Brown V. Board of Education free essay sample

The Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education dates back to 1954, the case was centered on the Fourteenth Amendment and challenged the segregation of schools solely on the basis of race. The Brown case was not the only case of its time involving school segregation, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was leading the push to desegregate public schools in the United States (Gold, 2005). Brown v. Board of Education was a consolidation of four cases that had made their way through the court system. It was 1950 and Linda brown was just seven years old, she lived in Topeka, Kansas and was African American descent (she was black). Each mourning Linda traveled 21 blocks and crossed through a dangerous railroad yard to get to school. Her journey to school took an hour and twenty minutes. White children who lived in the same neighborhood only traveled 7 blocks in a considerably less amount of time (Gold, 2005). We will write a custom essay sample on Brown V. Board of Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Linda’s father Oliver filed a lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education arguing that he wanted the same conditions for his daughter (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 2009). The case was heard by three judges in Federal District Court, and they ruled against the plaintiffs, the case went to Circuit Court of Appeals and then to the U. S Supreme Court (Topeka, Kansas: Segregation in the Heartland). The second case was Gebhart v. Belton was similar to the Topeka case, a Delaware school bus with all white students would pass Sarah Bulah’s home, so she asked the schools officials to let her daughter ride on the bus. When School officials turned down her request, Sarah went to the state board of education. Sarah was told that black students were not allowed to ride on the bus with whites (Gold, 2005). The case went to the State Court, which ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, but neither side was happy with the ruling. The case eventually went to the State Supreme Court and then to the U. S Supreme Court (Smithsonian National Museum of American history ). The third case was Briggs v. Elliot, in Clarendon County, South Carolina. The schools for black children were run down shacks and had no money for supplies and little money to pay teachers. Twenty black parents asked the school board to provide buses for students the same as they did for the white students. The parents were denied, the school board stated that black parents didn’t contribute enough tax revenue and they shouldn’t expect the white parents to pay (Gold, 2005). The case was filed in South Carolina in 1950, a panel of three judges ruled that schools must be equalized but don’t have to be integrated. Judge Walter Warring wrote a dissenting opinion stating â€Å"segregation is per se inequality† (Waring), meaning that separate is not equal. The fourth case was Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, Virginia. The state of Virginia at the time provided schools for blacks only through the eighth grade; therefore most high schools were funded through private money. Morton high school was rundown and overcrowded. The students were frustrated with the lack of action from the school board so they walked out and staged a march to the homes of school board members in order to protest poor conditions (Gold, 2005). The case was heard in the Federal District Court where they ruled against the plaintiffs, it then went to Circuit Courts of Appeals and eventually to the U. S Supreme Court (Black students on Strike! Farmville, Virginia ). As each case went through the court system the NAACP gathered the cases and submitted them together as Brown v. Board of education on the writ of certiorari, on appeal to the U.S Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall was chief counsel at the time for the NAACP and planned the strategy to argue the case. Constitutional Issue The constitutional issue that the Brown case would focus on was the â€Å"equal protection clause† under the Fourteenth Amendment. As a result of the Civil War the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the constitution were ratified. The 14th Amendme nt conferred citizenship on formerly enslaved African Americans and granted equal protection under the law (Background Overview and Summary). The Fourteenth Amendment states; No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. (U. S Const. amend. XIV) The question within the Fourteenth Amendment was; does the segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race deprive the minority children of â€Å"equal protection of the laws† under the amendment (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954). In1896 when the Plessy v. Ferguson case was argued and the opinion of the Court was written by Justice Henry Billings Brown the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine was established. Justice Henry Billings wrote; We think the enforced separation of the races, as applied to the internal commerce of the state, neither abridges the privileges or immunities of the colored man, deprives him of his property without the due process of law, nor denies him the equal protection of the laws, within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. (Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896) Courts Ruling The Court would deliberate the arguments for and against segregation of public schools, at the end of the vote they did not have a consensus; therefore the Court took no action. Instead they proposed a list of questions for the lawyers on both side to answer at the beginning of the new term (Gold, 2005). During the summer recess Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson died, this would change the course of this case forever. Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson was not in favor of desegregation and stated; he could not support it at the time during the first vote. The new Chief Justice Earl Warren was appointed by President Eisenhower and later confirmed by the Senate. The Court opinion was unanimous, they ruled in favor of Brown, reversing the decision of the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine that the Courts used since 1896 and established by the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Chief Justice Earl Warren read the opinion of the Court; We conclude that in the field of public education, the doctrine of â€Å"separate but equal† has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the fourteenth Amendment. This disposition makes unnecessary any discussion whether such segregation also violates the Due process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. (Brown v. Board of Education) The Court was asked, does the segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, unconstitutional under the fourteenth amendment â€Å"equal protection clause? The answer Chief Justice Warren gave was â€Å"we believe that it does† (Kluger, 2004). Related Supreme Court Cases Since Brown, the Supreme Court has maintained that segregation has no place in public education. These are some related cases that the Brown case had an impact on or was impacted by. Bolling v. Sharpe (1952) was argued two years before Brown, but the opinion of the court was heard the same day as the opinion of the Brown case. The basis of the Bolling case was, in Washington D. C a new white only school had empty classrooms while the black school was overcrowded and dilapidated. The lawyers for Bolling argued on the basis of the Fifth Amendment, the â€Å"due process† clause, since at the time the Fourteenth Amendment was applied only to the states and not the national government (Bolling v. Sharpe). Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1955), this was called â€Å"Brown II†. In the second case the Court would delegate the task of carrying out the desegregation of public schools to the lower courts. Chief Justice Warren used a phrase â€Å"with all deliberate speed† in efforts for the states to accept the order (Gold, 2005). Guey Heung Lee v. Johnson (1971), unlike the other cases, this case was against desegregation. The San Francisco school district had proposed a comprehensive plan for desegregation of elementary schools. The applicants were Americans of Chinese ancestry seeking a stay of a district court reassigning students to other schools. The Court denied the stay, stating that â€Å"Brown v. Board of Education was not written for Blacks alone† (Guey Heung Lee v. Johnson). Assessment The opinion of the Court in the Brown v. Board of Education was the start of integration and the civil rights movement. Segregation didn’t end in 1954, but civil rights were now being questioned and many of the laws were lifted that involved a person’s race. The Courts opinion was right, the Fourteenth Amendment might have been ratified in order to give certain rights to slaves who gained freedom, but it was not intended to allow the segregation of citizens based on their race. The doctrine â€Å"equal protection† replaced the doctrine of â€Å"separate but equal†.

