The Gypsy Swing Cats and the Beginning of Jazz

Joshua Pauly Professor Hsu Artistic/Cultural Plunge Essay 11 April 2013 The Gypsy Swing Cats and the Beginning of Jazz On Wednesday April 10th I decided to go to the Kaffee Meister Coffeehouse, located at 9225 Carlton Hills Blvd Santee Ca. 92071, for the specific reason of enjoying some Jazz music played by the San Diego based Gypsy Swing Cats. I was quite impressed with how they performed by mixing an energetic and innovated blend of Swing, Jazz, and Blues. From what I observed, their music merges Gypsy melodies and rhythms, with the influences of American Jazz reminiscent of Paris in the 1930's: cool, charming, and classy.The music of the Gypsy Swing Cats is thoroughly modern infused with the wild, mysteriously free and exciting Gypsy flavors. The tantalizing melodies of the Gypsy Swing Cats bring the audience a unique and new experience. Their highly rhythmic sound will electrify your listening experience with a new exciting energy. Gypsy Jazz, also known as Gypsy Swing, is a musi cal expression often said to have been started by guitarist Jean â€Å"Django† Reinhardt. He was foremost amongst a group of Gypsy guitarists working in and around Paris in the 1930's.The music combined the exciting sound of American Jazz that transformed the old into the new. The guitarists supercharged the music further by adding Swing to the fire and melancholia of the unique Gypsy sound. The tantalizing melodies of the Gypsy Swing Cats bring the audience a unique and new experience. My dad is a big fan of Jazz music and he played it a lot around me when I was growing up, but I never really paid attention to it or who the famous musicians of the genre were.Yeah, this Jazz music was and still is very soothing to my mind, but I just personally never had any drive to listen to it on my own. After Hearing The Gypsy Swing Cats’ band play this genre of music that I was not very familiar with, I decided to embark on a journey of discovering something new to add to my not-s o-vastly knowledgeable brain, how Jazz was born. Jazz started when World War I had just ended and a social revolution was on its way. Customs and values of previous social norms were rejected. Life was to be lived to the fullest.This was also known as the era of the â€Å"lost generations,† and the â€Å"flapper† with her rolled stockings, short skirts, and straight up-and-down look. They disturbed their elders in the casino, night clubs, and speakeasies that replaced the ballrooms of prewar days. Dancing became more informal. At the close of the nineteenth century in the unpleasant dance halls and brothels of the South and Midwest, the word Jazz commonly meant sexual intercourse. Southern blacks, delivered from slavery a few decades before, started playing European music with Afro modifications.The first place of jazz has many origins: New Orleans, St. Louis, Memphis, and Kansas City are just a few. But New Orleans was and still remains an important jazz center. The e thnic rainbow of people who went to the bars and brothels were a big part of the development of jazz. This city had been under Spanish French rule because of the Louisiana Purchase. By 1900 New Orleans was a blend of Spanish, French, English, German, Italian, Slavic and countless blacks originally brought in the country as slaves.The first jazz bands contained a â€Å"rhythm section† consisting of a string bass, drums, and a guitar or banjo, and a â€Å"melodic section† with one or two cornets, a trombone, a clarinet, and sometimes even a violin. Years later, jazz was taken over by large orchestras; A â€Å"society jazz† contained fifteen or more musicians. Today, there is a renewed interest in the â€Å"big band† era, even though the music has very little to do with real jazz. Jazz is characterized by certain features. The first is a tendency to stress the weak beats of the bar (2nd and 4th) in contrast to traditional music which stressed the first and t hird beats.The second feature is syncopation through an extensive repetition of short and strongly rhythmic phrases or â€Å"riffs†. The third feature of jazz is swing (regular but subtle pulsation which animates 4/4 time). The swing must be present in every good jazz performance. Jazz as a musical style it has been with us for more than a century. Jazz originated in the United States, It has spread over the entire world, and its influence can be seen everywhere. It is a universal language and means of communication, understood by people in all nations and all walks of life.It has been a major influence on many styles and classes of music since its origin in the late 1800's. It has also influenced dance, clothing styles, the recording industry, the film industry, radio and television, our language, and many other aspects of our lives. One major contributor to jazz was Louis Daniel Armstrong who was born in the Storyville District of New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 4, 1901. He always celebrated his birth as July 4, 1900 because that is what he was told and believed.His real date of birth was not known until after his death July 6, 1971. His father Willie, a laborer, left the family soon after he was born, his mother, a domestic servant and a part time prostitute called Mayanne, left Louis and his sister Beatrice, also called Mama Lucy, in the care of his grandma much of the time, however he always believed the love of his family helped him make it through those rough times. Louis dressed in rags and usually shopped in garbage cans. He sang with other boys on the streets for tips and began to develop his musical talents.At this time in his life, it was not a promising time for young Louis. To celebrate the New Year in 1913 Louis discharged a borrowed pistol into the air and was arrested. A very fortunate occurrence for Jazz and probably for him, he was then sent to the city's Colored Waif's Home for Boys, where he came under the very capable tutorship o f Peter Davis, the music instructor at the home. Louis had some background in harmony singing, as a natural ability, and the experience of singing on the streets, but under Mr.Davis he began to study music. First vocals, then percussion, then he became the home bugler, and finally cornet. The music was very structured mostly marches and other ensemble music. When being released from the waif's home at age fourteen, Louis worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a horse and cart. He also listened to bands at clubs like the Come Clean Dance Hall and Mahogany Hall, in Storyville. Joe â€Å"King† Oliver with the Kid Ory Band was his favorite and he quickly became young Louis's mentor.By 1917 Louis was playing in various groups at dive bars in New Orleans' Storyville section. In 1919 he joined Fate Marable's band in St. Louis, and stayed with him until 1921. Marable headed a band and he played in Zutty Singleton's Trio, Papa Celestin's Tuxedo Orchestra, The Si lver Leaf Band, and When King Oliver left New Orleans in 1919 to go to Chicago, Louis took his place in Kid Ory's band, at the suggestion of Oliver. In 1922 Louis received a telegram from Joe Oliver, asking him to join his Creole Jazz Band at Lincoln Gardens in Chicago.Louis learned much working with Oliver. The experience of playing second cornet helped to develop his ear and harmonies, and, the importance of playing straight lead, as Oliver did, were lessons that he would use for the remainder of his life. While playing in Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Louis met Lillian Hardin the piano player for the band, and they were married in February of 1924. By the end of 1924 she pressured Louis to leave the Oliver band. He moved to New York to play in Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra for 13 months.While in New York he worked many recording sessions with numerous Blues singers including Bessie Smith on her 1925 classic recording of â€Å"St. Louis Blues†. In 1925 Armstrong moved back to Chicago and joined his wife's band at the Dreamland. He recorded his first Hot Five records that same year. This was the first time Louis had made records under his own name. The records made by Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven are considered to be absolute jazz classics and the peak of his creative powers. The band never played live, but continued recording until 1928.Louis Armstrong died in 1969 his manager was Joe Glaser. According to records the first person to play jazz music was a man born in 1878, the legendary Buddy Bolden. The old-time musicians say that Buddy Bolden was â€Å"the first musician to start the big noise in Jazz. † They say he'd shine his cornet â€Å"till it glistened like a woman's legs†. Then he'd put his horn out the window and say to his band, â€Å"Let's call the children home†. He would blow and his children would come running. It has also been said that, â€Å"his trumpet could be heard all over New Orleans, and even acro ss the river in Algiers†.

PLato and Education Essay

Plato was the earliest most important Greek Philosopher and educational thinker. Plato thinks education as a key for a society and he stress on education, for this purpose he want to go to the extreme level even removing children from their mothers and rise them by the state, he want to identify the skills of the children and give them proper education for that particular skill which they have so they could be become a suitable member of the society and fulfil their duty in society. Plato want to a search for intelligent and gifted children in the whole society, Plato’s don’t belief that talent belong to a limited class therefore he stress on education for all so the talented children get the chance to shine. Plato contributed a lot in the form of ideas and it inspired his follower to find new ways for education and training of the children. In fact Plato himself did not contribute directly to science and mathematics but he stress on these subjects, his philosophy of education influenced the developments of these subjects in centuries to come. In the philosophy of Plato we can see some signs of the philosophy of Socrates; However Plato covered the major aspects of philosophy discussed today. Plato was born in an upper class family in Athens; he was interested in political career, but after the death of his teacher Socrates Plato pursues his teacher philosophy. For the purpose of education Plato travel to Egypt and Italy, there he learnt mathematics. After returning home he established an Academy, to teach moral values to the elite youth of Athens to make them better leaders of the society. Plato shows his ability of writing in different fields; ethics, music, drama, poetry, metaphysics, dance, architecture which are the ideal forms of Government. Contribution of Plato in scientific subject is little but his ideas on education inspired his followers to explore new dimension in education. Plato writes in his book â€Å"Let us describe the education of our men. What then is the education to be? Perhaps we could hardly find a better than that which the experience of the past has already discovered, which consists, I believe, in gymnastic, for the body, and music for the mind. † Plato not only consider better education for men but also believe on strong body and sound mind, for body he recommend sports and for sound mind music. Plato †No man should bring children into the world, who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education. † EDUCATIONAL THEORIES OF PLATO Education for All Plato want every boy and girl educated to it limit. State Education Education should be provided by the state not by parents. Organization and Curriculum. Plato curriculum was consist of gymnastic and music, where in gymnastic include physical training and music used in broad term for dram, history, oratory and music in real term, he define different stages for the organization and curriculum; 1. Elementary School Co-education at elementary level and teach them mathematics, poetry, music and literature till the age of eighteen years. 2. Military Training After elementary education two years of Physical education should be given to them and select best of them for higher education; to prepare for the future guardians of the state. 3. Higher Education Higher education should be given from twenty to thirty-five years of age, he well study the subjects at this stage mathematics, literature and philosophy. Later on he would be opponent at a minor administrative position to get experience for the future more important governing positions. â€Å"The object of education is to turn the eye which the soul already possesses to the light. The whole function of education is not to put knowledge into the soul, but to bring out the best things that are latent in the soul, and to do so by directing it to the right objects. The problem of education, then, is to give it the right surrounding. † -(Plato’s Republic, Book vii, 518) Nothing was more important to Plato in human life as education. He considers education the greatest thing in human life as he mention in his book â€Å"the one great thing†. Plato’s Theory of education was an indispensable necessity for mankind. It was a positive remedy for the problems and operation of justice in an ideal state. Women Education Plato also emphases on women education, he consider the same kind of education for women. Women should the same physical and educational training; they should know the art of war. The main aim of Plato was that each member of the society should undertake his work and responsibilities. Plato believed that women are equal to men and that, although some women are physically smaller or weak, some women are physically equal to men therefore those women who are physically strong should be allowed to learn the same skills that men do. In his book Republic Plato describes how male and female receive the same education and be given the same duties in society as given to the male member. These people are the ones who will be in charge his republic which would be an ideal society, where philosophers are kings. In other words, who know what is good for the people and for the mankind and take their decisions based on that knowledge. Teaching Methods Plato recommended play method at elementary level; student should learn by doing. And when he reached the higher level of education, his reason would be trained in the processes of thinking and abstracting. Plato wants motivation and interest in learning. He is against the use of force in education. â€Å"Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind. † In another place he writes â€Å"Do not then train youths by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each. † – Plato Plato writes in his Republic â€Å"Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind† Plato â€Å"The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things. † Plato wants a place where children love to go and stay there and they play with things which enhance their education by playing. Plato gives importance to nursery education, he thinks nursery education plays a vital role in the education of man, it help to build his moral character and state of mind â€Å"The most important part of education is proper training in the nursery. † –plato Plato think It will be hard to discover a better [method of education] than that which the experience of so many ages has already discovered, and this may be summed up as consisting in gymnastics for the body, and _music_ for the soul†¦ For this reason is a musical education so essential; since it causes Rhythm and Harmony to penetrate most intimately into the soul, taking the strongest hold upon it, filling it with _beauty_ and making the man _beautiful-minded_. The above quotation of Plato show, how he sees education, he wants the total development of a man, mind body and soul by using every possible mean. That why in another place Plato writes; â€Å"But then, if I am right, certain professors of education must be wrong when they say that they can put a knowledge into the soul which was not there before, like sight into blind eyes. They undoubtedly say this, he replied. Whereas, our argument shows that the power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already; and that just as the eye was unable to turn from darkness to light without the whole body, so too the instrument of knowledge can only by the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being, and learn by degrees to endure the sight of being, and of the brightest and best of being, or in other words, of the good. † -Plato’s Allegory of the Cave & Exploring Plato’s Plato Aims of Education* To develop leader among the future rulers. * To develop hard and competent workers. * To produce leaders with military skill among the warriors. * To produce future Civil Servants of the state. The highest goal of education, Plato believed, is the knowledge of Good; to nurture a man to a better human being it is not merely an awareness of particular benefits and pleasures, Stages of Education Plato describes different stages of education in his republic. According to Plato the education of child should be start at the age of seven year and before this stage the child should stay with their mother or elders and learn moral education from them. After the age of six years both girls and boys should be separated and boys should play with boys and girls with girls and they should be taught the use of different arms to both sexes. This stage goes up to the age of seventeen years. During these years they should teach them music and early education. After the age of seventeen years the youth should be brought to battle filed to learn real life experiences. The four stages start at the age of twenty five to thirty years and in this age they get the training of Mathematical calculation and last for another ten years, after the completion the selected one’s are admitted in the study of dialect. During fifth stage they study dialect for another five years and after that, at the sixth stage one is ready to become a ruler and philosopher and the one enter in practical life. Plato’s View on Moral Ethics Ethics is the most important branch of philosophy. Plato especially gives attention to the moral and ethical education of the men, later on Plato gradually widened the scope of his investigations by reflecting not only on the social and political conditions of morality, but also on the logical and metaphysical presuppositions of a successful moral theory. Plato presents his ideas for an ideal society in his Republic and he provided detail about the curriculum and system of education. According to Plato the ideal society who cares for their youth and the guardian would be responsible for the moral education of their children. Every person would know his duty and his responsibility. Bibliography Annas, J. (1993). The Morality of Happiness. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Franck, Matthew. (n. d). â€Å"Aldous Huxley’s City in Speech: Brave New World and the Republic of Plato† Paper presented at the annual meeting of the The Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois, A Kahn, C. (1996). Plato and the Socratic Dialogue. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Numan, M. (2003). Foundation of education. Peshawar: Umair composing center. Posted by Sultan Muhammad at 9:39.

