Spirit Bound Chapter Twenty-Six

MAYBE IT WAS SOMEONE'S SICK sense of humor, but I ended up in Dimitri's now-vacated cell. I had come quietly after that guardian laid the charges before me. In fact, I'd become comatose because too much of what he'd said was impossible to process. I couldn't even really get to the part about me. I couldn't feel outrage or indignation over the accusation because I was still stuck on the part about Tatiana being dead. Not just dead. Murdered. Murdered? How had that happened? How had that happened around here? This Court was one of the most secure places in the world, and Tatiana in particular was always guarded–by the same group that had descended on Dimitri and me so quickly. Unless she'd left Court–and I was pretty sure she hadn't–no Strigoi could have killed her. With the constant threats we faced, murder among dhampirs and Moroi was almost unheard of. Sure, it happened. It was inevitable in any society, but with the way ours was hunted, we rarely had time to turn on each other (shouting in Council meetings aside). That was part of why Victor had been so condemned. His crimes were about as bad as things got. Until now. Once I got past the impossible idea of Tatiana being dead, I was able to ask the real question: Why me? Why were they accusing me? I was no lawyer, but I was pretty sure calling someone a sanctimonious bitch was not hard evidence in a trial. I tried getting more details from the guards outside my cell, but they remained hard-faced and silent. After making my voice hoarse from shouting, I slumped onto the bed and went to Lissa's mind, where I was certain I'd get more information. Lissa was frantic, trying to get answers from anyone she could. Christian was still with her, and they stood inside the foyer of one of the administrative buildings, which was filled with a flurry of activity. Dhampirs and Moroi alike ran everywhere, some frightened of this new government instability and others hoping to take advantage of it. Lissa and Christian stood in the midst of it all, like leaves swept along in a storm's fury. While Lissa was now technically an adult, she had still always been under the wing of some older person at Court–usually Priscilla Voda, and occasionally even Tatiana. Neither of them was available now, for obvious reasons. While many royals respected her, Lissa had no real source to turn to. Seeing her agitation, Christian clasped her hand. â€Å"Aunt Tasha will know what's going on,† he said. â€Å"She'll turn up sooner or later. You know she won't let anything happen to Rose.† Lissa knew there was a bit of uncertainty in that statement but didn't mention it. Tasha might not want anything to happen to me, but she certainly wasn't all-powerful. â€Å"Lissa!† Adrian's voice caused both Lissa and Christian to turn around. Adrian had just entered, along with his mother. Adrian looked as though he had literally gone straight from my bedroom to here. He wore yesterday's clothes, slightly rumpled, and his hair was styled with none of his usual care. By comparison, Daniella looked polished and put together, the perfect picture of a businesswoman who hadn't lost her femininity. At last! Here were people who might have answers. Lissa rushed over to them gratefully. â€Å"Thank God,† Lissa said. â€Å"No one will tell us what's happened†¦ except that the queen is dead and Rose is locked up.† Lissa looked up at Daniella's face pleadingly. â€Å"Tell me there's been some kind of mistake.† Daniella patted Lissa's shoulder and gave as comforting a look as she could manage, given the circumstances. â€Å"I'm afraid not. Tatiana was killed last night, and Rose is their main suspect.† â€Å"But she would never have done that!† exclaimed Lissa. Christian joined her in righteous fury. â€Å"Her yelling at the Council that day isn't enough to convict her for murder.† Ah, Christian and I had the same line of reasoning. It was almost scary. â€Å"Neither is crashing the Death Watch.† â€Å"You're right. It's not enough,† agreed Daniella. â€Å"But it doesn't make her look good either. And apparently, they have other evidence they say proves her guilt.† â€Å"What kind of evidence?† Lissa demanded. Daniella turned apologetic. â€Å"I don't know. That's still part of the investigation. They'll have a hearing to present the evidence and question her whereabouts, possible motives†¦ that kind of thing.† She glanced around at the people rushing by. â€Å"If they even get that far. This kind of thing†¦ it hasn't happened in ages. The Council gains absolute control until a new monarch is elected, but there's still going to be chaos. People are afraid. I won't be surprised if the Court goes under martial law.† Christian turned to Lissa, hope on his face. â€Å"Did you see Rose last night? Was she with you?† Lissa frowned. â€Å"No. I think she was in her room. The last time I saw her was the day before yesterday.† Daniella didn't look happy about that. â€Å"That's not going to help. If she was alone, then she has no alibi.† â€Å"She wasn't alone.† Three sets of eyes turned in Adrian's direction. It was the first time he'd spoken since first calling to Lissa. Lissa hadn't focused on him too much yet, meaning I hadn't either. She'd only observed his superficial appearance when he arrived, but now she could see the little details. Worry and distress had left their marks, making him look older than he was. When she tuned in to his aura, she saw the usual gold of a spirit user, but it and its other colors were muddied and tinged with darkness. There was a flickering there too, a warning of spirit's instability taking hold. This had all come about too quickly for him to react, but I suspected he'd hit the cigarettes and liquor as soon as he had a free moment. It was how Adrian coped with this sort of thing. â€Å"What are you saying?† Daniella asked sharply. Adrian shrugged. â€Å"She wasn't alone. I was with her all night.† Lissa and Christian did a good job of maintaining neutral expressions, but Daniella's face registered the shock that any parent would have upon hearing about her child's sex life. Adrian noticed her reaction as well. â€Å"Save it,† he warned. â€Å"Your morals, your opinions†¦ none of it matters right now.† He gestured toward a group of panicked people running by, screaming about how Victor Dashkov must have surely come to Court to kill them all. Adrian shook his head and turned back to his mother. â€Å"I was with Rose. That proves she didn't do it. We'll deal with your motherly disapproval about my love life later.† â€Å"That's not what worries me! If they do have hard evidence and you get mixed up in this, you could be under suspicion too.† The composure Daniella had entered with was beginning to crack. â€Å"She was my aunt,† cried Adrian incredulously. â€Å"Why on earth would Rose and I kill her?† â€Å"Because she disapproved of you dating. And because Rose was upset over the age ruling.† This came from Christian. Lissa glared, but he merely shrugged. â€Å"What? I'm just stating the obvious. Someone else would if I didn't. And we all heard the stories–people have been making up things that are extreme even for Rose.† A strong comment indeed. â€Å"When?† asked Daniella, clutching Adrian's sleeve. â€Å"When were you with Rose? When did you get there?† â€Å"I don't know. I don't remember,† he said. She tightened her grip. â€Å"Adrian! Take this seriously. This is going to make a huge difference on how things proceed. If you got there before Tatiana was killed, then you won't be tied to it. If you were with Rose afterward–â€Å" â€Å"Then she has an alibi,† he interrupted. â€Å"And there's no problem.† â€Å"I hope that's true,† murmured Daniella. Her eyes didn't seem focused on my friends anymore. The wheels in her head were spinning, her thoughts jumping ahead as she tried to think how best to protect her son. I had been an unfortunate case for her. He was, understandably, a red-alert emergency for her. â€Å"We're still going to have to get you a lawyer. I'll talk to Damon. I have to find him before the hearing tonight. And Rufus will have to know about this too. Damn.† Adrian arched an eyebrow at that. I had the impression Lady Ivashkov didn't swear very often. â€Å"We have to find out what time you were there.† Adrian still wore his distress around him like a cloak and looked as though he might fall over if he didn't get nicotine or alcohol soon. I hated to see him like that, particularly over me. There was strength within him, no question, but his nature–and the sketchy effects of spirit–made coping with this hard. Yet, through his agitation, he managed to pull up a memory to help his frantic mother. â€Å"There was someone in the building lobby when I came in†¦ a janitor or something, I think. No one at the front desk, though.† Most buildings usually kept a staff member around for emergencies or concierge services. Daniella's face lit up. â€Å"That's it. That's what we'll need. Damon will find out the time you were there so that we can get you free and clear of this.† â€Å"And so he can defend me if things turn bad?† â€Å"Of course,† she answered swiftly. â€Å"What about Rose?† â€Å"What about her?† Adrian still looked ready to fall apart, but there was seriousness and focus in his green eyes. â€Å"If you find out Aunt Tatiana was killed before I was there, and Rose is thrown to the wolves alone, will Damon be her lawyer?† His mother faltered. â€Å"Oh, well, darling†¦ Damon doesn't really do that sort of thing†¦.† â€Å"He will if you ask him to,† said Adrian sternly. â€Å"Adrian,† she said wearily, â€Å"you don't know what you're talking about. They say the evidence against her is bad. If our family's shown supporting–â€Å" â€Å"It's not like we're supporting murder! You met Rose. You liked her. Can you look me in the eye and say it's okay for her to go in with whatever half-assed defense they dredge up for her? Can you?