Policy, Team, and Information Technology Differences

Policy, Team, and Information Technology Differences Research carried out shows that internet use contributes greatly to the success of an organization. It connects employees hence enhancing the success of an organization, for instance, survey carried on the department of labor showed that use of internet contributed 65% of the annual hires. However, with availability of the internet, majority of the employees alongside with numerous contractors need appropriate controls over the use of the internet to prevent cases of improper use of the internet in the department or an organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Policy, Team, and Information Technology Differences specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Internet guidelines The internet use guidelines at the departmental level need to have some similarity with the guidelines used at the organizational level. This is because; departments as well as organizations have one goal in common, success. Therefore, application of or ganizational guidelines in the running of a department will enhance its success, this is because many organizations success is entitled to the following of their set guidelines. Employee’s responsibility However, it is the responsibility of the employees and other staff members within the department to ensure that they have followed the internet guidelines to the latter. This is because; they are the ones who get access to the daily occurrences within the department that dictate for accuracy and validity. In addition to employees and the staff members contributing to the success of the department, their right decisions enhance accuracy of the exchanges that take place within the department. On the other hand, failure of the employees and the staff members in complying with the set guidelines may lead to regrettable disciplinary action. Factors to consider when forecasting the value of a news of information system services include local area network that links a diversity of c omputers in a given area through a networking system to enhance effective communication. Information system is so essential in the current technological world; this is because it enhances competitiveness among employees hence enabling organizations overcome competition. (Laudon, K. C., Laudon, J. P. 2008). Information system also plays a crucial role in uplifting the daily revenue of an organization through the internet researches carried. In addition, the current management of many organizations relay on the information systems in making amicable decisions concerning the running of an organization. Currently advertisements made through the internet also contribute greatly to the success of many organizations. However, the main objectives of information systems in organizations are operational fineness, production of new products and offering of best services, customer and supplier understanding, advanced decision making, having a competitive advantage, and survival of an organizat ion. (McNurlin et al, 2008). Military health care system Military health care is an organization that provides health care to the retired army together with their dependants in the United State. It is made up of five entities namely, TRICARE Management Activity, Medical elements of the army, Health issues, Navy, and the Air force that team to enhance its success. (Glaser Wager, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The key objective of the military health care system is to keep the health of the military personnel in good condition for them to carry out military roles in the state. Military health care system also provides medical assistance to the military forces during wartimes. For military health care system department to meet its policy of maintaining the health of military officers in good condition, it enrolls its entities into offices that team up to carry out military health functions. Office of defense controlling health issues oversees medical missions recommended for the department of defense. It does this by having interconnection communication within the department. Apart from HA subjecting strategies, processes, and customaries for TRICARE, playing a crucial role in developing MHS schemes to advance the eminence of healthcare crosswise the department of defense, it also carries the role of preparing department of defense healthcare budget. TRICARE Management is an office under m ilitary healthcare system that uses both military health care system and the civilian network in providing services to retired militaries and their relatives. Unlike HA, TRICARE Management certain the implementation of the DoD healthcare strategy have been carried out effectively, constantly, and proficiently across the MHS. In addition, TRICARE Management oversees the success of its programs. On the other hand, both HA and TRICARE Management work together to implement and control healthcare strategies and agendas within the department of defense. The office of medical elements of the services contributes to the success of the MHS by deploying persons, training and equipping them with enough knowledge to take control of the treatment facilities. Just as HA, the medical element office also maintains the medical workforce of the federal civilians through the implementation of the medical treatment facilities in its daily roles. In addition to enrollment and withholding, the medical se rvices endow individuals with education, headship trainings, and other educative programs to prop up MHS needs. (Glaser Wager, 2009). The office of the Air Force just as that of Medical services handles and authorizes medication of the military officers and their relatives in the field of military. They ensure this by not only making tracks on the medication process and services offered to the military officers, but also measuring the competence of the individuals offering the medication. On the other hand, enterprise information system that incorporates internet technology to the world of business to enhance the marketing movement has the role of providing leadership in information technology by supporting the goals of the organization. Apart from inputting much effort towards meeting the demands of customers and suppliers by providing appropriate services, enterprise information system also provides a diversity of information technology services for the departments that make an o rganization. In addition, enterprise information system ensures that information technology concepts fully sustain business processes. (Supplemental Resource American Psychological Association, 2010). However, unlike departmental information system made up of a team of offices within a single corporation, enterprise information system is made up multiple organizations comprising of suppliers, controllers and partners who team to make global organizations look like one entity through having holistic view. Suppliers in enterprise information system have the role of supplying goods and services to a diversity of organizations that make the enterprise. In a military health care, the suppliers carry the role of supplying medicinal and pharmaceutical products to a variety of military organizations to enhance the goal of military health care. On the other side, regulators in an enterprise information system take control of the daily movements of business within the organizations making up an enterprise. Partners play critical roles towards a given enterprise information system. These individuals contribute greatly to an enterprise by not only investing in them, but also participating in advising on the appropriate ways of governance. Enterprise information system being made of multiple organizations, its main goal in a health care organization is to involve a diversity of individuals regardless of military post via use of the networking system. In addition, unlike departmental information system, enterprise information-system services are provided by a variety of partners. Information technology Information technology is the incorporation of computers and software to manage information in a given organization. In organizations and departments, information technology is used to store information, protect information, process the information, transmit information in the right way, and retrieve information in the recommended way. (Luftman, 2004). There are differences b etween departmental information technology and enterprise information technology, for instance, departmental information technology carries all its roles by itself without incorporating other departments and organizations like enterprise information system. The input and output of data in departmental information is also so parochial compared to enterprise information system that is holistic in all its activities. In sum, the departmental information technology is rooted only to one organization making it optimized to only simple tasks. On the other hand, enterprise information technology, unlike departmental information technology deals with several orders of enormity making it more complex than departmental information technology. Enterprise information technology also manages the needs of diversity of users and functions in a systematic way that satisfies all individuals involved. Enterprise information technology coordinates many objectives, business deals and data sources withi n a given time in order to meet its goals. (McKeen Smith, 2009). Despite the many differences between the departmental and enterprise information technology within an organization, some measures if imposed may contribute to the reduction of the gap between the two. For instance, solving of the departmental and enterprise policy issue dictates for the use of department communication networks effectively. Through communications among employees from different departments and organizations, a lot will be gained in terms of innovation and advancement in the rate and magnitude of the services offered by employees. (Schiesser, 2010). In addition, the networking system also aids in interconnecting a variety of brains leading to the advancement of the policies set by a department. Therefore, it is essential for the department employees to link themselves with a diversity of other employees through the use of the departmental networking system and exchange ideas. In addition, employees need to explore what other departments do in order to enhance the success of an organization. (Filipe Cordeiro, 2011). In conclusion, success of many organizations has been linked to the appropriate use of technology. This is due to continuous change of the technological world that dictates for inclusion of technological materials in order to fit in the business competition. In addition, use of information technology has played a crucial role in enhancing amicable management of organizations in simple ways. Employees also gain a lot from the networking system hence enhancing their competitiveness within an organization. However, departmental information technology has to be advanced from relaying on simple activities to a diversity of functions in order to enhance the success of organizations. References Carr, N., John, B. Piot, J. (2007). The Executives Guide to Information Technology. New York: John Wiley Sons. Filipe, J. Cordeiro, J. (2011). Enterprise Information Systems: 12th In ternational Conference, ICEIS 2010, Funchal-Madeira, Portugal, June 8-12, 2010, Revised Selected Papers. New York. Springer. Glaser, J., Lee, F Wager, K. (2009). Health Care Information Systems: A Practical Approach for Health Care Management. New York: John Wiley Sons. Laudon, K. C., Laudon, J. P. (2008). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Luftman, J. N. (2004). Managing the information technology resource: Leadership in the information age. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. McKeen, J. D., Smith, H. (2009). IT strategy in action. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. McLaughlin, C. (2008). Networking Practitioner Research. New York: Taylor Francis. McNurlin, B. C., Sprague, R. H., Jr., Bui, T. (2008). Information systems management in practice (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Schiesser, R. (2010). IT systems management (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pren tice Hall. Supplemental Resource American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC

State Intervention in Private Spheres of Activity for their Intended Essay

State Intervention in Private Spheres of Activity for their Intended Public Interest - Essay Example It is an important feature of contemporary society and one which is set to grow as network technologies, such as the Internet, enable us to communicate almost instantaneously with organizations and individuals regardless of geographical location. For example, it is because of the emergence of a ‘borderless’ society that law enforcement agencies increasingly seek to be exempted from the full rigors of the privacy laws. That this kind of exemption can lead, in turn, to misuse and abuse of these powers is perhaps one of the ‘costs’ we have to bear if law enforcement agencies generally are to be effective in combating crime in the information age. However, before evaluating how ethically right is the State’s intervention in the privacy of the members of the society for its proposed public interests, the very terminology of â€Å"Privacy† needs to be understood.The extensive material the n literature on the definition of Privacy reveals that the term’s meaning differs under various approaches to privacy offered by different scholars. Privacy’s most widely spread definition has been coined by Warren & Brandeis (1890, p. 205) who define privacy, as an intrinsic value, the â€Å"right to be let alone† (Stahl, 2007). Another approach to define privacy by (Stalder, 2002) is that of informational self-determination which sees privacy as the right to determine who accesses person-related data. This interpretation is widely spread in continental Europe whereby privacy may be taken in terms of property which includes the protection of an individual’s financial records, health records, ex-directo ry telephone numbers, criminal records, etc. If person-related information can be treated as property, then privacy issues can be reduced to the more established (intellectual) property law as Spinello (2000) puts it.  

Select a (domestic)3 public limited company of your choice and analyse Essay

Select a (domestic)3 public limited company of your choice and analyse what price and non-price strategies it employs for its co - Essay Example On the other side, financial statements are very essential for different types of user in for different company. So, before preparing the financial statement the accountant must be clear that the users survive by the information. There are different types of group with a curiosity of different organisation called user group. The different types of user follows the financial statement for their decision making purpose. The company analysis is mainly based on the financial statements of the company (Chatton, 2008, p.125). Here the Researcher will analyse the different aspects of the National – Express Group like Customer profile, competition, social and technological issues, unique selling proposition, financial performance analysis etc. The researcher uses ratio and trend analysis to analyse the financial performance. General Description of the Company National – Express Group is a popular transport service provider company in UK as well as in Europe. The business networ k of the company spreads in UK, Spain, North America and Morocco. The statistics shows that there are more than 650 million journeys are made through the company every year. The transport services of the company categorised as trains, buses, coaches and light rail services. The primary strategy of the company is to offer quality products and services to the customers for the purpose of enhance the growth rate in the existing market. The company tries to win new bidding opportunity through rail, coaches and bus markets. Presently, the company has been able to recover the underlying growth in Spain and creating new bid opportunity by aiming to increase overall growth. Presently, the company introduces coach and rail business in UK which seems to be profitable and contributes in the growth success in long term basis. Presently, the company is able to recover the underlying growth in Spain and creating new bid opportunity by aiming to increase overall growth. Presently, the company intr oduces coach and rail business in UK which seems to be profitable and contributes in the growth success in long term basis. In past few years, the company tried to acquire different transport operator companies, whose operation, modes and geographies match with the existing business of the company. For the purpose of enhancing the value of shareholder, National Express Group implemented strict return criteria in the case of acquisition. In 2010, the company acquired bolt-on school bus acquisition in New Jersey in the value of US$13.3 million (William, 2009, p.45). The annual reports of the company show that 2011 is a successful year for National - Express Group. In this year, the company generated ?180.2 million EBITA (profit before tax and amortisation) which is more or less double than the previous year. The primary reason of enhancing the statutory profit before tax is three folds increase in sales revenue and the operating profit. The maximum level of profit from the UK Coach bu siness is also a reason for profit increasing (National Express Group PLC, 2011, p.67). There are significant improvements in each and every business of the company over the last two years. The bus services in UK and North America increased the operating margin. The

