Richard Nixon Was The Last Liberal Era - 2168 Words

It can be argued that Richard Nixon was the last liberal president and that his presidency ushered in a conservative era. Both of these arguments are true, however I believe it is more correct to say that his presidency marked a new conservative era. During his time in office, Nixon expanded Great Society legislation, created new and significant federal agencies, and his foreign policy with communism emphasized dà ©tente. However, he did not always agree with the liberal ideologies that he was implementing and, in regards to the anti-war protestors, his administration showed little concern for civil liberties. In comparison to the administrations that followed, he was much more liberal and was the last president to significantly increase†¦show more content†¦Social conservatism generally favors traditional, pro-family values, such as opposition to abortion and same sex marriage. Richard Nixon’s campaign echoed many aspects of the conservative language of the time, bu t ultimately his presidency was liberal, as he subscribed to liberal tendencies, such as broadening social programs and the influence of the federal government. He did not battle the Democrats, who held congress, on domestic issues and even expanded components of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society. Instead of curtailing the federal government’s role, Nixon created new agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board. His administration poured money into social services and environmental initiatives, expanded the food stamp program, and allowed Social Security to expand with inflation. Numerous acts were passed such as the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air Act. His commitment to protecting the environmental ostracized businesses, natural allies of conservative ideologies, who deemed these regulations burdensome. Nixon broke the mold of conservative polit ics further by presenting a Family Assistance Plan that would guarantee a minimum income for all Americans and by pursuing affirmative action programs to â€Å"upgrade minority employment†. The Family Assistance Plan did not pass in congress and was criticized by

Asessment Free Essays

I will continue to use this priority direction as the example in this assessment 1 guide. Your assignment task is to: 1 . Select one priority direction from the list. We will write a custom essay sample on Asessment or any similar topic only for you Order Now For example: One of the six priority directions of the Nest action agenda is ‘Improving the social and emotional wellbeing of young Australians’ (pig 14). 2. Introduce the priority direction highlighting the significance for Australian children and youth You could: Discuss what Is social and emotional wellbeing and what are the benefits or outcomes of emotional and social wellbeing for children and youth. For example the early year’s research provides evidence that Infant bonding and positive early life social experiences can strengthen healthy brain development providing the potential for greater educational achievement and the capacity to form successful relationships (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2004, Children’s Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains: Working Paper No. 2. Http://www. Developmentally. Net). 3. Identify the current status of child and youth health and wellbeing in Australia (birth to 24 years) in your selected priority direction and present the problem currently faced in Australia. Identify Australian statistics from various resources that indicate the outcomes related social and emotional wellbeing for Australian children. You may use RACY evidence such as Report Card: The wellbeing of young Australians along with other Australian sources e. G. AYAH to support your discussion. The RACY Report Card uses the average of all ‘Loved and Safe’ measures to provide a global indicator of social and emotional wellbeing. You can refer to this. You could also provide statistics related to various determinants and related outcomes for this priority area and issues how the factor is relevant e. G. Bullying and the impact on youth mental health. 4. Discuss what determinants of health and wellbeing are contributing to these outcomes. Identify determinants from across various contexts influencing child and youth outcome I. E. Processes in the micro, mess, ex. Or macro systems. In this section you can discuss the factors that influence the statistics and health outcomes you have raised in your essay. For example identify various determinants of social and emotional wellbeing including both protective and risk factors. Discuss owe unemployment (ex.) might affect family functioning (micro) such as positive communication. 5. Propose strategies supported by research and the literature that will help achieve one or more aspects of the Nest action agenda vision for Australia’s children and in any context influencing child and youth outcomes I. . Processes in the micro, mess, ex. Or macro systems. Intimidates is a school health promotion program that helps schools support young people to achieve their goals, build relationships and cope with challenges (http:// wry. Intimidates. Due. AU/about-Intimidates/what-is-Intimidates). How can implementation be encouraged in your local school? Tips on the structure of your essay You have some freedom in this assessme nt task to select broad or focused issues impacting on child and youth health. This will impact on how to present your work. Plan your presentation carefully. Your presentation can follow the order of assignment tasks listed in the unit outline or you may reorder the information to improve the logical flow of your ideas and the essay. You can present your work as an essay however, you may use headings to respond to the various tasks. A good resource on effective writing and how to write an essay is: http://unlearning. IOW. Due. AU/main. HTML. See also a comparison between essay and a report style http://unlearning. IOW. Due. AU/report/l b. HTML Correct referencing following the Harvard style is required See the marking criteria in the unit outline for the areas your work will be assessed against. Each lecturer will arrange a webbing session for your group where you can ask question about the first assessment. These sessions will be recorded so that if you can’t attend the set time you can listen to the questions and answers at a later time. How to cite Asessment, Papers

E Commerce Sites

Question: Write an essay on E-Commerce Sites? Answer: E-Commerce Sites The different types of e-commerce sites and their examples are given below (Laudon and Traver, 2002): Online Only e-commerce sites: the organization sells products only over the internet Examples: asos.com, Made.com, lookfantastic.com, Mail Order e commerce sites: any organization that prints catalogues for its products, might have physical stores and also makes their products available on the internet Examples: Boden, Lands End, House of Bath, Big Bricks and Clicks: has multiple physical stores and maintains a e-commerce website. Example: Argos, Boutique Bricks and Clicks: limited number of physical stores and an electronic commerce website Example: Boswells, Brownsfashion.com , Burford Needlecraft Ecommerce sites performing mainstream piggyback: e commerce sites hosting products of other organizations, without producing anything by themselves. Example: eBay, Amazon Ecommerce sites performing niche piggyback : organizations producing similar products create a ecommerce site or a blog of their own. Example: Hotels (hotels.com, laterooms.com), The craft world (Etsy, Folksy), jewellery (Boticca), Books (abebooks.co.uk) Full Multichannel electronic commerce sites: the organizations have multiple physical shops, maintain printed catalogues, and runs an electronic commerce website : it is considered as the most difficult and/ or complex model to maintain and run any business. Example: Crew Clothing , Bravissimo. Amazon.com The amazon.com is probably the most used and the most famous electronic commerce site that exists at present (Amazon.com, 2015). The amazon. com does not produce any products by itself but only exhibits and puts on sale the various products developed by other reputed brands. Thus, it can be said that amazon.com is one e commerce site that performs mainstream piggybacking. The site has the following characteristics: Ubiquity: the ecommerce site has dedicated applications that run on smart phones. Global reach: the amazon.com has spread its business to many other countries outside the USA. Amazon has official sites that are accessible in Canada, in Asia, in Australia and in Europe. All these websites have the same functionality as the official website for USA. Universal standards: Amazon.com abides by all the universal standards that are followed by other e commerce websites. Richness: amazon.com does not use any animated graphics or Flash animations and/ or any streaming media in the process of delivering marketing messages. Interactivity: the website lets the customer buy products based on various departmental choices and other product attributes. The website is able to provide links to such products which possess all the attributes as indicated by the customers. The website also has provisions for 24*7 online chat facility for interacting with their customers. Information Density: the amazon.com collects a wide range of information from the customers during the registration phase, which includes the name of the customer, his or her address, contact numbers, electronic mail id and so on . Personalization/Customization: the website is able to greet any customer using his/ her name, once the customer logs in into the website. The website also provides marketing messages based on the products that were purchased by the customer previously and can also customize the products and the services in a way that was previously chosen by the customer. Social technology: the website encourages the customers to write reviews of the products that they have bought from the website. The customer can also provide grades to the various products available. Payless ShoeSource is a well known American footwear retailer selling branded shoes which is renowned for the discounted price that it makes available to its customers (Laudon and Traver, 2002). The organization is headquartered at Topeka in Kansas. This organization was founded in 1956 by Shaol Pozez and Louis and Pozez, who were cousins in relation, and at that point of time owned the Collective Brands, Inc. In the year 1961, the organization was turned into a public company, and was renamed as the Volume Shoe Corporation. This renaming followed a merging process with another renowned brand the May Department Stores Company, in the year 1979. From the 1980s, the Payless Shoe Source became widely known all over the united states of America, due to the line of discounted sneakers which the organization at that point of time used to refer to as the Pro Wings: this line of sneakers were the first ever which used to have Velcro straps in the place of laces that all ordinary sneakers at that point of instead of time used to come with. In the year 1996, the Payless Shoe Source was declared as an independent company which was being operated publicly (Wang, 2010). In t5he year 2004, the management of the Payless Shoe Source publicly announced that the brand would no longer be a part of the Parade chain of retailers and that it has decided to close as many as 100 physical outlets of Payless Shoe Source. In the year 2007, on 17th of August, the organization finally acquired the rights of the Stride Rite Corporation. The management of the Payless Shoe Source went forward and renamed the Stride Rite Corporation to Collective Brands, Inc. As reported by the official spokesperson of the organization, in the year 2011 the Payless Shoe Source generated an enormous revenue: a total of $3.4 billion. However, in the year 212, on May 1st, it was announced that the Wolverine World Wide, Golden Gate Capital and Blum Capital, are to purchase the organization for as much as $11.32 billion. The Payless Shoe store has an online presence which can be located easily at https://www.payless.com/stores . A visit to the official webpage revealed that the website exhibits and sells shoes and bags that are developed by other large brands and does not produce any product of their own. However, the organization has physical stores located all over USA. The website provides their customers with provisions of free shipping on a bill of over $25 and also allows the customers to exchange any product or return any product to any physical Payless Shoe store located nearby. The website has implemented a Business to consumer model of electronic commerce at one end, using which business organizations can directly communicate with the consumers. On the other end, the organization implements a business to business model of electronic commerce using which various other brands can use the platform provided by the website to promote their business and/ or sales figures. The online website and the physical stores sell shoes and other accessories like hand bags and purses to their customers. Various categories of such products are available on both the online and the physical stores, and separate sections of the website have been dedicated to men, women, boys and girls. An entire page is dedicated to those products which are on sale and/or clearance. However, the website also allows searching for products based on the brands that are available on the website. The noticeable rivals and/ or competitors of the Payless Shoe store are the Walmart and the Target, which conduct business in a very similar fashion and are now providing facilities to the customers which are comparable. The organization however, is still way ahead their competitors due its band power and the huge range of commodities that it makes available to its customers. The company founded in the year 1956: today it is officially known as the Payless ShoeSource and is owned jointly by the Blum Capital Partners and the Golden Gate . Cookies A cookie or a HTTP cookie, as it should be technically termed as is nothing but a small chunk of data and/ or information that is usually sent from any website that is being accessed by the user. This small packet of data gets stored in the web browser which is being used for accessing the website in an automated process within the very small time frame. Each and every other time the user accesses this particular website, the web browser sends back these cookies to the website so as to let the website know that the user is again browsing the site. HTTP cookies are also known as web cookie browser cookie or Internet cookie. The mechanism was designed as a safety procedure to be used by web browsers to record the browsing activities of the users or in order to remember certain stateful data and / or information. List of cookies: The following cookies were found in my browser google.com youtube.com Com Yahoo.com walmart.com springer.com com google.com com org .uk The cookies have been placed in the browser by the following sites: google.com: cookie placed by Google.com, more precisely by the google account. youtube.com: cookie placed by youtube. Com, more precisely by youtube accounts. Com : cookie placed by Adobe. Com Yahoo.com: cookie placed by Yahoo. Com walmart.com: cookie placed by walmart. Com springer.com: cookie placed by Springer. Com com: cookie placed by Linkedin . Com google.com: cookie placed by Google.com, more precisely by the google mail or the gmail. com: cookie placed by mathtg.com org .uk: cookie place by the official webpage of UK which is dedicated to the principles, practices and rules implemented in the domain of mental health in the United kingdom The fundamental advantage of storing a cookie from a website is that when the user revisits the site, the user does not need to provide all those data that are required to access the site. This methodology also allows the websites to provide customized services to their users: various ecommerce sites are actually able to generate customized marketing campaigns based on the previous buying behavior of the customers. However, using the very same process certain malicious programs are able to extract a wide range of personal data of the user from the web browser (Sipior, Ward and Mendoza, 2011). Thus, it can be said that as both the advantages and disadvantages of cookies actually weigh almost same and we must be careful about the cookies that we save in our web browsers (Zabawa, 2014). Next Step In Evolution Augmented reality is the current buzz in the domain of technology: with both google and apple being competitive about the release of their patented augmented reality products as soon as possible. Various ecommerce sites and tools have already started certain features of this technology to increase their sales. However, the most important and interesting domain in which the technologies of augmented reality can be put to use is the medical science. This particular field can use the principles and practices involved with augmented reality to perform invasive surgeries. This particular technology can also be used in the defense during the times of warfare, so s to differentiate between the friend army and the enemy army and/ or the locations of the enemy armies. References Amazon.com, (2015). Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs more. [online] Available at: https://www.amazon.com/ [Accessed 13 Jun. 2015]. Laudon, K. and Traver, C. (2002). E-commerce. Boston: Addison Wesley. Payless.com, (2015). Payless ShoeSource | Shoes, Boots, Sandals, Designer Shoes Handbags. [online] Available at: https://www.payless.com/ [Accessed 13 Jun. 2015]. Sipior, J., Ward, B. and Mendoza, R. (2011). Online Privacy Concerns Associated with Cookies, Flash Cookies, and Web Beacons. Journal of Internet Commerce, 10(1), pp.1-16. Wang, J. (2010). E-commerce communities as knowledge bases for firms. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 9(4), pp.335-345. Zabawa, M. (2014). On Internet cookies. LingVaria, (18), pp.103-111.