† Daniella blanched, and I swear, she actually cringed away. I don't think she was used to such fierce resoluteness from her devil-may-care son. And though his words were perfectly sane, there was kind of a crazy desperation in his voice and attitude that was a little scary. Whether that was caused by spirit or just his own emotion, I couldn't say. â€Å"I†¦ I'll speak to Damon,† Daniella said at last. She'd had to swallow a few times before actually getting the words out. Adrian let out a deep breath and some of that fury went with it. â€Å"Thank you.† She scurried away, melting into the crowd and leaving Adrian alone with Christian and Lissa. The two of them looked only a little less stunned than Daniella had. â€Å"Damon Tarus?† Lissa guessed. Adrian nodded. â€Å"Who's that?† asked Christian. â€Å"My mom's cousin,† said Adrian. â€Å"The family lawyer. A real shark. Kind of sleazy too, but he can pretty much get anyone out of anything.† â€Å"That's something, I suppose,† mused Christian. â€Å"But is he good enough to fight this so-called hard evidence?† â€Å"I don't know. I really don't know.† Adrian absentmindedly reached for his pocket, the usual cigarette spot, but he had none today. He sighed. â€Å"I don't know what their evidence is or how Aunt Tatiana even died. All I heard was that they found her dead this morning.† Lissa and Christian exchanged grimaces. Christian shrugged, and Lissa turned back to Adrian, taking on the role of messenger. â€Å"A stake,† said Lissa. â€Å"They found her in bed with a silver stake through her heart.† Adrian said nothing, and his expression didn't really change. It occurred to Lissa that in all this talk about innocence, evidence, and lawyers, everyone had kind of overlooked the fact that Tatiana had been Adrian's great-aunt. He hadn't approved of some of her decisions and had made plenty of jokes about her behind her back. But she was still his family, someone he'd known his entire life. He had to be feeling the pain of her death on top of everything else. Even I felt a little conflicted. I hated her for what she'd done to me, but I'd never wanted her dead. And I couldn't help but remember that she'd occasionally spoken to me like I was a real person. Maybe it had been faked, but I was pretty sure she'd been sincere the night she'd stopped by the Ivashkovs'. She'd been weary and thoughtful, mostly just concerned about bringing peace to her people. Lissa watched Adrian go, sympathy and sorrow flooding through her. Christian gently tapped her arm. â€Å"Come on,† he said. â€Å"We've found out what we needed to know. We're just in the way here.† Feeling helpless, Lissa let him lead her outside, dodging more panicked crowds. The orange of a low sun gave every leaf and tree a golden, warm feel. There had been a lot of people out when we returned from the warehouse with Dimitri, but it was nothing compared to this. People were buzzing with fear, hurrying to pass the news. Some were already in mourning, clad in black, with tears on their faces. I wondered how much of that was real. Even in the midst of tragedy and crime, royals would be scrambling for power. And each time she heard my name, Lissa would grow more and more angry. It was the bad anger too, the kind that felt like black smoke in our bond and often made her lash out. It was spirit's curse. â€Å"I can't believe this!† she exclaimed to Christian. I noticed, even if she didn't, that he was hurriedly taking her somewhere where there weren't people. â€Å"How could anyone think that about Rose? It's a set up. It has to be.† â€Å"I know, I know,† he said. He knew spirit's danger signs too and was trying to calm her down. They'd reached a small, grassy area in the shade of a large hazelnut tree and settled onto the ground. â€Å"We know she didn't do it. That's all there is to it. We'll prove it. She can't be punished for something she didn't do.† â€Å"You don't know this group,† grumbled Lissa. â€Å"If someone's out to get her, they can make all sorts of things possible.† With only the faintest awareness, I drew a little of that darkness from her into me, trying to calm her down. Unfortunately, it just made me angrier. Christian laughed. â€Å"You forget. I grew up around this group. I went to school with this group's kids. I know them–but we're not panicking until we know more, okay?† Lissa exhaled, feeling much better. I was going to take too much darkness if I wasn't careful. She gave Christian a small, tentative smile. â€Å"I don't remember you being this reasonable before.† â€Å"It's because everyone has different definitions of ‘reasonable. ‘ Mine's just misunderstood, that's all.† His voice was lofty. â€Å"I think you must be misunderstood a lot,† she laughed. His eyes held hers, and the smile on his face transformed into something warmer and softer. â€Å"Well, I hope this isn't misunderstood. Otherwise, I might get punched.† Leaning over, he brought his lips to hers. Lissa responded with no hesitation or thought whatsoever, losing herself in the sweetness of the kiss. Unfortunately, I was swept along with it. When they pulled away, Lissa felt her heart rate increase and her cheeks flush. â€Å"What exactly was that the definition of?† she asked, reliving how his mouth had felt. â€Å"It means ‘I'm sorry,'† he said. She looked away and nervously plucked at some of the grass. Finally, with a sigh, she looked back up. â€Å"Christian†¦ was there ever†¦ was there ever anything between you and Jill? Or Mia?† He stared in surprise. â€Å"What? How could you think that?† â€Å"You spent so much time with them.† â€Å"There is only one person I have ever wanted,† he said. The steadiness of his gaze, of those crystal blue eyes, left no question as to who that person was. â€Å"No one else has ever come close. In spite of everything, even with Avery–â€Å" â€Å"Christian, I'm so sorry for that–â€Å" â€Å"You don't have to–â€Å" â€Å"I do–â€Å" â€Å"Damn it,† he said. â€Å"Will you let me finish a sent–â€Å" â€Å"No,† Lissa interrupted. And she leaned over and kissed him, a hard and powerful kiss that burned through her body, one that told her there was no one else in the world for her either. Well. Apparently Tasha had been right: I was the only one who could bring them back together. I just somehow hadn't expected my arrest to play a role. I pulled away from her head to give them some privacy and save myself from watching them make out. I didn't begrudge them their moment. There was nothing either could do for me right now, and they deserved their reunion. Their only course of action was to wait for more information, and really, their method of passing time was a lot healthier than whatever Adrian was probably doing. I lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. There was nothing but plain metal and neutral colors around me. It drove me crazy. I had nothing to watch, nothing to read. I felt like an animal trapped in a cage. The room seemed to grow smaller and smaller. All I could do was replay what I'd learned via Lissa, analyzing every word of what had been said. I had questions about everything, of course, but the one thing that stuck with me was Daniella mentioning a hearing. I needed to know more about that. I got my answer–hours later. I'd fallen into sort of a numb haze by then and almost didn't recognize Mikhail standing in front of my cell door. I leapt from my bed to the bars and saw that he was unlocking the door. Hope surged through me. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. â€Å"Are they letting me go?† â€Å"I'm afraid not,† he said. His point was proven when, after opening the door, he promptly put my hands in cuffs. I didn't fight it. â€Å"I'm here to take you to your hearing.† Stepping into the hall, I saw other guardians gathered. My own security detail. A mirror of Dimitri's. Lovely. Mikhail and I walked together, and mercifully, he spoke along the way instead of maintaining that awful silence that seemed to be common treatment for prisoners. â€Å"What's the hearing exactly? A trial?† â€Å"No, no. Too soon for a trial. A hearing decides whether you're going to trial.† â€Å"That sounds kind of like a waste of time,† I pointed out. We emerged from the guardians' building, and that fresh, damp air was the sweetest thing I'd ever tasted. â€Å"It's a bigger waste of time if you go to a full-fledged trial, and they realize there was no case to stand on. At the hearing, they'll lay out all the evidence they have, and a judge–or, well, someone acting as a judge–will decide if you should have a trial. The trial makes it official. That's where they pass the verdict and dole out the punishment.† â€Å"Why'd they take so long for the hearing? Why'd they make me wait in that cell all day?† He laughed, but not because he thought it was funny. â€Å"This is fast, Rose. Very fast. It can take days or weeks to get a hearing, and if you do go to trial, you'll stay locked up until then.† I swallowed. â€Å"Will they move fast on that too?† â€Å"I don't know. No monarch's been murdered in almost a hundred years. People are running wild, and the Council wants to establish order. They're already making huge plans for the queen's funeral–a giant spectacle that'll distract everyone. Your hearing is also an attempt to establish order.† â€Å"What? How?† â€Å"The sooner they convict the murderer, the safer everyone will feel. They think this case against you is so solid, they want to rush it through. They want you to be guilty. They want to bury her knowing her killer is moving toward justice, so that everyone can sleep easy when the new king or queen is elected.† â€Å"But I didn't–† I let my denial go. There was no point. Ahead of us, the building that housed the courtroom loomed. It had seemed forbidding the first time I'd been here for Victor's trial, but that had been owing to fear of the memories he sparked in me. Now†¦ now it was my own future on the line. And apparently not just my own future–the Moroi world was watching and waiting, hoping I was a villain who could be safely put away forever. Swallowing, I gave Mikhail a nervous look. â€Å"Do you think†¦ do you think they'll send me to trial?† He didn't answer. One of the guards held the door open for us. â€Å"Mikhail?† I urged. â€Å"Will they really put me on trial for murder?† â€Å"Yes,† he said sympathetically. â€Å"I'm pretty sure they will.†