Small Businesses are Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Small Businesses are Entrepreneurship - Essay Example The paper presents arguments in favor of this statement and attempts to explore various dimensions of this statement. Discussion To define, â€Å"entrepreneurship is the capacity and willingness to undertake conception, organization, and management of a productive venture with all attendant risks, while seeking profit as a reward† (Hatten, pp. 148-149, 2011). A glance at all other definitions of entrepreneurship will verify the fact that entrepreneurship, entrepreneur of entrepreneurial spirit is seen in line, primarily, with the elements of innovation and risk taking. Without any doubts, large sized companies and organizations create mechanisms and systems to diversify and decrease their risk over the period (Hatten, pp. 148-149, 2011) of time; however, small businesses are the ones that face great deal of uncertainty and ambiguity on a daily basis. Lack of abundant resources, limited funds, threat of competition, limited production capacity, narrow customer base, constraints in terms of conducting marketing research and others are factors that present challenges and risks to small business which are shared by almost all small businesses as well. Almost half of the new ventures and small businesses in UK and US fail in the first year, which is another proof and manifestation of the uncertainty that is faced by the small business and entrepreneurial ventures (Down, pp. 20-21, 2010). One can consider small businesses as examples of entrepreneurship because they share of the element of ‘need of constant innovation† with other entrepreneurial ventures. Important here to note is that this does not necessarily imply that large businesses can survive without innovation but the fact is that large businesses can delay innovation by using the other resources, competitive advantages and competencies at their disposal (Scarborough, Wilson & Zimmerer, pp. 41-42, 2010). When companies grow big, they develop a loyal customer base and develop other mechanis ms to retain customers. Their buyers associate certain level of quality with them and at least, with certain products and services, the buyers face certain switching costs due to which may hold the customers with the company for a longer period (Bridge, O'Neill & Cromie, pp. 263, 2003). Furthermore, when companies grow big, they either outsource the tasks of innovation or create separate departments for the same, and provide them with enough funding to experiment and keep an eye on the changing market trends. In case of both small businesses and entrepreneurs, there are no separate departments for research and development but the owner and the employees themselves must take out the time for coming up with new ideas and testing them thus creating a unique challenge for them (Lee-Ross & Lashley, pp. 52-53, 2011). Not only that constant innovation is a difficult task for small businesses but also at the same time, they need innovation more desperately than large companies do. As mentio ned earlier that large companies with their huge loyal customer base can survive in the market for quite some time since they have other factors to attract their customers; however, in case of small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, innovation is all that they have to attract and retain their customers (Allen & Meyer, pp. 63-68, 2005). Most small businesses