Lymphoma Essays (648 words) - Lymphoma, Hodgkins Lymphoma

Lymphoma Lymphoma Controlling Purpose: In this paper you will be informed about the cause, symptoms, and treatment of lymphoma. You will also learn about the lymphatic system and how this cancer affects it. I. Lymphatic system A. Function of the system B. Parts of the system. C. How cancer affects the system II. Types of lymphoma A. Hodgkin's lymphoma B. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma III. Cause of lymphoma A. HIV B. Organ transplant IV. Treatment A. Radiation B. Chemotherapy C. Bone marrow transplant Lymphoma Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system. Any group of cancers in which the cells of lymphoid tissues multiply unchecked. Clayman, 657. This is the system which manufactures and circulates lymph throughout the body. The purpose of the lymphatic system is to help the body fight infection. Lymph is a colorless fluid that contains white blood cells. This system also consists of the spleen, nodes and tonsils. The nodes are small organs found in the neck , under the arms, in the groin and abdomen. The nodes store infection fighting cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and replace themselves in and orderly way. When lymphoma occurs, cells in the lymphatic system grow out of control. When this happens too much tissue is formed and a tumor is developed. The tumor is usually in the nodes found in the neck, this is one of the symptoms of lymphoma. Since lymph is circulated throughout the body, it spreads easily. Cancerous lymphocytes can be confined to a single lymph node or can be spread throughout the body to almost any organ. Berkow, 770. There are two basic types of lymphomas, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. There is little difference between the two types of cancers. The main difference is the ages it affects. Hodgkin's usually occurs in younger people while Non-Hodgkin's usually occurs in older people. Some forms of lymphoma are curable, but other forms are not. Hodgkin's lymphoma is more curable than non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Sometimes the cancer will go into remission for a few years then come back. The cure rate of some lymphomas is high, but the cure rate of others is low. For the most part the cause of lymphoma is unknown. In some cases an organ transplant may cause lymphoma because is suppresses the immune system. It is also thought that HIV may allow other viruses to cause lymphoma. In most cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the cause is unknown. Occasionally, the disease is associated with the suppression of the immune system. Clayman, 657. There are only a few types of treatment for lymphomas. The two main types of treatment are radiation and chemotherapy. An anticancer drug is also used to help fight the cancer. When the cancer is very serious a bone marrow transplant is sometimes used. Most patients who are treated survive five years longer than people who are affected by the cancer and are not treated. To diagnose lymphoma a portion of the lymph node is removed and examined for cancerous cells. More tests are run on the tissue to determine what type of lymphoma, grade, and stage the cancer is in. After this the doctor will decide which type of treatment will be best for the patient. The extent of the disease is assessed by a process called staging. Berkow, 773. Lymphoma can be classified into four basic stages. In the first stage there is only one cancer site. In the second stage there are two cancer sites, both are above or below the waist. In the third stage, there are cancer sites both above and below the waist. The bone marrow is not affected. In the fourth and worst stage, The cancer has spread outside of the lymphatic system. The bone marrow has also been infected. Bibliography Berkow, Robert, ed. The Merk Manual. Whitehouse Station, N.J.: Merk and Co., Inc., 1997. Clayman, Charles, B., ed. Home Medical Encyclopedia. New York: Reader's Digest Association. What is Lymphoma. Macintosh. Http://www.lymphoma.org Health and Beauty Essays

To live or to die essays

To live or to die essays Everyday hundreds of Americans die in either accidents, shooting, from sickness, and evening the death penalty. Capital punishment is a very difficult issue and there are as many different opinions for or against it as there are people. Each yeah over two hundred people are placed on death row. Some of those people deserve to be on death row and a few dont but there is no way to separate the wrongly accused from those who belong. To live or to die is the question that crosses every judges mind when the time comes to prosecute a criminal. It is not an easy decision but it has to be made. Once the decision is made to place someone on death row, there is no turning back, only the anticipation of that day when a life is brought to an end slowly but surely. Those opposing capital punishment think of losing a loved one to someone who has no meaning for taking a life. those who are defending capital punishment, think about a loved one that maybe wrongly accused and sentenced to death. There are two sides to capital punishment either to live or There was a period were capital punishment was ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court. Their reason for this was that the death penalty was cruel and unusual punishment under the eighth amendment which states, that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, no cruel or unusual punishment inflicted. When the constitution was drafted, indeed capital punishment was practiced widely in this country but it was not specified as cruel and unusual. Those who are for capital punishment argue that penal laws are demonstrating to everyone that it is not in the best interest to murder. Capital punishment is something that is deserved when someone takes the life of another individual for no reason. The fear of death deters people from committing crimes, says Leslie Cantu (Interne ...

Battle of the Trebia in the Second Punic War

Battle of the Trebia in the Second Punic War The Battle of the Trebia is believed to have been fought on December 18, 218 BC during the early stages of the Second Punic War (218-201 BC). For the second time in less than fifty years, the competing interests of Carthage and Rome came into conflict and resulted in war. Following his capture of Saguntum in Iberia, the noted Carthaginian commander Hannibal, advanced over the Alps and invaded Italy. Taking the Romans by surprise, he advanced through the Po Valley and won a minor victory at Ticinus. A short time later, Hannibal descended on a larger Roman force along the Trebia River. Taking advantage of a rash Roman commander, he won a crushing victory. The triumph at Trebia was the first of several that Hannibal would win during his time in Italy. Background Having lost Sicily after the First Punic War (264-241 BC), Carthage later endured the loss of Sardinia and Corsica to the Romans when they were distracted putting down rebellions in North Africa. Recovering from these reverses, Carthage commenced expanding its influence to the Iberian Peninsula which gave it access to a variety of resources. This expansion led to direct conflict with Rome over the Hellenized city of Saguntum which was aligned with the Italian nation. Following the assassination of pro-Carthage citizens in Saguntum, Carthaginian forces under Hannibal laid siege to the city in 219 BC. Hannibal Marches The citys fall after a prolonged siege led to open warfare between Rome and Carthage. Completing the capture of Saguntum, Hannibal began planning to cross the Alps to invade northern Italy. Moving forward in the spring of 218 BC, Hannibal was able to sweep aside those native tribes that attempted to block his path and entered the mountains. Battling harsh weather and rough terrain, Carthaginian forces succeeded in crossing the Alps, but lost a significant part of there numbers in the process. Surprising the Romans by appearing in the Po Valley, Hannibal was able to earn the support of rebelling Gallic tribes in the area. Moving quickly, Roman consul Publius Cornelius Scipio attempted to block Hannibal at Ticinus in November 218 BC. Defeated and wounded in the action, Scipio was forced to fall back to Placentia and cede the plain of Lombardy to the Carthaginians. Though Hannibals victory was minor, it had significant political repercussions as it led to additional Gauls and Ligurians joining his forces which raised his armys numbers to around 40,000 (Map). Rome Responds Concerned by Scipios defeat, the Romans ordered Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus to reinforce the position at Placentia. Alerted to Sempronius approach, Hannibal sought to destroy the second Roman army before it could unite with Scipio, but was unable to do so as his supply situation dictated that he assault Clastidium. Reaching Scipios camp near the banks of the Trebia River, Sempronius assumed command of the combined force. A rash and impetuous leader, Sempronius began making plans to engage Hannibal in open battle before the more senior Scipio recovered and resumed command. Hannibals Plans Aware of the personality differences between the two Roman commanders, Hannibal sought to fight Sempronius rather the wilier Scipio. Establishing a camp across the Trebia from the Romans, Hannibal detached 2,000 men, led by his brother Mago, under the cover of darkness on December 17/18. Sending them to the south, they concealed themselves in stream beds and swamps on the flanks of the two armies. The following morning, Hannibal ordered elements of his cavalry to cross the Trebia and harass the Romans. Once engaged they were to retreat and lure the Romans to a point where Magos men could launch an ambush. Fast Facts: Battle of the Trebia Conflict: Second Punic War (218-201 BC)Dates: December 18, 218 BCArmies Commanders:CarthageHannibal20,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalryRomeTiberius Sempronius Longus36,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalryCasualties:Carthage: 4,000-5,000 casualtiesRome: up to 26,000-32,000 killed, wounded, and captured Hannibal Victorious Ordering his own cavalry to attack the approaching Carthaginian horsemen, Sempronius raised his entire army and sent it forward against Hannibals camp. Seeing this, Hannibal quickly formed his army with infantry in the center and cavalry and war elephants on the flanks. Sempronius approached in the standard Roman formation with three lines of infantry in the center and cavalry on the flanks. In addition, velite skirmishers were deployed forward. As the two armies collided, the velites were thrown back and the heavy infantry engaged (Map). On the flanks, the Carthaginian cavalry, making use of their greater numbers, slowly pushed back their Roman counterparts. As pressure on the Roman cavalry grew, the flanks of the infantry became unprotected and open to attack. Sending forward his war elephants against the Roman left, Hannibal next ordered his cavalry to attack the exposed flanks of the Roman infantry. With the Roman lines wavering, Magos men sprang from their concealed position and attacked Sempronius rear. Nearly surrounded, the Roman army collapsed and began fleeing back across the river. Aftermath As the Roman army broke, thousands were cut down or trampled as they attempted to escape to safety. Only the center of Sempronius infantry, which had fought well, was able to retire to Placentia in good order. As with many battles in this period, precise casualties are not known. Sources indicate that Carthaginian losses were around 4,000-5,000, while the Romans may have suffered up to 32,000 killed, wounded, and captured. The victory at Trebia was Hannibals first great triumph in Italy and would be followed by others at Lake Trasimene (217 BC) and Cannae (216 BC). Despite these stunning victories, Hannibal was never able to completely defeat Rome, and was ultimately recalled to Carthage to aid in protecting the city from a Roman army. In the resulting battle at Zama (202 BC), he was beaten and Carthage was forced to make peace.