What is 'sexting', and what does it mean to the current enforcement of Essay

What is 'sexting', and what does it mean to the current enforcement of child Pornography laws Are minors putting themselves at risk for a lifetime of hell - Essay Example engaging in harmful activities via these modes of communication (Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2011; Mitchell, Finkelhor, Jones, & Wolak, 2012; Wolak & Finkelhor, 2011). These harmful behaviors are cyberbullying, public posting of sexual images, and soliciting for sex online. Even though the legal definition of the term "sexting" vary across jurisdictions, most state laws focus on images relayed through mobile telephony. However, images are also transmitted through computers, web cameras, and digital cameras among other gadgets (Sacco et al., 2010). Current studies apply broader definitions of sexting, which defines it as the sending and/or receiving of sexually suggestive images or messages by mobile phones, in measuring the prevalence of sexting behaviors among the youth (Mitchell et al., 2012). The youth have extensive access to modern communication technologies, with a reported 25% of them owning mobile phones (Lenhart, 2009). This ease of access enables them to stay in regular contact with parents and friends. Consequent to this ease of access and use, sending and receiving text messages via mobile telephony has become easy and popular, especially among adolescents. A recent study estimates that the youth send and receive approximately 3,000 text messages monthly. In addition, many mobile phones also allow users to send pictures and video. Although there are many positive attributes of mobile telephony such as the ability to instantly connect, communicate, and share, it also has several potential problems, including â€Å"sexting.† The different definitions of sexting have resulted in conflicting findings by researchers on the actual prevalence of sexting among the youth. For example, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com conducted a study to examine the prevalence of teen and young adult sexting behaviors in 2008. In this study (Sex and Tech) sexting was defined as the relaying of nude or semi-nude photos or videos. The

Community and Public Health Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Community and Public Health Nursing - Essay Example A metaphor for community is 'system' in that a community has inter-related and inter-dependant structures that work together to form a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Further, the behaviors of the people making up this system are reactive to stimuli. The community as a whole can be conceived of conceptually as 'client' (McGary, 2003). A community is comprised of aggregate groups. An aggregate a can be defined as a collection of all the individuals within the community who have the same specific characteristics, for example the aggregate of older persons or families within London (Bakken, Cashen, Eneida, Mendonca, O'Brien, & Zieniewicz, 2000). Where the focus of care is on more than the single person the term aggregate is often used. In this sense, the aggregate can also be conceptualized as 'client'. The aggregate are the sub-population which share a common interest, problem or purpose. However, as an aggregate is part of a community there is an inter-relationship between th e needs of the aggregate and the needs of the wider community(Bakken et al., 2000).. Hence, each of these 'clients' functions within an external environment, and incorporates and is affected by biopsychosocial factors. To effectively differentiate between a community and aggregate is essential for nurses to be able to provide community care and care of specific groups.

Role of Accounting Practices in Managing Contemporary Organizations Essay

Role of Accounting Practices in Managing Contemporary Organizations - Essay Example Management accounting is one such emerging function of accounting where accounting is geared towards management function. Management accounting is having a major role in the overall success of the business environment away from bookkeeping activities. The new changing role of accounting, practice in organizations includes management accounting function in supply chain management and management support for the adoption of new technology in firms. Accounting initially had no role to play in these activities as their role was confined to the bookkeeping activities; the changes in management accounting have turned around the role of management accounting making it an important factor in every organization. Both the private and public sector are becoming reliant on the new role of management accounting in business. However, change has never been easily adopted in organizations. Resistance to change is common thus the changing role of management accounting is not being received with open arms. Several barriers to change are cropping up delaying the implementation of management accounting practice in organizations. This research paper is aimed at looking at the various changes in the functional unit of management accounting based on case studies by various scholars. The role of management accounting practice in various organizations will be looked into. The barriers to change in an organization preventing implementation of management accounting practice are also of interest in this research. Traditionally, buy or make decisions were made based on the cost of production.

BUDGETING Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BUDGETING - Coursework Example Business planning, being one of the internal processes, can be made more successful if the business prevents any implications and problems in its projects and practices its being planning about. Budgeting helps these processes in the most effective way by managing the cash flow and helps you to decide when to invest in which project you have planned at the right time which will produce the best results. All during the business planning, a budget plans helps to control the finances, gives you assurance whether you can fulfill your ongoing commitments or not, helps you to decide the best financial decision which fulfills your objectives and last but not the least, it helps to plan and gives you estimation regarding the money you can spend on your future expansionary plans. Budgeting should not be mixed with the forecasting because unlike a forecast, budgeting is a ‘planned’ outcome which the business thrives to get to its achievement (Peterson and Fabozzi, 2002). When it c omes to business planning, it also includes one of the most technical business tasks which is decision making. Budgeting improves this decision making process because it gives you a clear cut idea that which plan is practical and which can be fulfilled with the finance in hand. With the help of effective budgeting skill, a business can never run out of cash or even some issues are detected in cash flow, they can be easily found out and fixed before time. This clearly gives a deep understanding about the relationship between budgeting and business planning (Peterson and Fabozzi, 2002). These two benefits the business if done effectively and efficiently together. Budgeting being the provider of control and accountability over the finances and revenues of the business, aid business planning and make it successful. The reasons behind a planning are fulfilled with the help of making a budget but it never helps the most when it comes to business control. This is an entirely different thin g and cannot be related with budgeting. The above explanation illustrates how budgeting can be a great help in planning and it’s actually doesn’t play any vital role in business control. With the help of Capital budgeting, evaluation of investment proposals can be done easily in the best possible way. Such type of budgeting actually helps a business to decide which proposal should be ranked first so that it can be undertaken and investment can be made on it. For any investment, a business needs a proper financial plan because it will be business’s finances and capital returns which will be invested and benefits in the future will be gained and as budgeting is a part of financial planning, so without it, an investment proposal cannot be evaluated (Wildavsky, 1996). When it comes to evaluation, the first thing to do is to come up with all the possible strengths and weaknesses of a specific proposal, and when it comes to investment, business has to be really carefu l and should dream of only fulfilling those proposals which can be undertaken and comes in the boundary of business’s finances. In capital budgeting, the speed of evaluation process gets geared up as by using this method; those proposals are top ranked which include no real choice for example replacing a leaking sewer line with an updated one, as this one will remove any

Review of Rain Man Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Review of Rain Man - Research Paper Example There are a number of critical perspectives on Rain Man that argue the film positively contributed to society’s understanding of autism and individuals with mental disabilities. In this context of understanding one considers Kim Peek, the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman’s character in the film. It’s understood that following the film Peek found a new degree of confidence and heightened sense of mission (Treffert). In these regards, Hoffman’s depiction of autism is interpreted as empowering and beneficial to social understandings. Another understanding is that as the film demonstrates Raymond’s significant emphasis on routine -- among other peculiarities -- it allows individuals greater insight and understanding for people with autism that exhibit similar character traits (Solomon). This is a perspective that was shared by the filmmakers, including writer Barry Morrow who cried during an award acceptance speech and noted how the film positively change d perspectives on autism (Perring). Although many argue that the film’s depiction of autism is unrealistic, converse perspectives contend that the film did not try to specifically depict one form of autism, but is instead a conglomeration of many disparate elements ("debatewise"). Ultimately, it’s clear the film shifted perspectives on autism in many positive ways. ... Critics have noted that in addition to demonstrating new perspectives on autism, the film also demonstrated Raymond’s emotions and challenges socially relating to his brother (Giordano). It follows then that these emotions, which greatly contributed to the narrative, also allowed the audience to significantly identity with the Dustin Hoffman character. Through this identification the film was able to change perspectives and increase autism awareness, giving it significant social utility, and making it important. While there exists a great degree of positive views on the film’s depiction of autism, others argue that the film changed social perspectives in negative ways. One major perspective in this mode of investigation considers that Raymond -- Dustin Hoffman -- is depicted as better off in the mental asylum. It’s been argued that this depiction is harmful to individuals with autism as it glamorizes the asylum environment, subsequently restricting the freedom of people with autism (Solomon). Other criticisms of the film argue that rather that the film glamorized autism and shifted public perception such that a wave of self-diagnosis took hold that is actually harmful for individuals that are truly autistic ("debatewise"). While such arguments constitute perhaps the most scathing criticisms of the film, other have argued along less stringent lines. One such perspective contends that the film, while accurately portraying a savant, stilted public perception of autism (Lacob). In these regards, critics argue that the vast majority of individuals with autism lack such savant-like abilities, yet the film changed social perspectives to a belief that this is an element that is

