c.1450 by the inhabitants of the British Isles; it was during the 15th cent. that the English language acquired much of its modern form. II. The Tudors and the Elizabethan Age The beginning of the Tudor dynasty coincided with the first dissemination of printed matter. William Caxton's press was established in 1476, only nine years before the beginning of Henry VII's reign. Caxton's achievement encouraged writing of all kinds and also influenced the standardization of the English language. The early Tudor period, particularly the reign of Henry VIII, was marked by a break with the Roman Catholic Church and a weakening of feudal ties, which brought about a vast increase in the power of the monarchy. Stronger political relationships with the Continent were also developed, increasing England's exposure to Renaissance culture. Humanism became the most important force in English literary and intellectual life, both in its narrow sense—the study and imitation of the Latin classics—and in its broad sense—the affirmation of the secular, in addition to the otherworldly, concerns of people. These forces produced during the reign (1558–1603) of Elizabeth I one of the most fruitful eras in literary history. The energy of England's writers matched that of its mariners and merchants. Accounts by men such as Richard Hakluyt, Samuel Purchas, and Sir Walter Raleigh were eagerly read. The activities and literature of the Elizabethans reflected a new nationalism, which expressed itself also in the works of chroniclers (John Stow, Raphael Holinshed, and others), historians, and translators and even in political and religious tracts. A myriad of new genres, themes, and ideas were incorporated into English literature. Italian poetic forms, especially the sonnet, became models for English poets. Sir Thomas Wyatt was the most successful sonneteer among early Tudor poets, and was, with Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, a seminal influence. Tottel's Miscellany (1557) was the first and most popular of many collections of experimental poetry by different, often anonymous, hands. A common goal of these poets was to make English as flexible a poetic instrument as Italian. Among the more prominent of this group were Thomas Churchyard, George Gascoigne, and Edward de Vere, earl of Oxford. An ambitious and influential work was A Mirror for Magistrates (1559), a historical verse narrative by several poets that updated the medieval view of history and the morals to be drawn from it. The poet who best synthesized the ideas and tendencies of the English Renaissance was Edmund Spenser.