Rewarding Volunteers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Rewarding Volunteers - Essay Example The paper tells that in order to attract and motivate volunteers, organizations need to come up with effective volunteer management programs that will ensure those individuals are always motivated and at the same time they gain some skills while offering their services to the organization. A comprehensive training program needs to be established to ensure the quality of services that they offer is acceptable and at the same time add value to the volunteers to make them more knowledgeable in their line of specialization thus ensuring they become more attractive to employers in the job market. Understaffing at the online university can be traced to some reasons but the primary factor is the lack of strategic planning. It is prudent that prior to the implementation of the program it ought to have conducted a feasibility study to ascertain that it will meet all the requirements that will see the program running smoothly. Ideally, personnel is the most valuable resource in any organizatio n thus firms have to give it the priority during planning since without the workers who will be implementing the organizational objectives nothing meaningful will be accomplished. Thus, it is evident that poor strategic planning was the key issue that culminated to understaffing at the online university since it is prudent that if the organization did not have sufficient funds to implement the entire program it had to wait until the moment it had acquired all the necessary resources before deploying the program.

Marriage and divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marriage and divorce - Essay Example and Lynn Kunz 1995). High risk factors that make marriages prone to divorce include social differences between the partners as well as abuse. Some of these causes may be prevented while some are inherent. Marriage is a lifetime commitment between two parties. It is a social institution, forming a binding contract between spouses in regards to their obligations between them and their relatives. Owing to the fact that it is a social institution, marriages form a broad setup, differing from one culture to the next. The decision to marry and who to marry largely depends on the cultural and religious beliefs of individuals. According to statistics, marriage institutions in the late twentieth century decreased by 30% (Weastermak 2002). The reasons could be attributed to the fact that more people choose to cohabit rather than to marry. Tough economic times may also prevent men from committing to the marriage institution so as to prevent dowry payment as well as expensive wedding ceremonies. However, due to the administrative laws put in place, as well as legal rights protecting women, some marriage setups are illegal. These include child and forced marriages, polygamy as well as planned mar riages. Other developments include the existence of civil marriages, which does no t recognize the religious fraternity, but rather the rights and obligations outlined by the government. Initially, marriage only involved people of the same gender, but some laws currently allow the union of spouses of similar gender. This development first surfaced in 13 nations in the beginning of the 21C. Other developments include inter racial and interfaith marriage unions. If well reviewed at the point of initiating marriage, couples remain prepared of what is expected of them to prevent overwhelming instances by marriage challenges. Couples committed into making their marriages work have less chances of

Indus valley civilizations Essay Example for Free

Indus valley civilizations Essay The Indus Valley civilization is an ancient civilization that prospered along the Indus River and Ghaggar-Hakra River in present day Pakistan and India. The Indus valley civilization is sometimes called the Harappan Civilization in reference to the first excavated city called Harappa. The Indus Valley civilization was discovered in the 1920s. The existence of the Indus Civilization is only proved by excavations and maybe some Sumerian writings, e. g. The Mehulan, which is said to correspond with Indus Valley civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization extended from Balochistan to Gujarat, with an upward reach to Punjab from east of the river Jhelum to Rupar on the upper Sutlej. Coastal settlements extended from Sutkagan Dor in Western Baluchistan to Lothal in Gujarat. Besides the western states of India, the Indus Valley Civilization encompassed most of Pakistan. An Indus Valley site has been found on the Oxus River at Shortughai in northern Afghanistan, at Sutkagen dor (Western Baluchistan, Pakistan), at Mandu on the Beas River near Jammu, and at Alamgirpur on the Hindon River, only 28 km from Delhi. Indus Valley sites have been found most often on rivers, but also on lakes, the ancient sea-coast and on islands. There is no documentary evidence that the Indus civilization really existed. What is known of it is the archeological evidence. The assumption that a civilization once existed and prospered in that valley is based on what was found there at the at the excavation sites. It is a well known fact, through out history, ancient Civilizations always started along the banks of rivers or water bodies. Archeologists create theories out of their findings. Most of the artifacts found on archeological sites are explained away with out any substantial recorded facts to back their explanations. The discovery of the Indus valley civilization proves that indeed there has been some human presence around there but the question is: is the Indus valley civilization exactly what we are being told it is today? Are the facts acceptable for scholarly pursuits? It has being recorded that the Indus valley civilization had elements of urbanism such as advanced sewerage systems, dockyards, warehouses, granaries such as we have today. One could clearly conclude from these facts that a great form of civilization indeed existed which might be the basis of what we have today. The lack of authoritative and verifiable written materials on the Indus civilization makes it very difficult to study. This is because the proof of it does not exist in writing in the first place so that at least they can serve as other sources for referencing when in doubt. Good scholarly conclusions can only be drawn from authentic facts which can be proven over time and this is not a very strong point of the Indus civilization.

Essay --

â€Å"Either with your shield, or on it.† These were the words said by Spartan women as their men left for war. The meaning is clear: either return with your shield, alive and victorious, or return as a corpse. There are no other options. This mentality of â€Å"Spartans never retreat, Spartans never surrender,† and a lifetime of physical training produced in ancient Sparta an elite caste of warriors who dominated classical Greece for centuries. The Spartans were greatly respected during their day, causing one exiled King to say â€Å"the Lacedaemonians, when they fight singly, are as good as any in the world.† Time has done nothing to soften the praise felt for the Spartan warrior. Innumerable video games, films, and novels have represented Spartans as invincible warriors, the valiant Spartan phalanx standing strong against a horde of unending barbarians. Invariably, the Spartans have been represented as speaking of ‘freedom’ and ‘reason,’ versus the forces of tyranny and barbarism. While most wars the Spartans fought were against other Greeks, as the fractious Greek city-states were wont to do, invariably the popular culture accounts of the 20th and 21st century depict them as being pitted against the largest contemporary empire, the Persians, who, in an incredibly short period, were able to create the largest land empire the world had yet seen. The Persians surpassed the Greeks in many ways, and yet there are no Hollywood blockbusters about Cyrus conquering Babylon, or video games of Persian military feats. Modern popular culture has raised the Spartan to the highest pedestal of adoration, producing pulp of every kind to feed his flame. The Persians, meanwhile, have been brought low and demonized, even neglected. The questi... ...aging.† This logic struck Cyrus so much that he acted on the advice of Croesus and reclaimed the booty. Here Cyrus is portrayed as a rational, just ruler, who treats conquered subjects with restraint. This is in contrast to the loser in the struggle, Croesus, who, although Herodotus represents as wise and strong, is much too hasty. When he received the prophecy from the Oracle at Delphi of â€Å"If you attack, you will destroy a great empire,† in response to his question of whether he should bring the fight to the Achaemenids, he rushed across the river to attack Cyrus’s position, eager to destroy a great empire. Of course, the ambiguity of the oracle was his undoing, as it was his own Lydian empire that he destroyed. In this episode, Herodotus is not afraid to admit the faults of his Ionian Greek brethren, or to ascribe positive attributes to the Greek’s enemy.