Procurement Strategies: Advantages and Disadvantages

Procurement Strategies: Advantages and Disadvantages The Janus plc is a dynamic retail and leisure group in UK. The Janus group are constantly investing in their ventures and develop several proposals with considerable facilities to expand their group forward. In UK the Janus group already consists of two other proposals which are in operation. As a part of their plans the organisation has decided to make new development proposal at malchester. The organisation is planning to develop the new proposal in two phases. This report is an assessment of the procurement strategies and options for selecting the procurement strategies for design and construction of the new proposal at malchester. The study on the procurement methods and strategies in this report tell us how to process the planning of the project to achieve value for time, cost, quality and helps the clients organization business to move forward. The report also suggests the best suitable strategy with effective implementation offers on time delivery, cost effective, specific quality and makes sustainable delivery of the project. As the selection of procurement makes the work easier to the client in making the project successful and achieving the goals of the organization. It also makes the right decisions for avoiding the risks. So the selection of procurement method plays very important role in constructions. At last the report recommends and justifies the selected potential procurement method for design and construction process with proper guidelines for delivering the efficient project and also to meet the standard quality for service in attaining maximum profit which will move the organizations business forward. Introduction: Procurement is also called as sourcing, which means gathering services and goods from the preparation and of request through the approval of statement for payment. This involves purchase planning, financing, making the purchase, inventory control and stores, specific development, standard determination, supplier research and selection, supply contract administration, disposal and other related functions, value analysis and price negotiation. Procurement plays major role in work relationship between parties involved in the construction process. Identify the primary and secondary objectives of the projects, Risk innate in the proposal, Environmental determination, which it will be implemented and selecting the appropriate procuring method for the proposed project. Procurement was not about a building, it was about entire project which includes obtaining goods and services, also includes obtaining human recourses like, consultants, contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers and specialists for some purpose. It is the very important step which can show some significant impact on the project success. Critical analysis: Janus leisure plc is leisure group which seeking to move its business forward. Janus leisure present operations having six racecourses which stage 20% of all racing fixtures held each year. Which makes them one of the UKs largest of horseracing. It also includes one of the oldest classic races in the world, the 5000 guineas stakes and also some high profile race meetings throughout the year. Conferencing and banqueting facilities will be provided at all of Janus racecourses and making then capable to operate 365 days. Janus leisure offering 18 hole golf courses at two of their racecourses. One includes leisure club and an integrated, branded hotel at third racecourses. Now Janus proposing some improvements to their racecourses, which was hosting 5000 guineas stakes every year in malchester. The redevelopment consists of two phases. Client requirements: Phase 1 Demolition of existing grandstand. Construction of new 5-storey grand stand to include an extensive conference and exhibition centre and associated external works (Budget  £25m). Refurbishment of two existing stand circa 100 years old (Budget  £5m). N.B to enable redevelopment during phase-1, the 2011 guineas stakes meeting and the 2012 5000 guineas stakes, schedule for mid-September must return to malchester. Phase 2 Construction of a new 120-bed hotel facility and casino (Budget  £12m) to be operational for the 2013 5000 guineas stakes meeting in mid-September. As Janus Leisure Company mentioned that they require finishing phase-1 by mid September 2012 for 5000 guineas stakes and phase-2 by mid-September 2013 for 5000 guineas stakes. As the company is trying to develop all their venues they will be having less concentration on a single venue and also the client knows what they required and what they expecting from the contractor. This project also includes demolition of existing grand stand and refurbishment of two existing stands. Which means it includes mixture of different kind of construction process. The main things in this project were time completion and budget. Completing the project in budget and maintaining the quality of construction. Clients have different needs and it is necessary to ensure satisfactory results to the development process by the contractor. There are some procurement methods which meets our clients requirement. The main factors when considering the appropriate procurement method: Project size Budget Complexity of project Time Probability of change in design and construction phases Quality importance Ability of contractors to undertake the project (Organisation) Design In this project we decided to go with Design and built type of procurement method which was suitable for this type of client. Our client needs racecourses by the 5000 stakes time, so its necessary for the contractor to complete the project by the time without delay. Price certainty: The certainty of price for the total construction work period. Price certainty will change at the time of process of project. Getting the firm prices before the construction of the project, this enables approximate estimates for the client. The cost of the project will be within financial budget. Public employers consider less important in price certainty. And they focus on quality and the functionality of the work done. For private client it is important to control their financial budget by obtaining the price certainty. Dead line: The majority of clients will make the decision and want to complete the project as quick as possible. Here our client need our project in time to extent and start his business soon in malchester. Time availability also influences the project to choose the construction techniques. The implication is under some circumstances such as time, cost and quality. Design: Design and build is the only method which likes into account Buildability, and produces a design in terms of construction. Traditional procurement method of contract was failed id design aspects. Some management contracting type of procurement processes have a grip on the design. If the client was been approaching a single contractor for a long time, it was beneficial to the clients. The main design factors considered are: Function Maintenance Buildability Standard design Design before build Design prototypes Procurement methods: There are several ways to categorised procurement methods. Risk taken by each party Information availability at the time of distributing contracts. The way of design and construction is ordered and maintained. Choosing the procurement systems is risk decision. The main risks obtained at the time of project to clients, contractors, sub-contractors, design team and suppliers are in completion deadlines, construction cost, design adequacy, liability or defects, safety, quality, workmanship etc.,. Source: Turner (1997) Building Procurement (2nd Ed) Source: Smith (1999) Managing Risk in Construction The contractors or consultants are selected by some competition or negotiation with a single organisation. In short listing tenders the points to consider were, Financial standing and records Experience in similar contracts in recent periods. Capable management. Capacity. Time, Cost and Quality of construction are the different options used to address the clients objectives. There are many different procurement methods available. Some have a long life which was continued till now. Some are disappeared. It depends on the results of the past projects. Some systems are in extensive use. Some will suite for the contractor. Some will be suitable for the clients. Procurement types: Lump sum or traditional procurement Design and build Management contracting Framework agreement Public private partnerships Construction management 1. Traditional procurement: This is most common method of procurement. It is suitable to all clients, including in experienced clients and it is time predictable and cost certainty. It is suitable for fast track projects. In this method client appoints a team of consultants to prepare drawings and also tender documents. The client appoints building contractor as well, to build the structure as per design with completion date as per approved rates. Most work will be distributed to the sub-contractors and the contractor remains responsible. Client appointed consultants administrates the project and advise the aspects associated with progress, design and payments. This is low risk option for the clients to minimise the delays, design failures etc. But some times the risk will increase, when the design phase is rushed and also when tender documents are not fully completed. The two stage tendering is referred as the accelerated traditional method. By this design and construction process will at the same time for a w hile. 2. Design and Build: In design and build procurement system a single contractor or single consultant will be appointed for both design and build or management of construction operations. Subcontractor will be appointed by the main contractor or consultant. The main characteristics of this procurement method are: Single organisation will be appointed for both build and construction of project. It may be contractor or consultant. The construction works will be carried out by subcontractors when handled by the contractor when the project is given to contractor. Client will manage subcontractor when the project is given to the consultants. The design and build procurement system is defined as: Design and built organisation behaves as consultant with direct contact with client for design and building of project. All packaging works are between designs and build organisation. Diagram : Flow chat of Design and Build procurement method Using this contract design and build system, clients obtain single or two competitive bids. The suitable contractor who contains the clients requirements and design will be issued the contract. Tender requires stating lump sum management fee and also offers a guaranteed maximum price in the bids. The contract awarded is mainly based on financial level. The GMP approach will also sometimes considered by the client at the time of management contracting. Management procurement systems are undetermined by instance of GMP involvement with agreement between contractor and employer. This is not demanded in design and builds type of procurement system. The design of project will be carried out by in-house designers, external consultants or by both of the in-house designers and external consultants. Whatever is the source of the design, the total responsibility is on the design and build contractor. There is a close contact with clients, designers and subcontractors. This will make the project quite easier. Whatever the problem occurs i.e. in design, packaging works and price issue, he can approach everything and everyone directly in this design and build method of procurement. Construction work is carried out by means of trade. Work packages and it enable to overlap the design and construction. This conditions made the design and build contractor to provide site establishment works. The best example of using the design and build procurement method is construction of  £25 million Nissan car plant complex at Washington in 1984 to 1985. This approach highlights the difficulties that can cause by all of the management oriented methods to cope the client decision till last moment. Apart from difficulties this method provides accurate final cost of the project. Any late changes are likely to be a current or complete work may delay the entire process of the project. Late changes are agreed by such alteration, if something necessary can be allowed. In most projects the client will appoint the financial consultants, usually quantity surveyor to give advice on financial and contractual aspects of the project. Once the design and build contractor appointed, the formulation of work packages, financial monitoring and control of project is subject of joint management and lies between two parties. Design and build usually compensate sum of: Management fee Design fee Net cost of site establishment Final accounts of all the subcontractors to the GMP. When GMP is in corporate in contract it is accordance with the tender documentation. If the contractor made savings against GMP will be penalises when sum exceeds as a result of mismanagement. Payments will be made on net cost of work contractors. Open book method accounting will be done in designing and build method to make the financial records available for the clients or financial advisor, to verify the actual cost of the project with records. The quality control will be problem with the duty for functions allowed to the design and build contractor. But developing quality control was done by form of inspectors, which were appointed by the client. The contract is an initiative to the contractor to minimise the costs and also need him act as an independent consultant. In this circumstances the quality may drop down, unless additional care was taken is supervision of specification of materials and equipment. Employing and managing the supervisory staffs are must undermine the relationship between design build contractor and the client who indented to form fundamental basis for the success of project where design and build type of procurement method is used. When consultant led design and built is a practical and commercial approach to implement the project. The system creators belief that the most construction projects suffer as a result of poor communication and unwanted large and complex management hierarchy, over planning and lack of commitment to the clients cause by most participants in the project. The principles for management of project were: Drawing and documentation is not a product by means o communicating the clients requirements to the construction manager. Communication between the employees is as direct as possible. As we expecting changes in construction field, full preplanning is not the best control and more flexibility and less detailed short term planning should be adopted. The interest of client is best served to participant to the project objectives not individual aspirations. 3. Management contracting: Management contracting is one of the most common methods of procurement. In this client appoints consultants to prepare drawings and project details. The management contract was selected by tendering, paid bases, prime costs and management fee. The main role of management contract is to manage the execution of work. The main contractor does not involve in any kind of construction work directly. It will be done by packages which were undertaken by sub-contractors, which were appointed by management contractors. In some cases the management contractors also agree design liabilities. In this the works contracted were directly and contractually responsible to the management contractor. The management contractors obligation is to accept responsibility for design and construction means. It referred as Design, Manage, Construct it is called as featured as contractor-led procurement. In this the led designed responsible for overall design and manager was responsible for coordination of work. It is suitable for fast track projects, complex buildings and developing brief. It is not suitable for inexperienced clients. Cost certainty, and not possible to transfer the total risk to contractor. This approach will overlap design and construction progress. The payment is made on the basis of cost of work with agreed fee by the managing contractor. Success of project is mainly depends on the contractors team. Price certainty is less because the construction starts before completion of all design works. This means many of packaging works to be tendered later in the construction stage. Means the design and work packages are adjusted properly to keep the project within the budget. Design and construction tends to be less than design and build methods. 4. Framework agreement: Framework agreement is established with limited number of suppliers or single suppliers. It will allow suppliers bring together with relevant experience which will save both the parties when more projects involved. This method of procurement includes all forms of procurement methods. Like traditional, design and build etc. the developing framework agreements for consultancy service will be done by LSC (Learning and skill council). Reduced transaction costs Continuous improvement within long-term relationships Frame work agreement with number of suppliers or single supplier can result in significance savings to both parties. No need for constant re-tendering at call of stages. When the contract conditions are unchanged for all projects, there will be substantial gains from continuous improvement. When the term changed, small competitions with in frame work will takes place. Client may have more framework suppliers for different requirements. The resource implications for client should be decided whether they need one frame work supplier under one frame work agreement are not. Frame work agreement may be used for design and build and primary contracting procurement methods. Frame work agreements also suitable for maintenance requirements. Client with small and rare project will consider collaborating with similar type to share frame work agreement. Every frame work agreement completed and advertised with procurement rules. There must not be any commitment to the frame work agreement contractor for any other kind of business until the first contract completes. The savings in cost and time will come from the following: Not necessary to rebid for every individual project. Continues development will earn by transferring from one project to another. Working relationships will be improved. Continues work flow. Speed of procurement. Public private partnership: Public private partnership is a partnership between public and private sector means the government and private parties carried out the project together on the agreed division of tasks and risks. Each party keeps its own identity and responsibilities. The public private partnership is growing due to demand in infrastructure. The limited fund in the public sector leads to join with private sector, in this provision of infrastructure. The principle believes PPPs is that the public sector is responsible for the proper delivery of service and it is not responsible for actual providing service. Major public sector projects have always undertaken by private sector contract. The major difference between all the procurement methods and this method was, private sector regarded as a fully fledged performer. The essential characteristics were: Responsibility and risk is transferred from public sector to private sector. The contractual agreements were made to perform based outcomes. Long term contractual agreements. Identification Option analysis Planning and approval Implementation Post-transaction Political risk Construction management: In construction management procurement the total services were been between the package contractors and clients. This will show the difference between management contracting. In this approach the client will contact directly with sub-contractors. Here the construction manager acts as an employee agent. When dealing with sub-contractors. The main points in this system are: Construction manager was appointed as consultant at initial stages and have equal status as design team members. Payments are made by lump sum or percentage fee to construction manager. The main works in the projects are carried out by sub-contractors. The role of construction manager is to supervise, co-ordinate and administrate. The role construction manager is defined as consultant role and responsible to the client. The construction manager work for a safety and all works are carried out by sub-contractor, between client and sub-contractor. This type of procurement method was first started in US during 1960s. They usually called this method as construction project management. This procurement method was started to use in UK in 1970s. This was needed to control the risk, cost and time in large projects. After the uncertainty in the worlds economy takes place the higher interest rates made commercial builders to large financial risks. From that stage this method was used in major projects. There are variations in construction management procedures. The construction manager has the equal level as designers. The both designer and construction manager have a direct contact with clients. In construction management method the involvement of client is more than the other methods. Thus this method will be taken by the entrepreneurial clients, who have ability and resources, unless they must be ready to appoint construction manager to protect their interest. Tough process will takes place to appoint a construction manger. The main roles of construction manager: Planning and management Inception and completion Design to ensure built ability. Value for money and economy. Advising the client of their time and cost. Safety policy for the site. Division of work to appropriate sub-contractors. Interim payments and final accounts with work contractors (sub-contractors) and advising client with proper documentation. Before starting of the project construction manager also involves in preparation of project cost budget. Also involves in preparation of tender documents and solution of potential subcontractor and managing tender documents, evaluation and recommendations in acceptance of tenders were also done by the construction manager. Construction manager will not do any construction work by his own. Construction manager was responsible for control and co-ordination of subcontracts. Programme control and time management. Applications for the payment to the subcontractors were examined by construction manager. The manager will submit the applications to the client with appropriate member of design team. Advantages and disadvantages: Traditional method: Advantages: Design was fully developed and cost is detailed before the building contractor being signed. This method will give clients very customised building. The design and construction was split into separate sections will give clear responsibilities. Disadvantages: Its difficult to fine the responsibility for errors and omissions. Different parties involved in the contract can create climate antagonistic. Unexpected circumstances will change the final cost of the project than original tendered amount. But proper planning keeps this under control. Design and Build method: Advantages: Single point of Responsibility: the manager is responsible for design and construction. The client should have single point of responsibility. This method is more advantageous than other, where the client employee separate designers and construction agreements. If the claim is done, the contractors, designers and architects blame each other of their responsibility. Price certainty: Design and build gets more price certainty than other forms of procurement methods. Many of design and build contractors include guaranteed maximum price (GMP). Design and build contractor cant claim for loss and expenses for late instructions from architects. This kind of claims can be done under traditional form of procurement method. The fee paid for the professionals is also less and depends on the roles of the professionals. Speed: It can be easily achieved from design and build method, by starting the work at site earlier than the traditional forms of contract. The contractor is not relaying on design and supply information, this is called single point of contract. This type of method will allow budget and programmes level of control to the contractor. So the construction process is likely to be quicker. Buildability: The contractor is responsible for design and construction, so the project is more likely to be buildable than other procurement methods. Claims: Its not easy to claim because its a single point of responsibility. Disadvantages: Design quality: Design and build method is not an exact procurement method where high priority of design quality is not given because of certainty among the architects. Additional design fee: If the client likes to take independent advice on design matters where the building contractor involved, then this will cost the client to pay additional fee to the design team of the contractor. Inflexibility: Once the contract proposal is agreed, the scope for client to make changes in his requirement is less otherwise the cost consequences will be prohibitive. Management contracts: Advantages: This system enables client to obtain Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the construction element of project from the management contractor. It is used to accelerate the project process. The risk of delay will be overcomes by timely targets. Disadvantages: Project cost incurred in this system is higher, when compared with design and build system. When guaranteed maximum price (GMP) achieves, the management contractor position with clients as consultants will be at risk. Framework agreement: Advantages: Single tendering for the life of the framework agreement. Reduction of cost and administrative efforts. Initial tendering allows contractors to know competitive supply and should offer competitive prices for expected value of business. The range of supplies will be provided is short time by contracting authority, it reduces the stock holding for goods and also reduces time and equipment maintenance and repairs. Long term working relationship can be established with the supplier. Disadvantages: This is a closed system, once the framework agreement is established then new suppliers cannot be admitted. Competitive reopen can be considered onerous, if its structure is not planned properly in framework agreement. Public private partnerships: Advantages: Value for money Risk transfer Long term nature of contract Performance measurement of contracts. Private sector management skills Cost efficiency Time to delivery saving Reduction on the public treasury Board support Improved cost calculations Disadvantages: Insecurity Higher transaction cost Higher capital cost Inefficiencies Culture gap Short term rigidities Construction management: Advantages: Positive attitude and more constructive being exhibited at all levels. i.e. management, supervising and operative level. The proper using of value engineer by construction manager. Clients involvement is a bit higher when compared when compared with remaining procurement methods. It will promote better working relationship with project team. In this method the clients will direct contact with subcontractors, which will improve subcontractors cash flow. Means direct payments from the clients. Disadvantages: Client must involve deeply into all course of works. He must also able to manage construction manager and design consultants. The fee to the construction manager will vary from project to project; it will depend on the size of the project and roles of the construction manager. Procurement strategy: The customized nature of construction project increases inborn risks. These risks include the work which was not exactly required in the project completion. This includes late delivery or costs more than the client pay. These kinds of risks will impact clients core business. The procurement strategy should balance these situations at early stages. The main points which are co-dependent and frequently in tension are: Time: Speed and certainty of completion as per deadline. Cost: Level of price and certainty in cost. Quality: As per performance and functionality. Procurement strategies will accomplish, Cost and time certainty for the design is developed by an architect. This consequently slow process. Also know as traditional procurement process or design-bid-build process. In cost certainty and relative speed, the design is responsibility of a contractor. Gradually client will lose the control over the design process in design and build procurement. Virtual speed for the design developed by an architect and cost is uncertain till completion called as management contracting or construction management. After careful analysis of the project brief it is clear that the main factors essential for the project are time, cost, quality and reputation of the organization. In time, cost and quality the top priority goes to time and then followed by cost and quality. So the procurement method which is going to be selected should be very efficient and fulfil all requirements and objectives of the project. The selection of procurement system depends upon the nature and objectives of the project. After careful considerations of all the above factors and objectives of the clients organization the design and built contracting procurement method is suggested as it is best suitable for the client