How is Seeing Enders Game a Political Action Essay

How is Seeing Enders Game a Political Action - Essay Example From a consumer perspective, the selection of a company preference is also influenced by the ideologies supported by the company. From a political perspective, if a CEO of a company cites his support for a political party, they risk being ignored by consumers with alternative opinions. For this reason, it is an accurate assumption that the ideologies of a person associated with a project will directly affect the market perception of the entire company. The same situation is experienced on the perception of Ender’s game. Â  Orson Scott Card has poor political ideologies. He is described as racist, homophobic and careless in making politically related comments. On more than one occasion, Orson has said extreme homophobic comments. At one instance, he said that gay people are a result of the genetic problem (Rugnetta, How is Seeing Enders Game a Political Action?). In addition, he said that gay people should be prosecuted for their actions. Most recently, he pointed out that Obama regime is similar to that of a dictator, and the government has put in place measure to destroy evidence that depicts the existence of global warming ((Rugnetta, How is Seeing Enders Game a Political Action?). These comments are viewed as political and social inappropriate in a social democracy and human rights are important factors. Indirectly, a person with a preference to watch the movie may be in support of the ideologies of its creator. In an argument by Rugnetta buying a movie ticket to the film indirectly depicts that a person supports the ideologies of Orson. The film further develops the assertion that the support of the film is associated with the support of the personal opinion by Orson (Rugnetta, How is Seeing Enders Game a Political Action?). From the developed argument, it is an obvious assertion that the personal ideas of Orson do not support human rights and democracy. Â  

Child and Youth Friendly Banking Product Development Guide Research Paper

Child and Youth Friendly Banking Product Development Guide - Research Paper Example Today the youth population globally is 1.2 billion representing the world’s largest youth population (UNCDF, 2012). This research analysis examined the feasibility of offering child and youth friendly banking products (CYFI) as a partial solution to the problems confronting children and young people in terms of achieving a viable economic future. In order to analyse the challenges and opportunities for CYFI, an empirical study was conducted in which a total of 10 executives from different banks were interviewed. It is concluded that the provision of CYFI can only be achieved through a multi-agency approach which includes policy makers, legislators, bankers, educators and other financial services. This partnership is necessary to overcome the risks associated with contracting with minors, the relative immaturity of minors relative to their ability to understand and take responsibility for financial management and other challenges that will be identified in this research report analysis. Table of contents INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER 1 1. Introduction 2. Research Question 3. Methodology 4. Literature review CHAPTER 2 1. Why are child and youth friendly banking products important? 2. What would the ideal child and youth financial product look like? 3. What is the current state of child and youth friendly banking products? 4. What are real-life examples of characteristics of child and youth friendly banking products? 5. What is the current state of certification? CHAPTER 3 1. Findings 2. Conclusion Reference INTRODUCTION According to the CYFI access to financial products by youth and children is described as either a savings or checking account held by a child or a young person who is under the age of 18. The child or young person is also required to have significant control over the account and includes means by which the child or youth has â€Å"financial incentives†, includes strategies for communicating employment, is connected to financ ing the child or youth’s education, canvasses the child or youth’s â€Å"satisfaction†, and has â€Å"internal controls† for monitoring these factors. Once the criteria as set forth below is met, the financial institution offering CYFI is eligible for certification for providing Child and Youth Friendly Banking Products (Child & Youth Finance International). The Child and Youth Finance Movement began the initiative for encouraging and implementing policies and services that comport with five core principles. The first of these core principles are informed by international human rights and in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989. In this regard, the first core principle maintains that children and young people are entitled to human and economic rights and protections. The second core principle advocates that institutions have a duty to operate their business affairs so that children and

237 word Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

237 word - Essay Example It gives one the solitude that one requires from time to time. A get away from the busy lives, a chance to just relax and think. There is no rush, no getting impatient over the traffic on the road, no worries about the amount of gas being used and how much it would cost to get a refill. There is just peace and quiet, no one begging for attention, a hideaway from all responsibilities, a chance to ponder over life. Of course, there is also much to be said about saving the natural resources, which are most definitely finite and being used up so quickly. Other than saving up on fuel, one also helps in making the environment better as walking does not release any harmful gases which pollute the air whereas driving most definitely does. Since childhood, one has been told all these fairy tales that one’s parents read to one at night before bedtime. Be they the happy endings written by one Christian Hans Andersen or the brutal Grimm brothers’ versions that one comes across as one turns older, shocking one as one reads them. But what both of these have in common is the theme of magic. Magic is always thought to be something supernatural, a part of the fantasy world, something which is not real. Despite that there have been many books, movies, television shows - you name it - that have been released. There is a lot of variety over these and yet they have all been really popular. What is also pleasantly surprising is that anything magical appeals to people of all age groups. It may seem to be something which may only be preferred by children but certain books such as the Harry Potter series have proved it to be otherwise. There is a certain charm in these fictional worlds like J K Rowling’s Hogwarts or C S Lewis’ Narnia or J R R Tolkien’s Middle Earth. In reading about worlds that are fantasy but hoping inside one’s hearts that someday, somewhere, sometime, one could discover that these places do

Directing the movie called Essay Example for Free

Directing the movie called Essay My name is Ahsan Mojumder . I am directing the movie called Romeo Juliet. My movie is basically written based on William Shakespeares mind blowing Romeo and Juliet. As a modern director I think Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is old fashioned. The language, communication system, characters everything has changed according to new era, as a director I am thinking why should the story line up remain the same. We can use the themes from Romeo and Juliet. Under these circumstances decided to make it contemporary upgraded version of Romeo and Juliet brief description of my upgraded story of immortal love is given below: Characters Romeo: 19 years old Vincent: Romeos father Mrs. Vincent: Romeos mother Juliet: 18 years old Bill: Juliets father Mrs. Bill: Juliets mother Morcutio: Juliets brother and Romeos best friend. Britney: Juliets friend Charle: Britneys Father Mrs. Charle: Britneys mother The story is about a couple of lover, who wanted to get together but the social status was not letting it happen. Vincent is rich merchant. He has massive business. Andrew is his one and only son. Andrew is a university student. He is studying in Computing and business. Morcutio is his best friend in university. Morcutios dad Bill is a clerk in an office. Mr. Vincent loves his son and daughter like every dad in this world. But his son and daughter are far away for him because he is always busy in his Business. Thats why he cant give them enough time. Romeo loves Juliet . Who is his best friend Morcutioss sister. Thats how they know each other. Both of the families dont know anything about the relationship between them. But Juliets mother starts to understand it nowadays. As days passing by love is becoming more and more dense. They are having a good time. But suddenly something start to happen in their life. Romeos mum and dad arranged their sons marriage with their friend Charles daughter named Britney. Romeo and Juliet become resourceless. They cant think about what to do. Should they run away from the society or they should sucide? They decided to ask Morcutios to help them. Morcutio talked with his parents but they said if Romeos family agree they havent got any problem about this relationship. Now its Romeos turn to ask his parents. But he hasnt got enough influence to talk to them. For Juliet sake he decided to tell them the truth. Romeos parents said no way because of her dad. Juliet talked with Britney to give them few more times. Britney said she would try her best. Britney did know that they love each other but she cant help it. Because this is her parent and Romeos parents wish. If they said something they said. which cant be changed. Thats why Britney doesnt want to talk to them. Juliets family is keep saying about the social difference economically. Andrew and Juliet are sitting together on Juliets home balcony. They are thinking how to stop this marriage and how to get together. They have decided they will leave this unscrupulous unverified society. They made a plan and went away from them. Their parents informed the police. But police says that they cant do anything in this case. Because they are young enough to make their own decisions. They gave the same statement to Police. They got married and lived happily ever after From the story I am going to direct the balcony scene where they decided to split up from their families. Each of the character has developed in my story rather than Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. Settings: Location: A simple balcony. Shouldnt be luxurious to make a difference between Romeos home balcony. Than the audience can feel the social difference between two communities. Dress up: contemporary dresses and suits. Background music: Romantic. They both are sitting on chair and facing each other. They are discussing what to do. The script has been attached below- Romeo: I decide we are going to go far away from here. We will go somewhere else where nobody will try to split us. We will start a new life together. Do you agree with me love? Juliet: Whatever you say my Romeo. I gave you my heart, my soul, my mind and now you are asking for my opinion! I agree with you my Romeo. Romeo: You have saved me. If you would say no, I would suicide my love. Juliet: Never ever say that what you have just said. You cant die without me. If you have to tell me I would like to die with you. Romeo: (Holding her hands as they dance): I love holding your hands; may I kiss it? Juliet: (amused, cautious): You are being a little too bold in wanting to kiss me. If you are really a pilgrim, you should greet me only with your hand, as palmers do. Romeo: Hey, even holy pilgrim are human, they have got lips. Please let me kiss you. Stand still while I kiss you. (He kisses her lips) Juliet: (Thrilled and amused at the same time): you dont really need all this artificial argumentation to justify kissing me, you know. Lets get serious. As I said my story is a contemporary and upgraded version of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet I used regular pattern of English as script. William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet was written in 1595. Actually Romeo and Juliet was written as a play . The story is of course about a pair of star crossed lovers. Two teenagers pursue their love for each other despite the fact that their families have been at odds with each other for decades. In Verona (Italy) in the late 1500s two powerful families the Montague and the Capulet have been feuding with each other for years. But two people from two different communities get together and falled in love. When they realised they are resource less about their love and life they choose a different way to get together. But for a bit misunderstanding they lead their life to death. The script used for Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet was basically in a special kind of poetic device called Sonnet. Which was also invented by great William Shakespeare. The main characteristics of this poetic device are- 1. 16 lines 2. Fixed rhymes pattern Italian cities were infamous for their long lasting deadly feuds between prominent families. Think the play was written as a part of his contribution with others to say no against such conflicts. The greatest theme in Romeo and Juliet is Love. As I said its a contemporary version of Romeo and Juliet so I tried my best to keep the vital theme of the play. But in this modern society everything has been changing rather than Shakespeares era. Such a fact like communication system could change the theme in Romeo and Juliet. I think if Internet would available on that time they might alive until they meet each other. So I have to change the theme slightly as a modern director of Romeo and Juliet. And I also have changed the characters line up in order to give you something different. I havent involved any violence in my story because nowadays violence is not a rear, so people dont want to see any violence between love and lovers. I mentioned earlier about use of language in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. As you have seen my script, which is written in regular pattern of English, so people can understand it easily and also the people of other countries can enjoy the movie. Ahsan Mojumder English Assignment #4 Name: Ahsan Mojumder Lecturer: Diana May.