Louis Vuitton Malletier V Dooney & Bourke Inc

Louis Vuitton Malletier v Dooney & Bourke Inc. In this famous case known as the â€Å"Battle of the Handbags† Louis Vuitton (LV) sues Dooney & Burke (D&B) for trademark infringement of its multicolore line. The Plaintiff, Louis Vuitton Malletier ,is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The famous label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most of its products. Louis Vuitton is considered as one of the world’s most valuable and prestigious brands. The LV monogram was created in 1896 by Louis’ son Georges Vuitton who invented the symbol and the letters represent his father’s initials.The logo is a Japanese-inspired flower motif which initially was created as a way to prevent counterfeiting. This memorable logo is now synonymous with luxury, brilliance and indulgence. It is the world's 29th most valuable brand and is estimated to be worth over $19 billion USD. Unfortunately, Louis Vuitton is one of the most counterfeited brands in the fashion world due to its image as a status symbol. The company takes counterfeiting seriously, and uses all its possible resources to fight counterfeiting. The Defendant, Dooney & Bourke, is an American company founded in 1975 by Peter Dooney and Frederic Bourke.The company specializes in fashion accessories and is best known for its high quality handbags, accessories, and travel luggage. Their Signature and Mini Signature handbags consist of the â€Å"DB† initials interlocking in a repeating pattern. The founders of the company started off with two introductory products: surcingle belts and suspenders for men. Their products became very popular due to their unique design and color. Now Dooney & Bourke is a well-known brand in America and has a good reputation for making quality products. The defining look of Dooney & Bourke is elegant and sophisticated, but above all, it is timeless.Its classic designs make these handbags the perfect accessory for any outfit d ue to the superior quality and unique form. In 2002, the designer Marc Jacobs invited the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to come up with a fresh take on the Louis Vuitton †toile monogram† famous entwined LV logo intermixed with flower shapes for a new line of bags. This led to the creation of the Monogram Multicolore design, in 33 colors, displayed on handbags in a repeating pattern against a white or black background. The bags made their debut on Paris runways in October 2002 and were then presented in prestige retail outlets in March 003, where they sold for up to $3,950. Previously LV registered its famous LV monogram design pattern and the individual unique shapes as trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In July 2003 D in collaboration with Teen Vogue developed a new line of handbags for teenagers. It was launched as the â€Å"It Bag† collection. The pattern on the purses consisted of the entwined â€Å"DB† initials printed in contracting colors on variety of colored backgrounds and white and black background. D released handbag line looked similar to Louis Vuitton's trendy model, but the price was significantly lower.Considering the fact that Louis Vuitton fights counterfeiting very aggressively, not surprisingly, the matter ended up in the courts. LV immediately viewed the â€Å"It Bag† as a copy of their design. When Louis Vuitton gathered with legal counsel on their options to file suit against Dooney and Bourke, they became aware of the alternatives that were available to them in order to move forward. For designers and manufacturers in the American Fashion industry, there are four possible avenues to explore: 1) Copyright protection, 2) Patent protection, 3) Trade Dress protection and 4) Trademark protection.Copyright protection covers a range of categories including literacy, musical, dramatic, choreographic, pictorial and architectural works. Within this range, the only one that is applica ble to fashion designs is pictorial, as it shields two- and three- dimensional works. Patent protection shields any â€Å"new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof†. Since the design in the fashion industry rarely creates a new process, machine or manufactures, they have a separate statute specifically for them for new, original and ornamental design for an article of manufacture.Trade dress protection is addressed under the Lanham Act to defend the design and appearance of the product as well as that of the container and all elements making up the total visual image by which the product is presented to customers. Colors have also been addressed under the Trade dress protection in which the United States Supreme Court has stated that the color and designs of a product are only protected under the Lanham Act if a secondary meaning has been demonstrated.Color and design must be associated by the customer fo r that particular product over time. In 2004, the legal team decided to advance with option 4: Trademark protection. They claimed trademark infringement, trademark dilution, as well as unfair competition and false designation. Trademark infringement harbors a manufacturer or seller’s product to include a word, slogan or symbol. For instance, Apple is an example of a word that cannot be used in relationship with software or computers as it will cause confusion from a consumer’s perspective.Nike holds the trademark of the slogan â€Å"Just Do It† that is associated with its product and McDonald’s hold trademark of the golden arches symbol. In some instances this protection can extend to other properties such as its color or even its packaging. For trademark dilution claims, the distinctive quality of a mark must be diluted by blurring or tarnishment. However, the likelihood of confusion is not necessary. Unfair competition and false designation is character ized as likely to cause confusion, mistake or deceive the consumer.Section 43(a) states â€Å"any person who on or in connection with any goods or services, or any container goods, used in commerce any word, term, name or symbol, or device, or any combination therefore, or any false designation of origin, false or misleading description of fact, or false or misleading representation of fact which a) is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association of such person with another person, or as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval or her goods, services, or commercial activities by another person, or (b) in commercial advertising or promotion, misrepresents the nature, characteristics, qualities or geographic origin of his or her or another person's goods, services or commercial activities, shall be liable in a civil action by any person who believes that he or she is or is likely to be damaged by such act. † In a ddition under sections 32 and 43(a) of the Lanham Act, trademark protection extends above the registered trademarks to the unregistered trademarks from misuse or reproduction in commerce. Once a trademark is established as fundamentally distinctive or to have developed secondary meaning, as well as protection under the Lanham Act, one can then address the likelihood of confusion under trademark infringement.Statutes require a sense of clear case situation as well as a specific element of which the claim can be proven as a violation of the law. This means that sequential evidence is needed, as this poses the validity of the claim and further makes the justification of the case. Without this evidence, the case could be deemed as void, as there is no possible evidence that can prove the claim. Statutes also require the clarity of the case, which means the details of the case or the violation should be given in chronological order so that the justifications set for the claim as well as the laws that could be used to make it more justified could be legally provided.There is actually a varied definition on how violations of laws happen. There are times when a crime committed may not be a violation of the law, or the violation of the law is not a crime. This happens when the crime being claimed is not part of the scope of the statute, or there is no existing law for such crime. Therefore this results in deliberating on whether the action indeed is a crime or a violation of the law. Situations such as this often arise from actions where the defendant is ignorant of the law which he has violated. In addition, the claimant can be the one who is ignorant of the law when he laid evidence on the ‘crime’ allegedly committed by the defendant.Now that we have a thorough understanding of the applicable laws, the rules that govern those laws and what are required by the statutes to prove a violation of law we can examine how the case unfolded. As previously stated, Vuitton filed suit against D&B in April of 2004 in the United States District court for the Southern District of New York, claiming trademark infringement, unfair competition and false designation, and trademark dilution. Vuitton moved for a preliminary injunction against D&B which would have stopped sales of the â€Å"it bag† until the case was resolved. The District court ruled in favor of D&B and Vuitton was not granted the injunction. In determining trademark infringement the court applied the two prong test required of Section 43 of the Lanham Act.First the test looks to whether or not the mark merits protection by determining if the unregistered trademark is distinctive or has achieved secondary meaning. In this case the district court did find that Vuitton’s design was distinctive and had garnered secondary meaning in the market place. The second part of the test involves deciding whether the defendant’s use of the mark is likely to cause consumers confu sion as to the origin or sponsorship of the defendant’s goods. Accordingly the court then examined the eight factors weighed in determining likelihood of confusion: 1) the strength of the mark, 2) the similarity between the marks, 3) the proximity of the roducts, 4) the likelihood that the plaintiff will bridge the gap between the markets of the two marks, 5) actual confusion, 6) the defendants good faith in using his or her mark, 7) the quality of the defendant’s product, and 8) the sophistication of the customers. The district court ruled that there was no likelihood of confusion based on its evaluation of the 8 factors and thus denied the injunction. In addition, the district court found that Vuitton was unable to prove trademark dilution. LV appealed the injunction denial to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals hoping to force the court into making a more broad judgment with regard â€Å"design piracy†. Unfortunately for Vuitton the court was not in the mood to make a statement in favor of protecting designers.Rather than make its’ own ruling on the case, based on the facts laid out before the court, the Second Circuit instead focused on a mistake by the district court in its application of the standard of likelihood of confusion. The Second Circuit had previously held in Louis Vuitton Malletier v. Burlington Coat Factory that courts must use a sequential market place comparison rather than a side by side comparison when applying the standard of likelihood of confusion. The district court had used a side by side comparison that the Second Circuit deemed improper. In addition, the Second Circuit agreed with the district court that LV was not able to prove trademark dilution at the federal level.In order to prove trademark dilution the plaintiff must demonstrate the following; â€Å"its mark is famous, the defendant is making commercial use of the mark in commerce, the defendants use began after the mark became famous, the defenda nts use of the mark dilutes the quality of the mark by diminishing the capacity of the mark to identify and distinguish goods and services†. Vuitton was able to prove the first three requirements but was unable to prove actual dilution. While the court did agree that LV could not prove actual dilution (the federal requirement) they vacated the injunction at the state level due to the fact that it only requires LV to show likelihood of dilution.The Second Circuit decided to remand the similarity of the marks factor back to the district court for reconsideration. This meant that the district court would use the sequential market place comparison when examining the similarity of the marks and hold onto all other previous analysis of the likelihood of confusion factors. Even if the market place comparison had an effect on that one factor it was very unlikely to affect the outcome of the district court’s ruling because the similarity of the marks was just one of eight weight ed factors. The Second Circuit was essentially making a statement with its handling of this case that it was not prepared to make a precedent setting ruling on the lack of protection for â€Å"design piracy† in the fashion industry.Even if they desired to address the topic, strictly following the established law would have prevented them from coming up with a different result. The court may have felt that any perceived or real injustice plaguing the fashion industry should be handled through the adoption of written law rather than legislated from the bench. Ultimately in May of 2008 the district court granted summary judgment to D&B on all claims. The court found that Louis Vuitton did not have adequate evidence to present with regards to the trademark infringement or dilution claims. While the outcome of the case disappointed many people because D&B did copy the design, the court based its decision on the interpretation of the law.Another example of a trademark infringement case that could have implications is European Trademark v Google. Originally LV sued Google in France claiming trademark infringement from Google’s AdWords program and the French court ruled in LV’s favor. The court held that Google was committing trademark infringement and diluting the trademark when it decided to sell the LV name to other companies in order for their site to pops up upon a search. Unfortunately for LV the European Court of Justice later ruled that Google in fact was not guilty of trademark infringement. There is a silver lining for LV. The court stated that advertisers using a trademark as a keyword can be held liable for infringement.The court specifically stated that â€Å"such use of a trademark by the advertiser adversely affects the source-indicating function of the trademark if the advertisement does not enable normally informed and reasonably attentive internet users to ascertain whether goods or services referred to by the ad originate from the proprietor of the trademark or, on the contrary, originate from a third party†. Thus, a company like Louis Vuitton does have legal recourse if it finds misleading advertisements from searches of its brand. In addition, Google can be held accountable if it was aware of the improper use of the trademark and did not take the ad or content down.The ruling could have impacted a case like Louis Vuitton Malletier v Dooney & Bourke Inc. , but instead has gone farther towards protecting companies in the fairly unregulated internet market place. In closing, companies like LV will have to continue to be extremely aggressive through the use of lawsuits in order to protect their brand. Once more laws are applied to specific industry, such as the fashion industry, it will become easier to convey. The courts can only interpret the law, not create laws to safeguard these specific industries. The courts, as well as the citizens, have to trust that the legislative branch will step up and ad dress these complex issues.

The Life and Death of Al Capone

Al Capone was an American criminal who started engaging himself in criminal activities quite early in life and was very popular in the 1920s in Illinois.   Al Capone was born in 17th January, 1899 in Brooklyn to Teresa Capone and Gabriel and was named as Alphonse Gabriel Capone. He died in 1947.He was popularly known by many as Scarface due to the knife cut mark that was on his left cheek. The name Al Capone is thus synonymous with crime especially in Chicago and thus one cannot talk of crime and fail to talk of this man. This research paper is specifically going o focus on the life and death of Al Capone. It will in particularly focus on his role as far as crime in the United States is concerned.Al Capone rose to fame in the 1920s during the period known as the Prohibition era. His activities led Chicago to look as if it was a lawless state due to his success in criminal activities. Just like other students, Al Capone went to a public school but unfortunately the teachers in these schools were a bit harsh to immigrant students and would use physical force to discipline them and Al Capone being one of them as his family had migrated to USA from the Old Country, was thus no exception[1].Specifically, Al Capone did not have a good relationship with his school’s administration and thus they were always crossing paths something that drastically affected his grades. After sometime, his relationship with teachers deteriorated to a level such that he was dispelled from school and that marked the end of his life in school[2].Though indirect, his career received a major boost when his father relocated his family to 21 Garfield Place. This relocation gave Al Capone an opportunity to join local street gangs such as the Forty Thieves Juniors and the Brooklyn Rippers where he met other gangsters such as Johny Torrio and Lucky Luciano[3].Having worked for James Street gang and Five points gang, Al Capone gained some skills in ‘street smarts’ making him to be qualified as a bar tender and a bouncer in a brothel in Brooklyn owned by Torrio and Frankie Yale.As a bouncer, he would mistreat people for example; he broke the legs, arms and even skulls of those who were deemed to be chaotic. It was while working as a bouncer in this brothel that Al Capone earned his name the scarface after being attacked and slashed by Frank Gallucio after he insulted her sister although he would later lie that he was injured in the Great War in France[4].It is in 1919 that he was arrested for the first time firstly for disorderly conduct and secondly for a murder case where he killed a man in   1918 but fortunately for Al Capone, as per ganglands’ principles or etiquettes, nobody testified for or against him and thus he was not tried for this murder. To ease down the tension that had built up, Yale who had been invited by his uncle Jim Colosimo in Chicago invited Al Capone to stay with him for a while. This time coincided with when the Prohibiti on Act was in force.Torrio was in disagreement with his uncle because he wanted his uncle to embark on bootlegging something that he was totally opposed. By this time his uncle whoring business had already amassed enough profit and thus he did not see the need to diversify. Torrio started seeing his uncle as a stumbling block and thus thought of how he would eliminate him. With the help of Al Capone, the mission was executed and they took over the business[5].While working for this gang, Al Capone helped his gang to prosper and extended its relations to another gang organization known as Colosimo mob. These organizations in one way or the other helped Al Capone to become the man he was.The reason for this is that after five years of his service, Torrio accidentally got wounded and could no longer be able to lead the gang thereby transferring its leadership to Al Capone. Under his leadership, the gang became the most feared and successful and anyone who challenged its leadership was eliminated. Due to their ruthlessness, they were able to conquer over mobs that succumbed to their threats or entreaties. Those that would not dance to their tunes were suppressed by use of force and a case in point is the Dion O’Bannon’s killing attempt, the Irish Northern Side gang in 1924.According to Oregon Coast Magazine, contrary to the expectations of Torrio and Al Capone, the failure to take over this gang opened a can of worms as from there on the two gangs never saw each other to eye and this culminated to the shootings that left Torrio badly injured. In 1926, he was at it again and was arrested in connection to murdering of three individuals where he spent only one night in jail only to be released for lack of enough evidence[6].[1] Pasley, Fred D. Al Capone: The Biography of a self-Made Man. Kessinger Publishing, 2004; 45 [2] Oregon Coast Magazine online. Al Capone: Social Issues, 1899-1947. Available at http://www.u-s-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   h istory.com/pages/h1616.html [3] Lorrizo, Luciano J. Al Capone: a Biography. Green wood Publishing Company, 2003; 15 [4] Ibid; 16[5] Carpenoctem. Alphonse â€Å"Scarface Al† Capone (1899-1947) Chicago Crime Leader. 2000. Accessed from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.carpenoctem.tv/mafia/acapone.html [6] Oregon Coast Magazine online. Al Capone: Social Issues, 1899-1947. Available at http://www.u-s-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   history.com/pages/h1616.html