His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the US Essay

Review by Howard Jordan, The City University of New York – Hostos Community College of book His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U. S. written by Emmy-award-winning journalist Geraldo Rivera. Rivera has truly emerged as a true warrior in defense of the Latino community and immigrant rights by dissecting and clarifying several myths that feed the anti-immigrant prejudice against the growing number of United States-born and foreign-born Latinos in our nation. One of the most obvious untrue assumptions surrounding immigrants is that Latinos are more prone to crime than their American counterparts. Rivera confronts the question of whether immigrants are committing crimes at higher rates than U. S. citizens. The debate started with a story about a drunk driver in Virginia Beach who killed two teenage girls in a terrible accident. The driver was an â€Å"illegal† Mexican. Rivera accusing Bill O’Reilly of making this same â€Å"cheap political point,† Rivera said, â€Å"[He] could have been a Jewish drunk, an Italian drunk, or an Irish drunk, would you still care? (p. 5). I believe this is the perfect example to showcase the constant double standard that exists when it comes to use Latinos as ‘scapegoats’ to take the blame for high rates of crimes or other issues. Statistics show that immigrants are no more prone to committing crimes than are the native-born. Another false rumor that causes anti-immigrant hostility is that Latino immigrants come here to take jobs from U. S. citizens. This statement cannot be further from the truth. With agreements like NAFTA, immigrants are not the ones to blame for stealing the jobs of American citizens. Conversely, the ones truly affected before any U. S. citizen is deprived of any opportunity are Mexicans because the jobs that NAFTA secures in the U. S. were jobs previously held by Mexican workers across the border. So, let’s take a moment to rethink who’s taking what from whom? In addition, Rivera cites several studies that show â€Å"Latino immigrants are not displacing American workers†¦ and rarely over-utilize social services†. Those criticizing must know that illegal immigrants are not entitled to receive any governmental assistance, because of their immigrant status. Going further Rivera has evidence in his book about â€Å"nonpartisan, non-ideological, scientific data [that] proves that immigrants contribute greatly to the America economy† (p. 169). Again this corrects the misinformation that immigrants are not a burdensome to the U. S. if not a huge contributing force of this nation whose rights are often violated. A further huge inaccurate detail Rivera addresses in his book is the assumption that immigrants use ‘anchor babies’ presumably to further the parents’ quest for citizenship. Anchor babies are children born of illegal immigrants to help their parents acquire citizenship status in the U. S. That cannot be further from the truth because under current law, an illegal immigrant parent seeking citizenship cannot use the fact that their child is a citizen, until that child reaches the age of twenty-one. However, immigrants are being wrongfully and constantly criminalized for intending to build and raise a family. In conclusion I believe that the United States has to stop using fear mongering to influence, manipulate the opinions and actions of its citizens with the goal of fueling anti-immigrant sentiment. This country was built by immigrants’ sweat and hard labor not just from Latin America, but from Europe and Africa. How can the U. S. carryon with not only taking their land, but also taking their pride, belittle them by inviting immigrants into this country and then deporting them as they conveniently desire when ‘those second class citizens are no longer useful’. I genuinely believe that American are in fear of Latinos. And they act they way they do to keep them at a margin, contain at a place where they are in need to settle and at often times take the poor jobs they get. It is embarrassing as a U. S. citizen that my own country carries this behavior. How can anyone be the cause of such horrible acts, of separating families due to technical issues and then praise to be the most powerful country in the world. The United States is the most powerful country in the world because our predecessors have gone out of their way to steal anything of value, not other communities’ ideas like Iroquois, or from the other developing countries of the world. The U. S must stop this way of politics and reach an agreement. An agreement where immigrants and workers are rewarded for their efforts, where we pay the price they are worth and earned for their hard work, that we restore what has been stolen, where the rich upper class get taxed according to the gross income they are earning. Where the jobs stolen are restored to Mexicans and Africans, restored for everything they have lost as a result of being brought here to build this country. This should be the land of opportunity, where everyone is equal at all levels and topics, not the land of exploiting the weak and enslaving them. Where is all this nonsense going to stop? I know is not that simple, to reverse the damage that has been done after so many years but we must start somewhere, perhaps by acknowledging the truth and not hiding the real facts behind the Latino scapegoat. People must be educated before taking a stand on what spot on the spectrum to be in. It is a very sensible topic that involves the lives of actual people, actual families. Thank you Geraldo Rivera for not forgetting about your roots, and using your position as a media figure to be an activist against the Latino immigrants.