Lessons from Walden Two Essay -- Thoreau Walden Two Essays

Lessons from Walden Two Walden Two is a novel about a fictional community in present day America. The community is a Utopia of the highest standards: the people are happy and content, there is a minimum of hurtful emotions and activities, and everyone is healthy and prosperous. It is a stark contrast with the world we are living in today. So why don't we change our society to match that of Walden Two, solving all of our nation's many problems? For one thing, we do not know if a society patterned after Walden Two will work. Walden Two is a work of fiction; such a society has never been attempted. However, even if such a society has been proven to work perfectly, our society is not prepared for such a radical change. It is human nature to resist change. Trying to immediately convert our society to Walden Two would be disastrous, even chaotic. What we can do, however, is take apart Walden Two; find the aspects that are most needed in our society today and work towards applying them. By working toward these, we become closer to the good society, even if we never fully reach it. One of the most hazardous aspects of our society is that we are a consumer society. People are driven to spend money; the advertising industry has become a very successful and profitable industry by effectively convincing people to spend money. Many people have more money and possessions than they will ever need, while many more people will never have enough. People are driven to make as much money as possible so they can belong to a higher social class. None of these problems exist in Walden Two; they are solved mostly by behavioral engineering. There are no social classes in Walden Two. Everyone is equal (socially and financially), and the... ... child will draw his or her own conclusion that listening to advertising is a very poor way to make choices. Then, as the child grows up, he or she will see for his or herself proof of this idea - it does not need to be shown to the child explicitly. The example of advertising is just one example of how a new learning system (which is a form of behavioral engineering) can be used to eliminate the problem of a consumer society. There is no reason why the same method can be used to solve all sorts of problems, for example: distribution of wealth, environmental problems, and desire for power. This is a very radical change; however, it is a lot less radical than the society proposed in Walden Two. Social change does not happen overnight; changing the learning system will take a lot of work, but it is the first step in the right direction for changing our society.