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, Roman Statesman

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, Roman Statesman Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (c. 519–430  BCE) was a farmer, statesman, and military leader who lived in early Rome. He considered himself a farmer above all, but when he was called to serve his country he did so well, efficiently, and without question, even though a prolonged absence from his farm could mean starvation for his family. When he served his country, he made his stint as dictator as brief as possible. For his faithful service, he became a model of Roman virtue. Fast Facts: Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus Known For: Cincinnatus was a Roman statesman who served as the kingdoms dictator during at least one time of crisis; he later became a model of Roman virtue and public service.Also Known As: Lucius Quintius CincinnatusBorn: c. 519 BCE in the Kingdom of RomeDied: c. 430 BCE in the Roman RepublicSpouse: RacillaChildren: Caeso Early Life Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was born around 519 BCE in Rome. At the time, Rome was still a small kingdom made up of the city and its surrounding territory. Lucius was a member of the Quinctia, a patrician family that produced numerous state officials. Lucius was given the name Cincinnatus, meaning the curly-haired. Historians believe that Cincinnatuss family was wealthy; however, little else is known about his family or his early life. Consul By 462 BCE, the Roman kingdom was in trouble. Conflicts had escalated between the wealthy, powerful patricians and the lesser plebeians, who were fighting for constitutional reforms that would have placed limits on patrician authority. Dissension between these two groups eventually turned violent, weakening Roman power in the region. According to legend, Cincinnatuss son Caeso was one of the most violent offenders in the struggle between the patricians and the plebeians. To prevent the plebeians from assembling in the Roman Forum, Caeso would apparently organize gangs to push them out. Caesos activities eventually led to charges being brought against him. Rather than face justice, however, he fled to Tuscany. In 460 BCE, the Roman consul Publius Valerius Poplicola was killed by rebel plebeians. Cincinnatus was called in to take his place; in this new position, however, he apparently had only moderate success in quelling the rebellion. He eventually stepped down and returned to his farm. At the same time, the Romans were at war with the Aequi, an Italic tribe about whom historians know very little. After losing several battles, the Aequi managed to trick and trap the Romans. A few Roman horsemen then escaped to Rome to warn the Senate of their armys plight. Dictator Cincinnatus was apparently plowing his field  when he learned he had been appointed dictator, a position the Romans had created strictly for emergencies, for six months. He was asked to help defend the Romans against the neighboring Aequi, who had surrounded the Roman army and the consul Minucius in the Alban Hills. A group of Senators was sent to bring Cincinnatus the news. He accepted the appointment and dressed in his white toga before traveling to Rome, where he was given several bodyguards for protection. Cincinnatus quickly organized an army, calling together all the Roman men who were old enough to serve. He commanded them against the Aequi at the Battle of Mount Algidus, which took place in the region of Latium. Although the Romans were expected to lose, they quickly defeated the Aequi under the leadership of Cincinnatus and his Master of the Horse, Lucius Tarquitius. Cincinnatus made the defeated Aequi pass under a yoke of spears to show their subjugation. He took the Aequi leaders as prisoners and brought them to Rome for punishment. After this great victory, Cincinnatus gave up the title of dictator 16 days after it had been granted and promptly returned to his farm.​ His faithful service and lack of ambition made him a hero in the eyes of his countrymen. According to some accounts, Cincinnatus was appointed dictator again for a later Roman crisis in the wake of a grain distribution scandal. This time, a plebeian named Spurius Maelius was allegedly planning to bribe the poor as part of a plot to make himself king. There was a famine going at the time but Maelius, who was in possession of a large store of wheat, was allegedly selling it to other plebeians at a low price to curry favor with them. This worried the Roman patricians, who feared he had ulterior motives for his generosity. Once again, Cincinnatus- now 80 years old, according to Livy- was appointed dictator. He made Gaius Servilius Structus Ahala his Master of the Horse. Cincinnatus issued orders for Maelius to appear before him but Maelius fled. During the ensuing manhunt, Ahala ended up killing Maelius. A hero again, Cincinnatus resigned his post after 21 days. Death There is little information about Cincinnatuss life after his second term as dictator. He is reported to have died around 430 BCE. Legacy The life and accomplishments of Cincinnatus- whether true or merely legendary- were an important part of early Roman history. The farmer-turned-dictator became a model of Roman virtue; he was celebrated by later Romans for his loyalty and brave service. Unlike some other Roman leaders, who plotted and schemed to build their own power and wealth, Cincinnatus did not exploit his authority. After he had performed the duties required of him, he swiftly resigned and returned to his quiet life in the country. Cincinnatus is the subject of several notable artworks, including Riberas Cincinnatus Leaves the Plough to Dictate Laws to Rome. Many places are named in his honor, including Cincinnatti, Ohio, and Cincinnatus, New York. A statue of the Roman leader stands in Tuileries Garden in France. Sources Hillyard, Michael J.  Cincinnatus and the Citizen-Servant Ideal: the Roman Legends Life, Times, and Legacy. Xlibris, 2001.Livy.  Rome and Italy: the History of Rome from Its Foundation. Edited by R. M. Ogilvie, Penguin, 2004.Neel, Jaclyn.  Early Rome: Myth and Society. John Wiley Sons, Inc., 2017.

What Does It Cost to Attend Northwest Indian College?

Located just south of the Canadian border on the Lummi Indian Reservation, Northwest Indian College is the only accredited tribal school serving the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. And unlike many of the colleges in the Evergreen State, this institution comes with a list price that many families would consider affordable. Read on to learn more about college pricing and why it can vary so dramatically between schools and students, as well as what it really costs to attend Northwest Indian College. Like many schools across the U.S., Northwest Indian College has a sticker price that differs significantly from the actual cost most students spend to attend. You can find out the actual price of admission, or the financial aid net price, by adding up the cost of all forms of financial aid, including federal, state, and local grants, institutional aid, and scholarships. Then subtract this figure from the list price. Because Northwest Indian College is a public school, the list price of admission is generally lower than at private schools. However, it’s worth noting that public schools lack the large endowments of private institutions. So they might not be able to give out as much money in the form of financial aid. Do your research to find out what option is truly best for your family. Because Northwest Indian College is a public institution, tuition prices are somewhat lower than average. Expect to spend $13,959 whether you’re applying from in state or out of state. Students in the top 30% of acceptees and those from families earning less than $175,000 a year were less likely to pay the full sticker rate. Financial aid can significantly lower the cost of attending Northwest Indian College. For the 2016-2017 year, both in-state and out-of-state applicants paid around $5,367 annually in tuition and fees. The list price of attending Northwest Indian College is largely dependent on family income level. Check out average net prices per family income bracket below: *The numbers above don’t account for federal Pell Grants some families receive. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. The lower cost of attendance at Northwest Indian College might be part of the reason that few students take out loans to finance their education. Currently, just 12% of undergraduates borrow money for tuition and fees. Assessing student outcomes at Northwest Indian College is a good way to evaluate ROI on your tuition dollars. Currently, the school boasts a six-year graduation rate of 86%, suggesting that a majority of students finish on time. However, prospective salaries seem to be on the low side. Ten years after graduating, the average student was earning just $27,900 annually. Attending Northwest Indian College offers numerous advantages, including the fact that the region is known for its affordability. With a cost of living index of 129.6 , Bellingham, Wash., is only slightly more expensive than the average city in the United States. One of the biggest expenses is housing, which will run you $843 for a one-bedroom, $1100 for a two-bedroom, and $1593 for a three-bed. Working part time can help students afford their degrees. If you’re looking for a position in Bellingham, expect to earn $12 an hour, which is the state minimum wage. The average income in this part of Washington is $42,440 a year. Work-study is a great option for Northwest Indian College students who prefer not to pursue off-campus work. Not only are these jobs convenient in that you don’t have to leave school, but they also tend to include down-time for reading and catching up on homework. Additionally, students can earn extra cash by applying for independent scholarships. If you scored well on the PSATs, consider the National Merit Scholarship program , which provides recognition and grant money to the top 1 percent of test takers. This program helps support the educational goals of 15,000 students a year. Find out what other Northwest Indian College scholarship opportunities are available on the school website. Sky-high college tuition rates can cause both students and parents to hesitate on their college admissions journeys. Fortunately, the Applications Team is there to support families throughout the process. From narrowing down college lists to negotiating financial aid offers, our expert team members are always in your corner. For more information on our services, call today or contact our experts online.

Criminal Procedure-Probable Cause Article Summar Essay

Criminal Procedure-Probable Cause Article Summar - Essay Example According to the US constitution, provisions for probable cause allow persons the right to secure their persons and property against unprovoked searches and seizures. However, there are some instances where searches and arrests can be done without warrants. This paper will examine an article from the Seattle Times in 2008, which speaks to the essence of search warrants specifically with regard to traffic stops. The article documents the incident of a traffic stop in Skagit County in 2006. According to the article, following a unanimous ruling, the court held that the smell of pot is not sufficient probable cause to necessitate the arrest and search of all vehicle occupants (Jones, 2008). This article identifies warrant requirements, and the ruling sets the foundation for what may be in the offing regarding probable cause and criminal procedure. Typically probable cause regarding vehicles and occupants should be affirmed by either a search warrant or warrant of arrest. However, in the case, in question, the officer conducted a warrantless search of the vehicle and its occupants in the basis of sheer smell of marijuana emitted from the vehicle. Essentially, the sheer smell of illegal drugs may not be sufficient to support probable cause as the smell of illegal drugs may linger in a vehicle for several days or even weeks. The officer investigating such incident may be forced to result to additional legal outlets that allow for further investigation of the smell. The officer in question should, therefore, have called for a search and arrest warrant on the basis of just cause, i.e. the smell as illicit drugs in the vehicle. This would have given the officer leeway to search, and detain all vehicle occupants and the latter would have been convicted much easier and without the court’s current decision. This is of paramount importance as the case’s police spokesman asserted

Contemporary Employment Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary Employment Relationship - Essay Example 5). In the past, trade unions functioned by acting as a platform for collective bargaining whereby workers would congregate to find a solution to some of the challenges they faced at the workplace. Contrarily, trade unions do not appeal to most modern day workers because of commitments in various job descriptions (Farnham & Giles, 1995, p. 5). Little differences exist between trade unions and Human Resource Management practices. The diversification of human resource practices within organisations has rendered the activities of trade unions unimportant. For instance, employees in the modern day organisation find it easy to air their grievances through the human resource department instead of following external paths offered by trade unions. Based on the recent trends, workers are rejecting trade unions representation, but they want a voice in representation at the workplace. Additionally, workers view the activities of trade unions as going against work ethics; hence, they opt to stick with the internal processes (Sherk, 2012, para 2). Consequently, trade unions have been effectively substituted with HRM units as platforms for representing the worker’s interests. Therefore, it is evident that the increase in human resource management practices has led to the decline in activities of trade unions (Sherk, 2012, Para 2 ). The following report will highlight how workers and organisations, in general, co-exist without trade unions. Additionally, it will focus on how the human resource management practices are taking up the activities of trade unions are a means of addressing the issues employees face. The decline in the popularity of trade unions is a feature in many countries. In the last 30 years, the United Kingdom has mostly been affected by this trend. In the 1970s, nearly 60% of the workers were members of respective trade unions that set the terms of employment, such as wage limits, benefits and retirement packages.