Across Five Aprils

In the book Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt, is set in the 1800’s during the civil war between the Union, the northern parts of America, and the confederation, the southern parts of America. The story sets off on a farm in southern Illinois, where Jethro and his mother, Ellen Creighton, live with his 8 siblings. As the war escalates, Jethro’s older brothers and his teacher go to help the war effort. Most of his brothers join the Union but Bill, his favorite brother, goes to join the Confederation. As the story progresses each of the brothers send mails to the family describing how to warfront is doing, which was contrary to how the newspapers described the warfront. After every victory and every loss, the public opinion about the war and the Generals change from the slightest bit of news they hear. In the early stages of the war, Ulysses S. Grant early victories for the Union at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. The family celebrates the victory, knowing nothing of how terrible the battles truly were. After General Grant’s victories, people start to doubt and compare General McClellan, who was once featured in the newspaper in the north as being a â€Å"Brilliant† General. Later on in the war, the Union forces suffer great losses and General Grant is harshly criticized by the press, who is later praised by the press and the people after the Battle of Gettysburg. This shows how easily influenced people are. They harshly criticize or overly glorify after every battle and change their opinions about the Generals. Jethro shows his distrust to the press and other people’s opinions when he is asked if he is going against General Grant. He replies by saying â€Å"No, I ain’t. Things went against him-â€Å"(Ch6 pg. 100). As the war is raging throughout the land, Jethros family receives letters from his brothers. In those letters they describe the terrors of war but try to moderate how much they put in the letter to not make the family worry. Jethro watches as people are overjoyed by the victories and angry about losses. Jethro realizes that there is great contrast between the victories described by his brothers and the victories described in the newspapers. At the near end of the war, Jethro watches as the same people who criticized grant and the Union, cheer and say that â€Å"I told you so – old Unconditional Surrender Grant is the man who will win the war. †(Ch10 pg. 168). This demonstrates how easily people are swayed and how easily they are able change their opinions.

Critical Care Nurses (Aacn) Mission Statement Essay

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

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Tanning Salons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Children's Literature - The Owl Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Children's Literature - The Owl Service - Essay Example Gardner’s story continues the legend into the modern era. Alison and her family along with Gwyn and his family are caught together in a generational re-enactment of the story that typically ends in disaster thanks to the magic of the valley in which they live. The story’s relationship with the legend can be traced within the language and structure of the individual scenes such as the one found at the beginning of Chapter 20 in which Gwyn attempts to convince Alison to run away with him. The passage in question begins with the changes in the atmosphere around the house. This atmosphere introduces the building tension of the legendary story and the conflict between ‘Lleu’, who is symbolically represented, and Gwyn for Alison’s affections. The oppressive atmosphere is suggested on a physical level first, opening with the knowledge that â€Å"the weather changed overnight. A wind came, dragging clouds along the mountains.† This oppressiveness is brought down to the human level by Nancy, who â€Å"went about in silence and did her work with a perfection that made the house unbearable† yet Alison is afraid to leave it for fear her mother may see her leaving her appointed place. This mother is an unseen presence in the seen, just as she is in the story, yet she is always watching, always aware of what is going on, â€Å"Mummy saw us up the mountain. She was watching through binoculars. She was waiting for me.† This ever-present, al l-seeing eye introduces the concept of being watched over by less-than-sympathetic supernatural eye without moving outside of the realm of the natural and the normal. This is what Jackson suggests is the heart of the menippean fantasy. â€Å"It does not invent supernatural regions, but presents a natural world inverted into something strange, something ‘other’. It becomes ‘domesticated’, humanized, turning from transcendental explorations to transcriptions of a human condition† (Jackson 1981: 17).

How might the use of an approach such as Storyline promote learners' Essay

How might the use of an approach such as Storyline promote learners' creative potential - Essay Example According to Starko (2005: 39), even though a teacher gives a starting point, storylines motivate learners to improvise, create, or modify the original form. Children view and understand the world in a different way that adults do. Children’s emotional and imaginative potentials are much more enhanced than their logical or rational abilities (Kelner, 1993:52). While adults depend on knowledge and logic, children exercise creativity and play to discover and make sense of their world (Wagner, 1988:30). In this case, it is justifiable for teachers to take advantage of these two capabilities as a learning device. Storylines offer this opportunity, connecting the domain of imagination and play to the domain of knowledge and reason (Kelner, 1993: 61). Storylines encourage learners to become emotionally and physically engaged in learning and, as a result, to learn more productively (Edmiston, Encisco &King, 1987: 79). It allows learners to take part in a story, or to intermingle with an idea, character, or theme. In this fashion, storylines encourage a better grasp of material and improves learners’ creativity and understanding of texts (Thom, 2008: 33). ... Storylines endow learners a sense of control over their acquisition of knowledge as the educator exits the picture and enables learners to have the inner focus (Neelands, Baldwin & Fleming, 2003: 81). The creative character of storylines guarantees that children are the ones who make the decisions, taking a dynamic role in influencing and creating the learning episode (Taylor, 2000: 104). Hence, learners become determined and motivated. Ultimately, storylines can be a vital component of a general model of language arts. It fosters development in all domains of literacy and motivates children to apply language for important reasons. Element of Storylines, Storytelling, and Story Making There are several important elements of storylines: feedback, a secure setting, randomness, and structure (Beetlestone, 1998: 68). Learners want to receive both informal and formal feedback. Informal feedback is appropriate when a mentor reacts in a manner that is suitable to the role play; for instance , crying at sad events (Beetlestone, 1998: 68-69). Once a play is finished, the mentor can provide further formal feedback by understanding the experience with learners and identifying those aspects that were performed well. As learners become more acquainted with the practice of feedback, they are more capable of thinking about these experiences and to explain effective and less effective dramatic components (Skinner-Linnenberg, 1997: 50). Learners in time build up a critical skill and become expert in providing each other constructive feedback. Any form of creativity requires a particular extent of discovery and risk (Dickinson & Neelands, 2006: 19). Creativity is developed when the instructor

Katherine Mansfield Pastiche Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Katherine Mansfield Pastiche - Essay Example Through this, there is dramatic irony, which makes understanding the character easier because of the isolation of the character. In addition, the representation of other characters is in an unbiased manner that enables one to have a better understanding of the region. In the prequel, the narration mostly focuses on Miss Brills insights on what she hears and sees. The modernist tone helps highlight the theme of aloneness, rejection, and illusion. The narrator pleasantly presents the nostalgic nature of the variation of youthfulness and old age. Miss Brill is sentimental and emotional about her youth, and this now develops into fantasy and senility. The ermine fur largely characterizes the three stages that she undergoes: youthfulness, adulthood, and old age. Her fantasy world begins in her old age, where her world dwells on judging others. The season for social engagements has begun, and young women debuting their latest fashions often characterize the period. Normally, there have been a lot of bustle and social interactions in this perceptible tourist season. Miss Brill adorns her most prized possession, the ermine fur, as she reflects on her youthful life in which she looked forward to dating. Delightfully referring to her ermine fur as her "Lit tle Rogue"(182) evidences her ageing reminiscence. Through third-person narration, it is evident that the day is brilliantly fine and there is a lot of laughter and chirping. However, Miss Brill is perceptibly a lonesome woman on a park bench despite the happiness that surrounds her. Miss Brill does not know the people who are at the park, and only use appearances and clothes to provide descriptions. For example, there is "a fine old man in a velvet coat," an Englishman "wearing a dreadful Panama hat," and "little boys with big white silk bows under their chins". It is evident that she was a wardrobe mistress in her earlier life and still maintains the same judgment

The Imminet global crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Imminet global crisis - Essay Example The world now is on the verge of unprecedented fresh water crisis. This global issue is very alarming, because it affects every single aspect of our lives on Earth. The prime cases of the water crisis are the climate change, population growth and human waste. Climate change and in particular the global warming is the primary force triggering the water crisis. In his article Madrigal (2008) says that 60% of the changes in the West's water cycle are linked to the atmospheric greenhouse gases. He describes a research conducted which found that the increases in winter air temperature reduce the amount of snow which falls in the mountains. In return, the snow packs that acted as water storage provide less water as they melt in the spring. Furthermore, human activity can lead to the global warming too. Burning of fossil fuels are blamed for the melting of glaciers and leaving less drinkable water and less water for crop irrigation. Population growth requires more fresh water for the basic needs of food production. According to the Population Reports (1998) the increase in population "alone will push an estimated 17 more countries, with a projected population of 2.1 billion, into these water-short categories within the next 30 years (69)." By the year 2025, 35% of the projected global population which will account to 2.8 billion people will be affected by the water scarcity (1998 135).