Final Paper Essay

maneuver plenty is one of the biggest retailers there is out there, transport in an estimate of $74 one thousand zillion dollars a year in revenue. mass of commit revenue is earned during the busiest duration of the year, which are Black Friday and holi days. sign has had a huge positive reputation because of the bide more(prenominal) Pay Less yell and giving 5% back to the community. How ever so, intent has been leaving through or so heavy times because of the Tar initiate desecrate that occurred during the holidays of 2013.This investigate paper will commission low on introducing the maneuver come a dismantle and how it has moved(p) the c everyer-up and what the troupe has done to build the task. Moving forward, I will focus on in pass watered regards that calculate could nominate utilise and summarizing everything towards the end. stain Breach & inside Controls mug Corporation is a comfortably kn cause and respected retail inventory out there . pit is a jackpot that buys goods from manuf exploitures at a purchase force out price and reselling it to consumers in a high price to make a profit. Target has brought in revenue of $74 million dollars a year and continues to grow every year.However, Target has gone through some voiceless times with the Target breakage that comely occurred during the holidays of 2013. Consumers deplete had a hard time trusting their phone bill of fare readers and committal and gross gross sales make believe been dropping ever since. The question that is now in the give vent is what internal curbs that comp any had during this faulting and what could they have done to vacate this breach that just occurred. To begin with, the high society was running absolutely and driving outstanding sales until the telephoner and guest found out that they had a breach, withal known to the community as the Target Breach.Target corporation sustain that a major entropy breach occurred between Black Friday and December 15, 2013, which includes some(prenominal) of the most important obtain days of the year (Edelson, 2013). Ever since the Target breach, the confederacys reputation was hurt, consumers were not convinced(p) about shopping, and are afraid of victimisation the card readers at the stores. Later in time, after the breach was proclaimed, the company had granted further breeding on how the breach affected the people.It is believed that the breach affected slightly 40,000 card devices at store registers, which could inculpate that millions of cardholders could be vulnerable, according to the people known with the incident (Sidel, 2013). On top of the 40,000 card devices being affected, 40 million peoples credit card and debit entry card information was stolen. The CEO of Target Corporation later released to the press and announced that psycheal information such as address, names, phone numbers, and e-mail address were also taken from the Target establ ishment.After indicant about the Target breach, being an garter manager for Target, and hearing about the tragical that has been caused, I remember feeling turnover because of the way the company was going to be affected. However, it also reminded of the internal control impression that was thought in class. There was a lot of fraud winding with the Target breach, which is something that occurs when it comes to intern control. craft refers to any act by the wariness or employees of personal line of credit involving an internal deception for personal gain.Fraud may include, among other acts, embezzlement of short letter cash, theft of assets, filing false damages claims, filing false health claims, and monetary statement fraud (Ferris, Wallace, Christensen, 2014, pg. 314). With the Target breach, you are able to attend to the fraud triangle concepts, which consist of pres undisputable, opportunity, and rationalization. organism employed by Target, that concept came into mine when reading the article because there was an e-mail sent to management about believing that an employee that worked with the POS (point on sale) system had a lot of inside information within the system.The pressure was there to get information from the POS system and rationalization was involved when they knew that they can get credit card information. The opportunity occurred when they knew the busiest time of the year was going to be Black Friday and majority of the sales are driven in that day. From all that has occurred it is not neat what internal controls Target had in enjoin to overturn this situation. privileged controls are important when it comes to businesses in send to avoid situation like the Target breach.There are two split that I believe that important when it comes to internal controls, which are embarrassion control and sensing control. A prevention control is think to deter a problem or fraud before it can climb (Ferris, Wallace, Christensen, 201 4, pg. 316). Target should have get marrieded the prevention control with the POS system in revisal to avoid the Target breach. A detection control, on the other hand, is designed to discover any problems or fraud shortly it arises (Ferris, Wallace, Christensen, 2014, pg. 316).Target followed the detection control after the problem of the breach was brought and took justice in their own hands in methodicalness to amaze the problem. The first thing Target did was localize a prominent message on its Web site, Important notice unaccredited access to payment card data in the U. S. stores. The message linked to a letter alerting customers that a breach occurred and outlining steps Target is taking to a voice a recurrence (Edelson, 2013). some other step that Target has taken is speech justice for the information was that was stolen out of their systems.Target had invested $5 million dollars into a multi-year iron in order to stop phishing scams (Target, 2013). Target has massi vestanding history of commitment to our communities, and cyber gage is one of the most pressing issues face up consumers today, said Steinhafel. We are proud to be working with three trusted organizations-the content Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), National Cyber surety Alliance (NCSA) and Better Business berth (BBB)- to advance public education most cyber security (Target, 2013).Target has gone to long measures to protect the information of the guest and insure loyalty by offering ProtectMyID, which keeps drop behind of credit reports, monitoring, and identity theft (Target, 2013). As an apology to the guest, Target offered a 10% off discount to all guests which were a huge success for the company hardly numbers of transactions was cash paid. Being an employee for Target, we are still determine to follow our core roles, continue delivering the Expect More Pay Less promise, and delivering an excellent shopping experience for our guest in order to continue dri ving profitable sales and guest loyalty.In order to avoid this situation and detect the problem frontward of time, Target should have incorporated the pastime elements that are designed for prevention and detection controls. The first element is establish clear lines of authority and responsibility, which is giving authority to a supervisor or manager save also evaluation their consequently to companies policies and rules. put through segregation of duties, requires that when allocating various duties within the explanation system, management should make sure that no employee is assigned too many antithetic responsibilities (Ferris, Wallace, Christensen, 2014, pg.317). Hire competent personnel, which the company guarantees if that person has the education and qualified skills to perform that job. affair control number on all business documents, which is having all important documents with control numbers. Develop plans and figures, which is having a plan and budget in order to bring the company forward. For example, the $5 million dollars that were invested in the anti fraud software in order to bring guest loyalty back. keep back adequate account records, which is making sure that the company has the most recent accounting records.For example, the number of fraud claims that were reported down the stairs guest bank statements in order to reinvers their money back. Provide physical and electronic controls, is locking their doors or important files to prevent theft, which should have happened with the POS system. Conduct internal audit, is a company function that provided independent appraisals of the companys financial statement, its internal control, and its trading operations (Ferris, Wallace, Christensen, 2014, pg. 319).In conclusion, we are able to see how the company was impacted from the breach that had occurred and the actions that the company has taken in order to fix the problem. People information had been stolen and finances have been ta mpered through it. We are able to see how internal controls play an important part when it comes to finances, accounting, and to businesses such as Target. If the proper elements and procedures had been applied with internal control I am sure that all of this could have been avoided or reduced.