CIA Operation PBSUCCESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CIA Operation PBSUCCESS - Essay Example "PB" here stands for "Presidential Board" while SUCCESS is used to express the general optimism and confidence that this operation would achieve its objectives. Its main objective was overthrowing the popularly-elected Guatemalan President, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. This was because his government had presented various new policies that the US was of the opinion that they were Communist. The US suspected the influence of the Soviet Union in this. The US clearly hated Communism and all its principles. They could therefore do anything to stop it. Moreover, Communism threatened to oust the US as the world's super power. They had to fight this at all costs to continue with this domination. For Guatemala, Communism posed a threat to the US interests in that country and even neighboring ones. They had to intervene to secure these interests. The US was therefore killing two birds with one stone in Guatemala. The US feared that Guatemala becoming a "Soviet beachhead." Guzman introduced land reform acts were seen as antagonizing United Fruit Company, a US-based multinational. This company had great stakes in the earlier Guatemala administration and urged the US to intervene. The operation took place between 1953 and 1954. ... Later there was another operation known as "Operation PBHISTORY". Its aim was gathering and analyzing Guatemalan government documents. The US would later use these documents to portray Guzman as puppet of the Soviet Communists. During the administration of two of Guzman's predecessors, Jorge Ubico and Manuel Cabrera, Guatemala was open to foreign investment, with Ubico specially favoring the United Fruit Company. The UFC then invested heavily in the country. It bought controlling stocks of the rail, electricity and telegraph utilities. It won control over most of Guatemala's best land. Ubico administration greatly protected the interests of the United Fruit Company. Soon after the inauguration of Dwight Eisenhower as the US President in 1953, scrutiny of CIA covert action operations started. Eisenhower set up an evaluation known as Solarium that comprised three committees that did an analysis to find out which action plans should go on. Later, CIA's covert activities were kept under close check. Questions arose as to whether CIA covert operations were proper and if they served national interests (Cullather, 2006). According to David Bruce, a presidential advisor on foreign intelligence activities, these covert actions were responsible for sparking turmoil and raising doubts about the US in numerous countries worldwide. The US faced political condemnation worldwide because of the role it played in having President Guzman overthrown. The US damaged its reputation in Latin America and also angered its allies. It was heavily criticized even by the United Nations (Kinzer and Schlesinger, 1999). There was strong resentment in the Caribbeans and Latin America. This played a part in damaging the stability of Guatemala and Latin

Importance of Understanding Biological Basis of Behaviour

Importance of Understanding Biological Basis of Behaviour This essay will first of all attempt to briefly distinguish between some of the bases of understanding behaviour. Next, the biological approach will be elaborated and this will be followed by a succinct evaluation of the strengths and criticisms of this approach. Behaviour can be understood from different bases (approaches). Among these include Behaviourist, Cognitive, Psychodynamic, Humanistic and Biological approaches (Glassman and Hadad, 2013). The behavioural approach assumes that behaviour is created or modified by environmental factors, irrespective of the mind (Chance, 2013). Vice versa, understanding behaviour from a cognitive basis involves the consideration of internal events (mediators) between a stimulus and behaviour. Contrary to the biological approach, these internal events are conceptual rather than physiological (Gardner, 2008). Similarly, the psychodynamic approach assumes that behaviour is shaped by internal mental processes. On the contrary, it focuses on the motivation of behaviour (intentionality). Such motivation influences personality and thereby influences behaviour (Glassman, Glassman and Hadad, 2008). From a humanistic perspective, behaviour is understood from an individual’s subjective experiences (phenomeno logical viewpoint), a free will of individuals to behave which is not influenced by immediate or past stimuli (the capacity of choice) and the value individuals place on their experiences and actions (the role of meaning) (Fernald, 2008). In the biological approach, behaviour is as result of neurological, genetic and physiological processes. The brain and the central nervous system play a key role in determining behaviour. Changes in the growth of the brain are genetically determined and result in psychological and behavioural development. A well-functioning nervous system depicts normal behaviour. Abnormal behaviour is usually characterised by bodily (organic) or genetic disorders, chemical imbalances, brain injury or mental illness. Consequently, the modes of treatment include the use of drugs, psychosurgery and electroconvulsive therapy. These are used to treat the underlying causes of the illness or to relieve symptoms (Sanders, 2014). There are various strengths in understanding behaviour from a biological basis (approach). The biological basis of understanding behaviour has improved our understanding of behaviour. It has successfully proved the impact of genetic factors in explaining behaviour (including individual differences) such as intelligence and some mental disorders. For example, twin studies have shown that behaviour such as susceptibility to mental disorders (Posthuma and Polderman, 2013) and intelligence (FraniĆ¡ et al, 2014) is shaped by genetic factors. The biological approach to understanding behaviour often takes a reductionist approach. Hence, various experimental studies have provided useful results in understanding behaviour. For example, physiological and genetic studies have contributed immensely to our understanding of sleep (Wyatt et al, 1999, Allebrandt et al, 2011, Dauvilliers, Maret and Tafti, 2005). Understanding behaviour from a biological basis has been usefully applied in psychopathology. It has been beneficial in the use of chemotherapy to treat mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia (Rockstroh, 2001). Genetic counselling for couples is as a result of our understanding of the relation that exists between genes and behaviour. This could be of great relief for some couples who carry a gene that makes their children susceptible to a fatal disease (Harper, 2010). It is also believed that understanding behaviour in its biological context could help in generalisations between animals and humans (Larsson, 2003). Despite these strengths, the biological basis of understanding behaviour faces some criticisms. It is argued that a thorough understanding of behaviour cannot be established from studying only biological factors. Social, cultural and psychological factors have also been shown to have an influence on behaviour. It has therefore been criticised for not including these factors in explaining behaviour (Glassman and Hadad, 2013). Furthermore, some have stressed that behaviour is a process and not a substance as portrayed in the biological approach (Greenberg, 2011, Overton, 2006). From a biological perspective, there is great emphasis of the role of genetic factors in shaping behaviour. However, this relation has been shown to be indirect and understood poorly. For example, a twin study by Plomin et al. (1990) found that television watching is influenced by genetic factors, but it is unclear how genes cause such effect. In conclusion, understanding behaviour from only a biological basis seems inadequate. This calls for consideration of other approaches to address its limitations. Total word count: 699 References: Allebrandt, K., Amin, N., Mà ¼ller-Myhsok, B., Esko, T., Teder-Laving, M., Azevedo, R., Hayward, C., Van Mill, J., Vogelzangs, N. and Green, E. (2011) A KATP channel gene effect on sleep duration: from genome-wide association studies to function in Drosophila. Molecular Psychiatry [online]. 18 (1), pp.122-132. [Accessed 16 October 2014] Chance, P. (2013) Learning and Behavior. Cengage Learning. Dauvilliers, Y., Maret, S. and Tafti, M. (2005) Genetics of normal and pathological sleep in humans. Sleep Medicine Reviews [online]. 9 (2), pp.91-100. [Accessed 14 October 2014] Fernald, L.D. (2008) Psychology: Six Perspectives. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. FraniĆ¡, S., Dolan, C.V., van Beijsterveldt, C.E., Pol, H.E.H., Bartels, M. and Boomsma, D.I. (2014) Genetic and Environmental Stability of Intelligence in Childhood and Adolescence. Twin Research and Human Genetics [online]. 17 (03), pp.151-163. [Accessed 19 October 2014] Gardner, H. (2008) The Minds New Science: A History of the Cognitive Revolution. Basic books. Glassman, W., Glassman, W.E. and Hadad, M. (2008) Approaches to Psychology. McGraw-Hill International. Glassman, W.E. and Hadad, M. (2013) Approaches to Psychology. London: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Greenberg, G. (2011) The failure of biogenetic analysis in psychology: Why psychology is not a biological science. Research in Human Development [online]. 8 (3-4), pp.173-191. [Accessed 14 October 2014] Harper, P.S. (2010) Practical Genetic Counselling. Hodder Arnold London. Larsson, K. (2003) My way to biological psychology. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology [online]. 44 (3), pp.173-187. [Accessed 25 October 2014] Overton, W.F. (2006) Developmental psychology: Philosophy, concepts, methodology. Handbook of Child Psychology. Plomin, R., Corley, R., DeFries, J.C. and Fulker, D.W. (1990) Individual differences in television viewing in early childhood: Nature as well as nurture. Psychological Science [online]. 1 (6), pp.371-377. [Accessed 29 October 2014] Posthuma, D. and Polderman, T.J. (2013) What have we learned from recent twin studies about the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders? Current Opinion in Neurology [online]. 26 (2), pp.111-121. [Accessed 30 October 2014] Rockstroh, B. (2001) Contributions of biological psychology to psychopathology. Biological Psychology [online]. 57 (1), pp.1-4. [Accessed 20 October 2014] Sanders, R.L. (2014) Biological Psychology. London: Learning Matters. Wyatt, J.K., Ritz-De Cecco, A., Czeisler, C.A. and Dijk, D.J. (1999) Circadian temperature and melatonin rhythms, sleep, and neurobehavioral function in humans living on a 20-h day. The American Journal of Physiology [online]. 277 (4 Pt 2), pp.R1152-63. [Accessed 30 October 2014] 1

Lyotard on the Kantian Sublime :: Sublime Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Lyotard on the Kantian Sublime ABSTRACT: In this essay I explicate J.F. Lyotard's reading of the Kantian sublime as presented in Lessons on the Analytic of the Sublime (1994) and in "Answering the Question: What is Postmodernism" (1984). Lessons articulates the context in which critical thought situates itself as a zone of virtually infinite creative capacity, undetermined by principles but in search of them; "Answering the Question" explores how the virtually infinite creative capacity of thought manifests in the avant-gardes. Essentially, in both works Lyotard understands the Kantian sublime as legitimating deconstructive postmodernism. In the Critique of Judgement Kant defines the sublime as "that, the mere ability to think which shows a faculty of the mind surpassing every standard of sense." (1) Such striving for absolute comprehension beyond what the imagination is capable of representing in a simple perception or image may be occasioned by the "rawness" of scenes like the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the magnitude or immensity of which alludes to the Idea of absolute greatness. (2) Imagination's failure to contain this Idea understandably results in pain. (3) But pain is not the end-point; characteristic of sublime feeling is a "movement" of pain to pleasure: "the feeling of a momentary checking of the vital powers and a consequent stronger outflow of them." (4) In other words one is awestruck: nature appears as a "mere nothing in comparison with the Ideas of Reason." (5) From this we realize our superiority to nature "within and without us" and our supersensible destination beyond nature. (6) In this paper I wish to explicate J-F. Lyotard's reading of the Kantian sublime. There are lessons to be learned here, as the title of his recent work (1994), Lessons on the Analytic of the Sublime, suggests. Essentially, the heuristic function of the sublime is to expose reflective judgment (of which sublime feeling is a species) as the context in which the critical enterprise functions or as the "manner" in which critical thought situates its own a priori conditions. (7) The Kantian sublime may teach us something else: In an earlier work (1984), "Answering the Question: What is Postmodernism?," Lyotard views the sublime as legitimating the avant-garde as way of extending the critical enterprise to the arts. The method behind the madness of the avant-gardes, Lyotard contends, is incomprehensible unless one is already familiar with "the incommensurability of reality to concept which is implied in the Kantian philosophy of the sublime.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-eight