The Art of the Memoir Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Art of the Memoir - Essay Example As a result, it became evident that at each and every step of the way, Mary came from a dysfunctional family that contributed to the negative thoughts and experiences that she witnessed (Karr, p 5). This is because the family is a stepping stone to the individual and what they turn out to be like in future. The feelings and expectations of each and every family are radiated and shown in the people that are in the family. If the situation in which they grew up dictates that they are passionate and successful this is as a result of what they were indoctrinated to as they were growing up. The author states that it is prudent for each person in the family to contribute to the positive outcome of everyone. This is because at each point, the contributions will count for something once they have grown up. Mary’s father should have had the capacity to stop drinking and netting violence on his family (Karr, p 12). This would have created an avenue for them to raise their children in a peaceful environment. The basic component in each and every society is mirrored in the families that they come from. This would have the capacity to ensure that the family grew up as a unit that was a combination of each and every factor that made them unique. This will be radiated with love, care and concern for each other. The Color of Water One thing that is clear is that image and general self worth is everything that defines the way one grows and sees themselves in the society that they are socialized. Individual identity is a crucial factor in each and every society. The McBride family had to face societal segregations. James father was segregated because he was black. This was mostly by the whites in the society. He went ahead and married a white woman (McBride, p 21). This symbolic act did not obviously augur well with her family and the rest of the black folks where they resided. The journey that James father took was one of resilience and stamina at each and every step of the way. He encouraged his wife to be proud of where she came from. The foundation of their church was a genuine representation of what they felt and stood for. In the memoir, the strength and resilience that James had to put up was a result of his upbringing. This encouraged him to fight for what he believed in and what he did not. This is exactly what his mother did to ensure that she raised them all despite the demise of their father (McBride, p 27). Life has so many instances and experiences that have the sole duty of being eye openers. They offer guidance on what should be done at each and every step of the way. This is the only way that life and what it has to offer can be experienced and enjoyed. The memoir offers the consolation that each and every experience has the duty of ensuring that it is possible to deal with the issues. The tribute from the son to his resilient mother is one that has the sole aim of offering inspiration to all the involved parties. The sole encourage ment comes from the fact that the differences that are witnessed in families set them apart in terms of uniqueness and societal perfection. Colors of the Mountain by Da Chen In my opinion, ‘Colors of the mountain’ is a beautiful memoir of the author, Da Chen, as he was growing up. The book reveals the sad childhood of the author as a young boy from the Mao Zedong Cultural Revolution in China (Chen, p 5). Personally, the memoir is very touching and fascinating because through the author’s story, we get to know about the fascinating history of the

Global Ecological Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Ecological Justice - Essay Example While it is a fact that not everybody is moved to action because of the ecological plight of others, especially those in future generation, it is still the duty of the current generation to ensure that there is proper consciousness concerning the environment. It is a fact that if the current generation does not meet this obligation to the future ones, then there is the possibility that future generations will look back upon it with resentment because of the failed responsibility (Niazi, 2010). It is in the interest of the current generation to ensure that the sustainability of the planet and as well as the survival of the human race, is highly dependent on the achievement of the ecological justice that has to be attained for future generations. If no account is kept in the current era for the protection of the ecological interests of future generations, there is little assurance that the ecology will be maintained for future generations to enjoy, therefore resulting in crisis (Visvan athan, 2006).There are some who have argued that there is no need for attention to be given to future generations because their protection has already been considered in the laws that protect current generations (Boyce et al, 2007). They would further argue that the creation of laws aimed at protecting the environment are based on the protection of future generations hence there is no need to take an active part in ecological justice. Since most of the rules concerning modernity state that individuals should live in the present. and forget about the future, many individuals have come not to take any action to ensure that the environment is protected and maintained (Weston, 2012). In fact, it can be said that most individuals believe that the best way to live is to live in the present and forget about the future because it will take care of itself. Although it is necessary to protect the rights of the current generation before that of the future, the rights of this generation should not be allowed to overshadow the main priority of environmental protection which is its preservation for the future. It has therefore become necessary to ensure that there is a balance between the ecological interests of the current generations as well as those of the future so that there is no conflict of interest in the long run. If intergenerational justice is

American History Essay Example for Free

American History Essay The civil war, according to President Abraham Lincoln, was not really fought to end the prolonged existence of slavery in the United States. The American Civil War was fought to preserve the Union and safeguard the interest of the American people but not of the slaves. Lincoln, who was not an absolute abolitionist himself, believe that the slaves should be free gradually and not on a one time big time basis. But as the civil war became lengthy, Lincoln and his administration has made colossal changes to the original plan and had to issue an Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in the Confederacy. This action was well thought of Lincoln. When the congress has passed the Second Confiscation Act on July 17, 1862, Lincoln was prompted to respond. The Second Confiscation Act entailed that all slaves of everyone in rebellion to the United States were declared free. The act from the congress was not only what impelled Lincoln to act but also the peoples’ growing aversion of slavery. Lincoln has read his drafted â€Å"Preliminary Proclamation† to Secretary of State William H. Seward and Secretary of Navy Gideon Welles. Both were overwhelmed and were unable to respond quickly. On July 22, Lincoln discussed the matter to his cabinet and has received a lot of mix reactions but majority of the cabinet approved of the proclamation. Yet, it was only a consultation. The cabinet reviewed the contexts on September 22 and Lincoln has composed the final Emancipation Proclamation on New Year’s Day of 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation pronounced that â€Å"all slaves within any states or on a designated part of a State whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, henceforward, and forever free†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Emancipation Proclamation guaranteed freedom only of those slaves in the states not in the jurisdiction of the Union. Lincoln’s Secretary of State William H. Seward has criticized the irony of the emancipation. Seward pointed out that the Union might have been sympathetic to slavery by freeing the slaves on the states uncontrolled by the Union but holding them in servitude in places possible to be freed by the government. Lincoln has known this but he did not want to irritate the slaveholders in the Union. Moreover, the Emancipation Proclamation would have not been easily released if it were not a war necessity. The Union saw its last resort on freeing the slave to increase its army and to antagonize the farms and the industries in the South. The proclamation was not sympathy to the slaves but a remedy to the unending war. Yet, the Emancipation Proclamation was one of the greatest victories of the Lincoln administration and of American democracy. It has also stressed that the war is not all about preserving the Union but also on the pressing need to abolish slavery. It was also the foundation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which forever end slavery in the United States. On the other hand, after the Emancipation Proclamation the war did not ended soon. Many critics of the Lincoln administration supposed that the proclamation has only worsened the situation. The Union was still deficient of soldiers. Lincoln was prompted to create solutions by issuing the Enrollment Act of Conscription on March 3, 1863, which agitated many Northerners. The Union at the early stage of the war has relied on volunteerism but fewer men wanted to enlist. The Conscription Act imposed military duty to every capable man of 20 to 45 years old. Yet those who can find a substitute or pay $300 could be exempted from the draft. This exemption has angered the poor. Leslie M. Harris (2003) reported that antiwar newspaper in New York began criticizing the draft law citing the government’s interference on local affairs on behalf of the â€Å"nigger war. †The most unruly response to the act happened in New York City when unruly mobs appeared on July 11, 1963 when the draft took effect. Even though New York politicians have been very supportive of the Emancipation Proclamation, New Yorkers were divided on their stance towards the proclamation. Likewise, the mob consisted mostly of the poor Irish and German immigrants who lived on New York’s slum area. Irish and German immigrants in New York were told to prepare for the emancipated slaves who will flee to the North and would seek job. The immigrants did not think it was necessary for them to fight and they also have bigotry towards the African-American because they were usually their competitors to lowest-paying jobs. Yet, the main problem arose when the mob started to create commotions on the city. The first targets of the mob include military and government building, which instituted the inequitable draft. But after a while, the mob targeted the black people. First, they assaulted a black vendor and a nine year-old boy before burning to ashes the Colored Orphan Asylum on Fifth Avenue between Forty-Third and Forty-Fourth Streets. Luckily, no child was hurt in the attack. However, the mob has continued to attack Black people and sometimes killing them. Harris (2003) further reported that the mob singled out men for special violence. William Jones, a black man was hanged and his body burned afterward. Some group white men were even cheering when they kill William Williams, a black sailor, shouting: vengeance on every nigger in New York. The mayhem which lasted five days forced hundreds of Blacks to leave the city. Yet, not every Irish were sympathetic to the mob. There were reported cases were Irishmen helped black men. Irish neighbors of Philip White, a black drugstore owner at the corner of Gold and Frankfurt Street, help drove the mob away because White has been a good neighbor and creditor. However, this interracial cooperation was very least as compared to the havoc against the black people. However, the Union Army stationed at the Potomac were able to pacify the rioters and restore order in the city however they remained encamped around the city for several weeks. The Emancipation Proclamation and the Draft Riots embodied the bearing of the people during the Civil War. Though, only was a war measure, the Emancipation Proclamation was a great demonstration of democracy. The Draft Riots proved that not every person has the heart to fight for the Union and not everyone was in favor of the Emancipation. However, though Washington Times wrote, â€Å"The nation is at this time in a state of Revolution, North, South, East, and West, those who believed in the restoration of the Union and the rule of law never gave up hope but fought for what they believe was right. The New York Draft Riots, the Civil War and all its casualties were the price paid by the United States in order to protect and defend the Constitution, its people and those unalienable rights that were bestowed to each citizen which are â€Å"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. † References Harris, L. M. (2003). In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863. Chicago: University of Chicago. Smith, A. I. , (2007). The American civil war. Macmillan: New York.