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8

EllaI realize I have more issues than I thought. As soon as we turn onto the Back Road, a passion combusts inside me. It only flames hotter when we pull up to The Hitch, an old abandoned restaurant stationed at the end of the road.Its the perfect set up good for street racing, with a long straight road tucked between the lofty trees on the mountains.We still should talk Ella! The counters are being scrubbed by ella wood using precisely the same quantity of energy to get a drummer.He pulls the car to the side, maneuvering carefully across the pot holes. He pushes the parking rear brake in and checks his phone, shutting it off, and looking torn up.â€Å"Whats wrong?† I ask. â€Å"You look upset?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nothings wrong.Umm Caroline needs you to receive ready.

Itll ruin your whole Im-neutral-and-dont-give-a-shit act.†I opt to remain impartial. â€Å"Who are you planning to race tonight?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You mean who are we racing?† He smiles alluringly through the full dark cab of the car. â€Å"Well, I thought Id leave that up to you.Ethan slaps the rear of my mind.† I rub my broad forehead with the back of my hand. â€Å"Does he still got that piece of crap 6 cylinder in his Camaro?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, he does.† Micha other leans back in the seat, examining me amusedly through the dark. â€Å"You think thats who I should go for?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Its the obvious choice.No suspects are arrested.

†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You think I should take on special someone in my own league?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"If you want the win to mean anything, then yeah.†We look at each other, like magnets begging to last get closer. Yet flip one the wrong direction and they will push apart.â€Å"So which one is it, pretty girl?† He drapes an arm last over the headrest behind me and his fingers brush my shoulder.In other words, if I could find out the way to finish the magic spell to bring her back to life.â€Å"Micha, I think we should go back.† I put my seatbelt back on. â€Å"This isnt my thing anymore.†He small presses his lips together firmly.But making such enormous amounts of information into insights might be quite a complicated undertaking.

Was it bad news on that full text you got?†He traces the figure eight tattoo on his forearm. â€Å"Do you remember when I got this?†I absentmindedly touch my lower back. â€Å"How could I forget, since I have the same one on my back?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do you remember why we got them?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I cant remember anything about that night.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Exactly, yet youll remember it forever."Micha is an intriguing title.â€Å"Do you want to much talk about it?†He shakes his head, still focused on the tattoo. â€Å"Nah, Im good.†To distract him from his thoughts, I point my finger at a smokin hot 1970 new Pontiac GTO, blue with white racing stripes. â€Å"What about Benny? Does he still have the 455?†Michas eyes are pools of black liquid.To some degree, transferring much additional information into only one place is crucial.