I STOPPED BREATHING. WE'D each had our own blankets, but even in the middle of summer, the temperature had dropped during the night. Dimitri, in his sleep, had rolled over against me, merging our blankets into one pile and resting his head on my chest. His body lay against mine, warm and familiar, and he even snuggled a little closer. He was more exhausted than I'd realized if he was doing this in his sleep. After all, this was the guy who slept with one eye open. But his guard was down now, his body unconsciously seeking †¦ what? Simple warmth? Me? Damn it. Why had I asked Sonya my question? Why couldn't I keep going with my easy role as Adrian's girlfriend and Dimitri's friend? Because honestly, I wasn't doing a very good job at either one right now. Tentatively, fearfully, I shifted slightly so that I could put one arm around Dimitri and draw him closer. I knew it was a risk, one that might wake him and break this spell. But it didn't. If anything, he seemed to relax more. Feeling him like that †¦ holding him †¦ it churned up a swarm of emotions within me. The ache I had felt since his loss burned within me. At the same time, holding him like this also seemed to fill that ache, as though a piece of me that had been missing was now restored. I hadn't even realized that piece was missing. I'd blocked it all out until Sonya's words had shaken my fragile new acceptance of life. I don't know how long I stayed like that with Dimitri. It was long enough that the rising sun began to illuminate the tent's translucent fabric. That was all the light my eyes needed to now see Dimitri, to see the finely carved lines of his face and softness of his hair as he lay against me. I wanted so badly to touch that hair, to see if it felt like it used to. That was a silly sentiment, of course. His hair wouldn't have changed. Still †¦ the urge was there, and I finally gave in, gently running my fingers over some stray locks. They were smooth and silky, and that barest touch sent chills through me. It also woke him up. His eyes opened, instantly alert. I expected him to jump away from me, but instead, he only assessed the situation–and didn't move. I left my hand where it was on the side of his face, still stroking his hair. Our gazes locked, so much passing between us. In those moments, I wasn't in a tent with him, on the run from those who regarded us as villains. There was no murderer to catch, no Strigoi trauma to overcome. There was just him and me and the feelings that had burned between us for so long. When he did move, it wasn't to get away. Instead, he lifted his head so that he looked down at me. Only a few inches separated us, and his eyes betrayed him. He wanted to kiss me–and I wanted him to. He leaned over me, one hand resting against my cheek. I readied myself for his lips–I needed them–and then he froze. He pulled back and sat up, exhaling in frustration as he looked away from me. I sat up as well, my breathing rapid and shallow. â€Å"Wh-what's wrong?' I asked. He glanced back at me. â€Å"Pick. There are lots of choices.' I ran a finger along my lips. So close. So, so close. â€Å"I know †¦ I know things have changed. I know you were wrong. I know you can feel love again.' His mask was back up as he formulated his answer. â€Å"This isn't about love.' The last minute replayed in my head, that perfect connection, the way he'd looked at me and made my heart feel. Hell, Sonya claimed we even had some mystical connection. â€Å"If it's not about love, then what is it about?' I exclaimed. â€Å"It's about doing the right thing,' he said quietly. The right thing? Right and wrong had been perennial topics at St. Vladimir's. I wasn't eighteen. He was my teacher. We were slated to be Lissa's guardians and had to give her our full attention. All of those were arguments for why staying apart had been necessary back then. But those had long since fallen by the wayside. I would have questioned him more–if someone hadn't scratched at our door. Both of us sprang up and apart, reaching for the stakes we'd slept near. Grabbing my stake was instinct because I knew there was no Strigoi out there. But lately, Strigoi had been the least of our worries. â€Å"Rose? Dimitri?' The voice was barely audible–but familiar. Relaxing slightly, I unzipped the tent's entrance and revealed Sonya kneeling in front of it. Like us, she wore the same clothes from earlier, and her auburn hair was messy. Otherwise, she seemed to have escaped her pursuers unscathed. I scooted aside so that she could enter. â€Å"Cozy,' she said, glancing around. â€Å"You've got the farthest spot out on the campground. Took me forever to find the car you described.' â€Å"How'd you get here?' I asked. She winked. â€Å"You're not the only ones who can steal cars. Or, in my case, get people to â€Å"willingly' lend them.' â€Å"Were you followed?' asked Dimitri. He was all seriousness again, with no sign of what had passed moments ago. â€Å"Not that I could tell,' she said, shifting into a cross-legged position. â€Å"A couple guardians followed me back in the neighborhood, but I lost them a while ago. Most of them seemed more interested in you two.' â€Å"Imagine that,' I muttered. â€Å"Too bad Victor was long gone–he might have taken priority.' â€Å"He didn't kill a queen,' she said ruefully. We'd had to eventually tell her why Victor was wanted and that he'd been the one Sonya had sensed was stalking Lissa back at St. Vladimir's. â€Å"But the good news is I know where they're at now.' â€Å"Where?' asked Dimitri and I in unison. A small, knowing smile came to her lips at that. â€Å"West Michigan,' she said. â€Å"They took off in the opposite direction from Court.' â€Å"Damn,' I muttered. Dimitri and I had gone southeast from Ann Arbor, clipping the Detroit suburbs and just crossing into Ohio. We'd picked the wrong direction. â€Å"But you saw Jill? Is she okay?' Sonya nodded. â€Å"Fine. Scared, but fine. She described enough landmarks that I think we can locate their motel. I found her in a dream a couple hours ago; they had to rest. Victor wasn't feeling well. They might still be there.' â€Å"Then we need to leave now,' said Dimitri, instantly in action. â€Å"Once they're moving, Jill will be awake and out of contact.' We packed up our campsite with amazing speed. My ankle felt better but was still sore. Noticing my limp, Sonya called a halt just before we got in her car. â€Å"Hang on.' She knelt before me, examining the swelling ankle that was easily exposed by my torn dress. Taking a deep breath, she rested her hands on me, and a surge of electricity shot through my leg, followed by waves of heat and cold. When it was over and she stood up, the pain and swelling were gone, as were the scrapes on my legs. Probably the cuts on my head too. Spirit users had healed me so often that you'd think I'd be used to it, but it was still a little startling. â€Å"Thank you,' I said. â€Å"But you shouldn't have done that †¦ shouldn't have used the magic †¦' â€Å"You need to be in peak condition,' she said. Her gaze drifted from me, staring off at the trees. â€Å"And the magic †¦ well, it's hard to stay away from.' Indeed it was, and I felt guilty that she was using it on me–and moving closer to insanity. Robert's restoration had healed her mind a little, and she needed to take advantage of that. This was no time for a lecture, though, and Dimitri's expression told me he too thought it best I get back in shape. We took off toward where Sonya told us Jill was, and this time, her directions were as specific as she could make them. No more vagueness or binding promises. We stopped once to â€Å"acquire' a new car and get a map. The info Sonya had gleaned from Jill led us to a town called Sturgis. While it was in the western half of Michigan, it was also south–meaning the distance wasn't quite as long as we'd expected. Nonetheless, Dimitri drove at least fifteen miles per hour over the speed limit the whole time. â€Å"There,' said Sonya, as we rolled into downtown Sturgis–which wasn't much of a downtown. We were near a modest-looking motel on a side street. â€Å"That's what she described. The Sunshine Motel.' Dimitri pulled into the lot behind the building, and we all sat there, staring at the motel, which didn't look as cheerful as its name. Like me, I presumed my companions were trying to figure out how to approach this. Jill's dream info had gotten us here, but Sonya had nothing else to help us find their room–if they were even still here. They certainly wouldn't have checked in under real names. I was going to suggest we just walk past the doors and hope Sonya would sense Robert when she suddenly pointed. â€Å"That's their car,' she said. â€Å"They're here.' Sure enough. There was the CR-V we'd taken to Jill's house. Talk about karma. I'd swiped Victor's keys, and he'd repaid the favor by taking ours. None of us had thought much about his escape vehicle in the ensuing chaos. â€Å"Sloppy,' murmured Dimitri, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. â€Å"They should have switched cars.' â€Å"That's Sydney's,' I pointed out. â€Å"It's not technically stolen, so it's not on any police lists. Besides, something tells me Victor and Robert aren't hot-wiring pros like some people are.' We'd left a string of stolen cars across the Midwest. Dimitri nodded, like I'd actually just complimented him. â€Å"Whatever the reason, it helps us.' â€Å"How do we find them?' asked Sonya. I was about to suggest the aura plan but dismissed it. Robert would sense Sonya at the same moment, giving him brief warning. Plus, when we found the brothers, there'd likely be a fight. Doing it in the motel would attract attention. This parking lot was in back, away from the main road. â€Å"We wait,' I said. â€Å"It's amazing enough that they even stopped this long. If they have any sense, they'll leave soon.' â€Å"Agreed,' said Dimitri, catching my eyes. Souls in sync. The memory of that near-kiss returned, and I looked away, fearing what my face would betray. â€Å"The lot's easy to defend too. Not much room for escape.' It was true. The motel flanked one side, a concrete wall the other. There weren't many other buildings nearby either. He moved our car to the farthest spot he could in the lot, providing us with a full view of it and the motel's exit–but keeping us semi-concealed. We considered sitting in the car, but Dimitri and I decided we should wait outside, giving us more mobility. We left Sonya inside. This wasn't her fight. Standing behind the car with Dimitri, in the shadow of a leafy maple, I became acutely aware of his proximity and fierce warrior stance. He might be missing his duster, but I had to admit I liked the view of him I got without the coat. â€Å"I don't suppose,' I said softly, â€Å"that we're going to talk about this morning?' Dimitri's eyes were fixed so hard on the CR-V that he might have been trying to make Jill and the brothers materialize inside it. I wasn't fooled. He was just avoiding looking at me. â€Å"There's nothing to talk about.' â€Å"I knew you'd say that. Actually, it was a toss-up between that and â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† Dimitri sighed. â€Å"But,' I continued, â€Å"there is something to talk about. Like when you almost kissed me. And what did you mean about â€Å"the right thing'?' Silence. â€Å"You wanted to kiss me!' It was hard to keep my voice low. â€Å"I saw it.' â€Å"Just because we want something doesn't mean it's right.' â€Å"What I said †¦ it's true, isn't it? You can love, can't you? I realize now that right after the transformation, you really didn't think you could. And you probably couldn't. But things have changed. You're getting yourself back.' Dimitri gave me a sidelong look. â€Å"Yes. Things have changed †¦ and some haven't.' â€Å"Okay, Mr. Enigma. That doesn't help explain the â€Å"right thing' comment.' Frustration filled his features. â€Å"Rose, I've done a lot of bad things, most of which I can never fix or find redemption for. My only choice now, if I want to reclaim my life, is to go forward, stopping evil and doing what's right. And what is not right is taking a woman from another man, a man I like and respect. I'll steal cars. I'll break into houses. But there are lines I will not cross, no matter what I–‘ The motel's back door opening jolted us to attention. It was no wonder my love life was so messed up when the most profound and intimate moments were always being interrupted by dire situations. It was just as well because I had never, ever seen that line coming: What is not right is taking a woman from another man, a man I like and respect. New drama took precedence. Victor stepped outside, with Robert and Jill walking side by side behind him. I'd half expected to see her tied up and was surprised that she accompanied them so calmly. Too calmly, I soon realized. It wasn't natural. There was an almost robotic feel to her movements: she was being compelled into docility. â€Å"Compulsion,' said Dimitri quietly, recognizing it as well. â€Å"Go for Victor. I'll get Robert.' I nodded. â€Å"Jill will run as soon as the compulsion's broken. I hope.' I didn't put it past her to join our fight, which could cause more harm than good. We'd find out soon enough. Mercifully, no one else was around. It was still fairly early in the morning. Dimitri and I sprang out from our hiding spots, crossing the distance of the parking lot in a matter of moments. Two healthy dhampirs could outrace two old Moroi any day. And as crafty as they might be, the brothers hadn't expected us. In my periphery, I just barely saw Dimitri kicking into warrior god mode, fierce and unstoppable. Then, I focused entirely on Victor, throwing my full weight at him and knocking him to the ground. He hit hard against the asphalt, and I pinned him down, slamming my fist into his face and making his nose bleed. â€Å"Well done,' he gasped out. â€Å"I've been wanting to do that for a very long time,' I growled. Victor smiled through the pain and the blood. â€Å"Of course you have. I used to think Belikov was the savage one, but it's really you, isn't it? You're the animal with no control, no higher reasoning except to