The Importance Of Transferable Skills Marketing Essay

The Importance Of Transferable Skills Marketing Essay The transferability of one persons skills can reveal the competencies of this person in performing an especial job which can be utilised in the performance of another job. In nowadays working environment, its a critical task to develop personal transferable skills in order to broaden the career options (McCourt and Eldridge 2003). For example, different people have distinct natural abilities to develop the skills like multiple tasks throughout their lives and thus they are applicable to a variety of working situations. The transferable skills are different from the job-related skills which are only utilised in one particular of work. Most of the employers think that the transferable skills are more important because they would like to expect their staffs to use the skills in more than one job even if the work is irrelevant to their previous educational or working experience (Moorhead 2005). This literature review will focus on the importance, implementations, and outcomes of transferable skills which is analysed in Human Resource aspects. The specific transferable skills differ in different preferences of people. For example, if people like to work with information and data, their specific transferable skills may include budgeting, measuring, analysis, research, or surveying. If people who enjoy working with ideas, their specific transferable skills may include developing, restructuring, painting, planning, or problem solving (Block and Betrus 2003). Definition The transferability of skills is defined as the specific capacities which allow the people to achieve in a spacious range of different jobs and tasks (Assiter 1995). It will become an advantage of competitiveness for the people because the transferable skills essence of marketable and tangible can provide the quality value for many organisations (Brown and Lent 2005). Transferable skills can be measured, such as the language or information skills, as well as self-motivation and initiative attribute which are able to be used in the workplace (Foster 1998). This kind of skills tends to be learned by trying to anticipate potential environments of application so that they can be transferred easily. The process is mostly set up the bridges between knowledge levels and capabilities whereby increases transferability (Hakkarainen et al. 2004). An inventory of transferable skills categorises into forty basic skills, such as the basic skill of communication can be separated into the specific skills of questioning, interviewing, listening, and writing. Most of these skills are developed naturally from all aspects of peoples life, and then they can transfer them to their jobs (Lock 2005). According to those definitions of transferable skills, they are all indicating that it can be implemented as any roles in different industries because the skills come from the life upon the basic skills. This can help the people to identify the different personal skills that they have utilised in their living and working environment. However, the critical issue is that people have to comprehend the transition between the basic skills and transferable skills so that they can improve their personal development through the transferability of various jobs. Reason for Transferability of Skills The importance of transferable skills Being a high extent of competitive society, its a crucial task for people to enhance their own forces and thus they are enabled to handle the challenges in different working situations. Hence, the transferable skills can be one of the most effective competencies to those who are new graduates or returning to the working places (NJIT 2010). Its a critical factor that people have to identify their transferable skills from the experiences of the jobs since the title of job never disclosed all the details of the actual work and the formal job description is often different from the facts. This is the reason that its important to anatomise each previous and current job to observe varied skills used on the jobs. After identify the personal transferable skills, it can help to discover the most suitable position in peoples career depends on demonstrating at the work place. It can be also apply to the interviews to show the skills and talents to the employers. Besides that, the transferable skills can be developed from the basic skills of the daily life, such as the language, writing, communication, organising, and self management skills. These basic skills can not be neglected because they will become the accelerant for transferable skills due to the steady foundation (Aswathappa 2005). Once the employees have improved their basic skills in their daily lives and moved on to the development of transferable skill, it would bring them higher social and economic returns. Demands of organisation Transferable skills are valuable to most of the employers and organisations. They would like to offer the staffs with flexibility in their career planning so that they can obtain the transferable skills from a variety of activities (Gardner et al. 2009). For instance, after involved in a large trade event, the employees might gain or enhanced the abilities of teamwork, leadership, and effective communication. In addition, many employers are using on-the-job tests to evaluate the degree of multi-task skills so that they can be trained properly to develop the transferable abilities (Mathis and Jackson 2008). The transferable skills of the employees can help to meet the organisational requirements, utilise the services properly, and increase the efficiency (Randhawa 2007). It also tends to a wide range of capacity at same level when the company is recruiting new staffs (Marchington and Wilkinson 2005). It can be discovered from the job requirements of the organisations which prefer their staffs to gain the transferable skills in order to increase its productivity and working effectiveness. Implementations The needs of transferable skills The transferable skills have become an important aspect for the organisations to measure and evaluate their staffs. The employers will discover the potential of the employees to perform in other roles at same level. The performance can help the company to decide that the developmental needs of the employees and the next paces within the company (Bohlander and Snell 2008). The skills are totally based on the work performance rather than entirely on accessibility and knowledge due to the flexible qualifications (Brown and Lent 2005). For example, the needs of the skills will include assertiveness, negotiating, persuading and influencing, indentifying key issues, data analysis, organising work individually, etc. This can occur to the employees that they are able to listen effectively to the details of a project meanwhile expressing the idea immediately in the meetings.

Descartes philosophy Essay -- essays research papers

Descartes’ â€Å"evil genius scenario† provides the possibility for the existence of an evil genius that is in control of our world in place on an omnipotent god. By in control, I mean that he would in some magical way compose our lives by his own will, thus making any certain knowledge about material objects impossible. This scenario presents some real questions with Descartes’ argument because it basically completely rules out the possibility of any god.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We are imagining that Dr. Spiritus has invaded a small rural hospital and has stolen the brains of several babies. He places the brains in a large vat, provides them with the essential nutrients as well as hooking them up to electrodes that feed the false images into their minds. These impulses that the doctor would distribute at his own will would make the babies brains think that they are actually in their bodies living their lives as normal people. The doctor would provide all the necessary experiences such as childhood, school, first love and etc. However since Dr. Spiritus is an evil genius, he feels it necessary to feed these minds the stimuli of pain, suffering, and disaster.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first question that arises is if it is possible to determine if one is not among Dr. Spiritus’ victims. According to Descartes, the answer is yes. Descartes states that God is an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient substance. He also says that humans are not capable of causing this thoug...

Jeffery Dahmer Essay -- essays research papers

The serial killer that I chose to profile is Jeffery Dahmer. Dahmer brings both horrifying, yet amazing qualities to the table in the respect that he terrorized people, not only those that were his victims, but also people that lived both near and those around the country. Section I: Overview - Jeffery Dahmer - Born on May 21, 1960, at Evangelical Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Jeffery Dahmer was found beaten by fellow inmates on the morning of November 28, 1994, as was pronounced dead at 9:11 a.m. - Was given life imprisonment on 15 counts of murder committed in Wisconsin and one committed in Ohio, for which he was tried separately. He was sentenced to fifteen consecutive life terms for a total of 957 years in prison. - Jeffery Dahmer was always seen as very shy and isolated at an early age. Dahmer had fantasies about killing men and having sex with the corpses. Despite the early tendencies of his childhood, Dahmer didn’t act on any of these sexual fantasies until after he had graduated from highschool in June of 1978. Dahmer picked up a hitchhiker by the name of Steven Hicks, and eventually Hicks would be the first victim of Dahmer. Dahmer then enrolled at Ohio State University, only to flunk out within one semester. Next, Dahmer joined the army at the end of 1978, but was discharged for alcoholism and went to live in Florida before returning to Ohio. Dahmer was then arrested in October of 1981 for drunken and disorderly conduct, so his father sent him to live with his grandmother in West Allis, Wisconsin. Dahmer had a couple of sexual legal incidents, then kept cool for about four years. In 1987, Dahmer killed his second victim, Steven Toumi, and would go on a ravenous murder spree after that. - Victims were mainly homosexual men, mostly African-American - Dahmer was active from June 1978 to July 22, 1991 Section II: Childhood Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960, to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. Dahmer was wanted and loved despite Joyce’s problems in pregnancy. Dahmer was a normal, healthy child that showed no signs of mental problems. When Dahmer was four, Lionel was sweeping under the house for small animals that had been killed by civets. As Lionel gathered the bones Dahmer was fascinated with the bones of the dead animals. When Dahmer was six, he suffered from a double hernia and needed surgery to correct the problem. After the surgery, Dahm... ...s of animals to the sexual, as well as violent fantasies, that led to the spree of killings that he committed. I think that Dahmer had a very big problem with the isolation that he faced at an early age in life. Dahmer saw that his parents were never happy, and maybe that’s why he had homosexual tendencies. Dahmer was continuously consumed with necrophilia, which is the fetish with the dead. He not only collected the bodies of dead animals at an early age, but also he had fantasies about killing people and then having sex with the corpses. I think that you have to put Jeffery Dahmer in a class all his own, because of the fascination that he had with the corpses, and the power that they gave him once he had killed them. A lot of serial killers were more worried about what would happen to them, and they would get rid of the bodies of the people that they had just killed. Dahmer used his own body as a temple to take control of the lives of the victims that he had. Dahmer was very remorseful for the crimes that he had committed, and was very cooperative with the authorities and with the families of his victims. This is not usually seen as a common attribute among serial killers today. Jeffery Dahmer Essay -- essays research papers The serial killer that I chose to profile is Jeffery Dahmer. Dahmer brings both horrifying, yet amazing qualities to the table in the respect that he terrorized people, not only those that were his victims, but also people that lived both near and those around the country. Section I: Overview - Jeffery Dahmer - Born on May 21, 1960, at Evangelical Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Jeffery Dahmer was found beaten by fellow inmates on the morning of November 28, 1994, as was pronounced dead at 9:11 a.m. - Was given life imprisonment on 15 counts of murder committed in Wisconsin and one committed in Ohio, for which he was tried separately. He was sentenced to fifteen consecutive life terms for a total of 957 years in prison. - Jeffery Dahmer was always seen as very shy and isolated at an early age. Dahmer had fantasies about killing men and having sex with the corpses. Despite the early tendencies of his childhood, Dahmer didn’t act on any of these sexual fantasies until after he had graduated from highschool in June of 1978. Dahmer picked up a hitchhiker by the name of Steven Hicks, and eventually Hicks would be the first victim of Dahmer. Dahmer then enrolled at Ohio State University, only to flunk out within one semester. Next, Dahmer joined the army at the end of 1978, but was discharged for alcoholism and went to live in Florida before returning to Ohio. Dahmer was then arrested in October of 1981 for drunken and disorderly conduct, so his father sent him to live with his grandmother in West Allis, Wisconsin. Dahmer had a couple of sexual legal incidents, then kept cool for about four years. In 1987, Dahmer killed his second victim, Steven Toumi, and would go on a ravenous murder spree after that. - Victims were mainly homosexual men, mostly African-American - Dahmer was active from June 1978 to July 22, 1991 Section II: Childhood Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960, to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. Dahmer was wanted and loved despite Joyce’s problems in pregnancy. Dahmer was a normal, healthy child that showed no signs of mental problems. When Dahmer was four, Lionel was sweeping under the house for small animals that had been killed by civets. As Lionel gathered the bones Dahmer was fascinated with the bones of the dead animals. When Dahmer was six, he suffered from a double hernia and needed surgery to correct the problem. After the surgery, Dahm... ...s of animals to the sexual, as well as violent fantasies, that led to the spree of killings that he committed. I think that Dahmer had a very big problem with the isolation that he faced at an early age in life. Dahmer saw that his parents were never happy, and maybe that’s why he had homosexual tendencies. Dahmer was continuously consumed with necrophilia, which is the fetish with the dead. He not only collected the bodies of dead animals at an early age, but also he had fantasies about killing people and then having sex with the corpses. I think that you have to put Jeffery Dahmer in a class all his own, because of the fascination that he had with the corpses, and the power that they gave him once he had killed them. A lot of serial killers were more worried about what would happen to them, and they would get rid of the bodies of the people that they had just killed. Dahmer used his own body as a temple to take control of the lives of the victims that he had. Dahmer was very remorseful for the crimes that he had committed, and was very cooperative with the authorities and with the families of his victims. This is not usually seen as a common attribute among serial killers today.

French Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

The French Revolution lasted from 1789 to 1799. Although there were several factors that made the French Revolution possible, such as population growth, the expansion of the middle classes, and the rise of an informed public, there were three immediate causes of the Revolution. One was the diminished authority of the royal government. Another was the revolt by the nobility, who sensed a weakening monarchy. The third cause was the crop failure. The government of France was in a financial crisis. The country was deeply in debt from the financing of the wars of Louis XIV. To deal with the nation’s economic problems, Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates General in 1789. The Estates General was made up of representatives from each of the three social classes, or Estates. The First Estate consisted of the clergy, the Second Estate consisted of the nobility, and the Third Estate consisted of the commoners. The Third Estate, which made up 98 percent of the population of France, was underrepresented. Since the Estates General had to vote separately and by order, the Third Estate would almost always be outvoted by the First Estate and the Second Estate who would get to vote first. Because of this, the Third Estate wanted its traditional number of representatives to be doubled so that it matched the other two orders put together. When Louis XVI refused their demand, the Third Estate, led by Abbe Emmanuel Sieyes, changed its name to the Nation...

Notes on the European Union

1) Key theoretical approaches to the European Integration Background – Intellectual context - ­? to understand the theories of European integration, it is important to consider the intellectual context from which the idea of European integration emerged Federalism – Altiero Spinelli - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? Spinelli: leader of the European Union of Federalists: Idea: after the Second World War, the classes most privileged under old national system will seek a new order of nation states, that might appear democratic, but the power will return to the privileged classes eventually a? renewing war between states Proposal: o prevent this development, create a federal European state to subordinate national governments to a federal authority a? strategy of the Federalists, aimed to create a federal constitution for Europe Development: Congress took time to organize, taken place in Hague in 1948. By that time, national political systems were already re- ­? establi shed a? Congress turned into the Council of Europe, not a new federal constitutional order Problem: diversity of Europe, different connotations in different part of Europe Mitrany: born in Romania, lived in UK and US, to build a â€Å"working peace system†, influencing integration heorists Against federalism b/c: o Single world government = threat to individual freedom o Regional federations = reproducing national rivalries on a larger scale Idea: root of the war = nationalism Proposal: create a separate international functional agencies, each with authority over specific area of human life o Scheme: individual tasks taken out of the control of the government, handing them to the functional agencies o Argument: Governments will surrender control because they will not fear the loss of sovereignty over e. g. health care, but rather appreciate the advantages of such tasks performed at the egional/world level o a? the more areas of control surrounded, the less states are capable of independent action a? the harder it is to break from the agencies Jean Monnet: planner of a Schuman Plan Combining ideas of functionalism and federalism, crucial for the neofunctionalist theory of European integration Functionalism – David Mitrany - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? Functional- ­? Federalism – Jean Monnet - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? Idea: European nation state is inadequate as an economic unit Proposal: developing of supranational institutions as the basis for building economic community (coal and steel at the beginning) o Scheme: remove ontrol of the strategically crucial industries (coal and steel) from the governments, handing over to a free- ­? standing agency (High Authority) o Challenge: Western German State o Solution: strategic industries removed from German control; ensuring adequate supplies of coal for the French steel industry a? economies are interconnected Theories Neofuncionalism – Ernst Haas - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? Plur alist theory – state not a single unified actor, neither it is the only actor on the international stage (non- ­? state actors also important) Integration = process, once started, would undermine the sovereignty of states eyond the expectations of governments Activities of states = outcome of pluralistic political process, in which government decisions are influenced by the interest groups and bureaucratic actors European Commission = most important non- ­? state international actor, manipulating domestic and international pressures on national governments to advance to process of European integration Mechanisms of the integration o Spillover  §? Integration in one sector will cause integration in further sectors, in order to fully enjoy the benefits of the integration of the original sector 1. Functional spillover †¢ Economies made up of nterconnected parts a? impossible to isolate one sector from others †¢ If MS integrated one sector of the economies, the in terconnectedness between the sectors will lead to a spillover into other sectors †¢ Integration in one sector will work only if the interconnected sector is also integrated †¢ E. g. : increasing coal production across MS requires brining other forms of energy into the scheme. Otherwise, switch by one MS away from coal towards e. g. oil or nuclear fuel will throw out all the calculations for coal production 2. Political spillover †¢ Building up political pressure in favor of further integration †¢ Once ne sector is integrated, lobbying of interest groups occurs at supranational level (the organization in charge of running that sector) - ­? - ­? Groups will appreciate the benefits as a result of integration, realizing the barriers preventing these benefits from being fully enjoyed (not integrating other sectors) a? advocating further integration and lobbying the governments †¢ E. g. : ECSC makes the representatives it the coal and steel industry switching the lobby activities (partly) from national governments to the new supranational agency (High Authority) o Technocratic automaticity  §? Institutions created will sponsor urther integration as they become more powerful and autonomous than member states Assessment of the theory o 1950s: neofunctionalism = winning theory explaining the transition from the ECSC into EC o 1960s: the end of neofunctionalism – Empty Chair Crisis (1965 – 1966) Gaulle’s veto; national governments showing power they are ready to use to determine the nature and pace of integration Aspects to be considered – theory not always applicable o Pluralist social structures  §? Member states must be democratic o Substantial economic and industrial development  §? A certain level of development – no significant gap among hem o Common ideology among participating units  §? No centrally planned economies †¢ Mistakes of neofunctionalism: o Regional integration is not a self-  ­? contained process, but influence by a wider international context o Governments are uniquely powerful actors as they had formal sovereignty and democratic legitimacy o integration in low politics, not high politics (national security, defense) as states tend to protect their sovereignty (advocated by French in 1950) national government controls the nature and pace of integration in order to protect and promote national interest acknowledges the importance of other ctors than governments: o low politics (e. g. social policy): interest groups did influence, but were no the only ones – also government officials, parties in office rejects the theory of spillover effects: rejects the idea of common security policy, foreign policy or common armed forces power of supranational institutions increased because governments believed it to be their national interest a? integration only as far as the government allows power to the European Council and Council of Europe Intergovernmen talism – Stanley Hoffman - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? Liberal intergovernmentalism – Andrew Moravcsik - ­? - ­? ational interests = part of a domestic political process, within which economic interests are dominant two- ­? level game o demand side  §? political elites, lobbyist, interest groups are acting and forming the demand of the state a? domestic events influence the demands of state interests on the international level o supply side  §? interacting of each state with conflicting interests on the level of intergovernmental sessions – Council of Ministers †¢ 1st stage – reach agreement on the common policy †¢ 2nd stage – reach agreement on institutional arrangements supranational institutions reduce transactional costs – more fficient to co- ­? exist a? institutions = tools, the main emphasis is on member states that can reduce the power of its supranational bodies Theory applied on negotiation of the Treaties of Rome (1955 – 58), Consolidation of the common market and CAP (1958 – 83), negotiation of SEA (1984 – 88), negotiation of the Treaty on EU (1988 – 91) a? conclusions: 1. Decisions = reflection of the preferences of national governments, not preferences of supranational organizations 2. National preferences = reflection of the balance of economic interests 3. delegating the power to the supranational authority means to ensure the ommitments of all parties, not a belief in the inherent efficiency of international organizations - ­? - ­? Extra Supranational governance – Stone Sweet, Sandholtz - ­? - ­? EU not one international regimes, but a series of regimes Increased transactions across national borders would create supranational society that favored the creation of supranational rules (more simple for operation) Multi- ­? level governance – Gary Marks - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? rather an approach – EU as a political system with interconnected institutions existing at multiple levels with unique features national government = important decisional role, upranational institutions = autonomic role multilevel actions by multilevel actors (lobbies, companies, parties, states, interest groups) at international, state and regional level a? no superior actor, they are equal many informal relations existing (European norms), that are respected by different actors theory does not address the issue of transferring sovereignty and loyalty Constructivism - ­? - ­? rather an approach advocate of Europeanization, establishing common norms, habits, culture to bring people together – new social community (ministries with European department to synchronize the policies with the ones of he EU) – recognizes multi- ­? level governance popular in EU 15 - ­? 2) Formation of 3 Communities in the context of economic and political developments in post- ­? WWII Europe ECSC  œ 1952 – Treaty of Paris EEC, EURATOM – 1957 – Treaty of Rome Motives for the formation of the Communities - ­? - ­? - ­? - ­? Reaction to the World Wars: horrifying example (lost lives) a? seeking a peaceful and stable European environment, political and economic cooperation instead of competition Soviet threat: cooperation blocks further Soviet expansion a? Cold war = catalyst for integration of western Europe Political willingness: political ooperation and development replacing economic competition, viewed as a factor in the outbreak of wars o countries seeking cooperation for different reasons  §? Germany, Italy – seeking respectability  §? France – seeking security from Germany Economic development: destroyed Europe needed reconstruction o Marshall plan (US interested in Europe) – financing the reconstruction of Europe, establishing what is now known as OECD o Bretton Woods Conference  §? 1944, 44 nations to talk about pos t- ­? war economic order  §? GATT  §? IMF (to regulate the international monetary and financial order a? stable exchange rate) Schuman:French Foreign Minister; plan in collaboration with Jean Monnet Key points o relations between France and Germany needs to be renewed o linking French and German coal and steel industry by placing under control of a supranational body a? making war unthinkable and materially impossible (coal and steel = needed to produce armaments, thus capability of waging war) UK no involved in negotiations 1950 Schuman plan - ­? - ­? - ­? ECSC – Treaty of Paris (1951/1952) - ­? - ­? - ­? reduce tariffs by imposing levies on coal and steel production failed to create a single market for coal and steel a? further step needed joined by