The role of violence in prostitution

The role of violence in prostitution This essay will discuss the theories that exist behind this statement and will look beyond the notion that prostitution involves violence to the prostitute herself (which often it does). There are differing views on this statement which usually depend on which philosophical theory is being put forward. Radical feminists as a whole support the view that prostitution is sexual violence for the reasons discussed below. Radical feminists view prostitution as a form of male dominance and exploitation over women and which reinforces the existing patriarchal order of society. They think that prostitution has a very negative and detrimental effect both on the prostitutes themselves and on the whole of society because stereotypical views of women are reinforced when they are viewed as sexual objects which exist for the amusement and delectation of men. The main objection to prostitution by feminists is the male dominance angle, whereby the man who buys the woman has sex with her, but it is not an enjoyable experience and she is forced to try and dissociate herself from the man. In this way she is a mere object of pleasure for the man and the sex act is not given on an equal or mutual basis. The woman is thus reduced to a conduit for the mans gratification. These feminists believe that many clients use the services of a prostitute because they derive satisfaction from the power trip and the control they exercise over the woman during the sex encounter. Catharine MacKinnon thinks that prostitution isnt sex only, its you do what I say, sex.  [1]   Prostitution is seen as a product of the patriarchal societal order in which men are superior to women and where the gender inequality is present in all walks of life. Such views consider that prostitution perpetuates the notion that women can be bought and sold like a commodity, providing sexual services for the sole purpose of satisfying men. Feminists are very critical of the patriarchal ideology which has justified prostitution throughout time. This ideology sees prostitution as a necessary evil with men unable to control their desires and so it is necessary for a small number of women to sacrifice their life and be used and abused by men in order that the majority can be protected from rape and abuse. Here prostitution is seen as form of slavery. These feminists argue that in fact prostitution does not reduce the incidents of rape but in fact it leads to a noticeable increase in sexual violence against women by letting men think it is perfectly acceptable to treat a woman as a s exual repository over which they have ultimate control. In Nevada, the only American state which permits legal brothels, Melissa Farley argues that the states high rape rate is directly connected to legal prostitution.  [2]  Nevada ranks fourth out of the fifty states for sexual assault crimes and its rape rate is higher than the American average. Given that brothels are legal in Nevada one would expect that it would be at the bottom end of the scale in the number of such crimes. Farley argues that legal prostitution creates an environment where women are not humans equal to men and are thus disrespected by men which in turn leads to increased violence against women. Feminists argue that prostitution is detrimental to society and that when society accepts it, the message is sent that it is irrelevant how the woman feels during sex. Some countries are addressing the undesirability of prostitution and in 1999 Sweden became the first country to make paying for sex a crime although being a prostitute was not criminalised. Other countries including Norway and Iceland followed Swedens lead in 1999. These laws reinforce the views of feminists who in their opposition to prostitution also conclude that it is not a practice which can be made safe by reformation and thus they criticise any harm reduction approach. One former Canadian prostitute, Trisha Baptie now campaigns to outlaw the buying of sexual favours and she has said that Harm reduction? You cant make prostitution safer; prostitution is violence in itself. It is rape, the money only appeases mens guilt.  [3]  In this view although the prostitute is seen to be consenting to sex, her acquiescen ce is not freely given and the payment just makes the man think that he has not committed rape because the woman has received a financial benefit. These so called radical feminists see prostitution as a form of violence against women and are adamant that it should be made illegal as in Sweden. These feminists are particularly scathing of another feminist point of view which argues that prostitution should be legalised because it is here to stay. The radical feminists argue that rape and murder have also existed for numerous years and will continue to do so, but no one argues that rape and murder should be made legal. The radical feminists who campaign against the notion of legalising prostitution in order to control and regulate it thereby reducing its harmful effects compare this to the abhorrent notion of legalising domestic violence in order to control and reduce its harmful effects. Just as you cannot legislate to make domestic violence a little bit better the same applies to prostitution. This attitude evolves from their belief that prostitution is sexual violence and should be treated as such whereby it should be eradicat ed not controlled in their eyes. Another major objection to prostitution voiced by feminists is that in most cases a woman who enters into prostitution does not do so on the basis of a cold calculated decision because they are forced by a pimp or human trafficking, the latter being an example of enforced prostitution. Even where the decision is seemingly made voluntarily and rationally it often stems from chronic problems earlier in life. Such problems usually revolve around drug addiction, childhood sexual abuse and similar unsavoury circumstances. In other words, the feminist argument views the decision to become a prostitute as spawning and emanating directly from such earlier experiences and circumstances. If the consent is lacking then you end up with compliance at best. Capacity is vital in making an informed decision and according to one study the average age of children when they become prostitutes is twelve at which age they are not of sufficient age to consent to sex.  [4]  They see such women being dr iven into prostitution which means that sexual violence they may have experienced in childhood or adolescence is extended through their adult lives through prostitution. Feminists argue that most women enter prostitution against their own volition. Prostitutes are generally made up of women from the lower socio economic classes including poor and uneducated women from the most disadvantaged racial and ethnic minorities MacKinnon 1993. MacKinnon also argues that In prostitution, women have sex with men thay would never otherwise have sex with. The money thus acts as a form of force, not a measure of consent, It acts like physical force does in rape.  [5]   Some scholars of prostitution maintain that genuine consent in prostitution is not plausible. One has to search at great lengths through academic literature to find many authors who agree that authentic consent is possible or at least likely.  [6]   Trauma research has been criticized for its failure to attend to social attitudes and behaviors which cause trauma. One of Vanwesenbeecks (1994) respondents described prostitution as volunteer slavery, clearly articulating both the appearance of choice and the overwhelming coercion behind that choice. The extreme violence suffered by these respondents suggests that we can not view prostitution as a neutral activity or simply as a vocational choice. Instead, prostitution must be understood as sexual violence against women (Kemp, Rawlings, Green, 1991). The focus of attention is on changing a social system, which makes prostitution possible. An alternative view of prostitution emanates from the libertarian pro sex work perspective who oppose the radical feminists view that prostitution amounts to sexual violence whereby the sexual act occurs because of coercion exploitation and domination by men. Pro sex feminists argue that prostitution can be an affirmation by women that they have autonomy over their bodies. As such prostitution is an informed and genuinely free choice. Some prostitutes are high class call girls who are well educated and sophisticated women. They realise that at the upper end of the market there are huge sums of money to be made for seemingly very little effort. Pro-sex feminists argue that the selling of sexual favours need not be inherently exploitative and that and accordingly deny that it is sexual violence. Pro sex workers such as Carol Queen argue that the radical feminists who oppose prostitution and view it as sexual violence have failed to take into account the views and opinions of prostitutes themselves, preferring to rely in theory and obsolete experiences.  [7]   Pro sex feminists view the prostitute as being in control and that they in fact control the man as they set the price. Prostitution is seen by some as sexual violence which brings massive economic rewards for some involved. The sex industry, like any other worldwide enterprise, has numerous sectors based in various locations which are controlled by various managers and is expanding as the law and public opinion allow.  [8]   Whether or not one decides if prostitution is sexual violence depends on your view as to the reasons why women participate in prostitution. If prostitution is viewed as a legal form of rape then undoubtedly you will agree with the proposition. It can also be viewed as a form of emotional violence with prostitutes becoming emotionally battered. The radical feminists gender based view that prostitution is a form of male sexual violence against women does not address the fact that male prostitutes exist