fight and kill.' I clenched his shirt and leaned him over him. â€Å"Me? I'm not the one who tortured Lissa for my own benefit. I'm not the one who turned my daughter Strigoi. And I'm sure as hell not the one who used compulsion to kidnap a fifteen-year-old girl!' To my disgust, he kept that maddening smile on his face. â€Å"She's valuable, Rose. So, so valuable. You have no idea how much so.' â€Å"She's not an object for you to manipulate!' I cried. â€Å"She's a–ahh!' The ground suddenly rolled up beneath me, a mini-earthquake centered around us. The asphalt bucked up, giving Victor the leverage to push me off. It wasn't a strong push, and I could have easily recovered my balance if not for the ground rippling and surrounding me, rolling like ocean waves to knock me over. Victor was using his earth magic to control the area where I stood. Faint cries of surprise told me others were feeling a little of it, but the magic was clearly focused on me. Not without cost, though. Victor was an old man–an old man I'd just shoved onto asphalt and punched. Pain and fatigue were all over him, and his labored breathing told me wielding magic this powerful–something I'd never seen an earth user do–was pushing every ounce of strength he had left. One good punch. That was all I needed. One good punch would knock him down and take him out of this fight. Only, I was the one being taken down. Literally. Try as I might, my personal earthquake got the best of me, knocking me to my knees. I was still in that stupid dress too, meaning my newly healed legs got scraped again. And once I was down, the asphalt rose around me. I realized Victor was going to ensnare me by creating a stone prison. I couldn't let that happen. â€Å"All that brawn for nothing,' gasped out Victor, sweat pouring off his face. â€Å"It does you no good in the end. Real power is in the mind. In cunning. In controlling Jillian, I control Vasilisa. With Vasilisa, I control the Dragomirs, and from there–the Moroi. That's power. That's strength.' Most of his smug tirade went over me. But part of it stuck: In controlling Jillian, I control Vasilisa. Lissa. I couldn't let him hurt her. I couldn't let him use her. In fact, I couldn't let him use Jill either. Lissa had given me a chotki, which was kind of a cross between a bracelet and a rosary. It was a Dragomir heirloom, bestowed upon those who protected the family. That was my duty: to protect all the Dragomirs. The old guardian mantra rang in my mind: They come first. With skill I didn't know I possessed, I sized up the shaking ground and attempted to stand again. I made it, practically dancing in that parking lot. And as I stared at Victor, I felt what Sonya had warned about: the catalyst. The spark that would ignite the darkness I'd gathered and gathered from Lissa. In looking at him, I saw all the evils of my life in one man. Was that entirely accurate? No, not exactly. But he had hurt my best friend–nearly killed her. He'd toyed with Dimitri and me, complicating what was already a mess of a relationship. He was now trying to control others. When would it end? When would his evil stop? Red and black tinged my vision. I heard a voice call my name–Sonya's, I think. But in that moment, there was nothing else in the world but Victor and my hate for him. I sprang at him, fueled by rage and adrenaline, leaping out of the epicenter of shaking ground that threatened to seize me. Once more, I threw myself at him, but we didn't hit the ground. We'd shifted position slightly, and instead, we hit the concrete wall–with just as much force as I might have thrown a Strigoi. His head bent back at the impact. I heard an odd cracking sound, and Victor slumped to the ground. I immediate dropped down, grabbing his arms and shaking him. â€Å"Get up!' I screamed. â€Å"Get up and fight me!' But no matter how much I shook him or yelled, Victor would not stand. He wouldn't move on his own. Hands grabbed me, trying futilely to pull me away. â€Å"Rose–Rose! Stop. Stop this.' I ignored the voice, ignored the hands. I was all anger and power, wanting– no, needing–Victor to face me once and for all. Suddenly, a strange sensation crept along me, like fingertips across my skin. Let him go. I didn't want to, but for half a second, it seemed like a reasonable idea. I loosened my hold slightly, just enough for those hands to jerk me away. Like that, I snapped out of the haze and realized what had happened. The person who'd pulled me was Sonya, and she'd used a tiny bit of compulsion to get me away and let go of Victor. She was strong enough in her power that she didn't even need eye contact. She held onto me, even though she had to know it was wasted effort. â€Å"I have to stop him,' I said, wriggling from her grasp. â€Å"He has to pay.' I reached for him again. Sonya gave up on physical restraint, appealing to words instead. â€Å"Rose, he has! He's dead. Can't you see that? Dead. Victor's dead!' No, I didn't see that–not at first. All I saw was my blind obsession, my need to get to Victor. But then, her words broke through to me. As I gripped Victor, I felt the limpness in his body. I saw the eyes that looked blankly at †¦ nothing. That crazy, churning emotion in me faded, transforming into shock. My grip slackened as I stared at him and truly understood what she had said. Understood what I had done. Then, I heard a terrible sound. A low wailing broke through the frozen horror in my mind. I glanced back in alarm and saw Dimitri standing with Robert. Robert's arms were pinned behind his back as Dimitri effortlessly held him, but the Moroi was doing everything in his power–and failing–to break free. Jill stood nearby, looking uneasily at all of us, confused and afraid. â€Å"Victor! Victor!' Robert's pleas were muffled by sobs and as useless as my own efforts to get Victor up. I dragged my gaze back down to the body before me, barely believing what I had just done. I'd thought the guardians had been crazy in their reaction to Eddie killing a Moroi, but now, I was starting to understand. A monster like a Strigoi was one thing. But the life of a person, even a person who– â€Å"Get him out of here!' Sonya was so near me that the unexpected exclamation made me wince. She'd been kneeling too but now jumped to her feet, turning toward Dimitri. â€Å"Get him out of here! As far as you can!' Dimitri looked surprised, but the powerful command in her voice drove him to instant action. He began dragging Robert away. After a few moments, Dimitri simply opted to toss the man over his shoulder and cart him off. I would have expected cries of protest, but Robert had fallen silent. His eyes were on Victor's body–their gaze so sharp, so focused that they seemed like they could burn a hole through someone. Sonya, not having my fanciful impression, thrust herself between the brothers and dropped to the ground again, covering Victor's body with her own. â€Å"Get him out of here!' she called again. â€Å"He's trying to bring Victor back! He'll be shadow-kissed!' I was still confused and upset, still appalled at what I'd done, but the danger of what she said hit me hard. Robert couldn't be allowed to bring back Victor back. The brothers were dangerous enough without being bonded. Victor couldn't be allowed to summon ghosts the way I could. Victor had to stay dead. â€Å"Doesn't he have to touch the body?' I asked. â€Å"To finish the bond, yes. But he was wielding tons of spirit just now, calling Victor's soul back and keeping it around,' she explained. When Dimitri and Robert were gone, Sonya told me to help her move the body. We'd made too much noise, and it was a wonder no one had come out yet. Jill joined us, and I moved without really being aware of what I was doing. Sonya found the keys to the CR-V on Victor and flattened the backseats to increase the rear cargo space. We crawled into it, the three of us having to hunch down to stay out of sight. We soon heard voices, people coming to see what had happened. I don't know long they were in the parking lot, only that they mercifully didn't search cars. Honestly? I had few coherent thoughts at all. That rage was gone, but my mind was a mess. I couldn't seem to get a hold of anything concrete. I felt sick and just followed Sonya's orders, staying low as I tried not to look at Victor's body. Even after the voices were gone, she kept us in the car. At last, she exhaled a deep breath and focused on me. â€Å"Rose?' I didn't answer right away. â€Å"Rose?' â€Å"Yeah?' I asked, voice cracking. Her voice was soothing and cajoling. I felt that crawling on my skin again and a need to please her. â€Å"I need you to look at the dead. Open your eyes to them.' The dead? No. My mind felt out of control, and I had enough sense to know bringing ghosts here would be a bad idea. â€Å"I can't.' â€Å"You can,' she said. â€Å"I'll help you. Please.' I couldn't refuse her compulsion. Expanding my senses, I let down the walls I kept around me. They were the walls that blocked me from the world of the dead and the ghosts that followed me around. Within moments, translucent faces appeared before me, some like normal people and others terrible and ghastly. Their mouths opened, wanting to speak but unable to. â€Å"What do you see?' asked Sonya. â€Å"Spirits,' I whispered. â€Å"Do you see Victor?' I peered into the swarm of faces, seeking anyone familiar. â€Å"No.' â€Å"Push them back,' she said. â€Å"Put your walls back up.' I tried to do as she said, but it was hard. I didn't have the will. I felt outside encouragement and realized Sonya was still compelling me. She couldn't make the ghosts disappear, but feelings of support and determination strengthened me. I shut out the restless dead. â€Å"He's gone then,' Sonya said. â€Å"He's either completely consumed by the world of the dead or is wandering as a restless spirit. Regardless, any lingering threads to life are gone. He can't come back to life.' She turned to Jill. â€Å"Go get Dimitri.' â€Å"I don't know where he is,' said Jill, startled. Sonya smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. â€Å"Close, I'm sure. And watching. Go walk around the motel, the block, whatever. He'll find you.' Jill left, needing no compulsion. When she was gone, I buried my face in my hands. â€Å"Oh God. Oh God. All this time, I denied it, but it's true: I am a murderer.' â€Å"Don't think about that yet,' said Sonya. Her take-charge attitude was almost comforting. Almost. It was easier to take orders than fend for yourself. â€Å"Deal with your guilt later. For now, we have to get rid of the body.' I uncovered my eyes and forced myself to look at Victor. Nausea welled up within me, and those crazy feelings spun even more out of control. I gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"Yes. The body. I wish Sydney was here. But we don't have any magic potions. The sun won't destroy him. Weird, isn't it? Strigoi are harder to kill †¦ harder to kill, easier to clean up.' I laughed again because there was something familiar about my rambling †¦ it was like Adrian in one of his weird moments. Or Lissa when spirit had pushed her to the edge. â€Å"This is it, isn't it?' I asked Sonya. â€Å"The flood †¦ the flood you warned me about. Lissa escaped spirit, but it finally defeated me †¦ just like Anna †¦ just like the dream †¦ oh God. This is the dream, isn't it? But I won't wake up †¦' Sonya was staring at me, her blue eyes wide with †¦ fear? Mockery? Alarm? She reached out and took my hand. â€Å"Stay with me, Rose. We'll push it back.' A knock at the window startled us both, and Sonya let Jill and Dimitri in. â€Å"Where's Robert?' asked Sonya. Dimitri glanced down at Victor and then promptly looked away. â€Å"Unconscious, hidden in some bushes around the corner.' â€Å"Charming,' said Sonya. â€Å"Do you think that's smart? Leaving him?' He shrugged. â€Å"I figured I shouldn't be seen carrying an unconscious guy in my arms. In fact †¦ yes, I think we should just leave him there. He'll wake up. He's not a fugitive. And without Victor, he's †¦ well, not harmless. But less harmful. We can't keep dragging him with us anyway.' I laughed again, that laugh that seemed unhinged and hysterical even to me. â€Å"He's unconscious. Of course. Of course. You can do that. You can do the right thing. Not me.' I looked down at Victor. â€Å"†An animal,' he said. He was right. No higher reasoning †¦' I wrapped my arms around myself, my fingernails digging into my skin so hard they drew blood. Physical pain to make the mental pain go away. Wasn't that what Lissa had always said? Dimitri stared at me and then turned to Sonya. â€Å"What's wrong?' he demanded. I'd seen him risk his life over and over, but never, until now, had he truly looked afraid. â€Å"Spirit,' said Sonya. â€Å"She's pulled and pulled for so long †¦ and managed to hold it back. It's been waiting, though. Always waiting †¦' She frowned slightly, maybe realizing she was starting to sound like me. She turned to Jill. â€Å"Is that silver?' Jill looked down at the heart-shaped locket around her neck. â€Å"I think so.' â€Å"Can I have it?' Jill undid the clasp and passed it over. Sonya held it between her palms and closed her eyes a moment, pursing her lips. A few seconds later, her eyes opened, and she handed me the locket. â€Å"Put it on.' Just touching it gave me a strange tingling in my skin. â€Å"The heart †¦' I looked at Dimitri as I fastened the clasp. â€Å"Do you remember that? â€Å"Where's the heart?' you asked. And here it is. Here it †¦' I stopped. The world suddenly became crisper. My jumbled thoughts slowly began to move back together, forming some semblance of rationality. I stared at my companions–the living ones–truly seeing them now. I touched the locket. â€Å"This is a healing charm.' Sonya nodded. â€Å"I didn't know if it'd work on the mind. I don't think it's a permanent fix †¦ but between it and your own will, you'll be okay for a while.' I tried not to focus on those last words. For a while. Instead, I tried to make sense of the world around me. Of the body in front of me. â€Å"What have I done?' I whispered. Jill put her arm around me, but it was Dimitri who spoke. â€Å"What you had to.'