An Analysis of Developing American Literature Essay

An Analysis of Developing American Literature â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† by Washington Irving and â€Å"The Slaughter of the Pigeons† by James Fennimore Cooper demonstrate several distinct American characteristics. Irving focuses on New York’s Hudson River while discussing the settings of â€Å"Rip Van Winkle. New York is probably the most identifiable state in the U. S. and is recognized by its Statue of Liberty welcoming foreigners into its prideful country. While Irving discusses nature’s beauty in similar ways in the U. S. by giving a page description on a simple frozen lake in Somerville. In â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† and â€Å"The Slaughter of the Pigeons† the three main American characteristics in these short stories are: power of nature, value of the common man, and growing nationalism. Nature can be a powerful concept. In â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† there is a lovely description of the Hudson River which opens the story. â€Å"Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill mountains. They are dismembered branch of the great Appalachian family, and are seen away to the west of the river swelling up to a noble height and lording it over the surrounding country. In â€Å"The Slaughter of the Pigeons† there is a similar description. â€Å"Large flocks of wild geese were seen passing over the country, which hovered, for a time, around the hidden sheet of water, apparently searching for a resting-place; and then, on finding themselves excluded by the chill covering, would soar away to the north, filling the air with discordant screams, as if venting their complaints a the tardy operations of Nature. † Nature is very important to Washington Irving and James Cooper. Along with nature, also present is the value of the common man. Values had certainly changed when Rip awoke from his century nap. In a state of confusion, he yells, â€Å"Alas gentlemen,† cried Rip, somewhat dismayed, â€Å"I am a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and a loyal subject of the King- God bless him! † People around Rip thought what he was acting treasonous. Values of America had changed and now included the concept of voting. Along with American values, came values of nature represented in â€Å"The Slaughter f the Pigeons†. â€Å"It‘s better for you, maybe, Billy Kirby,† replied the indignant old hunter, â€Å"and all them that don’t know how to put a ball down a rifle-barrel, or how to bring it up again with a true aim; but it’s wicked to be shooting into flocks in this wasty manner†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We must not waste what we are given in this world, and we must embrace change as well. As long as that change is bettering us as American citizens as shown in â€Å"Rip Van Winkle†. There is also a sense of growing nationalism embodied in both stories. In Irving’s short story there is a sign hung in honor of General Washington representing the good that he‘s done for the country. â€Å"The red coat was changed for one of blue and buff; a sword was held in the hand instead of a scepter; the head was decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was printed in large characters. † Nationalism by definition is having pride in one’s country. Whether pride be in local government or in nature itself, in â€Å"The Slaughter of the Pigeons,† Leather-Stocking believes that all life is valuable in this country. â€Å"Put an end, Judge, to your clearings. Ain‘t the woods His work as well as the pigeons? Use, but don‘t waste. Wasn‘t the woods made for the beasts and birds to harbor in? †¦Ã¢â‚¬  In â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† and â€Å"The Slaughter of the Pigeons† the three main American characteristics in these short stories are: power of nature, value of the common man, and growing nationalism. They are each represented in distinct ways but clearly show the importance of America and its impact on the Western Civilization that we know today. Whether stressing the importance of government change for the better in â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† or holding true to nature in â€Å"The Slaughter of the Pigeons† we all hold a part in the shaping American society. The real task is holding the past with one hand while reaching for the future with the other and never letting one side pull too hard.