Succubus Revealed Epilogue

We were married at sunset. Some might not consider that an auspicious time, but for me, it was a perfect compromise. I had wanted to be married in the daytime, outdoors, with sunlight streaming everywhere. Seeing as Cody and Peter wanted to attend, however, the sun presented a little difficulty. And since Peter had essentially acted as wedding coordinator for me, it seemed kind of mean to exclude him. So, we held the ceremony at sunset, and the vampires were able to show up for the reception the instant the sun sank below the horizon. The wedding was held on the grounds of a beachfront resort on Puget Sound. We stood on a grassy hill, facing west toward the water. It was high summer, and everything was bathed in orange and gold. The bridesmaids (all Mortensen girls) wore red dresses that looked as though they'd been designed with the sunset in mind and carried white clusters of stephanotis. Our only nod to decorations was an ivy-strewn arch that the officiant stood in front of. With so much beauty around us, nothing else had seemed necessary. I repeated my vows while holding Seth's hands. Each word I spoke was infinitely powerful, and yet I wouldn't really remember any of them until later. For those minutes, my whole world was focused on his face, on the amber gold of his eyes and the way the light played off his hair. Love burned within me and between us, making everything else a fog of indistinct details. There was only Seth and me. Me and Seth. There was a dreamlike quality to it all. The moments seemed suspended in time. And yet, afterward, when I looked back, it was as though the entire ceremony had taken place in the blink of an eye. We had a couple hundred people who had gathered to watch us. They all rose from their folding chairs and clapped when we kissed, and I found myself unable to stop grinning when I looked out into that sea of happy faces. The reception was held on the same grounds, just a little ways from the ceremony. We'd gone to a bit more work with the decorations here. The tables were draped with white linens and bedecked with flowers and candles that created little twinkles of light in the evening shadows. Large torches were set up along the boundaries as well, their flames flicking rapidly as wind picked up from the water. A jazz band set up nearby and began to play, providing background music for dinner. They had a space for dancing afterward too, though I didn't dance nearly as much as I'd expected to at my wedding. There were too many people to see, too many people to thank for their support. So Seth and I walked around hand in hand, going from group to group of those we loved. â€Å"I knew those Asiatic lilies would be a good call,† Peter told us conspiratorially, admiring one of the table arrangements. â€Å"The Oriental ones are bigger, but I feel like these complement the roses so much better.† â€Å"You're a regular flower whisperer,† said Hugh, knocking back a drink. He held up his glass to Seth and me in a mock toast. â€Å"Honestly, your best bit of planning was the open bar.† â€Å"Because it certainly wasn't the band,† remarked Doug, strolling over to where my little group was standing. â€Å"Geez, Kincaid – † He paused and reconsidered. â€Å"Geez, Mortensens, why didn't you hire me? Nocturnal Admission could've totally rocked this place out.† I smiled, happy that Doug had come. I honestly hadn't been sure if he would. â€Å"Because I wouldn't want to burden you guys with the strain of playing family-friendly music for three hours.† â€Å"Very considerate,† he said. He glanced around, nodding grudgingly. â€Å"Aside from that – and the fact that the bridesmaids are all under eighteen – I gotta admit, you put on a pretty good spread.† â€Å"Thank you,† Peter and I said in unison. â€Å"I kind of agree with Doug about the band,† said Cody. â€Å"I asked them if they'd play ‘The Chicken Dance,' and they said no.† â€Å"I could've done a bitchin' cover of that,† said Doug solemnly. â€Å"It's not so much a failing on the band's part as it was a request of ours to not play it,† said Seth. â€Å"Sad,† said Doug. He slung an arm around Cody. â€Å"Want to go make a bar run with me?† When Cody nodded, Doug glanced at the rest of us. â€Å"Refill anyone?† â€Å"No, thanks,† I said. Doug shook his head. â€Å"Married for an hour, and you're already picking up his good habits.† He and Cody walked off, having an intense discussion about â€Å"The Chicken Dance,† judging from their pantomimes. I leaned my head against Seth, content with everything and everyone in the world. â€Å"You did a beautiful job, Peter,† I said. â€Å"Seriously. It all turned out great.† Considering how underappreciated Peter always felt, I would've expected him to revel in the praise, but he actually turned modest. â€Å"Ah, well. You guys are the main attraction. I just provided the – â€Å" He stopped speaking, and as one, he and Hugh glanced off beyond the edge of the torches, into the darkness. â€Å"What is it?† I asked. They exchanged looks. â€Å"Carter,† said Peter. I followed their gaze, unable to see anything beyond the lit perimeter. It had been very easy to become human again, but there were still a few things I had trouble shaking. The loss of my immortal senses was one. Even now, it was weird to be standing with Peter and Hugh and not feel them. Their night vision was no better than mine – well, actually, I supposed Peter's was – but it wasn't their eyes that had alerted them to Carter's presence. â€Å"I think he wants to see you,† said Hugh gently. I stared off at where they indicated, uncertain what should I do. â€Å"Go,† said Seth softly. â€Å"You should talk to him.† I looked up at him, into those eyes so full of love, and forgot about Carter for the space of heartbeat. It was still too unbelievable to accept sometimes that this was my life, that Seth was my husband. I pressed my lips to his in a quick kiss. â€Å"I'll be right back,† I said. I picked my way through my guests, finding it difficult not to stop and talk to the many well-wishers. When I was out of the safety of the tents and tables, the wind hit me, whipping my hair and veil around and playing with my skirts. My dress had a sweetheart neckline and full skirt with many tiers and layers. I'd wanted a princess dress for my wedding day and had gotten one, though it made this walk a little awkward. I soon spotted Carter, standing so perfectly still among some trees that he might have been one. â€Å"Mrs. Mortensen,† he greeted me, when I reached him. â€Å"Congratulations.† He wore worn gray suit pants, a longsleeved white shirt with the first couple buttons open, and loosely knotted gray and pink silk tie. A jacket matched the pants and looked like it was two sizes too big. I nodded in approval. â€Å"Nice of you to dress up,† I said. â€Å"I don't think I've ever seen you in anything so formal.† â€Å"I should've checked with Peter to find out your colors,† said Carter, running a hand through his hair. It didn't look like it had been brushed for the occasion. â€Å"Sorry if I clash.† I smiled. â€Å"You look great. Thank you for coming.† â€Å"Well,† he said. â€Å"We left off kind of abruptly.† â€Å"That we did,† I murmured. This was the first time I'd seen him since the trial. â€Å"Jerome's not with you?† â€Å"No. You won't be seeing him anymore. Well.† Carter paused a moment. â€Å"Let's just say, I hope you won't be seeing him anymore.† â€Å"I plan on staying off Hell's radar,† I said honestly. He nodded, turning serious. â€Å"That's good. That's kind of why I'm here. I've got two gifts for you. Gifts of information.† â€Å"You were checking my registry,† I said. â€Å"How sweet.† We didn't have much light, but I swore, I could see his gray eyes twinkle. â€Å"You said you'll stay off their radar, but believe me, they're going to still have their eyes on you. Hell doesn't lose many souls the way they lost yours. If they can get it back, they will. They'll try. I know how close you are to them. . . .† His gaze drifted back toward the reception. â€Å"To Hugh, Peter, and Cody. But it'd be better for you – and for them – if you stayed away from them. If you moved away from them, to someplace where you don't know any of the local immortals.† I stared in astonishment. â€Å"Are you saying one of them might try to get my soul? They're my friends.† â€Å"I know, I know. And I don't think they would, exactly, but it's an ugly position for them to be in. You should really think about leaving Seattle. You'll make it easier on everyone if you just remove that temptation.† â€Å"I love Seattle,† I said, turning back to look across the dark water. â€Å"But I love Seth more. I'll talk to him. Andrea's been doing better, so we can go. I don't know where, but we'll figure it out.† I sighed and looked back at him. â€Å"Is your other piece of information less depressing?† The smile reappeared on his lips. â€Å"Yes. It's a big secret.† He leaned toward me and said in a stage whisper, â€Å"You're going to have a baby in December.† A matching smile came over me. â€Å"That's no secret. Not to me, at least.† Seth and I had known for a little while and had decided to keep it under wraps until after the wedding. We weren't going to be able to hide it much longer. I was three months pregnant, and without shape-shifting, I was subject to the rules of nature. It was a wonder I still fit in this dress. â€Å"Okay,† said Carter. â€Å"Then try this: it's a girl.† I felt my smile grow. â€Å"That I didn't know.† Or did I? A sudden flashback to the dream Nyx had shown me played through my mind. I hadn't thought about it in a very long time. Why did I need to? I was living my own dream. But in a flash, I saw it again, me holding a small girl as we waited outside for her father to come home. And it was snowing†¦. You should really think about leaving Seattle. â€Å"What are you thinking?† asked Carter, studying me. â€Å"I'm thinking there might be a short list of places I'll be moving to.† I shivered, both from the cold and the memories, and he draped his worn suit jacket over my bare shoulders. â€Å"I'm moving too,† he told me. I blinked away from my memories. â€Å"You are? Where? Why?† He chose to answer the last one. â€Å"Because my job here is done. Time to go on to another.† It took me a moment to follow. â€Å"You don't mean . . . I was your assignment? I'm why you came to Seattle?† He answered with a shrug. â€Å"But . . . no,† I protested. â€Å"There must be other things you do here, right? Other angelic tasks?† â€Å"Weren't you enough?† he teased. I was still in disbelief. Carter had been in Seattle for as many years as me. Surely there must have been more to it. Admittedly, no one in Hell ever really understood how the angels worked on their assignments. They didn't have the same level of micromanaging as my former employees. â€Å"I'm just one person. One soul. All your work and energy . . . I mean, it can't all have been just for one soul. An angel can't be solely dedicated to that.† â€Å"Well,† he said, clearly enjoying my confusion. â€Å"It was actually for two souls, since you and Seth were both saved. But even if it wasn't, it still would've been worth it. Do you know the price of one soul, Georgina? It's beyond rubies and diamonds, beyond any mortal reckoning. If it had taken me centuries, if it had taken a dozen more angels to help me, it all would have been worth it.† I lowered my head, feeling tears come to my eyes. I thought about how often I'd disparaged Carter, how many times I'd scoffed at the silly, hard-drinking persona he put on. Yet, no matter how much I dismissed him, Carter had always been there in the background, always showing interest in Seth and me. He'd protected me and given me advice, and I spent most of my time mocking him. â€Å"I'm not worthy of that,† I said. I might be human now, but I understood how powerful a heavenly creature Carter was. â€Å"I don't deserve that much regard.† He reached out and tipped my chin up. â€Å"You do, Georgina. And if you don't believe me now, then strive to be. Live your life. Be kind. Love those you know. Love those you don't know. Be worthy of your soul.† A tear escaped, rolling down my cheek and probably messing up my mortal mascara. â€Å"Thank you, Carter. Thank you for everything.† â€Å"There's nothing to thank me for,† he replied. With a sigh, he glanced up at the starry night. â€Å"I should be going. And your guests are probably looking for you. I'm sure they've been banging on glasses with their spoons this entire time.† â€Å"Wait – before you go . . .† I hesitated. Carter had already told me so much, but I had to know one other thing. â€Å"What happened to Roman? Is he dead?† Carter's amused expression faded. â€Å"Ah. I don't know.† â€Å"Carter – â€Å" â€Å"I mean it,† he said. â€Å"That's the straightest answer you'll ever get from an angel. I don't know. I don't think his outcome was good, but I don't know for sure.† I swallowed back more tears. â€Å"He shouldn't have gone.† â€Å"It was his choice, Georgina. He wanted to make a point to Heaven and Hell . . . that, and well, there's more. He did it out of love, and that's no small thing. A sacrifice born of love is almost as powerful a thing as a redeemed soul. Both of them are blows to Hell.† â€Å"I wish . . . I wish I could've said good-bye. Told him how grateful I am.† â€Å"I think he knows,† said Carter. â€Å"I think he knew exactly what he was getting into and deemed it worthwhile. The best way to thank him now is to do what I said. Live your life to its fullest. Take care of your husband and daughter, and let your soul shine.† I nodded. â€Å"I will. Thank you.† I almost asked about Yasmine too but had a feeling the answer would be the same: she'd made her decision. I could only be responsible for my fate, not everyone else's. â€Å"Bless you, daughter of man,† Carter said, his eyes luminous and almost silver now. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and caught my breath. His lips were both burning hot and icy cold. A sense of peace and power flooded me, and for a moment, it was as though I were right on the edge of comprehending all the beauty in the world. I opened my eyes. He was gone. I stood alone on the windswept hill, with the moon starting to shine on the water. In the distance, I heard the laughter and chatter of those I loved and sensed the warmth they held. Picking up my skirts, still wearing Carter's jacket over my shoulders, I headed off toward my husband and the rest of my life, off to be worthy of my soul.