Im not racing unless youre in the car with me. Its tradition.†A starvation inside me emerges. â€Å"Alright, Ill free ride with you, just as long as you do one thing for me?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Say it and its yours,† he says without blinking.Not worth while youre still coherent, anyhow.His face is indecipherable, his breathing fierce, his gaze relentless. â€Å"Okay, then. Lets go win us a race.†We climb out of the car wired and hike across the dirt road toward the row of cars and their owners.Since you dont need to.

†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Well, what do we have here?† Mikey, the owner of the Camaro, strides up to us. Hes got black hair, a kink in his nose, and his thick neck is enclosed with a barb-wire tattoo. â€Å"Is the infamous famous duo back again to get their asses kicked?†I roll my eyes. â€Å"You beat us once and that was by default due to a flat tire.It doesnt mean anything to anybody who matters.†Micha squeezes my shoulder, trying to keep me calm. â€Å"So whos up first? Or has no one decided yet.†Mikey eyes Michas Chevelle and theres a nervous look in his eyes. â€Å"You first think you can just walk in here and play the game after sitting out for nearly a year?†I mouth to Micha, a year?Micha shrugs."Yeah, but it was not a huge thing.

†Mikeys laughter echoes the night. â€Å"You and what army?†I point at Michas Chevelle parked near the road. â€Å"That army right there.†Mikey shakes longer his head and shoos us away.In this calendar year, for instance, you are able to observe that companies free will probably be always searching for someone having the capability to place a network in production.â€Å"As opposed to yours?† I retort, getting into Mikeys face. â€Å"Because that things all looks and no go.†Micha directs me back by the shoulders and a trace of amusement laces his voice. â€Å"Easy there, tiger.Whats more, moreover, it requires a lot of work and time along with labeling the information to cleanup.

Mikey points a finger sharply at me. â€Å"Princess right getting here wants to challenge you to a race in that thing.†Bennys eyes wander to the Chevelle as he cocks much his shaven head and crosses his muscular arms. â€Å"Micha, isnt that your car?†Micha pats my back and winks at me.There were not any military secrets with me.In fact, it might be kinda nice to have a challenge for a change.† Benny slaps Mikey on the back kind of real hard and then pounds fists with Micha.â€Å"Thanks man,† Micha says with a respective nod. â€Å"Are you and I going to line up first then?†Benny bobs his head up and down, nodding as he stares at the road pensively.Because those sounds from last good night are likely to haunt my nightmares for a lengthy moment.

â€Å"Because beating him wont be easy.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Youre my plan.† He opens the passenger next door for me. â€Å"With you in the car, theres no way I wont win, otherwise youll never let me live it down.Probably other people today are beginning to think things.† He slides across the front of the hood and climbs into the drivers seat.â€Å"Youre such a show off,† I remark.He starts up the engine and it thunders to life. â€Å"Thats like the pot calling the kettle black.Her mother was like that lots of occasions.

You were standing on the roof with a snowboard strapped to your feet, telling everyone you could make the jump. I think thats pretty close to showing off.†I make an innocent face. â€Å"But I did make the jump, didnt I?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, but not without breaking apply your arm,† he says.You might need to understand that maybe she does not wish to go captured.â€Å"I was there because I wanted to be.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You missed a first performance because of me.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I dont care – never have.†My gaze involuntarily flicks to his lips."Alright, youre in need of a workout.

He shoots me a smug look, cocking an eyebrow. â€Å"Now thats showing off.†Shaking my head, I restrain a grin. Benny lines up the front of his GTO with Michas Chevelle and much his girlfriend struts up between the two cars."I didnt need to think about anymore.â€Å"When did they get here?†Micha ignores me, eyeing Benny through his rolled down window. â€Å"To the baseline logical and back?†Bennys arm is resting casually on top of the steering wheel. â€Å"Yeah, man. First one back wins.Im convinced you dont have to hear it.