Virgin Atlantic Airlines

Executive Summary The aim of this write up is to provide a brief overview of Virgin Atlantic Airlines, its purpose, mission and vision statement. The key stakeholders of the VAA and the duty of care VAA owes to these stakeholders are analysed. Being a global service provider, Virgin Atlantic & British Airways are affected by various political, socio-economic and technology factors and these are reviewed. The macro economic factors, such as fiscal & monetary policies and how it affects these airlines are studied. Furthermore, the impact of EU on the airlines industry and BA & VAA in particular are detailed. 1A Introduction: In the United Kingdom, the Virgin group is a very popular and preferred brand. Virgin Atlantic is a subsidiary of the Virgin group and is one of the major airlines in the UK led by Sir Richard Branson where the Virgin group owns 51% of the shares and the remaining 49% owned by Delta Airlines, USA. The mission statement of Virgin Atlantic is â€Å"to embrace the human spirit and let it fly†. Virgin Atlantic operates short and long haul flights across 35 different destinations covering the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Far East and Australia. Purpose of VAA (Virgin Atlantic Airlines) In 1984,Sir Richard announced his decision to operate Virgin Atlantic Airlines that would provide world class quality and great value for money. By the end of the 80’s there were more than one million loyal passengers travelling with VAA, one of the first airlines to provide individual TV screens for the passengers. In the 90s, the business developed further given the competitive pricing, the unique service offerings and the introduction of the Premium economy was a great hit with the customers. In 1999, 49% of Virgin Atlantic’s shares were sold to Singapore Airlines. VAA vs Fire Services Virgin group is one of the well-known business establishments and the purpose of VAA is to expand the service line offering of the business in order to earn profits. Unlike the fire services, which is used to cater to the emergency needs of the people of the country and safeguarding them, the primary purpose of VAA is to be able to cater to the travel demands of the public and to be able to run it as a marketable business. Keeping this in mind, the main objectives of VAA is to earn profits and be able to service the customers in an effective way to ensure customer loyalty is maintained. As opposed to the fire services, the VAA faces stiff competition from various other airlines. The key accountability for VAA would be towards its customers and key stakeholders including the board of directors and the shareholders whilst the key accountability for the fire services would be to that of the general public by ensuring that there is transparency and all funds allocated by the government are used in an appropriate manner. The services offered by Virgin Atlantic caters to the luxury and travel needs of the people and the services offered by fire services are basically around protecting the people, responding to emergencies and also improving the safety within local communities. Virgin Atlantic Stakeholders, Strategies and Responsibilities Virgin Atlantic has various key stakeholders and owes a duty of care towards all the key stakeholders. To be able to manage all the stakeholders and to ensure that they are happy, Virgin Atlantic has various policies.The key stakeholders of Virgin Atlantic include:Shareholders; Customers; Employees; Vendors; Government Agencies; NGOs; Community at large. To ensure that the shareholders are satisfied, VAA achieves its primary objective of earning profits and ensuring that all the shareholders receive a good Return on their investments. Customers are given world class treatment and Virgin Atlantic is very well-known for their quality customer services. Customers always come first with Virgin Atlantic and this has been a new concept in the airlines industry. A good in-flight entertainment service, VIP treatment for first class customers including opting for a beauty therapist, check-in by chauffeur to avoid waiting in the queue, flexible meal service options etc, are examples of customer care standards that have been set by the airlines. VAA also takes customers safety seriously. Employees who form the integral part of the VAA community and VAA is committed to serve its employees better. Good work is recognised by the rewards and recognition program and Virgin Atlantic provides world class training to all its employees. Virgin Atlantic has a good diversity policy and is strictly against discrimination. All employees are treated with respect and honesty. Equal opportunity is provided to all employees and potential candidates who aspire to become a part of the Virgin Atlantic team. Vendors play a key role in the Virgin Atlantic community. Virgin Atlantic has strict policies about creating lasting relationships with vendors and aims at sourcing goods responsibly. All suppliers are thoroughly screened to ensure that key international standards such as Human Rights Convention by UN and International Labour Convention laws are met. Environment & Community: As its commitment to the environment, Virgin Atlantic has incorporated ‘Change is in the Air’ (CIITA) strategy which aims at reducing carbon footprint by using novel technologies and fuels to increase efficiency. Virgin Atlantic is keen on becoming energy efficient and sources sustainable energy where possible. It has a strong recycling and reuse policy which reduces waste and ensuring sustainability. 1B: Impact of Fiscal & Monetary Policies on VAA Fiscal policy can be defined as the policy whereby the governments change the levels of tax and its spending in order to have a positive impact on the nation’s economy. It helps redistribution of wealth, decreases in unemployment rates and provides a way to effectively control the economy. Fiscal policies can either be expansionary or reductionary. An expansionary fiscal policy encourages the growth of the economy by means of expanding the supply of money to combat inflation. This can be done either by cutting down taxes or by increasing the spending of the government (Chambenlin 2009). Fiscal policies are effective when it comes to reduction of unemployment in the shorter term. However, in the long-term they cannot bring in much change as the supply curve is vertical and pushing the demand curve would lead to pushing in the prices, which results in inflation (Gillespie, 2008) Monetary policy on the other hand can be defined as the action that is taken by the central bank or other financial regulators to determine the rate of growth of money supply. It also influences the demand and supply of money as it impacts the interest rates (Chambenlin 2009). The recession has had a very bad impact on Virgin Atlantic. The increase in the competition in the transatlantic services and given the rise in the fuel prices, the airline has seen a loss of ?135m. The airline has also frozen salaries of employees for the current period and has cut over 600 jobs which accounts for 7% of its workforce. Virgin Atlantic has not planned clearly and anticipated the costs. If the planning had been done effectively, Virgin Atlantic would not be facing issues due to increase in fuel prices. Oil is one of the key costs that is incurred by Virgin Atlantic and hence it has a serious impact on the Airlines. Also, in the recession of 2008, there has been a decrease in the passengers for long-haul flights which combined with the oil price has led to a loss of ?150m in 2009. Virgin Atlantic can take advantage of the expansionary fiscal policy whereby there is a cut on taxes and the expansionary monetary policy on the reduction in the interest rates as opposed to contractionary monetary policy. Reduced tax rates would help Virgin Atlantic transfer the reduced costs to the customers and expansionary monetary policy would help reduce exchange rates which would therefore help Virgin Atlantic to export oil at reasonable costs. Given the poor demand for travel due to increase in costs, Virgin can make use of the savings that it has achieved by using expansionary monetary and fiscal policies by slashing down the costs of travel, which would promote and encourage more customers to use their services. Though VAA has been hit by recession, making use of these policies should enable Virgin to regain some of its losses. 1F Benefit for Virgin Atlantic through International Trade Being a global brand servicing various destinations has been a key benefit for Virgin Atlantic as well as British Airways. There are various advantages of International Trade for Virgin Atlantic. These include: Increase in profits: International trade and servicing various locations globally has led to increase in profits for Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. More Sales: Having been a success in the UK and the second largest Airlines in the UK, global destinations and international trade were the next logical steps which increased the sales and turnover of Virgin Atlantic. The same holds good for British Airways. Dependence on one market reduced: International trade helps reduce dependence on one local market. If due to various reasons one market segment fails, another segment can be used thus reducing sole reliance on specific market segments. Better competitiveness in local markets: Serving international destinations and becoming a global brand has increased knowledge, services and experiences for Virgin Atlantic which makes it a very tough competitor amongst local airlines. Expansion into the international market also gives British Airways and Virgin Atlantic new ideas to be able to s atisfy all their key stakeholders, good marketing techniques to promote their ideas and better customer services. Market diversification: Diversification into the global markets has helped BA & VAA to be able to leverage better its resources and make use of booming markets in a bad economy. 1G Global Factors Affecting BA/VAA Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are global brands operating on various international locations. There are various key factors that affect the operations of both BA and VAA which relate to the global factors. Political Factors Airlines industry is highly regulated by governments and there are various laws that determine where the airlines can fly, the services offered, planning, their policy and strategies as well as pricing. For airlines to be in the business it is mandatory for them to adhere to these rules and regulations. Thus, compliance is one factor that affects both British Airways as well as Virgin Atlantic. Since both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operate both nationally and globally there are pivotal national and international laws and obligations, such as H&S regulations, security legislations, taxes etc. For instance, the VAT that has been increased to 20% would affect the stakeholders of both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. There are various operating restrictions due to political factors. One way to overcome these restrictions is to have tie ups with national carriers. Thus, political factors have a great influence on the operating environment of the airline industry. Economic Factors Recession, and the cost of fuel, and other economic factors, such as cost of having empty seats play a major role which affects the activities of Virgin Atlantic and BA. Global economic markets, strong/weak home currency influences the costs of travel. In a bad economic situation companies might tend to cut down on their travel costs and discourage employees from taking a flight. An increase in the price of the fuel might force BA & Virgin Atlantic to transfer its costs to the end customers making it more difficult for people to afford. Any fluctuation in the oil price will have a direct impact on the currency which in turn impacts the cost of flying for both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Social Factors International airlines, such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, that serve various nations need to understand the social and cultural values of the destinations served in order to be able to successfully drive the business. Social and cultural values encompasses all aspects of understanding the special needs of the destination, the key holidays and any special arrangements that might have to be taken into account while serving a specific destination. For example, the meal choices have to be restricted to non-pork based foods whilst serving Muslim nations to not only ensure the sentiments are catered to and also to drive business in these locations. Technology Factors Technology provides a competitive advantage to businesses and there is an increasing demand for the use of the latest technology to enable customers to get a better experience. Having a good e-commerce application to provide customers a portal to purchase tickets, fast check-in services online would be useful as it would cater to the more tech-savvy and young customer base. However, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic should make sure that they are not overly reliant on using high-end technologies as this might lead to the isolation of certain groups that are not entirely comfortable using these high end technologies. BA & Virgin Atlantic should therefore find a good balance between these two and should be able to optimise the use of technological advancements and leverage the opportunities appropriately. 1H Impact of EU on BA & VAA The EU has a great impact on both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. The EU has enabled an increase in competition in the market. An increase in the competition and a market promoting a healthy competition would now mean that both BA and VAA have to face a lot of competition from various operators within the EU. Hence, in order to be able to successfully steer the business, it is key that BA & VAA keep their prices at check, increase their value added services, and build on their brand value and their unique selling point to ensure customer loyalty and also to attract more customers. The EU has various positive impacts on BA & VAA. Tourism is the third largest sector in the EU and there is a lot of scope for development. EU has had talks with the aviation industry to promote sustainable and reliable services within the EU and BA & VAA can take advantage of this to provide high quality services to the customers. The EU has relaxed its visa policies for member states and also promotes fair international trade system that improves competitiveness and has opened up its markets by unblocking tariff and non-tariff barriers making. This promotes trades and import and export of goods and services. Indirectly this help travel to and from various European Union nations. This can be used by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to offer specialised services to businessmen and frequent flyers to and from Europe. Relaxing trade restrictive measures means that there are various political factors that are relaxed and this paves way for better collaboration and negotiation. Opening up the markets would mean that the procurement of goods and services can be accessed and available freely across EU without restrictions. This removes any legal and regulatory obstacles that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic faces and helps promote growth and sales in the industry. Increased competitiveness within the EU would mean access to better services, keeping prices in check and ensuring that the brand value is maintained. Conclusion This paper helped to identify the vision and the mission statement of Virgin Atlantic, how it is different from other services. It identified the key stakeholders of the airlines and the responsibilities of Virgin Atlantic towards its stakeholders were discussed in detail. The fiscal policies and monetary policies were then explained and how these related to Virgin Atlantic were also specified. A PEST (Political, Economic, Social & Technology) factor analysis was done in order to understand various global factors that affected Virgin Atlantic & British Airways. Finally, the impact of the EU on BA & Virgin Atlantic was discussed in terms of competition, trade restrictions and markets. Works Cited Virgin Atlantic. (2014, September 2014). Retrieved on 06/09/14 from http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en.html Investopedia. (2014, September 2014). Retrieved on 06//09/14 from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/europeanunion.asp European Monetary Policy. (Septmber 2014). Retrieved on 06/09/14 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/european+monetary+union Chamberlin, G. (September 2009). Economic Review Sep 2009. Economic and Labour Market Review Gillespie, A. (June 2009). Foundations of Economics. New York; Oxford University Press