Ulrich Becks Theory Of World Risk Society Criminology Essay

Ulrich Becks Theory Of World Risk Society Criminology Essay This essay seeks to study the explanation of the September 11 attacks through the key concepts of the World Risk Society. It will analyse how the presence of risks in the contemporary society, is driving the governments towards the incessant development of technologies and other sophisticated security systems in order to make their States more secure. However, the issue under discussion is that, is this tendency to get feign control over the uncontrollable(Beck U; The Terrorist Threat; p 41); which is the central point of the world risk society, further adding to or leading to problems. Is this presence of the future in the contemporary society in a way leading to a security paradox? To put it in the words of Keith Spence in World risk society and War against terror, Both domestically in the guise of Homeland Security, and in military engagements elsewhere, the pursuit of war against terror inevitably compounds and reproduces the conditions and anxieties that it purports to address. To deal with these questions, the essay will start with the elucidation of the World Risk Society Theory as conceptualized by Ulrich Beck. Moving further, the essay would discuss the underlying assumptions of risks that are at the ground level of the counter terrorism policies adopted by the World today. Taking the case study of War on Terror and the pre emptive actions adopted by the US administration, it will analyse how safer is the World with the adoption of such polices? Did the zero risk policies and the constant process of modernization help US or made it more vulnerable to such attacks, in other words, made it more insecure? World Risk Society: Calculating the Incalculable Thinking of contemporary terrorism in the context of Becks theory of Risk Society, it can be defined as de-bounded uncontrollable risk characterised by a well connected structure, a continuous potential threat and difficult to trace to a single source. Beck introduces the concept of risk as a modern concept that presumes decision making. He further explains that as soon as we speak in terms of risk, we are talking about calculating the incalculable, colonizing the future. Beck emphasises on the fact that Risk Society has not arisen because of the presence of one or the other threats or dangers in everyday life but because of the de bounding of uncontrollable risks. According to him, de bounding has three distinct dimensions, i.e. Spatial, Temporal and Social Dimensions. By spatial dimension he implies risks or dangers that are not bounded by the nation state boundaries. The Temporal dimension signifies the long term dangers and finally the social dimension implies that the root of the problem cannot be traced back to a single agent, for instance, for problem of global terrorism, we cannot single out a country or an individual or group and blame it responsible for all terror networks. In the words of Beck, Uncontrollable risks must be understood as not being linked to place, that is they are difficult to impute to a particular agent and can hardly be controlled on the level of the nation state. Ulrich Beck further explains that in the World Risk Society with the central problem of how to feign control over the uncontrollable, have three axes of conflict ecological conflict, global financial crises and global terror. To say that the risk is global is not to suggest that everyone would be equally affected. It implies that the risks are unequally distributed; it might cause damage to different countries differently depending on the cultural and political variations. However, even if it affects everyone unequally but the truth, as Beck says, is that it affects everyone. And thus there exists a global problem for which a global solution must be found. This is where the global co-operation fits the picture. In his theory, terror seems to be the midpoint of interaction between other two axes of conflict. The development in technology and the increase in flow of money, in one way or the other increases the extent of the threat from the dark World of terror.( Beck U., The Terrorist Threat, p. 45) A distinction can be made between ecological and financial conflicts on one hand and global terror risks on the other hand. As Beck explains, ecological and financial conflicts are the unintentional side effects that come attached with the production of goods which in turn are the results of the central decisions taken by society. Explicating the shift from accident to intention, Beck concentrates on the axis of global terror. He describes terrorism as an intentionally bad (Beck U., The Terrorist Threat, p. 44) activity which leads to a negative situation that the other axes of conflicts produce unintentionally. This change of accident in the industrial society to intention in the modern society is followed by a further replacement of active trust to active mistrust. As the terrorist threat highlights mistrust and multiplies the risks, it weakens the relationship between the fellow citizens, foreigners and governments. After looking at these characteristics of the Risk Society, it becomes quite easy to understand the basis on which pre emptive intervention policies, detentions and profiling are justified. As Kessler O. And Werner W put it in Extrajudicial Killing as Risk Management, it is justified in the face of rowdiness and unpredictability of the modern terrorist. Also, after the attacks of September 11, the whole World very well accepts the fact that the terror world today has access to all technologically advanced weapons and thus has the capability to harm more people and spread more fear and panic amongst people. The features of the modern terrorism fit the framework of the risk society. Beck suggests that in the World Risk Society, it is increasingly becoming impossible for the States to protect the security of its citizens in the growing atmosphere of multiplying risks and active mistrust. The solution to the global problems of terror, ecological and financial conflicts lies in transnational co-operation. As he admits, this leads to a paradoxical situation for the nation states as in order to further accomplish their national interests, they need to denationalize themselves. The global coalition against terror stands a witness to it. In order to uphold their constitutional promise of protecting the life of their citizens, in this situation specifically from the terror threats, the nation states came together to fight a war against the terror world. this can be attributed to the fact that it isnt possible for nay country to fight the vast networks of terrorism, spread across the world, all alone. Even the superpower like US, which is most developed technologically a nd financially, had to call for the support of the other nations in order to wage the war on terror. Even though as a leader of global coalition it had to make certain policy compromises, nevertheless it went ahead to uphold its constitutional promise. It is shift from accident to intention that is the basis of all the counter terrorism policies. The process of profiling and indefinite detentions has been justified on the grounds of intention. The government has started judging the people on the basis of intention. To quote Mythen and Walklate from Terrorism, Risk and International Security government has taken more restrictive and invasive steps so that it can create an order that can tame the dangers to the detriment of people. Analysing 9/11 and the policies thereafter through the risk society perspective: Precautionary policies and the National security in the wake of New terrorism Responsible Science and responsible policymaking operate on the precautionary principle. Tony Blair (2002) The policies used to approach the global problem of terror are dictated by the logic of risk management. The novelty of this approach, as Keith Spence puts it in World Risk Society and War on Terror, lies in the adoption of pre emptive approach. The adoption of pre emptive approach as a precautionary principle can be described as being based on four interrelated assumptions put forth by Claudia Aradau Van Munster in Governing Terrorism through Risk: Taking Precautions, zero risk, worst case scenario, shifting the burden of proof and serious and irreversible damage. It is the worst case scenario and the thought of irreversible damage that drives the government to adopt zero risk policies. When struck with the 9/11 attacks, it was the thought of further irreversible damage that made the Bush administration come up with the pre emptive policy and the following invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq as States breeding terrorism. The pre emptive approach reminds us of the Henry Kissingers observation that the desire of one power for absolute security means absolute insecurity for all the others (Kissinger, 1961, p. 148; 1964, p. 2). The conduct and outcomes of such acts are not unpredictable but uncontrollable as well. The pre emptive approach adopted to fight terror spread more fear than it actually tackled due to the presence of uncertainty and unpredictability. In the words of Keith Spence, In leveraging sentiments of uncertainty amongst target populations, pre emption like all mechanisms of terror, enlarges the impact of aggression, provoking fear that permeates the culture thereby constituted and reproduced. (World Risk Society and the War on Terror, P.289) The process of pre-emption follows the logic of absolute security. The adoption of pre emption undermined the UN laws and norms that supported use of force only under situations that justified self defence against actual threat.( Annan, K. (2003); Secretary-Generals address to the General Assembly; New York, 23 September 2003.) The pre emption approach on the other hand worked on the principle of eradicating possible threats. To quote Bush from Remarks at West Point: New Threats Require New Thinking, to wait for the threats to materialize would mean that we would have waited too long. The idea of the eradication of potential threats in order to provide absolute security are all significant features of a catastrophic society as explained by Ulrich Beck in the theory of Risk society. The approach adopted, do not disappoint on the point of global solutions to the problems of terror. The solution that it provides again falls in the line of thought of Becks Wold Risk Society by abandoning the conventional norms of time, space and restraint. (Spence, Keith; World risk Society and the War on Terror; p 289) The stated objective of the War on Terror, as stated by George W. Bush in the Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People on 4th of July, will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated cannot be satiated. Instead the approach of the administration leads to the development of more such networks than it actually eradicates. Egyptian President Hosni Mubaraks has aptly remarked in context of the Operation Iraqi Freedom, that instead of having one bin Laden, we will have 100 as a consequence of Operation undertaken.( Black, Ian and McGreal, Chris (2003) Conflict will create 100 bin Ladens, warns Egyptian president, The Guardian, 1 April, p. 4.) The manner in which the US conducts its response to terror would only lead to multiplication of terror networks rather than its eradication. The fact that the initial steps of the policy adoption actually led to the growth of the terror activities in North and East Africa, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the Indian subject-continent and the wider Gulf Region brings to the fore Kissingers cautionary observation of absolute security. Security measures as a part of precautionary principle: Homeland Security The practices undertaken to fight away the terrorist networks under the label war on terror are too vast and discursive to fit into the framework of any theory. From Guantanamo Bay to biometrics and increased surveillance, or from extraordinary rendition to the categorisation of terrorist suspects as enemy combatants, the war on terror has regimented a whole series of practices that showcase the reaction to precautionary risk. (Aradau and Van Munster, 2007; Governing Terrorism through Risk: taking precautions, (un)knowing the future; European Journal of International Relations; Vol. 13, No. 1, 89-115) As a result of the terror attacks, US post the announcement of War on Terror, took a lot of steps in order to be prepared to shield the country from any unpredictable, unknown but inevitable situation. The website www.ready.gov created by the department of Homeland Security is another source for informing the people and preparing America for any emergency. The site discusses the campaign Ready which aims at educating and empowering the Americans to deal with any situation of emergency including natural and man-made disasters. (http://www.ready.gov/america/about/index.html) The Website states Be ready! and carefully places a quote from the founding secretary Tom Ridge, claiming terrorism forces us to make a choice. We can be afraid or we can be prepared! The website goes to the extent of stating three simple steps get the emergency kit, formulate a family emergency plan and be informed to rescue oneself or at least be prepared to face the emergency situation. It warns the people abo ut emergencies that can range from inconvenient to devastating and aims at empowering them by preparing them in advance. The department aims at preparing the people to fight the emergency but what exactly will be the emergency is unknown, the only surety about the unsure situation is its inevitability. The site puts in to place the key mechanism of the catastrophic society which makes the state of emergency institutionally established as a norm. (Spence, Keith; p 291). The states have marked emergencies from green to red and make sure that the drills take place regularly. As Keith Spence rightly remarks, the frenzy created by these drills and the supplementary activities leads to a persistent feeling of anxiety which is further responsible for a feeling of uneasiness and discomfort. (p.293) The adoption of the pre cautionary principle has led to a time where it is not the state which has to prove but the individual has to prove that he/she is innocent. Under such a precautionary principle, the people irrespective of the fact that they are innocent or victim, they are guilty unless proven innocent. To quote Keith Spence from World risk society and War on Terror, Neither the conduct nor outcomes of such acts are fully predictable or controllable, and as war and terror overlap and blur so too do distinctions separating civilian from combatant, collateral from non-collateral, and innocent from other victims. (p. 289) Ardau and Van Munster aptly remark, Among the technologies used to avoid a catastrophic future, war is just one. The war on terror or the consequent war of Afghanistan and Iraq do not speak of a recent rediscovery of militarism, but of a govern mentality that activates all the technologies imaginable in the face of uncertainty. There is an interesting similarity between Homeland and Fatherland. As Keith Spence points out the Jacobin Terror which was anticipated by the declaration of Fatherland in danger on 11th July 1972 was the starting point for the nation state to assert its control and authority. In 1973 when the Committee of public safety was constituted and succeeded the Committee of Vigilance (Spence; p. 291), Danton proclaimed, Let us be terrible so that the people will not have to be. One cannot help but agree with T. Ridge (2003) when he remarks that if War on Terror has been announced for peace then Homeland Security is just another name for the vigilance committee and has been formed in the name of freedom. As Helene Guldberg puts it in Challenging the Precautionary Principle, to take regulatory action on the basis of possible unmanageable risks, even after tests have been conducted that find no evidence of harm. We are asked to make decisions to curb actions, not on the basis of what we know, but on the basis of what we do not know Biometrics: As Ardau and Van Munster put it in Governing Terrorism through risk: taking precautions, unknowing the future, 9/11 has given way to more pro-active forms of surveillance of suspect populations, leading to a surplus supply of data and an over-prediction of threats. To quote Aas K. F from The body does not lie: Identity, risk and trust in technoculture, in a globalised and anonymous world, where almost everyone can afford to cross the closest borders, biological identification seems to be the best solution for states to verify peoples identity. Biometrics is simply the measurement of the most unique parts of a humans body i.e. the iris, the fingerprints, retinas, gait and voice. Application of biometrics in the field of security is just significant of the increasing trend of securitization of identity. The basic principle behind the biometrics is, as Aas puts it inThe body, to eliminate bad by keeping away undesired people. The US VISIT programme showcases the advanced and complex system of biometrics govern mentality i.e. a system of categorizing a person as legitimate or illegitimate with the support of technology collecting data biometric information of the human bodies. The case of Guantanamo Bay: As Keith Spence puts it in World Risk society and War on Terror, apart from the invasion of Iraq the archaic excess is prominently elaborated at Guantanamo Bay, where deterritorialization and pre-emption are materialized in a legally determined limbo beyond the reach of civil and international law. (p 291) Guantanamo existence as a state of exception was made clear by the condition of the detainees of Gauntanamo. As Giorgio Agamben seeks to explain, The detainees of Guantanamo are subject to raw power and have no legal existence.( Agamben G. And Raulff U.; (2004) Interview with Giorgio Agamben Life, A Work of Art Without an Author: The State of Exception, the Administration of Disorder and Private Life, German Law Journal) Implication of the risk perspective to the camp exemplifies dealing with an unrestricted risk in the spatial category. The Guantanamo Bay detention camp has been placed outside the regular US legal jurisdiction but it is not fully immune for this order. . To this extent, C. Ardau in Law Transformed remarks, The Guantanamo bay camp perfectly embodies the necessity of defining a new form of war, which breaks the habits of all previous sets. Guantanamo Bay stands as a perfect example of the aftermath of the conditions resulting from the implication of the precautionary logic of controlling the future in other words tackling something that is uncertain and unknown of. Even though Gauntanamo has resulted in making modern day terrorism as a novelty nevertheless it cannot be tagged as a place without any regulations. To put it in the words of C. Ardau, it has resulted in the creation of a place ruled by the dominant principle of governing the social and taming the future. US itself has become a source of violence it wanted to fight by adopting the harsh policies to fight to it and Guantanamo Bay is just one example of this. The thought of taking over terrorism with the principle of pre-empt rather than dealing with risk often leads to a vicious circle by giving way to exactly what it had wished to extinguish. War against terror and the precautionary steps taken thereafter is symbolic of this phenomenon. Conclusion: To quote Ulrich Beck, September 11 drove home the lesson that we now live in a risk society, a society in which there are uncontrollable and unpredictable dangers against which insurance is impossible and where questions of compensation, liability and harm minimization have lost all their social and political significance. The policies adopted and the measures taken post the attacks of 9/11 just makes this quote a lot more acceptable and suitable to the present situation. Even after taking the precautionary steps and becoming increasingly ready by employing latest technologies for uncertain but inevitable emergency situations, US has not only made itself more vulnerable to such attacks but in a way has helped the terror world to spread across its message of fear and panic. The new technologies employed for security purposes are just new challenges posed in front of the terrorist. They might learn to overtake it in a while. The question that arises then is What steps will US take then? It is really a vicious circle the more it will try to secure itself, the more insecure it will become!