Go!† Her hands young shoot down and screeches cut the air. A trail of dust engulfs us as we race off. The trees on the side of the road are a blur, and the sky is one big streak of stars. I keep silent as Micha shifts the car over and over again, but something inside me awakens from a very deep sleep.Micha has a thing for flipping the car around, without decreasing the acceleration. Its scary as hell, but it works every time. Besides with the longer body of Bennys GTO it doesnt have quite the turning power.We reach the end and I should probably be nervous.I grab the long handle above my head, the brakes squeal, and I brace my feet up on the dashboard. Its like being on a merry-go-round on crack. Everything spins – the trees, the sky, Micha. For a second, I shut my eyes and it feels such like Im flying.By the time were speeding up the road again, hes a small distance behind us. Micha punches the gas and major shifts the car into a higher gear.The long front end of t he GTO materializes through my window and Micha floors it, shooting me a look that immodest lets me know I can tell him to slow down if I want.I dont.

Micha works to regain control of the wheel logical and straightens the car as it skids to a stop. Everything settles and the dust slowly clears. Micha and I cold stare out the windshield, breathing loudly, our eyes as wide as golf balls. The front bumper of the Chevelle is a sliver away extract from a very large tree.Im an adrenaline junkie. Plain and simple, but I think its how Ive been all along. I just never admitted.Im no longer in control.His hand comes up behind my head and he entices my lips back to his.Something snaps inside me, like a rubber band. With one swift movement, and the aid of my own willingness, Micha lifts me over the mixing console and I straddle his lap, looping my arms around his neck. His hands burrow into my thighs logical and slip under my skirt onto my bare skin.â€Å"Stay here, baby,† he whispers, like he can read my thoughts. â€Å"Trust me, okay? Dont run.†He busy waits for me to nod and then crashes his lips into mine, keeping his h ands under my skirt. I arch my body into him, pressing my chest against his, and my nipples tingle.

It sends a shock through my body and my legs uncontrollably tighten around him, my knees pressing into his sides.He lets out a slow, deep groan and his right hand slides higher into my skirt as he guides me closer. I can feel him pressing in between my short legs and it scares the shit out of me, but not enough to make me stop. Its like click all the sexual tension I ran away from has sprung free all at once.â€Å"Are you two having fun in there?†I jump back and my cheeks start to heat at the sight of Ethan and Lila staring at us through the window. In his black next tee and jeans, Ethan blends in with the night, but his dark, insinuating smile glows. Lilas eyes are magnified and how her jaw is hanging open. Micha does nothing to help the situation.â€Å"So who won the race?† I ask, smoothing the last of the wrinkles out of my skirt.Ethan smirks at me. â€Å"Is that what youre really thinking about at the moment?†I stare at him blankly. â€Å"What else wou ld I be thinking about?†Micha climbs out of the car, stretching his long legs.†Micha interlaces our fingers. â€Å"So the same old, same old.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You know how these things go.† Ethan pats Michas shoulder sympathetically.

I cant crush him. I need to repaint the lines somehow.â€Å"We should just leave,† Micha says to me. â€Å"Lets not even give how them the benefit of our argument.†I let out a shaky breath and nod. â€Å"That sounds good to me.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You want to meet up at the house?† he asks Ethan. â€Å"Im sure were going to have to do some tuning up on The Beast after what I just did.†Lila laughs. â€Å"Oh, I get it. Although, I like my name better.†Micha traces his thumb along the palm of my hand.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Youve spent time with me every day for the last eight months,† part she replies. â€Å"I think were good for a few hours.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ill take care of her.† Ethan chucks the empty bottle of soda across the parking lot and it lands in the back of his truck.