Biography of Hernando Pizarro - Hernan Pizarro Profile

Biography of Hernando Pizarro - Hernan Pizarro Profile Biography of Hernando Pizarro: Hernando Pizarro (ca. 1495-1578) was a Spanish conquistador and the brother of Francisco Pizarro. Hernando was one of five Pizarro brothers to journey to Peru in 1530, where they led the conquest of the mighty Inca Empire. Hernando was his brother Franciscos most important lieutenant and as such received a huge share of the profits from the conquest. After the conquest, he took part in the civil wars among the conquistadors and personally defeated and executed Diego de Almagro, for which he was later imprisoned in Spain. He was the only of the Pizarro brothers to reach old age, as the rest were executed, murdered or died on the battlefield. Journey to the New World: Hernando Pizarro was born sometime around 1495 in Extremadura, Spain, one of the children of Gonzalo Pizarro and Ines de Vargas: Hernando was the only legitimate Pizarro brother. When his elder brother Francisco returned to Spain in 1528 looking to recruit men for an expedition of conquest, Hernando swiftly joined up, along with his brothers Gonzalo and Juan and their illegitimate half-brother Francisco Martà ­n de Alcntara. Francisco had already made a name for himself in the New World and was one of the leading Spanish citizens of Panama: nevertheless, he dreamed of making a huge score like Hernn Cortà ©s had done in Mexico. The Capture of the Inca: The Pizarro brothers returned to the Americas, organized an expedition and departed from Panama in December of 1530. They disembarked on what is today the coast of Ecuador and began working their way south from there, all the while finding signs of a rich, powerful culture in the area. In November of 1532, they made their way inland to the town of Cajamarca, where the Spaniards caught a lucky break. The ruler of the Inca Empire, Atahualpa, had just defeated his brother Huascar in an Inca civil war and was in Cajamarca. The Spaniards persuaded Atahualpa to grant them an audience, where they betrayed and captured him on November 16, killing many of his men and servants in the process. The Temple of Pachacamac: With Atahualpa captive, the Spanish set out to loot the wealthy Inca Empire. Atahualpa agreed to an extravagant ransom, filling rooms in Cajamarca with gold and silver: natives from all over the Empire began bringing treasure by the ton. By now, Hernando was his brothers most trusted lieutenant: other lieutenants included Hernando de Soto and Sebastin de Benalczar. The Spaniards began to hear tales of great wealth at the Temple of Pachacamac, located not far from present-day Lima. Francisco Pizarro gave the job of finding it to Hernando: it took him and a handful of horsemen three weeks to get there and they were disappointed to find that there was not much gold in the temple. On the way back, Hernando convinced Chalcuchima, one of Atahualpas top generals, to accompany him back to Cajamarca: Chalcuchima was captured, ending a major threat to the Spanish. First Trip Back to Spain: By June of 1533, the Spaniards had acquired a massive fortune in gold and silver unlike anything seen before or since. The Spanish crown always took one fifth of all treasure found by conquistadors, so the Pizarros had to get a fortune halfway around the world. Hernando Pizarro was entrusted with the task. He left on June 13, 1533 and arrived in Spain on January 9, 1534. He was personally received by King Charles V, who awarded generous concessions to the Pizarro brothers. Some of the treasure had not yet been melted down and some original Inca artworks were put on public display for a while. Hernando recruited more conquistadors – an easy thing to do – and returned to Peru. The Civil Wars: Hernando continued to be his brothers most loyal supporter in the years that followed. The Pizarro brothers had a nasty falling-out with Diego de Almagro, who had been a major partner in the first expedition, over the division of loot and land. A civil war broke out between their supporters. In April of 1537, Almagro captured Cuzco and with it Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro. Gonzalo escaped and Hernando was later released as part of negotiations to end the fighting. Once again, Francisco turned to Hernando, giving him a large force of Spanish conquistadors to defeat Almagro. At the Battle of Salinas on April 26, 1538, Hernando defeated Almagro and his supporters. After a hasty trial, Hernando shocked all of Spanish Peru by executing Almagro on July 8, 1538. Second Trip Back to Spain: In early 1539, Hernando once again departed for Spain in charge of a fortune in gold and silver for the crown. He didnt know it, but he would not return to Peru. When he arrived in Spain, supporters of Diego de Almagro convinced the King to imprison Hernando at la Mota castle in Medina del Campo. Meanwhile, Juan Pizarro had died in battle in 1536, and Francisco Pizarro and Francisco Martà ­n de Alcntara were murdered in Lima in 1541. When Gonzalo Pizarro was executed for treason against the Spanish crown in 1548, Hernando, still in prison, became the last surviving of the five brothers. Marriage and Retirement: Hernando lived like a prince in his prison: he was allowed to collect the rents from his considerable estates in Peru and people were free to come and see him. He even kept a longtime mistress. Hernando, who was executor of his brother Francisco’s will, kept most of the loot by marrying his own niece Francisca, Francisco’s only surviving child: they had five children. King Phillip II released Hernando in May of 1561: he had been imprisoned over 20 years. He and Francisca moved to the city of Trujillo, where he built a magnificent palace: today it is a museum. He died in 1578. Legacy of Hernando Pizarro: Hernando was an important figure in two major historical events in Peru: the conquest of the Inca Empire and the brutal civil wars among the greedy conquistadors that followed. As his brother Franciscos trusted right-hand man, Hernando helped the Pizarros become the most powerful family in the New World by 1540. He was considered the friendliest and most smooth-talking of the Pizarros: for this reason he was sent to the Spanish court to secure privileges for the Pizarro clan. He also tended to have better relationships with the native Peruvians than his brothers did: Manco Inca, a puppet ruler installed by the Spanish, trusted Hernando Pizarro, although he despised Gonzalo and Juan Pizarro. Later, in the the civil wars among the conquistadors, Hernando won the crucial victory against Diego de Almagro, thus defeating the greatest enemy of the Pizarro family. His execution of Almagro was probably ill-advised - the king had raised Almagro to nobleman status. Hernando paid for it, spending the best years of the rest of his life in prison. The Pizarro brothers are not remembered fondly in Peru: the fact that Hernando was probably the least cruel of the lot isnt saying much. The only statue of Hernando is a bust that he commissioned himself for his palace in Trujillo, Spain. Sources: Hemming, John. The Conquest of the Inca London: Pan Books, 2004 (original 1970). Patterson, Thomas C. The Inca Empire: The Formation and Disintegration of a Pre-Capitalist State.New York: Berg Publishers, 1991.