Vocational Education via Internet is the Next Big Thing! :: Sell Websites Buy Web Sites

Vocational Education via Internet is the Next Big Thing! As Eric Parks says, 'I'm certain cybertechnology will replace all the other learning technologies that exist today.' (Caudron 1996, p. 35) The Internet is a network of networks including the World Wide Web (WWW), listservs, newsgroups, and discussion forums along with electronic mail and electronic journals. To help vocational educators make the best use of the web, this essay makes suggestions for using the Internet in the vocational classroom and provide a list of websites of interest to vocational educators. It does not pretend to be an exhaustive list of vocational education resources on the Internet--that list changes daily. As in the earlier digest,much of the information that is included was received as a result of messages sent to several listservs asking how the Internet was being used in vocational education and corporate training. Previously, respondents indicated that they were just getting started and students were spending time surfing the Web, making use of electronic mail, and participating in listservs. The times they are a changin'! Now, in addition to all of the above, students are developing and main taining websites, using digital cameras to evaluate teachers, delivering training to industry, and using materials found through Web searches. A survey by Market Data Retrieval determined that approximately one-third of all public schools are online; that the larger the school, the more likely it is to use the Internet; and that the Internet is used mostly for research. If the integration of the Internet into the classroom is to be successful, teachers must be involved and work with it (Leiken 1996). The examples here show how vocational teachers and trainers are using the Internet. Examples of Current Use It has been suggested that increased use of performance support systems, sophisticated computer simulations and multimedia training programs are changing and diminishing the role of the traditional corporate classroom (Wulf 1996). Companies are discovering that they can use the Internet to distribute information, resources, and learning tools to employees worldwide with relatively little end-user support (Caudron 1996). A high school teacher in Minnesota has developed a website for use in doing career research. Students look for career opportunities on the Web and check the classified ads in the local newspaper, which is also on the Web (M. Savchenko, Internet message, July 3, 1997). In Australia, the Certificate in Workplace Leadership is offered through the Web.

Seven, The movie Essay -- Film Review Moie Essays

Seven, The movie â€Å"Ernest Hemmingway once wrote, ‘the world is a fine place and worth fighting for,’ I agree with the second part.† The movie Seven ends with that quote stated by Somerset, attempting to justify the many moral dilemmas touched upon by the movie but mainly to bring the character of Somerset and the audience back to the beginning. The symmetry of the characters that the quote creates between the beginning of the movie and the end would have been lost if the director David Fincher would have gone with the original storyboard ending.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The beginning sequence does a great deal in showing the audience the personality of the two main characters. It fades in to Somerset’s apartment where we see a medium-long shot of Somerset over the sink. He is not yet ready for work. It cuts to a medium shot of him looking in a mirror, adjusting his tie and collar very meticulously and yet as if he has done this many a time before. The camera shoots the dresser top where Somerset’s personal items (keys, badge, pen, eyeglass case) are set, side-by-side, in order of their importance, in which he picks them up one by one. The camera cuts to the bed, neatly made, where his suit coat lies, precisely placed. He picks a piece of lint we cannot really see off of the coat before putting it on. Somerset has said nothing in this scene and yet we have already deciphered the type of person he is: a very neat, well-organized, meticulous person whose life seems to evolve around routine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With Somerset turning off his lamp, it fades into the darkness of the next scene, focusing on the large man lying face down on the floor dead. It cuts to a long shot of Somerset slowly walking away from the light, looking around the room and stopping to notice what was on the refrigerator. When Somerset asks the other cop if the child saw the crime, the cop rudely replies, What kind of fucking question is that? You know, we’re all gonna be real glad when we get rid of you, Somerset. You know that? It’s always these questions with you. ‘Did the kid see it?’ Who gives a fuck? He’s dead. His wife killed him. Anything else has nothing to do with us. This quote does two important things for the character of Somerset. First, it verifies our ideals of Somerset from the previous scene. His eye for detail entails us to conclude that he is a very skilled detective. It also shows t... ...t coincide with the final ending, creating symmetry that the audience can readily grasp, unlike the storyboard ending. The idea of original sin lies within the characters themselves, forming a bond with the audience that it depicts. Works Consulted: Brown, Royal S. â€Å"Seven.† Cineaste. 22.3 (1996): 44-47. King, Neal. Heroes in Hard Times: Cop Action Movies in the U.S. Philadelphia:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Temple University Press, 1999. Macek, Steve. â€Å"Places of Horror: Fincher’s Seven and Fear of the City in Recent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hollywood Film.† College Literature. 26.1 (1999): 80-97. Natoli, Joseph. Speeding to the Millennium: Film and Culture 1993-1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998. Rubin, Martin. Thrillers: Genres in American Cinema. New York: Cambridge   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press, 1999. Se7en. By Andrew Kevin Walker. Dir. David Fincher. With Morgan Freeman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and Brad Pitt. New Line, 1995. Supplemental Material (Disc 2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DVD-ROM online content. Walker, Andrew Kevin. â€Å"Seven Production Draft Screenplay.† Script-O-Rama.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Online. America Online. 11 Nov. 2001.

Unemployment :: Working Jobs Careers Labor Essays

Unemployment In compiling unemployment statistics for the United States and other developed countries an unemployed person is defined as anyone who is capable of working and is actively seeking work but is unable to find a job.1Before a person can be unemployed in this sense he must be an active member of the labor force in search of a job. Students and Homemakers perform work, but they are not considered employed unless they are paid; however, they are not considered unemployed unless they are actively seeking gainful jobs. In societies in which a majority of the citizens are able to earn a living by working for others, being unable to locate and obtain a job is a very serious problem. Unemployment is widely used as a measure of workers' welfare because of the human costs and feelings of rejection and personal failure. The proportion of workers unemployed also shows how well a nations human resources are used and serves as an index of economic activity. The civilian labor force comprises the total of all civilians classified as employed or unemployed. The total labor force also includes members of the Armed Forces stationed either in the US Or abroad. The unemployment rate represents the number unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force.2 Unemployment can be divided percent of the civilian labor into three types known as frictional, structural, and cyclical. The first form of unemployment is frictional unemployment. Frictional unemployment arises because workers seeking jobs do not find them immediately. While looking for work they are counted as unemployed.3 This could happen if suppose a person loses a job, perhaps because the work is finished. For example a construction craftsman when the job is finished; or it could happen to an actor or actress when the show closes. It will ordinarily take some time before that person finds another job. But while construction workers and entertainers can ordinarily expect to face this problem from time to time, it is something that can happen to anyone employed. People who are simply between jobs, in this sense, are said to be frictionally unemployed. The amount of frictional unemployment depends on the frequency with which workers change jobs and the time it takes to find new on es.4 This is a particularly important category, since this category of unemployment can never be eliminated or reduced to zero. Even in the best functioning market economy, there will be some people who are between jobs.

Blood Promise Chapter Thirty

Alberta was waiting for me in the front office of the guardians' administrative building. Alberta's role as captain here was remarkable considering the lower numbers of women in our ranks. She was in her fifties and one of the toughest women I'd met. Her sandy hair was showing some gray, and years of working outdoors had weathered her skin. â€Å"Welcome back, Rose,† she said, standing up at my approach. She certainly didn't hug me, and her manner was businesslike, but the fact that she used my first name was a generous gesture for her. That, and I thought I saw a small spark of relief and happiness in her eyes. â€Å"Let's go to my office.† I'd never been there. Any disciplinary issues I had with the guardians were usually addressed in committee. Unsurprisingly, the office was spotless, everything arranged with military efficiency. We sat on opposite sides of her desk, and I braced myself for an interrogation. â€Å"Rose,† she said, leaning toward me. â€Å"I'm going to be blunt with you. I'm not going to give you lectures or demand any explanations. Honestly, since you aren't my student anymore, I don't have the right to ask or tell you anything.† It was like what Adrian had said. â€Å"You can lecture,† I told her. â€Å"I've always respected you and want to hear what you have to say.† The ghost of a smile flashed on her face. â€Å"All right, here it is. You screwed up.† â€Å"Wow. You weren't kidding about bluntness.† â€Å"The reasons don't matter. You shouldn't have left. You shouldn't have dropped out. Your education and training are too valuable-no matter how much you think you know-and you are too talented to risk throwing away your future.† I almost laughed. â€Å"To tell you the truth? I'm not sure what my future is anymore.† â€Å"Which is why you need to graduate.† â€Å"But I dropped out.† She snorted. â€Å"Then drop back in!† â€Å"I-what? How?† â€Å"With paperwork. Just like everything else in the world.† To be honest, I hadn't known what I'd do once I got back here. My immediate concern was Lissa-to be with her and make sure she was okay. I knew I couldn't officially be her guardian anymore, but I'd figured once we were together, no one could stop her from hanging out with a friend. I'd be her hired bodyguard, so to speak, kind of like what Abe had. And in the meantime, I'd bum around campus like Adrian. But to enroll again? â€Å"I†¦ I missed a month. Maybe more.† My days were scattered. It was the first week of May, and I'd left near the end of March, on my birthday. What was that? Five weeks? Almost six? â€Å"You missed two years and managed to catch up. I have faith in you. And even if you have trouble, graduating with low grades is better than not graduating at all.† I tried to imagine myself back in this world. Had it really only been a little over a month? Classes†¦ day-to-day intrigue†¦ how could I just go back to that? How could I return to that life after seeing the way Dimitri's family lived, after being with Dimitri and losing him-again. Would he have said he loved me? â€Å"I don't know what to say,† I told Alberta. â€Å"This is kind of a lot to take in.† â€Å"Well, you should decide quickly. The sooner you're back in class, the better.† â€Å"They'll really let me?† That was the part I found a little unbelievable. â€Å"I'll let you,† she said. â€Å"No way am I letting someone like you get away. And now that Lazar is gone†¦ well, things are crazy around here. No one's going to give me much trouble in filing the paperwork.† Her wry smile slipped a little. â€Å"And if they do give us any trouble†¦ I've been made to understand that you have a benefactor who can pull a few favors to smooth everything over.† â€Å"A benefactor,† I repeated flatly. â€Å"A benefactor who wears flashy scarves and gold jewelry?† She shrugged. â€Å"No one I know. Don't even know his name-only that he'll threaten to withhold a considerable donation to the school if you aren't let back in. If you want in.† Yeah. Deals and blackmail. I was pretty sure I knew who my benefactor was. â€Å"Give me some time to think about it. I'll decide soon-I promise.† She frowned, thoughtful, and then gave a sharp nod. â€Å"All right.† We both stood up, and she walked me toward the building's entrance. I glanced over at her. â€Å"Hey, if I do graduate†¦ do you think there's ever any way I could be in line to be Lissa's guardian officially again? I know they've already picked out people for her and that I'm in, ah, a bit of disgrace.† We stopped by the outer doors, and Alberta rested a hand on her hip. â€Å"I don't know. We can certainly try. The situation's gotten a lot more complicated.† â€Å"Yeah, I know,† I said sadly, recalling Tatiana's high-handed actions. â€Å"But, like I said, we'll do what we can. What I said about graduating with low grades? You won't. Well, maybe in math and science-but that's out of my control. You'll be the best among the novices, though. I'll work with you myself.† â€Å"Okay,† I said, realizing what a concession that was on her part. â€Å"Thank you.† I had just stepped outside when she called my name. â€Å"Rose?† I caught the door and glanced back. â€Å"Yeah?† Alberta's face was gentle†¦ something I'd never seen before. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"Sorry for everything that happened. And that none of us could do anything about it.† I saw in her eyes then that she knew about Dimitri and me. I wasn't sure how. Maybe she'd heard it after the battle; maybe she'd guessed beforehand. Regardless, there was no chastisement in her face, only sincere sorrow and empathy. I gave her a brief nod of acknowledgment and went outside. I found Christian the next day, but our conversation was brief. He was on his way to meet with some of his trainees and was running late. But he hugged me and seemed genuinely happy to have me back. It showed how far we'd come, considering the antagonistic relationship we'd had when we first met. â€Å"About time,† he said. â€Å"Lissa and Adrian get the market share on worrying about you, but they're not the only ones. And someone needs to put Adrian in his place, you know. I can't do it all the time.† â€Å"Thanks. It kills me to say this, but I missed you too. No one's sarcasm compares to yours in Russia.† My amusement faded. â€Å"But since you mentioned Lissa-â€Å" â€Å"No, no.† He held up his hand by way of protest, face hardening. â€Å"I knew you were going to go there.† â€Å"Christian! She loves you. You know that what happened wasn't her fault-â€Å" â€Å"I know that,† he interrupted. â€Å"But it doesn't mean it didn't hurt. Rose, I know it's in your nature to rush in and say what everyone else is afraid to, but please†¦ not this time. I need time to figure things out.† I had to bite back a lot of comments. Lissa had mentioned Christian in our talk yesterday. What had happened between them was one of her biggest regrets-probably the thing she hated Avery the most for. Lissa wanted to approach him and make up, but he'd kept his distance. And yes, he was right. It wasn't my place to rush in-yet. But I did need them to fix this. So I respected his wishes and simply nodded. â€Å"Okay. For now.† My last words made his smile twist a little. â€Å"Thanks. Look, I've got to head off. If you ever want to show these kids how to kick ass the old-fashioned way, come by sometime. Jill would pass out if she saw you again.† I told him I would and let him go on his way, seeing as I had places to be. No way was I finished with him, though. I had a dinner date with Adrian and Lissa, up in one of the lounges in guest housing. Talking to Christian had made me late, and I hurried through the building's lobby, barely taking note of my surroundings. â€Å"Always in a rush,† a voice said. â€Å"It's a wonder anyone can get you to stop moving.† I came to a halt and turned, my eyes wide. â€Å"Mom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with her cropped auburn hair as curly and messy as ever. Her face, weathered like Alberta's from being out in the elements, was filled with relief and-love. There was no anger, no condemnation. I had never been so happy to see her in my life. I was in her arms in an instant, resting my head on her chest even though she was shorter than me. â€Å"Rose, Rose,† she said into my hair. â€Å"Don't ever do this again. Please.† I pulled back and looked at her face, astonished to see tears spilling from her eyes. I had seen my mother tear up in the wake of the attack on the school, but never, never had I seen her outright cry. Certainly not over me. It made me want to cry too, and I uselessly tried to dry her face with Abe's scarf. â€Å"No, no, it's okay. Don't cry,† I said, taking on an odd role reversal. â€Å"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I missed you so much.† It was true. I loved Olena Belikova. I thought she was kind and wonderful and would cherish the memories of her comforting me about Dimitri and always going out of her way to feed me. In another life, she could have been my mother-in-law. In this one, I would always regard her as a kind of foster mother. But she wasn't my real mother. Janine Hathaway was. And standing there with her, I was happy-so, so happy-that I was her daughter. She wasn't perfect, but no one was, as I was learning. She was, however, good and brave and fierce and compassionate-and I think she understood me more than I realized sometimes. If I could be half the woman she was, my life would be well spent. â€Å"I was so worried,† she told me, recovering herself. â€Å"Where did you go-I mean, I know now you were in Russia†¦ but why?† â€Å"I thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed and again saw Dimitri with my stake in his chest. â€Å"Well, there was something I had to do. I thought I had to do it on my own.† I wasn't sure about that last part now. True, I had accomplished my goal on my own, but I was realizing now how many people loved me and were with me. Who knew how differently things might have turned out if I'd asked for help? Maybe it would have been easier. â€Å"I have a lot of questions,† she warned. Her voice had toughened, and I smiled in spite of myself. Now she was back to the Janine Hathaway I knew. And I loved her for it. Her eyes flitted to my face and then to my neck, and I saw her stiffen. For a panicked moment, I wondered if Oksana had missed healing one of the bite marks. The thought of my mother seeing what I'd lowered myself to in Siberia made my heart stop. Instead, she reached out and touched the bright colors of the cashmere scarf, her face filled with wonder as much as shock. â€Å"This†¦ this is Ibrahim's scarf†¦ it's a family heirloom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, it belongs to this mobster guy named Abe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped as soon as the name crossed my lips. Abe. Ibrahim. Hearing them both out loud made me realize how similar they were. Abe†¦ Abe was short for Abraham in English. Abraham, Ibrahim. There was only a slight variation in the vowels. Abraham was a common enough name in the U.S., but I'd heard Ibrahim only once before, spoken in scorn by Queen Tatiana when referring to someone my mother had been involved with†¦ â€Å"Mom,† I said disbelievingly. â€Å"You know Abe.† She was still touching the scarf, eyes filled with emotion once more-but a different kind than she'd had for me. â€Å"Yes, Rose. I know him.† â€Å"Please don't tell me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Oh, man. Why couldn't I have been an illegitimate half-royal like Robert Doru? Or even the mail-man's daughter? â€Å"Please don't tell me Abe is my father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She didn't have to tell me. It was all over her face, her expression dreamily recalling some other time and place-some time and place that had undoubtedly involved my conception. Ugh. â€Å"Oh God,† I said. â€Å"I'm Zmey's daughter. Zmey Junior. Zmeyette, even.† That got her attention. She looked up at me. â€Å"What on earth are you talking about?† â€Å"Nothing,† I said. I was stunned, trying desperately to assimilate this new piece of data into my worldview. I summoned a picture of that sly, bearded face, trying to hunt down family resemblance. Everyone said my facial features were like my mom's when she was younger†¦ but my coloring, the dark hair and eyes†¦ yes, that was the same as Abe's. I'd always known my father was Turkish. That was Abe's mystery accent, the one not Russian but still foreign to my ears. Ibrahim must be the Turkish version of Abraham. â€Å"How?† I asked. â€Å"How in the world did you get involved with someone like that?† She looked offended. â€Å"Ibrahim is a wonderful man. You don't know him like I do.† â€Å"Obviously.† I hesitated. â€Å"Mom†¦ you must know. What is it that Abe does for a living?† â€Å"He's a businessman. And he knows and does favors for a lot of people, which is why he has the influence he does.† â€Å"But what kind of business? I've heard it's illegal. It's not†¦ oh God. Please tell me he isn't selling blood whores or something.† â€Å"What?† She looked shocked. â€Å"No. Of course not.† â€Å"But he is doing illegal things.† â€Å"Who's to say? He's never actually been caught for anything illegal.† â€Å"I swear, you almost sounded like you were trying to make a joke.† I never would have expected her to defend a criminal, but I knew better than most how love could drive us to crazy acts. â€Å"If he wants to tell you, he'll tell you. End of story, Rose. Besides, you certainly keep your share of secrets too. You two have a lot in common.† â€Å"Are you kidding? He's arrogant, sarcastic, likes to intimidate people, and-oh.† Okay. Maybe she had a point. A small half-smile played upon her lips. â€Å"I never really expected you to meet this way. I never expected you to meet, period. We both thought it'd be best if he wasn't in your life.† A new thought occurred to me. â€Å"It was you, wasn't it? You hired him to find me.† â€Å"What? I contacted him when you went missing†¦ but I certainly didn't hire him.† â€Å"Then who did?† I wondered. â€Å"He said he was working for someone.† Her lovestruck, reminiscent smile turned wry. â€Å"Rose, Ibrahim Mazur doesn't work for anyone. He's not the kind of person you can hire.† â€Å"But he said†¦ wait. Why was he following me? Are you saying he was lying?† â€Å"Well,† she admitted, â€Å"it wouldn't be the first time. If he was following you, it wasn't because anyone was making him or paying him. He did it because he wanted to. He wanted to find you and make sure you were okay. He made sure all his contacts knew to look out for you.† I replayed my brief history with Abe. Shadowy, taunting, infuriating. But he'd driven out into the night to get me when I'd been attacked, been adamant in his goal to get me back to school and safety, and had apparently gifted me with an heirloom because he thought I'd get cold on my way home. He's a wonderful man, my mother had said. I supposed there were worse fathers to have. â€Å"Rose, there you are. What's taking so long?† My mom and I turned as Lissa entered the lobby, her face lighting up when she saw me. â€Å"Come on both of you. The food's going to get cold. And you won't believe what Adrian got.† My mom and I exchanged a quick look, neither of us needing to speak. We had a long conversation ahead of us, but it would have to wait. I have no idea how Adrian had arranged it, but when we got to the lounge, there was Chinese food set up. The Academy almost never served it, and even then, it just never tasted†¦ right. But this was the good stuff. Bowls and bowls of sweet-and-sour chicken and egg foo young. In a corner garbage can, I saw some restaurant takeout cartons with an address in Missoula printed on the side. â€Å"How the hell did you get that here?† I demanded. Not only that, it was still warm. â€Å"Don't question these things, Rose,† said Adrian, loading up his plate with pork fried rice. He seemed very pleased with himself. â€Å"Just roll with it. Once Alberta gets your paperwork settled, we'll eat like this every day.