Greek mythology Essays

Greek mythology Essays Greek mythology Essay Greek mythology Essay With regards to subject-matter, both poems have a historical and literary background. In Greek mythology Syrinx was a nymph chased by an amorous god called Pan. In The Nightingale, according to classical mythology, Philomela was raped by her brother in law, Tereus, who then tore out her tongue so that she could not reveal his crime. Therefore both poems seem to have some roots in the subjection of females to the threat of rape by overbearing males and therefore lose their voice literally but also with regards to personal freedom. However, The Nightingale and Syrinx appear to have two very different meanings.The Nightingale is an incredibly meaningful poem in the sense that the words chosen and the regularity in the structure help express great grief and emotion. The first line can be seen as a reference to Christianity: The Nightingale as soon as April bringeth.’ (line 1) This is because April represents the beginning of Spring and the end of winter. Winter represents darkness and the Nightingale was a bird that sang with increasing joy as dawn represented by Spring approached. : This made it a symbol of the Christian soul singing in the darkness of this world, joyfully anticipating the arrival of Christ, it’s light. Therefore the speaker could be trying to inform us of the Nightingales desire to rid themselves of this grief and find Christ.However, it can be argued that the language used in The Nightingale is more archaic than that of the Syrinx. Therefore the later mention of a thorn: Thy thorn without, my thorn my heart invadeth.’ (line 12) Could be seen as a biblical reference to Christ and the crown of thorns. This image of a thorn represents pain not just physical but emotional. As if the speaker possibly Philomela’s sister, feels betrayed by Philomela, like how Jesus was betrayed by the Jews. Therefore the speaker does not just refer to the imagery of a sharp thorn causing great physical pain. Instead the mention of a thorn is as a biblical reference symbolising betrayal and emotional pain, which creates strong imagery as to the grief and anguish the speaker is suffering.Syrinx on the other hand, presents a different view of the meaning behind a bird’s song than The Ni ghtingale. Amy Clampitt has made it clear in her poem Syrinx, that she is not interested with metre and rhyme. Instead she has purposely made her rhyme, metre and layout all irregular to emphasise that a bird’s call can mean nothing at all. The Nightingale focuses on a deep meaning behind a bird’s song. However, Syrinx focuses on the fact that a bird’s call is meaningless, yet it is the sounds that are important. The first three lines express this:Like the foghorn that’s all lung, The wind chime that’s all percussion, Like the wind itself, that’s merely air (lines 1-3) Here we see the speaker trying to highlight that sometimes sounds are only sounds and have no other meaning. Like wind that is merely air, voice and songs are merely sounds. This presents an opposite view to that of The Nightingale, as the Nightingale’s song is said to represent deep sorrow and anguish. Where Syrinx simply looks at how sometimes things really are what they seem to be.Therefore Syrinx is a poem that looks at how sound really is just sound and nothing more: Be saying: is it o-ka-lee or con-ka-ree, is it really jug jug, is it cuckoo for that matter? (lines 13-15) Here we see the speaker placing emphasis on the sounds of words as they struggle to understand what the bird is saying. They then go on to support my argument that Syrinx is a poem about how the sounds of words may have no order or meaning to them and are simply just sounds as they say it is: much less whether a bird’s call means anything in particular, or at all. (lines 16-18)Therefore the speaker is trying to highlight the fact that a bird’s call is made up of completely arbitrary sounds and have no real meaning. This is further expressed at the beginning of the second stanza where the speaker states that: Syntax comes last, there can be/ no doubt of it: came last.’ (lines 19-20) Thus we envisage the speaker telling us that these sounds are only sounds. Syntax the organization of words to represent meaning, is said to come last, therefore the speaker is placing emphasis on the fact that the sounds of words are only sounds with no deeper meaning.However, The Nightingale contrasts greatly from the poem Syrinx, as it is a poem with a deep meaning behind it. This becomes clear as the poem progresses and the speaker tells us that the bare earth is proud of new clothing: While late bare earth, proud of new clothing, springeth,’ (line 3) This is metaphorical of the Nightingales situation, because the bare earth represents the grief the Nightingale has suffered. However, the new clothing represents Spring and a new beginning for the Nightingale. Spring is also a time of love, the Nightingale with its beautiful night song is recognised as the bird of love.The Nightingale’s link with lovers and the night makes it a perfect symbol of those who would die for love. The speaker expresses this desire for love: Since wanting is more woe than too much having.’ (line 20) Therefore the speaker, who could possibly be Philomela’s sister, is basically expressing her desire for companionship and love again. The first stanza seems to represent the speaker telling us of the pain and anguish Philomela has suffered. The second stanza sees the speaker tell us that what Philomela has suffered is over now however, their suffering still continues: But I, who daily craving, Cannot have to content me, Have more cause to lament me, (lines 17-19)

COURTROOM OBSERVATION AND NARRATIVE ASSIGNMENT Essay

COURTROOM OBSERVATION AND NARRATIVE ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example When I entered the courtroom, the following people were in attendance: the judge, defendant, two of police officers, plaintiff and two attendants. The case was about drugs. I noticed that the judge was using a computer to process information about the court proceedings. In my own opinion, I think it is good to use new information and communication technology such as computers when dealing with such cases since it is easy to process and store information. In other countries, they do not use such technology. I noticed that the judge talked with confidence when she was asking the defendant some questions. She never ignored the defendant and she paid attention to everything he said. The most interesting thing that caught my attention was the way the speaking was organized. When the defendant finished speaking, the judge kept quiet briefly. After that, she started speaking. The process was very efficient. If I compare that with my country, there are clear distinctions. In my country, whic h is Saudi Arabia, there are a lot of loud sounds in court. Sometimes, you do not know who is talking. It looks like chaos. Here, the hall was so quite. No talked randomly. However, I did not really understand the details of the case because it was continued from an earlier hearing. There was some information I had missed. Another thing that I did not understand was that I did not see a defense lawyer representing the defendant. I just saw the plaintiff. When the judge was talking, the defendant received the verdicts quietly. The defendant had some files he was using to research some information to prove his innocence. The judge was giving the defendant enough time to talk and to research by his files. I believe that is fair to give the defendant an opportunity to defend himself. I later understood what the case was about. It was about drugs. The defendant was trying to implore the judge when he said, â€Å"I wanna go back home. I have a

Everybody's History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Everybody's History - Essay Example This was an organization, which sometimes referred to themselves as â€Å"Lincoln Inquiry,† and included of historians, lawyers, genealogists, collectors, college presidents, teachers, and new paper editors. These participants were upset that Lincoln biographers either ignored Indiana or featured it as a backwoods place that Lincoln was glad to escape. They thus joined together in the1920s and 1930s to recuperate a part of Abraham’s life which his biographers had left out: the ages between seven and twenty-one years, when he resided on the Indiana border. To prove the biographers wrong, they conserved, researched old records, recorded, and shared the Southern Indiana history as essential to Lincoln’s life and to the history of the American border. Along the way, they involved most of the historical agencies of the State, competed with his contemporary biographers, civic commemoration, and conflicted with the Ku Klux Clan. They also interviewed aging witnesses, bu ilt a historical village, hosted pageants, and presented their findings in print publicly. They successfully rescued some of Indiana’s history through correcting an eliminated chapter of Lincoln’s life. The â€Å"Lincoln Inquiry† felt that is was important for them to tell about Lincoln’s youth in the Indiana State since despite the omission from his biography’ he indeed grew up here. ... because he spent fourteen of the most determining years of his life growing into manhood from youth (1816-1830).Many of the moral values and character traits that made him one of the most respected leaders in the world were created and nurtured in Indiana. It was in this rural farm where Lincoln learned to chuckle with his father, mourned over the death of his mother, studied the books that opened up his mind, and conquered the hardships of life on the frontier. Prior efforts to claim Abraham for Indiana were focused on relating external events of his adulthood with items during his youth. The group argued that to be a lawyer, Lincoln read a book on law while living in Indiana. They believed that Illinois is what it is because of Lincoln’s making, cultivated by his life experiences in Indiana. But until they provide data to back their claim, then people will be left to create vague assertions on Indiana being significant, critical, or formative. The historical society preserve d evidences that they could convince people about the youthful years of Lincoln. His boyhood National Memorial, which is a component of the National park service was utilized as site to conserve the farm on which Abraham spent his life during the seven to twenty-one age bracket. The park consisted of a memorial visitor center put up by the Indiana state in 1940s; a hut site memorial, the graveyard where his mother was buried, as well as a recreated living history ranch where visitors get an understanding of the frontier life. Here, the group could bring in visitors and those interested in Lincoln’s history and educate them much about his real biography. Groups such as the Southwestern Indiana Historical society have plaid a big role in American politics and more so, on myths about Lincoln.