† I stopped mid-bite. â€Å"How do you know about that?† He merely winked. â€Å"When you have nothing to do but hang out on campus all the time, you kind of pick things up.† Lissa glanced between the two of us. She'd been in class all day, and we hadn't had much time to talk. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"Alberta wants me to enroll again and graduate,† I explained. Lissa nearly dropped her plate. â€Å"Then do it!† My mother looked equally startled. â€Å"She'll let you?† â€Å"That's what she told me,† I said. â€Å"Then do it!† my mother exclaimed. â€Å"You know,† mused Adrian, â€Å"I kind of liked the idea of us going on the road together.† â€Å"Whatever,† I shot back. â€Å"You probably wouldn't let me drive.† â€Å"Stop this.† My mother was firmly back to her old self, no grief over her daughter's departure or wistfulness for a lost lover. â€Å"You need to take this seriously. Your future's at stake.† She nodded toward Lissa. â€Å"Her future's at stake. Finishing your education here and going on to be a guardian is the-â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"Yes?† she asked, puzzled. I smiled. â€Å"Yes, I agree.† â€Å"You agree†¦ with me?† I don't think my mom could ever recall that happening. Neither could I, for that matter. â€Å"Yup. I'll take the trials, graduate, and become as respectable a member of society as I can. Not that it sounds like much fun,† I teased. I kept my tone light, but inside, I knew I needed this. I needed to be back with people who loved me. I needed a new purpose, or else I would never get over Dimitri. I would never stop seeing his face or hearing his voice. Beside me, Lissa gasped and clasped her hands together. Her joy flooded into me. Adrian didn't wear his emotions as openly, but I could see he too was pleased at having me around. My mom still looked kind of stunned. I think she was used to me being unreasonable-which, usually, I was. â€Å"You'll really stay?† she asked. â€Å"Good God.† I laughed. â€Å"How many times do I have to say it? Yes, I'll go back to school.† â€Å"And stay?† she prompted. â€Å"The full two and a half months?† â€Å"Isn't that implied?† Her face was hard-and very mom like. â€Å"I want to know for sure you aren't going to up and run away again. You'll stay and finish school no matter what? Stay until you graduate? Do you promise?† I met her eyes, surprised at her intensity. â€Å"Yes, yes. I promise.† â€Å"Excellent,† she said. â€Å"You'll be glad you did this down the road.† Her words were guardian-formal, but in her eyes, I saw love and joy. We finished dinner and helped stack dishes for the building's cleaning service. While scraping uneaten food into a trash can, I felt Adrian beside me. â€Å"This is very domestic of you,† he said. â€Å"It's kind of hot, really. Giving me all sorts of fantasies about you in an apron vacuuming my house.† â€Å"Oh, Adrian, how I've missed you,† I said with an eye roll. â€Å"I don't suppose you're helping?† â€Å"Nah. I helped when I ate everything on my plate. No mess that way.† He paused. â€Å"And yes, you're welcome.† I laughed. â€Å"You know, it's a good thing you didn't say much when I promised Mom I'd stay here. I might have decided otherwise.† â€Å"Not sure if you could have stood up to her. Your mom seems like someone who gets her way a lot.† He cast a covert look to where Lissa and my mom stood talking across the room. He lowered his voice. â€Å"It must run in the family. In fact, maybe I should get her help on something.† â€Å"Getting a hold of illegal cigarettes?† â€Å"Asking her daughter out.† I nearly dropped the plate I held. â€Å"You've asked me out tons of times.† â€Å"Not really. I've made inappropriate suggestions and frequently pushed for nudity. But I've never asked you out on a real date. And, if memory serves, you did say you'd give me a fair chance once I let you clean out my trust fund.† â€Å"I didn't clean it out,† I scoffed. But standing there, looking at him, I remembered that I had said that if I survived my quest for Dimitri, I'd give Adrian a shot. I would have said anything to get the money I needed then, but now, I saw Adrian through new eyes. I wasn't ready to marry him by any stretch of the imagination, nor did I fully consider him reliable boyfriend material. I didn't even know if I wanted a boyfriend ever. But he had been a good friend to me and everyone else throughout all of this chaos. He'd been kind and steady, and yeah, I couldn't deny it†¦ even with a fading black eye, he was still extraordinarily handsome. And while it shouldn't have mattered, Lissa had gotten it out from him that a lot of his infatuation with Avery had been compulsion-induced. He'd liked her and hadn't been ruling out a romantic attachment, but her powers had cranked up the intensity more than he actually felt. Or so he claimed. If I were a guy and all that had happened to me, I'd probably say I'd been under the influence of magic too. Yet from the way he looked at me now, I found it hard to believe anyone had taken my place for him in this last month or so. â€Å"Make me an offer,† I said at last. â€Å"Write it up, and give me a point-by-point outline of why you're a good would-be suitor.† He started to laugh, then saw my face. â€Å"Seriously? That's like homework. There's a reason I'm not in college.† I snapped my fingers. â€Å"Get to it, Ivashkov. I want to see you put in a good day's work.† I expected a joke or a brush-off until later, but instead, he said, â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Okay?† Now I felt like my mom had earlier, when I'd quickly agreed with her. â€Å"Yep. I'm going to go back to my room right now to start drafting my assignment.† I stared incredulously as he reached for his coat. I had never seen Adrian move that fast when any kind of labor was involved. Oh no. What had I gotten myself into? He suddenly paused and reached into his coat pocket with an exasperated smile. â€Å"Actually, I already practically wrote you an essay. Nearly forgot.† He produced a piece of folded paper and waved it in the air. â€Å"You have got to get your own phone. I'm not going to be your secretary anymore.† â€Å"What is that?† â€Å"Some foreign guy called me earlier†¦ said my number was in his phone's memory.† Again, Adrian eyed Lissa and my mom. They were still deep in conversation. â€Å"He said he had a message for you and didn't want me to tell anyone else. He made me write it out and read it back to him. You're the only person I'd do that for, you know. I think I'm going to mention it when I write up my dating proposal.† â€Å"Will you just hand it over?† He gave me the note with a wink, sketched me a bow, and then said goodbye to Lissa and my mom. I kind of wondered if he really was going to go write up a dating proposal. Mostly, my attention was on the note. I had no doubt who had called him. I'd used Abe's phone to dial Adrian in Novosibirsk and had later told Abe about Adrian's financial involvement in my trip. Apparently, my father-ugh, that was still an unreal thought-had decided that made Adrian trustworthy, though I wondered why my mom couldn't have been used as a messenger. I unfolded the note, and it took me a few seconds to decipher Adrian's writing. If he did write me a dating proposal, I really hoped he would type it. The note read: Sent a message to Robert's brother. He told me there was nothing I could offer that would make him reveal Robert's location-and believe me, I have much to offer. But he said as long as he had to spend the rest of his life in there, then the information would die with him. Thought you'd like to know. It was hardly the essay Adrian had made it out to be. It was also a bit cryptic, but then, Abe wouldn't want its contents easily understandable to Adrian. To me, the meaning was clear. Robert's brother was Victor Dashkov. Abe had somehow gotten a message to Victor in whatever horrible, remote prison he was locked away in. (Somehow, it didn't surprise me that Abe could pull that off.) Abe had no doubt attempted one of his trades with Victor in order to find out where Robert was, but Victor had refused. No surprise there either. Victor wasn't the most helpful of people, and I couldn't entirely blame him now. The guy was locked up for life â€Å"in there†-in prison. What could anyone offer a condemned man that would really make a difference in his life? I sighed and put the note away, somehow touched that Abe had done this for me, as futile as it was. And again, the same argument came to mind. Even if Victor had given up Robert's location, what did it matter? The farther I got from the events in Russia, the more ridiculous it became to even consider turning a Strigoi back to his original form. Only true death could free them, only death†¦ My mom's voice saved me before I could begin reliving the bridge scene once more in my head. She told me she had to leave but promised we'd talk later. As soon as she was gone, Lissa and I made sure everything was set in the lounge before heading off to my room. She and I still had a lot of talking to do too. We went upstairs, and I wondered when they'd move me out of guest housing and back to the dorm. Probably whenever Alberta finished with the red tape. It still seemed impossible to accept that I was going to be able to return to my old life and move on from all that had happened in the last month or so. â€Å"Did Adrian give you a love note?† Lissa asked me. Her voice was teasing, but through the bond, I knew she still worried about me grieving for Dimitri. â€Å"Not yet,† I said. â€Å"I'll explain later.† Outside my room, one of the building attendants was just about to knock on the door. When she saw me, she held out a thick padded envelope. â€Å"I was just bringing this to you. It arrived in today's mail.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. I took it from her and looked at it. My name and St. Vladimir's address were printed in neat writing, which I found odd, since my arrival here had been sudden. There was no return address, but it bore Russian postmarks and delivery through global overnight mail. â€Å"Do you know who it's from?† Lissa asked once the woman was gone. â€Å"I don't know. I met a lot of people in Russia.† It could have been from Olena, Mark, or Sydney. Yet†¦ something I couldn't quite explain set my senses on high alert. I tore open one side and reached in. My hand closed around something cold and metallic. I knew before I even pulled it out what it was. It was a silver stake. â€Å"Oh God,† I said I rolled the stake around, running my finger over the engraved geometric pattern at its base. There was no question. One-of-a-kind. This was the stake I'd taken from the vault in Galina's house. The one I'd â€Å"Why would someone send you a stake?† asked Lissa. I didn't answer and instead pulled out the envelope's next item: a small note card. There, in handwriting I knew all too well, was: You forgot another lesson: Never turn your back until you know your enemy is dead. Looks like we'll have to go over the lesson again the next time I see you-which will be soon. Love, D. â€Å"Oh,† I said, nearly dropping the card. â€Å"This is not good.† The world spun for a moment, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. For the hundredth time, I ran through the events of the night I'd escaped from Dimitri. Every other time, my emotions and attention were always on the look on his face when I stabbed him, the sight of his body falling into that black water. Now my mind summoned up the details of the struggle. I recalled how his last-minute dodge had interfered with my shot at his heart. For a moment out there, I hadn't thought I'd gotten the stake in hard enough-until I'd seen his face go slack and watched him fall. But I really hadn't gotten the stake in hard enough. My first instinct had been right, but things had happened too fast. He'd fallen†¦ and then what? Had the stake been loose enough to fall out on its own? Had he been able to pull it out? Had the river's impact knocked it out? â€Å"All those practice dummies, all for nothing,† I muttered, recalling how Dimitri had drilled me over and over to plunge a stake into the chest so it would get past the ribs and into the heart. â€Å"Rose,† exclaimed Lissa. I had a feeling this wasn't the first time she'd said my name. â€Å"What's going on?† The most important staking of my life†¦ and I had messed it up. What would happen now? Looks like we'll have to go over the lesson again the next time I see you-which will be soon. I didn't know what to feel. Despair that I hadn't released Dimitri's soul and fulfilled the promise I'd secretly made to him? Relief that I hadn't killed the man I loved? And always, always that question: Would he have said he loved me if we'd had a few moments more? I still had no answers. My emotions were running crazy, and I needed to put them on hold and analyze what I knew here. First: two and a half months. I'd promised my mom two and a half months. No action until then. Meanwhile, Dimitri was still out there, still a Strigoi. As long as he was loose in the world, there would be no peace for me. No closure. Looking at that card again, I realized I would have no peace even if I tried to ignore him. I understood the card's message. Dimitri was coming for me this time. And something told me that I had blown my chance at being turned Strigoi. He was coming to kill me. What had he said when I escaped the manor? That there was no way we could both be alive in the world? And yet, maybe we could†¦ When I didn't answer her right away, Lissa's worry grew. â€Å"Your face is freaking me out a little. What are you thinking?† â€Å"Do you believe in fairy tales?† I asked, looking up into her eyes. Even as I said the words, I could imagine Mark's disapproval. â€Å"What†¦ what kind of fairy tales?† â€Å"The kind you aren't supposed to waste your life on.† â€Å"I don't understand,† she said. â€Å"I'm totally lost. Tell me what's going on. What can I do?† Two and a half months. I had to stay here for two and a half months-it seemed like forever. But I'd promised my mom that I would, and I refused to be rash again-particularly with the stakes so high now. Promises. I was drowning in promises. I'd even promised Lissa something. â€Å"Did you mean it before? You want to go with me on my next crazy quest? No matter what?† â€Å"Yes.† There was no uncertainty or hesitation in the word, no wavering in her steady green eyes. Of course, I wondered if she'd feel the same way later when she found out what it was we were going to do. What could anyone offer a condemned man that would really make a difference in his life? I'd pondered that earlier, trying to figure out what could get Victor Dashkov to talk. Victor had told Abe there was nothing anyone could offer that would make him give up the information about his brother's alleged ability to restore Strigoi. Victor was serving a life sentence; no bribe could matter to him anymore. But one thing could, I realized. Freedom. And there was only one way to achieve that. We were going to have to break Victor Dashkov out of prison. But I decided not to mention that to Lissa quite yet. All I knew for now was that I had a fleeting shot at saving Dimitri. Mark had said it was a fairy tale, but I had to take the chance. The question was: how long did I have until Dimitri came to kill me? How long did I have to figure out if the impossible was actually possible? That was the real issue. Because if Dimitri showed up before I had a chance to find the dragon in this story-Victor-things were going to get ugly. Maybe this whole Robert thing was one big lie, but even if it wasn't†¦ well, the clock was ticking. If Dimitri came for me before I could get to Victor and Robert, I'd have to fight him again. No question. I couldn't wait for this magical cure. I'd have to kill Dimitri for real this time and lose any chance I might have to bring back my prince. Damn. It's a good thing I work well under pressure.